Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Reflection of Oneself ❯ Reparable ( Chapter 21 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

The Reflection of Oneself

Chapter 21: Reparable

Hope.

For those who have the faith to believe in miracles, hope will illuminate the darkness and deliver us from despair. Some say it was a crime when Pandora's curiosity over came her and she opened the forbidden box, unleashing its hidden trove of ills upon mankind. But it was hope, which had laid waiting at the bottom, which saved us from our doom.

With hope, all difficulties fade. And although life may be hard and painful at time, if we believe that we have the strength within us to carry on, the weight if removed from our shoulder and we persevere unburdened by the trails ahead.

Otogakure, 11:45 am:

Everything was going perfectly according plan.

Kabuto waited patiently to one side, watching calmly as the Snake Sannin read the report that just arrived from their spy in Konoha. There was a dark smile on the older man's his pale lips as he read what was written. Word had finally arrived that the team of ANBU - the very team that had slipped in and out of Oto in one piece - had captured the Uchiha and his companions.

The news had pleased the young medic greatly, knowing that by this time today, his little `sleeper' would have finally completed his journey and be `safely' within the walls of Konoha.

But what had come, as a surprise to the bespectacled man, was that Orochimaru wasn't bothered by the fact as much as he had originally thought he would be. Even though Konoha now had the Uchiha back in their custody, the snake had been oddly composed. Since trio's flight from Oto a few months ago, Orochimaru's anger had diminished. Perhaps he thought it would be better to let his former village do his dirty work for him. After all, he didn't have to worry when a sample of the younger Uchiha's blood was being held in stasis in the labs, waiting to be cloned if need be.

“Very good…” the Snake Sannin hissed appreciatively. He sat the letter to side, chuckling softly and then turned his attention to where Kabuto stood. “Is that the status report?”

He motioned at the folder that Kabuto had clasped in his hands. He nodded and handed the folder over.

“Of course Orochimaru-sama. We currently have just over one thousand men and woman on our side so for and more will come to us within the months before be we attack and the war begins anew.”

Orochimaru's snake-like yellow eyes glittered wickedly as he read the contents of the folder. It explained all the dated that the jounins had complied on weapons, supplies and recruits. Listed also were the names of recruits that possessed kekkei genkai or some other kind of modifications.

“And what of the special cases?”

Of course, he would want to know about his own special experiments.

“We've finally made a breakthrough on repressing Juugo's other half.” Kabuto smirked, pushing his glasses further up his nose. “It has taken us the better part of a decade, but we have it. We've implanted a series hair-fine wire into various places of his brain. When triggered, they serve redirect the murderous impulses by sending an electrical response into the portion of his brain that promotes calm. These responses work independently and monitor him without outside interference. However…”

He reached into pocket and withdrew what looked like a small remote control. It was crafted from the same materials used to make kunai and shuriken, as well as being four inches long and two inches wide with five different colored buttons covered its smooth upper surface.

“This allows us to override those initial commands. Using this, we can trigger almost any type of response we want at any given time, essentially allowing us to control a very powerful marionette on strings. This gadget had the technology in which to sooth the savage beast - no chakra required.”

“Ingenious.” Orochimaru replied, as he took the offered tool, scrutinizing it. “And now what of Karin and Suigetsu?”

Kabuto snorted softly, rolling his eyes. “Karin is doing well, I suppose. Since Sasuke-kun's departure, she seems to have mellowed out a little - which I am personally grateful for. When she was last here, her input on certain implementations concerning the war was… interesting. Also, if Nanikato-kun somehow manages to overcome the triggers I implanted in his mind and doesn't gut Konoha defaces, then she will used a rather effective Plan B.”

“How so?”

“Let just say she knows some particular details about the cloning project that I `failed' to file away. As for Suigetsu, I doubt he is going to get any less annoying.”

The snake-eyed man laughed, and oddly enough even after all these years, that dark cackle still managing to make the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

“Very well then. You may go and continue sorting out the preparations for the war. I expect nothing less than the best, but then you already know that. As soon as your done, I leave you to your own devices - which I'm sure will only serve to further our cause.”

Kabuto nodded, and it was a wonder that he was able to keep his mask schooled long enough to keep it from cracking in the snake's presence. Nodding, he turned and strode out of Orochimaru's office and down the halls back towards his laboratory.

