"Chizuru Minamoto, a fox spirit," said Toltiir before checking the timeline.
"That doesn't look so good," said Naruto eventually.
"Yeah, okay. Fox is out," agreed Toltiir. Not very funny at all. Rather gory actually. Well, not all concepts worked out.
"Well, I guess we'll just have to do without," said Naruto hopefully.
"Nah. I got this," said Toltiir. "I just had me an idea."
"The light bulb appearing over your head clued me in," admitted Naruto.
"Here we go," said Toltiir. "Let's check this out and see if this works any better."
The Hokage finished up the paperwork in front of him before glancing at the chunin. "And?"
"Naruto Uzumaki's experiment in summoning produced unexpected results, Hokage-sama," said the chunin, fidgeting.
"Well, good," said the Hokage, turning his attention back to the paperwork in front of him. "What exactly were the results?" He was expecting some bit of flotsam. That was what normally was gotten during experiments in such things - something lost in time or space or both that had no real value. A rock was common. So was, for whatever reason, a single sock. Sometimes someone got something useful or bizarre but that was actually exceedingly rare.
There was silence in reply.
The Hokage looked up, seeing the chunin in question fidgeting. This was a bit more unusual. "Something more than a rock, spoon, towel, or sock?"
"Sir, yes, sir," replied the chunin, still seeming agitated.
"Well then," said the Hokage, sitting back. After all, Naruto was twelve but an Uzumaki. Perhaps something useful after all. He HAD managed to summon giant pigs, noodle monsters, and chicken broth. "What was he TRYING to do? More ramen?"
"No sir," said the chunin. "He had apparently been told by one of the other students that he was a loser and that he'd never have any friends and that he should just leave her alone. His attempt was to create a 'friend summoning' jutsu."
"And he got a result?" asked the Hokage. Human summoning was tricky after all.
"That is what took so long, sir," said the chunin. "Ibiki had to verify identities. Check credentials. Find individuals who had personal knowledge of certain others."
The Hokage raised an eyebrow. "Stop beating around the bush. What did Naruto summon?"
Ibiki was expecting the Hokage's visit. Tea arrived less than a minute later.
"You've double-checked?" asked the Hokage.
"Yes, Hokage-sama," said Ibiki. "Double and triple-checked. They match up exactly, even if many of them are supposed to be dead for several years. In the case of those from Konoha, genetic tests against prior acquired samples will take a bit longer but still shows signs of being 'what you see is what you get' here."
"Has anyone gone over the summoning array Naruto used?" asked the Hokage.
"It burst into flame on its own as soon as the summoning finished," said Ibiki. "Five ANBU witnessed it, having been alerted that something unusual was going on."
The Hokage sighed. This was going to be a MASS of paperwork. "Condition of the - summons?"
"All showing signs of dehydration, some were wounded, one was near death with a massive chest wound," said Ibiki. "All have survived and shown signs of recovery after medical treatment. All are aware that Naruto Uzumaki summoned them across the boundary of life and death."
"How many?" asked the Hokage.
"Two Uchiha, one Nohara, two Hyuga, three Aoboshi for the Konohagakure citizens," said Ibiki.
"Aoboshi was one of the clans eliminated in the Kyubi attack," noted the Hokage aloud. "Herbists mainly."
"Poisons, antidotes, herbal medicine," expanded Ibiki. "Since their land was rebuilt and is now owned by others, this will likely become a problem."
"I see, continue," said the Hokage.
"From Uzushiogakure - three members of the Uzumaki clan," said Ibiki. "Two members each of clans who are strong allies of the Uzumaki clan. Kurokaiyou and Teikiatsu."
"Fifteen people returned from the dead," said the Hokage.
"Ages range from the Uchiha - all of whom are under seven years age, to sixteen in the case of one of the Uzumaki. All but two are female."
"Much as I hate giving myself additional paperwork, I want dossier prepared on each on my desk by 1700 hours," said the Hokage. "Keep them here for now. Alive and unharmed. Has Naruto been interrogated?"
