Magic Eye Wars [Naruto Mega-AU]

[Ah!]

Chapter One: Theft​

The first punch hit Sasuke square between the shoulders and he was flung forward. Although he was nearly knocked prone, Sasuke focused and planted the toe of his right foot into the ground and clung to the pavement with chakra.

Using that leg as a pivot, Sasuke swung to face his attacker, activating his Sharingan and drawing two kunai as he did so. The second strike rattled Sasuke's skull as the attacker plowed his fist into the side of the boy's head.

Sasuke stabbed out at the man, for he seemed to be close enough for such an attack to easily land. Instead, the man opened the fist he had just struck Sasuke with and grasped the boy's outstretched arm.

Although Sasuke tried to wrestle himself away, stabbing viciously with his free hand, the assailant's grip was unwavering as he tossed Sasuke easily into a nearby wall.

For how light the throw had appeared, its force was brutal. The impact produced a sickening crack in the boy's core as several of his ribs were shattered and the air was knocked easily from his lungs.

There was no chance at recovery. The man dashed forward with nearly imperceptible speed and grasped Sasuke's upper arms, pinning the boy to the wall, before nailing him with a powerful knee thrust just below the ribs.

Blood spilt from Sasuke's mouth as he coughed and wheezed in reaction to the blow. His attacker removed his right hand from Sasuke's left arm and grasped the cuff of the boy's shirt.

The gloved hand of the man dug into Sasuke's throat as the boy gazed into the vast empty eyes of the attacker's Anbu mask. The bird styled mask returned his stare, studying the limp child with quiet mockery.

With his other hand, which was now coated in a humming aura of green chakra, Sasuke's attacker reached for the boy's right eye, in which the vibrant red of the Sharingan was already fading away.

Sasuke could do no more than wail as a thousand infinitesimal needles of chakra pinned his eyelids open as another thousand ripped his optic nerves to shreds. Like a feather from a dead hen, the man's hand plucked out Sasuke's eye and grasped it between his pinky and ring fingers.

Sasuke fought desperately for consciousness against the unbearable pain and the intensified asphyxiation by the gloved fist against his neck. It was a battle the boy soon lost, however. For as his world went dark with the loss of his second eye, his mind so went into the dark with it.

-----⨂----⨂-----

"Will he live?" Kakashi said as he mournfully contemplated the broken body of his student.

"Certainly, we'll have him awake by morning," The attending medic nin replied.

"Good," Kakashi nodded before dashing away. He could tell that the medic nin had more he wanted to say, but the Jonin had no time for such things.

Both he and the medic nin had been called to the scene by an Anbu agent who had found Sasuke crumpled to the floor only moments after the theft of his eyes was complete. The Anbu had pursued the assailant immediately. Now, Kakashi joined the hunt.

As he soared between the spires of Konoha without a sound, the great ninja activated the twin Dojutsu of his village, a Sharingan in his left eye and a Byakugan in his right. The left granted him pinpoint precision and overwhelming detail while the right allowed him to view a tremendous area and the movements of all chakra within it, even a few moments into the future. They were his greatest weapons and Kakashi was intent on using them to their fullest effect.

With its omniscient gaze, the Byakugan easily identified the Anbu engaged in a pitched battle with another man, whom Kakashi quickly profiled as Sasuke's attacker. Yet, there was something immensely unusual about the man.

The Byakugan typically was able to gaze into the internal chakra systems of shinobi, providing valuable insight into their next moves with its projections of the future. Only the Uchiha clan had resistance to this probing, yet this man's internal chakra flows were clouded to Kakashi's vision.

Praying that the man was not the only viable Uchiha candidate for such a crime, Kakashi redoubled his efforts to close the distance. Gathering lightning chakra, the Jonin flung himself forward like a heavenly spear, easily catching up to the dueling shinobi.

The pursued man immediately understood that his situation had deteriorated and quickly wove the shadow clone jutsu in response. Having split himself in twain, the two men briefly touched hands before expediently dashing away from Kakashi and the Anbu using a powerful air style jutsu.

Kakashi immediately rose to the insinuated challenge and took after the man who was fleeing directly across from him. The Anbu followed Kakashi's lead and launched into pursuit of the other copy of the man.

The air style jutsu was, however, more powerful than the Jonin had anticipated and it quickly became apparent that a jutsu of his own would be required to engage his target. Calling once again on his natural lightning style, Kakashi snapped forward to a rooftop in front of the fleeing assailant in a crash of thunder.

Although his flash step usually disoriented weak opponents, Kakashi was unsurprised when Sasuke's attacker was unperturbed and launched his assault on the Jonin immediately.

Redirecting the gales of wind around him, the man propelled himself down rapidly with a leg outstretched for a mighty kick. Kakashi reinforced his left forearm with chakra and bashed it into the side of the man's shin to deflect the attack.

The Jonin then struck out at the man's torso with his right arm but his opponent grasped this forearm and used the gales to wheel himself around Kakashi, setting the man up for a brutal knee to the back against the Jonin.

Kakashi threw his right arm backwards, distancing his opponent from himself sufficiently that the former was unable to complete his move. Reacting quickly, the man kicked out with the leg he had intended to knee with.

The speed of the adjustment was such that Kakashi was unable to evade fully and the powerful chakra reinforcement on the leg grazed his left shoulder, cutting through his clothes and into his skin. Such an injury did not concern him.

Kakashi dove close to the ground and rolled his torso, attempting to bash the man — who was still gripping his forearm — into the roof tile below. The man let go and allowed himself to roll across the roof.

Relentlessly pursuing the man, Kakashi coated his left arm in roiling lightning chakra and dove towards him. The lightning thrust the Jonin forward and he very nearly made contact with the lethal blade.

His opponent, however, employed a gust of wind to fling his feet from the roof and land comfortably on his hands, moving his core away from Kakashi's strike. He pivoted into a spinning kick, supporting his body weight on his right arm.

Kakashi redirected his attack towards the enemy's new position, the crackling lightning sheath shattering the ceramic tiles beneath his feet as he sprinted towards the other man.

The man quickly recognized that Kakashi was too low to the ground for his kick to connect and so he pulled out, bending his right arm before throwing himself into the air. Kakashi pursued.

One of his gales threw the man away from Kakashi as he swiftly slashed through the air with both his hands, creating a powerful cross of wind which shot towards Kakashi, carving up the rooftops as it sped over them.

Kakashi slid through the bottom right quadrant of the cross and discharged the lightning chakra on his left hand, sending a great bolt of energy arcing towards his enemy. Sensing an opportunity, the man advanced.

He flickered forward and launched into an attack similar to the one he had opened with, a powerful kick from above accelerated to frightening speeds by the gales of wind which still raged around the man.

Only now, thanks to his slide, Kakashi was in a less advantageous position to deflect such a blow. The Jonin rolled onto his stomach and picked himself up with his right arm and kicked off with the side of his right foot.

He pivoted around and prepared to execute his opponent's own knee to the back maneuver with his left leg. Unfortunately, the other man had deceived him effectively and at the last moment Kakashi's opponent pushed all the chakra which had been present in his leg for reinforcement out, creating a tremendous gust as he kicked the rooftop which catapulted the man away.

Kakashi released a simple flare jutsu in an attempt to ascertain the status of his Anbu partner before he used the power of his Sharingan to replicate his opponent's catapulting move with the exact same power and trajectory.

As he sailed through the air Kakashi glimpsed the green flare of victory rising over the rooftops of Konoha and was instilled with some confidence. Presumably, it meant that he had gone after the real man while the Anbu had pursued and defeated the shadow clone.

Kakashi briefly lamented that he had been outclassed by a mere Anbu before he steeled himself for the second engagement. The defeat of the shadow clone would mean that the man would have regained any chakra which was not expended in the duel between his shadow clone and the Anbu, granting the enemy a dangerous second wind.

Fortunately, Kakashi could see the Anbu approaching the area where his catapult of wind was set to land him. It was a relief, for the Jonin was unsure if he could manage the assailant at his full power without assistance.

The Anbu clearly signaled his intent to join Kakashi in his pursuit before taking off after their shared target, who had now put some distance between himself and the pair on the hunt.

Kakashi landed softly with the aid of another wind style jutsu before dashing as quickly as he could to catch up with the Anbu. It was not particularly difficult for the Anbu seemed to be going intentionally slow as to ensure that they were together before advancing on their opponent.

It was a sensible move considering the trouble the man at fifty percent of his strength had presumably given both of them, although the Anbu was so free of injury that it was almost suspicious.

As the Jonin came up beside the Anbu, the latter glanced over and noticed Kakashi's wound.

"Getting rusty, Kakashi?" The voice of a young man playfully jabbed, "You're the legend my generation was raised on, you know."

Before Kakashi could respond, the Anbu delivered a brutal punch to the back of his head and the Jonin tumbled out of the sky. Although the Byakugan should have given him some warning that the strike was coming in advance, it did no such thing.

Despite the nearly fatal strike, Kakashi recovered quickly and was able to land on his feet, albeit slightly off balance, on a nearby rooftop and assess the situation. The internal chakra signature of the Anbu had now vanished entirely and Kakashi understood that he was now on the defensive.

The copy of his opponent who was pursued by the Anbu must have killed the latter, taken his mask, replicated the signal flare, and masked his lack of an internal chakra signature temporarily. It seemed like a series of nearly impossible events, yet Kakashi had greater concerns than the plausibility of the scenario.

Immediately, it meant that the man he was facing might very well have been the real one. Although it would seem a poor decision to attack Kakashi if he was, the Jonin couldn't discount the possibility.

The gales of wind sprung up again around his opponent and the man shot towards the Jonin feet first. Kakashi could do little more than raise his arms, reinforce them, and brace himself as the great hammer of the enemy came down.

The force of the strike made Kakashi's arms quiver but he did not yield. The enemy flipped off Kakashi's arms, landed on his left leg, and immediately kicked out with his right. Kakashi squatted to duck under the thrust.

With his right arm, the Jonin punched up at the man's leg but he raised it and snapped back his shin to his calf, meeting Kakashi's fist with the sole of his foot. He swung at Kakashi's right shoulder with his left arm, rotating his whole body and falling forward — freeing his right foot of the obligation to block.

Kakashi stood on his left leg, sending his right knee towards his opponent's ribcage. Without regard for his safety, Kakashi's opponent completed his attack, connecting with Kakashi's upper right arm to devastating effect.

Kakashi too, however, connected his knee with the body of his opponent and after the sickening crack produced by the obliteration of a rib cage, the man exploded into smoke. Kakashi cursed himself for his foolishness; it had indeed been the shadow clone.

The Jonin turned to pursue the real man but suddenly became aware of the intense damage which he had sustained. His opponent's attack had left a crater in his arm which was rapidly spewing blood. Some brief experimentation demonstrated that he was unable to move his right arm entirely and despite himself Kakashi was quickly becoming light headed from blood loss.

Such handicaps would surely get him killed if he attempted to engage with such a powerful opponent and so Kakashi resigned himself to failure as he slumped down on the rooftop.

Being left with little else but to hope that Sasuke wouldn't mind him having survived but not succeeded, Kakashi whispered a quiet apology to the boy into the night.

 

[Ah!]

Chapter 2: Report​

Kakashi looked out at the Konoha Council assembled before him. The four weathered faces of the ancient councilors had hardened as the Jonin delivered his dire report. After a moment of silence, the Lord Hokage was the first to speak.

"Unthinkable," the venerable master of the village began, "not since the Great Turmoil has the sanctity of our village been violated so flagrantly. To think that I have grown so old to have been unable to crush this offender as he fled. My apologies for my inaction, Kakashi."

"Do not prostrate yourself before this boy, Lord Hokage. This is what the younger generation is for. We lead, they act," Danzo the Bat, the Hokage's foremost advisor, said as he glared at Kakashi with his ghastly vacant eye socket, "The only man at fault is you, Kakashi."

"I know, Lord Danzo. I accept full responsibility for the loss of the boy's eyes and any harm to the village that may come as a result."

"As you very well damn should! When the world learns of this they shall think of us as weak and we will find ourselves with a thousand knives at our throat. And for it to happen at a time when we willingly choose to bring the men holding the knives into our arms! It is an unprecedented disaster."

"Enough, Danzo," Hiruzen silenced the Bat, "The world knows that Konoha is mighty and the Chunin exam will only remind them. It is not a threat to us. What may be, however, is the man who stole young Sasuke's eyes and whatever organization he originates from. The power to avoid the future sight of the Hyuga at will is a fundamental security risk and we must be swift to identify the perpetrator."

"You say that the attacker was skilled in wind style, is that correct Kakashi?" Homura Mitokado spoke for the first time.

"Yes, Lord Homura. Whoever this man was, he had a remarkable skill in those arts."

"Then are the Uchiha of The Sand not the obvious culprits? Wind techniques are heavily practiced in those lands and they are surely still furious with us for the near complete extermination of their branch of the house."

"It was not nearly complete," Danzo spat, "I would stake my honor on having butchered every last Uchiha outside of the Land of Fire. Surely you have not forgotten what labors we put into doing just that in the wake of the Storm Campaign, Homura."

"No man could forget, Danzo. All I am suggesting is that we might have missed a few. It would make sense given the information we have, would it not?"

"Kakashi?" the Lord Hokage called on the Jonin, "What say you?"

"Unless he was deliberately attempting to mask his identity as an Uchiha, I seriously doubt it. Aside from the strange instance in which he deceived the Byakugan, which I would like to come back to momentarily, he did nothing which could be even remotely viewed as an attempt at Genjutsu. What Uchiha would fight without employing such techniques? I do not believe that Sasuke's attacker was from the Uchiha clan," Kakashi said.

"Is it unbelievable that an Uchiha would fight without Genjutsu with the specific intent to deceive us? It certainly seems a more plausible explanation than the alternative, that someone has developed a way to mimic the Uchiha's resistance to the Byakugan's future vision," Homura replied.

"Or perhaps that is simply what you want to believe because it makes you more comfortable, Homura," Danzo countered, "I would posit, however, that whether it was a real Uchiha or a man who had replicated their abilities, Suna is perhaps the most plausible candidate among the great shinobi nations for either. As their territory counts among the long abandoned ancestral lands of the Uchiha, there are numerous Uchiha burial sites scattered across that land from their generations of habitation from which keys to their abilities may be gleaned by one with enough skill in these matters."

"Your argument would appear quite convincing," The Lord Hokage contemplated, "Yet, do we have any evidence of such a skilled individual residing in Suna? I do not think of them as men of science and study."

"Within my knowledge I know only of a fairly obscure group of scholars from which Sasori of The Red Sands is descended. They serve the Kazekage directly and are responsible for the sustainment and management of Suna's Jinchuriki, among other matters. Though none of my intelligence would suggest that they have mastered the arts of transferring bloodline abilities, I do not think it would be beyond their grasp," Danzo said.

"With Sasori of The Red Sands being mentioned I believe it is also worth noting that the Akatsuki may very possibly be the responsible entity," Kakashi interjected, "Their power grows constantly and their hunger for eyes is insatiable. They would not miss the unique opportunity to exploit Sasuke's vulnerable position and, through Itachi, they would also have clear insight into just how vulnerable Sasuke really was. It is true that they have never before been so bold as to advance on a major village but if they have truly figured out a way to mask themselves from the Byakugan's future sight then it would make sense that they would make a move now."

"A confrontation with the Akatsuki would indeed be dire, yet I simply cannot see it. From what Jirayia has cataloged of their prior operations, they are less interested in seizing a single pair of eyes and are far more interested in slaughtering entire clans to gather all of their eyes and distribute them among their members. Unless Itachi himself has something to gain, I doubt that they would attack Sasuke alone," Hiruzen said.

"The reason that I bring up the Akatsuki as a potentially viable candidate is that even if Suna has managed to progress far enough in their study of bloodline abilities to replicate the power of the Uchiha, the man's ability to control whether his internal chakra signature is detectable seemingly at will is more than a simple replication, it is a qualitative improvement over the deception which the Uchiha wield. The only ones who I could imagine with such resources and skill are the Akatsuki."

In truth, there was another who Kakashi could imagine with the resources and skill to do such a thing but, being in front of the master of that man as he was, the Jonin didn't have the gall to accuse him of such a thing. Fortunately, the quiet Lady Koharu seemed to be thinking the very same thing and so voiced the thought for both of them.

"And Orochimaru," she said softly, "Orochimaru could do it."

Hiruzen frowned mightily as an impenetrable silence settled over the room. It was true and they all knew it, the Great White Snake could do it. Indeed, the myth of Orochimaru of The Sannin had grown to such mammoth proportions that even among senior shinobi it was often a nearly canonical belief that Orochimaru could accomplish any feat which he set his mind to.

The idea that Orochimaru had created such powers and given them to enemies of the village was shocking to entertain even for Kakashi, let alone for the four elders who had all had a hand in raising the Great White Snake. Despite his intense disagreements with Minato which had resulted in Orochimaru leaving the village after the former became Hokage, he was still a great hero of the village for his role in ending the Great Turmoil and winning the Storm Campaign. Not to mention that the village of Oto which he had founded after his departure had become a critical military and economic ally to Konoha.

"I cannot believe that it could be true," Hiruzen said, "Orochimaru would not do such a thing, he is no traitor."

"I feel the same, Hiruzen," Danzo agreed, "However, I do think that there is potentially a great deal to gain by consulting the Great White Snake. These are matters which are known to him far more than any of us. He may be able to grant us some clues into who might be responsible."

"If you wish, Hiruzen, we can summon him immediately," Homura said.

"Yes, thank you, Homura. I do indeed wish that. All that we can hope for is that he is currently capable of expediency, his sagely council would be most appreciated," Hiruzen nodded.

"Should Jirayia not also be summoned to a follow up meeting?" Kakashi asked, "His knowledge is surely as wide as Orochimaru's, if only in a different area."

"You are entirely correct, Kakashi. But to get the Sage to sit on a council of any kind will surely be a difficult task and with the Chunin exam soon approaching in combination with the fallout from this attack, I am afraid that I have little time to spare to make an attempt to convince him. I would ask you to do such a thing, but I assume that you are in a similar position," Hiruzen said.

"Regrettably, I certainly am."

"I am willing to take up this task," Danzo offered.

"Really, Lord Danzo? You surely must be busier than any of us," Kakashi replied.

"I am certainly quite busy, this is true. However, I believe that having Orochimaru and Jiraiya together will greatly magnify the effectiveness of our council. Besides, Jiraiya is the great pillar of this village's intelligence network and it would be of use to both of us to exchange what information we have gathered since we last talked."

"Thank you, Danzo," Hiruzen offered a thin smile, "With that being said, unless anyone has any final words, I believe that this meeting is finished. Thank you for your report and your efforts, Kakashi. I think that we are all sure to think on this deeply from now until we meet again."

"Actually, if I may, Lord Hokage, there is something that I would like to address," Kakashi said.

"Of course, Kakashi."

"Although I do not know for certain, I think it is very likely that, despite Sasuke's injury, my team will elect to participate in the Chunin exam anyway. While I, of course, do not ask for any special privilege for my team during the exam I would ask that if Sasuke is able to make it to the semi-final rounds he is rewarded with a full pair of magic eyes, for which I am certain that he will choose the Sharingan, rather than the single eye that would normally be his prize. I ask this not because I wish for him to have the power of two eyes but instead because I know that for Sasuke, his Sharingan were his pride and his confidence. As his teacher, I wish to ensure that those two things remain within him. I assure the council that this will not be a foolish investment; I believe that Sasuke has the potential to be truly great in the future. That is all, thank you."

Kakashi could see that Danzo was preparing to say something, a scathing criticism no doubt. Thankfully, however, Hiruzen spoke first.

"I sympathize with your feeling, Kakashi, but you must know that if the Hyuga and the Uchiha can agree on one thing only it is that as few eyes as possible must be distributed. However, I will call Hiashi and whoever can be found to speak for the Uchiha to me and attempt to push through your request. Thank you all for coming at this late hour, you are now dismissed."

"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Kakashi took his leave, quickly darting out of the Hokage residence.

Having no particular place to be until Sasuke awoke in the morning, Kakashi climbed further up the great towering oak on which the Hokage residence was perched and which was one of the dozen or so whose vast canopies covered the entire village below. The Jonin settled down on one of the numerous branches and looked down at the soft night lights of the village. For a handful of precious silent minutes, Kakashi simply watched the tiny forms of men and women on the streets going about their business for that night.

"Kakashi," an unmistakable voice called out from behind him.

"Yes, Lord Danzo?" the Jonin said in response, though he didn't turn around to face the man.

"Five years," Danzo began, "Five years you served in the Anbu. No failures. Another two years in Root, another perfect record. What happened to you Kakashi? I'll tell you what happened, that senile old monk who still sits on the throne reached his foolish hands into my organization and ripped you out. I lost an artery that day but it seems that you lost something much more significant. And you'd say I'm wrong for thinking that Hiruzen doesn't have the best interests of the village at heart. Maybe, just maybe, it would all be forgivable if you trained the greatest shinobi of this generation, but you didn't! Even when you don't reject those kids outright, they always grow into senseless vagrants. It's embarrassing, Kakashi. Now Hiruzen has so deluded himself into believing that you have any talent for this shit that he's entrusted you with the crown prince of the Uchiha and, the Sage of Lies himself be shocked, our Jinchuriki. What a calamitously awful decision. I tell you that man will be the ruin of us all. You know as well as I do that if Hiruzen really had the village's interests at heart he'd let Jiraiya train the Jinchuriki, the Uchiha boy's mother train him, and not waste resources on fools like that girl in the first place. But he doesn't do that, it's unbelievable! What's the reason Kakashi, did he tell you?"

Danzo paused to allow Kakashi time to respond. In truth, the Jonin completely agreed with, at the very least, the policy of giving Jiraiya full control over Naruto's education and he had no idea whatsoever why the Lord Hokage insisted on him training the boy. When Kakashi didn't reply, Danzo resumed his fury.

"And the way you spoke about the Uchiha boy in the council room? This is not your child, Kakashi, this is your student. If he has lost pride or confidence, give it back to him with a gentle hand or beat it back into him with a heavy stick. The very fact you would ask the council for this is proof enough that you should not have this responsibility. But regardless, I am not the minister of shinobi education and this is not a conversation about your lackluster teaching performance. Rather, it is about your lackluster combat performance. Both times you battled Zabuza of The Mist you sustained significant damage and were unable to kill him, a pitiful performance for a man of your caliber against a thug like him. Then again, tonight, you were injured to the point of being unable to continue your mission against a man who was, as far as we know, worthless street trash. When I make my plans, Kakashi, I've often assumed that I can rely on you to do difficult things that few other shinobi from this village can do. Your performance over the past several weeks has called into question whether or not I can rely on you. So tell me, if Suna was really responsible for this attack and we go to war over it, can I trust that Kakashi of The Sharingan will resume his place on the front lines, massacring enemies of this village like cattle? Or will you fail again and be injured to the point of inaction by a single man on the enemy side?"

"I don't know," Kakashi said.

"Well, you'd better figure it out, stupid boy. To fight and win is your duty, your purpose. If you're unwilling or incapable of carrying it out I encourage you to take the path of your old man."

With that, Danzo vanished into the night.

"Duty, huh?" Kakashi murmured to himself as he glanced down at his bandaged arm.

To die for the village, that was surely the only reason any common shinobi was born. But some, as Kakashi had seen throughout his life, had true destinies and proper lives ahead of them. As the Jonin turned his eyes away from his wound and down towards the city streets where, somewhere, Sasuke lay in a hospital bed, Kakashi felt in his heart that there was now a greater duty than death which awaited him.

 

[Ah!]

Chapter 3: Sages​

"It has been too long since we spoke. To what do I owe the pleasure, Lord Danzo?" Jiraiya smiled as the Bat stepped out of the darkness and into the center of the moonlight courtyard.

"Surely you know already, Jiraiya," Danzo said.

"Although I know that there has been a commotion, I am afraid that's all I could say."

"An unknown actor has stolen the eyes of Sasuke Uchiha."

"Ah. How rude of them to do such a thing. Well, has the old man finally killed his last good lad and sent you to call upon me to retrieve them?"

"Don't be full of yourself, Sage. No, that is not why I am here. Hiruzen has committed to holding a special security council to analyze the situation more carefully and determine what our next step might be. Your presence has been requested and I have to come to ensure that you attend."

Jiraiya laughed and stood from his meditation spot in the center of the courtyard.

"Well then, you'll have to make a convincing argument for why I am needed. Come, let us discuss this over tea in a civil fashion."

"I haven't the time for your foolish games."

"When you came to me in the flesh you knew full well you were committing all the time in the world. Now, what sort of tea do you favor?"

"I'll have whatever you're having," Danzo said.

"A rather uninspired choice but, I suppose, a safe one. Now tell me, who are your candidates for this culprit?"

As they walked from the courtyard to one of the many living spaces in Jiraiya's large estate, Danzo dedicated the details of Kakashi's battle report to the Sage. At the mention of Suna's potential involvement, Jiraiya's brow furrowed considerably. The report concluded as they reached their destination and as the Sage made tea the two men stood silently in thought.

"Allow me to tell you," Jiraiya said as the two settled down around a small circular table with steaming cups of tea in their hands, "About some concerning intelligence I have received from Suna as of late."

"Oh, do tell."

"I assume your intelligence network has, by this time, pinned down the identity of Suna's Jinchuriki?"

"Of course, Gaara of The Desert they call him. The brat makes no effort to make himself hidden."

"Indeed he does not and neither to the men of his village, evidently. Only last week, while Naruto and his friends were still off playing in the Land of Waves, a contact in my network intercepted a letter of furious bile addressed to the Kazekage about a certain decision that he had made. Though the sender talks around what the decision itself is, I believe that it can be fairly readily inferred from the context as well as some other information that I have gathered. First, for the sake of a third pair of eyes, I'd like you to take a look at a copy of the letter to see if you draw the same conclusions as I did."

Jiraiya held up his palm and a small red frog appeared in its middle in a puff of smoke. The Sage gently scratched the frog's head and as the small animal closed its eyes in bliss it opened its mouth and stuck out its tongue. Resting on the surface of the tongue was a small piece of paper. Jiraiya thanked the frog and it performed a small happy wiggle before disappearing once more.

"I'm afraid that I can't be a particularly good third set of eyes but, if I may ask, who was the second?" Danzo said as Jiraiya passed the paper across the table.

"Shikaku," Jiraiya replied as he took a sip of his tea.

"Well then, even if I had eyes they'd hardly count for anything," Danzo said as he gently passed his boney finger over the paper. Jiraiya had produced the copy in such a manner that the letters slightly bulged from the parchment, allowing it to be readable for the Bat.

"I wouldn't say that. Poor Shikaku nearly had an aneurysm reading this so I can imagine that his judgment might have been impaired."

"Well, I can certainly see why that might have happened to him. Do you believe it is certain that this letter is credible?"

"I do. The man responsible has produced writings in the past that have consistently foreshadowed the actions of Suna precisely. Although I am sure that the conclusion is as obvious to you as it was to me, I'd appreciate it if you voiced your conclusion just to confirm that we're both living in the world where Suna is doing something so monumentally stupid."

"They are sending their Jinchuriki to attend our Chunin exam," for all the shit the old Bat had trudged through in his life, perhaps nothing had been so purely idiotic.

"That they are, Lord Danzo. That they are. Either the Kazekage is suffering from a prolonged bout of insanity or they are preparing to attack us. I do not feel that there is any other viable explanation. Which possibility is more problematic, I do not know."

"I would be inclined to agree that those are the only two viable explanations for this action. If Suna truly intended to attack then the Sharingan would certainly assist them. A Kage with Sharingan would surely be a force to be reckoned with, especially when compared to our relatively weak upper echelons."

"I should not say that our upper echelons are weak! Our clan leaders are strong and the Uchiha, leaderless though they may be, are men and women born for war. Even if Hiruzen grows old, he remains the master of fifty thousand techniques. I would fear if the Prince of Blood wielded such eyes, but the Kazekage? We should survive, I think. But to return to the point, the greatest skepticism which remains in my mind is simply why they would go to the lengths to attack us at all. The Akatsuki are a more viable candidate in my mind simply on account of the fact that, at least at the moment, they do little more than seek power for power's sake. But Suna? They play the political game, as we all do. Attacking us would be a defeat on that front, not a victory."

"You should know by now, Jiraiya, that the political game is how men fight when they cannot fight. If Suna believes that acquiring a Sharingan gives them an advantage that we are unable to overcome, then I believe that they absolutely would attack us. A successful raid on Konoha, especially at the time of the Chunin exam, would yield numerous eyes and curry great favor with the Northern Coalition. It certainly would put them in a more advantageous position than they are currently."

"Indeed it would, although Konoha's retaliation would almost certainly snatch away any power which they had gained for themselves. What seems to me to be a more likely explanation for such a foolish move, however, is that they are being manipulated by a powerful outside force. Although the Akatsuki has yet to undertake an operation of this manner, it would seem to me to be in character for them to attempt to gain an advantage by manipulating another into doing much of the work for them. Imagine, what a spectacular way to launch their first assault on a major village! If that is the case, we are in dire straits indeed."

"I remain to be convinced that the Akatsuki has a man in their number who would be capable of replicating the bloodline powers of the Uchiha in the manner which has been described. We do know the identities of all the Akatsuki members, do we not?"

"I certainly know all their names, or at the very least what they call themselves within the organization. Most can be easily profiled as having been missing nin from one village or another but their leader, the illusive Pain, has evaded my profiling thus far I am afraid. Since his abilities are unknown, I suppose it's possible that he might have a gift for such things. Otherwise, I'm afraid, none of their members have anywhere close to the skill required. I do seem to recall that Orochimaru was briefly part of their organization in its younger, less brutish days. Although I cannot think Orochimaru would transfer this power willingly, I could easily imagine them having attained it somehow and developed it from the Great White Snake's design into the more advanced form Kakashi witnessed."

"It is possible, I do concede. Yet, I would stand with the theory that it was Suna's own design, especially considering this new intelligence that you have provided me."

"Oh, Lord Danzo, the movement of their Jinchuriki into our lands is not all. While his son begins the long and desolate march from Suna to Konoha, the Kazekage tours his lands — reaffirming his alliances and ensuring loyalty. Indeed, he seems to be purging his ranks of those who do not support him."

"I have been affected by this myself. It is always a shame when a corrupt official who is willing to sell out his nation for coin is removed from his post. As you insinuate, these certainly do seem to be actions of a man preparing for war."

"And the words he says in these meetings are all the more damning. I have reliable intelligence which suggests that as he approaches his vassals he speaks not of funds and tribute but of able-bodied men and arms."

"To think that he would be so brazen," Danzo murmured, "This information is invaluable Jiraiya, thank you for your efforts."

"To tell the truth, I am surprised that it was not in your possession already. Surely the purging of corrupt officials is not nearly enough to debilitate the great intelligence apparatus of Konoha."

"Such movements and actions are reported to me constantly in a disconnected fashion. I do recall hearing of some of these things, but your overview of the situation has increased my certainty that Suna is behind our current strife."

"If such a skeletal summary assists you so, I would encourage you to find a man to do it for you!" Jiraiya laughed, "In any case, I have issued all of my current thoughts and knowledge on this topic and I trust that you are fully capable of representing them eloquently and honestly at Hiruzen's council meeting. Feel free to leave once you've finished your tea."

"I would request your presence regardless, Jiraiya."

"And what, may I ask, could possibly be the reason for that? There is a reason I am not Hokage, Lord Danzo. I have neither talent for nor interest in these affairs. If the council decides to go to war I will fight and if we decide on inaction I will not act. This is a decision for the Lord Hokage alone to make."

"That may be true, but you are the spear of this village, Jiraiya! With Hiruzen aging into oblivion and Kakashi rusting away, you are far and away our most able-bodied combatant. When plans of security are being made, I wish to have the village's strongest man present to help preside over our decision making to ensure that it is realistic."

"If you seek the strongest man, then why not Hiashi Hyuga? He is certainly nearly as strong as I am and, unlike myself, has a mind for these things. No, there is another reason, is there not?"

Danzo sighed.

"Yes. We wish to have Orochimaru attend the conference also."

"I see. So you wish to have one of his fellow Sannin present to keep watch over him. It might be wise, the old man has always had a soft spot for the Great White Snake and has never been as discerning as he ought to be when ingesting Orochimaru's words. What I believe is far less wise, however, is inviting him here at all. While I grant that we will almost certainly call on the forces of Oto if we do truly commit to war with Suna, inviting him now seems like a major overreaction. Not to mention that if Suna detects his movements they shall know that we have caught onto them if war truly is their intention."

"Firstly, I believe that it holds true for both of us that we can hardly track Orochimaru's movements. If we cannot do it, I should like to see Suna make the attempt. As for why we would invite him here, I believe it is undeniable that of all the men in the world, the Great White Snake would have the most insight into how the Uchiha power may be replicated in the manner which we saw and who may have done it. At the moment, above all else, these are the questions that we wish to answer. Furthermore, it is also worth considering that if we manage to get Orochimaru himself on board we gain for ourselves another man equal to you in strength. From the perspective of war planning, I cannot tell you how invaluable such a resource would be.

"It sounds to me as though you are already planning to go to war, Danzo," Jiraiya frowned, "I was under the impression that this was a council about determining guilt, not passing the sentence."

"Yes, of course," the Bat replied, "And that is precisely why you are needed. I wish to see the two great sages of Konoha back together and draw on this wisdom and knowledge of both. Come Jiraiya, sit on this council, and take your rightful place as a leader of this village."

As he sipped his tea, the Sage considered the situation. It seemed apparent that the Bat was intent on starting a war with Suna though, perhaps, not without good reason. Hiruzen would surely be against it, as he always had been. Although, Jiraiya figured that the intelligence he had given Danzo, if presented properly, could very easily forward the case for war. They would surely call Shikaku to council as well, it would be a comical error to neglect to invite the man placed in charge of security to a security conference. Shikaku, like Hiruzen, favored the avoidance of war though, Jiraiya expected, not entirely for humanitarian reasons. The wildcard was, of course, Orochimaru.

In his youth, the Great White Snake had been ambivalent to war. He regarded such things as he regarded the rains or the tides, they were simply bound to occur. But the Sage hadn't spoken to his old teammate since he left the village over a decade ago and it had been far longer since they had meaningfully discussed their worldly views. As far as Jiraiya was concerned, it was very well possible that Orochimaru could support any imaginable position. The Sage sighed and conceded that for the sake of ensuring that any warmongering spirit which had emerged in his old friend was properly suppressed, he would have to sit on the council.

"Very well, Danzo. I will do it," Jiraiya said.

"Excellent. I am certain that Hiruzen will appreciate it. I look forward to seeing you boys back together," Danzo smiled before finishing off his tea in a single gulp and standing up, "Thank you for the tea, Jiraiya. It was of the highest quality."

The Bat walked back into the dark hallway from which the pair had come and quickly bled into the night. Jiraiya remained sitting by the table and pondered Danzo's parting words. Surely, when Danzo recalled the Sannin, the old bat pictured the three of them standing grandly on the ramparts of the Fortress of Storms. Having won the brutal battle, the three teens had waited for the arrival of the rest of Konoha's forces. Jiraiya could still close his eyes and picture the scene perfectly, they had spent so much time staring out at it as they stood stoic, soaked in the blood of a thousand Uchiha and assaulted by the unending frigid rains of the Land of Storms.

It was the day that Danzo Shimura had christened them Sannin and it was the last day that the three had ever fought together. After all, who could trust Jiraiya after he'd butchered a hundred surrendering men, who could trust Orochimaru after his snakes had indiscriminately devoured the children of the fortress, and who could trust Tsunade after she'd bashed open the bodies of so many innocents? It seemed that Danzo and Hiruzen could, but Sannin themselves could not. When the Bat wished to see Jiraiya and Orochimaru back together, the Sage feared that he wished to again see those two boys on the ramparts, standing proud in slaughter. It was not a past he could afford to return to, not anymore.

-----⨂----⨂-----

A great bell rang out over Orochimaru's head, a signal that a matter which he needed to address had presented itself. One of the Great White Snake's numerous shadow clones which presided over his laboratories was dispatched to resolve the situation. The shadow clone stepped into one of the numerous reverse summoning circles that he had set up around the Land of Sound and was transported to the Screen of Knowledge.

A massive paper screen enchanted with fuinjutsu to be stronger than iron, Orochimaru ruled from behind the Screen of Knowledge, his subjects rarely seeing more than his silhouette. For the Great White Snake, it was an ideal arrangement. His people remained in awe of his mysterious power and he remained unbothered by their foolish worldly ills. Addressing such minor things was, after all, why he had men in the employ of his government.

"Great Lord Orochimaru! Your Eternal Highness graces my pitiful mortal soul with your presence!" The bowing man on the other side of the screen addressed him, "Please see it fit to accept this message into your divine realm!"

