unnamed naruto ch 02

 

                                                Chapter 02

 

 

Slamming his hand down on the table Naruto growled out, “Those damn imbeciles!!!” rubbing the bridge of his nose as he tried to calm down his hand went to the back of his neck to rub it automatically, from years of ingrained habit to keep up his mask. Narrowing his eyes he thought back to this morning and how his plans had gone horribly wrong.

 

Getting up and dressing slowly Naruto went over the plan on e last time. This would be the third time he would be taking the Genin exam, and if things went like the other two the villagers and some of the Shinobi would keep him from entering the academy until it was too late to be able to pass. Smirking he thought it would not be that bad because at least he would be able to come back home and finish packing up before moving to the fall back city his father and his summons had rebuilt. At last he would be going to his mother’s home and hopefully in time as he let it be known the village was once again reachable he would find those that would not look down on him.  Sighing as he put on the monstrosity of a jumpsuit, all in orange to keep up his mask, Naruto sat on his bed and strapped on his Kunai pouch.

Walking out of his bedroom for the past six years Naruto let his hands roam and touch parts of his family’s home as the memories caused him to smile. The begging where he had spent the week after finding this safe haven weeding and repairing the inner garden to the best of his younger self’s ability. He was quite proud of that achievement. Eyes traveling along the gold and silver lines he had spent the last six months making sure nothing had gone wrong with or repaired the small defects in his father’s greatest achievement, a reverse summoning seal. When he activated it, it would transport his family’s home to his mother’s home village, the place his parents and their summons had repaired the damage so it was prepared to be used as a fallback position during the war with Iwa. Thankfully the war had been won and it had never been needed, and this afternoon he could safely travel to one of the hidden exits from the escape tunnels that were listed in his father’s notes and travel to his new home. All he had to do was show up at the Academy and fail for the third time and be dropped from the program, he had done his best the past six years to stay at the bottom of the class, hiding his true self after finding out from his father’s scrolls what would happen to him if he passed and did become a Genin of the village. He would be trapped here for life.

Shaking his head he sighed as he entered the kitchen and started to heat up the last of the food, this afternoon after he failed he would use the transport seal to follow his home to the new village. Then it would be time to open another one of the food scrolls and restock the pantry and refrigerator. Quickly finishing the quick meal Naruto cleaned the kitchen up and started for his small pack when he remembered his father’s words he lived by. ‘Prepare for the worst…expect things to be worse yet.’

Taking one of the empty scrolls he sealed up his pack and four of the food scrolls, enough food for a month, before slipping it into his thigh pouch. Giving the table one last look he made his way to the front of the house and quickly slipped his sandals on , sliding the front door closed behind him he bit down on his thumb and smeared the blood on the activation portion of the seal and molded his chakra into it. Smiling when it lit up a bright blue he jumped off the porch and grinned as the house disappeared in a flash of light, when the smoke had cleared the only thing left was a patch of empty ground.

Head snapping up as he felt a wave of chakra wash over the ground Naruto turned and jumped for the wall as the Genjutsu around his family’s compound fell.

 

Sighing as he ran along the top of the outer wall Naruto tried to figure out once more when exactly his plan had gone so wrong.

 

After leaving the compound he had quickly raced through the early morning streets of the east side of Konoha towards the forest training ground behind the Academy. Skidding to a halt behind one of the larger trees he jumped to the lower branch on the way to the top so he could make sure the coast was clear, only to freeze from the voice behind him.

“Ah…Naruto-san it seems that once again you must brave the villagers to take your Genin test. But unlike the past two times I Have Been ordered to ensure you make it to your classroom well before the test takes place,” the wiry Anbu stepped out from behind the tree, jumping backwards to escape the Kunai held fist as he startled the young Genin to be. Taking a further step back he could have sworn the brief killing intent accompanying the chakra surge was coming from someone much older well past Jonin level. But it was gone as quickly as it started. Narrowing his eyes, “Hokage-sama has ordered me to see to it you are on time for the test and pass it this time.” Glaring hatefully through the eyeholes he practically sneered the rest, “You will pass or I have been ordered to immediately escort you to Root headquarters where you will be turned into a weapon for the village.”