That had almost been too much for him to take, the last part that is. With his eyebrow twitching, Kabuto took a deep breath and entered the laboratories. After giving some of the medic underlings' instructions on the newest project, he preceded though the expansive room and out the back door. Entering the adjoining hall, he traveled a ways further before ultimately reaching the door to his own office.

As soon as he was safe within it's composed and ordered confines, the gray haired man finally let his perfect facade slip and a soft, but satisfied laugh to ripple up from deep inside him.

`You are a fool old man.' he thought smugly. `You have no idea what's going on, do you? Of course you don't. You have grown far too arrogant these past few years. Conquering Konoha is all you think about these days. Because of that, you are too preoccupied to notice what is going on behind your back…'

Sitting down and allowing himself a moment to relax, he smiled.

Orochimaru had long since outgrown his purpose, but it was quite humorous to sit back and watch the older man make a fool of himself. He was completely oblivious to the fact that he was technically no longer in charge of the village he had created, nor of the vast armies he dictated. The only thing he would gain out of all this was the blame.

Kabuto knew his work had finally paid off. It had been like this for almost nine years already, ever since the clone experiment had failed for the third time and his son, Kitai, had died. That was when he had put the first phase of his plan into action. Ever since then he had been covertly gaining the trust and allegiances of the elites of Otogakure, excluding the Snake Sannin's personal toys that is.

They were loyal only to him now and for the sake of keeping their new leader's grand design a secret; they humored Orochimaru by obeying the orders that he gave them.

`What would you do if you knew that your armies were loyal to me? Once my plans have been set into motion, I will relish the expression of shock and outrage that crosses your face when you realize that I've been using youall these years.'

He smirked.

`I'ts just too bad you won't live long enough to see what I will accomplish.'

-.ooOoo.-

Konohagakure, 12:20 pm:

It was the whooshing drone of blood thundered in her temples that she noticed first, and then it was the pain that blossomed from the base of her skull. It pulsated aggravated; burning something wicked as her consciousness began to surface towards wakefulness. At first, everything was hazy and undefined. It reminded her, in a way, of being deep under water and swimming towards the surface. Then gradually, the miasma released its hold upon her and her eyelids fluttered opened, wincing as the harsh light assaulted her sensitive eyes.

Now that was awake, Sakura couldn't refrain from berating herself.

She had fainted.

With a dispassionate groan, the pink haired woman realized how unprofessional she must have looked. While she had reasonable justification, it wasn't in a shinobi's - not to mention a medic-nin's - best interest to faint from shock. But of course, what she had seen had caused her, Rock Sakura, the unflappable, to drop like a dispatched tin can during a fun moment target precise.

“Sakura-chan, you're awake!”

She flinched at the loudness in her husband's voice, looking up into dark, concerned eyes.

“Not so loud, please. Headache…” she murmured.

Lee blushed, scratching the back of his head embarrassedly. When he was done feeling like a fool, he helped her into a sitting position. Rubbing away the last of the sluggish blur from her eyes, Sakura assessed her surroundings. She was currently laying on one of the beds inside the Interrogation Department's infirmary. It was empty, surprisingly, save only for her husband and herself.

“I…” Sakura began, hesitantly. “I wasn't hallucinating, was I?”

During their years together, she had come to easily read his expression. Today, however, Lee's face was an odd assortment of battling emotions. She had never seen the older man so… conflicted and forlorn before, even when Tsunade-sama had told them their daughter shared his trait for underdeveloped chakra coils.

“No… you weren't hallucinating… but it wasn't what you thought.”

“W-what was it then?”

Her words were almost pleading.

“That boy… he isn't Naruto-kun.” Lee replied.

Sakura blinked back tears that threatened to rise up in her eyes, her voice hushed. “I figured as much. I - we watched them b-bury him.”

The dark haired man chocked softly on his own emotions, drawing her into his arms for a much needed embrace. What he must have gone through, she realized, to have remained so composed for this long.

“He… they - they cloned him, Sakura-chan.”

“Nani?”

“The secret weapon that Orochimaru and Kabuto were plotting to use against us - he was their weapon.” he took a shuddering breath. “When we infiltrated Otogakure, we searched Kabuto's laboratory for information concerning their weapon. What we found, well its meaning wasn't as prevalent up until a few days ago.”

