Chapter 127: Rigged Deal

Naruto PoV

Taking a deep breath, I stared down at the blank talisman and picked up my brush, beginning to write our the kanji needed for an explosive tag.

Aunt Kokoro had told me to keep these a secret, so I have as best I could, and I have.

Aunty was a skilled Special Jonin now, and she was also the first person to truly see me, and just me.

Not some 'demon', nor a trickster.

I wasn't a brat, or just some kid to her.

I was Naruto Uzumaki, an Aspirant Shinobi of Konoha.

Her lessons were harsh, her training brutal, her 'missions' difficult, but...

I completed each and every single one of them.

Aunty Kokoro was treating me so well, giving me the attention I so desperately craved, and she gave me Ramen!

She was definitely better then the Sage.

Anyways, as I completed the final brushstroke, I nodded as I stared down at the elegant calligraphy that I had just created, the beauty and grace of the now drying ink not belying its explosive nature.

Each tag I created was swiftly bought up by two people.

Aunty Kokoro's wife Anko Mitarashi, the violet haired snake charmer, or...

"Heya Naruto."

This freak.

Sighing, I stared at my windowsill, where a thin, lithe man sat, a book with the title 'Icha Icha' embroidered on the spine.

His sharp white hair and half covered face gave away his identity; Kakashi Hatake, a Jonin of Konoha.

And my appointed caretaker, apparently.

Glancing at him, I narrowed my brow as I asked "Whadya want?"

Smiling with his eye, Kakashi gestured towards the tag on my desk, saying "Same as always~!"

His cheerful tone made me sigh again, and I stared at my newest tag before smirking.

Over the recent months I had stopped my pranks, putting that time into my training instead, but...

My mischievous nature remains well and truly embedded inside my soul.

"Sorry, but Aunty Kokoro told me that I should NEVER sell these tags to anyone..."

Giving him a wry smile, the man frowned as he closed his book, showing me he was serious.

Scratching his chin, the man weighed his options.

I could almost see the gears whirring in his head, and I had to try hard to not let out a sharp peal of laughter.

We both knew that he was exponentially stronger then Aunty Kokoro, but we also both knew that an angry Aunty Kokoro was extremely scary.

Like, really, really scary.

"If... if I give you a months worth of Ramen Tickets to Ichiraku, as well as 25,000 Ryo, will you keep this between you and me?"

Pursing my lips, I stared at Kakashi for a few moments as I weighed his offer.

25,000 Ryo could get me a good amount of ink and paper, whilst the months worth of Ramen Tickets...

Hmm...

Was that equal to the chance of Aunty Kokoro finding out about me selling to someone else?

She did warn me to not sell to Kakashi...

Hmm...

Stroking my chin, I glanced at the desk before nodding, a plan entering my mind.

"I think we could make that work... what do you need?"

Ever since I had gotten stronger, my attitude had shifted.

I was less rooted into my childish desires, instead focussing on my grand goal of becoming the greatest Hokage ever.

To do that, I needed to train and train, and I needed to stop making unwanted enemies like I had with Sasuke...

Though I did hate the black haired Uchiha because he was grabbing the attention of Sakura, I had to admit that the Uchiha was a good rival...

Sadly.

With that in mind, I had changed my attitude as I began to drift between the Clans, adapting to their more respectful, formal style.

They demanded respect with their very presence, which is what I wanted from the people around me, so I began to emulate them.

Even still, I had some impulses for chaos, and this...

This was one of them.

Negotiating out a good deal with Kakashi, I smirked as the man flickered away.

Checking the tickets, I had to roll my eyes at the half expired stack, but...

Getting up and grabbing my more subdued black jacket with orange highlights, I opened the door and traveled down to the Ink Shop, where I would firstly compete with Old Man Izumi for a free well of ink, before going to report the prior transaction to Aunty Kokoro.

It was counter intuitive to do so, what with me wanting to make less enemies, but I was more concerned with not getting beat by Aunty Kokoro before she increased my regimen again.

The last time I did something she told me not to, I had been cleaning both her and Aunty Kurenai's classrooms, from the floor to the ceiling, before going back outside and running ten miles and doing a dozen reps of a hundred various exercises...

With weights on.

I almost died that night...

So as I entered the Mitarashi Compound and made my way towards the kitchen, I smirked as I began to tell the cooking woman about what had happened, her serene smile growing wider as I continued on about my deal with Kakashi.

Sorry Kakashi, but...

Watching as her knife sliced through the wooden board, I shivered as I watched her hang up her apron, Aunty Makoto taking Aunty Kokoro's place as she left.

I like my bones where they're at, so you should understand, right?

Right?