Grinding his teeth together Naruto narrowed his own eyes as he let the hatred he was feeling at that moment out. Ignoring the Anbu member he jumped to the ground, hand inching its way towards his weapon pouch, he was itching to bury his Kunai in the man’s neck and make his escape. He froze his arm as he heard the almost silent whisper of steel sliding against steel as the Anbu started to draw his Katana from its sheath. Relaxing his hand he ignored the sound of the Katana being reseated in the sheath and entered the Academy grounds, mind racing with counter plans to get out of the fix he was in.

 

Sarutobi gazed into the crystal ball on his desk, spying on the meeting with the unknown Anbu member and Naruto. He had taken to watching Naruto through his gazing ball for years now trying to figure out where he had moved to, his hiding spot was still unfound. Stiffening in anger at hearing the words spoken from the Root Anbu member he spared a moment to yell out before leaping towards the window, “ANBU…Send all teams to the Academy NOW and detain that Root member…I want him Alive.”

 

Walking into the Academy building Naruto finally came up with a plan that had more than a good chance to work. Walking past the classroom he stopped with a glare towards the Anbu when he heard the Katana start to be drawn out. “I am going to use the bathroom before class starts so I don’t have to interrupt the test to go later,” Naruto had trouble keeping the mask on as his voice went cold.

“Any attempt to escape and you will not have to worry about the test. You will wake up in the Root barracks,” the masked ninja sneered as he followed Naruto into the bathroom with his Katana drawn.

Naruto moved closer to the toilet and frowned when he felt the presence of the Anbu right behind him. Growling under his breath Naruto stopped and glared over his shoulder, “Listen pervert, I can go to the bathroom all by myself. After all I’m considered a big boy now…you can see my clearly without peaking on things you have no business looking at.” Shaking his head as the masked ninja glared at him before crossing his arms and not moving any further he turned back towards th toilet and let the grin cross his face.

Naruto stood in front of the toilet and unsnapped and unzipped his pants, as if he was going to go to the bathroom. Smirking as he twisted his left leg he dug his big toe into his sandal causing a small Senbon needle to be fired out if his heel hitting the Anbu ninja in the leg. Hearing the thud of a body falling to the floor Naruto chuckled as he decided to go ahead and go to the bathroom before tying the idiot up.

Clipping the last wire to the reactive tags he had glued to the ninja’s head Naruto shook his head as he pulled a full size Senbon needle out of his pouch, “are you sure you are Anbu?” Not giving the man time to answer, “OH…I forgot you still have another fifteen minutes before the drug wears off.” Twisting the man’s head to the side Naruto sounded clinically detached, “You know my dad left plenty of suggestions and tapes in interrogation techniques.” Looking up at the ceiling as if he was thinking over things, “But the really strange thing is I’ve never done anything like that so I am not sure I know what I am doing.”

Shrugging his shoulders Naruto smiled, “Oh well, if I don’t do it right it’s not like it really matters,” he smirked as he slowly slid the Senbon needle into the ninja’s neck. Stepping back he nodded at his handiwork before glancing at his watch, “Well I have to hurry as class will be starting shortly,” he grinned as he stretched as he rubbed the back of his neck and put on the goofy grin of a mask he kept in place while in public as he leaned forward. “I really only need to know if the Hokage really did give you those orders in person, blink once for yes, twice for no.” Frowning when his captive just glared at him he sighed dramatically as he pulled out a Kunai, slashing it across the Anbu ninja’s chest before reaching out and widening the hole.

