Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

BOOM!

KATHOOM-BOOM!

“KRRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

“This is Captain Ikkaku, requesting reinforcements at the Southwest Garrison, Sector 2, stat!”

“Acknowledged. Squads 6, 9, and 13, report to Southwest Garrison Sector 2 immediately.”

“Lord Third, we need as many units as possible at the main marketplace. We still have several civilians in critical condition here that we need to get to shelter!”

“Call in any and all remaining genin to assist with evacuation, rescue, and emergency field medicine. Have them keep the civilians stabilized until they can be brought to safety.”

“But sir—”

“Remember your orders: all jōnin and chūnin, unless they have specific instructions to the contrary, should be assisting with engagement and containment of the demon. So get your asses to the garrison, NOW!”

“You hear that, Shikaku? How in the hell are we supposed to ‘contain’ this thing?”

“For right now, we do whatever we can to prevent the demon from causing further destruction until either the Hokage or our sealing specialists can find a way to neutralize this thing. And if that means simply beating it into the ground, well, good thing that’s YOUR specialty.”

“Speaking of, do we know where exactly the Hokage is? I haven’t seen him at all tonight…”

“I trust him to be working tirelessly to resolve this situation as we speak. Now let’s all stop asking inane questions and get moving!”

“I just hope my daughter’s alright…”

“She’ll be fine, Inoichi. Now eyes up! I see the demon beast ahead! Let’s move!”

“I make two over here! And three more under that rubble!”

“Alright, take care of the two over there. Kuromaru, get this kid to the medics, fast.”

“Yes, mistress.”

“Gaku! Help me over here with this rubble!”

“Lady Inuzuka, should you really be pushing yourself like this? Aren’t you still on maternity leave—”

“I'm off maternity leave as of three days ago, and more importantly, my fellow compatriots are dying. Now stop yammering about pointless shit like that, and help me get these folks out of here!”

“Mama! What’s going on? Where’s Kuromaru?”

“Hana, please get back—”

“Hana, honey, I promise you, everything is going to be fine. This will all be over soon and we’re all going to be OK.”

“I…I wanna help!”

“That’s very brave of you sweetheart. But if you want to help, go back to your brother and make sure he’s safe, OK?”

“OK…”

“That’s my girl. Alright Gaku, help me lift…oh shit, I need emergency field medicine here, stat!”

“Shouldn’t the Inuzukas be helping us with this?”

“They’re working on the other side of the village. Meaning we handle this side. This is Captain Hizashi, reporting in. All clear in this area. No remaining civilians.”

“Acknowledged. Move to the next area and do a sweep for any remaining injured civilians.”

“Hoheto speaking. You’d better double-time that sweep, Lord Hizashi. I think the beast is moving closer to the village.”

“Acknowledged. Moving out now. Quickly now, child, let's go.”

“Figures. The main house gets to sit pretty in the shelter while we’re quite literally thrown to the beasts.”

“Watch your tone, child! This is no time for such petty thoughts. You are here to serve your village and save the lives of your fellows, and that is a high honor that you should be ready and willing to take on with grace. Am I understood?”

“Y-yes, Lord Hizashi.”

“Good. Now let’s move out!”

KA-RACK! BOOM!

“All squads! Sector 2 of the Southwest Garrison has sustained heavy damage; the beast has made contact with the bulk of our forces here and the village proper is exposed! Multiple casualties already reported! We need defensive specialists and more medics, stat!”

“Acknowledged. We can send some defense specialists your way, but I’ll have to keep you updated regarding medics.”

“Whatever you can send, we’ll take it. Just send them here fast!”

“Understood. Keep us up to date regarding the status of the beast.”

“My lord, what are our orders?”

“We are to hold back. Keep a protective perimeter around the civilians and ensure that no harm comes to them.”

“Are they serious?! What is the Hokage thinking?! We are one of the Noble Clans of the Hidden Leaf! We should be out on the front lines, fighting this demon head-on!”

“As much as I hate to agree with you, this does feel like an obvious waste of our skills.”

“I understand your frustrations, believe me. But this is quite frankly not the time to be thinking such things. For right now, we follow our orders and fulfill our number one duty as the Hidden Leaf Village’s Police Force: keep the people safe.”

“…Understood, my lord.”

“Let me go!”

“No Iruka! Get back!”

“My mom was in that blast! Where is she?!”

“Iruka, please, get back to the others!”

“MOM! DAD!”

1½ hours later

After a night of terror, of destruction, of heroism, and of unimaginable loss, things have suddenly begun to reach an eerie, quiet calm. Or at least, relative to the disaster that had just occurred.

Everyone saw the Fourth Hokage arrive atop his giant summoned toad, and they witnessed with hearts full of relief and inspiration as he battled the beast and drove it away from the village. But no one saw what happened after that. Most shinobi took the opportunity to resupply, refortify, tend to their wounded, and make more detailed status checks. As for civilians, only some managed to witness the beast being dragged off. But no one witnessed what occurred beyond that.

And yet, just a few miles east of the village’s walls, in a small forest clearing, an even more quiet calm has fallen. Only a few scant sounds can be heard: the heavy panting of a single woman, and the crying of two newborn children. The woman holds the two infants close. She no longer has the strength to stand, and is struggling to stay conscious due to the massive, bloody hole in her abdomen. But she spends every ounce of her remaining strength holding these two children close, not willing to let them go for anything.

“Shh, shh, easy little ones, it’ll be OK. Everything’s fine now. Mama’s here, mama’s got you. You're…going to be…OK……”

“Oh crap,” she thinks to herself, “My strength is fading. I can’t…hold on much longer. I’m so sorry, Minato. Please forgive me……my children………"

“This way! Over here!” Voices suddenly ring out through the night, grabbing the woman’s attention and giving her the focus needed to hold on for just a little while longer.

Lord Hiruzen Sarutobi, the former Third Hokage, decked out in full armor, crashes into the clearing with a small army of troops by his side. The scene before him drains all color from his face.

“Oh no……oh gods! Medics, emergency treatment, stat! Hokage, his wife, and their kids! Move!” He screams his orders in a borderline panic. He takes no more than a few seconds to recollect himself before he turns back to his platoon of Anbu.

“Anbu Team 1, report back to the village. Get us more medical assistance and ready rooms at the hospital. I want Tsunade herself to be ready for us! And if any soul questions you, you tell them that this order comes from Lord Sarutobi himself! Anbu Team 2, secure a perimeter. Outside of requested medical aid, I don’t want a single living creature within half a mile of this place. If anything gets close, take it down!” He finally turns back to the clearing. “Medics! Status report!”

“Lady Kushina is alive, but barely. We can buy her some time now, but she needs to get to the hospital immediately.”

“What of the children?”

“They’re fine, sir. Clearly shaken, but healthy.”

“Thank heavens. And Minato?”

“I'm sorry, my lord. He……didn’t make it.”

Hiruzen’s fists clench as tears begin to form. But he pushes that aside for now. He was aware of the possibility of this outcome. Besides, he’d have time to mourn his losses later. Right now, he needs to focus on who he can still save.

“I see……OK, how’s that emergency treatment coming?”

“We’ve just about done what we can, my lord. But I don’t think she can wait.”

“Alright then. Gather them up, we’re headed back to the village.” Hiruzen looks back to the tree line. “Fox!”

A single short Anbu drops before the Professor. Aside from their fox mask, their only distinguishing feature is a shock of spiky white hair. “Yes, my lord?”

“We have to get these three back to the village. I’ll guard Kushina, you guard the twins. Nothing and no one gets close. Understood?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Hopefully we’ll be able to rendezvous with team 1 before we get there.” Hiruzen turns back to the tree line once more. “Team 2, you stay here. Guard your Hokage, we’ll rendezvous back with you as soon as we’re able.” He doesn’t look back to the medic-nin, and has already broken out into a run, when he barks out his last order: “Back to the Hidden Leaf! Double time!”

Tsunade finally steps out of the operating room. She feels as though she’s been in there for hours. She doesn’t say a word, doesn’t address anyone. She just lets out a heavy sigh, wipes her brow, and collapses into a nearby chair. Though this reprieve ends up being very short lived.

“How is she?” Her old mentor stands over her, his expression a blend of panic, concern, and deathly seriousness. She lets out another sigh.

“She should be dead. But thanks to her natural Uzumaki resilience — that or miraculous luck — she’ll live. Though I have no idea when she’ll wake up.”

Lord Sarutobi lets out a large sigh of his own as he himself collapses into a chair next to his pupil. A single quiet moment passes, before he begins quietly sobbing.

“I failed them.” He simply says.

“No, no you didn’t.”

“I couldn’t save them. Minato, Biwako, Ikkaku and Kohari, so many civilians. I failed them all.”

Tsunade herself becomes filled with grief. She remembers her own pain, the many loved ones she herself lost. She takes a deep breath.

“Sensei, today you showed remarkable strength, skill, and overall leadership ability. You saved countless lives today; you failed no one.”

“I failed the ones who mattered most to me.”

“And they too, just like you, were willing to put everything on the line for the lives of those around them, as we saw tonight. If Biwako were here and you weren’t, and she were saying these things, how would you feel?”

He tries to parse his feelings and pick his words through his grief. He can only come to one conclusion.

“I would feel that my hard work and sacrifice is being insulted.”

“Exactly.” Tsunade puts a hand on his back. “Despite what some may call you, you’re not a god. So please try not to hold yourself to the standards of one. You went above and beyond the call of duty tonight, sensei. You’ve done the Hidden Leaf proud.”

He wipes away a tear. “Thank you, Tsunade.” He embraces her in a hug. “And you’ve done me proud as well.” But this tender moment, too, is short lived, as their attention is drawn to a cleared throat. They both turn and see another familiar face.

“Hello Tsunade, Sensei.” Jiraiya says with a surprisingly sincere tone that turns serious. “I hate to break up this tender moment, truly. But we need to chat.”

Hiruzen stands back up. “It’s about the children.”

Jiraiya wordlessly nods, then gestures for the two of them to follow as he turns back down the hallway.

Hiruzen, Tsunade, and Jiraiya stand before the maternity ward, all eyes locked on a set of sleeping twins, male and female, both with strange whisker-like markings on their cheeks. On the side of the girl’s crib is a name written in big bold letters: “NATSUMI.” On the boy’s crib, there is the name “NARUTO.”

“How do we know their names already?” Hiruzen asks.

Jiraiya smiles. “Minato and Kushina talked to me about potential baby names a month or so ago. Told me their first choices for both a boy and a girl. Decided to take initiative and just apply them here. But, that’s obviously not what we’re here to talk about.”

“Indeed.” Hiruzen's expression grows very dour as he turns to face Jiraiya. “It’s the Nine-Tailed Fox, isn't it?”

Jiraiya silently nods with a dark expression of his own. “It seems Minato used the Reaper Death Seal on the beast. Split it in half, and gave each kid a half.”

Tsunade, in comparison to the other two, looks bewildered. “He did what?! But then…that makes them—”

“Jinchūriki.” Hiruzen finishes. He pinches the bridge of his nose. “I cannot believe he did that. And after everything he knew Kushina went through for having that burden—”

“The beast was rampaging and he likely didn’t have many options.”

“But to go through with this one!”

“I don’t like it any more than you!” Jiraiya takes a deep breath and calms himself before continuing. “But none of that matters now. What’s done is done. Now, we need to figure out what our next steps are.”

"What do you mean?" Tsunade asks.

“Come on now. Twin children of the Fourth Hokage, legendary warrior of the last Shinobi World War? Not to mention they’re members of the fabled Uzumaki clan. And on top of all of that, they’re both Jinchūriki? Guarantee you, if word of these kids reaches the Stone or Cloud, every power-hungry shinobi from genin to Kage will be after their heads.” Jiraiya leans against the wall. This line of thinking is filling him with exhaustion and stress, and the night’s work has only exacerbated this. “So, what do we do?”

“Well, I think the other nations are going to find out about the kids’ existence sooner or later.” Tsunade says. “Minato was infamous enough that high-ranking shinobi knew of Kushina, and that was without her being an Uzumaki. Just having the twins under the same roof as her will cause them to put two and two together.”

“Do you suggest we separate her from the twins then?” Hiruzen asks.

“Oh yes, please let me know how well she takes THAT line of thinking.” Jiraiya says, his trademark sarcasm finally shining back through. “The Hot-Blooded Habanero of the Leaf loses her husband and risks death to save her twins, just to be told she can’t even raise them.”

“Fair…” Hiruzen himself shudders at that thought. He looks back down the hall, in the direction of the room Kushina's currently resting in. “For right now, let us wait until she wakes up. Then we can run over options with her.”

Tsunade looks back, her heart filled with nervous worry. “I hope that that’s soon.”

The morning comes in full, and with it, the people of the Hidden Leaf Village get to work. Most high-ranking shinobi secure the perimeter of the village, whereas the lower-ranking ones assist with cleanup, or even locating bodies. Even now, the total body count is not yet known.

The hospital, surprisingly, is no longer total chaos. It is still packed to bursting with all sorts of people with all manner of injuries, but with the initial rush of new casualties now stopped, things have settled into a rhythm, albeit a very high-energy fast-paced one. Nurses and medics rush from room to room, stabilizing patients, checking on wounds, and ensuring that as soon as someone is ready to leave, they do.

But on the other side of the hospital, in the maternity ward, the atmosphere is much different. Anbu armed to the teeth guard every path towards Kushina and the twins. No one is allowed nearby for any reason. Pregnant women and newborn infants must be treated elsewhere. Any and all messages for the Hokage, Third or Fourth, are left to the advisors. And only two extremely trusted midwives are allowed anywhere near the twins. Meanwhile, Hiruzen, Tsunade, and Jiraiya all take turns watching over Kushina by her bedside. The day drags on, and she does not wake. Dawn becomes morning, which stretches into afternoon and then evening. They begin to fear the worst.

But as the sun begins to set, painting the sky in a vibrant orange hue, Kushina begins to stir.

“Mmm…ah…what…” She barely has time to utter a word before Tsunade practically tackles her in an embrace.

“Kushina! Oh thank the gods! Stay here!” Tsunade bolts for the door. “Medic! She’s awake!”

Kushina sits up and rubs her head, trying to come to terms with her surroundings. It’s then that she begins to recollect what happened before she went out.

“Wait…Tsunade, where are my children? Where are my kids?!” She begins to sit up from the bed before Tsunade and a nurse rush to her.

“Kushina, please, stay seated.” Tsunade urges. “Your children are fine, we’ll bring them to you in a moment. But please, just stay calm.”

Kushina does sit back down, but how can she possibly be calm at a time like this? She has no idea what even happened after Minato……

She remembers what Minato did, and several new waves of grief overcome her. The loss of her husband, the attack on the village, but most of all, knowing the curse that has been set upon her kids. It all gives way to a kind of hollow numbness at the core of her being. It’s so much pain and tragedy that she can’t even cry or even feel the sorrow. She just feels…empty. Mercifully though, that feeling fades as soon as a nurse brings in her crying twin children.

“Oh, my babies.” As soon as she has them in their arms, she practically has them in a death grip. “Naruto…Natsumi…”

“Called it.” She turns her head to see Jiraiya standing in the doorway, alongside Lord Sarutobi, both beside Tsunade. Hiruzen looks to the nearby nurses.

“Leave us, please.” As soon as they exit, he makes a silent gesture to two nearby Anbu, and they leave the room to guard the doorway. Hiruzen pulls up a stool and sits by Kushina’s bed. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired.” Kushina says, though that much is obvious just from her voice. “Scared. Numb. Upset.” She looks to her children. “And overjoyed.”

Hiruzen gives a small smile. “Yes. Well I know you just woke up, and I hate to overwhelm you. But we need to have a discussion.” Kushina’s demeanor, as well as that of the other three shinobi in the room, becomes all business.

“Absolutely not. Hell no.”

“See? I told you so.”

It’s now deep into the night. The twins have finally fallen asleep, and Hiruzen has not only debriefed Kushina about the status of the village, but also of her children.

“There is absolutely no way in hell you will EVER separate me from the only family I have left!”

“Kushina, please, we are not going to separate you from your kids.” Hiruzen tried to reassure her.

“Well you just implied it!”

“The point I’m trying to make here is that your children are in danger, and we need to do what we can to keep them safe. Especially from Minato’s old foes in the Hidden Stone and Cloud. So we need to take some sort of precautionary measures.”

Kushina glances down at her kids. They look so gentle, so soft and innocent. She hates the fact that they’ve been a part of this world for less than a day and they’re already in danger, in so many ways, for reasons totally beyond their control. It’s like her own life story repeating itself: her children are damned for the circumstances of their birth.

For the first time today, she wants to cry. She would love nothing more than to ensure a normal life for her kids. But that’s not the hand this family was dealt. Besides, she was the Hot-Blooded Habanero! When did she ever accept the easy way in life? She swallows her tears and looks to Hiruzen.

“First thing’s obvious. No one, not even within the Hidden Leaf itself, learns of the twins being Jinchūriki.”

“We’re already well ahead of you on that front.” Hiruzen says. “That information is highly classified and need-to-know, even among the clan heads.”

“Good.” Kushina sighs lightly. “Second, can you ensure a small estate for us? One heavily guarded and defensible?”

Hiruzen chuckles awkwardly. “Well, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’ve recently had a lot of land, well…open up.” He takes a sideways glance out the window. “In all seriousness, though, given the current state of the village, that should be feasible.”

“OK then. I have one last request: Naruto and Natsumi are not to leave the village walls without my permission. Not until they are at least 16.”

Hiruzen looks a bit confused at this request. “I mean, all due respect Kushina, you are their mother. That is something you should be—”

“No.” She interrupts. “I mean I want border guards and even dedicated Anbu patrols ensuring that they stay in the village. I don’t even care if they become shinobi and start taking on missions. If they even want to leave the village before 16, they need my expressed permission!”

Hiruzen stares at Kushina, with a look that combines shock, confusion, bewilderment, and even pity. This woman was such a free spirit. So full of energy and laughter, not willing to be held back by anything or anyone. Now, he sees a scared and vulnerable woman, trying so hard to shelter her newborn children from the world they will have to face one day.

And the worst part is, he can’t even argue with her. He knows exactly why she’s acting like this; any person in the village right now would understand her current behavior. And it’s that sense of empathy, combined with an inability to reject this woman during her time of greatest grief, that prevents him from refusing her.

“OK. Once we have regular Anbu patrols back up and running, I’ll inform them of that update.” He sighs lightly before standing up. “I have to go. I’ve been selected as interim Hokage until the council and daimyō can confer and come to a solution regarding the next Hokage. Once you’re discharged, Kushina, you can stay at the Sarutobi estate until your new home is built.”

She lightly bows her head. “I thank you for your kindness, Lord Sarutobi.”

He gives her a light dismissive wave. “Please, just take care of yourself.” He looks down at the twins in her arms. “And…congratulations.” With that, he heads out, leaving Jiraiya and Tsunade with them.

She smiles widely at the two Sannin. “Well? Are you two going to say hello to your godchildren?”

Tsunade stands there, looking totally stunned. Jiraiya just starts mumbling. “W-wait, wait, are-are you serious? Did I hear that right?!”

“Of course!” Her smile grows somber. “Minato and I had already decided on this long before these two were born.” She holds the kids out in their direction. “Here, hold them.”

The two of them carefully hold the kids, with Jiraiya holding Naruto and Tsunade cradling Natsumi. Jiraiya smiles. “Hey little guy. I can already tell, you’re going to grow up to be a real ladykiller, like your old godfather here!”

“Oh Jiraiya,” Kushina says with a VERY intimidating smile on her face, “if I find out that your hobbies have passed onto my son, I will put you through a world of pain!”

Jiraiya’s knees begin to buckle and shake. “Oh c-come on now, K-Kushina, I was just having fun! I’m just complimenting my godson!”

Tsunade sees all this and just gives off a smirk, before going back to swaddling Natsumi. “Well I know you’re going to grow up to be a fine, strong, beautiful woman. Count your blessings.” She looks at Kushina. “You have two of the best women in your life as role models. You’ll be alright.”

Kushina looks at the scene before her; Jiraiya holding Naruto with that stupid nervous smirk still on his face, and Tsunade handling Natsumi with a master medic’s care. Her smile fades. She knows that the path ahead of these kids — ahead of all of them, in fact — will not be easy. But in that one perfect, beautiful little moment, seeing her closest friends holding her children close, she makes a quiet promise to herself.

“Minato gave his life to ensure that both our children and I could live. To ensure that this family could be here today. I will not let his sacrifice be in vain. I will do anything and everything in my power to ensure that my children grow up knowing peace and happiness. No matter the cost, no matter the method, no matter what.”

She looks out the window, at the ruined Hidden Leaf underneath the dark night sky. She can only hope that from all of the darkness that has taken hold, some light may spring forth.

Shinobi World Guide: The Elemental Nations

Our story takes place on a large continent, which is home to what the people living here have come to call the shinobi world. Though there are several smaller nations that have sprung up and fallen over time, each with their own rich and developed cultures and histories, it’s the Five Elemental Nations — the Lands of Fire, Earth, Wind, Lightning, and Water (founded in that order) — that are the largest, oldest, most prominent and powerful nations on the entire continent that still stand today. Governed by land-owning daimyō, these nations each hold sway over massive tracts of land, and manage the lives of countless villages and people.

Though each of these nations can claim to be multiple centuries old, they only really began to take on their modern shape in the wake of the Warring States Era, which tore the continent apart with civil war over the course of several centuries of its own. In the wake of this horrid conflict, however, rose a new power within each of these nations; one that would come to redefine and reshape how each of these nations operate. That power was, of course, the hidden villages of the shinobi.

Chapter Text

13 years after the Nine-Tailed Fox Attack…

Dawn breaks over the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The normally crisp and cool autumn air begins to quickly warm up in the naturally temperate Land of Fire, as thin beams of morning light shoot through distant trees and dot the village’s various buildings. The full, unobstructed light of dawn, however, begins shining its full glory upon the highest point in the village: Hokage Rock. A monument to all of the brave and steadfast leaders that have served and continue to serve this noble village. Morning light illuminates the carved faces so that all may see their pristine glory……and the painted graffiti currently defacing said honorable leaders.

Down below, in the streets of the village, angry shouts can be heard from a pair of chūnin. “NARUTO!” one of them yells, “GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE TWERP!”

Up ahead of them, a young teenage boy with spiky blonde hair is laughing like mad, somehow managing to keep ahead of the two shinobi. “Hahaha! What are you gonna do? Arrest the son of a Hokage?!” With one last laugh, he throws the paint can he was carrying back at the shinobi behind him.

“Crap!” They both say as they manage to easily duck out the way of the can and avoid getting any of the paint on their person. However, upon refocusing, they realize that their target is nowhere to be found.

“Not again…” says the one with his hair down, covering one of his eyes. “How can such a loud kid with a penchant for orange clothes be so hard to keep track of?”

“Let’s just move,” says the other shinobi, with a long bandage going across his nose, “He can’t have gone far.” With that, the two chūnin leap away across the village rooftops.

A few moments pass, before a shock of blonde peeks out from within a trash can. Checking to see if the coast is clear, Naruto giggles to himself as he steps out and begins brushing himself off. As mentioned before, Naruto is currently wearing a bright orange hoodie with short, dark blue sleeves and what seems to be a matching blue shirt under it. The back of the hoodie has a vibrant red spiral symbol proudly plastered on the back. He also wears forest green pants and a pair of standard blue shinobi sandals. However, his most notable feature, aside from his spiky blonde hair and azure blue eyes, are the three whisker-like markings on each of his cheeks.

Naruto’s smile is wide and confident. “Man, I swear, it’s just too easy with those guys!”

“Is it now?” Naruto’s heart immediately sinks as an all too familiar voice makes itself known from behind him. He turns around to see the glowering, disappointed face of his twin sister.

“O-oh, hey there, Natsumi, what are you doing here?” Naruto’s chuckling very rapidly goes from cocky to nervous, as Natsumi cocks an eyebrow and puts her hands on her hips.

Natsumi stands about an inch or two taller than her brother, and shares his azure blue eyes, as well as his trademark whisker marks. Her hair, however, is quite different, being long and flowing in a ponytail as opposed to short and spiky, and peach orange instead of bright blonde. Most notably, however, is the combat gear she’s wearing. Unlike Naruto’s more casual wear, Natsumi wears a black skin-tight suit underneath slate gray armor pieces on her arms and chest. Also unlike Naruto, she appears to have a shortsword of some kind strapped across her lower back. “I should be asking YOU that!” She exclaims. “Doesn’t class start for you in like five minutes?! You know how Iruka will be if you’re late again! And if Iruka tells mom—”

“ALRIGHT ALRIGHT I GET IT!” The mention of his mother immediately strikes a sort of primal fear in the young boy’s heart. “I’ll head over there right now.” He says as he turns to leave, but Natsumi steps up right beside him. “You’re right, because I’ll be escorting you.”

Naruto whirls his head to face her. “Oh come on! Don’t YOU have somewhere to be?! I’m sure you don’t want to keep Itachi waiting, do you?” He vainly hopes that she’ll take the bait. Sadly, she doesn’t.

“Oh I’m sure he’ll understand. Besides, I think Iruka would LOVE to know about your little morning escapade here.” She nods her head towards the still graffitied Hokage Rock. “Now come on! You’re not about to be late on my watch!” With that, she leaps up onto a nearby rooftop.

Naruto lets out a mournful groan. “Just my luck…” He mumbles to himself as he leaps off after his sister.

The twins land in front of the Hidden Leaf Village Academy just as the morning bell begins to ring. As the two run towards the front door, however, they see a familiar face leaning up against the entrance that causes Naruto to smile and Natsumi to scowl.

“Heya Satsuki!” Naruto says with a goofy grin and a wave. “Aw, were you worried I wouldn’t make it?” Satsuki lets out a comical snort as she rolls her eyes.

“Please. Iruka-sensei just wanted me to make sure that you wouldn’t try to sneak in when he isn’t looking, or anything stupid like that.” Satsuki has jet black eyes that match her hair, which is up in a short yet thick ponytail, with two bangs framing her face. She wears a vibrant blue short sleeved shirt with a family crest on the back that resembles a fan. She also has on short white shorts and a pair of sandals, like those worn by Naruto, only black instead of blue. And like Natsumi, she stands several inches taller than Naruto. Speaking of Natsumi, though, as Satsuki’s eyes fall on the twin, her smirk morphs into a scowl of her own. “Well well, look who decided to grace us with her presence.”

“Shut your mouth, Satsuki.” Natsumi curtly replies. “I’m just making sure that my idiot brother doesn’t try to skip class.” Her glower then becomes a condescending grin. “Though I suppose you’d know a thing or two about stupid family members, wouldn’t you?”

“You want to say that again, lapdog?!” Satsuki immediately begins to step up to Natsumi before Naruto puts his arm in front of her, and shoots a judgmental glance back at his sister. “Cool it!” He looks back at Satsuki. “Both of you.” Satsuki and Natsumi continue to stare at each other intensely for another few moments before the academy door slams open, revealing one very concerned teacher.

“Ahem,” he clears his throat, “I hope I’m not interrupting anything here?” The chūnin has his short brown hair up in a spiky brown ponytail and has a long scar going across his nose. Aside from that, he wears the standard Hidden Leaf shinobi garb: a green flak jacket over a navy blue shirt and pants, the former of which has a familiar red spiral symbol on each shoulder, and the standard blue shinobi sandals. Upon his arrival, all three teenagers stand down.

“No, everything’s fine Iruka-sensei.” Natsumi speaks up. “I was just escorting my brother to class. He was……otherwise preoccupied this morning.” She points a thumb back towards Hokage Rock. Iruka lets out a deep, frustrated sigh.

“Well thank you, Natsumi. As for YOU,” he gives Naruto a very stern look that causes the boy to jump slightly, “I’ll be handling your punishment after class. Natsumi, you can go. You two, come on.” He turns back and heads inside. Natsumi looks back at her brother.

“I’ll see you at home.” She turns to leave, but gives one last look back at Satsuki. “Oh, and I’ll be sure to give your ‘brother’ my regards.” Before Satsuki has a chance to shoot back a reply, Natsumi takes off, leaving the other girl fuming.

“That little—” “Satsuki.” Naruto gives her a pleading, empathetic look. “Can we please just head inside?” With a defeated sigh, she turns, and the two teenagers enter the academy.

Naruto’s eyes lazily glaze over the front of the classroom, barely even registering what Iruka is saying, as his head rests lopsidedly on his hand. As his eyes begin to flutter, ready to nod off, Satsuki gives him a quick elbow jab in his side.

“Ow!” He jolts to attention. “Hey! What was—” “Shh!” She cuts him off. “Pay attention, will you? You’re already in hot water, don’t piss Iruka-sensei off any further. Or are you trying to flunk out of the academy out of spite?”

“……shut up.” Naruto dismissively replies, a nerve having clearly been struck, as he refocuses on the lesson and begins taking notes. “It’s just hard to focus on this stuff, ya know? I like the combat lessons more.”

“Well unfortunately for you, you need to master both. Knowing the enemy and all that, remember?” She doesn’t look over to him, managing to juggle both whispering this conversation to him while also keeping her eyes on Iruka and taking notes.

“Yeah yeah, I’m aware.” Naruto silently jots a few more notes down, before sighing. “Why can’t you and my sister just get along?” Satsuki pauses abruptly. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, looks back ahead and resumes taking notes, before responding.

“This again? Look, she’s the condescending princess who has some unfounded vendetta against my family.”

“Said the pot to the kettle.” Naruto interjects.

“My point being,” she says through gritted teeth, “she really needs to learn to treat others with respect.”

Naruto leans over to Satsuki. “And I think she’d give you that if you’d learn to just calm down and be a bit—” “NARUTO!” Iruka’s voice rings out through the classroom.

“Ah crap.” Naruto thinks to himself as he stands and turns towards Iruka. “Yes sensei?”

Iruka has a very stern look on his face. “Since you clearly know enough about the material here to engage with your classmates during my lecture, maybe you can answer this next question: what event brought about the end of the Warring States Era, and in what year did that event occur?”

Naruto’s lips purse as he begins thinking very hard on a topic that was clearly just being discussed. “Uhh, the Warring States Era……ended with the founding of……the Hidden Sand Village?”

“Good.” Iruka says, half-impressed with what was clearly just an educated guess. “And what year did that happen?”

“Ahhhhhh, that was……32 ALV?” Naruto guesses blindly this time, which elicits a disappointed sigh from Iruka and some chuckles from the rest of the class. “No, Naruto, it was 16 ALV. Please make sure you remember this for tomorrow.” He then addresses the rest of the class. “All of you! You want to graduate and become shinobi of the Hidden Leaf? You’ll need to pass the physical, ninjutsu, and written exams tomorrow. No one area can be lacking.” He then turns back to Naruto. “Am I understood?”

Naruto lets out a frustrated sigh of his own as he replies “Yes sensei” and returns to his seat.

Naruto grumbles lightly to himself as he dunks the sponge into a bucket of soapy water, and scrubs hard at the paint on the side of the mountain. Of course, they just HAD to wait until after the Academy let out for the day, after the paint had begun to dry, to make him start cleaning this up. Iruka, for his part, was sitting high up, keeping a very close eye on the boy.

“Can’t believe this…” Naruto mumbles quietly. Unfortunately, it was not quiet enough to escape Iruka’s hearing.

“You have nobody but yourself to blame for this Naruto! You’re not leaving until you clean all of this up!”

Naruto looks up with an inquisitive look. “Yeah, and I’m sure my mother’s going to love hearing about how you kept me here against my will.” Iruka rolls his eyes. “Nice try Naruto, but your mother has actually already been informed of this stunt you pulled.” Naruto’s eyes go wide as does a nervous swallow. Iruka continues, “And she expects me to be the one to escort you home, so don’t try sneaking off early!” With that, Naruto begins scrubbing extra hard, powered by nothing by frustration and fear of what his mother might say or do to him after this.

As Naruto finishes cleaning up the fourth and final face on Hokage Rock, he takes a moment to just…stare at the face before him. All too aware of whose face he’s looking at. Iruka hears the scrubbing stop. “All done?” He looks down and sees Naruto, absentmindedly staring at the face of the Fourth Hokage. Iruka knows what this probably is. He leaps down next to Naruto, startling him.

“Oh! Uh, yeah, I just finished.” Now Iruka is the one staring at the face of the Fourth. There’s a brief moment of silence, which is ultimately broken by Iruka.

“Naruto…why did you do this? I’m seriously asking here. The Fourth Hokage is your father, after all. He was the village’s hero, and you’re his son. Aren’t you proud of that legacy? I even remember once, when you were way younger, you said you wanted to be an even greater Hokage than your dad. Why would you disrespect him like this?” Naruto’s face begins to bunch up frustration as he walks up to the rock and leans his head against it. The words aren’t easy to find, but he tries.

“I don’t…want that burden on me. I’ll never really know who my dad was, and yet everyone wants to compare me to him. And they aren’t usually good comparisons. Everyone either seems to want to kick me down a peg, or would rather I just stop talking and go away. I don’t even know if I want to be Hokage anymore. I just…want to be me, ya know?”

Iruka gives an empathetic sigh. He understands all too well why this is happening, and hates that he can’t explain it to the boy. “I get that, Naruto. But we don’t really get to choose our families, now do we? Besides, stupid pranks like this won’t lead to you standing as your own person. They’ll just lead to everyone thinking less of you, and make those comparisons worse.” He leans down to face Naruto directly. “My advice? Be yourself, but show everyone why they should respect Naruto, and not ‘the son of the Fourth Hokage.’ Understand?”

Naruto still looks kind of lost, but he does manage a reply of “I suppose so, yeah.”

Iruka looks at the young teen, and realizes that he still has a lot going on mentally. But he also knows what a bad idea it would be to keep Naruto out too late. So he decides that this will have to wait for another day. “Come on,” he says, “let’s get you home.”

“Ooh!” Naruto suddenly perks up. “Can we make a stop at Ichiraku? I’m starving!” Iruka gives a light chuckle at this. “Sorry buddy, but your mother made it very clear: after this, it’s straight home.”

Naruto gives an exasperated sigh at this. “Of course she would say that. Ah well, worth a shot.” With that, the two men leap back onto the top of the rock and begin the long walk towards the other end of the village.

“Hi mom, I’m ho—” Naruto is instantly hit by a tsunami of killing intent as soon as he steps through the door with Iruka, causing him to freeze in his tracks.

“Naruto! I’m so glad you’re home." A sing-song voice laced with venom calls out from the kitchen, as Naruto begins sweating bullets.

“Uh, y-yeah, I—” “So tell me,” the voice cuts him off, as its source begins making its way to the front door, “how was your day today?” Standing over Naruto’s shaking form, with an intimidating faux smile on her face and with her hair spiking up like the many tails of some demonic beast, is the boy’s mother: one Kushina Uzumaki.

To most people, Kushina would initially look no different than any other housewife in the Hidden Leaf, though certainly more attractive than a typical housewife. Her most immediately striking feature is her long, vibrant red hair that frames her face and flows straight down her back to around her waist. She currently has on what she normally wears: a simple white blouse underneath a forest green dress, though in this case she has on a beige apron over that. However, though modest in appearance, if not stunning, Iruka and every other shinobi in the Leaf worth their salt knows the impressive track record that this woman has accumulated over the years; a track record backed up by an equally legendary (or perhaps infamous, in this case) temper. A temper of which Naruto seems to be the current target, and with which Iruka has no desire to get entangled at this time.

Naruto squirms under Kushina’s gaze. “Um, oh, well, you know, I learned a lot about the Hidden Sand…” “He painted graffiti all over Hokage Rock and was nearly late for class because of it.” Iruka interjects. Kushina’s famous temper finally explodes.

“NARUTO!!!” “AAAHHHHHH! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Naruto immediately becomes penitent under his mother’s fury. Thankfully, this rage is short-lived, as she takes a few deep breaths and collects herself. “Go take a seat at the dinner table, I’m going to talk with Iruka-sensei first.” With a quick nod, he goes to the kitchen. Kushina lets out a deep, exhausted sigh as she looks at Iruka.

“He’s frustrated.” Iruka softly says, before Kushina can say anything first. “He clearly has some skill and talent, but lacks focus. And he’s not happy dealing with those fields and subjects that don’t come naturally to him.” Kushina looks over at her son eating in the kitchen as Iruka continues, still keeping his voice quiet. “Plus, he’s felt the eyes of the village on him. Not just those who see a spoiled Hokage's kid, but also…well……”

“You know you’re not supposed to talk about that.” Kushina very curtly cuts in, causing Iruka to put his hands up in innocence. “Which is why I’m not talking about anything in particular. But you should, with him. Both of your kids, in fact.” Iruka's face becomes pleading. “Kushina, they’ve seen how some of the villagers look at them, and how folks always seem to be on eggshells around them. I really don’t think you’re going to be able to wait as long as you’d like to address this.”

Kushina's look to her son becomes one filled with pity and sorrow. She knows what he is, and what he’ll have to go through; what he is going through, right now. But as she thinks on all that, her face becomes stony once more, as she looks back at Iruka. “That decision is ultimately mine, and mine alone. I will tell them when I feel the time is right.”

Iruka keeps his own face a mask of calm. He knows Naruto, and he knows both who and what he is. “He deserves to know…” he thinks to himself. Still, Kushina is the boy’s mother, and the former Hokage’s widow. He is not about to stand up to her. So all he says is “As you wish.”

“I do.” Kushina’s demeanor quickly becomes more relaxed. “Now, how is Naruto doing at the Academy? Do you think he’ll pass tomorrow?”

Iruka's own disposition instantly brightens up, always happy to talk about his students. “I believe that he could. He obviously struggles with the more written and intellectual aspects of the shinobi arts, and he’s still having trouble performing the Clone Jutsu with any consistency. But his transformations are very good, weapon accuracy is fairly consistent, and his taijutsu skills are clearly above average.” Iruka gives Naruto his own look, this one full of pride. “I think if he studies hard and properly prepares for tomorrow, he’ll get his headband.”

Kushina gives her own prideful smile. “Then I’ll make sure his nose stays buried in the books tonight.” She gives a light chuckle. “What about the rest of the class? I hear this year’s got a pretty strong crop of students.”

“That's underselling it.” Iruka says. “There’s still a lot of civilian kids in there, with one or two showing promise. But including Naruto, I count eight clan heirs in this year’s class. And they’re not minor clans, either.”

“I know.” Kushina jovially rolls her eyes. “Tsume’s been bragging about her kid nonstop at the clan meetings as if he’s already got his headband. I can tell Hiashi is ready for his little heiress to finally become a ‘true Hyūga.’ And Mikoto……” There’s a pregnant pause before Kushina continues. “Well, I can tell she’s excited too.”

“Yeah…” Iruka knows exactly what she isn’t saying. He looks back out the door at the purple-orange dusk sky. "Well, it’s getting late. Tomorrow’s a big day, and it’s a long walk back. So I’ll leave you two to your evening.” Iruka turns and gets ready to leave, before looking back at Kushina once more. “I’m not going to play favorites with him, Kushina. If he isn’t ready, I will fail him.”

“I’d expect you to do nothing less.” Kushina confirms. Iruka takes one last look at Naruto. “I do hope he passes, though. I think being on a team, having real friends……it’d be good for him.” He looks back at the widow. “Good night, Kushina.”

“Good night, Iruka-sensei.” With that, the chūnin leaves. Kushina then turns back towards the kitchen. “Alright mister! Once you’re done with that, you’re hitting the books!” Naruto begins to groan, but Kushina cuts him off. “I don’t want to hear it! I’ve already made plans for tomorrow with Lord Third. We’re going to be having dinner to celebrate you and your sister graduating. And I don’t think you want to sour the mood by not getting a headband now, do you?”

Naruto hangs his head low. “I suppose not…hey wait a minute, where IS Natsumi? Shouldn’t she be studying right alongside me?”

“Don’t even try that.” Kushina smirks at him. “You’re not taking your sister down with you on this one. Besides, Itachi already told me, he’s keeping her for some extra last-minute lessons in preparation for her exam tomorrow.” She unties her apron and folds it up. “Now come on, I’ll go over the various subjects with you. And I’m making sure you get that Clone Jutsu down pat tonight!”

Naruto lets out another groan. Clearly, his penance for this morning had only just begun.

Kneeling in darkness, decked out in full combat gear, eyes closed, is a young adult man. He has jet black hair, long and flowing in a short thin ponytail that goes down to the nape of his neck. His face is also framed with two bangs. He wears combat gear similar to that of Natsumi: gray armor, black undersuit, but with a longer katana on his person. He stays still and silent, not moving from his kneeling position……

Onyx eyes shoot open as he spins and throws a kunai knife with incredible speed and power to his 7 o’clock, into the pitch darkness. He hears the CLING-CLANG sound it makes as it hits an invisible wall and then the floor. The man stays still for another moment, taking in his surroundings, not moving from the thrown position……

TANG!!!

