The More Things Change

Chapter Five

It had been almost two months since Kakashi had started teaching Naruto how to use his Shadow Clones more effectively. The Jonin had taken him back to the basics, at first reinforcing his chakra control and Academy Taijutsu, but the blonde had picked it up fast. It was amazing what he could do with a teacher who actually wanted him to succeed. Kakashi had been a patient, if demanding, instructor. It was a side of the masked ninja that Naruto had never seen. Almost every day, he had Naruto practicing with his Shadow Clones. The silver haired shinobi limited the teen to four at a time, which meant that there would be five Narutos on the field at any given moment. He'd been drilled a lot in formations and small group tactics, and Naruto had the sneaking suspicion that they were formations that the Jonin had used in his time with Anbu. They had developed a personalized Taijutsu style for the blonde, and he was immensely proud of it. The style took full advantage of the fact that the Shadow Clones were expendable and infinite. The copies would block attacks, use risky tactics to put his opponents off balance, and efficiently overwhelm his opponent. The few times he'd sparred with Satsuki using his Clone Style Taijutsu, as Naruto had dubbed it, he'd come out on top. The ebony haired Uchiha hadn't taken kindly to losing, and had started demanding extra training from their sensei, as well. Even Sakura had improved, though not nearly as much as her teammates.
Naruto felt slightly guilty for taking up so much of his sensei's time, but it seemed to be time that Kakashi was more than willing to give. The blonde teen had a feeling that his sensei had been offended at Jiraiya's attempts to 'poach' his student, and was trying to show the ex-Jinchuriki that he didn't need to go elsewhere to gain strength.
Even though Kakashi was monopolizing a lot of Naruto's time, the blonde still made a point to learn from Jiraiya as often as he could. The Sannin was even more demanding than Kakashi, insisting on perfection from every character on every practice array that Naruto drew. Jiraiya had explained that if a single character as misdrawn even the slightest amount, the entire array could fail, implode, or worse. Thus, Naruto was extremely careful while drawing his seals and more than a little hesitant about activating them, even though the practice seals he'd been working on did nothing more than glow in two or three harmonious colors, depending on the array. If a character was out of place or in any way incorrect, the activated array itself would show it to him where, because the activated seal, any wrong characters would clash horribly with the rest. While he'd yet to have a completely perfect practice seal, he'd come close on numerous occasions. The Sannin had promised to show him something truly awesome once he'd mastered one, though, so Naruto had taken to practicing arrays while waiting for Kakashi to show up each morning.
Honestly, Naruto didn't know why everyone didn't dabble at least a bit in Fuinjutsu. It wasn't that hard. Each symbol meant something, though that meaning could change depending on the symbols next to it and the purpose of the array. It held a certain logic that the teen found fascinating. Iruka had been shocked silent when he'd walked into Ichiraku's one evening and seen his former student with his nose in one hand and a calligraphy pen in the other. Naruto had tried to explain to his old sensei what he was working on, but the entire idea seemed to go over the Chunin's head.
Jiraiya taught him more than just Fuinjutsu, however. The big man would often talk at length about his journeys and all the things he'd seen and done. Naruto was enthralled, though he was sure that Jiraiya embellished quite a bit. The blonde Genin didn't care though, as he enjoyed the stories all the same. The Sannin had a flair for storytelling, and Naruto was certain that if he wrote about his own travels instead of trashy romances that he'd be a much more renowned author.
Things had been going really well with his team, which Naruto was really happy about. He and Satsuki had a small rivalry, though not nearly as intense as his burning desire to defeat Kiba. Sakura had been nice to him, too. She'd even invited him to hang out with Kiba and Ino a couple times, though he'd been too busy training to go along. Oddly enough, Satsuki got irritated every time the Yamanaka girl was mentioned in her presence, but Naruto didn't think too much of it. Jiraiya had told him that women rarely got along with each other, especially when a boy was involved. Sometimes Naruto wondered if Satsuki and Ino were fighting over a boy, and which one it could be.
