Chapter 11: ten: true geniusSummary:
Being a paranoid adult in a clan child's body is, more often than not, a curse rather than a blessing.
Notes:
I was planning on writing an extra long chapter as an apology for the wait, but I've been stuck on a writer's block for a while now and decided to upload what I've written until now. I hope 2019 has been treating y'all well so far!
A kind reviewer (I don't remember who you are, I'm so sorry) asked me about the conflicts in Chiyuki's life and if she isn't solving them a bit too quickly. Particularly, I don't think that's the case, but I'm heavily biased. It took her a few days to talk things out with Genma even though it might have looked like something rushed - again, biased. I do, however, get your point, and I can assure you Chiyuki's troubles will be neither far nor few in between (there are at least two more brewing on this chapter), and she won't deal with them as nicely as she'd like to. Tell me what y'all think, though! I'll make sure to keep that in mind.
I do not own Naruto.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Becoming a Hokage 101
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Section Three
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Chapter Ten
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At first, there's red everywhere.
It bubbles and burns acidly on my skin, making it hard to breathe and to concentrate. There's just something that's insanely powerful weighing down on me-
-a shape in the distance-
'A fox?'
Red turns blue.
Blue eyes as bright as the sky and a young face so eager to please, so eager to try and-
-'if I just get the chance to-'
Two parents: one is red, the other is blue.
The Red Parent is loving. Powerful. The presence of something else lingers, but it's not suffocating.
The Blue Parent is-
"Ah."
Somehow, I'm sitting on the ground with far more people around me than I'm comfortable with. Kakashi ('of course Kakashi looks ready to pick me up and bolt-') and Rin are kneeling next to me, the boy supporting my back and the girl checking me up with medical chakra.
However, the one that I see the most clearly in the moment is the Blue Parent - Namizake Minato, future Yondaime hokage, who'll single-handedly kill a thousand Iwa-nin and end the war and his wife is Uzumaki Kushina and they'll have a son who'll house the Nine Tailed Fox and this boy is the freaking starting point of everything-
"Breathe." A sharp, but not unkind command. Air fills my lungs in a rush, clearing my head and chasing the headache away.
'Didn't you want to see Rin in medic-nin mode? Well, there you have it.'
I choke on the air I breathe, and Rin pushes just a little bit more of her chakra on my lungs. I look up and I see seven faces looking at me with various degrees of worry and curiosity, but the one that stands out the most and makes everything else blur in comparison is our next hokage, father of Uzumaki Naruto, the boy who'll house the Nine Tailed Fox and will become shunned by the village his parents loved and sworn to protect.
It makes my heart hurt.
'The villagers bullied and mistreated a young boy who knew nothing of his condition. What did my father do?'
My father did his best. Admittedly, his best wasn't enough, but he was treading on a thin line trying to keep the peace Minato had won with fear and rebuild the village the Fox had destroyed. I know he kept things secret, and that ended up being worse in the long run, but Naruto-
-'Naruto, Naruto, that sweet, sweet boy,-'
-Naruto braved on. Somehow, he endured it all and vowed to become hokage to protect the own village that had shunned him.
The very village that hated him.
What does then-
-why?
Why did he want to become hokage?
Why does he want to protect people that once hated him?
Why does he want to be acknowledged by them?
Would I have done the same if I were in his place?
'You know the answer to that.'
"Chiyuki." Kakashi says sharply, and for now another existential crisis is pushed to the back of my head. Rin is no longer using medical chakra on me, but I feel her hand rubbing comforting circles on my back. My head hurts and it makes me feel as if my eyes are going to explode my eyes out of its sockets, but this… flashback wasn't like the others. I didn't faint, which is a plus.
"Perhaps we should take you to your mom…" Choza-sensei says, rubbing thoughtfully at his chin. At his remark, I shake my head, regretting it immediately when it makes me dizzy.
"No, sensei, I'm going to be fine. I just need some time." I nearly say it's happened before, but I catch myself just in time. If I did, they would definitely try to send me back home, and I'd never hear the end of it. "Sometimes the seal… glitches. Mother says she'll figure it out before the month is up."
The truth, but not the entire truth. The seal does glitch and mother did say that, but no one knows how or why it does that.
