Timber! [Naruto - Male SI]
- Thread starter DerHesse
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- naruto self insert konoha
It is.
MC is Uchiha anyone? Cursed Seal. MC needs moar dakka? Cursed Seal. Author is drama-obsessed teenager? You get the idea.
As to fanfiction, my favorite one is Deja Vu no Jutsu by Vixen_Tail. If you haven't read it, give it a try. It's seriously good stuff.
Chapter 3.1.1
- Location
- Germany
Chapter 3.1.1
An absolute whirlwind of emotions.
That's what the last week had been.
I had been on a tiny rocky island surrounded by ocean. Determination had come first, the instinct to get my bearings, to figure out my location and survival.
So while calmly putting my prizes into the filthy sack and the last IV drip into my weapons pouch, I concentrated on the retreating figure as keenly as possible.
He had been fast, very fast even, but I had no intention of catching up. I had just wanted a direction and so I had followed at a pace, that wouldn't have jumbled the mess that had been my chakra but had allowed me to keep track of the white-haired bastard for as long as possible.
A calm but single-minded pursuit had led to a coast, which had been covered as far as the eye could see with dense, lush green forest. The scenery had been so pleasant in fact, that I had decided to abort my chase of the slowly but surely disappearing figure in favor of some foraging. In no time at all, I had a bunch of berries and a stream where I had drunk my fill and had given myself and my clothes a thorough and long overdue cleansing.
Feeling fresh and with the situation under something that had vaguely resembled control, relief had begun to worm its way next to my determination.
So with a spring in my step, I had resumed my walk in the general direction of the cunt, which quickly had turned out to be north.
More importantly, however, onto a road that according to the signs would have led to the Modoroki Shrine, which I had luckily remembered from ANBU 101 was in the Land of Tea, more precisely on Nagi Island.
And quite suddenly anticipation had begun to weasel itself between my determination and relief. From there on out, it truly had become a walk home.
Sadly it had been a long walk, seven days to be precise, because I hadn't dared to push myself when I had, and still was, constantly feeling the snake bastard's shit rippling through my chakra pathways.
A single quiet moment on the road and my focus inwards had been more than enough for my mood to take a sharp turn for the worse.
Seven days on the road, seven days of hesitating, seven days of simply stopping in the middle of nowhere to stare at nothing.
Since stealing some poor farmer's laundry, which had fluttered enticingly out in the wind on a line to dry, and giving myself a buzzcut using my palm and careful application of wind chakra, since then I had been cruelly left alone with my thoughts and a filthy sack containing the heads of my former comrades.
A million threads that dipped into the past, the present, and the future had left me dizzy and had led to more than one existential crisis while I had drudged along.
A decade of being Daiki Ito, a decade of this madness, a madness that I somehow excelled at, and I was more than certain by now that everything else that I had been once was simply gone.
Nothing more than an unreachable haze that had slipped through my fingers and left me with an unexplainable hole.
As disconcerting as this multiversal dementia felt, I couldn't help but admit, that it gave me a weird sense of freedom. The chance to simply go with the flow.
During one of the countless moments of contemplation on the road, there had been this tiny moment when I had thought about just turning around and leaving. Just drop everything and make myself comfortable in a small corner down in the southern Land of Water, enjoying the sun, the ocean, and the tranquility.
That moment, perhaps thankfully, had been quickly dashed by the smell of the sack dangling from my fingers and the memories it carried with it.
Since then something novel had fueled me, all the way to the present.
Simple, unadulterated anger had quickened my steps and had etched a vicious snarl onto my face, that had been with me for the remainder of the trip.
For the very first time, my and Konoha's interests were wholly in line.
Orochimaru had to go. Simple as that.
I had been good at killing.
Now I was determined to become fucking great at it.
"Drop the sack and extend your fingers above your head where we can see them!"
Doing as I was told, I breathed a tiny sigh of relief simply because I had decided to wait at Konoha's perimeter for an ANBU patrol to stumble over me instead of going with my initial idea of waltzing through the gates to just get this ordeal over with.
Things probably would have gotten a bit awkw...
"Sanzo Yukimaru, state your business now! Any and all resistance will be met with force!" the young captain of this particular squad shouted from my blindspot.
'Wait, what?' my eyes widened a fraction, and my tired and sluggish mind sharpened at the unexpected turn.
I pursed my lips at my own stupidity and the fact that I just now was sensing the tenseness in the whole squad.
Shrugging off the last of my mental cobwebs I swallowed minutely one last time and finally responded.
"012301 returning from mission; requesting an immediate briefing with the commander," I stated straight-backed and in a clear voice.
I sensed confusion and a pause roll through the entire squad, the edge however was still there, too.
A couple of tongue clicks by the captain directed at another ANBU to my right were easily understood by me, too, so I was unsurprised when the man in question stepped forward and spilled out the contents of my burlap sack.
Given the pungent smell, the sight was simply confirmation of the nature of its content. It was, however, also enough for the captain to dispatch one of his men to follow my request and alert the village command.
Watching the lone ANBU disappear among the foliage I felt the first hints of something akin to calm wash over me.
Whatever happened now was out of my hands. I was going to spill the beans regarding my potentially colossal fuck-up to whoever they wanted me to, and then, then, who knew.
"So...," I began after a solid minute of absolutely nothing with my fingers still spread above my head and the ANBUs remaining on guard around me.
"Anything new from the Icha-Icha series?" I asked, not at all embarrassed and beyond caring by now, "Last thing I read was Violence, which I thought was great."
The silence dragged on until...
"I heard they are making a movie," a lone female voice suddenly answered quietly from my left, and to my immense amusement, I sensed her colleagues shift minutely in her direction.
Perhaps feeling the stares of her teammates she continued a tad defensively.
"What? It's great dialog and worldbuilding!"
"Couldn't agree more." I happily supported the ANBU lady.
It was good to be back.
"I'll take him from here," a male voice said from somewhere in front of me, while I slowly began to regret my decision not to settle down at a beach in southern Water Country.
"Hai," that must have been the leader of the ANBU squad I've been transferred to by the patrol squad. The squad of cunts, that had slapped a seal on my forehead and hands and put a fucking sack over my head.
The final insult to injury was that I had been carried on someone's shoulder like some fucking hunting trophy until we reached the entrance of whatever this building was.
Torture and Interrogation, ANBU headquarters, or already prison, who knew?
Feeling the cloth over my head shift, I quickly hid my scowl just in time for the veil to be finally lifted and to meet the unreadable gaze of our resident jonin commander Shikaku Nara.
'Well?'
I stared back, waiting for him to set the tone of whatever this was going to be.
Taking a peak out of the corners of my eyes, I noted the clean wood floor and the dark green walls of this particular hallway and couldn't help but come up short. I didn't recognize any of this.
After what felt like an eternity, the Nara patriarch shifted and motioned toward a door behind him. "Follow me, Hokage-sama, and the council waits," he said nonchalantly and I dimly felt my eyes widen and stand straighter.
Seeing my reaction, I watched him quirk an eyebrow.
"You are a Konoha shinobi involved in an international incident that greatly destabilized a major village. Given the subsequent events, and the fact that you stand accused of being a major factor in league with a notorious mercenary group, we felt it prudent to handle this situation with the proper...severity."
"Yeah," I pursed my lips. When you put it like that, "that is totally understandable."
"Isn't it?" he agreed drily before stepping through the double doors with me in his wake.
Space for a couple of dozen people, followed by a big sturdy judge's bench, and there they sat, Konoha's executive and judicial power.
A lazy nod, which seemed to qualify as a bow, and Shikaku stepped a few feet to the side, obviously granting me the center stage.
A proper bow on my part and the show was on.
"Daiki Ito, welcome back," The Third Hogake greeted me in a somewhat friendly, borderline businesslike manner, "although your return is overshadowed by turmoil and questions we wish to give you the benefit of the doubt in light of your past services."
"Please give us a detailed report of your actions since your last missive from roughly three and a half months ago, I believe." He finished and gave a sideglance towards Elder Utatane to his right, seemingly looking for confirmation.
Which obviously was all for show. It wouldn't surprise me if the four adults in the room had memorized every single report that I had sent over the last two years just for this moment.
The grey-haired lady nodded minutely, "Indeed, your last report stated you had been en route to engage with Zabuza Mamochi and his entourage."
"Since this is a rather lengthy timeframe, you have permission to speak freely," allowed the Third Hokage and gave a little motion with his hand, which quite obviously was my cue to get going and finally explain just what the fuck happened.
"Well," I began after a mental shrug, "my team, Unmo, Chōjūrō, and I caught up with Zabuza in north-western Water Country rather quickly after they had harassed some locals for supplies and some deliberate use of my sensing."
"Deliberate?"
"Yeah, I had never revealed the true extent of my sensing capabilities to anyone," I answered unbothered by the interruption coming from Shikaku and managed to stay in the flow. "As I was saying, we caught up, or rather Zabuza and his team had decided to wait and engage with us when they had sensed our coming."
"Zabuza front and center in a little clearing; Gozu, Meizu, and Haku scattered in the surrounding foliage."
"Unmo had decided to lead with a pretty lackluster attempt at recruiting which had been dismissed by Zabuza rather quickly and bluntly. Stating, that he would rather, and I quote, fancy his chance on his own."
Remembering where this particular story was heading, I decided to pause for a second and give a little disclaimer to my audience.
"Uhm, after two years of living in a cave and being a glorified bandit in a conflict that wasn't my own, well, I guess you could say I had been rather cranky at the time." I paused a second time and only received slightly raised eyebrows at my sheepish undertone.
"To put it bluntly, I laughed at his declaration; told him he wasn't the biggest fish around; that he was an asshole with the personality of a puddle, and that he had practically zero chances to do anything."
That got a cough from Shikaku. I ignored him in favor of getting this particular episode over and done with.
"I told him he was denying his student a proper life and himself the chance to be a someone in a village where he had a voice and where people with a bloodline could be safe."
"Bloodline?" Elder Mitokado perked up at that.
"Haku was of the Yuki Clan. He had been able to use Ice-release."
"Had?" again Elder Mitokado.
"Dead, we will come to that later. He died during 'the incident'." I answered, mindful of spoilers. Didn't want to ruin the grand finale, now did I?
"So, after insulting Zabuza I threatened to kill his student."
"You what?"
Maybe it was my blasé attitude or my blunt disregard for human life, but my little declaration somehow got a reaction out of Sarutobi-sama.
Now slightly unsure if I was, perhaps, losing my audience, I hesitated for a split second only to decide to remain in the same lane. No risk, no fun.
"I had my team between him and myself, and his student directly in my sights. Plus, I was confident that I could get away." I answered, immensely glad, that I didn't shrug.
"Zabuza made this whole spiel about not caring; I told him I could sense that he was lying, and I made certain that he understood, that I was not bluffing."
"Tense stand-off; I told him last chance; Awkward silence; He laughed, and then he decided to join under the condition, that I was going to be part of his team."
"Fast forward, Zabuza is the team leader of Chōjūrō, Haku, and I, which was as fun as it sounds," I said drily, remembering the harsh taskmaster asshole. "Still, it was quickly made clear that Chōjūrō with Hiramekarei and I with Raiga would be groomed to be part of a new set of Swordsmen of the Mist."
"Of the rebels outside the village, I reckon, I had been as close to the inner circle as I could have been due to my age. I had access to all the high-profile individuals, unrestricted access to the headquarter, and various other minor hide-outs I had detailed in my last report." I rattled off what I considered successes and shook my head in exasperation.
I exceeded expectations, goddammit!
"I had the trust of Ao, Zabuza, and Mei Terumi, for crying out loud," I vented, getting increasingly annoyed at the snake bastard for ruining my winning streak. "And then Mangetsu Hozuki got killed, poisoned to be precise. His brother Suigetsu, also regarded as a prodigy and skilled in their clan's secret technique, as well as his sword Nuibari went missing."
"It was a big deal, to say the least," I resumed my verbal report to my stone-faced audience, and reminded myself to keep a lid on my anger knowing full well what was to come. "My team had been ordered to meet up with Unmo and his team, now consisting of the Demon Brothers, near the village, while Ao's three-man ANBU squad had been dispatched beforehand."
"The situation had been deemed grave enough for Mei to meet with us outside the village, and give us the news in person."
I paused and glanced at Shikaku Nara, who had been standing idly by, content to keep quiet. For quite some time now there hadn't been any questions, and slowly I began to wonder what exactly they hadn't known so far. My bag of presents surely had enough clues for the people currently present.
A lone sigh escaped me unwittingly.
'I wonder how Terumi-sama is doing.'
...there he was! And what's the first thing he did?" I asked exasperated. I saw everybody's interest spike noticeably now that we were in the meat of the story. "He looked straight at me, and told me that I was special after all. Oh, and the asshole revealed my name!" I added slightly pissy.
I was agitated despite my best efforts, but I still noticed the various exchanged looks. Luckily they were still refraining from commenting, as I wasn't sure if I should reveal that one nightly visit of the Sannin and Danzo-sama all those years ago. That was a can of worms I didn't even want to be near.
Better to roll right on and give them stuff so they could come to their own conclusions without needling me.
"The shock in my squad hadn't even settled when his gaze had turned to Haku. He had referred to him as a 'special specimen'." I said in disgust and could clearly see hints of shame in Hokage-sama's frown.
"Then," I paused, searching for the right words while fighting the hollowness that was opening in the pit of my stomach.
"What happened then?" Apparently, my pause had grown stagnant enough for Shikaku to feel the need to push me along.
I did what I thought was right!
Didn't I?
I imagined myself standing straight and professionally. I wasn't sure I was succeeding.
"The second the last word had left Orochimaru's lips, I turned and beheaded Haku while extracting myself from the group," I stated emotionlessly, willfully ignoring the eery stillness I carried on. "A move that had seemed to have surprised even Orochimaru as he then had praised me as one of Danzo-sama's finest."
"Explain your reasoning!"
My gaze fell on the Third. With the seal on my forehead blocking my sensing, and with his hands steepled in front of his face, it was beyond impossible to get a read on him.
"Given the environment and our survival chances, I considered it mercy, instant and painless. I also wanted to deny an enemy of Konoha whatever he wanted," I answered dispassionately, clinging to the explanation, that had kept me sane. Or saner, I guessed.
My eyes were on my motionless leader, but in my peripheral I saw the two elders nod minutely.
"I...see."
...after a short clash, I landed the killing blow and prepared myself..."
"You killed Unmo Samidare in single combat?" Shikaku Nara questioned from the sidelines, forcing me to pause my little story.
If he was someone lesser, I imagine, I would have heard a hint of disbelief.
I met his gaze, which had gained a certain weight. As if I just handed him a puzzle piece he hadn't expected, a piece that seemed to give hints at something more.
"You killed a highly capable Jonin, noted to be particularly gifted in ken-jutsu, in close-quarter single combat?"
In any other situation, I would have blushed, but I was starting to get tired, and annoyance was beginning to seep through minuscule cracks.
"How?"
I blinked and turned back towards the Third.
He wasn't going to like it.
"Using words and Gen-jutsu I tormented him with the death of his old Genin-squad until he snapped," I told him plainly, no shame, it was him or me, and Konoha's interests were at stake. "Then I used my Bunshin variation he hadn't known about and slid his throat."
Silence.
Heavy Silence.
"Danzo!" The name was spoken quietly but still clearly audible. "What have you thought these children?"
"Nothing of the sort, that's all him," a grave voice spoke from my left, and I was surprised, that I was even surprised, because around a pillar stepped Danzo Shimura.
"Don't lie to me!"
"We are not children, Hiruzen," Danzo replied seemingly unbothered by the Third's anger, and kept his gaze squarely on me. "He is an exceptional killer all on his own, you have read Yūhi's reports, too."
Now all eyes were back on me, and I felt them! Were they judging me, pitying me? Was I another Itachi, or worse, another Orochimaru in their eyes?
Milliseconds felt like minutes, and my gaze shifted from left to right.
Did they think I was some damaged goods?!
Fuck them!
"I did my fucking job!" I didn't snarl, but my tone was biting.
