Chapter 9: Chapter 9: The Uchiha's Resolve
Sasuke's face sported a look of pure boredom as he gazed down at the future generation of shinobi enjoying their hour off in the academy's courtyard from his position up on the rooftop of the academy. He had forgotten to bring his lunch for the day. Not that it mattered too much to him. He wasn't hungry. He had gone much longer without food than a couple of hours. He would manage.
No, instead his mind was busy running through the proceedings of his first day at the shinobi academy so far. Needless to say, it was boring. Sure, it was slightly interesting coming face to face with Naruto's father, as well as his own parents. But that only went so far. Not only that, but he had noticed his mother sending looks to his direction all morning. He needed to know what could possibly be going through the young girl's mind. Was she trying to figure out why exactly he had told her the things that he had or what? The thing was, though, that not even Sasuke himself was sure why he had. He had taken a page out of Naruto's book and had merely followed his instincts. Maybe it was because she was his mother that he felt a particular need to help her. Even if it meant that he would have to separate her from his father. In the back of his mind, he wondered what that would spell for him. Would he disappear into nothingness? Almost like he never existed in the first place? Would Naruto forget that he ever existed? Even though he knew that it was a likely scenario, Sasuke oddly found himself not caring. Not if it meant that he would have helped his mother anyway.
Sasuke blinked at that. Had he seriously just thought that? Shaking his head, Sasuke pushed the thought out of his mind. Whatever. He would figure it out later.
His attention went back to the young boys and girls playing down below him, his gaze drifting from person to person. The Yondaime was in one of the corners surrounded by three other boys who oddly reminded Sasuke of Shikamaru and Choji. The third one, another blond with a small ponytail, Sasuke didn't particular recognize him at all. His gaze then went to his mother who was leaning against one of the trees with her eyes closed. Her whole demeanor just screamed "don't bother me." She must still be ticked off about yesterday. Not that anyone can blame her. After all, her future husband was just chosen for her. That would tick any girl off. His gaze soon left her, trying to locate either his father or uncle. After a few seconds, Sasuke realized that neither was down in the courtyard with the rest of the kids. How odd. He wondered where they could be.
"So you must like they view, huh."
Sasuke's eyes widened slightly as he felt someone land behind him. Turning his head, he came face to face with his grinning uncle who was also waiving at him.
"Yo!"
Sasuke stared at the boy, trying to figure out what he was doing here. Deciding to be blunt, Sasuke asked, "What are you doing here?"
Kazuki shrugged as he sat down next to him, Sasuke's gaze stuck on him the whole time. "Fugaku wants to be inside the classroom for some reason, and I couldn't stand just sitting there for a whole hour. So I came to see what was up out here when I noticed that you were up here alone. Why?"
It was Sasuke's turn to shrug, still not sure how he should be around his supposed uncle. "I don't know. I guess I just like the silence to think."
"So you can brood," the younger boy said, rolling his eyes. "I don't need another Fugaku. If you're going to be my brother, I need you to have more style than that."
Ah, that was right. Kenshin had adopted him, hadn't he? So technically he was Kazuki's older brother now, wasn't he? Sasuke hadn't actually thought of it that much, or at all. He had basically become the older brother of his uncle. Quite an interesting development.
Kazuki continued, "So what do you think of the academy so far? Is it all that you hoped it would be? I would think it would be. I mean, you already have a fan club! Like, in just a few hours!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes at that, not thrilled at the reminder. That was one thing that he had noticed. Most of the girls in his class had already seemed to develop their crushes on him, something which irritated Sasuke to no end. Something that he did take comfort in, though, was the fact that there were still a few of the girls in his new class that didn't see him in that light, one of which was his mother. That particular detail was almost enough for Sasuke to cry in joy. It would have been extremely awkward for him if his mother started to see him in the romantic way. But thankfully she wasn't the type to do that right off the bat.
"It was…...boring," Sasuke answered bluntly. "All we got were lectures."
Kazuki chuckled. "Hahaha yeah, the mornings are always the boring part. But don't worry. After lunch, we get to the fun stuff." He grinned. "Sparring!" He then shrugged. "Or it would be more fun if any of them could fight properly anyway."
Sasuke had a sudden look of interest on his face. This was something that he had been wondering for a while now. Just how strong was his uncle? And did he deserve to skip grades just like Itachi had?
"So does that mean that you can fight already?" Sasuke asked, his tone giving away nothing, not even his interest on the subject at hand.
Kazuki flashed him a grin. "Heh, I can fight all right. I was planning on keeping this a secret, but since you don't look like the type who'll go and tell everyone else, I'll show you a little secret of mine."
In the next moment, Sasuke's eyes widened in complete shock as Kazuki's eyes morphed into the sharingan, only a single tomoe in each eye. But still. To think that the boy was simply seven and he had already activated the sharingan.
"How…..."
Grinning, Kazuki replied, "It happened a couple of months ago. I was sparring with my old man when it suddenly just activated like that. Hehehe, you should have seen the look on Fugaku's face. He was so jealous! Still is actually."