Minato raises both eyebrows, a curious look on his face, and only then I realize how young and handsome he is. He can't possibly be older than 20. In my memories, the fourth hokage wasn't ever seen this young, perhaps in one or two occasions during his genin days. This person here, though, is barely older than Genma, and already a jonin sensei.
It's… a shock.
"...right. If you say so. Team Choza will keep a close eye on you, isn't that right, boys?" I pale, knowing full well the implications of that. Genma just nods and smirks, but the one that worries me the most is-
"YOSH! I'LL DO MY UTMOST TO PROTECT THE YOUTHFUL BLOSSOM OF OUR TEAM-"
"Take it easy, Gai."
Minato barks out a laugh, and I hide my burning face in my hands.
'Are you seeing this, mother? Look how many good first impressions I'm making.'
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"I didn't know you were sent to administration on your first set of d-ranks."
"It was boring."
"Everything is boring to you."
"That was the most boring thing I've ever done in my entire life."
"Kakashi, we're seven."
"So? It's true."
Because of a mostly harmless mishap (courtesy of Obito, I've been told) at the admin building, two genin teams were assigned to a few weeks at the outposts at the same time. Choza-sensei said it ended up being a good thing, because then we can train a little more intensively and see a bit of action without being at the borders.
The outposts aren't actually that big or anything like that. They are scattered around the village's borders and are castle-looking structures, with tall walls and two or three big outposts. Most of them can house up to ten shinobi at once, which is why we were sent to the one closest to the gate. With six genin occupying the space of capable ninja who have more experience and can protect the village better, you don't want to put them at, say, the woods outpost. You want to keep the children close by, especially because the chance of anyone attacking through the front gates is minimal.
"So Kakashi does act like a normal child!" We both whip around to look at the newcomer, and Minato smiles good-naturedly at us. Here, from this height, there's a nice breeze that ruffles your hair and your clothes, but it's not enough to make your ears hurt or your hair to fly everywhere. Minato looks even more handsome with his blonde hair being gently swept by the wind, and if I didn't know he is already head over heels over Kushina, I'd probably have a crush on him.
Kakashi doesn't verbally respond to the teasing, only pouts behind his mask. I choose to join in on the teasing.
"I wouldn't say he's normal…" I respond, expertly avoiding a well-known jab to the hips. The blonde man only laughs, apparently amused by the new side of Kakashi he's seeing.
"Neither are you." The silver haired boy replies sullenly, and I have half the mind to stick my tongue out at him.
"Yeah, but I knew it from the start. You don't even admit it."
"Being normal isn't necessarily a bad thing, though, is it?" Minato hums thoughtfully before any of us can do anything else, and his blue eyes flicker to the seal on my forehead. I can tell he's dying to ask about it - as a sensor, I have no doubt he can feel all the work and energy behind it - but hasn't done so yet. Instead of taking the social clue, I hum back.
"I don't think it's a good thing either." I keep my voice light and my expression open, making sure to not seem rude or anything like that.
The blonde has a contemplative expression on his face, and I have no doubt he's trying to map me from the inside out.
It doesn't mean it's that easy.
"Well, being different is not about being a good or a bad thing. It's just another way to do things." He says thoughtfully while Kakashi watches the exchange with the eyes of a hawk. I nod, agreeing with him.
"Mhm, I think so too."
"Did you come here for something, sensei?" I stare horrified at my best friend, his statement bordering on hostile. There's a glint in his eyes I really don't like, but Minato merely laughs it off.
"Ahahaha, I did! No need to be so defensive of the famou Chiyuki I've heard so much about, Kakashi." Said boy is nearly fuming, but his sensei continues. "Now that all the paperwork's been done, it's time to show you hatchlings the ropes. C'mon, everyone's waiting down there."
"Could've said that sooner." The boy next to me grumbles, and I pinch him on the arm, sending him a warning glance.
'What?' He seems to yell with his eyes.
'Don't be so rude!' I mouth back, angry and horrified at the same time. I had always known Kakashi was a little shit, but I had never expected him to be so outwardly rude.
The young Hatake merely scoffs and nudges me forward, and although I have no doubt Minato sensed the whole exchange, but at the very least he has his back to us.
Sure enough, we were the only ones left inside. On the small clearing around the outpost, everyone's scattered about, no doubt waiting for us. I feel shame burn inside of me, my mother's voice in my head-
"Ahaha, sorry we're late! We got lost on the road of life, you see."
