"No?" asked Kakashi.
"Oh, I can see why you thought so," said Jiraiya, putting the little orange gemstone out onto the table where everyone could see it. "Very concentrated, very complicated. Except the more I examined it, the more that was off about it."
"Like what?" asked the Hokage.
"If expanded, it would be more than two-dimensional," said Jiraiya. "Three just to get a good look at it. I expect you'd need seven just to get a handle on the basics."
"That complicated?" asked Kakashi. "More complicated than the Kyubi's seal?"
"That and it is capable of communication and independent action," said Jiraiya. "I had to argue with it to avoid it just reappearing back with Naruto again."
[Correct.]
There were a few stares at the gemstone.
"Did it just talk?" asked Kakashi.
[Affirmative.]
"Yeah," said Jiraiya. "It talks. Seals don't."
"Why didn't it talk earlier?" asked Kakashi.
"How upset was Naruto that you took his gemstone from him?" asked Jiraiya.
"Whoever first coined the phrase 'as easy taking candy from a baby' has likely never tried to take candy from a baby," said Kakashi.
"Ah, he took it 'loudly' then, I take it," said Jiraiya with a nod.
"Yes, that would be one way of putting it," agreed Kakashi. "He was actually fairly unhappy about the whole thing."
"You didn't try to sneak it away from him?" asked Jiraiya.
"Well, yes," said Kakashi. "That was my first four attempts. Somehow though, I kept misplacing it."
Jiraiya nodded. "Jack?"
[Analysis of situation indicated further evasion attempts could result in injury to student. Determining motivation of intervening agent necessary for student's wellbeing.]
Jiraiya nodded again as the various jonin and special jonin, plus the Hokage, considered that response. "Now, if you care to repeat the analysis you gave me when I asked you for one earlier?"
[Affirmative. Summation. Student Naruto Uzumaki. Currently his ability to learn is impeded by a combination of social factors, the effects of the entity referred to as the 'Kyubi' on his chakra circulatory system, and certain biological factors that can be allowed for or corrected.]
"Which you were in the process of 'correcting' when you were interrupted?" prodded Jiraiya.
[Affirmative.]
"Why?" asked one of the jonin.
[Name: Jack. Designation: Teacher.]
"You mean, this little talking gem is a teacher?" asked Iruka Umino.
[Affirmative.]
"What can a gem, even a talking one, teach anyone?" asked one of the other jonin.
[Intelligent Device, general education type. This unit has a basic understanding of a wide variety of subjects ranging from practical to purely theoretical to social skills. In-depth tutoring is best accomplished by specialists of that particular field.]
"So," said Jiraiya, sitting back and looking inordinately pleased about something. Perhaps that he, out of all the various individuals assembled, had been the one to think of simply asking the thing what it was. Perhaps it was something else. "Any questions?"
(Posted Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:33)
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