"Of course, child. Thank you for your services."

The man pushed the letter through a small slot at the base of the screen. Orochimaru snapped his fingers and a simple wind jutsu carried the letter into his hand.

"It has been a great honor to witness your unending form! All hail Lord Orochimaru!" The man said.

As Orochimaru activated the reverse summoning gate once more, he heard the final shout being echoed by numerous individuals on the other side of the screen. It was a strange habit of men, the Great White Snake reflected, to defy that which was beyond their minds. Were he younger and more willing to put up with the foolish minds of common men, Orochimaru certainly would have protested mightily against such a thing. Yet now, jaded to the world beyond his laboratory as he was, Orochimaru wasn't particularly bothered by it. Indeed, it certainly made ruling a much simpler task. After all, who would be foolish enough to challenge a divine being?

As he gazed down at the letter he had received, the Great White Snake couldn't help but be slightly taken aback. Emblazoned on its front was the seal of the Hokage's office with the chakra signature of Hiruzen Sarutobi verifying its authenticity. It was a nostalgic chakra for him, a presence that had dominated his formative years.

Contained within was a very simple request: travel to Konoha and attend a council on village security as an advisor. Orochimaru smiled. He couldn't have been more pleased.

 

[Ah!]

Chapter 4: The Fool​

"Augh! My eyes!" Sasuke clutched at his vacant eye sockets as a sharp pain shocked his core. With a tensed body he awaited the next blow from the masked man. Yet, it did not come. As the fog of panic slowly receded from his mind, Sasuke became aware of the fact that his eye sockets were not empty. They had been filled.

Slowly, Sasuke lowered his hands from his face and opened his eyes. The world was there waiting for him. He could see. However, the environment he found himself in quickly forced Sasuke to internalize that the theft of his eyes had indeed happened. The oppressive white walls of Konoha's general hospital surrounded him, suffocating any hope that he might have had. It became clear, as he looked down at himself, that the pain he had experienced upon awakening had come from jolting upright to what certainly must have been the protest of his shattered rib cage. Sasuke could only hope that he hadn't injured it further.

After staggering out of his bed, Sasuke began to shuffle towards the mirror on the wall which hung over a small sink. As he took shaky steps towards it, Sasuke evaluated the damage to his body. Despite what had felt like overwhelming injuries as he had received them, he didn't have any struggles with basic movement, though he was certain that he was in no shape for even the lightest of training. As he reached the mirror and rested his hands on the stone countertop, a nurse tentatively opened the door. When she saw Sasuke seemingly awake and well, her face lit up before it immediately dimmed again as she processed that he was out of his bed

"Master Sasuke! Please remain in your bed, you're not fully healed!" She exclaimed

Sasuke ignored her increasingly agitated pleas as he stared into the mirror. His eyes were different now. The shining onyx pupils of the Uchiha clan, the dark shutters which obscured the insurmountable power of the Sharingan beneath, were gone. They had been replaced by a set of leaf green common eyes. Some part of Sasuke would have preferred to be blind. Slowly, he retreated back to the bed and allowed himself to be ushered back under the blankets by the nurse. As she did so, she gently comforted him and assured him that his team would come to visit him soon. Though under different circumstances the boy might have been thankful for such a gesture, he couldn't help but feel ambivalent about whether he was visited or not.

To restore the Uchiha clan to greatness, that was the reason he had been born — or so Sasuke's mother had always told him. To overcome the treason of his brother and the follies of clan leaders past. That had been Sasuke's destiny. Now, it was merely idle fantasy.

Sasuke thought back to the first day he had been assigned his teammates. Kakashi had brought the three out to the academy's rooftop and forced them to share their goals and dreams for the future. To be the greatest Uchicha who had ever lived, that had been his objective. How foolish he felt now.

-----⨂----⨂-----

"Sasuke!" Naruto was, predictably, the first member of Team Seven to make his way through the door, "Jiraiya told me that some bastard stole your eyes! Who was it? I'll beat him up!"

Naruto's thunderous entrance threw Sasuke from his mournful vigil and the blonde boy's stupid grin injected the first positive feeling he had felt in some time into Sasuke's heart.

"Hey, Naruto," Sasuke managed to offer a weak smile.

"I thought you'd be hungry, so I brought you this!" Naruto practically leaped from the door to Sasuke's bedside and presented him with a large covered porcelain bowl that was warm to the touch. As soon as the bowl was out of Naruto's hands and into Sasuke's, Sakura whacked the blonde boy over the head.

"We were supposed to give him the gifts all at once, dumbass!" She yelled before glancing over at Sasuke, smiling warmly, and saying in a much softer tone "Hey Sasuke, are you alright?"

"I'm alright," Sasuke said as he glanced to the back of the room where Kakashi silently loomed. Kakashi met his gaze and, from the defeated look in the Jonin's eye, Sasuke could tell that it was an intentional decision.

"Well you know, if someone brought me food, I'd want them to give it to me before anything else. I mean, everything is better on a full stomach, right?" Naruto muttered. Sasuke tended to agree, actually.

Sakura whacked Naruto again.

"Since we're doing everything willy-nilly," Sakura said as she glowered at the blonde boy, "Here, Sasuke! I got you flowers!"

Sakura produced a lovely vase filled with an assortment of vibrant and beautiful flowers.

"Thanks," Sasuke said as he removed the lid from the bowl and a pillar of steam collided directly with his face. Under normal circumstances, he might have been annoyed, but the food smelled so good that any disgruntlement he might have had vanished immediately.

Sakura quickly rushed the vase over to the bedside table and began to arrange it such that all of the prettiest flowers faced Sasuke. It was, admittedly, quite nice.

Naruto silently handed Sasuke a pair of chopsticks for his ramen as Kakashi carefully approached and placed his gift at the foot of the bed. An ancient tome that seemed to be held together more by prayers than by any material thing.

"It's old, be careful with it," Kakashi said.

Sasuke nodded idly. However, something had caught his attention as the Jonin had leaned down to place the gift on the bed. Although Kakashi wore his regular uniform, his right arm appeared to be hanging completely limp at his side.

"What happened to you?" Sasuke asked.

A silence came over the room. Naruto ceased his usual fidgeting and Sakura turned away from adjusting her bouquet. Sasuke and Kakashi stared at each other. The boy could tell that the Jonin was studying his new eyes. Though it was obscured, Kakashi's face seemed just as pained as his has been. The silence lasted until Kakashi spoke.

"He was good, Sasuke. Maybe better than me."

The air of false normalcy evaporated as soon as the words left Kakashi's mouth. Sasuke slowly set the steaming bowl aside and placed his head in his hands.

"Don't worry Sasuke! We'll get him no matter what!" Naruto made an attempt to ease the tension.

"Naruto," Kakashi gently chided, "That's not what this is about."

"Oh, sorry," Naruto slowly shrank away and returned to fidgeting, though now it was the anxious kind.

"Sasuke," Sakura attempted an approach, "Don't worry, it will be ok."

"It will be ok?" Sasuke glared up at her from between his tensed fingers, the fire of the Uchiha still burning from behind his common eyes, "It will be ok? What a stupid fucking thing to say! No, it won't fucking be ok! I've got the value of a hung corpse now, Sage of Lies burn it all!"

Though she seemed as though she was about to place her hands on Sasuke's shoulders in a gesture of support, Sakura rapidly backed off on the verge of tears. Naruto, for his part, looked angered at the comment.

"The value of a hung corpse, are you stupid? I remember how you tore it up at the academy, you were number one in everything dude! And you learned all those fancy techniques too! Even without the eyes, you're still brilliant!"

Sasuke reached out, snatched Naruto's collar, and dragged the boy's face down to his. Tears welled in the corners of Sasuke's eyes.

"I tore it up. At the academy? Do you hear yourself? There are real monsters out there, Naruto! The world is not the academy. Have you already forgotten the last mission we went on? I needed the Sharingan just to see that damn boy's attacks! I couldn't even beat him. I couldn't take a single fucking step outside the walls of this village without the Sharingan and now they're gone. I have nothing, I am nothing."

"You're definitely stupid," Naruto said as Sasuke let go of the blonde boy's collar.

"Sasuke, that's enough," Kakashi said before Naruto attempted to help any more than he already had, "You're easily the most naturally talented student to pass through the Academy since Neji Hyuga and I've heard men compare that boy to Lord Hashirama in his younger days. There hasn't been an Uchiha of your caliber in years. Even with their eyes, you'll easily surpass the rest of your generation. I don't want to hear that drivel from you, Sasuke. You will be a great shinobi. I will be sure of it, at any cost."

Kakashi leaned toward Sasuke and reached out, gently placing his hand on the boy's.

"It's not going to be ok if we sit around and do nothing, but we're not going to sit around and do nothing. Remember, you've still got a shot."

Sasuke nodded hesitantly and took in a deep breath to calm his nerves. Wiping away whatever tears had forced themselves out, the boy steeled himself as he looked back up at the Jonin.

"Yeah, the Chunin exam."

"I've already discussed this with Naruto and Sakura. They're prepared to do it if," Kakashi wasn't able to finish his sentence before Sasuke answered.

"Absolutely."

Naruto grinned wide. The boy offered his hand and Sasuke grabbed it firmly.

"I'll kick Neji's ass and win you those eyes, I swear it!" Naruto proclaimed.

"You won't need to. I'll do it myself," Sasuke allowed himself to return the grin.

"Well then," Kakashi's smile of approval could be seen through his mask, "Naruto, Sakura, you two know what to do! I'll stay here and get Sasuke up to speed. Good luck, you two. There's a lot of work to do."

Naruto and Sakura nodded and turned to leave. As they were about to exit the room, Sakura turned around and cast one final look at Sasuke. Suddenly, the boy felt a wave of guilt run over him.

"Wait, you guys," Sasuke looked down at his bed as the two turned to face him, "I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"It's ok Sasuke. I," Sakura began in a sweet tone.

"No problem!" Naruto interrupted with a toothy smile and a thumbs up.

Sasuke let out something between a chuckle and a snort as Sakura whacked Naruto over the head for a third time and the boy smiled at them as his two teammates left the room, laughing and waving as they went.

After they were out of sight, Sasuke turned to Kakashi.

"Was he really better than you?" The boy asked.

"I think so, yes. It doesn't excuse my failure, though. I am truly sorry, Sasuke. I swear to you on my life that I will find that man and kill him for what he has done."

"Thank you, Kakashi. So, what do we begin with?"

The boy's eagerness obviously energized the Jonin, whose eyes became lit with a spark Sasuke hadn't seen in them for some time.

"This," Kakashi said, handing Sasuke the ancient tome which he had given to him, "It is a volume on the shinobi swordsmanship. I believe that following its advice can help provide you with the advantage that you need. I know that you're in no position to be training yet, but I recommend reading through the opening parts of the book. Even without performing the exercises, I believe you'll get a lot out of it. I'm afraid I'll have to return another time to talk at length about my training plans, I believe your mother wishes to see you."

"That," Sasuke said, "I'm sure she does."

"I will see you soon Sasuke, rest well," Kakashi smiled once more before he left the room.

Sasuke stared down at the faded cover of the tome and nodded to himself — an affirmation that perhaps hope remained after all.

-----⨂----⨂-----

"You are a fool, Sasuke," Mikoto spared no pleasantries, "To attempt the Chunin exam in your current condition with these common eyes is an unfathomable blunder. You will die or be seriously injured and your life will be wasted. I implore you to wait another year."

"To flee an unwinnable fight is not the Uchiha way, such pedant strategy is for Hyuga. An Uchiha fights all of his battles and is victorious regardless of circumstance," Sasuke quoted the traditional piece of Uchiha wisdom, which Mikoto had worked so hard to drill into Sasuke's impressionable mind, back at her.

"An Uchiha is defined by the Sharingan in his head and the flame of Madara in his heart. With these he will be indomitable," Mikoto produced another piece of traditional Uchiha wisdom in response, "You have neither. Now is not the time to think like a great warrior, now is the time to think like a common man. Be wise, Sasuke!"

It was a biting remark on many levels. To be accused of having lost the flame of Madara in his heart was often said to be like a first death for any true Uchiha. To have it stated as fact by one so knowledgeable in such matters was surely something worse. It also confirmed that the loss of his Sharingan told others the same thing that Sasuke himself had already concluded. Namely that, at least temporarily, his destiny had to be deferred.

"So what would you have me do? Languish as a Genin for another year as I am passed up in rank and skill by my peers? If I am to be the leader of this clan one day, I cannot stand for it."

"If you are to be the leader of this clan one day, I cannot stand for you getting yourself killed. Being but a year behind your peers in rank will not affect your status or respectability. You shall all be Jonin eventually and once that happens rank will play no bearing in the calculations of any man, you will be judged solely on your strength and your character. Does any man of the village respect Neji Hyuga less for his comparative tardiness to the rank of Chunin? If you truly dedicate yourself to another year of training, you shall be the Neji Hyuga of the next year — an unstoppable juggernaut feared by all your enemies. I am certain that Kakashi is willing to train you in this manner and if he is not then I certainly am. Live Sasuke, for the sake of the Uchiha."

"I will live, I will make Chunin, and I will win new eyes for myself. For the chance of that alone, I must do it."

"You may have a chance to win one eye, I concede. But win two? You haven't a chance, boy. I heard what Kakashi said. Jiraiya will finally be training his boy. Do you think you have a shot against that? Not to mention that even if you somehow overcome a student trained by Konoha's greatest shinobi, that Hyuga prodigy will surely crush you. It would reflect on us poorly if you were utterly defeated by their kind in front of the world. If you prepare for another year, you will surely be able to climb to the top and reclaim your full strength."

"I must do it," Sasuke said with an attempt at finality.

"And what happens if you fail? What happens if you are bested in the first round of the final trial? You will have made it to Chunin but without any eyes and without any chance of acquiring replacements. You have reached the age where you must consider these things, Sasuke. You will not always be victorious," Mikoto paused and pondered for a moment before continuing, "If I am to let you take this Chunin exam, Sasuke, you must answer this question for me: what will you do if you are unable to acquire eyes? How will you rule the clan of the Sharingan without Sharingan?"

"I don't know, but I will. I will take control of this clan, make its leaders recognize me as great, kill my traitorous brother, and restore this clan. I will do it no matter how many Sharingan I have, for that is my purpose, and I will achieve it," Sasuke said.

In truth, his bravado was mostly illusory. He hoped that such a firm willful commitment would allow his mother to feel that Sasuke was satisfactorily invested in the grand goal of restoring the Uchiha clan and guiding it back to glory. Really, Sasuke had no idea what he would do if he did not win back at least one Sharingan but there was something in his heart that told him that he simply could not afford to wait another year. He couldn't help but feel that backing off now would cause him to lose something essential, even if he could not identify what that was.

"To defeat Itachi without the Sharingan is an impossibility. Surely you must know this. Yet, if you have such faith in your abilities, perhaps I will permit it. Just remember, you were born to conquer, Sasuke. Do that."

With that, Mikoto made her exit, leaving Sasuke alone with his contemplations.

 

[Ah!]

Chapter 5: A Novel Approach​

"Old man!"

Jiraiya pulled himself from his meditation and looked up at the blonde boy who stood before him. Naruto seemed to have been possessed by an intense passion, his energy elevated above even his regular levels. A result of visiting his friend in the hospital, Jiraiya assumed.

"You've got to train me! I need to get stronger so that I can beat everyone in the Chunin exam and win Sasuke a new pair of eyes!" Naruto enthusiastically punched the air in front of him as he spoke.

"You certainly will have to get stronger to do such a thing," Jiraiya said as he stood, "But fear not! I know just the thing to elevate you above all other competitors! Best of all, it is a method that only you could reasonably employ. Now, come with me, we have much work to do!"

Although the circumstances that led to it were ultimately unfortunate, Jiraiya was grateful to have the opportunity to train his godson in the proper manner. Hiruzen had long insisted that it was a necessity for Naruto's healthy development that he was allowed to take his own path, learning at a natural pace alongside his peers. Jiraiya admittedly saw some logic in the decision; there was nothing that spelled doom more thoroughly for a village than being distant from its own Jinchuriki. To go for the academy for that reason, the Sage understood. But to go through Genin training in the typical manner? The traditional shinobi training was, first and foremost, designed to ensure that anyone who completed it had a team of individuals whom he or she trusted absolutely. There was no time for hesitancy and doubt in battle. Naruto, of course, was a different case entirely. The Jinchuriki did not need men that he could trust, for he was a village unto himself. For combat performance, all that truly mattered was education in the proper utilization of his abilities; anything else was foolish.

Jiraiya had planned a truly extensive curriculum to develop Naruto's strength and acclimate him to the role that he would be forced to play. After all, the role of the Jinchuriki of the village was a political one just as much, if not more, than it was a military one. Yet, when he had presented the plan to an assembled council of the leaders of the village, despite approval from nearly all parties, it was rejected by Hiruzen.

"The boy is too young for such matters," the Lord Hokage had said.

Old enough to kill, yet not old enough to learn how to do it properly. It was a mindset that Jiraiya felt could come only out of absolute poverty of thought on the matter. Perhaps the old man felt that his grooming of Orochimaru to take up the office of Hokage had been what distanced the Great White Snake from the world and did not wish to repeat that mistake. It was a faulty conclusion; the distance had always been there, resting far behind Orochimaru's eyes. Hiruzen just hadn't wanted to see it.

-----⨂----⨂-----

"Aw man, I didn't think I'd have to read!" Naruto exclaimed as he stared at the massive scroll which the Sage had laid before him.

The pair now stood in one of the numerous large rooms in Jiraiya's manor, an area that the Sage had prepared specifically as a center for Naruto's learning. Here, he had placed a large blackboard on the wall to draw informative diagrams as well as gathered all manner of shinobi texts which contained a vast breadth of knowledge across all well documented disciplines. Jiraiya could only hope that his godson would learn something from at least some of them.

Regardless of the reason for Hiruzen's qualms, it meant that the Sage now had to make an attempt to compress a curriculum that he had hoped to span six months into six weeks, split between the two prior to the start of the exam and the four given for preparation before the finale. It was something of a troubling circumstance, although in truth the situation was not as bad as that simple comparison made it out to be. The two primary positive factors which Jiraiya identified were that many of the absolute fundamentals that the Sage had planned to teach Naruto had already been done for him and that Naruto would have a team to move through the Chunin exam with him — something which, under his previous plan, Jiraiya had expected him to go without.

Nonetheless, the Sage knew that it would certainly be a difficult task, and the first hurdle could potentially be the most significant.

"This technique is the cornerstone of this entire training method, Naruto," Jiraiya insisted as he pointed the boy to the correct section of the scroll, "You must master it!"

"The Shadow Clone Jutsu," Naruto read off the section header, "Why do I need another clone jutsu? I can already do one, kinda."

"Oh Naruto," Jiraiya laughed, "This is a very different sort of clone jutsu. It was developed by the great ninjutsu master Lord Tobirama Hyuga both for intelligence gathering and for the safe employment of suicidal tactics. These two design goals together gave the clones two characteristics that are essential for our training strategy. Indeed, it is such a good match that you cannot help but feel that Lord Tobirama had our very use case in mind when he developed it, though I admit there is no documentation of him saying as such. These two characteristics are, to simplify slightly, memory retention and tangibility. Starting with the first, as you may be able to imagine, a clone intended to gather intelligence is not very useful if there isn't some way to transmit the intelligence from the clone to the user. When the clone expires, whether through being sufficiently damaged or being dispelled intentionally," Jiraiya turned to the blackboard behind him and began to draw a diagram which featured a simple stick figure with two arrows originating above his head, each pointing to yet another stick figure, "All the knowledge which the clone gathered will be instantly transmitted to you and it will be as if you lived through both paths."

To finish his diagram, Jiraiya drew an arrow from each of the two stick figures to a fourth and final figure which was positioned again above them. The Sage seemed prepared to launch into the next segment of his explanation, but as he turned to face the boy he saw that Naruto had his hand raised in the air.

"Yes, Naruto?" Jiraiya asked.

"So how does the clone know what to do? How do you get it to do what you want?"

"A good question, Naruto! No, it does not require any input on your part because the clone behaves exactly as you would if you had done what it was doing."

"Hmm," Naruto pondered the idea, "So, like, if my clone talked to my friend, it would be like they were talking to me?"

"They wouldn't know the difference," Jiraiya affirmed.

"Isn't that kinda weird?"

"I don't see why it should be. Imagine that the shadow clone jutsu just makes copies of you and that someone is talking to a perfect copy of you. Moreover, once the shadow clone is dispelled you would feel as though you had the conversation. Nobody misses out on anything."

"Do the shadow clones know that they're clones?" Naruto asked, sounding genuinely troubled.

"I do believe so, yes. In any case, the actual mechanics of the jutsu are beyond the scope of our discussion here. If you at any point find yourself with a burning desire to learn more about this technique, I suggest speaking to the Lord Hokage. He became much closer with Lord Tobirama in the great shinobi's later years than I ever did and learned the deeper secrets of his jutsu directly from him."

Naruto nodded thoughtfully as though he was considering the possibility, though Jiraiya quite doubted that he actually was.

"In any case, the second major characteristic of the shadow clone is its tangibility. As you know, the standard clone is an illusion and cannot interact with anything," To demonstrate his point, Jiraiya wove a simple clone jutsu and put his hand through the head of the clone which appeared at this side, "In contrast, the shadow clone is a physical entity, has chakra, and can perform shinobi techniques."

Jiraiya dispelled the simple clone and created a cross out of his index fingers, summoning a shadow clone in its place. To demonstrate the physicality of the shadow clone, Jiraiya attempted once more to put his hand through it but was stopped when the other Jiraiya grabbed his wrist to stop him before he reached the clone's head. The clone then seemingly dispelled itself.

"The key to our training method will involve combining both of these characteristics. Imagine, if you would for a moment, that rather than training something like chakra control by repeating an exercise over and over if instead, you were to have one hundred copies of you doing that exact same thing over and over. You would be able to train one hundred hours in one hour, one hundred days in one day. That is our plan," Jiraiya smiled and Naruto returned the grin.

"Awesome! Let's get started!" The boy declared, seemingly enthused to parse a scroll for the first time in his life.

"A final word of warning before we begin," Jiraiya said, "While your seal keeps the vast majority of the Kaju's chakra trapped within your core, the sheer compression of such a tremendous amount of chakra results in some being able to waft off, almost like steam from a boiling pot of water. Normally, your chakra reserve would prevent this excess chakra from moving beyond your core. However, when your chakra reserves are low, this chakra can escape, both empowering and potentially influencing you. I believe that this is the form of Meju chakra release that you used in the Land of Waves, though we will return to that once our training begins properly. What is important here is that when you cast the shadow clone jutsu, at least while you're still mastering it, all of your chakra will be equally distributed among the clones. The Kaju's chakra, on the other hand, will remain entirely in your original body. This means that creating too many clones will have a similar effect as depleting your chakra reserves, thereby opening you up to the Kaju's influence. For this reason, I recommend only ever creating one clone the first time you use the jutsu, leaving your original body with half your total chakra. From there, the clone is free to use the jutsu to create as many clones as it pleases, but make sure that fifty percent remains in your original body at all times. Got it?"
"Yeah!" Naruto nodded vigorously.

-----⨂----⨂-----

As soon as the cloud of smoke appeared, Jiraiya knew that they were in serious trouble. Typically, the shadow clone jutsu manifested a clone in a single puff of smoke. The Sage was fairly certain that what was not supposed to happen was an effect similar to the deployment of a smoke screen. Though, Jiraiya noted, it had the potential to be an effective tactic, he quickly put such thoughts out of his mind as more significant concerns presented themselves.

Hoping to get a better view of the situation, Jiraiya wove a simple wind style jutsu which forced the surprisingly resilient smoke to dissipate in an instant. With his vision cleared, Jiraiya looked on at the small army of copies of his godson that the boy's shadow clone jutsu had generated. They filled every available space in the room, including on top of the scroll racks, and the sounds of disoriented confusion from the hall told the Sage that they had spilled into that area also.

On the one hand, it was a major success; he and Naruto had spent several dreary hours performing exercises and reading over the scroll. To have it done with was a relief. On the other hand, Jiraiya did not wish for the chakra of the Kaju to be released within the halls of his own home.

The Narutos also quickly identified the issue with the situation and while some continued to celebrate the success most moved quickly to reduce the number of clones. The original was desperately trying to dispel the clones, though he evidently didn't quite know how. Despite that handicap, several shadow clones were eventually dispelled and Jiraiya did his best to help reduce their number to a safe level, dispelling them with force. Once there were only a handful left, Jiraiya allowed Naruto to remove the remaining shadow clones himself.

There was one shadow clone who was adamant that he was, in fact, the original. Seeing as the mighty chakra of the Kaju was not leaking out of him, however, the argument was fairly weak. Naruto resolved it by punching the clone in the face, dispelling it instantly.

"That was probably too many!" The boy laughed after the last shadow clone had been dispelled.

"Perhaps," The Sage attempted to give Naruto a skeptical look, but he couldn't help laughing along with the boy, "Now, try creating just one shadow clone. Rather than pouring all your chakra into the jutsu indiscriminately, visualize a single clone appearing across from you."

Naruto did indeed try and, after several near repeats of the initial disaster, managed to produce a single shadow clone. The two Narutos celebrated quite vigorously at the achievement.

The academy instructors had always told Jiraiya that the boy's chakra control was a bit poor but Jiraiya had always thought that it was a minor issue that they felt necessary to report to balance out an otherwise positive report. Perhaps they had simply been intimidated by having Jiraiya of The Sannin in their presence such that they felt uncomfortable giving an honest assessment of Naruto's abilities. Whatever the case may have been, it was now clear to Jiraiya that they had wildly underreported the extent of Naruto's difficulties. Perhaps, the Sage hoped, a hundred Narutos working constantly on the task would be sufficient to amend the issue.

"Alright," Jiraiya said as he summoned a shadow clone, "The first task of your training, follow me!"

-----⨂----⨂-----

The two Jiraiyas dashed past the two Narutos, who were still in jubilation over having sufficient control to produce only one clone, and dashed in opposite directions down the hallway. One went the way that they had come from — out to the courtyard — while the other headed towards the front door of the manor.

Naruto decided to follow the Jiraiya who was headed for the door and the boy's clone, after some convincing, was amiable to pursue the Jiraiya headed for the courtyard.

Jiraiya the Sage had always been a legend in the minds of everybody, Naruto most of all. Yet, throughout the boy's life, he had never actually seen the old man do anything impressive. Now, as he pursued the Sage down the corridors of his home, Naruto witnessed the full extent of that great skill. Jiraiya bounced off the paper screens without leaving so much as a dent on them. As he flew through the air, the Sage was easily capable of redirecting himself without losing any speed, making impossible movements at every turn.

Fearing breaking the intricately painted screens as he did, Naruto was forced to take the simple path — running through the halls as fast as he possibly could. It was a losing battle, Naruto could see that very quickly. The amount of chakra that the boy had to burn in order to keep up with Jiraiya's acrobatics in the tight halls was immense and was clearly unsustainable for any meaningful period of time. The boy's already tenuous situation worsened when Jiraiya began to throw various objects at him.

"Don't let any speed go!" The Sage would shout as he hurled the nearest book or candle stand at Naruto.

As the boy swerved, slid, and leaped to avoid the obstacles, he found himself spending more and more chakra with each excursion.

"Focus on how much you put out!" Jiraiya called back, clearly recognizing the issue, "Use no more chakra than necessary!"

It was a task that, especially for Naruto, was easier said than done. Though he would occasionally undersupply chakra and receive a book to his face, Naruto most routinely oversupplied chakra. If his avoidance of the obstacle was anything greater than hair's breadth, Jiraiya would criticize him for over expenditure. Naruto understood why the exercise was necessary, but he certainly didn't enjoy the experience.

Fortunately, the constant assault on his person did not last much longer for once Jiraiya had reached the home's entrance the Sage stood outside and waited for Naruto. When the boy jumped through the door he tumbled down onto the grass outside their home and rolled onto his back. While he had done movement exercises with Kakashi, the Jonin had never moved in such a strenuous manner.

"Tired already?" Jiraiya laughed, "Kakashi really has gone easy on you, hasn't he? Just remember, you'll be fine if you only expend the minimum necessary amount of chakra with each movement. I promise that you'll be there by the exam."

The Sage offered a kind hand to the boy, which he graciously accepted only to be tossed high in the air.

"Now! The second phase of our warm up!" Jiraiya leaped after Naruto.

The Sage had jumped, and the boy had been thrown, in the direction of the forest which surrounded Konoha and which their home was nestled comfortably against. Naruto desperately struggled to orient himself as he careened towards the trees while Jiraiya disappeared beneath their canopy.

Naruto was able to make some sort of effort at landing properly, only smashing through a handful of branches before finding one which he could comfortably land on. The boy dove into the trees, leaping from branch to branch as he searched for Jiraiya. At first, Naruto was rather concerned about this task but the Sage's long white hair, combined with what was obviously no attempt whatsoever at hiding, made it fairly easy for Naruto to identify him. What was not fairly easy, however, was catching back up to Jiraiya once he had been found.

Like all Konoha shinobi, the Sage was right at home in the trees and, as the greatest of them all, it only made sense that his ability to move through the forests was unparalleled. Jiraiya eventually became so distanced from Naruto that the only hints that the boy was able to get about the Sage's speed and position were occasional flashes of bright white amongst the leaves.

As he dashed through the canopy, Naruto let Jiraiya's advice play over and over in his mind as he attempted to use only the minimum amount of chakra needed to successfully complete each jump. Oversupply meant tiring himself and potentially shattering the branch he lept from while passing over the one he was aiming for. Undersupply, on the other hand, primarily resulted in injury as he whacked into branches repeatedly.

So focused was Naruto on making the leap to the next branch successfully that he did not notice the obstacle which faced him until he attempted to search for a branch to land on and found none. Instead, the bark of a massive oak faced him. It was surely just as large as the twelve great oaks whose canopies obscured Konoha.
Naruto stopped himself from jumping in order to avoid leaping directly into the tree. Unfortunately for him, however, the momentum which he had built up carried him forward causing him to fall to the ground in a rather humiliating fashion. As Naruto stood and dusted himself off, he found that there was not only a single one of these great trees but instead an entire forest of them. Jiraiya stood silently, looking up at the huge oaks.

"Where are we?" Naruto asked as he joined the Sage in gazing up at the canopy above in awe.

"This is the sacred forest of Lord Hashirama Hyuga, Konoha's holy land. As the story goes, shortly after the village was established, the prosperous hub of life attracted the wrath of the Kaju, who still roamed these lands freely at that time. The two great founders, Lords Hashirama and Madara, faced the beast and drove it for a time from Konoha but a huge swath of the ancient forests which surround the village were burned in the battle. In order to revive these charred lands, Hashirama employed his legendary wood style on a truly immense scale, seeding down the forest which you see before you now. In the two centuries since, those seeds have grown into this. Typically, only the Hokage and the heads of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans are allowed on these grounds, but I have obtained permission to use this place for our training."

"Why are we using this place instead of one of the regular training grounds?" Naruto asked, though he certainly wasn't complaining.

"Lord Hashirama's wood style had many mystical properties. Many of these features are difficult to distinguish between myth, legend, and fact especially since no man has had wood style since. What is well documented, however, is the wood had a remarkable ability to absorb chakra. The strength of this absorption is such that jutsu without a chakra nature can barely damage the trees at all and even against chakra natures which the wood is naturally weak to, such as fire, it takes significantly less damage than nearly any other barrier would. For our purposes, we wish to have that chakra absorption as a safeguard, lest the powers of the Kaju grow even beyond my capacity to suppress."

"We will be releasing the powers of the Kaju?" Naruto turned to look up at Jiraiya.

"Of course! This is your strength, Naruto. You must learn to utilize it eventually. Even if you haven't mastered its abilities by the time the exam starts, beginning now will put us in a good place for continued development over the month long period of preparation between the start of the exam and the finals. Now, I believe our shadow clones have already gotten started. So, let us begin!"

---

Pedantic author's note for those interested:

This chapter sees the first use of the term Kaju (火獣) to describe Kurama and the term Meju (目獣) to describe the group of him and his siblings. These new terms have been introduced because in the Magic Eye Wars world there are only five tailed beasts (one for each element) and because they aren't tailed beasts anymore, they're eyed beasts (because Magic Eye Wars hahaha). Kurama's true name is a big deal, so nobody knows it at this time and because of these lore changes Kyubi (九尾) which directly translates to "Nine Tails'' is not an appropriate name for our no-longer-foxy friend. I have ascertained that Kaju and Meju roughly translate to "fire beast" and "eye beast" respectively based on copy and pasting kanji from the Naruto fandom wiki into Google translate. Now, I have also had this confirmed by someone with some level of actual knowledge of the Japanese language. Despite this correction, this still may be inaccurate in some capacity. If you speak Japanese and believe this to be wrong please let me know and I will edit all chapters where the term is used to replace it with a more appropriate one. Cheers!

---

 

[Ah!]

Chapter 6: The Training Begins!​

"Alright, now, use the shadow clone jutsu again to generate two more clones!" Jiraiya instructed.

The great trees of the mysterious forest loomed over them. Naruto had asked about them several times but received no answers. Apparently, that information was already being dispensed by the other Jiraiya to the other Naruto, and as such it was unnecessary. Naruto thought that this was something of a raw deal, though he did not express his feelings on the matter to the Sage.

The attempt to make two additional shadow clones went slightly less poorly than the initial attempt to make only one extra and it was eventually achieved. Jiraiya echoed the action, producing two copies of himself, before continuing.

"Now! We will split up to focus on three core areas of shinobi training! They are chakra control, movement, and combat!" With that, the two newly conjured Jiraiyas shot off in opposite directions.

The two shadow clones which Naruto had made each picked a Jiraiya and followed him. The pairs quickly disappeared into the unending sea of great oak trunks, leaving the original two standing alone next to the thin winding river that Jiraiya had chosen as their training spot.

"Now, here, we will be working on chakra control. This is, as you know, a supremely important skill. Every technique in your arsenal will be improved by good chakra control so we will be practicing it extensively. Now, I know that these drills are rather mind-numbing, but the fortunate thing about chakra control is that since drills for it use up relatively little chakra, it is ideal for our shadow clone training technique. Now, Naruto, use the jutsu in the manner that you did the first time, simply spew out clones!"

Naruto formed his fingers into a cross and released the jutsu. A huge cloud of smoke shrouded the area and as the gentle breeze carried it away Naruto found some one hundred copies of himself standing in a loose bunch around him.

"Excellent!" even the Sage was surprised by the number that Naruto was capable of generating with only a sixth of his chakra, "Now, there are essentially three levels of chakra control."

Jiraiya walked over to a tree, raised up his foot, and placed his sole firmly on it. As he raised his other foot, his body pivoted and he placed it down on the trunk. Jiraiya slowly began to walk up the tree.

"You have surely already done this exercise with Kakashi, but we will be doing it again. The key here is to go as slow as you can. No running! Going fast makes for a poor control exercise. Speed has its place, but that is for a different Naruto to address."

Jiraiya leaped off the tree towards the river. He braced himself for the impact before landing comfortably on the surface of the water as if it was land.

"This is the second level. To stand on water is a truly difficult task and few shinobi outside of the rank of Jonin are able to do it. To progress even beyond this point is an even rarer feat, but for the moment this will be our target. I believe that with your numerous shadow clones, it is an achievable goal. Finally," Jiraiya said, as he stepped off the water, "I will show you the highest level of chakra control which I know to be attainable. This is not meant to be a goal for our training but, rather, as an ultimate target to keep in the back of your mind. Simple though it may seem, what I am about to show you is one of the shinobi's ultimate techniques."

Jiraiya lifted up his leg as though he was climbing stairs, before placing it down again on nothing but the air itself. The Sage continued to climb the invisible staircase until he stood far above the crowd of Narutos.

"Air walk. Practically the symbol of a legendary shinobi. Incredibly difficult to learn and even harder to use proficiently. Fear men who have mastery of this technique. Now!" Jiraiya smiled, "Go climb some trees!"

-----⨂----⨂-----

"Movement," Jiraiya began, "Perhaps the single most important facet of the shinobi's toolset. To be able to move better than one's opponent is to have more options and to be able to better exploit the opportunities which arise in the midst of battle. Regrettably, for such a critical skill, it can be exceedingly difficult to teach. In all my years, the only consistent method for success which I have ever seen is simple experience performing difficult movements. And so, for this part of our training, we will repeat the racing exercise which we did on the way here. The key difference, however, will be that this time I encourage you to try and mimic my movements exactly."

"Ok!" Naruto said as he prepared the shadow clone jutsu.