"Ah, sensei! You can't use my excuses!"
"So they are excuses."
"That's not what I-"
"Obito, please shut up, you're not helping."
Genma's monotone words break the lighthearted exchange between Minato and Obito, and as the chunins in charge gather everyone around, both teams gravitate naturally towards each other.
"Done catching up?" Genma asks dryly while Gai not so subtly checks for non-existent injuries, but I feel a warmth bloom inside my chest, very different to the hot shame of earlier.
"Yup. Told him all your dirty secrets."
"Oh. Woe is me." I snort at his deadpan voice, and one of the older chunins clears his throat.
"Although underrated, our work at the outposts is of the utmost importance, especially in these times."
The atmosphere immediately sombers up, all traces of amusement gone from everyone's faces. We're at war, and in the big scheme of things, no help is too small.
"The schedule changes everyday and only the ninja working that day will know it. Shifts also vary between 2 to 6 hours straight at times, from morning to night."
That's smart. Pretty confusing, yes, but it's the safest way to avoid breaches.
"Depending on the number of shinobi assigned to each outpost, there'll be a few checking the perimeter every now and then, and the others are in charge of watching their surroundings like hawks. Here, I hope you'll learn more than just protocols."
'It'll definitely be a good way of practicing my sensor skills.' My eyes shift very briefly to Minato, who's occupied explaining something to his team. I know he's a genius, Jiraya's student and a great sensor, but I've also been told there are different ways to sense people.
"Your senseis have today's schedule and will pass it onto you, but from tomorrow onwards you're expected to come get them on your own. Questions?"
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Every shinobi has their own ninja senses, as I like to call it. Some people call it gut feeling, instincts, or maybe even sixth sense, but to me it's just a reflection of your consciousness out in the world. Your ninja sense is basically that one voice in your head you absolutely will listen to, especially in dire situations, although it can work wonders in non-threatening occurrences as well.
"What do you feel when you try to sense chakra?"
I hum, trying to put into words the way I sense without really giving away my chakra nature.
"I… spread out my senses." Minato nods encouragingly and I pursue my lips. "No, that's not quite it. It works a bit like a sonar, I suppose. I don't spread out my senses in one big wave, but rather constant, medium sized ones. It does take a second or two longer than the former, but I've learnt it's more accurate this way."
The blonde jonin hums thoughtfully, a curious tilt to his head. He looks even younger and cuter like this, and I almost forget just how much of a genius he is.
"And how do you receive that information?"
"It comes back to me in… hums, I'd say. Vibrations. The more familiar I am with someone, the clearer and the quicker their chakra will hum back to me."
"How interesting." Minato says rubbing thoughtfully at his hairless chin, and there's a glint of something on his eyes that I don't know how I feel about. He's definitely curious, that much is clear, and although the flashbacks have shown me he is a loyal and reliable shinobi, I do like to infer my own impressions on these characters that are very much real to me.
If Kakashi were here, I'm 100% sure I'd feel his eyes burn a hole through my skull, both of us very aware that's only half of it. In fact, it'd been Kakashi himself that had suggested I try to sense people's iron in their blood a few days ago - and how insane was it that it worked? Of course, it's a skill that needs a lot of honing, but it does work like a sonar.
But well. No one needs to know the details unless absolutely necessary.
"And you, sensei?" He blinks once, as if startled I'd want to know about his sensor skills -
'Crap.'
"Me?" Now I definitely don't like the look in his eyes. It's not calculating per se, but it is… measuring. Curious, but cautious. As if he'd know every dirty little secret of mine just by watching me squirm a little bit.
'Try again.'
I nod once, not a single crack on my Hokage's Daughter mask. The metaphorical mask is whole, durable and strong in a way I might never be - but hey, it's why I created it in the first place. It's just that I've had a lot of opportunities to strengthen it over the years.
"Father mentioned you're one of the most promising ninja of our time and that you are a great sensor and seal master."
Minato hums again, a long and deep sound that might as well have come from a giant feline ready to pounce.
'You may have more experience in the ninja world, but you are definitely younger than my mental age. Besides, being the youngest child of the current hokage and dealing with all the drama that comes with it has got to count for something.' I think, somewhat bitterly. On the outside, though? The Mask is unshakeable.
