07-20-2006, 10:29 AM
Just a little something I came up with a while back and have been working at every now again. Feedback would be greatly appreciated.
The Sandaime Hokage's head was low and he looked every one of his many years as he walked into his office.
Twenty-four months and one day ago, his successor had died sealing away the Kyuubi inside the newborn Uzumaki Naruto. Today was the second anniversary of Sarutobi accepting the office of Hokage again. Less than two full days ago, he had assigned a D-rank mission to a young genin who didn't mind working through the memorial ceremonies.
Early yesterday evening, the Konoha Orphanage had been set alight by dozens of katon jutsus. Fortunately, the building had been almost empty - the staff had taken the children to one of the parks for the day. One child had been left there, along with the genin babysitter. Testimony from the squad of ANBU who arrived just barely too late, saw a group of unidentifed ninja in the uniform of Konoha's police driving a young man back into the building when he tried to escape carrying a small child.
The building had collapsed them and in the moments as the ANBU tried and failed to penetrate the ruins to free the boy, the perpetrators made a clean getaway.
With a heavy heart, the Hokage opened the door to his office. Yondaime's legacy had been lost, along with another innocent young life. And with no one stepping forwards to identify those responsible it was likely that those guilty would never be punished. That would be a hard thing to tell the genin's family...
It was a tribute to the Hokage's compusure that he didn't break stride or betray his shock at what lay within the office to either of the chuunin standing guard outside of it. Instead he stepped in side and paused to glance to one side. "Don't let anyone in for a while," he ordered. "I need to put some things in order this morning."
The chuunin he was looking at, bowed slightly. "Yes, Hokage-sama."
Once the door closed behind the hokage, the guard scowled. "Goddamn idiots," he muttered under his breath.
His comrade shot him a quizzical look. "It was the Kyuubi, who cares?"
The guard jerked his head towards the office. "He does. I don't care about the brat but this could break his heart."
The other man grimaced. "I hadn't thought of that."
Inside his office, the Hokage removed his ceremonial hat and looked in wonder at the seven-year-old boy, soot-stained and scorched, who was slumped in the Hokage's chair, sleeping the sleep of the exhausted. In the boy's lap, a blanket wrapped child was moving and the Hokage could see a pair of innocent blue eyes peering out of the folds.
"Thank the gods," the old man whispered and a tear ran down his wrinkled cheek.
"Why did they attack him?"
Sarutobi sighed. "By my own laws, I cannot answer that question. I can tell you that it was very wrong, however."
"So what do they believe that would make it right to burn the kid to death?"
The Hokage frowned. "I said that I cannot tell..."
"I know you can't tell me the truth, but they believe something else - you can tell me that without breaking the law, because it's not the truth."
There was a frown as the old man tried to work through the logic of that. "I suppose that that's so," he conceded. "They believe that Naruto is the Kyuubi no Kitsune."
The boy looked down at the child now happily playing on the floor. "I don't see the resemblence," he said at last. "I'd always pictured the Kyuubi as being a little larger somehow."
The elation at the two boy's survival faded in the old man's eyes. "Yondaime never wanted the boy to be treated like this. I may have no choice but send him away from Konohagakure, for his own safety. If your father cannot identify those responsible for this attack, doubtless they will try again."
Itachi rubbed at the soot on his face. "He won't. Anyone he turns over will be a scapegoat, nothing more."
One does not become Hokage without being able to look underneath the underneath. "He knows already then. And if you think he'd serve up a scapegoat then he wasn't a silent partner, either."
The boy shook his head. "They were all henged - but there aren't very many shinobi in the world with Sharingan and two of those involved did. Father does not tolerate independent actions like that - it reflects on him as the head of the police."
*What do we do to these children,* Sarutobi mused. *He's seven years old and he's dissecting the politics of his father conspiring to commit murder.* "And without proof, I cannot act against him. Your testimony would be too easy to discredit."
"Because of my age," the boy replied a little bitterly.
"Partly," the Hokage agreed. "And partly because your father will have ironclad allibis for everyone but his designated scapegoat."
"It's a lot of effort to take to hurt one infant," Itachi noted. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Are we done? I could do with some more sleep."
"We're not done, as such," the Hokage told him, "and you can't go home yet. You can get some sleep in the next room though. Take Naruto with you."
Itachi lifted the baby carefully and opened the door leading to the sideroom where the Hokage kept a couch for the nights when he couldn't afford more than brief naps.
The Hokage hesitated, then, "Uchiha Itachi. Would you accept an A-class mission, outside Konohagakure, for several years? For the purposes of the mission, you would be deep undercover, listed as dead in yesterday's fire."
Itachi blinked, and then looked down. "Is he the mission?"
"Correct. The mission would be to raise him to return here as a potential Konoha-nin."
Itachi hesitated, and then nodded. "Mission accepted," he agreed.
"That must be him now!" Soun Tendo announced brightly as there was a knock on the gate to the dojo. He jumped to his feet and ran for the door. "Saotome! My old friend!"
Nabiki followed her father to greet the arriving Saotomes, while her sister hung back.
"I hope that he's older," Kasumi murmured.
"Hmph," Akane snorted. "Boys!"
As suddenly as they had left, Soun and Nabiki reappeared - running from what apeared to be a small circus - to be precise, a rather large bengal tiger with a small panda perched on it's back. Trailing behind them were two women: one about Nabiki's age, with a resigned look on her face, and a middle-aged woman in a dirty gi.
