Naruto Time
- Thread starter SEG-CISR
- Start date
It was supposed to be Shisui of the Body Flicker but was mistranslated to Shisui of the Mirage, which caused confusion since it wasn't clear at the time if it referred to a speed-based mirage or a genjutsu. This was also long before we knew anything about Shisui's other skills.
So, assuming ankoku's correct, Shisui's in the ANBU for this fic? Itachi was the only Uchiha ANBU which was kind of important for the Uchiha.
So, assuming ankoku's correct, Shisui's in the ANBU for this fic? Itachi was the only Uchiha ANBU which was kind of important for the Uchiha.
brb college
But seriously, I'm actually working on the next bit. It's actually being rather tough to write and I've just begun University so that's another thing holding me back from popping it out quick. But I like the idea so I won't drop it!
Tonight or tomorrow, stay tuned! I originally meant for this to be much more quick and short than it's turning out to be. More of a one-shot than an actual full-blown story, but I'm enjoying it a lot either way. I hope you guys have been, too, getting more into the details has been fun.
EDIT
Shit nvm, I'm an engineering student.
But seriously, I'm actually working on the next bit. It's actually being rather tough to write and I've just begun University so that's another thing holding me back from popping it out quick. But I like the idea so I won't drop it!
Tonight or tomorrow, stay tuned! I originally meant for this to be much more quick and short than it's turning out to be. More of a one-shot than an actual full-blown story, but I'm enjoying it a lot either way. I hope you guys have been, too, getting more into the details has been fun.
EDIT
Shit nvm, I'm an engineering student.
Shit, college. I have never worked so hard in my life. The lovely Shirotsume and I got me motivated to get back on the ball before I'm back at work, and here we go. Sorry for the delay, ladies and gentlement. I have gone over the past snippets and fixed all the formatting. Enjoy:
Tiger was not a Shunshin specialist. Tiger was the Shunshin specialist. His mastery of the technique and of his body's sheer speed was confounding to his opponents and a marvel for his bosses. With a prodigal ability to go fast like no one but the Fourth Hokage before him, Tiger was the man to talk to about speed.
A friendly young man, he would always take the time of his day to aid people with his specialty. From new ANBU with difficulties keeping up with him to his old Captain, the legendary Kakashi Hatake, he was always willing to help others understand the intricacies of Shunshin.
His ANBU squadmates Turtle, Flamingo, and even Captain Kakashi all had tangible reasons to better master Shunshin.
Naruto Uzumaki was six years old, and could see the difference between the Sandaime, Tiger, and the other ANBU in Sarutobi's protection detail. That was pretty neat, the ninja thought. He also thought there was nothing else that outwardly motivated a young child to master Shunshin.
Always polite, he decided to just ask, then.
"Why?"
Naruto blinked his big blue eyes up at him. "Why do I wanna learn Shunshin?"
"Why try so hard to?"
"I want to make my rate better." Naruto squinted, trying to put into words reasoning he had never tried to say before. "A little bit back I nearly got hit by a big cart with huge horses. One ANBU held me back. He was fast enough to see me and get to me faster than I could think, and pull me back. The thoughts in my head weren't fast enough, and my feet didn't get me on the other side of the road before the cart passed. I want to change that."
"Shunshin alone won't help you think faster," Tiger noted. "And you know, if you'd been watching, or were going slower, the cart wouldn't have been near you in the first place."
Naruto just shook his head. "I can't go slower. I want to be a super cool ninja like you and the old man, and if I slow down you guys are just gonna be more faster than me."
Tiger hummed. "And you think being faster will help you think faster too?"
"When I was a kid the stairs were so tall, and I didn't know when I'd get to the top when I climbed. Now it's not that long." The boy frowned, thinking hard. "When people grow up, their perception of time changes," he recited.
"That is definitely true. But while you're growing up, your surroundings seem to go by faster. I thought you wanted to think faster?"
Naruto grinned. "But if I make the world all slow again, but stay fast, then I have much more time to think! I have a better rate! Distance over time, decisions over time, thoughts over time!"
What an overcomplicated child, Tiger felt.
In a nutshell, he just wanted to go faster and think faster so he could become a super cool ninja.
The ANBU always believed in dreaming modestly and taking baby steps.
"Very well." He nodded. "The best way to think faster is to force yourself to do more in less time, or under more stress. This, expectedly, comes as a result of becoming faster. So don't fret, little Naruto. The Hokage broke it down very well when he explained the results of Shunshin can reflect also your natural speed. I would not mind helping you with both, but I have always helped my peers simply with the jutsu." He smiled slightly under his mask, and Naruto beamed in return.
"Does that mean you're going to be my Sensei?"
