Chapter 3
How should I put this... Life's taken a funny turn.
I've been living in Konoha for almost half a year now, training as a shinobi. Yeah, funny. The whole situation I landed in was pretty weird and ambiguous right from the start. The moment they let me out of the ANBU holding cells, I got another "invitation" from the old lady Hokage — for tea and pastries, so to speak. Even back then it was obvious what they wanted from me. The biggest idiot could've figured it out: they want me — or rather, my ability to suppress "evil." I really screwed up by showing off my skills, and now I'm clearly under the curious gaze of a whole lot of "important" people. Honestly, I ought to be curled up in a corner tearing my hair out, because after a demonstration that obvious, they're not gonna leave me alone. Yeah, they say it for a reason — no good deed goes unpunished.
"Well, you stepped in it, now wriggle your way out, Nagisa-kun," I sighed inwardly. Wonder how many times that makes in the last few days?
Then again, I'm probably being too dramatic. All in all, things went relatively well. At that tea party — the tea was delicious, by the way! — the kind old lady in white and red smiled and asked about my future plans. Where I wanted to go, what I wanted to see... and whether I might be interested in a little training? The hints she was dropping — you'd have to be completely clueless not to catch them. And I'm not clueless. To put it plainly, they were dropping some pretty broad hints toward a career as a Leaf shinobi, under Hokage-sama's direct supervision!
It was to be expected. After thinking over what happened a bit more, I figured these episodes with the jinchuriki probably weren't that rare. Which, by the way, got confirmed during my talk with the Kage.
Honestly, it was a really strange conversation: I know the Hokage "needs" me for something; she knows I know; and I know she knows I know she knows... And so on.
And the funniest part? I wasn't against it! If only because I realized they wouldn't leave me in peace anyway. So it made sense to settle under someone's wing, get myself a patron. From that angle, Sarutobi looked like the best and most pleasant option compared to her opponents. I definitely don't want to end up in Root! Plus, the Hokage made no secret of her interest, and by local standards she was practically spelling it out. That kind of approach... is disarming. Yeah, disarming. At least, that's how it is for me.
Though, to be honest, I had absolutely zero desire to become some local cutthroat. Still, I tried to find at least a few pluses in my situation. And I even found a couple — the training, for one. Knowledge is never wasted, and learning to use chakra properly is absolutely vital for me. Everything I'd managed on my own looked pretty pathetic next to what other shinobi could do. Even fresh genin! Seriously — it stung a bit to be on the same level as ten- and eleven-year-old kids. Even knowing they'd been trained since early childhood, purposefully and professionally, while I was just a self-taught amateur... didn't exactly lift my mood.
Over this stretch of time, I've talked with the Kage more than a few times. There was no shortage of topics, but mostly we discussed "our" problem — Uzumaki Naruko. Or rather, the Hokage talked, filling me in. They explained what "jinchuriki" are and what role they play in the life of the Great Villages. They also gave me a quick rundown on Naruko herself. Naturally, they didn't tell me anything significant like who her parents were — that's above my clearance — just the basic facts: orphan, host of the Nine-Tails, parents died defending the Village, no relatives near or far.
The situation around the jinchuriki is... idiotic. I just can't find another word for it. Truly idiotic, stupid, and barbaric beyond belief. In short, it all boils down to one phrase: "Neither for us, nor for anyone else!" Several influential factions are angling for the jinchuriki, and from what I gather, there's more than two of them. And each one wants the "honor" of "raising" the Village's Weapon. And, by default, planting their own ideas in said Weapon's blonde little head. Having influence over the jinchuriki means gaining huge leverage in the Village's internal politics. Naturally, nobody wants a rival faction getting that kind of boost — and that's exactly what would happen. So the Parties reached something like an agreement, with clear terms: nobody touches the jinchuriki. Meaning — at all. Certain boundaries have been set, and crossing them is strongly discouraged. And if anyone stretches their naughty little hands toward Naruko, all the other Interested Parties are ready to stomp those hands pretty thoroughly — if not rip them off entirely.