"Daddy!" hissed Nabiki, hiding behind the master of the house. "Are these your friends?"
Her father shook his head, desperately hoping that this was all some bizarre dream. Certainly, the stout woman bore a slight resemblence to his old friend, but surely that was merely a coincidence.
"Tendo!" the woman called, enthusiastically. "It's so good to see you again!"
Nabiki gave her a sceptical look. "Are you sure, Daddy?"
The younger woman bowed her head. "Saotome-san," she said wearily to the older woman. "You amaze me by how quickly you can forget a simple plan."
The woman puffed up smugly at the statement and the girl glared at her, a red flicker in her eyes. Almost instantly the elder of the two paled and backed away, raising her hands defensively. "I'm sorry," she pleaded. Placing her hands together she cried out "Henge!" and a small cloud of smoke enveloped her for a moment. When it faded, in her place was a stocky, muscular man with a handkerchief covering his bald head.
"Saotome!" Soun called in relief. "It's you!" The two men placed their hands on each other's shoulders and practically danced a jig with excitement.
Nabiki sighed and looked at the girl. "Are you about to turn into Ranma Saotome in a puff of smoke?" she asked sarcastically.
"No," she replied, shaking her head. Unlike Genma Saotome's gi, she was wearing a long grey coat over black trousers and a sweater. "However, if you were inclined to provide a little hot water then I could reveal a few secrets."
"Hot water?" Kasumi asked. "Of course, please just wait a moment." She vanished back into kitchen, leaving her younger sisters to face the new arrivals.
The tiger had sidled into a corner and was now lying on the floor, head resting on it's forepaws with an expression that appeared to be frustrated more than anything. The panda cub, which was rather smaller than Akane and now that she looked at it was more cute than it was menacing, was whipping it's head back and forth, examining everything in the room with child-like curiousity. Oddly enough, the animal was wearing a large backpack as if it were a human.
"So what will you be doing with the water?" Nabiki asked curiously.
"There's no point telling you," the girl replied fatalistically. "You will not believe without seeing it."
"What's your name anyway?" Akane asked. "Are you Ranma's sister?"
"I am a student of Saotome-san," came the reply. "My name is Konoha Itachi."
"Itachi!" Nabiki chuckled. "Who'd call a girl 'Itachi'!"
Itachi merely smiled thinly. "All will be revealed," she replied as Kasumi re-entered the room, carrying a steaming kettle. "Thank you," she smiled at the eldest of the Tendo sisters and took the kettle, placing it carefully on the table and removing the lid. "This will do nicely."
With that said, she glanced over at the still distracted men and flicked her hands through a succession of handseals. "Suiton," she whispered, and droplets of the boiling water burst up from the kettle and pelted Saotome Genma. For an instant, the man was replaced again by the middle-aged woman that he had appeared as previously, grimacing in pain that the hot water, and then was once again male, although now rather less muscular and more rotund.
"Saotome!" Soun cried out. "What happened!"
"It's a long story," Genma muttered.
"I threw him into one of the cursed springs at the Training Grounds of Jusenkyou," Itachi said shortly.
"Apparently not that long a story," Nabiki muttered.
"Oh my," Kasumi gasped. "Why would you do such a thing?"
"He seemed to think it was amusing when I got thrown in," Itachi explained and used the same handseals and more droplets sprayed across the two animals and herself. Instantly they all transformed into boys - Itachi growing several inches into a young man in his late teens, the tiger becoming a dark-haired teenager with his hair in a pigtail and the panda transforming into a younger boy with spiky blond hair. Both the younger boys were wearing short-sleeved chinese shirts and trousers tied off at the ankles.
"Wha-whu-but... but..." Akane stammered. "How?"
"It was magic!" shouted the younger boy excitedly. "All the ponds have something that drowned in it and anyone who falls in them turns into one!"
"But why would you go to such a place?" Akane asked.
The other boy shrugged. "The old man said that it was in his guide as a great training ground. Thing is, it was in chinese, so he couldn't read it at all!"
"Stop whining, boy!" Genma shouted. "Were you not willing to give your life for the sake of the art!?"
"Ah!" Soun declared suddenly, comprehension dawning. "This must be your son, Ranma!"
"Yes," Genma agreed. "This is him. Now we can keep our promise and join the schools!"
"I believe that that would be our cue to depart, Naruto," Itachi said. "This is clearly a family matter, so we would merely be in the way."
"Leave?" Genma said in surprise. "But where will you go?"
Itachi shrugged. "I told you when we first met that I had promised to return with Naruto to our home when he was old enough. He is now old enough, and I will need to answer to... my elders for his curse."
"But surely you can wait a little while," Kasumi suggested gently. "It's getting late and it's still wet. Stay the night at least."
"Your hospitality is most gracious," Itachi said with a bow. "But I have delayed too long already. Naruto, say goodbye to the Saotomes."
The boy looked shocked. "But... Itachi-nisan!"
Itachi's face seemed to soften slightly. "I understand. I feel the same way. But we have obligations."
Naruto seemed almost in tears and he suddenly hugged Ranma fiercely. "I'm gonna miss you, Ranma-nisan."
"We'll see you again though!" Ranma protested. "Right?"