In a flash of movement, he spins around 180 degrees, drawing his sword and blocking another incoming sword strike in one swift move, mere moments before it would have cut his neck open. “Very good.” The man softly says to his attacker, before calling out into the darkness “LIGHTS!”

With a heavy KA-CHUNK, the room is flooded with light, showing off an uneven floor with various square sections raised and lowered at different heights. Two figures in similar combat gear stand off to the side by a door, both of their faces obscured by animal masks. The young adult sheathes his katana. “Excellent work today, Natsumi. I have no doubt you’ll pass your final examination tomorrow.”

The attacker, now revealed to be Natsumi, sheathes her own blade. “Thank you, Itachi. It’s odd, I’ve been training for this for, what, two years now? It’s hard to believe that the big test is tomorrow. It almost doesn’t feel real.”

Itachi puts a hand on her shoulder. “Well, like you said, I’ve been preparing you for this for two years. You’ve earned this test. Trust me, you have nothing to worry about.” Natsumi, for her part, just gives off a cocky smile. “Who said anything about being worried?” The two share a brief laugh, before a coded knock comes from the door.

Immediately, the teacher and his pupil fall into a subservient kneel, as one of the Anbu by the door opens it to reveal an elderly figure. The man is wearing a red kimono with a white sash and a white haori over it, and upon his head rests a conical red hat with the kanji for ‘fire’ proudly emblazoned on the front. This man is none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi, Third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. “Rise.” He simply says. Itachi and Natsumi stand upright, hands behind their backs. The Hokage looks at Itachi. “Is she ready for tomorrow?”

“Yes, my lord.” Itachi firmly replies. Hiruzen nods. “Good, I’d hoped as much.” His judging eyes turn to Natsumi, almost seeming to pierce through her……before his face melts into a smile. “I have plans to celebrate with you tomorrow, and I wouldn’t want the occasion ruined.”

Though Natsumi maintains her posture, she does break into a soft smile of her own. “I am honored, Lord Third. Tell me, do you know if my brother made it home OK today?”

“I believe so.” Hiruzen lets out a chuckle that’s somewhere between exasperated and genuinely amused. “I’ll have to speak to Iruka tonight about his little morning escapade. But on that note, you should head home yourself. Tomorrow is a big day for both you and your brother. And you should both be well rested for it.”

“Understood, my lord.” Natsumi turns and bows before Itachi. “Thank you for your training today, Master.” She turns back to the Hokage. “With your permission, my lord?” He nods. “You may go.” With that, Natsumi heads out the door. As she leaves, the Hokage walks up to Itachi. “How was she?” His tone is far more personal than before.

“Excellent.” Itachi’s tone becomes equally personable. “I wasn’t using the Sharingan, but I lost track of her for a moment there. She really is on another level.” He reflexively rubs at the back of his neck before smiling. “It’s weird being a teacher. I like it, but it’s weird. Maybe in another life, I’d have led a team of genin.” The Third Hokage’s face becomes serious once more.

“While I don’t doubt that you would have excelled in that position, in any shinobi position, you know why you’re here.” The Hokage steps up close to Itachi and speaks softly into his ear. “I trust you more than any living soul in the world. And that kind of trust has come to be in short supply…” Itachi’s own demeanor shifts back to dour seriousness. “Of course, my lord. Rest assured; you will not be disappointed in this endeavor.”

Hiruzen’s face shifts back to relaxation once more. “Well of course not. It was my idea, after all.” He turns to leave. “You should turn in soon too. You’ll be needed as well for tomorrow.” He pauses. “Oh, eh, you have my leave to go.”

“Yes, my lord. Thank you, my lord.” With that, Itachi disappears from the room, without making the slightest sound.

It’s late at night now in the Hidden Leaf Village. Built directly into the base of Hokage Rock sits the esteemed main office building of the Hokage himself; repaired and modernized yet ultimately maintained for over a century. Up in that building, off to the side of the main office room, sits the Third Hokage himself, engaging in calligraphy. Standing behind him are two shinobi. One is Iruka. The other is a shinobi with short white hair and the same standard Hidden Leaf shinobi garb as Iruka. They both stand at attention as Hiruzen does his calligraphy.

“So, tell me,” the Hokage speaks without looking up from his work, “what are your predictions for tomorrow?”

“We’ve got some strong kids this year, my lord.” The white-haired one says. “Lots of clan kids that look to be shoo-ins. Though we’ve also got plenty of civvies that probably won’t make it past the initial exam, let alone the true test. I predict that two new teams will be finalized, though there is a chance that we’ll get three."

“Mhm.” The Hokage silently acknowledges this report as he reaches off to the side and takes a quick puff from his pipe. “Tell me, Iruka. What are your thoughts on Naruto? Do you expect him to pass?”

Iruka internally sighs. “I'm never going to escape this kid, am I?” “He certainly has potential, that much is obvious. Good at taijutsu, very easy to work with as a teammate. But—”

“But he’s a complete mockery of the concept of a Hidden Leaf shinobi!” The white-haired man interrupts.

“Mizuki!” Iruka is shocked by this outburst, but the now named Mizuki continues. “Forgive me, my lord, but that boy is the child of the Fourth Hokage. He is meant to be the very best of us! Yet he defaces the monument to our leaders — his own father, and you, my lord — and he treats everything about the shinobi lifestyle as a complete joke! And even then, his ninja skills are not that impressive. He struggles just to make a basic clone! I mean—”

“Enough!” Now it’s the Hokage’s turn to interrupt, and his voice immediately silences Mizuki. He puts down his brush, takes the pipe once more, stands, and turns to face the two chūnin. “Even if he weren’t the son of the Fourth, as a teacher, your duty is to raise these kids up and foster their strengths. Not kick them down for their failings.” Mizuki stays silent, his teeth gritted and his knuckles white. Hiruzen turns to Iruka. “Now, I believe I never received a complete answer from you. Do you think Naruto will graduate tomorrow?”

Iruka thinks for a moment. “It really could go either way. If he can figure out the Clone Jutsu and doesn’t fail the written test, I think he will pass. Though we are at the eleventh hour…”

“I see.” Hiruzen looks out the window towards the village, deep in thought. “Keep me up to date. I am to have dinner with the Fourth’s family tomorrow in celebration of the twins’ graduation. If Naruto fails, I’d like to be kept aware of that.” Iruka nods. “Of course, my lord.”

“Oh.” Mizuki blurts out suddenly. “Something wrong, Mizuki?” Hiruzen asks. “No, it’s nothing.” The chūnin quickly says. “It’s just…you and the Fourth’s family, having dinner. That’s nice. It’s good for the families of the Hokage to keep in touch with one another.”

“Indeed.” Hiruzen goes back to looking out the window. “Both myself and the twins have been rather busy lately. It’s been some time since we last caught up. I’m hoping tomorrow will be able to rectify that.” The Hokage takes one last puff of the pipe. “You two are dismissed.”

As the two exit the office and make their way down to street level, Mizuki taps Iruka on the shoulder. “Hey, so, Naruto. He likes ramen, right? What’s that one place he always goes to?”

Iruka raises an eyebrow at this odd inquiry. “Since when does Mizuki care about Naruto like that?” “Yeah, it’s Ichiraku Ramen. Bit of a hole in the wall, but it’s one of the best in the village.” He brings himself back from his train of thought. “Why? Did you want a recommendation?”

“…something like that, yeah. Thanks.” As the two hit the street level, Mizuki begins to take off. “See you first thing in the morning?” Iruka waves him off. “Of course. Don’t forget the headbands!”

Mizuki chuckles. “I would never!” He turns and leaves. As he does, however, his head begins swimming with thoughts. “If I can pull this off……everything I’ve ever wanted will finally come true!” He begins racing back to his own home. Tomorrow is going to be a big day indeed.

Shinobi World Guide: The Hidden Leaf Village

The first of the major hidden villages to be established; the oldest, and currently the most populous. Founded in the wake of the groundbreaking union of the Senju and Uchiha clans, the Hidden Leaf Village has a long and noble history that it and its people are very proud of. Despite this, the Hidden Leaf has recently been on the downturn a bit. It never really recovered from the world wars as easily as something like the Hidden Cloud Village did, and the still fairly recent Nine-Tailed Fox attack devastated the village in almost every way. They are still seen with a lot of respect and admiration by many of the smaller nations, and even some of the larger ones, but recent times have been rough for this village.

The devastation of the Tailed Beast’s attack, combined with their gradual shift towards general peace in the past generation or two, has led many to view the Hidden Leaf as a weak village militarily; a reputation that they seek to shake off. Hidden Leaf shinobi are known for their wide variety of skills in ninjutsu (especially with clan techniques) and taijutsu, as well as skills with kunai and shuriken; the latter of which is seen as a staple of the Hidden Leaf. In addition to these skills, Hidden Leaf shinobi have become well-known for their fierce sense of camaraderie, teamwork, and their famous “no man left behind” attitude.

Chapter Text

Another new day breaks over the Hidden Leaf Village. While the day before was surprisingly warm and clear, this morning’s light is somewhat obscured by clouds; an overcast sky which leads to a far cooler morning than the one prior. In the heart of the village’s main residential district, on the third floor of a rather decrepit apartment, an alarm clock begins to loudly blare out. BEEP BEEP BEEP BEE— CLICK.

Silencing the alarm with a quick and curt slap, a young boy begins to rise from his slumber. Dragging himself out of bed in nothing but his boxers, he stumbles half-blindly towards the closet-sized bathroom in his apartment; he throws on the lights and starts washing his face. Scrubbing the sleep from his eyes, he takes a good look at himself in the mirror.

The boy has medium-length spiky brown hair that falls down to frame his face. He has bright brown eyes that are currently half-lidded from the night’s sleep (or lack thereof). Under one eye is a small bandage, covering up a minor scar he got from yesterday’s training. With a quick slap to both cheeks, he peels off the bandage and finishes washing his face so that he can start the day.

After taking care of all other items of morning business, the boy starts putting together an extremely mismatched outfit. He throws on a karate gi top that looks well and truly worn out despite not fitting him perfectly, as well as a pair of kung fu pants. He slips on a pair of brown shinobi sandals, and then finally a pair of hand wraps. Grabbing a small wallet pouch, he bursts out the door and past an elderly lady sweeping the stairs.

“Good morning Kenichi!” The woman calls out. “Watch where you’re running, dear! You’re likely to break your neck moving like that!”

“Oh please, Ms. Kugatachi!” The now named Kenichi calls back, still running ahead. “What kind of shinobi would I be if I met my end breaking my neck on the stairs?!” She laughs. “You won’t be any kind of shinobi if you fall before passing the exam!”

Kenichi doesn’t even look back, too focused on the day ahead of him. He just waves behind him and yells “Wish me luck!” Ms. Kugatachi, for her part, just solemnly smiles and waves back before returning to her sweeping. “If there are any gods out there,” she silently prays to herself, “please, let that boy have this…”

Around this same time, on the other end of the village, another alarm clock rings out from another bedroom, though this one seems to show no sign of being stopped.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!

A powerful THUMP THUMP THUMP comes from the other side of the bedroom door. “Come on Naruto, time to wake up!” The stern voice of Kushina calls out. “I will NOT let you be late for the Academy again! Not on this day!”

Naruto’s eyes deliriously flutter open, as he stretches and yawns in a half-awake stupor. “Alright, yeah, I’m up. I’ll be down soon, promise.” He reflexively begins to collapse back into his bed.

“Five minutes!” Kushina says, beginning to walk away. “If you’re not down here eating breakfast in the next five minutes, then I’m dragging you out of that bed!” With eyes now VERY wide and nervousness in his heart, Naruto tears himself out of bed and begins getting changed.

“Good grief.” The boy thinks to himself. “As if staying up nearly to midnight training and studying wasn’t enough. Now I can’t even go to school fully rested!” He conveniently chooses to ignore the fact that that training only dragged on as long as it did due to his own inability to stay focused on the tasks at hand.

But, sure enough, within five minutes, Naruto is down in the kitchen; fully changed, teeth brushed, face washed, and ready for the day. Kushina, for her part, lovingly rolls her eyes as she prepares some scrambled eggs and toast. “I will never understand how you can sleep in for hours at a time, yet your twin sister seems to need reminders on how the body needs sleep to function.”

“You think I’m bad?” Naruto says as he begins quickly shoveling eggs into his mouth. “You should see Shikamaru. I’m convinced that that guy is narcoleptic!”

Kushina lets out something between a sigh and a chuckle. “Believe me, I’ve heard as much from Yoshino. And slow down!” She has to practically force the fork out of his mouth. “Human bites, Naruto, come on!”

He gives off a cheeky smirk. “Now what kind of shinobi would I be if I didn’t eat a full, hearty breakfast in the morning?” Kushina rolls her eyes again. “You won’t be any kind of shinobi if you don’t get to the Academy on time” She reaches over to a side table. “Here. Your pouch is already packed. You can take the toast with you on the road. Just please do not be late!”

With the last of the eggs finished and a whole glass of milk knocked back in one go, Naruto grabs the pouch and toast. “I promise, I’ll make it!” With that, he bursts out the door and takes off like a bat out of hell. “See you tonight mom!” Kushina just nervously looks out the door, following Naruto’s figure with her eyes. “Minato, if you’re up there,” she quietly prays to herself, “please watch over our son…”

As Kenichi makes his way towards the Academy, he’s stopped by a large, portly man in front of a barbecue restaurant.

“Good morning Kenichi! Off to the Academy?”

“Good morning Mr. Chiaki! Yeah, today’s the day! Finally going to get my headband!”

“Oh…great! Well, you know what, when it’s all said and done, come on by! I’ll treat you to some special hot pot!”

“Yeah…thanks…” Kenichi continues his trek towards the Academy, slightly deflated by Mr. Chiaki’s words. He could tell what had been implied just by what the man had said: it wasn’t “when you pass,” it was “when it’s done.” He brushes it off as he approaches another familiar face in front of a shop. “Hi Mrs. Kōsaka! Is my order finished?”

The purple-clad weaponsmith gives the boy a wide smile. “Well hello Kenichi! I just finished it about five minutes ago.” She hands him a shinobi pouch fully stocked with all of the essentials.

“Thank you so much!” Kenichi begins digging through his pockets for his money, but Mrs. Kōsaka puts up a hand. “Oh don’t worry about that. You’ve helped me out enough recently. Consider this my repayment for your services.”

Kenichi himself shakes his head. “Nonsense! I don’t want to imagine what your daughter would do to me if she heard that I neglected to pay you for your services. Especially if I am to start fighting alongside her!” Mrs. Kōsaka, for her part, just gives a bit of a forced smile. “Oh, well, don’t worry about that. I’ll tell her you said hello, and that you paid in full. Just make sure you arrive at the Academy on time, Kenichi!”

Kenichi senses that same undertone from Mr. Chiaki in Mrs. Kōsaka. He forces a smile of his own. “Yeah, I will. Thank you Mrs. Kōsaka.” With that, he turns back and continues his commute. It only takes a few more minutes to arrive at the Academy. As he arrives, though, he thinks back to how both Mr. Chiaki and Mrs. Kōsaka treated him.

“Do they seriously have no confidence in me?!” Kenichi thought to himself, a conflicted look all over his face. “I’ve been working twice as hard as any one of those clan kids every day! I’m totally going to get my headband!” He stares intensely at the Academy building looming in front of him. “I have to…”

“Oh, I know that look.” A familiar voice calls out to Kenichi’s side as he’s snapped out of his thoughts and back to reality. “I take it you had a run-in with your ‘co-workers’ this morning, huh?”

Kenichi looks over and sees a young girl, the same age as he is, approaching. Her most immediately striking feature by far is her long, bubblegum-pink hair that flows down to the middle of her back, held back with a bright red hair ribbon. She’s also wearing a simple red dress with slits running up the sides to allow for greater mobility, and the standard pair of blue shinobi sandals. Upon seeing the girl, Kenichi lets out a deep sigh.

“Hi Sakura. And yeah, I saw them on the way here.” He looks over at the Academy. “Is it really such a stretch to think that I could graduate and become a shinobi?” Sakura puts a hand on his shoulder and gives him a look of both reassurance and mutual understanding.

“I’ve seen the work you’ve put in, Kenichi. I know how much you want this. I don’t know about those old fogies, but for what it’s worth, I for one have total confidence in you.” Her face breaks into a wide smile. “In fact, I have faith in the both of us! We’ve worked too hard to fall short here. Let’s show those snooty clan brats what we’re made of!” Her eyes are now full of fire, and her fist is tightly clenched. Kenichi smiles and lightly laughs at this display.

“Thanks Sakura. I needed that.” He takes her hand off of his shoulder, and walks into the Academy with renewed vigor. “Come on, let’s go!”

Naruto runs hard across the village, often having to jump across rooftops and overhangs in order to dodge crowds of people. Given how far his estate is from the center of the village, near where the Academy is, this method of travel is somewhat necessary in this scenario. However, doing this while simultaneously trying to eat a slice of buttered toast is difficult for an inexperienced shinobi, so it’s only natural that Naruto inevitably runs headfirst into someone as he jumps off a rooftop.

“Ah! Hey, watch where you’re—” The heavyset man catches himself as he sees who ran into him. “Sorry sir!” Naruto quickly responds. “Just trying to get to the Academy on time. Big day and everything, ya know?”

The man just gives Naruto a stern look. “Yeah, well, just keep your wits about you. A true shinobi shouldn’t lose focus like that.” With that, the man turns and heads back into his restaurant. Naruto, for his part, just furrows his brow. He knows what was being implied there, but he doesn’t have time to care about that. He simply continues his breakneck pace towards the Academy.

Once again jumping across building tops, Naruto hits the overhang of a weapon shop particularly hard, and accidentally looses a shingle that then slides and falls to the ground with a shatter. The woman running the front of the shop has just enough time to yell at Naruto before he’s gone.

“Hey, come on, Naruto! Watch it!” The boy hears from behind him. He yells back a dismissive “Sorry!” before finally reaching the Academy. A pair of civilian students enter into the building ahead of him, and plenty more are arriving too. He takes a minute to catch his breath beneath the shade of a tree. As he does, though, he looks back at the village, replaying the events of the morning commute in his mind.

“I get that I’m a screw-up, and that I don’t always have my head about me. But that’s not entirely my fault! Besides, do they seriously resent me for that?!” His focus shifts over to the Academy in front of him. “I am the son of the Fourth Hokage, and I am about to become a ‘true’ shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village! All of that HAS to mean something to them!” His eyes trail downward. “Right?”

“Please don’t tell me you’re nodding off again, on the day of your graduation exam!” The voice of Satsuki snaps Naruto back to his senses. Recognizing his friend’s presence, the blonde reflexively puts on a smile. “No way! Just psyching myself up! I’ve got to be full of energy for today!” Satsuki’s own calm positivity gives way to seriousness. She’s known Naruto for years now. And for her, she doesn’t need a Sharingan to read his face and know that something’s up. “Something happened on the way over here, yeah?”

Naruto deflates, the smile falling. “Yeah. Satsuki, am I…ya know, like, a bad person?” His response is a gentle yet firm strike to his crown from the side of Satsuki’s fist. “Ah! Hey! What was that about?!” She puts her hands on her hips and narrows her eyes. “That’s what you get for asking stupid questions like that. Those other people only act that way because they don’t know you or understand you.”

Satsuki places a hand on Naruto’s shoulder and looks him in the eye. “But I do. And it’s because I know and understand you as a person that I can say with confidence that you ARE good.” Her trademark half-cocked grin reappears. “Have some faith in yourself. And have some faith in me too, OK?”

Naruto’s smile is now warm and genuine. “Thank you Satsuki. I needed that.” As he says this, the morning bell for the Academy rings. Iruka, who had come to close the doors and witnessed this exchange, has a bright, warm smile of his own on his face. “Come on you two!” He calls out. “You’ve got a test to take!”

“PENCILS DOWN!”

A myriad of exasperated voices softly fill the classroom; a mixture of relief, fear, and calm. “Pass your exams up to the front.” Iruka announces. “We will be grading these papers throughout the day while you all work on the other sections.” Naruto passes forward his exam paper with a shaky breath. Looking at some of the other kids, especially those two civilians he saw walking in earlier, he almost envies the confident and happy looks he sees them trading with one another. He reflexively drums his fingers against his head as he stews in his own paranoid thoughts.

“Uh…umm…” A quiet voice murmurs from the seat next to Naruto’s. Her blank, pupilless eyes of pale lavender, almost totally white, coloration give her away as a Hyūga. She has blue hair cut short and is wearing a very baggy tan jacket with the Hyūga insignia on it, alongside the standard pair of shinobi sandals and pants. Naruto perks up upon hearing her murmurs. “Hm? Oh, Hinata, you say something?”

Hinata bunches up a little bit before quietly replying. “I-I just wanted to know h-how you think you did. You looked really frustrated for a while there.” Naruto begins to get up with the rest of the students. “Yeah, I mean, written exams like that have always been a massive struggle for me. But I did seriously study for this test. Plus, I managed to actually answer all of the questions! So that’s good!”

Hinata quietly giggles. “That’s great to hear, Naruto.” She gets up from her seat and walks beside Naruto towards the exit, out to their next test. “It’s a bit of a shame that Natsumi isn’t here. I really thought all of us clan kids would graduate together.” Naruto gives a shrug as they exit the building. “Well, my sister has moved on to greener pastures. But hey, she has her own graduation today, so your wish actually kind of came true, in a way.” Hinata giggles again. “Yes, I suppose you’re right.”

Behind them, another male-female student pair walks down the stairs towards the exit. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but it’s just so impressive. 15 minutes to spare!” Sakura smiles bashfully at the praise from Kenichi. “I was so worried that I had missed something, or got something wrong. But everything looked right to me. Besides, I know you also did pretty well on that test too!” The pair’s playful banter quickly dies down as they approach the door leading out to the yard. Kenichi swallows a lump in his throat.

“This is where our test really begins.” The boy’s voice, his entire being, is filled with apprehension. “Are you ready?”

“No.” Sakura replies. The two share a look, take one last deep breath, and step forward.

CHUNK! THUNK! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! CHUNK!

The sounds of metal hitting wood echo around the Academy, as students undergo the second part of the graduation exam: weapon accuracy. Three students go up at a time, each one aiming at a different set of targets, organized in a cross pattern. Iruka carefully watches and supervises the students, as Mizuki stands next to him taking careful notes. “Satsuki, you’re up on your station. Sakura, you’re up too.” Iruka calls out. “Start with kunai, then shuriken. 10 shots each, begin when ready.”

Sakura looks over at the raven-haired clan girl, who for her part is totally focused on the targets in front of her. In Satsuki, Sakura sees everything a kunoichi should be; strong, talented, fearless. With that image in her mind, Sakura looks back at the targets in front of her, and pulls out a kunai knife. She feels the weight of the metal in her palm, the way the knife’s edge cuts through the air as she moves her hand. Suddenly, it starts happening: her knife hand begins to shake.

“No, damn it, not now!” Sakura desperately tries to steel her nerves as she begins throwing the kunai. But every time she throws a knife, it’s hesitant, and filled with fear. Very few end up hitting near the center, and a few even miss the target entirely. Finally, she finishes with the kunai, and is about to move onto shuriken, when…

CHUNK CHUNK CHUNK CHUNK CHUNK!

“Woah, very nice Satsuki! That looks to be a perfect 100 on shuriken! Excellent work!” Without giving her accomplishment much acknowledgement, Satsuki just walks off to the side. Sakura, for her part, just takes a moment to stare in total disbelief.

Why…why does everything have to come so damn easily to those clan kids?! They already have every advantage in life; the wealth, the prestige, the privilege, the love of the people, and massive amounts of familial support. Why do they have to all be great shinobi on top of all of it?! Is she really the unusual one here?

Sakura only barely registers the world around her as she completes her shuriken section. She barely takes time to listen for her final score on the segment. She doesn’t need to, she knows it’s terrible. She takes a moment to look over at Kenichi, currently psyching himself up as he’s next in line to perform the target practice.

“Kenichi,” Sakura thinks to herself, “I’m sorry. Looks like I won’t be able to follow you in your dream…”

“Alright. First up!” Mizuki begins digging his hand around a bowl full of paper strips with students’ names on them. Kenichi, for his part, does what he can to relax his body. This is it: the taijutsu section. The true make-or-break part of the exam, and the area in which he has been practicing the most. Kenichi had breezed through the written exam, and while he hadn’t done as well as he’d have liked on weapons, he feels like his performance was still passable. But taijutsu…well, he just can’t afford to fail here.

Nobody seems to pay any mind to Mizuki taking a bit longer than normal to pick the next names, as he feels around for two specially folded paper strips. “Kenichi Shirahama! And…Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze!” A wave of anxiety washes over Kenichi upon hearing his matchup. He has to fight the son of the Fourth Hokage. The boy near the top of the class for taijutsu. The boy whose recent weapon accuracy beat Kenichi’s by 30 points, at least. The boy…who now stands between Kenichi, and the chance to prove everyone wrong.

The two boys step forward into the chalk circle, with Iruka off to the side as the referee. “Face each other, make the spar sign.” The boys follow their sensei’s instructions, each one giving the other a different look through the hand sign. Kenichi’s face is filled with fiery, almost zealous determination. He’s come too far to fail here, and he certainly isn’t about to lose to a clan brat like Naruto. Naruto, for his part, doesn’t even look concerned. In fact, he looks excited! Does he consider Kenichi to be an easy victory, or is he just not taking any of this seriously?! Kenichi doesn’t know, and he doesn’t care.

“Ready…” As Iruka’s voice builds tension, the boys each take their respective taijutsu stances. Kenichi’s is solidly based on the Hidden Leaf Academy’s taught style of taijutsu, but he’s taken enough lessons on the side to have some extra tricks up his nonexistent sleeve. Naruto’s stance is so casual it almost makes Kenichi even angrier. His elbows are loose and he’s bouncing on his feet like a child. “I’ll put this clan kid in his place…”

“BEGIN!”

Naruto makes the first move, rushing right up to Kenichi. He comes in low, and throws a wild left uppercut. Kenichi sees this coming from a mile away, and brushes it aside with a right elbow block. With his free hand, Kenichi throws a punch of his own down at Naruto. But Naruto, his wide smile never fading, actually moves forward into the punch. He catches it with his own free hand, and then using his left that was blocked, quickly grabs onto Kenichi’s gi, before using his right hand to go from the fist to the elbow. Kenichi quickly realizes what Naruto’s going for: some sort of throw or grapple. “He’s already got a grip on me. Got to brace and be ready to react!”

The civilian boy knows how to handle most standard throws, and thinking that Naruto is going for a shoulder throw, Kenichi prepares to flip his body into the throw and land solidly. Unfortunately, Naruto, being ever unpredictable, instead kicks out Kenichi’s leg and throws him onto the ground, going for a grapple. The blonde falls down to the ground over Kenichi, keeping him close to ensure that the grapple is successful. It’s only thanks to Kenichi’s quick reflexes and excessive training that he’s able to forcefully break free, roll out, and avoid the worst that might have come from a successful clinch. Still, the break takes a lot out of Kenichi, and he’s already feeling exhaustion in his muscles. All the same, he gets back up into his stance and faces his opponent…who is still smiling like he’s having the time of his life. Like this isn’t the most important thing in the world to Kenichi.

“Arrogant bastard!” Kenichi rushes Naruto, head swimming with frustrations. He brings up his left knee, seemingly going for a high knee strike. But Kenichi stops it short, feinting, before stretching the leg into a midsection kick. Once again, though, Naruto seems to run into the attack, blocking it while getting close. He begins to throw wild haymakers at Kenichi’s head. Like before, they’re predictable. But they’re also fast, and Kenichi is already drained from this fight. He swats away the first two punches, but their speed and power keep him on the backfoot. Naruto flows straight from the punches into a quick knee into Kenichi’s abdomen. The civilian is able to brace, but the hit still lands, and that’s all that’s needed to open Kenichi up for one last haymaker to land true across his jaw. He drops to the ground, and before he can even begin making an attempt to get up, Kenichi feels a weight on top of him that presses his hands and face into the dirt.

“The winner is Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze!” Iruka declares. The words ring out in Kenichi’s ears like thunder, and Naruto’s own body weight may as well be crushing every bone in his body. Even after Naruto removes himself, it takes everything Kenichi has to pull himself up to his feet. Iruka steps beside the two boys. “Make the unison sign, then step aside.” Naruto’s hand reaches out, offering his half of the sign. “Good fight, man.” He says, still smiling like an idiot. “Ya had me going for a bit there. I hope that last punch wasn’t too hard.”

Kenichi can’t even bring himself to speak. His head thrums with feelings of fear, resentment, self-loathing, heartbreak, and frustration. He doesn’t respond to Naruto. He just looks him in the eyes, staring down the man who had effortlessly invalidated all of his hard work, and reciprocates the sign.

As he completes the sign and locks eyes with Naruto, a look of…something, flashes across the blonde’s face. Fear? Recognition? Kenichi can’t tell. And right now, he just can’t bring himself to care; for his part, he feels as though all of his worst fears are coming true…

“Next up: Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze!”

The boy in question takes a deep, anxious breath as he stands up. This is it: the ninjutsu section. The true make-or-break part of the exam, and the part of which Naruto is most scared. He did better than he’d thought in the written test, nearly aced the weapons section, and showed great skill in taijutsu. He remembers the look Kenichi gave him after he won. It was as if…the fact that he lost to Naruto, that was the real indignity. It was the same look those villagers gave him this morning…

A hand grabs Naruto’s wrist. He looks down at the serious yet totally confident face of Satsuki Uchiha. “Don’t worry yourself too hard. You’ve got this.”

Naruto softly smiles at her. “Thanks, Satsuki.” With his nerves refocused, he begins walking towards the door. As he passes by Hinata, he hears a quiet “Good luck!” which he responds with a quick thumbs-up. He follows Iruka out of the door and into an empty neighboring classroom. Mizuki is sitting at a large desk with a clipboard, and several dozen of those prized Hidden Leaf shinobi headbands immaculately organized in front of him. Iruka takes his seat next to Mizuki, and Naruto stands before the two chūnin; tense, but ready.

“Alright, time to start your final test. First up, the Transformation Jutsu.” Iruka digs his hand around another bowl with strips of paper in it. “Show me……a female classmate.” Iruka mentally deflates a little at this prompt. “Oh Naruto, please don’t do what I know you want to do…”

And Naruto DOES want to show off his famed “Sexy Jutsu” to these two chūnin, just to get a funny reaction out of them. But, he knows what’s at stake here, and he just cannot afford to risk it. So, hoping that it will still count for the prompt, Naruto does another transformation he’s used a thousand times before to prank people.

“Transformed into Natsumi.” Iruka remarks. He looks it over, examining the transformation for any glaring flaws. This is mostly a formality on his part, as he knows that Naruto has the intricacies of this particular technique down pat. This won’t be where his graduation is decided. “Very good. Please drop the transformation, and show us the Clone Jutsu. Create as many clones as you can.” Iruka swallows a lump in his throat. Mizuki’s eyes narrow, watching the boy with serious intent. And Naruto just takes a deep, focused breath, eyes closed. “I did a ton of last-minute prep for this one with mom last night. Don’t try to overdo it. Know your limits, and focus on making your clones good and solid. Quality over quantity!”

The blonde focuses, building up tons of chakra, and weaves the hand signs: Ram, Snake, Tiger. “Clone Jutsu!” He declares as the chakra warps around him. His body blurs, a few afterimages try to form. It’s a messy and overblown display, and at the end of it, Naruto cracks open one eye……and sees at his side a single, equally focused, yet quite convincing clone of himself. A smile breaks across his face, and he’s about to burst into cheers, until his eyes fall on his two sensei. They are eyeing his clone with great trepidation. Naruto quickly regains his composure and assumes the same concentrated pose as his clone. The two turn off to the side and begin murmuring to each other out of earshot of the boy.

“You think that’s sufficient?” “The other students were all able to make more than one clone.” “And it did take a lot of effort on his part too.” “But this is a real mark of improvement for him.” “No playing favorites.” “I know, just……here, I know what to do.” The shinobi turn back to face the blonde. “Naruto!” Iruka declares. The boy is startled, and the clone fades. The chūnin lightly sighs. “I’d like to ask that you please perform the Clone Jutsu again, but this time I’d like for both you and it to move.”

The request draws a very shaky breath out of Naruto. He and his mom had only barely gone over getting the clone to move; she cared more about just getting him to make a convincing copy. He’s not confident, but he has to try. “Yes sensei.” He softly responds. Once again, he begins gathering chakra, focusing as much as he can. He makes the hand signs and calls out the jutsu, but this time as he does it, he tries to visualize the clone running to his left. As before, it’s a far too flashy affair, but also like before, it does create a single convincing clone. As it’s formed, the clone begins lightly jogging towards the left wall of the classroom, while a mildly exhausted Naruto begins jogging towards the right wall. The clone, for its part, only makes it five or six steps before it fades. Naruto just stares at his sensei with apprehension.

Iruka just stares at the general area where the clone had once been, deep in thought. He consults his clipboard once more, then looks up. “You’re dismissed.” Naruto begins nervously stammering. “D-did I…I mean—” “We will announce the full list of passing and failing students at the end of the day. For now, please return to the classroom.” Iruka’s eyes are back on his notes, and they aren’t looking up. Naruto just nervously bows. “Yes sensei. Thank you, sensei.” With that, Naruto makes his way back to the classroom, knees buckling with fear.

“Well?” Mizuki says once Naruto leaves. Iruka’s eyes are glued to his clipboard. “Hmmm……I think, based on his scores on the previous tests, plus what he’s shown here…it might just be enough.”

“Hm.” Mizuki grunts an acknowledgement as he looks down at his own clipboard, eyeing one listed student in particular. “Looks like I’ll be going with Plan B after all…”

The cool light of late afternoon shines through the windows of the classroom. Sunset is not far off now; the end of this very long and arduous day. The door to the classroom slides open as Kenichi steps back in, eyes practically glued to the floor. Iruka, however, also steps up behind him. “We have officially finished the last of the ninjutsu tests. Please remain seated here for the time being, though. Once all of the scores have been collected and compiled, we will call you all in with the final list of everyone who has passed and failed.” Iruka steps back out and closes the door behind him; the second he does, the classroom fills with nervous murmuring.

Kenichi wordlessly makes his way next to where Sakura is sitting. “Well? How did you do?” She asks with a voice full of nervous worry. Kenichi just sighs.

“My transformation of Mizuki-sensei was rough. Height and hair color were pretty off. And I could only make two clones, which didn’t last very long.” Kenichi’s fists clench and shake. “I…I don’t think—” “Hey.” Sakura gently places her hand over his fist. “You never know what might happen. And listen, no matter what happens, I’m with you.”

Kenichi smiles at her, brushing off a single tear. “Thank you Sakura. What about you, though? I didn’t catch your weapon or taijutsu tests. Were you able to…” His voice fades as he sees the look on Sakura’s face. He knows what that means. “It happened again, didn’t it?” Sakura’s own expression looks even worse than Kenichi’s did. “I just……couldn’t stop the shaking. I really thought I was ready, too.” Unlike Kenichi, she isn’t able to stop her quiet sobbing. For his part, Kenichi just puts a comforting hand on her back, letting her vent.

Off to the side, another pair of teens can be seen having a far more relaxed conversation. “So, how did it all go? Did you manage to actually do a Clone Jutsu?”

Naruto runs his hand through his hair. “Well, yeah, but it wasn’t great. I at least finished the written test. Transformation wasn’t an issue, neither was the target test. I had a surprisingly tough taijutsu opponent, that dude Kenichi…” Naruto pauses for a moment, thinking back again to his peer’s face at the end of the match before continuing. “Still, I beat him pretty soundly. But I don’t know, I’m worried I might have just barely failed.”

Satsuki, for her part, just rolls her eyes. “Stop worrying so much, man. You’re one of the better students in the class, in terms of physical aptitude. I’m sure you’ll pass.”

Despite her know-it-all phrasing, the blonde is glad for the continued reassurance. He smiles back at Satsuki. “What about you? How do you think you did?” The Uchiha scoffs. “Please. If I fail, then someone here has it out for me.” She then clicks her teeth before looking out the window. “Wouldn’t be surprising, really.” It's now Naruto’s turn to roll his eyes at his friend’s bit of brooding. Before he can muster any sort of reply, though, the doors of the classroom open again, and Iruka leans in to address the class.

“The results have been finalized.” He’s done this enough to know that he doesn’t need to say anything more. He just leaves the door open and walks back to the other classroom, with a wild pack of frenzied teens following in his wake. He’s able to just barely make it into the classroom and get out of the way of the mass of teenagers threatening to trample him.

Every student’s eyes dart across the posted list, looking for their name. Plenty of civilian kids end up deflating in disappointment. Every single clan kid in the class, meanwhile, either smiles with confidence or cheers out happily. Including…

“Satsuki……Satsuki, there I am…you’re there too. You passed. And I passed. I passed! I did it! WOOHOO!” Naruto’s cheer nearly splits the ears of everyone around him; including Satsuki, whom Naruto now has in a giant bear hug. “Augh, Naruto! Knock it off!” “We’re gonna be shinobi! We’re gonna be shinobi!”

For Kenichi, though, all of that cheering is just salt in an open wound. Because look as he might…his name is not up there. Neither his, nor Sakura’s. He’d tried his hardest, he’d worked so hard for so long against so much. But it just didn’t matter. He still failed. Before he can burst into tears, he takes off out of the classroom, even as Iruka begins announcing the headband assignment procedures.

Sakura sees her friend leave and moves to go after him. “Kenichi—” A hand on her shoulder holds her back. She looks up and sees Mizuki. “Leave him be for now. I will talk with him later; teacher to student, OK?” Mizuki’s smile reassures Sakura as she lets out a mournful sigh. “Alright. I…guess I’ll head home, then.” Mizuki gives her a pat on the back. “You worked very hard today, Sakura. You have nothing to be ashamed of.” Sakura just quietly walks out of the classroom, alongside all of the other students who’d failed the exam.

Mizuki turns and heads over to Iruka, who’s begun arranging for the assigning of headbands. “Hey, Iruka, if it’s alright, would you mind handling the headbands?” He lightly whispers. “I want to get these graduation reports to the Hokage’s Office posthaste.”

Iruka raises an eyebrow at this. “You have somewhere to be?” Mizuki chuckles. “Not really. But I know some of the washouts took this pretty hard. Just want to stop by and offer some words of consolation, you know?” Now both of Iruka’s eyebrows are raised, surprised at the sincerity being shown by Mizuki. “Oh, well, yes, I think that’s a great idea.” He pulls up a stack of papers with all of the grades on them and hands them over. “Make sure these go to the right place.” Mizuki just rolls his eyes as he takes the papers. “Obviously. I’ll see you later.” As he walks out of the school, Iruka turns back to the students. “OK everyone, form a line across the classroom. When I call your name, step forward to receive your forehead protector.”

As the graduates’ excitement builds throughout the classroom, Mizuki heads out the back door, his eyes becoming steely with resolve. “Alright……let’s do this.”

The sun begins its descent over the Hidden Leaf Village, painting the tops of various buildings with a subdued orange hue. On the roof of one of these buildings, within sight of the distant Academy, sits Kenichi Shirahama. He’s curled himself up into a ball as he watches the graduates pour out of the building with their headbands, faces glowing with pride as they show off their accomplishments to their families. As if failing to graduate wasn't bad enough; now he’s feeling two flavors of envious pain. It’s too much to bear. Kenichi buries his face in his legs.

He’s not sure for how long he sits like this when a figure drops in next to him. “Hey buddy.” The voice reveals the figure as Mizuki. “What’re you doing up here? It’s getting late. Shouldn’t you be heading home?”

Kenichi lifts his face and rubs away the dampness from his red and puffy eyes. “Yeah, I know. I’m just……not ready to go yet. I’ll head back soon though, so thanks for checking in on me.” Mizuki just gives a soft smile as he sits down next to the boy and follows his gaze over to the Academy. “I know how badly you wanted to graduate. I could see it throughout your performances today.” Kenichi gives a pained sigh as Mizuki continues. “I take it there’s a reason for all of this? A civilian orphan like you doesn’t put as much effort into the Academy as you have if they just wanted to be powerful, or popular.”

Kenichi’s eyes trail upward, gazing off into the yellow-orange sky. “I just…wanted to prove that I could. I wanted to prove that you don’t need to be a clan kid, or have some great pedigree, or whatever the hell else, in order to be a great shinobi.” His eyes shift over to Hokage Rock. “The Fourth Hokage was like that. The first Hokage to not be from an established Hidden Leaf Village clan. I wanted to be like him. But I guess…having talent really is a barrier to entry……"

Mizuki smirks to himself as he hears Kenichi speak. “This is too perfect.” He places a hand on Kenichi’s shoulder. “You know, I get what you’re saying, Kenichi. The only reason I made it to chūnin was through the support of my brother and fiancée. I’m not a clan kid either. But I can see that you have potential.” He pulls his hand back as he takes a contemplative pose. “You know……there might actually be another way for you to become a genin.”