He was looking off into space now, remembering.

“There were nine incubation pods in the laboratory, each timed at the same date, each ending at a different date. In his filing cabinet, we found the data for an extensive experiment - one that had taken twelve years to complete. We knew that Kabuto had discovered the secret to perfect human cloning, but we never imagined that it would be Naruto-kun who was cloned. As we knew that the clone - the only one to survive - was the Sasuke's apprentice. But a several days ago, we confronted them. We won, but we also discovered the mysterious identity of Kabuto's little doppelganger.”

When he came up unable to continued, Sakura placed a hand on his arm, hoping to sooth his unrest by silently letting him know that she was there for him.

“It's okay.” she whispered and kissed his cheek. “You can take your time.”

Lee nodded, smiling sadly.

“Arigatou, koi.” he said, mopping his eyes of the tears that had begun to pool there. Taking a deep breath, he added, “The boy hates us.”

Her eyes widened. “Why?”

“I thought the same thing myself too. I thought he was Naruto-kun, when I first saw him. But he isn't Naruto-kun. In only the short time I have gotten to know him - or not got to him, considering how bipolar he could be at times - I realized that he wasn't the same person that had been our friend. Neji accepted the fact first, nearly instantly - it took Tenten and I longer.”

“What about Iruka-sensei?”

The taijutsu master sighed heavily. “He hasn't. Iruka-sensei is completely locked away within his own denial. Naruto's death hurt him the worst and he believes so fervently that he will get him back. Nanikato - ”

“Nanikato?”

“The boy's name. I don't know how he got it, but it seems oddly fitting. He fought back against Iruka-sensei's attempts to convince him that he really was Naruto. He even became violent, both of them actually.”

The pink haired medic could help but gasp. She knew that Iruka had become angry and distant during the last decade, but she had never imagined him being unreasonably aggressive. He hadn't healed to the extent that she believed he had. He had hidden it well, holding on to the hope that all of this was simply a bad dream and he would wake up one day. He honestly thought that he had woken up.

Feeling slightly queasy, Sakura forced herself to grasp the fact Iruka's inability to face the truth could eventually make him a liability, not only to himself, but to everyone around him - which he had already proven.

“Then I guess I have to suggest that he's given a medical examination and taken off active duty for awhile.” she replied. “It appears that this… Nanikato's existence has caused Iruka-sensei to suffer from an emotional and mental breakdown. That taken into account, he shouldn't be participating as an active shinobi until he had taken the time to cool down and has proven then he can take care of himself without cracking under stress.”

Lee smiled gratefully. “You read my mind.”

“Of course.” she laughed, trying to cheer the somber mood that had set over the infirmary. “Just like how I know you want to start ranting about the Fire's of Youth right now, rather than lament like a broken puppet.”

It worked and he bursting to laughter that was so infectious she had to join in. His dark, round eyes were glittering again, unburdened thanks to her `healing touch'. Taking her hand, Lee helped her down off the bed.

“Now that you're awake, I guess we'd better get to conference room!” he said, dragging her towards the door. “We only have five minutes to get there before it starts!”

“What for?”

It was a stupid and obvious question, but she had just had to ask.

“Because, Shikamaru is going to have to make a decision on what we are going to do with the boy and I`d like to have my opinion heard.”

-.ooOoo.-

Not too faraway, Uchiha Sasuke groaned miserably.

There was nothing that could be done to ease the spitting headache pounding in his temples as it drummed its way towards apocalyptic pressure. Because of this, the raven haired man was unable to be thankful that he had been released from the Hyuuga's paralysis jutsu as he remained slumped against the wall of the too-small-cell he had been confined too since returning to Konoha for the first time in thirteen years.

It didn't help either that Tayuya had been forced to share it with him.

Twenty by twenty feet of reinforced steel walls surrounded them along with a small adjoining bathroom and two uncomfortable beds that were built into the wall. It was also sound proof, but that didn't stop the furious redhead's persistent screaming from echoing off the walls of their prison.

For the last fifteen minutes since being locked up, all she could do was holler at the top of her lungs and bang on the door, demanding that she be at least locked up in a cell of her own.