"Right!" Naruto shouted. He glared at Itachi. "It's a promise, right? I've gotta keep my promises - you said that. So I've gotta come back someday."
Itachi's lips curved slightly. "When we can," he agreed.
"Do you live far away?" Akane asked.
"Yes," he replied blandly.
The sun was setting as Naruto and Itachi approached the huge gates into Konohagakure. They had taken the opportunity to clean up at an inn the day before, so it was as two young men that they approached the edge of the Hidden Village. Itachi had donned his forehead protector again that morning and a black mask covered his face.
"Is everything so big here?" Naruto asked under his breath as the gates reared up above them.
"Not everything," Itachi replied. "Not their souls." He waved a casual salute to the two ninja on guard and carefully did not react to the rest of the four-man team as they oberved the approaching pair from behind cover. "Good evening!"
"Welcome," said one of the guards. His eyes narrowed as he spotted the unfamiliar face beneath the forehead protector. "I'll need to see your identification."
Itachi nodded and removed the protector, fishing a slip of paper out from a pocket concealed behind the metal panel. "It isn't current," he warned before he handed it over. "I've been away for a while."
The chuunin frowned as he scanned the pass. "Not current is right - and this doesn't look like it was complete to begin with." He scanned the pair of them. "You must have been pretty young to have left using it."
Itachi nodded patiently and put a calming hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I apologise, but I cannot disclose the details without authorisation. I will need to make my report to the Hokage once you have taken suitable precautions."
After a moment's hesitation, the chuunin nodded and one of the hiding shinobi departed to summon a squad of ANBU. "Very well, 'Hino-san'. Please start by handing over your weapons."
Naruto was looking mutinous by the time that they were ushered into one of the briefing rooms in the Hokage's tower. In contrast, Itachi was outwardly serene, an air that he had maintained throughout the careful vetting process that had consumed the past few hours. Morino Ibiki himself waited inside the door with them as the aged figure of the Hokage entered from the far side of the room.
Sarutobi had to fight to maintain his composure as he examined the two young shinobi facing him. The pass he had given the young Uchiha all those years ago had returned - and unless this was a decepetion, so had the Uchiha himself, along with his charge. "I will need to see proof of your identity," he said without preamble, clasping his hands behind him. "I'm sure you know what will identify you."
Ibiki scowled - the Hokage certainly had the right to keep a few secrets, but it was obvious that there had been Konoha ninja operating without any knowledge by ANBU for some time, and that was was disconcerting... a suggestion of distrust in the elite corps. Then he saw the Hokage stiffen, although there was no response on Itachi's part that the Special Jounin could make out.
"You can go, Ibiki," the old man ordered, a tear forming in his eyes as he stepped forwards and drew a surprised Itachi into an embrace. "I know who they are."
Ibiki obeyed silently, shaking his head once the door had closed. "The hell...?"
Inside, the Hokage had released Itachi and treated Naruto to the same welcome. "It is very good to see you both. I expected you to return years ago, Itachi."
The young man shrugged. "I considered returning in time for Naruto to enter the Academy, but I believed that he was learning more valuable lessons where we were. He should be well prepared for the Genin Exams now."
"And there were no problems?"
Itachi hesitated, his memory producing numerous instances of trouble brought on their heads by Genma Saotome. "Only one that is of concern, Hokage-sama."
The old man blinked. "Of concern?"
"I turn into a panda when I get wet!" Naruto said, shooting a dark look at Itachi.
The Hokage gave him a blank look. "You what?"
"Cold water turns him into a panda," Itachi confirmed, reluctantly. "Hot water reverses the transformation."
Sarutobi looked back and forth between the boys. "And is this..." he taile doff as he looked at Itachi.
"No," Itachi said, shaking his head sharply. "We... fell afoul of a curse."
"What do you mean 'fell afoul'! You threw me in!"
"_I_ didn't know about the curse when that happened," Itachi pointed out. "You were certainly aware of it when you threw _me_ in."
"You turn into a panda as well?"
"No -" Itachi began.
"He turns into a girl!" Naruto announced, and demonstrated by scooping up a carafe of water from the side table and splashing Itachi with it. The Hokage blinked furiously as he saw the young man reduced instantly to a young woman, who shot Naruto a glare.
"Fortunately," he said sharply, "A henge is sufficent to disguise the changes. And as Naruto has sufficent chakra reserves to maintain a henge almost indefinitely, the only way you can tell if he's a panda is that he can't talk in that form. Which is a welcome respite."
The Hokage sat down heavily. "I'm getting a little too old for this," he sighed.
"Will it be safe for him to use his own name?" Itachi asked.
"Ah," the Hokage said. "Well, it should be safe so far as the previous problem goes."
"Oh?"
"I'm afraid that I have some bad news," the Hokage advised solemnly. "I'm very sorry, Itachi. There was an incident two years ago and the Uchiha clan was all but wiped out."
"What!?" "Who?" exclaimed the two boys.
"The Uchiha clan are my family," Itachi explained shortly to Naruto. "What happened?"