Then he gives a bashful smile and rubs at the neck of his head, something so purely boyish and sincere that I'm forced to blink twice, carefully.
'It's probable this man is measuring you up as much as you are him. Be careful, and don't let the Mask slip.'
"Ahah, has he? Oh boy, now I'm all sorts of embarrassed."
I blink once more, unamused. Still waiting for his answer.
"My chakra is more like a fog, I'd say. As it spreads, chakra signatures light up the way like lanterns, although it's common for familiar chakras to be sensed first." He nods to himself, as if proud of some confirmation, and sends a gentle smile my way.
"You do know I'm on your side, right? There's no need to act so defensive around me."
I stiffen up and the Mask cracks.
"I honestly don't know what I did to you, but your defensive energy is rubbing off on Kakashi and it's making him all sorts of protective - which, yeah, I know it's a thing already, but still."
I thank whatever deity is out there that Kakashi is on a perimeter check with Genma and Choza-sensei, otherwise his hackles would be all the way up.
'Turns out I'm not as much of a good actress I thought I was. Odd, since the Mask works with just about everyone else.'
I don't answer, keeping a blank face and purposefully letting the silence drag on. The Mask heals itself, not a single stain visible.
'Or it could be he's just not like everyone else and I might have to up my game.'
He fidgets minutely, but I don't believe the movement is not intentional for one second. I know exactly what's put me on the defensive against him, and that's-
"-oh boy, you're just like Kakashi, how are seven year olds so frightening, what have they been feeding you children-"
"You remind me of myself."
The blonde immediately drops his rant, a serious but confused look on his face.
"What do you mean?"
I shrug, not wanting to put it into words. The reality is that Minato thinks too much like me, and he can be just as manipulative and deceiving as me. Obviously, I know he's a good person. I know it just as I know the sky is blue and the grass is green, but -
-but it doesn't change the fact that this man destroyed nearly an entire village's manpower by himself and was powerful enough to become hokage for quite some time before the Nine Tails incident, and what do you say about a military dictator who brought peace by killing millions?
Ninja life is not pretty, but it doesn't have to be a slaughterhouse, either.
And Minato-
-Minato looks too much like what I could be if I'm not careful. Someone who achieves fragile peace by instigating resentment and fear on others is definitely not someone who I'd like to become. We are at war, yes, and Konoha is still our utmost priority, but it doesn't mean peace can only be achieved by endless fighting and fear.
Bright blue eyes flash on my mind, so similar to his father's, yet so different. They shine and shine even though the village doesn't give them a reason to. They shine even brighter when they're not so young and not so naive, but it's not until later that the village does give them a reason to sparkle.
'Will I ever be a little like you, Naruto?'
"There's… ruthlessness in you. Hidden, just like mine. But it's there all the same."
'There's a possibility I might end up like you, and that terrifies me.'
Minato tilts his head pressing his lips together, and I can practically see his gears working overtime.
"We are at war."
I get the nearly overwhelming urge to send him my best 'no, shit' look at him, but refrain out of respect for my superior. Instead, I raise both eyebrows, sending a 'really?' look at him.
"That's not what I meant."
The stare off goes for a few more moments before the man bursts out laughing, going so far as to kneel on the floor clutching his stomach. He laughs so hard tears come out of his eyes, although it's not a loud sound, so the chunin in charge merely gives our direction a glance and an eye roll.
"Holy crap, they told me you were scary, but this is just ridiculous." Minato finally says after a while, gathering himself together and wiping at the tears on the corners of his eyes. The iron in his blood pumps at the same leisure pace his chakra does, which indicates he's either a goof or really good at acting. Something points at the former.
"Thanks." I say dryly.
"No, that wasn't meant in a bad way. Uh, see. There's a lot of talk about you, okay?" He says carefully, watching out for my reactions.
'Nothing new under the sun.'
I nod, wondering where he's going with this.
He nods back, albeit a little automatically. "Right. So, people say you kind of have a… what's the expression?"
"An old soul." I complete, guffawing in my head. The irony in the situation is almost too much for me to take.
"Yeah, an old soul. And although there is that… well." His lips are a thin line by the end of his cut off sentence, as if he'd just barely stopped short of saying something he didn't mean to.