"Of course, the Hokage wanted me to," Naruto's grin wilted slightly, "and I think someone with your dedication and potential can go very far. Maybe even the fastest ninja ever, if you work hard enough."
At the second part of Tiger's statement, the boy blushed, his grin giving way to a bashful smile. "You really think so?"
Tiger nodded resolutely, playing the child like an accordion to begin drawing that sheer potential out of him. "You're showing me very good progress already. If we do a little less talking and a little more training, you'll be on your way."
Naruto's Shunshin improved under Tiger's watchful eye. It was at the beginning of its use that a technique saw the most tangible improvement, but the ANBU saw more than that. He told Naruto to sprint as fast as he could, and the little shrimp gave it his all, then used Shunshin to cover the same area.
The margins of improvement were not decreasing to the negligible after hours and hours of nonstop training. It was interesting, but not as much as the fact that the child would give his all running and not tire from it after a total of a few kilometers.
The subtle guiding hand of chakra and the increased endurance it brought unto ninja that no normal human could achieve was to be attributed to this, but Tiger saw nothing if not an absurd effect of it in Naruto.
"Naruto," he called. The child stopped his zigzaging motion across the field immediately at the commanding voice of an ANBU. "It's late."
The little boy grinned. "It's been late for a few hours, Sensei. What, is it past your bedtime?"
"It ought to be a few past yours. Besides, I'm not sure you can take much more of this." He gestured to Naruto's scuffed and torn t-shirt and shorts.
Naruto disagreed, and although Tiger had much to do the next day, he stayed with the boy.
This cycle repeated itself every odd night, of Naruto disagreeing he was done for the night, and Tiger agreeing to stick around. Sarutobi, ever a kind soul, removed his early morning duties and paid the ninja to train the little rascal.
He was, more than a good Hokage and man, a really nice boss.
On the other end of things, Naruto was a good kid. Facing adversity daily, he only strove harder to improve every day, and zoomed past his peers into ever-more advanced classes. The academy had a six-year curriculum, and Naruto seemed to be giving it a run for its money.
In the end, it took him about two years to graduate. Although he achieved astonishing skill in the use of the jutsu all Genin had to know within the first few months, there was a lot more to a ninja than a superhero with special techniques.
Through it all, Naruto's drive never wavered. A simple view of his goals, a whole-minded focus to his dream of simply being faster that few could give, made him memorize quickly, fly through arithmetic, and even peek into more esoteric classes before he finished up at the academy. Spending that little time in the academic world, Naruto still felt he had the space to look into physics and higher math covered by the Academy.
His perception of time had improved. Tiger was right.
Naruto graduated at eight years old. He ranked as the #1 student of his class (undisputed, even through the struggles of algebra), and Tiger and Sarutobi, his best (only? Aside from the kid with the eyebrows in his first few classes two years back) friends, were there with him to celebrate.
Naruto was a super cool ninja, at last. Tiger even ceded that indeed, he was pretty damn fast.
"I will admit, Naruto: you are fast for a Genin." Yeah, pretty damn fast. Naruto was an adult now, and he knew what he meant.
When he said this, Tiger's voice was lower than usual, as if emotional. Sarutobi, beside the ANBU, congratulated him – not as heartily as Naruto would've expected – and seemed a little off-kilter as well.
Naruto wondered if him being assigned to a Jounin team would make Tiger go back into normal ANBU duty. The new Genin knew that the ninja wouldn't want to go back to morning duty. Sarutobi, on the other hand: the old man had a big heart, and perhaps he was reconciling with the fact that Naruto now had the duty to serve him. He was serious about it, and Naruto respected that, but the somberness in the Hokage's face made it seem like he was about to doze off, so he proposed they get some rejuvenating ramen.
On the night of Naruto's graduation, his Sensei met with him not at their training ground, but stood at his apartment door a couple of minutes prior to their meeting time. Naruto had not been worried about lateness, so he hadn't left yet. When the time came, he could zoom over to the woods within less than a minute.
One, two, three, four had evolved from half-meters to meters, to two meters per count, and so on. His Shunshin covered city blocks in fractions of a second. He was damn fast. And he was an adult! He could do what he wanted and leave when he wanted. (As long as he was on time, because he was also now a soldier, he reminded himself.)
As Naruto considered his adulthood, Tiger languidly strolled through the doorway, then finding Naruto's couch and heavily settling himself onto it. Naruto had been preparing to leave, and the apartment was dimly lit.
"Sensei." He stated the man's identity, a question on his face. Tiger had a way of appreciating life at a sedate pace, something the Genin never understood, but he had a lightness about his movements that was gone now.
"Naruto." He sighed deeply. "Take a seat," he ordered, gesturing at one of the boy's own chairs.
"What's up?" Naruto fidgeted, taking in his teacher.