"It might be best to avoid shadow clones for the time being," Jiraiya advised, "You'll recall how exhausting the exercise on the way here was for you. Until your chakra control improves, using shadow clones will only wear you down faster."

Naruto nodded in understanding and then the pair launched into their race.

-----⨂----⨂-----

"Combat," The Sage produced a scroll from the sash around his waist, "Like movement, it has the fundamental issue that it is very hard to teach. The extra complication here is that the best combat experiences are the ones where someone is actually trying to kill you. Using typical methods, this would not be an experience which it would be possible to replicate under training circumstances. We, however, are not using typical training methods."

Jiraiya placed the scroll on the ground and rolled it out, revealing a line of fuinjutsu seals. When the Sage pressed his hand against a small seal on the far side of the scroll, small puffs of smoke burst from each of the other seals. As the smoke cleared, each seal had a set of training weights in its center which ranged from large to small as one went further down the scroll.

Jiraiya created a shadow clone before strapping the largest size of training weights to his body. It was obvious from the way that the Sage handled the weights that they were a significant strain on him.

"These should weigh me down enough not to crush you instantly," Jiraiya smiled playfully, though he was pretty sure that Naruto understood that he wasn't joking, "Now, Naruto, you make another shadow clone too. We'll have a pair of us watch while another pair fights, you can learn almost as much looking at yourself fighting as you can from actually doing it."

Naruto did as he was asked, the incremental experience with the jutsu reducing the number of attempts necessary for success once more. One Naruto stayed in position, preparing to fight the hindered sage, while the other sat down on the grass which covered the forest floor. The unrestricted Jiraiya came and joined him on the ground.

"Remember, you're trying to kill him, and he's trying to kill you too!" Jiraiya called out to the Naruto on the field as the Sage's shadow clone cast a simple transformation jutsu on himself so that he appeared to be a masked Anbu agent. With that, the Sage issued the order to commence the first of many battles.

"Now, begin!"

-----⨂----⨂-----

"What Kakashi tells me," Jiraiya began as he and the original Naruto walked deeper into the sacred forest, "Is that you've only actually utilized the Kaju's chakra a single time. Is that correct?"

The Sage still vividly recalled the somewhat panicked report that the Jonin had issued to him the day that Naruto and his teammates had returned from the Land of Waves. Upon the bridge where he had battled the shinobi swordsman Zabuza Momochi, Kakashi had said, Naruto had flown into a fury upon Sasuke being incapacitated by the swordsman's apprentice. In response, great tendrils of odious red chakra spewed forth from the boy and provided him with the power to easily crush his opponent. Though Kakashi had been caught up in his own fight at the time and was consequently unable to properly observe Naruto's performance, from what the Jonin had seen the release of the Kaju chakra magnified the boy's abilities by an exponential factor. It was a great deal more power than Jiraiya had expected from what he assumed to be the simplest possible type of Meju chakra release. Though it was certainly possible that the reports that he'd read about other simple releases had been underreported for the sake of information security.

"Yeah," Naruto replied, "Just that once. I didn't really feel like I was utilizing it, really. It was just sort of there, hanging around me in a big cloud."

"Interesting. Well, we'll certainly try to address that," Jiraiya said, "Could you tell me everything you remember about that experience and the circumstances that brought you to the point that the Kaju chakra was released?"

"There was that kid on the bridge and he was throwing all this shit at us. Even once Sasuke unlocked his Sharingan, he couldn't move fast enough to dodge all the hits. I was exhausted and furious; all I could really think of doing was kicking the shit out of that bastard. Then there was like, this feeling of hot liquid metal in my stomach and it traveled up through my veins and burst out everywhere. I felt like I was gonna die, I think I saw my skin peel off and all sorts of weird things were happening to my body. I didn't die, though. One good hit basically knocked the guy out. I was so damn fast too, it wasn't hard to hit that one punch. Then I got knocked out, I'm not exactly sure why. When I woke up, the fight had finished up and my skin was back to normal. That's basically it," Naruto looked uncharacteristically serious as he described it.

"Hmm," Jiraiya considered the information, "That description certainly seems congruent with the knowledge which I have of these things. Our main objective will be for you to be able to avoid being knocked out after using the Kaju chakra. I believe that I understand why you were knocked out, please entertain me as I use an analogy to explain."

Understanding the processes which lay behind the Jinchuriki's utilization of Meju chakra had been a project which spanned much of Jiraiya's life since Naruto had been born. When Jiraiya had embarked on the mission, he had seen it as a research project to unite all knowledge about Jinchuriki into a comprehensive volume. However, seeing as villages were not particularly enthused to share information about their most valuable military assets, the project had devolved into a decade-long odyssey of espionage, monitoring other Jinchuriki, guesswork, and piecing together hearsay. For the sake of Naruto's proper education, though, Jiraiya was certain that the intense labor had been worth it.

"Imagine, if you would, that the chakra of the Kaju was a volume of boiling water and that your body is the metal pot in which that water is contained. Imagine now, that your chakra is represented by a simple wooden lid and a stack of rocks. If you only had the wooden lid, the steam boiling off the water would blow it off, and so you stack the pile of rocks on top. When you expend chakra, you effectively remove some of these rocks until you are left with nothing but the wooden lid. At this point, the steam will burst out, tossing away the wooden lid as the pressure is relieved. Our objective, in this analogy, is to pick up the wooden lid with all the rocks still on it. This will allow the steam to be released on our own terms and, at any time, suppressed once more. This is, of course, a dramatically simplified picture, but it serves our purposes well enough."

"I feel like it would be hard for a pot to remove its own lid," Naruto appeared rather baffled at the prospect.

"It is a rather difficult task," Jiraiya chuckled, "But worry not, with the chakra control work we've got your shadow clones doing, combined with some decent effort, I believe that we should be able to get where we need to be by the time the exam starts! Now, I would like to begin by granting you better awareness of your chakra system. The first step to achieving that goal is to cycle your chakra as if dispelling a genjutsu. However, rather than doing it only a single time, I want you to do it continuously. As you cycle, think about trying to retain as much chakra as possible within your body. Here seems like as good a place as any to do that," Jiraiya said as he glanced around, "Let us take a seat."

-----⨂----⨂-----

Naruto closed his eyes and clasped his hands together, beginning to force chakra through his body. The primary theory of the technique, as best Naruto could recall it, was that since genjutsu invaded one's body by pushing malignant chakra through its victim's own chakra network, one needed to use one's own chakra to push it out and end the genjutsu. Naruto had always taken for granted that it was indeed a cycling technique.

As he performed it over and over again, however, it became evident that this was a severe misnomer. The technique, as it had been taught in the academy, was much more aptly called a chakra-pushing technique. With each repetition of the cycle, a significant amount of chakra was vented into Naruto's surroundings, with only a small amount — or indeed, possibly none at all — returning to his core after the technique had been performed.

The only real indicator that the boy had about whether chakra was being lost or not was the faint tingling sensation that he got on areas of his skin where chakra was being released. The feeling was especially prominent in areas where he wasn't used to emitting chakra. Quite conveniently, these areas included basically his entire body aside from his hands. Unfortunately, the tingling sensation gave little insight into how much chakra he was actually releasing at any given point. So, Naruto simply focused on trying to reduce the presence of that feeling as much as he possibly could.

"Stop!" Jiraiya directed after a few more minutes of Naruto's cycling attempts.

Upon hearing the Sage's voice, the boy opened his eyes. As his mind began to drift to topics beyond trying to reduce the tingling sensation on his body, Naruto became aware of how weary the task had made him and he collapsed onto his back in the grass.

"So," Naruto said after he had taken a moment to recover, "What's the end goal here?"

"Though we may have to modify the technique as we go along, the central idea is that once you're able to cycle your chakra without letting any leave your body you should be able to slowly increase the amount of chakra which is moving inside your internal chakra system. Once we reach a certain critical mass of circulation, I believe that the force from the Kaju's chakra should be able to break through. Building up to that will be quite difficult, though."

"You know," Naruto looked up at Jiraiya, "Don't you think this would be easier if we had someone with a Byakugan who could, like, see what was really happening with the chakra? They can do that, right?"

"I was thinking the very same," Jiraiya smiled down at the exhausted boy, "Do you have anyone who you can trust with the knowledge that you're a Jinchuriki? This is a selection that must be made with the utmost care."

"Hmm," Naruto vocalized as he thought, "Hinata Hyuga is pretty cool, let's go for her!"

"Yes, I remember that girl. You two spent a lot of time together as children, did you not?"

"Yeah! And we're still friends, I think. I mean, I haven't really spoken to her since graduation but, you know, I'm sure it's ok!"

"Indeed, a true friendship shall never be stained by such a minor triviality. Aside from your good relationship, I also approve of her on account of other factors. Being born at the summit of the Hyuga house as she was, she's bound to learn about your status eventually. In addition, she doesn't seem the type to talk around about such matters. I will arrange some time for her to assist us with her Jonin leader, though you'll have to recruit her yourself."

"No problem! I'll do that after we're done with training tonight," Naruto said.

"You may find that you are in no condition to do such a thing, but we will address that once we get there. For now, repeat the exercise. Keep up the excellent work, Naruto."

-----⨂----⨂-----

For long into the golden hours of the day, Naruto struggled with the chakra cycling exercise. Jiraiya was impressed with the boy's ability to focus for such an extended period, as well as his quite pronounced progress. The Sage looked positively towards the coming days, in which the chakra control training and the addition of a Hyuga overseer would begin to massively accelerate their work.

As the final orange rays settled back below the horizon, Jiraiya called upon one of his frogs to alert his shadow clones that it was time to return to his position. Soon after, a single Jiraiya came leaping out of the forest with an unconscious Naruto in his arms. Evidently, the accumulated fatigue had been too much for the boy. It was a fact that didn't surprise the Sage but seemed to horrify Naruto as he spotted the pair approaching.

Jiraiya's shadow clone gently deposited the Naruto it had been holding on the grass next to the original boy before dispelling itself. Jiraiya was hit with a flood of memories and thoughts. A brief reflection upon them told the Sage that it had been an excellent day for training.

"What happened to you, man?" Naruto said as he looked over at his clone, who was in quite a sorry state from a day of falling off of trees and being roundhouse kicked by Jiraiya.

"You'll find out in a moment. Or, I suppose, when you wake up tomorrow," The Sage gave the boy an encouraging smile.

Hesitantly, Naruto dispelled the shadow clone. The fatigue struck the poor boy immediately and he passed out the moment that the smoke which accompanied the dispelling of the clone became visible.

Jiraiya scooped up the boy and quickly bounded back to their home. After ensuring that the boy was comfortable in his bed, the Sage set off again, for the last time that night, to order a truly unhinged volume of food from Ichiraku Ramen in preparation for the boy's ravenous hunger which was sure to come the following morning.

Oh, Jiraiya thought as he leaped between the buildings of Konoha, how proud Minato would have been.

 

[Ah!]

Chapter 7: A Minor Disagreement​

The Lord Hokage sat, flanked by his Konoha Council, waiting expectantly for the Uchiha representative. When Hiruzen had reached out to the two great clans to request a council to discuss a matter related to the theft of Sasuke Uchiha's eyes Hiashi Hyuga had replied immediately. For all his faults, Hiruzen had immense respect for the man's abilities to be timely. The Uchiha, however, in spite of the fact that the matter concerned a member of their own clan, failed to acknowledge that they had even received the Hokage's request.

"The Uchiha are in an anarchic state, Lord Hokage," Hiashi, who was sitting beside Lord Hamura on the left side of the room, said, "They will almost certainly have little care for how their eyes are distributed."

"You are perhaps right, Hiashi," Hiruzen furrowed his brow at the Hyuga leader's insinuation, "However, this village is built on the understanding between yourselves, the Uchiha, and the rest of us. If our history has taught us anything, it is that unilateral decisions, no matter how seemingly insignificant, will surely bring about ruin."

"Of course, Lord Hokage," Hiashi gracefully bowed in recognition of the wisdom of his elder.

It was a false recognition, Hiruzen had not grown so old as to be unable to see that much. The old Hokage couldn't blame him, though. Hiashi belonged to the second generation born in the wake of The Great Turmoil and although many of the scars of that great conflict had healed, many also continued to be picked by men throughout the village.

Though Hiruzen had never told Hiashi the story, the old Hokage remembered vividly the boy's grandfather. In retrospect, Hiruzen deeply regretted mounting the head of the honorable warrior on a pike but the man who he had been, the vicious Monkey King of The North, would have had nothing less at the time. It was strange, Hiruzen pondered as he stared across the room at Hiashi, to hold civil council with men whose clan one had butchered. To have been made the sole leader of the village after that had been madness. Or so Hiruzen had felt at the time. Minato's disastrous attempt to govern the village after Hiruzen's retirement, however, had taught the old man a lesson he did not wish to learn; for the two great clans to yield to a man, he could not simply be powerful, he needed to be monstrous. It was such a shame, Hiruzen reflected, that Orochimaru had such a dark heart.

"My apologies for my tardiness," A woman's voice pulled Hiruzen from his thoughts of failures long past, "I was delayed by a minor disagreement."

Hiruzen found, to his unabashed surprise, Mikoto Uchiha standing before him. Though he told himself that it was merely his aged mind speaking, Hiruzen could not help but feel it ominous that such a ghost of Minato's days would appear before him at the very same moment he had been considering that time.

Mikoto Uchiha had once been one of the great pillars of life in the village. The woman was tireless, spending her days eternally coordinating and attending events. She had been perhaps the first Uchiha to ever willingly attend a meeting of the citizen's council and volunteered at the academy at every available opportunity. All this in addition to raising perhaps the greatest shinobi of his generation, Itachi Uchiha. Hiruzen found himself with greater respect for Mikoto than he had for her husband, the contemptuous and occasionally explicitly villainous Fukagu. But her husband's treason, followed by the regrettable and inane banishment of Itachi Uchiha — a blunder for which Hiruzen never intended to forgive Danzo nor himself — seemed to shatter the poor woman. She had retreated into the comfort of her clan, cutting herself off from the village to heal the wounds opened by the men who ran it.

To see her again in the public sphere, presenting as no less than the Uchiha counterpart to Hiashi, was frankly bizarre.

"If I may ask, Lady Mikoto, what was this disagreement that you speak of?" Hiashi, as was his nature, cut straight to the question which was immediately raised in the minds of all present.

"You needn't worry yourselves over it," Mikoto smiled politely, "There was merely a miscommunication about who would be representing our clan at tonight's meeting and it needed to be cleared up. The issue has, as my presence should indicate, been cleared up in its entirety."

As Mikoto gracefully took her place on the room's right beside quiet Lady Koharu, Hiruzen shared a look of concern with Hiashi. In the Uchiha clan, such a miscommunication could only be resolved in a single manner: battle. Yet, to think that Mikoto stood near the peak of the Uchiha clan seemed mere fantasy. Though she had been a talented shinobi in her younger days, achieving the rank of Jonin before turning eighteen, she seemed to retire herself from the shinobi arts entirely after her marriage the very next year. Beyond that, aside from her rapid promotions the girl showed no sign of exceptional talent. To think that she had bested any one of the old monsters which lurked at the heart of the Uchiha clan was beyond inconceivable. But there she was, seated upon the council despite whatever force might have attempted to stop her. Moreover, there was not a single scratch present on the woman. If she had truly gotten into a fight, she had won by an overwhelming margin. As Hiruzen speculated about what series of events could have possibly led to such an outcome, Danzo the Bat questioned the woman directly.

"Need the coroner's office be alerted?" Danzo croaked out.

"No need! The Uchiha clan prefers to use internal services for such matters!" Mikoto laughed and Danzo, seemingly choosing to interpret the comment as a joke, laughed along with her.

Hiruzen was unconvinced that it was.

"Now, if I am not mistaken, we have gathered here to discuss a request which has been made by Kakashi Hatake regarding the potential for an abnormal eye distribution to my son, Sasuke Uchiha, should he perform well in the Chunin exam. Lord Hokage, would you be so kind as to explain the details of the scheme?" Mikoto seized the initiative, hurrying the conversation away from her potentially scandalous arrival.

"Of course, Lady Mikoto," Hiruzen accepted the change of topic, "We are here today to, as Lady Mikoto said, discuss a request which was made of me by Kakashi Hatake after he finished delivering his report on the theft of young Sasuke's eyes. The request is simple: if Sasuke is able to make it to the semi-finals of the Chunin exam, under which circumstances he would be usually rewarded a single magic eye for his victory, that he be rewarded with two magic eyes instead. The logic behind this request is that the magic eyes of the Uchiha clan are Sasuke's birthright and that, considering the man who stole them bested even one of our best Jonin in combat, it was not Sasuke's fault that his eyes were taken. As the two primary eye bearing clans of this village, this decision can ultimately fall to you only."

The room fell into silence. Hiruzen had assumed that there would be a great fury from Hiashi at the suggestion and delighted surprise from the Uchiha presentative that such an idea was being entertained at all. Instead, both leaders seemed to be entirely unsurprised about the nature of the request.

"As you might imagine, considering that it is not the eyes of my house which are at stake, if the boy is forced to accept only Sharingan as his prize then I am amiable to entertain the possibility. Mikoto, where do the opinions of the Uchiha lay on this matter?" Hiashi opened the discussion.

It was remarkable, Hiruzen silently noted to himself, how quickly Hiashi had accepted that Mikoto was, in fact, the voice of her clan.

"As you may be aware, Lord Hiashi, there exists no such thing as a common opinion on anything in the Uchiha clan at the moment, let alone on such a controversial topic as the distribution of eyes. Yet, I think it is an interesting possibility. It would be hated among the Uchiha, certainly, but perhaps it would be more palatable for some than our eyes falling into the hands of other actors," As she said this, Mikoto stared directly into Hiruzen's eyes.

"Then, I believe that it can be concluded that this is agreeable. However," Hiashi began.

Hiruzen wanted to sigh, for there was always a however.

"Is it not only fair that if the Uchiha clan is granted this boon, that the Hyuga clan also reserve the right to invoke it in the future? Should one of our clansmen reach the semi-finals but not achieve victory in the finals, he will have the right to claim two Byakugan for the Hyuga clan. If this can be agreed upon, I will permit this eye distribution," Hiashi said.

"Hiashi," Hiruzen looked mournfully at the boy, "You must understand that this is a special circumstance. This agreement is for the benefit of a child, not for the clan."

"And you must be aware, Lord Hokage, that this is a special circumstance which is exclusive to the Uchiha only for we Hyuga do not meddle in archaic ritual and foolish superstition around the sealing of our eyes. To request that the favor which is being granted to the Uchiha now be returned to us when we find ourselves in similar circumstances would be pointless, for we would never find ourselves in such a circumstance to begin with," Hiashi replied

"Our so called archaic practices," Mikoto Uchiha began before Hiruzen could reply to Hiashi, "Exist to reinforce the sacred bond between the sealer and the sealed, to ensure that it is a relationship of trust and dignity. We do not seek to bond our clansmen to us as the hound is bound to his master. Only Hyuga would do such dishonorable things to maintain power."

"To think in such a reductive manner is in the style of the Uchiha," Hiashi returned, "The Hyuga method does not introduce ties of bondage, no. It creates the links which allow a coherent and functional whole to exist meaningfully, though I doubt the Uchiha would be able to properly conceive of a concept so alien."

"Am I unaware of the follies of my neighbor? No! I recognize them and know them well so that I may avoid them in my own life. The daft thinking of the Hyuga is familiar to all Uchiha, they have seen it infect all things. The Uchiha clan is connected by greater things than mere relations of power."

"It is the Hyuga who commit the follies? What an absurd notion. The Uchiha clan have been leaderless for a decade and I trust that the Uchiha clan still remembers that the number of peaceful power transfers in your clan's pitiable history can be counted with a single hand."

"Of course! It would be foolish to do it any other way. In this world of ours where power reigns supreme the peaceful transfer of power represents stagnation at best and regression at worst. To kill the man in power affirms that you are a shinobi of greater skill. Madara Uchiha once said," Mikoto was cut off by Hiruzen before she could share the relevant piece of Madara Uchiha's wisdom.

"Please, let us remember why we are here," The Lord Hokage said, "Hiashi, I am afraid that you have very well predicted what I will say on this matter. I cannot permit the Hyuga to have this boon in the absence of good reason. We shall surely never hear the end of such a decision from both our allies and enemies."

"Is the fact that the Uchiha have been granted this permission not good reason enough?" Hiashi said, "Sure, we may never have our eyes stolen in this particular humiliating manner but every year our children are killed in the Chunin exam! Their eyes are ripped from their flesh and handed over to the village! Though this is theft that we permit, lest war break out over magic eyes, it is theft nonetheless. To make this choice is to give the Uchiha the chance to recover one more eye of the butchered. All that I ask is that the Hyuga are granted that very same favor."

"Think of it this way, Lord Hiashi," Mikoto spoke before Hiruzen, "We have already lost two eyes. So, then, when we reclaim two eyes in the exam, our net eye loss will be identical to what it would have been if we had reclaimed no eyes at all in the tournament phase. Your Neji is sure to claim victory and reclaim two eyes anyway, so you are certainly on track to do better than us. I cannot see how it would be even the most minor of inconveniences to you to permit us to claim this extra eye."

"Do not speak to me of that Neji when I am in such a mood as this!" Hiashi fumed before composing himself, "But you speak of minor inconveniences. It is true, it would impose no cost on the Hyuga to agree to this decision. Yet, at what time as such a thing stopped the Uchiha from blocking a decision that would benefit the Hyuga? At every possible opportunity throughout the history of this village since the death of the great peacemaker Madara, the Uchiha have attacked unrelated Hyuga interests out of no objective other than fulfilling their hearts' longing for spite. You wish me to forget that today, Lord Hokage? Well, forgive me, for I cannot forget."

"Think of the future, Hiashi," Hiruzen pleaded, "Young Sasuke may very well be the leader of the Uchiha clan one day, he will surely not forget this kindness if you grant it to him now."

"Will he surely not? We have granted the Uchiha clan good will time and time again, Lord Hokage. What have we received in exchange for this? Scorn! Only scorn! The boy will forget the favor we granted the moment our interests cease to align. Even if the child tells me to my face that he shall remember what I have done for all his years, I will not believe him. Despite the innocence of youth, the boy is still an Uchiha."

"Fear not, I will ensure that the boy remembers his debt to you, Lord Hiashi," Mikoto said.

"To think that you, of all people, would speak of instilling sincerity in anybody. Let it not be forgotten who stood beside Fugaku while," Hiashi was unable to continue as Hiruzen's fury flared up.

"Hiashi, enough!" The old man stood from his throne, ignoring the complaints of his aged body, and felt truly in command of the room for the first time in some time. It was painful, Hiruzen reflected as he slowly lowered himself back into the great throne of the village, to be in such a condition that his words could be supported by his strength no longer.

"Time has reforged us all into new men and women since those days," Hiruzen said, his anger tempered but not entirely absent, "Fugaku is dead and his legacy of treason along with him. Let us not forget that fact and remain civil."

"My apologies, Lord Hokage. And my apologies to you also, Lady Mikoto," Hiashi said.

"Worry not, were I in your position, Lord Hiashi, I would be found accusing myself of such things also," Mikoto smiled with understanding, "While it is indeed true that I have raised my son in the traditional Uchiha fashion, I will do all in my power to make him respect you, not as a Hyuga, but as a man who has done him a great favor."

"Hmm," Hiashi considered the offer, "Very well. If the Hyuga are granted the same privilege at one Chunin exam in the future of our choosing, I will accept this deal. I trust you to respect my conditions, Lord Hokage, and I shall leave the final decision about whether or not to enact this deal to you."

"Do you have anything more to say on the topic, Mikoto?" Hiruzen asked.

"No, I do not."

"Very well, then. Do you agree to Hiashi's terms?"

"I do. Like Hiashi, I am willing to leave the final decision up to you, Lord Hokage."

"Then I shall make it," Hiruzen said, "Thank you both for coming to speak with each other today, I appreciate the efforts that were made on both sides. Now, unless either of you would like to join me in a long and arduous night of solemn contemplation, you're free to go."

Hiashi and Mikoto both thanked Hiruzen before the old man closed his eyes and began to ponder the problem that had been set before him. It was a bad habit of the village leadership, though one in the creation of which Hiruzen was not entirely blameless, to place their difficult decisions onto the shoulders of the Hokage. One of the duties of a leader was to resolve disputes that men couldn't resolve among themselves, Hiruzen had certainly learned that much in his younger days. Yet, the great shinobi of his village had become like children, incapable of resolving the pettiest of squabbles amongst themselves. It was something that the old man had long thought on throughout the first fifty years of his rule. A strange thing it had been, then, to receive an answer as he watched the village fall apart under Minato's administration. When Hiruzen made a decision, both parties felt as though the other was, mostly, blameless in whatever negative outcome resulted from the decision. The system maintained stability because Hiruzen was well enough respected that even when ill came to one of the parties as a result of his choice, it was accepted. Minato Namikaze, for all his many gifts, did not have such respect. Thus, men like Fugaku emerged. Oh, what would the village do when he was gone?

Hiruzen turned his mind away from such thoughts and focused on the situation which immediately faced him. As the Hokage assessed his circumstances, he identified two major issues with agreeing to the decision. Though Hiruzen doubted that the other clans of the village would put up much of a fuss about the special treatment of the Hyuga and the Uchiha, for they had long become accustomed to it, the old man had a fairly major suspicion that with the Uchiha clan in the state that it was, agreeing to grant Sasuke special treatment was liable to harm the boy more than help him. Especially, Hiruzen quickly realized, if Sasuke failed to actually get to the semi-final rounds. If the boy made such a blunder, there was little other way to view it than that he had given the Hyuga a great deal for nothing at all. Such was a cardinal sin among the Uchiha, Hiruzen knew. The Hokage also suspected that the jealousy between the houses of the Uchiha would flare up even further if Sasuke was allowed to reclaim his full set of eyes. As much as the Hyuga's attitudes about their fellow great clan frustrated Hiruzen to no end, the old man did have to agree with them on one point. It did seem that, indeed, the Uchiha could descend into vicious military hostilities within themselves at any time. Such the Lord Hokage could not allow within his village.

The second issue, the one which perhaps concerned Hiruzen more, was the potential fallout between Konoha and the other great shinobi villages. The entirety of the tentative peace which existed between the five great shinobi villages was predicated on the Chunin exam as an equal opportunity method for exchange of the great magic eyes which each of the villages had built themselves on. To sacrifice the sanctity of that, even for something so tragic as an unlawful eye theft, Hiruzen knew would not be permitted. If the rumblings that Danzo had so readily issued at their previous meeting about war with Suna had any meaningful substance, Hiruzen could not afford to anger the other great shinobi nations. Kiri proved to be the Hokage's greatest concern as he considered further. The Prince of Blood, Fifth Mizukage Yagura Karatachi, had sought Sharingan for as long as his reign had lasted for he believed, unfortunately quite rightly, that they could give him the power to dominate the Meju which resided within him and thereby attain overwhelming power to finally annihilate his eternal enemies, the Uzumaki of Uzushio. Thus, as a result of the village's immensely close ties to the Uzumaki, it had been one of Konoha's longest term strategic goals to keep them out of the hands of the man by all means necessary. The boy was not stupid and Hiruzen was certain that he had discerned this fact. With that considered, what could infuriate him more than seeing an Uchiha be granted such special privileges before his eyes? If war was truly made with Suna, Hiruzen doubted that Yagura and his Northern Coalition allies in Kumo would hesitate to launch a raid on the village if they had been so flagrantly infuriated.

Though he decided that a walk would be beneficial to help sort out his thoughts, Hiruzen knew in his heart that the decision had already been made. He could not do it. The risk of Yagura's wrath was too extreme.

As the Hokage stood from his chair to set off on his walk and opened his eyes, he was greeted with a very strange sight. Though Danzo and Hiashi had, of course, already vacated the room to spend their time in a more productive manner, Mikoto still sat in silence next to quiet Lady Koharu.

"Is there something I can do for you, Mikoto?" Hiruzen asked.

"Why yes, there is in fact such a thing," Mikoto stood as Hiruzen began to walk towards her.

"Out with it, then," Hiruzen stood poised to be met with some ridiculous demand.

"I wish to be officially appointed as the representative of the Uchiha," Mikoto met the Hokage's eyes with a fierce intensity.

Ah, Hiruzen thought, so that's what this was about. Indeed, the Hokage had found it odd that Mikoto did not fight harder for young Sasuke's chance at two eyes. Certainly, the old man would have fought tooth and nail to secure such a right for his son or grandson, had they been in a similar circumstance. Though he couldn't claim to be particularly surprised, seeing as the Uchiha world functioned as it did, the Hokage couldn't help but feel that he had lost some amount of respect for the woman.

"I cannot do that, Mikoto," Hiruzen replied, "Throughout my tenure as Hokage, all official clan representatives have been selected by a popular vote of that clan's members. I will not make an exception. Not for you, not for anyone. I am sorry. If you hold such a vote and a consensus is unable to be reached, I will certainly step in to assist in the resolution of the debate. Until that time, however, the Uchiha alone must choose. I have tolerated the ever changing representative of the Uchiha clan since Fugaku's death for that seemed to be the way that it was. Now that your goal is clear, however, if you appear before this council again without the proper authority to do so, you will be thrown out. Is that clear?"

"Yes," Mikoto said with a surprising lack of resentment.

"Thank you. My apologies if I have been undiplomatic, much weighs on my mind at the moment. I wish you a good night, Mikoto, and I wish young Sasuke the best of luck in the Chunin exam."

"A good night to you, Lord Hokage," Mikoto bowed respectfully, "I will be sure to pass on your message to Sasuke."

With that, the woman disappeared into the night.

Hiruzen began to shuffle towards the room's exit but his weary aching legs made progress slow. Suddenly, in a puff of smoke, a long black staff tipped with gold on either end appeared in his hand. Hiruzen smiled gratefully down at the staff and began to use it to support his movements.

"Oh Enma, my dearest friend, it is at my most humble that I apologize for degrading you to a mere cane," Hiruzen said to the staff as he hobbled through the halls out to the large walkway which wrapped around the thick trunk of the great oak in which the Hokage residence had been built.

"Oh, you needn't apologize for that!" The staff, an alternate form of the great monkey Sage Enma who had done battle alongside Hiruzen for all his life, laughed, "My days of battle are as long behind me as yours are. It still makes me joyous to see you each day, even after all this time."

"For that," Hiruzen smiled, "I am glad. But don't you think it will be time soon? To pass on your powers to another?"

"Perhaps," Enma said, "Only time shall tell."

"As it always does."

Hiruzen came to a stop as he reached the edge of the walkway and looked out at the clearing on the Northern edge of the village, where the statues of the great founders and their sons stood. Though the statues of the sons, oft called the Twin Princes, had been defaced long ago, the four great colossi of stone remained imposing in the moonlight.

"Oh Madara, oh Hashirama," Hiruzen waxed as he stared out at the statues, "How did you lash together this bundle of fools?"

 

[CHOSEDEATH]

Just binged to here, I fw it

 

[Ah!]

Chapter 8: A Secret Revealed​

Rhythm. That was the crux of Hyuga technique. In the light of the first hints of dawn, Hinata wove between the posts surrounded by whirling blades and evaded the chaotic flails spinning wildly from atop their poles as she struck the targets again and again. Her raw knuckles and aching shins sent a shock of pain through her body with each strike, but she could not stop. Her Jonin mentor Kurenai Yuhi had cautioned her against training so intensely before even the sun rose but Hinata could not help but feel that she had little other option. Each time she wished to collapse in exhaustion and mend her wounds, she remembered the face of the man who would kill her if she did. Neji Hyuga awaited her.

Poor rhythm. That was what she had. One of the blades clipped her simple white sparring kimono. It was a humiliating failure. For one of the main branch, even the most challenging setting that the training contraptions offered should have been effortless. Instead, Hinata found herself in a desperate match with the lifeless metal around her. The intensity reminded her of the perils of messy, vicious, and true battle. Such confused and sloppy conduct was not, Hinata reminded herself as she was clipped once more by one of the blades, befitting of a Hyuga — especially one with her status. Hinata could not believe how poor her fortune had been to have elected to take the Chunin exam at the same time as Neji Hyuga. It was almost as though the boy had planned it.

Hinata gracefully came to a stop at the end of the training course, positioned in the middle of her father's vast estate, and looked down at her feet. The girl sighed after it became apparent that she had, once again, miserably failed. Her left foot was placed in front of her right foot when it should have been the opposite. It was the consequence of at least one error of positioning and, although it perhaps seemed minor, Hinata knew that such things were the difference between life and death in the battle which loomed on the horizon.

Ever since they had been children, Neji had been in a world of his own. The art of combat seemed to appeal intrinsically and come naturally to the boy. Though she had been young at the time, Hinata still vividly remembered the first time she sparred with Neji. The boy had a warm reserved smile and a kind grace about him. It was the sort of demeanor that Hinata had grown to expect from one of his station even by that young point of her life. Then, however, the fight started and the boy's servile manner vanished. The tender care which was meant to be taken with members of the main branch, especially in matches where experience and ability were asymmetric, was entirely absent. Neji had simply annihilated her.

When Hinata had awoken days later in the hospital, her father had told her that she had been on the brink of death and that Neji and his father would be severely punished for such a crime. Though her father had never revealed the full extent of the fury which he directed at the boy, the next time Hinata met him, all the warmth which had ever been within Neji was gone. It was the first of many grievous blows which the main branch had dealt to Neji throughout the boy's life. Her father had given her a speech accompanying each such event, a simple explanation that such reprisals were necessary as consequences for defying the main branch. Though Hinata was never exactly sure what these instances of defiance were after the first time, it was a consequence that she came to accept as natural as the sun falling after it had risen; of course a member of a lesser branch could not be permitted to violate the authority of the main branch.

Yet, as she had grown, it was one of many sets of her father's decisions that she came to resent. For all the ostracization, isolation, and general suffering which had been inflicted on Neji by the main branch, he had evidently not lost his fire. Each time that Hinata spoke to the boy, it was blatant that the enmity which Neji felt for her and the main branch had built up further. As his enmity built, so to did his skill. In the end, all that her father's attempts to pacify the boy had yielded was an immensely talented and furiously angry enemy. The girl feared to imagine what would happen if Neji was given the opportunity to fight her seriously. Hinata was not ready; she had a long line of failures to prove that much.

If she wanted any chance at all, Hinata knew that she truly needed to spar with someone. The training contraptions were a mere facsimile of the experience of fighting another person. It was especially the case when the opponent was a Hyuga, for they did not fight with random wild blows. Such styles of combat were for Uchiha. Unfortunately, Hinata could not think of a single person with whom she could spar in preparation. Neji was, of course, the obvious choice but there was no chance at all he would accept such a request. Indeed, Hinata was certain that the simple act of making a request of that manner in the first place would anger him more than anything else she had personally done in her entire life.

Putting him aside, the other options were few. The various restrictions which were placed on the children of the main branch for the sake of their security made her direct family members the only truly viable options. Among them, her father would consider it a waste of effort to bother training her at all, to spar with her sister would be embarrassing to an intolerable degree, and her mother seemed to have little skill in such arts. As Hinata contemplated the grim prospect of asking her grandmother to spar with her, Naruto Uzumaki dropped out of the sky.

"Hey Hinata!" The blonde boy said cheerfully, "I'm glad you're up so early, I didn't think about that and it would have been super weird if I needed to wake you up in your bed. Anyways, I've got something super important that I need some assistance with, could you help me out?"

"Um, hey Naruto," Hinata stammered as she backed up slightly.

Though she attempted to suppress her shock, she doubted that she had succeeded. Though she had always thought quite fondly of Naruto, to have the boy appear so suddenly with a major request after months of having seen neither hide nor hair of him was admittedly off putting.

"What do you need?" Hinata said.

"It's kind of a secret, but like a cool secret, you know? So, it'll be fun!" Naruto briefly stared up at the sky and mumbled to himself, trying to recall the message he was meant to deliver, before continuing, "Oh yeah! Jiraiya's already talked to Kurenai and she's cool with it so there aren't any issues there. You'll still be able to do most of your training stuff probably, I just need you to look out for me!"

"Look out for you? How?" Hinata didn't mask her concern.

"Oh don't worry! You'll see. So, you up for it?" Naruto extended his hand for Hinata to shake.

Hesitantly, Hinata reached out and grasped the boy's hand. After all, she figured, if she could truly train at the same time there wasn't much harm in it. Naruto shook her hand vigorously.

"Awesome! Ok I'll see you at like noon or something!" Naruto said before he turned to take off once more.

"Where are we meeting?" Hinata asked.

"Your training ground!" Naruto replied confidently.

"Which is?"

"You don't know what your training ground is?"

"No, I do, I'm just making sure that you do as well."

"It's like, uh, five right?" Naruto seemingly guessed.