Pulling out another one of his reactive tags he smiled evilly, “I should warn you these are not the standard issue explosive tags you buy in the Shinobi supply stores.” Pride entering his voice as he slapped the tag over the man’s heart as he pulled another wire out and connected it to eh ones on his captives head, “These are something my father left instructions on how to create.”

Slapping the man lightly on the check Naruto grinned, “There all done…I should warn you that these tags are very sensitive. The slightest hint of chakra being molded will set the, and even I don’t think you can survive without your head and heart.” Shrugging his shoulders he walked over to the sink and washed his hands, “I did give you a chance, but seeing how you threatened me and ruined my plans…well I hope someone tries to pull the wires off, as they are acting like dead man’s switch and will set the tags off if messed with. Either way you are no longer a threat.”

Walking out of the bathroom Naruto was shocked when he came face to face with the Hokage, cursing to himself he smiled his goofy grin, “Hey Ojiisan what are you doing here? Come to watch me make history by beating up all the competition and passing the test?”

Sarutobi chuckled as he ruffled Naruto’s hair, secretly smirking at the pouting annoyance on the boys face. “Ah…Yes well, Naruto I decided to make sure you were one time for once. Being on time is important if you want my job one day after all.” Watching carefully he noticed the fire briefly in the blonds eyes at the mention of him making sure he was here on time. Bad choice of words he decided, after all that unknown ninja said the same thing. Wincing slightly he smiled at the pouting blond, “By the way Naruto have you seen any strange ninja around. I had the report of a strange ninja hanging around the forest and I came to investigate.”

Pausing for half a second Naruto shrugged before closing the bathroom door behind him and smiling, his mask fully in place. Eyes widening in surprise Naruto looked around before narrowing his eyes as if he could tell where the enemy spy was hiding by looking around, “Sorry Ojiisan, I’ve not seen any one lately.” Bouncing up and down in glee he started for the hall, ‘But I can help look for him, after all I know the woods better than most of the sensei’s.”

Sighing as he held up his hand, “NARUTO…I think my Anbu team can more than handle some stranger. After all you have a class to attend, and a test to take if I’m not mistaken.”

Scuffing his foot on the floor Naruto sighed mind screaming in frustration for not being able to escape long enough to fail. Instead he just pouted, “HEY…I can pass this test without taking it. After all I’m going to be Hokage someday.”

“Yes…Yes, well to get my job some day you have to pass first. So off you go,” Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage smiled as he pointed towards the classroom down the way.

“Hai…” Naruto threw a sloppy salute with a wide grin on his face as he stomped down the hall excitedly. All the while inside he was screaming out in frustration.

 

Naruto finally stopped his running as he reached the top of the Hokage monument, sitting down he gazed across the village as he let go of his anger and tried to come up with a plan. Since he passed the Genin exam he had two chances to escape, first he could fail the test all Jonin put the new Genin teams through or he could wait until the first C-rank mission was over with so he could quit. There was nothing anyone could do as it was a law passed during the seconds reign and renewed with each Fire Lords signature when he took office. Pulling a notebook out of his pocket he frowned, he needed to get a message to his friend Shugo letting him know his plan to leave had failed so far, that way he could let his father the Daimyo know what was going on.

 

Shugo,

                My friend it looks like things have gone slightly awry. Our plan to fail the Genin exam for the third time has failed. I am beginning to wonder if the corruption in the council goes deeper than we talked about…

 

Looking up from his letter Naruto smirked as he saw the cloud of smoke coming from the Academy, the slight far away boom he heard meant that the Anbu operative would no longer be a threat. Watching several flickers as Ninja responded to the smoke from all over he shook his head and went back to writing his friend.

 

 

“Hokage-sama,” Iruka closed his tired eyes as he watched the last of the students being ushered away from the building. “Why did you instruct me to pass Naruto for molding chakra instead of the normal Bunshin no Jutsu that everyone else had to do to pass?”