"After you 'died'," the Hokage explained, "Your father became even more focused. He pushed your brother Sasuke into intensive training, even harsher than your own. He graduated from the Academy when he was seven and like yourself was seen as a prodigy. Needless to say your father's demands did not cease. Two years ago, Sasuke met and killed one of his teammates in the final match of the chuunin exam. We believe that doing so activated an advanced level of development for his Sharingan and that night he went on a rampage and killed your parents and everyone else in the Uchiha compound, before leaving the village and hunting down the few Uchiha who had not been present. He is currently ranked as an S-rank missing-nin."
Itachi gaped. "Little Sasuke-kun went missing-nin?"
The Hokage nodded. Naruto looked up at his stunned sensei and then hugged him around the hips, pressing his head against Itachi's side. Automatically Itachi rested one hand on the mop of blond locks, taking comfort just as he had so often offered it.
"What happens now?" Itachi asked after a long moment.
"Well," the Hokage said thoughtfully. "We'll have to sort out your living arrangements, and then integrate you into the village."
Itachi chuckled hoarsely. "I'm still a genin," he noted. "Father would be livid - nineteen and not even a chuunin."
"I think I can safely say that you'll be considered for promotion at the next exam," the Hokage agreed. "As for Naruto... we've just graduated a class from the Academy today. I'll shedule a special exam for him and if you do as well as I expect, Naruto, then you'll be formed into a team along with other genin."
"Is it going to be like school?" Naruto whined.
Itachi and the Hokage exchanged amused looks. "No, Naruto," Itachi replied. "It will be a little more structured - you'll have missions to complete, but otherwise is should be much like travelling with the Saotomes."
"As for your living arrangements, Itachi," the Hokage advised. "Much of the Uchiha compound has been rented out - the revenues are being paid into the Uchiha's finances, but the main house is still yours."
"Hn," Itachi nodded, an amused look flickering across his face. "And Naruto?"
The boy looked panicked. "Can't I stay with you, Itachi?"
The amused look transformed into a full-fledged, if slightly thin, smile. "If you wish."
The moment was disturbed by a sudden hammering on the door.
"Hokage-sama!" called Ibiki from outside. "The Forbidden Scroll has been stolen! One of the chuunin..."
Yuuhi Kurenai looked up as the door to the Jounin lounge opened and saw the Hokage entering. "Hokage-sama," she said politely, rising to bow.
"Ah, Kurenai... I was hoping to find you," the old man advised pleasantly. "You'll be taking a team of our new Genin tomorrow, won't you?"
The village's newest jounin nodded her agreement. It was pretty standard for a new jounin in Konohagakure to take over a team of genin, a low-paced beginning to their new rank. It also made sure that they got a chance to pass on some of their experience before taking on the A-class and S-class missions that would eventually kill so many Jounin.
"I have a rather interesting team in mind for you," the Hokage smiled. "Interesting enough that I think some explanation is in order. Please sit down."
Kurenai sank back down to the couch she'd been lounging on, and the Hokage pulled up a chair to sit opposite her.
"What's so unusual about the team?" Kurenai asked. She didn't recall hearing about any particularly unusual students in the current class.
"You may have heard that there was an incident last night," the Hokage began. "One of the chuunin teaching at the academy made off with the Forbidden Scroll and was halted by two genin?"
The jounin nodded.
"One of those genin has been trained as an apprentice by one of our ninja, outside Konohagakure for many years," the Hokage explained. "He had returned to become one of our genin and his performance in capturing of Mizuki was good enough that no further testing is necessary. For all his strength, he doesn't know much of our village, so part of your job will be to help Naruto to feel part of Konohagakure."
Kurenai smiled. "I'd be delighted," she agreed.
"The other genin... well, as the number of graduates this year doesn't divide by three, your team will be assigned a more experienced genin who is currently without a team. He's been away from the village for a number of years, in fact he was Naruto's sensei, and would have been promoted years ago, if he had been available for the exams. I'd like to put him on your team as well, it will help Naruto acclimatise to the village and he will need to adjust himself of course. I realise that this will be challenging for you..."
"I'm sure that it won't be a problem," Kurenai promised.
"Well, perhaps," the Hokage nooded. "You were something of a prodigy yourself, as I recall," he added fondly, "so you'll have something in common with Itachi."
"Itachi?" Kurenai exclaimed. "Uchiha Itachi? The prodigy who graduated at seven and died in the Orphanage Fire ten years ago?"
"Yes," the Hokage nodded. "His 'death' was simply a cover for his departure on a highly classified mission. In fact, his very return is top secret - we have to consider the possibility that Uchiha Sasuke will return if he discovers that his brother is still alive. Itachi is very good of course, but he does not possess the advanced Sharingan that Sasuke developed and we're unsure if he could deal with such an attack. Therefore, only yourself and Naruto will know his actual identity. To everyone else, Itachi will be 'Hino Bushiko', Naruto's elder sister."
Kurenai boggled. "With all due respect, Hokage-sama, Itachi would be... seventeen? How well will a seventeen year old boy be able to pretend to be a teenage girl?"
Sandaime Hokage reddened slightly. "Well, he will need some coaching in 'feminine behavior' - one reason that I am assigning him to your team. Besides that, Itachi managed to incur an ancient curse while on his mission and, er, transforms into a woman under certain circumstances."
"What!?"
"The last member of your team will be Hyuuga Hinata," the Hokage said hastily, rising to leave. "I feel she needs a strong female rolemodel to blossom as a kunoichi... and between yourself and 'Bushiko' she should be well provided for..."D for Drakensis
Contagious, rampant insanity isnt against the rules.