"No, it's four," Hinata couldn't help but smile slightly at Naruto's foolish boyishness.

"Oh, my bad! Well, I was kinda close, right?" Naruto grinned.

"Sure," Hinata gave him a skeptical look.

He had, in fact, been the furthest possible thing away from close. While it was true that they were next to each other numerically, training grounds four and five were on opposite sides of the village.

"Well then, Naruto, I'll see you then," Hinata smiled and waved at the boy as he took off.

"Yeah!" Naruto called out before disappearing into the shadows of the early morning.

Stunned, Hinata spent a moment simply staring into the compound wall as she tried to process all the questions which she now had. As she curated the mental list of things that she had to ask the boy, it occurred to Hinata that it was very nearly time to travel to training ground four herself. Hoping that Kurenai would have some answers to what this was all about, Hinata picked up the small satchel of supplies that she had prepared the previous day and set off.

-----⨂----⨂-----

"I win," Hinata said, her hand resting on the chest of her teammate, Kiba Inuzuka. It was something that she had become awfully accustomed to saying to the boy, primarily on account of his immense stupidity.

"Well, at least you didn't lose as quickly this time. That's sort of an improvement," Hinata's other teammate, Shino of the mighty Aburame clan, consoled the boy. Kiba growled like a hound in response. It was one of many of Kiba's habits which were, in Hinata's opinion, detestable behavior.

"Oh don't give me that," Shino responded, "If you can stand up to her then you should be able to easily compete in the Chunin exam."

"What good is competing if you don't win?" Kiba exclaimed, "I wanna beat the shit out of everyone there and take home the grand prize!"

"Then I suggest you start praying to the Sages, maybe they'll intervene on your behalf," Shino suggested.

Hinata slumped against a nearby tree as the boys bickered. The weariness which her morning training brought her, combined with how dull Kiba was as an opponent, left her mentally and physically drained.

Kurenai, despite the girl's hopes, did not have any insight into the strange happenings of that morning and, indeed, seemed just as confused as she was about the entire affair. Kurenai had ensured Hinata that there was certainly something significant occurring, for the great Sage would not make such requests idly. Knowing that it was perhaps a major responsibility that awaited her did not bring Hinata any comfort, though.

As Hinata pondered what in the world it could possibly be that she was needed for, Kiba's small dog, Akamaru, wandered up to her and began licking her face. Hinata picked up the small animal and held it out in front of her, studying it. The Inuzuka had long practiced the art of raising war hounds to do much of their fighting for them. It was a cruel and cowardly practice, Hinata had always believed, to subject such an innocent being to such a terrible folly of man as war. It seemed little wonder that they had long allied themselves with the Uchiha; who else would accept such a horrid art?

Hinata put down the ill-fated animal and it joyously returned to the side of its master, who was still arguing with Shino.

"The Chunin exam is mostly a sham anyway," Shino said, "It really doesn't matter if you win or lose so long as you put on a good show. Sages, losing might be a good thing, it gives you another year to prepare if you plan on going for eyes. You're no prodigy Kiba. It's irritating when you act like one."

Before Kiba could respond to the attack, Naruto Uzumaki leaped down from the canopy and landed in the dirt right in front of Hinata.

"Hi Hinata! You all ready to go?" Naruto grinned.

"Where the fuck did you come from?" Kiba demanded as Hinata returned Naruto's smile and stood.

"Did you not see him coming?" Shino turned to Kiba, "You really are worthless."

"Yeah, I'm ready!" Hinata replied to the blonde boy.

"Hold on," Kiba said, "What is going on here?"

"I have an important thing that I need Hinata to help me with!" Naruto gave Kiba a thumbs up; a gesture which, Hinata was sure, Naruto thought to be reassuring in his own mind. Instead, it angered Kiba even further.

"What could possibly be more important than training with her team right before the Chunin exam?" Hinata had to admit that it was a fair question.

"It's classified!" Naruto issued a double thumbs up. Kiba looked as though he was about to attack the boy.

"Um, Naruto, we should probably leave," Hinata cautioned.

"You're right!" Naruto agreed, "We've got a lot to do and after all, time waits for no man!"

Naruto leaped into the canopy and Hinata, after briefly processing that Naruto would say something so intellectual, followed him. As they dashed through the trees, Kiba's yells of indignation could be heard slowly fading into the distance.

"Time waits for no man?" Hinata looked over to Naruto, "Where did you get that one?"

"I read it this morning!" Naruto seemed proud of his accomplishment. Hinata was terrified by it. If Naruto was reading, something truly disastrous had surely occurred.

"You're reading?" Hinata voiced her confusion.

"Yeah! Jiraiya is making me do it, he says it's important or something," Naruto said, "I thought it was going to be really awful but once you get past how boring it is some of those old writer dudes actually have some pretty cool stuff to say."

"Why in the world is Jiraiya making you read?" Hinata couldn't help but embrace her curiosity.

"I wish I knew. Something about becoming wise I think. It's like important to my future I guess. Which kinda makes sense, you know?"

Hinata nodded but the statement generated more questions for her than it answered. Particularly, it harkened back to a question that had been on her mind for years, ever since she learned that Naruto lived with Jiraiya. The simple question was: why? There was an Uzumaki compound in the village as grand as that of any of the other great clans and despite having their own village those who lived within Konoha were respected as citizens. Despite that, Naruto lived with the great Sannin Jiraiya, a man who the boy referred to as his godfather. Who even was Naruto's father? As Hinata thought about it, it occurred to her that she didn't know the answer. Regardless, if the Sannin believed that Naruto had an important future ahead of him, perhaps it explained something.

"So, what is this thing that you need my help with?" Hinata asked.

"Well, there's this weird technique that Jiraiya wants me to learn and it requires a lot of precise chakra control. We both figured that having someone with the Byakugan who could look at what I was doing and see if it was correct or not would be really helpful. I thought you'd be a good choice and he made it work!" The boy smiled over at her and Hinata felt herself blush a little.

"Well, um, I'm honored that you chose me. What is this technique?" Hinata said.

"It's kind of weird, I think that Jiraiya will do a better job explaining. We're almost there so he'll be able to tell you about it soon!"

Hinata nodded and then looked forward, only to see a venerable wall of massive oak trunks. The sight conjured the memory of a trip that her father had taken her on when she was very young — before he had decided that she was insufficient for him.

"Wait a moment," Hinata came to a stop just beyond the trunks.

"You ok?" Naruto stopped slightly further ahead and turned to face her.

"Is that," Hinata gestured at the oaks, "Lord Hashirama's sacred forest?"

"Yeah! That's what Jiraiya called it!"

"We can't go there! That's sacred ground! The spirits of great men past will haunt us for such a grave trespass!" Hinata stared very seriously at Naruto.

"Well I don't know about any spirits, but we've got permission from the Hokage, so it's fine! Come on!" Naruto set off again.

Though Hinata was mortified, she supposed that she had little other choice considering she had willingly agreed to assist Naruto. Besides, she told herself as she issued a prayer of apology to Lord Hashirama and the Sages' who watched over him, Naruto was surely ignorant of Hyuga tradition and certainly didn't mean anything malicious by bringing her to such a place.

After passing into the forest, however, all of Hinata's reservations seemed to fade away as a wave of nostalgia from her visit long ago washed over her. The sacred forest was unchanging, removed from time as its creator was. Hinata watched the endless meadow of wild grass which blanketed the forest floor in place of the regular undergrowth sway in the gentle breeze which flowed between the trees as she and Naruto hopped between the trunks deeper into the forest.

Hinata found herself so entranced by the environment that she didn't notice when Naruto leapt down to the ground.

"Hinata!" The boy called out to her, "Where are you going?"

"Sorry! I was distracted," Hinata felt her face flush a deep red with embarrassment as she turned around and joined Naruto on the ground.

Her embarrassment deepened significantly when, upon landing, she found herself directly in front of Konoha's greatest living shinobi, Jiraiya of The Sannin.

"O' mighty Sage," Hinata bowed deeply to the old man, who sat cross-legged amidst the grass, "It is my deepest honor to be in your presence. Please forgive my foolishness."

"You needn't be so formal, child," Jiraiya laughed. The sound was like a great powerful river flowing gently by; such sounds warmed Hinata's heart.

"It has been many a year since I was mighty, if I ever was to begin with. But for my part, Lady Hinata, it is a pleasure to finally have a chance to speak to you. As you may imagine, Hiashi has never been too fond of having me around his children."

Hinata masked her disbelief the best she could. It simply seemed so absurd that this man, one of The Sannin who butchered so many Hyuga along with their master during The Great Turmoil could also be the saintly old man who sat before her now. Evidently, despite her efforts to mask it, Jiraiya detected that she was disconcerted.

"Expected me to be nastier, did you?" the Sage asked.

"No, absolutely not, I mean," Hinata felt a desire to become one with the surrounding grass take over her mind as she spoke. Fortunately, Jiraiya's warm laughter interrupted her, saving Hinata from further embarrassment.

"It is quite all right, my child," Jiraiya smiled, "We were quite vicious then, as was everyone else. It was just the fashion of those times. Know that I mean you no harm and that I bear no grudge against any clan nor any man for the actions which were taken in that time, they were regrettable on all sides."

Hinata nodded nervously in acknowledgment. Sensing her unease, the Sage gave the girl one final reassuring smile before speaking once more.

"Now, Lady Hinata, has my foolish son given you the forewarnings?"

"What forewarnings?" Hinata was suddenly nervous about a different set of things entirely.

"I will take that as a no," Jiraiya seemed to expect the response, "I have two major ones for you. Firstly, there is a non-zero probability of injury with what we are doing here. I swear to you that I will do everything in my power to prevent any harm coming to you, but I may not be able to guarantee it. Secondly, helping us here requires that we impart onto you an S-Class secret. While I am willing to allow you to back out now, once I tell you that secret, I cannot allow you to back out of helping us. Please take as much time as you need to digest that information."

Though Hinata quickly disregarded the potential for danger as a reason for pause, the S-Class secret weighed on her more heavily. Such a secret was one that a shinobi was expected to prioritize above his or her own life. Hinata was unsure if she was qualified to bear such a burden.

"If I may ask, Lord Jiraiya, who else knows this secret?" Hinata decided that she would be more comfortable taking on such knowledge if it was known by others beyond just Naruto and Jiraiya.

"It is known by the Hokage, Lord Danzo, the heads of all major clans, Naruto's Jonin leader Kakashi Hatake, and a few others who you needn't concern yourself with," The Sage swiftly answered.

"Then, yes," Hinata decided that such knowledge would not be as great a burden if so many were already familiar, "I am willing to learn this S-Class secret."

"Excellent, now, Naruto?" Jiraiya addressed the boy. Hinata turned away from the Sage and towards Naruto. To her great worry, Hinata saw that, perhaps for the first time since she had known him, the boy seemed genuinely nervous.

"Would you like me to do the talking, or would you like to?" Jiraiya asked him.

"You do it," Naruto said softly, an unprecedented occurrence for the boy.

"My apologies if I have created some anxiety," Jiraiya looked between the faces of the two children, "Before this, I gave Naruto a speech that was perhaps slightly over dramatic about how poorly you, or anybody else for that matter, may take this information. Now, Lady Hinata, here is our great secret. Naruto Uzumaki is the Jinchuriki of the Kaju and is, therefore, the greatest power that this village possesses."

Hinata immediately felt her thoughts tear themselves into two major groups in reaction to the information. On the one hand, her rational thoughts had a field day answering every question which remained in her mind about Naruto all at once. It made perfect sense why he resided with Jiraiya, it made perfect sense why her father had tried to caution her away from him, and it made sense how he seemed to have endless stamina and chakra to brute force his way through any problem that he ever encountered. Hinata's emotional side, in contrast, was practically having a meltdown. Every story she had ever been taught about Jinchuriki always ended in pain, suffering, and cataclysm for everyone involved. They were man made weapons of war destruction far more powerful than any conceivable jutsu, unstoppable beasts of death capable of little more than indiscriminate slaughter. These were the images that every source of information Hinata had ever encountered had placed in her head about the Jinchuriki. Every source of information except, it now seemed, her experience of reality. For all his faults, Hinata had always felt that Naruto was the nicest person she had ever met. The boy had made constant efforts to make others happy from their early childhoods all the way through the academy. Despite his occasionally mischievous nature, Naruto seemed driven by a desire to do good above all else. Yet, such a boy was also an incarnation of agony and insanity, a vessel for one of the greatest evils upon the world.

"Hinata," Naruto was the first to break the silence. Something which, by the look on his face, evidently surprised Jiraiya.

"This curse was placed upon me the day I was born, I had no choice. But, over the years, I've come to feel that I was given this power for a reason. Yeah, every other Jinchuriki is universally evil, but that's because they were treated as evil. The old man protected me from all that and so, aside from knowing that I've had this thing inside me, I've been able to live a pretty normal life up till now. I'm not going to be crazy, or evil, or anything else bad. I'm going to make people see that the power of a Meju can be used for good. I'm going to be the Hokage of this village and I'm going to be the greatest Hokage ever! I swear it!" Naruto looked directly into Hinata's eyes and extended his fist out in a simple expression of determination.

As Hinata gazed into the boy's eyes, she saw the same kind boy who she had always cared for in them. Though, in that moment, that kindness found itself paired with an intense iron will. Throughout their childhoods Naruto was known for his ridiculous proclamations and, despite this one being perhaps his most ridiculous yet, Hinata believed it more wholeheartedly than any of the others. Hinata extended out her fist in return, her knuckle touching Naruto's.

"I'll hold you to it," Hinata smiled at the boy.

Jiraiya, having watched the scene unfold, was positively beaming.

"We'll all hold you to it, Naruto," the Sage said, "But I know that you'll do it, I believe it. Now! Lady Hinata, we must get you caught up to speed, there is much to do. To start, imagine that the chakra of the Kaju is like a volume of boiling water."

Naruto laughed.

 

[Ah!]

Chapter 9: Await The Day​

After two days of bedridden agony, Sasuke finally found himself discharged. Kakashi's routine presence to discuss matters of training had been the only thing that kept the boy sane. Indeed, Sasuke had spent so much time thinking about what he would do once he got out of the hospital that he had effectively memorized the entire training plan that the Jonin had concocted. With only twelve days remaining before the Chunin exam, Sasuke knew that he had to start immediately.

Unfortunately, a major roadblock stood between Sasuke and his objectives. The name of that roadblock was the House of Tatsushi. The most ardent political enemies of his father and, by extension, Sasuke himself. The House of Tatsushi was descended from one of the Uchiha's greatest heroes and had a history nearly as legendary as the House of Madara itself. Sasuke was certain that they would not fail to exploit the obvious opportunity presented by such a humiliating failure by the heir to the House of Madara.

Though the boy was fairly certain the confrontation was inevitable, he decided that it would be best to delay it as long as possible. To that end, Sasuke chose to take the most indirect route which could be found to the Uchiha clan compound: a winding walk through the center of Konoha. The Konoha General Hospital, where he had been interned for his wounds, was positioned in the South quarter of central Konoha, with the Uchiha compound being positioned to the East right on the outskirts of the village center. Any shinobi worth anything could easily cross such a distance in around five minutes. Walking along the streets of the village center, however, would take nearly fifty. That was, of course, exactly what Sasuke wanted.

Though central Konoha was always defined by a sort of sensory overload, a barrage of colors, sounds, sights, and smells, all these things were magnified by the coming Chunin exam. Tremendous flowing red banners with golden trim glistening in the low evening sun had been erected in any place which could be found for them and the townspeople were in a frenzy to prepare for the accommodation of a tremendous number of shinobi from the four other major villages. Though it was true that the Chunin exam was foremostly an exercise in displays of military dominance, to be able to luxuriantly feed and house hundreds of foreign shinobi for weeks on end was just as much a sign of strength. Far in the distance, to the Northeast, the sounds of mighty hammering could be heard as men labored to construct a complex of camps at the feet of the statues of the two great founders in which the visiting shinobi would reside.

As Sasuke slowly meandered toward the Uchiha compound, the boy experienced a strange phenomenon. Whenever he was recognized, the villagers showered him with sympathy and words of good will. Though it was certainly difficult to keep anything truly secret in a village where a significant portion of the population had been trained since childhood in espionage, Sasuke had expected at least a little more effort to be put into keeping the shameful occurrence away from the public eye. Even if people did learn, however, Sasuke had expected to be shunned at best and harassed at worst. The bizarrely positive response from the common people of the village was nearly enough to persuade Sasuke to purchase an edition of the paper which reported such occurrences and see what had been said of him.

Most surprising of all to Sasuke was that this response seemed to even be shared by his fellow shinobi. While there were no Genin or Jonin on the streets, there were plenty of Chunin. They, like the common people of the village, had no harsh or angry words for Sasuke. Indeed, some even shared stories of a teammate's, or even their own, eyes being stolen in battle in sympathy. Sasuke even received such words from a young Hyuga Chunin, a truly unthinkable occurrence. The experience lifted the boy's spirits, if only slightly, and allowed him to have some small hope that even the most vicious members of his own clan would be willing to overlook the blunder.

These hopes, however, were immediately and violently crushed when Sasuke finally arrived at the gate to the Uchiha compound. Perched upon the gate was Noboru, the heir to the House of Tatsushi. The boy was three years Sasuke's senior and he had built a reputation as the first truly remarkable shinobi to come out of the Uchiha clan in some time. Some rumorous circulated that despite his young age, he was in contention for Jonin promotion. Even if that wasn't true, the missions which he had accomplished as a Chunin had brought much renown to his family. Sasuke's mother had always spoken of Noboru as a sort of temporary rival, a stepping stone to the ultimate strength necessary to contest with that greatest of Uchiha prodigies: the traitor Itachi.

Now, however, Noboru seemed to be intent on confronting Sasuke far before the younger boy was ready. Being at his weakest, Sasuke had no illusions about being able to take on Noboru in a fight, let alone in the trap which had been laid for him.

On the steps leading up to the compound, which was elevated on a three-meter stone terrace above the ground, were three men who appeared to be Noboru's goons. One of them stood far at the top, directly next to the gate itself. This man looked significantly older than Noboru and the other two goons, suggesting to Sasuke that he was merely a gate guard loyal to the Tatsushi who had been arranged to prevent interference. The other two goons, who seemed to be much closer to Noboru in age, were sitting on the steps much closer to the ground. Sasuke was fairly certain that there was a fourth goon as well. Probably, he speculated, somewhere behind him.

"Welcome home, Master Sasuke," Noboru greeted him, mocking the title with which the adults insisted on referring to him, "You're bold to show your face here after how you've disgraced us all. If a lesser house committed such a sin, they'd all be hung for allowing the Sharingan to leave this clan! What does the House of Madara do? It decides that now is the time to seize power, to become the face of the Uchiha! It's absurd!"

"I have absolutely no idea what in the names of the Sages you're talking about," Sasuke said as he looked Noboru dead in the eyes.

"Oh? You didn't hear? Well, words move slow in hospital halls, I suppose. The Lord Hokage called upon a representative of our clan to discuss an issue related to the Chunin exam. My father was, as you'd expect of the most reputable of the Uchiha, selected to attend this meeting. Your mother, however, apparently decided that it was within her right to supplant my father as the representative. Such a heinous act."

"Your father has the reputability of a Hyuga," Sasuke spat on the ground, "Old men with heads full of crushed dreams such as he have ravaged this clan as much as Itachi! Besides, if he did not want to be supplanted, why did he not simply fight?"

"Such bold words from one in your position, Sasuke. Well, I will not be infuriated by them just yet. To tell you the truth, my old man did fight, and he lost."

"We are the Uchiha, Noboru! The strong rule and the weak fade into the background! You have lost Madara's fire if you quarrel over a decision made by the blade!"

"You must understand, Sasuke, I do not quarrel with the decision itself," Noboru defensively raised his hands, "Merely the circumstances surrounding it. Firstly, who among us would have suspected Mikoto to be a great warrior? To hide one's strength in such a manner is cowardly. Secondly, to have the eyes of a member of the House of Madara stolen by an unknown enemy is one of the greatest humiliations in the history of the Uchiha clan. It is simply unreasonable for a member of this now disgraced house to claim to represent us in an assembly of the village!"

Sasuke struggled to find a good response, mostly on account of the fact that he agreed completely. If his mother truly had done that which she was being accused of, it would be entirely out of line. To be the representative to the village council required the approval of a majority of Uchiha, a feat so difficult that Sasuke could only remember a single time a person was selected as representative for more than one consecutive meeting. Sasuke was embarrassed by the disgrace.

"So you know I'm right, then?" Noboru replied to the younger boy's silence, "Well, it's good you aren't all Apostates. Unfortunately, Sasuke, I've still got to take revenge for my old man. This will be easier if you don't fight back."

Noboru and the two goons closest to Sasuke poised themselves to strike. Though Sasuke, of course, had to fight back for the sake of his honor, Sasuke admitted to himself that his chances of winning were effectively zero. All three older boys probably had at least fifty pounds and a foot of height on Sasuke, not to mention that they had well developed Sharingan.

The two goons dashed forward and were able to lay in on Sasuke when Noboru called out, "Woah, woah, easy with that."

The two goons instantly spun around to see what was going on with their leader. The movement also offered Sasuke a clear view of the situation on the top of the gate. Standing beside Noboru, who was still sitting, was a long haired man with a drawn sword and active Sharingan. The cutting edge of the blade gently rested on Noboru's collarbone.

It took Sasuke a moment, but he shortly recognized the man. It was Katsuo Uchiha, the popular young leader of the Restitutionalist movement.

"Back off, you lowly thugs," Katsuo commanded the two boys near Sasuke. In an instant, they wisely complied, "Master Sasuke, I would like to tell you, on Mikoto's behalf, that you are late for dinner.

"What the hell are you on about?" Noboru glared up at Katsuo.

The man looked down at him, "Sasuke is coming to dinner, with me. You, boy, are going home. Do you need anything else clarified?"

"No, I do not," Noboru said before looking over at his target, "Sasuke! If Madara's fire still burns in your heart, you'll fight me once the Chunin exam is over, whether you've got Sharingan or not!"

Noboru hit the left side of his chest twice with his fist to issue the challenge. Sasuke, being unable to back down as he was, returned the gesture. With that, Katsuo sheathed his sword, and Noboru, along with the rest of his posse, scattered.

"Quite the enemy you've made there, young master," Katsuo said.

"Maybe so. But, I also have a new friend, do I not?" Sasuke replied.

The Resititutionalists had always been vaguely adjacent to the House of Madara politically and they ultimately had the same aim: to expand the power and influence of the Uchiha clan. Yet, Sasuke had never understood Katsuo and his men to be allies, per se. It seemed, however, that things had changed during his hospitalization.

"Indeed," The young man smiled at Sasuke, "Now, let us not delay any longer. We are expected."

The two made the journey to the manor of the House of Madara, located at the center of the Uchiha compound, in complete silence. Despite obviously constraining himself for Sasuke's benefit, Katsuo was still extremely fast as he dashed across the rooftops and the boy had to expend significant energy to keep pace with him. Sasuke wasn't particularly bothered by it, though. He merely considered it to be the first of many training exercises which were necessary to regain his previous strength.

Because of the strenuous nature of the journey, Sasuke had little time to contemplate the nature of what had just occurred or attempt to sort out exactly what might have happened which resulted in Katsuo allying himself so openly with the House of Madara. If Mikoto truly had defeated Noboru's father Nori in a fight, it would surely be a show of power sufficient to attract many to her side. Yet, as far as Sasuke was aware, Mikoto had little interest in being the central figure of her movement. That was the role that she wished Sasuke to play. The boy waited anxiously to receive answers.

As Sasuke crossed the threshold into his home, it became clear that Katsuo was not the only guest. The voices of two women conversed in the other room, one of which Sasuke knew belonged to his mother. The other, however, was unfamiliar to him. As Sasuke and Katsuo entered the large dining room, where the table had been laid with an excessive feast, the boy studied the strange woman. From her eyes it was evident that she was an Uchiha, but other than that Sasuke was not able to ascertain much about her. She had boyish hair and appeared to be some years younger than his mother, though Sasuke could not tell by exactly how much.

"Ah, Lord Katsuo," Mikoto greeted the man warmly, "Found my wayward son, have you? Sasuke, this is Lady Toru," Then looking at the woman she said, "Care to introduce yourself?"
"Hello, I'm Toru. I am the reigning matron of the Uchiha Archers. It is an honor to meet you at last, young Master Sasuke."

"It is an honor for me, also, Lady Toru," Sasuke said.

Though he resisted the urge, the boy desired to make his visceral negative reaction known to his mother. While the Resititutionalists were fairly respectable, even outside the clan, the Uchiha Archers had long been a group of complete and total lunatics. They refused to live in the village proper, instead residing across the portion of Uchiha ancestral territory which fell within the borders of The Land of Fire. Their ideological position was, at least as far as Sasuke knew, little more than a desire to return to the brutal and nomadic lifestyle which the Uchiha clan had lived before Madara and his peace with the Hyuga tied them down to a village. Yet, now, it seemed that his mother had chosen to make them an ally. They were, admittedly, one of the clan's most powerful military forces, but their esoteric nature and bizarre beliefs made them seemingly unsuitable allies.

"Please, Sasuke, Katsuo, take your seats," Mikoto said.

Sasuke sat down opposite his mother, in front of an exotic arrangement of fruits. Katsuo took the last remaining seat at the table, opposite Toru.

"Is it true that you fought with Nori?" Sasuke asked his mother as soon as he had become settled.

"My, such a brash way to begin," Mikoto stared across the table at Sasuke, "But not an unreasonable one. Yes, it is true. We did battle, but he was weak and I forced him to retreat easily. I'm sure he remains bitter about being defeated, by a housewife no less, but he will have to learn to live with the fact that I utterly outclass him. To think that your father once thought of that man as an equal. How far men fall when they have no spirit."

"You are no simple housewife, Mikoto," Katsuo said, "We have chosen to follow you for a reason."

"Of course! Of course! But let them think that, my friends!" Mikoto smiled.

"Follow?" Sasuke questioned.

"That is correct, Sasuke. Can you not feel a great storm coming?" Mikoto threw her hands in the air, "War will soon be upon us! When I learned that your eyes had been stolen, I cursed the Sages. Why, I said, must this plight fall upon my family after all the previous plights? But, perhaps, it is not such a bad thing after all. This village will certainly go to war with whatever entity orchestrated this theft. Though I still stand by the advice I gave you personally the morning after the theft — that this puts you personally in a deeply precarious situation — I now feel that this is a fantastic opportunity for the clan as a whole! Finally, after decades of playing mercenary for hire along with the rest of them, we'll be able to show this village who we really are," Mikoto grinned, "Our three parties, long separated by trivial disagreements, unite today to celebrate that pending return to glory, to greatness!"

"To greatness!" Katsuo and Toru echoed as they raised their sake cups.

"As to put these historic events into less opaque terms for our young company," Toru said after the three had drunk their fill, "We are officially creating a new Uchiha War Band."

Sasuke gazed out at the three as they looked at him expectantly, almost as if he was meant to have some sort of reaction to the information. Sasuke, however, had no reaction at all for his mind was boggled by the sheer insanity which was unfolding before him. Sasuke attempted to parcel his thoughts as to deal with each particular insanity one at a time. Perhaps foremostly, to hear his mother describe the supremely disgraceful theft of his eyes as a potential blessing absolutely mortified Sasuke. Even if the Uchiha were able to mobilize for war and win great renown on the battlefield, the shame that Sasuke had brought upon the House of Madara could not be shed so easily.

The other insanity, from which all the more minor reservations which had welled in Sasuke stemmed, was the idea that an Uchiha War Band could be created at all. Mikoto had always taught the boy that to create a war band was the ultimate act of an Uchiha leader. It was the last act that Fukagu had performed before he died, it was the first act on Madara's path to glory, and it was the act that cemented that Madara's death had brought about the end of guaranteed peace. There were many other such examples. To think that his mother styled herself after those great men seemed deranged. Besides, the Restitutionalists and the Uchiha Archers could not have had more than one hundred and fifty truly capable men between them. It was a mighty force, to be sure, but a war band usually required such forces twice over.

Beyond all that, however, it was simply madness to start a war band outside of war. Traditional Uchiha mythology dictated that the war band was the incarnation of violence and savagery. To use it as a political tool, something which Sasuke was fairly sure his mother was intending to do, was surely somehow an affront to all those mighty men who founded one in the past. Though war may soon come, it was not upon them yet. As such, in Sasuke's view, it was heretical to establish such an entity now.

Rather than expressing that sentiment, Sasuke simply replied, "Why?"

"It is a statement, Sasuke," Mikoto chided, as though it were obvious, "It tells our enemies in the clan and the forces that would hinder us outside of it that the Uchiha are ready to fight. In these days, where men in our own clan shy away from war in favor of diplomatic dealings in the style of the Hyuga, such is an important statement to make."

"It has been decades since this village was truly at war," Katsuo said, "Men will surely resist the prospect and attempt to cling to their worthless peace. The Uchiha must tell all these men that we are not among them. We shall be the first with our feet on the ground! The first with our blades in the enemy!"

"One of the great blessings which our history has bestowed upon us is an outsized influence on the decisions of this village's leaders," Toru added, "If we wish war to erupt, it is important to communicate to the Lord Hokage that we are ready for such an occurrence. After all, as has been alluded to, many men would seek a peaceful compromise with the enemy once he has been identified."

"What could possibly be gained from war? For us, I mean," Sasuke said, "Of course, we must take revenge. But I cannot imagine that we could advance the goals of this clan with such a small party."

"A small party?" Mikoto said, " My dear boy, I do not think that four hundred men constitute a small party. A war shall grant us freedom! A chance to escape the ever-looming shadow of the authorities of this village and exercise our own will."

Sasuke nearly recoiled in shock. To think that his mother and her allies had gathered four hundred men. It seemed such an absurd statement. Where, Sasuke questioned in his own mind, had these men been found? As far as Sasuke knew, such a force was around a third of the clan's total fighting strength. Despite the growing strength which the Resititutionalists had enjoyed of late, Sasuke could not imagine that they had more than a hundred men under their banner. It was a similar case with the Uchiha archers; their obscure and highly discriminatory methods of recruitment heavily limited their total manpower. Perhaps, Sasuke suddenly considered, Mikoto herself had some manpower to her name. It did not seem all that ridiculous to assume his father's shattered allies had clung to whoever could be found. But two hundred men? It seemed beyond possibility.

"You are young, boy," Toru addressed Sasuke, "So perhaps it is difficult for you to comprehend the significance of this chance. But you must trust when I say that it is not since the age of your father that we have even dreamed of such things. Yet, in Fugaku's time, it could be little more than a dream. Now the chance for us to act freely has presented itself so easily. If war falls upon us, the vicious eyes which have watched us since our attempt at liberation unraveled will direct themselves onto lofter foes."

It was, Sasuke thought, quite a reasonable argument. The forces of ruin which sought the emasculation of the Uchiha clan would surely turn their ire onto the more significant threat of the enemy.

"That is an elegant way of putting it. Thank you, Lady Toru," Mikoto smiled at her new-found ally, "Indeed, Sasuke, while we come together to formalize this alliance, the feast before you is intended as a celebration. A celebration of a second chance in our lifetime. A celebration of the coming storm! Now, before we eat and be merry, I have a gift for my son. Initially, I had intended this to be little more than a gift upon your return from the hospital. I think you'll find, however, that in light of what has occurred here today, it takes on an additional significance."

She stood from the table and motioned for Sasuke to do the same. After the boy stood, Mikoto once more directed him to join her on the other side of the table. As Sasuke circled around the table, giving Toru a wide berth as he passed behind her, the boy saw his mother bend down to lift the lid from a large wooden box that had been sitting beside her unobserved for the duration of the conversation. As Mikoto set down the lid, Sasuke gazed in awe at the contents of the box. It was a beautiful blade. The sheath was carved from shining ebony wood with a simple engraving of a sakura flower on the side near the hilt. Around the middle of the sheath, a light purple rope had been wrapped around the wood and fastened to it, providing a grip. Mikoto grasped the blade by this grip before raising it up to Sasuke's eye level.

"This," Mikoto said, thrusting the weapon forward, "Is your father's sword, Tsujigiri. It is a name that embodies that highest form of art: the mighty duel between two great warriors. This was the purpose for which its smith intended it to be used. When you wield it, you carry that will. Yet, also, this blade has inherited a will from your father, a desire to free our people from the malignant bondage in which we have found ourselves. When you carry it into the coming battle, you will carry that dream, that will, along with you also. Use it well."

Sasuke looked on at the weapon in pure admiration. Though the boy could not remember his father, with the man dying when Sasuke was but a few months old as he did, Sasuke was able to instantly acquire a feeling for how great his father had been. A powerful and unruly chakra of the sort possessed only by those truest of warriors roiled off of the handle. Sasuke took the blade from his mother's hands and slowly he carefully drew the weapon from its sheath. As soon as the boy laid eyes upon the simple blade, the rush of intense chakra which had been suppressed by the sheath made it clear to Sasuke that some fragment of his father's soul still resided within it.

"With this weapon," Sasuke looked up at his mother, "I will slaughter all the enemies of this clan."

Mikoto smiled, "I await the day!" she said.

 

[Ah!]

Chapter 10: An (Un)fortunate Encounter​

Neji Hyuga was furious, as he often was. This time, however, it was that special kind of fury that finds itself bedfellows with unmitigated confusion. For the past few days, shortly after noon, Hinata Hyuga moved briefly through the wide range of his Byakugan. In this movement she was accompanied by Naruto Uzumaki and, though it was quite an unusual occurrence, Neji was not particularly bothered by this at all. No, his fury descended a few minutes later when, trailing behind Hinata, came two Jonin of his clan. These men were meant to be guards for a child of the main branch, to be ever vigilant and move unseen. It was maddening to think that men chosen for such a prestigious position could be so grossly incompetent as to be so casually observed by a mere child such as himself. It was an insult to all semblance of order in the world that such thugs would be given such an important task.

Once his misgivings had subsided, however, Neji did admit that he was rather curious about where exactly it was that they were going. At first, the boy had assumed that the heiress and the fool were simply running off to frolic in the forests or perform some other pointless and inane activity. But the sheer consistency of the activity pointed Neji to an alternative conclusion; something worthwhile may indeed be happening. Particularly, the nearness of the coming Chunin exam, combined with the poor circumstances that the theft of Sasuke Uchiha's eyes had placed Naruto's team in, suggested that perhaps the pair were undergoing some form of training. Exactly what they were training in, Neji hadn't the slightest idea. A cursory glance of the abilities possessed by each member of the pair suggested that there was absolutely nothing of value at all which could be exchanged between them. Neji filed the thought away for the moment, choosing to contemplate the question as he tailed the Jonin guards.

Neji focused, reducing the radius of his Byakugan's vision from a mammoth three kilometers to a more functional five hundred meters. Despite the obvious benefits of having the Byakugan view such a massive area, a drawback that Neji had never anticipated in his youth was that the sheer amount of information that such a large radius provided the mind caused an intense disassociation from the body. Although this was admittedly a quite relaxing experience, it rendered even basic movement extremely difficult and precise movement, of the kind which was necessary to tail a skilled shinobi, completely impossible. As Neji stood, for when he increased his vision to massive ranges he sat down so as to not foolishly fall over, his teammate, the ever-enthusiastic Rock Lee, spoke to him.

"That was a short one!" The boy, who chose to have an unfortunate bowl cut, commented on the length of Neji's vigil as he kicked through yet another tree.

Between himself, Rock Lee, and their final teammate, Tenten, a large clearing had been formed as the three practiced their techniques on the unfortunate surrounding flora. Sometimes Neji felt that it must have been a sin to so indiscriminately attack such ancient trees but, the boy reflected, much greater suffering would surely be caused if Rock Lee went around challenging everybody he met to a fight rather than occupying himself with mere wooden targets.

"I was interrupted by an interesting opportunity," Neji said.

"Do we get to fight someone?" Lee asked.

"I'm afraid this is an opportunity just for myself but, do not fear, I do not believe there will be any fighting."

"Aw," Lee replied, "Oh well, have fun!"

"I'll do my best," Neji smiled at his teammate before dashing into the canopy.

Rock Lee was, perhaps, the most puzzling individual Neji had ever encountered. From his bizarre fashion sense to his constant unyielding will, the boy was very strange indeed. Neji had despised him as a fool in the academy, a doomed failure who was chasing a dream made impossible by the circumstances of his existence. To be a great shinobi without the use of chakra; it seemed absurd. Yet, as Neji had advanced, Rock Lee managed to keep pace with him under the special tutelage of their Jonin mentor, Might Guy — a man who shared very many of Lee's absurdities. The previous year, it had infuriated Neji that Lee's lack of skill had prevented him taking the Chunin exam. But now, Neji looked forward to mercilessly annihilating all those who stood in their path alongside the boy who had become his brother in arms.

