Chapter 54

It wasn't until they introduced themselves that I realized exactly who I was travelling with. The team was made up of three boys, and all three had any identifying traits concealed by the unofficial, nondescript Genin uniform and overlong hair. They wore loose, undyed kimonos with sleeves that were barely short and tight enough not to get in the way if they needed to fight. The kimono went down to the middle of their thighs and they wore loose pants in the same style of the Chuunin uniform, without the bandages to secure the cuffs. Instead, they were tied with a strip of rope. They wore regular sandals, though the soles were thicker and provided much more traction than regular civilian sandals. The fabric was loose enough and strategically placed faded spots drew the eye away from the kunai pouches and any visible weapons. If they were paying attention, a Jōnin would probably have been able to tell that the fabric of their clothing was threaded with metal and instead of the light, cool material of regular civilian clothes; their clothes were similar to burlap. If it wasn't for the way they held themselves and the fact I recognized the uniform, I would have assumed them to be lower-class farmer's children.

Senju Nawaki bounded forward and introduced himself immediately. The other two just sent me wary and slightly frightened looks. A few seconds later, I recognized the Hokage's eldest son, Sarutobi Itsuki. I almost couldn't place the last boy. Hyuuga Hiashi had a strip of cloth tied over his eyes to hide the scarring from the botched mission I sent him on. My stomach knotted.

I outranked them, so I gave the order to move out that morning. I set a brutal pace for Genin, but we managed to make it out of Kusa by the end of the day and into the relative safety of the Land of Fire. I called for a halt as soon as it grew too dark for Genin to operate properly. Sick of the suspicious looks, I jerked off my mask and hitai-ate as soon as we found a place to camp. "If it wasn't for the fact that you're Genin, I would bench your asses for letting your minds wander while running through unsecured territory. Now, what the hell do you find so interesting about my back that you're forgetting to run basic security scans? Nawaki-san, this has nothing to do with you. Go secure a ten-yard perimeter to the north, south, and east. Leave the west quadrant alone, there's an explosive trap there and I'm not going to be the one taking you home to your sister as a pile of charred bones."

Nawaki scampered off.

"Why didn't you tell me you were alive?" Itsuki demanded.

"I'm a Chuunin, you are a Genin. Hokage's son or not, my status and whereabouts are above your clearance level."

"But—"

"If you have a problem with security procedures, take it up with your father, but I assure you that he will not make an exception for you. Hiashi-san, your turn."

"Has my father approached your clan about removing the Caged Bird seal from my brother?"

That was not what I was expecting. "I wouldn't know anything about that. I'm only the clan leader on paper and when they want to piss someone off without repercussions."

Hiashi gritted his teeth. "He promised."

"So, you're not angry at me?"

Hiashi shook his head in confusion.

"That's a first. Itsuki-san, is there anything else?"

"What happened after I left Iwa?"

"You need clearance from your father for that information, I was there and lived through it and I don't even know a quarter of it."

"When did you get back?"

"Ditto."

He clenched his fists in frustration and opened his mouth to ask another question.

"I am going to continue stonewalling you, no matter how you word your questions. If you continue to attempt to access classified information, I will bench you so hard you won't be getting up for a very long time, and if you think your father will overturn it, you're an idiot."

Nawaki hovered at my elbow as Itsuki flinched away.

"Hiashi-san, can you keep watch even though you're blind?"

"Yes."

"Then you have second watch tonight. I'll take first. We're moving out at the beginning of third watch."

Nawaki frowned. "Third watch is—"

I shot him a sharp look daring him to protest.

"Acknowledged."

I looked at the other two and they nodded apprehensively. First watch started at first dark, second watch started around eleven and lasted until around two. Third watch lasted until first light. It was the time of night when nothing moved. For Genin, it was both the safest and the most dangerous. It would be exhausting, but on the stretch of route we were taking, the sun would be at our backs. If I could get them running fast enough, our only danger would be traps, and by this point, I was just retracing my route from before. I wasn't stupid enough to rely on memory, but there wasn't a very high chance of any new traps having been set.

I scouted out further than I let Nawaki go just to be certain, before returning to find Hiashi beginning to gather firewood. "No fires. We're still too close to the lines. Forage or eat the rations." Hiashi blanched and Nawaki started to whine. "All three of you should know better."

