A While Later - Shinobi of the Hidden Leaves, Headquarters
[ X ]
"This is not how this was supposed to go," Hiruzen bitterly muttered under his breath, taking another hit from his pipe.
He wanted this day to be about this moment. About finally seeing Naruto and him learning about his heritage, going over the reasons why he allowed someone from this world to care for him.
"What are we going to do about it? This move is an obvious threat and a show of confidence. My question is, why hasn't he made a move earlier if he wants Naruto? This feels like he's mocking us." Kakashi leaned against the eastward wall, his mask crinkled into a scowl.
Hiruzen had noticed Kakashi was in a more foul mood than typical after Naruto had left. He had to admit he was a little surprised to hear what Rina had reported. The man had called Minato his sensei, which left little doubt about who the masked man was. It confirmed Hiruzen's suspicion after hearing his voice when he attempted to kidnap Naruto years back.
Kakashi was simply coming to terms with that fact, having believed Obito was dead. He understood the struggle to accept the idea that he was, in fact, alive.
"I don't believe it is entirely because he wants to kidnap Naruto as he had before. As Rina suspected, I believe he came to the same conclusion I did when we first arrived, and believes he needs Naruto. That Naruto is the key to returning home." Hiruzen exhaled and grimaced.
"Why was that ever on the table? You weren't at the epicenter of the Hollow Expansion. From all reports, the epicenter was several blocks away." Kakashi raised his lone visible eyebrow before frowning. "You did say Naruto had a strange reaction when the Hollow originally swallowed him. Something about a chakra source that wasn't his or the Nine Tails."
"It might have been the Nine Tails, but I am unsure. All I can state is that it was a golden shield of peculiar, unidentifiable chakra that surrounded him. Chakra I, to this day, can't identify." Hiruzen mused before exhaling, lifting his head upon hearing a knock at the door. "Come in."
"Sorry, I am late." Lycaon entered the room. He gave the room a quick once-over with a sharp glance, meeting Kakashi's gaze before frowning. "I thought you would have kept him, given the circumstances."
"Given the information you and Rina gave, and from what we know, the masked stranger is not an immediate threat. With the overload of everything, I felt it was best to let Naruto digest everything and head out. Just in case, to keep him from doing anything reckless, Kurenai volunteered to watch over him." Hiruzen exhaled, more than aware Naruto had a bit of a rebellious streak.
He never really grew out of it.
"For now. His appearance upset Rina enough that she reported the incident to Public Security." Lycaon mentioned, stepping before the desk, standing in a dignified manner. "And, as reckless as Naruto can be sometimes, Ellen can temper impulsive nature. She knows how he ticks and can redirect him."
"Sounds like what sensei used to do for his wife," Kakashi snorted, his mask crinkling momentarily before his mask depressed at the memory.
"It's probably for the best that New Eridu's Public Security is involved. This is no longer just a shinobi matter now that he has revealed himself and made a move." Hiruzen nodded, understanding this wasn't just a problem for his people.
This was a problem for New Eridu.
"I will handle him," Kakashi growled, repressing a hiss in his throat.
"No, Kakashi, I need you to train Naruto and teach him his father's legacy," Hiruzen responded with a scowl. Seeing Kakashi defiantly stare back at him, the old Hokage's features stilled like stone as he coldly bored his gaze back into his shinobi's. "I understand what you are feeling, but this is an order. If he has made a move toward Naruto, I want him ready to be able to fight him."
Kakashi growled, but did not say another word for a moment, contemplating how to respond. Hiruzen's gaze sharpened, and Kakashi finally relented. "Yes, Lord Third. I understand I am the only one who can teach him in that matter. But why can't Kurenai continue to train him in other aspects? She is his sensei, not me. It's something she feels strongly about, and I happen to agree with. Besides… I'm needed for hunting him down."
