Apprentice

CH. 11

Danzo rushed the boy, Naruto staying completely still. Naruto lifted a hand, glaring at Danzo coldly as he did so. Naruto would take every advantage he could, and right now, his biggest advantage was that Danzo didn't understand the Rinnegan. He channeled over a third of his chakra into one single:

"Shinra Tensei!" Danzo was hit by an immensely powerful force, turning into paste against it. Naruto flared his chakra assuming genjutsu, but nothing had changed. He shrugged and made a dozen clones to dispatch the ROOT around them. Naruto was about to leave to report to the Hokage when Danzo was suddenly there again. This time however, he had both arms. His new arm was hideous. He saw what looked to be the face of the Shodaime on his shoulder, below that was at least 13 eyes, with one slowly closing. "Izanagi." Naruto spoke, disgusted. "I see you have a Mangekyo under that bandage of yours then." Naruto sneered in disgust.

"Kurama, I'll need your help for this one. Just keep replacing my chakra with your own and we'll be fine." Naruto through 10 kunai into the air before running through four hand signs.

"Kage Kunai Jutsu!" 10 turned to 400 instantly, raining down the kunai across a 300 meter area. Danzo deflected the kunai that would rain on top of him before quickly jumping into the air once he realized Naruto was no longer were he was before. He looked down to see a pair of hands emerge from the soil, only to disappear a second later. His eyes darted around, but he didn't locate the Elemental Dragons screaming his way. They slammed into the man, completely eviscerating him. Naruto sat in wait, carefully sensing his surroundings.

'There!' Danzo re-emerged only to be immediately attacked by Naruto. Naruto swiped his wind charged blade across Danzo's shoulder. Danzo leaped back, leaved his now severed arm behind. "No extra Sharingan, no Izanagi." Danzo scowled, loathing on his face. "Don't count me out yet, brat. Afterall, I'm sure you would hate for your friends to suddenly disappear." Naruto scowled before a small smirk crossed his features. "Let me guess, your ROOT have each of them cornered, and they're all vulnerable?" Danzo smirked in return, mistaking Naruto's amusement for false bravado. "Indeed, If I die, the four of them will die. It's the final order I'm giving the those four.

Four clones appeared behind Naruto. Disappearing before not even a second later, reappearing behind him. All four were stunned, attempting to get their bearings. "That was your final mistake, Danzo. Threatening those marked by a Hiraishin user. They were never in danger, not since I marked them at dinner." Danzo scowled, and played his final card. He uncovered his eye and immediately used Kotoamatsukami on Naruto. Naruto's chakra exploded with the Kyuubi's energy before he rocketed toward the elder. "So that is were Shisui's other Mangekyo ended up. I'll be taking that." Naruto, faster than anyone present could stop, ripped Shisui's Mangekyo from Danzo's skull, quickly sealing it away. 'Sasuke will appreciate this, and the Sharingan from the disgusting abomination of an arm.'

Danzo grabbed onto Naruto while the blonde was sealing away the eye. Chakra began to pool in his belly to abnormal levels. Naruto was about to Hiraishin away when he watched a green blur smash into Danzo face, sending him into the other side of the clearing. It was just in time too, as Danzo exploded into a void, sealing everything inside, including himself. Naruto looked over to see Gai powering down from the 7th Gate. "Why didn't you call me for help?" Naruto smiled gratefully as he rubbed the back of his head. "I had it under control, even there at the end, I was just going to Hiraishin away." Gai coughed into his hand, looking away in embarrassment. "Well... there's no need to do everything alone." Naruto grinned.

Naruto looked to the other end of the monument. He saw a face he simply didn't expect. Hiruzen stood there, a solemn look on his face. "Hey guys, why don't we meet up tomorrow  for lunch. I'll tell you all about my mission." His peers looked reluctant, but Gai began to guide them away from the clearing. "Of course, Naruto. Please tell Hokage-sama I said hello." Naruto smiled as they left. He walked toward his Sensei, seeing just how devastated he was. The two turned and sat atop Tobirama's stone head. The two looked over the village. "Sensei. Tell me about the old him." Hiruzen looked over confused, while Naruto smiled. "Tell me about the man you knew, not the man he was." Hiruzen smiled softly as he looked on the horizon. 

"The man I knew was a serious but passionate man. His only dream was to live up to Sensei's expectations. He always worked so hard, he was the first one to volunteer for the difficult jobs no one else wanted to do. 'Someone has to do it.' That's what he would always say whenever I asked him why. After a while I started to help him. We did everything together from that point forward. Good or bad. When eventually split from our Genin Cell, that sentiment only became even more intense. We fought together on the battlefield, we mourned together. Eventually we were both Jonin. Extremely powerful Jonin. We were going to Kumo with Sensei to sign a treaty to end the First Shinobi World War. What we weren't expecting was for Ginkaku and Kinkaku to have killed the Second Raikage. Sensei told us that not all of us would make it home. Someone would need to stay behind. It was the first time Danzo didn't volunteer. I did. If..." Hiruzen clenched his fists in his robes. "If Sensei allowed me to stay behind, then perhaps so much of the evil that happened during my time as Hokage wouldn't have-." Naruto put a hand around his back, and leaned into his sensei's side.

"Or, all of it would've happened anyway. Danzo still would've become the man is became, the Uchiha would've still been massacred, and my parents would've still been dead. Only that time I wouldn't have had you to teach and protect me." Hiruzen looked at Naruto, looking like every second of his age. "I wouldn't change a things, gramps. Not a single damn thing." The two looked over the village, silence filling the air around them, the stars twinkling just as they did before and as they always would.