"Sensei lets—"

"I am neither your sensei, nor a Jōnin. I could hide the flames and smoke easy enough with a Genjutsu, but I can't hide smell well enough for it to matter."

"But—" Itsuki protested in a tone that would have fit better on someone Nagato's age.

"No fire."

The rest of the night and the next day passed smoothly. I slowed the pace slightly to compensate for their weariness. Everyone settled down for camp that night. I assigned Nawaki to first watch and told Itsuki he would take third while I had second, but I had no intention of waking him up. When morning came, Itsuki looked slightly betrayed by the fact, but didn't comment. At our pace, we would make it back to Konoha by the morning of the seventh day since leaving the outpost. Most Jōnin could make the run back from the Kusa border in four days, a few could make it in three, but everyone else took five to six. I didn't dare push the Genin too hard. The bad feeling in my stomach only grew as we travelled back.

We had three-quarters of a day left before we reached Konoha. I was almost ready to drop my guard when I felt someone enter the outside range of my normal sensing. They felt slightly familiar, like someone I only met once or twice, but I could tell they were far more powerful than anything I could handle and most certainly not friendly. I was terrified by the fact that there were two of them. I didn't recognize the second one at all. I motioned for the Genin to stop.

An intense feeling of déjà vu washed over me as Orochimaru appeared in front of us in a puff of smoke.

"Shit," I growl. The Genin nearly ran into me as I stopped dead. I tried to reach into my weapons pouch for a defensive seal, but Orochimaru flicked a kunai faster than I could see. It punched through the heel of my hand. I hissed in pain but put my arm out to stop the Genin from attacking.

"Language, language, Kichiro-kun," he responded smoothly.

"What do you want?" He threw a second kunai, but this time I was ready, and caught it before it went straight through Hiashi's head. The blade bit into my hands but I ignored it throwing the kunai at his feet.

I healed my hand as quickly as possible while Orochimaru studied us. I was stalling. I had never truly attempted to transform into the Kyuubi, but it would be my only chance against Orochimaru, if it was actually him. I still hadn't positively identified either person, but I could feel someone standing behind us.

"Who's your friend?" I asked when Orochimaru only smirked at my first question.

"No one you would know," he responded.

I could feel Nawaki trembling in anger behind me. "Traitorous bastard!" He growled.

"My, my, Nawaki-chan, that's a lot of venom for someone who wants to be Hokage."

"He's baiting you, Nawaki."

Nawaki just growled.

"I just wanted to leave a little message. Goodbye." He vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Shit!" I snarled and grabbed the closest two Genin, Hiashi and Itsuki, and threw them as far away as I could. Somehow, Nawaki noticed the explosive tags coating the branch at the same moment I did and braced my back before throwing me after them. The branch exploded and I barely managed to coat my skin with the Kyuubi's chakra to avoid most of the damage from being in close proximity to the explosion. "Suicidal idiot," I screamed and leapt back towards Nawaki the second my feet hit the ground, clearing the smoke away with a gust of wind. His chakra signature was already starting to fade as I landed beside him. Those were Uzumaki-level explosives. Had they been properly timed and placed, they would have killed all four of us instantly. Instead, whomever attacked us treated them like normal explosive tags.

The worst part was that Nawaki was still conscious, screaming in pain. If I knocked him unconscious, I wasn't sure I would be able to wake him back up. His uniform was probably what saved his life, but it didn't survive the explosion. The front of his body, which faced away from the explosion, was covered in second-degree burns. I didn't even look at those as I rolled him onto his stomach. The skin on the entire back of his body was gone. I could see the vertebrae of his back and most of the muscle had been incinerated, showing patches of his shoulder blades.

"Itsuki, I need as much water as you can get me," I ordered as the other two Genin ran up. "Real water, not made by chakra. Hiashi, hold down his arms so he can't roll over." Nawaki couldn't feel the damage done to his back, and I couldn't knock him out to stop him from fighting the treatment he desperately needed. Itsuki hurried off as I worked to repair the damaged blood vessels. I didn't look up to see how Hiashi was handling it. As soon as I finished healing the major blood vessels, I started on the lymphatic system. Itsuki returned with several canteens of water. I grabbed one and poured it on the center of Nawaki's back, immediately incorporating it into his body before he died of dehydration. When Nawaki's immune system and circulatory system were mostly repaired, I turned my attention to trying to unsuccessfully regrow his skin.

