Traditionally, Academy graduations are held at the same times every year, with plenty of notice given for families who had just entered into the ninja lifestyle—i.e. the civilians. It was a chance for the parents of professional and newcomer to meet, to talk, and perhaps even share. After all, just because you okayed your child going to try and become a Genin, didn’t mean you were fully prepared to handle them going on missions where there was a chance of injury, or even death.
For the civilians, it was nice to have someone to talk to.
For the professionals, it was a chance to scare the newbies.
But mainly, it was so there could be an organized location, with which parents could meet their children, learn how the tests had gone, and move on from there. Clan heirs wouldn’t be yelled at in front of a crowd, children needed comforting, and so on…
“So many possibilities…” Nodoka murmured.
… It was also a chance for the professionals and newbies alike to be mentally scarred, thanks to the Inner World of Nodoka Saotome.
Hiashi maintained as stoic a façade as possible … or as well as one could, still recovering from a beating during a demonstration. True, the medic-nin had done what they could—even those who serviced only the Hyūga, but there were still some injuries that took time to heal.
That didn’t include pot-shots by the angry and nude females at his crotch.
Either way, he was there to hear the news of Hinata—as was expected. What more, he had to show up, just to try and show he was still well, and not cowering in fear of righteous female anger. He was putting in a show of strength … as well as hoping to be an authority strong enough to keep the Red Beast from corrupting his daughter anymore, or her hellspawn.
Didn’t mean he was going to ask her to explain her comment. He wasn’t stupid.
“Possibilities?” asked one of the civilian parents.
Hiashi closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly. Damn newbs…
“Oh, of future children,” Nodoka continued. “Such as, would Haruno’s hair coloring override the general hair color that was associated with the Uchiha? That would give us pink-haired Uchiha…
“Of course, I wonder if Naruto’s blond would do the same to the Hyūga…
“There is just way too much conformity in appearance for the clans…”
Hiashi fought hard, so very hard to not show his rising anger. True, he had no issues with the Uzumaki kid. But if he didn’t want Saotome marrying into his clan due to his mother, then he wasn’t about to trade Nodoka as an in-law to replace her with what many considered to be Nodoka-light … even if she was dead.
“E-excuse me!?” squeaked Mrs. Haruno.
“Oh, so many possible combinations,” Nodoka continued, ignoring the stares she was getting. “Why, you have chakra levels, types, skill sets, looks, backgrounds…
“Why, just on chakra levels alone, any child from Naruto’s will have beyond Kage-level chakra! Who knows what say, that could do for the Hyūga style, or range of their bloodline! What more, say he was paired with Yamanaka’s daughter!”
“Eep!” chirped Inoichi, as the remaining fathers of the original Ino-Shika-Cho trio slowly backed away from their doomed compatriot, offering a thankful prayer that they hadn’t been blessed with daughters.
As Nodoka continued to prattle on about possible combinations for pairings among the Genin—and even siblings if they had them, causing the Inuzuka clan head to nervously inch away—Hiashi only had one thought.
I bet my brother is laughing his ass off in the Pure World right now…
“I’m not too sure about a pairing of Naruto and Sakura, as that might bring the Uzumaki red hair back into play, and I rather like that people think the Saotomes are offshoots, but that might squander the blond of his father…
“Of course, that just means he’ll need children with other women…”
Hiashi did have to give the civilian parents one thing: at least they knew enough to try and move away from the Ginger Menace, instead of confronting her.
Too bad, as it would give him a better chance to grab his daughter, flee, and inform her that she was in no way to be romantic with Saotome! If he had to put hope in only one basket, he was going with the one with the she-demon mother that was alive as the banned possible romantic interest.
May the Ninja Gods help any of the Hyūga Clan Elders who tried to insist differently. As long as he lived, Saotome blood would never entwine with Hyūga!
In a tree, outside the Academy, a single Kage Bunshin relaxed, cloaked under the Saotome Umisenken—revised of course to even hide his chakra signature. He had been placed there, as it was the location from which the students would spring from, some with tears of sadness for failure, some with tears of joy from passing.
But in the end, they would all come from this doorway, to the yard where all their parents awaited to offer congratulations or condolences, sprinkled with words of kindness to keep their spirits up.