Tiger took a moment to respond. "Yesterday afternoon I met with the Hokage and did some paperwork alongside him." The ANBU removed his mask, revealing light skin and dark eyes, but also a wan smile. "The paperwork is being processed for your apprenticeship with me."
Naruto was taken by a mixture of curiosity about his Sensei's features and identity, and excitement about the news. His eventual response commented solely on the latter, very loudly.
"Tomorrow morning all other graduating Genin will be placed in teams with Jounin-Sensei. You will be the exception, as my apprentice. I want you to have the next few days off." A grimace flashed across the ninja's face, quickly to most but to Naruto a full-blown expression that caught his eye.
Tiger probably had to do a ton of work to get the apprenticeship finalized in the next few days. The young ninja felt even more thankful to the ANBU at that moment, and went to say as such, although he was stopped.
"We will forgo training for tonight. You've earned your break, Mr. Top-of-the-Class." Tiger gave him that small smile once more. "I, Shisui Uchiha, am proud to say that I believe in you, Naruto. I believe in your potential, I believe in you as a ninja." He blinked, and his eyes opened blazing red and black. Naruto was frozen in his seat. "I am proud of you, first and foremost. I want to tell you one thing, that... no matter what, always believe in yourself, and always believe that your speed will carry you through. Don't forget this. It will be your path to greatness."
Within a blink of an eye (even to the newly-minted Genin), Naruto's new, official, Sensei disappeared as soon as those shining Sharingan eyes closed for the first time.
A Tiger mask sat on his living room's table. Naruto moved, slowly for once, to stand, feeling numb. He tenderly reached and took the mask, holding it before him and simply staring. He walked around the table and took Shisui's place at the couch, then sat there holding the mask until sleep took him later that night. He dreamed about spinning pinwheels of black in a red sky, and of his Sensei's words.
The next morning, the news were shouted from every street corner: the Uchiha had been decimated to a child.
Tell me what you think.
I just gave it a once-over in terms of proofreading.
Tiger was not a Shunshin specialist. Tiger was the Shunshin specialist. His mastery of the technique and of his body's sheer speed was confounding to his opponents and a marvel for his bosses. With a prodigal ability to go fast like no one but the Fourth Hokage before him, Tiger was the man to talk to about speed.
A friendly young man, he would always take the time of his day to aid people with his specialty. From new ANBU with difficulties keeping up with him to his old Captain, the legendary Kakashi Hatake, he was always willing to help others understand the intricacies of Shunshin.
His ANBU squadmates Turtle, Flamingo, and even Captain Kakashi all had tangible reasons to better master Shunshin.
Naruto Uzumaki was six years old, and could see the difference between the Sandaime, Tiger, and the other ANBU in Sarutobi's protection detail. That was pretty neat, the ninja thought. He also thought there was nothing else that outwardly motivated a young child to master Shunshin.
Always polite, he decided to just ask, then.
"Why?"
Naruto blinked his big blue eyes up at him. "Why do I wanna learn Shunshin?"
"Why try so hard to?"
"I want to make my rate better." Naruto squinted, trying to put into words reasoning he had never tried to say before. "A little bit back I nearly got hit by a big cart with huge horses. One ANBU held me back. He was fast enough to see me and get to me faster than I could think, and pull me back. The thoughts in my head weren't fast enough, and my feet didn't get me on the other side of the road before the cart passed. I want to change that."
"Shunshin alone won't help you think faster," Tiger noted. "And you know, if you'd been watching, or were going slower, the cart wouldn't have been near you in the first place."
Naruto just shook his head. "I can't go slower. I want to be a super cool ninja like you and the old man, and if I slow down you guys are just gonna be more faster than me."
Tiger hummed. "And you think being faster will help you think faster too?"
"When I was a kid the stairs were so tall, and I didn't know when I'd get to the top when I climbed. Now it's not that long." The boy frowned, thinking hard. "When people grow up, their perception of time changes," he recited.
"That is definitely true. But while you're growing up, your surroundings seem to go by faster. I thought you wanted to think faster?"
Naruto grinned. "But if I make the world all slow again, but stay fast, then I have much more time to think! I have a better rate! Distance over time, decisions over time, thoughts over time!"
What an overcomplicated child, Tiger felt.
In a nutshell, he just wanted to go faster and think faster so he could become a super cool ninja.
The ANBU always believed in dreaming modestly and taking baby steps.
"Very well." He nodded. "The best way to think faster is to force yourself to do more in less time, or under more stress. This, expectedly, comes as a result of becoming faster. So don't fret, little Naruto. The Hokage broke it down very well when he explained the results of Shunshin can reflect also your natural speed. I would not mind helping you with both, but I have always helped my peers simply with the jutsu." He smiled slightly under his mask, and Naruto beamed in return.