Sarutobi sighed as he rubbed his nose after pushing his hat back, “Because Naruto hides his true abilities…too much so. After the threat this morning from an Anbu member I feared he would fail on purpose after assuring himself the Anbu Shinobi could not interfere.” I will have to have a talk with Kakashi to make sure he does not fail his team; Naruto probably will fail that on purpose. The question is why? Narrowing his eyes he shook his head slightly as he felt the migraine start to form, it was becoming a habit to get headaches as he tried to figure out the enigma that was Naruto.

“I don’t understand Hokage-sama,” Mizuki glanced at Iruka to see if he knew something he didn’t, seeing the confusion out of the corner of his eye he looked back at the Hokage. “Naruto is near the bottom of the class, he is nothing special…right?”

Shaking his head no, the third sighed as he motioned for them to follow him into the hall towards the bathroom, “Naruto takes to heart that a Shinobi is all about deception way to easily.” Pointing towards the guarded door he looked up at Anko as she exited the bathroom, “Well?”

Grinning like Cheshire cat Anko jerked her thumb over her shoulder, “I’ve never seen reactive tags, explosive notes like those. Plus the wire is not standard issue ninja wire,” frowning in thought she stared intently at the Hokage. “Are you sure an Academy student did that? Hell if he created that shit back there he surpasses most of the geniuses in the village. I have no clue how to disable that trap, not only that the Senbon needle not only is paralyzing him, but is interfering with his chakra control. To the point he would have to really put some effort into molding chakra.”

“I see…” the Third moved off as he tried to think of a way to defuse the situation. He was more than surprised to be led into the bathroom to find the unknown Shinobi tied up with explosive tags secured all around his head and to his chest, not only that strange wire connecting all of them in a way he had no idea how to safely defuse them. And now Anko, the expert he had called in had no idea how to defuse it either. He would have to at least try to find Naruto and see if he could convince him to at least defuse them. That is if he could even get him to acknowledge he was responsible for the man’s situation in the first place.

Confused and more than a little angry Mizuki stormed into the bathroom to see what everyone was talking about. Stopping in front of the first toilet he looked at the tired up Anbu with contempt on his face, if this was a so called Anbu, the best of the best he was being held back more than he thought. Reaching out he touched one of the wires as he grinned at the rage in the other’s eyes, “Well…Well…Well, for a person who is supposed to be the best of the best,” shaking his head he grinned as he started to tug one of the wires, “my have the might fallen, to be taken out for the pitiful excuse for a demon.”

BOOM

The third Hokage rushed back to the bathroom right behind Anko only to see Mizuki embedded in the wall near the sinks, unconscious with blood trickling down his head and one of the wires in his hand. Glancing at the toilet he winced at the headless corpse with a hole in its chest, “Take the fool to the hospital, then inform Ibiki he has someone he needs to talk to.” Frowning in thought he pulled his pipe out of his pocket as he strolled down the hall towards the door. ‘Naruto just who are you’ he thought as he made his way to his office deep in thought.

Walking into his office he spied Kakashi leaning against the wall with two of his Anbu near him, smirking under his hat so no one could see he sighed softly as he sat down behind his desk. The conclusions he came to about the enigma named Naruto still left him chilled to the core, glancing at the picture on the wall of the Fourth, ‘Minato, I have no idea what has happened to your son. I just wish you could be part of his life, at least then I don’t think he would be so secret. Then again he thought he might be worse, the only thing he was sure of was that that damned fox was not influencing the boy.

“Kakashi, it is good of you to be prompt,” Sarutobi smiled as he removed his hat and pointed to the chair in front of his desk, “We need to discuss your assigned Genin team and the fact you may not fail them during your test.”

Halfway into his seat Kakashi froze as he stared at the Hokage with his one exposed eye, “May I ask Hokage-sama who you assigned to the team I am to test and your reason why I cannot fail them.”