Pass or fail, this would be where Naruto left from, and if certain events remained true, pass or fail, this would be where Mizuki would have the best chance of confronting Naruto and trying to send him after the Forbidden Scroll.
Of course, thought the copy of Ranma, looking about, if Naruto does manage to get it … and I happen to glance at it while telling him about the trap…
Forbidden techniques—like forbidden fruit—were always the most tempting.
But there was—as always—one fatal flaw to this plan: he had to be smack in the middle of all the gossiping parents … which sadly, included his own mother.
What she said… Oh, the nightmares the Main Ranma would have tonight … after the groups started to come out, meet their parents, tell them the news, what else they might have seen…
“Fufufufufu … yes, it’s true!” Nodoka cooed. “My manly man is on the path to be the Icha Icha Ninja!” she proclaimed proudly, as a pink-tressed woman tried to distance herself and her recently graduated daughter from the scary woman waving a hand-fan with the multiple kanji to make the phrase, ‘Manliest Son’. “Now all enemy Kunoichi will bow before him.”
“Mom,” Sakura whimpered as she pressed herself against her mother’s side. “Can we please go?”
Nodding her head firmly, the Haruno Matriarch replied, “Of course, sweetie, of course!”
The Kage Bushin of Ranma shuddered as he watched the original Saotome youth getting his cheek pinched with the woman’s free hand. He did NOT look forward to being dispersed and returning to that but he accepted his duty as a Ninja of the Leaf. If this was the only way to get information back to the original, then so be it!
On the other hand… the Shadow Clone of Ranma considered curiously, maybe I could just tell him in person before running off to subsist on bandit bounties and Soldier Pills—OH SHIT THERE HE IS!
“Hello, Naruto,” the teacher greeted cheerily as he stood on a tree limb, perched above where the blond jinchūriki was in an effort to hide from the redheaded woman. “You did a very good job today … well done!”
“Thanks, Mizuki-sensei!” Naruto proclaimed, still holding his Hitai-ate with reverence.
“Now, I want to tell you something important,” the white-haired Chūnin stated, making sure none were listening in.
“Oh?” asked Naruto.
“Yes,” Mizuki spoke. “You see, it seems as if some of the grades were … um, lost, shall we say.”
“Lost?” Naruto asked, clutching his proof of graduation to his chest.
“Oh, nothing you need to worry about,” Mizuki stated, adding a little laugh. “No, just enough to make it hard to determine who would be the Genin of the Year.
“As such, we’ve constructed one final additional test, and I thought I would offer you the most difficult take, that will give you enough points to get the title.”
“Really!?” Naruto gasped.
“Yes, but you mustn’t tell anyone,” Mizuki continued. “It is to go like a real mission, meaning for your eyes only.”
Naruto nodded his head seriously, accepting the seriousness of the situation. Obviously this was his first REAL mission! He would take to this like a fish to ramen—while not the best, ramen with fish broth was pretty good—and prove that not only was he going to become Hokage, but that he was worthy of being Rookie of the Year as well! “Whatever you say, Mizuki-sensei!” he chirruped obediently.
Nodding his head firmly, the white-haired Chūnin was pleased with the boy’s naivety. “Hidden in the Hokage’s Tower is a special scroll: the Forbidden Scroll of Seals.”
The Shadow Clone stiffened, but thanks to the Umisenken, his presence was masked. This was it.
“Forbidden seals?” Naruto parroted, blinking his bright blue eyes in curiosity. “I’ve never heard of it before.”
Offering him a kind smile, Mizuki replied, “That’s because it’s a secret; Kinjutsu collected by all of the Hokage are recorded within it.”
“Ah…” the boy replied as he crossed his arms. That sounded like it was very, VERY important. “So I’m the capture it and bring it to you?”
“Shaking his head, the man replied, “Of course not,” he lied through his teeth. “You merely need to capture the scroll and bring it to a specific location; a shed in the woods by the Hokage Monument. There are two other conditions. First, you must not get caught in the act, and secondly, you must learn at least one technique from the scroll. When we DO find you, if you can perform one of the jutsu perfectly, we’ll give you the highest amount of points possible, locking you in for the status of ‘Rookie for the Year’.”