Konoha's Interrogation Department had a very sick sense of humor.

“DO YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY YOU MISERABLE FUCKERS?! THE MOMENT I GET OUT OF THIS HELLHOLE, I'LL SO BE RIPPING YOUR MISERABLE MOTHER-FUCKING FAGGOT ASSES TO SHREDS!!”

The metal of the door was slightly dented under her barrage, and that was without the use of chakra. That alone was proving that Tayuya was really pissed off.

Sasuke sighed again, massaging his aching temples.

`If only that bitch would just…' he muttered silently to himself, a mere breath away from strangling the aggravating woman.

Retuning to his lamentations again, the Uchiha still found it hard to actually believe that he and Tayuya, a pair of the strongest shinobi in all of the Elemental Countries, had been defeated. When the paralysis had been removed, the had barely been able to move due to lack of use their limbs had suffered from four and half days of near rigor mortis.

Nanikato, however, had still been able to fight and had done so valiantly when they had tried to separate them. Although the young blonde had lost, he had at least managed to break the on-duty guard's, a much grownup Inuzuka Kiba, arm. It had almost been worth it, except when he saw that look of icy fear on Nanikato's whiskered face when the dragged him away.

Because of his defeat, he had failed to keep unspoken promise to Naruto that he would protect his only living legacy.

Now he had no idea where the blonde was anymore. One thing was for certain though, and that was that his blonde apprentice was at the mercy of their captors. The thought make even the hardened Uchiha shudder, as there was no telling what they might do to him.

And although there were a small handful of people that had cared Naruto, they had unfortunately always been a part of the minority. Even though the might be willing to fight for Nanikato, the moment the council got wind of his existence, the majority would win…

“ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME YOU DIRTY SONS OF BITCHES!?”

Burying his face his hands, Sasuke finally snapped, exasperated. “Oh, shut the fuck up already. I'm sure they're just loving the fact that you don't enjoy your new living quarters.”

His words were equal parts venom and cynicism, the bitter and defeated bite in his voice enough to stop her ranting so that she could stare at him speechlessly. It wasn't everyday that someone could render someone like Tayuya speechless. She glowered at him, but instead of putting up an obvious fight, she conceded due to the fact that they were still weak from having spent so long paralyzed.

Grumbling obscenities under her breath, the red haired woman left her pummeling of the door for another time and sat down on the other bed situated on the other side of the room. And so she sat there, her arms crossed and her expression seething. Just looking at her, Sasuke knew that she had only just realized that there was no way they were going to be getting out of this particular pickle unless Nanikato could somehow pull a miracle out of a hat.

“Do you think they placed us in the same cell in hopes that we'd kill each other and save them the trouble?” she finally asked, tugging fruitlessly on her chakra-cuffs.

Sasuke snorted. “I wouldn't put it past them - after all, I think that's how they organize the genin teams.”

In spite of the situation, Tayuya actually guffawed.

“That bad?”

“Yes. While I was able to get used to Naruto and his constant, annoying babble, I was, however, never able to get used to Sakura and her pathetic attempts to ask me out on dates.”

“I would have paid to see that!” the redhead sneered. “Oto doesn't have many fangirl types - except for the loony skank Karin. It must have been really something to watch you running terrified from a mob of those crazy whores. I'm surprised you weren't raped at least once, Uchiha!”

He rolled his eyes. “It's not like they didn't try. There were days they were practically humping my leg like bitches in heat.”

After another laugh at his expense, Tayuya quieted down and stared off into space. Although Sasuke had considered himself a master at being able to read people's body language, at this very moment the older woman was simply unreadable. Her eyes were dark and distant, thinking of something most likely and she had a slightly crooked quirk on her lips.

“So…” she finally asked. “Do you think the gaki's given them hell for us?”

Sasuke smirked.

“Oh yeah.”

-.ooOoo.-

“Did you know that staring is counterproductive?”

Seated at one end of the interrogation conference chamber, Nara Shikamaru his hands clasped before him and his jaw set to keep from opening his mouth and saying something that he didn't want to say. At the other end sat the recently escorted Kyuuzano Nanikato.

