"Did they pass?" asked the Hokage.
"Technically, yes," said Kakashi. "They displayed teamwork. Except for Sakura Haruno fainting when she realized what she was seeing."
"Ah, so Naruto used his Dead Arts," said the Hokage. "Your impression?"
"...this is so mind-bogglingly useful that sending them back to the Academy would have been laughable?" tried Kakashi. "Obito and Rin had a word with me. At the end of which, Rin decked me."
"Ah, well, was it nice seeing them again?" asked the Hokage.
"Yes, we had an interesting discussion," said Kakashi. "Up until Rin hit me."
"Privacy Seal Enhancement Jutsu," said the Hokage, making a one-handed seal.
Kakashi blinked. Something to be discussed even more secret than these 'Dead Arts' or 'Necromancy Style' that Naruto was practicing?
"When Naruto started practicing his new Art, certain things came to light," said the Hokage. "The entire 'taking a secret to the grave' concept has been turned on its ear."
"Yes, I had a similar revelation," admitted Kakashi.
"We never had a chance to discuss things before his death, but apparently the Fourth's opponent the day of the Kyubi attack was Madara Uchiha - who was also pivotal in the attempted coup by the Uchiha clan AND its massacre. You'll recall the report that someone killed my wife Biwako and the ANBU guard present at the safe house where Naruto was born? That particular mystery has now been solved."
"How can he still be alive?" asked Kakashi. "He'd be well past the century-and-a-half mark at this time, wouldn't he?"
"You'd think so," said the Hokage. "Apparently he had considerable abilities, enough that the Fourth was hard-pressed in his battle against him. Whether it was the real Madara Uchiha or simply someone with a Sharingan imitating him, a clone or something,it was this person responsible for the Nine-tails' attack on Konoha."
"Naruto and Sasuke know this?" asked Kakashi.
"They do," said the Hokage. "Naruto knows he contains the Nine-tails, as did his mother and so too did Mito Uzumaki. He also knows that the sealing left a fragment or impression of the Shinigami within him."
"Oh dear," said Kakashi, summing up his feelings on that subject.
"Naruto's Dead Arts means that you'll be getting some unusual missions that other teams are not well equipped to handle," said the Hokage. "Naruto, with the aid and often at the bequest of Sasuke Uchiha, has been putting the spirits of the dead to rest and serving to communicate with those very spirits of the dead - among other things."
Kakashi nodded. Making what they had apparently been doing on their own time official missions.
"With the information provided by Naruto's arts, Sasuke has access to a number of skills and jutsu he lacks the chakra control and capacity to use at the moment," said the Hokage. "I suggest you work on that when you can, but the third member of the team will need more assistance."
"Right, everything suggests that Sakura Haruno is an outstanding academic with excellent chakra control but not much capacity," said Kakashi, considering. "Maybe genjutsu or medical training."
Sakura glanced nervously over at Naruto. Once, long ago, he had pestered her for dates. He'd abruptly stopped. Had she said something to him that had forced him to take the current path he had?
Because that was something that was seriously creeping her out. Even while the three of them sat on a bench not too far from the ramen shop Naruto seemed to favor.
"Ah," said Naruto, lowering his bowl. "Warm."
"Hn," indicated Sasuke.
"So, Sakura," said Naruto, turning to her. "Have you thought about your place on the team?"
"MY place?!" asked Sakura.
"Sasuke has the Sharingan, though he has trouble keeping it running," said Naruto. "It activated when-"
"Hmph," sounded Sasuke, glaring at Naruto.
"I wasn't going into detail," said Naruto to Sasuke before turning back to Sakura. "When he had a chance to talk to his parents."
"Who are dead, right?" asked a twitching Sakura.
"Yes, Sakura, I speak with the dead and learn some of their secrets," said Naruto. "My Dead Arts allow me to gather information, also some minor healing and attack jutsu. I also know a few other jutsu."
"The question," said Sasuke, stirring himself to tell the kunoichi exactly what this meeting was about. "Is what role do you want to play? I'm a close-range specialist in taijutsu, mid-range with ninjutsu."
"I don't know," admitted Sakura after a few moments thought. The team was nothing like she THOUGHT it would be.
"Something to think about, I guess," said Naruto.
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(Posted Tue, 01 May 2012 19:07)
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