"Does that mean you're going to be my Sensei?"
"Of course, the Hokage wanted me to," Naruto's grin wilted slightly, "and I think someone with your dedication and potential can go very far. Maybe even the fastest ninja ever, if you work hard enough."
At the second part of Tiger's statement, the boy blushed, his grin giving way to a bashful smile. "You really think so?"
Tiger nodded resolutely, playing the child like an accordion to begin drawing that sheer potential out of him. "You're showing me very good progress already. If we do a little less talking and a little more training, you'll be on your way."
Naruto's Shunshin improved under Tiger's watchful eye. It was at the beginning of its use that a technique saw the most tangible improvement, but the ANBU saw more than that. He told Naruto to sprint as fast as he could, and the little shrimp gave it his all, then used Shunshin to cover the same area.
The margins of improvement were not decreasing to the negligible after hours and hours of nonstop training. It was interesting, but not as much as the fact that the child would give his all running and not tire from it after a total of a few kilometers.
The subtle guiding hand of chakra and the increased endurance it brought unto ninja that no normal human could achieve was to be attributed to this, but Tiger saw nothing if not an absurd effect of it in Naruto.
"Naruto," he called. The child stopped his zigzaging motion across the field immediately at the commanding voice of an ANBU. "It's late."
The little boy grinned. "It's been late for a few hours, Sensei. What, is it past your bedtime?"
"It ought to be a few past yours. Besides, I'm not sure you can take much more of this." He gestured to Naruto's scuffed and torn t-shirt and shorts.
Naruto disagreed, and although Tiger had much to do the next day, he stayed with the boy.
This cycle repeated itself every odd night, of Naruto disagreeing he was done for the night, and Tiger agreeing to stick around. Sarutobi, ever a kind soul, removed his early morning duties and paid the ninja to train the little rascal.
He was, more than a good Hokage and man, a really nice boss.
On the other end of things, Naruto was a good kid. Facing adversity daily, he only strove harder to improve every day, and zoomed past his peers into ever-more advanced classes. The academy had a six-year curriculum, and Naruto seemed to be giving it a run for its money.
In the end, it took him about two years to graduate. Although he achieved astonishing skill in the use of the jutsu all Genin had to know within the first few months, there was a lot more to a ninja than a superhero with special techniques.
Through it all, Naruto's drive never wavered. A simple view of his goals, a whole-minded focus to his dream of simply being faster that few could give, made him memorize quickly, fly through arithmetic, and even peek into more esoteric classes before he finished up at the academy. Spending that little time in the academic world, Naruto still felt he had the space to look into physics and higher math covered by the Academy.
His perception of time had improved. Tiger was right.
Naruto graduated at eight years old. He ranked as the #1 student of his class (undisputed, even through the struggles of algebra), and Tiger and Sarutobi, his best (only? Aside from the kid with the eyebrows in his first few classes two years back) friends, were there with him to celebrate.
Naruto was a super cool ninja, at last. Tiger even ceded that indeed, he was pretty damn fast.
"I will admit, Naruto: you are fast for a Genin." Yeah, pretty damn fast. Naruto was an adult now, and he knew what he meant.
When he said this, Tiger's voice was lower than usual, as if emotional. Sarutobi, beside the ANBU, congratulated him – not as heartily as Naruto would've expected – and seemed a little off-kilter as well.
Naruto wondered if him being assigned to a Jounin team would make Tiger go back into normal ANBU duty. The new Genin knew that the ninja wouldn't want to go back to morning duty. Sarutobi, on the other hand: the old man had a big heart, and perhaps he was reconciling with the fact that Naruto now had the duty to serve him. He was serious about it, and Naruto respected that, but the somberness in the Hokage's face made it seem like he was about to doze off, so he proposed they get some rejuvenating ramen.
On the night of Naruto's graduation, his Sensei met with him not at their training ground, but stood at his apartment door a couple of minutes prior to their meeting time. Naruto had not been worried about lateness, so he hadn't left yet. When the time came, he could zoom over to the woods within less than a minute.
One, two, three, four had evolved from half-meters to meters, to two meters per count, and so on. His Shunshin covered city blocks in fractions of a second. He was damn fast. And he was an adult! He could do what he wanted and leave when he wanted. (As long as he was on time, because he was also now a soldier, he reminded himself.)
As Naruto considered his adulthood, Tiger languidly strolled through the doorway, then finding Naruto's couch and heavily settling himself onto it. Naruto had been preparing to leave, and the apartment was dimly lit.
"Sensei." He stated the man's identity, a question on his face. Tiger had a way of appreciating life at a sedate pace, something the Genin never understood, but he had a lightness about his movements that was gone now.