I wasn't sure how long I struggled, but eventually another set of hands joined mine.

"I've got him now, Kichiro, tend to yourself."

Slowly, I pulled back. As soon as I detached myself from the healing, someone picked me up by my vest and hauled me several feet away. Hiashi was pulled in front of me and I automatically reached forward to heal them. There were only minor burns, mine were twice as bad. I turned to the person nearest me. For a second, I thought I was looking at two Hiashis before I realized it was Hizashi.

"Itsuki, come here, Hiashi, report." I started healing Itsuki while Hiashi reported what happened.

"We were headed back from delivering supplies under the command of Medic Uzumaki Kichiro. We were intercepted by an unknown shinobi who seemed familiar with the entire party. Genin Senju Nawaki addressed the shinobi as a traitor. Medic Uzumaki attempted to discover the intentions of the shinobi, which were to leave a message. Medic Uzumaki then threw Genin Sarutobi Itsuki and myself off the branch, then Genin Senju threw Medic Uzumaki after us and was caught in the subsequent explosion. By the time Genin Sarutobi and I returned to our teammates, Medic Uzumaki had already begun medical treatment."

"Uzumaki, what were the original injuries?"

"Second degree burns to myself, Hiashi, and Itsuki. Nawaki had third-degree burns, that included tissue damage, to fifty percent of his body and second-degree burns to the rest."

"Sarutobi, anything to add?"

"The shinobi who accosted us appeared to have been Orochimaru."

"I thought so too, but Orochimaru knows how to apply Uzumaki explosive tags for both lethal and non-lethal uses. He would never have messed up as badly as whomever laid the trap did." I corrected.

"The chakra signatures didn't match," Hiashi volunteered.

"There was someone else present as well, but they were too far away for me to get any information on them."

Tsunade finished growing Nawaki's skin back. I wasn't entirely sure when Nawaki had stopped screaming, but now he was only crying against Tsunade's shoulder while she healed his face of burns and coaxed him to drink water from one of the canteens Itsuki had refilled. Nawaki's pack of supplies had been completely destroyed, so Tsunade pulled a blanket out of Hiashi's bag and wrapped it around the naked child.

He wouldn't be going on missions until he regained the muscle mass that had been burned away. I felt bad for the kid and was extremely pissed at how unnecessary his injuries were. With the Kyuubi's chakra, I could have come out of the explosion in his place with only severe burns that I could have easily healed rather than losing at least a quarter of my body mass. Medical Ninjutsu could do a lot, but healing on the scale Nawaki needed to return to duty anytime soon was something I was incapable of and Tsunade couldn't afford the energy needed for such a feat, if she was even capable of it.

She stood up, Nawaki cradled in her arms.

"Kichiro and Itsuki, stick together. Hizashi, you're with your brother on point, Byakugan active, top speed. I'll take rear. Kichiro, Itsuki, take center."

"I should be running point and the Genin should be in the center," I contradicted.

Tsunade glared at me until I backed down. "You're the only ranked person here who isn't emotionally compromised right now, so you're guarding Itsuki, the most likely target." She explained.

"I still ought to be running point, but fine."

A few seconds later, we took off. Once the sun set and Hizashi's Byakugan lost its effectiveness. Tsunade put me on point, Hizashi in the rear, and herself and the Genin in the center. I smirked at her when she made the change, but she only scowled back at me. "You're forgetting that I'm your physician."

When no one was listening, I hissed back, "You're forgetting I'm in ANBU."

"Trainee, not agent."

"Yet."

We made it back just after two in the morning. "Itsuki and Hiashi, go report to the mission office. Hizashi, go home. Kichiro, go report to the Hokage," Tsunade ordered.

I didn't like it, but I knew better than to disobey. I hurried through the deserted streets until I reached the Hokage Tower. As I marched inside, the Hokage seemed to materialize beside me. I flinched in annoyance but didn't say anything as he led me up to his office. "Mission status?" He asked as the door swung shut behind me.

"Successfully completed."

"Mission scroll."

With a bit of fumbling, I pulled it out, along with the orders. With a sudden, muttered fire jutsu, the Hokage incinerated the scrolls.

