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that had to be one freakin' impressive Jutsu the First used, no?

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constipation of the soul

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A bit of a weird idea spawned by too much time and too little sleep. Also, too many Naruto-fics and wondering a bit more about Hotaru.
Katsu's rather generic term as Gennin and similar performance during his Chuunin exam - showing competence, but nothing really extraordinary - was due to the fact that his body had never truly recovered from its encounter with Zabuza's assortment of sharp and pointy things and jutsus during his first 'graduation'.
Mizuno-sempai had stitched him together as best she could, physically and chakra-wise, but she'd only been (counts back ten years, nods to self) eighteen at the time and what she had in talent she was still a bit lacking in experience - still a commendable effort, since she'd been the only one to actually try and save the clanless boy's life.
Still, he lived, so *whammo* instant life debt, and suddenly he's got a Reason to continue living and try to be the best shinobi he can be, because who knows when Mizuno-sempai and her then year and change old daughter fall victim to the ever changing political climate of the Village of Hidden Mist.
So, even with his Chakra system being in such a shape that working a substantial amount of Chakra through it resulted in a lot of pain, he's motivated enough to reach Chuunin. He makes it at fourteen. By then, he _and_ Mizuno sempai note that his problems are slowly but steadily getting worse. Not by a very great amount, but with every injury sustained his Chakra system can handle just a little less throughfare without the pain.
Zabuza's coup happens (was it ever specified _when_ it happens?), and Katsu is suddenly not really welcome, being a blatant reminder of the now nukenin Swordsman. Nothing official, but he feels like there's always someone waiting to stick him with a kunai, no matter where he goes.
Controversely, this is actually a good thing, and he manages to convince one of the members of his Gennin team who, incidentially, is part of one of the major clans in the Village and for some reason _doesn't_ want to see him dead (let's call her, oh, Kaiou Michiru?) to get a solo deep recon assignment - basically an exile posting that has him moving everwhichway, looking for anything to bring to the Mist's attention to get back into their graces.
Katsu leaves the Mizuno household for two years, during which he travels (let's see, Zabuza's graduation is said to have happened ten years prior to series' start - meaning he's somewhere in his early twenties, though he may look older, what with all the stress and all, so assuming Katsu's around no-eyebrows' age, he'd leave the Mist when he's fifteen to sixteen).
He ends up venturing far North, doing the odd bit of caravan guard work or somesuch, since the Mist isn't in the habit of paying what they look upon as an 'voulantary exile'. He makes sure to steal/find/appropriate a few jutsus along the way, so that he has a bargaining chip when he finds something to fix his 'problem'.
Excrept from diary of Katsu, Mist Chuunin:
'... and then, shivering against the cold winds that swept upon the caravan from above and bit at me even through the thick cloak I'd purchased at the last stop, I felt it.
At first, I had no idea what 'it' was. Merely something that seemed 'off' to the senses. A whisper at the edge of awareness, just before falling asleep and just after awakening. A glimmer of light where there should be none.
I'll admit to having been pretty desperate by then. For some reason, my little problem was becoming not so little faster than it had before. Not even switching over to pure taijutsu most of the time, and working with Havoc and Malice instead of jutsus, seems to help slow it down. Luckily, my immune system is still working fine - something Yuki-chan ... I mean, Mizuno-sempai, had been worried about. A year ago, being called more hatchetman than shinobi had been amusing. Now? It seems to be becoming sad reality.
You don't really know what you've got until you lose it. Although being away from the Mist's political climate is doing wonders for my nerves, I'd wager.
The 'feelings' refused to go away, though, actually getting more oppressive as we moved on along the frozen road.
After a week of this, and getting into town, I cut my contract with the caravan master and, after picking up supplies, went out into the cold.
I don't know exactly how long I'd been walking, other than that my food was almost out by the time I'd come across where I thought the whispers were coming from.
I descended into the crack in a rough stone cliffside, made my way through the winding cave system ... and came upon _something_ I did not recognize.
But for the maelstrom of emotions filling the cavernous space the roof of which disappeared in the darkness. A definite presence, as well ...
... and a prodigous will to _live_.
That was the moment I knew I'd found what I'd been looking for.
Whether that was a good or a bad thing, though, I couldn't tell you even now.'
Cut to Katsu returning to the Hidden Village, a small library of exotic information and a few nifty jutsu in tow.
He is reluctantly accepted back.
Mizuno-sempai is more enthusiastic ... err, no, not in _that_ way, although he wouldn't mind, truth be told.
A barrage of tests later, and she actually believes him when he says he'd managed to find a solution to his Chakra system problem.
Cue the scene of Katsu evasively saying he'd made a dealof sorts, then reassuring Mizuno-sempai that the only thing he'd agreed upon in exchange for the cure was 'To live'. Something tells Mizuno-sempai she'd rather not know, so she follows instinct and doesn't ask. Much.
Ever heard the phrase 'To live vicariously through someone else?'
Cut to the Chuunin exam brawl, Serenity's lightshow, and Gai and Kakashi charging to help the Sandaime. Whereupon Katsu takes one look at the rampaging giant snake, glares at it for a moment.
Zabuza just hears him mutter something along the lines of: "Brother would never forgive me if I didn't try to get rid of this travesty to serpentkind."
Katsu then turns to assist the two Leaf-nin with kunai and the occasional suiton that proves that while he dislikes flashy jutsus, he's capable of pulling off the offensive suitons just fine.
That's about the only hint we get, other than the fact that his eyes go all Battousai for a moment when he's angry, and Ami-kun is worries about his Chakra after the brawl. And that he seems to be able to smell Chakra emissions.
Then, in some close future, when the shit really hits the fan and there's no option but for everybody to give their all or die trying, he hands a disarmed Mina a flimsy looking chain he'd gotten from somewhere and tells her it should do well enough for the duration. And tells her the chain's name is Gleipnir.
Hey, it's a wide world out there. Who says that the Elemental Countries have a momopoly on weird kaiju class beasts? Just so happens Katsu ran into one that was more amiable, maybe because it had been locked up for a fair part of its existence. He ran into Fenrir.
This came about because I was imaginging a future where either Anko or Hotaru would be looking for an alternative to Sankeface's dai-kaiju snake summon.
Because a cute goth girl, with or without a giant polearm, riding into battle on the head of Jormungand, is just such a precious mantal image.
And no, Katsu isn't _exactly_ a demon vessel. He does have some of the benifits, like the healing/regen boost - that did away with his Chakra problems and al - and a bit of a sensory boost. He doesn't get the insane Chakra reserves at his disposal, though. Oh, yeah, and apparently a wolf summoning contract.
Hehe ... I've already mentioned about Mako liking to occasionally use a yari or other spear deriviate? Mako+Gungnir vs Kisame+Samehada ?