“Awesome!” Naruto said in almost a whisper. Not only would he beat Teme for the title—as the Uchiha’s fangirls all insisted he would be the Genin of the Year—but he would learn a super-cool jutsu as well!
For him, the day could not get any better.
Seeing that the fox-brat would do as requested, Mizuki smiled, gave him a pat on the shoulder—mentally forcing himself not to grip harshly—and turned away. “See you later, Naruto. We have to go give out the assignments to the other students. Remember, no talking!”
“Got it, Mizuki-sensei!” Naruto said, before looking around, as if someone might be already trying to take his awesome assignment, and making his way back to the group of parents, where he could already see Ranma’s mother waving him over.
He graduated, got a special assignment to get the recognition he deserved, and even had someone he considered family there to help him celebrate!
This was a perfect day … as long as whatever Mrs. Saotome stated had nothing to do with hot springs.
Those buckets hurt!
Ranma glared from his location, tempted to duck about, create a quick clone and disperse it, so the other would know to go and keep following Mizuki. Who knew what else the traitor could be up to, stuff that probably would have crept up in some filler arc in the anime…
But he had to watch Naruto, protect the boy.
He wondered what was taking his Kage Bushin so long to disperse when his mother pinched his cheek again. “GAH! Mom! Could you please, like, not do that!?”
“Oh, nonsense!” the woman cooed happily. “You’re a big, strong ninja of the Leaf now! And as a Genin, it’s time for mama to live up to her end of the bargain!”
Blinking his eyes once, twice, the pigtailed martial artist felt a chill go up his spine. “… What bargain?”
“Why, that you couldn’t learn certain jutsu or from certain people until you graduated the Academy,” the auburn-tressed woman replied, reminding him of just WHY he’d been going through hell in this universe under the singular tutelage of his sadistic bitch of a mother. “Now that you’ve graduated, it’s time to start letting you learn new skills that are proper to your new station.”
… Okay, fuck Naruto and the power of friendship! HE HAD JUTSU AHEAD OF HIM!
“Not now, No-chan,” Kimiko Tendo stated, one of the few mothers who could actually ‘handle’ being around the kookiness that was her friend. “I’m sure these new shinobi want to go celebrate on their own, away from us with their fellow classmates.”
“I wanna go too!” stated Akane.
“No,” Nabiki responded flatly.
Ignoring the fight between her youngest daughters, Kimiko continued. “Anyway, don’t you have a few things to discuss with young Naruto.”
“… Oh yeah!” Nodoka stated, finally remembering, as the blond Uzumaki came close.
“Huh?” asked Naruto. “Did I do something wrong?” he asked.
“Not at all,” Nodoka waved off. “Just some stuff I get to do now that you have passed.”
Naruto nodded.
Ranma just clapped his hands together and offered a prayer.
“Anyway, aside from my congratulations, I wanted to give you this,” Nodoka offered, handing him a small locket with the whirlpool symbol on it. “It is something I wanted you to have, but all these old people kept saying you weren’t ready to defend yourself or some stuff. I really stopped paying attention after the first few moments.”
Blinking, Naruto took the locket, opening it up to reveal one empty spot, and a photo in the other. “Who is it?” he asked.
“That was your mother, Kushina Uzumaki,” Nodoka stated softly.
Eyes wide, Naruto stared at the picture.
“Your parents made many enemies during their short time as shinobi for Konoha,” Nodoka stated serenely, almost as if she was a different person. “Your father most of all, which is why his picture isn’t in there.”
“But…” Naruto stated, almost in tears at finally, after all this time, having a past, having a MOTHER!
“Old Hokage didn’t want you to have their names until you were strong enough for whatever trouble just being related to them, might come your way.
“Of course, since your mother was the only Uzumaki around at the time, I figure you should at least have that, because only an extreme idiot wouldn’t have made that connection already.”
Across the Shinobi world, hundreds of people in leadership roles, sneezed.
“I knew her somewhat well, and I would be honored to tell you about her,” Nodoka continued. “I’m afraid information about your father will have to be vague until you either guess it, or become a Jōnin, whatever comes first.”
Like she was afraid of some stupid order from the Hokage. No one kept Nodoka in the corner!