Kenichi almost leaps to his feet upon hearing this. “Wait, what?! What do you mean? How is that possible?” “Easy, Kenichi, calm down. Let me explain.” Mizuki says with amused exasperation. “There are a scant few cases of students becoming genin without graduating the Academy, if a high-enough ranked shinobi puts in a recommendation. You’ll still have to prove yourself though, with a separate test of the superior’s design.”

Kenichi’s face goes from wild, nervous excitement, to focused determination. “Whatever it takes, Mizuki-sensei. I’m ready and willing to prove myself.”

Mizuki smiles once more. “Alright then. Here’s what you’ll need to do……”

Shinobi World Guide: Shinobi

Also known somewhat erroneously as “ninja”, shinobi are the main fighting force in this world so thoroughly dominated by mistrust and ill intent. Historically, shinobi were known for such skills as stealth, subterfuge, espionage, wilderness survival, and oneness with nature. And in many ways, those are all still vital skills to any shinobi worth their salt. However, above all else, two things truly define shinobi: firstly, official recognition from a hidden village, almost always in the form of a metallic forehead protector; and of course, the ability to harness and wield chakra, one’s own inner life force, for combat against other shinobi.

Although there are all sorts of warriors in the world that have and still do exist, with samurai being the most notable example, shinobi arose as a prominent force during the Warring States Era. Their loyalty was far more easily bought, and they had far fewer moral scruples than the samurai. And the very best shinobi were organized into hereditary clans. However, as the Warring States Era raged on and shinobi gained more renown and influence, they began to act more in their own particular interests and concerned themselves less with for-hire work. This is what would ultimately lead to the foundation of the hidden villages; villages that were designed initially as massive self-sustaining fort cities for the shinobi, that ultimately became something akin to autonomous city-states.

Chapter Text

A tower stands alone in relative darkness; dusk blanketing the structure, as well as the guards surrounding it. It stands tall, surrounded by several smaller buildings, from homes to inns to restaurants. At the far end of this village sits a single bridge, which leads further out into more darkness, and which crosses over a running river far below within a ravine. There are about a dozen or so guards around the tower, posted at the front entrance and at various floors within the tower. Watching for whatever may come, ready to defend that which is within.

Suddenly, one of the guards cries out. “The scroll is gone! All units, find the perpetrator!” Every guard stationed at the tower bursts away, all in different directions, searching for their thief. One of them looks inside one of the inns, and sees something shocking inside. “A facemask! And one of our jackets! Crap, when did they get in?!” They look at the discarded mask, vainly attempting to discern who this could have been, before giving up and returning to the chase.

Near the bridge, a lone figure in a blank white mask does a quick scan from an alleyway. Seeing their opportunity, still hearing the commotion from behind them, they make a mad sprint towards the bridge. They slide down the cliffside and kick up off the sheer surface, gripping to the underside of the bridge with both expert climbing skill and some chakra to help stick tight. Hearing the guards coming towards the bridge, the masked perpetrator makes no noise, and simply bunches up into the darkness of the bridge’s shadows. Once they hear the guards moving away, they climb upside down like a spider under the bridge towards the other side. They then grab another handhold underneath the bridge and readjust to be upright, with their legs dangling. With a few quick swinging kicks to build momentum, they launch themselves out from under the bridge and onto the opposite cliffside, all with a nice midair flip to flourish.

They quickly run away from the village, scroll in hand……towards a large wooden desk that soon appears before them in the darkness. Placing the scroll onto the desk with a confident SLAM, the masked figure yells “Finished!”

KA-CHUNK! Light floods the area, which is now shown to be entirely underground. The “village” is a diorama, only about a half-mile in radius. And all of the “guards” are shown to be wearing standard Hidden Leaf shinobi attire.

Pulling off the mask reveals the panting and exhausted face of one Natsumi Uzumaki-Namikaze. Sitting at the desk in front of her is the Third Hokage himself, right in between a set of four masked Anbu members. “Excellent work, Natsumi.” Hiruzen states, looking over his notes. “Please, give us a moment.” With a quick bow, Natsumi walks away and takes a seat at a nearby bench. Another Anbu wordlessly gives her a water bottle, which she also wordlessly accepts. She stares at the Hokage and his Anbu, judging her performance. She knows one of them is Itachi, but she also knows that that won’t mean anything here.

After about 15 minutes, Natsumi is called back to the desk. Hiruzen’s eyes seem to be glued to the notes before him as Natsumi stands resolutely at attention. “Well Natsumi, looks like you had a final time of 2 hours, 41 minutes, 37 seconds. Could have been faster, but you made excellent use of disguises in that time. Quickly disabled the main guard watching the scroll nonlethally via needles. Your presence was discovered only after you had retrieved the scroll and began your retreat. And no one actually caught sight of you, even with the mask on…”

The Third Hokage looks up with a gentle smile. “Well, I do believe I speak for everyone else here when I say: congratulations, Natsumi Uzumaki-Namikaze. You have passed the final exam to be inducted into the Anbu Black Ops.”

Natsumi wants nothing more than to leap into the air with excitement, fists pumping and screaming with joy. But knowing where she is and whom she stands before, she simply gives a very shaky “Thank you very much, my lord, I am deeply honored.”

Hiruzen rises, walks around the desk, and stands before her with a new mask and a Hidden Leaf Village shinobi headband in his hands. “From this day forward your service towards the Hidden Leaf will be from the shadows. Your missions will be classified to all in your life. While on duty your name and face will be forgotten, instead only answering to a codename and a mask. You will follow the orders of the Hokage no matter what they may entail. And you will do all of this without hesitation or mercy. Do you understand and accept everything I have told you here?”

Natsumi bows and takes the mask in both hands with the headband on top of it. “Yes my lord. I understand, and I accept.” She takes a quick look at the mask. The design is reminiscent of that of a fox. She’s not entirely sure how to feel about that as she dons the new mask and holds the headband at her side. “I am ready to serve you.”

“Very well.” Hiruzen looks back at the desk and wordlessly gestures for another Anbu, this one wearing a mask reminiscent of a weasel, to come forward. “From this day on you will work directly under Weasel here, and in turn you two will both be working directly under me. The next time I call you for orders, you will receive your new codename. While on duty, you are to answer only to that codename.” He pulls out a pocket watch and gives it a glance. “Well then, I must take my leave. You are dismissed.”

With that, the two Anbu disappear in a body flicker, reappearing in front of a locker room of sorts. Natsumi steps inside, closes the door behind her, takes off her new mask……and finally cracks by letting out a loud and triumphant “YES!” Which is then immediately undercut by her covering her mouth with both hands and blushing up a storm.

Her Anbu partner chuckles as he takes off his mask, revealing Itachi. “It’s alright. You’re allowed to be excited. Despite what you might have heard, us Anbu aren’t all emotionless all the time. Just, maybe save it for when you’re out of the main Anbu facility.” Natsumi rubs the back of her head. “Right, yes, sorry.”

Itachi smiles, in what seems to be an Uchiha trademark: a simple, subdued, half-cocked smirk. “Alright then. I suggest you get changed and head on home. Either Lord Third or I will reach out to you tomorrow morning, at which point we’ll discuss the finer details of your duties.” He looks around the locker room. “Oh, right, you don’t have a locker yet. Well, take your clothes home with you this one time. We’ll get you a locker tomorrow too.” He turns to leave, and looks back. “Congratulations, Natsumi. You’ve earned this.” With that, Natsumi is alone in the locker room.

She looks down at her new fox mask, and smiles widely. She lets out a satisfied sigh as she puts away her gear, pausing to look at her headband. “I just hope Naruto was able to pass his trials today too…”

Dusk begins to give way to an indigo twilight; night has nearly fallen completely upon the Hidden Leaf Village. Off at the far end of the village, right at the edge of the village’s thick forest, sits the esteemed Uzumaki-Namikaze Estate. The light from within warms the surrounding dark woods, and from inside, much commotion can be seen and heard.

“Come on Naruto, sit down already!” Kushina calls out to her son, who has been posing in front of a tall mirror for the past 10 minutes, admiring his newly obtained Hidden Leaf shinobi headband. She walks over to the kitchen table, places down a large plate of food, and sighs at her child’s behavior.

“Oh come on, Kushina-chan, let him enjoy this!” The redhead sighs and looks over to the man sitting at the table in front of her. He is one of the legendary Sannin, and a dear friend to both Kushina and her late husband: the Toad Sage, Jiraiya. To his left sits his fellow Sannin, and a kunoichi of perhaps even greater renown than Kushina: the Slug Princess, Tsunade. To Jiraiya’s left, sitting at one of the table’s heads, is his and Tsunade’s teacher: the Third Hokage himself, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

“Don’t listen to him, Kushina.” Tsunade says after knocking back some sake from her cup. “The last thing you want is for Naruto to start taking after his godfather.” “Hey now!” Jiraiya proclaims in mild defense, as Tsunade and Kushina laugh and Hiruzen softly chuckles. “Come now, Naruto.” Hiruzen says, grabbing the boy’s attention. “Your mother has a point. Such behavior is unbecoming of a Hidden Leaf shinobi.”

Upon hearing the Hokage’s words, Naruto relents and heads over to his seat at the table. As he does, though, Natsumi finally enters through the front door. “Hi everyone, hope I’m not too la—” She stops mid-sentence upon seeing the forehead protector on Naruto’s head. She silently walks up to her brother, eyes glued to the headband. Naruto, for his part, just smiles widely and throws his arms open. Natsumi gains a wide smile of her own as she embraces her twin. “I always knew you had it in you.” She silently says in the embrace. “Thanks, Natsumi.” He quietly responds.

Naruto breaks away from the hug and looks at Natsumi head-on. “What about you, though? Did you pass your test?” Natsumi folds her arms behind her back, closes her eyes, and holds her head high. “I’m sorry, Naruto, but Anbu are not at liberty to discuss the nature of their assignments with non-Anbu individuals.” Naruto rolls his eyes. “Oh come on, Natsumi, you can’t even tell your own family how you…wait……” Naruto takes another moment to think about what Natsumi just said, and then he notices the arrogant smirk on his twin sister’s face. Naruto, for his part, takes it in stride. “Congratulations, sis.” He pulls her in for another embrace. Though, nobody notices the somewhat strained look Naruto has on his face when he looks at Natsumi’s Anbu gear, and knows exactly where she is in comparison to him.

Those thoughts are cut short, however, when Kushina swoops in and practically lifts the two teenagers up into a bear hug. “Ooh, I am so proud of both of you!” She smothers them for a few more moments, ignoring their protests, before putting them both down. She looks at her children — both now fully realized and certified shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village — and mentally wilts a little. She knows what this means for them, and what their daily lives now entail. And as much as she wishes that they could just live safe, quiet lives, she knows that, in more ways than one, this is the best path forward for both of them. She quickly perks herself back up.

“Alright!” Kushina declares with a clap of her hands. “We’ve got everyone here. Let’s celebrate! Dig in, everyone!” With a cheer from everyone present, the shinobi all start piling up their plates.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

It’s late in the night now, and Kushina has begun cleaning the dishes, when a soft knock comes from the front door. Everyone looks quizzically at each other, no one expecting anyone else.

“It’s probably for me.” The Hokage says as he takes his cane and pulls himself up. “I swear, these Anbu don’t need to follow me everywhere and constantly check up on me.” But when he opens the front door, it’s not an Anbu that stands before him.

“Oh, Iruka! What brings you over here at this hour?” Iruka smiles bashfully and scratches the back of his head. “Sorry, everyone.” He looks inside, briefly taken aback at the powerful group of people at this dinner. “I hope I’m not interrupting.” Kushina dismissively waves, not looking up from her dishes. “Nonsense. We’re actually just wrapping up. What brings you here?”

Iruka clears his throat. “Well, I know it’s considered bad form for a teacher to play favorites like this, but…” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out two small strips of paper, “I know a certain knucklehead graduated today, and I just happened to have two gift certificates for Ichiraku—”

He can barely finish his statement before Naruto practically leaps up out of his chair. “MOM CAN I PLEASE GO PLEASE?!?!” 

Kushina gives Iruka a look that just says “Seriously?” She turns to her son. “Naruto, you literally just ate a massive graduation dinner! Was that seriously not enough?!” Naruto scratches his cheek. “I mean, I can always make room for Ichiraku. Besides, I didn’t have any ramen tonight!”

Iruka gently interjects. “One celebratory bowl, then I’ll send him back.” He gives Kushina a look of light pleading, which ultimately causes her to relent. “Fine. One bowl. But be back in an hour, no matter what!” Naruto barely seems to absorb any of this as he rushes to get his stuff together. “Yeah yeah, promise!” The blonde bursts out into the night, nearly bowling Iruka over in the process. “COME ON SENSEI! Ichiraku, here we come!” Iruka chuckles as he runs after the teen, looking back at Kushina. “I’ll have him back in an hour, I promise.” With that, the teacher and student head out to celebrate.

Warm lamplight emanates from a corner shop in the village’s commercial district. A simple establishment, it’s little more than a bar with a few stools directly in front of the chef’s cooking station, with the entryway being little more than a series of banners that cover the front. This is Ichiraku Ramen, and it is Naruto's favorite place to eat in the entire Hidden Leaf Village.

Iruka and Naruto sit next to one another, with the young genin practically drinking his miso tonkotsu ramen like a dog out of a water bowl, and the older chūnin just deadpanning at this ridiculous display.

“You know, Naruto,” Iruka interjects, “I agree with what your mother said earlier. How in the world can you eat a bowl of ramen like that after already having dinner?” Naruto, for his part, just slurps up a noodle with a big grin on his face. “Hey, you’re the one who bought the gift certificate and invited me out here! This is really your fault!”

Iruka just gives a nervous chuckle, as he thinks back to how he actually ended up in possession of these certificates…

The village is bathed in the deep indigo of twilight, with night proper coming up very soon, as Iruka enters the office building of the Hokage. He heads over to the front desk, dropping off the spare headbands as well as submitting the customization requests, when he hears a voice beside him.

“Oh!” Iruka turns to see Mizuki at the foot of the stairs that lead up to the main office. “Iruka! Done with everything at the Academy?” Iruka gives a relieved sigh. “Yes, I finally am. Just finalizing everything here, then I’ll be ready to take a break for a little bit. I take it you just dropped off the genin reports?” Mizuki gives a dismissive look.

“Oh, uh, yeah. Hey, I was hoping to run into you tonight, actually. Here.” He reaches into his flak jacket pocket and pulls out two little slips of paper. “For you and Naruto. My own little way of apologizing for everything over the past few months.” Iruka gives both Mizuki and the ramen gift certificates a puzzled look. “Are you serious?” Mizuki shrugs. “Yeah, why not? Just, don’t tell him it was me, OK? He’d appreciate this more if it came from you…”

Iruka just stares into his own bowl, deep in thought about that series of events. “That was all so…not like him. I don’t get it…” A loud and hearty “Ahh!” courtesy of the blonde next to him, snaps Iruka back to his senses. “Gods, Naruto, seriously?! I’m only halfway through my own bowl, how are you already done?” His tone is one of light amusement and genuine disbelief, bringing both the genin and the chūnin to laughter.

While Naruto laughs, though, Iruka’s attention is suddenly pulled to his rear. He composes himself, his senses noticing the several shinobi on the move outside, clearly running about for some dire reason. Just as he turns around to check it out, however, Mizuki practically crashes into the ramen stand, totally out of breath.

“IRUKA! We’re needed at Lord Hokage’s office at once! The Sacred Scroll has been stolen” Iruka’s face goes white with shock as he shoots to his feet. “What?! Impossible! Who did this? How?!” Naruto turns to see this conversation with concerned interest, while Mizuki just continues to talk through labored breathing. “I don’t know how it happened. We think it was someone from within the village. We’re about to coordinate a search right now, so all available chūnin and jōnin are needed at Hokage Rock!”

Iruka calms himself as he takes all of this in. “OK, but I must ensure that Naruto gets home first.” Mizuki shakes his head. “I’m sorry, but Lord Hokage has specifically ordered for our immediate presence.” Iruka looks at Naruto with a concerned face, before turning serious.

“Naruto, I’m giving you your first order as a genin: head straight home immediately. If you see anything or anyone suspicious, do not engage. Report any such activity to your mother upon returning home.” He kneels down to be eye level with Naruto. “I’m trusting in your abilities as a genin here, OK?” Naruto, for his part, jumps up to his feet, heart full of nervous pride. “Yes, Iruka-sensei.”

“Iruka!” The man turns back to Mizuki. “Right, yes, let’s go.” With that, the two chūnin jump away in a blur. Naruto though, just stands there, reeling a bit in shock from all of this. After a few short moments though, he remembers Iruka’s words — no, his orders — and takes off back towards his house.

Though Naruto was told to head home immediately, he ends up not running as fast as he normally would. Instead, his focus is on his surroundings. The genin is on high alert for any suspicious activity. After all, he was also told to report such matters, right? And if he did find the enemy and catch them, everyone would think he’s the coolest!

Naruto doesn’t realize that he’s just up the road from his estate until he’s nearly there, surrounded on all sides by the towering trees of the forest. He sighs, about to give up on his nonexistent “search” and head home, when he hears it, just on the edge of his hearing. Naruto whips his head to his left, and sees a short figure, running deeper into the village’s forest. Though it’s late at night and the figure is moving through the trees, Naruto can tell that the figure is carrying a large cylindrical object on their back. His eyes go wide.

Naruto takes a step forward, about to tear off after the figure, when Iruka’s voice echoes in his mind: “If you see anything or anyone suspicious, do not engage.” He purses his lips, turns towards his home, and is about to sprint to report this to his mother……until he remembers the other thing Iruka told him: “I’m trusting in your abilities as a genin.”

Naruto looks back to the forest, eyes glued to where he saw the figure run off. “I am a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf, and the son of the Fourth Hokage! What kind of shinobi would I be if I didn’t fulfill my duties by doing everything in my power to stop an enemy from stealing our secrets?!” He takes off into the forest. “I can’t waste time reporting this and risk letting that scroll get away! Backup will come eventually, I’m sure. I gotta do what I can, right here and now!”

Naruto stealths carefully through the forest, calmly keeping pace with the silhouetted figure as the two move through the now pitch black woods. He’s been keeping pace for a while now, and so far he’s remained unseen. Or so he thinks.

All of a sudden, the figure stops. In an instant, he spins and throws a kunai back towards Naruto. Thankfully, his aim isn’t the best, and Naruto only needs to lean a bit to the left to dodge it. The figure goes wide eyed, as does Naruto, upon seeing and recognizing each other. He pulls out another kunai in defense.

“Y-you! Alright look, I don’t know what you’re doing here—”

“Kenichi? From the Academy?! Woah, look buddy, calm down—”

“—but you need to go, now!”

“Listen, Kenichi, you need to put down that scroll—”

“NO! I am not letting you take my chance at graduation away from me for the second time today!”

“I’m not— Wait, what? Graduation?” Before anything more can be said, Kenichi bolts off deeper into the forest. “Hey, wait!” Naruto vainly yells out before chasing after him.

Though Kenichi runs fast and hard, and does everything in his power to evade his classmate, Naruto simply knows this forest too well; it’s practically his backyard. He cuts off slightly to the left, running through a more clear and even part of this particular area, while Kenichi hurdles over rocks and roots. Inevitably, Naruto cuts out in front of Kenichi, with both hands up in the air.

“Kenichi, stop! Please! I’m not here to fight you!” But Kenichi says nothing as he darts off to the side, again trying to run away. Naruto again pursues, and again catches up to Kenichi, but this time he takes a more direct approach. He runs up, and using his old Uzumaki-style jiujutsu knowledge, tackles the boy into a tight grapple. He grabs one of Kenichi’s arms and leaps up to hook a leg around the arm, dropping both Kenichi and Naruto to the ground. His one leg goes across the arm, while he puts the other straight out, pressing down on his leg and also Kenichi’s head. Naruto pulls at the arm to hold it all in place. Kenichi struggles and strains, but it has no effect.

“Get the hell off of me!” The boy yells at Naruto, who replies sternly. “I will! But first, I need you to calm down. Take a few deep breaths. Can you do that for me?” Kenichi takes a few deep, shaky breaths, as Naruto slowly loosens his grip to make this process easier and tries to reassure the fellow teen. “Deep breaths, slowly…” Eventually, Kenichi is brought down from his panicked state. Naruto takes a deep breath of his own, relieved.

“OK, that’s better. Now I’m going to get up, and I’d like for you to not run off, OK? I need to talk to you.” Kenichi doesn’t look at the blonde, but does reply. “…alright.” True to both of their words, Naruto gets up and backs off, hands raised defensively, while Kenichi picks himself up and holds the large scroll close to his chest.

Naruto’s hands drop to his side, the two boys finally in a more calm, casual state of being. “OK. Now, can you tell me why you stole that scroll?” Kenichi shoots him a dirty look. “I didn’t steal it! I was retrieving it for my graduation exam!”

Naruto shakes his head in confusion. “OK, what are you talking about ‘graduation’? I thought you failed the exam.” Kenichi scoffs. “Yeah, no need to rub it in, asshole! And I don’t need to explain anything, certainly not to a spoiled little clan kid like YOU!”

“Woah, hey now, that’s way uncalled for!”

“It’s true though! You clan kids were given every advantage going into that exam! A wealth of training supplies, family members who can help you prepare. Meanwhile I barely had time to study or train because I have to work to provide for myself on the regular, with no one to help or support me through it all!” Kenichi is beginning to tear up as he clutches the scroll and stares daggers at the dirt. “You have it so good, everyone loves you, so don’t you dare act like you could understand what I’m doing here!”

Naruto, for his part, has to struggle to pick his jaw up off the ground before finally retorting. “I…are you kidding me? What, I don’t understand struggling at the Academy? I don’t understand trying your hardest and still not being enough?! Maybe you didn’t notice the scores that were posted, but I only passed the graduation score threshold by three points. I BARELY passed that graduation. And that was with all of that support you just mentioned! Do you know how embarrassing that is?! To work so hard and have so much support, only for results like that?!” Naruto also starts staring at the ground below him. “It’s……frustrating. It makes me feel like everyone in the village is right. Like I really am an obnoxious, idiotic, failure of a shinobi, and an embarrassment to my father.”

Now it’s Kenichi’s turn to be speechless “I-I…” “So please,” Naruto interjects, quickly composing himself, and staring at Kenichi with steely resolve, “don’t act like you know me, and don’t blame the clan kids for all of your problems.”

Kenichi deflates. He slides down against a nearby tree, sitting on the grass. “…I just want to graduate, man. I want to be a shinobi. I want to prove to everyone that…I…”

“That you’re more than what they all assume you are? That their doubts are all misplaced?”

“…yeah.” The two young men share a look; for the first time, not one of pain or mistrust, but of empathy, and understanding. Naruto gently smirks as he sits down next to Kenichi. “Well, then…I suppose you and I have a lot more in common than you thought.”

Kenichi looks down again. “…why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“Why are you being all nice to me? Weren’t you trying to stop me earlier? Besides, we’re not friends, we never spoke to each other once at the Academy. Except for when you beat me at the taijutsu exam.”

“OK, first off, that wasn’t personal and you know that.” Kenichi rolls his eyes as Naruto continues. “Second, you seemed panicked and nervous. And I could tell you weren’t doing this for any bad reasons. You looked like you needed a friend, not an enemy.”

Kenichi is taken aback by this sincere declaration. “Oh, well, uh, thanks?”

“Which brings me to my third point.” Naruto gets up and squats down to look at Kenichi directly. “Just because we weren’t friends before, doesn’t mean we can’t be friends now.”

Kenichi lets out a dismissive chuckle. “You’re so stupidly optimistic. How do you even know if we’d get along? We probably don’t have anything in common!” Naruto just shrugs. “OK then. What do you like to do in your free time?”

The question catches Kenichi off guard, again. “What? Oh, uh, I work a lot, so I don’t have much free time. But I like reading. I’d love to write a book one day.” Naruto scratches the back of his head in embarrassment. “Well, I’m not much of a reader myself…” Kenichi shakes his head in exasperation. His eyes then wander to the forest around him.

“I guess I also enjoy gardening?” Naruto immediately perks up upon hearing this. “Wait, seriously?! Me too! What are you growing right now?”

“Well, I don’t have much money to spend on gardening supplies, so I have a few cacti I’ve been growing for a while. Just recently though I started growing a snow king orchid, but it hasn’t been going very well…” 

“You giving it enough light?”

“It’s on my windowsill, right where the bright afternoon sun shines through.”

“What about fertilizer?”

“I…haven’t been using very much of that.”

“Look for various kinds of bog moss. Those should do well for an orchid. My own personal garden doesn’t have very many orchids, right now I’m focused on a hedge of hydrangeas.”

“Well, I’m growing this orchid indoors in a pot. I’m trying to repot frequently to keep the soil fresh—”

“Don’t do that! Orchids need a strong root system, and repotting too much could ruin that! Get a slightly larger than average pot, use some bog moss for fertilizer, keep the humidity up, and don’t repot too often!”

“Thanks…huh…”

“What?”

“That’s the most passionate I’ve ever seen you get about anything that doesn’t involve ramen or the Hokage.” Naruto just looks at Kenichi for a few moments before they both burst out laughing. The laughing blonde sits back down against the tree, next to his compatriot, as the two collect themselves. Naruto sighs, and glances over at Kenichi.

“I’m sorry life hasn’t been kind to you, Kenichi. You really do deserve better.” While Naruto’s voice is full of regret and sympathy, Kenichi just lets out a relaxed sigh. “Yeah, well. I’m starting to learn that life…it has its moments.” His eyes go upward, and Naruto’s follow. For a while, the two just stay like this, gazing at the stars. After a moment, though, Naruto looks back at the Sacred Scroll, a wicked idea coming to mind.

“Hey, have you cracked open that scroll yet?” Kenichi goes wide-eyed at Naruto, in disbelief that he even asked that question. “Uh, no, I was told not to. And I’m still not gonna!” Naruto laughs. “Oh come on, no one’s gonna know! Besides, something’s clearly fishy about this whole thing. We might as well get something out of it.”

Kenichi looks at the scroll, then back at Naruto’s wide, goofy grin. He gets the sinking feeling that somehow, this sort of thing is going to be a trend with this boy. He thinks on it for a few more moments, before realizing that he might as well try to learn something from this thing he worked so hard to get. “Ugh…fine, why not.”

“Yes!” Naruto pumps his fist in celebration as Kenichi unravels the scroll. Naruto pulls up next to him, looking over Kenichi’s shoulder. “Alright, let’s see, first jutsu here…the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu……”

“Oh come on!” “Seriously?!” The two boys quickly look at each other, and immediately start laughing at their mutual disdain for clone jutsus. Naruto, through chuckles, takes the scroll and starts reading closely. “What the hell, might as well try it, see how it goes…”

Shinobi World Guide: Genin

All modern hidden villages recognize three ranks of shinobi: genin, chūnin, and jōnin. Genin is the absolute lowest rank a shinobi can hold. No matter what one’s field of specialization or skill might be, when first entering the shinobi lifestyle, every shinobi starts out as a genin. While each hidden village has its own individual methods of graduating genin, in the Hidden Leaf Village it’s a two-step process: first, there’s the general academy graduation, which tests potential shinobi for their skills in basic ninjutsu, taijutsu, weapon usage, and even academic knowledge. Then, after preliminary teams have been formed, an assigned jōnin commander will give the team the “true test;” judging through proper training whether or not this team of potential genin is worthy of their Leaf headbands. This “test” usually looks at attributes like teamwork and camaraderie. It’s also highly secretive; any student who learns about the true test is immediately expelled, and the person who did the leaking receives punitive action.

In the Hidden Leaf Village, one must be at least 10 years old to join the Academy. Although the minimum graduation age has been set to 12 in the wake of the Third Shinobi World War, and extreme exceptions can be made during wartime, generally the academy tends to graduate genin at around age 13-14. As for actual missions, genin can only really take jobs on a case-by-case basis. They’re essentially limited to contract work as part of a team, with very few special exceptions. And though the finer details vary from one hidden village to the next, generally speaking, about 60% of the shinobi population in the shinobi world are genin.

Chapter Text

The Third Hokage stands before a mass of several dozen shinobi, with two Anbu flanking his sides. Plenty of chūnin, and even a few jōnin, stand before him, ready to hear his orders. His voice is booming and no-nonsense. “Alright everyone, listen closely. The Sacred Scroll has been stolen from my quarters. We have reason to believe that this was done by one of our own shinobi. Fan out, search the entire village and its immediate outskirts for the perpetrator. If this is one of our own, I want them brought back alive. That said, the top priority here is ensuring the security of the scroll. Locate it, secure its contents, and bring it back to me promptly. Jōnin, coordinate which sections you’ll each take, and work with the chūnin under you. Move out at once!” All shinobi present let out a hearty “YES SIR!” before they immediately scatter in all directions.

Hiruzen turns over to one of his two Anbu guards, wearing a weasel mask. “You and Hawk do a full sweep of the entire premises of the Hokage office building. I want to know exactly how the hell the seals protecting my chambers were bypassed without tripping any sensors.” With a silent nod, the two Anbu disappear in a body flicker, leaving the Professor alone with his thoughts.

Amongst all of the shinobi searching across the village, one chūnin with two large shuriken on his back makes a beeline for the village’s edge, a wicked and vile grin on his face. Mizuki thinks about everything that’s happened so far. “I can’t believe this is all going according to plan! Kenichi bought my story, that seal nullification device those Sound shinobi gave me actually worked, and the kid successfully stole the scroll. I even managed to get that brat Naruto involved! I don’t know if he’ll actually be there, but who cares if he isn’t?! All I really need now is to get the scroll from Kenichi, and then haul ass to the Hidden Sound Village. The good life is almost mine!” Mizuki ducks into an alleyway, making sure to not draw too much attention from the other shinobi in the search, and once the coast is clear, continues towards the forest.

Unbeknownst to him, however, Iruka is also heading in that same general direction, though for entirely different reasons. “Maybe I should do a sweep over by Naruto’s home. I want to make sure that he made it back safely…”

Naruto collapses onto his hands and knees into the grass next to Kenichi, who himself is also spread eagle across the dirt, completely out of breath. Naruto looks over with a wide grin and lets out an exhausted chuckle. “Was that it? I think I got it that time!” Kenichi doesn’t even move his head to look at Naruto, he just limply waves his hand and keeps looking skyward. “Yeah yeah, I think you managed to get one or two going there. Congratulations, another big win for you.”

Naruto shoves the boy in mock offense, who lets out a “Hey!” in response. Naruto playfully glares at Kenichi. “Come on now, man, stop acting like that. I’m sure we’ll find something in here for you.” Naruto drags himself back over towards the Sacred Scroll, and rolls it over to his new friend. “That’s if I can even begin to understand what the majority of these jutsu mean, let alone do.” Kenichi begins speed-reading, glazing over crazy techniques involving sealing and summoning; way beyond him. His eyes stop at the bottom. “This might be something: the Sensory Amplification Jutsu?”

Unbeknownst to the two boys, in the dark of the forest, a few dozen feet away, a white-haired shinobi silently lands and sees this scene. “I can't believe my luck!” Mizuki mentally exclaims. “Naruto actually showed up here! And the Sacred Scroll is here…wait, what’s going on over there…alright, time to make my move.”

As Kenichi begins practicing the hand signs, Naruto pulls himself up to his feet and heads towards his friend. Suddenly, he stops. Kenichi looks at him with confusion. “What’s wrong?” Without a word, Naruto pulls out a kunai and leaps into a defensive position in front of Kenichi and the scroll. His stance immediately loosens up a bit, though, when he comes face-to-face with someone he already knows. “Mizuki-sensei?”

“You’ve got sharp senses, Naruto. I can see why you managed to graduate.” He turns to the other boy. “Kenichi! I’m so proud of you! You managed to retrieve the scroll, and brought it out here like I asked! Now just hand that back over and we can finally get you promoted to genin.” Kenichi, sighing with relief and excitement, rolls up the scroll and almost leaps to his feet. As he’s about to walk over, though, a hand shoots out in front to stop him.

“Hold on, Kenichi.” Naruto says, eyes glued to Mizuki. “Something’s not right here.” He glares at Mizuki, who for his part barely emotes beyond a raised eyebrow. He thinks back to the conversation in the ramen shop. “Mizuki himself said that the scroll was stolen, and made it sound like an emergency. This isn’t right…” He quickly looks back. “Kenichi, do not give him that scroll.”

“Wait, what?!” Kenichi replies in confusion. Before either boy can follow up, Mizuki interjects. “Come on now, Naruto, you’ve already graduated, and have fulfilled your duty as the son of the Fourth Hokage. Do you really hate the idea of this orphan civilian standing beside you as a shinobi that much?” Now Naruto is the one in disbelief. “Wait, what?! That’s not what this is! Kenichi, I—” His heart sinks when he turns and sees the look on the teen’s face: disappointment and pain. Naruto steels himself. “Kenichi, I have no doubt in your abilities as a shinobi, and I know that you have what it takes to graduate.” He refocuses on Mizuki, kunai up and ready. “But I don’t know about this. Something’s wrong here, man. This doesn’t add up. I’m getting a really bad feeling off of Mizuki-sensei right now. I don’t like it.”

Mizuki’s eyes flick back to the way he came before falling back on the boys. He can’t waste any more time here. “This is ridiculous.” He starts walking forward. “Kenichi, hand over that scroll at once—” He immediately jumps back as Naruto swings his kunai at Mizuki. The chūnin glares. “Naruto, you’ve just raised your weapon against a fellow shinobi of the Hidden Leaf. That is a serious charge, so unless you want to be arrested for treason on your first day as a genin, you will drop that kunai and walk away, now!”

Naruto doesn’t move. He holds his stance, and keeps his eyes on Mizuki. “Kenichi, I’ll cover you. Just get out of here now. Get the scroll to Iruka-sensei, if you can find him.” Mizuki grabs one of his large shuriken and looks at Kenichi, who at this point has the scroll in a death grip and looks completely panicked and confused. Mizuki smirks.

“Do you really think you can trust this boy, Kenichi? This demon?! You saw how he kicked you down at the Academy today. He’s just threatened by your potential.” He glares daggers at Naruto, who at this point is visibly shaken by what Mizuki is saying. “He’s reckless, dangerous, and a threat that we’re all better off without. He’s ruined our lives, Kenichi. He did it before and he’ll do it again.”

Naruto is horrified at this point, his stance is now more akin to him freezing up in shock. Kenichi, though, remains scared and confused. “What are you talking about, sensei? Naruto hasn’t done anything like that. He’s a good kid, I know it!” At this point, Mizuki finally snaps. In a blur, he takes his shuriken and hurls it at the boys, mainly aiming for Naruto. The two duck out of the way and the shuriken buries itself in the tree they were sitting under. Naruto yelps out in pain as blood starts flowing down his arm, clearly grazed from the attack.

“A good kid?!” Mizuki yells as he storms forward, standing between the two boys, facing Kenichi. “He killed countless civilians, took my fiancee from me, and made you an orphan!” He turns to face the shaking Naruto. “I still can’t believe you never figured it out. You and your demon sister were born on the same night your father died protecting the village. Did you really think he just got rid of the beast? No! He sealed it away, half of its soul each going to his own twin children.” He squats down, and gets right up in Naruto’s face, frozen in fear and shock. “You and your sister have the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside of you; you’re the vessel for the demon that killed your own father!”

Naruto is on the ground, petrified. He’s barely able to process what’s being said to him. “Wha…what…I…no, I—” He’s cut off as Mizuki pulls out the other shuriken, pointing one of its edges at Naruto’s neck. “Kenichi’s parents died in that attack, you know. He’s an orphan because of that demon.” He cranes his head back. “Follow me, Kenichi. You and I can finally avenge our loved ones, right here and now.”

Kenichi’s face is puffy and red, tears streaming down his face non-stop. “My…my parents…they were…you’re……” He looks at Naruto, and sees the boy’s own confused face, tears welling up in his eyes. He thinks back to his painful life, everything that was thrust upon him with the loss of his parents; his crummy apartment, him struggling to provide for himself, no real training support, everyone who saw him as a sad, pitiful boy…

…Naruto didn’t do that. He saw Kenichi as a comrade. He didn’t attack him when he saw the scroll was taken, he talked him down. He treated him with kindness, the way no other shinobi kid ever had. He looks at the scroll.

“Naruto……didn’t do those things. He wouldn’t do those things. He’s stupid, reckless, and doesn’t always think. But he’s kind, and he saw the best in me.” He looks up and glares at Mizuki. “And he saw the worst in you, too.” His eyes fall on Naruto. “He’s a good person, and a good friend…he’s my friend.” Naruto sobs lightly upon hearing this, tears streaming down his face from everything that’s been said.

“Kenichi, you little—” As Mizuki turns towards the boy, Naruto quickly kicks him in the knee, buckling the man to the ground. He crawls up onto Mizuki’s back. “Get out of here, Kenichi! Go go go!” Without any further thought, Kenichi bolts off into the dark forest.

Mizuki, for his part, just stands up, reaches back, and throws Naruto over his shoulders with minimal effort. The boy picks himself up, and puts up his fists. Mizuki just scoffs. “Seriously, Naruto? You just graduated today, while I’ve been a chūnin for years.” With that, Mizuki throws the other shuriken at Naruto, who drops down under it. When he gets up, though, he sees both Mizuki and the first shuriken in the tree are gone. He looks behind him, and sees Mizuki taking off after Kenichi. “Crap!” Naruto yells as he takes off after them both.

Iruka tears through the forest outside the Uzumaki estate like a madman. After checking in at the house, he couldn’t believe what he’d heard.

“Wait, Naruto’s not here? He didn’t make it home?!” Kushina looks like she’s about to either explode or pass out. “I thought he was still with you! You mean you sent him off by himself? Where is he?!?!”

Not wanting to stand near an angry Kushina, and realizing that Naruto could only be in these woods, Iruka began his frantic search here. So far, however, it’s come up short. That is, until he literally runs into a small figure in a clearing, the two slamming into one another.

“Ah!” Both exclaim. Iruka immediately readies his knife, but sees it’s Kenichi, who immediately backs off……with the Sacred Scroll in his arms. “Kenichi! What are you doing? Why do you have that scroll with you?”

“Sensei, there’s no time to explain!” The boy’s face is blood red, eyes are puffy, and heavy breath borders on hyperventilation. “We gotta get the scroll out of here! Naruto is—” “GAH!” Just as he’s saying all of this, Naruto himself comes flying into the clearing and tumbles across the ground, visibly bruised and bloodied in some areas.

“Naruto!” Iruka runs up to check on him. The boy looks roughed up, but he’s already pulling himself together. “I-I’m fine, Iruka-sensei. Where is…” A chuckle can be heard echoing out from all around them, as all three of them look up at the canopy, trying to find the source of the sound.

“It’s tragic, isn’t it?” Mizuki’s voice reverberates around them. “Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, in a desperate play for revenge against the village, stole the Sacred Scroll so that he could obtain its forbidden jutsus. A brave young civilian boy, who had just missed out on graduation, tried heroically to stop him, but…” One of the large shuriken comes flying in, aimed right for Kenichi. “Get down!” Iruka yells. Kenichi ducks down, waiting for the hit…only for it to not come. Kenichi looks up in horror at Iruka, with the giant shuriken stabbing into his back. “IRUKA-SENSEI!” Naruto cries out, while Mizuki’s laughter reverberates.

“Oh, and the brave Iruka Umino gave his life trying but failing to retrieve the Sacred Scroll and save Kenichi’s life.” Iruka yanks the shuriken out, as now everyone is back on their feet. The voice finishes. “No one knows what happened to Naruto or the scroll…and no one ever will!”

Iruka winces as he puts a hand on his back. “That’s a hell of a story, Mizuki. I think Master Jiraiya might have some writing tips for you.” His eyes fall on the boys. “Stay close, you two. If I can see you, I can protect you.” Just as he says this, Mizuki comes barreling into the clearing with a flying knee aimed right at Iruka’s head. Iruka blocks, but is sent flying away from the young boys alongside Mizuki. As Iruka collects himself, Mizuki laughs again.

“I still can’t believe you’re defending that little bastard. I know he killed your parents too! You should want that kid dead just as much as I do, you hypocrite!” Iruka spits out some blood and takes his stance. “No, because I’ve seen what that boy — what both of those boys, actually — have gone through. That loneliness, that grief, that sense of the world forgetting about you…I understand that all too well.” The boys look at Iruka with tears streaming down their faces. The teacher becomes resolute. “That’s why, as their Academy teacher, and as a fellow shinobi of the Hidden Leaf, I will protect them with my life!” With a sneer, Mizuki charges Iruka.