"If I may," Lycaon interrupted, turning his attention to Kakashi. The Jonin's mask crinkled, but gave a nod of acknowledgement. "Kurenai is very talented; however, she has confided to Rina that she has been expressing frustration with Naruto's progress. That she struggled to draw out and test his full capacity. I know this is because of the code of living I taught and helped him learn. One of those codes is that, when in the presence of a lady, one must remain reserved whenever possible."
"Are you saying Naruto holds back during training?" Kakashi snorted at the thought, seeing how they trained before his eyes narrowed. "You are being serious. I struggle to buy that. In our brief scuffle when we first interacted, his attacks were just as swift as when he was training with Kurenai."
"Indeed, I am." Lycaon frowned while holding his hands behind his back. "As for that situation, it's simple. He wanted answers and was informed that you were trustworthy. He likely hadn't suspected such a rude greeting. Only if he determined you were a threat would he have decided to take out the trash."
Kakashi squinted momentarily before glowering. "I suppose… It still felt like he was giving it his all."
"I can prove he wasn't. Was Ellen still awake after the incident?" Lycaon responded with a smug grin on his face. Kakashi raised his brow but nodded. "Then there is your answer. Whenever Ellen asserts herself, she will fall asleep from exertion. If she didn't, Ellen wasn't giving her full effort, and neither was Naruto if he was matching her effort level. While she despises putting in any effort, she also dislikes it when Naruto beats her in anything and puts in effort to keep up with him, even if she passes out after."
"Hmph, fine. I'll see what he's capable of soon enough," Kakashi mulled over the information before snorting. "They have a peculiar relationship. They seem more like rivals than a couple."
"Who says your partner can't be your rival who pushes you to do your best?" Hiruzen added to the discussion with a smile on his face for a brief moment. Then, he steeled his expression. "Still, we'd best prepare for the worst-case scenario now that we know who we are dealing with and what he can do. We even have a rough idea of what he wants. The issue lies in how unpredictable he is. Combine that with that time and space warp he has…"
"Obito is a formidable foe, and we have to find a countermeasure to him."
[ X ]
Just a Little Later - Subway, Heading to Lumina Square Metro Station
[ X ]
There had been so much to happen in such a short span of time. It was a struggle to process. How was he supposed to handle any of this?
Naruto had not only learned that the survivors of those being dragged into New Eridu by the Hollow that spawned in Konoha, but that the Old Man, despite his advanced age, was still hard at work trying to find his people a way home.
And then there was the thing Naruto dreaded the most. Rina had called to warn Kurenai that his masked assailant had paid a visit to Victoria Housekeeping.
Yet that information wasn't a surprise. For some time, he had felt like he had been watched. With Kakashi's reveal, he finally thought he had solved who it was. That at least explained who was leaving the fruit and vegetables in his apartment for Ellen to eat or for him to cook.
But now he had a face, well, a mask, to put to the sensation he had for years. That man was still lurking… Still stalking, yet hadn't made a move.
Naruto exhaled as he held onto the train grip as it slowly came to a stop. There weren't many seats available, and as a gentleman, he had to allow Corin and Ellen to take a seat… And Ellen needed two seats due to her chunky tail…
"What are you looking at?" Ellen gave him a sour expression, and Naruto's gaze shifted.
"Nothing," Naruto muttered as he returned to his thoughts as the door opened to release some of the passengers.
As the doors shut and he headed to the next stop of Lumina Station, Naruto kept a calm exterior. Internally, he was seething and frothing in anger. That man who made him feel so helpless all those years ago was here in New Eridu. It was something that Naruto expected, but the confirmation that he was here unsettled him.
Was he ready to confront him?
Naruto had spent years training for the moment. That memory of him being so easily manhandled, despite being a child, and helpless before the Old Man left a scar on his mind. One that Naruto refused to relent to. Vowed never to allow such a thing to happen again.
So he trained. He trained hard.
First, it was Uncle Lycaon. Not only did he teach him the gentleman's code, but he also taught him how to fight and protect himself. His methods of staying in shape and prepared were top-notch.