"Naruto." He sighed deeply. "Take a seat," he ordered, gesturing at one of the boy's own chairs.
"What's up?" Naruto fidgeted, taking in his teacher.
Tiger took a moment to respond. "Yesterday afternoon I met with the Hokage and did some paperwork alongside him." The ANBU removed his mask, revealing light skin and dark eyes, but also a wan smile. "The paperwork is being processed for your apprenticeship with me."
Naruto was taken by a mixture of curiosity about his Sensei's features and identity, and excitement about the news. His eventual response commented solely on the latter, very loudly.
"Tomorrow morning all other graduating Genin will be placed in teams with Jounin-Sensei. You will be the exception, as my apprentice. I want you to have the next few days off." A grimace flashed across the ninja's face, quickly to most but to Naruto a full-blown expression that caught his eye.
Tiger probably had to do a ton of work to get the apprenticeship finalized in the next few days. The young ninja felt even more thankful to the ANBU at that moment, and went to say as such, although he was stopped.
"We will forgo training for tonight. You've earned your break, Mr. Top-of-the-Class." Tiger gave him that small smile once more. "I, Shisui Uchiha, am proud to say that I believe in you, Naruto. I believe in your potential, I believe in you as a ninja." He blinked, and his eyes opened blazing red and black. Naruto was frozen in his seat. "I am proud of you, first and foremost. I want to tell you one thing, that... no matter what, always believe in yourself, and always believe that your speed will carry you through. Don't forget this. It will be your path to greatness."
Within a blink of an eye (even to the newly-minted Genin), Naruto's new, official, Sensei disappeared as soon as those shining Sharingan eyes closed for the first time.
A Tiger mask sat on his living room's table. Naruto moved, slowly for once, to stand, feeling numb. He tenderly reached and took the mask, holding it before him and simply staring. He walked around the table and took Shisui's place at the couch, then sat there holding the mask until sleep took him later that night. He dreamed about spinning pinwheels of black in a red sky, and of his Sensei's words.
The next morning, the news were shouted from every street corner: the Uchiha had been decimated to a child.
Tell me what you think.
I just gave it a once-over in terms of proofreading.Nice to see this updated. Ending was a kicker since it looked like the Uchiha Massacre wasn't going happening and then bam! Character death. It leaves me a bit confused though since Shisui was meant to die sometime before the Massacre.
Some suggestions:
I think this line is redundant. For the first part, you essentially said the same thing in the previous sentence and the second part was already implied.
I think that word is too much for him. Not helped when we're recently reminded that he's only six years old and his previous dialogue was more fitting. "When people grow up, time feels different" or some variation would work better, imo.
I'd cut out that bolded bit.
I think this part needs clarification since I lost track of when this was happening. Perhaps there should be a line stating that Naruto met with Sarutobi after getting his headband but before team assignment.
Oh, and any plans to get back to Dusting Off The Gloves?
Some suggestions:
I think this line is redundant. For the first part, you essentially said the same thing in the previous sentence and the second part was already implied.
I think that word is too much for him. Not helped when we're recently reminded that he's only six years old and his previous dialogue was more fitting. "When people grow up, time feels different" or some variation would work better, imo.
I'd cut out that bolded bit.
I think this part needs clarification since I lost track of when this was happening. Perhaps there should be a line stating that Naruto met with Sarutobi after getting his headband but before team assignment.
Oh, and any plans to get back to Dusting Off The Gloves?
Thanks for the tips, knight. I'm happy you're enjoying it. I've made some additions and changes to the snippet.
Heh, heh.
I don't know, I feel like pointing out he read that somewhere changes the context of the vocabulary a little. That can be debatable, however.
This is all Naruto's thoughts right after he graduates. Essentially, Tiger and Sarutobi are there to celebrate with him, but they seem kinda weird, and he notes what's going on.
And I do, yeah. I actually have a whole outline for... a lot of it, but I guess I'm getting into Lord Raine-levels of not putting out. My "oh shit nvm I'm an engineering student" stands.
Heh, heh.
I don't know, I feel like pointing out he read that somewhere changes the context of the vocabulary a little. That can be debatable, however.
This is all Naruto's thoughts right after he graduates. Essentially, Tiger and Sarutobi are there to celebrate with him, but they seem kinda weird, and he notes what's going on.
And I do, yeah. I actually have a whole outline for... a lot of it, but I guess I'm getting into Lord Raine-levels of not putting out. My "oh shit nvm I'm an engineering student" stands.
I've made many fixes to the last snippet. Nothing too major, but it's undeniably better. Thanks to my boo Shirotsume, and for helping me with this one too. The changes were quite notable here, but don't listen to me. See it for yourself:
It had been a week after the Uchiha Massacre by Itachi, one of ANBU's best. Life went on in Konoha, despite the loss of a prominent clan. Naruto's graduating class had run its course, and a few squads of Genin had joined Konoha's ranks.