"I killed teammates, I killed teachers, people I had to spend months, even years with, almost every waking hour."
"Chōjūrō, someone my age, someone I might have considered a friend, someone truly good, someone who gave his all for things 90 percent of this fucking village take for granted!" This time I did snarl, picturing the lazy fucks that littered this goddamn village. "I was splattered with his brain after I punched his head clean off his shoulders!"
"Just so not a single word of Konoha's involvement would reach anybody's ears."
"I didn't want to be good at killing, but I will do it over and over again, because this place will remain safe for the people I actually..."
Suddenly my entire body locked up, breathing, even blinking impossible!
Stopped cold in the midst of my furious tirade, I could only helplessly watch as inky black lines glowed and raised down all the way to my raised hand.
An absolute whirlwind of emotions.
That's what the last week had been.
I had been on a tiny rocky island surrounded by ocean. Determination had come first, the instinct to get my bearings, to figure out my location and survival.
So while calmly putting my prizes into the filthy sack and the last IV drip into my weapons pouch, I concentrated on the retreating figure as keenly as possible.
He had been fast, very fast even, but I had no intention of catching up. I had just wanted a direction and so I had followed at a pace, that wouldn't have jumbled the mess that had been my chakra but had allowed me to keep track of the white-haired bastard for as long as possible.
A calm but single-minded pursuit had led to a coast, which had been covered as far as the eye could see with dense, lush green forest. The scenery had been so pleasant in fact, that I had decided to abort my chase of the slowly but surely disappearing figure in favor of some foraging. In no time at all, I had a bunch of berries and a stream where I had drunk my fill and had given myself and my clothes a thorough and long overdue cleansing.
Feeling fresh and with the situation under something that had vaguely resembled control, relief had begun to worm its way next to my determination.
So with a spring in my step, I had resumed my walk in the general direction of the cunt, which quickly had turned out to be north.
More importantly, however, onto a road that according to the signs would have led to the Modoroki Shrine, which I had luckily remembered from ANBU 101 was in the Land of Tea, more precisely on Nagi Island.
And quite suddenly anticipation had begun to weasel itself between my determination and relief. From there on out, it truly had become a walk home.
Sadly it had been a long walk, seven days to be precise, because I hadn't dared to push myself when I had, and still was, constantly feeling the snake bastard's shit rippling through my chakra pathways.
A single quiet moment on the road and my focus inwards had been more than enough for my mood to take a sharp turn for the worse.
Seven days on the road, seven days of hesitating, seven days of simply stopping in the middle of nowhere to stare at nothing.
Since stealing some poor farmer's laundry, which had fluttered enticingly out in the wind on a line to dry, and giving myself a buzzcut using my palm and careful application of wind chakra, since then I had been cruelly left alone with my thoughts and a filthy sack containing the heads of my former comrades.
A million threads that dipped into the past, the present, and the future had left me dizzy and had led to more than one existential crisis while I had drudged along.
A decade of being Daiki Ito, a decade of this madness, a madness that I somehow excelled at, and I was more than certain by now that everything else that I had been once was simply gone.
Nothing more than an unreachable haze that had slipped through my fingers and left me with an unexplainable hole.
As disconcerting as this multiversal dementia felt, I couldn't help but admit, that it gave me a weird sense of freedom. The chance to simply go with the flow.
During one of the countless moments of contemplation on the road, there had been this tiny moment when I had thought about just turning around and leaving. Just drop everything and make myself comfortable in a small corner down in the southern Land of Water, enjoying the sun, the ocean, and the tranquility.
That moment, perhaps thankfully, had been quickly dashed by the smell of the sack dangling from my fingers and the memories it carried with it.
Since then something novel had fueled me, all the way to the present.
Simple, unadulterated anger had quickened my steps and had etched a vicious snarl onto my face, that had been with me for the remainder of the trip.
For the very first time, my and Konoha's interests were wholly in line.
Orochimaru had to go. Simple as that.
I had been good at killing.
Now I was determined to become fucking great at it.
"Drop the sack and extend your fingers above your head where we can see them!"
Doing as I was told, I breathed a tiny sigh of relief simply because I had decided to wait at Konoha's perimeter for an ANBU patrol to stumble over me instead of going with my initial idea of waltzing through the gates to just get this ordeal over with.
Things probably would have gotten a bit awkw...
"Sanzo Yukimaru, state your business now! Any and all resistance will be met with force!" the young captain of this particular squad shouted from my blindspot.
'Wait, what?' my eyes widened a fraction, and my tired and sluggish mind sharpened at the unexpected turn.
I pursed my lips at my own stupidity and the fact that I just now was sensing the tenseness in the whole squad.
Shrugging off the last of my mental cobwebs I swallowed minutely one last time and finally responded.
"012301 returning from mission; requesting an immediate briefing with the commander," I stated straight-backed and in a clear voice.
I sensed confusion and a pause roll through the entire squad, the edge however was still there, too.
A couple of tongue clicks by the captain directed at another ANBU to my right were easily understood by me, too, so I was unsurprised when the man in question stepped forward and spilled out the contents of my burlap sack.
Given the pungent smell, the sight was simply confirmation of the nature of its content. It was, however, also enough for the captain to dispatch one of his men to follow my request and alert the village command.
Watching the lone ANBU disappear among the foliage I felt the first hints of something akin to calm wash over me.
Whatever happened now was out of my hands. I was going to spill the beans regarding my potentially colossal fuck-up to whoever they wanted me to, and then, then, who knew.
"So...," I began after a solid minute of absolutely nothing with my fingers still spread above my head and the ANBUs remaining on guard around me.
"Anything new from the Icha-Icha series?" I asked, not at all embarrassed and beyond caring by now, "Last thing I read was Violence, which I thought was great."
The silence dragged on until...
"I heard they are making a movie," a lone female voice suddenly answered quietly from my left, and to my immense amusement, I sensed her colleagues shift minutely in her direction.
Perhaps feeling the stares of her teammates she continued a tad defensively.
"What? It's great dialog and worldbuilding!"
"Couldn't agree more." I happily supported the ANBU lady.
It was good to be back.
"I'll take him from here," a male voice said from somewhere in front of me, while I slowly began to regret my decision not to settle down at a beach in southern Water Country.
"Hai," that must have been the leader of the ANBU squad I've been transferred to by the patrol squad. The squad of cunts, that had slapped a seal on my forehead and hands and put a fucking sack over my head.
The final insult to injury was that I had been carried on someone's shoulder like some fucking hunting trophy until we reached the entrance of whatever this building was.
Torture and Interrogation, ANBU headquarters, or already prison, who knew?
Feeling the cloth over my head shift, I quickly hid my scowl just in time for the veil to be finally lifted and to meet the unreadable gaze of our resident jonin commander Shikaku Nara.
'Well?'
I stared back, waiting for him to set the tone of whatever this was going to be.
Taking a peak out of the corners of my eyes, I noted the clean wood floor and the dark green walls of this particular hallway and couldn't help but come up short. I didn't recognize any of this.
After what felt like an eternity, the Nara patriarch shifted and motioned toward a door behind him. "Follow me, Hokage-sama, and the council waits," he said nonchalantly and I dimly felt my eyes widen and stand straighter.
Seeing my reaction, I watched him quirk an eyebrow.
"You are a Konoha shinobi involved in an international incident that greatly destabilized a major village. Given the subsequent events, and the fact that you stand accused of being a major factor in league with a notorious mercenary group, we felt it prudent to handle this situation with the proper...severity."
"Yeah," I pursed my lips. When you put it like that, "that is totally understandable."
"Isn't it?" he agreed drily before stepping through the double doors with me in his wake.
Space for a couple of dozen people, followed by a big sturdy judge's bench, and there they sat, Konoha's executive and judicial power.
A lazy nod, which seemed to qualify as a bow, and Shikaku stepped a few feet to the side, obviously granting me the center stage.
A proper bow on my part and the show was on.
"Daiki Ito, welcome back," The Third Hogake greeted me in a somewhat friendly, borderline businesslike manner, "although your return is overshadowed by turmoil and questions we wish to give you the benefit of the doubt in light of your past services."
"Please give us a detailed report of your actions since your last missive from roughly three and a half months ago, I believe." He finished and gave a sideglance towards Elder Utatane to his right, seemingly looking for confirmation.
Which obviously was all for show. It wouldn't surprise me if the four adults in the room had memorized every single report that I had sent over the last two years just for this moment.
The grey-haired lady nodded minutely, "Indeed, your last report stated you had been en route to engage with Zabuza Mamochi and his entourage."
"Since this is a rather lengthy timeframe, you have permission to speak freely," allowed the Third Hokage and gave a little motion with his hand, which quite obviously was my cue to get going and finally explain just what the fuck happened.
"Well," I began after a mental shrug, "my team, Unmo, Chōjūrō, and I caught up with Zabuza in north-western Water Country rather quickly after they had harassed some locals for supplies and some deliberate use of my sensing."
"Deliberate?"
"Yeah, I had never revealed the true extent of my sensing capabilities to anyone," I answered unbothered by the interruption coming from Shikaku and managed to stay in the flow. "As I was saying, we caught up, or rather Zabuza and his team had decided to wait and engage with us when they had sensed our coming."
"Zabuza front and center in a little clearing; Gozu, Meizu, and Haku scattered in the surrounding foliage."
"Unmo had decided to lead with a pretty lackluster attempt at recruiting which had been dismissed by Zabuza rather quickly and bluntly. Stating, that he would rather, and I quote, fancy his chance on his own."
Remembering where this particular story was heading, I decided to pause for a second and give a little disclaimer to my audience.
"Uhm, after two years of living in a cave and being a glorified bandit in a conflict that wasn't my own, well, I guess you could say I had been rather cranky at the time." I paused a second time and only received slightly raised eyebrows at my sheepish undertone.
"To put it bluntly, I laughed at his declaration; told him he wasn't the biggest fish around; that he was an asshole with the personality of a puddle, and that he had practically zero chances to do anything."
That got a cough from Shikaku. I ignored him in favor of getting this particular episode over and done with.
"I told him he was denying his student a proper life and himself the chance to be a someone in a village where he had a voice and where people with a bloodline could be safe."
"Bloodline?" Elder Mitokado perked up at that.
"Haku was of the Yuki Clan. He had been able to use Ice-release."
"Had?" again Elder Mitokado.
"Dead, we will come to that later. He died during 'the incident'." I answered, mindful of spoilers. Didn't want to ruin the grand finale, now did I?
"So, after insulting Zabuza I threatened to kill his student."
"You what?"
Maybe it was my blasé attitude or my blunt disregard for human life, but my little declaration somehow got a reaction out of Sarutobi-sama.
Now slightly unsure if I was, perhaps, losing my audience, I hesitated for a split second only to decide to remain in the same lane. No risk, no fun.
"I had my team between him and myself, and his student directly in my sights. Plus, I was confident that I could get away." I answered, immensely glad, that I didn't shrug.
"Zabuza made this whole spiel about not caring; I told him I could sense that he was lying, and I made certain that he understood, that I was not bluffing."
"Tense stand-off; I told him last chance; Awkward silence; He laughed, and then he decided to join under the condition, that I was going to be part of his team."
"Fast forward, Zabuza is the team leader of Chōjūrō, Haku, and I, which was as fun as it sounds," I said drily, remembering the harsh taskmaster asshole. "Still, it was quickly made clear that Chōjūrō with Hiramekarei and I with Raiga would be groomed to be part of a new set of Swordsmen of the Mist."
"Of the rebels outside the village, I reckon, I had been as close to the inner circle as I could have been due to my age. I had access to all the high-profile individuals, unrestricted access to the headquarter, and various other minor hide-outs I had detailed in my last report." I rattled off what I considered successes and shook my head in exasperation.
I exceeded expectations, goddammit!
"I had the trust of Ao, Zabuza, and Mei Terumi, for crying out loud," I vented, getting increasingly annoyed at the snake bastard for ruining my winning streak. "And then Mangetsu Hozuki got killed, poisoned to be precise. His brother Suigetsu, also regarded as a prodigy and skilled in their clan's secret technique, as well as his sword Nuibari went missing."
"It was a big deal, to say the least," I resumed my verbal report to my stone-faced audience, and reminded myself to keep a lid on my anger knowing full well what was to come. "My team had been ordered to meet up with Unmo and his team, now consisting of the Demon Brothers, near the village, while Ao's three-man ANBU squad had been dispatched beforehand."
"The situation had been deemed grave enough for Mei to meet with us outside the village, and give us the news in person."
I paused and glanced at Shikaku Nara, who had been standing idly by, content to keep quiet. For quite some time now there hadn't been any questions, and slowly I began to wonder what exactly they hadn't known so far. My bag of presents surely had enough clues for the people currently present.
A lone sigh escaped me unwittingly.
'I wonder how Terumi-sama is doing.'
...there he was! And what's the first thing he did?" I asked exasperated. I saw everybody's interest spike noticeably now that we were in the meat of the story. "He looked straight at me, and told me that I was special after all. Oh, and the asshole revealed my name!" I added slightly pissy.
I was agitated despite my best efforts, but I still noticed the various exchanged looks. Luckily they were still refraining from commenting, as I wasn't sure if I should reveal that one nightly visit of the Sannin and Danzo-sama all those years ago. That was a can of worms I didn't even want to be near.
Better to roll right on and give them stuff so they could come to their own conclusions without needling me.
"The shock in my squad hadn't even settled when his gaze had turned to Haku. He had referred to him as a 'special specimen'." I said in disgust and could clearly see hints of shame in Hokage-sama's frown.
"Then," I paused, searching for the right words while fighting the hollowness that was opening in the pit of my stomach.
"What happened then?" Apparently, my pause had grown stagnant enough for Shikaku to feel the need to push me along.
I did what I thought was right!
Didn't I?
I imagined myself standing straight and professionally. I wasn't sure I was succeeding.
"The second the last word had left Orochimaru's lips, I turned and beheaded Haku while extracting myself from the group," I stated emotionlessly, willfully ignoring the eery stillness I carried on. "A move that had seemed to have surprised even Orochimaru as he then had praised me as one of Danzo-sama's finest."
"Explain your reasoning!"
My gaze fell on the Third. With the seal on my forehead blocking my sensing, and with his hands steepled in front of his face, it was beyond impossible to get a read on him.
"Given the environment and our survival chances, I considered it mercy, instant and painless. I also wanted to deny an enemy of Konoha whatever he wanted," I answered dispassionately, clinging to the explanation, that had kept me sane. Or saner, I guessed.
My eyes were on my motionless leader, but in my peripheral I saw the two elders nod minutely.
"I...see."
...after a short clash, I landed the killing blow and prepared myself..."
"You killed Unmo Samidare in single combat?" Shikaku Nara questioned from the sidelines, forcing me to pause my little story.
If he was someone lesser, I imagine, I would have heard a hint of disbelief.
I met his gaze, which had gained a certain weight. As if I just handed him a puzzle piece he hadn't expected, a piece that seemed to give hints at something more.
"You killed a highly capable Jonin, noted to be particularly gifted in ken-jutsu, in close-quarter single combat?"
In any other situation, I would have blushed, but I was starting to get tired, and annoyance was beginning to seep through minuscule cracks.
"How?"
I blinked and turned back towards the Third.
He wasn't going to like it.
"Using words and Gen-jutsu I tormented him with the death of his old Genin-squad until he snapped," I told him plainly, no shame, it was him or me, and Konoha's interests were at stake. "Then I used my Bunshin variation he hadn't known about and slid his throat."
Silence.
Heavy Silence.
"Danzo!" The name was spoken quietly but still clearly audible. "What have you thought these children?"
"Nothing of the sort, that's all him," a grave voice spoke from my left, and I was surprised, that I was even surprised, because around a pillar stepped Danzo Shimura.
"Don't lie to me!"
"We are not children, Hiruzen," Danzo replied seemingly unbothered by the Third's anger, and kept his gaze squarely on me. "He is an exceptional killer all on his own, you have read Yūhi's reports, too."
Now all eyes were back on me, and I felt them! Were they judging me, pitying me? Was I another Itachi, or worse, another Orochimaru in their eyes?