D for Drakensis
You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.
The Sandaime Hokage's head was low and he looked every one of his many years as he walked into his office.
Twenty-four months and one day ago, his successor had died sealing away the Kyuubi inside the newborn Uzumaki Naruto. Today was the second anniversary of Sarutobi accepting the office of Hokage again. Less than two full days ago, he had assigned a D-rank mission to a young genin who didn't mind working through the memorial ceremonies.
Early yesterday evening, the Konoha Orphanage had been set alight by dozens of katon jutsus. Fortunately, the building had been almost empty - the staff had taken the children to one of the parks for the day. One child had been left there, along with the genin babysitter. Testimony from the squad of ANBU who arrived just barely too late, saw a group of unidentifed ninja in the uniform of Konoha's police driving a young man back into the building when he tried to escape carrying a small child.
The building had collapsed them and in the moments as the ANBU tried and failed to penetrate the ruins to free the boy, the perpetrators made a clean getaway.
With a heavy heart, the Hokage opened the door to his office. Yondaime's legacy had been lost, along with another innocent young life. And with no one stepping forwards to identify those responsible it was likely that those guilty would never be punished. That would be a hard thing to tell the genin's family...
It was a tribute to the Hokage's compusure that he didn't break stride or betray his shock at what lay within the office to either of the chuunin standing guard outside of it. Instead he stepped in side and paused to glance to one side. "Don't let anyone in for a while," he ordered. "I need to put some things in order this morning."
The chuunin he was looking at, bowed slightly. "Yes, Hokage-sama."
Once the door closed behind the hokage, the guard scowled. "Goddamn idiots," he muttered under his breath.
His comrade shot him a quizzical look. "It was the Kyuubi, who cares?"
The guard jerked his head towards the office. "He does. I don't care about the brat but this could break his heart."
The other man grimaced. "I hadn't thought of that."
Inside his office, the Hokage removed his ceremonial hat and looked in wonder at the seven-year-old boy, soot-stained and scorched, who was slumped in the Hokage's chair, sleeping the sleep of the exhausted. In the boy's lap, a blanket wrapped child was moving and the Hokage could see a pair of innocent blue eyes peering out of the folds.
"Thank the gods," the old man whispered and a tear ran down his wrinkled cheek.
"Why did they attack him?"
Sarutobi sighed. "By my own laws, I cannot answer that question. I can tell you that it was very wrong, however."
"So what do they believe that would make it right to burn the kid to death?"
The Hokage frowned. "I said that I cannot tell..."
"I know you can't tell me the truth, but they believe something else - you can tell me that without breaking the law, because it's not the truth."
There was a frown as the old man tried to work through the logic of that. "I suppose that that's so," he conceded. "They believe that Naruto is the Kyuubi no Kitsune."
The boy looked down at the child now happily playing on the floor. "I don't see the resemblence," he said at last. "I'd always pictured the Kyuubi as being a little larger somehow."
The elation at the two boy's survival faded in the old man's eyes. "Yondaime never wanted the boy to be treated like this. I may have no choice but send him away from Konohagakure, for his own safety. If your father cannot identify those responsible for this attack, doubtless they will try again."
Itachi rubbed at the soot on his face. "He won't. Anyone he turns over will be a scapegoat, nothing more."
One does not become Hokage without being able to look underneath the underneath. "He knows already then. And if you think he'd serve up a scapegoat then he wasn't a silent partner, either."
The boy shook his head. "They were all henged - but there aren't very many shinobi in the world with Sharingan and two of those involved did. Father does not tolerate independent actions like that - it reflects on him as the head of the police."
*What do we do to these children,* Sarutobi mused. *He's seven years old and he's dissecting the politics of his father conspiring to commit murder.* "And without proof, I cannot act against him. Your testimony would be too easy to discredit."
"Because of my age," the boy replied a little bitterly.
"Partly," the Hokage agreed. "And partly because your father will have ironclad allibis for everyone but his designated scapegoat."
"It's a lot of effort to take to hurt one infant," Itachi noted. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Are we done? I could do with some more sleep."
"We're not done, as such," the Hokage told him, "and you can't go home yet. You can get some sleep in the next room though. Take Naruto with you."
Itachi lifted the baby carefully and opened the door leading to the sideroom where the Hokage kept a couch for the nights when he couldn't afford more than brief naps.
The Hokage hesitated, then, "Uchiha Itachi. Would you accept an A-class mission, outside Konohagakure, for several years? For the purposes of the mission, you would be deep undercover, listed as dead in yesterday's fire."
Itachi blinked, and then looked down. "Is he the mission?"
"Correct. The mission would be to raise him to return here as a potential Konoha-nin."
Itachi hesitated, and then nodded. "Mission accepted," he agreed.
"That must be him now!" Soun Tendo announced brightly as there was a knock on the gate to the dojo. He jumped to his feet and ran for the door. "Saotome! My old friend!"
Nabiki followed her father to greet the arriving Saotomes, while her sister hung back.
"I hope that he's older," Kasumi murmured.
"Hmph," Akane snorted. "Boys!"
As suddenly as they had left, Soun and Nabiki reappeared - running from what apeared to be a small circus - to be precise, a rather large bengal tiger with a small panda perched on it's back. Trailing behind them were two women: one about Nabiki's age, with a resigned look on her face, and a middle-aged woman in a dirty gi.