Naruto himself was in another situation, as he stood in the Hokage's office around midday.
"Naruto, you're in limbo." The Hokage was frank.
The child before him was young and obviously hurt, but he was strong too. And Sarutobi knew he respected candidity. Even so, tear-tracks shone on his cheeks, dark circles ringing his eyes. The young ninja still stood at attention for his leader.
Sarutobi felt proud, if bittersweet.
"Limbo?"
"Your old classmates have moved on. Either they are studying under Jounin, or had their teams failed and are in remedial training." The Hokage rubbed his chin. "You are in a different position. Your Sensei had started the paperwork for your apprenticeship the day before your graduation. At... the time of his death, you were not on track to join a Genin team, nor were you going to go back to the Academy."
"I was his apprentice for months, he's been my Sensei for two years," the child sniped. In a world of glares and condemnation, Naruto had two friends, none closer than his old, reliable Sensei. It hurt the man who had once written his paychecks too, but he had to get used to it. To Naruto, seeing a man he loved be reduced to a piece of paper, a factor in determining his status, obviously stung.
Sarutobi looked at his desk and shuffled a sheaf of papers. "If your official Sensei dies, you are reassigned, but you were not under him by law. You also are not under the Academy. Now, given that I am Hokage, I could do whatever I wanted in terms of your placement. Nothing is stopping me from folding you into a team, or promoting you to ANBU Captain, or whatever I want to do, although it's not always simple. However, I think that your place in this limbo is giving us an opportunity."
"Are you saying Sensei's death could be a good thing?"
"Yes, Naruto. Shisui was one of my best, and I know you would flourish under him. However, in our world, death is a constant." His face darkened. "My ninja and your Sensei is dead, and that closes a path of opportunity. But you can go anywhere you want with your potential and the skills already under your belt. Tell me, Naruto: what do you strive to do?"
Naruto, eyes hard at the Hokage's words, suddenly froze at the question. "Uh."
The Hokage stood, looking out of his window towards the village. "You have your Hokage's ear, Naruto. What do you want to be?"
The boy began hesitantly, his anger escaping him. "I – Sensei..."
"Your speed, Naruto." He began over the boy's stammering. "From the very beginning, I could see it in your eyes. The observation of my high-level ninja, the sheer drive I saw in your training for Shunshin and increasing your natural speed. You want to be fast. You are. With your mastery of the jutsu, you can move faster than most of our Chunin. That alone is amazing, but that is not even the tip of the iceberg in your dreams. Tell me what the rest of it is."
Naruto could see parallels to a conversation he had years before. "Whether it's meters per second and thoughts per second... I never want to slow down. I want to become the master of speed." His eyes shone with determination. "I want to be above those rates, master time, or space... be beyond the second and be beyond the meter. That's what I want to do."
The Hokage's eyes shone, unseen to the young ninja. He nodded resolutely. "Then I know what I'll have you do."
An ANBU stepped out of Sarutobi's wall and picked up a folder. It flew, smacking against Naruto's chest, and his arms snapped up to hold it. When the old man didn't move and the bodyguard melted back into the wall, the boy began reading.
The room was enveloped in silence for a minute as he skimmed through the papers. He looked up, blue eyes squinting.
"Who are the... messenger-nin?"
Sarutobi turned to face him, a conspiratorial grin on his face. "Naruto Uzumaki, by the Hokage's will, you are being given all the privileges of a Chuunin, and your new duty of being Konoha's first messenger-nin."
"Your missions will entail handling time-dependent information and the delivery thereof. As a Genin-rank ninja, you will be paid for your deliveries as individual missions depending on the urgency of the information delivered, but will be on-duty constantly for those deliveries. This will be considered an on-going C-rank mission, paid for every two weeks by the office of the Hokage. Given time and good service, a merit-based promotion to Chunin may be yours. You run faster than our hawks, Naruto." He gave him a meaningful look.
Naruto was speechless.
"Additionally, I am assigning you on a long-term training mission." He paused.
A gulp. "Sir, I... I accept my duties. What's my mission?"
"I want you to talk to one of my Jounin, Gai. He should be outside. You have far outstripped him in the ratio of your Shunshin to your natural speed – no mean feat, for he is one of my top ninja. But on the other hand, he is one of the fastest ninja in the village, and the world. I want you to learn his natural speed."
Naruto's mood turned around. Sarutobi was offering him a path to Sensei's last wish: the pursuit of his speed, and the last lesson he had imparted to his student. "My Shunshin will be even faster then!" Naruto beamed. "Thank you, old man!"