"Unconscious until about fifteen minutes ago, apparently this took a lot out of him," said Ibiki, some humor coming across in his voice.
"Also send word to the Clan Heads involved," said the Hokage. "Not only the Hyuga. Nara, Yamanaka, Aburame, Akimichi. Major clans only. No details. At 1930 I'll want them in my office."
"Might I suggest Conference Room A here instead?" asked Ibiki. "More room and more controlled."
The Hokage was quite aware that everyone involved KNEW something major was up. He had to blow off Danzo, Homura, and Koharu trying to take over and get details on three occasions while he tried to get additional details himself.
They'd find out with everyone else rather than have to deal with this bit by bit. It was going to be a headache for more than himself.
Finally the folders arrived and he could see for himself.
The details weren't as bad as he could imagine, but this WOULD stir up all sorts of things. Due to the village charter, he had to at least let the clan heads know about things impacting their own clan personnel. However, he could have put it all on a back burner - delayed things.
No, others were going to go through paperwork hell too. And any that THEY had to deal with was some that HE didn't have to deal with.
Two "clan heads" not in attendance were the Uzumaki and the Uchiha due to the age of those involved. Obviously there was nobody of the Kurokaiyou or Teikiatsu clans, as those clans were extinct and of Uzushiogakure. Or had been extinct.
Finally the additional notices had been sent out, the time arrived, and the Hokage walked into the room at exactly 1930 hours. "Seal the doors. Nobody in or out."
Ibiki's men worked quickly, silently, and efficiently. As one would expect of those Ibiki chose personally for this.
The Hokage strode towards the podium, taking note of those in attendance and those who were not.
Hiashi Hyuga - stoic and bored-looking. Kakashi Hatake - missing. The Hokage remembered checking and finding that Kakashi WAS in the village, and HAD received the notice, and he remembered quite well penning a "don't be late" message at the bottom.
Well, he'd just have to deal with it later on.
Inoichi Yamanaka obviously knew most of it. He would have been one of those verifying identities. The Nara and Akimichi clans most likely only knew something big was going on but would follow Inoichi's reactions and go from there.
Danzo and his old team? Trouble. He relied on them to disagree with him when he couldn't see the flaws in his own plans. Unfortunately all three seemed to simply disagree for the sake of disagreeing lately.
"At oh-nine-hundred hours this morning, Naruto Uzumaki began working with a new approach to fuuinjutsu involving tiered arrays," said Hiruzen Sarutobi. "You all know about his previous experiments, which started out with attempts to get ramen. This time he was reacting to a fellow student indicating he was incapable of ever having an actual friend."
"Is he training to be a ninja?" asked Danzo. "Then why does he need 'friends'?"
"Before the scrolls he'd put together caught fire and burned up, he got results," said Hiruzen Sarutobi. "He managed to summon potential friends to his side."
"So?" asked Koharu Utatane. "What did he get? I know something is going on, but you've stonewalled me all afternoon."
"The following would be considered an S-Rank secret except that it WILL end up getting out," said the Hokage. "Each of the individuals summoned was dead. Now they are not."
For a brief moment it went completely still.
Then, of course, it got very loud.
Outside of "normal" time/space:
"So what you think, kid?" asked Toltiir.
"I dunno, it seems kinda forced," said Naruto. "I mean fifteen people apparently at random?"
"All people who died who would actually have been your friend if you'd met them," pointed out Toltiir. "Those are the conditions on the summoning. So - not random. Three are members of your family, something along the lines of distant cousins actually. Four others are of clans strongly allied or subordinate to the Uzumaki clan. The Kurokaiyou are strong with water techniques and have a summoning contract with squid. The Teikiatsu are wind users primarily, who also use a special taijutsu style."
Naruto considered for a moment before:
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(Posted Thu, 03 Apr 2014 17:28)
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