The Uchiha princess had been kind of 'hands on' with him lately, and not in a 'I'm going to beat you to a bloody pulp' kind of way. She'd touch his arm while talking to him or occasionally pull his head into her lap while they talked, toying with his blonde locks as they talked late into the evening. Sometimes they'd speak of serious things, like what they wanted to do with their lives and where they wanted to go. Occasionally her answers made him uncomfortable, especially when it came to her brother, but Naruto always hastily changed the topic. It turned out they had a lot in common. Both were the last members of their clans in Konoha, both had spent the majority of their childhoods alone, and both had been forced to grow up and take care of themselves long before their peers.
Other times they'd simply joke around and spend the late afternoon chatting and laughing. Naruto couldn't remember ever hearing her laugh before, but he'd immediately been enchanted with the melodious sound. He'd quickly resolved to make her laugh as often as possible. She'd swat the top of his head if he got too silly, though it was never hard enough to actually hurt.
The few times the pair gotten chummy in front of Sakura, though, Satsuki had spent half the time glaring at the rosette when she thought that he wasn't looking. He had no idea why, but apparently Sakura did. The other girl would simply roll her eyes in exasperation.
Kakashi had noticed two of his students getting closer, if his leading comments were anything to go by. He'd taken to teasing Naruto during their training sessions, making him blush darker than Sakura's hair. No matter what Kakashi said, however, Naruto wasn't 'in love' with Satsuki. She was just a close friend... who made his day brighter every time she looked at him. That was completely normal... right?
D Rank Missions were boring as ever. It had turned into a daily thing. Get up. Wait for Kakashi. Get Mission. Do degrading work. Train till you drop. Go to bed. The saddest part was that Gama-chan wasn't getting any fatter. Jiraiya had insisted that Naruto should buy his own sealing paper, a process that the Sannin claimed would drive him to succeed faster. Naruto suspected that it was more like the old man was cheap. Either way, the Genin had found quickly that learning how to draw the characters for seals consumed a lot of paper, and sealing paper wasn't cheap when bought in bulk.
Naruto reached the bridge at his normal time and both girls were already there, as usual. Each gave him a smile and a wave, which he eagerly returned. Sitting down in the middle of the bridge, he started unpacking his sealing supplies from his backpack before Satsuki's soft voice distracted him.
"Naruto... I uh... Iboughtyousomethingyoumightlike." The words came out to fast for Naruto to catch. The girl had gone beet red and wasn't looking at him. He noticed a large wooden case under one arm.
"I'm sorry, what was that?"
"I got you something. Just take it already," she huffed, holding the case out to him. Naruto took it cautiously, while Sakura looked on in disapproving silence. Carefully opening the lid, he saw twenty identical, flawless kunai resting on a bed of blue velvet. Awestruck, he lifted one gingerly from its cradle. It wasn't nearly as dark as most kunai he'd seen. Where all of his previous knives had been a dark iron color, these were a bright silver. An orange tassel, precisely matching his long forgotten jumpsuits, hung from the ring. Looking closely, he noticed a black Uzumaki swirl engraved where the hilt met the blade. Turning the weapon over, he saw the Uchiha fan in the same spot on the reverse side. They were easily the best kunai he'd ever seen, much less used. Each was flawlessly balanced and razor sharp. They were obviously custom made and very expensive.
"I noticed your kunai weren't that great, so I thought... Do you like them?" Naruto turned his gaze away from the weapon in his hands. Satsuki was looking at him uncertainly, her obsidian eyes trying to read his face for clues. Overwhelmed with emotion, he pulled her into a tight hug. "I take it that you like them, then?" Her soft breath was warm against his neck.
"They're the best gift I've ever had. You have no idea what it means to me. Thank you." She could feel her smile against him a sensation he quite enjoyed. She pulled back and looked into his cerulean gaze, ruffling his hair with a soft hand.