As the two chūnin face off, Naruto scrambles over to Kenichi, who looks like a total mess. “Naruto, I’m sorry, I—” “Save it. Are you good to fight?” Kenichi’s eyes go wide; he can’t believe that Naruto wants to keep going. But if Naruto is going to fight, so can he. Kenichi takes a deep breath and collects himself. “Yes, I am.”

“Good.” Naruto looks back at his teacher. “Because I’m not letting Iruka face this alone.” He looks back at Kenichi, then the scroll. He shoves it into the boy’s chest. “Here! Whatever that jutsu you had earlier was, see if it can help us here!” Kenichi tears open the scroll and finds the jutsu from before, trying to internalize it while blocking out the sounds of the nearby fight. “OK, I think I understand how this—” Before he can say any more, however, both he and Naruto see Iruka stumble. Mizuki pulls his head into a knee strike, then a punch to the gut knocks him down.

“Not much of a life to protect these boys with, eh?” Mizuki sneers as he stands over Iruka. “Especially not when it’s a life rapidly being snuffed out by poison!” Iruka looks over at Naruto and Kenichi, then looks up at Mizuki and smiles. “I did my duty protecting these boys with all my strength. I followed the Will of Fire to the end, and they saw me do it. That’s what counts.” Mizuki frowns and grabs the large shuriken off the ground. “I was truly hoping I wouldn’t have to end up doing this, Iruka, but you’ve left me no choice!” Mizuki swings the shuriken down…

“SENSORY AMPLIFICATION JUTSU!!!”

…and the strike is swatted aside by a palm strike from Kenichi. The boy runs up to Mizuki, ducking low and looking up at him. His eyes are wide and intensely focused, which unnerves the chūnin. Mizuki brings down his left hand for a punch to the boy’s crown. But still, Kenichi is focused. In this moment, he can almost see the enemy’s strikes coming in slow motion. He sees that Mizuki isn’t putting any force into that punch, and reads it as a feint. His eyes dart rapidly across the chūnin’s body, and he sees the right leg tense up; he’s going for a knee strike to the gut.

The feint hasn’t even pulled back yet before Kenichi rears back and kicks the incoming knee aside. Still in this state of hyperfocus, he sees Mizuki’s balance is off, and that his center is open. Kenichi steps in further and swings an elbow strike right into Mizuki’s solar plexus as hard as he can. The chūnin stumbles, Kenichi moves forward to keep the pressure up…

“BLEUCH!!!” Suddenly, the boy collapses to his hands and knees and vomits onto the grass. His entire world begins to spin as he experiences an intense feeling of vertigo. He begins seeing double, triple even. His ears start ringing, and his muscles feel like they’re on fire. Kenichi heaves onto the ground again. He struggles to pick his head up just long enough to see Mizuki come up and kick him in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. Mizuki just scoffs. “Pathetic.”

“Mizuki-sensei!” The chūnin turns his head over to see Naruto, standing with the Sacred Scroll, eyes narrowed with resolute determination. “You just tried to kill both my sensei and my best friend. For that…I’LL KILL YOU!”

Mizuki takes both shuriken in hand. “Big talk for a fresh genin. You’re not in my league, Naruto!” He howls in rage as he spins the shuriken. “I’m going to kill you, and both of your friends here!” He stops short, though, when he sees Naruto make a strange cross-shaped hand sign.

“Whatever you’ve got, I’ll dish it back a dozen times over.” Naruto growls out as he begins building chakra. “I gotta make as many as I can, not just one or two. Mold the chakra like mom said, but then split and eject it like the scroll said.” Naruto runs through all of this in his mind as he builds chakra. Mizuki begins charging with the spinning shuriken. “Show me what you can do, Nine-Tailed Fox!”

Naruto keeps concentrating, keeps trying to build up chakra. “Come on! I need more than this!” All at once, without realizing, he feels within himself a power even he didn’t even notice was there. “Everything I have in me!!!” He draws upon this inner power…

Back at the Uzumaki estate, Kushina is currently engaged in an extremely heated argument with two of her Anbu guards. “Let me leave at once! I need to find my son!” The guards do not move. “I’m sorry, Lady Uzumaki, but our orders are to keep you and your daughter safe here while our fellow Anbu search for your child.” Kushina has none of it. “To hell with your orders! I need to be involved with this! You will let me go this instant, or so help me I—”

“Ah, aahhh, OWW!” Suddenly, from the living room, Natsumi doubles over onto the floor, clutching her head in pain. Kushina immediately rushes over. “Natsumi, honey! What’s wrong, what happened?!”

“I-I don’t know! My head just started— AAHHH! ” Natsumi is barely able to get anything out as she fully collapses onto the floor. Kushina rushes over to the kitchen table, and shakes at a figure in an inebriated sleep. “Tsunade, get up now, something’s wrong!” As Tsunade stirs, Kushina looks over to her daughter with fear. “What is this feeling…”

“MULTI SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!!!”

The clearing becomes filled with white smoke. For a few moments, no one can see anything. When the smoke clears, however, the sight shocks everyone.

Several dozen clones of Naruto fill the forest clearing, surrounding Mizuki and covering Kenichi and Iruka. It’s so many that some of the clones are sitting on the upper tree branches. All of them have a confident smirk on their face as they stare down Mizuki, whose knees start buckling.

Iruka looks on in disbelief at this display. “Those are Shadow Clones! Not illusions, but real solid clones! That’s a B-rank jutsu normally reserved for jōnin. But for Naruto to learn it, and to produce so many…!” Iruka’s smile is as wide as it can be. Kenichi, though barely conscious, also sees this, and just goes wide eyed. “Oh my gods…” Immediately after seeing this, though, the boy instantly passes out next to Iruka from chakra exhaustion.

Mizuki stumbles onto his rear upon seeing this, literally taken aback by what’s just happened in front of him. “Wha…huh…no……” All of the clones around him begin laughing and taunting. “You wanted to see what we can do huh?” One clone confidently yells. “Well then…HERE WE GO!”

Naruto has no idea how much time passes between performing that clone jutsu and dispelling the clones in a large puff of smoke. He was so focused on the fight that it’s hard to say. It doesn’t matter though; the only real thing that matters is that Mizuki is bloodied and unconscious in front of him, and the immediate danger is past.

Naruto turns to head over to Kenichi and Iruka, and all at once he’s hit with several waves of exhaustion. Strange memories flood into his head — the collective perspective of all of those dozens of clones from before — and he can barely see straight with all of these visions flashing before him. A level of chakra exhaustion unlike any felt before overtakes him, and he collapses on the ground before he can even take two steps.

“Naruto!” Iruka weakly mutters from against the tree. Naruto tilts his head up from the grass to look at his teacher. “Iruka-sensei…are you OK?” Iruka smiles. “Maybe. I might need some first aid though…don't know how strong this poison will end up being. At the very least, I can’t move right now…”

Naruto struggles to pull himself over to Kenichi. “Kenichi…Buddy, are you there?” A faint groan can be heard, and the boy stirs, causing Naruto to let out a sigh of relief. “Kenichi, listen to me. Iruka needs first aid, Mizuki needs to be…be tied up…and……” Naruto can’t get out anything more as he finally collapses unconscious. “Naruto!” Iruka again tries calling out, but the boy does not respond. However, Kenichi does start to pull himself up. He puts a hand on his head, looks at Iruka, and weakly smiles. “Hey sensei. Can I see those wounds?”

“Kenichi…you should be resting right now…ah!” Iruka winces at the pain of having disinfectant applied directly to his wound. Kenichi shakes his head. “You were poisoned. I have to do something.” The boy reaches a shaky hand over towards Iruka’s pouch and pulls out a small tin. “Is this the ointment you mentioned?” Iruka looks up from his position lying prone on his stomach, and nods. “Yeah, get a dollop of that on there. Can you stitch the wound?” Kenichi shakes his head again. “I’m sorry. My hands are numb and shaking, and my vision is blurry.” Iruka cranes his head back down. “That’s OK. Just apply the ointment, then bandage some gauze over it.” As Kenichi begins applying the ointment, Iruka’s breathing becomes heavy. “I really need to have this wound seriously looked at; otherwise, I don’t know if I’ll make it through the night…”

“There,” Kenichi weakly gets out. “All good…” With that, he drops the pouch right next to Iruka and collapses onto the ground, sitting up against a tree. The sensei smiles at the boy. “I must say, you seem to have a strange affinity for field medicine. Have you ever thought about becoming a medical ninja?” Kenichi looks over at Iruka and speaks through labored breaths. “Uh, not really, no. I always figured…the best way to prove myself…would be as a more traditional…shinobi.” Iruka just chuckles. “There’s more than one way to be a great shinobi, you know. Lady Tsunade herself proved as such.”

“Is it true?” Kenichi suddenly asks. “About what Mizuki said? You were also orphaned during the Nine-Tailed Fox attack?” Iruka sighs. “Yeah. And just like you, it was isolating. Not many people had the time or interest to spare on yet another orphan like me.” Tears threaten to spill out of Kenichi once more.

“But,” Iruka continues, “just like Naruto, I also lashed out at the world through pranks and goof-off behavior. I thought that I’d rather have people laugh at me than ignore me.”

“But people don’t ignore Naruto. He’s the Fourth Hokage’s son, everyone knows who he is.”

“Yeah, well…not all attention is good. These days, plenty of folk know Naruto for, well…unpleasant reasons.”

“Oh, right…sorry.”

“You know, you two probably have a lot more in common than you’d like to believe.” Kenichi smiles, looks over to the unconscious form of Naruto, and sits up next to him against the tree. “Yeah…you're probably right.”

The dark night sky begins to transition into a faint shade of navy blue. For these two boys, it has been perhaps the longest night of their lives. Iruka’s eyes begin to become very heavy. “Oh no. This might be it. One last thing though…” “Kenichi…come here for a moment…”

Kenichi pulls himself over to his sensei, only having the strength to crawl on his hands and knees and sit down beside the man. “Close your eyes, and hold out your hands.” Kenichi raises an eyebrow at this, but obliges.

Iruka reaches over towards his pouch and pulls something out of a side pocket. “You've shown exceptional skill and bravery today; you learned an A-Rank jutsu, and were able to use it to fend off an enemy chūnin, putting your life on the line to protect your comrades.” Iruka takes a few labored breaths. “As the primary instructor at the Hidden Leaf Village Shinobi Academy, and with the authority granted to me as a chūnin of the Hidden Leaf Village, I, Iruka Umino, do hereby promote you, Kenichi Shirahama, to the rank of genin.” With that, he places a brand new Hidden Leaf Village forehead protector into the palms of the young boy.

Kenichi barely even registers what’s just happened. Maybe it’s the chakra exhaustion, maybe it’s the leftover adrenaline from the harrowing situation he was just in. Maybe he just can’t believe that this moment is finally real for him. Whatever it is, Kenichi just stares at the headband in his hand for a few seconds, before tears spill out from his eyes. He collapses onto the ground sobbing, clutching the headband close to his chest.

Kenichi’s world is rocked when a weight tackles into him from his side, laughing. “Dude, congrats!” Naruto hollers. “You learned a jutsu from that scroll and got a field promotion! That’s so awesome!” The blond has the brown-haired boy in a big bear hug, laughing all the while. The energy is so infectious, Kenichi can’t help but laugh alongside him. “Yeah…thank you, Naruto. I couldn’t have done this without you.

Iruka looks at the two youths through blurry and rapidly closing eyes. “I’m so happy that these two found each other. I just hope…they’re able to endure…what’s to come……” As Iruka thinks this, though, the poison finally begins to truly take hold of the chūnin, and he falls unconscious onto the grass.

“IRUKA-SENSEI!” The two boys yell upon seeing their sensei fall. They stumble over to him, barely able to keep themselves up. Pain, exhaustion, vertigo, inner turmoil. All of it fights against the two new genin, yet still they press forward. By the time they kneel beside him, neither one has the strength to stand.

“Over here!” A new voice calls out into the clearing, as a figure in a Hidden Leaf flak jacket drops in. They’re very quickly followed by a small army of chūnin and jōnin, who fill the clearing. One jōnin immediately begins shouting orders; collect the scroll, secure all parties, medical treatment needs to be applied immediately. Soon the boys are surrounded on all sides by Hidden Leaf shinobi. Kenichi looks over to his new friend.

“Naruto…are we going to be alright?” Naruto gives a bright smile. “I believe we will be, Kenichi. I believe we will…”

Kushina comes down the stairs, fully decked out in her old shinobi gear. She looks across the living room to Tsunade, who is sitting next to an unconscious Natsumi reclined across the couch. “And where are you going?” The Sannin pointedly asks. Kushina turns and glares at the Anbu at the door.

“To go find my son. Jiraiya should already be with Lord Third by now, but I need to find Naruto.” Without another word, she strides towards the front door. The Anbu standing guard once more move forward to block her progress, but Kushina is undeterred; she keeps moving forward. Just as she’s about to reach for the knob, however, the door opens up on its own. Standing right before the front door is a truly exhausted Naruto, alongside another boy his age that Kushina has never seen before. They both look beaten, ragged, and exhausted, and they are flanked on all sides by all manner of shinobi. Iruka is behind the two boys; unconscious, and carried on an Anbu’s back. Naruto stares intently at his mother.

“Mom…” Naruto lets out through heavy breaths, “…we need to talk.”

Shinobi World Guide: Hidden Villages

A hidden village is the center of power for a particular nation’s corps of shinobi. They were born out of the twilight days of the Warring States Era. As the constant civil war raged on and the personal ranks of the various daimyō started to run thin, ninja — and powerful ninja clans in particular — were used more and more as mercenaries for hire by all sides. However, as the warring powers became more and more reliant on these clans, the ninja in question began wanting to fight less for others and more for themselves. All it would take was two of the most powerful of these shinobi clans, the Senju and the Uchiha, to set aside their differences and unite to form the first ever hidden village, that being the Hidden Leaf Village.

Hidden villages can be broadly broken down into two types. First, there are the hidden villages which had small nations form around them, which effectively serve as the capitals of those smaller nations. Then, there are the powerful autonomous hidden villages stationed within the larger Elemental Nations. These larger villages are the most renowned, powerful, and influential on the continent. The best way to describe these hidden villages is as militaristic fort-like city-states. They are singular, self-governing entities focused on producing shinobi to go out on missions in service of both their home nation and/or the continent at large. That said, each hidden village has plenty of civilians in charge of trade, production, and all other sorts of non-combat duties. The village also serves as a safe haven for these civilians, plus the families of the various shinobi that serve the village. A village’s political reach only goes as far as the one settlement, and despite being self-governing, they often exist under the suzerainty of their respective Elemental Nations, owing some sort of duty or tribute to the daimyō. Overall, the hidden villages of the shinobi world are perhaps the single most influential force on this entire continent.

Chapter Text

“So…is it true, then? What Mizuki said?”

Naruto and Natsumi sit anxiously on the couch, facing opposite their mother, who squirms even more anxiously in her own sofa chair. The night had already been plenty chaotic, and that didn’t stop when Naruto burst through the door. Half an hour later, the Uzumaki-Namikaze estate is still flooded with Anbu guarding the area and medic-nin watching over the unconscious forms of Iruka and Kenichi. Natsumi, for her part, actually managed to wake back up fairly quickly. Naruto also received attention, but he managed to stay awake and alert. He had to, after all. He couldn’t afford to put off this discussion.

It came up about midway through the interrogation. As the Anbu asked for a detailed report about the situation with Mizuki and the Sacred Scroll (which he realized he could no longer see anywhere, likely by the Anbu’s design), Naruto ended up mentioning how the chūnin spoke of the Nine-Tailed Fox. And as much as the boy wanted to immediately start questioning his mother right then and there, the Anbu insisted on finishing their own questioning first.

Now, however, that’s all done. And the twins look gravely at the form of their mother, who can’t even bear to meet their gaze. For as powerful as she’s appeared throughout their life, this is the first time either twin has seen their mother look so frail and scared.

“Mom, is what Mizuki said true?” Naruto asks again, this time with far more gravity in his voice. Kushina draws in a deep, shaky breath, and finally meets her child’s gaze, tears already beginning to well in her eyes.

“Yes, it’s true. The two of you are the twin Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox.”

Naruto lets out a shaky breath of his own as his head sinks down. Natsumi, meanwhile, can barely contain her shock. One hand comes up to her face, while the other slides along the couch, desperately trying to find anything she can latch onto for security.

“But…how…why…I thought Dad—” “I know what you were told.” Kushina interjects. Tsunade softly enters the living room, placing down cups of tea for all three of them, as she stands next to Kushina and places a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I…understand that this is a lot to take in—”

“That’s an understatement!” Natsumi loudly interrupts. Her glare hardens as she grips a pillow hard. “You lied to us about this our entire lives! How could you do that? Did you really think we didn’t deserve to know about this part of ourselves?!”

“Natsumi.” Naruto places a hand on his sister’s shoulder, and gives her a pained, pleading look. She sees him, and doesn’t need to say anything to understand. She sighs, tucks her legs in and balls herself up. Naruto turns to Kushina. “Alright, explain. What about the story we were all told? About how Dad gave his life to seal the fox away somewhere secret?”

For a brief moment, Kushina is overcome with a sense of incredulity. It’s so odd, seeing her son be the calm and rational one and her daughter an emotional mess. The redhead takes a sip of tea to try and calm her nerves, but she’s still a bit of a wreck. Tsunade, giving a look to Kushina, decides to take the lead here. “That is technically what happened. Your father used an ancient and powerful sealing jutsu to split the demon’s soul in half, and put one half in each of you, all at the cost of his own life.” Naruto gives an exasperated sigh. “You know what I meant. I thought it was sealed in a place, not in a person. I mean how—”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Natsumi interjects again. “And how many other people know about this? Are we somehow the only ones in the village who don’t know about this?” Kushina’s breath is now quick and ragged. Tsunade rubs her shoulder as she speaks again. “No, Natsumi, your status as a Jinchūriki is a state secret. Only shinobi of appropriate clearance are told about you two, and it’s treated as classified information that cannot be discussed openly.”

“But why?” Naruto asks. “Why the big secret about us and the fox?” Before Tsunade can answer, an elderly voice cuts into the living room.

“If I may.” The Third Hokage enters with Jiraiya, alongside even more Anbu; one of whom, Natsumi notes to herself, is wearing a certain weasel mask. The Hokage takes a seat at an empty sofa chair, while Jiraiya stands at Kushina’s other side. The Third Hokage takes a quick puff from his pipe before speaking. “The Nine-Tailed Fox is a powerful creature that has been under the purview of the Hidden Leaf Village for generations now. It is an immensely dangerous and mighty being, so we have taken great care to ensure that no other hidden villages could easily find the beast and take it for themselves.” He looks at the twins solemnly. “You two have enough of a target on your backs as is, given your father and his legacy in other parts of the world. If other villages learned you were also the Nine-Tailed Fox Jinchūriki?” The old man seems to literally shudder at the thought.

“Please understand,” Jiraiya softly cuts in, “that everyone here — especially your mother — only ever wanted to keep the two of you safe.” Natsumi scoffs lightly at this, but Jiraiya just hardens his glare. “You weren’t always shinobi, you know. In fact, you're both barely shinobi now. Don’t think you can just handle whatever comes your way.”

“You still haven’t answered the big question though.” Naruto speaks directly to his mother, ignoring everyone else in the room. “Why weren’t we allowed to know? I get the rest of the village, sure. But us too? Even though it was for our protection, we still weren’t allowed to know about this?” Naruto stands as his voice picks up. “Were you ever planning on telling us at all? Please, mom, please explain. Why did you lie to us?”

At this point, Kushina is softly, quietly sobbing. Tsunade is about to speak again, but Kushina takes the hand off of her shoulder. “Because…” She says between sobs. “Because…I knew…what you…would have…to endure…I didn’t…want that…for you…”

Naruto’s expression is confused and uncomfortable. He’s so not used to seeing his mother cry like this, he momentarily freezes up. Luckily, Natsumi comes up next to him and takes his hand. She looks down at her mother. “Mom……what are you talking about?” Kushina grabs a napkin and wipes her face as she continues, still lightly crying. “I…I was…I was the Jinchūriki…before you two…”

“WHAT?!” The two twins yell out loud. They’re about to dive into a million more questions, but thankfully for Kushina, Jiraiya and Tsunade step in and calm the twins down. They’re seated back on the couch, as Kushina takes another minute or two to collect herself. After some time, her eyes are red and puffy, and her nose is still stuffy, but she’s good to talk again.

“The fox was sealed in me before it was in you two. I lived the life of a Jinchūriki, and everyone knew exactly what I was. It was such a painful life, knowing what was inside me and how it caused everyone around me to treat me differently. I faced ostracization for my curse, among many other things, and I just couldn’t bear to send you two down that same path. I wanted to at least try to give you a normal childhood; one where you could feel normal, and not burdened by such a curse.”

Naruto takes this all in quietly. He takes a sip of tea, hoping it will calm his nerves. It’s only then that Naruto remembers how much he doesn’t like tea. Choking down the beverage and with his nerves very much not calmed, he looks at his mother. Vulnerable, scared, ashamed. There’s no need for her to say anymore. For whatever reason, just by looking at her, in this moment, he understands something very clearly.

“You only ever wanted to give us a good life. The one you didn’t get to have.” Naruto smiles softly at his mother. “And I think you succeeded in that. But, still, we had a right to know. This was not something that should have been put for…however long you were planning on waiting to tell us.”

“If at all.” Natsumi harshly interjects. The Third Hokage speaks up again. “We were going to tell you when you became chūnin, or when you turned 16. Whichever came first.” Natsumi just sighs in response, as her gaze passes over all of the other adults in the room. Finally, it falls back on her mother, who seems to finally be pulling herself together. Natsumi leans in, elbows on her thighs.

“So……now what?”

Both her mother and her brother give her a puzzled look. Kushina sniffles a bit before responding. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, we’ve learned this big secret about ourselves. What does this mean for us?” Naruto chimes in. “Yeah, like, does this change anything about us? About our family?”

“No, no it doesn’t.” Kushina hurriedly states. She takes a moment to collect herself once more, before continuing. “We are all still the same family we’ve always been, that hasn’t changed. In fact, I’d prefer it if this changed nothing at all.”

“I’m sorry mom, but I don’t think we can accept that.” Natsumi doesn’t even need to look at her brother to know he’s with her. Kushina takes one last deep, calming breath through her nose. She sees her children. Brave, strong, kind, beautiful. She had promised when they were but babes, that she would make sure they would know lives of peace and happiness. Only here, only now, does she fully understand what she needs to do to achieve that goal. Her face turns resolute, and she finally stands tall. “Well, then, in that case, I suppose we’ll have to start training you two to control the fox earlier than I had planned.”

While Natsumi’s eyes narrow, Naruto’s go wide with confusion and curiosity. “What do you mean ‘train to control the fox’? Is the fox not already under our control?” Kushina looks at her son with the seriousness of someone with experience in this matter. “Not quite. The fox has been dormant inside the two of you for years, up until now. Naruto, your run-in with Mizuki seems to have caused you to draw on some of its power, which will certainly have stirred the beast. Meaning it will now be far more active in your lives. So, you’ll both need to learn to handle its power.”

“And you’ll teach us?” Natsumi stands to face her mother directly. “Actually teach us, instead of coddling us?” Kushina deflates for a moment, but just as quickly finds her resolve again. “Of course. You are my children” She looks at them both. “And right now, after everything that’s happened, you need to learn to handle the beast within you. And the only one who can truly teach you to do that is me, the former Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox.”

“AWESOME!” Naruto let out a loud holler, just happy to be getting training in new techniques. A groan from the side of the room catches his attention as he does this, though, and he cuts his celebration short to see the pained form of Kenichi stir in his unconscious state. Naruto quiets down quickly so as not to wake him up. But then, he looks at his new friend. He thinks back to everything Kenichi told him; growing up an orphan of the Nine-Tailed Fox Attack, struggling to find time to train due to having to basically raise himself. His desires, from gardening to literature to proving that anyone can be a great shinobi. And the connection that the two of them had formed after everything they’d gone through tonight. He thinks back to the way Kenichi spoke about his home life, and…he just can’t accept that. Not now, not after tonight. Before he even has time to really think about what he’s saying, the words are already coming out of Naruto’s mouth.

“Hey, mom? I’ve got one more question for you…can Kenichi stay here?”

“The boy? I mean, it might be better for him to spend tonight at the hospital after everything he went—”

“I don’t mean tonight.” He gives his mother a pleading look. “I…want to know if he can move into my room.”

More than anything else tonight, that truly takes Kushina aback. “What?! Naruto, honey, all due respect, I don’t think we can just let some random civilian boy move into our house!”

“He’s not a random kid; he’s my friend, and he helped save me and Iruka tonight. Plus, he’s an orphaned teenager forced to pull various jobs to provide for himself. As a teenager! C’mon, mom, I want to help him.”

“Naruto, I—” “Please, mom.” He takes her hands in his. “He’s got no one to support him. Now I can. He shouldn’t have to stay where he does. If I can do something about that, I want to.”

All at once, Kushina is hit with a new wave of emotions. For there, after saying those words, and seeing the look in his eyes, she doesn’t see her son Naruto. She sees Minato. She’s taken back to all of those nights, where she would beg her husband not to go to battle, argue with him about if he really needed to undertake this mission, and even when she asked why he had to accept the position of Hokage and couldn’t just let someone else shoulder such a crushing burden. He always answered the same way:

“Because if I can do something to make the world better for my loved ones, then that’s something I have to do, no matter what.”

Finally managing to choke back tears for the first time tonight, she reciprocates her son’s hand holding. “OK. OK, Naruto, I’ll see what we can do.” She turns to Hiruzen. “Lord Third, if it’s at all possible?” He smiles softly and nods. “We can certainly have a discussion with the boy once he’s fully recovered.” The old man lets out a long, labored yawn. “Well, this has certainly been a night to remember. But unfortunately, no man my age should ever be awake at this hour. So I will be taking my leave.”

The Third Hokage rises, immediately flanked by two Anbu as he does. He looks to the medic-nin. “If you’ve got Iruka and the boy stabilized, take them to the hospital as soon as possible.” With a nod and a “yessir”, the two shinobi are immediately assembled onto stretchers. Hiruzen turns and looks back at the twins directly. “As Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, and as a friend of your family, I once again apologize for keeping this a secret from you two. I hope you understand that your mother and I only had the best of intentions.” His voice changes from solemn to serious. “However, I hope you also understand that you cannot speak about your Jinchūriki status to those around you. Remember, the whereabouts of the Nine-Tailed Fox are an important state secret; we can’t have it spreading about carelessly. Am I understood?”

Natsumi, a bit conditioned by her Anbu training, immediately gives a quick and certain “Yessir.” At the same time, Naruto responds “Sure thing Gramps— oh, uh, I mean, yes sir.” The Third Hokage briefly smiles, before turning back to the door. “Get some rest, all of you.” He opens the door to let the medic-nin out first, but they’re stopped by a voice from one of the stretchers.

“Wait…one moment…Naruto…” Without even needing to hear much else, Naruto immediately rushes to Iruka’s stretcher. “Iruka-sensei!” The chūnin winces slightly at the volume. Through half-lidded eyes and with a scratchy voice, he smirks at Naruto. “Be at…the Academy…on Monday…for team assignments…Don’t be late, OK?” Naruto lets out a half-sob half-chuckle at this remark. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.” Iruka’s smile widens. “Make sure…Kenichi…gets there too…” With that, and with the medic-nin imploring him to stop talking so much, Iruka collapses back onto the stretcher, and is taken away. Most of the Anbu empty out with the Hokage, leaving the house suddenly far emptier and quieter than it had been for the past hour or so. Just the Uzumaki-Namikaze family, their godparents, and a few Anbu guards.

Jiraiya finally steps back into the main living room area, approaching Kushina. “Listen, I really don’t want to impose, plus I know that the danger’s likely past, but—” “You’re free to stay here tonight, if you’d like.” Kushina says almost immediately. She looks over to Tsunade. “Both of you.” Tsunade walks over and pulls her dear friend into a hug. “Are you going to be OK?” Kushina sighs. “I don’t know. But even if I’m not,” she smiles over at her children, who smile right back at her, “I’ll have my family here to help me through it.” Kushina pulls back and looks at Tsunade directly. “You’re still welcome to stay though.” Tsunade looks back at Naruto. “Actually, I think I’ll be needed at the hospital first thing tomorrow. Got two very important patients to check in on.”

With that, Tsunade excuses herself. After everything that’s happened tonight, the four remaining individuals find their way to their beds in surprisingly quick order. With all of the chaos and emotions and drama finally cooled, now all anyone can feel is exhaustion. Even Naruto, the hyperactive knucklehead that he is, finds himself in his bed in extremely short order.

Lying there in the darkness, staring up at the ceiling, there’s so much more Naruto wants to talk about. He wants to talk to his sister; check and see if she’s really doing OK, make sure that they’re on the same page regarding this whole “Fox thing”. He wants to talk with his mother; ask her what Fox training will look like, and also sort out his feelings with her about this revelation. He wants to talk to Iruka; thank him for saving him, and for not holding this curse of his against him despite how the Fox hurt him. And most of all, he wants to talk to Kenichi; let him know he doesn’t have to stay in that dingy apartment anymore, make plans about those jutsus they learned from the scroll, speculate about their genin teams. And just…hang out with his new friend, who seems to “get” him in a way few else have.

But, before any of those conversations can happen, Naruto finally welcomes sleep with open arms.

A cooler, cloudy morning finds its way to the Hidden Leaf Village on Monday. And with those murky gray clouds, a mixture of emotions can be felt across the village.

For starters, among the families of those Academy students, there are feelings of either jubilation or sorrow. Those that passed celebrate; many parties are held over the weekend to celebrate a child achieving the rank of genin, even if among certain clans, such success was completely expected. Those that failed are consoled by friends and family. Still, plenty only attended the Academy to receive basic self-defense skills and had no plans of being a shinobi; several more just went for popularity and status. But among those that did want to be a shinobi, but couldn’t make it, it is a very gray weekend indeed.

For Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, though, his emotions are a whole other kind of chaotic storm. Perhaps for the first time in his entire life, Naruto is awake before almost anyone else in the house on a Saturday morning. He practically jumps down the stairs, not caring if he wakes anyone up, doesn’t even bother going for breakfast, and just bolts out the door towards the Academy.

When he arrives at the Academy, though, instead of just storming in through the front, he just…stands there. Looking at the building, wherein the next stage of his life is about to begin, and in which he will never again find himself after today. However, none of that is what keeps him from entering. Instead, he’s waiting to link up with a select few individuals first. Through some wonderful coincidence, the first of these people comes up right behind him very soon after his arrival.

“Kenichi!” Naruto runs over towards his new friend. The boy is finally walking normally today, after a whole weekend in the hospital (something Kenichi insisted wasn’t necessary). Walking alongside him, though, is his own friend: the pink-haired Sakura. The two had interacted a bit over the weekend while visiting Kenichi. It was clear that she didn’t entirely trust him, but it was also clear that she does trust Kenichi, so she remained civil with the blonde. All the same, Naruto ran right up to the duo, smiling at the boy. “Thought you’d never make it out of that bed!”

“Are you kidding? After getting my headband, I would have found my way here with two broken arms and legs!” Kenichi says proudly. However, one quick look over at Sakura, and the pain she’s clearly trying to keep from showing on her face, and Kenichi recomposes himself. He faces his friend directly. “Well, Sakura, thanks for walking me over. I’ll let you know afterwards how it goes.” She smiles brightly. “Please do. I want to know every detail!” She turns to Naruto. “Naruto…thank you. For having Kenichi’s back” Naruto smiles brightly. “Of course. I’ll always protect those most important to me!” Sakura giggles slightly. “I’ll see you soon Kenichi!” With that, she takes her leave.

As he waves his friend goodbye, Naruto leans over into Kenichi’s ear. “So, uh…like, are you two…you know……” Kenichi quirks an eyebrow. “Huh? What are you talking about…OH! What?! No! She’s just my friend!”

Naruto smirks at him. “Uh-huh, yeah, sure. That’s what they all say.”

“Wha— who’s ‘they?’”

“Bashful, lovestruck nerds too embarrassed to admit they’ve got a crush!”

“First off, you’ve seen too many kitschy romance stories.”

“I really haven’t.”

“Secondly! She really is just a friend. Her mom and mine were close growing up. They couldn’t afford to take me in, but they always made sure I was seen to however they could. She’s like family to me.”

“Ouch, the dreaded ‘sister-zone.’ I feel bad for her.” Kenichi finally slugs Naruto in the shoulder lightly, who just laughs it off. Kenichi’s eyes narrow, as out of the corner of his eye, he sees more students — and one in particular — approach the Academy from behind Naruto.

“Yeah? Well, what about you? You’re always hanging out with the Uchiha girl! Her clan and yours trying to link up or what?”

Naruto scoffs. “Pfft! Me and Satsuki? Together?! I already have trouble keeping her reined in as a friend! If I had to deal with her as my WIFE—”

“You’d be luckier than any of the other boys in our class.” Naruto pales as he hears Satsuki sharply cut in from behind him. He turns and sees her glowering face. “Which you are clearly not.”

“H-hey Satsuki.”

“Also, come on now. You’re the one keeping me in check? How many times have I covered for your pranking growing up? Gods, I’m glad our parents never came up with some stupid arranged marriage nonsense.” She lets out a huff before readdressing Naruto. “So, I heard through the grapevine that something went down over the weekend; you stole a scroll or something?”

“Ah, well, it’s not important.” Naruto tries to brush it off, but Satsuki is clearly not accepting it. Naruto sighs. “Look, I promise I’ll tell you later. Let’s just get through today first, OK?” She silently responds with a sigh and a shrug. He lightly slaps her shoulder. “Alright. Come on you guys, time to become shinobi!”

Naruto walks ahead of his two friends, not noticing the tense looks the two share with one another as they walk inside.

The classroom is abuzz with conversation. Everyone is showing off their headbands, murmuring about potential missions, bragging about all of the renown they’re sure to receive now that they’re shinobi, and all other kinds of gossip that come from excited young teenagers. All at once, though, it’s silenced as the door at the front of the classroom slides open. Iruka hobbles to the front of the class on a pair of crutches, with a clipboard carefully tucked under one arm. A new wave of curiosity immediately washes over the classroom.

“Iruka-sensei, what happened?” “Is everything OK?” “Are we still having orientation today?” “Wait, where’s Mizuki-sensei?” One loud and deliberate throat clear is all that’s needed to calm the classroom down. Iruka manages to lean the crutches against the desk behind him, and stand tall before his class.

“I appreciate your concern, all of you. I want you to know that I am well enough to be here. The risk of physical injury comes with being a shinobi, as I’m sure you’re all keenly aware.” This statement seems to rock a couple of the students in the classroom. Iruka continues. “As for Mizuki-sensei, you won’t be seeing him today, and that’s all you need to know.” He flashes a quick look over at Naruto and Kenichi, indicating the double meaning behind what he’s just said, before shifting his posture and tone.

“In any event, today is not about myself or Mizuki or any other sensei. It’s about you. All of you are now shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village. You are all genin, the lowest rank of shinobi. You’ve overcome a lot to get here, but you’ve got a lot further to go. And as a part of that journey, all genin will be grouped into three-man squads, each led by an elite jōnin. You will go on missions as a part of these teams, and your jōnin leader will help foster your growth as a team.”

Those out of the loop immediately begin muttering amongst themselves, wondering what sorts of teams they will be placed on. However, many of the experienced clan kids, like Naruto and Satsuki, are already aware of this fact. Just as the questions begin to pick up, they are answered by Iruka. “I will now announce the genin teams!”

Naruto’s eyes glaze over a bit as the first few names are called out, as they are all civilian kids with whom he’s barely interacted. As Iruka finishes calling out the first six teams, he sees Naruto’s bored expression. He smirks slightly. “This ought to get his attention.” He thinks to himself. “I’m glad I managed to pull for such a last-minute roster change…”

“Team 7 will consist of Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze…” Naruto’s head shoots right up, and several other kids in the classroom take notice too. Iruka, choosing to have a bit of dramatic fun, deliberately holds the pause for a half second longer than normal before reading out the second name.

“…Satsuki Uchiha…” Naruto immediately turns to his friend, eyes and smile both wide. He quickly pumps a fist in excitement, to which Satsuki just snorts. But though it’s small, the smile that comes across her face is genuine. He’s known her long enough, he can tell.

“…and Kenichi Shirahama.” For his part, Naruto is ecstatic. Two of his friends — his oldest AND his newest — together with him on the same team! Whatever misfortune he’d felt he had back at the start of the weekend, is now seemingly nowhere to be found. This is perfect!

“This is the worst.” Both Satsuki and Kenichi think to themselves upon assessing their team. Sure, having Naruto on the team is alright, he’s a good shinobi and an even better friend. But for Satsuki, she’s upset at having to deal with a civvie kid slowing her down. This was supposed to be her chance! She was supposed to be on an elite team; one that would foster her skills and be the first step in restoring her clan’s honor! That just got so much harder. And for Kenichi? He’d changed his outlook on Naruto, sure, but he knows Satsuki is every bit the arrogant clan kid he hates. Always getting into fights, always kicking others down, always going on and ON about the “glory and honor” of her precious clan and its name. Its stained, dishonored name. Gods, what an arrogant brat, that Uchiha.

Everyone was immediately snapped out of their thoughts as Iruka read the remaining names. “Team 8 will consist of Hinata Hyūga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame.” Two kids from two different noble clans certainly drew some attention, but not as much after the Team 7 reveal, with the Uchiha and the Fourth Hokage’s son. “Team 9 is still currently active. Team 10 will consist of Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Chōji Akimichi.”

As Ino laments the unfortunate yet inevitable reality of being stuck in the Ino-Shika-Chō trio, Iruka collects his crutches. “Your various sensei will be here soon. They will call out for your team, and you will go with them to finish your orientation. So I advise that you link up with your teammates now, and be ready when they arrive.” Iruka turns to leave. “I’ll be going to finalize this information with your team leaders. Eat lunch, coordinate with your new squad, and be ready when they arrive.” With that, Iruka hobbles back out the sliding door.

As soon as he does, the entire classroom erupts.

Everyone immediately falls into their groups. The gossip from before is immediately back, with those who were put on teams with their close friends cheering with excitement, and several girls ecstatic that they got put on a team with a cute boy. Many students look at the powerful clan teams with envy, wishing that they could have been on a team with someone powerful, cool, or (to some) hot like them.

Most of said clan kids are already well acquainted with one another to some extent, so there’s little in the way of gossiping or re-introducing…except in one particular case.

“Satsuki!” Naruto throws his arm around the raven-haired girl, dragging her over to the brown-haired boy. “I’m such an idiot, I completely forgot to introduce you two this morning! Satsuki, this is my new friend Kenichi. Kenichi, meet my old friend, Satsuki! Er, well, not ‘old,’ but, well, you know…” The two students just stare each other down for a while, sizing each other up. Naruto, noticing the silence, interjects. “Um, is everything alright, you guys? Am I missing something?”

“Nothing’s wrong, Naruto.” Satsuki finally breaks her glare and turns to the blonde. “I didn’t realize you and Kenichi were acquainted, Naruto. Since when did you two become such good friends?”

“Well, I—” “We met over the weekend.” Kenichi cuts in, refusing to be ignored. “I……got into a fight. Naruto happened to be nearby, and helped bail me out. It grew from there.” Satsuki, noticing the pause, realizes something’s amiss. “What happened over the weekend?” “Yeah!” Her thoughts are interrupted by Naruto yelling. “Yeah, I saved his skin, and it turns out he’s a great guy! And, you know, we’re all going to be on a team together. So, let’s all get along, yeah?” The two students look at each other, then at their mutual friend, then back at each other. In an instant, an unspoken understanding is formed.

“For Naruto’s sake. Not because I like you.”

The two give a quick handshake, causing Naruto to beam. “This is AWESOME! Gah, I can’t wait for our sensei to get here!”

“Ugh, where are they?!”

It’s been about an hour and a half now since the first jōnin leader came to collect their team, and every other team has long since left the classroom. And yet, the newly christened Team 7 is still sitting in the classroom, their sensei having still not shown up. Kenichi even asked Iruka about it, and all he had to say about it was “they’ll arrive soon.”

While Kenichi stews in nervous worry about what could “really” be going on, Satsuki stews in angry frustration. Having an inexperienced civilian on her team is one thing. Now she has to deal with an unreliable team leader?! She has half a mind to go to Iruka herself and request a team transfer! Still, deciding to see at least this initial orientation through to the end, she waits quietly in her seat.

The same cannot be said for Naruto. He’s been saying some variation of “where are they?” on and off for the past hour now, likely just as an outlet for his stir-crazy nature. As Naruto slumps forward though, gazing lazily at the chalkboard, his eyes widen and he perks up. A wicked smile comes across his face, and he runs forward to the front of the class.