As Neji dashed between the branches, keeping a comfortable distance between himself and the heiress' Jonin guards, the boy returned to his original contemplation. What exactly could Hinata and Naruto be doing that could benefit either of them?

Naruto, as far as Neji was aware, had practically no skill in any area and as such the boy quickly ruled out the possibility of knowledge being imparted onto Hinata. This was excellent, for it meant that the heiress' abilities were nearly guaranteed to be entirely within Neji's knowledge. However, the idea of Hinata transferring any amount of Hyuga knowledge to a clan outsider, and such a foolish one at that, was rather sickening. Suddenly, as he traversed the canopy, Neji hit upon a fairly good idea. Though it was unlikely that Naruto could even utilize any Hyuga techniques if he was taught them, it was possible that Hinata's contribution to the boy's training efforts was with her eyes themselves. The intensely precise details of the chakra system which the Byakugan was able to capture had the potential to be immensely useful to any man who was attempting to learn a technique that required equally large amounts of precision.

At first, Neji chided himself for considering the ridiculous notion that Naruto was attempting to learn a technique that required any amount of skill. However, the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. It would take a very desperate man indeed to invite a member of an enemy team to help him master a technique only days before they were set to compete against one another. Yet, considering what Neji knew of Naruto's talent for careful and precise technique, he seemed to fit the bill for one who would be so desperate. This, of course, raised the question of what technique could possibly be so valuable that it was worth revealing its existence to the enemy. Before Neji was able to contemplate this question, however, the boy noticed that the heiress' guards had halted.

Neji immediately also came to a stop. Though he was initially concerned that he may have been detected, this did not seem to be the case for the Jonin took none of the pains a man who has realized he has been pursued would normally take to shake his pursuer. Instead, they seemed to be simply standing around, speaking idly to one another. Assuming that the Jonin were comfortable doing such a thing, Neji could only assume that the heiress was nearby. The boy softly jumped to the ground and, after sitting down comfortably at the base of the tree, extended the range of his Byakugan to two kilometers. To his shock, the boy discovered two disturbing pieces of information. Firstly, the heiress did not appear to be anywhere within the set radius and, secondly, the Jonin seemed to have come to a stop outside of the sacred forest of Lord Hashirama.

The only reasonable conclusion was that Hinata had entered the forest, accompanied by Naruto no less. Neji was disgusted at the sheer disgrace of one so high in his clan committing such a flagrant act of sacrilege. For a moment, Neji toyed with the possibility of extending to his maximum range of three kilometers to see if the girl could be immediately found. He quickly ruled this out, however, for it required some time to readjust to functional bodily motion with such a range, and, with the Jonin less than half a kilometer away, it was an unacceptable risk.

This left Neji to decide between two uncomfortable choices. Either, he could abandon his pursuit, potentially losing out on valuable intelligence if he did so, or he could enter the sacred forest, repeating the heiress' grave offense. Before making his decision, Neji considered one key observation. Namely, that if the Jonin were so unbothered by the girl's trespass, it was likely that both she and Naruto had obtained permission from someone to be there. Who exactly that might have been, however, was a considerably more difficult question to answer. According to village law, the only three individuals with the power to legally access the sacred forest were the leader of the Uchiha clan, the leader of the Hyuga clan, and the Hokage himself. Immediately, the leader of the Uchiha clan was ruled out for, apart from the obvious, not existing at all. The leader of the Hyuga clan was then also easily eliminated as a candidate. Hiashi was the most ardent of Hyuga traditionalists and the chances that he gave his daughter, whom Neji was fairly certain the man hated immensely, permission to enter the forest were next to nothing.

This left Hiruzen Sarutobi, the dreaded Monkey King of The North, as the only truly feasible option. With that conclusion reached, Neji became certain that the only reasonable thing to do was to enter the forest. If the Lord Hokage himself had approved whatever activities were occurring in the forest, they were certain to be extremely significant. Neji would not allow himself to be blindsided.

After uttering a soft prayer of apology to Lord Hashirama, along with the often neglected prayer to the great lord's partner, Madara the Peacemaker, Neji skirted around the Jonin and entered the forest. As the boy expanded the range of his vision to a full kilometer, a distance that offered a comfortable balance between movement capability and information gathering ability, Neji took some time to appreciate the beauty of the forest. It was a bittersweet beauty for Neji as one of his father's final acts of defiance before he was killed unjustly by the main branch was to bring the boy to these hallowed grounds. Neji remembered playing freely in the grasses and feeling an unrestrained joy as his father leaped between the trees with the boy on his back. They had gone so far as to travel to the forest's center, where the great castle of the two founders lay. There, Neji had seen Madara's grave and laid eyes on the beautiful, kind, and ageless face of the mighty Lord Hashirama as he sat in an endless stasis, entombed by the roots of the tremendous tree which had grown around him.

There, in the presence of those two greatest of men, his father had knelt, placed his hands on Neji's shoulders, and imparted some of his final words of wisdom to the boy.

"You are great, Neji," he had said, "One day, they will speak of you in the same breath as these glorious men who lay beside us now. Remember this well: you are deserving of more than this," Neji's father had gently placed a hand on the seal with bound Neji to the main branch as he said this, "They will tell you that I chose my fate, but no man chooses to senselessly condemn himself to death. Remember that always, my son."

Neji always would.

The boy had concluded that the most likely method for finding the heiress was to simply travel in a straight line from where her Jonin bodyguards had stopped. However, before finding the girl, Neji happened upon something much more interesting. Just on the edge of the Byakugan's range, Neji saw three identical copies of Naruto standing on the water of a wide river that gently flowed along the forest floor. This was remarkable on two accounts. The stories that Neji had heard suggested that Naruto did not merely have poor chakra control, he simply had no control at all. To think that such a fool could learn to walk on water was, admittedly, quite a difficult thing to accept. Furthermore, each Naruto seemed completely indistinguishable from one another, a sure sign of the powerful shadow clone jutsu technique. Access to the technique was forbidden as a consequence both for its potential danger and for its great power. Neji was simply outraged that such an incompetent failure had been allowed to acquire such a mighty jutsu

As Neji cautiously approached the group, his eyes were assaulted by some one hundred Narutos all attempting to stand on the water. Though some were certainly doing better than others, they were all making a remarkable effort. Creeping even closer, however, rewarded Neji for his caution. Sitting on the opposite bank of the river, watching over the training Narutos was Jiraiya of The Sannin. Immediately, Neji fled. After the boy had put a comfortable distance between himself and the great shinobi, Neji ascended into the canopy of one of the great oaks and began to consider the scene which he had just witnessed.

To begin with, the great Sage's presence answered several of Neji's questions. If Hinata and Naruto had traveled to the forest on specific orders from Jiraiya, it became extremely obvious how they might have obtained permission to enter the forest from the Lord Hokage. As it also seemed that Naruto was devoting significant resources to improving his chakra control, Neji also felt as though the encounter had strengthened the probability that Hinata's presence in Naruto's training did indeed have something to do with the boy attempting to perform a very difficult and precise technique. The more interesting takeaway for Neji, however, was the manner in which Naruto seemed to be training his chakra control. Though Neji had been educated extensively on the shadow clone jutsu on account of its ability to fool the Byakugan, the boy had never heard of it having any meaningful training benefit. As he reviewed in his mind the properties of the shadow clones, however, the fact that one may be able to massively expedite his training through the employment of the technique became fairly obvious.

It was a truly brilliant idea to use the memory retention of the shadow clones to train the unconscious in a particular technique significantly quicker than might be possible otherwise. Neji was certain that the idea was the product of Jiraiya's genius. The boy's mind quickly leaped to considering how the technique could be used in his own training. Immediately, a use case seemed obvious; Neji could use the jutsu to generate an ideal sparring partner. The boy had long struggled to find an adequate individual to spar with for he had long surpassed all the Hyuga in his general age cohort and the adults were far too busy to entertain him. The old masters of the main branch were who he truly wanted to spar with, but Neji was certain that he would be denied such a privilege. To spar with himself seemed an ideal solution to the problem as it would force one of the versions of himself to improve meaningfully in order to achieve victory.

Before Neji could move on to the next step of figuring out how he might actually acquire the shadow clone jutsu, an unexpected sight on the edge of his Byakugan forced him from his rumination. Approaching him from nearly the exact opposite direction as Neji had found the Narutos and Jiraiya was Hinata Hyuga. The girl was flitting between the branches of the great oaks and wore a bleak look on her face. Quickly Neji shrunk the radius of his view to one hundred meters, an appropriate distance for combat. Neji couldn't imagine that Hinata had detected him on her own and so the boy assumed that he had, in fact, been detected by the Sage without realizing. Though Neji was in awe of the old man's sheer ability, he questioned the logic of sending Hinata to confront him. No, Neji thought, that was too stupid a mistake for such a great shinobi to make. Jiraiya surely knew that even appearing on the edge of Neji's vision would be sufficient to scare the boy away for good. Neji concluded that it had to have been Hinata's decision to come for him. He would make her regret that.

As she approached him, Neji vanished into the higher reaches of the canopy, evading Hinata's sight until the girl stood on the very same branch that he had stood on some moments earlier. At that moment, Neji flicked himself down beside her and placed his left fist against the back of her head. It was a simple gesture, the meaning of which every Hyuga knew by heart. Intent to kill. Neji, of course, was bound to nonviolence on the sacred ground of Lord Hashirama's forest but the action obviously had the desired effect. As Hinata turned her head to look at Neji, her eyes were wide and full of primordial fear.

"For what reason do you approach me?" Neji said.

"If," Hinata stuttered slightly and paused for a moment. When she continued, her voice quavered as she spoke, "If I cannot face you here, where I know that you cannot do me any harm, then how will I ever face you in battle?"

Neji was taken aback, though he didn't show it outwardly. The boy studied Hinata's face; there were no cues that she spoke anything but the truth. At the same time, the girl's delivery of the line seemed to suggest that she had rehearsed it. Neji thought it was extremely pathetic.

"You intend to face me in battle?" Neji genuinely hadn't considered the possibility, the boy had figured that he would be required to do some maneuvering in order to have the opportunity to battle the heiress. Instead, it seemed, she would willingly come to him.

"Yes," Hinata's quivers had extended from her voice to the rest of her body, "I must."

"Why?" Neji almost felt insulted that the girl would dare to suggest she had a genuine reason to fight him, "So that you can kill yourself honorably? I do believe I would be disqualified if I killed you. Maybe another time, Lady Hinata."

"No!" A light of defiance appeared in the girl's eyes; that quite excited Neji, "I know that I must face you to overcome myself, to live a life that I'm proud of."

"If you defeat me, that would certainly be something to be proud of. However, you will not beat me. You will not beat me because you are weak. You will not beat me because you are a failure. Weak and worthless, this is the image of you that I have in my mind, Lady Hinata. I will admit it to you: I had planned to annihilate you quickly as catharsis for my anger at your father and the regime of this clan. Now, things have changed. If you seek to battle me, I expect you to be my equal, if not in skill then in spirit, when we step into the arena. I will treat you as a warrior and if your warrior's spirit falters, I shall do far worse than simply defeat you. Is that arrangement acceptable to you?"

"Yes," Hinata said again. Though she was clearly attempting to sound confident, Neji could hear the fear in her voice.

"Then swear it to me. Swear that I will not regret entertaining you as an equal."

"I swear that you will not regret entertaining me as an equal."

"I do hope you mean it," Neji said before lowering his fist back to his side. The boy was about to begin his return trip, when he recalled the question which he had come to answer in the place, "Oh yes, I have to ask, what in the names of the Sages of Truth and Lies are you doing here?"

"I cannot tell you that," Hinata replied, continuing to put up an air of false bravado.

"Oh really? Why is that?"

"It's classified."

"Oh? Is Naruto's new technique really that significant?"

Hinata's reaction to the words told Neji that he had correctly identified their purpose in training here. Having accomplished his mission, Neji flicked himself out of Hinata's sight and began the process of exiting the forest.

A technique so significant that its nature was classified was bound to be a truly mighty technique indeed. Neji felt extremely fortunate to have stumbled upon Naruto's training. While, perhaps, there was a possibility that this mysterious technique may have bested him, Neji now had an answer to anything which his enemies might choose to throw at him. If he could spend the remaining five weeks until the finale of the exam sparring against himself, Neji doubted that he could be genuinely troubled by any of his fellow competitors.

The only trouble which remained, however, was securing access to the shadow clone technique. Neji's first hope and, the boy believed, his safest was the Lord Hokage. All techniques that were forbidden were so by his order and the Monkey King was known to occasionally distribute them to shinobi he believed were capable enough to wield them. Neji could only hope that he met that standard of capability.

The other potential problem with Hiruzen was that although Neji was fairly certain that the clan's grudge with the old man over the events of The Great Turmoil was one sided, the boy wasn't entirely certain of that. In the case that the Lord Hokage refused him the knowledge, Neji believed that Kakashi of The Sharingan was his next best option. The legendary Jonin was, supposedly, the arch-rival of his own mentor, Might Guy, and Neji hoped that his qualification as Guy's student would be sufficient to persuade Kakashi to teach him the technique.

Upon spotting Neji as the boy returned to the training area, Rock Lee offered a wide mischievous grin and asked, "Did your opportunity pan out, Neji?"

"Oh yes," Neji smiled, "It absolutely did."

 

[Ah!]

I'd like to give a long overdue thanks to user AtriumCarceri here on Sufficient Velocity for correcting me on my nonexistent Japanese skills and informing me that a more accurate romanization of 火獣, which I had been previously writing as Hiju, is Kaju. Henceforth, Kurama will be referred to by this title until his true name is revealed to the characters in the story (don't hold your breath for that one, though). The author's note in chapter five will be corrected to reflect the use of this more accurate translation and all prior chapters will be adjusted accordingly.

Thanks again to AtriumCarceri, I am deeply appreciative of the correction.

 

[Ah!]

Chapter 11: The Advanced Theories of Tobirama Hyuga​

"So, trying again this year are you?" Hiruzen smiled at his young Genin assistant.

Perhaps Orochimaru's last great gift to the village before the Great White Snake's unceremonious departure fifteen years prior, Kabuto Yakushi was undoubtedly a genius. Of all the surprises which had descended on Hiruzen in his nearly one hundred years of life, perhaps none had been so great as finding a quiet gray-haired child sitting patiently on the floor of Orochimaru's cavern manor accompanied by a curt note explaining that, although the Great White Snake was furious with Kohona and resolved to abandon it, to drag such a child into the wider world would be cruel to the boy and an interference to his development. As such, Orochimaru had requested that the child be raised by the village. There had been much ado about such an ask, especially from a man who many at that time viewed as a blatant traitor, but Hiruzen, in no small part as a consequence of his regret of so viciously spurning his greatest apprentice, eventually sought to honor it.

Nearly immediately, Kabuto began to demonstrate the brilliance for which his father — or however Orochimaru was related to the boy; Hiruzen rather doubted the Great White Snake would ever have a child in the conventional manner — was so widely acclaimed. The boy excelled in all his studies, easily surpassing all of his peers. Kabuto, however, obviously lacked the violent spirit which drove men to become truly great shinobi. Many men who knew of the relationship between the boy and the Great White Snake were aggrieved of this fact, feeling that they had lost out on an opportunity to acquire for the village another Orochimaru. Hiruzen, however, was joyous for this development, though in some ways it also saddened him. Kabuto was a vision of what Orochimaru may have been had he not been sent to war so young. Regardless, the boy's lack of propensity for combat had resulted in constant floundering in the one-on-one combat stage of the Chunin exam, trapping him eternally as a Genin. Having long been exceeded in rank by his initial teammates, Hiruzen had taken pity on the boy and offered him the previously nonexistent post of personal assistant to the Hokage. The boy, intelligent and savvy as he was, had taken to the task quickly and, along with Shikaku Nara, had practically run the village for nearly four years.

"Yep! I've been doing lots of practice, so I'm sure to make it through this time!" Kabuto grinned sheepishly.

"Don't you dare!" Hiruzen laughed, "I've grown far too accustomed to your company to have it so suddenly ripped out from under me! Ah, well. All good things must come to an end, I suppose."

"Maybe they do, maybe they don't," Kabuto laughed along with the Hokage, "Sages know I'm not much of a fighter. Probably the best I can do for the village is stay right here."

"Oh don't worry yourself, child. Once you make Chunin, Shikaku or Danzo is going to snap you right up! There are better places for a boy like you than waiting on an old man."

"Well, I should hope that Danzo doesn't snap me up. Then I'd still be waiting on an old man and, quite frankly, I like you a quite bit more."

"Don't let yourself be heard saying that!" Hiruzen laughed once more, "Once I'm gone, the old bat will slice your eyes out, then you'll be a bat too!"

The pair descended into explosive laughter as Kabuto attempted to compose himself sufficiently to gather all the documents which the boy needed to chronicle. It had been a brilliant idea of his to keep vast ledgers woven of fuinjutsu of all the village's critical matters to allow easy data visualization and manipulation. Though Hiruzen had no mind for such things, among Shikaku and his fellow Nara clan intellectuals the idea had been heralded as revolutionary. To impress such men made certain that Kabuto was a great mind indeed. Indeed, when Hiruzen had told the Great White Snake of this accomplishment, Orochimaru had beamed with genuine pride for another's accomplishments which Hiruzen had never before seen in the man. Surely, Hiruzen considered, Orochimaru would be delighted to see the boy once again. Though they had interacted briefly, as Kabuto often traveled with Hiruzen when Konoha met with Oto and their other strategic allies, it had been long since the two had found time to converse properly with one another. Hiruzen filed the idea away for the moment as he bid Kabuto farewell.

"Let me know if you need anything before that meeting you have this evening, my lord!" Kabuto said over his shoulder as he trundled towards the door of the Hokage's office, a towering stack of papers in his hands. Skillfully, Kabuto braced the stack between his left arm and right thigh as he used his right arm to open the door. The scene on the other side of the door, though initially shocking, was much less surprising once Hiruzen identified the two boys.

Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyuga stood, gripping each other's collars and shouting angrily at one another.

"You made Hinata cry, you bastard!" Naruto yelled.

"It was her own damn fault! She didn't have to go and approach me!" Neji rebuked.

"She wouldn't have thought to go after you if you hadn't been there in the first place!"

"Boys," Kabuto said, "You are in the presence of the Lord Hokage, compose yourselves!"

Without a second thought, Neji released Naruto, easily freed himself from the younger boy's grip, and bowed low to Hiruzen.

"I was provoked and allowed my natural tendency towards anger to get the better of me. Please accept my humble apology, Lord Hokage," Neji said solemnly.

"Old man!" Naruto pointed in an accusatory manner toward Neji's bowed head, "This guy is an asshole! You should kick him out!"

Hiruzen could see that Kabuto very nearly let out a laugh at the comment. Though he too found Naruto's request immensely comical, Hiruzen held it as his duty to resolve all disputes kindly and calmly, no matter how ridiculous they were.

"What, exactly, would you like me to kick him out of, young Naruto?"

"The village!" Naruto proclaimed.

Hiruzen sighed, "Now, what has young Neji done that would warrant such a harsh action?"

"Being an asshole!"

"That, my dear child, is not a punishable offense."

"Well, it will be when I'm Hokage!" Naruto glowered at Neji

"Banishing half of your village's leadership is generally considered a poor political move, Naruto," Kabuto commented.

Though Naruto didn't seem to get the joke, it got a smile out of Hiruzen and a half-suppressed snort of amusement from the still-bowing Neji.

"Now, which one of you two arrived to meet with me first?" Hiruzen decided that it would be best to move past the whole affair.

"Me!" Naruto pointed his thumb at himself.

"Neji?" Hiruzen thought it best to confirm Naruto's claim.

"It is the truth," Neji said, sounding almost defeated.

"Well then, Naruto, please enter the office of the Hokage. Oh, and Kabuto?"

"Yes, Lord Hokage?" The boy looked over his shoulder at the old man again.

"Please close my office when you leave. I will not be taking any more visitors tonight."

"Of course! Goodnight, my lord!"

Naruto marched through the door and slammed it behind him. Though he likely only intended to offend Neji, the boy surely irked Kabuto as well. As Naruto walked up to take a seat in front of the Lord Hokage, the old man heard Kabuto speaking from beyond the door.

"Ha!" The boy freely laughed now, "You two are a class act!"

"The shame that boy brings upon the name of shinobi is unbearable," Neji said.

Oh young Neji, Hiruzen thought. Many times throughout his tenure as Hokage, Hiruzen had wished to dramatically intervene in the course of another's life. Though these urges had certainly decreased in frequency as he aged, few had been as strong as the one he had with Neji Hyuga. For generations, the Hyuga had used their future sight to choose the leader who would bring the best outcome for the clan and, despite the numerous issues with the technique that were obvious to all those familiar with it, it had been uniformly accepted. The greatest threat to the stability of the Hyuga clan, Hiruzen had always suspected, would come not from the Uchiha — as they all seemed to believe — but when one of their own refused to yield to the future seeing art as a perfect determiner of destiny. Neji's father had been such an individual and he and his boy had paid dearly for that defiance.

Oh, how Hiruzen wanted to steal Neji away from the Hyuga and place the boy into a proper environment where his immense natural talent could be cultivated. Instead, the boy's resentment and anger had built over time to the point where, it seemed, he was confronting members of the main branch openly. Such happenings concerned Hiruzen, but the old man decided to wait for Neji's turn in the meeting room to discuss them.

"Now, young Naruto, what can I do for you?"

"Well, Jiraiya told me to come see you if I want to know how the shadow clone jutsu works and I wanna know how the shadow clone jutsu works. So, I'm here!"

Hiruzen furrowed his brow. Was this the most elaborate of Naruto's pranks yet, or was the boy actually trying to learn something? The old man remembered the Sage mentioning something about how he was trying to improve Naruto's academic capabilities so perhaps it was a genuine attempt. Regardless, it would take some time.

"Young Neji?" Hiruzen called out to the boy on the other side of the door.

"I am at your call, honorable Lord Hokage," The boy responded.

"Would you be alright with waiting for some time? Naruto's request will take me a while."

"Of course, Lord Hokage."

"Thank you for your patience, young Neji. Now, Naruto, when explaining a technique as grand and revolutionary as the shadow clone jutsu, I do believe it's appropriate to frame it in the context of the time. How much do you know about Lord Tobirama Hyuga?"

"Um, well, I'm pretty sure he was totally badass! Right? But," Naruto paused and looked deeply contemplative for a moment, "I think he also killed a lot of people for no reason, which isn't totally badass."

"Ah! How funny it is the way that legends rise and fall," Hiruzen chuckled, "When I was your age, all those years ago, Tobirama was undisputedly considered to be the greatest shinobi in history. Yet, here his name lies, in the mud! Though it was an act which I, admittedly, had a hand in, I think it is a shame nonetheless. When people discuss Lord Tobirama nowadays, they often do it in the context of The Great Turmoil — the vicious civil war which split the village with the Uchiha and the Hyuga, remarkably, on one side, and the rest of us on the other. Indeed, in almost any sane parsing of history, Lord Tobirama certainly bears responsibility for a significant portion of that tragic affair. But, for our story, we wish to look long before those times. As Tobirama grew into his old age, long after his defeat, the two of us became quite close friends. Once, he said to me, 'My life has been dominated by two great loves and two great hates. The love for my brother and the love for battle. The hate of my brother and the hate of the Uchiha'. It is with that quote, I think, that we began our story."

"How can you both love someone and hate someone? That's stupid," Naruto said.

"The feelings of men are often complex, dear boy, and Tobirama Hyuga was a deeply complex man. Born a half breed in a time where such was looked down upon to a Hyuga father and a Senju mother, Tobirama and his brother, Hashirama, lived in a time of struggle. In those days, there was perpetual war between the Hyuga and the Uchiha. Every member of both clans lived for that war and died in it. It was a terrible state of affairs. Hashirama, as you may remember from your academy education, was the one, along with his dearest friend Madara Uchiha, who put an end to this war. Though it seems in fashion these days to cast the two founders as noble diplomats who talked down their clans from war, in truth there was only one way to bring such an eternal hatred to an end. Sheer, overwhelming, insurmountable power. Madara, for his part, gained this power through hitherto unseen mastery of Dojutsu. Indeed, I believe it would be fair to argue that none since have unlocked the secrets of the Sharingan quite like Madara did. Hashirama, on the other hand, was a little bit different. Though he had the Dojutsu of the Hyuga, Lord Hashirama's true power came from inheriting a legendary bloodline ability from his mother's side. Heavenly Dragon's Spiritfall — that's what they called it. According to legend, as you might gather from the name, the spirit of a Heavenly Dragon is capable of descending into the body of a particular Senju, granting the individual extreme power. This is, of course, obviously superstitious nonsense and it is worth noting that Hashirama is the only documented case of this bloodline ability occurring, though every true Senju will always insist that there have been others. However it happened, Hashirama was granted a suite of unfathomable powers the day he was born. Aside from being effectively immortal and ageless, Hashirama had nearly limitless chakra and was able to use the mythically powerful wood style of jutsu. Tobirama lived much of his early life accepting his status as the number two to his brother's endless ability. Until, of course, Hashirama met Madara. As the story goes, when the two men first met they engaged in a battle of such epic proportions that it carved a ravine in the earth. Their clans took them for dead and great grieving was undertaken for their greatest warriors. Nearly two days later, the two men emerged from the ravine, hands clasped together and held to the sky. They, in that moment, declared the war was over. An interesting historical footnote in this part of the story is that nobody actually knows what was said between Hashirama and Madara as they lay in the ravine. When Madara reached this part in the extensive autobiography he went on to author in his later days, he simply wrote," Hiruzen had, up to that point in the story, had his eyes closed in reminiscence. As he opened them, to share Madara's most mysterious of quotes, Hiruzen found that his lone audience member looked as though he was about to explode, "Yes, Naruto?"

"What in the name of the Sages does any of this have to do with the shadow clone jutsu?" the boy asked.

"Ah, not a student of history I see. Well, to extremely briefly summarize the remainder, Tobirama thought that his brother had completely and totally lost his mind. The Hyuga lord lost all respect for Hashirama and immediately ceased to be satisfied by being subordinate to the great founder. Tobirama would go on to found the field of, as my student Orochimaru would call it, the rational study of jutsu in an attempt to replicate many of Hashirama's divine birthrights. Now, the ability that concerns us today is Lord Hashirama's unique clone jutsu. As you may or may not know, traditionally tangible clones are formed by molding an element of choice with chakra and then masking over the fact that your clone is really a pile of fire, water, or whatever else with a simple genjutsu. One has to control this clone almost like a puppet, constantly manipulating the chakra. This is perfectly good for what was, in much earlier days, the primary use of a clone in a shinobi duel. Namely, to fool your opponents. Hashirama, however, showed the world the horror of the truly identical clone. Unlike clones created with other elements, which could be thought of as being composed of chakra, the mystic properties of wood style allowed Hashirama to store chakra inside of the clones without any conscious effort. Now, I'm fairly certain they don't teach you this in the academy, but every individual shinobi's chakra is imprinted with what might be called an image of that person. Though the exact reason behind this phenomenon is unknown, the result is that a sufficiently concentrated amount of chakra can, vaguely, approximate the shinobi who it originates from. This is the mechanism which Hashirama's wood clones and Tobirama's shadow clones rely upon. Tobirama, of course, did not have access to the wood style, and so his first major roadblock to achieving this lofty goal was figuring out what might be used as a chakra container. To simplify massively, Tobirama discovered that the Yin portion of one's chakra could be formed into such a container, in which the Yang could be housed. After overcoming some major technical issues, the most problematic of which was that it turned out that separating the Yin and Yang chakra natures caused the spontaneous consciousness effect to cease occurring entirely, Tobirama forged the shadow clone jutsu into its modern form. Does that satisfy your curiosity, young Naruto?"

"Ok, I've got two questions!" Naruto appeared to be thinking very hard as to retain his questions in his mind.

"Ask away, child," Hiruzen said.

"First! I didn't see anything about this Yin and Yang stuff when I was learning the jutsu, why? Second, if it's just chakra, how does that weird memory stuff work?"

"Both good questions! For the first: you are the beneficiary of generations of work by many brilliant shinobi to bring down the skill level required to perform the jutsu. There are few techniques more difficult than the manipulation of Yin and Yang chakra natures, especially in oneself. It is a testament to Tobirama's genius that he was, as far as I am aware, the first to meaningfully do so. Fundamentally, the separation of Yin and Yang is still present in the jutsu, it is simply that constructions have been found that avoid having to think about it entirely. As for your second question, the chakra imprinting seems to go both ways. While in the clone, the chakra is morphed and dented in reaction to occurrences around it. When it returns to your body, the sum of those permutations act upon your own core of chakra. From here, there are two ways to think about how you inherit these memories. If you would believe the scholars who say that the chakra core itself is the executive center of a man, the memories would simply be instantly encoded into the self. On the other hand, if you stand with those who say that the brain is the executive center, then the explanation is that the imprinted chakra cycles through your body and into your mind."

"So then, if a shadow clone was dispelled by expending all of its chakra, would you not get any information from it?"

"Hmm, that is not a question that I have an answer to off the top of my head, I'm afraid," Hiruzen sat for a moment, pondering if he had ever had a shadow clone dispelled in such a foolish fashion, "What I will tell you, young Naruto, is that chakra regeneration works in an unclear manner. There would be those who suggest that when your chakra reserves are replenished, they are refilling with the exact same chakra that was in them prior to being emptied. If that were the case, then I imagine that you would get the memories from the dispelled shadow clone."

"Ok! I'll try that! Thanks old man! Ok, now I've got to get home! Jiraiya said that I needed to be back before he went out to this super important thing that he's gotta do," Naruto said as he stood up and stretched.

"Do let me know how that goes for you," Hiruzen smiled.

"I will!" Naruto gave the old man a thumbs up before turning and marching back out of the room, glaring once more at Neji as he walked past him.

Hiruzen motioned for Neji to enter the room and the boy quickly complied, softly closing the door behind him as he entered.

"If I may be so bold as to ask, Lord Hokage," Neji said as he approached Hiruzen, "What was it that Madara wrote of his time in the ravine?"

Hiruzen laughed, "He wrote, 'I then, for the first time, understood the profound nature of our existence as men. There is more than war'. Quite lacks the clarifying quality one should hope for such a significant event, doesn't it?"

"Indeed," Neji agreed as he sat before the old man.

"Now, young Neji, what can I do for you?"

"Considering Naruto's request, this may seem awfully coincidental, but I wish to learn the shadow clone jutsu."

"And, may I ask, what do you intend to do with this jutsu, should you receive it?" Hiruzen studied the boy's face. Neji seemed to be contemplating how best to give his answer.

"To train," Neji replied.

"So, you have witnessed Jiraiya's new training strategy, then?"

"Yes, Lord Hokage. I apologize for the trespass, both onto the sacred ground of the village and into the affairs of one of the Sannin."

"Oh, you needn't apologize for such things, boy. We are shinobi, what would we be if we did not spy on our rivals? Though I do have concerns about your behavior, we will speak on them momentarily. All that matters is that you did not find out exactly what it was that Naruto was training there. Do you know?"

"No, Lord Hokage, I do not know," Neji said.

Hiruzen studied the boy's face intently. Jiraiya had said that Hinata reported that Neji knew Naruto was developing a powerful new technique. Indeed, the Hokage had been concerned that the secret of the boy's status as Jinchuriki had been outed far earlier than planned. Neji, however, seemed completely honest. Perhaps, Hiruzen thought to himself, the boy's bright mind had simply pieced together some vague picture of what was occurring.

"Good. All is well, then. Now, I understand that you had a fairly open confrontation with Hinata Hyuga. While I have not reported this to Hiashi, nor do I have any plans to do so, I wish to speak about it here. Your frustrations with the main branch of the Hyuga are, in my opinion, quite justified. Indeed, I have several myself. However, you must understand that Hinata is not to blame for these things. You may very well face Hinata in this coming exam and if you do I pray that you keep in mind that suffering inflicted onto her is not suffering inflicted onto the main branch, onto Hiashi. That girl has suffered at his hands also. Would you remember that, Neji?"

"Of course, Lord Hokage."

"Good, I apologize for the tangent. Now, moving on to your request. Typically, I have always consulted the leading officials of a particular shinobi's clan before providing a forbidden jutsu to him or her before the rank of Jonin. Now, I suspect that Hiashi will be less than accommodating to approve your request, but I do believe that you are capable of properly handling such a mighty jutsu. For that reason, I am willing to make an exception of sorts."

Neji's face lit up, "I thank you, honorable Lord Hokage."

"Now, I cannot simply violate the standard which I have set myself. However, as Hokage, I can provide you with a particularly sensitive piece of information. Tonight, in this very residence, there will be a meeting of immense importance. In order to secure the meeting and the safety of the attendees, the majority of the village's Anbu will be reassigned. This will, regrettably, leave some assets without meaningful protection."

Hiruzen looked across the table, trying to judge if the boy had picked up what he had set down. Cautiously, Neji nodded in understanding.

"Thank you for this opportunity, Lord Hokage."

"Of course, child. To provide the great with the tools necessary to achieve their full potential is, after all, one of my foremost duties as Hokage. Now, you are free to go."

Neji blushed at the compliment, something which Hiruzen had never seen the boy do.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Neji said again, intense gratitude in his voice. Neji stood and made his exit in the traditionally respectable fashion, not turning his back to Hiruzen as he crossed the room and opened the door to let himself out.

"Oh yes, one more thing," Hiruzen said as Neji was about to close the door, "If you choose to borrow from the library, please make sure that your item is returned in a timely fashion."

 

[Ah!]

Chapter 12: The Security Conference​

The council sat assembled, waiting in nervous anticipation. Shikaku Nara, the man entrusted with the security of the village, sat to Jiraiya's left, shuffling idly with the various papers that he had prepared. On the Sage's right sat an empty seat — the object of the council's anxieties. Despite his promise to appear before them, Orochimaru had strangely not yet arrived. For some part of Jiraiya, that was a relief. As much as the Sage had to admit that the Great White Snake's knowledge would be invaluable for unraveling the mysteries that stemmed from the theft of young Sasuke Uchiha's eyes, there was a great fear in the old shinobi's heart about what sort of man would face him when Orochimaru entered the room. The man who, in Jiraiya's youth, he had been closer to than any other was now little more than a distant memory. In its place, Jiraiya found nothing but doubts. In the silence of the council room, Jiraiya meditated on his final conversation with Orochimaru before the latter had left Konoha.

It was the first time in Jiraiya's nearly sixty years of having known Orochimaru that the Sage had seen him angry. Orochimaru had many ways of expressing his displeasure with failure or outcomes that he deemed non-optimal, but fury had never been one. Yet, Orochimaru had raged that day. Perhaps, Jiraiya had thought, even at that time, it was not unreasonable to be furious. Since Hiruzen had been forced into the role of Hokage in the wake of the Great Turmoil, the old man had obviously slated Orochimaru to be his successor. It was clear even from outside the village that the Great White Snake was meant to be Konoha's next ruler and within the village there were few who objected to it. It was true, Orochimaru had every quality which one might hope of a Kage. He was powerful, brilliant, admired, and respected by all. Yet, as Hiruzen himself had so elegantly put it all those years ago, he lacked the spark of humanity that led men to make decisions not because they were right but because they were good. Oh, how Orochimaru had fumed over that remark. The Great White Snake had stormed off and Jiraiya, perhaps against his better judgment, had pursued him.

When the two came face to face far outside the village, however, Jiraiya had found a new man awaiting him. Orochimaru's heart had been drained of anger and it had been replaced by a drive. A drive that, for the first time, targeted more material things than knowledge. Orochimaru swore to the Sage in that moment that he would return to the village a great man, a man worthy of leadership, or he would not return at all. When Jiraiya looked into his old friend's eyes, he knew that there was no persuading him to do anything else. The day Hiruzen stepped off Konoha's throne, it ceased to be Orochimaru's village.

As the Great White Snake set off on his travels, Jiraiya did his best to be aware of Orochimaru's movements over the following months. It proved to be a wise course of action indeed, for Orochimaru's initial actions after leaving the village proved to be bizarre. Nearly the first thing that the wandering giant did was join the Akatsuki, before immediately leaving it some two weeks later. Why exactly this had happened was one of the most burning questions that Jiraiya wished to ask the Great White Snake. Immediately after, however, came an even more unusual occurrence. Jiraiya's network of informants detected Orochimaru in the Land of Sound, a territory that was poor and desolate at the time. The land had been caught up in strife for as long as any living man could remember and its constant disorder had made it easily the weakest of the minor territories which demarcated the boundary between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water. Indeed, at the time of Orochimaru's arrival, the land had already been suffering extensively from incursions by both Konoha and Kiri.