"Absolutely." Sarutobi returned that little grin old people do. "And I am happy Chunin Iruka did not beat all of the disrespect out of you, Naruto. Be true to yourself and to those close to you. I am Hokage, but you're a breath of fresh air sometimes." He winked.
Naruto chuckled in response, and the Hokage sunk into his seat with a dismissal.
Outside of the office, standing beside the door, was a towering Jounin garbed in a lot of green and orange legwarmers.
Props for the legwarmers, Naruto thought.
"Genin Uzumaki?" He queried. Naruto nodded, curious about the clashing style of his clothing and demure personality.
With the Genin's confirmation of his identity, Gai decided it was time to prove him wrong. "VERY GOOD! OUR MISSION TO STOKE YOUR RIGHTEOUS FLAMES THUS BEGINS! FOLLOW, YOUTHFUL NINJA!" After shouting at his new charge, the Jounin took off like a speeding kunai out the window, taking a small potted plant in the slipstream that followed him.
To follow, Naruto had to use Shunshin to the peak of its capabilities, using a handseal to get the greatest burst to his speed possible. Within a fraction of a moment, his body was airborne through the window. In his perception, a beleaguered potted plant seemed to slowly drift away from the Tower, and then he was hurtling above city blocks at speeds many Chunin would be hard-pressed to match.
Admiring the view of Konoha for the long few seconds he traveled through the air, Naruto sighted his landing spot and gritted his teeth, strengthening himself for the fall. He landed with a bone-jarring smack atop the roof of a two-story shop, and found Gai in the distance. The Jounin skipped past city blocks as if they were tiles on the floor beneath him.
That was how ninja traveled. Naruto smiled, following his new Sensei's example and working to hone his speed.
Was he a super cool ninja yet? He hoped Shisui would have thought so.
It had been a week after the Uchiha Massacre by Itachi, one of ANBU's best. Life went on in Konoha, despite the loss of a prominent clan. Naruto's graduating class had run its course, and a few squads of Genin had joined Konoha's ranks.
Naruto himself was in another situation, as he stood in the Hokage's office around midday.
"Naruto, you're in limbo." The Hokage was frank.
The child before him was young and obviously hurt, but he was strong too. And Sarutobi knew he respected candidity. Even so, tear-tracks shone on his cheeks, dark circles ringing his eyes. The young ninja still stood at attention for his leader.
Sarutobi felt proud, if bittersweet.
"Limbo?"
"Your old classmates have moved on. Either they are studying under Jounin, or had their teams failed and are in remedial training." The Hokage rubbed his chin. "You are in a different position. Your Sensei had started the paperwork for your apprenticeship the day before your graduation. At... the time of his death, you were not on track to join a Genin team, nor were you going to go back to the Academy."
"I was his apprentice for months, he's been my Sensei for two years," the child sniped. In a world of glares and condemnation, Naruto had two friends, none closer than his old, reliable Sensei. It hurt the man who had once written his paychecks too, but he had to get used to it. To Naruto, seeing a man he loved be reduced to a piece of paper, a factor in determining his status, obviously stung.
Sarutobi looked at his desk and shuffled a sheaf of papers. "If your official Sensei dies, you are reassigned, but you were not under him by law. You also are not under the Academy. Now, given that I am Hokage, I could do whatever I wanted in terms of your placement. Nothing is stopping me from folding you into a team, or promoting you to ANBU Captain, or whatever I want to do, although it's not always simple. However, I think that your place in this limbo is giving us an opportunity."
"Are you saying Sensei's death could be a good thing?"
"Yes, Naruto. Shisui was one of my best, and I know you would flourish under him. However, in our world, death is a constant." His face darkened. "My ninja and your Sensei is dead, and that closes a path of opportunity. But you can go anywhere you want with your potential and the skills already under your belt. Tell me, Naruto: what do you strive to do?"
Naruto, eyes hard at the Hokage's words, suddenly froze at the question. "Uh."
The Hokage stood, looking out of his window towards the village. "You have your Hokage's ear, Naruto. What do you want to be?"
The boy began hesitantly, his anger escaping him. "I – Sensei..."
"Your speed, Naruto." He began over the boy's stammering. "From the very beginning, I could see it in your eyes. The observation of my high-level ninja, the sheer drive I saw in your training for Shunshin and increasing your natural speed. You want to be fast. You are. With your mastery of the jutsu, you can move faster than most of our Chunin. That alone is amazing, but that is not even the tip of the iceberg in your dreams. Tell me what the rest of it is."
Naruto could see parallels to a conversation he had years before. "Whether it's meters per second and thoughts per second... I never want to slow down. I want to become the master of speed." His eyes shone with determination. "I want to be above those rates, master time, or space... be beyond the second and be beyond the meter. That's what I want to do."