"Well, don't go reading too much into it, dobe," she mocked. "If you're going to be watching my back, then you're not going to do it with those discount kunai you always use. Just don't go attaching any explosive tags to them; you'll burn the tassels." Naruto nodded. He had considered not using them at all to preserve the gift from one of his closest friends, but he knew that if he didn't use them, she'd get offended. He vowed to be extremely careful, collecting each and every one after a fight. He failed to notice Sakura glaring at both Satsuki and the kunai.
"Yo!" Three pairs of eyes turned to see a masked Kakashi standing at one end of the bridge. "Sorry I'm late, but a kitten was stuck in a tree. I'm sure you understand." The Jonin's excuses were beginning to grow on Naruto, and he had sometimes wondered how long he could go without repeating one. Naruto then wondered if he'd even notice if Kakashi did. It's not like he kept a list of "Kakashi Tardiness Excuses." The team knew that he was full of it, and Kakashi knew that he knew. It had become a sort of comforting morning ritual for the entire team. "Nice kunai, Naruto."
The blonde just beamed at him as he unpacked the knives from their box and sliding them into his holster. He had to remove quite a few of his old kunai, but he made sure to save a few for explosive purposes. "So what are we doing today, Sensei?"
"Hold on to your headbands, kiddos, but we're going to get a C Rank mission. You're all more than ready."
Team Seven was lined up in front of the Hokage, eagerly awaiting their first C Rank mission. Naruto was literally trembling with anticipation. He was finally going to leave the village! One of the reasons he had wanted to become a ninja was to see the world, and he was finally getting his chance. He didn't care if the mission was simply delivering a message or saving a lost princess. Scratch that, he would definitely save the lost princess.
"Kakashi, are you certain your team is ready?" The Hokage solemnly asked the masked Jonin, though amusement danced in his eyes.
"I am, Hokage-sama. They are more than ready. I have complete confidence in all of them." The Jonin knew that the pomp and circumstance was for the Genin's benefit; he was more than willing to play along. It was an important moment for his young students, and he wouldn't sully the experience.
The Sandaime puffed on his pipe and regarded the Genin carefully. "Very well. I happen to have a C Rank mission here." He handed a scroll to Kakashi. "Your mission is to protect the bridge builder. You are to escort him to his island village in the Land of Waves and guard him while he finishes building a bridge to the mainland." He took a moment to call in his secretary. "If you would kindly escort Tazuna to meet the squad that will serve as his protection?" The secretary nodded and left, reappearing moments later with an older man. The new arrival was large and well built, with gray hair and beard. Oddly, he wore a slender rope around his forehead, barely visible beneath his large hat.
"Tazuna, this is Team Seven. I have assigned them to yo for your protection. They will meet you at the village's gate in an hour."
Tazuna regarded the three Genin with a frown. "I payed for ninja, not a bunch of kids. Do you expect me to believe that these brats can protect me?"
"WHY YOU-" Sakura exploded, but was stopped by Naruto's hand on her shoulder.
"We are more than capable," the blonde said solemnly, his bright blue eyes meeting Tazuna's. "We will protect you with our lives." Satsuki nodded at his side, while Sakura huffed in annoyance. Tazuna seemed taken aback.
"Whether they're capable or not doesn't really matter. We're the squad you're getting. If you don't like it, you're more than welcome to a refund. I'm sure there's not too many bandits between here and the Land of Waves." Kakashi had stepped behind his team, his hands resting on their shoulders and giving the old man one of his trademarked eye smiles.
Tazuna grimaced, but nodded. "Well, I guess you'll have to be good enough. I'll see you at the gate."
"Well done, my cute Genin. While we must treat our clients with respect, we must also be firm. We can't cave to childish demands. Now go pack for a long journey. I have a feeling we won't be home for awhile, so say your goodbyes to your loved ones."