“You have been assigned to mentor Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura and finally Uzumaki Naruto.” Stuffing some tobacco into his pipe and puffing on it to get it lit the Third leaned back in his chair, “My reasoning is multipurpose, only part of which the council is demanding that only you can properly instruct the last Uchiha in the use of his Sharingan when he activates his bloodline. They also wish for him to not fail, seeing it as an affront to the powerful Uchiha clan if he would be failed.”

Picking up the three folders that the Third slid towards him Kakashi opened the one on Sakura first and gave it a quick glance before putting it on the bottom of the pile and opening the one on his mentor’s son. The only reason he knew it was his Sensei’s son was he looked too much like him to be anyone else’s. “And the reason you want Naruto to pass. I would think with these abysmal scores he would fail spectacularly…” he trailed off as he frowned as he read the extra reports not normally included in a student’s file. Surprise evident on his face as he looked up quickly, “he is hiding his abilities the question is why?”

Glancing out the window the Third sighed, “I truly wish I knew Kakashi. I believe you were part of the Anbu team six years ago tasked with tracking where Naruto had moved to, it was one of your few failures if I remember correctly.” Looking the Special Jonin in the eyes, “to this day I and my Anbu have never been able to track down where Naruto moved to. Not only that he hides his true power so deeply behind that prankster mask…” looking up at the ceiling he would tell the other what he assumed to be true; “since you are going to be their Sensei I will tell you this. This morning a Shinobi dressed as one of my Anbu, though I believe him to be a root Anbu, I wish I could prove it but Naruto got to him first.”

“What did he do to him?” Kakashi leaned forward trying to put pieces into the puzzle that was Naruto that did not fit, “Wait a minute if he was a member of Root he should have been to powerful for a fresh from the Academy Genin to handle.”

“But handle him he did. And without breaking a sweat from what I saw. Not only did he capture him, he used unknown reactive tags with what we have since learned was chakra reactive wire to activate them.” Shaking his head as the image of the corpse in the morgue, “If I had to classify Naruto’s skills and power level I would have to say he was at least Anbu level if not S-Class.”

“WHAT!!!” Kakashi was halfway out of the chair without realizing it, “Hokage-sama do you think IT is influencing Naruto?”

Shaking his head no Sarutobi frowned as his pipe had burned out, “No one has been able to even detect the Kyuubi’s chakra running in Naruto’s chakra coils after his ninth birthday. The Fourth was a genius when it came to sealing and his notes mentioned that the seal would eventually integrate the demons Chakra into Naruto’s before destroying the demon forever.”

“No something else is going on, I got the feeling if I had not shown up and interfered Naruto would have purposely failed the Genin exam.” Pointing his pipe stem at Kakashi the third made another point, “for some reason Naruto’s dream has changed. When he was young all I heard was his dream of taking my place, now even though he still says it I feel the fire is no longer there and the pranking exterior he shows the world is a mask.”

“You don’t think he would betray the village, do you?” Kakashi was worried, thinking about another S-Class ninja that betrayed the village.

“Betray the Village?” Sarutobi thought about it for several long moments before speaking again. “I don’t think so, I feel he would rather just leave us forever. And to my shame I wish him to stay to strengthen the village for what will come,” looking at the Fourths picture he mumbled, “After all it is his legacy.”

“With the way he has been treated in the village while growing up, the assassination attempts alone would make most people flee the village.” Kakashi stared at the Academy photo in Naruto’s file, “I wonder why he never quit the program.”

“He’s an orphan.” The Third answered as he glared towards the council room, “once part of the program he would not be allowed to quit, the only way out was to fail for…” head snapping up he looked at Kakashi in shock, “the only way out would be to fail for the third time. After that he would no longer be bound by the program and he could leave the village without being declared a missing-nin.”

Too many shocks hit Kakashi at once as he looked up from the file and closed it slowly, “HAI…” standing up and gripping the folders tightly as he made his way over to the window ledge to jump out, “I will do as you ask, I shall make sure they do not fail.”