"Daddy!" hissed Nabiki, hiding behind the master of the house. "Are these your friends?"
Her father shook his head, desperately hoping that this was all some bizarre dream. Certainly, the stout woman bore a slight resemblence to his old friend, but surely that was merely a coincidence.
"Tendo!" the woman called, enthusiastically. "It's so good to see you again!"
Nabiki gave her a sceptical look. "Are you sure, Daddy?"
The younger woman bowed her head. "Saotome-san," she said wearily to the older woman. "You amaze me by how quickly you can forget a simple plan."
The woman puffed up smugly at the statement and the girl glared at her, a red flicker in her eyes. Almost instantly the elder of the two paled and backed away, raising her hands defensively. "I'm sorry," she pleaded. Placing her hands together she cried out "Henge!" and a small cloud of smoke enveloped her for a moment. When it faded, in her place was a stocky, muscular man with a handkerchief covering his bald head.
"Saotome!" Soun called in relief. "It's you!" The two men placed their hands on each other's shoulders and practically danced a jig with excitement.
Nabiki sighed and looked at the girl. "Are you about to turn into Ranma Saotome in a puff of smoke?" she asked sarcastically.
"No," she replied, shaking her head. Unlike Genma Saotome's gi, she was wearing a long grey coat over black trousers and a sweater. "However, if you were inclined to provide a little hot water then I could reveal a few secrets."
"Hot water?" Kasumi asked. "Of course, please just wait a moment." She vanished back into kitchen, leaving her younger sisters to face the new arrivals.
The tiger had sidled into a corner and was now lying on the floor, head resting on it's forepaws with an expression that appeared to be frustrated more than anything. The panda cub, which was rather smaller than Akane and now that she looked at it was more cute than it was menacing, was whipping it's head back and forth, examining everything in the room with child-like curiousity. Oddly enough, the animal was wearing a large backpack as if it were a human.
"So what will you be doing with the water?" Nabiki asked curiously.
"There's no point telling you," the girl replied fatalistically. "You will not believe without seeing it."
"What's your name anyway?" Akane asked. "Are you Ranma's sister?"
"I am a student of Saotome-san," came the reply. "My name is Konoha Itachi."
"Itachi!" Nabiki chuckled. "Who'd call a girl 'Itachi'!"
Itachi merely smiled thinly. "All will be revealed," she replied as Kasumi re-entered the room, carrying a steaming kettle. "Thank you," she smiled at the eldest of the Tendo sisters and took the kettle, placing it carefully on the table and removing the lid. "This will do nicely."
With that said, she glanced over at the still distracted men and flicked her hands through a succession of handseals. "Suiton," she whispered, and droplets of the boiling water burst up from the kettle and pelted Saotome Genma. For an instant, the man was replaced again by the middle-aged woman that he had appeared as previously, grimacing in pain that the hot water, and then was once again male, although now rather less muscular and more rotund.
"Saotome!" Soun cried out. "What happened!"
"It's a long story," Genma muttered.
"I threw him into one of the cursed springs at the Training Grounds of Jusenkyou," Itachi said shortly.
"Apparently not that long a story," Nabiki muttered.
"Oh my," Kasumi gasped. "Why would you do such a thing?"
"He seemed to think it was amusing when I got thrown in," Itachi explained and used the same handseals and more droplets sprayed across the two animals and herself. Instantly they all transformed into boys - Itachi growing several inches into a young man in his late teens, the tiger becoming a dark-haired teenager with his hair in a pigtail and the panda transforming into a younger boy with spiky blond hair. Both the younger boys were wearing short-sleeved chinese shirts and trousers tied off at the ankles.
"Wha-whu-but... but..." Akane stammered. "How?"
"It was magic!" shouted the younger boy excitedly. "All the ponds have something that drowned in it and anyone who falls in them turns into one!"
"But why would you go to such a place?" Akane asked.
The other boy shrugged. "The old man said that it was in his guide as a great training ground. Thing is, it was in chinese, so he couldn't read it at all!"
"Stop whining, boy!" Genma shouted. "Were you not willing to give your life for the sake of the art!?"
"Ah!" Soun declared suddenly, comprehension dawning. "This must be your son, Ranma!"
"Yes," Genma agreed. "This is him. Now we can keep our promise and join the schools!"
"I believe that that would be our cue to depart, Naruto," Itachi said. "This is clearly a family matter, so we would merely be in the way."
"Leave?" Genma said in surprise. "But where will you go?"
Itachi shrugged. "I told you when we first met that I had promised to return with Naruto to our home when he was old enough. He is now old enough, and I will need to answer to... my elders for his curse."
"But surely you can wait a little while," Kasumi suggested gently. "It's getting late and it's still wet. Stay the night at least."
"Your hospitality is most gracious," Itachi said with a bow. "But I have delayed too long already. Naruto, say goodbye to the Saotomes."
The boy looked shocked. "But... Itachi-nisan!"
Itachi's face seemed to soften slightly. "I understand. I feel the same way. But we have obligations."
Naruto seemed almost in tears and he suddenly hugged Ranma fiercely. "I'm gonna miss you, Ranma-nisan."
"We'll see you again though!" Ranma protested. "Right?"