Orochimaru, it seemed, felt that the state of affairs was unsightly. In what was, according to Shikaku, one of the most masterful military campaigns in living memory, Orochimaru swept through The Land of Sound in a matter of weeks. Suddenly finding himself in control of a massive band of warlords and brigands, the Great White Snake set about proving to Hiruzen from afar that he had the capability to lead. In the fifteen years since Orochimaru had established the village of Oto, it had unquestionably become the dominant power in the north. Truly, it was an artful transformation. The greatest surprise, however, arrived when Hiruzen reclaimed his throne after Minato's death. Envoys, hailing from Oto, arrived with a proposition from the Great White Snake. Orochimaru, they said, offered a lucrative partnership between the two villages. Hiruzen had, in Jiraiya's opinion, wisely, been hesitant to accept the offer at first. What good could possibly come from such a thing?

Orochimaru, however, was undeterred. He simply waited another two years, steadily growing the power and prosperity of his village. Then, again, Hiruzen was faced with the choice of whether or not to accept The Great White Snake's deal. After a period of lengthy deliberation, during which time Jiraiya oncemore advised the old man against Orochimaru's offer, Hiruzen decided to accept it. At first, the Sage had been resentful of the decision. It seemed a nullification of the severity of the offense that Orochimaru committed when he had abandoned them four years prior. But in the years since, the true reason for Hiruzen's choice became clear to Jiraiya. It was an expression of the old man's hope that, perhaps, Orochimaru would one day be able to run the village. For, after all, it seemed that no other man other than Hiruzen could.

Each time Orochimaru and Hiruzen met to discuss trade agreements or joint training exercises, the Hokage came to Jiraiya with a genuinely positive report. It seemed that leadership had morphed the esoteric and distant man whom they both once knew into a seasoned statesman capable of decisive and moral decision making. As much as he wished to, Jiraiya could never truly believe that such a change had genuinely occurred. Hiruzen had always encouraged him to simply come see for himself; to meet with Orochimaru again after all their years apart. Jiraiya, however, could never bring himself to do it. So, the Sage sat, awaiting the appearance of the man who he had not seen in fifteen years, but who had evidently changed so much in that time. Jiraiya looked back on the life that the two men had shared for so long and pondered: could the Great White Snake truly be a new man?

"Orochimaru," Hiruzen was the first to acknowledge the man's presence as he stepped into the room. Even with Orochimaru standing beside him, Jiraiya kept his eyes focused on the old man, "Welcome home, child. Please, take a seat."

"Oh, Lord Hokage, you flatter me," Orochimaru's voice was soft and melodic, "But I am merely here as a simple advisor, nothing more," Then, turning to Jiraiya after sitting, he said, "Oh! Jiraiya, my friend. How pleasant to see you here. It has been far too long."

Jiraiya turned his head to reply to Orochimaru, but was given pause by the visage which greeted him. The Great White Snake had always been obsessed, perhaps to an unhealthy degree, with his own youth and he had put much of his great mind to the task of retaining it. Even before leaving the village, one would be forgiven for mistaking the sixty three year old Orochimaru for a particularly handsome young man in his twenties. Yet, as soon as Jiraiya laid eyes on his old friend, he knew that this was something different entirely. What he was looking at was not some perverse approximation of a teenage Orochimaru, a desperate attempt to cling to the trappings of youth, but rather an identical reproduction of the man as he was at sixteen years of age. Between his lithe limbs, pale glowing skin, and long shining black hair, Jiraiya couldn't help but feel that he was staring down a ghost that had somehow meandered out of the past. The only difference that dispelled the illusion was the Great White Snake's eyes. Though he had earned that moniker through the numerous snake themed jutsu which he chose to employ, it seemed that Orochimaru had fully embraced the title. His pupils had become thin and stretched, like those of a snake, and his iris had turned a brilliant yellow tinged with orange and red near the pupil. It reminded Jiraiya of the transformation that his own eyes underwent when he accessed the powers of natural energy.

"It is good to see you also, Orochimaru," Jiraiya, overcoming his initial shock, smiled, "You look well."

"As do you!" Orochimaru replied, his subsequent smile revealing the prominent fangs that had replaced his upper canine teeth.

Though the extent to which Orochimaru appeared to have modified his body worried Jiraiya, the Sage put such trivial misgivings out of his mind. There were much greater concerns to discuss.

"Now that I am here, I do believe the first order of business is to explain what exactly it is that I have been summoned to advise upon," Orochimaru said.

"Indeed," Hiruzen began, "To tell you the truth, Orochimaru, we have suffered something of a grievous blow. The Sharingan of the young Sasuke Uchiha, whom you would be familiar with as the younger son of the Fugaku Uchiha, have been stolen under a set of bizarre circumstances. We wished to consult your knowledge in an attempt to find some answers."

"Hmm, I do recall you mentioning that Fugaku had another boy before his death," Orochimaru nodded, "Well, in what matter can I assist you?"

"Shikaku? Would you care to explain?" Hiruzen turned his gaze to the leader of the Nara clan.

"Of course, Lord Hokage," Shikaku said before addressing Orochimaru, "According to the report of Kakashi Hatake, the Jonin who faced the attacker, the man who stole Sasuke Uchiha's eyes had two highly unusual characteristics. Firstly, he demonstrated the Uchiha's ability to evade the future sight of the Byakugan. Secondly, and perhaps more disturbingly, he was seemingly able to activate or deactivate this effect at will, allowing him to disguise himself as one of our own shinobi for a brief time. It was this element of his technique that allowed him to evade capture. Essentially, our goal with this conference is to determine what entity could have feasibly developed such a technique and what we shall do about it. We have summoned you here, Lord Orochimaru, in the hopes that your status as a master of the study of bloodline abilities can assist us in the first object and that your status as a major military ally can assist us in the second."

"Ah, that is certainly a troublesome predicament. Well, as I am sure is evident to all those who have thought about the nature of bloodline abilities for any extended period of time, they are immensely complex," Orochimaru said, "Hiruzen, I do believe you're well versed enough in these matters to pick for us the correct starting point for this explanation."

"For the benefit of us all, I should like it to be known outright: do you believe that yourself, or someone with your level of ability would be capable of producing the effect which Kakashi observed in his opponent?" Hiruzen said.

"You ask me the most challenging of questions!" Orochimaru laughed, "I can say with some certainty that there is nothing that would make such a thing impossible, but there are also a number of potential hurdles to actually achieving the outcome that you speak of."

"If I may, Lord Hokage," Shikaku glanced to Hiruzen for permission to speak and the old man nodded in affirmation, "Allow me to rephrase the question, Orochimaru. If all the hurdles were removed, would you be able to do it?"

"Of course! Anything is possible if the hurdles are done away with! Saying that doesn't give a particularly good sense of the actual difficulty involved, though."

"Well then, would you be willing to share what those hurdles are?"

"Certainly! As I see it, there are two primary ones," Orochimaru held up a pair of fingers to emphasize the point, "The more circumstantial issue is that handling bloodline abilities is often extremely difficult without a living and willing participant who has the bloodline which you're attempting to make progress on. The greater familiarity he or she has with the bloodline, the better. I, however, have my doubts that any Uchiha would willingly subject themselves to such a thing. I certainly know that I have never received any volunteers. The more technical issue, however, is how one would actually create a bloodline ability that can be so frivolously turned on and off. Although I do not know exactly how the Uchiha resistance to the Hyuga's Byakugan works, mostly as a result of the aforementioned lack of volunteers, I suspect it is a characteristic of their fundamental chakra nature. While chakra nature is a topic of its own, it suffices to say that it is extremely difficult and time consuming to alter it. Though I have been making some progress in that field, I doubt any other scholars have exceeded my efforts, let alone done so in a manner that allows them to change chakra natures in the midst of combat. Though, I suppose, it might be possible that chakra of a different nature was stored internally somewhere and then released temporarily. Such a solution has its own difficulties, however. For instance, I imagine that," Orochimaru was cut off before he could complete the thought.

"What I am gathering, Orochimaru," Danzo said, making no attempt to mask his annoyance, "Is that it is possible."

"Yes," Orochimaru conceded, "With some ingenuity and insight into the problem it is probably possible."

"Now, this brings us to the question which rests at the heart of what we are doing here," Shikaku said, "Knowing that replicating the Uchiha's future sight resistance is theoretically possible, we must ask: who is capable of such a thing? Orochimaru, this is your area. Have you any suggestions?"

"Who might be able to do such a thing? Well, the Akatsuki have Sasori of The Red Sands who has always had a talent for these arts. I have witnessed for myself on several occasions the extent of his brilliance. Although, I think well enough of Kakashi that I believe he would know if he was fighting a puppet. Kohan of Ame and the masters of the Uzumaki clan both have such mastery of fuinjutsu that I do not doubt they could make a fairly good attempt at producing the described effect. However, all three of these candidates have the same fundamental issue. I cannot see the motivation for any of them to invoke Konoha's wrath in such an obvious manner."

"In our previous meeting," Homura began, "Danzo suggested that an obscure group of scholars who manage Suna's Jinchuriki may have the talent to perform this feat. Do you know of these men, Orochimaru?"

Danzo nodded in approval at the comment.

"Oh yes! Now that you mention it, I do recall them. I believe that Sasori's grandmother is one of their number and while that old woman has constructed some impressive jutsu, I doubt that she would have the skill required to be able to replicate this Uchiha bloodline ability. There is another, however, in that very same group who may. He is a secretive man who goes by the name Nishito and, though I know little about him, he appears to be the greatest of the desert scholars. As far as I am aware, it is his seal that is currently being used to imprison the Fuju in Gaara, the young Jinchuriki of the sand. Meju seals are notoriously difficult to make successfully and any man who is able to do so may very well be at the technical level required for our task."

"I must say, Orochimaru," Jiraiya said, "In all my years monitoring Suna, I have heard neither hide nor hair of this Nishito character."

"Neither have I, Jiraiya," Danzo said, "However, I did have something of an inkling that there was such a man in Suna's employ. Perhaps you too observed this. For instance, despite the immense instability of their Jinchuriki, who frequently allows the power of his Meju to surge out indiscriminately, Suna still stands. A master sealer in their highest ranks would, I think, go some distance to explain this oddity. Now, Orochimaru, how do you know of this man?"

"Nishito reached out to me personally a number of years ago to exchange knowledge. I was, owing to my carefree lifestyle at that time, more than willing to oblige. If I recall correctly, the impetus for such an exchange was that the next Jinchuriki of Suna, the boy we would come to know as Gaara, was close to birth and old Nishito was hoping to get himself caught up on some of the more recent developments in fuinjutsu as to make the optimal seal for the son of the Kazekage."

"You dare to collaborate with enemies of the village?" Danzo roared.

"He was no enemy at the time! Besides, do we not live in an enlightened age where men may share their scholarly works with one another freely?" Orochimaru retorted.

"Orochimaru," Shikaku interrupted before Danzo could say any more, "Do you believe that it may be possible that this Nishito would be able to develop whatever knowledge you exchanged with him into the replication of the Uchiha bloodline ability we currently see?"

"I think not. As I said, his primary intellectual interest was sealing jutsu, for obvious reasons. On one hand, all knowledge is related, so I suppose that if he already had some knowledge of extracting bloodline abilities he may have utilized some of what I gave to him to achieve this feat. On the other hand, based on my own experience, I doubt that the knowledge I gave him would have facilitated something which he could not already do."

"While this certainly seems like another point in favor of the theory that Suna acted alone, I am still a strong proponent of the idea that the Akatsuki are somehow involved," Jiraiya said, "Orochimaru, in your time in that organization, do you feel as if you may have provided any information which might have set them on the track to developing bloodline manipulation techniques for themselves?"

"Oh, Sages no!" Orochimaru replied, "I was barely in that group long enough to exchange words of greetings with all men who were members at the time, let alone transfer such complex concepts to them. Not that I'd particularly want to, anyway. I must ask, though: Jiraiya, why is it that you believe that the Akatsuki are involved?"

"Oh, perhaps it is little more than my foolish preconceived notions but even with the introduction of this mysterious Nishito into the picture, I simply cannot imagine Suna having the technical know-how to replicate such a terrifying ability. This may also intrude too much onto a section of the conversation we do not wish to touch on quite yet, but I also cannot fathom why, without the influence of a malicious outside force, Suna would be taking some of the actions that they are currently taking. The combination of immense skill required to replicate future sight immunity and the supremely malicious nature of these events, to me, implicates the Akatsuki. Although, for your benefit, Orochimaru, it should be noted that there are others in this room who do not share my view."

"So, I assume this means that Suna is the primary suspect at the moment?" Orochimaru inferred.

"Yes, I am afraid," Hiruzen said, "The intelligence that Jiraiya and Danzo have gathered on the situation strongly implicates Suna as being involved in the theft of young Sasuke's eyes as well as planning to attack us directly. Shikaku? Would you care, for Orochimaru's benefit, to present the evidence as it currently exists?"

"Here, Lord Orochimaru, is essentially the extent of our knowledge, synthesized now with the additional information which you have presented us in what I believe to be an essentially open and shut case that Suna is somehow involved," Shikaku picked up the notebook which he had been frantically scribbling in for the duration of the meeting and began to read from it, "Starting with evidence that they are planning to attack us, for the fact that they seem to be planning such an operation is an important piece of evidence in the discussion around the theft of Sasuke Uchiha's eyes. The most damning piece of evidence we have against Suna is that they are choosing to send their Jinchuriki to our Chunin exam. While at first we had this fact only as an implied occurrence, we now have visual evidence of Gaara of The Desert on the path to Konoha. No sane, or insane for that matter, person would choose to do this unless they were planning a mass slaughter. Furthermore, both Jiraiya and Danzo have observed the Kazekage touring his lands, purging disloyal local leaders and requisitioning forces. So far, the only major piece of evidence against this theory is that we have yet to see the mass troop movements which one would expect to accompany an invasion of the style being proposed. Moving on, we have similarly strong evidence for Suna's involvement in the theft of Sasuke Uchiha's eyes. Firstly, as has been established, they seem the most likely candidate for being able to reproduce the Uchiha bloodline ability which is in question here. While Lord Danzo remains ardent in the position that all of the Uchiha of The Sand are dead, this may not be the case. If it is not the case, it provides Suna with theoretical access to a living subject, one that may even be cooperative owing to their hatred of Konoha. Even if they are all dead, it was suggested at the previous meeting that the corpses that can be found in Uchiha burial structures may be an acceptable substitute. I would ask Lord Orochimaru to confirm or deny this claim after we finish reviewing the evidence. Furthermore, with the additional information that has been provided to us, we can be assured that there is at least a possibility that Suna has an individual with the talent necessary to replicate the Uchiha bloodline ability. Most importantly, however, considering the much stronger evidence that Suna intends to attack us, we can prescribe a potential motivation for the theft of Sasuke Uchiha's eyes. While any man would want the power of the Sharingan, few would be willing to risk invoking Konoha's wrath to get them. If, however, Suna was intending to attack us anyway, this would explain the willingness to take this action which, under other circumstances, would seem to be potentially disastrous. That, Lord Orochimaru, is our evidence."

"I must say," Orochimaru smiled at Shikaku, "You have certainly convinced me. To think that they would send their Jinchuriki! Madness! Now, two thoughts. Regarding your question about whether or not the corpses in burial structures would be a suitable replacement for the living participant; they would be much worse, but far better than having nothing at all. Then, as for the point about having seen no troop movements, I do believe that troop movements may be unnecessary. Much work has been done of late in the field of mass summoning jutsu and, though it is certainly not as convenient as one might want it to be, I do believe that it could be employed to transport huge numbers of troops into Konoha directly. Especially in a situation like this where, as a consequence of the Chunin exam, an advanced party of Suna's shinobi are being permitted into the village."

"That," Shikaku said, "Is not something which I considered, but which does make quite a bit of sense — assuming it can be done. Well then, the question must be asked: are we in agreement? I, for one, am in support of the idea that Suna is the sole actor responsible for our recent troubles and that they intend to attack us at the Chunin exam."

"I," Hiruzen began before he paused. The old man closed his eyes and pondered for a moment.

Jiraiya studied the great shinobi's face. Surely, it was perhaps the most difficult decision that the old man had ever been presented with. Likely, no matter the outcome, the coming struggle would almost certainly be Hiruzen's last act as Hokage. The Sage knew how dearly the old man wished to avoid such a fate. For his reign to start in brutal violence was one thing, but to end it in such a manner also? It would surely ruin Hiruzen's soul. Jiraiya wished with all his heart that a conflict could be avoided, but Shikaku seemed to think that it was inevitable now. How, Jiraiya pondered as the silence continued, could such a thing be stopped?

"I would hear the opinion of the rest of my council," Hiruzen finished his thought, "Danzo?"

"There is no doubt in my mind about it," Danzo said firmly, "Suna plans to attack us at the upcoming Chunin exam. Homura, what say you?"

"I am in complete agreement. If there was doubt in my mind, I do think Orochimaru's testimony has erased it. Lady Koharu?"

"Those barbarous people of the waste, they will always seek war," Lady Koharu, whose presence Jiraiya had practically not noticed up to that point, said.

"Hmm," Hiruzen thought on these answers, "Jiraiya, do you still feel that Suna may not be the sole belligerent?"

"I cannot help but feel that there is something more at play here. Any rational man would understand that his current actions are clear and obvious signs of an attack. An attack so predictable should never be carried out. Perhaps it is not the Akatsuki who are this villainous second component, but I feel it must exist. No man would do something so foolish otherwise. In any case, what does Suna have to gain from attacking us?"

"Men are not always rational, Jiraiya. Indeed, if there is one lesson from history, it is that sense is far rarer than power," Shikaku replied, "As for what they might gain, there are a number of things. As has surely already been stated, or at least considered, a successful raid during the Chunin exam would yield untold numbers of powerful magic eyes. It would be a great boon for any village. The crippling of Konoha would have tremendous ramifications for the order of the world. Suna stands to benefit from that as much as anybody else, especially if they have already laid plans to exploit it."

"What would make them think that they could cripple us? We have seen it coming from weeks away. They surely understood that would happen," Jiraiya protested.

"One thing I would have you consider, my friend," Orochimaru offered, "Is that it is difficult, from the outside, to comprehend the quality of Konoha's intelligence apparatus. Even as one who was employed within it for many years, the amount of information that Hiruzen and Danzo possessed about my village before I even set foot in theirs was almost distressing. Few men outside the village understand how much you know. I am certain that the Kazekage believes that he has an excellent plan that will wipe out much of Konoha's strength in a single mighty blow. Under such conditions, who would not strike out?"

"I suppose. Though I still have my reservations, especially surrounding the theft of young Sasuke's eyes, I do admit that it is probably true that we will have to defend this village from an attack by Suna sometime during the coming Chunin exam," Jiraiya lowered his head. Truly it was not something which he wished to admit, but there seemed little other explanation.

"Then, Hiruzen?" Shikaku addressed the old man, sitting mournfully on his throne, "Has the views of the council clarified your position?"

"Yes. We shall move forward on the assumption that Suna intends to move on us shortly," Jiraiya could see Hiruzen steel himself as he said it.

"I am glad we are in agreement," Shikaku said, "Now, for the more troublesome question: what are we to do about it?"

 

[JamesEye]

So it's Orochimaru right?

Haha this AU is so weird! Such a cool concept that I'm loving to read.

Also the title is just super funny and on point

 

[Ah!]

I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

So it's Orochimaru right?

Click to shrink...

No! Of course not! How could you say such a thing about the glorious Great White Snake of Konoha, hero to all and enemy to none but unenlightened fools?

All will be clear in time!

 

[Ah!]

Chapter 13: The Provisional Hokage Agreement​

Hiruzen reflected on the words he had just spoken; all else briefly left his mind. Not since the conclusion of the vicious Storm Campaign had the possibility of war been raised in the halls of the Hokage residence. Though the other great shinobi villages toyed with war as but another of their political options, Hiruzen had always prided himself on taking a less brutish road. Even when force needed to be applied, for sometimes it was unavoidable, Hiruzen had always taken special care to ensure that the least blood possible was spilt. The days of war long haunted him, even far after its effects seemed to wear off Hiruzen's last true comrade from that time, Danzo Shimura. For the Sannin, the damage was irreversible. Far beyond being haunted by the war, in many ways all three had their spirits and minds engrossed in it. Those two who remained functional had found a way to protect at least one of those faculties; Orochimaru his mind and Jiraiya his spirit. But Tsunade, the girl who Hiruzen saw as his own child the most among the three, had been lost to it entirely. If there was one thing that the old man knew, it was that it was his sole remaining duty in life to avoid subjecting another generation to such horrors. Yet, in spite of that mission, Hiruzen now watched in terror as Shikaku unrolled detailed maps of Konoha before him. Somehow, though Hiruzen had certainly known that to approve planning for an attack would place Konoha one step closer to that abyssal threshold, seeing Shikaku place a yellow pin — symbolizing vulnerable infrastructure — over the Konoha general hospital made Hiruzen's reservations far more real than they had been before.

"The way I see it," Shikaku said as he placed pin after pin on the map, "We have a choice before us. I do believe that it is possible that if we signaled to Suna in some way that we know about their plan, it may halt their attack entirely. Unfortunately, there are three primary issues with addressing the situation in that manner. Firstly, if we are wrong, then it will be a major blow to our reputation. We will be seen as paranoid and fearful by the other great shinobi nations. Such is never a good look. Secondly, if we are right, they may simply go ahead with their plan anyway. If we confront them and they lie to us, they may either assume that their lie is sufficient to deter our suspicions — which it will not be — or that they will attack anyway with greater forces devoted. No matter what, they still have a Meju in our village thanks to Gaara of The Desert; that's an incredibly significant force. Third and finally, even if revealing that we know their plan deters them on this occasion, there is no reason that they would not try again some other time. If they have stolen our Sharingan, they will still be perfectly functional the next time an opportunity presents itself. If Jiraiya is correct about a malicious force being in play, then I think that the second situation I presented is especially likely. For all these reasons, I believe that it is worth considering an alternative. Now, Lord Hokage," Shikaku looked up from his map and looked Hiruzen in the eyes, "You will object strongly to this idea but I believe it to be a fairly good one. For the sake of Konoha's security, we may consider surprise attacking those who would attempt to surprise attack us. Here are my arguments for doing so. The enemy will be overconfident because he believes that he has initiative. Whether the enemy plans to move his forces in the traditional manner or, as Lord Orochimaru suggested, through mass summoning, we should have significant forewarning about where the enemy is coming from. This will allow us to lay a potentially very elaborate trap. If we are successful in this venture, we should stand to obliterate Suna's offensive potential, stunting any threat that they may have posed as an enemy, as well as even potentially reclaiming our lost Sharingan — should the man possessing them appear. By my judgment, though this is something of a gamble, it is one that I am more confident in than simply telling Suna that we know they are planning to attack and hoping they give up. The only wildcard in this whole chain of events is, as you all may imagine, the Jinchuriki. I would, however, like to save him for a later portion of this discussion."

"Actually, if I may Shikaku, I believe that the Jinchuriki shouldn't be an issue at all," Orochimaru grinned slightly, as though he had a scheme prepared for this very circumstance. Something which, knowing Orochimaru as he did, Hiruzen thought was actually quite likely.

"Oh?" Shikaku turned around and stared down the Great White Snake, "Do tell?"

"Based on the knowledge which I gained from my exchange with Nishito, synthesized with what I know I provided him, I believe I can construct a fairly accurate picture of what sort of seal Gaara of The Desert might have. If you choose to pursue this route, I can assure you that I can levy this knowledge to insure that the Jinchuriki and his associated Meju will be of no consequence."

"A bold claim," Shikaku said, "Were it any other man, I would dismiss it out of hand. But, since it is you, Lord Orochimaru, I shall take you at your word. For the sake of my own peace of mind, however, I would request that you draw up a detailed document explaining exactly how you intend to neutralize the most powerful weapon of war known to man."

"It would be my pleasure, such things are always interesting to discuss."

Hiruzen very nearly warned Shikaku that to request such a thing from Orochimaru was almost certainly a way of guaranteeing oneself a week's work simply in an attempt to decipher what it was that the Great White Snake was even talking about throughout the hundreds of pages he was sure to provide. Hiruzen, however, restrained himself for he too was immensely curious about the extent of Orochimaru's knowledge on the subject. A reliable technique to suppress the powers of a Jinchuriki had the potential to permanently alter the balance of power in the world at large. This, surely, did not escape Orochimaru.

"I believe that our best chance of avoiding conflict lies with your first plan, Shikaku," Hiruzen stated his opinion.

Before Shikaku could comment, however, Danzo expressed his disdain for the position, "I strongly disagree, Hiruzen. Shikaku speaks the truth! By revealing to them that we know their plans, all we stand to do is sacrifice our information advantage in exchange for little gain. If we are wrong and Suna does not intend to attack us, all we will waste is a few dozen hours of operational planning. If, instead, they do intend to attack us, we are in a position to inflict a decisive defeat on a truly fearsome enemy. I am firmly in support of a surprise attack."

"I fear that such an action may do us more harm than good, Danzo. Men in Suna will want revenge for their slaughtered comrades and men in Konoha will want revenge for murdered kin — for many on our side are sure to die in any battle in the village. What concerns me is the future. Even if war does not break out immediately, resentment shall fester and build on both sides. When I am gone and a man must attempt to unite the village, war is his natural option. I will not allow a convenient circumstance for such a man to be created," Hiruzen said.

"When you are gone," Shikaku repeated quietly to himself, "You know, Lord Hokage, I may have just hit upon a very important consideration. It is something of an open secret, even outside the village, that you are the lynchpin that holds Konoha together. Despite few knowing the exact details of Minato's brief reign I believe that all understand it was an utter disaster. Lord Orochimaru can, perhaps, confirm this for us. If Suna's leadership is attuned to this fact, it may help explain the intensely stupid nature of this attack. They may think that all they need to do in order to effectively remove Konoha as a political entity is assassinate you, Hiruzen. Unfortunately, they may very well be right."

"Oh, young Shikaku," Hiruzen smiled, "I know I am old, but I cannot be written off so easily. It shall take great force to kill me."

"You mustn't be so full of yourself, Hiruzen. We are ancient men now. How long has it been since you have fought? Even if you remain powerful enough that it would take great force to kill you, great force is exactly what the enemy has gathered. In addition to their Jinchuriki and the Kazekage, they likely will have bestowed the Sharingan on their most powerful fighter," Danzo said.

"If Hiruzen's assassination truly is their end goal," Jiraiya contemplated, "It makes the theft of a single pair of Sharingan make a great deal more sense. Indeed, it still felt to me as though they had no reason to do it — that the potential response by Konoha simply eliminated the value that any single pair of magic eyes had the ability to provide. If, however, there is a particularly powerful man among their ranks who, with the Sharingan, they believe could effectively assassinate Hiruzen, all of their actions up to this point are considerably more understandable."

"Then," Orochimaru continued the thought, "If they believe that killing Hiruzen would shatter Konoha such that it would be unable to mount a response, they needn't worry about the potential consequences of their actions."

"That, I believe, also has the potential to explain why we don't see the movements of troops," Shikaku said, "If they intend to do nothing other than make an attempt at assassinating Hiruzen, they do not need to be employing mass forces. Instead, the rallying campaign which the Kazekage is currently undergoing in his lands may simply be for the military excursion which they intend to launch after the assassination operation is successful and the infighting within Konoha is fully underway."

"If they seek my head then it is all the more reason that we must attempt to prevent the battle moving into the village. I still stand with the idea that the best course of action is to signal Suna that we are aware of their plans. What man would be so foolish as to attempt to assassinate a man who knows that he is being targeted?"

"Well, if we are to move forward with the theory that they are attempting to assassinate you, Lord Hokage, I would ask all those in the room to discard my two previous options. If we, at some point in the future, discover that large numbers of ground forces are also likely to be part of the attack, then we can discuss those plans once more. However, the issue with an assassination is that it can be carried out by only a single man. In all likelihood, all that we would do by signaling that we are aware of the attack is inspire the enemy to execute his operation more sensitively. The reason I say this is that, if we are correct, I do think the enemy has found himself an excellent plan indeed. I, for one, would be amiss to abandon it so easily," Shikaku said, "Think of it! The Jinchuriki going out of control at an opportune time could easily distract the vast majority of our powerful fighters while their agents make an assassination attempt. One could imagine that the entire operation could be executed quite cleanly."

"If my opinion counts for anything," Orochimaru said, "I must admit that I stand with Hiruzen here. One is simply tempting fate if he permits the enemy to carry out his plan as intended without any meaningful alteration. I would consider the risk that the Lord Hokage is injured, or even killed, to be far too high. There will be no chance to select a new Hokage before disaster descends on the village."

Hiruzen smiled thankfully at his former student. That Orochimaru would say such a thing was, in Hiruzen's view, cause for optimism about the development of his character. Orochimaru had long been indifferent to the potential negative outcomes of any particular decision. This was mostly on account of his belief that so long as he was involved, his sheer ability would prevent any negative outcomes from occurring. Perhaps leadership truly had changed the man.

"Perhaps, if there would not be time to choose a new Hokage in the midst of an attack, we should choose one now," Danzo suggested, "If the clan leaders could be made to sign off on our choice, we would be issuing a powerful statement to our enemies: even if our Hokage is killed, we will not collapse. That, I believe, would be a better signal than any other to Suna that their plan is doomed to failure."

"That, Lord Danzo, is an excellent idea I think," Shikaku said, "To choose a future leader would be a sign of strength and stability for all other villages to see and, as you say, may very well turn off Suna entirely from an assassination plan. Lord Hokage, are you in favor of such a proposal?"

"I am in agreement that if it could be done then choosing a successor would be the best course of action that can be taken at the moment," Hiruzen said, "Indeed, selecting the next Hokage is, in my mind, a matter which exceeds even a possible attack by Suna in importance for the continuing security of this village. Yet, we have been trying to find such a man for thirteen years and thus far all our efforts have been fruitless."

"It is the truth, but it would seem to me that in all these years we have never once completed a comprehensive survey of the subject," Shikaku flipped his notebook to a blank page, "Let us do so now. I would propose that we try to chronicle every man who is at least theoretically viable for the position and attempt to make at least a preliminary decision among them. As the Lord Hokage says, any progress on resolving the looming succession crisis could very well be just as valuable as planning against offensive actions."

"Let us do it, then! I would invite all men present to lay out their personal recommendations for the next Hokage of this village. Let it be remembered that such a process mustn't produce any ill will — we are on a search for the most capable leader, not the greatest man," Hiruzen, though he didn't fully intend it, glanced at Orochimaru as he made the statement. In acknowledgement, the Great White Snake offered a subtle but graceful nod, a reaction which produced a small smile on Hiruzen's lips, "With that being said: Jiraiya, please begin."

"Shikaku Nara," Jiraiya said without hesitation.

Hiruzen stroked his beard thoughtfully. Jiraiya was, of course, the man who he wished to become Hokage next; every man present was surely aware of that fact. Yet, Shikaku was certainly a promising candidate. Despite his lack of what might usually be considered Kage-level strength, Shikaku made up for it with perhaps the most brilliant mind that Hiruzen had ever encountered. Only Orochimaru could truly compete, but their areas of study were so drastically different that it was foolish to compare the two any further. Shikaku was an excellent decision maker, a brilliant tactician, and an extremely competent civil administrator. Though it would certainly be a departure from the world in which Hiruzen had grown up, where strength was considered the greatest attribute above all else, perhaps a departure from that world would be a good thing. Indeed, with Jiraiya and Orochimaru behind him, Hiruzen could envision Shikaku becoming a truly great Hokage.

"Shikaku? What are your thoughts?" Hiruzen asked.

"I would be a dreadful Hokage," Shikaku said bluntly, "I lack the legendary status necessary for such a position and I haven't the tact for the dealings between villages which such a position would necessitate that I routinely engage in. Besides, the other clan leaders would surely not abide by one of their own being elevated above the rest. Jiraiya is, in my opinion, a significantly better candidate."

"Oh," Jiraiya said, "You haven't the tact? Don't spew such rubbish. You are the most intelligent of us all. I would be far more incapable in such matters than you, Shikaku."

"I may be intelligent, but I am not wise. The latter is a virtue which is possessed by you only, Jiraiya. A leader may always draw on the intelligence of those whom he surrounds himself with but the wisdom to choose the right option must come from within, it cannot be imparted," Shikaku said.

"I do not think you would do as poorly as you say, Shikaku," Hiruzen said, "But it is true, I'm afraid, that especially at the moment Konoha would benefit from a leader who has such prodigious status as Jiraiya. Danzo? Have you a candidate?"

Hiruzen, of course, knew exactly who Danzo's candidate was but, considering that he was asking everyone else, it seemed only fair to offer Danzo the opportunity.

"My candidate is, as you know, myself," Danzo said unabashedly, "But I doubt such an option is in meaningful consideration."

Exactly why Danzo always wished to be Hokage was simply beyond Hiruzen's understanding. The man was effectively the leader of one of the most powerful clans in the village and had full permission to run amok, doing as he wished, as a consequence of his station as the head of Konoha's intelligence apparatus. The only reason that Hiruzen could see was simply that Danzo believed that he could make every decision far better than Hiruzen could and was, as a consequence, immensely tired of seeing foolish decisions being made. Danzo, however, was sure to bring about much ruin and suffering were he allowed to make every decision that he wanted to make, and, as such, Hiruzen had indeed mentally dismissed the option out of hand. For the sake of posterity, Hiruzen also asked the other two councilors, Homura and Koharu, for their opinions. They both selected Danzo.

They were a strange pair, selected personally by Tobirama as members of the advisory council as one of the many compromises that formally ended the Great Turmoil. The two had been towering giants in the politics of the village until Tobirama's death some thirty years into Hiruzen's initial reign. After that, the pair simply rolled over and effectively echoed any opinion that Danzo voiced. It was an uncomfortable arrangement but, fortunately, all legal power that they had possessed ended along with Tobirama. It was, perhaps, for that reason that they had abandoned any semblance of coherent independent thought.

"Now, Jiraiya," Hiruzen turned to the Sage after Homura had finished his impassioned lecture on the benefits of having Danzo as Hokage, "You know that you are my personal choice for this position. I ask again, would you be the next Hokage?

"I cannot do it, I am sorry," Jiraiya said, "I cannot do it for the very same reasons I gave fifteen years ago. You would say that I would have held the position better than Minato, but I doubt it. Even being so much younger as he was, he was far more worldly than I. I am a warrior, I am a sage. This is the life I have chosen to lead. I am no ruler."

"Your sagely nature is precisely why I wish for you to be Hokage," Hiruzen said, "I am certain that Shikaku would be willing to handle the more administrative aspects of this position, as he has handled them for me for many years now. You must be the soul of this village, Jiraiya, the powerful and wise man who holds it together!"

Jiraiya simply shook his head and apologized once more. The old man regarded his student with a melancholic gaze. Perhaps the greatest of Hiruzen's regrets was that, ever since the two were very young, he had raised Orochimaru to take his place as the leader of the hard won united village. It was a failure on many accounts, but perhaps most of all it had put foolish ideas in the minds of both boys. Orochimaru came to consider it his inevitable right to succeed Hiruzen and so was outraged when the old man denied the position. Jiraiya, on the other hand, simply came to see Orochimaru as the leader between the two and acted accordingly. As the Great White Snake remained in the village, delving deeply into his research and undertaking studies of policy with Hiruzen, Jiraiya wandered the world in extensive spiritual journeys. The Sage came to view those experiences as making him unfit to hold office, for he considered himself too removed from the affairs of the world for such a task. It was a path that Hiruzen knew could have been easily avoided had he not been so foolish but, in his younger days, the genius Orochimaru seemed the obvious choice. The boy reminded Hiruzen of himself so very much and, to a younger man fresh out of a war in which he had been a glorious victor, that seemed a good thing. The thought led Hiruzen to another observation. In a conversation about who would become Hokage after his death, Orochimaru had not spoken a single time. Instead, he had sat and patiently watched the other members of the council discuss their options. It was a remarkable change of disposition for a man who had left the village once over being denied the position.

When Orochimaru finally did speak, his words were even more surprising, "I agree with Hiruzen, Jiraiya is easily the best candidate," Then, turning to Jiraiya, he said, "Perhaps, my friend, you'd be more amiable if rather than this being a permanent position, you were simply chosen as provisional Hokage. That way, the village could still have a guiding force in the case of a major disaster, Hiruzen's assassination could still be deterred, but you could avoid being locked into the role."

"The idea of being a temporary crisis Hokage appeals to me even less than the complete job," Jiraiya said, "I am sorry again, but I cannot do it."

"Though it does not appeal to Jiraiya, I think the idea of a provisional Hokage is a good one. Particularly on account of something that Lord Danzo said earlier," Shikaku said, "In order for this whole scheme to work, we will need the support of the clan leaders. They will all be very hesitant to sign themselves over to another lifetime Hokage, but a temporary one meant as a safety measure in case of crisis? I believe that they can be persuaded to agree to that."