The blonde was glaring meaningfully at the small gathering, causing said gathering to become increasingly more unnerved. Since the boy's arrival in Konoha, the lazy young Hokage had rounded up all the significant shinobi whom had cared about Naruto (those who weren't on missions and other matters, of course). Sitting at the table with him, staring at the boy, were Tsunade, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Iruka, Lee, Sakura, Ino, Kiba, Shino, Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon.

As for those who hadn't been able to make it, they were Hinata, Neji, Tenten and Chouji. Hinata had been required to haul Neji and Tenten off to an immediate Hyuuga meeting that required all three of their presences and Chouji was still away on a mission in Moyagakure.

Out of all of them, only Shino and Udon weren't so vocal - as had been proven during the short meeting that had taken place ten minutes ago

- Flashback -

Sitting at the head of the long conference table, looking like he had seen better days; Shikamaru was silently praying that the vein throbbing on his forehead wouldn't explode as angry voices continued to get louder.

He and the decent members of this discussion were currently watching as Iruka, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kiba, Ino, and Konohamaru duked it out in a verbal sparing match.

Like for instance, there was Iruka, strained voice taut with outrage.

“How can you even think of saying something like that?!”

Which prompted Jiraiya to retort back with a, “Because I helped buryNaruto thirteen years ago! Besides, I don't trust anything that snake or his boy-toy had a hand in creating notto be a time bomb just waiting to go off! As much as I would love to have the gaki back, I'm not going to get my hopes up.”

“That's easy for you to say! You only knew him for a few months before he died! He was like a little brother to me - like a son!”

“Do you think you were the only that cared about him?! I may not have known Naruto for very long, but I cared for just as much as you did! And to top it off, it was only after he was dead that I got confirmation that he actually was my student's musuko! Do have any idea how guilty I felt, having promised Arashi that I would take care of his child? I failed because I had been told that he died and that I had been too miserable to bother even digging deeper! Hell, he looked exactly like Arashi did when he was a kid!”

“That's enough!”

Tsunade's bellow caught them off guard, allowing her to sieze both men by the scruffs of their necks and throw them bodily into the closest wall.

“We've been though this a thousand times already! We don't need to go dredging up any more bad memories! The evidence that was brought back from Oto clearly says - ”

Iruka, however, wasn't giving in. “That doesn't mean anything! I know Naruto's in there somewhere and I'll find him! You just have to give me the chance!”

And then Kiba voiced his own discretions.

“Somewhere in there my ass!” the brash younger man snapped, gesturing to his right arm, which was splinted and in a sling. “If he had been Naruto, he wouldn't have busted my arm when I separated him from the Uchiha and the psycho bitch! I remember the deadlast too, you know, and that wasn't Naruto! That nasty little midget might look like our favorite loudmouth, but that's as far as it goes!”

“And what if Iruka-sensei is right?”

Now it was Ino turn. Although the blonde woman's voice wasn't nearly as loud as the others, it was just as deadly.

“What if Naruto isin there somewhere? I know I'd like to be given the chance to confirm it at least. With the help of my Kyouryaku no Jutsu, I'd be able to find out if he's been brainwashed and if he has, then I'll be able to get rid of it.”

“Oh yeah?” Konohamaru said, countering Ino's statement. “And what if he isn't nii-san? From what I've heard, that kid doesn't seem to be anything like Naruto. He already hates us for separating him from the Uchiha - which is better than leaving him with him, though - and do you honestly think we would ever have the chance of earning his trust if you use the good ole `mind-rape' on him?!”

Ino was about to wring the Sarutobi's neck when Shikamaru stood, scowling. Everyone who was bickering stopped their bickering, reluctantly sitting back down and listening to what their Hokage had to say.

“Konohamaru is right,” he stressed. “Making the boy any angrier only defeats the purpose. We all know that Orochimaru was planning on using the boy for the intent of psychological warfare. Well, we already know that his plan worked. None of us can think straight because we're fighting over what we want to believe or don't want to believe. The fact of the matter is we aren't going to solve anything this way. I suggest that we let the boy be. If we give him some space and don't antagonize him, perhaps we might have a way of changing his pessimistic opinion of Konoha.”

Silence filled the room as everyone contemplated his idea. For once, Shikamaru was pleased that he always seemed to able to come up with the ideas that shut people up - mostly It was just for his own peace of mind though.

