6 New Life - Chapter # 6

Friends are fiction. The destiny of the weak to justify their worthlessness. Your friends, your environment, your love is only your clan. That's how she was taught.

Friends are the most important thing in the life of a shinobi. Without them, you plunge into the darkness of loneliness and despair, unable to find the source of light yourself. Without them, you lose yourself. That's what the big brother said.

Friends are those who must always be protected. Those who fill your life with colors. Their smiles are invigorating. Their gratitude and devotion is better than any technique. So he repeated to himself from year to year.

Too different to find common interests. Too proud to submit to someone of equal status. There were too many factors that caused the three genin to immediately part and act alone, relying only on their own strength.

Kushina watched them indifferently from hiding, realizing that if things continued like this, they would all head back to the Academy. And if Naruto just led such a lifestyle, then the other two acted in this way only because of their ambitions, forgetting about the most important rule: Teamwork is above any disagreement.

Hinata skillfully used her byakugan, but now it only caused a severe headache. The area of ​​the forest was completely shrouded in alien chakra, which was not spared at all. The girl bit her lip and deactivated the dojutsu, thinking only about what kind of monster their mentor must be to waste energy so casually in an attempt to deprive the Huga's of sight.

The brunette was hiding among the branches of a tree, carefully studying the territory. With her left hand, she checked all the equipment available to her, because she did not know if Namikaze would only defend or decide to attack in the same way. Suddenly, she noticed how the birds fell from a tree not far from her, and immediately decided to change the parking lot.

- Commendable. Not every genin pays attention to such trifles as alarmed living creatures - Kushina followed the girl on her heels, not wanting to let her out of her sight. One should always drive the beast into a pre-arranged trap, as her grandfather said, carrying a little girl with red hair on his shoulders and stepping on the moss, which abounded in the humid forests of Uzushio. - But can you figure out my plan?

Hinata was squatting behind a wide trunk of a tree. She could not see the enemy, but her intuition literally screamed that the hunt had begun. And it will be almost impossible to win it.

- One, - the thrown kunai flew to the right side, from where a voice was heard, and Huga herself rushed to the opposite side, not even hoping for a hit.

- Two, - Namikaze appeared ten meters ahead and the brunette, taken aback for a moment, decided to use her strongest technique.

- Thirty-two blows of heaven!

- Three! - The girl managed to touch the mentor, but she only smiled and disappeared with a pop. The noose tightened on his leg and lifted Hinata off the ground, turning the world upside down. Already the real Kushina appeared from the side. She slowly approached and removed all of the genin's equipment, leaving the genin fluttering around in the simplest trap imaginable.

- You analyze the situation well, but you don't pay attention to the little things. - After that, Huga was left alone.

- I didn't even leave a shuriken, but the loop is tight. It's not that easy to get out.

Her attention was drawn to a man who appeared from behind a tree. She expected ridicule or his indifference, but the guy just slashed the rope with a kunai and deftly caught the falling body in his arms.

- Why? – only and was able to squeeze out the embarrassed Hinata.

- Because, - Naruto replied curtly.

Sasuke moved silently, not wanting to stay still. The mentor was an experienced jonin, and tracking down someone was a no-brainer for her, especially given Namikaze's sensory abilities. The mother said that her friend was a very sweet and calm woman, but she went to extremes very easily, feeling excited. The blood was so strong in her head that sometimes even the Hokage had a hard time. An expressive person who relied more on brute force than on clear reason. So Mikoto said, deliberately silent about the fact that even more often Kushina is an impartial shinobi, a master of fuinjutsu, suiton and doton. A talented commander who has completed dozens, if not hundreds, of dangerous missions.

Fugaku's wife wanted her son to learn not to follow the advice and opinions of others, but to analyze the situation and his opponent alone, setting priorities.

- Good tactic Sasuke-kun, but running away won't complete the mission. - Kushina stood in front of the boy who almost ran into her at full speed. Stopping abruptly and breaking the distance, he took a standard hand-to-hand stance, a half-side, hands covering his face and body, leaving few vulnerable spots visible. But not for a jonin.

- Who said I'm running away? - The Uchiha chuckled, expecting to repel the attack at any moment. - I was just busy luring you out.

- Haa? – Namikaze's one eyebrow crept up. - And you are confident enough in your abilities.

- I'm not sure about them, - the brunette answered, shaking his head. - I'm only sure that you won't hit at full strength.

- It's because of this analysis that you've already lost, - Sasuke suddenly heard close to his ear. A strong blow under the ribs knocked out all the air from the lungs, causing him to lose consciousness for a second. Falling to the ground, the boy tried to draw a desperate breath. - We need to calculate the difference in strength, and not climb on the rampage, hoping for a miracle. This is your first combat mission, not a sandbox game.