"You never left this village. Hatake-san took you to ANBU headquarters to test your proficiency in thrown weapons. You scored seven-point-one. Nawaki-kun and his team were attacked a kilometer away from the village gates and he was rushed to the hospital by his teammates and treated just in time. You were called in to help in the middle of the test, which explains your uncharacteristically low score. Report back to headquarters with Nagato-kun to retake the test."

I frowned but nodded once. The Hokage wasn't even looking at me. Something big was going on. I turned on my heel and left. A minute later, I landed on the roof of the Uzumaki house and slipped inside without alerting anyone. Within seconds, I located Nagato and hurried downstairs. He was sleeping in his room, which made my job easier. He followed me without question when I shook him awake. Ten minutes later, we arrived at headquarters. Sakumo was waiting impatiently for us.

Thrown weapons proficiency tests were required every two weeks for Academy-level shinobi and every two months for full-fledged shinobi until they were deemed responsible enough to be training regularly on their own. Commanding officers administered the tests and reported them to the section of the intelligence department that handled the stat records. They weren't difficult, and only Academy students, and about half of Genin, had difficulty maintaining their scores.

All thrown weapons were included on the test, from senbon, to kunai, to hatchets, to a weird Frisbee thing, to short spears, to a bola. There were at least thirty different weapons we had to take down a dummy with. Each weapon was thrown ten times, a point for every lethal or debilitating hit, depending on the weapon, and the scores averaged. Proficiency with hand-to-hand weaponry was at least twice as stringent, but shinobi only had to have proficiency in the primary, secondary, and tertiary weapons wielded by all members of their squad, most of which overlapped.

Most shinobi mastered one throwing weapon and one other weapon. Weapon masters were extremely rare. There were a total of four in the entire shinobi force. I was sure there were several more in ANBU, but weapon masters had to be highly trained from birth in order to declare their specialization before they were thirty.

Weaponry sounded extremely difficult from an outsider perspective, but there were several kata developed specifically to be able to be used with almost any weapon. Once someone mastered throwing kunai, most other single-bladed weapons were a matter of finding the right balance. With shuriken, it only took a bit of practice to pick up similar weapons. Nets, bola, and other thrown objects of similar build were the sticking point, but still necessary because of the logic that if a shinobi knew how to use it, it made it that much easier for said shinobi to escape or combat it. It was sound reasoning, and due to the fact that there wasn't enough time or resources to devote to the cause that learning the basics was the most effective.

In the thrown weapons test, most Chuunin averaged an overall score of eight-point-seven to nine-point-three. Genin averaged a five-point-three to eight-point-nine. Jōnin were required to be able to score at least a nine-point-six on the turn of a dime.

The test itself was throwing each weapon ten times at a dummy while sprinting at top speed from random directions at random angles. By the time I made it to Genin, Sakumo had trained me to the point where I could consistently throw a nine. While Sakumo finished setting up the test, I familiarized myself with the weapons I would be tested over.

Nagato looked sick as he picked up one of the stranger weapons. It looked like a giant caltrop.

"It's just a throwing test."

"I've never held half of these," he whimpered.

I frowned. "How long have you been training?"

"Over a year."

"And you haven't taken a proficiency test yet?"

He shook his head.

"Then I'll go first so you can at least get some idea of what you're supposed to do."

Nagato reached forward to hold my hand, but I shifted so it almost looked like he was trying to get my attention. I knew there were people watching and I put my arm around his shoulders and pulled him close to start muttering the basics of the weapons he would be using. If the Hokage was trying to cover something up, he needed witnesses. Nagato was better off looking like I sheltered him than looking like he needed my company.

For me, the test went smoothly. I scored an eight-point-nine, which was good considering how long it had been since I last touched most of the weapons. For Nagato, it went horribly. With basic kunai, shuriken, and senbon, he was nearly perfect, only missing one shuriken out of all three weapons. Everything else was hit-or-miss. He scored a four-point-one, which was an amazing score for his first time. He didn't let the poor showing affect him until after the test was over. Sakumo led us down the halls of ANBU to a meeting room where Kagami, with his mask on, and Nagato's sensei waited.

We all sat down while Kagami spread out both of our files. I noted that Kagami looked as if he had been dragged through hell and back.