"The idea concerns me," Hiruzen admitted, "I dislike that if I were to die there would not be any permanent resolution of the question of leadership succession. That being said, I do agree with your point about convincing the clan leaders. Perhaps, for the sake of ensuring that there is a certain successor, those who sit on this council today can promise me that if I die, or am otherwise rendered unfit for my office by any potential attack, they will support whichever man we choose to be this provisional Hokage when he makes a bid for the complete position."

All men present swore it.

"Now, we are still at something of an impasse," Danzo observed, "Shikaku, have you any other candidates within your mind?"

"Among our Jonin I believe that there are many who are suitably powerful, Inoichi and Hiashi come to mind as especially devastating combatants, but I suspect that in order to have a Hokage who can truly navigate the tenuous relations among the clans he must be from none of them. Limiting ourselves to such men, I cannot think of anybody, no. Were we simply discussing how this village might be governed after Hiruzen's death, I would advocate for a coalition government. For our purpose with this appointment, however, I believe that such would be contrary to the object of showing the stability and unity of the village in one man."

"I am in agreement with your assessment, Shikaku," Hiruzen said, "If we wish to assure stability in the case of my death and signal to the other great nations that Konoha is as powerful as it ever was, we need a titan. Where such a man could be found, however, I do not know."

"Perhaps," Danzo murmured, "There is one such titan in this very room, one which we have thus far overlooked. Orochimaru, what of you? Could you not serve as Hokage?"

Aghast, Hiruzen reflexively snapped his head to the side and issued a penetrating stare to the old Bat before following the ghoulish gaze of his empty eye socket to Orochimaru, whose reaction had been even more pronounced than Hiruzen's. The Great White Snake seemed to have physically recoiled at the suggestion. With the eyes of all present resting on him, Orochimaru quickly composed himself.

"You cannot seriously suggest such a thing," Orochimaru shook his head as if he was disappointed in Danzo for the very thought, "I surrendered any right to hold that office when I abandoned this village fifteen years ago. It would simply be inexcusable for me to receive it now. Besides, I am unsuitable for other reasons. In my absence, I have become a distant figure for the people of the village and I have fallen out of knowledge in the affairs of the village. It would be foolish to place such a man in the highest office."

"My suggestion is an entirely genuine one," Danzo said, "I believe that you have the same characteristics that make Jiraiya a suitable candidate, simply without the unfortunate aversion to responsibility. You have already proved yourself an able statesman through your governance of the Land of Sound. While I agree that no man in the village would accept you as Hokage at this very moment, the provisional system that we are considering, I believe, may permit it. Men will be less discerning with a man who is intended to be a mere temporary governor only. If Hiruzen is injured, we of this council will back you up in governing during a turbulent period. If Hiruzen is killed, we of this council will make you the next Hokage of Konoha. Your performance during this theoretical attack on the village will serve as evidence to all for why you are qualified for the position. All that you need to do is perform well in that window."

Orochimaru opened his mouth to respond before clamping his jaw shut and looking to Hiruzen, seemingly in a request for permission to even consider the idea. Tentatively, Hiruzen nodded for the Great White Snake to continue with his response.

"I suppose Danzo is correct that such an arrangement is theoretically possible, but I cannot say that I think it a good one. Even if I am qualified, a conclusion which I would protest, the reconciliation required for any man to accept me in even a lesser shadow of the Hokage position would be tremendous. In this period of potentially great strife, we must select a man who is unanimously loved by all. I am not such a man."

"There is no such man," Danzo replied.

"But still! You and Hiruzen have been so generous as to forgive my crime but I cannot seriously imagine that I will be given such amnesty by the other leaders of the village. In any case, further speculation on my viability is irrelevant unless Hiruzen accepts the possibility," Orochimaru's gaze seemed to pierce into Hiruzen's mind, "Old man, I trust you to make the right choice for Konoha."

Hiruzen looked very deep into those serpentine eyes, attempting to discern what feelings were behind them. It was a simple question that Hiruzen needed to answer: Had Orochimaru changed? It certainly seemed that he had. Diplomacy and subtly had never particularly been Orochimaru's strong suit, yet he had demonstrated both in abundance not just in their current conversation, but in all of their previous meetings between the two men since Orochimaru had left the village. Oto was strong, prosperous, and peaceful. It had no quarrel with its neighbors and, aside from his initial consolidation of power, Hiruzen was not aware of a single time Orochimaru or his men had used force to achieve their ends. It was encouraging information that seemed to imply that Orochimaru had finally achieved the wisdom that he had long lacked. That, combined with the fact that he seemed to have achieved the eternal youth of which he had always dreamed, made Orochimaru a seemingly ideal candidate. Hiruzen's objection came only from a place of fear, a concern of the unknown. Orochimaru had never been open and, in all his years, Hiruzen had never discerned what it was that drove the great shinobi. Danzo wanted power and control, Jiraiya wanted peace and tranquility, and Shikaku wanted order. These were men who Hiruzen understood, for he had been all of them at one time or another. All that seemed to motivate Orochimaru was a drive for knowledge. It was a goal that Hiruzen sympathized with, so much so that he had often overlooked many of the unethical actions that the Great White Snake had taken in pursuing it. Yet, there was always a danger that it was not his end goal in of itself. That there was some end, which Hiruzen could never know, which drove Orochimaru to spend his life isolated deep in cavernous laboratories. If that end goal existed, how would it express itself if Orochimaru found himself at the head of the most powerful of the shinobi villages? Hiruzen put the worry aside for the moment, for he understood that, save Jiraiya, Orochimaru was perhaps the only option available to him.

"I am willing to consider it," Hiruzen said, "Who else is in favor of Orochimaru as the candidate for provisional Hokage?"

Homura and Koharu, predictably, backed Orochimaru immediately.

Shikaku was the next to come forward, "I am in support of this proposal. All that I know of Oto implies to me that it would be an excellent model for Konoha moving forward and, like Lord Danzo, I believe that Orochimaru shares all the characteristics that would make Jiraiya an excellent Hokage. Furthermore, although it is true that the clan leaders may take some convincing, in the mind of the common people, Orochimaru and his exploits have ascended from legendary status to being an element of their mythology itself. I can assure you, Lord Orochimaru, that you will be accepted and welcomed back by the people of Konoha."

With Shikaku having given his approval on the plan, the attention of the room shifted rapidly onto Jiraiya. Orochimaru watched his oldest friend with interest, seemingly more curious as to how the Sage would respond than anything else. Danzo, of course, glowered with his eyeless cavity. Whatever Jiraiya had to say, Hiruzen suspected, the Bat would not appreciate. Shikaku, for his part, seemed to be nearly as deep in thought as the Sage was; no doubt preparing to convince Jiraiya that Orochimaru truly was a viable candidate. It was, unfortunately, entirely wasted effort. Shikaku's argument would surely be a logical one but, as Hiruzen saw it, the debate of logic was over; with the support which he now seemed to have, Orochimaru was the only truly viable choice. No — the reservations which he, and Jiraiya, had remaining in their hearts came in the form of vague intuitions and unsubstantiated impressions.

Jiraiya himself wore a deeply troubled look upon his face as he looked cautiously between Hiruzen and Orochimaru. From both men, the Sage sought assurances that to approve Orochimaru for the position was indeed the correct choice. Neither, however, could offer such. Hiruzen was fairly certain that the reason for this was that Jiraiya placed more weight than was reasonable on the significance of his own choice. In the Sage's mind, it was his unwillingness that resulted in the prospect of Orochimaru's candidacy being entertained and, if the choice brought ruin, it would be his unwillingness that was ultimately responsible. Hiruzen considered this to be a ridiculous notion — any negative consequence would be his responsibility alone — but the old man supposed that such anxieties were one of the major reasons that Jiraiya avoided positions of power to begin with.

"I am sorry I must say this, Orochimaru, my friend, but I have my reservations," Jiraiya said tentatively.

"Do not be sorry, Jiraiya," Orochimaru looked to his old friend and smiled, "I am certain that I have two reservations for each one of yours!"

The comment seemed to wound the Sage. Orochimaru certainly knew as well as any other man that Jiraiya's reservations were grounded in little more than a long held belief that the Great White Snake simply had a callous disposition. Yet, now, it seemed such a cruel thing to think of the kind and amiable man who sat before them, much less an old friend. For some time, Jiraiya quietly contemplated what it was that he wanted to say.

When the Sage finally spoke, his tone was soft and somber, "As you surely know, I am against this choice. However, I trust in Shikaku and Danzo's judgment and I understand that as things stand we do not have another meaningful option. There is no man in Konoha who is as great, powerful, and able as Orochimaru. For this reason, I am willing to accept this decision, even if I do not fully agree with it. Orochimaru, should you find yourself at the head of this village, I will abide by the promise I have made today to support your rule. Please understand, though, that despite providing that support, I will remain skeptical of your suitability for the office of Hokage for quite some time."

"And I will be skeptical of my own suitability also. I understand completely. To give me such authority in years past would have been a supreme bunder. I swear it to you, Jiraiya, that I shall not be resentful of your skepticism and that I will do all I can to alleviate your concerns. That, however, matters not unless Hiruzen is accepting of this proposal," Orochimaru looked up once more at the old man.

Though Hiruzen felt that there was only one choice that he could justifiably make, Jiraiya's open rejection of the proposal concerned him. Although Jiraiya was not a political figure, his opinion still carried great weight and Hiruzen worried that such open dissatisfaction amongst the men who were tasked with supporting Orochimaru could cause significant problems. Hiruzen noted to address the issue with Jiraiya at a later time before steeling himself to say what needed to be said.

"Orochimaru," Hiruzen met the eyes of the Great White Snake, "I hereby declare you the provisional Hokage of Konoha. Should I die, or be unable to undertake my duties as Hokage, you will immediately take full executive responsibility until such a time, as determined by the members of this council, where the situation has become safe enough for a proper transfer of power to take place. After the conclusion of the first two rounds of the Chunin exam, we will meet again to ratify this decision with the clan leaders of Konoha. Should they reject it, we will hold another meeting and attempt to select another candidate. Does any man have any objections?"

Nobody spoke.

"Very well! I pass this decree by order of my authority as Hokage!"

"I am humbled to have received this duty. I swear on my life that I will carry it out honorably and to the best of my abilities," Orochimaru stood and bowed low before Hiruzen.

"Raise your head, child," The old man smiled. The fact that Orochimaru would perform such a gesture of respect, even a simple one, helped immensely to ease Hiruzen's conscience about the choice, "Now, before we close this council, does anybody have any further comments or considerations which they wish to address?"

"Before we close?," Shikaku said, "Lord Hokage, this is just the beginning. We now must begin to discuss how we plan to counter this present threat!"

"You make a valid point, Shikaku," Hiruzen said, "But worry not. We made great strides in securing the future of this village and we have achieved all of the major goals that we have come here to achieve, the principal one being that we have decided that we will move forward as though Suna intends to attack us. You and I shall meet further to hammer out the fine details of our defensive strategy once more is known."

"But should we not take advantage of Lord Orochimaru's presence? If he is to be in a position to take over your role, it is essential that he be acquainted with the inner workings of village security apparatus in addition to having some input into the defense strategy which he may, in the worst case scenario, have to coordinate and lead."

"Hmm, this is true. However, I feel that we have met for long enough this night. Orochimaru, would you be amiable to attend a second meeting sometime shortly in the future to address these details as provisional Hokage along with Shikaku and myself? If so, what date would be best?"

"Of course! I believe that after the first rounds of the Chunin exam should be an opportune time. My hope would be that, after having had Suna's shinobi in our village for several days, the nature of the situation should have clarified itself somewhat — particularly whether we will find ourselves dealing with a large invasion force or a mere lone assassin. Furthermore, as a precaution in case I am called upon to step into the seat of Hokage, I must return to Oto and get my affairs in order there. This also conveniently allows me to be present for the date that has been set for the ratification process, which I believe would reflect far better upon me than if I was sat atop my ivory tower in a distant land. Does that time work for both of you?"

"It does indeed," Hiruzen said. The old man glanced over at Shikaku, only to find that the man still seemed concerned.

"Though I believe the chance to be small without the Kazekage present, I do not think that an attack during one of the first two stages should be ruled out entirely. The Jinchuriki is still present and if Suna truly has access to these mass summoning jutsu that Lord Orochimaru proposes then the issue of the Kazekage's absence could theoretically be easily resolved. For this reason, I fear delay of our strategic planning, as well as Lord Orochimaru's proposed absence during this time," Shikaku said.

"Shall your anxieties be quelled if I endeavor to be present from the moment that the Chunin exam begins?" Orochimaru replied, "For the sake of discretion, I will disguise myself as a Jonin accompanying the Oto delegation."

"I would certainly appreciate it," Shikaku admitted, "I dislike the prospects of facing a fully unleashed Jinchuriki without your assistance. That being said, I still feel that more planning is necessary. To trifle in our preparations against the assassination of our Hokage seems to me deeply unwise."

"We will make such preparations shortly, do not fear. Orochimaru shall be made privy to them once he has arrived for the initial stages of the exam and we from there will continue to improve the minutiae of our strategy. Is this agreeable to you, Shikaku?"

"It is acceptable."

"Very well! My apologies, I know you wish to continue on, but I have kept these fine men here long enough. Now, unless any man has further closing remarks, I believe that this meeting is finished."

Thankfully, it seemed that no man did and so Hiruzen concluded the meeting, "All except Orochimaru are free to go. Thank you all for your attendance, your council has been invaluable."

After issuing respectful farewells, Danzo and Jiraiya quickly exited the room, evidently having no desire to stay there any longer than was necessary. With Danzo gone, the two remaining elders stood and slowly plodded away. Shikaku's departure was considerably delayed by the task of packing away the map of the village which he had unveiled earlier in the meeting. Clearly, it was one which the man undertook with considerable resentment for unpacking the map in the first place had been a significant deal of effort. Regardless, however, Shikaku too had soon departed, leaving only master and estranged apprentice.

"There must have been a better alternative," Orochimaru said.

"As much as I appreciate that you feel that way, I would not have chosen you for this position if I believed that was true. There are so few great men in this world, but you are one of them. With Jiraiya's insistence that he will not govern, I feel more than justified in choosing you as my second choice."

"I am sorry that I was not suitable for the role fifteen years ago."

"Ah, do not apologize, Orochimaru. I chose a man who was, in many ways, far more unsuitable than you. I suppose I hoped that a man with a heart like Jiraiya's would be sufficient to keep the village together. In retrospect, I perhaps should have placed you on that throne then. I am sorry for casting you away."

"Oh, you should not have!" Orochimaru laughed, "I was still a child then. But, I do believe, the experience of leading Oto has forced me through maturation in a way that killing men never quite did. I think that when you're like you and me, Hiruzen, it's a lot harder to speak to your opponents than it is to annihilate them."

"How true that is. It does seem, though, that your tenure away has produced far more than improved interpersonal skills. Would you care to tell me about what it is that you've been doing these past few years and, particularly, why you look as though you've just walked straight from the battlefields of the Storm Campaign into my residence?"

Orochimaru smiled warmly, "Oh, Hiruzen, it has been far too long since we have had such a conversation."

"Indeed it has," Hiruzen returned the smile.

"Well, as you may recall, I've always been after eternal youth. One lifetime is, after all, far too short to do all the things that need to be done. Now, as you might imagine, I started off basing my research upon Lord Hashirama, as one might immediately think to do. That didn't pan out too well for me for reasons I'm sure we'll find ourselves addressing at some point. But the snakes, Hiruzen, the snakes! There was a lot of potential there."

 

[Ah!]

Chapter 14: Old Friends - Part One​

Jiraiya was aroused from his stupor by a gentle knock at his door. The Sage set down the ceramic jug of sake which he had been diligently working his way through since the conclusion of Hiruzen's security conference some hours ago. Though it did not befit a shinobi, much less one of his status, to be affected by drink, Jiraiya couldn't help but have his progress to the door somewhat inhibited by his extreme inebriation. Though the Sage wasn't particularly surprised upon learning the identity of the man behind the door — indeed, he had expected something like this — Jiraiya was deeply unsure if he wished to entertain him.

"Orochimaru," The Sage said, "If you wish to discuss today's events, I am afraid that I am not available at the moment."

"Today's events? Of course not!" The Great White Snake seemed appalled by the prospect, "All that need be said about that was already said in the Hokage residence. I simply wish to speak to you, one man to another. I feel I have become distant from you, my oldest friend. It is a regrettable state of affairs. We have fifteen years of history to discuss!"

"That is indeed true. I do, admittedly, find myself curious about your recent affairs. Very well, then, come in. What sort of tea can I get you?"

"Sakurayu would be lovely, thank you."

"A good choice."

For Orochimaru, though, it was also a strange one. Such had never been his taste in all the years which Jiraiya had known him. Sakurayu was not, as far as Jiraiya knew, particularly prevalent in Orochimaru's new home of the Land of Sound either and so, as the pair walked in silence through the halls of Jiraiya's manor, the Sage speculated as to where Orochimaru may have picked up the taste.

"So," Orochimaru began as they settled into the sitting room, "How has fatherhood been treating you, my friend?"

"So you know about Naruto?"

"Should I not?"

"No. It is not as if I underwent great pains to disguise his very existence. Yet, is the boy notable enough to deserve your attention?"

"Could any man be more notable?" Orochimaru laughed, "An orphan chosen to live under the roof of Jiraiya the Sage? It is not lost on me that the last time you took in orphans, one of them became developed the greatest of all abilities and conquered a nation!"

"You give me too much credit for Nagato's achievements, my friend. But, in any case, you are correct. Naruto is an important boy indeed. Surely, by this point, you have some inkling as to why."

"Well, he is Konoha's Jinchuriki, is he not?"

"Oh, Orochimaru, your natural intuition frightens me at times. Yes, the boy is our Jinchuriki. What a troublesome situation it is! Naruto has the strength you had at that age but is twice the fool that I was. For that reason, I fear for him every day. To tell you the truth, my friend, at times I cannot help but feel that I am on the path to doing to him what the old man did to us. What a terrible curse such great natural strength is."

"You cannot possibly do to another what was done to us by Hiruzen, worry not. To do such would require sending the boy to mindlessly slaughter your enemies. I do not imagine that you have plans of that manner."

"Certainly I do not. Yet, what is asked of those children in this age somehow feels scarcely different. If I do recall correctly, you were one of the men who helped reformulate the Chunin exam system in the wake of the Great Turmoil, and so, surely, you know even better than I the cruel nature of the practice. If Naruto truly unlocks his power, as I hope that he does, it is not a matter of if but when he lays claim to his first life. That is the path I am sending him down."

"You fret far too much over death, Jiraiya! We are shinobi, killing is at the core of our very nature. To kill a handful of men — whom, it should be remembered, are also trying to kill you — with the power of an intense force of nature within oneself is very different from what we did."

"I suppose that you are right. Despite that, I'm afraid it fails to sit right with me. But I must train the boy! I know this! No other man can be trusted with this task, lest he try to raise a boy like a rabid dog as is done so often with the Jinchuriki."

"It is a bafflingly common behavior. What possible good could come from treating the greatest man in your arsenal as less than human? The great villages practically pray for men like Yagura to arise by treating their Jinchuriki in that manner."

"I remember, Orochimaru, when we were very young, we had an argument about why the Hyuga and Uchiha did not simply give up and end the war. I was insistent that there were a complex range of factors that drove men to throw their lives away in that unwinnable struggle. You said that they were simply idiots. In the years since, with increasing frequency as I get older, I think of that conversation, and I think that you may have been right. You can spend all the time looking for answers that you care to but I think that a great deal of foolish behavior can be explained by common ignorance and stupidity. The way that Jinchuriki are handled is, I believe, an excellent example of this. When I learned that I was being entrusted with our own Jinchuriki, I spent many years traveling as far as I possibly could to learn about how to properly raise such a child. What I learned from that experience was simply that nobody had any idea. It's absolutely astonishing, really. This reminds me, my friend, there is a favor I would ask of you relating to Naruto's development."

"I would be honored to assist, Jiraiya. What is it that you need?"

"One of my major objectives during my travels was determining a method that would allow Naruto to access his power without having to deal with the malignant force of the Kaju, who could prove to be very problematic indeed. I believe that I have composed such a method, but I have yet to establish the exact activation condition. I was hoping that I would be able to ascertain this condition on my own, but considering that you are here I suspect that not only would it be simpler for you to do the analysis but also that a more accurate answer would be produced from your attempt."

"I would be happy to try my hand at it. Tell me about this technique of yours."

"Well, to start with an analogy, imagine that the Kaju's chakra is a volume of boiling water."

-----⨂----⨂-----

"A fascinating idea! As for how much of his chakra the boy has to place into internal circulation before the pressure from the Kaju's chakra does the rest of the work for him?" Orochimaru pondered the question, "Well, it would depend on how the boy's seal works. May I look at it?"

"Certainly, I'll go fetch the boy."

"Oh," The Great White Snake waved his hand, "You needn't wake him at this time of night. If you can direct me to him, I will go inspect the seal. It is a trivial matter for my sound arts to mute the tread of our footsteps, so we shall cause no disturbance."

"These obscure arts of yours are magnificent," Jiraiya said as he stepped away from the still steeping tea, finding that Orochimaru had, with a snap of his fingers, indeed erased all the sound that would normally resonate from his feet with every step, "You must enlighten me as to their nature."

Orochimaru stood from the table and followed the Sage into the halls of the manor, "Ah yes, the formulation of the sound school of techniques has been one of my great accomplishments in my time away from the village. Though at first it may superficially seem like a trivial manipulation of wind nature chakra, the reality is that it is the product of several much deeper insights into the way that objects can interact in this world. Perhaps I shall give a lecture on it sometime."

"You may certainly include my name on the attendees' list, I would be delighted to learn how you stumbled upon these phenomena. Now, we are approaching Naruto's room. Let us be silent."

The Great White Snake nodded and the two walked for a moment, Jiraiya pondering the eerie absence of sound, before the pair reached the door to Naruto's bedroom, which the Sage slid open allowing a thin stream of moonlight from the courtyard just beyond to creep into the room and settle on the sleeping boy's body.

Orochimaru entered the room and quickly settled beside the boy, resting comfortably on his knees. Jiraiya, however, hung back by the door, critically monitoring every move which the man made toward Naruto. As the Great White Snake leaned over the boy, his long shimmering hair guarding Naruto from Jiraiya's gaze, the Sage desperately tried to fight off a sickening feeling that he had just led a fearsome predator straight to its prey. Orochimaru inspected the boy strangely, doing little more than exposing the seal that lay on Naruto's stomach and running his hands over it. Evidently, the Great White Snake was doing something, for Jiraiya could feel the ripples of powerful chakra emanating through the air as the boy's seal was probed. Then, just as soon as he had begun, Orochimaru had seemingly completed his examination, rising as he pulled himself away from the boy. The Sage chastised himself for his foolish concerns. No harm could have possibly come to Naruto in the few moments that the Great White Snake interacted with him and Orochimaru was still smiling kindly as he returned to Jiraiya; no villain could be so warm.

After closing the door to the boy's room, the two men hurried back to the sitting room, one eager to share his report and the other eager to hear it.

"The seal was forged by the hand of the Shinigami," Orochimaru observed, "That bodes well for the boy. As for your question, the seal seems to allow the Kaju to emit more of his power in the form of the diffused chakra which you compared to steam then I would personally settle for, though I'm sure the sealer had their reasons. As a consequence, I would estimate that approximately 12.785 percent of the boy's chakra would be the minimum viable limit for keeping those emissions compressed. Even a thousandth less and the Kaju would surely break through. I would caution you, and encourage you to caution the boy, also, that operating anywhere under twenty percent total chakra produces a nonzero risk of the Kaju being able to free at least some of its chakra from suppression by means of a sudden burst. Once the boy is below around fifteen percent, I suspect that such a sudden burst could lead to the kind of full release of chakra that we are considering."

"Your insights are, as always, astounding my friend. Allow me to thank you on behalf of both myself and Naruto."

"Oh, there is no need. Such results require little more than the work on large chakra masses that I did long ago. I do believe I even penned a book on that very topic! You may even be able to find it somewhere!" Orochimaru laughed.

"I doubt it," Jiraiya said, "Your boy has gotten his hands on pretty much every copy of your writings in the village."

"My boy?" Orochimaru furrowed his brows in thought for a moment before his face lit up, "You mean Kabuto! Ha! The old man told me he following my intellectual path, but to think he was actually reading my work! Perhaps I will deposit some of my more recent volumes with him before I depart."

"I am certain that he would appreciate it," Jiraiya smiled, Orochimaru's clear care for the boy whom he had left behind warmed the Sage's heart, "Now, my apologies, I have sidetracked us for far too long. Please, tell me what has become of you over the past fifteen years!"

"You needn't apologize! To become aimlessly sidetracked is what such occasions are for. As for me, well, it's been quite the journey. As you know, I started with the Akatsuki, but they were a bizarre lot. Their leader, Pain, was obsessed with achieving peace across the shinobi world, or something like that. I would tell him that, for the most part, we already had the peace that he was looking for but he wouldn't hear it. I suspected that he came from some minor territory plagued by warlords and the like. He seemed powerful enough to just go out and kill the warlords who were troubling him but, for reasons beyond me, he never did. That disconnect between his aims and his actions led me to quickly dislike the man. There were others, however, who were more interesting. Sasori was already with the group at that time and is, of course, an absolute genius. Though puppets are certainly not my particular area of interest, I was able to learn a lot from Sasori — though it should be noted that he was unaware he was teaching me. My favorite Akatsuki member was that strange fellow Zetsu; surely you know of him."

"I am familiar," Jiraiya recalled the man's strange appearance, "Yet, he mystifies me."

"He is a mystifying individual, I should say. My understanding is that, at some point in the past, he developed a theory of Yin and Yang chakra natures independently of Lord Tobirama's great work. Zetsu's theory was strange and, among other things, it allowed him to permanently divide his chakra in half, rendering the 'black' Zetsu and the 'white' Zetsu which you may have observed. I attempted to gather more information from him about how and why he had done this but, alas, he spoke like a monk rather than a scholar and I wasn't able to learn anything."

"I feel that I must ask, Orochimaru. Why was it that you joined the Akatsuki in the first place? I must admit that it is a question which has gnawed at me for some time," As he posed the question, Jiraiya delivered the Great White Snake his tea.

"Thank you!" Orochimaru smiled as Jiraiya handed him the steaming cup, "As for your question; what I hoped for in the Akatsuki was a structure, much like that of a village, in which I could continue my research. As you'll remember, at that time, I was clinically averse to administrative matters. Though I had left Konoha, I sought to replicate the environment in which resources were simply given to me and I was permitted to focus all my energies on my research. With the way that the Akatsuki presented themselves, I believed that they might be able to provide me with this environment. They could not. The seemingly aimless wandering that I participated in for some months after leaving the Akatsuki occurred mostly because I was at something of a loss for what to do. To go to another major village was, despite the childish resentment that I felt for Hiruzen and Minato at that time, unthinkable to me. Unfortunately, it seemed that a major village was the only thing that seemed like it could provide me with what I was searching for. So, eventually, I reached the uncomfortable conclusion that if a structure to funnel resources into my research projects was what I wanted, I would have to create it from scratch. Ultimately, of course, what I ended up with was nothing like this, but I suppose that it probably helps you make a little more sense of why I chose to create a village of my own at that time."

"Yes," Jiraiya grinned slightly, "That is indeed a motivation which I could imagine the Orochimaru who I once knew having. Now, I must hear, how was your heart melted in such a manner that you did not go on to create the most extractive regime ever seen?"

"You cast me in such a negative light!" Orochimaru chuckled, "It would not have been that bad! It is certainly true, however, that the nature of my ends changed very significantly over the first few years. When I was seeking places to begin my grand project, the Land of Sound appeared to me as an obvious candidate. At that time, it had no shinobi village, much less a formal leader of any kind. I supposed that nobody would be particularly bothered if I snatched it up for myself. Yagura, of course, was bothered in the end but that was really sort of unavoidable I think. Furthermore, with it being in the general vicinity of Konoha, I felt confident that I would find myself in a fairly familiar political environment. This assumption, for the most part, proved to be correct. Similarly, I also assumed that the Land of Sound was likely to share the natural abundance of the Land of Fire. That assumption was certainly less correct, but it didn't prove to be particularly problematic. In any case, once I got there, uniting the various warring bands that had taken up residence in the region was almost trivial. Not one man among them could meaningfully challenge me and the singular authoritative power of strength in such uncivilized lands resulted in large armies flocking to my banner from the moment it was raised. From there, it was an easy victory."

"I shall have you know that Shikaku described your 'easy victory' to me as an inspired campaign of concentrated genius."

"Well, I'm certainly flattered, though that seems like hyperbole to me. Whatever it was, it did not go on for very long. It was at this point, however, that I believe my journey into a proper ruler began. In order for an institution to be an effective resource funnel, I figured at the time, it has to be composed of capable individuals. I did not find capable individuals in the Land of Sound. The vast majority of the population was composed of either marauding warriors — of both the common and shinobi varieties — or poverty stricken peasants. The people of that land were scarred from decades of ceaseless conflict. It became clear to me that before I could begin to enact my own objective, I would have to rehabilitate the Land of Sound and its people. What happened to me next, I suppose, is that I became so invested in that goal that my own was first sidelined, then forgotten entirely. I certainly continue to do research into the nature of this world, of course, but I no longer dream of exploiting the Land of Sound in such a way. They are my people now!"

"Well, for their sake, and ours, I am thankful for that, Orochimaru," though Jiraiya was encouraged by the story, though he felt it almost seemed too clean for the Great White Snake. Orochimaru moved to change his goals by the plight of others? It seemed unlikely. The Sage decided to probe further, "How does one start about the process of rehabilitating such a broken people?"

"The first major challenge, strange as it sounds, was food supply. You'll remember that even at the height of the Great Turmoil, food was never an issue for us. Pillaging with restraint, combined with a strict adherence to the policy of keeping civilians out of shinobi matters, ensured that not a single man in our ranks died for lack of food across those ten hard years. It was not so in the Land of Sound. The already impoverished farmers were not spared the wrath of the roving war bands and they were frequently killed during the looting of their lands. Few living men had any deep understanding of the mechanisms of agriculture and, even if they did, there was little arable land. With most of the Land of Sound being covered by the dense forests of the Land of Fire or the loathesome wetlands of the Land of Water, crops could only really be grown in the foothills that rise into the mountains of the Land of Storm. Upon my arrival, I found that most of this land had been so ravaged that farming was an untenable prospect. Resolving that was my first task. Ultimately, that wasn't particularly hard. A few well placed jutsu here and there and the land was better than it could have ever naturally been."

"How does one go about repairing eroded soils with jutsu?"

"Oh, Jiraiya, do not feign such a simple view of our art. You know as well as I do that there is much more that can be done with jutsu than mere violent outbursts of energy. A combination of a handful of obscure chakra natures, well placed and properly proportioned, managed the task adequately. My issues truly began once I had done that. All of my subordinates were, by their natures, brutish marauders. For my objective of establishing a functional state, this was intensely problematic. Sure, there was a generation of children who, with proper education, could eventually become civil but such would take time. To further my difficulties, there was exactly one man in that land who had any sort of qualifications to be an educator: myself. Though it turned out that teaching children basic arithmetic operations was quite different from lecturing to Jonin on the most advanced chakra theories, I cannot honestly say I enjoyed it any less. To facilitate this education, I centralized the land. All families with children younger than ten years of age were resettled in the new village of Oto, along with all the shinobi who remained after my takeover. For the remaining marauders, I simply distributed the land of the resettled peasants to them. That proved to work well enough to rid myself of them, though some effort had to be invested in teaching them how to farm. Fortunately, there are many farmers in the world, so finding a handful who were willing to assist me wasn't particularly hard. After all that was done, there were few easy steps left to take. I simply had to commit myself to the task of raising an entire generation single handedly. It was over the course of the next ten years, as I waited patiently for the oldest of this new generation to come of age to step in and begin to run things for themselves, that they became my people. Rather than choosing the best men that could be found as my pupils, I suddenly had to take all comers. It was a transformative experience, really. I have learned a great deal about the nature of men. That, I suppose, concludes my tale for now. It is an ongoing one, of course; the Land of Sound still faces many challenges and the scars of war still run deep. I believe, however, that all shall eventually be resolved."

"If you come to Konoha, who shall lead Oto? It sounds to me that as Hiruzen is the pillar of Konoha you, my friend, are the pillar of Oto," Jiraiya said. It was a question which the Sage hesitated to ask, for he rather did not want to kindle the fires of the provisional Hokage discussion once more. His burning curiosity on the matter, however, got the better of him.

The reason for this curiosity was simply that, as far as Jiraiya was aware, there were simply no notable shinobi who had originated from Oto. While it was true that the generation of shinobi who were raised under the tutelage of the Great White Snake was yet young and would surely produce legends of their own eventually, Jiraiya knew of no man from the Land of Sound who even approached Orochimaru's status.

"This is a question which I have thought on since Hiruzen's decision this evening. Well, my two apprentices who were foolish enough to defect with me all those years ago, Saigai Aburame and Tankyu Ryoshi, are obvious candidates, but they both have peculiarities that make them rather poor choices for sustained leadership."

"Ah! I remember those two!" Jiraiya smiled. The Sage could still vividly remember the day that Orochimaru decided to train a Genin team, something which the Great White Snake had always sworn he would never do, "How are they doing?"

"Like myself, they are doing very well! Saigai has become terrifyingly strong and Tankyu's insights have, in some places, advanced even beyond my own. As foolish as they were to abandon Konoha along with me, I am grateful beyond words for their commitment to me. Such a shame about Gunsou, though," Orochimaru's face darkened, "To think that such a loyal man could be so vile."

"Yes, I am sorry about that, Orochimaru. His actions were a shock to us all."

"I should be the one who apologizes to you, to all of Konoha. As his teacher, I am ultimately responsible for his behavior. It was disgraceful."

"You place too much weight on your shoulders. As teachers, we are no more responsible for a man's actions than his father is. Besides, you were long gone from Konoha at that time, there was nothing that could be done."

"I should hope that you are right, Jiraiya," Orochimaru smiled slightly, the melancholy in his heart making itself known clearly upon his face.

For the Sage, it was yet another positive sign that something had indeed changed in the heart of the Great White Snake. Perhaps he truly had learned a great deal about the nature of men.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that the other two are doing well. You make sure that you offer my best wishes and greetings to Saigai and Tankyu when you return to Oto."

"I certainly will! They will be glad to receive them! Speaking of apprentices, have you heard from Nagato or Konan recently? Those two surely have many interesting tales to tell."

"More than hearing from them, I have actually met with Nagato several times in the past few years."

"Oh, how lovely! He's as enigmatic as ever, I imagine."

"You don't know the half of it! And here I thought that you were bad when we were kids. As you might imagine, those mythical eyes of his show him things disagreeable to the human mind. In spite of that and the burdens of leadership which you have come to know all too well, the boy seems in excellent health and good spirits. He reports to me that Konan is in a similarly positive condition. I gather that they are in a relationship of some sort but I declined to pursue the details of that arrangement any further."

"I am pleased to hear that they are well! I truly must meet with Konan in a proper capacity one day, she appears to me to be one of the great minds of our time."

"She certainly is," Jiraiya did not attempt to hide the pride in his smile, "Perhaps when this Suna business is done with I can arrange a meeting."

"I would be most appreciative of it! Ame is supposed to be quite nice, I've heard."

"It's truly a sight to behold! I haven't the faintest idea what might have inspired Nagato to build his village in that fashion, but I consider it to be unlike anything that has existed prior to our times."

"That is a glowing recommendation indeed! I shall plan a trip at my earliest convenience!"

"And I shall accompany you, my friend! It has been far too long since I visited Nagato in his own lands. Besides, my presence is essential to ensure that you and Konan don't put your heads together for too long. Who can know what horrors would be unleashed from such an occurrence!" Jiraiya laughed.

"Only good things, I am sure!" Orochimaru grinned widely, "Now, I am afraid I must be off. The sun threatens to make itself known and I do believe it would be unseemly for myself to be seen strolling through a village that is not mine in broad daylight."

"My, is it that time already? Then you certainly must! Well, it has been a pleasure, Orochimaru," Jiraiya stood and bowed to his friend.

Orochimaru raised himself from his seat and returned the gesture, "Indeed it has! How wonderful it is to see old friends."

 

[Ah!]