Sasuke's face returned to its usual stoic look. Apart from his personality, Kazuki was reminding Sasuke a lot about Itachi in terms of skill. At the very at least, he now knew that it wasn't because of politics that his uncle was allowed to be in the same grade as him and Fugaku. Okay, so maybe politics was the main reason behind it. But at the very least, Sasuke knew that his uncle had the skills to back it up, something he was pleased to know. It put his mind at ease.
"What about you?"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the sudden question. "What about me?"
"How strong are you?" Kazuki asked, a small grin still present on his face. "Apart from Minato, there isn't anyone here that can really give me a challenge. So I'm just wondering if you can."
Sasuke had to fight back a grin of his own. True, at Kazuki's age, Sasuke knew that he wouldn't have been able to match the boy. But now? The young Uchiha was nowhere near Sasuke's level. And Sasuke doubted he would ever be. Aside from Naruto, Sasuke was confident he could handle any other shinobi in the Elemental Nations, excluding Madara of course. For now. But Sasuke knew that there was just no way that he could tell Kazuki that. For one, it would blow the cover that he was trying to protect.
So instead, he settled for a simple shrug. "I'm not sure if I'm at your level or not. I mean, I don't have my sharingan yet."
Kazuki eyed him for a moment, a small hint of doubt in his eyes. It was at that moment that Sasuke realized that the younger boy wasn't as dumb as he acted. He also realized that he would need to be a bit more careful around the boy too.
"Whatever you say, Sasuke."
Sasuke had to hide a smirk as he could easily pick up the fact that the boy didn't believe him from the tone in his voice alone. But it wasn't his fault. There was just no way that Kazuki could ever understand just what he and Naruto had already been through, what they were going to do. Heck, not even Sasuke understood it all. After all, he too had some questions as to how the Sennin had been able to pull all of this off by himself. But he couldn't dwell on that at the moment. He had other matters that he had to do first before he could question the man that was once revered as a god.
Shaking those thoughts away, Sasuke's attention returned to the courtyard below him as a commotion seemed to be starting. He heard the chuckling coming from Kazuki as he noticed it as well.
Glancing at him, Sasuke asked, "What's going on?"
Kazuki grinned as his eyes sparkled in amusement. "Seems like Tsume-chan is at it again."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow at that. "Tsume-chan?" he repeated in slight confusion.
Kazuki turned to him, the grin still in place. "Wouldn't you rather see it for yourself than hearing it from me?"
Without waiting for a response, the boy quickly stood up before he hopped down from the roof and to the courtyard below. Sasuke sighed before he too followed the younger boy's example. His curiosity was getting the better of him. Besides, he was bored. He needed to at least see something that was slightly interesting.
Sasuke calmly walked to the already formed crowd in the center of the courtyard, Kazuki a few steps ahead of him. The Uchiha quietly maneuver his way through the crowd of kids, following right behind his uncle. Once he was in the center of the crowd, Sasuke came to a sight that he hadn't been expecting. And that was of his mother having a stare off with another girl that he quickly recognized to be an Inuzuka if the two markings on her cheeks were anything to go by. Sasuke also noticed a small puppy tucked inside the gray jacket that the girl was wearing. In many ways, the girl reminded Sasuke too much of Kiba for his tastes.
"You're about to see something great," Kazuki said from his spot next to him, his grin even bigger than before. "And on your first day too. But they hadn't fought for a couple of weeks, so it was gonna happen sooner or later I guess. I'm just happy that it's sooner!"
Sasuke glanced at him for a moment before turning his attention back to the confrontation in front of him. So this was a regular thing? He wondered why. From what he noticed, his mother wasn't the type to start a confrontation. Then again, he could be wrong about that. After all, he didn't know much about his mother in this time. Maybe she was more easily riled up than the mother he had known.
Stuck in the center of the crowd, Uchiha Mikoto couldn't help but sigh as she stared at the enraged face of the girl in front of him. Couldn't she catch a brake already? She already had enough to deal with about her supposed engagement with the future clan head of the Uchiha. Not only that, but she was still trying to wrap her head around the new Uchiha that had arrived to the clan from…...somewhere. Unlike with any other person in her age group, she sensed that maybe he would be able to understand her. She wasn't quite sure why she thought that from just their single and brief interaction. It was odd to her. It was what she had been trying to figure it out all day since he was apparently in her class now. But instead, the Inuzuka in front of her had to confront her about something. Mikoto wasn't sure. She hadn't been paying attention and instead had told the girl to leave her alone. That quickly led to one thing and then another before it reached the current situation.
Inuzuka Tsume scowled as she placed the small puppy that she had been carrying with her on the ground next to her. "You can just watch this, Kuromaru. I'm going to kick her ass on my own."
Hearing this, Mikoto rolled her eyes. "How many times have we been through this already? I don't even know what I've done to you!"
Tsume bared her fangs at her. "It's not a matter of what you did. I just don't like you, plain and simple. I haven't liked you from the beginning. I don't think that I really need a reason for it. And even if I did, I don't really care."