The Uchiha held on to his bruised side, trying to bring his breathing back to normal. He did not want to agree, but there was no other choice - after all, no one said that dust particles would be blown off them.

- You can do better, - that voice and familiar words stirred up images in Sasuke's mind, - I know.

- Naruto ... - he squeezed out through his teeth, finding his partner with his eyes. - Don't annoy me.

- It will be for you, - Uzumaki smiled, sitting down next to him, - I just came to offer help.

- I'll manage, - the brunette said coldly, leaning on his hands and trying to get up, - without your help.

- I highly doubt it.

Only now did the Uchiha notice Hinata standing quietly behind Naruto, who was looking in the other direction and pretending that she was not interested and that she was not there at all.

- Why…she… - he whispered.

- Because.

Kushina had been watching from hiding for a few minutes over a small clearing that spread out in the middle of the forest. Her green eyes carefully followed every movement and change in the chakra of the guy who was sitting there in the lotus position. He was calm and immersed in his thoughts, as if now he was not in the middle of a task set by a mentor, but simply came here for the sake of meditation.

The woman had already wanted to attack several times to teach her son a lesson, but some feeling stopped her. Like in the old days, when she met a strong opponent, her intuition screamed to stay away from this person. Everything in him, his whole image said that he was weak, but Kushina learned to feel what is hidden behind the cover of masks. The true faces of people, their habits and character. She couldn't explain it, just relying on her sixth sense.

- It's funny, - Namikaze thought as she moved closer to her goal, - I'm afraid to attack a boy who graduated from the Academy a couple of days ago. Who never aspired to knowledge of the power of a shinobi.

An unexpected pop in my head filled in a gap in my memory. Dozens of pictures and images flashed before Kushina's eyes, giving away all the memories of the clones.

- Interesting, - the red-haired woman began to fiddle with anticipation of something interesting, twitching a gold earring encrusted with an emerald in her left earlobe. - So you were able to convince these two to take your side...Wait!

She threw a kunai at the seated boy, but he only slightly tilted his head to the side, moving away from the attack.

- Kushina-taichou, I didn't think you'd use cover strikes. - Naruto opened his eyes and stood up, flexing his stiff muscles. He didn't try to follow his mother with his eyes.

- How do you know shadow clones? - smiling, she began with what interested her most.

- No matter what I say, you still won't believe me. So why burden our ears with lies?

- It was interesting to hear how my son, who has never shown interest in ninshu, knows such techniques, - the woman went out into the clearing, after creating clones and giving them instructions.

- Ninshu?.. - Naruto asked in surprise, and after a few seconds he added in a whisper. - How people have perverted the path you created, old Hagoromo.

The corner of his lips lifted as she felt Kushina focusing chakra in hir legs for a swift dash. A thought suddenly popped into my head: "Does she always give her best or just never underestimate her opponent, even if he is just a genin?"

- Now I am not a son, and you are not a mother, Kushina-taicho, - Uzumaki said, throwing a hood over his head so that the woman would not notice the pigmentation around her eyes. He knew that she would feel the chakra. He also knew that she could prove nothing until he was caught red-handed. It will only create more questions around the mystery called "Naruto Namikaze". - Now you are the mentor and I am the student. The examiner and ... the subject.

They took off at the same time, aiming for visible vulnerable spots, but never clashed in the fight, breaking the distance again. Images of a possible outcome flashed through their minds just before the impact, which forced them to refrain from rash actions.

- What the hell…? - Kushina gasped as she looked at her son. - Intuition literally screamed that it was necessary to avoid this attack by any means. And that feeling…

There was still a picture in front of her eyes, where the hand of her child tears the flesh on the side, breaks the ribs and gets to the heart. Beads of sweat slid down Namikaze's face.

- Mommy really took it seriously, - Naruto's shoulder crunched unpleasantly as he made a few circular motions with it. At the last moment, she released chakra with her hand, which created an air wave. Not dangerous, but tangible.

- And you're full of surprises, Naruto-kun, - Kushina smiled nervously, also noticing that she overdid it a little. A little more chakra and she could break his collarbone. Although, something in the back of my mind suggested that everything was not so simple.

- I will not deny the obvious, - the guy bowed his head slightly in gratitude for such flattering words. But it only seems more and more like a reason, is not it?

- What? - the woman was taken aback by such a question, trying to understand where did she miscalculate.

- Knowing the characters, the conditions of the assignment literally played on the pride of each of us. Three subjects, three students. if the subject were the only one, then it would be clear that the meaning of the task is in teamwork - Naruto smiled, slightly squinting to the side - But it is not.

-Not bad, - one of the clones disappeared, passing on the knowledge of the Uchiha and Huga's disposition. - They were close by and looking for something that never existed. Only in words. - Namikaze tried to understand why her son sent them to do this if he guessed the essence of the test. Is he really so confident in his abilities or, on the contrary, just wants to prove that they were wrong all these years and he has something to present to his parents? But if you understood why...