Of course, the Hokage didn't tell me that directly. Didn't even hint at it. I filled in the blanks myself — wasn't that hard. So why did Sarutobi tell me all of this? That part's simple: the old woman's earning points with me now, so she can cash them in for loyalty later. My loyalty — to her, naturally. If she hadn't made the first move, others would've started making their moves on me. And their moves would've been so subtle I'd never have guessed what they were until it was way too late. That's another reason to bow specifically to the Kage. This way, at least I know for sure I'm being used — and I even have a rough idea what for.
And you know what? She's actually pulling it off. At least, aside from the deliberate omissions, the picture the Hokage painted lines up pretty neatly with the canon I know. With a few adjustments, of course. Besides, I wanted to believe that Sarutobi isn't some nasty old hag with a manipulative streak — just a Ruler. And as a Ruler, she's obligated to look after the Village, whatever that looking-after might involve. Even though the situation with Uzumaki — basically abandoned with no upbringing at all — drives me absolutely insane, when I think about it rationally, I've concluded it could've been a lot worse. That's no excuse for what happened, of course. But I can understand it. The big shots are still fighting over the steering wheel and can't agree on who gets it — miraculously managing not to rip it out of its mountings just yet.
What can I say?.. I need to run. Get out of here! But who's gonna let me go now?
"Hah... my life's a tin can!" I sigh, setting the scroll aside. I massage my tired eyes with my fingers, feeding a little healing chakra into them. The itching and the "sand" start to fade. It's amazing how much I've learned during my time in Konoha. Ha — no surprise, with that kind of motivation! When you want to live, you'll bend over backwards, and I very much wanted to live. So I had to push myself to the limit just to drag myself up to the level of a mediocre genin. At least in terms of basic stats. Though, looking at my exam results, my chakra reserves aren't exactly impressive — let's just say they're definitely not big. Could've been worse if I hadn't trained on my own, so all's not lost — my System and Core haven't "ossified," meaning further growth is still possible. But honestly, the shinobi I'm turning into is... underwhelming. Physical conditioning below average, chakra below average, combat skills — not even worth mentioning. Techniques and other ninpo aren't great either — thanks to those same limited reserves, most chakra-hungry offensive techniques are out of my reach. No particular talent for genjutsu — chakra-based illusions and hypnosis — has been detected either. Hand-to-hand... no comment. Sensory abilities are slightly better, but really selective: I can detect and identify Naruko as a jinchuriki fairly easily, but an ordinary shinobi? Only if they're not masking at all and aren't too far away. Best progress has been in medical ninjutsu and sealing jutsu. That's where I've focused most of my attention. Medicine is, you could say, my salvation. Even if I can never fight at the level of a strong chunin, having medical ninjutsu bumps up my survival odds a little. And chakra reserves don't play as big a role here. Seals, on the other hand... turned out to be familiar territory. The basics of sealing were really similar to the methods I used for making my amulets and talismans. The principles and construction were pretty much the same — and they needed calculations too — so I picked it up fairly fast.
Yeah, I make for a pretty "so-so" shinobi. Though my teachers haven't lost their optimism... or their sadism — squeezing every last drop of blood and sweat out of me.
On the other hand, my personal abilities that aren't tied to chakra do help balance things out a bit. I didn't waste my time living at Amaterasu-sama's temple, after all! So in the mystical field, my progress has been a lot more significant.
I've also been experimenting, mixing... well, let's call my abilities "onmyodo" (calling them "sorcery" doesn't sit right with me) with ninpo. Some things are even working, though I'm not sure about the effectiveness yet.
Lightning flashed outside the window.
"Heh... Kuwabara, kuwabara..." I said with a smile, climbing onto the windowsill. A little habit of mine. Actually, repeating "Kuwabara" during a thunderstorm is supposed to be a kind of charm against misfortune and lightning strikes — roughly meaning "Stay away from me, stay away!" For me, though, saying "kuwabara" in the rain just became a habit somehow. I'm not scared of getting struck by lightning at all. I just... I just feel like doing it, that's all. Murmuring "kuwabara-kuwabara" while the rain falls. Maybe I just like the sound of my own voice against the hiss of the sky's droplets?