Mikoto narrowed her eyes already, having an idea already as to why the girl didn't like her. She only wondered why she didn't say it, though. But instead of questioning it, Mikoto merely readied herself for the obvious fight. It was obvious to her already that Tsume wasn't going to be persuaded to back down at all. Most Inuzuka were stubborn like that for whatever reason.
But before either girl could move a muscle, a blond boy appeared between them in an instant, a frown on his face. Off to the side, Sasuke's eyes widened slightly in interest at seeing the future Yondaime stepping in. Next to him, he heard Kazuki curse.
"Oh great. Minato is trying to stop them again. Doesn't he know that a guy is never supposed to stop two girls when they want to fight! It's one of the greatest sights ever!"
One of Sasuke's eyebrows twitched at hearing that. Right there, he knew that Kazuki was a pervert in the making.
Back in the center of the crowd, Mikoto raised an eyebrow at seeing the boy appear out of nowhere. He was fast, all right. Probably faster than her. She had never fought against him, so she wasn't quite sure how strong he was. Except for the fact that he was tied with Kazuki as far as skills went from what she had seen.
"What do you think you're doing, pretty boy?" Tsume asked, a frown on her face. "I thought I told you not to interfere in our fights anymore. Or do you want me to smash your face in too?"
Namikaze Minato didn't let the comment deter him. Instead, he looked straight at Tsume, the frown on his face still present. "This isn't what we should be doing. We're all going to be comrades one day. There's no need for all of this fighting."
"The hell I'm ever going to call her my comrade!" Tsume exclaimed. "Now, move! I don't really have the patience for all of your sophisticated talks, Namikaze."
On the side, Sasuke sighed, already noticing how the situation was getting even more out of hand. Come to think of it, just where was the instructor? Shouldn't he be here already to stop this immature squabble? Turning to his right to look at Kazuki, he asked, "Where's the instructor?"
Dunno," the boy answered, a small frown now present on his face. "He takes his breaks somewhere in the building like all the other teachers. But that's why Tsume-chan picked this time. Because she knew it would be her best shot without getting any interference."
Sasuke stayed silent as he turned his attention back to the other three.
Minato held his resolve even after Tsume began to insult him. Despite her age, the girl already had quite the mouth on her. He felt someone stop next to him. Tsume stopped her cursing as she saw Mikoto walk up to stand next to Minato.
"Cut it out already, Inuzuka. I don't know what you're trying to prove by picking a fight with me, but I've had enough. This is all pointless."
Tsume's impatience had hit an end. Growling, the girl crouched an all fours before rushing at the two kids in front of her, more specifically Mikoto.
Said Uchiha couldn't help but frown as she jumped back from the incoming girl. All of Tsume's attention was on the girl in front of her. Which turned out to be a mistake as she soon found herself staring up at the clouds on her back, courtesy of one blond individual. Tsume scowled as she realized what had just happened. The others watched this intently, no longer talking animatedly with each other. Things were getting too serious for their tastes. Even Mikoto had a look of surprise at what Minato had done.
"I told you to stop this, Tsume-san," Minato said in a quiet voice. "This isn't the way to handle things."
Tsume didn't reply as she stood back up, the look on her face being of pure rage. Her anger had reached a boiling point by this poin.
From his spot, Sasuke saw Kazuki scoff and turn away from the fight. "This is no longer interesting." Sasuke didn't respond to him as he saw the boy walk away. Focusing his eyes back on the confrontation in front of him, Sasuke knew it was time he did something.
Tsume was about to charge at Minato before she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes widened in surprise as she turned around to see Sasuke standing behind her with a calm look on his face.
"I think you should follow his advice."
Tsume, hell every other student present in the courtyard, couldn't help but shiver at the coldness behind the tone. Tsume locked eyes with Sasuke, her eyes widening even more at the cold expression they expressed. If she were honest with herself, it was the scariest thing that she had ever seen in her life.
Before things could escalate even further, the instructor had finally come out to stop the commotion. Stepping back, Sasuke looked off to the entrance to the academy to see a grinning Kazuki standing by the doors with his arms crossed, no doubt the one that had informed the chunnin. But now Sasuke knew that the boy already saw him as a potential fighter.
Sasuke merely h'mphed as he walked away from the scene, his hands in his pocket. Both Minato and Mikoto kept their eyes on him as he walked away with Tsume picking up Kuromaru before she too walked away.
'I need to figure him out,' was Mikoto's final thought before she turned to face the screaming chunnin. She already knew that it was going to be a long day for her.
Sarutobi couldn't help but blink as he stared at his student who was standing in front of him with his arms crossed. He wasn't quite sure what exactly had led Jiraiya to come here to ask him questions about Sasuke. Had the two already met somehow or what?
"I'm serious, sensei," Jiraiya said with a sigh. "You don't have to be so surprised at this."
Sarutobi sighed as well as he leaned back in his chair. "You have to forgive me for that, but you never expressed any sort of curiosity for any member of the Uchiha clan. Not even Kenshin. You always called them 'stuck up bastards who didn't look as creepy as Orochimaru.' So for you to come and ask me about one of them out of the blue, it's quite the surprise to me."
