He'd been trying to gauge the apparent power level of the Being before him, looking at the various subtle clues that a master cardshark might have missed. Just the fact that time outside himself and this creature had stopped in mid-second was enough indication that wariness was the best policy here.
"Power limiters, eh?" asked the Hokage.
"Precisely," said the cat. "While the occasional slip up and crushing various objects might be funny - getting his girlfriend in a hug and accidently crushing her to jelly wouldn't be. Or girlfriends. That might actually be funnier. Hmmm. Lonely guy who couldn't even get a friend suddenly has girls of all sorts trying to ride his bones? Yes, I've seen it before, but it still has a certain comic appeal wouldn't you say?"
"Yes, actually, I think it would," agreed the Hokage. "Why are you being forthcoming on this anyway?"
"For the same reason I'm doing this," said the cat. "It's 'for the lulz' - I set up the situation and then watch it unfold without interfering. Free will and all - you make your own choices on how to deal with it. Since I won't interfere on the boy's behalf later on, having someone involved who does know what's going on - that might help keep it from falling apart down the road."
"You mentioned 'free will' but also mentioned having lots of girls wanting him," pointed out the Hokage.
"Oh, I'm not talking about forcing things," said the cat, waving off the point. An image flitted into place on each of the windows. "Take this kunoichi for example."
The Third Hokage was old, but not dead. He noted that the girl, woman really, was attractive in a somewhat aristocratic manner. He also noted that the headband marked her as a Cloud ninja. The image in the first ninja showed her alive and facing two of those dressed in dark cloaks marked with red clouds. The third image showed her body unconscious, floating in the air as something was drawn out of her, and apparently in great pain from her expression. The third showed a quite lifeless body discarded on the floor of the cave.
"I don't think anyone would object if her death wasn't quite so pointless," mused the cat. "Who knows, maybe she'll find a way to survive. The whole 'cats have nine lives' thing after all. So, anyway, if I did something with her - she'd simply find Naruto exceptionally attractive. Hmmm. Maybe it'd be better to go with Kakashi or someone closer to her own age. Having her fall for a rival and then interact with them regularly - that'd be more fun I'd think."
"Kakashi? He'd simply kill her when the chance occurred," said the Hokage. "He keeps people at arm's length."
"Not necessarily," said the cat. "All I have to do is manipulate an event in their mutual past. He's working an escort mission, she's out to keep him from a meeting. The two of them exchange snappy banter as they clash, and she avoids killing his client while stating her distaste for needless slaughter. Even going so far as to spare a chunin she could easily have killed. She succeeds in her mission anyway because the delay keeps their client from attending their meeting - while he keeps the client alive during that mission."
"Hmmmm," hmmmed the Hokage. Manipulating the past? Casually? Okay, best not to peeve off the sort of being that could do that when they were inclined to be amicable. "I suppose."
"Yes, that'll do," said the cat. "Maybe I should arrange for Jiraiya to attract a few kunoichi as well. If things unfold that he dies as he did in the Future That Was - having a few foreign kunoichi show up to grieve at his funeral would underscore the whole thing wouldn't it?"
"So," said the Hokage. "What kind of power are you limiting in Naruto?"
"Ah," said the cat. "We come to the crux of it. The reason Naruto has to slowly grow into his powers is the nature of his powers."
The Hokage couldn't help but startle just a little bit as some booklet suddenly poofed into position on his desk. "What is this?"
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(Posted Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:45)
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