“Naruto, what are you doing?” Satsuki’s voice has an exasperated, knowing tone to it. She knows exactly what’s going through Naruto’s head, and she doesn’t like it. Naruto, for his part, just giggles. “Come on! Whoever our new sensei is, they deserve some sort of punishment for making us wait like this!” He then takes a chalkboard eraser, places it high at the top of the door frame, and slides the door in. The sliding door is now ajar, holding the eraser up high, waiting to be dropped.

Satsuki rolls her eyes. “Seriously Naruto? Do you actually think a trained jōnin will fall for a prank like that?” Silently, though, in her head, Satsuki quickly wishes that it does end up working, if only for some sort of payback on their new leader.

Kenichi turns back towards Satsuki. “Does he do this often?” She sighs, both at having to talk to Kenichi again, and just at the situation overall. She curtly replies “You’ll get used to it.”

Thankfully for Naruto, he doesn’t have to wait long to see the fruits of his labor. Not three minutes later, the door to the classroom slides open, and the eraser falls with a THUD onto the crown of the entering individual.

“HAHA!” Naruto loudly cheers. “I got you! I can’t believe you fell…for it……hang on, WHAT?!”

Shinobi World Guide: Shinobi Headbands

Officially known as “forehead protectors,” these denote one as an official and acting member of a hidden village’s shinobi corps. Every hidden village that’s agreed to the Kikyō Pass Accords has their shinobi officially recognized by these headbands; anyone performing shinobi duties without one of these headbands, especially when beyond their village’s borders, is not entitled to any of the protections offered by the Accords. Thus, all shinobi on active duty are required to display their headbands for all to see. Every recognized village has their own headband, with its own insignia, which is given to shinobi whenever they achieve the rank of genin within that hidden village.

A shinobi is expected to keep their headband in good condition, as it is the ultimate symbol of their duty to their village’s shinobi cause. This is why damages or scratches to a headband are expected to be repaired immediately; a scratched-out headband is the ultimate symbol of a rogue ninja. That said, a rogue ninja that has kept their headband, unmarked, is a rogue ninja all the same.

Despite being called a “forehead protector,” though, it’s not at all uncommon for shinobi to customize these headbands to suit their own personal styles. Some get headbands where the silk wraps around the entire head like a bandana. Others stitch the metal into other parts of their clothing, like the sleeve or collar. Even just wearing the headband on parts of the body other than the forehead, like tied around the waist or hanging loose on the neck, is a frequent sight.

Chapter Text

Two days ago…

Kakashi stands before the Third Hokage in his office, the old man not looking up from the scroll he’s been given while Kakashi gives his report.

“The Land of Forests was not interested in any sort of communication with me. They made it abundantly clear that they would not have any discussions of trade or treaty with a shinobi. Plus, I don’t think I made a very good impression.” Kakashi says that last part with a sigh of resignation before continuing. “The trade delegation to the Hidden Frost Village arrived safely and was accepted. I was only there for two days, but I could tell that tensions between the Hidden Frost and Cloud Villages are still high. I infer that the Hidden Cloud wants to attack, but the Lightning daimyō is keeping them in check. Hidden Frost seems to be fine with either outcome, to be frank.”

“Hmm.” Hiruzen softly grunts, reading over the report’s finer details in the scroll. He eventually looks up at Kakashi with a dark grimace. “And your third assignment.” Kakashi's face, what little can be seen, turns disappointed. “I’m sorry, Lord Third. I wasn’t able to find anything on the Hidden Sound Village. The people of the Land of Rice Fields weren’t very receptive towards outsiders, and none of my scouting produced any results. I have no idea where they’re operating out of.”

Hiruzen takes a long drag from his pipe before blowing out a long wisp of smoke. He rubs his temple as he stares down at the report. “A brand-new hidden village, supposedly in the nation right next to ours. And yet we know next to nothing about them, not even where the village is located exactly. Gods, this is unsettling.” He rolls up the scroll, and hands it to a jōnin standing beside his desk with notable facial scarring. “Thank you, Kakashi.” He gives the other jōnin a nod of approval as he sets down his pipe. “I cannot tell you how greatly the Hidden Leaf Village values your service.” Kakashi bows deeply. “Of course, Lord Third. You know I actually enjoy the larger workload.” He rises and begins to turn towards the door. “Though I would like to get some rest though. So, with your permission?”

“Actually,” the Third Hokage interrupts, pulling up a clipboard from the end of his desk. “I do truly hate to do this to you, but there is one more assignment I wanted to go over with you.” Kakashi turns back and quirks his one visible eyebrow. “Really? And what might that be?”

The new Team 7 marches through the hallways of the Academy, led by an unusually grouchy Naruto. All that they’d gotten from their apparent new sensei was brief amusement at Naruto’s eraser prank, a light insult calling them all idiots, and then saying to meet him on the roof in five minutes before ducking back out.

Kenichi, awkwardly walking beside his new friend, clears his throat. “So, uh, Naruto. You know this guy? Anything we should expect from him?” Naruto turns, and for a brief moment it looks like he’s about to explode. But the emotion passes as soon as it comes. Naruto takes a deep breath. “According to my mom and the old man, he was my dad’s student.” The three teens all stop; Kenichi’s eyes widen, while Satsuki’s narrow with focused interest. Naruto looks at his two friends, and sighs as he realizes they aren’t going to just let him drop this there.

“My dad led a genin team once; during the Third War, before he became Hokage. Kakashi was on that team. Some sort of prodigy, one of the youngest shinobi to reach all three ranks.” Naruto says all of this with a tone of exasperated theatrics; like a story he’s told a million times before, and has no desire to retell. “Can’t tell you much beyond that, though. For as important as he supposedly is to my family, the guy’s never around. Today was the first time I’ve seen him in months.”

Satsuki jogs up beside him. “But he is a good shinobi though, yes? He’ll teach us well?” Naruto lightly scoffs. “How should I know? Like I said, he’s never around. I’m lucky if I get to see him more than once in a year!” With that, the boy continues stomping forward.

Kenichi just looks at Naruto with wide eyes. “Never seen Naruto act like that.” Satsuki gives Kenichi a somewhat incredulous look upon hearing this. “What do you know about Naruto? You’ve only been his friend for a few days now.” Satsuki walks ahead, leaving a stunned yet fuming Kenichi behind her.

“Right then, I suppose we should start with introductions?”

The three teens look at their new sensei with confusion about what he’d just said. Kakashi has on the standard Hidden Leaf shinobi garb — green flak jacket, dark blue shirt and pants, combat sandals and gloves — but alongside that, he has grey-white hair spiked up at a slanted angle, a dark blue face mask that covers everything below his eyes, and most unusually, his forehead protector is tilted down at an angle to cover up his left eye. The face mask combined with the headband covering the eye makes his face basically impossible to read.

“What do you mean ‘you suppose?’” Satsuki snaps back. “You’re our sensei, shouldn’t you know how this goes?”

“Gah, what I’m sure she MEANT to say,” Naruto quickly interjects, “is that maybe you should introduce yourself first? You know, since these two don’t know you like I do?”

“Well then…how do you think I should introduce myself?” Naruto internally groans. He was just trying to defuse this situation with Satsuki, now it almost feels like Kakashi’s intentionally needling him! “I don’t know! Likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams, whatever!”

“…OK. I’m Kakashi Hatake. My likes and dislikes…I don’t feel all that strongly about anything like that, really. Hobbies? Got a lot of those; too many to list right now. Dreams for the future…huh, guess I never really thought about that.” The three teens look on in deadpan disbelief at how unhelpful and nondescript their new sensei’s ‘introduction’ was. “Right then. You there on the right. How about you go next?”

Naruto stares incredulously at his sensei. “You there— Kakashi, we already know each other! Ugh, fine!” He clears his throat and recollects himself. “I’m Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze! I like ramen, especially the stuff at Ichiraku! I hate studying though, and vegetables. My hobbies are trying new kinds of ramen, gardening, and uh…having fun…” He says this last part with a cheeky giggle, everyone knowing exactly what he means by that. “And my future dream is! Uh…well, to be determined.”

Kakashi actually raises his eyebrow at this. In spite of everything, he’s still been with Minato’s family long enough to know what Naruto’s dream was for the longest time. When did this change? “OK then,” he turns to face Kenichi, “you’re up.”

“Oh, right, uh, my name is Kenichi Shirahama. I like curry, I guess, and also reading. My dislikes…uh, caterpillars? And also…” He glances to the side at Satsuki for a brief moment before refocusing, “…arrogant bullies. My hobbies are gardening, writing, and training as hard as I can! My dream is to prove that even a civilian like me can be a strong shinobi!” There’s a brief pause as Kenichi sits on that proud note, before quickly adding “Oh, that, or an author.”

Naruto smiles softly, remembering how passionately Kenichi would talk about wanting to be an author when he visited him in the hospital. Satsuki, for her part, just rolls her eyes dismissively. “Good.” Kakashi says before facing Satsuki. “Last, but maybe not least.”

Satsuki glares daggers at her new sensei as she begins. “I am Satsuki Uchiha. I dislike most things, and I don’t exactly like much of anything. The only ‘hobby’ I have that matters is my training. And I don’t have a dream; I have a goal that I WILL achieve: to restore honor and glory to the Uchiha clan and its name, by any means necessary.”

“Go figure, she cares all about her name.” Kenichi thinks to himself.

“Gods, Satsuki, do you really gotta be so intense?” Naruto chuckles inwardly. “‘I don’t like anything.’ Such a tryhard!”

“Yeah, now I’m starting to understand my assignment a bit more…” Kakashi bemoans in his head. He stands up and brushes his hands on his pants. “Alright then. With introductions out of the way, time for your first mission assignment.”

Kenichi perks up in surprise. “Wait, what?! Our first mission already?” Naruto, though, lets out a loud whoop. “YES! Alright, let’s get on it!” Satsuki, not moving from her original position, raises an eyebrow. “What kind of mission is this?”

Kakashi chuckles slightly, both at the question and the dynamic he’s seeing play out before him. “Let’s call this a…survival training exercise.” All three genin immediately deflate upon hearing this, with Satsuki in particular looking very annoyed. “We already completed all of our training at the Academy, why the hell do we need more?”

“Firstly, young lady, watch your language when I’m present.” Satsuki’s scowl deepens, but Kakashi doesn’t skip a beat. “As for this training exercise? Well, if I tell you, you won’t like the answer…”

Naruto loudly cuts in. “Oh come on Kakashi, quit being so cheeky! Just tell us what this exercise even is!” Kakashi whips his head over to Naruto. “That’s Kakashi-sensei to you, from now on! Clearly, this team needs a lot more training, at least when it comes to manners! But, if you must know…” Kakashi leans back against the balcony rail. “It’s an all-or-nothing, pass or fail survival exam to weed out the weak. All Academy graduates are receiving this test, and if you fail, you go back to the Academy.”

It’s at this point that Kenichi shoots up to his feet. “Are you kidding me right now?! What about all of the hard work we put in to earn our headbands? Was that all for nothing?” Kakashi gives a non-committal shrug. “Not entirely. The Academy was something of a preliminary test, to find those who had the potential to become genin.” Kakashi then leans forward, still against the rail but now looking more focused. His posture and tone immediately shift to one of much graver seriousness.

“This will not be like anything you’ve faced at the Academy. The estimated success rate for new, graduating teams is 33%. Meaning the vast majority of the teams formed today will be instantly dissolved. You’ve earned the right to wear those headbands; now you’ve got to earn the right to keep them. And that decision is ultimately my own.”

The gravity of the situation immediately begins to sink in across all of Team 7. Naruto’s mind is a hurricane; he sees Kakashi for the first time in months, with no warning, he spends all of the introduction messing with him, and now he’s being told he has ANOTHER test to go through tomorrow?! He almost wonders if this is just more of Kakashi’s needling!

Kenichi, meanwhile, is wracked with fear and anxiety. He’d already gotten his headband through what could generously be called a fluke, after not passing the original graduation exam. Now he has to undergo an even harder test just to not be set back at zero?! Everything about this situation causes his knees to shake.

As for Satsuki, she’s somewhere between annoyed, infuriated, but ultimately unbothered. Sure, she had to take another test, but that wasn’t of any concern. She’d already passed the first with flying colors. No, she cared more about her new sensei. This guy, this supposed prodigy student of the Fourth Hokage, seemed to not be taking anything today seriously! Except for right at the end here, maybe. Could she really trust him to properly teach her what she needed to know?

Kakashi stands upright. “Meet at Training Ground 3 at 8 AM sharp tomorrow! And bring your ninja tools! Dismissed!” He starts walking towards the stairwell, but pauses and turns back at the genin. “Oh, and one last thing: be sure to skip breakfast tomorrow. Otherwise, you’ll puke your guts up.” With that, and one more sarcastic eye grin, Kakashi leaves.

For a few quiet moments, the team just sits there, in stunned silence. Finally, Kenichi speaks up. “He seems…unique.” Satsuki scoffs. “He seems like an obnoxious fool, to me.” Naruto just groans at all of this as he stands. “Look, Kakashi has always been this kind of blunt guy bored by everything. And sure, I’ve never seen him actually fight before. But everyone in my life has spoken about his skills and talents. There’s gotta be some truth to that…”

Satsuki pinches the bridge of her nose for a moment, before finally appearing to relax. “Alright. Well it sounds like I need to turn in early tonight. Are you two actually going to skip breakfast tomorrow?” Kenichi raises an eyebrow at her. “I mean, I don’t want to risk it. Do you think he’s lying, Naruto?” The blonde shrugs. “I mean, knowing him, literally anything he says could be a lie!” He groans and rubs his face in frustration. “Let’s just…be ready tomorrow, OK?”

All three of them nod in agreement, and go their separate ways towards their respective homes.

“I’m home!” Naruto’s normally loud and shrill voice has a noted undercurrent of frustration to it as he yells out his arrival. His mother is there to greet him, and immediately understands the unhappy tone in his voice. “Let me guess: he was late?”

“By like an hour and half! Ugh!” He storms over into the living room and collapses into the sofa with a grunt. “You know, you could have told me that Kakashi was going to be my new team leader.” Kushina lets out an amused chuckle. “And ruin the surprise? Besides, you know how it goes: confidential information and everything.”

Naruto adjusts himself to lean up and face his mother with a deadpan look. “I suppose that also means that you can’t tell me anything about what Kakashi has planned for tomorrow? He’s making us skip breakfast, mom!” Kushina just smirks at this. “Oh, well, good to know. In that case, I’ll be sure to be up extra early tomorrow to make sure that you don’t eat.” Naruto collapses face-first back into the sofa with a frustrated “Augh!” Kushina, however, is having none of it.

“Don’t you give me any of that, Naruto! When your sensei — your squad leader, actually — gives you an order, you follow it. That’s part of being on a genin team. I don’t care how Kakashi has acted or will continue to act; you’d better follow his orders.” Naruto, head buried in the sofa cushions, responds with a muffled “Yeah, yeah, I will.”

Footsteps rapidly approach the living room as Natsumi appears, in sweatpants and a loose T-shirt. “Sorry, did I hear something about Kakashi? Is he back?” Naruto doesn’t even look up; he again muffles directly into the cushion. “He’s the leader of my new genin team.” Natsumi practically bursts with excitement. “Oh my gods, Naruto! That’s incredible! I can’t believe that they convinced him to do that!” She squats down to face him more directly. “You seriously lucked out, bro. You got basically the best teacher you could possibly get!”

“Alright, alright, you’re a little close.” He sits up properly and politely gestures for her to back up and give him space. “And seriously, I get that he’s like, your favorite person for whatever reason, but he’s not a god. Hell, given how today went with him, it sure doesn’t feel like I lucked out.” Natsumi smiles gently at what is clearly her brother being hyperbolic. “Well, it can’t have been all bad. What about your teammates? Anybody cool there?” Naruto’s expression immediately brightens as he shoots up straight, addressing both his sister and his mother. “Oh yeah! Now THERE I definitely lucked out! I somehow managed to get both Satsuki and Kenichi as teammates! Isn’t that awesome?”

In almost a perfect contrast to her twin brother’s brightened mood, Natsumi’s whole demeanor sours just a bit upon hearing this. “Oh, yeah…well, that’s good for you……” Naruto sees this and sighs. “Come on Natsumi. I get that this whole thing with Kenichi and me is weird for you, and I’ve basically given up on trying to get you and Satsuki to get along at this point. But…”

“It means a lot to you. I get it.” Natsumi takes a deep, calming breath. “At the very least, I’m happy you’re happy.” With that, the twins hug. Kushina, seeing this all from the kitchen, smiles warmly. If she could bottle this moment here for all time, she would. But recent events pull her out of that daydream.

“Actually, Naruto, on that note.” She walks to the living room and hands her son an envelope. “I think you’ll want to read this…”

“A letter?” Kenichi looks at the envelope resting on the living room table. He knows he locked the door to his apartment, so seeing the letter on the table is rather alarming for him. But then elaborate handwriting, and especially the wax seal, convinces him it is official. He opens the envelope and quietly reads the letter out loud to himself:

Kenichi Shirahama,

This letter is to inform you that the petition to have you move into the Uzumaki-Namikaze estate has officially been granted. You are free to begin moving your belongings out of the apartment and into the estate starting tomorrow, and this process must be finished by noon the day after tomorrow.

Please note that this request is highly unusual and was only pursued at the insistence of Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, and after an extensive background check. It would normally not be allowed for a civilian to move into the estate of a clan of the Hidden Leaf Village. We are putting a great deal of faith in you to not abuse this opportunity.

On behalf of the Third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village,

Lord Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Kenichi can barely believe what he’s just read. Sure, Naruto had talked up and down about getting him out of this apartment when he visited him in the hospital, but he figured that was just Naruto being a bit too idealistic. Kenichi was never under the impression that any of this would ever actually happen! Just as that’s all beginning to really sink in though, he notices something else in the envelope. A smaller, folded up note that he missed initially. He unfolds it, and in far less formal handwriting is a simple, two sentence message:

Thank you for being his friend. Good luck tomorrow! —Iruka

Kenichi ultimately can’t stop a few tears from wetting the corners of his eyes. Now more than ever, he feels so amped. He can’t wait for tomorrow! “All right!” He cheers to himself. Kenichi immediately starts sorting through all of his belongings so that he can move out as fast as possible tomorrow.

Satsuki hates her walk home.

It could be worse, technically. She doesn’t have to cross any rivers, stave off wild beasts, or walk uphill through the snow both ways. But walking through the Uchiha Clan District and seeing its current state just fills her with a hollow kind of sorrow. She decides to stop by the senbei shop on her way home, hoping it will lighten her mood. Upon arriving at the stall, though, she doesn’t initially see anyone.

“Hello?” She calls out. “Uncle Teyaki?” Shuffling is then faintly heard from behind the display stand, as an older man with a receding gray hairline pops up into focus. “Oh, Satsuki! Hello there, hi. Whatcha doin’ ‘round here? Don’t you need to be at the Academy?” She tries to ignore the alcohol on his breath; she can only imagine when he’d started drinking today. “No, Uncle Teyaki, I’m…done for the day. I’d just like to buy three senbei, please.”

“Sure thing, kiddo. That’ll be, uh…12 ryō.” Teyaki fumbles with getting the crackers into the little baggie as Satsuki gets her money out. She knows that three senbei used to cost half as much, but she likes these crackers and Teyaki himself, so she pays all the same. “Thank you, Uncle Teyaki. And……take it easy, OK?” The man just chuckles as Satsuki turns and leaves. “Don’t you worry about me, kiddo! Ahaha…heh…”

She shouldn’t have visited the senbei stall. That reminder of Teyaki’s current situation just makes all of the other signs around her — the closed stores, the abandoned homes, the people mulling about with nothing to do — harder to ignore. She practically sprints into her own home, nearly blowing right past her own mother reading in the living room.

Mikoto is a fair skinned woman with long, flowing black hair that frames her face in the front with two bangs. She’s only a few years older than Kushina, yet wrinkles from stress can already be faintly seen on her face. She perks up upon seeing her daughter arrive.

“Oh, Satsuki! You’re back!” Satsuki catches herself. “Oh, right, yeah, I’m home.” She again turns to make her way to her room, but Mikoto stands up to intercept her. “Well now hang on. I don’t get to hear about your new team? Or your sensei? Or anything about my daughter finally becoming a genin?”

Satsuki sighs in mild frustration. “I’m on a team with Naruto, our sensei is a weirdo who’s probably incompetent, and we have some crazy survival test tomorrow that I need to be ready for.” Mikoto looks at her daughter with deep concern. “I’d figure you’d be a bit more excited to be on a team with Naruto. Is everything alright, dear?” Satsuki doesn’t look at her mother; she just tenses, as she slowly lifts the small bag of senbei crackers. “I…stopped by Uncle Teyaki’s…”

Immediately, Mikoto understands. “Oh……I see.” There’s a tense few moments of silence, before Mikoto recollects herself. “Well, let me get dinner going. Do you mind if I make my old tomato soup recipe tonight?”

Satsuki smiles at her mother, remembering her favorite dish. “I think I’d like that, yeah.”

A misty dawn breaks over the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The three teenagers that make up Team 7 stagger their way into Training Ground 3; a small clearing next to a forest area, alongside a bending river. In the center of this small glade are what appear to be three striking posts, lined up next to each other. The three genin give each other tired, token greetings before sitting on the grass, waiting for their sensei to arrive. Which ultimately ends up taking almost two hours.

“Good morning everyone!” The jōnin cheerfully says to the three now exasperated genin; Satsuki is doing some light stretching, Kenichi is reading a book, and Naruto is leaning up against him napping. Kenichi shrugs his shoulder to wake the blonde, who ends up stirring awake rather violently. “Seriously, Kakashi? You’re late again?!” Kakashi just lets out a chuckle. “I’m sorry, everyone. A black cat crossed my path, so I had to go the long way around.” His voice then rapidly shifts from jovial to serious as he addresses Naruto. “Also, this is the last time I will warn you: from now on, it’s Kakashi-sensei. Address your teachers accordingly.” Kakashi clears his throat, and readjusts back to a much lighter tone. “Alright then! Let me explain how this will work.” He walks over to the posts, pulls out an alarm clock, cranks it, then sets it atop a post.

“This clock is set for noon. That’s your deadline.” He turns around and pulls from his bag a pair of small jingle bells suspended from string. “Your objective is to take these bells from me. You each need to claim one bell in order to avoid failure. Anyone who doesn’t have a bell by noon misses lunch. You will be tied to one of these posts, and forced to watch me eat my lunch.”

The three teens each react to this punishment a bit differently: Kenichi immediately deflates when he realizes that skipping breakfast only served to make this all more punishing; Naruto mentally kicks himself as he thinks “I need to stop being surprised by these stunts he keeps pulling”; and Satsuki just thanks her past self for deciding to at least eat an energy bar this morning.

Kenichi’s eyes then go wide. “Wait, hang on, there are only two bells though. Are you saying one of us is guaranteed to fail this test?!” Kakashi eye-smirks upon hearing this. “Oh, so you ARE the smart one here! Yes, that is correct. One of you, or perhaps even all of you, will be going back to the Academy, no matter what.”

Kakashi attaches the bells to his hip, right in front of his pouch. “You can use any weapons or jutsu you like to try and get these bells, no matter how powerful they may be. If you want to succeed here, you need to come at me with intent to kill.”

Satsuki scoffs. “Yeah, says the supposed jōnin who couldn’t even dodge a blackboard eraser…” Kakashi lazily glares at the girl before addressing Naruto and Kenichi. “In the world of shinobi, those that are arrogant and dismissive of others are often those that end up falling behind or even dying first. Don’t let her dead weight drag you two down, OK? Now, we’ll start when I say—”

Kakashi’s monologue is interrupted as Satsuki, incensed with rage at this insult, wordlessly pulls out a kunai and rushes the jōnin down without warning, clearly going for a strike to the neck. Too late does Naruto register what she’s doing. “Satsuki, wait!”

WOOSH!

What Naruto sees causes his head to spin. One moment Kakashi is spouting insults, the next Satsuki is sprinting at him with a kunai. But then quite literally, he blinked and now Kakashi is behind the girl, restraining her. One hand pressing her head down, exposing her neck; the other hand twisting her knife arm back to point the kunai at that exposed neck.

“Are you kidding me?! I barely even saw him move!” Kenichi thinks to himself, mouth agape. Satsuki strains against the grapple, but can’t help giving off a frustrated grin. “So he IS a legit jōnin…” Naruto is also stunned for a moment, but quickly shakes himself out of it. “Yeah, there’s the Kakashi I’ve heard all about.”

“Slow down, hothead. I didn’t say ‘start.’” Kakashi chuckles. “Though I am impressed; you came at me with intent to kill. And I suppose I have to respect not waiting for your enemy to be ready before striking.” He lets Satsuki go, and she stands alongside her teammates. Kakashi smirks under his mask. “Perhaps they’ll surpass my expectations after all…” He gives Team 7 one last calm, calculating look. “Alright then…START!”

All three genin immediately scatter.

Shinobi World Guide: Shinobi Teams

Though shinobi have operated in a wide variety of manners over the several centuries that they have been active — from working as total lone wolves to being in large multi-man squads not unlike an army corps — most modern shinobi operate in small, highly coordinated teams of three to five. For most people, shinobi and civilians alike, when they hear the phrase “shinobi team,” they tend to think of genin teams: three genin, often young and freshly graduated from the Academy, go on missions together, and are led and supervised by a jōnin commander. This jōnin is expected to train these young genin into truly formidable shinobi, both in the field and during normal off-duty training, in everything from combat and stealth to matters as simple as teamwork and cooperation. These teams stay together until the jōnin commander dissolves it with approval from the Kage.

Even though the concept of the three-man genin team has spread all across the shinobi world, the various other hidden villages each have their own customs and practices when it comes to these teams. For example, the Hidden Mist Village uniquely does not make use of permanent genin teams. Teams of three genin and a jōnin commander are used quite often, but each one is assembled on a mission-by-mission basis, in order to suit the needs of the mission at hand. Conversely, genin teams in the Hidden Stone Village are taken much more seriously. Once a team is formed, they are required to eat and sleep in shared quarters, and they are assigned a mandatory number of training hours per week. Only after a certain quota of missions are fulfilled can they do things like go on missions with other teams or even apply for the Chūnin Exams.

Chapter Text

Kakashi stands in the clearing, having not moved at all from where he was when he officially started the exercise. All three genin immediately scattered for cover upon hearing the exercise start, yet for almost 10 minutes now, all any of them have done is observe Kakashi; waiting for him to make some sort of move. The jōnin looks around lazily.

“Well, it looks like all three of them at least seem to have a grasp on the importance of stealth, and how to effectively hide their presence.” With just a quick glance of his eye, though, Kakashi is able to clock each of the genin’s positions. “Still, in an assignment like this, you can’t stay hidden forever…”

Team 7, meanwhile, watches Kakashi with great trepidation. None of them wish to make a move, after seeing how Kakashi handled Satsuki’s overzealous attack. So, they stay hidden, carefully observing the jōnin and any potential moves he might make. One of the genin, however, starts to get stir crazy.

“This is getting ridiculous.” Naruto grumbles to himself, hiding far back in the tree line. “He’s just standing there like an idiot! We all know how capable he is, does he really plan to just not do anything for this entire exercise?!” Fighting against every one of his instincts, Naruto hangs back at the very edge of the forest, watching Kakashi’s movements for any sort of tell or slip-up. Almost as soon as Naruto thinks this, though, Kakashi does in fact end up making a move. Naruto reflexively tenses up…only to see Kakashi pull out a small orange book, and start reading.

“What the hell are you doing, Kakashi-sensei?” Naruto jumps out from the tree line and starts marching towards the jōnin. “Why are you reading right now?!” Kakashi doesn’t even look up. “Why? Well, because I want to know what happens next. Obviously.” Finally fully incensed, Naruto rushes down Kakashi. “ENOUGH!”

“Shinobi Core Battle Skills, Part 1.” Kakashi says out loud as Naruto runs at him. “Taijutsu; physical techniques.” Without even looking up from his book, Kakashi quickly and effortlessly catches Naruto’s haymaker with his free hand. Using his caught hand as a point of balance, Naruto swings his body around for a kick to the head. Kakashi, again not looking up, ducks under the kick and throws Naruto away. Naruto spins around to throw another haymaker, but as he does, Kakashi is no longer in front of him.

Back in the forest, Satsuki and Kenichi watch Kakashi effortlessly toy with Naruto. Satsuki’s eyes go wide, though, when she sees the jōnin position himself behind Naruto, with a certain hand sign formed. Given the kinds of jutsu her clan specialize in, she recognizes this instantly. “The sign of the Tiger? But that’s used mainly for fire jutsu…” Without thinking about her position, she calls out “Naruto! Move! Now!”

But it came too late. “Serves you right for letting your opponent get behind you.” Kakashi thinks with an internal smirk. Instead of letting out a fire jutsu — or any sort of ninjutsu, for that matter — Kakashi thrusts his hands forward, into Naruto’s rear end. “Hidden Leaf Village Ultimate Taijutsu!” With great force and even greater discomfort on Naruto’s part, Kakashi sends the boy flying upward. “One Thousand Years of Death!”

Both Satsuki and Kenichi end up deadpanning at the ludicrous nature of this “ultimate taijutsu” technique. However, both genin’s faces quickly turn to shock as the flying Naruto disappears in a puff of smoke. Kakashi’s eye narrows in realization. “A Shadow Clone, huh? Clever…” As soon as the clone puffs out of existence, two shuriken come flying in from the tree line, right for Kakashi’s head. Not even looking at the incoming attack, he rapidly brings his hand up and catches both shuriken through their central holes, with one finger each. The original Naruto, having never moved from his original position, just stands there stunned.

“Damn it! I thought I had an opening and he still barely reacted!” Rubbing his currently sore rear end, Naruto turns away. “Gotta get some cover. Need to hide and think of a new plan!” He only gets two steps in, though, when a rope trap rapidly tightens around his ankle, and drags him high up above the ground, leaving him dangling. Kakashi slowly and casually walks over to Naruto’s dangling form and chuckles. “Sending a Shadow Clone ahead to test out your enemy. Clever, but pointless if you can’t capitalize on it.” Naruto barely even acknowledges Kakashi as he works on cutting the rope from his ankle. Kakashi just keeps talking. “Also, try to remember to be wary when fighting in what is essentially enemy territory.” He turns his head back over his shoulder to look at Satsuki. “I would, for example, advise against shouting for your comrades when trying to be stealthy.”

Immediately upon hearing this, Satsuki bolts deeper into the forest. She, however, is able to avoid any and all traps that might be set up for her. As all of this is happening, though, Kenichi notices an opening. Kakashi is focused on Naruto and Satsuki, and hasn’t glanced at all at his low position in the bushes. “This is my chance!” Not hesitating for a moment, Kenichi throws a kunai right for Kakashi’s neck. Be it adrenaline-heightened precision or just wild luck, Kenichi’s kunai lands fast and true, burrowing into Kakashi’s neck. Both Naruto and even Kenichi are horrified for a moment…until Kakashi disappears in a puff of smoke, much like Naruto.

“Crap, he was a clone too?!” Kenichi gets up, about to run for it like Satsuki, but a voice causes him to tense up. “Psst, Kenichi, behind you.” The genin whips around just in time to see Kakashi make a hand sign. All at once, leaves begin to swirl around Kenichi, causing him to feel delirious and unfocused. He blinks for a few moments, rubs his eyes, and he’s back where he was, alone. “What was that? Where did sensei…” He only questions all of this for a few moments, though, as he hears from deeper in the forest a voice calling out. “Kenichi…help…” The boy doesn’t hesitate. “Naruto? Naruto, I’m coming buddy!” He whips around the tree to find his friend, and cannot believe the sight before him.

Naruto is on his knees, leaned up against a tree, covered in blood and riddled all over with kunai and shuriken wounds. One kunai is actually stabbing into the side of Naruto’s face. His left arm looks to have been completely severed, the wound gushing blood, and his left leg has been fractured and bent into a very unnatural and unhealthy angle. All Naruto can whimper out is “Kenichi…help me…please…” The genin, completely overwhelmed at the sight of his friend mangled like this, and having never seen so much blood and injury in his life, cannot keep it together. His knees buckle, his facial features quiver, tears well up at the sides of his eyes. It takes everything he has to not lose consciousness. Instead, Kenichi simply collapses onto his knees, keels over into a bush, and throws up.

Kakashi, from a distance, barely looks up from his book to acknowledge this. “Shinobi Core Battle Skills, Part 2: Genjutsu; illusionary techniques.” He sighs as he turns a page. “He was one of the top scorers in written knowledge, he should know and be prepared for these things.” He watches Kenichi continue to puke, trying to collect himself. “Still, I was worried I’d gone overboard with that one. Was sure he would pass out from that genjutsu.” He smirks to himself, beginning to understand more why he was given this team assignment.

Two days ago…

“Really? And what might that be?”

Before a response can be given, a coded knock comes from the door. “Enter.” Hiruzen states, then raises a hand at Kakashi. “Stay. This concerns you.” The door opens, and two more jōnin enter the office, a man and a woman. The man has short dark hair that comes down into a tight beard, is currently smoking a cigarette, and wears the standard Hidden Leaf shinobi attire, though notably also has a white sash around his waist with the symbol for “Fire” proudly emblazoned on it. The woman, meanwhile, has long flowing black hair and piercing red eyes. Unlike the man, her garb is very unique and striking; a red armored blouse can be seen underneath some sort of white combat dress. As the two enter, the man’s eyes light up upon seeing the white-haired jōnin.

“Kakashi! You’re finally back in the village! I was wondering when—” “Asuma.” The voice of Hiruzen interrupts. The now named Asuma stands at attention. Hiruzen just gives him a disapproving look as he slides forward his pipe’s ashtray. “I told you, not in my office.” Asuma, with a low grumble, puts the cigarette out in the ashtray, which he notices has a still lit pipe in it. Asuma shoots the Hokage a look of his own. “Perks of the position.” Hiruzen simply says with a sly shrug, as he takes the pipe back.

“I’m confused, Lord Third.” Kakashi finally speaks back up. “Am I being assigned a squad mission?” The female jōnin gives Kakashi a puzzled look, which is quickly replaced with one of understanding. “Seems like he wanted to make it a surprise.” Asuma steps back in line, and lets out a soft chuckle. “Kurenai and I were called in to get our genin team assignments.”

Upon hearing this, Kakashi instantly deflates. “Please, Lord Third. You know how it’s gone in the past with me and genin teams.” Hiruzen doesn’t look up; he simply pulls out a few slips of paper, and hands them to the three jōnin as he speaks with the pipe in his mouth. “I am aware of your track record, Kakashi. But, as you can see, this one is a special case…”

Kakashi looks at the team assignment paper he was given, and his eye widens. “Naruto?! And the Uchiha girl…” His eye goes from very wide to very narrow. “Who put you up to this? The council? Kushina?” Hiruzen gives a joking chuckle. “You truly believe such a thing, Kakashi?”

The jōnin’s eye narrows even further. “Were you told to put me in command of this team?”

Hiruzen’s joking facade falters. He hits a lazy drag of the pipe as he takes a moment to consider his response. “Yes and no. The council was quite keen on having you be Satsuki’s sensei. With your Sharingan and your…good morals, they felt you were the right pick.” Kakashi knows exactly what isn’t being said there, as the Hokage continues. “As for Naruto, Kushina simply made it clear that she wanted nothing but the best from Naruto’s sensei.”

Hiruzen leans forward onto his desk, giving Kakashi a much softer look. “But more than anything else, I wanted this for you. You’re working too hard, Kakashi. You willingly took on back-to-back-to-back missions that kept you out in the field for eight months. No one should be working like that.” Before Kakashi can interject, Hiruzen interrupts. “And I know why. I know what you’re trying to distract yourself from, trying to avoid. But you can’t keep living like that. It’s not good for you.”

Kakashi just stares down at his assignment, almost as if he’s searching for some sort of loophole or exit clause hidden within. Eventually, he looks back up. “I will still fail them all the same if they don’t pass the test.” Hiruzen brightens up. “Of course! Why do you think we all of this anyway? And of course, we assign these tests to you specifically for a good reason, when we do. After all, I know how…selective of an examiner you are. I think these three kids have earned nothing less than that…”

From up in the treetops, Satsuki hears a strange noise. She turns and sees Kenichi in the distance, bent over in a state of shock and sickness. Again, given her clan’s skills, she’s seen this before. “Genjutsu, huh? It’s just a simple trick of the mind, though it’s no surprise Kenichi fell for it. But…” She leaps down to the ground, looking up with fierce determination. “I’m not one to fall for sneaky tricks, like the other two.” She glares at Kakashi, who is leaning up against a tree, still reading from that small orange book. He chuckles. “Didn’t I just teach you a little lesson about overconfidence, Satsuki-chan?”

With a fierce glare, Satsuki throws a flurry of shuriken at her sensei. Kakashi dodges with ease. “You’re not going to get anywhere with obvious attacks like that.” He taunts. But Satsuki, for her part, just smirks at this. She throws a kunai slightly off Kakashi’s center, forcing him to jump further to the side. It’s only then that he looks down and sees the uneven ground he’s heading towards. “Did she repurpose one of my traps?!” With practiced, delicate ease, Kakashi leaps up as soon as his foot hits the ground, narrowly dodging the snapping jaws of the bear trap.

Just as Kakashi lands again, before he has any time to readjust, Satsuki comes up from a low angle. She throws out a strike with both arms; her right an open palm strike at the solar plexus, her left an elbow slash at the abdomen. Kakashi is able to quickly pivot and catch both parts of this attack. His eye focuses on her form. “Uchiha-style taijutsu, eh? Then that means…” Just as he’s thinking this, Satsuki kicks herself up, effectively being carried by Kakashi now, and goes for a very fast, short ranged knee at Kakashi’s chin. He grabs her knee with his left hand, leaving Satsuki’s right free. She quickly contorts her body, twisting to reach for the bells. Her fingers managed to just barely graze one of the bells as Kakashi twists back, throwing her off of him.

The two stare each other down; Satsuki feeling exhausted already, whereas Kakashi looks unusually excited. “This girl is relentless. Heh, guess I won’t be able to read my book after all…” Kakashi rolls his shoulders, loosening himself up. “Alright, I’ll give you some credit: perhaps all of that confidence wasn’t misplaced.” Satsuki just scoffs. Pushing through the exhaustion, the girl decides to not hold back any further. “You wanted ‘intent to kill,’ right? Well here you go!”

Kakashi’s eye widens as he watches Satsuki begin to weave hand signs. Normally he’d watch the pattern closely to try and recognize the incoming jutsu. However, he instantly knows this pattern as one he’s personally seen more times than he can count. Which is why he’s so shocked to see it coming from such a young genin. “She can do a fire jutsu like that?! And at such a young age!” Just as he thinks this, Satsuki weaves the sign of the Horse, and finally lands on the Tiger. Satsuki’s cheeks puff out, and after a brief moment…

“Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!” Satsuki belches forth a stream of fire that erupts into a giant flaming sphere, engulfing the area where Kakashi once stood. Satsuki keeps the jutsu going for just a bit longer than is necessary, the fireball burning bright for a good five seconds before letting up. When the flames finally clear, the area before her is one giant scorch mark…with no sign of Kakashi anywhere. Immediately, her guard goes up.

“Where did he go?! My sides?” Satsuki whips her head to both sides before rapidly pivoting 180 degrees. “Behind me? No…above?!” She looks up into the sky, just as she feels a hand grip her ankle tightly. “None of the above. Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!” With that, Satsuki is roughly dragged into the rocky earth, right up to her neck, so that just her head is barely peeking out of the ground. Kakashi leaps up from that same earth, the bells letting out a taunting jingle as he does. He squats down to face Satsuki.

“The correct answer: underneath you. Shinobi Core Battle Skills, Part 3: Ninjutsu; elemental techniques. Though I’d say you’ve already got that one locked down.” Satsuki vainly struggles and strains against her stone confinement as Kakashi continues. “I will admit, you are different from the other two. But, being different isn’t always a good thing.” Kakashi stands up, pulls his book back out, and reads while walking away. As he does, though, without looking back, he calls out. “Remember what I told you about arrogant lone wolves.” Satsuki, finally fully angered, just yells out “Shut up, gods damn it!”

Kenichi doesn’t know how long he ends up keeled over in the bushes. Fortunately, by the time he’s finished retching, the horrifying illusion seems to finally be gone. Unfortunately, all of that puking combined with not eating breakfast has left him feeling even worse than he did before. Still, he manages to stand back up on his own two feet. Collecting himself fully, the boy looks around, and sees that he is completely alone. He sighs. “Well, I might as well try and regroup with the actual Naruto.”