Milliseconds felt like minutes, and my gaze shifted from left to right.
Did they think I was some damaged goods?!
Fuck them!
"I did my fucking job!" I didn't snarl, but my tone was biting.
"I killed teammates, I killed teachers, people I had to spend months, even years with, almost every waking hour."
"Chōjūrō, someone my age, someone I might have considered a friend, someone truly good, someone who gave his all for things 90 percent of this fucking village take for granted!" This time I did snarl, picturing the lazy fucks that littered this goddamn village. "I was splattered with his brain after I punched his head clean off his shoulders!"
"Just so not a single word of Konoha's involvement would reach anybody's ears."
"I didn't want to be good at killing, but I will do it over and over again, because this place will remain safe for the people I actually..."
Suddenly my entire body locked up, breathing, even blinking impossible!
Stopped cold in the midst of my furious tirade, I could only helplessly watch as inky black lines glowed and raised down all the way to my raised hand.
Now now Danzo. Lies by omission are still lies. You may not have trained Daiki to specifically use his enemies traumas, but ROOT was the group that trained and refined his combat, emphasized the use of every tool no matter how loathsome, and conditioned him to murder and sacrifice in the name of the Village. You're absolutely responsible, just not solely so.
And here Daiki is finally snapping. Which is good and bad I guess? He's been in a mental rut for a long time at this point, ever since it was made clear he was repressing the Chunnin exam where his team murdered a bunch of (equally young) children. Killing two kids he honestly liked, and one of which didn't even have an excuse for besides protecting the Village that he's never been truly loyal too (and probably been a little subconsciously resentful of since the whole ROOT thing)...well, it's good to get this out now and not later.
Not least because this is definitely an unintentional guilt trip for Hiruzen (his fault three-fold, for Orochimaru, for the ROOT that molded Daiki, for the mission that stuck a kid in a long-term infiltration with high mental and physical risk).
Danzo I imagine kinda admires/appreciates the ruthlessness even if he's also mentally filing Daiki as a threat to be monitored for admitting that the Village itself wasn't his highest priority. Or for showing compassion to a Mist Shinobi.
- Location
- North America
the first stage of the seal: emotional instability
- Location
- Germany
This might sound lazy on my part, but it's been a while for everybody involved so I'm thinking about doing another one of those info sheets like I did way back.
I also want to keep going with the story since I somehow have managed to force myself to write 200 - 400 words a day.
So....
I humbly ask you guys to contribute in any way you want. Let's help each other and produce something comprehensive so everybody can be on a level playing field for future chapters.
At what level do you see Daiki in the various fields, what jutus and variations did he perform to what degree of expertise, etc.
Thank you in advance to everybody willing to help me out.
I also want to keep going with the story since I somehow have managed to force myself to write 200 - 400 words a day.
So....
I humbly ask you guys to contribute in any way you want. Let's help each other and produce something comprehensive so everybody can be on a level playing field for future chapters.
At what level do you see Daiki in the various fields, what jutus and variations did he perform to what degree of expertise, etc.
Thank you in advance to everybody willing to help me out.
Updated Stats as of Chapter 3.1.1
- Location
- Germany
Oh, screw it! I went ahead and gathered a bazillion quotes that should somewhat show Daiki's current level. Please add your thoughts in case I missed something or in cases of deviating opinions.
Daiki Ito: 14 years old
Missions: 7 A-rank, 23 B-rank, 51 C-rank
Sensing – long range, can distinct between natures, can spot the smallest fluctuations nearby, doesn't need eyes to fight
Silent Killing - low-level Jonin due to extensive preparation for a mission; later learned from one of the best (Zabuza Momochi)
Tree walking
Water walking
medical chakra control
chakra strings
Academy Three – mastered/seal-less
Bunshin variation (Orochi) – mastered/seal-less
Shunshin – mastered/seal-less
Hiding with Camouflage Technique-– mastered A-rank
Shadow Clone Technique – mastered B-rank + variation (Orochi)
Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique – mastered D-rank
Mist Servant Technique – mastered D-rank
Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique – mastered C-rank
Temple of Nirvana Technique - mastered A-rank
Demonic Illusion: Descending Hell Technique – mastered C-rank
Water-Release-mastered
Hiding in Mist Technique – mastered D-rank/one-handed
Water Clone – mastered C-rank/one-handed
Water Prison Technique – mastered C-rank/one-handed
Water Release: Gunshot– mastered C-rank/one-handed
Water Release: Wild Water Wave– mastered C-rank/one-handed
Water Release: Water Formation Wall– mastered B-rank
Water Release: Water Fang Bullet– mastered B-rank
Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave– mastered B-rank
Wind-Release-proficient
Wind Release: Gale Palm– mastered C-rank
Wind Release: Breakthrough– mastered C-rank
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough– mastered C-rank
Wind Clone – proficient unknown rank / own creation
Spear of Wind (Kaze no Yari) – proficient unknown rank / own creation
Medical Nin-jutsu: medical intern / Mid-level Chunin
Gen-Jutsu: High-level Chunin
Tai-Jutsu (technique): High-level Chunin
- Strenght: High-level Chunin due to chakra control
- Speed: Mid to High-level Jonin due to chakra control and Shunshin
- Dexterity: Low-level Jonin
Ken-Jutsu: Low-level Jonin due to extensive preparation for a mission, taught by Unmo Samidare and Zabuza Momochi
Nin-Jutsu: low-level Jonin
Chakra capacity: High-level Chunin due to age
Current projects:
Daiki Ito: 14 years old
Missions: 7 A-rank, 23 B-rank, 51 C-rank
Sensing – long range, can distinct between natures, can spot the smallest fluctuations nearby, doesn't need eyes to fight
Silent Killing - low-level Jonin due to extensive preparation for a mission; later learned from one of the best (Zabuza Momochi)
Tree walking
Water walking
medical chakra control
chakra strings
Academy Three – mastered/seal-less
Bunshin variation (Orochi) – mastered/seal-less
Shunshin – mastered/seal-less
Hiding with Camouflage Technique-– mastered A-rank
Shadow Clone Technique – mastered B-rank + variation (Orochi)
Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique – mastered D-rank
Mist Servant Technique – mastered D-rank
Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique – mastered C-rank
Temple of Nirvana Technique - mastered A-rank
Demonic Illusion: Descending Hell Technique – mastered C-rank
Water-Release-mastered
Hiding in Mist Technique – mastered D-rank/one-handed
Water Clone – mastered C-rank/one-handed
Water Prison Technique – mastered C-rank/one-handed
Water Release: Gunshot– mastered C-rank/one-handed
Water Release: Wild Water Wave– mastered C-rank/one-handed
Water Release: Water Formation Wall– mastered B-rank
Water Release: Water Fang Bullet– mastered B-rank
Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave– mastered B-rank
Wind-Release-proficient
Wind Release: Gale Palm– mastered C-rank
Wind Release: Breakthrough– mastered C-rank
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough– mastered C-rank
Wind Clone – proficient unknown rank / own creation
Spear of Wind (Kaze no Yari) – proficient unknown rank / own creation
Medical Nin-jutsu: medical intern / Mid-level Chunin
Gen-Jutsu: High-level Chunin
Tai-Jutsu (technique): High-level Chunin
- Strenght: High-level Chunin due to chakra control
- Speed: Mid to High-level Jonin due to chakra control and Shunshin
- Dexterity: Low-level Jonin
Ken-Jutsu: Low-level Jonin due to extensive preparation for a mission, taught by Unmo Samidare and Zabuza Momochi
Nin-Jutsu: low-level Jonin
Chakra capacity: High-level Chunin due to age
Current projects:
Last edited:
CoolCatmanC
Also known as RandomCommentsInc.
- Location
- Inside my head.
I just want to mention that this is one of my favourite Naruto fanfics.
- Location
- Isekai'd to this shitty world we're live in
So far, not counting things that could be handwaved, this is the first chapter I have a serious problem with. Fan estimates put Konoha's military strength at around 10.000 shinobi. Genin, Chunin, Tokujo, Jounin. If they had such rigorous selection even before the academy, with the mortality rate of this job, they not only would not be able to have such numbers, most of the classes wouldn't need more than one Jounin-sensei for their graduating genin. If this test was made for advanced class or something like that, then okay, it's fine, but not for the general academy.
Chapter 3.1.2
- Location
- Germany
Chapter 3.1.2
"Chunin Ito," The Third thundered, having sprung up from his seat along with the two Elders next to him, "get a hold of yourself!"
My eyes, the only thing I seemingly was capable of moving, only briefly jumped to the alarming sight of my combat-ready village leader in front of me, because a strange darkened apparition slithered around my forearm like a viper all the way to my hand. Every inch of my skin it touched felt like the cold links of a steel chain.
No, not a viper, an anaconda.
'Nara!'
I was held in place by the Jonin Commander.
Despite my gradually calming heart, the lines remained, along with the shadowy grip.
The silence was deafening until I heard footsteps from my left along with the soft tacks of a cane, then my collar shifted, and I could practically feel someone's gaze.
"A cursed seal," Danzo's voice came from uncomfortably close, and for a fraction of a second, I was glad I couldn't move a muscle. It would be so easy for him to just put a Kunai in me and call it a day, wouldn't it? "I see similarities to Mitarashi's."
My breathing was shallow, probably by the design of whatever jutsu the Nara patriarch was using, but I managed to take some desperately needed and overdue calming breaths. Shaken but not stirred, or stabbed for that matter, I focused on the man, who could change that with a handful of words.
"Tell us what happened," the old man ordered and gave a subtle flick with his hand towards his Jonin Commander. The motion wasn't even complete, and already I felt a distinctive pressure leave my neck and jaws, just enough to let me talk, nothing more.
Defeatism snuffing out all but the last sparks of anger made me mentally sigh in resignation.
"After I had killed the last rebel members of our party," I began to tell without inflection whatsoever, "I was in the process of doing the Body Elimination Technique on myself when Orochimaru revealed himself behind me. He thanked me for the amusement and the two new swords."
The sharp downward turn of the Third's frown at the mention of Orochimaru's apparent pleasure at the situation was dully noted.
"After he drained my chakra, a sharp pain finally knocked me out," I continued, only to pause for a heartbeat, intent to correctly remember the details of my reawakening.
"It's unfortunate that your man hadn't managed to integrate himself into Terumi's group of renegades when she had fled Kirigakure," Danzo commented absently. Despite the distance and low lighting, his unblinking gaze followed every single one of Kakashi's brush strokes in the middle of the cavernous sealing chamber like a hawk would follow a mouse in the field.
"His reports from within the village will be just as important given the upheaval," Hiruzen countered softly. While he had complete trust in young Kakashi's sealing abilities, he still preferred not to be too much of a distraction during a long and arduous task such as the Evil Sealing Method.
"Jiraiya believes Terumi will make Wave Country in the medium term her new base of operation, perhaps believing Konoha's shadow will protect her and her men from Yagura's more overt attempts of retribution."
The chamber grew quiet except for the steady brush strokes a few feet away.
"How do we answer to the disappearance of Gato and his wealth?" Danzo asked idly, and despite the lack of underlying tone, Hiruzen knew his compatriot saw the act as an attack on Konoha's interests, minor as they were.
"Not at all," the Third answered, and before Danzo could turn, let alone voice his disapproval, he continued. "for now."
"I can't help but think that with dialog and nourishment we might witness the birth of a new village. A buffer and ally like Kusa, perhaps."
If Danzo weren't on such thin ice, he would have been called an idealistic fool, of that Hiruzen was certain. Instead, he only heard a quiet sigh.
The alternative, Danzo's way, well, it led to problems like the unconscious boy that proved himself to be an ever-growing headache.
'Orochimaru or Itachi?'
"He's a headache, isn't he?" Danzo commented, incidentally mirroring the thoughts of the third Hokage.
"Indeed."
"What an absolute waste in times like these," Danzo shook his head, "imagine someone with his skills and talents wreaking havoc behind enemy lines during the last war," he continued wistfully until a note of disgust entered his voice, "he should have stayed in ANBU when he had the chance."
"Perhaps," the Third allowed, although he didn't sound convinced, "but despite his self-loathing, he somehow managed to influence the people around him for the better, significantly so."
"He could have been a fantastic teacher someday."
"Perhaps," Danzo echoed his compatriot, however, grudgingly.
"What-ifs aside," the Third shifted, now standing noticeably straighter, the time for reminiscing seemingly over, "the boy wasn't wrong. I fear too many have grown complacent, lazy," the last word he said louder as one such recipient of his criticism was firmly in his sights.
"There are too few of his caliber with his drive."
"He has shortcomings," the Third began anew, searching his memories for reports and conversations, "he's distrusting, dismissive, arrogant, brash, but,"
"These faults made him as strong as he is," Danzo finished for his former friend.
A nod by the Third.
"However unwillingly young Daiki also tends to take action when the situation demands it and is ready to suffer for those close to him, and by extension, Konoha," attributes both men recognized to an extent from one fallen prodigy, and alleviated certain apprehensions concerning another.
A sigh, and for what felt like the hundredth time his gaze slid over the top of the page to his team fighting a clone of his.
Although was it truly his team, or was he just the one in charge?
Even Sakura had learned more from the resident boy-wonder, who had all the panties in a twist, through Naruto than she did from him.
Naruto, like his mother, was a sledgehammer wrapped in profanity with a heart of gold.
Unlike most, who jealously guarded their techniques, from the very start, he had offered to teach his teammates everything he knew so they could better protect Konoha together.
Two traits he had seemingly picked from Daiki years ago, along with a wealth of scrolls the young Chunin had left him and his Inuzuka friend.
He idly wondered if Daiki would have been such an effective teacher if his little students hadn't been filled to the brim with energy and inherited talent.
Still...
The results spoke for themselves.
Control exercises and jutsus, which Naruto unsurprisingly still struggled with, were happily introduced to Sakura. Chakra strings, the Hiding with Camouflage Technique, and tags played to her strengths and made her a useful addition to the team's combat dynamic.
She was the figurative tripwire to Naruto and Sasuke's relentless assault.
Having seen his classmates progress during the academy the curious Uchiha had apparently spied on them, unsurprisingly unsuccessful given the Inuzuka. Still, it had gotten him roped up into the action by an ecstatic Uzumaki.
Perhaps honor-bound or simply grateful for the help, Sasuke had even taught Naruto and Kiba his Great Fireball Technique in return.
Both were strongly hampered by their different nature but happily making up for it with excessive chakra use.
Kids and their fireballs.
He couldn't help but shake his head. Without trying, his team was already strong with a healthy dose of teamwork.
It wasn't often that he felt this usel...
'Hold on.'
With a flick of his wrist, a kunai suddenly sped into a bush across the clearing.
"Maa, Naruto, only three Shadow Clones in training!" He admonished with a lazy drawl just loud enough for the boy in the orange t-shirt to hear. "Oh, and constant vigilance!" He liked that phrase.
Almost. It wasn't often that he felt almost this useless.
As much as liked what he was seeing, however, he was worried. They hadn't been truly challenged so far during missions and he sincerely hoped they were ready when the time was inadvertently going to come.
"Chunin Ito," The Third thundered, having sprung up from his seat along with the two Elders next to him, "get a hold of yourself!"
My eyes, the only thing I seemingly was capable of moving, only briefly jumped to the alarming sight of my combat-ready village leader in front of me, because a strange darkened apparition slithered around my forearm like a viper all the way to my hand. Every inch of my skin it touched felt like the cold links of a steel chain.
No, not a viper, an anaconda.
'Nara!'
I was held in place by the Jonin Commander.
Despite my gradually calming heart, the lines remained, along with the shadowy grip.
The silence was deafening until I heard footsteps from my left along with the soft tacks of a cane, then my collar shifted, and I could practically feel someone's gaze.
"A cursed seal," Danzo's voice came from uncomfortably close, and for a fraction of a second, I was glad I couldn't move a muscle. It would be so easy for him to just put a Kunai in me and call it a day, wouldn't it? "I see similarities to Mitarashi's."