“This undertaking will be risky, but it's a risk I'm willing to take. We know that the boy is loyal to Sasuke without a fault. Orochimaru, however, is a different story. From the reports that Iruka and Neji sent me, the boy isn't one of his devotee followers. If we can get him to trust us, then possibly he'll give us whatever information we need to bring down Oto.”

Tsunade cocked an eyebrow skeptically. “And how do you plan to go about that?”

“Simple. One thing is for sure and that is he can't remain confined to a cell. He would have to be free, or as free as we can allow a potential enemy. It's also clear that the boy hasn't had much contact with children his own age. By all means, sending him to the academy would be good idea, but I have a better one in mind.”

Now that had everyone's attention.

“What I propose,” Shikamaru continued. “Is that we choose a trustworthy jounin to oversee and tutor the boy and two other academy students. In this situation, we will have someone capable of keeping his or her eye on the boy and it also gives a pair of our newest generation an early start on teamwork. First of all, we will need someone who won't have any `conflict-of-interest' issues, which means no one in this room is suitable for that position. Second, we need to choose the two children who will hopefully be able to foster a friendship with the boy. Any ideas?”

There was short moment of silence while everyone else tried to think of appropriate candidates. Out of the thirty-six children that were a part of this year's graduating class, pass or fail, no one seemed to really come to mind. And then it was Kakashi, one of the few who had actually remained silent through the whole ordeal, was the one who came up with their solution simply by asking “What kids make up the top five?”

And it was Moegi, who worked at the Academy, who was able to give them an answer.

“This year's top five performers contain three boys and two girls,” she said, holding up a hand and ticked off her pinky finger. “Ranking fifth over all is Tenjin. Although he is three years younger then the rest of his classmates, Tenjin-kun is by far the top ranked student intelligence wise. Once he is placed in an active genin team, his physical knowledge will be raised exponentially.”

And it would seem that Ebisu's son had followed in his footsteps - intelligence wise, that is. Moegi ticked of her ring finger.

“Ranking fourth over all is Aburame Hotaru. Quite and studious, Hotaru-chan's straightforward attitude and analytical approach to her training leaves little to be desired. Due to her hard work and determination, she's one of our best students and a master at impromptu battle strategies.”

Shino nodded appreciatively of the appraisal of his little sister's skills. From what the others knew of the younger Aburame, she was most unlike many of her kinsmen as she was clearly much more talkative then her stoic elder brother.

Moegi was now ticking off her middle finger. “Ranking third over all is Hyuuga Kazaan. Like his namesake, Kazaan is a hellion with a temper just waiting to erupt. Owner of the typical Hyuuga pride, he hates not being the best at everything, which is proven by his outstanding scores, which are almost second to none for the whole class.”

The ginger haired woman had now reached her index and thumb, ticking them both off simultaneously

“Ranking first overall in a neck-to-neck tie is… Sarutobi Kozue and Inuzuka Toboe.”

Shikamaru, who was one of the few people that knew the identity of Toboe's father, cast a surreptitious glance in Kakashi's direction. The only indication that Kakashi reacted to hearing his daughter's name was brief glimmer of sorrow that in his uncovered eye.

Kiba, however, was smirking and was directing his eyes purposely away from Kakashi. Although the younger man didn't hate the older man for leaving his newborn daughter with him and his mother, he was still a little bitter that copy-nin hadn't let anyone tell the girl the truth. After all, Kiba was more Toboe's father than her uncle anyway.

“Yeah! Choose Koinu-chan! Once you sic her on that gaki - she'll school him proper!”

“Kiba!”

“What? The Pack sticks together though thick and thin. Besides, once that kid experiences her `womanly charms', he'd do better then to cause problems!”

“Like my itoko?” Konohamaru asked, narrowing his eyes. “Kozue has come home with more bruises thanks to your niece then he does after a day at the academy!”

“It's all in the name of good fun! She likes the boy, even if she doesn't say it out loud!”