"Right!" Naruto shouted. He glared at Itachi. "It's a promise, right? I've gotta keep my promises - you said that. So I've gotta come back someday."
Itachi's lips curved slightly. "When we can," he agreed.
"Do you live far away?" Akane asked.
"Yes," he replied blandly.
The sun was setting as Naruto and Itachi approached the huge gates into Konohagakure. They had taken the opportunity to clean up at an inn the day before, so it was as two young men that they approached the edge of the Hidden Village. Itachi had donned his forehead protector again that morning and a black mask covered his face.
"Is everything so big here?" Naruto asked under his breath as the gates reared up above them.
"Not everything," Itachi replied. "Not their souls." He waved a casual salute to the two ninja on guard and carefully did not react to the rest of the four-man team as they oberved the approaching pair from behind cover. "Good evening!"
"Welcome," said one of the guards. His eyes narrowed as he spotted the unfamiliar face beneath the forehead protector. "I'll need to see your identification."
Itachi nodded and removed the protector, fishing a slip of paper out from a pocket concealed behind the metal panel. "It isn't current," he warned before he handed it over. "I've been away for a while."
The chuunin frowned as he scanned the pass. "Not current is right - and this doesn't look like it was complete to begin with." He scanned the pair of them. "You must have been pretty young to have left using it."
Itachi nodded patiently and put a calming hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I apologise, but I cannot disclose the details without authorisation. I will need to make my report to the Hokage once you have taken suitable precautions."
After a moment's hesitation, the chuunin nodded and one of the hiding shinobi departed to summon a squad of ANBU. "Very well, 'Hino-san'. Please start by handing over your weapons."
Naruto was looking mutinous by the time that they were ushered into one of the briefing rooms in the Hokage's tower. In contrast, Itachi was outwardly serene, an air that he had maintained throughout the careful vetting process that had consumed the past few hours. Morino Ibiki himself waited inside the door with them as the aged figure of the Hokage entered from the far side of the room.
Sarutobi had to fight to maintain his composure as he examined the two young shinobi facing him. The pass he had given the young Uchiha all those years ago had returned - and unless this was a decepetion, so had the Uchiha himself, along with his charge. "I will need to see proof of your identity," he said without preamble, clasping his hands behind him. "I'm sure you know what will identify you."
Ibiki scowled - the Hokage certainly had the right to keep a few secrets, but it was obvious that there had been Konoha ninja operating without any knowledge by ANBU for some time, and that was was disconcerting... a suggestion of distrust in the elite corps. Then he saw the Hokage stiffen, although there was no response on Itachi's part that the Special Jounin could make out.
"You can go, Ibiki," the old man ordered, a tear forming in his eyes as he stepped forwards and drew a surprised Itachi into an embrace. "I know who they are."
Ibiki obeyed silently, shaking his head once the door had closed. "The hell...?"
Inside, the Hokage had released Itachi and treated Naruto to the same welcome. "It is very good to see you both. I expected you to return years ago, Itachi."
The young man shrugged. "I considered returning in time for Naruto to enter the Academy, but I believed that he was learning more valuable lessons where we were. He should be well prepared for the Genin Exams now."
"And there were no problems?"
Itachi hesitated, his memory producing numerous instances of trouble brought on their heads by Genma Saotome. "Only one that is of concern, Hokage-sama."
The old man blinked. "Of concern?"
"I turn into a panda when I get wet!" Naruto said, shooting a dark look at Itachi.
The Hokage gave him a blank look. "You what?"
"Cold water turns him into a panda," Itachi confirmed, reluctantly. "Hot water reverses the transformation."
Sarutobi looked back and forth between the boys. "And is this..." he taile doff as he looked at Itachi.
"No," Itachi said, shaking his head sharply. "We... fell afoul of a curse."
"What do you mean 'fell afoul'! You threw me in!"
"_I_ didn't know about the curse when that happened," Itachi pointed out. "You were certainly aware of it when you threw _me_ in."
"You turn into a panda as well?"
"No -" Itachi began.
"He turns into a girl!" Naruto announced, and demonstrated by scooping up a carafe of water from the side table and splashing Itachi with it. The Hokage blinked furiously as he saw the young man reduced instantly to a young woman, who shot Naruto a glare.
"Fortunately," he said sharply, "A henge is sufficent to disguise the changes. And as Naruto has sufficent chakra reserves to maintain a henge almost indefinitely, the only way you can tell if he's a panda is that he can't talk in that form. Which is a welcome respite."
The Hokage sat down heavily. "I'm getting a little too old for this," he sighed.
"Will it be safe for him to use his own name?" Itachi asked.
"Ah," the Hokage said. "Well, it should be safe so far as the previous problem goes."
"Oh?"
"I'm afraid that I have some bad news," the Hokage advised solemnly. "I'm very sorry, Itachi. There was an incident two years ago and the Uchiha clan was all but wiped out."
"What!?" "Who?" exclaimed the two boys.
"The Uchiha clan are my family," Itachi explained shortly to Naruto. "What happened?"
"After you 'died'," the Hokage explained, "Your father became even more focused. He pushed your brother Sasuke into intensive training, even harsher than your own. He graduated from the Academy when he was seven and like yourself was seen as a prodigy. Needless to say your father's demands did not cease. Two years ago, Sasuke met and killed one of his teammates in the final match of the chuunin exam. We believe that doing so activated an advanced level of development for his Sharingan and that night he went on a rampage and killed your parents and everyone else in the Uchiha compound, before leaving the village and hunting down the few Uchiha who had not been present. He is currently ranked as an S-rank missing-nin."
