19 The Strategist

Ishizu POV

As I woke up, I had a strange dream. I was in a summoning realm called *Dumpling Dynasty* and met a movie character from Kung Fu Panda. Yeah funny. As I looked around, I saw the same panda looking at me worriedly.

*Now I had never seen someone fall unconscious because of my presence but I am sorry if you got hurt* said Po trying not to laugh.

I took a seat and tried to collect my thought: *Let me have a second and rewind what happened. You say you are the Dragon Warrior Po. The panda who was trained by Shifu and fought together with the warriors five.*

Po chuckled: *You are surely an interesting individual. Experiencing my life without me knowing you. But that is the strength of reincarnated souls such as yours, isn't it?*

It shocked me hearing his words: *How do you know that? Nobody knows my secret.*

Po started to chuckle:* Dude, I am the Dragon Warrior and I also can see souls. Yours is special as I classify it as an old soul. There are merely two ways to have something like that.

You are truly old or you have been reincarnated. And seeing your young body, I am certain that you are in the second category.*

I just shook my head: *I can't even defend that statement.*

Po's face got serious: *Now on to relevant matters. You summoned someone from my family, and that is something rare to see.

The last person who could do that was Hagoromo but I don't have to tell you who that is as you have his chakra and his eyes. No wonder you could do that but what is different about you is that although Hagoromo could positively connect with us, it was only when he was the Jinchūriki of the ten tails. Before that, he had a lucky encounter with me while I visited the new toad clan. You are special having natural yin and yang synergy. Now it is the first time such a thing developed and I don't want to experiment with words so I'll be direct.

Become the next Panda Sage.*

The conversation was going too fast and I could only respond: "What?"

Po continued: *You see, even I age, and I am over a thousand years old. I want to meet my old friends and master again. They are in the pure world, but every land needs a Sage to supply the nation with energy so it can develop. So I must mention it again, train under me and grow into the first Panda Sage*. My head tried to collect the knowledge Po said but my small human brain just couldn't take in and I fell unconscious again because of information overload.

After Ishizu woke up again, he finally calmed down and after thinking it over, he accepted becoming a panda Sage. 'Why not? I always wanted to be a Sage. Getting a teacher such as Po could be awesome and who knows how strong the Sage Mode of the Pandas is. Additional power will help me reach my goal, so if I get power served on a silver plate, I will take it.'

After that, I was reversed summoned back. Before that Tau told me that there was a time difference in the *Dumpling Dynasty* and in the elemental nations. I calculated, and 2 years in the elemental nations equaled 4 years in the *Dumpling Dynasty*. I had the ideal time to train Sage mode. If I make nothing unusual by changing canon, I can go 2 years into the summoning real and I will age corresponding to the place I am in. If I do everything according to plan, I could not even care for Shippuden and do what I crave.

I still had enough time, so I concentrated on making my current students stronger. An invasion was coming.

For the next month, I taught both Naruto and Sasuke together. I sweatdropped as I learned that Kakashi didn't even give them the tree walking training. Sasuke complained but I shut him up telling him that in my training he does what I tell him and chakra control was important. Naruto would learn more Ninjutsu and ways to counter Genjutsu as he sucked in them.

When I had free time, I reverse summoned myself to improve in a special Taijutsu style. It was called the Panda Style.

Original name I know.

It was a technique comprising 3 types. Attack, defense, and speed. Each different from the other, but if mastered, one could fuse them. Each style of the pandas countered another. The attack was better than the defense. Speed was better than attack and defense was better than speed. I started to learn the defense style first to be safe against fast enemies.

The defense style focused on guarding the whole body against opponents who didn't attack directly with there fists, but with small weapons and weak jutsus. It was like a weaker version of 'Haki' from One Piece. One could not use it as an attack if he didn't know the attack style.

A week later:

It was not how I imagined traveling to the land of waves. The Hokage called me because he received a note from team 7 requesting support. Although their team defeated the two Mizu ninjas Kakashi had no Naruto to motivate him to continue without sending help.

On the other side, Naruto never protested about D-ranks and we missed it, or I honestly forgot about it. Now Naruto, Hinata, Ino and I were jumping from tree to tree to catch up with Team 7.

General POV

"Ishizu-Sensei where are we going?" asked Hinata. "To the land of waves. Kakashi sent help because the client lied about the danger of the mission. A man named Gato, a crooked businessman wants to control Wave and doesn't want to allow the bridge to finish. If he purchased Nuke-Nin of Kiri with his money, thus I assume Zabuza Momochi will be also there." The genin looked at me: "Who?" asked Ino. Ishizu had a serious face: "He is a Nuke-Nin of Kiri as he tried to assassinate the Yondaime Mizukage. A-ranked shinobi, experienced in silence killing by using one of the seven swords of Mizo, Kubikiribocho, the executioner's blade."