- There is no desire to save their arrogant asses, - the Uzumaki laughed, spreading his arms to the sides. - They should work with their heads, and not believe that the strength of their clan is an absolute that does not require outside help. Moderate your ardor, forget about your pride, bow your head and kneel if the situation requires it. No imaginary value is worth your own life and your partners. They owe ... nothing to anyone, but at the same moment - everything at once.

Naruto took off, wanting to get into a clinch with his mother, because in it he had a good chance to stop her with the help of enhanced body senjutsu. But she easily read the guy's intention, although she was surprised at such a suicidal decision, immediately folding the seals.

- Doton: Stone Dungeon!

Uzumaki's speed was not enough to leave the jutsu, and earthen walls instantly appeared around him, closing over his head and depriving him of the only source of light.

- It was stupid to jump in front , Naruto-kun. - Keeping her palms together, Kushina made several more quick gestures with her fingers. - Now I will absorb your chakra until you lose your…

- Sometimes, - the muffled voice of her son reached her, - you have to do stupid things to give room for others to act. I'm just bait...

The woman's eyes widened as she felt the touch of sharp steel on her back.

- And you are prey!

Kushina turned her head and saw Sasuke looking at her with a dojutsu. There were two commas around the pupil in the left eye, and one in the right. He was the fastest among the three, and had to close the distance for a strike in the maximum available time. His role is a lightning-fast, hidden attack on a distracted enemy.

Green eyes darted to the side and stumbled upon Hinata with an activated byakugan. Like the Uchiha, the girl's right ear was adorned with an earpiece. Her role is to coordinate the team and search for an opponent.

Slowly removing the flow of chakra, Namikaze spread her arms to the sides, thus destroying the technique created earlier. Short blond hair stirred in a strong wind. Naruto didn't smile or rejoice at his success as most kids his age would. He was extremely serious and tried not to show his emotions. A true leader who is responsible for the life of each of his subordinates. Who came up with a strategy to defeat a known strong enemy. His role is a decoy that is most likely...

Kushina swallowed hard. She knew perfectly well that Naruto understood that no one would be killed. But if this was a real mission, he would certainly have died by giving his comrades a chance.

- You created clones and disguised them as these two, - Namikaze began her reflections, - and sent them on their way, because you knew about shadowing everyone. Why didn't I feel them?

- Do you really think, Kushina-taichou, that only you know about the methods of blinding the Byakugan? - Uzumaki answered the question with a question, but seeing the confusion of his mother, he continued: - Didn't it seem strange that you felt only my chakra? It literally hovers around here, violating the sensitivity of such still weak foci, - a couple of furious looks tried to burn the guy through, but he did not attach importance to such trifles, - it is easy, if the enemy underestimates you.

- I don't know why you have became more chakra, but even so.. it should not be enough ...

Naruto reached under his cloak into his pouch and fished out a small green pill into the light.

- No pill will give such an increase! - Kushina began to boil, but after a second she twitched her whole body, understanding. – Really…

- Yes, it's the same, - the blond smiled, hiding the pill back. The sun's rays adversely affected its quality.

- But where did you get it?

- Shinobi don't give away their secrets.

Minato lay on the bed and studied the beige ceiling of his bedroom. His wife rested her head on his shoulder and threw a leg over him, examining her powerful chest with her finger. Both remained silent after Kushina's story about today and tried to find answers.

- Even if he had a fortune, Akimichi would never sell their pills, - the man finally spoke, scratching the top of his blond head with his free hand. – And the idea of ​​theft disappears immediately - I would have known about such a hype in their clan right away.

- But he got it from somewhere, - his wife purred languidly, grabbing Minato by the chin and turning him around to face her. - Talk to him, you are a father, after all.

- Does it matter how he achieves his goals, as long as it doesn't violate the laws of Konoha? - In addition, the fact that the pill belongs to Akimichi is just a theory from his words. You yourself are not sure, - he gently kissed her on the lips, - answered the Yondaime.

- But his chakra! - instantly, like a wick, flared up. She jabbed her fingers hard at her husband's side.

- Yeah, that worries me more, - he muttered, wincing. - From what you said, it was like the natural chakra that Jiraiya-sensei and I use.

- But different! the woman recalled.

- And this. If he made a contract with the toads, they would say. Nor can I judge without knowing whether senjutsu is different when taught from other animals or not. Never met other hermits.

The bedroom was silent for a few minutes.

- Minato, do you think...

- I also thought about it, but this is madness on the verge of understanding, - the man chuckled, marking such thoughts as complete stupidity. - Learn to master the natural chakra yourself? Suicidal nonsense that even a man like Orochimaru bypassed. After all, even after many years, the snakes did not reveal this secret to him.