"Sure. I'll do one better, I'll let you beat me. Only this exam though. If we have to go through another one this deal doesn't count." I'm manipulating him. I don't feel bad about it since he's trying to manipulate me too. We are shinobi, it's what we do.
"Agreed."
...
We walk in silence the rest of the way to... a tea house? I didn't know what I expected, but it wasn't this. Shouldn't jonin be more jonin ish? Whatever, jonin are people too. Who am I to judge.
"Kurenai-sensei is inside with Asuma-san. Do not bring up them dating, it will hurt your chances of your questions being answered."
"Thanks for the advice Shino. Can you introduce me to her?"
"Yes. Follow me." Shino leads me over to Kurenai and Asuma.
"Well look what the cat dragged in! Shino, how are you doing?" Kurenai says. Wow, she's pretty. Focus! There are more important things to discuss than that!
"Kurenai-sensei, this is Alvarcus. He has a question for you." Shino, Asuma and Kurenai all turn towards me.
"Well let's hear it. It isn't every day someone seeks me out. At least someone your age. Men!" Ew gross Kurenai. Repress that thought!
"Well... you see Kakashi-sensei is out of the village training Sasuke so I can't go to him. I only know other gennin and they can't do what I want. So I figured I'd ask their senseis." I take a breath. Moment of truth. "I want you to teach me elemental jutsu. Any elemental jutsu you want to teach is fine for me. Preferably ones that aren't meant to kill, I want techniques that will put someone out of the fight but spare their lives. I can learn any element except wind. I can't learn wind yet." I have high level elemental jutsu on the scroll Orochimaru gave me. I don't need anymore kill moves.
Asuma snorts. "You're overreaching yourself. Elemental jutsu from four different elements? Jonin can't do that. Only the best of the best can. The Hokage is the only person I know who can wield all five elements, and you say you can do four?"
"I'm not asking you. I'm asking Kurenai." Asuma bristles as I ignore him.
Kurenai jumps in before he can chew me out. "I'm sorry Alvarcus. I specialize in genjutsu. I don't even know any elemental jutsu."
"Damn." A thought occurs to me. "Do you know any genjutsu that causes shared vision?" It would be cool to see out of my thread monsters. I could get a Six Paths of Pain gimmick.
"Eyes of the Damned does that. Hardly anyone knows it, even less use it. I've only used it once when I was blinded by a lightning jutsu."
"How does it work?" I ask. It sounds promising.
Kurenai takes a sip of her tea. "By using this genjutsu the user can create eyes anywhere their chakra is, most commonly on the body. It is very effective if you are blinded for any reason. Skilled users can create eyes on the back of their heads to have something like a Byakugan. Without training it can cause sensory overload and the user will pass out from trying to process too much information."
"Just to clarify, eyes can be made where ever the user's chakra is?"
"Yep." Kurenai responds.
"Perfect! Teach me it please!" Oh I can picture it now. My chakra strings are made of chakra. I can make eyes on them. I could make tentacles out of eyes come out of my back! How scary is that!
"No." I lock up. She has to teach me it! It will be so cool!
"But my tentacle eyes! It would be the best scare tactic ever!" I exclaim.
Asuma spits out his tea. "Tentacle eyes? What the hell are you talking about?"
"She said I can make them where ever my chakra is. I use chakra strings as my main form of combat, I'll make a string and then spawn the eyes on it."
"Don't be stupid. That won't work." Asuma states confidently.
"Actually," Kurenai corrects, "his idea has some merit. It could work. The theory makes sense, but I've never heard of the Eyes of the Damned being used like that. It is supposed to be a support jutsu, not an offensive one."
"So you'll teach me then?" I ask hopefully.
"No. I won't teach someone who will fight my student in the finals. Not to mention what you threatened to do to Akamaru." Ouch. She remembers that.
"I wasn't going to actually break anything. I knew Kiba would surrender if I threatened Akamaru so I did. It was the least violent way to win. I didn't want to hurt him. Kiba is my friend."
Kurenai reluctantly accepts my logic. "You could still face Shino in the finals."
"We have a deal, Kurenai-sensei." Shino interjects. "If we fight, Alvarcus will purposefully lose. There is no reason not to teach him." Thank you Shino!
"Fine. I'll teach you this genjutsu. But just this one! That's all you're getting out of me. Also know that I will be teaching Shino all of its weaknesses. Here are the hand signs." Over the next five minutes Kurenai drills it into my head. "There. Now all you need to do is practice it. It's very easy to cast, but difficult to get used to using."
"Thank you, Kurenai. This means a lot to me."
