Chapter 58
ASUMA SARUTOBI
Asuma Sarutobi was a failure as a teacher. To this day, he had taught quite a few teams, but none of them had been as special or as challenging as the one he had gotten assigned to some two years ago,
He was expecting the usual clan trio from the Akimichi, Nara, and Yamnaka clans, for the Sarutobi clan had a rather long history with the three clans. But his father had chosen to forego traditions and break up the famous trio to include a rather special boy.
Hikari Hyuga, and ever since he had first laid eyes on the boy, Asuma had known that he was special. But how special. Well, they had all underestimated that. He had pushed his entire cohort to be better, much like a certain blonde shinobi of the past, but such a thing always came with consequences.
The increase in competence and powers meant that their entire class climbed quickly through the ranks and was already making waves. But with those waves came piqued interests and fearful eyes, as their opponents and enemies tried to kill them before they could fulfill the promise of their potential.
The quick climb through the ranks also meant that they were exposed to more dangerous missions, and life in the ninja world was already full of risks. As their sensei, it was up to him to protect them from those risks, and he had failed them in that duty.
The three of them had run past him so quickly that they had not even given him the time to get to know them properly, and now it was too late to do that. Hikari may have been the prodigy of their generation, and Shikamaru was perhaps the smartest shinobi he had seen, but it was Ino who held them both together.
The blonde, overconfident girl had changed much after the death of her friend and classmate, and had become one of the most prominent Sensor nins of their generation. She had mastered the Nidaime-sama's sensing technique, yet in the end, none of it was enough.
On paper, it was supposed to be a simple mission, as both she and Hikari were to simply escort the Hokage-sama for the signing of the truce with Kiri, and yet that one mission had turned into a disaster that was set to reshape their world entirely.
Two kages, one S-ranked ninja, and three Tokubetsu jounins. Few could imagine such a squad to lose, and yet they had lost. They had lost to a singular shinobi, and the only reason most of them were still alive was because Ino Yamanaka was not.
She could have easily run away by herself. She could have saved herself, and yet she had sacrificed herself to get that message across, but that one act had cost her everything.
It had cost his team everything.
Shikamaru had changed much ever since her death and was hell-bent on getting revenge, and Hikari, who had barely escaped the whole ordeal with his life, had not been seen in months, as he tried to push past his limits just so he could have his revenge.
There was a sense of fear and trepidation within everyone, and though the five Hidden Villages were about to come together for the first time in history. There was a sense that even this alliance might not be enough.
The Akatsuki had made a threat to the five villages, and no one knew how that would materialise. Would they attack the Summit? Would they attack the villages to get to the remaining jinchuriki?
No one knew, and so they had to prepare for both, and so that was why he sat here with the blonde boy from Kakashi's team in the fabled Uzumaki tower at the outskirts of the village, as they tried to secure their only jinchuriki.
It surprised him to learn that they still had not told the boy about his heritage, but it did make some sense. Naruto was not exactly famous for his tact, and the boy could very well find himself with an even bigger target on his back if his true heritage was to ever come out.
Being an Uzumaki was bad enough, yet in his veins flowed the blood of the very man who had razed an entire Iwagakure battalion on his own. The very man who had won them the Third Great Ninja War almost single-handedly.
The blood of the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
And just as he was done thinking about that, the sound of sirens interrupted his thoughts as he looked out the window, and saw Naruto perk up as well.
"What the hell is going on?" he jumped to his feet and quickly reached for kunai in his pocket, as Naruto suddenly added up.
"The fox. It says that it is sensing a familiar chakra," Naruto added, and Asuma did not know that the Kyubi could talk, let alone Naruto, and it could have a conversation.
"It says that the chakra..." and kunai came for him, and Asuma moved on instinct, as he pushed himself in between Naruto and the stranger as he parried away the kunai, though not before noticing its unique shape and form.
"Impossible..." and just as the three-pronged kunai was flying in the air, a familiar face appeared infront of him, and only the years and years of training allowed him to parry the attack that came for him, as he pushed back the intruder, as ANBU came and surrounded them all.
"How can it be?" he heard one of the ANBU gasp, and he had the same question in his mind.
"You have grown up quite a bit, Asuma-kun," and Asuma could not believe his eyes or his ears.
"Is that really you, Minato-sama?" and the blonde shinobi nodded.
"Indeed, and I am afraid my body is no longer under my control. You will have to stop me, and in that matter I have already marked..." and Asuma was startled, as the blonde kage appeared behind him once more, and reached for Naruto, but because of his warning, Asuma was able to move quickly as he swung his chakra-laced blade at the man's neck.
"Huh..." and despite the blade being inches from his neck, the yondaime-sama noticed the trap as he jumped back as Asuma grabbed Naruto and pulled him back.
"Is that really the Yondaime Hokage?" Naruto asked in a daze, and he saw Minato frown as he met his gaze, and Asuma shook his head as blood dripped down from the small cut on his neck.
"Using the futon chakra to extend the reach of your knuckle blades. Quite an interesting technique I would say," and it was an honor to be praised by a man such as him.
But it was not the time to be impressed.
"Yes, it is," Asuma answered.
"What is going on here, Minato-sama?" he questioned, and ANBU were all just as troubled as he was, for while they were strong, none of them here had the delusion that they stood a chance against him at all.
"I am afraid this is one Nidaime-sama's kinjutsu. One of our enemies has gotten a hand on it and has tasked me with obtaining the Kyubi and destroying Konoha," and there was only one organization that could wish for such a thing.