But it wasn't what he knew. Naruto felt he could do more. He had seen some of the crazy things his people back in Konoha could do and wanted to learn those techniques.
So Uncle Lycaon came back with Kurenai. Now Naruto knew that the Old Man had likely sent her to help train him, but would that have been any different back home? No. The Old Man assigned Jonin-sensei to students. The only thing that bothered him was that he would have liked to have seen Grandpa Hokage sooner…
He looked good for his age.
Now he might have a new sensei who could teach him his father's techniques. A father he had never known about until now. The Fourth Hokage…
And his mother, the Red Hot Habenero…
The tidbit of information drew a slew of questions, but only one was answered. Naruto understood why he had become the vessel of the Nine Tails. It wasn't only the fact that his father believed in him. It was because his mother was the previous vessel, and something had happened to cause the Nine-Tails to break loose.
Naruto wished to know more, but that was all the Old Man knew. The only other who would know the information was sealed inside him and had been all but silent for all these years. Never once had he had contact with the fox. All he knew was that when he was angry, he could feel its presence as it fed him its chakra.
And he could feel its power coursing through him, even if it was faint.
Naruto simply took a deep, calming breath. While he had a set of conflicting emotions bubbling within, there was no need to feed the beast. There wasn't an active reason to draw power from it when there wasn't a threat to handle.
"Come on," Naruto felt a tug on his left arm as the train came to a stop. Turning his head to meet Ellen's bland gaze, she simply motioned her head as they stepped off the train. "If I'm feeling restless, I can only imagine how you are feeling. The HIA Club should still be open. I heard they updated their battle simulator with new Ethereal data. Want to check it out?"
Naruto scowled at Ellen's nonchalant attitude and lackadaisical demeanor as she strutted ahead. But having known her for years, a thin smile quivered on Naruto's lips before he shook his head.
Ellen knew Naruto well enough and knew he was frustrated. This was just her way of showing she cared enough to make an effort.
…In fact, Ellen had been strangely putting in more effort than she usually did… Naruto was curious as to why she was…
"Yeah, I feel like I need to bust." Naruto rolled his eyes, striding forward to meet Ellen's pace.
"Ick. Phrasing." Ellen gave Naruto a look of disgust.
Naruto simply responds with a confident grin and a chuckle in his throat. Ellen glowered and glared while Naruto smirked. "Say, the last patch the simulator had, it had a high score… Betcha a box of candy against a package of ramen that I can beat the previous high score."
"Hmph. Fat chance. That candy is as good as mine," Ellen scoffed before raising her nose.
"Oh, you're gonna exert some effort? What if that leaves you tired?" Naruto quirked his brow and smirked.
"Then you'll just have to be a gentleman, look after me, and take me home. Or at the very least, let me crash on your sofa." Ellen snorted and shrugged before yawning. "It's been a while since the last time that happened."
Naruto glowered and squinted. It hadn't happened in a while because Uncle Lycaon and Rina had caught on that Ellen was skipping classes to snooze while he skipped to train, bringing Ellen back to ensure no shady person would do anything to Ellen as she slept on a bench.
The fact that Rina called every day to ensure they were in class annoyed both of them.
"Oh, Corin, you should join us." Naruto, remembering the third member who had been with them all day, grimaced as Corin shrank as he addressed her.
…Almost as if she was surprised…
"Huh? But why?" Corin meekly asked, poking her fingers together before glumly lowering her head. "I'm not very good…"
"That's the point," Naruto chirped, beaming warmly at Corin. "You gotta practice and get better for live action, and when we go on expeditions into Hollows together. Don't know when we'll get another mission that will call upon us into a Hollow. And while it ain't on the field, the last simulator was pretty accurate with all the combat data it has on Ethereals and raiders. This new one is probably even better than the last!"
"Besides, the last simulator requires three people. I would rather you join us than some random." Ellen scowled, sharing a sharp look with Corin.