My work's about to start soon. In principle, it already started when I accepted the Hokage's offer. It's just that up till now, I've only occasionally watched Naruko from a distance, or been called in for "emergencies" — and even then I was mostly just observing. Truth is, the blonde girl's episodes aren't that frequent — they're more of a rarity. Most of the time, especially during moments of intense emotional stress, she just starts radiating the Nine-Tails' emanations, causing unconscious anxiety and unease in people around her. During those times, they don't even bother her — just give her time to calm down, or carefully and discreetly "switch her off." Usually, once she comes to, the girl's no longer pouring those nasty vibes into the space around her.
Yeah. The new graduation from the Academy's central wing — where the most talented kids study, plus most of the clan heirs — is coming up soon. Then team assignments, and then my work. I've already been told I'll be "attached" to Naruko's team. My job: monitor her condition and act if necessary. I'm actually curious how the Hokage pulled it off. The People In The Know probably have good reason to see me as her protégé, even though the old lady demonstratively doesn't show me any special favor and keeps our interactions to the bare minimum. And here I am, living practically on credit! Expenses for food, training, all the rest — I'll have to pay it all back out of future "missions." Grim.
"Nagisa Kaoru, correct?"
"Hello." I bowed my head with a friendly smile. The time's finally come. "And you are?.."
"Hatake Akashi." The shinobi's single eye narrowed. Taller than me, messy gray hair, left eye covered by a hitai-ate with the Leaf insignia, black clothes with a jonin's green vest over them — hiding a modest chest. A cloth mask covered the lower half of her face. Akashi, surprisingly, was practically an exact copy of her Kakashi-self, just rendered female. "Mmmaa... I didn't want to take on any students, but if those are Hokage-sama's orders... So listen, Kaoru-kun: from this moment on, you're listed as my personal apprentice, so you can now address me as Akashi-sensei. I don't know what I can offer you in terms of training — we'll think about that later. For now, your first order: be on the grounds of the main Academy in four hours. You know where that is? Good. We'll meet there. Later."
Poof! Akashi gave a very charismatic eye-smile and vanished in a cloud of white smoke. A Shadow Clone, maybe?... Who knows. She does have a really nice smile, though — even with her face practically hidden.
Four hours, huh?.. Well, fine. Four hours it is. Although, from what I've heard, the team assignments should be starting soon?.. Ah, well, this is Kakashi — even if now he's a she named Akashi. Looks like her (his) personality hasn't changed one bit.
What to do in the meantime?.. I think I'll hit the library. Then grab something to eat... No, the other way around — eat first, then books.
"Evening draws near.
The fear of crows is gone—
Only bleakness."
I jotted down in my notebook. In my opinion, the haiku came out pretty well. I've been sitting on the steps for almost two hours now, and Akashi still hasn't shown. Maybe a slightly tardy woman is even kind of charming, but most people find that sort of thing irritating. At least, having visited the library, I brought a couple of scrolls home, so the wait hasn't been totally boring. Kami-sama, if this becomes a regular thing... No, this is definitely going to become a regular thing! I'm sure of it. In that case, I guess I shouldn't expect any coherent training from her either.
How lamentable. OH!!! Gotta write that down!
"Waiting for the late woman—
The cold wind bites.
The hopelessness of being..."
"Yo!"
"Wah?!" I jumped on the spot. "Akashi-san! Don't startle me like that! Kami-sama, my heart nearly stopped."
Honestly... What an unpleasant woman! Crept up practically right beside me and scared poor little me half to death.
"Mmaa... That was just a little test." The jonin's expressive eye curved into a "smile." "Unsatisfactory, Kaoru-kun. Your observation skills and environmental awareness are terrible. You should work on yourself more diligently. And I was barely even hiding."
She shook her head with a disappointed and pointedly demonstrative air.
Well, what can I say to that? To some extent she's undeniably right: if you want to be a shinobi, you can't let your guard down. It's just that the fact I'm currently in what's supposed to be a safe place is something Akashi's clearly ignoring. So what is this? An attempt to needle me? Expose my weaknesses? Or is it just the malicious personality of a certain one-eyed individual?
I'm at a loss. But I'll remember this.