Jiraiya rolled his eyes. After his little interaction with the Uchiha, Jiraiya hadn't found it in him to continue with his research activities. He could focus on that later. His mind was too fixated on what the young Uchiha boy had told him.
"We both know that he's not a normal Uchiha. But I'm willing to bet that you have a little bit more of information on him than I do."
And that was the understatement of the year. Sarutobi knew that Jiraiya would blow a casket if he found out just who and what Sasuke was as well as his purpose for being here. Not only that, but Sarutobi was a little curious about the other boy, Naruto if he remembered correctly, and where he was and what he was doing. Sasuke hadn't told him just what the boy was up to at the moment or where he was for that matter. From what Sasuke had told him, Naruto was the jinchuriki for the Kyuubi. But he shouldn't be too surprised at that. Despite his deep fondness of Mito, Sarutobi knew the woman wasn't going to live forever, something that they would need to start preparing for as well.
"His case is a special one," begin Hiruzen, "especially since the boy has no memory of where he came from."
Jiraiya was taken back at that. "So he's an orphan then?"
"Hardly so," Sarutobi replied. "I mean, his parents may be gone, but he still has the Uchiha clan watching him. Even if they're not direct relatives, it's close enough." Which was a complete lie since both of Sasuke's parents were currently in the clan as well. But Jiraiya didn't need to know about that.
"Why the sudden interest in the boy, though?" the Sandaime asked with a raised eyebrow. "From what I could tell when you brought him to me, you didn't really seem that particularly interested in him. Hell, all you wanted to do was return to the front as soon as possible."
Jiraiya shrugged. "I just had an interesting conversation with the brat is all. It piqued my interest. And it's not like I don't want to return to the front either. But you just happen to be a stubborn old man about the issue."
The Sandaime frowned. "You were in the eastern front for about six months straight, Jiraiya. Everyone needs a break once a while. Don't overdo yourself."
"Every minute that I spend here is a minute that I could be using to end this war and end all this needless bloodshed, Sensei," was Jiraiya's reply. He then shook his head. "But don't worry about it. I'm not going to try and sneak out or anything. I know just how important Uzu's active involvement in the war will be to us. It'll at least give us some relief with Kumo."
Sarutobi was silent for a few moments before speaking. "There's also something that I've been meaning to ask you, Jiraiya."
Said shinobi raised an eyebrow at that. "And that would be?"
Sarutobi's gaze went to the side, staring at the surface of his wooden desk. "I know there's a lot of things on your plate right now, but I can't trust anyone else with this. I want you to start keeping tabs on what Danzo is doing."
Once more, Jiraiya was taken back. "Why? I mean, I've never been a fan of the guy, but I have to admit that he's helped a lot with his Root division. Those guys still freak me out, though."
Sarutobi shook his head, his gaze returning to him. "Don't worry about the details right now. Maybe I will tell you why one day. But this is crucial. You are also not to tell anyone of this. This is considered an S-ranked mission."
Jiraiya's eyes widened at hearing this. "Are you serious right now?"
Sarutobi merely nodded. Now Jiraiya was curious to know just why his sensei would be ordering this mission to him. Just what did he know that Jiraiya didn't? Was Danzo involved in something so big that it required all of this?
Sighing, Jiraiya shook his head before he began to walk away. "I just hope you know what you're doing, sensei. Oh, and if you happen to get any more information on the Uchiha brat, I'd appreciate it. Now time for my research. Hehehe."
Sarutobi couldn't help but chuckle as his student walked out of the room in a fit of perverted giggles, closing the door behind him. If there was one thing that never changed about Jiraiya, it was his infatuation with his so called "research." Oh well. It wasn't like Sarutobi minded either. After all, he too was a fan of the secret art of peeping.
The village leader let out his own set of giggles at the thought.
Sasuke gazed down at the village from his position on top of the Shodai's stone face on the Hokage Mountain. In the distance, the young Uchiha could see the sun starting its descend across the sky. The rest of the day at the academy had gone without a problem. Which also meant it had been completely boring. The only slight interesting thing that Sasuke noticed was the light sparring that took place after lunch break had ended. He had been paired with some random boy from a civilian background. Needless to say, Sasuke had to held back considerably. Or rather completely. But he had taken notice of the other kids in the class and overall, he knew for a fact that they were already at a higher level than the original class he had had been in were at that point in time.
Sasuke sighed as he realized that he would need to get moving soon. He wouldn't want to be late for his now nightly family dinner. Not that he minded. He quite enjoyed it. It was better than eating by himself. That much he was sure of. But he knew that he could spend a few more minutes up here. Sasuke didn't want to really admit it to himself, but despite having his clan, his family, he still felt…..lonely. Some part of him just wasn't completely content. And that same part knew why.
Naruto.
As much as Sasuke didn't want to admit it, the idiotic blond was the only one who he could fully connect to at this point. The only one who could truly understand him. After all, Naruto was the only one who truly knew what Sasuke had been through up to this point in his life. Looking up at the darkening sky, Sasuke sighed silently to himself.
'I wonder when I'll see the idiot again…..'
Standing up, Sasuke dusted his shorts off before jumping down from the stone head and down to the village below. Landing softly, Sasuke h'mphed to himself as he began to walk back to the compound, his hands in his pocket. As he walked through the village, Sasuke was once reminded at the fact that he was indeed in the past. There were so many differences to the village from that of his own time. Then again, he had also left the village in his own time too. But still. There were a few shops that hadn't existed in his time that were in business in this time. Different roads, different buildings, etc. It was quite the experience for Sasuke.
It wasn't long before the Uchiha reached the compound. By that time, though, the sun had already disappeared. Sasuke had taken quite the time to get back. One thing that he was grateful for, though, was the fact that there weren't many Uchiha walking around the compound at this point in time. Most were already in their homes, preparing for dinner or already having it.
Sasuke smiled when he walked into his own home, smelling the scent of food in the air. He had made it just in time apparently. Heading to the kitchen, Sasuke saw both Kazuki and Fugaku already seated. His grandfather had yet to arrive apparently.
Kazuki smiled when he saw him enter. "Ah, Sasuke! Where have you been? I looked for you after class ended, but you just disappeared!"
Kenshin merely nodded at the answer before turning his attention to the food that had already been served. Nothing more was said throughout the dinner.
Sasuke sighed as he stared at the blank ceiling in his room, his arms behind his head. Today had been quite the taxing day, especially with the Sandaime. But it only served to show Sasuke that he couldn't rely on the man with everything, especially with matters regarding Orochimaru. The man just would not listen. He would just have to come up with his own way of doing things.
"Quite the busy mind you have tonight, Sasuke."
Sasuke merely sighed again as he found himself in a familiar white empty dimension, his appearance returning to the one before he had gone back in time. Turning around, Sasuke came face to face with the floating Rikudo Sennin. With how hectic the day had been, Sasuke had completely forgotten that the man, or god, was still with him. Not like he had helped Sasuke with anything at any rate.
"It's nice to see your face again," Sasuke said with his blank look.
The Sennin didn't bother to try and correct Sasuke's attitude. He already knew just how irritated the Uchiha was feeling. "You're certainly having your own set of dilemmas, aren't you? Even worse than Naruto I must say."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed at that. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
Nodding, Sarutobi beckoned the Uzumaki clan head to follow him. Both Homura and Koharu merely bowed in respect to the man before following behind their Hokage with Jiraiya simply watching the proceedings with a slight bored look on his face. He had never been one for politics. It was one of the main reasons why he would never become Hokage, with the biggest one being that with all the damn paperwork he wouldn't have the time to do his…research. And that would be the greatest of all hardships…ever.
'Stay cool. You can do all the research you want after this is all over,' he reminded himself as he followed behind his sensei.
No one noticed a small figure calmly watching the entire interaction within the crowd in the distance.
"It means exactly what I say," the Rikudo Sennin replied. "After all, Naruto has his own beliefs settled. He knows what he wants. You, on the other hand, you still don't know what you truly desire. Aside from saving your clan that is."
Sasuke smirked, guessing that the Sennin already knew about his still burning desire to go with his original plan. "Are you already regretting having made the deal with me as well? Is that it?"
The Sennin chuckled. "Don't misunderstand me. I already knew of your plans from the beginning. So, no. I don't regret anything. I have faith in you, just like I have faith in Naruto. I know that you two will be able to find the answer unlike me who has already failed."
Sasuke's smirk disappeared at hearing the answer. It wasn't the response that he had expected. "You're quite optimistic, aren't you?" Just like Naruto. "I know I said that I would help you, but that can change in an instant. I can still decide to go against you and Naruto. Now that I'm already here, I don't really need you. Or anyone else for that matter. You could have made the greatest mistake imaginable."
The Rikudo Sennin stared at Sasuke for a few moments, his rinnegan eyes meeting Sasuke's onyx ones. After a few moments, he said, "It's not a matter of being optimistic, Sasuke. I simply already know that you and Naruto can settle everything once and for all. Just like I know that, despite everything you claim to be, you still have goodness in you. You just try to push others away so that they can't notice that. But that doesn't really work on one person, does it? Which is why I know that things will work out. That's all."
Sasuke did the only thing he could think of. Looking to the side, he let out his usual "hmph."
The Sennin chuckled once more, dropping to the ground. Walking up to Sasuke who watched his movements carefully, he said, "That being said, some would consider what I'm about to do foolish, considering that you might still be a flight risk. But this is a present that someone else wants to entrust on to you. I am merely the messenger, as it were."
Sasuke took a step back as the Sennin stopped right in front of him. "A gift?" he repeated with a frown. He also took notice of the fact that the Sennin had said "someone else." Just who was he talking about?