Heading back to the area where they all originally started, sure enough, Kenichi sees Naruto still dangling from the rope by his ankle. Currently, the blonde seems to be furiously trying and failing to cut through the rope with a kunai knife. He grumbles to himself all the while, before his eyes widen at Kenichi’s approach.

“Kenichi! Thank the gods! Can you help me down from here?” Naruto says while continuing to struggle with the trap. “I can’t cut at this very well from this angle, plus whatever rope Kakashi-sensei used is way tougher than normal.” Kenichi wordlessly approaches and, with the leverage of standing on solid ground, is able to easily get Naruto free from the trap. As soon as he’s cut free, the blonde deftly flips down and lands perfectly on both feet with a confident smile.

“I was worried for a bit there that we would just end up completely separate for this entire exercise.” It’s only now that Naruto gets a good look at Kenichi’s sunken face. “Are you doing alright, buddy? You look like hell.” Kenichi, still a little out of it and not wanting to be pressed about what he saw earlier, lightly brushes Naruto off. “Yeah…yeah, I’ll be fine.”

Naruto takes note of the way Kenichi says this — he “will be” fine, not that he “is” fine — but decides not to press it at this moment. “OK then. I think for our next move, we should try and find Satsuki. Link up with her, see if we can’t all come up with some sort of plan together.” He looks back into the forest. “The three of us together stand the strongest chance at beating him, after all.”

Kenichi’s face contorts, though not from any sort of stomach pain. He’s about to just drop the topic again, act like it’s nothing. But given the nature of this test, and given the nature of Satsuki especially, he can’t hold back. “Hey, Naruto…how about we come up with a plan together? Just the two of us.” He walks up in front of the blonde to speak with him directly. “There are only two bells, after all. And between the two of us, if we work together on a good plan, I think we can get them both.”

Naruto’s face slowly darkens as he hears his friend suggest this ludicrous idea. He shakes his head in refusal. “I’m sorry, Kenichi, but that’s not an option.” He speaks sternly, in a way Kenichi isn’t used to hearing from Naruto. “I refuse to abandon Satsuki in this test.” Kenichi’s voice becomes more pleading. “You heard what sensei said though, only two of us can pass! At least one of us has to fail. Besides, Kakashi-sensei was right about what he said at the start; she’s just going to drag us down anyway—”

“Kenichi!” Naruto suddenly shouts. His dark face is now a scowl, directed right at his new friend. He hesitates slightly, given how he’s about to lead this, but speaks anyway. “Satsuki is my closest friend. Our families have known each other for many years, and we’ve been friends for basically all of those years.” His face slowly softens as he continues. “I know her very well. She’s prideful, overzealous, and has a chip on her shoulder the size of Hokage Rock. But, she also cares very deeply about her family, and those close to her. And for those loved ones, I know that she would do anything and everything.” Naruto takes one more deep breath before refocusing. “She would not leave me behind. So I won’t leave her behind. And, if you’ll have my back on this, I’ll be sure to prove to you that she’s not the person you think she is.”

Naruto places a hand on Kenichi’s shoulder. “Trust?” Kenichi sighs deeply. He would really rather not have to work with the Uchiha girl. But…maybe it’s Naruto’s natural charisma; maybe it’s the sincerity with which he’s said all of this; maybe it’s the fact that the two have become friends so fast and Naruto is doing so much for him already; or maybe, the hunger and stress and discomfort brought about by this entire accursed test has just worn him down enough already as is. Whatever the case may be, Kenichi places his own hand atop Naruto’s. “Alright. Trust.”

With a nod, Naruto turns, about to move deeper into the forest. But he pauses before moving. “Oh hey, I forgot to mention…” He looks back and softly smiles. “I’m excited to have you move in.” Kenichi grins widely. “You’re excited?! I still can barely believe it’s happening!” Naruto laughs as he scratches the back of his head. “Yeah, well, same is true with my own family.” He sighs solemnly. “I think the idea in everyone else’s mind is that this is temporary; letting you stay with me until you can find your own, better place to stay.”

Naruto turns to fully face Kenichi, flashing his trademark wide, toothy grin. “But, between you and me, I hope you stay as long as you like!” Kenichi, at a complete loss for words at the overwhelming, almost naive, amount of kindness and amity the blonde has shown him, can do little more than let out a hearty, happy laugh. “Thank you so much, Naruto. This means the world to me.”

“Alright then!” Satisfied with having successfully broken the tension between the two of them, and finally realizing how close to noon it’s getting, Naruto once more turns back towards the forest. “Let’s go! We’ve got a test to finish!”

Buried into the ground, Satsuki is given plenty of time to both stew in her frustration, and also come up with a new plan of attack. “He’s so much stronger than me! Faster too, and with greater chakra. How do I overcome such a large gap?” Just as she’s trying to figure out a path forward, her attention is drawn to rustling in the nearby brush. She tenses up for a moment, but then relaxes when she sees Naruto run in front of her. He stops dead in his tracks when he sees her; buried in the ground, up to her chin, looking like a severed head.

“AAGH!” Naruto literally jumps up in shock at the sight before him. “Naruto, I’m fine!” She tries to reassure him. “Thank the gods you’re here! Kakashi-sensei buried me, you think you could dig me…out…” Her enthusiasm peters out when she sees Kenichi come up from behind Naruto. “What’s wrong, I heard you scream— WHOA!” Satsuki just groans. “Can you two just dig me out of here? Please?”

Naruto and Kenichi both nod, pulling out kunai knives and picking away at the rock and dirt. “Did you see which way he went?” Kenichi asks while he works. Satsuki nods her head off to the side. “Pretty sure he went back in the direction of the posts.” Naruto looks up at the sky. “We’d better move quickly here. I think noon is fast approaching.” With that, the two boys pick up the pace of their excavation.

With only 10 minutes until the strike of noon, Team 7 find themselves, in effect, back where they started: hiding in the brush, observing their sensei, who is lazily reading his book, out in front of the three striking posts. Only this time, all three genin are kneeling down low, huddled up together in the same spot.

“This is insane.” Kenichi whispers. “He’s barely even been trying and yet none of us have gotten close to those bells!” Satsuki scoffs at this. “Speak for yourself, Shirahama. I grazed one before, I know for certain I can actually get one.”

Frustrated at the arguing, Naruto lets his thoughts out. “What kind of insane test is this, anyway? We literally just graduated from the Academy, now we have to face off against an experienced jōnin? There’s no way that we can beat him!”

“I don’t care.” Satsuki cuts in as she rises to her feet. “I refuse to get sent back to the Academy the day after earning my headband.” She looks down at the two of them, mainly Naruto, with a hint of remorse in her eyes. “I’m sorry, you two. But with this test, not all of us can pass. Meaning it’s every shinobi for themselves.” Just as she’s about to walk out into the clearing, though, Kenichi takes her by the shoulder and whips her around to face him.

“And exactly how well has that line of thinking gone for you? Oh right, it ended with you buried in the ground!” Kenichi now fully sneers at Satsuki, pointing an accusatory finger at her. “Also, don’t you dare act like passing this test and becoming a shinobi isn’t as important to me as it is to you!”

Satsuki swats the finger right out of her face, matching Kenichi’s sneer with a scowl of her own. “I’m sorry, but it just isn’t. Unlike you, I can’t afford to fail here, it means too much to me. I have something to prove by becoming a shinobi!” Kenichi does not back down. “Guess what, heiress: so do I!” The two are now right at each other’s faces. “Watch your mouth, civvie!”

“ENOUGH!” Naruto’s shout actually manages to silence them. “Both of you, please! I do not want to see you two fight like this.” His voice shifts from anger, to pleading. “You’re……both my friends. My best friends. Satsuki, we’ve known each other forever. And Kenichi, we went through hell together.” He places a hand on each of their shoulders. “I’m so happy that I have you both on the same team with me. And I know you two don’t like each other now, but I still don’t want to see my friends fighting with one another. Can we please put a stop to this already? At least for now?”

The two genin look at Naruto, look at each other, then sigh. “Alright, whatever.” Satsuki says dismissively. Naruto levels a glare at her. “We are going to come together fully as a team, I promise. But, before we can find a way through this,” he gestures to the two of them, “we need to find a way through that.” He points out at Kakashi.

“Well, OK then.” Kenichi kneels back down, prompting the other two to reform the huddle. “Do any of you have any bright ideas? Any plans?” The three of them just sit in silence for a couple of small minutes. The distant clock ticks away; a constant, nervous reminder of what’s at stake. Naruto, ever distracted though, keeps thinking back to his friends. How he wants them to get along with one another, and how he doesn’t want to have to mediate fights between them like this in the future. That’s when he thinks back about what Satsuki said earlier about this test.

“…I don’t know if I’d really call it a plan, or even a bright idea, but I at least have an idea of what needs to be done.” Kenichi leans in. “Alright then, let’s hear it.” Naruto just shakes his head as he rises back to his feet. “Sorry, I gotta handle this on my own.” Satsuki moves to protest.

“Naruto—” “Please. Look, just…stay back here, OK? Both of you.” Naruto sighs. “I know I’ve already asked a lot of you already. But I need you to have faith in me on this one.” He put a hand on Satsuki’s shoulder. “Trust?” Before she can respond, though, Kenichi’s hand falls on Naruto’s shoulder. “Trust.” Satsuki, seeing the resolution and confidence in Naruto’s eyes, can’t help but believe in her long-time friend. She follows suit, putting her hand on Naruto’s other shoulder.

“Trust.”

A rustling from the tree line draws Kakashi’s attention away from the book. Normally, he’d be ready with some sort of novel defense for whatever the genin might throw at him. Instead, what he sees genuinely surprises him.

“You know, walking slowly towards me just gives me plenty of time to prepare for your attack. Unless you’re trying to get me to lower my guard?”

“Nope.” Naruto simply says, walking past him towards the posts. Kakashi raises an eyebrow. “OK, then……might I ask what your plan is here?” Naruto turns around, slides to the ground, and takes a seat up against the post.

“I’m abstaining.”

Kakashi is at a genuine loss for words. “I…beg your pardon?”

Naruto stares at his sensei with a sort of lazy defiance that almost reminds Kakashi of himself. “I abstain from participating in this exercise. I refuse to have my qualifying test for becoming a genin be one that actively drives wedges between teammates. If you need to fail me and send me back to the Academy, fine. I’ll petition for a change in the nature of the test. One that properly tests for the skills a genin team needs.”

Kakashi pockets the book and walks over to Naruto. “I can assure you, that won’t go anywhere. This whole thing will still count as you forfeiting.”

Naruto just shrugs. “Then I forfeit. I’m willing to try again next year. My teammates, though? They’ve both got something to prove by being shinobi. Honestly, I don’t entirely understand it, in either of their cases. But I know becoming a shinobi matters to them; more than it does to me, if I’m being honest. What does matter to me, though, is making sure that we’re still friends. And I will not be a part of anything that jeopardizes that. So yeah, go ahead. Fail me.”

“Like hell he will!” Satsuki jumps out from the tree line and storms over to the blonde. “Do you think I’m going to just let you give up like this?!”

“No, look, Satsuki, I'm not—”

“You are!” She grabs him by his hoodie and yanks him up to his feet. “You’re Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, remember? The kid that never gives up and never goes back on his word? You yourself promised me once that we would become shinobi TOGETHER! You want to talk about driving a wedge in the team? What else would you call running off on your own to sacrifice yourself without consulting the rest of us?!”

Naruto is completely taken aback by this display from his friend. He’s not sure he’s ever seen the girl act so emotionally towards anything or anyone. He just stares, with wide eyes and a full heart, at his now panting and exhausted friend. “Satsuki…”

The ravenette takes a few breaths to collect herself. She looks at her old friend, no longer with rage, but with compassion, as she takes his hand. “Naruto, I may have something to prove, but achieving my dreams should not come at the expense of your own. I’m willing to find another way. We’ve come this far together. We’ll figure this out together, too.”

“All three of us will.” Kenichi comes running up beside them, before Naruto has a chance to respond. “What, you think after all of that hell and injury we went through together, saving each other’s lives, you helping me get my headband and a new place to stay, I was just going to let you go back to the Academy?” Kenichi gives his new friend a kind, gentle look. “I owe you too much to not stand by your side.”

Naruto is on the verge of tears. Never, at any point in his life, has he ever felt so…supported. “Kenichi, Satsuki…Thank you, both of you.” Kenichi takes Naruto’s other hand in his. “Don’t do this again. You said it yourself: we don’t leave teammates behind. Whatever comes our way, we will find a solution together, all the way through to the end.”

Naruto sniffles for a moment as he collects himself. “You’re right.” Just as he says this, the nearby clock loudly rings out, signaling noon. All three members of Team 7 face Kakashi, their visages resolute. “Feel free to fail us.” Naruto proclaims. “We’ll try again next year. Together.”

Kakashi levels an intense gaze at all three of them. “Really? This is how you want to do this?” Now the confidence in the team begins to give way to just a bit of fear at Kakashi’s intimidating tone. “Well then, in that case, I have just two little words for all of you……you pass!”

The whiplash could have taken Satsuki’s head clean off of her shoulders. “…wait, what?” Kenichi begins stammering in confusion. “Is this a trick? Is this part of the test?” Kakashi lets out a little giggle. “No trick. And no, this whole scenario was the test!”

Naruto just stares dumbly at his sensei. “I don’t get it.”

Kakashi giggles again, as he takes the bells and tosses them into his hands. “You said it yourself: it’s completely impossible for a newly graduated, inexperienced genin to steal anything from a jōnin with years of experience and training under their belt. You were never going to win; at least, not with any of the methods you tried.”

“So, wait, what were you even testing for?!” Satsuki shouts, feeling completely flabbergasted. Kakashi sighs. “Think about the rules I laid out at the start: two bells meant one of you was guaranteed to be humiliated in front of your peers, then sent back to the Academy. Like you said, it’s every man for themselves. But like I said, that approach of coming at me one-on-one could not and would not ever work."

Naruto faces morphs in realization. “The only way we could get a bell was by working together.” Kakashi nods. “I was testing your teamwork: to see if you could set aside everything else and work together to fulfill your mission. Didn’t I tell you at the very beginning that lone wolves are the worst kind of shinobi?”

Kenichi shakes his head in frustration. “But the rules stated that only those who got a bell could stay! Your rules pushed us to work individually!” Kakashi turns to him. “That didn’t matter. What mattered was getting the bells and succeeding in the mission for the sake of others. But, that being said, you are right in that my rules pushed you apart. And that’s the other thing I was testing for.”

Kakashi levels an intense stare at all three genin. “In the world of shinobi, those who break the rules and laws are scum. But,” his gaze turns upward, and softens, “those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum.” The three genin look at each other with soft, reassuring smiles as Kakashi says this.

He looks back at the team with that same soft gaze. “The three of you have demonstrated a level of loyalty and camaraderie that meets the standard of quality for the shinobi corps of the Hidden Leaf Village. As jōnin commander, I hereby declare this exercise concluded; you all pass!” Kakashi flashes an eye smile and a big thumbs up. “Team 7 is officially activated, and will begin active duty first thing tomorrow!”

Immediately after hearing this, Naruto leaps high into the air and pumps his fist. “YES! WOOHOO! We did it! We’re a shinobi team!” He grabs both of his teammates by their necks and drags them close for a big hug. Kenichi just chuckles awkwardly, while Satsuki rolls her eyes at this ludicrous display. All of this raucous shouting and whooping, though, is cut off by an even louder sound.

GRRRRRRRRLLLLLLLLLLLL

All three genin immediately clutch their stomachs, suddenly remembering the fact that they’d skipped breakfast and it is now time for lunch. Kakashi laughs at this as he pulls out his little orange book and turns to leave. “Let’s get out of here.” Naruto immediately rushes forward beside him. “Alright! Let’s all do Ichiraku Ramen! And you can cover us!”

“I can, but that doesn’t mean I will.”

“By the way, sensei,” Kenichi strides up, “could you please not read that book in public when you’re with us? You’ll give Team 7 a bad look.”

“What are you talking about?” Satsuki joins in, all four of them now leaving the training ground together.

“I read a lot of books, and I recognize that series. Doesn’t your family know the author, Naruto?”

“Huh? Wait, lemme see…the author…Jiraiya? Wait, Kakashi, are you reading smut?!”

“It’s a romance novel, Naruto. You’re too young to get it.”

“I know all about the books that Pervy Sage likes to write!”

“Great, my new team leader reads porn in public. Just what I need in my life.”

“Well, if any of you have a problem with this book, you could always try taking it from me…”

“You’re the worst, Kakashi-sensei.”

Shinobi World Guide: Shinobi Core Battle Skills

When discussing the primary skills a ninja might utilize in the field of combat, there are three categories that are most frequently mentioned: ninjutsu, the art of molding chakra into elemental techniques; genjutsu, the art of attacking a target’s mind and senses with illusions; and taijutsu, the art of hand-to-hand combat with little to no chakra used. This is the oldest and most common form of skill and technique categorization, dating back well into the Warring States Era.

Despite the prevalence of these categories in common shinobi doctrine, most scholars and advanced shinobi of the modern age see this system as rather archaic; an outdated relic that was more reflective of the techniques that were used during the Warring States Era. Ninjutsu has evolved well beyond just the elemental techniques, for example. Genjutsu is rather specialized and nowhere near as prominent as the other two categories. And there’s still debate as to whether or not bukijutsu (fighting with weapons) fits under the taijutsu umbrella. Still, in spite of this, the historical impact of the shinobi core battle skills means that it’s what most shinobi still refer to to this day.

Chapter Text

KRRT! “All units, this is Lucky Leader. I have visual on the target. Radio me your positions.”

KRRT! “Lucky One, I’m at Point B with the target in sight.”

KRRT! “Lucky Three here, at Point C. I’ve also got eyes on the target.”

……

KRRT! “Lucky Two, report.”

KRRT! “Sorry, Lucky Two, at Point A, I see ‘em. Can’t get this freakin’ radio right…”

KRRT! “Please try to remember proper radio protocol, Lucky Two. Alright, it appears the target is closest to Point A. Lucky Two, engage slowly and with caution. Lucky One, Three, cover him in case the target tries to make a break for it.”

KRRT! “Got it. Moving in now…”

“Uh…hey there, buddy…woah woah, easy! No need to run! See? I’m a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village! We were sent here to retrieve you and get you out of here. Are, uh…you gonna be OK?”

“I…” sniff, sniff “I WANT MY MOMMY!!!”

At the base of Hokage Rock sits the Hidden Leaf Shinobi Administration Building, though most everyone simply calls it the Hokage office building. On one of the lower levels, below the main Hokage office, sits the Mission Assignment Department. It’s a large room whose most noteworthy feature is the long desk at the end, with several shinobi and administrative workers managing the various mission assignments. They can be seen receiving and organizing new requests, giving requests to shinobi teams, and even handling payments for successfully completed missions. Behind the desk is a large wall with shelves and cubbies for storing paperwork, as well as a tack board for posting important assignments front and center. At the center of this large room, Team 7 stands before a large, portly woman scolding a small child.

“Honestly, Naho, what were you thinking?! I told you to stay close by where I can see you! This always happens, you run off without thinking and get lost in the woods somewhere!” The little girl just keeps her head hanging low, idly kicking at nothing in particular. “I know, I’m sorry…”

The portly woman sighs, as she begins digging through her bag and sorting through a stack of money. “Alright. Now I have to go talk to the adults here for a moment before we can leave. In the meantime, why don’t you thank the nice young shinobi who helped you today, OK?” The young girl named Naho walks over to Team 7, and Naruto in particular, and with the doe eyes of a girl her age, says “Thank you for saving me today.”

Naruto folds his arms and grins goofily. “Ah, well, ya know, it was nothing really!” Naruto’s arrogant chuckling is cut off with an OOF as Satsuki elbows him in his side. She levels a neutral look at the girl. “You’re quite welcome, kid.” Kenichi, meanwhile, kneels down to face the girl more directly. “We’re just happy you weren’t seriously hurt.”

With that, the girl’s mother returns. She takes her daughter’s hand and bows respectfully at Team 7. “Thank you for your services today. I appreciate the work that you do.” With that, the mother and daughter pair head out of the office. Naruto, maintaining a visage of professionalism, watches the duo leave out of the corner of his eye. “Going…going…”

The door closes behind them with a CLICK.

“GAH!” Naruto finally deflates, startling everyone around the boy. “I’m so sick of this nonsense! When are we gonna get a real mission?!” Kakashi immediately yanks at Naruto’s collar, standing him at attention. “Naruto, behave! You’re a shinobi now, act like it!” Naruto glares at Kakashi. “Believe me, sensei, I WANT to! But it’s kinda hard to do that when we keep getting these basic, baby missions that don’t matter at all!”

“NARUTO!” A sharp, familiar yell cuts off the boy’s rambling. Naruto slowly turns to see the scowling face of his former Academy teacher, Iruka Umino, who is currently working at the mission desk. “Don’t you DARE disrespect the work of a shinobi! Even the lowest of D-rank missions, which are meant to be assigned to rookies like you, are vital both to our village and to those who request them! Like that woman with the lost child!”

This has become something of a regular part of Team 7’s new daily routine. Every morning, the four of them head over to the Mission Assignment Department, and check to see what missions might be available that day. If none are immediately available, Kakashi takes them to Training Ground 3 and runs exercises and drills throughout the day, with regular mission check-ins at the office. And whenever the team does complete a mission (all D-ranks so far), Naruto inevitably complains like this.

Iruka ignores Naruto’s grumbling as he picks up a stack of papers. “OK, Team 7’s next mission. One of the elder council members would like some bodyguards for a family dinner, we need someone to gather animal leather for new shinobi attire, locating a sword that went missing from a weapon shop…” Naruto groans again upon hearing these missions. He turns back to his two teammates. “Come on guys, aren’t you tired of all of this? What happened to proving yourselves and showing everyone what for? We’re better than these missions, we should be—”

WHACK! Kakashi cuts off Naruto’s miniature tirade with a sharp chop to the crown, causing the blonde to fall on his knees, clutching his head in pain. “Seriously Naruto, you need to stop acting like this. You’ll get higher ranked missions once your skills have developed.”

Though this is all rather standard fair at this point, today something does disrupt the routine. Satsuki steps forward and addresses her old sensei. “As much as I disapprove of Naruto’s behavior, I have to agree with his basic sentiments. We’ve been doing D-rank missions that run no risk for about a month now.”

“Four weeks as of today, actually.” Naruto groans out.

“Yes, thank you, anyways. We’ve been training and training, and we have not been given any chance to properly test our skills or prove our worth.” She turns from her old sensei to her current one. “You say we need to develop our skills, well I say that they’re already there. Let us prove that to you.” Though she does her best to be stone-faced and professional, Kakashi can see in Satsuki a certain level of stir-craziness. He looks down at Naruto, rubbing his head but still looking like he’s ready to burst. Glancing over at Kenichi, though he’s not one to speak up like the other two, he can tell just from his twitches and tenses how much he also wants this. Kakashi sighs. “I suppose I knew this moment would come eventually.” He turns to Iruka. “I would like to know what pending C-rank missions you have available.”

In sharp contrast to the expressions of joy and relief that grace the Team 7 genin, Iruka looks momentarily shocked. But just a quick wordless exchange between the two teachers communicates everything that needs to be said, and Iruka nods in confirmation. He begins digging through a pile of papers on the desk separate from the D-ranks. “Well, let’s see here, most C-ranks for today have already been taken, so I don’t know what I could give you right now…not that one…no way…” He rifles through a few more papers before stopping on one. “Oh, OK, I think this one could…oh.”

Kakashi raises his eyebrow. “Something wrong?” Iruka looks pensively at the team, then at Kakashi. He takes a deep breath. “I’d like to run this by you privately, if that’s alright. Could I ask that Team 7 be dismissed for now?” Naruto and even Satsuki are just starting to complain, but are cut off by a raised hand from Kakashi, who doesn’t look back at them. “Head back to Training Ground 3. Practice your formations on your own until I call for you. This shouldn’t be too long.”

Naruto groans. “Seriously, Kakashi-sensei? We finally get our chance at a C-rank mission, and we don’t get to know what it is?!” Kakashi glares daggers back at the blonde. “Naruto, return to Training Ground 3. I will handle things from here.” Thoroughly intimidated, and with some soft insistence from Kenichi, Naruto leaves with the rest of his team.

Kakashi approaches the desk. “Alright, Iruka, what’s this about? I ask you for a C-rank and you act like you’re about to make Naruto go after the Inuzuka’s newest litter.” Iruka chuckles at the black humor, but quickly refocuses. “Well, this does actually involve Naruto. I do have one mission here that would probably be OK for your team. But it does involve them leaving the village, and you know about Kushina’s request. More importantly, though…”

Iruka slides the assignment over to Kakashi. He’s not technically supposed to show a mission report like this to a shinobi who hasn’t been assigned to it, but in this case it’s necessary. Kakashi looks over the mission details, and soon lets out an understanding hum. “I get it now.” He hands the report back to Iruka. “Contact the client, have him come in. I’ll deal with Kushina.” 

“Do you think she’ll give her approval?” Kakashi shrugs. “You know how she is. I just hope she can put everything aside and understand what this would mean for Naruto.” Iruka smiles softly. “Me too.” He puts a hand on Kakashi’s shoulder. “Good luck.” With that, Kakashi heads out.

Kushina still isn’t used to the quiet.

When you become the mother of a pair of twins as rowdy as hers, you start to become familiar with shouting, bickering, and overall raucous behavior. Now that both of her kids are active shinobi, though, her middays have become a lot more quiet and lonely. They’re still home during the day and night, but for most of the day the house feels so empty. This contrast is even more polarizing, she realizes, as a single mother. Being the only parent in the house means that she’s had to handle all of her children’s arguments and problems by herself, further pushing her into that chaos. Now, though, with a house void of both her kids…

A firm knock at the door mercifully pulls Kushina back to reality. She sets aside the dishes she had unconsciously stopped washing, and opens the door to see the familiar visage of Kakashi. He gives a quick yet respectful bow. “Good afternoon, Kushina. I hope you’re doing well.”

Kushina’s eyes immediately narrow. “What’s wrong, Kakashi?” The jōnin chuckles in embarrassment. “Um, may I come in?” Kushina maintains her judging glare but wordlessly steps aside to let him enter. The two soon end up sitting apart from one another in the living room, steaming tea in both of their hands. Kushina still watches Kakashi with careful, judging eyes.

“Out with it, Kakashi. We’ve known each other too long to play this game.” Kakashi takes one last sip of tea, redoes his mask (Kushina being one of only three living people to see him unmasked), then clears his throat. “Of course. Lately, Naruto has become rather insistent that he be assigned something greater than a D-rank mission.” Kushina snorts, thinking back to some recent family dinners. “Yes, I’ve also gotten that impression from him. Still, it seems rather soon for that. Don’t you think he should stick with D-ranks for another month or so?”

Kakashi shrugs. “Normally I would say yes. But Naruto and his squadmates are rather skilled for their age and experience level; enough to where I think we can afford to test his limits.” Kushina does still hesitate at the thought of her son being pushed like this, but quickly relaxes. “Well, I’m happy to hear such high praise for my boy. And if you say he’s ready, I trust you enough for me to accept that as fact. So, what mission did you have in mind?”

Kakashi grimaces slightly, knowing what’s about to come. “Yes, well, that’s actually the main reason why I wanted to talk to you today.” He takes a long, deep breath. “We’d be looking at an escort mission…to the Land of Waves.”

Immediately, Kushina’s face goes ghost white. “Wh-what? You…you want to…what is this?!” Kushina bursts out of her seat, rapidly shifting from shock to rage. “Is this some sort of sick practical joke, Kakashi?!”

“Kushina, please—”

“NO! I won’t allow it! I forbid it! You know my conditions, Hiruzen himself signed off on them! I will not allow him to go on such a mission!”

Kakashi gives Kushina a few moments to breathe heavily and furiously in place, before gesturing back to her seat. “Might I ask that you sit down and allow me the chance to explain myself?” With a HUFF, the redhead crashes back into the sofa chair. Kakashi collects himself once more before speaking.

“It wasn’t what I’d had in mind, but it was also the only C-rank mission available that Team 7 could reasonably be expected to complete. If you refuse to let Naruto do this mission, who knows when he’ll get a chance like this again?” He puts a calming hand on top of hers, and looks her directly in the eyes. “I know what this means to you, believe me. But try to think about what this would mean for your son.”

Kushina stares idly at her teacup in strained silence. Every part of her being is screaming at her to not allow this, to not let her son go to that place. But at the same time, she realizes that all of those protests, all of that pushback…it’s just her, being selfish and scared. She looks at Kakashi.

“How long would you expect the mission to take?” Kakashi thinks for a moment. “Probably about three weeks, though I won’t be able to say for certain until I have all of the details in my hand.” Kushina leans in slightly. “And you’re positive he’s ready for this?” Kakashi lets out a small groan of exasperation. “Honestly, I’m not. But I think we need to do this anyway; to give him the opportunity not just to grow, but to prove us wrong.”

Kushina looks over at the living room wall. She focuses intently on a family photo of her twin children, back when they only just turned five. Kakashi watches her intently, only now really taking in the wrinkles of stress and middle age that mar her otherwise beautiful face; a reminder of just how human the famed Red-Hot Habanero is.

She stares at the photo for what feels like forever, before eventually turning back to Kakashi with weary eyes. “OK. You have my permission.”

The sun is beginning its slow descent over the currently cloudy skies of the Hidden Leaf Village. Team 7 once again find themselves within the Mission Assignment Department. Naruto loudly yawns as he stands with his teammates before Iruka once more. “Why can’t today just be over already…”

Iruka rolls his eyes at this display, knowing that what he’s about to say will perk Naruto right up. “OK then, I am assigning Team 7 its first ever C-rank mission. You will be serving as bodyguards on an international escort mission.” Satsuki grins with a wicked mixture of catharsis and anticipation; Kenichi can hardly believe what he’s hearing, given how he’s never properly left the village; and Naruto seems to leap 10 feet into the air and cheers. “ALRIGHT! Oh, uh, I mean, who’re we guarding? A councilor, or maybe an ambassador?”

Iruka wordlessly nods to Kakashi, who in turn wordlessly turns to the door. He calls out “You may enter now, sir.” Kakashi moves to stand by his team, and soon all four see their client enter. Though given how much booze the man has obviously been consuming, and is still consuming now, it’s more like they smell him enter.

“What the hell? I asked for shinobi bodyguards, not a bunch of bratty, hormonal teenage wannabes. Can’t I get some real protection?” All three members of Team 7 immediately begin to glare at the man who just walked in. He’s an older man with a grey goatee, glasses, and a large backpack that looks full to bursting. Kakashi clears his throat, clearly wanting to defuse the situation. “With all due respect sir, this is the protection you paid for.”

Iruka himself cuts in. “Team 7, this is your client, Tazuna. He is an architect currently working on a large, overseas bridge that will connect his country with ours. He came to the Land of Fire to sort out the final details of the bridge with the daimyō’s court. Now, he’s requesting bodyguards for his return trip.”

The man now named Tazuna knocks back a large swig of his booze. “I’m not just any old architect. I am the greatest bridge builder this land has ever seen! And I need to be safely escorted back to my home nation right away, otherwise my masterpiece will never be finished!” While Kenichi seems only mildly but genuinely impressed by the man, Naruto and Satsuki just look at him with confusion and dismissal, respectively. “‘Greatest bridge builder?’ What the hell kind of title is THAT to lord over others?”

Iruka walks over to Kakashi and hands him a small packet of papers. “Here are all of the finer mission details. You will not only escort Tazuna back to his home country, but also serve as bodyguards for the completion of the bridge. Kakashi, these papers will grant you all of the tools and provisions you will need for such a journey.”

Kakashi skims through the papers, before folding them up and putting them away. He faces the three genin. “I will take care of provisions tonight. This will be our first mission in a foreign nation, and one that will last for an extended period of time. Estimated mission length is two and a half to three weeks, so pack accordingly tonight. Clothes, rations, ninja tools, everything. We leave at 6 AM sharp. So be at the front gate on time tomorrow morning, no matter what!”

Naruto is about to make a snide comment about Kakashi of all people saying this, but before he can Kenichi pipes up. “Excuse me, sensei. Where exactly are we going for this mission?” Kakashi hesitates for a moment, which allows Tazuna to holler. “What? You never told them? C’mon, do these brats even know where the Land of Waves is?”

Naruto, upon hearing this, seizes up. It’s not visibly obvious, but he definitely can’t believe what he’s just heard. Kakashi places a hand on the blonde’s shoulder and addresses the other two. “Yes, this mission is taking us to the Land of Waves. We can discuss it further tomorrow. For now, just return home, get packed, and get to bed early.” He gives a soft look at Naruto, before turning to Tazuna. “Come, sir. I can escort you to wherever you’re staying tonight. With your permission, Iruka?” The chūnin gives them a wave. “Team 7 is dismissed.” With that, the two adults leave, and the three teenagers follow closely behind. Walking out of the room, Satsuki is just starting to grumble about their client, but she is quickly cut off by Kenichi.

“Woah, Naruto, are you OK? You look like you just saw a ghost.” Naruto shakes his head a bit to refocus, stops for a moment to breathe and decompress, then looks at Kenichi. “Yeah…yeah, I’m OK. Just…wasn’t expecting this. Going to the Land of Waves and all.” Satsuki raises an eyebrow. “What do you mean? Isn’t it just some nowhere island nation?” Naruto takes a few more calming breaths. His teammates look at him with a sense of unease; they’ve rarely seen such apprehension from their rambunctious comrade.

“Apparently, my mom is from there. It, uh…it used to be called the Land of Whirlpools.”

Dinner at the Uzumaki-Namikaze estate is…awkward.

Granted, that had been the case for a while there. For roughly the first week of Kenichi’s stay at the estate, Naruto’s mother and sister had acted rather stiffly around the boy. Neither one of them expected a new house guest, and Natsumi especially was not a fan of someone new coming into her life and home, and becoming so close with her brother.

But, things inevitably shifted. Kenichi proved himself to be clean, polite, and helpful around the house, and Kushina’s opinion of him grew just due to that last quality. She and Natsumi also took note of the time the boys would spend together in the garden, and it gave them an appreciation for the positive influence Naruto’s new friend had on him. Natsumi still didn’t entirely like him per say, and Kushina certainly did not ask for any of this. But both came to understand why Naruto wanted him here, and ultimately accepted him as their guest.

Now, however, that same silent dinner table awkwardness from that first week has returned. Only this time, it’s for an entirely different reason.

“Why do you need to do this, Naruto?” Natsumi finally decides to question her brother. “Don’t you know what that land means to mom?” Naruto looks at his sister uncomfortably. He’d really rather not have this conversation right now. “Come on, Natsumi, please just let me eat dinner.”

The redheaded girl turns to her mother. “Mom, are you seriously OK with this?” Kushina, while apprehensive in her own way, does a much better job of keeping herself in check and speaking to her daughter. “It is certainly shocking, and not what I would have wanted for my son’s first C-rank mission.” She remembers what she’s been telling herself repeatedly in her head this evening, and says them again out loud. “But, all of you are shinobi. You will have missions that take you all over the continent. And if that means going to my old home, then that’s something I need to learn to accept.” With that, the table falls silent again, but only for a few moments.

“Hey, mom?” Naruto finally chimes back in, drawing his mother’s attention. He speaks without looking up from his plate. “Is there…uh…anything you’d like me to get for you? While I’m over there?” Kushina’s heart nearly splits in two upon hearing this. “Oh, my son. Please, never lose that sincere heart of yours.” “Just be safe out there, is all I ask. And, if you can…try the local udon. I remember it being very good.”

By now the entire table is smiling warmly, the air of tension from before replaced with one of empathy and understanding. Not wanting to get in the way of the family moment, Kenichi stands and takes his plate. “Here, let me get that for you, Lady— sorry, Miss Kushina.” The matriarch stands, smiles at Kenichi for remembering her request to not be so formal around her all the time, and actually takes his plate.

“I’ll take care of the dishes. You two, upstairs, now. You’ve got some packing to do and an early morning ahead. I want you fully prepared and well rested for tomorrow.” Naruto immediately wolfs down the rest of his food. “Right, yep, on it. C’mon Kenichi!” With that, he grabs Kenichi’s wrist and drags him off upstairs.

The two boys have just about finished packing their gear. A week’s worth of clothes which will be washed during the mission, extra rations just in case, a few personal items, and of course, all of the ninja gear that they can carry. Surprisingly, the two of them are done in under an hour, and soon find themselves in bed. Given how comparatively early it is for them, though, neither can sleep.

“Kenichi?” Naruto whispers into the darkness. “This might just be me, but…none of this feels real.”

The brown-haired teen cranes up from the futon on the floor. “You’re not dreaming, Naruto, just try and get some sleep.” The blonde turns to his side to look down. “No, I mean…I guess none of this has sunk in for me yet. Going to my mom’s home, us going on a C-rank mission. It hasn’t really hit me. Right now, I just…feel like I’m going to bed earlier than usual, and that’s it.”

Kenichi sits up to look at Naruto directly. “You’re saying this like it’s a bad thing, somehow.” Naruto pinches the bridge of his nose. “Isn’t it? I feel like I should be more excited about this, after pushing so hard for it. But now…like, I know I care, but it doesn’t feel like I do.”

Kenichi sighs and lays back down, staring up at the ceiling. “I don’t think it’s wrong, just different. Being told about something and actually experiencing it are two different things. This is just an example of that. I’m sure you’re not alone in this.” Naruto lays back down as well, facing the ceiling. “I guess I’ve just heard all about ‘pre-battle jitters’ and was worried when I wasn’t getting those.”

Kenichi lets out a chuckle. “Trust me Naruto, I’m sure a lot of shinobi would be happy to be like you in that respect.” Naruto lightly giggles too. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” Just as the silence is about to set in again, Kenichi decides to break it.

“You know…that conversation, at dinner…that was really nice…you have a good family, Naruto.” The blonde knows exactly what his friend is feeling right now, what he means by this. He smiles widely, as he closes his eyes.

“Yeah, I do. And, at least from my perspective…I’m glad you’re a part of it, Kenichi.”

The brown-haired boy can’t help but let a few silent tears come out. “Thank you so much, Naruto. I promise, I’ll make this all up to you, one day…” The words help calm Kenichi’s nerves. For though he doesn’t say it, while Naruto hasn’t felt anything about the coming mission, Kenichi’s legs keep shaking until he eventually falls asleep.

Dawn has barely begun to break over the Hidden Leaf Village when two young men groggily trudge their way over to the village’s main gate. Despite having washed up and eaten breakfast, Naruto and Kenichi are still yawning heavily when they reach the gate. The sun hasn’t yet crested over the horizon, yet Naruto can still see through the morning darkness, and is surprised at who he sees before him.

“Satsuki? How long have you been here?” The ravenette, amazingly not showing any signs of fatigue, shrugs. “Only about five minutes. Kakashi-sensei hasn’t shown up yet though.” She says this last part with a scoff, as Kenichi rubs his face in exasperation. “Oh no, please not today of all days…”

But just as Kenichi says this, a soft CLOP CLOP CLOP can be heard approaching the group. The team turns, and from a sizable building next to the front gate, Kakashi comes walking out to meet them. He has a large backpack on his shoulders like Tazuna, but most strikingly, he is guiding along two large horses by the reins, one in each hand. Tazuna is sitting atop one of them.

“Good morning, team.” Kakashi jovially says. “We’ll be taking these horses to travel to the coast of the Land of Fire. Should reach a port town there in about five to six days, at which point we’ll charter a boat to take us to the Land of Waves. Do any of you know how to ride?

Naruto doesn’t answer, still a little in awe at seeing a horse up close for the first time. Satsuki silently shakes her head, but Kenichi actually raises his hand. “Once or twice for some work. Never over a long distance though.” Kakashi nods, then gives Kenichi the reins to the horse Tazuna is on. “Good, then you’ll ride with the client. Satsuki, Naruto, you’ll be together on the other horse. I’ll guide you through it today, but tomorrow I expect you to be able to handle it on your own.” He hands Satsuki the reins. “I’ll stay on the ground; these horses can only carry two each, and I’m the only one who can keep up on foot.”

Kakashi reaches into the pack and starts pulling out some familiar short-range radios. “Keep these on at all times when in the field. Once we’re out there, it’s standard radio protocol unless and until I say otherwise.” He turns to the small shed-like building by the gate. “I’ve got to handle our final checkout. Everyone, get comfortable on your steeds; we leave as soon as I’m done.”

Naruto, as usual, struggles to get his headset on in a way that is comfortable. After a minute, though, he thinks he has it. “OK, now time to mount my noble…” His fantastical monologue is cut off when he sees that Satsuki has, in no time at all, gotten the radio on, mounted the horse, and even attached some of her gear to the horse’s saddle. She raises an eyebrow at Naruto as she reaches down a hand. “Come on already, get up here.” Naruto, impressed and a little humiliated at the ease with which Satsuki got ready, takes her hand and climbs aboard.