Meanwhile, obeying a beckoning gesture, I follow Akashi through the empty corridors of the Academy. We climbed the stairs to the upper floor and slowly approached one of the doors. Muffled voices came from inside. Judging by the quiet sigh, Akashi had already noticed the "trap" — a chalk-dusted sponge wedged between the door frame and the door itself. I could physically feel her entire figure projecting a resigned air outwards: "Kami-sama, what did I do to deserve this?" She clearly had no desire to deal with children.
With a brief shrug, Akashi did what was expected of her: opened the door and stuck her head through the gap, predictably getting her hair "powdered" with chalk. Though there was absolutely no visual trace of it. The noise inside the classroom instantly died.
"Mmm... You know what?" the woman addressed the newly minted genin melancholically. "I don't like you."
"..." Barely audible muttering from behind the door.
"Hah... Fine." Patting her head, the jonin brushed the chalk from her hair. "Let's head up to the rooftop. We'll talk there."
And so. The rooftop, a beautiful sunset. I'm sitting a little ways off, watching the three genin. Two girls — a blonde and a brunette — and a pink-haired boy. Hm, that sounds kind of unusual. Identifying who's who is no trouble at all:
Naruko. A little blonde with her hair in two small pigtails, slightly tanned skin, and blue eyes. Her face is open, simple, and she's got those famous whisker-like marks on her cheeks. She's dressed in the equally famous orange jumpsuit, which genuinely makes her look like an orange on legs. Right now the girl's fidgeting impatiently, devouring Akashi with eyes full of excitement and eagerness. It looks like she might burst at any second from the sheer energy pouring out of her.
It suddenly occurred to me that, in another world, you could call her Usagi Tsukino.
Sasuke... Or rather, Sasuko. The Brooding Hedgehog! No, seriously — it fits her perfectly. The sullen, dark-haired girl with the "spiky" hairstyle just left no room for any other image in my mind. Especially when she snorted expressively, glancing sideways with those dark eyes toward Little Orange.
And then there's Sakura, who in this world has become Sakurai. A regular-looking guy with green eyes and pink hair. He stood about three to five centimeters taller than the girls — noticeable even while they were just sitting. He was casting shy glances toward the Brooding Hedgehog, muttering something under his breath. Judging by his expression, Sakurai's mind was currently off somewhere in his own little fantasies.
"Cherry." I immediately named him that, just like the other members of Team 7.
While I was studying them, Cherry, Little Orange, and Hedgehog were, in turn, studying me with curiosity, periodically glancing my way.
And I, for my part, watched them with just as much curiosity.
"Well then, let's introduce ourselves," Akashi said, seated across from the genin. "Go ahead."
"Huh? Um, sorry, sensei, but what exactly do you want to know?" Like a model student, Sakurai raised his hand and asked the question.
"Well, you know... What you like, what you don't like..." Akashi waved her hands vaguely. "Dreams, hobbies, goals?.. That sort of thing. Want me to give you an example? My name is Hatake Akashi, I hold the rank of jonin. What I like or don't like — I won't tell you. And my dreams are none of your concern. That's all."
"Ehhh?! But you barely told us anything!" Naruko bounced up. She looked at the sensei with almost childish hurt.
"Just a name..." Sakurai muttered under his breath, dumbfounded.
"Pf!"
"Well then, who wants to go first? Maybe y—"
"Hai-hai!!!" Uzumaki exclaimed, thrusting her hand up and cutting the jonin off mid-sentence. Oh, she's loud! A ringing voice, no doubt about it. She really seemed desperate to be first. Leaping to her feet, the girl struck her chest with a sweeping gesture: "I'm Uzumaki Naruko!!! I love eating yummy food! Especially at Ichiraku — they have the best ramen! I also love having fun! And lots of other things! I don't like being hungry or studying boring homework... hee-hee..." Uzumaki flashed a full thirty-two-tooth grin and scratched the back of her head. "My goals!!! I'm gonna become a super-awesome kunoichi! I'll surpass the old lady Hokage and take her place! And then everyone will acknowledge me!"