The Hokage's eyes shone, unseen to the young ninja. He nodded resolutely. "Then I know what I'll have you do."
An ANBU stepped out of Sarutobi's wall and picked up a folder. It flew, smacking against Naruto's chest, and his arms snapped up to hold it. When the old man didn't move and the bodyguard melted back into the wall, the boy began reading.
The room was enveloped in silence for a minute as he skimmed through the papers. He looked up, blue eyes squinting.
"Who are the... messenger-nin?"
Sarutobi turned to face him, a conspiratorial grin on his face. "Naruto Uzumaki, by the Hokage's will, you are being given all the privileges of a Chuunin, and your new duty of being Konoha's first messenger-nin."
"Your missions will entail handling time-dependent information and the delivery thereof. As a Genin-rank ninja, you will be paid for your deliveries as individual missions depending on the urgency of the information delivered, but will be on-duty constantly for those deliveries. This will be considered an on-going C-rank mission, paid for every two weeks by the office of the Hokage. Given time and good service, a merit-based promotion to Chunin may be yours. You run faster than our hawks, Naruto." He gave him a meaningful look.
Naruto was speechless.
"Additionally, I am assigning you on a long-term training mission." He paused.
A gulp. "Sir, I... I accept my duties. What's my mission?"
"I want you to talk to one of my Jounin, Gai. He should be outside. You have far outstripped him in the ratio of your Shunshin to your natural speed – no mean feat, for he is one of my top ninja. But on the other hand, he is one of the fastest ninja in the village, and the world. I want you to learn his natural speed."
Naruto's mood turned around. Sarutobi was offering him a path to Sensei's last wish: the pursuit of his speed, and the last lesson he had imparted to his student. "My Shunshin will be even faster then!" Naruto beamed. "Thank you, old man!"
"Absolutely." Sarutobi returned that little grin old people do. "And I am happy Chunin Iruka did not beat all of the disrespect out of you, Naruto. Be true to yourself and to those close to you. I am Hokage, but you're a breath of fresh air sometimes." He winked.
Naruto chuckled in response, and the Hokage sunk into his seat with a dismissal.
Outside of the office, standing beside the door, was a towering Jounin garbed in a lot of green and orange legwarmers.
Props for the legwarmers, Naruto thought.
"Genin Uzumaki?" He queried. Naruto nodded, curious about the clashing style of his clothing and demure personality.
With the Genin's confirmation of his identity, Gai decided it was time to prove him wrong. "VERY GOOD! OUR MISSION TO STOKE YOUR RIGHTEOUS FLAMES THUS BEGINS! FOLLOW, YOUTHFUL NINJA!" After shouting at his new charge, the Jounin took off like a speeding kunai out the window, taking a small potted plant in the slipstream that followed him.
To follow, Naruto had to use Shunshin to the peak of its capabilities, using a handseal to get the greatest burst to his speed possible. Within a fraction of a moment, his body was airborne through the window. In his perception, a beleaguered potted plant seemed to slowly drift away from the Tower, and then he was hurtling above city blocks at speeds many Chunin would be hard-pressed to match.
Admiring the view of Konoha for the long few seconds he traveled through the air, Naruto sighted his landing spot and gritted his teeth, strengthening himself for the fall. He landed with a bone-jarring smack atop the roof of a two-story shop, and found Gai in the distance. The Jounin skipped past city blocks as if they were tiles on the floor beneath him.
That was how ninja traveled. Naruto smiled, following his new Sensei's example and working to hone his speed.
Was he a super cool ninja yet? He hoped Shisui would have thought so.
Heh, saw that coming. Any other version of Naruto would bitch about the placement but here it fits. Looks solid, overall.
Extra word there. Or at least it should be, otherwise it means Naruto sounds indecisive in a moment that doesn't fit.
I think the second half of that line feels redundant. And I think "Thanks, old man" would be better here; sounds more natural and the informality fits Sarutobi's following line. Should "to" not "on". Could shift the words around too:
"Then my Shunshin will be even faster!" Naruto beamed. Sarutobi was offering him a path to Sensei's last wish: the pursuit of his speed, and the last lesson he had imparted on his student. "Thanks, old man!"
Extra word there. Or at least it should be, otherwise it means Naruto sounds indecisive in a moment that doesn't fit.
I think the second half of that line feels redundant. And I think "Thanks, old man" would be better here; sounds more natural and the informality fits Sarutobi's following line. Should "to" not "on". Could shift the words around too:
"Then my Shunshin will be even faster!" Naruto beamed. Sarutobi was offering him a path to Sensei's last wish: the pursuit of his speed, and the last lesson he had imparted on his student. "Thanks, old man!"