"That's what I said," agreed Kakashi.
"Sasuke?" asked Naruto.
"He didn't read the report, obviously," said Sasuke, leaning his back against a tree. "How he avoided hearing about your Dead Arts is a question I really want to know about later."
"'Dead Arts'?" asked Sakura, thinking that probably meant that it was some form of ninjutsu found in ancient ruins or the like.
"Those rumors were just rumors, of course," said Kakashi.
"Torture and Interrogation still wants to recruit me, so I suppose good luck to you and Sakura after we get the bells from him," said Naruto, shaking his head.
"You're leaving me with her?" asked Sasuke.
"Sacrificing your own future for the team?" asked Kakashi, concealing the pleasant surprise with a mask of boredom.
"You going to start this farce?" asked Sasuke.
"Very well," said Kakashi. "Start."
Naruto went through quick handseals, then slapped the ground.
The sun seemed to go behind thick clouds, a cold wind sent leaves skittering along the ground.
"Your mom?" asked Sasuke.
"Yeah, I think so," said Naruto.
Sasuke glanced towards Sakura. "Sakura. We need your help."
"Me? What- what's going on?" asked a nervous Sakura.
"When she takes over, just go along for the ride," said Sasuke. "Best if you can avoid fighting her completely."
"What?" asked Sakura.
Naruto looked up at Kakashi Hatake. "Come forth. Kushina Uzumaki."
Kakashi frowned a little bit at the obviousness of the genjutsu, then moved the eyepatch to reveal his Sharingan eye. That would allow him to immediately unravel the genjutsu.
Except it didn't look like a genjutsu. With his normal eye, it was the same cleared area of the training ground. Dim light, movement of the grass and leaves in that odd breeze. His three genin-candidates - one crouching down, one frowning but relaxed, and one very nervous kunoichi.
With his Sharingan eye, things were a little different. There was a large gate of iron, partially ajar. Naruto's face seemed to shift into skeletal appearance in the shadows. And there was a familiar woman walking directly towards Sakura Haruno.
He recognized Kushina Uzumaki of course. His Sharingan eye could see how she didn't quite touch the ground, and then she seemed to FLOW into Sakura.
Who got into a familiar-looking stance and looked quite pissed-off.
"Kakashi. Exactly how have you been looking after my little boy? Be glad you're not Jiraiya. On the other hand, you ARE here. I think we're going to have to discuss this, dattebane!"
KA-THWAM!
She HIT like Kushina Uzumaki too.
"What the hell?!"
"A possession, child. Hello. Now, if you'll just sit back. This'll be difficult if we have to have some dominance-fight between us. Jonin versus jonin is a much better match, don't you think?"
Sasuke watched as the two cranked up the fight several notches as they went along. Palmstrike. Elbow jab. Sweep-kick. Substitution. Kunai with ninja wire. Clone. Another substitution. "Eh? Chains?"
"Yeah. I wanna learn that one," said Naruto. "Uzumaki family technique or so I guess."
"You okay?" asked Sasuke.
"Difficult," said Naruto. "Maintaining the connection, also have to feed her chakra. Sakura doesn't have much in the way of reserves."
"She was top kunoichi, but that's an overall score." Sasuke watched the two blurs going around. "You really okay with going into Torture and Interrogation?"
"Not really," admitted Naruto. "Depressing stuff. If you've got any kinda psychic sensitivity - that's not a good place to hang around."
"Right," said Sasuke. "Still, they probably just want you to interrogate the dead ones."
"Who can be a stubborn lot," noted Naruto as trees were broken apart a few yards away. "Oh well. You ready?"
"She immobilizes him for three seconds," said Sasuke, revealing a knife in one hand, "that's all I need."
Naruto nodded and they watched until chakra chains wrapped tightly around their jonin, holding him for an entire five seconds.
"Oh, that was intense," said Sakura, holding onto a tree so she didn't fall over. "I hurt in places I didn't know I had."
"I'm not that good a medic, but I managed to keep anything from ripping loose."
Sasuke glanced over at Sakura, weighing what to say. "She still there?"
"Eh?" asked Sakura. "No. She's gone."
"I'll just be a couple of minutes before I return. Was there something you wanted?"
Sasuke nodded in reply to the part of the conversation he could hear.
"Who was that, anyway?" asked Sakura of Sasuke.
"Kushina Uzumaki. Naruto's mother," supplied Sasuke. "You understand that his mother's identity is secret?"
"He's right of course. I am Kushina Uzumaki."
"And she's dead?" asked Sakura.
"Yes," said Sasuke. "Naruto's Dead Arts involve the spirits of the dead. She was brought back to assist her son. He doesn't like disturbing any of the dead, especially her - but she wanted to help him make it to a team."
"Also true. Mikoto would be so proud of how her son has turned out. Well, mostly."
"So... Naruto, the boy who was always staring at empty corners and stuff," continued Sakura, putting the whole thing together. "Those corners weren't actually empty."
Sasuke was giving a lot of attention to Sakura now, which she might have appreciated more if she weren't quietly freaking out. "Naruto's Dead Arts are also considered a village secret."
"I see," said Sakura, twitching a bit. "So... he isn't involved in a yaoi relationship with you?"
"No, he is not," said Sasuke, twitching a bit himself at that question.
"Oh, what a relief," sighed Sakura.
"Well, that's a relief. You really thought they were? How very odd. So, you like Sasuke?"
"Yeah," said Sakura, catching herself a moment later. "Yeah, that's a big relief."
"Girls are so strange," said Sasuke, shaking his head once.
"He has no idea yet. Good luck, child. And fare well."
Sakura glanced at Naruto, currently tied to a post. And asleep again. The sense of presence within her faded away, leaving her with an odd sensation of being alone.
"I wonder what's keeping Kakashi-sensei?" asked Sakura after a few minutes.
"S-Class secrets," said the Hokage. "You had the files available to you as of last week."
"He can get answers from the dead, command the dead to rise and fight for him, dispel ghosts and lay them to rest," said Kakashi as he looked over the reports.
"Yes, these are all documented," said the Hokage.
"Why was I told they were all rumors?" asked Kakashi.
"By members of your former ANBU squad who were annoyed by your perpetual tardiness, tendency to duck duties you find too troublesome, and the way you ignore them when they're trying to talk to you?" asked the Hokage.
"Ah," said Kakashi.
"They knew Naruto wouldn't actually hurt you," said the Hokage with a slight shrug. "So did they pass?"
"Yes," admitted Kakashi. "They went at it as a team. Though if Naruto can do this - sending him back to the Academy would not do him any good. And might end up with my sleep disturbed by visitors from the Other Side. Which would really be a pain."
"Yes, well, Naruto also needs to work on other skills as his Dead Arts are taking a toll on him physically," said the Hokage. "There will be special D and C-Rank missions which involve his skills. I'll do what I can to make it interesting for you."
"Now THAT is a very concerning thing to hear," said Kakashi.
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(Posted Tue, 26 Nov 2013 16:06)
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