Summoning: Shadow Reincarnation
Summary: A passing remark from the most surprising ninja of the Village Hidden in the Leaves leads the second God of Shinobi to redesign his predecessor’s technique. Armed with the help of the legendary leaders of Konohagakure, watch the growth of Uzumaki Naruto on the road to his destiny.
Disclaimer: I do not own ‘Naruto’.
Chapter 1
The scroll of forbidden techniques
The things I have do to become Genin... Naruto thought to himself as he sneaked out of the Hokage tower, treading in light but quick steps. I mean, stealing a scroll from the old man’s office? Come on! If this is what I have to do to become Genin, I’d hate to think what I should do to be chūnin. Naruto shuddered, abandoning that train of thought. Ah well, it’s not like Mizuki Sensei would lie to me, right?
And so, Naruto proceeded to put as much distance between himself and the tower as possible. Inwardly, he patted himself on the back for knocking out the Hokage and all his ANBU with his ultimate secret technique. He chuckled menacingly. What a bunch of perverts! All he had to do after that was to apply Henge on himself to make it look like he was not carrying anything. The forbidden scroll was safely strapped onto his back, the Henge covering it from view of unsuspecting shinobi. It would have been a whole different story if the ANBU surrounding the building had noticed the technique. But as it was, they weren’t particularly looking for it and they had seen him often enough around the tower to not give his presence a second thought.
After a good amount of sneaking and hiding, he arrived, unnoticed, at one of the many training grounds of the village. As it was evening already, most of them were deserted. Now all he had to do was learn a technique and be done with it.
Naruto inspected the large scroll in his possession. A large seal surrounded the scroll, the continuous black ink surrounding it many times. What’s this fancy writing? He wondered. Looks like that writing in those explosive tags, but the characters look different. What do they call it again, fuuinjutsu?
Upon his attempt to open the scroll, Naruto found that he could not. Gritting his teeth, he tried to unroll it with all his might. The scroll didn’t budge.
It’s like it’s locked. Naruto frowned. But he couldn’t see any locks, as bizarre as it sounded, on the scroll. All he could see were those patterns that ran around the scroll for no apparent purpose.
Oh, so that’s it! Naruto thought back to his visits to the shinobi weapons shop a few months ago. He had seen the owner smear some of his blood on a similar scroll to open it. When he asked about it, the man grinned and said it was for protection. Naruto liked that man. He was one of the few that treated him like he was there. Between the hostile glares of many of the civilian populace and weary looks of a few shinobi, Naruto knew only a few people who acknowledged him as just a kid. Whatever the others thought he was a mystery to him.
Well, no harm in trying. Naruto mentally shrugged. Cutting his middle finger with a kunai, he smeared his blood on the scroll. Seeing nothing happen, he instinctually pushed some chakra into it. Naruto almost jumped back in shock as the scroll suddenly snapped open.
Yatta! He cheered mentally. Eagerly looking at the first item in the scroll, his pleasant mood suddenly evaporated. You have got to be kidding me.
An hour later found Naruto lying with his back in the ground, an exhilarated smile on his face. I finally did it. Shadow clone technique, success! With Multiple shadow clone technique to boot! He thought happily. Dismissing his first ‘batch’ of successful clones, he got up to roll up the scroll. That was when a thought struck him.
Might as well see what’s in here. He thought to himself. Hmm... Bringer of Darkness Technique. Created by the First Hokage? Cool! But damn, that’s a Genjutsu. No good with those. Naruto frowned. Maybe there’s another technique by a Hokage in here? Glancing further down, another technique caught his attention.
Summoning: Impure world Reincarnation. Created by the Second Hokage. Bingo! Naruto grinned to himself. Glancing at the rank, his breath caught his throat. S-rank? Are you freakin’ kidding me? They’re letting me look at a scroll with an S-rank technique? Naruto began to get a feeling of dread. This is the scroll I was supposed to take, right? Blocking his thoughts on the consequences, he glanced at the technique. Can’t hurt to know. He thought.
Let’s see. Hand Seals are Tiger, Snake, Dog, Dragon and then I should- clap my hands? What? Okay then. Hmm... Now what does it do? Naruto glanced at the description. A minute later, his face became pale and he almost started to hyperventilate. Bring back the dead? Human sacrifice? What the hell? Naruto was totally freaked out. No way was he going to kill someone to have a zombie army!
“Do you have any idea what you have done, Uzumaki Naruto?” A voice jolted Naruto out of his shock. Naruto recognized the voice even before he saw the owner. Turning, he confirmed his suspicions. Yup, Iruka Sensei. A very pissed off Iruka Sensei at that. Looks like I got the wrong scroll after all. Naruto started to sweat slightly.
“Umm... I passed?” Naruto decided to play it safe and act like he didn’t know anything. After all, he was only told to get a scroll from the Hokage’s office, and the description matched the one he had.
“What?” Confusion replaced the furious expression the chunin wore seconds ago.
“You know, because I completed the special exam! I did it exactly like Mizuki Sensei said!” Naruto exclaimed.
“What special exam?” Iruka frowned. He didn’t know of anything like this, and he began to get a feeling of dread. After all, something similar had happened before.
“He told me that if I could steal this scroll from the old man’s office, I’ll become Genin! So now I’m Genin, right?” Naruto asked, now in an unsure voice.
“Mizuki told you that?” Iruka shouted, disbelieving.
“Yes I did.” Another voice interrupted the duo. Looking up, the student and teacher saw Mizuki standing on one of the branches of a nearby tree. “Now if you would be so kind as to give me the scroll, I could get going.”
Now, while Naruto was fairly confused at the turn of events, Iruka was not. He was a chūnin, and knew what this meant. “You’re betraying the village? Why?” he asked, pained. Mizuki had been a good friend. What could possibly drive him to this?
“No concern of yours.” Mizuki said coldly. “My business is with the little demon over there.” He turned to Naruto. “Hand me the scroll, and I might spare you.”
Naruto was now in shock. It looked like this wasn’t a case of a mistaken scroll after all. He put two and two together. He did get the correct scroll, but there was never a special exam in the first place. Mizuki had tricked him! “What do you mean, betraying the village?” Naruto shouted.
“It means that I no longer have my allegiance to Konohagakure, dear dead last.” Mizuki replied with a smirk.
“I know what it means!” Naruto said indignantly. “But why? Konoha is our home!” He said desperately.
“Konoha was my home. And it is not your home, Kyuubi.” Mizuki replied with malice.
“Mizuki, don’t!” Iruka shouted, horrified.
Naruto froze. There it was again. This was perhaps the third time he was related to the Kyuubi. All this because I was born on that day? He asked himself. Somehow, that didn’t make any sense.
Mizuki smirked. “Don’t you want to know why you’re hated, