Chapter 34: Rivalry
There was a military training ground incorporated into the encampment, established to be used for both assembly and drilling tactics before missions. The forces usually hanging around in the training ground tends to be the shinobi on the verge of ranking up their official title.
Peak Genin, peak Chunin and Special Jonin could be seen practicing diligently, trying to get that edge that allows them to step up into the next rank and increase their survivability. At this moment, in a corner of the training ground one could spot Sarutobi Kazuma speaking to one of his clans unique summons from the ape clans.
"Benma, why won't you help me fight that scoundrel Malaria?" Kazuma asked the little monkey from the same family of summons as King Enma. Benma replied expressionlessly, "You're too young. There are certain things regarding that brat you shouldn't know." Having heard a few things from King Enma, Benma didn't want anything to do with that devil of a child.
"I'm too young?" Kazuma was not convinced. "I'm already 13 years old this year. I'll soon become Chunin rank without any issues, Jonin being just a matter of time."
"Does becoming Chunin mean anything at all? Even Jonin are but cannon fodder to certain existences." Seeing that Kazuma was still unconvinced, Benma sighed helplessly, "Fine, I'll tell you about some information just in case you make any mistakes in the future. However, you must not divulge you got it from me, or even I will get severely punished."
Sarutobi Kazuma's eyes glittered. He nodded his head quickly. With his little ape hands behind his back, Benma walked around Kazuma in a circle and declared, "Malaria's father, with almost full certainty, is Shimura Danzo, the right-hand man of Hokage-sama."
"Oh, so he is Uncle Danzo's son… Wait, what? Malaria is Danzo's son?" Kazuma's mind went blank. He couldn't associate the unscrupulous Malaria with the polite and secretive Shimura Danzo that he had always adored as a role model for the perfect shinobi.
"That's not right!" Kazuma realised that something was wrong. "Why was Malaria raised in the Aburame clan if he's Uncle Danzo's son?" The Aburame are known to never release their insect techniques to anyone outside their own kin. Malaria is clearly a deft insect-user, Kazuma's back was still itching from earlier!
"Because certain matters happened behind closed doors in the past. I can't tell you anything else, because even I don't know the details." Benma shook his head while sighing.
"Really?" Kazuma shivered hard. A dreadful thought suddenly popped up in his head. Did Malaria's actual 'father' just find out that his 'son' wasn't his own through some twists and turns? Is that why he got kicked out of the Aburama clan for a prank in the village?
Benma reached up to pat Kazuma on his shoulder. "You will know the details later. Malaria's era has already started, with him learning from both Orochimaru and Danzo at the same time. You know what to do, right?"
Sarutobi Kazuma was silent. He knew that his monkey friend wanted him to make friends with Malaria and rise together with his help. That way, they could become another Hokage+Darkness duo in the future.
"I'm sorry, Benma, but I want to walk my own path." Kazuma lowered his head and waited for his monkey friend's criticism. Benma sighed and said, "Fine. It's not a bad thing to have your own plans, but I must warn you that you should not go against Malaria. Unlike Danzo-sama, Malaria is both ruthless and cunning with no scruples or shame."
Kazuma nodded his head in understanding.
"Also, do not piss of Uchiha Dobito. He's also somewhat tricky to deal with." Benma felt a headache coming on. Kazuma was supposed to be the Sarutobi clans new hope, but there were many other people with just as great backgrounds as himself.
Kazuma asked curiously, "That Uchiha Dobito is nothing special. He got forced into a dead-end by Malaria, with no way out. Why is he tricky?"
"He's Namikaze Minato's disciple," said Benma softly with a wry smile.
"Minato?" Kazuma changed his expression again, feeling that his heart couldn't handle all this pressure. Minato was the strongest student taught by the Toad Sage, Jiraiya, and the strongest contender with Orochimaru for the Hokage-seat.
Now that Minato's disciple had run into Danzo's son, it was more than easy to predict where this was going. Not to mention, Malaria seemed to have struck first – with great fanfare and success!
"But Uchiha Dobito's strength is so low, and his Sharingan…" Kazuma couldn't understand why Minato, Konoha's brightest Jonin, chose Dobito as his disciple. There were rumours in the mill that Hatake Kakashi was supposedly reserved, but things turned out differently.
Benma smiled bitterly. "Uchiha Dobito is a super genius. His Sharingan has already opened three-tomoe at the age of 13, with his strength climbing further and further the more despair he's put under. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the Uchiha Patriarchs clever scheme to squeeze out his potential while getting a foot-in-the-door to the Ino-Shika-Cho!"
'Three-tomoe?' Kazuma thought for a moment before asking in fear, "Dobito wouldn't have the potential to awaken 'that' power, would he?" Thinking back, Uchiha Madara was, and still is a sore spot in Konoha's history.
Benma nodded heavily, it looks like that's the case.
Kazuma was covered in cold sweat. He felt he needs to train even harder to keep up with these geniuses popping out all over the place. There's no chance the world will be peaceful with those two monsters rampaging around.
Thanking Benma for his advice and guidance on these matters, Kazuma undid his summoning. Resting for a few moments to get back to his peak state, he started printing another set of hand seals – he was going to summon Monkey King Enma to receive training advice.
Pumping all the chakra in his entire body, the summoning went through although Kazuma slumped to the ground completely spent. A middle-aged monkey-man with grey hair, wearing a tiger-striped overcoat with a netted undershirt, sporting a Konoha head protector appeared.
King Enma opened his eyes, utterly tranquil to getting summoned by a member of the Sarutobi clan. This brat, Kazuma wasn't all that bad, just lacking somewhat in talent. Especially compared to Hiruzen. "Did you meet that child called Malaria?" Enma asked the grounded Kazuma.
Sarutobi Kazuma nodded his head, still dissatisfied with how that went down. The mosquito bite on his back was still itching like crazy. "I got beaten without a proper fight, but I was indeed defeated handily."
"Not bad." Enma chuckled. "You used to complain every time you got beaten by others, looking for excuses for your failings. Your mindset has made great improvements."
When King Enma had advised Sarutobi Hiruzen about Orochimaru and Danzo, the topic of Malaria did pop up out of nowhere. That child can be described as a demon in human skin, and his background isn't any worse than Kazuma's. It's not strange that he got defeated easily.
'But is he really Danzo's child? I can't for the life of me see that blackhearted bastard sire any children,' Enma thought. He had heard from Hiruzen that it was a complicated story between not just Danzo and the Aburame, but rather the entire Shimura household and the Aburame clan.
At any rate, he's pretty sure Malaria should be Danzo's actual child. How else could the brat have such wicked ideas, and the ability to fish in muddy waters like a professional? Thinking of Danzo, Enma couldn't help but remember his old rival in the dream tapir, Baku. Back in the day, they would spar almost on the daily as Hiruzen and Danzo would slug it out on the side.
However, everything faded like foam after the second Hokage, Tobirama Senju passed the Hokage-seat to Hiruzen. Konoha couldn't have its Hokage running around, punting his friends in the face – especially a 'highly reputable'-guy like Danzo the Root Anbu commander.
Bored without any fights for years on end, Enma could only make do with training back home, or visiting the Sarutobi clan to play with the brats. It was one such time he met Sarutobi Kazuma, someone with lacking Ninjutsu talent, but extremely great Taijutsu talent.
Thinking of that, he didn't want Kazuma to lose against that brat Malaria. All he needs to do is to teach Kazuma the Eight Inner Gates properly and make sure he's got a body able to handle it. Konoha doesn't need another Orochimaru or Danzo. Especially a combination of the two like Malaria.
But then again, Enma was greatly shocked when he found out about Malaria's chemistry talent. Barely starting in the Ninja Academy and he had already created two dreadful brews that he used in combat to great effect. And just now in this campaign, the healing medicine that he made will save hundreds of lives.
Enma found it surreal. He even suspected if Malaria was a human being at all, and not some sort of alien life form. "Enma-sama, are you all right?" Kazuma asked with concern.
"I'm fine!" King Enma waved his hand. "Kazuma, are you confident in beating Malaria face to face?" Kazuma couldn't help but twitch his lips. How could he defeat that devil in human skin? They weren't in the same dimension of unscrupulous shamelessness.
Just one of his two bottles would leave him crawling on the ground in shame, not to mention that swarm of mosquitoes. Kazuma wasn't sure, but he's certain that normal mosquito bites don't itch this damn much as the bite he has on his back! A small benefit from moulding chakra, the mosquitoes had also received a powerup.
King Enma patted Kazuma on the shoulder and said solemnly, "Kazuma, the technique you've been practicing hard for is called the Eight Inner Gates. You are the first person, to my knowledge, that has reached this stage after Tobirama, the second Hokage, practiced it. Do you know what that means?"
Kazuma shook his head back and forth. King Enma had been telling him that the Eight Inner Gates was an awesome technique, but his advancement was slow, and his combat ability remained unimpressive. Opening two gates was his current limit, and he was of a mind to practice something else.
"You are too young to know what the Eight Inner Gates represents." King Enma sighed and said solemnly, "The second Hokage, a genius researcher with a mind more focused than anyone else on the path of ninjutsu, with the Eight Inner Gates, could go toe-to-toe with the Raikage in melee-combat for a duration of time."
Kazuma was stunned. Then, why was his combat ability so weak in comparison? Facing a single fireball technique, if he didn't run around like a coward he would be roasted to death. Was his version of the Eight Inner Gates a counterfeit?
King Enma continued, "In the first few stages of the Eight Inner Gates, you need to nurture your body to be capable of surviving the strain it gives you. That's why you are weak right now, the burden is too great. However, after you succeed and unleash the 7th gate, your combat ability will greatly improve – lesser to no one in the world."
Kazuma asked curiously, "Then, when can I unleash the 7th gate? I'm barely holding on with the 2nd right now, feeling like my body is about to collapse from those horrendous muscle aches."
"When your body is strong enough, you will realise the point yourself. Once you feel the resonance of the next gate, practice must be intensified, if not doubled. Repeat like so, until you reach the 7th gate." King Enma patted Kazuma's shoulder again.
"However, Malaria's natural talent is unimaginable even to me. I don't think you can beat him before you're all adults, and at that point that guy will have entrenched himself in Konoha's upper circles. I need to give you some special training during the time of this war." King Enma added.
"More training, while fighting in the war?" Kazuma hesitated. If he started wearing those weights again, the odds that he'll see Hyuuga Hikari anytime soon were slim to none. Being from the Sarutobi clan, one of the benefits is that he's not assigned on the very front line – but that's where team Suzuki will be the most active.
King Enma nodded solemnly, taking out a scroll filled with weighted straps for Kazuma to wear.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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ThugB I've heard rumors about a certain stone. A stone with power. One could call it:
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