Tapping his forehead, the Sennin said, "This is goodbye for now, Sasuke. I won't be able to communicate with either you or Naruto for a period of time. This is where you both will face your first true trials. I'm not going to lie to you. There may be pain and suffering ahead for the two of you. But never forget that you two together can do anything. Support Naruto in the same way that he has done for you. Never lose faith in him, just like he has never lost faith in you. Do this, and you shall surely succeed in the first trial. As for this gift, consider it the final tool you will receive in aid from us. Anything else you will have to do yourself."
Sasuke's eyes widened as the Rikudo Sennin's form began to disappear.
"Good luck, Uchiha Sasuke."
The next morning, Kazuki couldn't help but frown as he saw Sasuke looking at the opposite direction of where the academy was. The three young Uchiha had already left the house since it was yet another day that they had to attend the academy. Not only that, but Kenshin had been quite busy himself. Apparently something to do with some guests that were coming today. Kazuki wasn't entirely sure what the whole deal was. He hadn't been paying too much attention. He was still trying to come to terms with what Kenshin had told them yesterday. Needless to say, he wasn't happy about it.
"Oi," he said, looking at Sasuke with his frown still present, "don't tell me that you're going to go sightseeing again?"
Sasuke had his back turned to him and Fugaku, looking in the direction of the main entrance to the village. The Sandaime had already told him that the Uzumaki clan head was due to arrive today. No doubt it was important since it would bring much needed aid to the village in the war. It was also the Sandaime's way of saying that he wanted to see what Sasuke would do. No matter. While he had been wondering just how he was going to sneak in, now, thanks to the Sennin's gift or to whomever he had been the messenger for, Sasuke already had an idea how he would get a front row seat to the meeting.
"There's a place I want to check today. That's all."
Kazuki sighed at the answer. "You're going to be making the wrong image for yourself if you show up late on your second day too. Not to mention if our dad gets word of it. He can be pretty scary when he wants to. Trust me."
"I'll deal with that when the time comes," Sasuke answered with a shrug. It wasn't like he cared if he made a wrong impression in the academy anyway. That place was the least of his concerns.
Glancing at Fugaku, Kazuki saw how said Uchiha still had his head lowered. He was taking the news from their father even worse than Kazuki was. Not that Kazuki blamed him. After all, it was Fugaku who had been closer to their mother than he had been. In his current state, what Sasuke did was the least of Fugaku's concern. So at least Kazuki knew that he wouldn't rat Sasuke out. That was a plus, at least. But Kazuki would take the usual arrogant Fugaku than the current one anytime of the day. Even if they didn't have the greatest of relationships, he didn't like seeing his brother depressed like he was right now. Even he wasn't so cold hearted towards him honestly.
Looking at Sasuke again, Kazuki sighed. "Fine. I'll try to cover for you. But don't make this a habit, all right? And since I'm the one warning you, you should know that you better listen."
Turning his head to look at him, Sasuke smiled slightly. "I got it. Thanks. But this is something that I have to do. I'll see you later."
Kazuki simply waved at him before he and Fugaku walked away, making their way to the academy.
Sasuke's smile left his face as he turned his attention back to what he had to do today, specifically sneak into the meeting between the two village leaders. Given how busy and stressed Kenshin had been, Sasuke knew that the meeting was going to happen as soon as the Uzumaki clan head arrived. But first, he would need to separate one of the escorts from the rest of the group. Simple enough…..right?
Sasuke rolled his eyes before he took to the rooftops as silently as he could. He knew he wouldn't be able to get too close in the beginning, given the fact that Anbu would no doubt be crawling around everywhere. He would just have to play the whole thing by ear.
In other words, the whole thing was far from being simple.
Sarutobi kept his so dubbed poker smile as he saw Uzumaki Arashi, accompanied by five other shinobi, making their way towards the entrance to the village. Next to him was Jiraiya along with the two village elders and his past teammates, Homura and Koharu. Of course, they were the only ones out in the open. All around them, a team of Anbu was already in place. Personally, Sarutobi knew he could trust Arashi. The Uzumaki clan head was never one for trickery. But in the same note, Sarutobi wasn't an elite shinobi for nothing. With how dangerous the shinobi world was at this point of time, any form of treachery was possible. And he had to be careful at all times.
Still, the Sandaime didn't allow any of this show on his face as Arashi approached him, a smile also present in his face.
"Ah, Sarutobi. It has been a long time, hasn't it?"
"It seems so," the Sandaime replied. "Still, we can catch up at a later time. You and your shinobi must be tired from the trip. Uzu is quite a distance away from Konoha, after all."
Arashi smirked slightly. "You need not worry about that, Sarutobi. A benefit to being an Uzumaki is our stamina, after all. Although it wouldn't hurt for us to get settle into our hotel first before we commence with our preparations."
Nodding, Sarutobi beckoned the Uzumaki clan head to follow him. Both Homura and Koharu merely bowed in respect to the man before following behind their Hokage with Jiraiya simply watching the proceedings with a slight bored look on his face. He had never been one for politics. It was one of the main reasons why he would never become Hokage, with the biggest one being that with all the damn paperwork he wouldn't have the time to do his…research. And that would be the greatest of all hardships…ever.