“Th… Thank you,” Naruto offered, smiling at the picture.
“And now that you are a Genin, I now formally offer you a place of residence within the Saotome compound, to live with us, as family.” She would have offered much, much sooner, but it was like the Council was afraid of what she would do with a second child.
Naruto just looked up at the woman in a mix of awe, wonder, and a little fear. He’d gotten his first taste of being afraid of the woman when she trained him in water-walking at the Women’s Bath-houses … but to hear she wanted him as part of her family … to be shown he did have a mother and that one wanted to practically be his after all this time…
He couldn’t help it. Tears started to flow from his eyes and mucous dripped from his left nostril. “Ah … Auntie Nodoka,” he whimpered pathetically. Of all the things he could have imagined ... to have this kind of recognition was the very thing he’d starved for all his life.
She smiled. “Please; you can call me Nodoka-mama if you wish,”she cooed, putting away her fan and giving the boy’s whiskered cheek a pinch. “We’ll get you out of that dingy little apartment and set you up with your own room at the Saotome Estate. You’ll have a good home, good food, and most importantly, people who love you!”
…
She turned to look over her shoulder at the other boy “I said, ‘people who love you’!” she said pointedly at her biological son.
“… Mom, I’m not telling Naruto THAT!” Ranma stated, motioning to all the parents and students-turned-Genin standing around that were watching this play out like some sort of stage show.
Smiling a devious little grin, the Saotome Matriarch released that dark chuckle. “Fufufufufu … then I guess someone will have to wait awhile longer for their train—”
“Yeah, luv ya, bro!” Ranma spouted off quickly before his mother could finish that train of thought.
Pouting, the woman told her son, “Say it like you mean it!”
Murakumo just stared, before rubbing his forehead. Part of him wanted to pity the boy.
But then the much larger, fatherly part of his mind yelled that this was also the same shit-stain who regularly touched his nude daughter for a medical technique, and like that, the pity went away, drowned in the stream of righteous paternal rage.
His wife, Uroko, just smiled. “Such a nice family.”
Yakumo just smiled, happy to see her Ranma-sama get a new brother!
Kimiko Tendo removed a small flask and took a quick drink. Oh, she could already see the summons for an Emergency Council meeting, thanks to what Nodoka had just done, spilling one S-class secret—although she did agree you had to be about as smart as The Legendary Stupid Brothers not to figure it out.
Hell, not like Uzu had been a village filled with nothing but redheads! That was like saying only dark-skinned people lived in Kumo. “Nodoka, send them off to have fun and celebrate already!” She wanted this small gathering over before she would be forced to explain to a tribunal that no, you could not execute Nodoka.
Besides, that only made her angry.
“Oh, fine,” Nodoka sighed. “I’m just trying to have a family moment with my manly sons…
“Anyway, we’ll come over tomorrow morning to help you move, Naruto,” she said, smiling at the child. “Tonight, however, with his graduation, Ranma has to perform a sacred ceremony.”
“Sacred?” Ranma asked.
“Yes, very sacred, a family tradition.”
“… How long a tradition?” Ranma asked, fearing he was about to be sent on a midnight panty raid.
“About as soon as the doctors confirmed I was carrying a male,” Nodoka responded.
Ranma just sulked. True, he didn’t mind disappearing tonight to help Naruto—and maybe himself to some forbidden techniques…
Of course, now, he feared what would happen when he got home … and what it was he was going to miss.
Decisions, decisions…
“Oh yes my manly older son,” the auburn-tressed woman cooed happily. “I refuse to let the secret out of the bag, but this is a surprise that will leave you quite catatonic. I’m absolutely pawsitive that mew will enjoy it!” she started, wringing her hands together in a way that would have made Danzō Shimura proud. “Fufufufufu...”
A sweatdrop trailing down the side of his head, Ranma decided that, yes, it really would be in Naruto’s best interests in helping him. What was it that he said about fucking friendship? Well, he was wrong! Yay friendship! Friendship was best! Hooray for warm-fuzzies that weren’t of the meowing sort!
“Now,” Nodoka stated, “I already set up an account at the Korean Beef place for you guys to go celebrate at.”
“Where is Korea?” asked Nabiki. “Is it a north or south?”