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I don't know about Jormungand working out as a dragon. He's pretty much a serpent in the end.
OTOH, Hotaru could _still_ have her cute little dragonling. When I think 'dragon' I'm pulled towards associating it with the East Continent and its Jade Empire or however we're going to call that entity in the end.
A minor embodied spirit that was 'summoned/crafted' in the Empire and which Anko had to pull a lot of strings to get. He helps Hotaru correct the chakra imbalance caused by the Wound and Heal gates, draining the excess whenever a bit gets past her own growing control? Thereby taking care of, y'know, feeding itself. Kills two birds with one stone. It'd also be insanely loyal to her as a result, I'd think.
The Empire's chi/chakra sorcerors are the stereotypical 'evil chinese mage' types, I figure - in addition to being a priviliged class of their own in court, often also taking positions as lords/magistrates/whatever if they've got noble blood (and sometimes even without it) - and they keep a contingent of bodyguards/manservants whose chi/chakra they actually drain to cast their spells/work their rituals. Their way of using chi/chakra is different from the one shinobi can employ (this is partially a genetic thing, partially a tradition thing) - and while some effects can be more impressive, they also leave the chakra of the person permanently warped, leaving the body to contort and accomodate the change - resulting in what seems like premature aging and such. Hence the supply of living 'batteries'.
Lo Pan, anyone?

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Illiterate kids could show up, they'd be left severely behind. Teaching the poor to read screwed up the old world order. Much like translating the bible in England to English of all things (the common tongue) screwed up the power of the Catholic Church.

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Another thing to mull over about the tech levels in Naruto, they have both power poles and vending machines.

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Hidden villages arent exactly near anything and the ninjas can move fast enough so they dont care about your average grunts traveling about.

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Leaf is as was said a large population center... at least two rich families live(d) there. Rich people. Rich people like snazzy new stuff you peons can't afford. Like none burning lights.

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While I can believe in a merchant tongue (good for business if you can keep records) I'm still dubious about its commonality among the random civilians in that world. Now it may be a matter of getting a good wide shot of the Hidden leaf and labeling each building or cluster there of, but they don't exactly fixate on the life of your random villager much. Those that do get fixated on are well off for the area.

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The government of the Hidden Village of the Leaf was more complicated than most people suspected. Officially, the village was ruled, along with the rest of the Fire Country, by the highest daimyo of the nation. As one of his vassals, the Hokage governed the village at his pleasure, at least in theory. In reality, the truth was closer to the other way around. Any daimyo that wished to depose a Hokage had no ability to actually enforce his desires. Meanwhile, if the Hokage ever tired of the daimyo, all knew that the daimyo would soon experience a fatal accident. Still, the Hidden Village of the Leaf did not have the manpower to govern the Fire Country on its own. Without the cooperation of the nobility, the country would fall apart. Thus was the balance of power kept.
It was fortunate for the Fire Country that, unlike in some other countries, there had always been a cooperative relationship between the two people who were effectively co-rulers of the country. While the daimyo might dream of enjoying a stronger position and the Hokage no doubt occasionally envied the unchallenged dominance of the Raikage, for the most part the system functioned well. While the daimyo busied himself with the mundane matters of rulership, the security of the Fire Country and its relations with the other nations were in the Hokage's capable hands.
Inside the Hidden Village of the Leaf, on paper the Hokage was an absolute ruler. In reality, it was impossible to govern a village of ninja without the consent of the governed. Most of the clans had signed treaties granting them many rights when they had joined the Leaf, and it would be a foolish ruler who even hinted at infringing upon them. Custom and tradition were as binding as any formal law could ever be, and in the years since the First Hokage had declared that the coalition of four clans from the Wood and Fire Countries he led was now the Hidden Village of the Leaf there had been time for many customs to be born.
One such custom was that of the village council. As befitted a body that had come into being over time on its own, rather than ever being formally established, its membership was somewhat fluid. The Hokage, of course, always sat on it, along with his or her advisers. They were the only constants. The remaining members varied from meeting to meeting, depending on who was concerned with the matters on the agenda. The heads of the clans each had a right to a seat if they desired one, along with a number of other high-ranking ninja. Though he held no formal position, had he been in the village none would have denied Jiraiya a place on the council in the unusual event he had wished one.

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