It’s only when he’s atop the horse, looking out at the long road ahead of him, that it finally sinks in for Naruto: he’s about to leave the village, for the first time in his entire life. Naruto remembers the conversation from last night, and realizes that now, NOW it really is all hitting him. The excitement overtakes him and, forgetting himself for a moment, he does a little bouncing shimmy in place. This, of course, ends up startling the horse, and Satsuki quickly tries to take the reins. “Hey, Naruto, easy back there!”

Tazuna levels a judgemental look at the constantly fumbling Naruto. “Hey, uh, Kakashi? Is my life really safe in the hands of this kid over here?” Naruto is just about to explode at the old man, but Satsuki puts a hand up in front of him. “Calm down, Naruto.” Thankfully, Kakashi comes back in the nick of time.

“As was discussed, Tazuna, you paid for C-rank protection, so you were given C-rank protection. Besides, I’m a jōnin, so I’m more than capable of protecting you.” Kakashi narrows his eye. “That being said, though, I will ask that you please refrain from insulting the guards you hired. It could reflect poorly on both you and your nation for future assignments.” Tazuna lowers his hat, covering up his now timid face. “Right, yes. My apologies.”

Kakashi looks out towards the horizon. The sun can now finally be seen just barely breaking over the Hidden Leaf Village. Then he looks back at his team. Though Naruto was the only one to express it so openly, he can see that all three genin are excited to finally be leaving the village for a mission. He smiles softly underneath his mask. “They’re so wound up over a mission that they’re probably going to end up calling boring as hell.”

“Alright then. Team 7, move out! We make for the Land of Waves!”

Shinobi World Guide: Missions

At the core of everything a shinobi does is the mission. These are the jobs that shinobi undertake for the sake of their village, and are the primary method of payment for shinobi as well. Across the Elemental Nations, various towns and villages have offices (called outposts) where one can submit a mission request. The person submitting the request must be forthcoming and honest about the nature of the mission; if the mission details are found to be falsified in any significant manner, the shinobi accepting the mission is within their rights to abandon the mission on the spot. This is important, as the nature of the mission determines its rank, and by extension how much must be paid in order for the mission request to be approved. Once the mission receives preliminary approval, however, it’s sent to the hidden village to be accepted. Important to note is that every village is within its rights to refuse a mission that’s been sent to them, even if it’s already been approved by the local outpost. Once accepted, however, the mission must be completed at some point.

This is the standard method by which “regular folk” can request missions. That said, however, there are other methods by which missions can be created. Most notably, if an issue arises that is of pressing concern to the hidden village, the Kage themselves can personally organize and assign a mission, in many cases for a specific shinobi or group of shinobi. Of note, every shinobi technically reserves the right to refuse a mission offered to them, though a reason must always be given. Even missions designed and assigned by the Kage can technically be refused. However, doing so will significantly harm the shinobi’s reputation among the village.

Chapter Text

Clop-clop, clop-clop, clop-clop, clop-clop…

Trudging down a well worn road heading east, a small travel party moves slowly but persistently away from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Currently, it is deep into morning on their first day of travel; the sun has yet to reach its zenith, but it will be there soon. The party consists of two horses walking in single file, each with two passengers, and a man walking alongside them on the ground, watching the riders and commenting on their skill.

“Keep your back straight, Naruto.” The blonde boy follows his sensei’s advice, in spite of his visible discomfort. “Ugh, how much longer do I need to do this? My back and legs are killing me, and I barely have control over this thing!” Kakashi groans. “You and Satsuki will alternate every hour. It’s important for you to at least learn the basics of riding.”

From the other horse, Tazuna lets out a boozy and dismissive scoff. “It’s not a thing, it’s a living creature. Treat it with respect! Seriously…” From his grumbling, it’s clear Tazuna has more to say, but does not wish to push the limits he already tested this morning. Kenichi, meanwhile, sees an opportunity to break some tension, answer some questions of his, and further test his riding abilities all at once. He manages to hold his horse up for a moment to ride alongside the other one.

“So, Naruto, you said that your mother is actually from the Land of Waves, right?” Naruto doesn’t look up from his horse; he now needs to focus both on it, and how to properly respond in this delicate conversation. “Yeah, but she lived there back when it was the Land of Whirlpools. Then she moved to the Hidden Leaf Village when she was very young, for…complicated reasons.” He knows exactly what he’s not allowed to say. He pulls on the reins of the horse, keeping it from drifting off the path, before continuing. “I never actually learned much about her home in the Land of Whirlpools; she never liked talking about it.”

Hearing bits and pieces of this conversation, Tazuna pipes up. “Kid, your mom is from the isles? What’s her name? It’s a small country, maybe I know her!” Naruto is surprised at the man’s sudden positive shift, but before he can reply, Kakashi interjects. “She is the widow of the Fourth Hokage, Lady Kushina Uzumaki.”

Tazuna’s mood swings again, this time to ghost-white shock. “U-Uzumaki?!” Tazuna shouts and nearly falls off the saddle, but manages to catch himself. Kenichi looks back with concern on his face, for multiple reasons. “Is something wrong, Mr. Tazuna?”

The old man wordlessly brushes Kenichi off and looks at the perplexed face of Naruto. He seems to genuinely struggle to find his words for several moments. “……look kid, just…don’t go telling folks around the isles about your mom, OK? There’s, uh, no reason for you to get mixed up in stuff that ain’t none of your business.” He shoots one more cross look at the blonde. “And stop calling it the Land of Whirlpools, OK? It’s the Land of Waves now, and that’s how we like it!”

Everything that Tazuna has said just confuses Naruto even more. All he can do is let out a befuddled “Huh?” But Satsuki, who has been silent for most of the trip so far as a way of coping with Naruto’s whinging, is stuck on one part of what Tazuna said. “Kakashi-sensei, why was the name of the country changed?”

He strides up to the horses and grins under his mask, a bit happy to get the chance to teach. “It goes back to the Third Shinobi World War. Do any of you remember from class how that war started?” Kenichi nods as realization dawns on him. “Right, the siege of the Land of Whirlpools…”

Kakashi solemnly nods as he begins. “The larger nations of the world, mainly the ones with hidden shinobi villages, thought that that small island nation held secrets pertaining to powerful sealing jutsu.” He decides against mentioning the ironic truth in that belief as he continues. “Whether it was out of fear or greed, eventually a coalition of larger hidden villages launched a pre-emptive attack on the Land of Whirlpools. Now the island actually had a hidden village of its own once, the Hidden Whirlpool Village, so there were local shinobi that were able to hold out for a while. But the enemy had more numbers, more resources, and more powerful shinobi. By the time the Hidden Leaf came to assist, the siege was already too deep, and no one could break through the line.”

Tazuna bitterly spits upon hearing this. “Yeah, that’s how the Hidden Leaf would spin it.” Kakashi glares at Tazuna, but decides against any further comments, and returns to his lesson. “Regardless, after just a few weeks, several powerful Hidden Mist shinobi wrecked the island with a series of tidal wave jutsu. A lot of civilians died, and the Hidden Whirlpool Village was effectively wiped out in its entirety.” Kakashi absentmindedly touches the red spiral on his uniform as he says this. “When the war ended, the country decided against rebuilding its local shinobi corps, and chose to focus inward. And with that change in focus came a change in name: instead of the Land of Whirlpools, they would now be the Land of Waves.”

Everyone is silent for a few moments after hearing this story. Kenichi finally pipes up. “Wait, you said it was a ‘small island nation.’ Does that mean—”

“The tidal waves flooded the island, and turned it into an archipelago. All at the hands of power-hungry shinobi.” Tazuna finally cuts in. His voice and visage are both somber and moody. “Even after decades of rebuilding, the damage has left our nation in the depths of poverty.” He glares over at Team 7 as a whole. “I hope now you understand why we chose to not rebuild our local ninja corps. And why this bridge is so damn important.” He stares at the long road ahead, a strange mixture of determination and apprehension marring his face. “I will not see my family and home rot away in a sewage canal…”

The rest of the day’s travel turns out rather quiet.

The first few days of the journey mostly served as a learning experience for the genin; Naruto and Satsuki got a crash course on horseback riding, which was a chaotic and unpleasant experience for Naruto in particular. By noon on the second day of travel, Naruto’s general discomfort around animals proved to be too much; he expressed that he didn’t like being around something he couldn’t actually talk to to understand. This inevitably led to Satsuki literally taking the reins for the remainder of the trip. Kenichi, meanwhile, took what little experience he had with horses and managed to quickly become skilled in the saddle, comfortably riding with Tazuna for most of the journey.

Also, like Kakashi had predicted, by dusk on the first day, all three genin (but Naruto especially) were complaining about how bored they were. In point of fact, much of the first day or two was spent trudging straight down the eastward road and learning how to ride. They ran into a few caravans heading back to the village, but even that got sparse over time, and by the end of the second day such sights were virtually nonexistent.

The most eye-opening experience for the team, and even for Tazuna, were the outposts. They managed to stop in at one at the end of each of the first two days of travel. They were provided small rooms to sleep in, actual hot meals, and a change of horses. At the end of the first day, Kakashi even managed to send a wired message back to the village with a status update on their mission, as apparently the outpost was close enough for such a thing. Tazuna was especially impressed by this level of technology, and even the genin were surprised at seeing this kind of telegraphy for the first time.

However, by the third day of travel, such outposts, and even established towns in general, began to appear much more intermittently. Some nights they would need to camp out and take watches, and eat whatever rations they had on them. Still, throughout all of this, little of note occurred along Team 7’s journey. That is, until the last leg.

“I hate to be the one to ask this, Kakashi-sensei, but how much further until we actually reach our destination?” Satsuki groggily asks from atop her horse. Even though it’s now solidly midday, the girl considers her exhaustion reasonable; this is, after all, the team’s sixth consecutive day of travel. Kakashi lets out a small chuckle as he pulls out a map. “Well, we’re definitely closing in. Given our current pace, and where we started…I’d say if we’re willing to push through into the night, we can make it to the port town of Awa this evening.” He turns to the bridge builder. “What do you say, Tazuna? Are you alright with traveling at night for a bit?”

The old man doesn’t seem to register Kakashi at first. “Hm? Oh, yeah, that’s fine. Anything to get me home as fast as possible.” He immediately turns away, skittishly looking around him, for…something. Kakashi just raises an eyebrow at this. “Right…” Kenichi, riding on Tazuna’s horse, also looks back at the man with a bit of nervous confusion. Ultimately, though, he decides to focus on the road ahead.

As he does, though, he notices something odd in their path. “Uh, Kaka—” Whatever Kenichi is about to say, it’s cut off by a sharp raised hand from his sensei. Kakashi wordlessly puts a finger over his lips, then gestures to his radio set. Kenichi immediately understands; he’s not sure what’s coming, but he knows to be ready. The party continues forward, only a scant few taking notice of the puddle that they walk over. Only once the puddle is behind them do two cloaked figures, each wearing gas masks and scratched out headbands, wordlessly rise up from out of the water. As soon as they emerge, they focus in on the group ahead of them, and one man in particular. “Target acquired.”

The two ninja waste no time. With practiced, ruthless precision, one man throws the other towards the traveling party, the two connected by what looks like a spiked chain of shuriken. The thrown man arcs up over Tazuna, glaring down at him with fierce intensity. Just as he’s about to land, however, Kakashi shoulder tackles the horse carrying the bridge builder and Kenichi, throwing all three to the ground; now Kakashi stands between the ninja, rather than Tazuna. The two men give a look at each other, and instantly get the message: “Shift targets.”

In what feels to the genin like an instant, Kakashi is immediately wrapped up in the spiked chain, the two men flanking him and drawing blood. With a mighty yank, the chain rips through Kakashi, lacerating him in a dozen places. The masked shinobi feel the chain go slack; they know that they’ve won. With that, they turn their focus back towards their original target.

Everything moves fast for Kenichi. It’s only thanks to him being aware of incoming trouble that he was able to both brace himself and Tazuna from falling off the horse, and get them out of the way when the horse took off in a panic. Just as he begins coughing the dust cloud out of his face, he sees them: two shinobi with massive clawed gauntlets and a spiked chain between them, rushing right at him. Though his legs buckle for a moment, something — be it Kakashi’s warning, his training up until now, or something in him even he didn’t know he had — pushes him forward. Kenichi grabs two kunai and defensively puts himself in front of Tazuna. Though this proves to be unnecessary.

THUNK! With perfect precision, Satsuki leaps from her horse, pulls out a kunai and shuriken, and expertly throws both to pin the chain into a nearby tree, yanking the two shinobi away from their target. She even manages to land hard on top of the two men’s gauntlets, momentarily shocking them both. Feeling confident, Satsuki leaps forward onto her hands, looking to shove both gauntlets towards one another while also double-kicking both men in their face. Unfortunately, the two shinobi are far more experienced than this genin girl, and so as soon as she’s on her hands, they make their move. They both push a switch on their gauntlets and disconnect themselves from the chain. Satsuki is thrown off balance onto the ground, and the two men break off into a sprint.

“Cover me!” Says one, going right for Tazuna. The other, looking for potential threats, quickly rushes for Naruto and his horse, and swings a clawed upward strike at the boy. Naruto can barely react beyond just bracing himself and guarding with his arms, and with a sickening slice, both the boy and the horse are thrown onto the ground. The wind is knocked out of Naruto, and both the attack and the hard fall leave him reeling. Lying on his back, the only sensations Naruto immediately registers are a sharp pain in his left hand, and a feeling of warmth near his shins.

Satsuki looks up from her position, sees Naruto on the ground, and instantly enters crisis mode. She needs to do what she can to save them both; Tazuna, and Naruto. Spinning herself up into a kneeling position, she launches two kunai, one at each assailant. She manages to stop Naruto’s attacker for just a moment as he blocks with his massive gauntlet, but the other one is moving just too fast, and her shot goes wide. She watches with frustration as the clawed man aims his strike at Tazuna, not ready to watch Kenichi’s pitiful attempt at defense…

WHACK! Suddenly, the strike is stopped. Kakashi, seemingly coming from out of nowhere, clinches the clawed arm with both of his own and wrenches it down, instantly eliciting a yelp of pain from the assailant. This howl is immediately cut off, though, as Kakashi lands a precise, pinching grapple right at the man’s neck, seemingly choking the masked figure. With an unbelievable level of strength and force, Kakashi finally manages to throw the man by the neck, with this strange pinched grapple, into his partner. The second figure is hit hard and heavy, and the two tumble into each other on the ground in a tangled mess. When they finally come to a rest, neither one seems able to immediately get up.

Kakashi doesn’t miss a beat as he begins pulling out a long strand of thin yet clearly tight and powerful rope. “Kenichi, keep covering Tazuna. Satsuki, watch my six, check for any further threats. Let’s get these two tied up, fast.” Satsuki falls in behind Kakashi, who drags the two over to a tree to restrain them. Naruto, finally able to collect himself, pulls himself to his feet. He immediately freezes up again, though, when he finally recognizes the warm feeling around his legs as blood spilling from the horse’s open neck.

“Naruto!” The boy whips his head to Kakashi, who’s just finished tying up the two attackers. “I saw you took a hit from one of these two. Are you alright?” Naruto frantically nods his head. “Oh, uh, yeah. Just a shallow cut on my hand. Nothing major.” Kakashi walks over and checks the wound himself. He eyes it suspiciously, before going back to the two ninja. “Well, in any case, I apologize for letting you get injured on my watch.” He unhooks the two ninja’s gauntlets and begins inspecting them, the worried look on his face only getting more pronounced.

Naruto, meanwhile, is still just in shock at all of the blood; both from his hand, and especially from the horse. He barely even notices Satsuki come up to him, and when she playfully punches his shoulder, he literally jumps up in alarm.

“Woah! Naruto! Easy, it’s just me.” Satsuki reassures her friend, who shakes his head in realization. “Sorry. That was just…” “Incredible!” Satsuki says with quick breaths and a grin full of confidence. “It felt good to finally test my skills with a real fight!” She looks over at Naruto’s hand, and sees him still just quietly standing around. She chuckles at him. “Hey scaredy-cat, are you OK? I know that that was hectic and you got scratched up, but you lived through it!”

“Scaredy…Satsuki, what the—” “AHEM!” A loud throat clear from Kakashi cuts off whatever response Naruto was going to give. “Naruto, sit down on the ground now. And do not move at all.” He stands up and presents the gauntlets. “These claws were soaked in poison; the kind that lays low for a while, then hits you hard all at once after the fact. Insurance for if an assassination attempt fails. We need to get it out of you now, while it’s still dormant.”

“What?!” Naruto’s face goes white as a ghost upon hearing this, and he immediately collapses onto the ground. Kenichi runs up alongside him. “Here, I’ve got a first aid kit. Let me take a look at it.” As Kenichi inspects the wound, Naruto just can’t help but replay everything that just happened in his head.

“What the hell is wrong with me? I can’t believe that I froze up like that, in the middle of a fight! Here I am, wanting this mission more than anyone else. Yet I’m the only one unable to do anything to protect the client when it matters?! And the nerve of Satsuki! Calling me a coward like that! I get that she was the badass star of that whole show, but does she really need to kick me while I’m down? I really didn’t think she was that kind of person, but…”

Kakashi puts the gauntlets down off to the side, far away from their owners. He looks over to his genin. “In any event, good work here Team 7. You really showed your skills with this encounter.” He addresses each shinobi directly. “Kenichi, you managed to catch that illusion and stayed with the client at his defense the whole time; though you could have taken a more active role in fending off the enemy. Satsuki, excellent show of your skills and reflexes; just remember your limits, and don’t get overconfident.” Kakashi addresses the whole team once more, but does give a side eye to Naruto. “These sorts of intense combat encounters are still very new to you, though. No one will, or should, blame you for freezing up on your first outing.” The words are cold comfort to the blonde.

“Hey, where the hell were you during all of that?!” Tazuna finally hollers, running up alongside the rest of the group. “I seriously thought I was gonna die for a minute there!” Kakashi doesn’t look up from double checking the security of the ropes as he replies. “I was observing from the forest; both the combat capabilities of my team, and the intended target of these two here.” He faces the ninja in question directly, who are beginning to stir with pained groans. “Before they attacked, I switched places with a Shadow Clone to trick them; not my fault you also didn’t see me switch, Mr. Tazuna.”

One of the two gas masked shinobi growls at Kakashi. “How the hell did you know we were coming?” Kakashi scoffs. “Come on now. The past three days have been clear skies, and it’s the cool dry season. You really think I wouldn’t have taken notice of a puddle in the road?” His voice turns serious. “Still, that isn’t the kind of jutsu some random thug bandit would know, now is it?”

Tazuna’s entire person tenses up, as Kakashi reaches into his pouch, pulls out a small, unmarked black book, and starts thumbing through it. “Let’s see here…ah, here we go: twins Gōzu and Meizu, the ‘Demon Brothers.’ Originally chūnin from the Hidden Mist Village, now a pair of rogue ninja specializing in relentless assaults and coordinated assassinations. And with a collective bounty of 20,000 ryō.” Tazuna is physically taken aback at that last part. Kakashi snaps the book shut, and turns to face the bridge builder.

“Mr. Tazuna, this was an assassination attempt that was very clearly and specifically targeting you. An attempt carried out by rogue ninja noted in the Hidden Leaf Village’s Bingo Book. You put in a request for a C-rank mission, indicating that you needed protection from thieves and gangs. But the risk of combat with fellow ninja automatically bumps this up to a B-rank, at least.” Kakashi looks back at his now shocked genin upon saying this, trying to indicate the danger before them, before turning back to Tazuna. “Now, either you had no idea this attack would happen and are just as shocked as we are. Or you intentionally misrepresented the nature of your mission request.” Kakashi leans in close to Tazuna. Despite his face being almost entirely masked and covered, the jōnin is still plenty capable of giving off a look of intimidation. “If I were you, I would start being very forthcoming, very quickly.”

Tazuna stares into the ground with the intensity of someone trying to burn a hole in it with just their eyes. After a few moments, though, he lets out a sigh. “The bridge…isn’t exactly popular with everyone back home. It’s actually become a rather divisive issue. But one person in particular has become the face of its opposition…Gatō.” Kakashi’s eye widens in recognition. “Gatō? Like from the Gatō Shipping Company? Why would that rich businessman want—”

“That man is a thug!” Tazuna finally explodes. “He’s not a businessman, he’s the yakuza kingpin of the Land of Waves! I know he’s using his company as a front for drug smuggling, and my home country as a trade port for all of that filth!” Tears well up at the edges of Tazuna’s eyes, but he blinks them away and becomes resolute. “Gatō has taken complete control of the oceanic shipping lanes around the Land of Waves, the lifeblood of my country, and used them to fatten his pockets and keep the common folk impoverished. But the bridge…if it’s finished — no, WHEN it is finished — Gatō’s monopoly will be ruined. Trade and wealth will flow through the Land of Waves unimpeded, and that rat’s gold-encrusted grip on the isles will finally be broken!” 

Tazuna looks across all of Team 7, fear and resignation visible on his face. “That is why these men were sent after me; I represent the ultimate threat to Gatō’s current position of power. And that thug has more than enough money to hire the most dangerous rogue ninja to kill me and ensure that the bridge remains unfinished.” Kenichi follows the old man’s words with shock and horror, before finally asking. “Well then why didn’t you just put the request in as a B-rank mission? Why would you lie for worse protection?”

Tazuna whips to face the boy; his demeanor rapidly shifting from apprehension to anger. “Did you not listen to what I just told you, boy?! Gatō has stripped the wealth from my nation! Even the nobles, the leaders of the Land of Waves, have little money of their own. I was barely able to afford the request for a C-rank!” After a few heavy breaths, Tazuna calms down, and collapses his face into his hands. He squats to the ground. “This request…I spent basically all of my savings on it; I have next to no money left to my name. I gambled it all in the hope that I might make it home. If I can finish the bridge, then everything will have been worth it in the end.” As Tazuna says this last bit, Naruto narrows his eyes slightly, sensing an undercurrent to his words there.

Kakashi takes in all of this information, and weighs it carefully in his mind. Despite all of the Tazuna’s pleas, though, one look at Naruto’s wound and the ninja they’ve faced here today reaffirm his decision. “Well, in any event, you intentionally misled us about the nature of this mission and falsified the request as a lower rank than it actually is. As shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village, we are officially within our rights to fully abandon this mission and report you to the higher-ups back at the village; especially now that one of our own has suffered a grievous injury.” Tazuna’s eyes go wide. “No! Please don’t! I have a grandson, I have to get back to him!”

“Kakashi-sensei, wait!” Naruto groans as he pulls himself up to his feet. “Don’t…don’t abandon this mission on my account. Yeah, the old man lied to us, and that’s wrong and everything. But his home…my mom’s home…it still needs help.” His strained voice gains strength. “It needs OUR help. Our job is to help those who ask us for it, yeah? Please, sensei, let me continue the mission!”

“Naruto, please sit back down!” Kenichi tries desperately to calm his friend, but the blonde won’t budge. While Kakashi would love to talk with Naruto about his apparently warped view of shinobi duties, the boy’s bleeding hand commands his attention. “With all due respect, Naruto, in spite of what you might claim, you need to get that injury looked at right away. That poison is lethal, and its effects could start hitting you any moment now.” Naruto looks down at the wound, and grimaces. He doesn’t care about the poison; to him, this scar just reminds him of his own weakness, of his inability to do anything to help anyone during this encounter. It infuriates him. And Naruto can’t stand it.

Before he has the chance to second guess himself, Naruto whips out a kunai knife and plunges it right into the wound, splashing a large amount of blood out from his hand. Ignoring the concerned cries from his two teammates, he locks eyes with Kakashi and Tazuna. “I’m making this promise in blood: I will NOT freeze up any more! I won’t back down, and I won’t get scared! If you’ll let me, I will see this through to the end!” He turns to his friends, eyes filled with fiery determination. “Come on, team. Let’s save the Land of Waves!”

Kakashi deadpans at Naruto. “Uh, Naruto…I’m glad to see you so determined, but…that won’t actually get the poison out. In fact, now we need to worry about you dying from poison and blood loss.” In a bit of mood whiplash, Naruto immediately goes from confident to freaking out about the wound. Kakashi shakes his head, grabs the first-aid kit from Kenichi, and begins to take a second look at the wound. Looking more closely at it this time though, Kakashi notices something shocking.

“The blood…it’s already clotting with such a huge gash? And the ends of the wound are tightening up! This level of recovery is impossible! Unless…” “Hey, uh, Kakashi-sensei?” Naruto’s voice brings the jōnin out of his thoughts. “How long will it take for that poison to hit me? Because right now, I honestly feel fine.” Kakashi looks back at the gauntlets, and his eyes narrow. “That poison should have put Naruto on his ass by now. That, plus the wound…this must be the fox’s power…” Kakashi takes some gauze and starts wrapping the hand. “Actually, Naruto, it seems I was wrong; you somehow did manage to dig that poison out. Nice work!” Naruto shakes his head in bewilderment, as Kakashi turns to the rest of Team 7.

“Now, while Naruto has made his intentions clear, I want to hear from the rest of you. Though I can technically cancel this mission myself here and now, I’m willing to stay if you are. But remember: we’re now looking at a mission that’s B-rank in terms of danger, which is normally far beyond genin like you. And this won’t even be marked on your records as a B-rank. So if you aren’t willing to jump into that kind of danger right now, this is your one chance to tell me. I’ll also say that this decision must be unanimous; I won’t force anyone who doesn’t want to to engage with this mission.”

Thankfully for Satsuki, she’s finally come down from her adrenaline high and can think rationally again. And the rational part of her brain is telling her that she’s out of her league and heading towards her death. Still, after seeing Naruto power through his injury and hearing that little speech of his, her pride simply won’t allow her to back out now. “I’m in.” She says with confidence.

All eyes fall on Kenichi. Much to his frustration and embarrassment, his knees begin to shake again. He looks to the Demon Brothers, and remembers the fear of death that they put into him barely a half hour ago. But then he looks at Naruto. Naruto froze up during the attack, but wants to try again. Meanwhile, Kenichi actually earned Kakashi-sensei’s praise, but now wants to go home? Besides, if he was ever going to get his chance to push his limits as a normal, non-clan shinobi, this is very much it. He takes a few deep, calming breaths, and looks at his sensei. “I’d like to continue with the mission.”

“Then it’s settled.” Kakashi pulls out a kunai and presses it into his thumb, drawing a bit of blood. In a flash, he smears the blood across his other palm, and begins running through hand signs before slamming the bloodied palm on the ground. “Summoning Jutsu!” A massive cloud of white smoke envelopes Kakashi. While Kenichi and Satsuki are simply in awe of the jutsu itself, Naruto feels a whole other level of excitement overtake him. He’s aware of the toad summons from his father and Jiraiya, and he’s heard Tsunade can summon snails or something. So he’s really hoping to finally see an actually cool summon in action!

This excitement is immediately dashed when the smoke clears to reveal a small yet stocky puppy dog wearing a Hidden Leaf headband. Again, wasting no time, Kakashi pulls out a small piece of paper and begins writing down a message, while also talking to the dog. “Pakkun, I need you to hurry on ahead of us to the nearest shinobi outpost. At your running speed, you should make it to the port town of Awa in about five to six hours. Tell them that we’ve captured a pair of rogue ninja in the Bingo Book, the Demon Brothers from the Hidden Mist Village, and wish to claim the bounty. We’re on our way with the targets, but likely won’t arrive until tomorrow night. We want to ensure that they can be held at the outpost, and would like some assistance escorting them to the outpost securely if we can get it.” He finishes speaking and writing the message at the exact same time.

Pakkun lets out a small whine and, to everyone’s surprise, talks to Kakashi in a deep, gruff voice. “Six hours? That’s a hell of a trip, Kakashi.” Kakashi chuckles as he tucks the small paper into the inside of the dog’s headband. “I know, which is why I’ll be getting you the good Inuzuka treats when we’re back in the village.” Pakkun immediately perks up. “That’s not necessary, but I will take it anyway! You can count on me, old bud.” With that, the pug takes off down in the road at a blistering pace.

Satsuki just stares at where the talking dog once was, before realizing something. “Wait, tomorrow night? What happened to arriving tonight?” Kakashi heads back over to the Demon Brothers and starts pulling out more rope. “Well, between losing our horses and having to take a pair of hostages with us, we’ve definitely tacked on about another day of travel.” He sets to work untying the brothers from the tree and freeing them to walk, but still keeping them bound at Kakashi’s mercy.

“OK team, listen up. Keep a tight formation around the client for the rest of the journey. I’ll have to focus on keeping the hostages on a tight leash,” Kakashi says this with a tug at one of the ropes, earning a growl from Meizu, “so you all will need to do most of the guard work from here on out.” With that, Kakashi turns towards the road. “Let’s move! Now!”

Just as Team 7 resumes their journey, though, no one notices Gōzu look out into the forest, and give a coded winking pattern at an unseen figure…

Evening of the next day…

As purple twilight overtakes the Land of Waves, in a wooded bog at the far end of the isles sits a secretive hideout, wherein a short man in a tailored suit can be seen yelling at a group of ninja.

“Are you kidding me with this shit?! I paid big money to get assassins that could kill that senile old man guaranteed! Instead I get two jackasses that go and get themselves captured, without even killing the bridge builder? Are you all just trying to scam me?!” The man’s ranting is cut short when a massive broadsword swoops in and stops just inches from his neck.

“Quit your bitching, boss.” The sword’s wielder growls out; he doesn’t even rise from his lazy position on the sofa. “This is why you hired multiple ninja. But don’t you worry; this time, I’ll go after him personally.” The suited man gulps at the close blade, and reflexively begins reaching for his coat pocket. “You sure about going solo? Apparently, Tazuna scored himself a real big shot shinobi bodyguard. Not to mention, they’ll be expecting you this time…”

The swordsman glares at the man’s coat pocket, instantly stopping him in his tracks. He lifts his head cockily. “You do realize whom you’ve hired, right? There’s a reason I earned the title of ‘The Demon God of the Hidden Mist.’”

Shinobi World Guide: Missions, Part 2: Foreign Requests

An important thing to note about mission requests is that they are not restricted by international borders. A daimyō or lesser village from one nation can send a mission request to a hidden village that lies within another nation. This can be done for any number of reasons. Perhaps the foreign village doesn’t charge as much for their missions. Perhaps they simply have superior shinobi. Maybe the specific circumstances of this particular mission make that village the one for the job. Usually, a foreign request entails tariffs and additional fees. But to some people, it’s worth it.

That said, foreign requests like this can have some serious political consequences. A hidden village’s primary source of income is through missions, and around 90% of those mission requests tend to be domestic. So if the surrounding villages, or even the daimyō, start sending missions to foreign villages, the reaction from the country’s own hidden village could be anything from begging for mercy to hostile threats, or even increased aggression against the village that’s been receiving the missions. This problem usually isn’t very relevant in small nations that either lack their own hidden village (meaning that they have a bit more freedom of choice), or were otherwise founded and built around a hidden village (in which case, it’s usually much harder for them to make foreign requests). However, in the Elemental Nations, this is a real issue that hidden villages, and sometimes even the daimyō, have to occasionally contend with.

Chapter Text

YAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWNN…

Naruto has never been a morning person. He enjoys sleeping in as late as he can, and prefers waking up on his own rather than by some sort of alarm clock. Needless to say, given his need to attend the Academy regularly and his mother’s general temperament towards laziness, this has led to a lot of mornings that Naruto would describe as “rough.”

But even still, after being up and about for only around five minutes, he can pretty confidently call this morning the worst ever.

It’s freezing cold, everything is damp from the mist, what he’s eaten so far can barely be called breakfast, the wound on his hand is bandaged but still stinging and hurting. Actually, it’s a bit hard to call this the worst “morning” ever, since that would imply that the sun has at least begun to rise. But it’s still dark as night outside, and the entire town looks like it’s still asleep!

It took the team forever to get to this port town, Awa, since they had to drag along those two rogue ninja. Mercifully, some folks met them partway with a carriage to carry the prisoners, so they did get to ride for the last leg of the journey. But they still got here a day late, it was already night when they arrived, and Kakashi STILL had them get up extra early today! Between this and all of the camping they’ve done, it’s been over a week since Naruto’s last good night sleep.

But it has to be done, apparently. Given the risk to the old man’s life and the influence of this Gatō guy, they can’t afford to enter the Land of Waves through the usual channels. They have to be smuggled in, under cover of night, without using any of the paperwork that they’d been given. When Kenichi brought up the illegality of this, all Kakashi had told him was “Don’t worry about it.”

A part of Naruto does also want to object to this, as he doesn’t feel right breaking international law on his first mission, but he’s honestly just too tired to care at this point. Kakashi’s been talking to this boat guy for what feels like forever now! Maybe he can rest his eyes, just for a few moments…

WHACK! An elbow to the ribs courtesy of Satsuki shoots the boy right back awake. He looks up frantically to see Kakashi standing over him. The jōnin does little more than raise an eyebrow at Naruto, before addressing the team as a whole. “The boat’s ready. Let’s go.”

As Team 7 and Tazuna pile into the small boat, barely big enough for all of them, Kakashi addresses the helmsman, Kaji. “You understand your instructions, yes? How long will it take for us to arrive on the other side?” The man huffs. “Well, you want to stay hidden, yes? So we’ll be using the fog, going under the bridge, cutting the motor, AND navigating the eddies. It’ll take at least an hour; probably an hour and a half.” Kakashi nods, then addresses the rest of the party. “Let’s keep still and quiet for this trip, alright? We don’t know what to expect.” Everyone wordlessly nods, and with a nod of his own, Kakashi signals for the helmsman to cast off.

Instead of heading directly out into the water, though, the boat soon turns and begins moving south, parallel to the shore. Naruto perks up in realization. “Wait, we’re finally going to see the bridge, yeah?” Tazuna nods. “Right, we got in so late last night, none of you got the chance to take it in. I tell ya, once you see my masterpiece, you’ll understand the gravity of this miss— OOF!” Tazuna’s arrogant spiel is cut off by a sudden rock of the boat. The helmsman, Kaji, hisses at him. “Keep steady! Like I said, small eddies pop up all over these waters, even when we’re hugging the shore like this. So it’s going to be a rocky trip.”

The boat glides through the coastal water in eerie silence, the only sounds coming from the occasional collisions between boat and eddy. Before long, a silhouette emerges from the fog. A large silhouette, one that only grows bigger and bigger as they get closer. Soon, it comes into full view: the bridge, or at least one end of it, jutting out from Awa into the eastern Mist Sea. Right as they’re moving under it, Naruto cannot help himself. “Whoa man!”

WHOOMP! Satsuki reflexively gut checks Naruto with her fist, earning her a glare that she isn’t used to seeing from her close friend. Still, Kaji scowls at the blonde. “Shut up, will you?! I thought you all were trying to be stealthy here!” Naruto, curled over in light pain, puts his hand up apologetically. Kenichi looks up in awe. “Still, this really is a massive bridge. The fact that it even exists…” Tazuna smirks, as the boat turns and begins moving directly under it. “You literally haven’t seen half of it yet.”

The boat glides forward, and after a short time, they reach a large gap in the bridge. Rebar can be seen coming out from both ends, and large bits of construction equipment can be seen on the other end. With great caution, the boat slides across the open gap, and back under the bridge on the other side. Kakashi looks back at the other end, and raises his eyebrow. “Forgive me if I misunderstand your work here, Tazuna. But I’ve actually dealt with bridge construction in the past myself. Don’t both ends usually meet in the middle? Why is one side so much shorter than the other?”

Tazuna groans. “Part of the original deal I negotiated with the Land of Fire. The mainland will bankroll most of the project and help provide materials, and I even managed to ensure that the Land of Waves will own the vast majority of the bridge when it’s done. In exchange, though, the task of actually building the bridge has fallen almost entirely on my people’s shoulders.” Tazuna rubs his face with both palms. “I thought it would bring jobs and wealth to the isles. But the time it’s taken to finish the bridge, combined with Gatō’s iron grip and economic scheming, has basically cancelled out any good brought about by those jobs.”

Kenichi raises an eyebrow at this. “How long has this bridge been under construction?” Tazuna sighs in exhaustion. “This is its eleventh year under construction.” The eyes of every shinobi go wide upon hearing this. Satsuki, though, lets out a small huff. “How’s it take a ‘master bridge builder’ 11 years to finish one project, huh?” Tazuna is about to erupt, but thankfully Kakashi cuts in.

“Satsuki? Do me a favor and look up.” Satsuki raises an eyebrow at her teacher, but obliges, staring straight up at the bridge’s underside. “Now look back at the end of the bridge we came from.” She cranes her head back at the unfinished end, which is starting to fade into the mist. “Now look ahead at the other end.” She does, and immediately realizes just how far into the mist the bridge goes. “Wait…how long is this thing exactly?” Tazuna’s prideful expression returns. “When finished, it will be just barely over 11 kilometers long, end to end.”

“HOLY!” Naruto immediately slaps both hands over his mouth, quickly catching the mistake he’s just made. “Sorry.” He sheepishly says. Tazuna groans. “Like I said, it will be 11 kilometers long, 15 meters in width. It will be able to support a massive amount of traffic, and even trade and business along the bridge itself.” The old man looks up, his face one of both relief and resignation. “11 years, 11 kilometers. Heh, it’s almost poetic.” Kenichi looks at the old man empathetically. “You’ve really put everything you have into this bridge, huh?” Tazuna softly smirks back. “At this point, the bridge itself is my life. I have given, and will continue to give, so much to it, I cannot afford to leave it unfinished. Especially not now, when we’re so close to the end…”

Though most everyone on board has heard the man say something to this effect before by now, the words strike a sort of chord with Kenichi. “A regular man, giving everything he has towards achieving this goal…” A similar sense of determination fills the young genin, which keeps him awake and alert over the course of this trip.

For the next hour and change, the boat continues forward along its silent yet jagged path, constantly ducking between sporadic eddies. The trip is long, slow, and boring, which for Naruto means it’s effectively torture. More than once do his fellow passengers tell him to stop singing to himself, or ease up on his little twitches. Ironically, Satsuki is the only one to go easy on him with this, as she understands these tics of his better than most. Though she does get upset when, partway through the journey, Naruto decides to take stock of their inventory, just to keep himself occupied with something.

“Smoke bombs, wire, caltrops, bear traps, random book that’s probably Kenichi’s…whoa, what the heck is thi—” Satsuki’s hand shoots to Naruto’s wrist and grabs it hard, just as he’s about to pull a certain something out of the bag. She looks at him with grave intent. “Gift from my mom. It’s private. Don’t touch it, please.” He sees her eyes nervously dart over to Kakashi for just a moment, who seems to just be mildly amused by this whole charade. Naruto’s face tenses up at her, before he sharply snaps his wrist back, and lets out a small yet deep breath. “O…kay then. I’ll just keep this in here.”

After about an hour and a half of travel, the first light of dawn can be seen illuminating the water beyond the shade of the bridge; the image of dozens of diamonds dancing across the water’s surface is incredibly alien to those who have never seen the ocean before. Naruto’s gaze is drawn to the sight, and for a while he is totally incapable of looking away. But soon the helmsman’s voice catches his, and everyone else’s, attention.

“Alright, we’re approaching the shoreline. I’ll cut off here before we get too close.” With that, the boat pulls out from under the bridge and veers left, staying out in the fading morning mist away from the coast. Kaji closely watches the isles off to his side, until he seems to notice something none of the genin do, and quickly veers right, heading right for land. The boat pulls under an old, low-hanging stone bridge, shrouding them in darkness for a few moments. The bright morning light on the other end of this tunnel gets brighter as they move closer. It momentarily blinds Naruto, but when they come out the other side and the boy’s vision clears, he finally gets his first look at the Land of Waves.

The tunnel opens up into a wide canal, almost wide enough to be considered a pond or a lake. A few mangrove trees can be seen growing ahead, right in the middle of the canal path. Off to the sides, he can see houses and buildings built along docks. He quickly realizes that these houses aren’t built upon solid land; rather, they seem to stand on top of wooden posts that jut into the shallow, brackish water. Looking ahead of and around him, he notices in the distance branching canal paths, almost like roads of water, and more mangrove trees growing up around them. To those that live in this area, it’s a modest place at the best of times. But to a boy who’s always dreamed of venturing beyond his home village? The Land of Waves fills Naruto with a sense of awe, wonder, and a weird sense of comfort.

Tazuna sees the boy’s wide-eyed expression at his broken and impoverished home, and for the first time, he smiles at Naruto’s relentless positivity.

Kaji pulls the boat up alongside a ramshackle dock behind a small, dilapidated home, right on the edge of a more marshy, wooded part of the islet they’re on. “Alright, this is as far as I go. You’re all on your own from here.” The boat captain gives Tazuna one last look of concern, but still earnestly tells him “Good luck.” With a wordless nod from Tazuna, Kaji fires up his motor, and takes off.