The message was conveyed as Corin's expression turned to shock before she rapidly nodded. "If you say so… But I apologize if I hold you back…"
"Pfft. You won't," Naruto scoffed, shaking his head at the thought. Corin was competent and more than able to handle mostly anything before her.
She had inexplicable moments when her lack of confidence made her forget something or lose her balance. She just needed a little seasoning and experience… And preparation.
…He remembered how annoyed Uncle Lycaon was the last time they went on a mission as a unit, and the saw of Corin's buzzsaw rolled off due to poor maintenance.
And so did he. Naruto wanted to be prepared to face that man the next time he showed up. That's why, when the man revealed his face again…
He would regret it!
[ X ]
Later - Just outside HIA Club
[ X ]
Kurenai silently fumed as she quietly sat on a bench. She occasionally glanced toward the HIA Club, keeping a vigilant watch over the scene.
Naruto was her student. The fact that there was someone out there who was a threat for unknown reasons left her bitter and spiteful. If she had a shot at him…
What could she do? Kurenai's expression faltered, grimacing. The man, unfortunately, was a Uchiha, and her speciality was Genjutsu. Uchiha had natural talent for the art and were highly resistant, able to see through most with their special eyes. Even with a lone eye, he could easily dispel the majority of her illusions…
Kurenai's best skills were immediately invalidated… And she thought living in a new world where Uchiha didn't exist would improve her standing…
Even worse, in a physical battle, while Kurenai was confident in her skills, this was a man Kakashi was wary of. Someone whom Lord Third mentioned could defeat someone with a single touch. That invalidated hand-to-hand combat.
All that was left was ninjutsu and, again, the fact that the man was a Uchiha left Kurenai at a massive disadvantage. He could learn any technique by simply witnessing it, then immediately copying and using it himself.
She was outmatched in every conceivable category… How could she protect her student…
Kurenai needed to renew her training… Maybe she should join Kakashi's training with Naruto…
…Or would that cause Naruto to hold back?
"There you are," Rina's voice drew Kurenai from her brooding. Kurenai's crimson gaze lifted to see Alexandrina, ever dignified and composed. With a faint smile, the woman floated toward her, joining Kurenai on the bench next to her. "Blowing off steam?"
"That's what I heard. I almost feel bad for the bits of data. Sounds like Naruto and Ellen are going all out." Kurenai snorted, holding back her laugh.
"Oh dear. I hope Ellen doesn't fall asleep after they are finished." Rina chirped, knowing full well Ellen would.
"Of course she will. She knows what she's doing. She's distracting him to keep him from doing something stupid." Kurenai snorted once more, thinking along the same lines. While the simulators didn't stress the body, the simulator did stimulate the mind and made it feel like you had just participated in a fight.
"That's my girl," Rina softly giggled, a twinkle in her eye. Her smile, however, faltered, and her expression darkened. "I've involved Public Security in the matter. They'll likely be contacting all of us soon as they look into the matter."
Kurenai exhaled, but nodded. It was an understandable decision to involve the New Eridu authorities. The man, a danger to Naruto, stepped onto their property to taunt and harass them. Letting them know he could do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted…
It pissed Kurenai off, and she wasn't there. She understood Rina and Lycaon's anger.
"Do you know who is on the case? Is it someone we know?" Kurenai bit her lip, noticing the sliding doors to HIA open, repressing the urge to laugh.
Exiting the door, grumbling as he did, Naruto followed behind Corin, carrying a contentedly sleeping Ellen in his arms, muttering under her breath. "Cherry… Watermelon… Chocolate…"
"You just had to go all out… For a box of candy. I swear…" Naruto rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"Oh my," Rina's eyes sparkled, and she giggled at the scene, waving at Naruto and Corin as they noticed their presence. Corin waved back while Naruto acknowledged them before they turned down the street toward Corin's home. "Ever the gentlemen… As for your question, yes. It's the captain of the Criminal Investigation Unit."
"Zhu Yuan will be on the case."