Naruko spoke with such sincerity and confidence that I felt like applauding! She didn't seem to doubt for a second that she'd achieve her goal. The directness, the confidence, the sincerity of this girl were astounding. She has incredibly powerful charisma. Could this be that legendary "Naruto Effect" — the one that turns even enemies into allies?
Not just me — Akashi, too, seemed to feel that Something in the blonde's words. At the very least, her eye-smirk didn't look mocking. More like... "intrigued." Don't ask me how I figured that out — Akashi just has very expressive "eye-mimicry."
"And my hobbies are... well..."
"Alright, alright, that's enough." Akashi cut off the monologue, which looked like it could've gone on a lot longer. Naruko had plenty to say. "Let your friend have a turn too. Next?"
"Uchiha Sasuko." Wincing at the word "friend," the Uchiha muttered. "There's a lot I don't like, and not much I do like. It's not a dream... but I have to restore my clan. Current objective: kill a certain person. That's all."
Short and to the point.
"Alright, now you," the jonin said with complete nonchalance, pointing a finger at Sakurai.
"Ah... Hai! My name is Haruno Sakurai. There's a lot I like... well..." The boy faltered. "And someone... too... I don't like Ino!" He abruptly jumped topics. "Dreams... well, there's something I dream about..."
"I see." Akashi stated it flatly, watching the boy. Judging by his glances, it was already obvious. "Now you."
"Eh?! And who's he?!"
"Ara?.. Me too?!"
"But... sensei!! We've already got a full team!" Sakurai protested. "He's gonna be with us?! Why do we need an extra person?"
"Well... since he's my personal apprentice, there's no issue." Hatake smiled. "Come on, Kaoru-kun... I don't have a lot of time, you know?" She hurried me along. "Please, introduce yourself to everyone."
"Mm... Alright." Under the three curious gazes, I got to my feet. "Pleased to meet you. My name is Nagisa Kaoru. You can just call me by my first name. I can't say for sure what I like — there's too many things. Sweets, for example?.. I also like developing myself and my talents, though that's more a lifestyle than a preference. As for what I don't like, I can't say anything specific either... My dreams are pretty modest: to see this world and visit all kinds of interesting places. I don't have any clearly defined goals at the moment. I'm a little older than you, but I hope that won't stop us from becoming friends? So, pleased to meet you — Cherry-kun, Little Orange-chan, Hedgehog-chan!"
"Ehh?! Who're you calling 'Cherry'?!" The boy scowled.
"Umm... little... orange...?" The blonde tilted her head to the side in puzzlement and pressed a finger to her lips.
"Pfh." The Uchiha tried to scowl indignantly and proudly ignore it at the same time.
Whoops!.. Did I just blurt that out?.. Kinda slipped off my tongue.
"Mmaa... Well, now we're all acquainted!" Akashi concluded briskly, slapping her hands on her knees. And she seemed to be enjoying this. The moment her next words rang out, the kids instantly lost all interest in me: "Good. Starting tomorrow, we'll begin taking on missions."
"Hooray! Missions, missions!" Naruko rejoiced. "What'll it be?! Guarding a daimyo? Delivering a secret message?! Infiltrating a super-secret location?!!"
"Mmaa... But before that..." Akashi ignored Little Orange. "You'll undergo an additional training exercise."
"But sensei, didn't we train enough at the Academy?" Sakurai asked, surprised.
"This is a little different. It'll be a survival training exercise."
"Huh?! Survival?!"
"Hmmm?"
"Your opponent will be me. Prepare yourselves well. Bring all your weapons," the jonin instructed the genin. "In truth, this exercise is a very difficult test with a high elimination rate. Out of twenty-seven people, only nine will be accepted for shinobi duty — the rest get sent back to the Academy. The chance of failure is very high — sixty-six percent probability an applicant won't pass. On top of that, injuries aren't uncommon, and a lot of people end up in the hospital..."
The genin swallowed hard. With her whole demeanor, voice, and posture, Akashi was diligently pouring dread into the kids. Even I felt a slight chill from her melancholic-yet-serious tone.
"Wh... what the hell?! Why do we gotta take some stupid exam anyway?! We already proved ourselves plenty! We worked so hard!" Naruko exploded.