My breathing was shallow, probably by the design of whatever jutsu the Nara patriarch was using, but I managed to take some desperately needed and overdue calming breaths. Shaken but not stirred, or stabbed for that matter, I focused on the man, who could change that with a handful of words.
"Tell us what happened," the old man ordered and gave a subtle flick with his hand towards his Jonin Commander. The motion wasn't even complete, and already I felt a distinctive pressure leave my neck and jaws, just enough to let me talk, nothing more.
Defeatism snuffing out all but the last sparks of anger made me mentally sigh in resignation.
"After I had killed the last rebel members of our party," I began to tell without inflection whatsoever, "I was in the process of doing the Body Elimination Technique on myself when Orochimaru revealed himself behind me. He thanked me for the amusement and the two new swords."
The sharp downward turn of the Third's frown at the mention of Orochimaru's apparent pleasure at the situation was dully noted.
"After he drained my chakra, a sharp pain finally knocked me out," I continued, only to pause for a heartbeat, intent to correctly remember the details of my reawakening.
"It's unfortunate that your man hadn't managed to integrate himself into Terumi's group of renegades when she had fled Kirigakure," Danzo commented absently. Despite the distance and low lighting, his unblinking gaze followed every single one of Kakashi's brush strokes in the middle of the cavernous sealing chamber like a hawk would follow a mouse in the field.
"His reports from within the village will be just as important given the upheaval," Hiruzen countered softly. While he had complete trust in young Kakashi's sealing abilities, he still preferred not to be too much of a distraction during a long and arduous task such as the Evil Sealing Method.
"Jiraiya believes Terumi will make Wave Country in the medium term her new base of operation, perhaps believing Konoha's shadow will protect her and her men from Yagura's more overt attempts of retribution."
The chamber grew quiet except for the steady brush strokes a few feet away.
"How do we answer to the disappearance of Gato and his wealth?" Danzo asked idly, and despite the lack of underlying tone, Hiruzen knew his compatriot saw the act as an attack on Konoha's interests, minor as they were.
"Not at all," the Third answered, and before Danzo could turn, let alone voice his disapproval, he continued. "for now."
"I can't help but think that with dialog and nourishment we might witness the birth of a new village. A buffer and ally like Kusa, perhaps."
If Danzo weren't on such thin ice, he would have been called an idealistic fool, of that Hiruzen was certain. Instead, he only heard a quiet sigh.
The alternative, Danzo's way, well, it led to problems like the unconscious boy that proved himself to be an ever-growing headache.
'Orochimaru or Itachi?'
"He's a headache, isn't he?" Danzo commented, incidentally mirroring the thoughts of the third Hokage.
"Indeed."
"What an absolute waste in times like these," Danzo shook his head, "imagine someone with his skills and talents wreaking havoc behind enemy lines during the last war," he continued wistfully until a note of disgust entered his voice, "he should have stayed in ANBU when he had the chance."
"Perhaps," the Third allowed, although he didn't sound convinced, "but despite his self-loathing, he somehow managed to influence the people around him for the better, significantly so."
"He could have been a fantastic teacher someday."
"Perhaps," Danzo echoed his compatriot, however, grudgingly.
"What-ifs aside," the Third shifted, now standing noticeably straighter, the time for reminiscing seemingly over, "the boy wasn't wrong. I fear too many have grown complacent, lazy," the last word he said louder as one such recipient of his criticism was firmly in his sights.
"There are too few of his caliber with his drive."
"He has shortcomings," the Third began anew, searching his memories for reports and conversations, "he's distrusting, dismissive, arrogant, brash, but,"
"These faults made him as strong as he is," Danzo finished for his former friend.
A nod by the Third.
"However unwillingly young Daiki also tends to take action when the situation demands it and is ready to suffer for those close to him, and by extension, Konoha," attributes both men recognized to an extent from one fallen prodigy, and alleviated certain apprehensions concerning another.
A sigh, and for what felt like the hundredth time his gaze slid over the top of the page to his team fighting a clone of his.
Although was it truly his team, or was he just the one in charge?
Even Sakura had learned more from the resident boy-wonder, who had all the panties in a twist, through Naruto than she did from him.
Naruto, like his mother, was a sledgehammer wrapped in profanity with a heart of gold.
Unlike most, who jealously guarded their techniques, from the very start, he had offered to teach his teammates everything he knew so they could better protect Konoha together.
Two traits he had seemingly picked from Daiki years ago, along with a wealth of scrolls the young Chunin had left him and his Inuzuka friend.
He idly wondered if Daiki would have been such an effective teacher if his little students hadn't been filled to the brim with energy and inherited talent.
Still...
The results spoke for themselves.
Control exercises and jutsus, which Naruto unsurprisingly still struggled with, were happily introduced to Sakura. Chakra strings, the Hiding with Camouflage Technique, and tags played to her strengths and made her a useful addition to the team's combat dynamic.
She was the figurative tripwire to Naruto and Sasuke's relentless assault.
Having seen his classmates progress during the academy the curious Uchiha had apparently spied on them, unsurprisingly unsuccessful given the Inuzuka. Still, it had gotten him roped up into the action by an ecstatic Uzumaki.
Perhaps honor-bound or simply grateful for the help, Sasuke had even taught Naruto and Kiba his Great Fireball Technique in return.
Both were strongly hampered by their different nature but happily making up for it with excessive chakra use.
Kids and their fireballs.
He couldn't help but shake his head. Without trying, his team was already strong with a healthy dose of teamwork.
It wasn't often that he felt this usel...
'Hold on.'
With a flick of his wrist, a kunai suddenly sped into a bush across the clearing.
"Maa, Naruto, only three Shadow Clones in training!" He admonished with a lazy drawl just loud enough for the boy in the orange t-shirt to hear. "Oh, and constant vigilance!" He liked that phrase.
Almost. It wasn't often that he felt almost this useless.
As much as liked what he was seeing, however, he was worried. They hadn't been truly challenged so far during missions and he sincerely hoped they were ready when the time was inadvertently going to come.
Last edited:
Chapter 3.1.3
- Location
- Germany
Chapter 3.1.3
"Yo, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto called, as his now almost spotlessly clean ramen bowl softly clattered on the counter.
"Mmh?" The grey-haired jonin replied while contently flipping to the next page. The glare of disgust from his pink-haired student next to him was just as easily ignored as the disapproval radiating from the waitress in front of him.
"Can you help me..."
Whatever the blonde was going to ask had to wait as an old academy friend burst through the little restaurant's curtains behind them.
"Naruto!" Kiba panted as he hurriedly took the empty seat next to the blonde and slapped a little black book on the counter.
"You remember my cousin?" he asked as his white ninken yipped loudly, seemingly caught in his partner's nervous energy.
"Which on..."
"The ANBU-cousin," he rolled on, barely missing a beat.
"He recently returned from a patrol mission, and since he wasn't there for my birthday, he gave me his present now," he explained and slapped the black book for emphasis.
"A bingo book?" Sasuke asked from Naruto's other side.
"Yeah, but this is super extensive!" Kiba answered and was about to carry on with a lengthy explanation when he shook his head.
"The book isn't important," he went on while unknownst to him, the jonin a few seats further quietly stopped reading.
"I told you how Hana is going absolutely ballistic, that she can't visit Daiki in the hospital, and no one will tell us what's going on."
Naruto nodded with a confused expression, having no clue where this whole thing was heading.
"And do you remember Shikamaru's Dad asking us all these questions?"
"Yeah, that was super weird," Naruto answered in agreement before he suddenly sat ramrod straight. "Do you think Daiki is in trouble?" he asked in alarm.
"I don't know," Kiba hissed and threw open the little book on an earmarked page. "But what the hell is this about?"
"Sanzo Yuk, hold on!" Naruto nearly jumped from his stool. "That's D.."
Just then, an arm reached between them, and quicker than they could follow, a rip sounded. The page having been neatly ripped out in one smooth but lightning-quick motion.
"That is Sanzo Yukimaru," Kakashi stated matter of factly as the page suddenly burst into flames between his fingertips. "And any questions or further discussions regarding the topic are way above your paygrade," he finished, an uncharacteristic warning tone present now.
All the genin gaped at him...except Sasuke, who stared at the spot where the page was just moments ago with an unreadable look on his face.
"You told me the guy who taught you was ANBU," he stated, eyes now on his blonde teammate, a hint of confusion and accusation in his voice.
"'Cause he was!" Naruto retorted, clearly offended by the notion of being called a liar.
"He looks like us," came the blunt reply.
"Yeah, well, he's 14..."
"15," Kiba helpfully cut in without thinking.
"He's 15 now and super strong. He finished the academy at like eight or nine and went straight into ANBU because he's a badass." Naruto exclaimed puffing up, clearly proud of his friend and mentor slash rival.
"How..." The Uchiha visibly rocked back, stunned, his mind racing behind wide eyes.
"He's like..."
"Those were different times." Kakashi cut in this time. 'And some kids used to be expendable.'
"I was Chunin at six, you know." He remarked offhandedly, trying to downplay the whole age issue while furiously thinking of ways to get his avenger back on a less 'unproductive' track.
The sun hit my face through the window and my hand!
Sitting on the edge of the hospital bed with a half-empty glass of water on the bedside table next to me was how the Third found me.
"That's quite a remarkable achievement," he sounded genuinely impressed, and I couldn't help but take note of his intense focus as he came around the bed to stand in front of the window I'd been gazing out.
"Almost," he continued, and I quirked my eyebrow in question, prompting him to elaborate. "There is still the faintest hint of chakra detectable for a sensor."
"It's tricky," I admitted. A smile didn't reach my face, but I felt content...to a degree. "But I'm making steady progress."
Orochimaru's cursed seal was reduced to a minuscule itch at the base of my neck and in the back of my mind. Like the scab over a tiny wound that was only irritating when you thought about it.
My body and chakra were restored, refreshed, and wholly my own again.
"I could do this all day," I said quietly, and now it was the Third who silently asked me to elaborate. "Tinkering, training, I think it's incredibly fascinating to explore what chakra, this body, is capable of, you know."
"I do, actually," I could hear the slight smile in his voice as I gazed back at, or through, my translucent hand.
"I had learned the Shunshin to run away," my hand appeared again, "I had learned the Mist technique to hide," faint green healing chakra coated my entire hand, "but those notions had slowly become untenable."
A quick glimpse revealed the Third observing me with a neutral expression on his face, unreadable.
The healing chakra took on a blue hue, the tell-tale signs of a chakra scalpel. My eyes flickered toward it for a heartbeat and instantly recognized it as useless for its intended purposes. However, superficial cuts and minor but very messy internal damage were very much doable.
"So I had decided to become quicker than my opponents, preferring to wield one quick kunai than a dozen kicks and punches," I said with a slight shrug. I watched as the blue hue lost some of its vibrancy but extended further over my fingertips. Without the threat of an S-class Nukenin and the stench of betrayal hanging over me, I was quite capable of producing a picture-perfect wind blade, it seemed.
I glanced back at the village leader.
"At some point, a kunai wasn't enough anymore, and I began to tinker."
"So," I felt thoughts and memories begin to slip through my fingers like sand, my mask slipping to reveal barely contained fury. A million decisions, a million what-ifs, a million regrets along the way, conscience and self-worth sacrificed, just to become the butt of a joke for that white misshapen creature.
This was not the seal, this was all me.
I was boiling under the skin but I met the Third's unblinking gaze with my own, willing, begging him to see what I was seeing before my mind's eye.
I, cut loose from every restraint I could imagine, mentally and physically, shoving my fist into the Sannin's torso, grabbing hold of guts and spine.
And rip him apart.
I didn't bother to count the tantos, that were currently pointed at my vitals by the various ANBU who had burst into the room. My eyes remained fixed on the Third.
"Let me tinker!" I bit out through gritted teeth, "And then let me destroy everything and everyone that belongs to Orochimaru."
"Yo, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto called, as his now almost spotlessly clean ramen bowl softly clattered on the counter.
"Mmh?" The grey-haired jonin replied while contently flipping to the next page. The glare of disgust from his pink-haired student next to him was just as easily ignored as the disapproval radiating from the waitress in front of him.
"Can you help me..."
Whatever the blonde was going to ask had to wait as an old academy friend burst through the little restaurant's curtains behind them.
"Naruto!" Kiba panted as he hurriedly took the empty seat next to the blonde and slapped a little black book on the counter.
"You remember my cousin?" he asked as his white ninken yipped loudly, seemingly caught in his partner's nervous energy.
"Which on..."
"The ANBU-cousin," he rolled on, barely missing a beat.
"He recently returned from a patrol mission, and since he wasn't there for my birthday, he gave me his present now," he explained and slapped the black book for emphasis.
"A bingo book?" Sasuke asked from Naruto's other side.
"Yeah, but this is super extensive!" Kiba answered and was about to carry on with a lengthy explanation when he shook his head.
"The book isn't important," he went on while unknownst to him, the jonin a few seats further quietly stopped reading.
"I told you how Hana is going absolutely ballistic, that she can't visit Daiki in the hospital, and no one will tell us what's going on."
Naruto nodded with a confused expression, having no clue where this whole thing was heading.
"And do you remember Shikamaru's Dad asking us all these questions?"
"Yeah, that was super weird," Naruto answered in agreement before he suddenly sat ramrod straight. "Do you think Daiki is in trouble?" he asked in alarm.
"I don't know," Kiba hissed and threw open the little book on an earmarked page. "But what the hell is this about?"
"Sanzo Yuk, hold on!" Naruto nearly jumped from his stool. "That's D.."
Just then, an arm reached between them, and quicker than they could follow, a rip sounded. The page having been neatly ripped out in one smooth but lightning-quick motion.
"That is Sanzo Yukimaru," Kakashi stated matter of factly as the page suddenly burst into flames between his fingertips. "And any questions or further discussions regarding the topic are way above your paygrade," he finished, an uncharacteristic warning tone present now.
All the genin gaped at him...except Sasuke, who stared at the spot where the page was just moments ago with an unreadable look on his face.
"You told me the guy who taught you was ANBU," he stated, eyes now on his blonde teammate, a hint of confusion and accusation in his voice.
"'Cause he was!" Naruto retorted, clearly offended by the notion of being called a liar.
"He looks like us," came the blunt reply.
"Yeah, well, he's 14..."
"15," Kiba helpfully cut in without thinking.
"He's 15 now and super strong. He finished the academy at like eight or nine and went straight into ANBU because he's a badass." Naruto exclaimed puffing up, clearly proud of his friend and mentor slash rival.
"How..." The Uchiha visibly rocked back, stunned, his mind racing behind wide eyes.
"He's like..."
"Those were different times." Kakashi cut in this time. 'And some kids used to be expendable.'
"I was Chunin at six, you know." He remarked offhandedly, trying to downplay the whole age issue while furiously thinking of ways to get his avenger back on a less 'unproductive' track.
The sun hit my face through the window and my hand!
Sitting on the edge of the hospital bed with a half-empty glass of water on the bedside table next to me was how the Third found me.
"That's quite a remarkable achievement," he sounded genuinely impressed, and I couldn't help but take note of his intense focus as he came around the bed to stand in front of the window I'd been gazing out.
"Almost," he continued, and I quirked my eyebrow in question, prompting him to elaborate. "There is still the faintest hint of chakra detectable for a sensor."
"It's tricky," I admitted. A smile didn't reach my face, but I felt content...to a degree. "But I'm making steady progress."
Orochimaru's cursed seal was reduced to a minuscule itch at the base of my neck and in the back of my mind. Like the scab over a tiny wound that was only irritating when you thought about it.
My body and chakra were restored, refreshed, and wholly my own again.
"I could do this all day," I said quietly, and now it was the Third who silently asked me to elaborate. "Tinkering, training, I think it's incredibly fascinating to explore what chakra, this body, is capable of, you know."
"I do, actually," I could hear the slight smile in his voice as I gazed back at, or through, my translucent hand.
"I had learned the Shunshin to run away," my hand appeared again, "I had learned the Mist technique to hide," faint green healing chakra coated my entire hand, "but those notions had slowly become untenable."
A quick glimpse revealed the Third observing me with a neutral expression on his face, unreadable.
