"You might want to go over some of the materials," said Naruto, standing up and coming to something resembling attention. "I take it you'll be the commanding officer?"
"I generally run things more along the line of teacher to students," said Kurenai, glancing towards Hinata. "There will be a third genin?"
"Yes sensei," said Naruto, inclining his head. "Someone from the TSAB will be along. They are curious about this world and our society, and having an operative imbedded on one of our ninja teams was seen as a preferable method. The Hokage is negotiating the details, but saw this as an opportunity to strengthen Konoha by alliance with offworld civilizations."
"That touches on some of the concepts I'm trying to get my head around," admitted Kurenai. "Hinata? Do you have anything to add?"
"N-no sensei," said Hinata, fidgeting a bit.
"Hinata, you can get out of this engagement any time you want by just saying so," said Naruto, partly turning his head to regard her. "I understand that I've changed a bit. I understand that your Dad saddled you with something you didn't want-"
"NO!" practically barked Hinata. "I mean - that is - I."
Naruto turned back to Kurenai as Hinata went silent and embarassed. "Sensei, we'll be taking on missions that fall more into my realm of expertise than your own. In such cases, I will need to advise you."
"I don't have a particular trouble with that," said Kurenai. "In fact, I might have to ask your advice on a few things on these other missions."
Naruto nodded.
"Who was your commanding officer?" asked Kurenai, making some connections in Naruto's attitude.
"Captain Charles Upham," said Naruto. "I met up with him after his CO was killed. There were four others on the squad. I spent ten and a half months learning how to survive with them. All of them were survivors whose original units got killed. Leo Major was our scout and sniper. Sergeant Leonard A. Funk. Lewis Millet. Fazal Din. These guys were survivors. Anyway, that's what we did. Never did find out what happened to them after they rejoined some of the forces of their side."
"Which side was that?" asked Kurenai, not sure what to say about that.
"The Defensive Union," said Naruto. "There were three 'sides' to the war. Though sometimes some country on one side fell to another or changed sides on their own, they were multinational alliances. The Progressive Powers were the ones whose magic pulled Mitternacht in and were responsible for a fourth side of this battle - even if it was monsters that just basically started going on rampages against anything and everything."
"'monsters'?" asked Kurenai, thinking about Demon Foxes and such.
"Yeah, some nasties too," said Naruto.
"Okay, then, I'm familiar with Hinata's Byakugan and Jyuuken," said Kurenai. "Can you demonstrate where your own skills lie?"
"Mostly what they call 'Arcane Magic' that I've learned through Mitternacht's teaching, some extra stealth and assassination techniques through time with Upham's Squad. While using Mitternacht I usually concentrate on spell-amplification while she takes care of the actual spell-slash-jutsu."
"I don't know anything about 'Arcane Magic'," pointed out Kurenai.
[Arcane Magic is similar to the various ninjutsu styles. In this universe's underlying law system regarding such, innate elemental affinities serve as limits to the ease of the flow of chakra. In this world, Naruto would find Wind or air-element magic easiest, followed by Water.]
Kurenai blinked at the way the staff had just talked to her, with ripples of light going along the length of the staff as it spoke.
"Waitaminute, so I can't use Ice magic here?" asked Naruto.
[Correct. I, however, am under no such restriction and can access all elemental types. Naruto also has no innate talent with genjutsu, partly due to his prisoner.]
"Hinata? Can you go somewhere for a few minutes?" asked Kurenai. "We're about to discuss what is classified an S-Class Secret."
As soon as Hinata was gone, Kurenai addressed the staff directly. "That is a restricted S-Class Secret. Speaking of it is a capital offense."
[I am already dead.]
"Nonetheless, it is forbidden to speak of it," said Kurenai firmly.
[Acknowledged. Yet Hinata will have to learn of it at some point.]
"When she's ready for it," said Kurenai. "What was this about genjutsu?"
[The seal is designed to allow other chakra, particularly that of the Kyubi, to mix with Naruto's own chakra. It leaves him especially vulnerable to genjutsu and unable to break free of illusions using what I've been able to determine of your normal methodology. While I am immune to such things, it might help if Hinata were trained to break Naruto out of such mental techniques.]
"That's do-able," agreed Kurenai. "Pretty talkative for someone who admits being dead."
[Speaking is tiresome, and maintaining the illusion that I am of the limited responsiveness of one of the Belkan or Mid-Childan devices is a useful cover. As this form was designed simply to contain my essence as a power-source, it was never intended for communication.]
"Yeah, well, things rarely stick to a plan," agreed Naruto.
"When the third member of the team arrives, it is standard operating procedure for there to be a test," said Kurenai. "Unfortunately, without knowing the talents of that third party, I'm not sure what to do for that test."
Meanwhile, the third person of the team was already meeting with the Hokage:
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(Posted Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:35)
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