Chapter 15: Old Friends - Part Two​

The Great White Snake felt that, though he did not believe in it, fortune had smiled upon him. What an opportunity his trip to Konoha had presented! Though it had truly been a delight to see Jiraiya and to deliver numerous advanced texts to young Kabuto, now, as Orochimaru flickered unseen through the quiet streets as they reluctantly prepared for dawn, he focused his jubilation on something else entirely. It was a prospect which the Great White Snake had not entertained in a great many years; a chance to acquire critical data from one of his greatest experiments. Though Orochimaru had started many experiments throughout his years, he was typically content to allow the results of most of them to meander back to him whenever they pleased. For his plans to pan out as he intended, however, Orochimaru suspected harvesting this particular one was essential. It was an experiment that the Great White Snake had bet heavily on and for whose existence he had paid a painful price. Gunsou Senden, one of his treasured pupils, had sacrificed his career, reputation, and very freedom to place the experiment on track. Orochimaru resented himself bitterly for that outcome. The ideas behind the experiment seemed so promising and there was so much which needed to be known, so he had gone ahead with it far before the security of the operation had been secured.

The test subject, a fourteen year old girl whose name Orochimaru could not recall, had been far too conscious during the entire proceeding, becoming deeply traumatized as a consequence. Gunsou willingly took the fall and framed himself for a suitably traumatizing event, leading to his life imprisonment. It had been a stupid mistake. If, however, the experiment yielded the sort of insight that the Great White Snake hoped that it would, it would all be worth it.

Despite remaining entirely deprived of information about his test subject, Orochimaru knew roughly where she was as a consequence of the data collection device that had been implanted along with the experiment itself. Fortunately, if his memory of the residential district's location was correct, the girl was simply residing in her home. It was admittedly quite surprising. Gunsou had described the girl as a gifted shinobi but very rarely did shinobi of any talent at all have the time to lounge idly in their homes. Hopefully the girl had seen enough action to gather sufficient data. If she hadn't, Orochimaru was concerned that he would be unable to control his wrath.

Whatever the outcome of the encounter, it would be over quickly. The test subject's home was one unit of an obscure apartment block on the edge of the village. Though Orochimaru could have easily ripped the unit's door from its hinges, a desire to remain subtle led him to deploy a minuscule snake which deftly wriggled into the lock, opening it. As he entered the home, the Great White Snake released a writhing mass of snakes from within his robes and wordlessly directed them to survey the space before quietly closing the door behind him. The immediately accessible space was quite small, consisting of a sparsely furnished sitting room connected to a visibly aged kitchen by a claustrophobic skinny opening. Directly in front of him was a short staircase that led up to the room where, presumably, the test subject lay sleeping.

From the information he was receiving from the data collection device, it seemed that the test subject was almost entirely immobile and so Orochimaru deduced that the girl was still asleep. For this reason, he felt rather unhurried in his task and chose to spend some time investigating the test subject. Though the Great White Snake had only personally met the girl once, the dense concentration of his own chakra embedded into the experimental structure that he had placed on her had surely been discreetly influencing the course of her life. This, along with the fact that she had been trained by one of his most significant proteges, led Orochimaru to almost consider her one of his own students. The Great White Snake was always deeply intrigued by the life outcomes of his students.

The first potential indicator as to what had become of the girl that Orochimaru stumbled across in his search was a small framed photograph resting on a low mantle in the sitting room. Despite being a relatively recent invention, Orochimaru had developed a passionate hatred of photographs. Though he was certain that he would eventually find a use for them in his research, particularly when he acquired the resources necessary to delve into Dojutsu in a complete manner, at the present he thought of them as nothing but a childish fascination of the common people. Shinobi, he believed, should be above such things.

Regardless of the unpleasant media that it found itself on, the photograph's contents were quite informative. It featured a large collection of academy age children with a row of adults standing behind them with strained smiles and weary eyes. Orochimaru recognized some of the men and women in that row as teachers at Konoha's general academy. Seeing as it was almost certain that no child enjoyed the academy enough to frame a picture of their class Orochimaru was fairly certain that it meant the test subject had become an academy teacher. Besides, the Great White Snake was fairly certain that the girl's time as an academy student predated the popularization of photography.

Orochimaru removed the picture from the frame and inspected the picture with more scrutiny. Fortunately for his mission of identifying the test subject, Konoha's academy had generously listed the names of all individuals featured in the photograph on the back. Surely, Orochimaru pondered with amusement, there was no way that providing the names and faces of a village's entire staff of educators in a single location, unprotected by any fuinjutsu nor barred behind any security clearance, could have unprecedentedly awful consequences. It would be advisable to any man in a position of authority, Orochimaru reflected, to kill whoever had that idea. Perhaps he would inform Shikaku of the security threat.

Anko Mitarashi; that name he recalled. The Great White Snake flipped the photograph over to put a face to the name and, indeed, the individual he saw seemed to be a plausible development of the girl he recalled from a decade ago. Visually, Orochimaru's first impression was that she was bizarre. Anko clearly had significantly more enthusiasm and joy for the world than her fellow teachers. This was strange enough for an academy teacher, but what truly struck Orochimaru as odd was her choice of clothing. The woman was garbed in a suit of what appeared to be a fine steel mesh that clung tightly to her body. Not only did this choice of clothing appear immensely uncomfortable but it was also rather inappropriate for any professional institution, let alone one which educated children. Considering that Orochimaru had once been asked by academy staff to remove the serpentine imagery from his robes prior to a lecture that he was scheduled to give to some of the advanced students as to avoid frightening them, he had no idea how Anko managed to acquire approval to wear such a thing. Perhaps she had empirically demonstrated that it caused her male students to pay more attention to the happenings in class. Considering how supremely juvenile most boys at that age tended to be, Orochimaru did not doubt it. Smiling slightly, the Great White Snake recalled many of Jiraiya's boyish antics from their own childhood.

Over her severe dress code violation, Anko wore a long tan overcoat and a dark orange miniskirt. Her most interesting piece of apparel, however, was a single snake fang which hung by a simple black string around her neck. Of this choice, Orochimaru greatly approved. Having confirmed the nature of the test subject's employment to his own satisfaction, the Great White Snake moved on to the next consideration. Fundamentally, it was a question of whether or not a position as an academy teacher could have allowed Anko sufficient opportunity to employ the experimental structure. Of course, being in possession of such a power as he had given her, to be an academy teacher was a tragic waste of life regardless of any other considerations. If, however, she had wasted his experiment as well, it would be unforgivable.

The sheer horror of the thought was enough to send the Great White Snake stalking furiously up the stairs, eager to find out the true fate of his experiment. Along the way, one of his snakes confirmed that no other individuals resided in the house. Orochimaru was thankful for it; each additional individual present exponentiated the number of potential failure modes. His snakes had also reported that Anko's heart rate and body heat suggested that she was soon to awaken fully, if she was not already. Orochimaru gently ran his finger across the creature's scaled skull in thanks for the information before ordering it to gather its kin and prepare to make an exit.

The layout of the second floor exactly mimicked the first, with the bedroom in place of the sitting room and a bathroom in place of the kitchen. Though the bedroom was clearly designed with a fairly substantive bed in mind, Anko had simply assembled a nest of various bedrolls and blankets in the far right corner of the space. Orochimaru could not say that he blamed her; his memories from the time when he required meaningful sleep suggested that such a construction was often significantly more comfortable and, though it was never any object to him, much cheaper than alternatives. Despite this wise choice of resting environment, the rest of the living space left much to be desired. The area surrounding the nest was scattered with such a volume of sake jugs that even the greatest drunkard Orochimaru knew, Tsunade, would have been impressed. Perhaps. Similarly, an excess of used plates populated the floor. It appeared to be the consequence of a major depression. The Great White Snake felt for the girl — the material which he had read on depression indicated it to be a most inconvenient affliction — though with the power she had the potential to wield Orochimaru could not possibly fathom why she would find herself in despair. Perhaps she too wished to unravel the secrets of the universe and instead found herself trapped in a barbaric world that did not value such work. Probably not, though.

Orochimaru's footsteps went unheard as he crept through the clutter toward the test subject's sleeping form. Conveniently, the girl was already sleeping on her right side, making the experimental structure on the back of the left side of her neck easily accessible. As Orochimaru pulled back the blanket that obscured the fruits of his genius, he took a moment to appreciate the simple beauty of his creation. A plain tattoo of three tomoe, the name that he had given it was the Heavenly Serpent Seal and it may have been one of the most brilliant things the Great White Snake had ever done. As he reached down to extract the data logging device from within the Seal, however, a complication presented itself. Anko's eyes snapped open and she spun around quickly, knocking Orochimaru's right hand off with a chakra reinforced punch from her left fist.

"Ah, a clever deception," Orochimaru grinned down at the girl, feeling a slight pride for her ability to execute successfully on what certainly must have been an impromptu plan. The Great White Snake credited his excellent education of Gunsou for this achievement. Anko, for her part, stared into Orochimaru's eyes with a deep primal fear in her own, evidently recognizing him despite his significant alteration in physical appearance since the last time she had seen him.

"Perhaps it would have been worth something against a lesser man," Orochimaru laughed.

Orochimaru lept back and, after improvising a novel set of hand signs for his partnerless left hand, released the powerful Scholar's Convex Concentration Compound jutsu. A gentle pressure wave was emitted from every chakra point on Orochimaru's body and quickly traversed the apartment's second floor before descending the stairs. In a moment, all sound had been eliminated from the entire unit.

"Let us not be interrupted," Orochimaru spoke, though the powers which his sound style granted him ensured that none but the girl could hear his words. As he suggestively tapped the location of the Heavenly Serpent Seal on Anko's neck he said, "Now, do show me what it can do, if you please."

Anko sprung out of her bed, both her hands clenched into fists. The girl opened her mouth to speak what was surely a clever retort to Orochimaru's request. The Great White Snake, however, had no desire to hear anything that she had to say and, as such, alleviated his ears of the burden of the sound. Not wishing to waste time on an emotional outpouring, Orochimaru also ensured that Anko's words could not reach her own ears either, leading her to quickly abandon the prospect of a monologue.

With this option removed from her, the girl sprung toward Orochimaru and swung at the Sannin like a wild animal, evidently believing that Orochimaru had come to kill her and that her only chance of survival was to try and kill him first. This was a fallacy of the highest order, but the attempts which she made at striking him were so amusing that he did not bother to correct her.

The Great White Snake wove like a ribbon in the wind as Anko exhausted herself with a violent storm of punches and kicks. Boring quickly of the game, Orochimaru extended his remaining hand to release a jutsu that would easily debilitate his opponent. Anko, however, took the immensely strange and obviously desperate step of grasping Orochimaru's hand in her own, moving the Great White Snake's fingers into what appeared to be a hand sign as she did so. Then, with her left hand, she produced a kunai and pierced it through both their hands. Though Orochimaru could have prevented this by simply crushing the girl's hand, he was far too curious to halt these intriguing proceedings.

Then, as a pair of snakes began to emerge, one from Orochimaru's arm and one from Anko's, the nature of the jutsu became apparent to the Great White Snake and he began to laugh uproariously. It was the Twin Snakes Mutual Death jutsu, an entirely worthless comedic technique that had been conceived in a bet with Jiraiya when the pair were in their youth. When the Sage had studied at Mount Myoboku, he had been taught the exceptionally humorous Inner Toad Tranquility jutsu, a technique that wholly transformed the caster into a frog — mental faculties included. The spirit of the bet, judged by Hiruzen, was for Orochimaru to construct a jutsu that was more useless than Inner Toad Tranquility. Though the Great White Snake had ultimately put forward Malignant Titanic Columns as his choice of jutsu for the bet, Twin Snakes Mutual Death had been one of the jutsu conceived on the winding journey through the forest of knowledge to Malignant Titanic Columns. Essentially, this suicidal jutsu was formed by taking one of his most reliable physically damaging techniques — Great Viper Unshacklement — and making it so that performing it was not only significantly more cumbersome but also killed you as well. Though Malignant Titanic Columns ultimately surpassed it for the title of most useless imaginable jutsu, Twin Snakes Mutual Death remained one of the most daft things that Orochimaru had ever brought into the world.

How Anko had encountered the jutsu, Orochimaru hadn't the slightest idea. Gunsou had surely known the technique, for its extreme stupidity made teaching it an excellent lesson in the fact that some jutsu could be constructed specifically to harm you. Though Gunsou may have used it for the very same purpose with his own students, the fact that the girl was attempting to use it as a serious method of attack suggested that it hadn't been introduced to her in that context.

No matter how she had learned it, Orochimaru was easily able to do away with it by giving the emerging snakes a particularly stern look. Once the poor animals realized that they were facing Orochimaru, the Great White Snake of Ryuchi Cave, they quickly hurried on their way. The jutsu being so easily foiled clearly had a major impact on Anko's spirit and she barely reacted as Orochimaru pulled his hand off the kunai and released his own, significantly more effective, snake-based jutsu: Lesser Expedient Snakes. Greater Expedient Snakes, Orochimaru had judged, would have been immense overkill.

Twenty jet black pythons, each no wider than the width of two fingers but nearly as long as Orochimaru was tall, shot out from within the sleeve of Orochimaru's robes at massive speeds — thus earning the title of expedient — and quickly began to wrap themselves around Anko. Their scales were as hard as iron and they had the strength of a serpent with fifty times their body mass. Anko was almost immediately immobilized and she quickly crashed to the floor. Unable to resist, the girl simply lay unmoving on the floor as Orochimaru reached for the Heavenly Serpent Seal once more.

The Great White Snake pressed one of his fingers against each of the three tomoe and Anko writhed in soundless agony as the flesh of her back, upon which the Seal had been engraved, began to split and twist open like the unfurling pedals of a grotesque flower. At the center of this flower lay a small wooden circle which, as Orochimaru pulled it from the girl's flesh, revealed itself to be one of the ends of a minuscule scroll.

"Now," Orochimaru said, his voice acquiring an ominous tone, "Comes that ultimate question. Have you used my wonderful gift enough for meaningful data to be collected on its functioning? If you have not," the Great White Snake grasped Anko's chin and forced her to look into his eyes, "I will have you torn to pieces by the snakes. Hold this please."

One of the Lesser Expedient Snakes opened its maw obligingly and Orochimaru placed the scroll into the creature's mouth before standing up to retrieve his hand. After fetching it from the corner of the room it was a trivial matter to graft the severed limb back to the hemorrhaging flesh of his right arm. Hastened by his curiosity, Orochimaru quickly strode back to Anko's body and retrieved the scroll from the jaws of his snake.

The experiment's prospects of success seemed promising as unraveling the scroll revealed that it had been densely populated with intricate lines of cipher encoding all that one could need to know about each and every activation of the Heavenly Serpent Seal. From what Orochimaru could comprehend of this cipher without processing it properly, Anko's use of the seal had been rather frontloaded to her time of acquisition, with the rate of deployment decaying rapidly thereafter. Regardless, it appeared that there existed sufficient information to draw some useful conclusions, though perhaps not enough to excuse the immense cost of the experiment. That remained to be determined.

"Grown tired of my gift, have you? Don't worry, dear child, you'll be glad to have it soon enough. Now, before I go, allow me to impart one final piece of advice to you before my departure. Despite what the Uchiha would have you think, close range Genjutsu is easily the most potent variety."

Orochimaru squatted down and touched Anko's forehead, sending a deluge of his own chakra through her body, shattering her reality. His Genjutsu recontextualized the frightening events of that morning as a particularly disturbing dream which had been triggered by a baseless rumor that she had heard from a fellow Jonin suggesting Orochimaru's brief presence in the village. The stabbing of her hand was similarly recast as an act of drunken stupidity. The Genjutsu had also rendered the girl unconscious once again and so, as a final act before his departure, Orochimaru returned her to the bedding pile in which she had lay.

Eliminating all traces of his presence was then a fairly minor task. The Lesser Expedient Snakes viciously devoured themselves, with the surviving beast returning to Ryuchi Cave a proud Greater Expedient Snake. A simple Water Style jutsu easily washed away all the blood from his handless stint which he felt could not be reasonably imagined to have been derived from Anko's stabbing of herself. Upon returning to the apartment's first level, the scouting snakes were already assembled in readiness and as their master returned they quickly crawled back to the interior of his robes and with the utterance of a syllable of release Orochimaru reclaimed the chakra that had been sustaining Scholar's Convex Concentration Compound.

The Great White Snake smiled upon the world as he slipped out of the apartment's door and into the night — what a magnificent day it had been!

 

[Saihyou]

So the reformation of Orochimaru was unsurprisingly a big, fat lie. This does not bode well for Konoha, interestimg times ahead.

 

[Ah!]

Chapter 16: The Price of Power​

Naruto's progress over the past week of training had been nothing short of extraordinary. Even after Jiraiya had explained to Hinata how it was that he intended to raise Naruto's control proficiency to such a level that the technique was theoretically within his grasp, she hadn't believed that it was possible. It was easily the most advanced feat of chakra control that Hinata had ever heard detailed and to ask a boy who had become infamous for his abysmal control to perform it seemed, not just ridiculous, but almost cruel. Despite the nearly insurmountable nature of his challenge, it appeared that Naruto had risen to it.

Based on approximations which, taking the knowledge she had gained over the past week into account, Hinata now considered to be accurate, when they had started training together Naruto had been able to put roughly one-thousandth of his total chakra reserves into circulation within his chakra system. This was even worse than it sounded, as the total he was working with was actually only fifty percent of his theoretical maximum as the other half was distributed across a small army of shadow clones at all times. When Hinata first attempted the exercise, a task that she had undertaken to better understand the challenges of doing so, she had managed to circulate around ten percent of her own chakra reserves. Though, on account of the massively larger reserves that Naruto possessed, her own attempt circulated only around twenty times as much chakra, rather than the larger factor that would be expected if they had equal reserves, it still adequately showed how much of a disadvantage Naruto had in his labor from the start.

Now, however, Naruto was very nearly at the threshold at which Jiraiya had theorized that the internal pressure from the Kaju's chakra would begin to perform much of the work in sustaining the circulation for the boy. The Sage's initial guess had been around ten percent of his total chakra, or around twenty percent of what his body had after the shadow clones had been split off. After analysis by a friend of the Sage, whose identity remained unknown to Hinata, a more accurate threshold of 12.784 percent had been established. This meant that accounting for the missing shadow clone chakra, Naruto needed to place roughly seventy five percent of his chakra into circulation to release the Kaju's chakra. By Hinata's best estimates, he was now comfortably able to circulate around seventy percent.

"Well, quite frankly, I did not expect us to arrive at this point for many days yet. You have done exceptionally well, Naruto. And you, Hinata, have been an exceptional guide. This is an excellent circumstance to find ourselves in, for it means that we have nearly a full week disposed to us to work with the Kaju's chakra. To this end, I suggest that we make an attempt to release this power properly before we retire for the day. Are you both agreeable to this?" Jiraiya, who had emerged from his meditation after Hinata's report of Naruto's progress, addressed the pair.

"Absolutely! Let's do it!" Naruto gleamed with enthusiasm for the prospect, "It's gonna be so awesome!"

Hinata nodded cautiously, though in truth she had many anxieties about the concept. Her foremost one was that, although it appeared that in his daily life, Naruto was almost entirely unaffected by the Kaju's malignant influence, Hinata feared that such influence would take hold of him when the beast's chakra began to move through him.

Sensing her concern, Jiraiya smiled reassuringly, "Worry not child, no harm shall come to you or Naruto. I have long prepared for this day and there are many protective measures at my disposal. I would encourage both of you to take a break while I establish these — their complex nature means laying them down will take some time."

Naruto nodded in acknowledgment before falling onto his back in the grass, clearly thankful for his break. Hinata stood from her observation location, a point on a circle whose radius Jiraiya had judged to be a safe distance lest anything spiral out of control, and relocated herself just beside the boy. As she settled beside him, Naruto turned his head to look at her.

"Thanks, Hinata," Naruto smiled so wide that his eyes were forced to squint, "I couldn't have gotten here without you. With this, I'll give Neji what he's got coming and win Sasuke's eyes back for sure!"

"I know you will," Hinata returned the smile, though she couldn't help it being slightly less exuberant. Despite knowing that it was certainly a correct assumption to make, the fact that Naruto didn't even seem to consider the possibility that she was victorious against Neji herself was slightly hurtful. She did her best to disregard that feeling, though.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so presumptuous!" Jiraiya called out without looking up from his work, "That Neji is a clever one and he's surely figured out your shadow clone trick by now! If you assume that any victory over him is guaranteed, you will lose."

"I don't think it's guaranteed!" Naruto retorted, "I just think that it's likely enough that I'm willing to speak as though it is!"

"I'm glad to see that you've taken well to your readings," Jiraiya laughed, "Unfortunately, fallacies of thought don't take kindly to such semantics. Just remember, the fact that he has gathered some level of knowledge on you makes him perhaps your most dangerous competitor."

"What about-"

"Rock Lee?" Jiraiya unexpectedly cut off Naruto, his voice slightly more stern than usual, "No, I do not think so."

Naruto frowned for a moment. Whatever it was that he was about to say, it clearly wasn't meant to be about Rock Lee. After brief contemplation, a look of understanding crossed Naruto's face and his grin returned, "Yeah, I guess you're right!"

It was now Hinata's turn to frown as her mental picture of the exam was altered drastically. Another competitor who rivaled Neji and who was, for some reason, not to be discussed? It was concerning indeed. More concerning — for her, in any case — was the prospect of Neji exploiting Naruto's shadow clone trick. Truthfully, until Jiraiya had brought up the possibility, she had hardly even considered it. The Sage had said that in order to use the jutsu as they had, mountainous reserves of chakra were required. Hinata quickly realized that even if Neji used only two clones, he could achieve significant training benefits by, for instance, fighting against himself. It was an uncomfortable conclusion; a looming sense of doom possessed Hinata's mind.

For another ten minutes or so the three sat in almost total silence, disturbed only by the shuttering of the branches above in the light wind and the faint rustling of Jiraiya's footsteps as he marched between the ever multiplying concentric rings of fuinjutsu which the Sage had laid out across the forest floor. Naruto stared at the fragments of cloud through the branches above with peaceful tranquility in his eyes whilst Hinata picked nervously at the grass that grew around her. Even as Jiraiya's booming voice called the two over to begin the attempt, the dread had not left her heart.

Jiraiya's preventative measures deserved to be marveled at. Each fuinjutsu ring had been laden with overflowing detail, such that it gave Hinata a mild headache to even look upon it. The girl did not dare ask what it all did, for she suspected that her mind would be incapable of grasping it all. Naruto, unperturbed by the genius that he beheld, walked confidently through the circles, which had been centered on one of the massive oaks of the sacred forest, and sat down in a space in the innermost perimeter very clearly marked for such a purpose. Hinata was mildly disappointed to find that, although the also Sage got his own sitting space, she did not.

"Now, Hinata, if an incident occurs and this barrier is damaged, this set of defenses will immediately alert every man in the village who has high enough clearance to be aware of Naruto's position as the Jinchuriki. This includes nearly all of our village's most powerful warriors. The reason I tell you this is that if an incident were to occur, you mustn't worry about Naruto, and you certainly mustn't worry about me. You must run. Am I clear?" Jiraiya looked the girl directly in the eyes. Hinata nodded nervously in response, "Excellent. During this exercise, all that I would ask you to do is provide regular updates on Naruto's progress and to alert me immediately if your future sight indicates that the Kaju's chakra may be going out of control. I suspect that the Kaju's chakra is an orange or red color, watch for this please."

"Of course!" Hinata quickly affirmed, "May I ask, how will I know if the chakra is out of control or not?"

"If you are blinded, then it is out of control."

That was a frightening proclamation. Hinata could not even imagine how much chakra would be required to blind the vision of her Byakugan by the sheer nature of its intensity. The girl took a deep breath and steeled herself for the events about to unfold.

"Naruto, you may begin whenever you wish."

The boy wasted no time, immediately clasping his hands together and closing his eyes in deep focus.

Instantly, it appeared to Hinata as though a geyser was released within Naruto's core as tremendous volumes of chakra were blown off of it into his system. The boy kept up the intense pace of chakra discharge as, at the same time, he began to focus on cycling this chakra through his system. The chakra pressed precariously up against Naruto's chakra points and roiled within his network, desperately fighting for a chance to escape into the wider world. Naruto, however, did not let even the slightest amount of chakra exit his body as he rapidly raised the total volume towards his previous maximum circulation of seventy one percent. The speed at which he achieved this state was remarkable, far exceeding most previous attempts.

Unfortunately, such a pace could not last and once the amount of chakra in circulation had reached this point — or at least neared it very closely — the rate at which Naruto was able to remove chakra from his core collapsed to an agonizing crawl. With each fraction of a percentage that was added to the total circulating volume, Hinata watched with bated breath as the delicate tension that prevented the chakra from bursting through Naruto's release nodes threatened to break. Yet, remarkably, no such thing occurred as the boy came ever closer to the anticipated threshold of seventy five percent. The minutes dragged long as Hinata strained her vision, focusing in on every possible perturbation that may have signaled the presence of the feared Kaju chakra. When the anticipated event finally occurred, however, it became clear that such had been wasted effort for the Kaju's chakra caused such a disturbance as to be impossible to miss.

The first sign of a change was that a small patch on Naruto's chakra core began to quiver and ripple. The ripples traveled across the breadth of a core and began to intersect each other — sending the entire surface convulsing like a spasming heart. Then, in a final climatic shiver, a single red teardrop forcefully burst through Naruto's core. Beneath, Hinata caught a glimpse of the teardrop's source: a hateful writhing orb that burned as hot as the sun deep within Naruto's chest. To gaze upon it, just for that moment, scarred her eyes and poisoned her mind. For the first time in her life, she truly understood the unfathomable horror of the Meju. She attempted to avert her gaze but she found her eyes unwilling to permit it until Naruto's chakra flooded back from other areas of the core to obscure the gap. Though she was certain that it had been just a fraction of a moment, the time she had spent gazing into that horrid star felt as though it had been an eternity. Hinata was terrified by the prospect of looking at it for any greater length of time.

"There's a bit of Kaju chakra," Hinata announced. It should have been a triumphant proclamation but she could not muster the strength to produce any more than a meek whisper.

The girl returned her eyes to that small fragment of the Kaju which was being gently driven by the churning current of Naruto's chakra toward his release nodes. Though perhaps Hinata was simply seeing things, she could not shake the feeling that there was a tiny eye on the surface of the teardrop which watched her intently as she followed its movement. Hinata had never felt a more unnerving gaze. As the clump of strange red chakra reached the surface of Naruto's skin, it clung firmly to the first chakra release node that it encountered, forcing the boy's personal chakra to flow around it. Then, it emerged. The entire teardrop was incapable of exiting the node at once and so it entered the world as a thin trail which appeared like the smoke from a candle, only with a deep crimson hue. To Hinata's horror, as the Kaju's chakra parted with Naruto's flesh, it seemed to burn the skin around it like a piece of paper before an open flame. The skin smoked, shriveled up into small ashen clumps, and then was carried into the air by the trail of crimson chakra.

"Do not be alarmed," Jiraiya advised as Hinata stared, her gaze transfixed on the switching muscles now visible on a small patch of the boy's arm. A feeling of sickness built in her stomach as she watched, "Naruto had told me that this happened before."

This comment did not ease Hinata's concerns.

Slowly, the rate at which these odious chakra clumps escaped Naruto's core increased. Though Hinata did not dare focus her vision on the boy's core again, she could see the chakra creeping through the rest of his body. Vile tendrils snaked into every crevice of the boy's body as the number of smoking columns protruding from his skin began to increase exponentially. These crimson protrusions, it seemed, were just as disagreeable to clothes as they were to skin, and soon Naruto was garbed in little more than smoking tatters. At the same time, however, strange changes afflicted the rest of the boy's body. His hair began to grow at a pace that was easily visible with common vision — though this new growth was a smokey ashen shade, as opposed to his natural vibrant blonde — and his teeth were quickly sharpening into razor fangs. The most disturbing element of the transformation, however, was the parts of his body that were simply melted off. The most prominent ones were his nose and cheeks, which, shortly after the skin of Naruto's face had been peeled off, slowly slid off his face as if it had been made of wax, leaving behind only a ghastly web of muscle and sinew. Similar occurrences happened on the ends of Naruto's fingers and toes, which fell away to reveal deadly claws shaped from bone. Finally, it seemed that Naruto's muscle mass was rapidly increasing, with new muscle fibers flying out from between his old ones before securing themselves to his tendons.

The only appreciable part of the transformation, which Hinata may have found beautiful were she not so utterly horrified, was the shape that was formed by the mass of crimson columns as they spiraled into the air above Naruto's body. Being made up of countless small pieces of chakra rather than one continuous release, the mass appeared to have much the same texture as a clump of reeds being tossed in a brutal windstorm. The shape of the pillar flickered like a massive flame as if the direction of the wind's assault on the reeds had shifted, sending clumps of hateful chakra spiraling off in wild patterns. Then Hinata saw the eyes and all beauty which may have been present ceased to be. Residing within the chaotic mass were the forms of numerous ephemeral ghastly eyes. Hidden in the Kaju's chakra, the dark shadows cast by the columns, and the negative spaces between them. They were everywhere. As any particular bunch of crimson reeds ascended into the air, the eyes freely morphed, altering their shapes and mingling with one another. But they were watching, that Hinata could see.

"Is the chakra contained?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yes," Hinata said weakly, "I think this is the extent of it. Every one of his chakra points is releasing one of those strange columns and, at the moment, the future is identical to the present."

"Excellent! Naruto!" Jiraiya called out to the boy, "If you can hear me, stand up!"

The boy did as he was asked and, though getting up was clearly effortless, the manner in which he went about it was mildly disturbing. The boy did not move his upper body at all in the entire movement, simply raising himself up on his legs alone. Even more concerning, Naruto did not open his eyes as he stood.

Jiraiya, evidently, noticed this as readily as Hinata for he called to the boy, "Naruto! Are you ok?"

In response, Naruto snapped his head up so that he was facing the sky and screamed. It was a tortured scream, seemingly letting out many lifetimes of suffering. As Naruto screamed, the muscles that bound the lower jaw to the rest of the skull snapped, leaving the boy's mouth gaping open so wide that it was uncomfortable to look upon. Hinata covered her ears to block out the sound for it felt as though it was many times louder than anything else she had heard in her entire life. Despite her efforts, the sound remained deafening and within the scream the girl heard many things that she did not wish to hear.

When he was finished screaming, Naruto lowered his head and, with his eyes still closed and jaw hanging open, began to gently caress his exposed muscle. As he did so, the vicious claws that had come to reside on the ends of his fingers tore deep gashes across his body. Fortunately, these cuts quickly vanished as the flesh worked diligently to repair itself, a process that produced ever more steam.

"Something is wrong," Jiraiya said, voicing the obvious. Hinata appreciated it, though, for it comforted her slightly to know that this was not going to happen each and every time Naruto deployed his great new power.

"Ah," Naruto's first sound was disturbing. A satisfied sigh produced by a chorus of disparate voices. Though the boy's own voice could be heard in the chorus, it was composed mostly of the voices of various adult men and women. Perhaps even more distressingly, though Naruto's part was clearly originating from his physical location in space, the other voices seemed as though they were coming from within Hinata's own head, "It is nice to be in possession of one of these again."

Jiraiya's eyes widened and he sprung into action, activating numerous elements of his protective network simultaneously. Naruto — or his body, anyway — moved with equal haste, drawing serpentine lines of fire through the air with index fingers. The boy looked like a dancer wielding burning ribbons as he spun about the interior of the innermost circle, crafting unknowable symbols out of the flame. The two sets of fuinjutsu clashed, spewing brilliant colors and fascinating chakra patterns about the forest. Hinata had never seen anything so remarkable before. Her awe was stripped cruelly from her mind, however, as the visual effects produced by the clash faded and she was able to look upon Naruto's body with her common vision. The boy's wavering form was surrounded by great glyphs of flame that hung heavy in the air. His left arm was extended, a single crooked finger pointing at Jiraiya — Naruto's blood still dripping off the end of its talon. In his eyes, which were now wide open, Hinata once again glimpsed that abominable mass that lay deep within Naruto; that horrid star.

"Jiraiya of Konoha," the chorus of voices chanted with redoubled intensity, "You insult me with your pathetic excuse for an assault. Do not waste my time with such trivial actions."

"I did not think that you would personally make an appearance today, Kaju," Jiraiya's face twisted into a frigid mask, "What have you done with the boy?"

"We are currently in the midst of negotiations, I would not concern yourself with his fate."

A flicker of fear crossed Jiraiya's face, "And what might be the topic of these negotiations?"

"The boy wishes to have my chakra and I wish to have his body. Neither is desirous to grant the other his request and so we find ourselves in something of a predicament. As he has yet to back down, I am forced to take possession of collateral should he fail to come to his senses. Worry not, old sage, I will not escape your barriers until after these negotiations have concluded. Perhaps," the Kaju twisted Naruto's remaining facial muscles into what might have been a grin, "There will be an unexpected result."

"Can he escape?" Hinata whispered, hoping that Jiraiya would be able to hear her. Unfortunately, it seemed that whether the Sage could hear her or not, the Kaju certainly could.

"Do you believe that I could not?" the Kaju sounded offended, though he did not seem to think that Hinata's remark was interesting enough to actually look at her, "Tell me, young Hyuga, what do you know of the Meju?"

"Do not engage him," Jiraiya cautioned, "And, to answer your question, he probably can."

"I appreciate your respect, Jiraiya. It is true, though, that perhaps with this body it would be a meaningful contest. This boy is terribly weak and the throughput of chakra which his body allows is frustratingly limited. Despite that handicap, however, I would still place my bets in my favor — you, I believe, are wise enough to make this judgment also. Now, I must ask, why have you chosen to incur my wrath in this manner? I am angered greatly by your insinuation that my chakra could be utilized without my expressed permission. There is always a price for power, Jiraiya, and in this case, that price is dealing on my terms. The boy seems to understand this, intuitively or otherwise, and is in the process of making some intriguing offers to me. You, on the other hand, are far too arrogant. The offer I shall make you is a simple one: in exchange for permitting this blatant theft to occur without further incident, I would ask to extract one favor from each of you."

"Madness!" Jiraiya cried, "I shall not let either of us be drawn into your schemes, Kaju!"

"I swear on my true name, fulfilling these favors will not be the mildest inconvenience for you or anyone else. Is Naruto Uzumaki's future not worth these minor expenditures of effort?"

"You do us a disservice to frame the consequences of our refusal in such deceptive terms."

"Is it deceptive? Without access to my power, the boy has little chance of achieving any of his goals and, in all likelihood, he will be killed by my sibling's jailor long before he even has the capacity to begin pursuing them in earnest. If he attempts to use my chakra without my permission, I will seize his body once more and terrible things will come to pass. Think of it! All of these negative outcomes could be avoided by two meager favors."

Sensing Hinata's general anxiety about the predicament, the Kaju turned and made direct eye contact. This time, Hinata had no chance of looking away as the deep wells of hatred began to show her horrid visions of that which could come to pass. In the pulsating surface of the eyes, Hinata saw Naruto carved apart by a great beast, no less terrifying than the one which she faced. They provided many possible outlines for Naruto's encounter with that beast, each ending in Naruto's painful graphic demise. Only once Hinata's fear for Naruto had penetrated into the deepest recesses of her mind did the scene change. Now, the boy accessed the power of the Kaju when he faced the beast and was victorious. Rather than being a mighty success, however, it proved to be the start of a great terror as the Kaju, now possessing Naruto's body, began to violently slaughter all that could be found. Hinata watched as every person she had ever known was collectively annihilated in a firestorm of unfathomable proportions. The girl was left trembling in fear from the deeply visceral experience.

"Ok," Hinata spoke very quietly, "I'll do you a favor."

"You mustn't!" Jiraiya gazed harshly upon her, "We will be remembered as fools for all time if we accept his bargain!"

"So what if it harms us? So many more people will be hurt if we don't agree, Naruto might die!" Hinata pleaded.

"You don't understand the significance of such an action! There are always unforeseen consequences for following the instructions of a Meju."

"But there are very foreseeable consequences if we don't! We can't let Naruto die and we can't let that thing hurt people!"

"I do not believe that these things will occur if we don't," Jiraiya was silenced.

"Yes they will," the Kaju said plainly, "Oh, yes they will indeed."

"Sages," Jiraiya placed his head in his hand after a contemplative pause, "I have been asked to make far too many decisions of this sort as of late. Very well, Kaju. For lack of better options, I shall allow you to win this time. Do you swear that, in exchange for these favors, you will not inhibit the boy's access to your chakra from now on?"

"I do swear this," the Kaju radiated a wicked exuberance.

"Then, tell us what you would ask."

"For you, Hyuga child, I have not decided upon a favor! I shall call upon you at a later time. As for you, Jiraiya, I ask only that the next time you see the Great White Snake Orochimaru you tell him that the Kaju wishes to speak to him. That is all."