The healing chakra took on a blue hue, the tell-tale signs of a chakra scalpel. My eyes flickered toward it for a heartbeat and instantly recognized it as useless for its intended purposes. However, superficial cuts and minor but very messy internal damage were very much doable.
"So I had decided to become quicker than my opponents, preferring to wield one quick kunai than a dozen kicks and punches," I said with a slight shrug. I watched as the blue hue lost some of its vibrancy but extended further over my fingertips. Without the threat of an S-class Nukenin and the stench of betrayal hanging over me, I was quite capable of producing a picture-perfect wind blade, it seemed.
I glanced back at the village leader.
"At some point, a kunai wasn't enough anymore, and I began to tinker."
"So," I felt thoughts and memories begin to slip through my fingers like sand, my mask slipping to reveal barely contained fury. A million decisions, a million what-ifs, a million regrets along the way, conscience and self-worth sacrificed, just to become the butt of a joke for that white misshapen creature.
This was not the seal, this was all me.
I was boiling under the skin but I met the Third's unblinking gaze with my own, willing, begging him to see what I was seeing before my mind's eye.
I, cut loose from every restraint I could imagine, mentally and physically, shoving my fist into the Sannin's torso, grabbing hold of guts and spine.
And rip him apart.
I didn't bother to count the tantos, that were currently pointed at my vitals by the various ANBU who had burst into the room. My eyes remained fixed on the Third.
"Let me tinker!" I bit out through gritted teeth, "And then let me destroy everything and everyone that belongs to Orochimaru."
Chapter 3.1.4
- Location
- Germany
Chapter 3.1.4
"Long time no see, brat," Tsume greeted me at the door with her usual laid-back style, which instantly did wonders for my mood.
I reckoned she smelled me from miles away, so my visit wasn't a surprise to her. Unlike my appearance, it seemed, given the quirked eyebrow.
"Didn't expect you to be a Kakashi fan though."
"More like a Sakumo fan," I began and had to refrain from pulling down my facemask and forehead protector, which I now wore as a bandana. The faster I got used to them, the better.
"Messed up big time and shouldn't parade my face around," I continued as the Inuzuka matriarch wordlessly bid me to follow her inside, which I did after dutifully discarding my sandals at the entrance.
"Sounds like quite the story," she chuckled over her shoulder as I followed her to the kitchen, "and here I thought you were playing mysterious for Hana."
"She's at the vet now, but given that you are here, I expect her to be here for supper," she paused and sighed wearily, "just like those two maniacs."
The words had barely left her mouth when I heard the front door slam open.
"See! I told you he was going to be here," Kiba's voice sounded from the entrance, obviously seeing my shoes.
Even without sensing, I didn't have to guess who he had in tow.
I smiled as unbidden, faint memories crept up and gave me an idea.
My concentration was up along with the tiger hand-seal, my focus on the doorframe for barely a second before I sat back as if nothing ever happened.
'Temple of Nirvana Technique'
Hurried footsteps and a few heartbeats later, two teens barrelled into the dining area. Barely through the door, I watched beyond satisfied as wide excited eyes slowly but surely lost focus, imaginary feathers luring them to sleep.
That is...until.
Naruto began to struggle.
Will he?
I couldn't help but nod faintly impressed as his hands came jerkily together.
"K..KAI!" The lake that was Naruto's chakra flexed and literally washed away my Gen-Jutsu. I smiled innocently as a now wide-awake Naruto narrowed his eyes at me.
"You!" I saw him build up to a tirade, before he suddenly paused, noticing his still-swaying buddy next to him. "Oi!" and then he unceremoniously bitch-slapped Kiba across the face.
Who, to his credit, and my immense amusement remained standing and instantly rounded on the offender. I couldn't help but snort quietly at the whole comedic routine. Which, apparently, was enough to dispel it and recapture their attention.
"Aha!" Although it was close, Naruto didn't quite shout triumphantly, "I recognized the effects of your paltry Gen-Jutsu," he continued before raising his brows in an obviously, hopefully, fake-haughty manner, "Kiba, it seems our rival has become rusty."
"Do you think the students became the masters already, Naruto?" Kiba seamlessly cut in with mock derision.
"Bah," I turned away from them, completely disregarding them, and took a sip from the tea Tsume had placed in front of me in the meantime during the whole spectacle, "I'm just glad you have seemed to have learned at least something while I was gone."
"You'll see what we learned when we are going to kick your ass!"
"He will see tomorrow, Kiba," Tsume cut in from the kitchen, "now shut up and sit down!"
"Yes, mom."
"So," I began as the two boys sat down across from me, my mood still uncharacteristically cheerful, "what did you learn so far?" I asked and started to listen.
And the more I listened, the quicker my mood began to drift into more familiar territory. Something that thankfully remained hidden from the two narrators but not from the senior kunoichi at the table, apparently, as again, one of her eyebrows minutely quirked up in question.
During Kiba's retelling of a rather mundane mission, I finally had enough and concentrated for a heartbeat.
"Are you two aware of your chakra natures?" I asked into the blue as my gaze slowly shifted from one, "wind," to the other, "earth."
"Yeah," "No," they answered at the same time.
"The Old Man gave me that funky paper as a present and told me what the split meant," Naruto elaborated, "Kakashi-sensei is kinda helping me with the exercises," he finished with a shrug.
I reached into my Chunin west for a scroll while a Shadow Clone popped into existence behind me. Wordlessly handing him the scroll over my shoulder, I watched as he gave the other occupants of the room a friendly goodbye wave before going on his way to the motel I was residing for the night.
A simple mission on its mind.
Brainstorm.
This...this didn't feel bad at all.
Quite the opposite in fact.
The occasional bump of the hips, her arm and head on my shoulders, almost similar to our academy days, with the pleasant difference, that she was now just half a head taller than me.
I didn't even feel awkward with my hand on her hip as we slowly made our way through Konoha. Our destination not set in stone yet.
My shadow clone was busy at the motel writing down everything that came to its mind that might be useful for Naruto and Kiba. Training for elemental control, techniques and jutsu, ideas, and even other shinobi who might be willing to help them.
A month until the exam was scheduled to start and I was going to make sure...
A soft shake ripped me out of my one-track mind.
"What's up?" Hana asked softly, still partially draped over my right side. Perhaps sensing my minute mood shift.
"Just thinking about preparing Naruto and Kiba for the exam, I worry," I admitted with a soft grimace, which got me a soft kiss on the cheek.
"You don't think they are ready?" She asked faintly surprised, head raised off my shoulder to get a better look at my face.
"They are...," I hesitated and searched for the right word, my eyes on the street ahead.
"Pampered, I guess," I glanced at Hana to see her reaction, and furrowed eyebrows asked me to elaborate, which I did.
"I know my experiences are not exactly common, but I feel like they have been shielded from gritty stuff a bit too much," I couldn't help but grimace again, knowing I didn't make the most sense.
"They are decently strong for their age, but I worry they might stumble when confronted with," I wanted to say 'someone like me', "a harsh situation."
"And a single stumble can be more than enough for...you know," I continued to ramble and was thankful that Hana let me.
"I know you have to make these experiences yourself and deal with them accordingly. I just want them to be as strong as possible so that the margin of error is big enough for them to survive said experience in the first place," I finished my little rant with a little shrug of the shoulder opposite Hana. I knew I worried too much, but I couldn't help it, being a pessimist and all.
A big sigh made me turn toward my female companion.
"You really need a hobby to unwind, don't you?" She commented as she put her head back on my shoulder, and I felt myself steered toward the direction of my former apartment, her apartment now.
"Plus, shouldn't you worry about your own evaluation tomorrow?"
####
Thoughts and comments as usual are welcome and appreciated.
"Long time no see, brat," Tsume greeted me at the door with her usual laid-back style, which instantly did wonders for my mood.
I reckoned she smelled me from miles away, so my visit wasn't a surprise to her. Unlike my appearance, it seemed, given the quirked eyebrow.
"Didn't expect you to be a Kakashi fan though."
"More like a Sakumo fan," I began and had to refrain from pulling down my facemask and forehead protector, which I now wore as a bandana. The faster I got used to them, the better.
"Messed up big time and shouldn't parade my face around," I continued as the Inuzuka matriarch wordlessly bid me to follow her inside, which I did after dutifully discarding my sandals at the entrance.
"Sounds like quite the story," she chuckled over her shoulder as I followed her to the kitchen, "and here I thought you were playing mysterious for Hana."
"She's at the vet now, but given that you are here, I expect her to be here for supper," she paused and sighed wearily, "just like those two maniacs."
The words had barely left her mouth when I heard the front door slam open.
"See! I told you he was going to be here," Kiba's voice sounded from the entrance, obviously seeing my shoes.
Even without sensing, I didn't have to guess who he had in tow.
I smiled as unbidden, faint memories crept up and gave me an idea.
My concentration was up along with the tiger hand-seal, my focus on the doorframe for barely a second before I sat back as if nothing ever happened.
'Temple of Nirvana Technique'
Hurried footsteps and a few heartbeats later, two teens barrelled into the dining area. Barely through the door, I watched beyond satisfied as wide excited eyes slowly but surely lost focus, imaginary feathers luring them to sleep.
That is...until.
Naruto began to struggle.
Will he?
I couldn't help but nod faintly impressed as his hands came jerkily together.
"K..KAI!" The lake that was Naruto's chakra flexed and literally washed away my Gen-Jutsu. I smiled innocently as a now wide-awake Naruto narrowed his eyes at me.
"You!" I saw him build up to a tirade, before he suddenly paused, noticing his still-swaying buddy next to him. "Oi!" and then he unceremoniously bitch-slapped Kiba across the face.
Who, to his credit, and my immense amusement remained standing and instantly rounded on the offender. I couldn't help but snort quietly at the whole comedic routine. Which, apparently, was enough to dispel it and recapture their attention.
"Aha!" Although it was close, Naruto didn't quite shout triumphantly, "I recognized the effects of your paltry Gen-Jutsu," he continued before raising his brows in an obviously, hopefully, fake-haughty manner, "Kiba, it seems our rival has become rusty."
"Do you think the students became the masters already, Naruto?" Kiba seamlessly cut in with mock derision.
"Bah," I turned away from them, completely disregarding them, and took a sip from the tea Tsume had placed in front of me in the meantime during the whole spectacle, "I'm just glad you have seemed to have learned at least something while I was gone."
"You'll see what we learned when we are going to kick your ass!"
"He will see tomorrow, Kiba," Tsume cut in from the kitchen, "now shut up and sit down!"
"Yes, mom."
"So," I began as the two boys sat down across from me, my mood still uncharacteristically cheerful, "what did you learn so far?" I asked and started to listen.
And the more I listened, the quicker my mood began to drift into more familiar territory. Something that thankfully remained hidden from the two narrators but not from the senior kunoichi at the table, apparently, as again, one of her eyebrows minutely quirked up in question.
During Kiba's retelling of a rather mundane mission, I finally had enough and concentrated for a heartbeat.
"Are you two aware of your chakra natures?" I asked into the blue as my gaze slowly shifted from one, "wind," to the other, "earth."
"Yeah," "No," they answered at the same time.
"The Old Man gave me that funky paper as a present and told me what the split meant," Naruto elaborated, "Kakashi-sensei is kinda helping me with the exercises," he finished with a shrug.
I reached into my Chunin west for a scroll while a Shadow Clone popped into existence behind me. Wordlessly handing him the scroll over my shoulder, I watched as he gave the other occupants of the room a friendly goodbye wave before going on his way to the motel I was residing for the night.
A simple mission on its mind.
Brainstorm.
This...this didn't feel bad at all.
Quite the opposite in fact.
The occasional bump of the hips, her arm and head on my shoulders, almost similar to our academy days, with the pleasant difference, that she was now just half a head taller than me.
I didn't even feel awkward with my hand on her hip as we slowly made our way through Konoha. Our destination not set in stone yet.
My shadow clone was busy at the motel writing down everything that came to its mind that might be useful for Naruto and Kiba. Training for elemental control, techniques and jutsu, ideas, and even other shinobi who might be willing to help them.
A month until the exam was scheduled to start and I was going to make sure...
A soft shake ripped me out of my one-track mind.
"What's up?" Hana asked softly, still partially draped over my right side. Perhaps sensing my minute mood shift.
"Just thinking about preparing Naruto and Kiba for the exam, I worry," I admitted with a soft grimace, which got me a soft kiss on the cheek.
"You don't think they are ready?" She asked faintly surprised, head raised off my shoulder to get a better look at my face.
"They are...," I hesitated and searched for the right word, my eyes on the street ahead.
"Pampered, I guess," I glanced at Hana to see her reaction, and furrowed eyebrows asked me to elaborate, which I did.
"I know my experiences are not exactly common, but I feel like they have been shielded from gritty stuff a bit too much," I couldn't help but grimace again, knowing I didn't make the most sense.
"They are decently strong for their age, but I worry they might stumble when confronted with," I wanted to say 'someone like me', "a harsh situation."
"And a single stumble can be more than enough for...you know," I continued to ramble and was thankful that Hana let me.
"I know you have to make these experiences yourself and deal with them accordingly. I just want them to be as strong as possible so that the margin of error is big enough for them to survive said experience in the first place," I finished my little rant with a little shrug of the shoulder opposite Hana. I knew I worried too much, but I couldn't help it, being a pessimist and all.
A big sigh made me turn toward my female companion.
"You really need a hobby to unwind, don't you?" She commented as she put her head back on my shoulder, and I felt myself steered toward the direction of my former apartment, her apartment now.
"Plus, shouldn't you worry about your own evaluation tomorrow?"
####
Thoughts and comments as usual are welcome and appreciated.
Last edited:
Chapter 3.1.5
- Location
- Germany
Chapter 3.1.5
"Is this the usual venue for such a simple combat evaluation?" I asked Shikaku Nara as we made our way through the catacombs of the Konoha arena.
"No, as there are usually no combat evaluations like this," he answered with a lazy shrug, which was only slightly hindered by his hands remaining in his pockets. "Such evaluations generally are not necessary as they are continuously done by your respective superior, with your mission record being a factor as well."
"However, your case is special for several reasons," his gaze slid over to me, and yet again, I felt like a puzzle, as if I was a passing curiosity to him.
"You have shown significant skill in a number of fields at a very young age; your last supervision is almost three years in the past; we only have your reports regarding frankly impressive feats to gauge your current skill level, and," his gaze slowly panned back to the hallway in front of us and the stairs leading down to the arena floor. "Hokage-sama wished for an audience."
"Have they started yet?" Naruto whispered loudly, voice filled in equal parts with excitement and the unshakeable dread of getting caught red-handed.
"Shut up and let her concentrate," Kiba hissed back.
"Byakugan!"
"What do you see, Hinata?" Kiba gently asked his female teammate as the telltale signs of her do-jutsu became visible.
"Your friend just stepped into the arena, Kiba-kun," Hinata whispered, the focus helping her with ignoring all the people around her, "Kurenai-sensei and the rest are in the stands. Hokage-sama is also there!" The last part came out as a squeak.
"Guys, come on let's go, Kakashi-sensei told us to work on our team exercises," a female voice pleaded from the side-lines, the thought of spying on her village leader while they were given clear instructions from their respective senseis not sitting well with her.
"Ah, but Sakura-chan, it's what we are doing." Naruto countered enthusiastically, "we are pooling our resources for surveillance and to gather information on a person of interest," Naruto finished immensely pleased with his reasoning.
"Sounds good to me," a miniature copy of the current Jonin commander drawled from a sunny patch of grass further back.
That's a new experience for sure.
The arena was almost completely deserted. The notable exceptions were the Third and his most prominent Jonins sitting idly in the front row, along with Inoichi Yamanaka lounging further back, who it seemed was about to be joined by the Nara patriarch.
I reckon he was here to add possible observations to my psych profile.
My gaze involuntarily focused on the elder Sarutobi as he stood up and made his way to the railing. Expecting some kind of speech or even to be the focus of his attention, I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as his gaze wandered to the Senseis of the latest Genin generation lounging a few paces away, their demeanor so far varying between curious, bored, and expectant.