“Now you all go there and celebrate,” Nodoka continued, either having not heard Nabiki’s question or ignored it. “In fact, you should take your entire class, ask for drink, enjoy yourselves in hormone-laden beef and—”
*WHACK!*
Kimiko was also the lone person in the village that could get away with head-slapping Nodoka.
“Have fun, remember you are all twelve, and do nothing that will send a parent on a killing spree,” Kimiko stated, waving them off, before several of the fathers full drew their weapons to protect their innocent angels … trained to be killing machines.
Noticing that the killing intent of said parental units were aimed at them, Ranma chuckled nervously. “Er … come on, Naruto! Korean Barbeque!”
“But I wanna go for some ramen! Teuchi and Ayame promised me a great big bowl on the house if I passed this time!” the blonde whined as the pigtailed Genin tugged at his sleeve. “I so want to cash in on that promise!”
Shaking his head, Ranma was quick to snipe, “You can do it another time! We have much to discuss!” Specifically, how he intended to help Naruto steal procure the Scroll of Forbidden Seals. He knew he was a skilled warrior and had much better control than Naruto. If he could learn the Kage Bushin quick enough, he might be able to start on something else…
“Hey!” Nabiki snapped as she took a step closer. “Think you’re forgetting someone?” Like hell she was going to waste the chance to eat on someone else’s tab. She may not have had to exhibit it much, but she was STILL a miser.
“… You’re right!” Ranma turned towards the other girl. “Hey, Yakumo! You wanna join us for some Korean beef?”
“… Low, Saotome, real low,” Nabiki hissed.
“Is Sasuke going?” asked Ino and Sakura—who hadn’t left yet.
“Hn,” snorted the Uchiha.
“There’ll be tomatoes,” Nabiki hinted. If she had to suffer, so did the emo.
Besides, wasn’t it a rule that emos enjoyed suffering?
Or was that masochists? She got them so confused.
“… Feh, whatever,” Sasuke muttered, following the group heading for the Korean Beef restaurant. He may have hated them, but he would make them all pay…
Well, specifically Saotome, and if it was a financial bill, and his mother had to suffer, so be it.
Seeing that their idol was indeed going, both young Kunoichi turned to their respective parents, eyes sparkling as they poured on the aura of cuteness. “Can I go have Barbeque Beef with Sasuke-kun, PWEASE!” both girls said in surprising sync, just a sign of how they had once been the closest of friends.
Mebuki Haruno smiled and patted her daughter on the head. “Well, if it really means that much to you … but don’t fill up TOO much … your father and I plan a special dessert for you when you come home!”
Inoichi, being a Ninja, was more apt to study the situation first. Looking over the group gathered, he wasn’t sure he wanted to leave his daughter alone with both the one who set her hormones ablaze and her former friend who set her temper on fire. He needed something to reign the girl in … or at least be a punching bag so she didn’t damage the restaurant. “Hmm; it sounds like a good time for you and the others,” he replied seriously before looking about to his two teammates. “Hey Chouza, Shikaku; your boys would like to attend to, wouldn’t they?”
Chōji immediately stopped munching on his chips. “Korean barbeque … that I don’t have to pay for?” he muttered in awe; his own eyes gaining the same shimmer the girls’ had when they were begging their parents to go.
Seeing Saotome palm his face, Sasuke barely concealed a smirk.
Vengeance… First, Saotome, then Itachi!
… And maybe Itachi would be at least half as sweet!
Yakumo smiled as she joined her savior’s side with a smile, waiting until they were at the restaurant to give him a proper thank-you.
After all, she knew this guard and had enough material to keep him quiet.
Ranma sat on a nearby rooftop, waiting…
Well, not waiting. He knew what was supposed to happen, what he hoped to happen, and sighed.
Sighed? Why? Because once his mother found out he left a Kage Bunshin at home, it would not matter how or why he did so. All that would matter was that he had left before whatever ‘tradition’ was gone through.
Frankly, after seeing her enter a ritual room with a French maid’s outfit too small for her, random items he had seen in the Old Letch’s room, and seeing her humming and smiling, he felt it best to skip this proud tradition she had made up not even two decades ago.