The sun was shining over Team Seven as the group left the village. Naruto had hurriedly found Iruka and told him he'd be gone for awhile, asking him to let Choji and Shika know where he'd gone. The Chunin had ruffled Naruto's hair and wished him good luck. He bade the teen to be safe and take care of his team. Naruto had tried to find Jiraiya as well, but the old perv was nowhere to be found. He knew that Jiraiya was close to the Hokage, so he didn't worry about it too much.
Satsuki and Naruto walked in front, side by side, while Sakura and Tazuna followed. Kakashi brought up the rear. Thanks to his exhaustive tactics course, Naruto knew that the Jonin had set it up this way purposefully. The two weakest members were in the middle, easily protected from both the front and and back. The most powerful and observant member of the squad was in the back, able to react to any surprise attacks, while still being fast enough to get to the front quickly enough to assist in any frontal assaults. It was the perfect formation for their group.
"What?!" Kakashi's surprised yell echoed behind them, and the Genin whirled around. Sakura gasped in horror. Their sensei was wrapped in barbed chains, each end held be shinobi.
"DO IT!" One of the enemy ninja yelled, and the two combatants pulled on the chain. Naruto could only watch, helpless, as his sensei was eviscerated before his eyes.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted in disbelief, drawing the enemy ninja's attention. The blonde pushed his fingers into the familiar Tiger seal. He'd yet to master the seal one handed, something that Kakashi had him working on. Now, they'd never get the chance. Anger boiled in his chest as the enemies disappeared in twin streaks.
"You're next!" A deep, gravelly voice shouted right behind him. Naruto felt a knot of fear wedge itself deep in his gut, but he pushed it away. Now was not the time for weakness. His team needed him. The blonde turned and saw both enemies rushing towards them, their eyes flashing with blood lust, their barbed chain hanging loosely between them.
"I don't think so!" Two Naruto clones poofed into existence in front of the ninja, landing simultaneous kicks. The ninja stumbled backwards, reeling. Two more clones came from behind, aiming low leg sweeps, tripping the chained shinobi. Both landed heavily, but they immediately started getting to their feet. Naruto settled into a defensive stance, silver kunai in hand, its long orange tassel blowing in the breeze.
He paused as he saw a dark shape soar overhead. Smiling, he watched Satsuki flip over the pair, her own kunai in hand. She twirled gracefully, and her kunai flashed toward the ground, perfectly anchoring the chain to the middle of the road. Satsuki landed on the other side of the fallen ninja and smirked as they tried to free themselves. She nodded to Naruto, and the each charged one of the enemy shinobi.
Naruto's opponent was still trying desperately to free his end of the chain from the kunai anchoring it. Letting out a battle cry, the blonde leaped into the air, spinning once before planting his foot upside the enemies face. The force of the blow was too great for the chain to bare; it snapped from the strain. The ninja was sent tumbling and skipping along the ground. Forming the Tiger seal, Naruto charged again, reaching the ninja just as he gained his feet.
One clone planted a leaping kick to the man's head, while a second slid low and pummeled his chest with a mule kick, pushing the shinobi back. A third clone jumped over the second and punched the enemy square in the jaw, sending him sprawling... right into the outstretched arms of the fourth clone. This final clone held the bigger man in a full nelson while the other three disappeared in a puff of smoke. The shinobi barely had time to attempt to free himself before the real Naruto dashed through the quickly dissipating smoke, silver kunai in hand. The enemy ninja was too busy trying to wrench himself free to feel the silver weapon arc violently across his throat.
