Chapter 5: The Hokage's Summons
"S...Sensei, are you serious?"
Shadow Clone Jutsu? That was a way more advanced jutsu than the basic Clone Jutsu. Even those arrogant jerks in class rarely dared to try it.
And Iruka-sensei was going to teach him? This was beyond anything Naruto could have imagined.
No one, his entire life, had ever said he had talent. No one had ever been willing to teach him an advanced jutsu.
"Of course I'm serious. But the Shadow Clone Jutsu requires a high degree of chakra control, so listen carefully."
Iruka cleared his throat and began to explain. "The basic Clone Jutsu just creates an illusion. But a Shadow Clone creates a solid, physical body, and it can even share your chakra. The hand seal is simple, too. With your talent, Naruto, I'm sure you can learn it."
As Iruka spoke, he demonstrated.
He crossed his hands. "Watch closely. This is the final step."
As his voice fell, there was a soft poof, and two perfect copies of Iruka appeared beside him.
All three Irukas spoke in unison: "How was that, Naruto? Did you see the hand seal clearly?"
Naruto puffed out his chest and slapped it, thump-thump. "Don't worry! How could I not learn a simple hand seal like that?"
With that, he immediately struck a pose and began to copy Iruka's hand seal.
But the movements, which had looked so clear just a second ago, felt incredibly awkward in his own hands. No matter how he positioned his fingers, it just felt... weird.
Still, not wanting to disappoint Iruka-sensei, he steeled himself and shouted, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
The expected clone didn't appear. Instead, the chakra he'd kicked up just stirred a cloud of dust, making him cough.
When the dust settled, there was no one there but him.
Naruto's proud grin froze on his face, as if someone had just dumped a bucket of ice water over his head.
He stared blankly at his hands, all his earlier bravado gone, replaced by pure, mortified confusion.
"H...How did this..." he muttered.
The three Irukas glanced at each other, then all three stepped forward at once.
The Iruka in the middle reached out and ruffled Naruto's hair, his voice holding no blame at all. "Don't rush it. The Shadow Clone Jutsu isn't as simple as you think. First, you need to..."
The clone on the left crouched down, took Naruto's hand, and began to correct his form. "See, this seal is like this... fingertips aligned, wrist relaxed..."
The clone on the right added, "And your chakra output is unstable. When you make the seal, the chakra has to flow evenly with the movements. You can't just dump it all out at once."
Just as Iruka was patiently instructing Naruto, an ANBU operative arrived.
"Iruka. The Hokage summons you."
The exact same thing was happening at another training ground.
"Lee!"
"Seeing you so full of health... it makes me so happy, Sensei!"
"Guy-sensei, me too!"
On the training ground, two green-clad figures, one large and one small, were locked in a tearful embrace.
"To commemorate this youthfulness, I've decided... to run 500 laps around Konoha!"
"Stop, stop! Why is running laps the first thing we do?!" Tenten stared, dead-eyed, at the two men sobbing in each other's arms.
Having just returned from the Great Shinobi War, the only thing she wanted to do was sleep, sleep, and more sleep.
"Everyone? Am I late?" A clear voice called from the entrance.
"Neji!!!"
Tenten, who had just been complaining about the green duo, was now clinging to Neji Hyuga like a koala.
"Ugh... Tenten, it hasn't even been a full night since we last saw each other. Is this really necessary?"
He tried to elbow her off, but she just wrapped around him tighter, like an octopus, wrinkling the back of his beige training uniform.
Tenten rested her chin on Neji's shoulder. "Ah, Neji, you have no idea... I almost never saw you again."
"Hey, hey! There are two other living people here, you know!" Lee jumped up, wiping away his tears.
Guy, however, was as composed as ever, as if he hadn't been the one crying a moment ago.
"In that case, it seems Neji... doesn't have those memories."
"Those memories?" Neji finally managed to untangle himself from the octopus. "Don't tell me you all did something shady behind my back?"
"Shady?" Guy-sensei suddenly did three and a half backflips, landing in a bodybuilder's signature pose, popping two buttons on his green vest. "It was a pact hotter than youth itself! Lee, repeat the oath we made in the medical tent!"
"Yes, Guy-sensei!" Lee snapped to attention, but just as he was about to speak, two ANBU operatives dropped down in front of them.
"Might Guy, the Hokage summons you."
"The Hokage? Right now?"
"It's an emergency meeting."
After the ANBU left, Guy scratched his head, confused.
"That voice was so familiar... Do I know someone in the ANBU? And... are there even any ANBU with white hair anymore?"
Inside the Hokage's office, there were only five people. The two great Elders and Danzo, having heard the news, had rushed over.
The three old men and one old woman sat near the window, but their expressions betrayed their inner turmoil.
Tsunade sat opposite them, as if she were a judge.
"Hiruzen, is what you said true or not?" Koharu Utatane put down the report and turned to demand an answer from Sarutobi.
Sarutobi just took a long drag from his pipe, saying nothing.
Seeing she'd get no answer, she looked to Danzo.
If there was a secret Sarutobi didn't know, Danzo would.
Danzo sat in the shadows, his right hand perpetually hidden in his sleeve.
He glanced at Koharu, a low, humorless chuckle rumbling in his throat. "Koharu, you should know... some things aren't that Hiruzen won't say. It's that he can't."
Tsunade, sitting at the desk, crossed her arms, her golden hair obscuring half her face.
She stared at the three village elders by the window.
Homura Mitokado's hand, holding the report, was visibly trembling. A strand of Koharu's hair had come loose from her bun. Even Danzo, normally the most composed of them all, was radiating an aura of... decay.
"Can't say what?" Tsunade pressed. "Are you afraid I'll find out about your secret deals with Orochimaru? Or are you afraid I'll dig up old stories about Root assassinating Konoha shinobi?"
Danzo finally rose from the shadows, his bandaged face turning toward Tsunade. "Tsunade, watch your words. Root has only ever existed to protect Konoha."
"Even if you really are the Fifth Hokage, you have no right to order us around now."
"Right?" Tsunade rolled up her sleeve. "My fist is the right."
"When Nawaki died on the battlefield, you said, 'It must be kept secret for the village.' When Dan's body was hidden away, you said, 'We can't risk morale.' And now, you're still trying to brush me off?"
"Enough." Sarutobi finally spoke. "We can deal with that later. The priority right now is to figure out exactly how many people know about this."