Asuma snorts. "I still don't believe you can use four elements."
Chance! "Want to bet?"
"Ha! You want to bet against a jonin? What are the stakes?" Asuma leans forward, interested in my proposal.
"I'll tell you how I can use four elements. If you deem my response true, then I win and you teach me a jutsu. If I lose, I'll pay for your meal." I attempt to lure Asuma in. Take the bait!
"Deal!" Asuma readily agrees with the promise of free food. Kurenai just face palms. Interesting, does she know I played him? "Alright kid, let's hear it."
I take a breath. "Have you heard of the Jiongu?" Asuma and Kurenai still. Shino is confused. I think. I can't read him. The only reaction he had was turning his head towards me fully.
Asuma breaks the silence. "Taki's most forbidden technique. It steals hearts to add to the users chakra supply."
I'm surprised. "You know more than most. The user also gains whatever affinity the heart has in addition to its chakra."
Asuma and Kurenai go pale. Asuma speaks up, "Its only user is ancient, rumored to be dead of old age. The Jiongu has been lost to time."
"You're wrong." I pause for effect. "I am a host of the Jiongu."
"Prove it." Asuma demands. "Show me proof."
I summon black threads out of my left arm. "Is this enough? I can show you my hearts if you wish. We will have to go elsewhere. I doubt the civilians would appreciate it."
"No need." Asuma clears his throat. "So. Four hearts?"
"Yes, mine and three others. Taken from a Sound team during the Chunin Exams second task. Before I knew I had it."
"That was you?" Kurenai asks. "They brought the jonin to the site. They wanted us to figure out what happened there." She pauses. "Did you... intentionally wound them like that?" She censors herself for Shino's sake. She doesn't want him exposed to something like this, not yet. He's still innocent.
"No. That was my first time using the Jiongu. I've had no issues since."
Silence follows while the shinobi present digest that information. Asuma speaks up. "Well kid you win. You said you don't have wind?" I nod. "Pity. If you ever get one, come find me. I'm Konoha's only wind user. I do know a couple of lightning and fire jutsu. All of them are low level. Where do you want to meet at?"
"Training ground seven at 9am tomorrow work for you?" I ask.
"Yeah. I'll be there."
"Thank you for your time, Kurenai and Asuma." I take my leave.
As I am walking away I hear Kurenai say "That kid is going to be one hell of a Shinobi."
"Going to be?" Asuma says, "He already is. Did you see how well he played us both?" Damn, they both know I manipulated them. Oh well, I got what I want. "If my kids end up facing him, I'm telling them to surrender. Give him a few years and I won't want to face him."
...
I'm casually walking around the village. I've got some time to kill before I want to go back to Kakashi's apartment. I've been crashing there ever since I walked out on my parents.
"Hmm... what to do?" I mumble to myself.
"Hey!" A feminine voice calls out.
"I could get ice cream? I'm always up for getting ice cream. Plus I never did get it when the Sand Siblings tried to kidnap me."
"Hey you!" The same feminine voice calls out again, this time closer.
"Oh, I know! I'll get a waffle cone!"
"Hey uh... what was his name? Alvarcus!"
I turn at the sound of my name. It's a girl my age. Was she calling out to me this whole time? "Can I help you?"
"Yeah, you're Alvarcus Mak right?"
"Mar." I correct her.
"Whatever. You're on a team with Sasuke-kun?"
Oh Kami she's a Sasuke fangirl. "Yes, I am."
"Do you know where he's at? I haven't seen him in forever."
"He's out of the village." Might as well see where this goes. Not like I was doing anything else important.
"When will he be back?"
"No idea."
"Oh. Thanks." She walks away.
"That was strange. So... let's get that waffle cone!"
One Week Later
"Hey!" A girl's voice calls out.
"Oh my Kami! I don't know where Sasuke is! I don't know when he'll be back! Why do you all keep bothering me!"
"Wow. No need to be rude jerk."
"No need to be rude? I've been asked where Sasuke is 27 times this past week! That's almost four per day! You all are the weird ones! Just leave me alone!"
"Hey!" A new female voice calls out.
"And that makes 28! Quit stalking me to stalk Sasuke! It's weird and I don't like it! Kawarmi!" I switch with a nearby log. I've had it with these fangirls! I'm sticking to the shinobi highway from now on!
"Hey!"
"Oh come on!"
...
If you enjoy story, could you please throw some power stones, to climb the ranking I need your support and it would mean the world to me.
...
if you want to read ahead of the public release you can join my p atreon :
p atreon.com/CarriePoppins