Blood spattered across Naruto's face and chest, breaking the young Genin from his trance. He'd been acting on instinct, not thinking. He watched, his cerulean eyes wide as his opponent clutched at his wound, blood seeping between his fingers. The man's hands held on tightly, almost as if the shinobi thought that he could keep his life's blood if he just pressed tight enough. After a moment, he fell to his knees and made a gurgling sound that made Naruto's gut wrench. The shinobi's hands fell limply to his side, and the blood started spurting violently from his throat, striking Naruto and staining his shirt, face, and hair red. Naruto dropped his kunai in horror, unwilling to watch, but unable to look away from the shinobi's accusatory gaze. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the man fell face first into the dusty road and twitched once, twice, before he lay motionless on the ground, more blood pooling beneath his still form.
Naruto back away, his face twisted in shock and horror. He had killed a man. One second, the man had been alive and fighting, the next he'd been twitching on the ground. He felt sick, disgusted, and unclean all at once. The blonde felt a heavy hand on his shoulder and looked up at his sensei, who was carrying the other enemy shinobi under one arm.
Kakashi sighed to himself It was never easy for a shinobi after his or her first kill, but this one was particularly bad. Often, the kill was due to a Jutsu that crushed or burned enemies beyond all recognition in an instant. Naruto's, on the other hand, had been up close, personal, and bloody. They young boy had to look into his victim's eyes as he died and feel the blood spatter over him. Kakashi had hoped to delay the team's first kill until they had grown up a bit, but it seemed that fate didn't care about his plans.
The masked Jonin partially blamed himself. He had noticed a puddle in the middle of the road and correctly assumed that it was a Jutsu of some kind. After all, the area hadn't received rain in more than a week. He'd let the enemy believe that they'd gotten the drop on him so he could ascertain who the real target was. He had confidence in his team's abilities under pressure, especially Satsuki and Naruto. The pair had performed almost flawlessly, working as team to take down their opponents, just as they'd been trained. It had never occurred to Kakashi that the blonde would kill one of them, and would have stopped the Genin if he had.
His ploy had one positive effect, though. It had confirmed his suspicions that the brothers were after the bridge builder, meaning that the mission was a lot more dangerous than they'd been led to believe. This wasn't a random attack by a rogue ninja, but a hired hit squad with a purpose.
Naruto was looking up at him, looking for guidance, and for once Kakashi didn't know what to say. The boy had done well, but he couldn't congratulate the kid. He couldn't even commiserate with him. The Jonin finally settled on what his sensei had told him in this exact situation.
"Naruto... You did what you had to do. You were protecting your friends and carrying out your mission. The life of a shinobi is not an easy one, and sometimes we're forced to take the lives of our enemies. You'll get through this, because you're strong. Taking a life is a wretched thing, and should never be done lightly. However, you have to forgive yourself. You had no choice but to act as you did." The blonde nodded, still looking green. Suddenly, the teen held his stomach and sprinted towards the edge of the road. Kakashi sighed again as he listened to the blow retching in the bushes.
The Jonin finally turned towards Tazuna, letting his full killing intent wash over the bridge builder. "You lied to us."
Naruto finished retching and wiped off his face with the back of his arm. He nearly threw up again when his arm warmer came back stained in blood. He tore off the offending piece of clothing and used it to start wiping off his face and hands, desperate to get the shinobi's blood off of him. He felt a soft hand grasp his, and looked up to find Satsuki, her face full of concern. "It won't come off. I keep trying, but I can't get it off." Naruto said, his voice cracking as he valiantly held back tears.
"It's okay, Naru-kun. We'll get it off. Come on." She led him to the middle of the road and sat him down. He watched dumbly as she pulled off her back pack and retrieved her canteen and a few pieces of cloth. They sat in silence as she dampened the rag and gingerly took his hand, wiping it clean before moving to his other hand. Their eyes locked as she hesitantly started washing his face, slowly but steadily cleaning every drop of blood. She pulled off his headband and wiped his forehead clean. She even got most of the blood out of his hair. When she was done, she wrapped the rags in a bag and put them back in her pack and replaced her canteen. She wasn't startled when Naruto buried his face in her shoulder and sobbed. She just held him tightly and stroked his back, softly telling him that it would be okay.