Kurenai and Gai were firmly in the curious and expectant category, while Kakashi and Asuma made up the slightly bored camp. Although, in Asuma's case, this was slowly changing as it was becoming increasingly obvious that his father's gaze was resting on him.
"Asuma, would you mind stepping into the ring with Chunin Ito," the tone made it absolutely clear that the request was an order. Said tone was probably also the reason why the Third's son didn't just shrug and instead simply did as he was told without so much a hint of reluctance.
Whatever this was or was going to be, I didn't care, because already I felt a familiar haze of combat readiness descend on me like a blanket.
I eyed the bear of a man as he made his way to the center of the arena in a single giant leap and a handful of relaxed steps.
"Daiki Ito," the Third began, and my calculating gaze snapped back to him, "show me what you can do."
I nodded, although I wasn't sure if I did it for his sake or mine.
Stood some 40 feet apart I shifted and finally faced my opponent fully.
On the surface, we painted a very similar picture with our hands in our pockets and the slight slouch, but that was just that. The surface.
Asuma Sarutobi was confident, calm, and relaxed. His chakra was an open book for me, incapable of deceiving me.
I, however, was laser-focused, Hokage-sama's words might have sounded innocent, but to my ears, it was an order to go all out.
In my mind's eye pictures of Raiga, Zabuza, Ao and Unmo superimposed themselves over my current opponent.
The seconds ticked by, and it was clear that the younger Sarutobi was confident enough to cede the initiative.
It was going to be his first mistake.
I met his bored expression with an intense, unblinking, and unwavering stare of my own and hoped it was enough to mask the one-handed seal in my right pocket.
With our gazes still locked together, I could tell he seemed unimpressed by the mist that shimmered into existence all around us, which was understandable given that, unbeknownst to him, I made absolutely sure to keep it from rising above hip height.
I wanted him to see the small empty smile, which was slowly growing on my face.
I could sense confusion, I could sense hints of wariness in his chakra, and finally, there was a realization, which was broadcasted by the minute widening of his eyes and...
"Kai!"
'Wrong!'
"What's he doing, what's he doing?" Naruto asked unable to contain himself at the chance to see what his rival could truly do.
"They are just standing there," Hinata continued to narrate the little bit she was seeing, sounding apologetic and confused.
"He must be pla..."
"Wait," Hinata perked up, making Naruto shut up and hold his breath, this was it, "your friend sent some of his chakra through his mist," everybody involuntarily leaned in closer, everybody at least a tiny bit curious what this enigma, the guy Kiba and Naruto wouldn't shut up about, would do against one of their teachers. "it's...wind chakra," Hinata went on with eyes narrowed in concentration.
"It's directly behind Asuma," she whispered, unsure who she was supposed to root for, "it looks like a clone."
"Wait, what?" Naruto stood straight, "a wind clone? You can do that?" his eyes automatically went to his male teammate, who he could grudgingly admit tended to have the brains when it came to ninjutsu theory.
"I guess so. There are earth and water clones, too," Sasuke, who had kept quiet so far, answered with a shrug, and focused back on Hinata, desperate to learn more about this...prodigy.
"It's on Asuma-sensei's back," Hinata gasped, "I don't think he noticed," her voice gained another pitch, "it's reaching for his face!"
Pleased with the positing and composition, I marveled one last time at my weightless and near-invisible clone before I turned and faced the Third still standing at the railing above, his mien as if carved out of solid granite.
Our eyes met, and I bowed, no doubt to the confusion of my opponent.
"Winner, Chunin Ito," the Third Hokage announced, his tone betraying absolutely nothing. His gaze slid across the field to his son, who was left rooted to the spot, mouth agape, cigarette barely clinging to his lips.
"Jonin," the Third stressed the word, adding significance to what just happened, "create a Shadow Clone!"
The arena was eerily silent, and I could see the Jonins sitting still like statues. By now, they understood that there was more going on than an evaluation of a talented Chunin.
A pop from my left announced the creation of the ordered chakra construct, and I turned to see a picture-perfect clone standing next to its creator, both now devoid of any expression as well. Perhaps, the son was getting increasingly agitated by the fact that his father used him for some kind of demonstration.
More important, at least to me, than the irritated chakra flow of the Jonin was the fact that I could sense my wind clone still completely intact on said Jonin's back. It's been three years since its creation, and I was beyond proud and relieved, that the jutsu barely needed any concentration to maintain anymore.
"You are familiar with wind chakra, are you not?" The Third asked the rhetorical question, but I had the sinking feeling, that he was going to expect his son to answer anyway.
"I am," Asuma bit out, and again, there was this nagging feeling, that this routine was perhaps an unpleasant reminder of his youth.
"This is a wind clone," the Third announced with a small hand gesture toward his son and a meaningful nod in my direction, which I understood as my cue to reveal my creation.
Right hand shifting into a one-handed seal again, I took a firmer hold of my clone and guided it under the wide-eyed stare of Asuma Sarutobi to his Shadow Clone, where it silently glided up its back. Its hands poised just outside the clone's field of view.
"Brace yourself," I warned, and then my clone reached for the eyes.
"It..," whatever Hinata was going to say got cut off by her own anguished scream, the sheer horror and phantom pains buckling her knees while her hands involuntarily shot up to her own eyes.
"Hinata!"
"Hinata!"
"Hinata-chan!"
Even the stoic Aburame couldn't keep quiet seeing his gentle teammate crumble like that.
"The jutsu," she whispered, beyond terrified by the existence of such a vile technique, "it...it lacerated the eyes of the clone!"
"You are telling me," Sasuke began, ashen-faced, perhaps understanding Hinata's reaction better than most, "this Daiki Ito just beat Asuma Sarutobi without moving a single muscle?!" His tone hinted at a rollercoaster of emotions, that managed to shine through the cracks of his facade.
###
More of the evaluation will follow in the next chapter. I hope this first match hinted well enough at what kind of fighter Daiki is at his current skill level. Someone who banks on getting underestimated, who needs to dictate and time to think, just so he can get in a single underhanded but devastating shot and end the fight as quickly as possible.
Thank you for reading and feel free to voice your thoughts in the reviews.
"Is this the usual venue for such a simple combat evaluation?" I asked Shikaku Nara as we made our way through the catacombs of the Konoha arena.
"No, as there are usually no combat evaluations like this," he answered with a lazy shrug, which was only slightly hindered by his hands remaining in his pockets. "Such evaluations generally are not necessary as they are continuously done by your respective superior, with your mission record being a factor as well."
"However, your case is special for several reasons," his gaze slid over to me, and yet again, I felt like a puzzle, as if I was a passing curiosity to him.
"You have shown significant skill in a number of fields at a very young age; your last supervision is almost three years in the past; we only have your reports regarding frankly impressive feats to gauge your current skill level, and," his gaze slowly panned back to the hallway in front of us and the stairs leading down to the arena floor. "Hokage-sama wished for an audience."
"Have they started yet?" Naruto whispered loudly, voice filled in equal parts with excitement and the unshakeable dread of getting caught red-handed.
"Shut up and let her concentrate," Kiba hissed back.
"Byakugan!"
"What do you see, Hinata?" Kiba gently asked his female teammate as the telltale signs of her do-jutsu became visible.
"Your friend just stepped into the arena, Kiba-kun," Hinata whispered, the focus helping her with ignoring all the people around her, "Kurenai-sensei and the rest are in the stands. Hokage-sama is also there!" The last part came out as a squeak.
"Guys, come on let's go, Kakashi-sensei told us to work on our team exercises," a female voice pleaded from the side-lines, the thought of spying on her village leader while they were given clear instructions from their respective senseis not sitting well with her.
"Ah, but Sakura-chan, it's what we are doing." Naruto countered enthusiastically, "we are pooling our resources for surveillance and to gather information on a person of interest," Naruto finished immensely pleased with his reasoning.
"Sounds good to me," a miniature copy of the current Jonin commander drawled from a sunny patch of grass further back.
That's a new experience for sure.
The arena was almost completely deserted. The notable exceptions were the Third and his most prominent Jonins sitting idly in the front row, along with Inoichi Yamanaka lounging further back, who it seemed was about to be joined by the Nara patriarch.
I reckon he was here to add possible observations to my psych profile.
My gaze involuntarily focused on the elder Sarutobi as he stood up and made his way to the railing. Expecting some kind of speech or even to be the focus of his attention, I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as his gaze wandered to the Senseis of the latest Genin generation lounging a few paces away, their demeanor so far varying between curious, bored, and expectant.
Kurenai and Gai were firmly in the curious and expectant category, while Kakashi and Asuma made up the slightly bored camp. Although, in Asuma's case, this was slowly changing as it was becoming increasingly obvious that his father's gaze was resting on him.
"Asuma, would you mind stepping into the ring with Chunin Ito," the tone made it absolutely clear that the request was an order. Said tone was probably also the reason why the Third's son didn't just shrug and instead simply did as he was told without so much a hint of reluctance.
Whatever this was or was going to be, I didn't care, because already I felt a familiar haze of combat readiness descend on me like a blanket.
I eyed the bear of a man as he made his way to the center of the arena in a single giant leap and a handful of relaxed steps.
"Daiki Ito," the Third began, and my calculating gaze snapped back to him, "show me what you can do."
I nodded, although I wasn't sure if I did it for his sake or mine.
Stood some 40 feet apart I shifted and finally faced my opponent fully.
On the surface, we painted a very similar picture with our hands in our pockets and the slight slouch, but that was just that. The surface.
Asuma Sarutobi was confident, calm, and relaxed. His chakra was an open book for me, incapable of deceiving me.
I, however, was laser-focused, Hokage-sama's words might have sounded innocent, but to my ears, it was an order to go all out.
In my mind's eye pictures of Raiga, Zabuza, Ao and Unmo superimposed themselves over my current opponent.
The seconds ticked by, and it was clear that the younger Sarutobi was confident enough to cede the initiative.
It was going to be his first mistake.
I met his bored expression with an intense, unblinking, and unwavering stare of my own and hoped it was enough to mask the one-handed seal in my right pocket.
With our gazes still locked together, I could tell he seemed unimpressed by the mist that shimmered into existence all around us, which was understandable given that, unbeknownst to him, I made absolutely sure to keep it from rising above hip height.
I wanted him to see the small empty smile, which was slowly growing on my face.
I could sense confusion, I could sense hints of wariness in his chakra, and finally, there was a realization, which was broadcasted by the minute widening of his eyes and...
"Kai!"
'Wrong!'
"What's he doing, what's he doing?" Naruto asked unable to contain himself at the chance to see what his rival could truly do.
"They are just standing there," Hinata continued to narrate the little bit she was seeing, sounding apologetic and confused.
"He must be pla..."
"Wait," Hinata perked up, making Naruto shut up and hold his breath, this was it, "your friend sent some of his chakra through his mist," everybody involuntarily leaned in closer, everybody at least a tiny bit curious what this enigma, the guy Kiba and Naruto wouldn't shut up about, would do against one of their teachers. "it's...wind chakra," Hinata went on with eyes narrowed in concentration.
"It's directly behind Asuma," she whispered, unsure who she was supposed to root for, "it looks like a clone."
"Wait, what?" Naruto stood straight, "a wind clone? You can do that?" his eyes automatically went to his male teammate, who he could grudgingly admit tended to have the brains when it came to ninjutsu theory.
"I guess so. There are earth and water clones, too," Sasuke, who had kept quiet so far, answered with a shrug, and focused back on Hinata, desperate to learn more about this...prodigy.
"It's on Asuma-sensei's back," Hinata gasped, "I don't think he noticed," her voice gained another pitch, "it's reaching for his face!"
Pleased with the positing and composition, I marveled one last time at my weightless and near-invisible clone before I turned and faced the Third still standing at the railing above, his mien as if carved out of solid granite.
Our eyes met, and I bowed, no doubt to the confusion of my opponent.
"Winner, Chunin Ito," the Third Hokage announced, his tone betraying absolutely nothing. His gaze slid across the field to his son, who was left rooted to the spot, mouth agape, cigarette barely clinging to his lips.
"Jonin," the Third stressed the word, adding significance to what just happened, "create a Shadow Clone!"
The arena was eerily silent, and I could see the Jonins sitting still like statues. By now, they understood that there was more going on than an evaluation of a talented Chunin.
A pop from my left announced the creation of the ordered chakra construct, and I turned to see a picture-perfect clone standing next to its creator, both now devoid of any expression as well. Perhaps, the son was getting increasingly agitated by the fact that his father used him for some kind of demonstration.
More important, at least to me, than the irritated chakra flow of the Jonin was the fact that I could sense my wind clone still completely intact on said Jonin's back. It's been three years since its creation, and I was beyond proud and relieved, that the jutsu barely needed any concentration to maintain anymore.
"You are familiar with wind chakra, are you not?" The Third asked the rhetorical question, but I had the sinking feeling, that he was going to expect his son to answer anyway.
"I am," Asuma bit out, and again, there was this nagging feeling, that this routine was perhaps an unpleasant reminder of his youth.
"This is a wind clone," the Third announced with a small hand gesture toward his son and a meaningful nod in my direction, which I understood as my cue to reveal my creation.
Right hand shifting into a one-handed seal again, I took a firmer hold of my clone and guided it under the wide-eyed stare of Asuma Sarutobi to his Shadow Clone, where it silently glided up its back. Its hands poised just outside the clone's field of view.
"Brace yourself," I warned, and then my clone reached for the eyes.
"It..," whatever Hinata was going to say got cut off by her own anguished scream, the sheer horror and phantom pains buckling her knees while her hands involuntarily shot up to her own eyes.
"Hinata!"
"Hinata!"
"Hinata-chan!"
Even the stoic Aburame couldn't keep quiet seeing his gentle teammate crumble like that.
"The jutsu," she whispered, beyond terrified by the existence of such a vile technique, "it...it lacerated the eyes of the clone!"
"You are telling me," Sasuke began, ashen-faced, perhaps understanding Hinata's reaction better than most, "this Daiki Ito just beat Asuma Sarutobi without moving a single muscle?!" His tone hinted at a rollercoaster of emotions, that managed to shine through the cracks of his facade.
###
More of the evaluation will follow in the next chapter. I hope this first match hinted well enough at what kind of fighter Daiki is at his current skill level. Someone who banks on getting underestimated, who needs to dictate and time to think, just so he can get in a single underhanded but devastating shot and end the fight as quickly as possible.
Thank you for reading and feel free to voice your thoughts in the reviews.
Chapter 3.1.6
- Location
- Germany
Chapter 3.1.6
Asuma left the field significantly less relaxed than when he had stepped onto it, which was no wonder given that he was busy trying to hide the annoyance and resentment he practically radiated from every pore.
Funnily enough, I wasn't much better in that regard. This whole spiel obviously wasn't very representable, but this was still one of the more prominent Jonins of this village, someone expected to do some of the heavy lifting in case of emergency.
And yet, he didn't feel the need to do his job properly. Couple that with the manner I suspected he was teaching his students, and I was beginning to feel my temper stir.
"Kakashi, please," I heard the Third speak in an offhand manner, seemingly having crossed off the first match already.
A poof and the next Jonin stood in the place of my first vanquished foe.
Instantly, I felt my face slacken minutely, a hint of disbelief overshadowing my tension.
'KAI!'
Nothing.
I put my sensing to the task and searched for every possible hidden trick.
Nothing.
Kakashi Hatake was standing there like Asuma just had. Utterly relaxed and with one hand even in his pocket, his Sharingan still hidden.
I did my best to keep my face expressionless, a snarl of proper irritation lurking just beneath the surface.
Was it so hard to take this seriously? To put in more effort than the bare minimum?
This was supposed to be Konoha's number one protector after the Hokage.
This...
This fucking village.
As if a switch was suddenly flipped my thoughts became eerily flat.
I was done playing, time to remind people, that people died outside these walls.
The first wisps of wind chakra began to linger at my hands and feet, while minuscule amounts of Yin and Yang chakra gathered at the appropriate spots in my brain. Gate one and two at my beck and call.
Ever so slowly and carefully, I slid into my sword stance, sideways, left foot in front, knees slightly bent.