“As I was saying.” Moegi growled, glaring at Kiba and Konohamaru so that they shut up with a fearful gulp. “We have Sarutobi Kozue and Inuzuka Toboe. As our top students and Rookie of the Year candidates, Kozue-kun and Toboe-chan are near polar opposites. Kozue-kun is an aspiring medic-nin, amiable and methodical. Toboe-chan doesn't seem to have an inspiration, antisocial and violent. What they do have in common however is they're never ending throngs of fangirls/fanboys - taking that into account, I'm surprised they get along so well.”

Now that they had heard who their candidates were, they had to take a vote. But there really wasn't the need for a vote at all. Kozue and Toboe were the ones that everyone had decided were the best suited for the position and they knew it.

“Well that takes care of the teammates,” Shikamaru nodded. “And we can take care of who the sensei will be later. Right now I think it's about time that we meet the boy.”

- End Flashback -

Now that they were seeing the boy up close, it was easier to pick up the subtle differences about the boy.

The first difference was his voice, which contained of a soft brogue that was a mixture of the dialects of Rice and Sea Country. The second difference was the way he held himself - Naruto had possessed an easygoing, relax posture while the boy, Nanikato, had a predator's grace.

The third difference was that the young doppelganger held their penetrating gazes with no difficulty at all, and although they knew he was most certainly livid due to all the killing intent wafting off of him, his expression betrayed nothing. It was a commonly known fact among Naruto's precious people that the blonde had been a person to wear his heart on his sleeve, his restless nature resulting in him being able to be read like an open book.

The fourth difference was the boy's eyes. Though while they were they same amazing blue, these sapphire orbs didn't belied years of abuse and heartbreak and a determination to rise above the pain. If it was at all possible, these eyes were both warmer and colder all at the same time. The windows to his soul seemed to have the curtains drawn, making them hard to read. They did, however, possess a newborn's innocence and fierce sense of devotion.

All in all, this boy was an enigma.

Nanikato crossed his arms and stared impassively ahead, anything but happy that thirteen strangers surrounded him - `Eyebrow Freak' and `Mr. Melodrama' included. He kind of wished that Obito and Nawaki had come with him, but he had asked them to remain outside so that he wouldn't end up talking with them and have the medic-nins thinking he had bats in his belfry.

The brunette at the end of the table clasped his hands before him. “Very well, but before we start asking questions, lets start with introductions. I am - ”

“The Nanadaime Hokage, Nara Shikamaru of the Nara clan.” Nanikato interrupted. “Your fighting style is specialized to long-range combat, traps and manipulating your own shadow. You are currently one of the leading strategical masters in the Elemental Countries, not to mention that you are credited for having an IQ of over 200. Unfortunately, the only thing equaling your vast intelligence is your infamous slothfulness.”

Shikamaru's eyes widened.

“Who else in this room do you `recognize'?”

He pointed first at the pink haired woman. “That is Rock Sakura, nee Haruno. Born of an unremarkable civilian clan, she gained her claim to fame in the field of medicine, earning the fourth most powerful medic-nin to have ever lived. She was also a part of Sasuke-sensei's genin team and was partially responsible for his defection.”

“NANI!?” the medic shrieked. “I did not! He chose to do that for his own selfish reasons!”

The blonde however shook his head.

“Unfortunately, you did. As you all know, Sasuke-sensei had a bête-noir towards human contact ever since the slaughter of his clan. Due to the trauma he endured, he had been subliminally led to believe that if he were to ever let anyone get close to him, they would die. Because of this, he would subconsciously push those closest to him away for fear that he would get them killed.” he paused, wetting his lips. “Alas, everyone was too blind to recognize the symptoms or the obvious outcomes if not treated properly. The more people tried to smother him, the more aggressively antisocial he became. Don't you know that you're never supposed to pour salt on open wounds?”

Everyone was practically flabbergasted by his description of his sensei. Although Sasuke had never gone into detail about his childhood, it was easy to put the facts together once picked up on the occasional snippets.

He was content that, unlike the others before him, he had actually been there to help his sensei heal.

Moving on, he pointed at the elderly pair - the blonde woman and white haired man. “I was in the middle of profiling potential enemies when we fled Oto. Although I never finished my studies, I remember their faces. They are Senju Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage, and Sennyu Jiraiya, the Rokudaime Hokage.”

The old man squawked, gapping in shock as the old woman sitting next to him sneered, coughing “Fairy-boy” discreetly under her breath.