"While you may claim to be brothers, the two of you are barely related. In fact, I'm more closely related to the Shodai, by marriage of course, than you are to each other. As such, ANBU's policy to place direct family on the same team does not apply to you. Considering how long Kichiro has spent out of the village or otherwise engaged with his duties, the only reason I have to consider placing the two of you on the same team, would be Nagato-kun's hero-worship of Kichiro."

Nagato started to protest, but Kagami held up a hand to stop him.

"Kichiro, the year you spent in Iwa and your demonstrations while training with ANBU have shown that you are at the point in your training where you no longer need supervision. Sakumo supports this. Given time and space to polish up your existing skills and someone to help you get to the point you need to be in stealth, you will easily become a full-fledged ANBU agent within two months. You will be constrained strictly to village missions and medic duties until the end of this war, unless there is an urgent need for your Jinchuuriki skills."

I nodded once in acknowledgment.

"Nagato, I am judging you in comparison to other ANBU initiates, not your peers. Based on your score when you entered the Academy's mentorship program, you are a genius. You could pass Konoha's Genin test without a problem. You could probably pass the written Chuunin test as well. Your chakra capacity is greater than Kichiro's before he had the Kyuubi sealed in him, though it is smaller than Kushina's when she first came to Konoha. Your stamina is better than expected. However, your skill in Taijutsu, though limited by your age, is nowhere near where it should be, nor is your Ninjutsu. Like Kichiro, you can use an extremely dangerous Genjutsu, though you are limited to the one, which is more than is expected from most Genin who are not slated for Genjutsu mastery or medical support. Now, your most recent showing in weapons was interesting to say the least. If I didn't consider the fact that you, for some reason, haven't taken a proficiency test, I would have had to draw one of two conclusions: that you threw the test, or have absolutely no skill in weaponry."

Nagato stiffened and I grabbed his arm before he could respond.

"If I take into account your lack of experience with the test, your learning curve appears to be steeper than your file suggests."

Nagato relaxed and I let go, not missing the sharp look Kagami sent me before he refocused on Nagato.

"You have basic knowledge in almost every general shinobi art. Since you are a part of ANBU, you need to decide what area you will be specializing in. While following in Kichiro's footsteps to become a medic would be interesting, Konoha will not be indulging you like she did for Kichiro. You are too far behind him and your chakra control is nowhere near the level that you would be considered to join the medic corps. You have potential in Genjutsu, but considering the dislike you've expressed towards it, just like every other shinobi of your clan has, with only a handful of exceptions, you don't appear to have any dedication to the subject. From what you have displayed today, with time and effort, you could be a weapons master. The ease in which you picked up the kata Kichiro taught you several days ago, and even managed to incorporate it into a spar, you could master Taijutsu. Your chakra capacity means you could be a Ninjutsu specialist second only to Jinchuuriki. Your Uzumaki heritage means you could specialize in Fūinjutsu. I don't expect you to decide on your specific specialization, but I do expect you to decide on your general one now before I make any decisions on your placement."

"He's only six!" I protested.

"You were seven and had none of his meagre skill when you decided to become a medic. Kushina made her decision to be a Ninjutsu-Fūinjutsu specialist long before she arrived in Konoha. Nagato's decision will determine whether he can be placed with you or must be put in the regular ANBU training program." The look Kagami gave me told me to shut up, so I did.

I didn't stop glaring at him.

Though Nagato probably didn't notice, the way Kagami phrased his assessment, Nagato wasn't responsible for being behind expectations. His sensei was the one at fault. The detail about the proficiency test was a major hit against his eligibility as a mentor. Since it was nearly impossible to standardize expectations, being sure that no one was going to accidentally kill themselves or get killed because they had no idea what sharp objects were flying about made the standard tests actually in place even more important.

Considering how much red tape I suspected was around my file, I was surprised Kagami said as much as he did about me with Nagato's sensei in the room.

It didn't take long for Nagato to make his decision. "I want to be a Ninjutsu-Taijutsu specialist."

I winced. If I wanted to declare a secondary specialization, it would have been Taijutsu. Considering I was a Jinchuuriki, my Ninjutsu was only limited by how fast I could learn jutsu. Putting Nagato and I together would severely unbalance our abilities.

Kagami made the note on Nagato's file. "Sakumo, Matsushita-san, you are dismissed."