While my arms extended, my tanto and wakizashi poofed into existence from their respective seals on my wrists. A routine meant to be used with the twin swords Raiga, endless hours spent practicing to just be worthy to dual-wield the famous swords.
Even the dispersing chakra of the unsealing of my weapons was used.
I reckon I looked the part because the sight of me was seemingly enough for Kakashi to finally pull his hand out of his pocket and grab a goddamn kunai. Still no Sharingan, however.
Then and there I vowed, that he would regret that decision.
"Young Daiki looks serious," Gai mumbled under his breath, his eyes unblinkingly tracking every single muscle movement of the young Chunin.
"Kakashi is playing with fire," he concluded with certainty and a hint of warning.
It was a statement that made Kurenai nod in silent agreement next to him. She knew how Daiki struggled when confronted with a perceived lack of effort.
"Indeed," apparently everybody in the stands was on the same page as Shikaku Nara quietly voiced his agreement, having relocated with his old teammate Inoichi to the row directly behind Gai and Kurenai.
"The verbal report of his last mission had been quite enlightening," he continued without elaborating, which garnered him questioning glances from the two Jonins in front of him as well as from the returning Asuma.
"How so?" He asked, still grumpy, but the cigarette in his mouth was doing wonders for his mood.
"He shows signs of dichotomized thinking, an all-or-nothing mindset if you will, and a form of exaggeration you could call catastrophizing," Inoichi said to no one in particular as his eyes remained fixed on the Chunin, who just at this moment unsealed his swords.
"He paints the shinobi world in black and white, every power wants to kill or hurt another party eventually. He tends to envision the worst possible outcome with every possible setback," here he paused, and his eyes drifted over the Jonins in front of him. "His solution is to nip every negative fledgling possibility into the bud as quickly and thoroughly as possible."
"Thing is," the Nara patriarch seamlessly continued for his blonde neighbor, "his way of thinking extends to comrades as well."
"You do your job to the best of your abilities, put in the effort, then you are fine in his eyes. You don't, well, you are either disregarded entirely or worse, perhaps even considered expendable."
"Don't you think you aren't a bit dramatic?" Kurenai asked a tad cooly, not liking at all how her one-time student apparently was viewed.
"Are we?" Shikaku shot back, not harshly, but definitely with a challenging aura, which only further cemented Kurenai's ever-growing frown. Daiki was simply...complicated.
"Kurenai, there's a reason why seemingly everybody of note is interested in his development," Inoichi gently cut in before Shikaku continued again, "He's without a shadow of a doubt one of Konoha's brightest prospects, but one simple question keeps lingering above him."
"If or when is he going to be mentioned in the same breath as Orochimaru and Itachi Uchiha?"
"Now com..." voice laced with incredulity Asuma shifted and turned toward the Nara, but whatever he was going to say was interrupted by Gai exploding to his feet, tension permeating his entire frame.
Every fiber of my body clicked into place in a single instance.
Gates opened, wind-chakra exploded from my blades and my feet in a silent but terrifyingly fast Shunshin, one heartbeat I was there, the next I was across the field...
Locked in a stalemate with one Kakashi Hatake, who somehow managed to produce a tanto for his off-hand as well. Lightning crackled and battled for dominance against my wind-enhanced blades.
It was hugely impressive.
And yet...
The man in front of me crumpled like a house of cards as his right leg gave away. Our eyes remained locked, mine cold and dispassionate, his single one wide in a mixture of shock and pain.
Yet again, I couldn't help but be impressed by the man's ability, his body hadn't even hit the ground the kunai in his right hand had already been discarded in favor of a picture-perfect medical ninjutsu to stem the bleeding.
Every second was going to count now or Kakashi Hatake would be dying in the dirt in front of me.
Had he used his Sharingan, he could have seen the hand that had sprouted from my torso. The hand with the chakra scalpel, that had bit into the femoral artery of his right thigh.
Beneath the cold hard professionalism, I sensed hints of panic, and I couldn't help but wonder. When was the last time Kakashi Hatake feared for his life?
I wasn't sure if Zabuza had left a mark on me or if this was all me, me with someone close at hand, that embodied the gross negligence of this village.
I stepped next to the prone man and roughly kicked the hand away that was desperately trying to hold back the internal bleeding.
Then, then in one swift movement, I rammed my blades through his hands and pinned him to the ground. I ignored the soft gasp entirely and crouched on his torso, my palms firm on the handles of the blades keeping the man pinned spreadeagled to the ground.
Now there was panic!
Now he will learn!
"You will die now, Kakashi Hatake, because you didn't feel the need to do your job right," I whispered, my eyes willing him to believe me, which he did, because...
"The genes of Sakumo Hatake, an utterly brilliant mind, student of Minato Namikaze," I began, my tone becoming increasingly biting, "the village's entire gathered knowledge at his disposal, and this is all you got?"
My right hand left my wakizashi, which was rammed hilt-deep into the ground, and softly grasped his throat.
"Not even the balls to kill y..."
Caught up in the downright cathartic show I was neither prepared for the iron grip by the shoulder nor the rough body throw, which put me in the dirt.
Unused to getting surprised I instantly scrambled to my feet.
I guess Naruto will keep his teacher because where I stood just seconds ago crouched Maito Guy, who by the time I was on my feet again had already bound off the injured leg with some ninja wire just beneath the crotch and was now bandaging Kakashi's hands with incredible deftness.
Kurenai was also there, busily repairing the internal damage and ignoring me. She has gotten incredibly good at this I noted with some satisfaction.
I gazed from the sidelines at Konoha's finest, and my pride in my former teacher vanished in an instant.
Orochimaru, Jinchūrikis, and whoever else was roaming this world would fuck them right up.
"Abandon your friends, huh?" I called just loud enough for the prone Kakashi to hear me.
"You are abandoning the people that depend on you for protection right fucking now!"
###
You guys have no idea how much I struggled with this chapter. How much is too much, is it realistic for Kakashi not to suspect an honest kill-shot from Daiki, so on and so forth. I would really like to read your feedback on this.
That said, Happy New Year, and thank you for all the patience and support in the recent year.
Asuma left the field significantly less relaxed than when he had stepped onto it, which was no wonder given that he was busy trying to hide the annoyance and resentment he practically radiated from every pore.
Funnily enough, I wasn't much better in that regard. This whole spiel obviously wasn't very representable, but this was still one of the more prominent Jonins of this village, someone expected to do some of the heavy lifting in case of emergency.
And yet, he didn't feel the need to do his job properly. Couple that with the manner I suspected he was teaching his students, and I was beginning to feel my temper stir.
"Kakashi, please," I heard the Third speak in an offhand manner, seemingly having crossed off the first match already.
A poof and the next Jonin stood in the place of my first vanquished foe.
Instantly, I felt my face slacken minutely, a hint of disbelief overshadowing my tension.
'KAI!'
Nothing.
I put my sensing to the task and searched for every possible hidden trick.
Nothing.
Kakashi Hatake was standing there like Asuma just had. Utterly relaxed and with one hand even in his pocket, his Sharingan still hidden.
I did my best to keep my face expressionless, a snarl of proper irritation lurking just beneath the surface.
Was it so hard to take this seriously? To put in more effort than the bare minimum?
This was supposed to be Konoha's number one protector after the Hokage.
This...
This fucking village.
As if a switch was suddenly flipped my thoughts became eerily flat.
I was done playing, time to remind people, that people died outside these walls.
The first wisps of wind chakra began to linger at my hands and feet, while minuscule amounts of Yin and Yang chakra gathered at the appropriate spots in my brain. Gate one and two at my beck and call.
Ever so slowly and carefully, I slid into my sword stance, sideways, left foot in front, knees slightly bent.
While my arms extended, my tanto and wakizashi poofed into existence from their respective seals on my wrists. A routine meant to be used with the twin swords Raiga, endless hours spent practicing to just be worthy to dual-wield the famous swords.
Even the dispersing chakra of the unsealing of my weapons was used.
I reckon I looked the part because the sight of me was seemingly enough for Kakashi to finally pull his hand out of his pocket and grab a goddamn kunai. Still no Sharingan, however.
Then and there I vowed, that he would regret that decision.
"Young Daiki looks serious," Gai mumbled under his breath, his eyes unblinkingly tracking every single muscle movement of the young Chunin.
"Kakashi is playing with fire," he concluded with certainty and a hint of warning.
It was a statement that made Kurenai nod in silent agreement next to him. She knew how Daiki struggled when confronted with a perceived lack of effort.
"Indeed," apparently everybody in the stands was on the same page as Shikaku Nara quietly voiced his agreement, having relocated with his old teammate Inoichi to the row directly behind Gai and Kurenai.
"The verbal report of his last mission had been quite enlightening," he continued without elaborating, which garnered him questioning glances from the two Jonins in front of him as well as from the returning Asuma.
"How so?" He asked, still grumpy, but the cigarette in his mouth was doing wonders for his mood.
"He shows signs of dichotomized thinking, an all-or-nothing mindset if you will, and a form of exaggeration you could call catastrophizing," Inoichi said to no one in particular as his eyes remained fixed on the Chunin, who just at this moment unsealed his swords.
"He paints the shinobi world in black and white, every power wants to kill or hurt another party eventually. He tends to envision the worst possible outcome with every possible setback," here he paused, and his eyes drifted over the Jonins in front of him. "His solution is to nip every negative fledgling possibility into the bud as quickly and thoroughly as possible."
"Thing is," the Nara patriarch seamlessly continued for his blonde neighbor, "his way of thinking extends to comrades as well."
"You do your job to the best of your abilities, put in the effort, then you are fine in his eyes. You don't, well, you are either disregarded entirely or worse, perhaps even considered expendable."
"Don't you think you aren't a bit dramatic?" Kurenai asked a tad cooly, not liking at all how her one-time student apparently was viewed.
"Are we?" Shikaku shot back, not harshly, but definitely with a challenging aura, which only further cemented Kurenai's ever-growing frown. Daiki was simply...complicated.
"Kurenai, there's a reason why seemingly everybody of note is interested in his development," Inoichi gently cut in before Shikaku continued again, "He's without a shadow of a doubt one of Konoha's brightest prospects, but one simple question keeps lingering above him."
"If or when is he going to be mentioned in the same breath as Orochimaru and Itachi Uchiha?"
"Now com..." voice laced with incredulity Asuma shifted and turned toward the Nara, but whatever he was going to say was interrupted by Gai exploding to his feet, tension permeating his entire frame.
Every fiber of my body clicked into place in a single instance.
Gates opened, wind-chakra exploded from my blades and my feet in a silent but terrifyingly fast Shunshin, one heartbeat I was there, the next I was across the field...
Locked in a stalemate with one Kakashi Hatake, who somehow managed to produce a tanto for his off-hand as well. Lightning crackled and battled for dominance against my wind-enhanced blades.
It was hugely impressive.
And yet...
The man in front of me crumpled like a house of cards as his right leg gave away. Our eyes remained locked, mine cold and dispassionate, his single one wide in a mixture of shock and pain.
Yet again, I couldn't help but be impressed by the man's ability, his body hadn't even hit the ground the kunai in his right hand had already been discarded in favor of a picture-perfect medical ninjutsu to stem the bleeding.
Every second was going to count now or Kakashi Hatake would be dying in the dirt in front of me.
Had he used his Sharingan, he could have seen the hand that had sprouted from my torso. The hand with the chakra scalpel, that had bit into the femoral artery of his right thigh.
Beneath the cold hard professionalism, I sensed hints of panic, and I couldn't help but wonder. When was the last time Kakashi Hatake feared for his life?
I wasn't sure if Zabuza had left a mark on me or if this was all me, me with someone close at hand, that embodied the gross negligence of this village.
I stepped next to the prone man and roughly kicked the hand away that was desperately trying to hold back the internal bleeding.
Then, then in one swift movement, I rammed my blades through his hands and pinned him to the ground. I ignored the soft gasp entirely and crouched on his torso, my palms firm on the handles of the blades keeping the man pinned spreadeagled to the ground.
Now there was panic!
Now he will learn!
"You will die now, Kakashi Hatake, because you didn't feel the need to do your job right," I whispered, my eyes willing him to believe me, which he did, because...
"The genes of Sakumo Hatake, an utterly brilliant mind, student of Minato Namikaze," I began, my tone becoming increasingly biting, "the village's entire gathered knowledge at his disposal, and this is all you got?"
My right hand left my wakizashi, which was rammed hilt-deep into the ground, and softly grasped his throat.
"Not even the balls to kill y..."
Caught up in the downright cathartic show I was neither prepared for the iron grip by the shoulder nor the rough body throw, which put me in the dirt.
Unused to getting surprised I instantly scrambled to my feet.
I guess Naruto will keep his teacher because where I stood just seconds ago crouched Maito Guy, who by the time I was on my feet again had already bound off the injured leg with some ninja wire just beneath the crotch and was now bandaging Kakashi's hands with incredible deftness.
Kurenai was also there, busily repairing the internal damage and ignoring me. She has gotten incredibly good at this I noted with some satisfaction.
I gazed from the sidelines at Konoha's finest, and my pride in my former teacher vanished in an instant.
Orochimaru, Jinchūrikis, and whoever else was roaming this world would fuck them right up.
"Abandon your friends, huh?" I called just loud enough for the prone Kakashi to hear me.
"You are abandoning the people that depend on you for protection right fucking now!"
###
You guys have no idea how much I struggled with this chapter. How much is too much, is it realistic for Kakashi not to suspect an honest kill-shot from Daiki, so on and so forth. I would really like to read your feedback on this.
That said, Happy New Year, and thank you for all the patience and support in the recent year.
Happy New Year!
Though, I'm hoping Daiki's plan was to (painfully) neutralize Kakashi before moving to use his own medical abilities to stem the internal bleeding. Artery wounds are lethal in a minute or less (leaning on the higher end though with a chakra scalpel keeping the exterior intact, and thus not letting the blood drain extremely rapidly).
Being 110% serious in a non-teaching spar and/or having a side-objective of traumatizing this incompetent out of teaching his friends so someone better can do the job is one thing... actually killing a comrade, and more-over a still vital figure in Konoha's reputation and defense is a very different matter.
On the other hand, it looks like Gai is up next? Maybe with some support from Kurenai to test how Ito deals with multiple foes and genjutsu? Gai is a very different beast from all the rest so far. Going all out, he's probably the most dangerous (and strongest) direct combatant in Konoha (with Jiraiya and Tsunade gone, and Kakashi still pretty washed up and out of shape) outside of the Hokage. And unlike the previous Jounin...he is absolutely serious and full-steam all the time, even more so with how he got a decent read on Daiki.
Now Daiki is going to have to show how he can out-wit and evade a superior opponent with no pre-prepared tricks. Gai is physically better and more skilled in everyway, is one of the vanishingly few Shinobi with a healthy mind and no exploitable trauma, and is highly experienced in dealing with people that try their best to keep away from the Taijutsu monster (like Kakashi when he's actually trying). This is...very much a fight for creative lateral thinking.
Though, I'm hoping Daiki's plan was to (painfully) neutralize Kakashi before moving to use his own medical abilities to stem the internal bleeding. Artery wounds are lethal in a minute or less (leaning on the higher end though with a chakra scalpel keeping the exterior intact, and thus not letting the blood drain extremely rapidly).
Being 110% serious in a non-teaching spar and/or having a side-objective of traumatizing this incompetent out of teaching his friends so someone better can do the job is one thing... actually killing a comrade, and more-over a still vital figure in Konoha's reputation and defense is a very different matter.
On the other hand, it looks like Gai is up next? Maybe with some support from Kurenai to test how Ito deals with multiple foes and genjutsu? Gai is a very different beast from all the rest so far. Going all out, he's probably the most dangerous (and strongest) direct combatant in Konoha (with Jiraiya and Tsunade gone, and Kakashi still pretty washed up and out of shape) outside of the Hokage. And unlike the previous Jounin...he is absolutely serious and full-steam all the time, even more so with how he got a decent read on Daiki.