"Ah... Well, it's to weed out all the useless incompetents and pick out the ones who've got at least some chance of becoming full-fledged shinobi," Akashi informed them with a sweet eye-smile in a matter-of-fact tone. "So judge for yourselves and think carefully whether you really want to be shinobi. I'm warning you: I'll be merciless. Heh-heh-heh..."
"Fine! Whatever it is, whatever the enemy — I'll beat 'em!!"
"Pheh..." Sasuko sneered dismissively.
"Ano..." Sakurai was the most anxious of all.
"Alright. Here are your handouts: everything you need to know is in there." The woman handed the kids a stack of papers. "Oh, and they also include a waiver stating I won't be held responsible for any physical or psychological injuries sustained during the test. If your resolve is strong — don't forget to sign. Ah, yes. You too, Kaoru-kun."
"Hai..." I took the several stapled sheets. Let's see what we've got here... Pursuant to regulation such-and-such of year such-and-such, the instructor shall conduct a test... items required to bring... The instructor has full authority to... The instructor bears no responsibility for wounds, maiming... Name, date, signature.
Brr! What a horrifying document. Everything's laid out so vividly, yet so dryly. The short version of the test participation agreement: "If your leg gets torn off — your own damn fault." I see the kids have reached that part too. Sasuko pressed her lips together and shot the teacher a venomous glare; Sakurai swallowed with a hitch; Naruko fidgeted on her rear end even harder.
"Well then, I'll expect you early tomorrow morning at Training Ground 7. Oh, and I advise you not to eat breakfast — unless you want to throw up."
"Th-throw up?" Uzumaki's eyes went wide. "Is it gonna be that hard?!"
"Heh-heh... You'll find out tomorrow. Bye-bye." Akashi vanished in a puff of white smoke. Another clone? I really need to come up with a way to tell them apart.
"Ah!! She ran off!"
"W-well, I don't think it's as scary as sensei made it sound..." Sakurai bravely attempted. "I think she exaggerated a little, right, Sasuko-chan? We'll definitely manage..."
"Pff..." The brunette crumpled the handout in her fingers and shoved it into her pocket. "I'm going home."
"Yes, you're right as always, Sasuko-chan! We need to start preparing right now..."
"Don't worry, Sakurai-kun! I'll handle everything myself! I'll beat Akashi and pass the test! Hey, wait, Sakurai-kun! Let's walk home together?"
"Baka, I live in the opposite direction..."
"Oh, Sakurai-kun?! Sakurai-kuuun, come on!!"
"Pff!.."
"Na-ru-ko!"
Chattering noisily, the genin left the rooftop, leaving me all alone. Ha, looks like they completely forgot about me? Oh well.
After sitting a while longer and enjoying the sunset, I headed home too.
"What a day... So much time wasted..." I lamented inwardly about Akashi and her unpunctuality as I leaped across the rooftops. I'd mastered walking on vertical surfaces almost immediately (since I'd trained it before, even before coming to Konoha), and once here, I learned how to travel along the "upper paths." I'm not half bad at it, but I still need practice, so I never miss a chance to sharpen my skills just a little more. With my level of strength, I need to be able to run far and fast if I want to stay alive and healthy.
Alright, time to figure out my plans for the evening. And the night. Since Akashi "ate" today, I should revise my schedule for the rest of the day. Think I'll dedicate the remaining time to control training and chakra work. Physical conditioning can wait till tomorrow, same as the scrolls. And since I already have a rough idea of tomorrow's program, no need to prepare specially. Neither me nor the genin stand any real chance of beating a jonin anyway. So no point in overdoing it.
Oh, and here's home. By the way, I forgot to mention: I'm moving soon. Gonna live in the same dormitory building as Naruko. We'll be neighbors — sharing a wall! Actually, hardly anyone lives there: nobody wants to be near the jinchuriki, so the building's got plenty of vacant rooms.
"Mmm..." I murmured, surveying the two lonely boxes in the middle of the empty room. Not a lot of stuff I have, really. On the bright side, packing's quick and easy. "Oh well... Now where's that refrigerator?.."