"Akatsuki," he cursed, and he nodded.
"Indeed," Minato-sama agreed.
"Is there any way for you to break out of their control?" Asuma asked, and the man took his stance.
"I am still trying to work up a solution," and that was the only encouraging news here.
"Naruto-kun," the blonde man began with a kind smile.
"I think it would be best if you ran away now," and Naruto frowned.
"There is no way I am running away. So, what if you were the Hokage, but I plan on being the greatest Hokage ever," he declared as he stepped forward, making a hand sign.
"You think just because you were a Hokage allows you to look down on me. Then let me show you my power," and with that, his chakra rushed forth, and Asuma had never felt such a vast volume of chakra gather in one place as Naruto shouted.
"KAGE BUNSHIN JUTSU!" and suddenly the entire floor was filled with Naruto clones to even Minato-sama's surprise.
"Shadow clones and so many of them," and Asuma could sense a hint of pride in that voice, as Naruto landed.
"Hey, smoker guy," Naruto whispered as he came closer to him.
"Yes," he began.
"You any good at Katon ninjutsu?" and Asuma could only smirk.
"Why do you ask?" he began.
"Well, it just so happens that I know a few futon techniques that will work great with your specialty," and so the plan was made as all of Naruto's clones roared at once.
"Let's get him!"
And for a second there, Asuma thought that with such odds, they just might stand a chance, yet those hopes were quickly dashed as he saw the blonde kage take out half a dozen of his kunai and throw them out in the blink of an eye.
"Watch out!" he warned, but it was not enough, as yellow lightning raced around the entire room, as Minato Namikaze announced the name of his technique.
"Rasen Senkō Chō…" and the only thing that they saw afterwards was lightning racing through the room.
"…Rinbukō Sanshiki!"
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NARUTO UZUMAKI
Hokage. It was a title he had long sought. The title itself represented all the things Naruto had ever desired. Validation. Respect. Love.
But even amongst the Hokage, the Yondaime Hokage had held a special place. He had seen how people would talk of him with sheer reverence and respect. How they would lament over his passing, and how their eyes would fill up with rage at his mention.
The yondaime Hokage was a legend, and had single-handedly ended a war. But then, some sixteen years ago, he had died trying to save the village from the nine-tailed fox. A beast that now lay chained in his body.
Naruto had spent the last sixteen years trying to find a reason for that. He had always wondered why the yondaime had chosen him, and had hoped that one day, when he was his equal in power and title, he might just understand his decision.
But that day was not today.
He had heard tales about the powers of the Yondaime Hokage, and yet he could not even fathom the sheer might of the man who had once stood at the pinnacle of this village.
Asuma-sensei, some twenty ANBU, and himself. In no way was this an inconsequential force, and yet none of it had mattered infront of the speed of the famous Yellow Flash.
The battle had ended in the blink of an eye, and Naruto was still trying to wrap his head around the man's prowess.
"You are quite impressive as a shinobi," the man praised as Naruto lay there on the ground, as the sealing formula held him down despite his struggles.
"Honestly, I don't think I was as good as you at that age," and the man complimented him as he walked up to him, as Naruto tried to break out of his bindings.
"YOU SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO ME AND RUN AWAY!" the fox's voice rang out.
"NEVER!" Naruto answered.
"YOU ARE NO MATCH FOR HIM! THERE IS NO SHINOBI ALIVE WHO CAN DEFEAT MINATO NAMIKAZE!"
And maybe it was true. But Naruto was not going to lose.
"THEN WHY DON'T YOU LEND ME YOUR POWERS, YOU BASTARD!" and for the first time the fox did not reject him openly.
"TAKE THEM THEN!" and suddenly he felt his body flush with that raging chakra of the Kyubi, and felt the bindings loosen up, but in the blink of an eye the blonde Hokage was infront of him again, as he reached for his seal.
"NOT SO QUICKLY KYUBI!"
.
.
.
And once again, Naruto found himself in his mindscape. He found himself chained to the ground, while staring at a shadowy figure standing in infront of him, reaching for the seal that kept the Kyubi chained, and yet just as he was about to pull it away, a new figure emerged and grabbed his hand.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," and much to his surprise, this new figure had the same face as the yondaime, and in the blink of an eye, the entire scenery shifted into a bright, serene environment.
His chains were gone, and now he was free, as he looked around nervously.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!" Naruto screamed as the Yondaime Hokage smiled at him, and rubbed his head as he gave a nervous chuckle.
"DAMN! We have quite a situation on our hands, don't we?" and Naruto narrowed his eyes.
"Where are we? And why aren't you attacking me anymore?" he asked.
"Well, we are in your mindscape, and as far as attacking you, this is just my conscience that I put into that seal into your seal years ago. One could say that since this is my conscience and so I am free from the bindings of the seal on my body," and that was an answer enough.
"And what of our real bodies?" Naruto questioned.
"Well, you don't need to worry about that. At least not for a little while," he said as he turned his head to the side and smiled.
"You have some pretty loyal friends, my son...."
"AHHHHH!"
.
.
.
And just as Minato's hands touched the seal, suddenly the wall to his side was torn apart as a singular shinobi rushed in, with a red and green hue covering his entire body.
"Konoha Senpu!" and as Minato Namikaze jumped back, suddenly he felt pain rip through his body as he still reeled from the effects of the seal that had been put onto him by his own conscience through the seal, before a dark, grim shadow covered the entire room and cut off all the Light.
"Ninpo: Kangō An'eitei....." (Eternal Shadow Garden)
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