Now Daiki is going to have to show how he can out-wit and evade a superior opponent with no pre-prepared tricks. Gai is physically better and more skilled in everyway, is one of the vanishingly few Shinobi with a healthy mind and no exploitable trauma, and is highly experienced in dealing with people that try their best to keep away from the Taijutsu monster (like Kakashi when he's actually trying). This is...very much a fight for creative lateral thinking.
Another fight? Maybe if he'd stopped after the artery and kept his mouth shut. He just definitively, in front of the senior leadership of the village, displayed some significant red flags. I know logic isn't the hallmark of the setting, but we just saw Nara raise the all important question - is Daiki a threat to Konoha? Daiki answered.
He is. Not because he wants to see Konoha burn; because you can't trust his control around his fellow Shinobi, you can't trust he'll follow orders, you can't trust his judgement when to escalate and not.
He is. Not because he wants to see Konoha burn; because you can't trust his control around his fellow Shinobi, you can't trust he'll follow orders, you can't trust his judgement when to escalate and not.
- Location
- L3 X-18999
I think this is fine. Hopefully it was his intention to seem completely real and authentic to create a point, but fully expect to be stopped. Even after he was stopped he seemed to be trying to drive the point home, seeming to indicate that creating that point was his purpose not actually killing him.
As far as being able to get the drop on him I think it fits canon. Kakashi IS overconfident and would have died against Zabuza at the beginning of the series if not for his brats interfering, which Haku could have stopped if he wasn't kept in reserve.
Though I do hope the trial show and tell spars end with this one. Coming from a clan-based warring states era where each person's and clan's techniques should not be revealed, being told to show them off does not seem right as everyone should still have the mentality to keep as many cards up their sleeves even against those within their village. And the 3rd is old enough that he should recognize if not hold such a mentality and I doubt he would force the issue further.
As far as being able to get the drop on him I think it fits canon. Kakashi IS overconfident and would have died against Zabuza at the beginning of the series if not for his brats interfering, which Haku could have stopped if he wasn't kept in reserve.
Though I do hope the trial show and tell spars end with this one. Coming from a clan-based warring states era where each person's and clan's techniques should not be revealed, being told to show them off does not seem right as everyone should still have the mentality to keep as many cards up their sleeves even against those within their village. And the 3rd is old enough that he should recognize if not hold such a mentality and I doubt he would force the issue further.
Chapter 3.1.7
- Location
- Germany
Chapter 3.1.7
"Asuma, take Kakashi and get him to the hospital, and keep him steady! Kurenai, keep your attention on the internal bleeding!" Gai fired off his instructions, and you would be forgiven for mistaking them for orders, given that his voice allowed no argument.
"Hai!" Both Jonin chorused in unison, and I couldn't help but get the impression of fresh Genins in front of their Jonin instructor. It spoke volumes about the sheer amount of respect the man in front of me has earned during his career.
Seeing his injured friend in safe and capable hands, Gai finally turned around and fixated on me with an unreadable stare.
"That was excessive," he began in a surprisingly neutral tone before a minute frown made its way onto his features, "and uncalled for."
I remained quiet for a moment. I simply couldn't tell what he was thinking. Was he angry? Disappointed? Perhaps it was a combination of both or something entirely different, like pity or disgust.
Still...
"Excessive, yes," I agreed lightly, "uncalled for, perhaps," I continued with a shrug before I stood straight. "I wasn't wrong, however!" I finished with absolute conviction.
Hearing his comrades depart, Gai shifted and finally faced me fully. Now it was only the two of us down in the arena.
Sensing no shift in the audience or some other form of intervention, I was getting more and more the impression of another fight looming.
The man in front of me was already flexing his chakra at rapid intervals, expertly combating potential genjutsus. This fight was literally going to be an entirely different beast. My worst nightmare; someone better and prepared.
Only a handful of heartbeats went by, but I already felt stuck in a tight spot. I needed more time to think, dammit!
"Your student dies," I began with something stark, my tone suggesting a hypothetical scenario while my eyes flickered to my weapons still stuck in the ground where Kakashi had lain.
'Fuck!'
"Someone had been sent to relieve them or support them, someone with adequate rank, someone expected to succeed," I continued in the same tone while Gai unsealed worn but heavy-looking nun chucks.
'Double-Fuck!'
"He fails! Perhaps he dies trying," my tone gained a hint of condemnation at the end, "he fails because he didn't meet expectations; he fails because he hadn't tried in training." I paused as if I was giving us a chance to let that scenario sink in, while in truth, I paused in concentration.
My chakra control stretched to its absolute limit.
Water chakra was permeating my surroundings in what I guessed was a ten-meter radius, desperately searching and clinging to every available water droplet in the air.
Even more water chakra gathered in my mouth, disguised by the fact that I was appearing to be content to wait for an answer from my opponent.
"Lif..." Gai had barely opened his mouth to reply when I finally felt the cloak of chakra that covered my entire body be sufficient.
My right hand shot up from my side, already in a one-handed tiger seal.
'Water Release: Wild Water Wave,'
'Hiding in Mist Technique,'
Not an attack, but unfocused. A widespread screen to break his line of sight spewed forth. Simultaneously, all around me, a heavy mist shimmered into existence, not unlike a smoke bomb.
My hand, still in its upward motion, seamlessly transitioned into the Ram seal while I hastily jumped back and to the side.
'Hiding with Camouflage Technique,'
Decent but not perfect, I thought with slight chagrin the second my 'invisibility' spread over me. Given the hasty application and the mist on top, it would have to do, I reckoned with something that barely qualified as hope.
Plan in mind, I barely moved a foot...
A step to the side and what would have been a thrust with the butt of the nun chucks to my left shoulder, and a world of pain was thankfully reduced to a clipped body check as a man-sized missile plowed through the spot I just vacated.
I felt my fucking hair ruffle by the sheer force of the man's passing.
The second my feet touched the ground during my rough tumble, I slipped into a Shunshin. Direction and grace were unimportant; I needed to get away!
Another Shunshin!
I felt movement through the air!
Another Shun...
'Argh!'
I barely held in the grunt as I skidded over the hard-packed dirt.
Never EVER before was I punched mid-move.
Mind and movement on auto-pilot, I guided the rotational force of my tumble into a spinning motion that would have made a Hyuuga spit in disgust. The second my fingertips pointed outward, wind chakra exploded as far as possible, poised to slice into my attacker's guts in case he capitalized on my disorientation and pain.
'Too fast!'
I couldn't lock on with my sensing.
'Fu.. argh!'
My attempt to find the man was answered with a painful bite into my thigh.
My spin again turned into a tumble as I spotted a single Shuriken buried halfway into my flesh. Balance gone, I gritted my teeth, and instead of bracing myself, formed a misshapen version of the Ram seal.
'Shadow Clone: Orochi!'
A leg sprouted from my hip at an odd angle, but it was enough to turn my fall into an awkward stumble.
Disorientated but on my feet, I finally got a moment of reprieve and only now realized that almost all of my mist had dissipated.
Panting and with wide alert eyes, I instantly zeroed in on my tormentor standing calmly a dozen feet away.
His breathing was just as calm as when we had started whenever that may have been.
My finger twitched, and I met his gaze.
'Demonic Illus...'
"That's enough," a voice sliced through my singlemindedness and broke my concentration. I blinked and watched my opponent bow toward the stands.
I blinked again and felt my mind finally catch up.
Straightening, I adopted a relaxed expression. Fake or not, that was anyone's guess as far as I was concerned.
Gaze still straight ahead, my right hand developed a healthy and vibrant green glow while my left went for the shuriken in my thigh. Despite the mess and the drama I created, I didn't dare forget that this was still an evaluation of my skills, and I would not miss a chance to show off my medical capabilities, superfluous or not.
Little offender ripped out and casually tossed back to Gai, I felt my flesh and skin knit itself back together under my pants and finally turned to face the audience.
Respectful bow included naturally.
"That's the guy that taught you?" Shikamaru asked in tightly controlled disbelief.
"The guy who, according to Hinata, was about to murder Kakashi-sensei?" he added to clarify exactly what had just happened.
Ashen-faced, Naruto and Kiba simply exchanged glances.
"Something must have happened on his last mission," Naruto mumbled, confused and horrified, but still determined to defend his friend.
"Yeah," Kiba nodded in agreement. He wasn't the only one whose mind flashed to the picture in the bingo-book.
"You sure you couldn't tell what happened during the last fight?" Sasuke asked Hinata, involuntarily garnering the attention of Sakura and Ino, who had been content to keep quiet given their unfamiliarity with the teen in question.
"I'm sorry, but I…, they were too fast to follow," Hinata apologized meekly, which was simply waved away by Sasuke.
"Don't worry."
"Do you think there are more of his kind, Sasuke?" Sakura asked nervously, the prospect of entering the Chunin Exam and the idea of such monsters near their age not sitting well with her at all.
Her train of thought gaining traction in the minds of the others as well now.
Except for Kiba and Naruto.
"I'm gonna ask the Old Man just what the fuck happened to him," Naruto declared and despite the crass language, there was an uncharacteristic seriousness about him.
###
Author Note:
Better than nothing, right? This a little chapter to force me back into writing with the intent to finish this story (First Part) now that I have a coherent plan mapped out and to get into the million plot bunnies (and old stories), that genuinely intrigue me.
"Asuma, take Kakashi and get him to the hospital, and keep him steady! Kurenai, keep your attention on the internal bleeding!" Gai fired off his instructions, and you would be forgiven for mistaking them for orders, given that his voice allowed no argument.
"Hai!" Both Jonin chorused in unison, and I couldn't help but get the impression of fresh Genins in front of their Jonin instructor. It spoke volumes about the sheer amount of respect the man in front of me has earned during his career.
Seeing his injured friend in safe and capable hands, Gai finally turned around and fixated on me with an unreadable stare.
"That was excessive," he began in a surprisingly neutral tone before a minute frown made its way onto his features, "and uncalled for."
I remained quiet for a moment. I simply couldn't tell what he was thinking. Was he angry? Disappointed? Perhaps it was a combination of both or something entirely different, like pity or disgust.
Still...
"Excessive, yes," I agreed lightly, "uncalled for, perhaps," I continued with a shrug before I stood straight. "I wasn't wrong, however!" I finished with absolute conviction.
Hearing his comrades depart, Gai shifted and finally faced me fully. Now it was only the two of us down in the arena.
Sensing no shift in the audience or some other form of intervention, I was getting more and more the impression of another fight looming.
The man in front of me was already flexing his chakra at rapid intervals, expertly combating potential genjutsus. This fight was literally going to be an entirely different beast. My worst nightmare; someone better and prepared.
Only a handful of heartbeats went by, but I already felt stuck in a tight spot. I needed more time to think, dammit!
"Your student dies," I began with something stark, my tone suggesting a hypothetical scenario while my eyes flickered to my weapons still stuck in the ground where Kakashi had lain.
'Fuck!'
"Someone had been sent to relieve them or support them, someone with adequate rank, someone expected to succeed," I continued in the same tone while Gai unsealed worn but heavy-looking nun chucks.
'Double-Fuck!'
"He fails! Perhaps he dies trying," my tone gained a hint of condemnation at the end, "he fails because he didn't meet expectations; he fails because he hadn't tried in training." I paused as if I was giving us a chance to let that scenario sink in, while in truth, I paused in concentration.
My chakra control stretched to its absolute limit.
Water chakra was permeating my surroundings in what I guessed was a ten-meter radius, desperately searching and clinging to every available water droplet in the air.
Even more water chakra gathered in my mouth, disguised by the fact that I was appearing to be content to wait for an answer from my opponent.
"Lif..." Gai had barely opened his mouth to reply when I finally felt the cloak of chakra that covered my entire body be sufficient.
My right hand shot up from my side, already in a one-handed tiger seal.
'Water Release: Wild Water Wave,'
'Hiding in Mist Technique,'
Not an attack, but unfocused. A widespread screen to break his line of sight spewed forth. Simultaneously, all around me, a heavy mist shimmered into existence, not unlike a smoke bomb.
My hand, still in its upward motion, seamlessly transitioned into the Ram seal while I hastily jumped back and to the side.
'Hiding with Camouflage Technique,'
Decent but not perfect, I thought with slight chagrin the second my 'invisibility' spread over me. Given the hasty application and the mist on top, it would have to do, I reckoned with something that barely qualified as hope.
Plan in mind, I barely moved a foot...
A step to the side and what would have been a thrust with the butt of the nun chucks to my left shoulder, and a world of pain was thankfully reduced to a clipped body check as a man-sized missile plowed through the spot I just vacated.
I felt my fucking hair ruffle by the sheer force of the man's passing.
The second my feet touched the ground during my rough tumble, I slipped into a Shunshin. Direction and grace were unimportant; I needed to get away!
Another Shunshin!
I felt movement through the air!
Another Shun...
'Argh!'
I barely held in the grunt as I skidded over the hard-packed dirt.
Never EVER before was I punched mid-move.
Mind and movement on auto-pilot, I guided the rotational force of my tumble into a spinning motion that would have made a Hyuuga spit in disgust. The second my fingertips pointed outward, wind chakra exploded as far as possible, poised to slice into my attacker's guts in case he capitalized on my disorientation and pain.
'Too fast!'
I couldn't lock on with my sensing.
'Fu.. argh!'
My attempt to find the man was answered with a painful bite into my thigh.
My spin again turned into a tumble as I spotted a single Shuriken buried halfway into my flesh. Balance gone, I gritted my teeth, and instead of bracing myself, formed a misshapen version of the Ram seal.
'Shadow Clone: Orochi!'
A leg sprouted from my hip at an odd angle, but it was enough to turn my fall into an awkward stumble.
Disorientated but on my feet, I finally got a moment of reprieve and only now realized that almost all of my mist had dissipated.
Panting and with wide alert eyes, I instantly zeroed in on my tormentor standing calmly a dozen feet away.
His breathing was just as calm as when we had started whenever that may have been.
My finger twitched, and I met his gaze.
'Demonic Illus...'
"That's enough," a voice sliced through my singlemindedness and broke my concentration. I blinked and watched my opponent bow toward the stands.
I blinked again and felt my mind finally catch up.
Straightening, I adopted a relaxed expression. Fake or not, that was anyone's guess as far as I was concerned.
Gaze still straight ahead, my right hand developed a healthy and vibrant green glow while my left went for the shuriken in my thigh. Despite the mess and the drama I created, I didn't dare forget that this was still an evaluation of my skills, and I would not miss a chance to show off my medical capabilities, superfluous or not.
Little offender ripped out and casually tossed back to Gai, I felt my flesh and skin knit itself back together under my pants and finally turned to face the audience.
Respectful bow included naturally.
"That's the guy that taught you?" Shikamaru asked in tightly controlled disbelief.
"The guy who, according to Hinata, was about to murder Kakashi-sensei?" he added to clarify exactly what had just happened.
Ashen-faced, Naruto and Kiba simply exchanged glances.
"Something must have happened on his last mission," Naruto mumbled, confused and horrified, but still determined to defend his friend.
"Yeah," Kiba nodded in agreement. He wasn't the only one whose mind flashed to the picture in the bingo-book.
"You sure you couldn't tell what happened during the last fight?" Sasuke asked Hinata, involuntarily garnering the attention of Sakura and Ino, who had been content to keep quiet given their unfamiliarity with the teen in question.
"I'm sorry, but I…, they were too fast to follow," Hinata apologized meekly, which was simply waved away by Sasuke.
"Don't worry."
"Do you think there are more of his kind, Sasuke?" Sakura asked nervously, the prospect of entering the Chunin Exam and the idea of such monsters near their age not sitting well with her at all.
Her train of thought gaining traction in the minds of the others as well now.
Except for Kiba and Naruto.
"I'm gonna ask the Old Man just what the fuck happened to him," Naruto declared and despite the crass language, there was an uncharacteristic seriousness about him.
###
Author Note:
Better than nothing, right? This a little chapter to force me back into writing with the intent to finish this story (First Part) now that I have a coherent plan mapped out and to get into the million plot bunnies (and old stories), that genuinely intrigue me.
Yay, it's back! Reading this fic helped me start my own naruto si