“H-how did you know my c-clan name!? Only a small handful of people were privy to that information - not even Orochimaru-yaro knows!”

Nanikato laughed, joined by a few of the most malicious of the thirteen strangers.

“I happen to have recently made good friends with a wise little birdie.” that little birdie had been Nawaki, of course, whom had been more then willing to feed the blonde incriminating information about his sister and her comrades as long as his new friend didn't use it to harm them.

The other woman leered at the old man, who squirmed.

“Now it makes sense!” Sakura replied dryly. “The Sennyu clan is composed only of women - all of which suffer from acute nymphomania! Rumor has it they can only bare female children, but your existence is proof that isn't true, right Jiraiya-sama?”

Jiraiya grinned weakly. “Y-yes…”

“So I can only presume you were the only male child at that. It only makes sense that being born into a clan of sex craving women would inherently make you such a horn-dog! No wonder you're such a lecher!”

The younger of the three Hokage sighed. “While that's all good and well, we digress.” he gazed back at the blonde. “We have brought you here to make a deal.”

“If you want me to work for Konoha, then you can go screw yourselves, because you must be crazy if you honestly think I'm going to just roll over and play dead.”

“Don't be so hasty - you haven't even heard us out yet.”

“Hasty?” Nanikato echoed, tension lacing the atmosphere of the room. “You people are going to kill my sensei and onee-sama. I don't think hasty is quite the right word.”

Tsunade scowled.

“Execution is inevitable. Both of them have committed crimes upon this village that are punishable only by death.”

“And what would you do with me after they are dead? Use me as a lab rat or put me on display in a zoo?”

“No! We'd never - ”

He shook his head. “You might not, but who's to say your village council won't undermine your authority? For what Sasuke-sensei has told me of Konoha, you're no less corrupt than Oto!”

The young blonde woman who smelled like flowers jumped to her feet, her lip curled.

“Like Oto?! We are nothing like that maggot-infested cesspool! They killed my otou-san and there would be nothing better than to watch that vile place burn to the ground - its pestilence burning with it! That way, they can't taint us anyone more with their foul presence!”

Before anyone could blink, Nanikato was out of his chair and across the table, taking out the blonde in a full body tackle. Not expecting an attack, she, nor the rest of the rooms occupants were prepared for when the boy grabbed her by the throat and slammed her face hard into the floor. But reflexes kicked in moments after her nose became bloody and they had to tear him off of her.

“What is it with you people?” Nanikato screamed, outraged as he struggled against whoever was holding him back, wanting nothing more then keep slamming her face into the ground. “Otogakure isn't evil! Just because they are ruled over by tyrants doesn't make them vile! There are hundreds of innocent people among them - people trying to get on with their lives! Ninety percentage of Oto's population is comprised of people who were persecuted everywhere else! They are the people that you would look down your nose at and turn away from your door if they were in need for your help! The reason the strongest follow Orochimaru is because he gave them a home when no one else would! That is the reason why this war will continue. Don't you see?! There will always be people seeking the security of a home and longing for acceptance! Although his intentions are far more sinister then they realized it was Orochimaru that gave them a reason to live! So tell me - who are the real monsters here?!”

The blonde heaved sob and laughing a humorless laugh that rocked his body. When he looked up, his eyes had darkened dangerously and he noticed with a grim satisfaction that the bloody faced woman was staring at him with something akin to fear.

His hand shaking with rage, Nanikato pulled away from those who restrained him and turned towards Shikamaru.

“I am your prisoner Hokage-sama, not your friend,” he hissed. “Naruto-niisan would be disappointed in all of you. There will be no deal because I would no more commit myself to this accursed village of yours anymore then I would take my own life. So forget trying to convince me to work for Konoha because I'd rather burn in hell.”

-.ooOoo.-

Translations/Original Jutsus:

Tenjin - Shinto God of Learning, Language and Calligraphy

Hotaru - Firefly

Kazan - Volcano

Sennyu - Nymph

Kyouryaku/Plunder - upper A-rank ninjutsu. Much like the Shintenshin, this technique allows its user's consciousness to enter the mind of another, but rather then taking control of the bodily functions, it allows the user to pillage the victim's subconscious like a diary in search of secrets. While inside the victim's mind, the user has the ability to create or disable mental conditionings.