Moving on the sea team 11 reached team 7. By the looks of it, they already fought off Zabuza. Kakashi looked bad as he nearly fainted because of chakra exhaustion. Sakura fainted. Sai and Sasuke looked ok. Sasuke only had some wounds while Sai only had a few bruises.

Ishizu got serious as he looked at Ino: "Ino I know your healing jutsu is weak but it will help to heal the two boys. Naruto please try to wake Sakura up. Hinata stay next to the client and protect him." I moved to Kakashi who fell unconscious as he saw me because of his Sharingan overuse. I activated my mystic palm technique and healed Kakashi's wounds. We talked with Tazuna that we were the reinforcement and so we left for his house.

After a few hours, Kakashi woke up and looked around seeing Ishizu. "You look awful Kakashi. What happened that you got beaten by someone like Zabuza? You used to be stronger than me but that ended after Obito and got worse when Rin died. Instead of getting stronger, you became like Obito, being late and using those pitiful excuses.

I don't blame you for what happened to Rin, and I think that Obito would forgive you too. You keep telling yourself that you failed them."

Kakashi looked down and asked: "What would you do in my shoes then?"

Ishizu stood up and walked away while saying: "Do what you want. Live your life to the fullest and teach the next generation so that they don't repeat our mistakes. Everyone has to find their meaning in life because if you don't, then why do you still live on? If we do it right, then one day, some people will live with so much knowledge from the past that they have a perfect life. For now, you should focus on what is now and not what happened or will happen.

There is a saying: 'Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, and that is why it is called the present.' Now relax. I believe that Zabuza is alive. With us both here, he won't stand a chance."

'Well, I could defeat him alone but it is too troublesome' thought Ishizu.

Ishizu POV

Kakashi and I told the teams that Zabuza was still alive but he won't be around until a week so we had time to train.

The week went by normally until Naruto fell asleep while training. This was my chance to meet Haku and follow him to Zabuza. I wanted to let both of them live as I didn't want them to be used for Edo Tensei if it even happens. Also, he could be an ally in the war. I watched them interact. It was cool to watch Naruto telling him/her? that he had an awesome teacher.

As Haku walked away, I waited for the perfect spot and appeared behind Haku with a kunai at (I go with her) her neck. "One wrong move and you are dead. I don't think Zabuza wants a useless weapon. Now it sounds weird, but I want to talk with Zabuza about his work with Gato. I have important information that Gato is betraying you and I can give you double his payment if you let us do our mission. Now talk."

Haku swallowed: "Why should I believe you. You could just use me to kill Zabuza." I smiled: "Oh, you have no idea. I am a sensor. I already know where he is and I could kill him. But instead, I choose to talk to you first, so what is your answer?" Haku didn't know what to do. She was a tool but if she broke now, she couldn't protect her master.

"Ok follow me."

We walked to the hideout and entered. I took the initiative before Haku could. "Well, look who it is. Hello Zabuza, long time no see. I have heard you got your ass kicked by a bunch of Genin and Kakashi. I have thought you would kill some of them, but I see from your "tool" that you have got a heart for beautiful things." Zabuza gave me a stare: "Hm. So I will take my last breath by you, huh? I didn't believe to see you here. S-rank, flee on sight, Ishizu Sasaki also called 'The Strategist.' The last time we have met was 10 years ago so tell me why are you here?"

"I came as reinf…" Zabuza interrupted: "No, I know you are reinforcement for Kakashi but here, why are you talking to me and not killing me?" Ishizu looked at Haku: "As I told your adoptive daughter, I want to tell you that Gato is betraying you and I would pay you to double if you could let us do our mission."

Zabuza tilted his head not believing a single word. He was a Shinobi of the bloody mist. He would be dead if he trusted everyone who told him something. "And what proof do you have? You could lie." Ishizu shook his head: "If you go to Gato and spy on him tomorrow as I go there he will expose himself and then you can kill him. If he doesn't, then I will let you leave without harm. I promise you that with my life." Zabuza closed his eyes: "You are truly a crazy guy. All S-ranks are crazy. Haku what do you think?"

Haku stood beside Zabuza: "Zabuza-sama I believe we should trust him. He could kill me earlier but he didn't so let us put our hopes in him." Zabuza laid down on his bed: "There is your answer." I smiled as I turned around: "Nice. Then I will see you tomorrow at Gato's hideout.

I left Zabuza and Haku and went back. I told Kakashi about my encounter and my solution to the problem. He reluctantly agreed not trusting Zabuza. I would go to Gato and he would look after the teams.