Tazuna looks over at the marshland, sighs, then turns to face Team 7. “Alright. We’re headed for my home. Keep me safe along the way. Since we’re taking this route, it’ll take at least 20 minutes to get to where I live.” Kakashi nods lightly. “Right. Everyone in position. Let’s move out.” As the party begins their careful march through the misty, swampy back roads, Kakashi thinks back on his encounter with the Demon Brothers. “Gatō has to know we’re coming. Hell, he probably knows we’ve entered the country by now. He’ll almost certainly send someone comparable to a jōnin for his next attempt.” His hands tense up as he looks at the client and three genin currently under his care. For the first time in a long time, Kakashi feels uneasy about a coming battle.

Team 7 moves cautiously through the backroads, keeping a tight perimeter around Tazuna. Morning has fully broken at this point, and the bright light of day gives the team a clear visual of their surroundings. The warm sunlight and salty sea air coming from the nearby water feels refreshing to everyone. And yet, one member of the group still can’t help their feelings of anger and bitterness.

“Who does Satsuki think she is? Calling me a coward like that, hitting me over and over again all morning. Some friend she is! One cool attack against some rogue ninja and suddenly she thinks she’s hot stuff. Well, I’ll show her. I’m gonna make sure to take the lead from here on out!” With that, Naruto moves slightly ahead of the rest of the group, attention darting back and forth, looking for potential signs of coming danger. The rest of Team 7, and even Tazuna, deadpan and eyeroll at this obvious overcompensating display of faux diligence.

This sense of exasperation quickly shifts, though, as Naruto’s eyes lock onto a nearby shrub. “There!” In one swift motion, Naruto pulls out a kunai and launches it at the shrub. A moment passes…and then a clearly terrified white rabbit comes leaping out of the shrub, frantically darting back and forth. Naruto immediately drops the facade of bravado and drops to his knees to grab the rabbit. “Oh my gods, I’m so sorry little guy!” Behind him, Satsuki groans in frustration and Tazuna grumbles furiously to himself, while Kenichi gently walks up to his friend. “Naruto, you know you don’t need to do stuff like this to try and impress us, right?” Naruto looks up at Kenichi, his face seemingly waffling between anger at the accusation and still being sad about almost killing the rabbit. “But I thought something was really there, I swear!”

None of them notice Kakashi, who clocked that shrub at the same time as Naruto, and who is now on high alert. “That’s a snow rabbit. It’s still too early in the year for its fur to be that white. That rabbit was kept indoors, out of sunlight. So it would scurry about when released…as a distraction…” It’s at this moment that Kakashi finally takes notice of the mist rolling back in, at a speed and volume which, even for this region, is definitely not natural.

“EVERYONE, DOWN, NOW!” Team 7’s excellent training means that they all drop prone on reflex, with Satsuki literally dragging Tazuna down with her. Kakashi’s call comes at the perfect time, as all of Team 7 feels a sharp WOOSH go right over their necks, then hear a loud and thick THUNK noise hit from a nearby tree. Kakashi swiftly leaps up to his feet, and immediately tenses up as he recognizes the weapon wedged in the tree. “Oh, this is worse than I thought…”

The rest of Team 7 rise to their feet, and finally see that it was a sword they had just dodged. Though, just calling it a “sword” would be a disservice. The blade alone is easily taller than all three genin, shaped like a butcher’s knife, and seems to have several strange indentations forged into it purely for intimidating flair. The size alone causes everyone to blanche, realizing that they had all just dodged certain death.

From the misty treetops, a deep and hearty and truly menacing chuckle reverberates out. “No wonder the Demon Brothers got themselves captured.” A figure drops down onto the sword’s handle into a squat, and glares down at Kakashi from high up on the makeshift perch. The figure is a tall, tanned, and muscular young man, with bandages wrapped around his mouth and nose, and a sideways forehead protector on his head. He has no shirt on, but does wear long gray-blue pants, a large strap-like belt over his bare chest, and a matching set of cowprint pattern arm and leg warmers. “I must say, it’s an honor to finally meet you, ‘Copy Ninja.’ I’m quite the fan of your work…”

Kakashi strides up slowly, looking calm but keeping his guard very much up. “Judging by that blade of yours, you must be Zabuza Momochi, the infamous ‘Demon God of the Hidden Mist.’ Sorry, I can’t say I feel the same way about your…‘work.’” Kakashi’s eye narrows at that last part, while Zabuza chuckles again and leans forward. “That’s a shame. But since we’re talking about my work, I’ll need you to give up the old geezer.” Tazuna freezes up at that statement in abject fear.

Naruto, for his part, is also terrified beyond words at this man’s extremely intimidating demeanor combined with his very recent brush with death. But, once again psyching himself up with all of his bravado, he moves forward, ready to attack Zabuza. Just as he does, though, Kakashi stops him with his hand. “Stand down! Protect the bridge builder, all of you!” Naruto is about to object, but is immediately cut off. “This guy is on a whole other level; far beyond even the Demon Brothers. I can’t have any of you getting in the way.” Naruto’s face scrunches up at this, and even Satsuki grits her teeth, but Kakashi still doesn’t look back at either of them. “In fact, if HE’S our opponent,” Kakashi reaches for his forehead protector, “I’ll have to go all-out.” Kakashi lifts the headband up straight, uncovering his left eye. A long, jagged scar runs directly down the left side of his face, cutting right through the middle of his left eye. His left eye opens to reveal a truly bizarre visual: a vibrant red iris, small black pupil, and three black tomoe-like marks that seem to orbit the pupil. The sight of this eye elicits various levels of shock from all ninja present.

“Well now,” Zabuza croons as he stands up straight, “I’m strong enough to make you bring out the famed Sharingan? I misspoke before; now I really do feel honored.” While Naruto was initially freaked out about the look of the eye, upon hearing the word “Sharingan,” his whole body whips to face Satsuki, who is looking at Kakashi in total disbelief. Kenichi, though, is as surprised as he is confused. “I’ve only read about the Sharingan once or twice. I’ve never actually seen it, and know next to nothing about it.” Satsuki, eyes still glued to Kakashi, speaks up. “A rare ocular jutsu, it grants the wielder the ability to perfectly read an opponent’s techniques — be they ninjutsu, genjutsu, or taijutsu — and then copy them perfectly. And that’s just the main ability the Sharingan is known for…” Satsuki’s look of shock turns to a deep, menacing glare at Kakashi. “It’s also the kekkei genkai of MY clan! So how the hell does he…”

“So I’ve heard.” Zabuza pipes back up. “You know, my old master was a vet of the third war. And even he was aware of your skill, back when you were a scrawny pre-teen. During the Blood Mist days, the Anbu of my village had a standing ‘Kill on Sight’ order against you.” As he talks, Zabuza subtly makes a hand sign, thickening the mist once more. “Even now, in the black market bingo book, you’re worth quite a lot of ryō; Kakashi Hatake, ‘The Copy Ninja,’ the man who copied over a thousand jutsu.” The genin of Team 7 looks at their teacher in awe. All of them were aware that he is a noteworthy shinobi. But none of them — not even Naruto — realized just how prolific he is, until now.

Kakashi sees the mist thicken, and makes sure to never take his eyes off of the rogue ninja. “While your attempts at flattery are appreciated, Zabuza, I’m afraid I’m not exactly the romantic type. Sorry to disappoint.” Zabuza full-on cackles. “Oh, I wish I could just spend all of today fighting you, Kakashi. But I unfortunately have a job to do. You understand.” With that, he flashes a hand sign, and the mist totally envelopes him. From it, Zabuza’s voice echoes “Hidden Mist Jutsu!”

Kakashi’s Sharingan narrows. “Damn it! The mist is suffused with chakra; I can’t see him through it.” He turns back to his team. “Triangle formation around Tazuna, now!” Thanks to their relentless training, the three genin all manage to form a tight perimeter around the bridge builder the moment Kakashi barks out the order. Kenichi’s gaze darts all over, trying and failing to see anything through this thick mist. “Kakashi, exactly who is this guy we’re facing here? If he’s so dangerous, we should know about him.”

Kakashi’s gaze is far more careful and steady, but still watches all over for any signs of the enemy. He slowly backs up towards his team as he explains. “Zabuza Momochi, a rogue ninja from the Hidden Mist Village. Trained by one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, he’s a ruthless black market mercenary who specializes in the ‘Silent Killing’ technique.”

Naruto gulps. “S-Silent Killing?” Kakashi dips into a fight stance. “Yes. Even with a sword of that size, he’s still capable of rapidly, efficiently, and soundlessly taking out his target. The speed and silence means that death comes with no warning. It’s a speciality among Anbu units across the Elemental Nations.” “And it’s a technique that such a young genin team should NEVER have to worry about. I have to draw him away from the others and towards me…” As the mist builds and thickens, so too does the tension in the area. Like one wild dog baring its fangs at another, Kakashi flares out his chakra; a presence that the less experienced genin can literally feel.

All of Team 7 becomes overwhelmed with terror and fear in the presence of this intimidating showdown. Though all three maintain their positions and have weapons out and ready, it’s clear that they are not OK. Kenichi’s knees buckle and tremble like a newborn deer. Naruto’s loud hyperventilating does nothing but make things worse for the other two. But the worst by far, surprisingly, is Satsuki. Ironically, the fact that she’s been more extensively and intensely trained growing up than her two teammates means that she’s much better at detecting bloodlust and killing intent than any other genin her age. This also means that she’s feeling the full force of this tension crush her mind and soul.

“This bloodlust…this intensity! Oh gods, when did the air get so heavy?! I can’t breathe! When will the attack come? Why doesn’t either one of them strike already?! Please, gods, let this end already! I can’t take it! I’d rather die than handle another second—”

“SATSUKI!” Kakashi’s voice brings the girl back to reality. It’s only now that Satsuki realizes just how far up to her own neck she has raised her kunai. “Calm down. The rest of you, keep your stances steady, and breathing even.” Kakashi looks back at the trio of teenagers with a calming yet confident smirk. “Don’t worry; I will protect all of you with my life. You’ll not die under my care.” A sense of relief washes over the team, and in that moment, all of them — especially Satsuki — believe in their sensei’s words.

“Don’t be so cocky, Kakashi.”

That sense of relief is instantly dashed, as Zabuza’s gravely voice appears behind all three genin. Terror fills their hearts as they realize: Zabuza somehow managed to silently position himself right in the middle of their formation, directly in front of Tazuna, with his sword drawn and ready to strike. From there, everything happens in less than a second: the genin dive down, with Kenichi dragging Tazuna down with him. Kakashi’s Sharingan flares, he lunges towards Zabuza with a chakra-empowered burst of speed. The rogue ninja rapidly switches targets and swings his sword the other way at the incoming attacker, but it’s just a moment too late. Kakashi lands a kunai stab right at Zabuza’s heart.

Tazuna and the genin once again allow themselves a brief moment of relief, as it appears to them that Kakashi is victorious. The jōnin, however, rapidly realizes three things: firstly, Zabuza should have known to go after Kakashi first; second, there was no reason for Zabuza to blow his silent approach by talking like he did; and third, the liquid he feels on his hand isn’t thick or warm enough to be blood.

Instantly, just based on gut intuition, Kakashi dive rolls out of the way. This foresight proves correct, as the Zabuza he’d stabbed collapses into water, and the massive blade of the rogue ninja crashes into the spot Kakashi was at just an instant ago. In an impressive yet terrifying display of strength and dexterity, Zabuza lifts himself off of the ground with one hand, using the handle of the sword that’s now buried into the dirt as leverage, to twist around and double dropkick Kakashi far away into the nearby water. Zabuza lands perfectly back on his two feet, rips the sword out of the ground with intimidating ease, and breaks into a sprint for the shore.

Kakashi manages to quickly surface. When he does, he immediately looks out for the status of his team and client. When he does, though, he neglects to check for Zabuza for just a second. And one second is all that the rogue ninja needs.

“Got you now!” Kakashi looks behind him to see Zabuza, standing on the water, weaving hand signs. By the time Kakashi readies a counter, it’s already too late. “Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu!” The water rises up around Kakashi, lifting him out of the ocean and into a large, thick sphere of water. He tries to swim out, but the jutsu has a center of gravity that keeps him from moving anywhere. He looks at Zabuza, standing right beside the sphere with one hand holding it in place.

“No getting out of there, Kakashi. Now I could just stay here and wait until you drown. But, like I said before, I have a job to do, so…” Zabuza looks back towards land at Tazuna, and makes a one-handed hand sign. “Water Style: Water Clone Jutsu!” The water before him rises and morphs into his own likeness. Once again, a deadly clone of Zabuza stands before the group of genin.

Kenichi’s heart is filled with fear and panic. Satsuki is feeling similar to how she did before Zabuza showed up. And Naruto’s mind is a hurricane, completely unable to keep up with everything that’s just happened in the span of 10 seconds. Through all of their shock and fear, one irrefutable fact underscores all of it: their seemingly invincible sensei just got captured, and the man who did it is now coming after them.

The water clone stares down the genin, then croons out in Zabuza’s deep, terrifying gravel. “Alright, I think I’ve wasted enough time here with you all. It’s about time I finally finish this mission of mine…”

Shinobi World Guide: Missions, Part 3: Ranks

Every mission is given one of five ranks, D through S. These ranks determine the difficulty of the mission, its monetary reward, and to whom it should be assigned. D-rank missions pose virtually no risk to a shinobi’s life and are almost always domestic. Examples include finding lost items/people, domestic bodyguarding, resource gathering, or maybe even forging items. Background checks can fall into either D- or C-rank depending on the target in question. Most inexperienced genin get these missions. C-rank missions include guard work outside of major metropolitan areas (usually simple transports and caravans), hunting dangerous predators/beasts, and reconnaissance. C-rank also includes real (albeit low-level) espionage missions. High-level genin to low-level chūnin get these missions. B-rank is for when combat with other ninjas is to be expected (killing bandits/low-level shinobi, higher-level espionage). A-rank is for missions of pressing relevance at the village or state level (guarding VIPs, suppressing enemy shinobi forces). 

S-rank missions, however, do not work like the other ranks, in that they’re never just posted up. S-rank missions are always personally designed and assigned, often by the Kage and in some cases by the daimyō. In rare cases, the daimyō may effectively assign an S-rank mission to the Kage themselves. It is actually something of a tradition for all mission requests that come from the daimyō to be automatically given S-rank, regardless of the actual nature of the mission, as a sign of the importance of the daimyō.

Chapter Text

“It’s about time I finally finish this mission of mine.” Zabuza’s own voice comes out of the water clone in a strangely warbled tone. The real swordsman pauses for a moment to take stock of his current situation: his target is being guarded by a team of genin so green that the fear is clearly visible on all of their faces, and the only shinobi capable of actually stopping him is trapped and drowning in a prison of water. Looking at Team 7 from out here on the water, seeing their hopelessness, a strange sort of mood overtakes Zabuza. He shakes his head and chuckles at the genin, deciding to give in to this feeling of smugness.

“Look at you…a bunch of children, playing at ninja. Let me give you all an important reality check, one that your sensei here doesn’t have the stones to acknowledge: in the world of ninja, all that matters is the mission. And a true ninja is willing to do whatever it takes, no matter how cutthroat or savage, to complete that mission.” Zabuza’s voice quickly shifts from cheeky to grave. “You brats…you lack that savagery which defines a true ninja. Only when you’ve willingly backstabbed a comrade for the sake of a mission, when you’ve become desensitized to the feeling of blood on your hands and face, when you’ve become so vicious that you appear in the black market bingo book, when you’ve killed several dozen children just for the sake of one job!” Zabuza’s voice reaches a manic crescendo. He pauses, and after a few deep yet rapid breaths to collect himself, finishes. “Only then…can you call yourself a ninja.”

By this point, Naruto’s state of panic and hyperventilation has made any coherent and logical thought completely impossible. Seeing his sensei trapped by this terrifying swordsman, hearing everything Zabuza said, along with a perfect clone of him facing down Team 7, all fully overwhelms Naruto’s sense of fight or flight. Without thinking rationally at all, Naruto draws a kunai and rushes the clone. It ends up not mattering though; before Naruto can even attempt a strike, the water clone raises a leg and punts Naruto hard in the gut, sending him skidding back towards the others. “Naruto!” Kenichi kneels to check on his teammate. Zabuza chuckles at the pitiful display. “Like I said, you whelps haven’t earned the title of ‘ninja.’ And unfortunately, you never will.”

From inside the water prison, Kakashi can only look on in horror. “Damn it! I had heard about Zabuza’s savagery and might, but I completely underestimated him. Not only is he freakishly strong and an expert with that sword, he’s also skilled at using Water Style ninjutsu.” His eyes dart between Zabuza and his team, considering all options while his breath begins to run out. “Zabuza needs to stay here to ensure I die, and that water clone can’t move too far. If they can just get some distance…”

On the shore, Satsuki sees Kakashi thrashing about inside the prison. Her eyes narrow, and she recognizes this as one of several wordless command gestures from their training. And it’s the one he put the most effort into ensuring that they all knew: full retreat. Satsuki mentally chafes at this, but still lets her comrades know. “Guys, Kakashi-sensei’s telling us to run. We’ve got to get away from this guy and get the bridge builder to safety, now!”

Still hyperventilating a bit and now with the wind knocked out of him, Naruto struggles to catch his breath. “I’m gonna die! This guy’s gonna kill me! This is a real elite ninja! I gotta run! I gotta—” He goes to pull himself to his feet, but as he plants his hand for leverage, a familiar pain shoots through him. He looks down, and sees the bandage and gauze soaked in red. In an instant, everything he said before comes back to him: a promise in blood to not back down or freeze in fear.

“I made a promise. To Tazuna, and to my team…my friends…that I wouldn’t freeze up in fear. I can’t let them down like this. I can’t run away, and I can’t go back on my word…no, I will NOT go back on my word! Not now, not ever!”

Kenichi moves to help Naruto up, but the blonde waves him off. He takes a few deep, calming breaths before rising to his feet and shooting a glare at Zabuza. “Hey, freakshow!” The rogue ninja raises an eyebrow. “Thanks for that little lesson earlier. Actually, it kinda resonated with me. Because, you know what? You’re right: a true ninja does everything in their power to complete their mission.” Naruto reaches into his pouch. “And that’s exactly what I’m gonna do!”

“Cheeky little bastard…” Though Zabuza’s frustration has begun to rise, he cannot deny feeling mildly impressed at the boy for standing his ground. Satsuki, however, has other ideas.

“Naruto, what the hell are you saying?! Did you not see Kakashi-sensei’s signal? He’s telling us to run! We don’t stand a chance against this guy!” Naruto turns and looks at his old friend with a darkly serious expression. “Satsuki, let’s be real here: I don’t think this guy’s going to let us escape. If we try to run, he’ll just chase us down. Fact is, our only real way out of here is by freeing Kakashi-sensei.” The girl grits her teeth in frustration; both because of his defiant behavior, but also because she knows he’s right.

“Then again,” As Naruto speaks, he begins feeling around his pouch for a certain pocket, “the decision to run is really on our client.” He turns to the bridge builder. “Well, Mr. Tazuna?” The old man looks down at the ground in shame. He takes a deep breath. “I suppose this whole shitshow is all my fault. I did drag you into this mess because of my selfish desires. And if what you’re saying about us not escaping is true…” He looks up, and gives Naruto a confident grin. “Screw it! Kick his ass, kid!”

“As if you could!” The water clone finally begins to charge the team of genin. Just as it does, though, and right after hearing Tazuna’s confirmation, Naruto finally grabs hold of what he’s been looking for.

“Step 1: Vanish into darkness.” He throws the smoke bomb at the clone’s feet, stopping it in its tracks while also obscuring him and his allies. Naruto pulls all of them back further into the smoke, takes off his backpack, and starts rifling through it.

“Alright, I’ve got a plan.” Naruto talks fast, not even looking up from the backpack. He starts handing out items as he explains the plan. “Kenichi, lay these down. Satsuki, are you sure you can use this thing? Alright, great. Here’s the plan: Remember when the Demon Brothers attacked us?”

The smoke billows out, and from the water, Kakashi’s nervous mind tragically lets hopeful curiosity worm its way in; despite all of his years of Anbu training which have helped him keep his emotions in check over the years, right now he cannot help but hope against all logic that this young team of his can somehow manage a way out of this hellhole.

After a few moments of nothing coming from the smoke, the clone growls in a warbled tone, almost like gargled water. “Enough of this!” The clone rushes into the smoke, and almost immediately it begins to lose its shape and starts falling apart. Back on the water, Zabuza narrows his eyes in frustration at the sight of his clone turning into a wobbly, vaguely human-shaped mass of water. Even from this distance, he can see the issue. “Caltrops…”

From the smoke, shuriken and kunai begin to fly out, both at the clone and the true Zabuza. The clone still has enough strength to swat away the incoming projectiles, but not enough to effectively handle Kenichi, who leaps in to engage the clone directly in combat. “Step 2: Spike the earth.” He murmurs to himself, deftly landing among the caltrops, not hitting a single one. Smiling with confidence at the sight of Naruto’s plan working, he dives backwards to avoid a strike from the clone while also throwing more knives at the real Zabuza. The rogue ninja groans in exasperation as he effortlessly dodges or even catches the weapons. “You’ll have to try harder than that to kill me!”

“Not exactly my goal here…” Kenichi mutters to himself, as he looks back to his comrades, just in time to see them get into position. Then, in a truly impressive display of strength, Satsuki manages to launch Naruto up into the air with an overhead throw. In a high-flying arc reminiscent of another pair of rogue ninja, Naruto rockets out of the smoke cloud, over Kenichi and the clone, towards the real Zabuza.

“Step 3: Reach for the sky!” Naruto excitedly thinks to himself as he flies towards the swordsman, kunai drawn. “With the clone destabilized and occupied, and the real Zabuza distracted by those kunai and shuriken, I can strike him from above!”  Unfortunately for Naruto, Zabuza is still a ninja with skills comparable to that of a jōnin. So as Naruto comes diving in, with his free hand Zabuza effortlessly and with great force stops Naruto dead in flight with a vicious and painful grab right to the boy’s throat. The swordsman once more chuckles smugly. “Big mistake, kid.”

Thankfully for Naruto, Zabuza can’t seem to crush the boy’s windpipe or choke him out instantly with just one hand. So even with his consciousness fading rapidly, the genin has enough time and strength to kick his legs up around Zabuza’s arm, and even lock his ankles around the rogue ninja’s neck, resulting in an awkward scissor grapple of his own. Though he doesn’t have much breath left, and the grapple doesn’t seem to be all that effective, he’s able to proudly whimper out “Step 4: Saddle the beast…”

Throughout all of this — the caltrops, Kenichi dealing with the clone, and Naruto engaging with Zabuza — Satsuki remains back in the smoke cloud, hand deep in the backpack, waiting for her signal. When she sees Naruto flash her a look from his strained lock, she immediately leaps into action. Satsuki whips out her special item from her backpack; what initially looks to be a large blade of black metal shaped like a tomoe, quickly unfolds into a massive and truly terrifying shuriken.

Kakashi’s eyes go wide upon seeing this. “A Fūma Shuriken?!” Satsuki gives off a cocky grin, catching the look in her sensei’s eyes. “The Uchiha clan’s own signature Fūma Shuriken: the Windmill of Shadows.” She exchanges a quick look with her teacher in the water prison that wordlessly communicates what needs to be said: they both know that a genin like her technically shouldn’t have a weapon like this on her, but given the current situation, she gets a pass. “Thank you, mom.” Satsuki thinks to herself before, in a practiced spinning motion, she wheels back and launches the shuriken forward, full force. “Step 5: Unleash the demon!” The shuriken tears through the air, shooting right over Kenichi’s head, decapitating the water clone, and flying towards Zabuza without losing any speed.

Zabuza, having actually been thoroughly distracted by Naruto’s pitiful attempt at a grapple combined with Kenichi still managing to throw the occasional stray shuriken or kunai at him, doesn’t notice the Fūma Shuriken coming at him until it’s actually thrown. Though he’s handled weapons like this with ease in the past, this stupid brat taking up his other arm makes the prospect of catching or dodging the shuriken rather tricky. He rapidly realizes, however, that he doesn’t actually need to catch or dodge the shuriken. Grinning cruelly under his bandages, Zabuza pivots his body, and holds Naruto up in front of him; directly in the path of the oncoming Fūma Shuriken.

As Kakashi’s eyes go wide with panic and he begins vainly struggling in the water, Naruto lets out one last strained smile. It’s at this point that the smoke from the shore starts to clear, and both Zabuza and Kakashi see Satsuki, Tazuna…and Naruto standing guard in front of the bridge builder.

“Step 6: Reveal deception…” With those words, the “Naruto” in Zabuza’s hands disappears into a puff of smoke. “A Shadow Clone?! Shit!” Now Zabuza is the one panicking, as the Fūma Shuriken is approaching him rapidly, and it’s now too close for him to easily dodge it. Even still, years of trained skills and honed reflexes allow Zabuza to whip his now free arm into position and grab the massive shuriken right out of the air, to the shock of everyone there. But for as terrifyingly impressive as this feat is, the cost of such a move is quickly made apparent. The shuriken was too close, and Zabuza had no time to brace or prepare for the coming impact. As a result, though he catches the weapon, it still slams into the swordsman with great force; Zabuza is thrown backwards into an off-balance stumble, causing the water prison to break.

Blood runs down Zabuza’s face, the shuriken’s impact being so great one of the blades actually pushed up into his face. Now fully incensed and glaring daggers at the shore, Zabuza spins the Windmill of Shadows in his grip, ready to launch it back at Team 7. “Little brats…I’ll kill you all!” Zabuza is so full of rage and frustration, he fails to keep track of the prisoner he’s unintentionally let loose.

CLANG! Just as the shuriken is about to fly, Kakashi stands before the rogue ninja; blocking the massive shuriken with the metal on the back of his glove, blood dripping down his hand. Kakashi coughs up a bit of water, and glares at Zabuza with renewed ferocity and vigor. Back on the shore, Team 7 collectively smiles at the sight.

“Naruto, I can’t believe that actually worked!” Kenichi lets out through shallow and ragged breaths. Satsuki huffs in satisfaction, but with a strained undertone to it that no one catches. “I suppose that’s Step 7…”

“Freedom!” Naruto declares proudly. From the water, Kakashi calls back. “That was your plan, Naruto? Excellent work there; I’m proud to see such skill from my students.” He says all of this while still straining against Zabuza and the shuriken, and not breaking eye contact. Naruto, seemingly instantly oblivious to the danger around him, continues the conversation. “Yeah, well, I knew that if we could just distract him for a couple of moments, one clean strike was all we needed to get you out. Though honestly, I think we kinda got lucky with that plan…”

“That wasn’t lucky at all.” Kakashi thought to himself. “That was a focused, on-the-fly tactical battlefield maneuver. And from a genin like Naruto…” Kakashi’s mental praise is interrupted as Zabuza presses down harder on the jōnin with the shuriken. “Best keep your eyes up Kakashi. Thanks to that little stunt, now I’m not stopping for anything until you’re dead. I suggest you do the same.” He grips the shuriken with both hands, pressing hard into Kakashi, who’s only barely managing to block with the small bit of metal on the back of his glove. “Team…triangle formation…on Tazuna…” Kakashi grunts out the order as the blade inches closer to his neck. Just as the team reassembles around the bridge builder, Kakashi finds his strength, and deftly knocks the Windmill of Shadows out of Zabuza’s grip, sending it flying far off into the mist.

The moment the clash is broken, Kakashi leaps backwards, getting far out of range of Zabuza’s blade. Reflexively, Zabuza does the same. As he flies through the air, he immediately starts weaving a hand sign. Finally flashing the Sharingan, Kakashi follows the rogue ninja’s movements, and copies them perfectly. Both men land back on the water, directly facing one another, and like the mirror that is the water’s surface, the two begin perfectly matching each other’s hand signs.

“So this is the Sharingan, huh? Tricky bastard. Maybe I can psych him out…” Zabuza starts mixing in fake hand signs, making sure to only mold chakra when he intends to with the proper hand signs, hoping he can make Kakashi waste chakra and mess up the jutsu he’s trying to copy. Unfortunately, what Zabuza does not realize is that the Sharingan gives Kakashi the ability to also see Zabuza’s chakra, and thus the molding of that chakra. Even though Kakashi ends up mimicking the fake hand signs out of reflex, he also makes sure to copy exactly when the chakra is being molded to properly copy this jutsu.

From the shore, though, the genin and bridge builder see what to them is the incredible sight of two jōnin-level ninja, weaving an uncountably long series of hand signs in perfect sync, while the water around them bubbles and churns in response to their chakra. It’s an incredible sight, and one that serves only to solidify the gap between them, and the two warriors on the water. Finally, after what feels like ages, both men stop on the sign of the Bird, and call out the exact same technique.

“Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!”

The water before the two men bubbles up, and molds into the forms of two mighty dragons. The dragons rise and face one another, each encircling one of the jutsu’s casters, before crashing down on each other. For the briefest of moments, the dragons appear to be truly biting and clawing at one another, like a battle between two legendary creatures in the myths of old. The end result of all of this is a colossal burst of seawater over the heads of Kakashi and Zabuza, neither jutsu able to land true on either of them. The clash and burst of water creates something akin to a small tidal wave, as the water crashes onto the shore and rapidly floods over Team 7 and Tazuna. The genin all manage to brace in time, keeping steady and protecting the bridge builder, but it takes all of their collective energy just to stay on their feet and avoid being washed away. Once she collects herself, Satsuki looks back onto the water, and is in complete awe. Through the water falling down on her like rain, she can see her sensei and the swordsman have now collided back into a clash, with Zabuza’s massive blade pressing down on Kakashi’s comparatively puny kunai knife.

“Unbelievable!” Satsuki remarks in her head. “After casting such a powerful jutsu, and using the Sharingan with it, he still has the strength to fight back against that freakish sword?!” Within this clash, however, something strange begins to happen. Zabuza stares down Kakashi, his killing intent flaring hard. As he does, though, he gazes into the Sharingan, and sees the three tomoe being to spin in a slow, yet bizarrely hypnotic pattern. The swordsman’s vision begins to likewise spin.

“What is this?!” Once again, the clash is broken, but this time Zabuza leaps away. Like before, the two face apart from one another. Zabuza tries to flank, but Kakashi mimics his movements, leading to a perfectly circular movement from the two. Zabuza goes to form another hand sign, and again is completely copied. His eyes narrow at Kakashi’s movements, and especially the Sharingan. “That freaky eye…it’s pissing me off!”

“Well, this ‘freaky eye’ of mine tends to have that effect on people.” Zabuza’s eyes widen in shock at Kakashi’s statement. “Impossible! Is he reading my mind?!” “I don’t know, Zabuza; am I?” Furious, Zabuza begins rapidly weaving hand signs. “I’ll shut you up for good you copycat mon—”

“I assure you, Zabuza, I’m more than just some monkey copying your moves.” As Kakashi says this, again predicting his next statement, Zabuza cannot believe what he sees. “That hand sign! But how?! That’s what I was going to—” But even this inner panic is also interrupted by Kakashi. “Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!”

Water rises up around Kakashi and begins to rapidly build and spiral. In an instant, before Zabuza has time to collect himself and dodge out of the way, a massive spiraling torrent of water launches itself horizontally at Zabuza, blasting him off of the water’s surface all the way back onto the shore. Zabuza tries in vain to swim through the vortex, but he just cannot keep up. The water blasts through the forest, throwing Zabuza around like a ragdoll and flooding the area around the genin once more, drenching them from head to toe.

Eventually, the vortex slams Zabuza hard against a tree and finally peters out after tearing up much of the surrounding forest. As the water recedes, the rogue ninja now only barely has the strength to stand; he can’t even lift his head to check his surroundings. This proves quite unfortunate, as he cannot see the four kunai Kakashi throws at him, each one sinking hard into each of his upper arms and thighs. Zabuza cries out in pain, which in turns causes him to harshly cough up a large amount of seawater. His head hangs low, but he can still hear Kakashi land on the branches above him. “You can read minds, then, Kakashi? Or even see the future?” Zabuza strains out the words, and Kakashi pulls out one more kunai. “Yes. And from what I can see, this is where you die.”

Before Kakashi can make good on that threat, though, from out of seemingly nowhere, two long, thin needles fly out and sink deep into the side of Zabuza’s neck. His eyes shoot wide from shock, and then without another word, he falls limply to the ground. All three genin are frozen in shock at the sight of a man being seemingly killed in front of them. Kakashi, though, whips his head to the side, following the needles to where they must have been thrown from. There, in a neighboring treetop, he sees the perpetrator.

They wear open-toed tan sandals, as well as a brown, pinstriped kimono, with a green haori over it. These two articles are tied together with a matching brown sash around the waist, and the figure’s long hair is kept up in a bun. The long hair, combined with the appearance of painted fingernails and toenails, makes the figure appear feminine. But the exact gender is hard to say. Because the most striking feature of this culprit, at least to Kakashi, is the Anbu-like mask they wear. With thin eye slits, red swirl marks around the bottom, and a familiar hidden village insignia at the forehead, Kakashi quickly realizes whom he’s dealing with.

“A hunter ninja…” Kakashi muses as he leaps down in front of Zabuza’s body. He places a finger against the man’s neck. “No pulse.” The masked ninja lightly bows from the treetop. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to finally kill Zabuza. I hope you’ll forgive me for dealing the final blow, but I have been tracking him for a long time now, and I’m afraid I was rather impatient.” Kakashi’s eyes narrow upon hearing the hunter’s voice. “Androgynous…can’t tell if they’re a man or a woman. And so young too; they can’t be much older than any of my genin.”

Naruto rushes forward to look up at the masked assailant. “A hunter ninja? Just who the hell are you?!” Kenichi raises an eyebrow. “Naruto, we actually covered this in class. Did you forget?” Naruto deadpans in embarrassment, and Satsuki groans to herself in disbelief at her friend’s antics. Kenichi continues. “Hunter ninja are a special class of Anbu from the Hidden Mist Village. Rogue ninja often carry state secrets with them, and so they need to be hunted down by their home village.” He looks up cautiously at the masked figure. “The Hidden Mist Village has had so many ninja go rogue in recent years, that an elite group of Anbu were formed entirely specialized in hunting these traitors down, and reclaiming that which was taken.”

“Impressive,” the hunter remarks, “you appear to have done your homework. Yes, I was tasked by the Hidden Mist Village to kill Zabuza and reclaim his sword, Kubikiribōchō, several months ago. I’ve already spent more than enough time on this particular mission. So, if you will excuse me…” With that, the masked figure leaps down and moves towards the corpse. Kakashi eyes them carefully as they close in. “An elite assassin at such a young age…who is this kid?”

Just as the hunter kneels down to collect Zabuza’s corpse, though, Naruto comes running forward. “Just hang on a second!” The sudden outburst catches everyone’s attention. Naruto points an accusatory finger at the hunter, breathing fast and heavy all the while. “Who the hell are you?! Kakashi-sensei, what’s happening here?” Kakashi stands and places a hand on Naruto’s shoulder. “Easy, Naruto, they aren’t our enemy.” Naruto brushes his hand off. “I don’t care about that! After all of the work we put in; you, me, Satsuki, all of us! This guy…they just walk in and take down Zabuza like it’s nothing? After all of the actual hard fighting is already done?! They don’t deserve that!” Naruto’s breathing is now fast and furious. And though Kenichi looks over in concern, Satsuki can’t help but grit her teeth and clench her fists upon consideration of Naruto’s words.

“Deep breaths, Naruto, please.” Kakashi squats down in front of Naruto, placing both hands on his shoulders, and speaking softly to reassure him. After a few deep, calming breaths from the teen, Kakashi continues. “I understand how you feel; that all of your work is for nothing. But at the end of the day, all that matters is that Zabuza is dead. How that happened is irrelevant.” His eyes shift from empathetic to serious. “Besides, you need to accept that there are shinobi out there that are around your age, but far stronger than you. That’s just the way of the world.”

Naruto’s face scrunches up, and does everything in his power to blink back tears of frustration. The hunter, not really acknowledging this outburst in any meaningful way, lifts Zabuza’s body across their shoulders. “We are done here. I must dispose of this body and return the blade to the Hidden Mist Village. If you know what’s good for you, you will not follow me. Farewell.” With that curt goodbye, the hunter flashes a hand sign, and disappears in a strange flickering movement.

“They’re gone! How did—” “Body Flicker Jutsu.” Kakashi interrupts Naruto, while covering his Sharingan back up with his headband. “I’ll tell you about it some other day.” He turns to face Tazuna. “Now then! Our mission still isn’t complete. If I recall correctly, we still need to escort you home, right?” Tazuna smiles widely. “Yes! And don’t worry, when we get to my house, you can all rest easy for as long as you need! Least I can do for you, after all of this shit!”

Kakashi smirks, and turns back to the road. “Alright then, Team 7. Let’s…move…” Just as he says all of this, after only a few steps, Kakashi instantly freezes up, then collapses to the ground, completely unconscious. All of Team 7 immediately surround their sensei.

“Kakashi-sensei!”

“What happened?

“I don’t know! What do we do?!”

“Mr. Tazuna, do you have medical supplies at your home?”

“Yeah, I should!”

“OK then. We can carry him, if you lead the way.”

“Alright! Let’s hurry!”

Further away, deeper in the woods, obscured by the mist, the hunter ninja lays the corpse of Zabuza down on the ground before them. “First thing’s first, I need to get these face bandages off…” As they reach out, however, Zabuza’s hand suddenly shoots up and grips the hunter’s forearm tight. The rogue ninja’s eyes blink open in fury, and he managed to pull his bandages down. “No need, I can do this myself.”

The hunter stiffens up at the grip, surprised at Zabuza suddenly moving…but then just lets out an exasperated sigh. “You shouldn’t move around like that, you know. You already won’t be able to move properly for about a week, and doing nonsense like that will only make things worse.” The hunter yanks their arm back, and begins undoing Zabuza’s face bandages. “Now lie down. I need to remove these; you need to breathe unobstructed right now.”

Zabuza snarls at the masked assailant. “Oh, spare me your lectures. I’ve handled worse. Though you could’ve aimed for a less painful spot.” As if to prove a point, he begins violently yanking the needles out of his neck. The hunter sighs again. “You know, if you keep doing stuff like that, you really will bleed out and die.” They pull out a small pack of medical tools, and begin treating Zabuza’s wounds. “I went for the neck because the pressure points there are easier to hit. Besides, you’re the one who takes such pride in their unscarred body, right?”

Zabuza growls in pain. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Though now I almost regret teaching you that temporary death technique. Also, we are alone now, Haku. Could you please take that stupid mask off?” With a chuckle, the now named Haku removes the mask, revealing a sharp, androgynous face, yet one that seems to skew more feminine. “I like wearing this mask though. It was a gift from you to me. Plus…I enjoy having my face covered up…”

Zabuza lets out a small, yet seemingly empathetic groan. “Yeah, I know. Don’t worry, you know the plan once we finish this job.” Haku looks at Zabuza with slight concern as they finish treating his wounds. “You’ll need time to heal though; like I said, at least a week. Are you sure you’ll be able to beat that shinobi next time?” Zabuza smirks with wicked confidence, flashing his mouth full of sharpened, shark-like teeth, as he redoes his facial bandages once more.

“Next time…I’ll rip right through that Sharingan, and cut the bridge builder down!”

Shinobi World Guide: Rogue Ninja

All shinobi have a duty to their respective hidden village; fight for and defend both it and its people, through mission assignments and more traditional combat. But the shinobi world is inherently one of duplicity, deceit, and cunning. And when such qualities clash against those that the hidden villages espouse, you get rogue ninja; those who have abandoned their original hidden village in pursuit of other gains. Being marked as a rogue ninja is not as simple as not following orders, though that can be a factor. A shinobi must fully desert their hidden village, abandoning their duties with no intention to return from whence they came.

Shinobi can go rogue for any number of reasons. However, historically, the most common reason has been defecting to a rival village in the hopes of achieving more power/renown in exchange for knowledge/weapons. And while this was certainly common throughout history, in the modern era this has become much more infrequent. With national security being up across the continent, if a hidden village were to not only encounter a rival village’s shinobi, but then accept them as one of their own, that would almost certainly damage relations between the two villages, likely irreversibly. And while this can still happen, in modern times it’s far more common for a shinobi to go join a more organized group of rogue ninja that are not allied with any one nation or village, usually so that they can be free to fulfill their selfish and cruel desires all they like, without the overbearing restrictions of a hidden village’s legal system.

Whenever a hidden village’s shinobi goes rogue, the Kage/village leader will almost always either create a mission to track down the target immediately, or otherwise enter them into the village’s Bingo Book if retrieving the target is either not immediately possible or just not a pressing priority. Rogue ninja are taken extremely seriously by all hidden villages, as trading secrets about one village to another can seriously swing the balance of power in this world.