'Stay cool. You can do all the research you want after this is all over,' he reminded himself as he followed behind his sensei.
No one noticed a small figure calmly watching the entire interaction within the crowd in the distance.
Uzumaki Kenji scowled as he looked at the three shinobi in front of him. "Where the hell is he?"
The three Uzu jonin shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to tell the man who was basically the second in command of their village how they had been taking in the sights that Konoha had to offer for the last couple of hours. And by taking in the sights, it meant that they had been busy ogling the many different women in the village. But it wasn't entirely their fault. After all, the Uzumaki clan maintained the tradition of never mixing in with outsiders. Needless to say, it was the first time anyone of them had ever been in a village as prosperous and big as Konoha. And they were still one hundred percent straight males. So it shouldn't be too much of a surprise if they got side tracked a bit. Still, their final partner in crime was stretching the line too far.
"Sorry for being late. I kinda got lost along the way."
Kenji turned to the final jonin that Arashi had selected to bring with them with a furious look on his face. "I would chew your ass out right now, but I'll have to save that for later. The Sandaime is already on his way over here."
One of the jonin raised his hands in confusion. "We're having the meeting here? I thought it was going to be held at the Hokage Tower."
Kenji shrugged as he opened the door to the hotel room, the five Uzu shinobi walking into the room. "The Hokage changed it. I don't know why but just stay on your toes. There's only five of us. So be careful."
The four jonin merely nodded their heads in understanding. They all took their positions around the room with Kenji standing behind the sitting Arashi who had a pondering look. Seeing this, Kenji was about to ask his longtime friend what had him so worried when there was a knock on the door.
'Already, huh?' he thought before he made his way to the door. The other jonin straightened themselves up while Arashi looked towards the door just as Kenji opened it. Walking in calmly, Sarutobi quickly made his way to his own seat in front of Arashi with the only shinobi accompanying him being none other than Jiraiya. Kenji followed behind the two Konoha shinobi after closing the door.
"I must say, Sarutobi," Arashi began when Sarutobi sat down in front of him, "I was surprised when you sent me the message telling me that you wanted to have our meeting like this away from the other elders."
"We can both agree that politics will merely misguide us into accomplishing what we want," was Hiruzen's answer. "And that is ending this war as soon as possible so that no more meaningless deaths can occur."
Arashi nodded in understanding. "I see. So then, I'm guessing that we will have to play the part later on when I have to face your elders as well?"
Sarutobi sighed. "Unfortunately." Behind him, Jiraiya had a small grin on his face. "But first, I must thank you for accepting our plead for help. I'm not entirely sure how long we would have lasted if this war kept going like it was."
Arashi frowned. "You're up against stubborn men, Sarutobi. They both value their pride more than anything, even at the cost of their own shinobi I must say. But I don't need your thanks. Konoha and Uzu have always been allies with each other since my clan and the Senju go way back. I merely wish to continue that tradition."
Sarutobi nodded. "Well then, now that that's settled, I must ask you what you're willing to bring forward."
Arashi was silent for a few moments, no doubt gathering his thoughts. "We Uzumaki treat all of us like a family," he began, "just as if we were brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, whatever. By saying this, I'm not going to risk sending my shinobi too far from home. So I'm afraid that you'll have to deal with Iwa and Suna on your own, my old friend. As for Kumo, I'm willing to help alleviate the pressure you're getting from them. Their Raikage is a tough one. But not invincible. I shall deal with them. Kiri is no longer a threat at this point, so there's no need to worry about them."
Just like Sarutobi had been expecting. Not like he was complaining. Kumo was just too much of a pain in the ass to deal with when Sarutobi already had his hands full with Onoki. Now that he could leave Kumo in the hands of the Uzumaki, it eased one terrible headache that Sarutobi had been having for the past several months.
"That is much appreciated, Uzumaki-dono, but there is another issue that we must discuss."
All shinobi present were instantly on guard when the door that led into the room opened with ease. Behind Arashi, Kenji scowled. He recognized the voice. And from the way Arashi was frowning, so did he.
As for Sarutobi, the man held his head as he felt another headache coming to him at seeing Danzo flanked by two of his Root Anbu entering the hotel room. Just frigging great. And here he had been hoping for peaceful negotiations. But with Danzo in the mix, nothing was ever peaceful. Behind him, Jiraiya was frowning as he looked at Danzo.
"It sure has been a while, Danzo," Arashi said with a tone that said the opposite. "And what brings you here exactly? Unannounced I may add."
Danzo bowed his head slightly. "I'm just here to bring an issue forward that Sandaime-sama has failed to bring to your attention, Uzumaki-dono."
Arashi raised an eyebrow at that. "And that would be?"
Danzo looked at Arashi with a calm look. "The next host for the Kyuubi."
"Danzo!" Sarutobi exclaimed with narrowed eyes as he stood up from his seat. "I can tolerate your barging in, but that issue is something that doesn't concern you."
