Naruto, Lee, Tenten, Neji, and Gai all sat in a BBQ booth together talking.
"So your telling me silent stepping isn't require to become a Chunin? What about elemental manipulation? Or a certain mission count?"
"No, Naruto. You don't need to have an assignation skill, elemental manipulation which is generally a high Chunin skill, and you don't need to do an S-Rank Mission! Those are reserved for Jonin in the first place." Naruto rubbed his read and sighed.
"So Kakashi fibbed to get me to work harder?" All four of his teammates nodded, prompting Naruto to slam his head on the table.
"So what exactly did he have you do?" Tenten asked.
"Oh, not much. It's really similar to what Lee and I are doing now. The weights I have on now are just a bit heavier-." Tenten and Neji both paled as he continued. "As for control, he had me walk up a waterfall with a 5 elemental seal on, he had me master my birth element and start work on another... oh and all of the information and assignation stuff. Shadow clones really sped things up." Gai's eyes widened significantly.
"You use shadow clone's memory transfer to train!?" Naruto gave an innocent nod.
"Yeah I use them to study Fuinjutsu as well. I'm and intermediate user, level 6 I do believe." Tenten was gaping while Gai put his face in his hands.
"Why aren't you Chunin!? You have the power and skills of a weak Jonin you just lack experience!" Naruto smiled.
"I wanted a team, and to make friends. Duh!" The four stopped and smiled, before beginning to laugh.
"The fact that your serious- makes it so much better." Tenten managed to wheeze out. "What's next? Your just a shinobi for fun?" Naruto
"Sure, laugh it up. But there are consequences for going to fast." Tenten furrowed her brow, as did Neji.
"Think about other prodigies that skipped the first steps. Itachi, Kakashi... no offense Gai. Kakashi is a great friend now, but he wasn't in one piece as a fresh Jonin. I've decided to follow more in the Yondaime's footsteps." Gai nodded softly, understanding Naruto's words completely.
Kakashi himself had often spoken of wishing he did things differently in private. The Yondaime was in his genin cell for a year before moving on to Chunin, and stayed Chunin until the third shinobi war.
"Well when you put it like that, I guess it's a different story." Naruto nodded quickly.
"Prodigies and bad mental health are almost always hand in hand." Naruto leaned into Neji and spoke very softly. "That's why Hiashi is stalling you." Neji's face showed shock of a split second before he covered it with a scowl.
They were interrupted from their conversation by an ANBU appearing beside their table.
"Might Gai, you and your team are needed in the Hokage's office immediately, no delays." Naruto and Gai shot up from the booth.
"Weasel. If your here it must be a massive problem." Naruto spoke in an urgent tone.
"Emergency mission. Gai, your team is needed. Move. Now." As the ANBU disappeared, Team 9 did as well.
The five of them appeared in the Hokage's office, serious looks on their face.
"Team Guy, you are needed as the first wave of reinforcements to wave for an emergency mission. We were lied to about the rank of the mission a Wave local was soliciting from us. Luckily we already had intelligence on the area and the mission. Kakashi and our three transfer genin were going to be enough. What we were not expecting was for one of those 'genin' to be a plant from Kiri. I have confidence that you five will be enough to assist Kakashi's team until we can get additional reinforcements over there. You leave immediately."
"Right." They disappeared to go and grab their packs, all but Naruto.
"What's really going on, Sensei? Kakashi is more than powerful enough to handle any A rank nin, and can go blow to blow with an S rank, so who showed up that they weren't expecting?"
Hiruzen sighed before rubbing his forehead.
"Zabuza Momochi, the Demon Brothers and one un-named protege. Evidence suggests this protege is under duress. I'm giving you a side mission. It is not do or die, and fail or succeed, will not go onto your record. I want the protege here, in Konoha, so we can get everything on the fifth member of the attackers in Wave." Naruto's eyes widened before he took a step back.
"There's only two people that have associated with both Zabuza and his company. Kisame Hoshigake and Raiga Kurosuki. I know you wouldn't send all of us if it was Kisame, just Gai. Can't risk loosing 4 promising Genin. So Raiga is our opponent, I'll inform the team, as well as a request to handle the protege as a favor." Hiruzen nodded and Naruto was readying to use shunshin.
"Sensei-," Hiruzen looked at Naruto quickly. "-I won't allow a child's torture. I hope you know that." Hiruzen nodded and Naruto was gone.
"I have no intention of using that one for information. Hyouton is much to powerful not to study." Hiruzen let out a sigh.
"Good luck, Naruto. I'll need you in good health if the Chunin exams are going to be as bad as I think they are."
YOU ARE READING
Apprentice
FanfictionNaruto was always a trouble maker, playing pranks for attention. It was all he could do to get eyes of him. Angry eyes are better than no eyes. If there was another way for him to escape isolation for however brief, he would. And the most powerful m...