Besides, he knew Naruto was the key to everything here, especially if they were to survive Pein coming to the village.
Man, wonder what it would be like to have a manga based on my life, he idly thought. At the very least, he was glad to not be home, especially if that would be the first place Yakumo’s dad would go, after learning his daughter had kissed him … and what Nabiki’s mom would do, when she learned Yakumo’s first attempt had been stopped by using Kawarimi to switch with Nabiki.
He didn’t get a chance to wonder for long before what he was awaiting happened. There, coming out of the main window of the Hokage’s Office was Naruto; huge-ass scroll bound to his back. The blonde looked left and right before taking off from the Hokage Tower.
Nodding his head, Ranma took off after Naruto, tailing the whiskered kid. Seriously, was all of Konoha colorblind? Did no one notice the kid with bright yellow hair and even brighter orange just freefalling from the most important building in the village before making like a banana and splitting? The Saotome youth had no problem keeping up with him!
Bounding about the village and up into the Hokage monument, the raven-haired youth that was sometimes a crimson-tressed girl kept up with the jinchūriki, going over the mountain and into the forest that sprawled over the opposite side of the solid carved rockface. When Naruto came to a small wood-cutters shed that was in a state of disrepair from having been abandoned for possibly a few years, Ranma paused and hid behind a tree.
“Let’s see, let’s see…” the boy mumbled as he placed the scroll down on the ground and began to unfurl it. His big blue eyes were immediately drawn to the very first set of hand seals on it. “Kage Bunshin?” He groaned. “Damn it! I had to work my ass off just for a regular Bushin and now THIS!?”
“Well,” Ranma spoke up from right behind the blonde, “it is really, REALLY useful if you figure out how to use it.”
Yelping in shock, the blonde fell back onto his rear, kicking his feet and skidding away quickly. “Ranma!? How’d you find me!?” His eyes narrowed. “If you think you’re gonna beat me to those grade points…” Naruto muttered warningly. Foster-brother or not, HE was going to be the one who was proclaimed Rookie of the Year!
“Whatever, bro,” Ranma waved off. “Now, you want the good news or the bad news?”
Naruto just blinked. Was Ranma part of the exam? “Umm … whatever hurts the least?”
“Fine, bad news,” Ranma stated with a smirk. “There is no extra exam, Mizuki is a treasonous ass, and under different circumstances, you would now be listed as a treasonous nukenin.”
Eyes wide, Naruto just gasped.
“Good news, we now have a scroll of forbidden jutsu, of which we can learn until the traitor shows up, so we can bust him with it.”
“… I love you man,” Naruto stated with awe.
“You ain’t getting the scroll to keep,” Ranma waved off. “Now open it, I can create a few clones to help you with the first one on it.”
Blinking, Naruto opened it to reveal… “Kage Bunshin no Jutsu…” he stated, before looking at the top of the scroll to see if he had missed one beforehand.
“I call gyp!”
Ranma smirked. “I call it making you more awesome,” he chuckled as Naruto seemed appeased by that. “Now, let’s see … what is there for me to learn?” the pigtailed Genin mumbled as he looked over the next entry. “Bunshin Daibakuha... Clone Great Explosion!?” he yelled out that last one as he nudged Naruto over a little and took a good look,
Studying the associated information, Ranma began to read aloud, “This technique is used to create a Shadow Clone that can be detonated. The clone looks like a normal shadow clone, which allows the user to get it close to the target without them expecting anything besides a normal attack, or the target might even close in willingly to try to attack the clone. Using multiple tricks and diversionary tactics to disguise the nature of the clone can make this technique more likely to be effective... Hashirama Senju; September 18th, 134th Year of the Warring Sates Period…”
Both boys looked at each other with gazes that would have been less creepy and more meaningful on the grins of five-year-olds in a candy store.
Smiling, both boys returned to the scroll, before Ranma summoned a Shadow Clone to escort Naruto away for some training in Kage Bunshin, non-Saotome style. With luck, he could teach Naruto the forbidden technique, and help the boy advance even further!
And if not … well, nothing was keeping him back.
“KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!” Ranma cried. He’d learn it all, or Mizuki would die for him trying!
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(Posted Tue, 22 Oct 2013 01:11)
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