Itachi gaped. "Little Sasuke-kun went missing-nin?"
The Hokage nodded. Naruto looked up at his stunned sensei and then hugged him around the hips, pressing his head against Itachi's side. Automatically Itachi rested one hand on the mop of blond locks, taking comfort just as he had so often offered it.
"What happens now?" Itachi asked after a long moment.
"Well," the Hokage said thoughtfully. "We'll have to sort out your living arrangements, and then integrate you into the village."
Itachi chuckled hoarsely. "I'm still a genin," he noted. "Father would be livid - nineteen and not even a chuunin."
"I think I can safely say that you'll be considered for promotion at the next exam," the Hokage agreed. "As for Naruto... we've just graduated a class from the Academy today. I'll shedule a special exam for him and if you do as well as I expect, Naruto, then you'll be formed into a team along with other genin."
"Is it going to be like school?" Naruto whined.
Itachi and the Hokage exchanged amused looks. "No, Naruto," Itachi replied. "It will be a little more structured - you'll have missions to complete, but otherwise is should be much like travelling with the Saotomes."
"As for your living arrangements, Itachi," the Hokage advised. "Much of the Uchiha compound has been rented out - the revenues are being paid into the Uchiha's finances, but the main house is still yours."
"Hn," Itachi nodded, an amused look flickering across his face. "And Naruto?"
The boy looked panicked. "Can't I stay with you, Itachi?"
The amused look transformed into a full-fledged, if slightly thin, smile. "If you wish."
The moment was disturbed by a sudden hammering on the door.
"Hokage-sama!" called Ibiki from outside. "The Forbidden Scroll has been stolen! One of the chuunin..."
Yuuhi Kurenai looked up as the door to the Jounin lounge opened and saw the Hokage entering. "Hokage-sama," she said politely, rising to bow.
"Ah, Kurenai... I was hoping to find you," the old man advised pleasantly. "You'll be taking a team of our new Genin tomorrow, won't you?"
The village's newest jounin nodded her agreement. It was pretty standard for a new jounin in Konohagakure to take over a team of genin, a low-paced beginning to their new rank. It also made sure that they got a chance to pass on some of their experience before taking on the A-class and S-class missions that would eventually kill so many Jounin.
"I have a rather interesting team in mind for you," the Hokage smiled. "Interesting enough that I think some explanation is in order. Please sit down."
Kurenai sank back down to the couch she'd been lounging on, and the Hokage pulled up a chair to sit opposite her.
"What's so unusual about the team?" Kurenai asked. She didn't recall hearing about any particularly unusual students in the current class.
"You may have heard that there was an incident last night," the Hokage began. "One of the chuunin teaching at the academy made off with the Forbidden Scroll and was halted by two genin?"
The jounin nodded.
"One of those genin has been trained as an apprentice by one of our ninja, outside Konohagakure for many years," the Hokage explained. "He had returned to become one of our genin and his performance in capturing of Mizuki was good enough that no further testing is necessary. For all his strength, he doesn't know much of our village, so part of your job will be to help Naruto to feel part of Konohagakure."
Kurenai smiled. "I'd be delighted," she agreed.
"The other genin... well, as the number of graduates this year doesn't divide by three, your team will be assigned a more experienced genin who is currently without a team. He's been away from the village for a number of years, in fact he was Naruto's sensei, and would have been promoted years ago, if he had been available for the exams. I'd like to put him on your team as well, it will help Naruto acclimatise to the village and he will need to adjust himself of course. I realise that this will be challenging for you..."
"I'm sure that it won't be a problem," Kurenai promised.
"Well, perhaps," the Hokage nooded. "You were something of a prodigy yourself, as I recall," he added fondly, "so you'll have something in common with Itachi."
"Itachi?" Kurenai exclaimed. "Uchiha Itachi? The prodigy who graduated at seven and died in the Orphanage Fire ten years ago?"
"Yes," the Hokage nodded. "His 'death' was simply a cover for his departure on a highly classified mission. In fact, his very return is top secret - we have to consider the possibility that Uchiha Sasuke will return if he discovers that his brother is still alive. Itachi is very good of course, but he does not possess the advanced Sharingan that Sasuke developed and we're unsure if he could deal with such an attack. Therefore, only yourself and Naruto will know his actual identity. To everyone else, Itachi will be 'Hino Bushiko', Naruto's elder sister."
Kurenai boggled. "With all due respect, Hokage-sama, Itachi would be... seventeen? How well will a seventeen year old boy be able to pretend to be a teenage girl?"
Sandaime Hokage reddened slightly. "Well, he will need some coaching in 'feminine behavior' - one reason that I am assigning him to your team. Besides that, Itachi managed to incur an ancient curse while on his mission and, er, transforms into a woman under certain circumstances."
"What!?"
"The last member of your team will be Hyuuga Hinata," the Hokage said hastily, rising to leave. "I feel she needs a strong female rolemodel to blossom as a kunoichi... and between yourself and 'Bushiko' she should be well provided for..."D for Drakensis
Contagious, rampant insanity isnt against the rules.
D for Drakensis
You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.
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