They left silently.

"Nagato-kun, do you understand what your brother is to this village?"

Nagato frowned. "He's a shinobi of Konoha," Nagato answered easily.

"Are you aware he was considered as a future Hokage?"

His head snapped toward me in surprise. I crossed my arms.

"Despite his protests against any leadership positions, he has been the primary Yondaime candidate since the death of Katō Dan. If it wasn't for the civilian outcry against Jinchuuriki that is slowly and steadily gaining strength, he would be in the process of training to take over the position."

I relaxed at that.

"Yes, he is a Jinchuuriki, and because of this, he has access to an impossible amount of power. Just by living he keeps that power from being turned against us. By being a shinobi, he makes that power work for us."

I rolled my eyes but didn't interrupt. Nagato was openly gaping at me now.

"Not only is he the first male medic, he is also Konoha's second-best doctor, preceded only by the wife of the Sandaime. Considering he's barely finished his first decade of life, he has the greatest potential in the entire shinobi corps. Before I allow you to make a team with Kichiro, I need your answers to several questions."

Nagato refocused on Kagami and nodded.

"Kichiro's life comes before the life of everyone in this village except the Hokage himself. Do you understand that?"

Nagato nodded firmly, his back straight and it felt like he was oozing determination. "I understand." I scowled at Kagami, but I didn't have any grounds to contradict him. If I died, the responsibility of containing the Kyuubi would most likely fall on Nagato's little sister because of her age. I doubted Nagato or Kushina could persuade the Hokage otherwise. There was no way the Kyuubi would be able to remain free in the current state of affairs.

"That means his life is more important than everyone, including yourself and your family, including your new little sister."

I tried to argue that, but too late, I noticed the seals on my chair, freezing me in place. I couldn't even shift my eyes off Kagami. In my peripheral, Nagato's resolve faltered slightly, but he still nodded.

"Do you understand that Kichiro will not care about that fact while in action?"

"I understand."

"Are you aware that Kichiro has a habit of defying authority?"

"Yes."

"Do you understand that, while he may get away with much more than any other shinobi, the same will not hold true for you?"

"I understand."

"Kichiro regularly handles extremely classified information and it is likely that you will occasionally be in the vicinity of that information. Are you aware of the consequences for accessing information above or not included in your clearance?"

"I am."

"Do you understand that information about Kichiro or ANBU is not to be shared with anyone other than your direct commanding officers, of which are myself and the Hokage?"

"I understand."

"Very well." Kagami pulled a hitai-ate out from beneath the table and held it out to Nagato. "Congratulations. You are officially a Konoha Genin." He pulled out an ANBU mask and handed it over. "This makes you an official ANBU initiate, codename Mouse. Your partner and team leader is Uzumaki Kichiro, codename Fox. The two of you will be a first response, threat assessment, and defensive support team."

Kagami released the seals on me, glaring at me as I opened my mouth to argue. After a moment, I quailed under his gaze.

"Kichiro, remember what I told you about chain of command." He warned me. When he was sure I wasn't going to start shouting at him, he continued. "Nagato, Kichiro will be in charge of your training most days, and while he is engaged in his medic duties within ANBU, you will have orders on what to do during that time. If there are no more unforeseen interruptions, Kichiro, every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday you will report to ANBU training ground three at twenty-one-hundred hours for three hours to make up the deficits in your abilities. Provided that you remain on-schedule, you will take the ANBU test in two-months' time. You are to have Nagato ready to take the test fifteen months later. Do you have any questions?"

"Seventeen months isn't enough—" I started, but Kagami cut me off.

"I think you'll find that without the distractions you had, Nagato will progress much more rapidly in his training than you did. The matter is closed." Kagami closed our files and pulled out two folders and a dozen pencils. "These are the written tests the two of you were supposed to take over a week ago. While I am aware that you are both shinobi, I have to ask you please do not cheat. These are meant to be an honest assessment of your knowledge and problem-solving skills. Please attempt to answer every question to the best of your ability. Head to the cafeteria and someone will meet you there to turn them in." He split the pencils between us and handed us each a folder before leaving.

Nagato pulled his chair to the opposite side of the table and opened the folder. I opened mine. There were at least a hundred pages to the test.

Resigned, we got to work.