Well, if we are having this conversation, why not go all the way?
I blink and keep my expression curious and guarded rather than offended. The Mask shifts, accommodating the new parameters.
"It's just…" He begins, but then stops and licks his lips. The action makes him look so young and lost that I nearly take pity on him, but he was the one who decided to address the elephant in the room. "-I know it's a harsh world. I know it. But it seems to be especially hard on people like you and Kakashi."
'Prodigies.'
Minato laughs, but it's not a happy sound. It's a self-deprecating, hollow laugh that does nothing to ease the mood.
Realistically, I knew that I was not a true genius like Kakashi and Minato were. This world looks at me and sees a prodigy, someone who's on the same level as those two, but I know the reality is far from it. People in this world are too quick to put a label on children who perform above average without considering all the aspects of the situation, and although I'll certainly not shout to the skies that I remember my previous life, it does nothing to appease the bitter little thing in my head.
'You are not a genius.'
"I wish you didn't have to feel like you have to have your guard up at all times."
'I know.'
I take a precious moment to regard Minato in silence. I see a young man barely out of his teens who knows too much and performs way too well to go by unnoticed. I see the shadows under his eyes and I know there's been a lot of pressure on him. I see clearly what he could become, years from now, ruthless and merciless and murdering thousands in the blink of an eye-
'Ah.'
-but this is not that Minato.
'I've been wrong from the start.'
The Mask shifts, then disappears altogether.
'This isn't really about who I could be, is it?'
Taking a deep breath, I swallow the little bitter pill of prejudice and wrong impressions and force my mind to-
'It's not even about who Minato could be.'
-to stop reaching unfounded conclusions and going haywire at every single thing.
I smile easily at the man for the first time. I still reserve the right to remain cautious around him, yes, but right now-
"Thank you, Minato-sensei."
-right now this Minato is not that Minato, and although there's a high chance I'll get to see the war shape him into the Fourth Hokage-
(He blinks, no doubt getting whiplash from the sudden shift in my mood. He smiles back though, as naturally as one breathes.)
-I'll also be there by his side, and hopefully see the man (not the shinobi, and certainly not the hokage) that will be Naruto's father.
"...you're welcome, Chiyuki."
.
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For a whole week, nothing noteworthy happens.
True to his word, every shinobi assigned to this current outpost had to go to the chunin in charge and get their schedule for the day. Whether you'd stay, go on patrol, or get to train with your sensei was something you didn't know until the last minute. During that week, I got to practice sensing iron in people's (and animal's) bloodstream and learning how to read their chakra from that. No one's ever attempted this kind of thing before, so it was all pretty much trial and error. Usually, when someone's heart was beating faster than average it could mean a myriad of things - whether they were angry, upset, ready to battle or simply had high blood pressure, well. It's a valuable skill, but one that has a lot of room for growth.
No matter my task for the day, though, I'm never alone. I've gone on patrols with everyone, have trained with everyone, have stayed at the outposts with everyone. It's great to spend time with friends, don't get me wrong, but it also means I'm never alone, and that can be… suffocating.
True to his sensei's word, Kakashi stopped acting weird as soon as the thing between Minato and I got over and done with, which only served to plant yet another seed of doubt in my mind.
'Kakashi's never been like this with anyone back in canon. He avoided letting his team in until he did and then it was too late.'
The boy is my brother in every way except blood. He understands me in a way very few people can, and was my very first supporter in this -albeit currently shaky- quest to becoming hokage.
'Are you sure you want a hokage like this, Kakashi?'
"Has anyone said you think too much?"
Genma's bored voice cuts through the silence I'd been hiding in, waiting for the shift in turns for the perimeter check. I manage a grin at him, moving out from my hideout underneath the trees' shade.
"All the time. The shift-"
Everything happens way too fast.
In the middle of a sentence, the very tree I'd been sitting under shatters and sends wood splinters everywhere, my skin barely having enough time to harden halfway.
'Genma.'
I look around frantically, trying and failing to check up on everyone at the same time while half-assedly focusing chakra on my arms.
That's my first mistake.
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Constructive criticism is more than welcome, but if you're gonna be an asshole about it, then just don't bother.
Question: what would be the main color of your ninja outfit?