"Anything concerning the village deals with me, Hokage-sama," was Danzo's calm response. "The other villages have had no problems using their own jinchuriki in the past, resulting in even more deaths of our own shinobi. Why should we, the strongest of the five Great Nations, not use the best weapon that we have at our disposal? Not to mention that it's also the strongest of the bijuu. We need every advantage we can get in this war." Looking back at Arashi, he continued, "You know as well as I do that the host for the Kyuubi can't be just anyone. Only someone with the right…genetics can handle suppressing the powerful chakra of the beast. Genetics similar to that of Uzumaki Mito."
Kenji clenched his teeth, restraining himself from attacking the man in front of him. He already knew what Danzo was getting at, along with everyone else in the room for that matter.
Arashi frowned as he looked at the veteran shinobi in front of him. Danzo was smart. There was no denying that. Nor could Arashi deny the fact that the man did want to protect the village. An admirable goal. Too bad that the man took the dark choices in order to achieve it, something that Arashi could never support. Still, there was no denying again the fact that the man did have a point. That didn't mean that Arashi was going to give in, though.
"You bring forward a very valid point, Danzo," Arashi said before shaking his head. "However, that is something that will be left up to me and your Hokage. Now, leave. Before I decide to take your unannounced presence here as a sign of hostility and cut all ties with this village."
Danzo stared at the leader of Uzu for a few more moments, his face giving away nothing of how he was feeling at the moment. Finally, he simply bowed again before walking out of the room along with the two Root members he had brought.
Kenji narrowed his eyes as he closed the door behind the men, clear displeasure in his face. 'Danzo…that bastard somehow broke through the barrier I placed around the room.'
Sarutobi sat back down on his seat, a tired look on his face. "I do apologize for that, Arashi. It wasn't my intention for-"
"No need to apologize," Arashi interrupted with a small shake of his head. "Things happen. Now then, we should continue where we left off before it gets too late."
Sarutobi agreed.
No one took notice of the jonin who had arrived late shaking slightly in barely restrained anger.
Sasuke sighed to himself as he looked up at the clouds as they moved across the sky from his spot up on the rooftop of the academy. Of course, he had been late yet again with only one hour left before lunch break. The chunin in charge of the class had not been happy. He had given Sasuke two warnings. If he did it again, there would be consequences. Or so said the instructor. Not that Sasuke cared. He had too many other things on his mind to worry about a simple threat from some chunin. He idly wondered if Naruto was also putting up with the academy. Knowing the blond, he would rather face a hundred rogue ninjas than go to the academy.
"So you're Uchiha Sasuke then."
Sasuke sat up when he heard the voice coming from behind him. Had he been too lost in thought to notice some simple academy students coming his way? He needed to stay focus. Turning his face around, Sasuke was surprised to see none other than Minato with some three other boys he didn't recognize.
"What do you want?" Sasuke asked bluntly.
"I saw what you did yesterday," the blond said, "with Tsume-san and Mikoto-san. You're fast. Faster than anyone else our age. That's for sure."
Behind him, the other blond with a small ponytail that Sasuke had identified yesterday snorted. "Don't get a crush on him, Minato. Your fan club will be devastated."
The other boy who reminded Sasuke too much to Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Oh, shut up, Inoichi. We all know you're just jealous that both Minato and Sasuke have girls that actually like them while you don't."
The boy, now identified as Inoichi, sent him a glare. "You shut up, Shikaku. Know it all you."
The now named Shikaku merely rolled his eyes while the third and heavier boy simply continued to eat from his bag of chips. Hey, it was lunchtime.
Minato chuckled uneasily as Sasuke gave them all a dull stare. "My point is that I would like to fight you one day, Sasuke-san."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the bluntness but before he could comment another voice beat him to it. "Get in line, Namikaze. I'll be the first one to lock fists with Sasuke here."
The group of boys turned to look to the side just as Kazuki jumped up to the rooftop to join them, landing with a smirk on his face. "I'll tell you if he's worth the effort after I'm through with him."
Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
Minato glanced at Kazuki for a moment before looking at Sasuke again. "I would also like to introduce myself. I'm Namikaze Minato. These three are my friends: Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Akimichi Choza. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sasuke-san."
Sasuke simply watched on as how the group took their spots around them, including Kazuki, and began to talk excitedly among themselves. Great. There went his quiet reflection time. Still, involuntary, a small smile did form itself on Sasuke's face. Turning his attention to the courtyard below, Sasuke's eyes caught sight of his mother eating alone under one of the trees yet again. He still needed to figure out how he was going to deal with her.
Now that Sasuke thought about it, there were suddenly a lot of problems that were now thrown at him. His mother, his clan, his grandfather and father, Danzo, Orochimaru, and the war. Thinking back to the conversation he had with the Sennin the night before, Sasuke wondered which one of those dealt with his first trial. Or if it maybe was the combination of them all, or maybe none of them.
Who knew? But there was one thing that Sasuke was sure of. He wouldn't be dissuaded so easily. His mind and resolve were now clear. He would win all and take all, no matter who stood in his way. He had the power, now he merely needed to master it. Especially his newly acquired one.
Looking up at the sky, Sasuke smirked. This was just the beginning.
To be continued.....
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
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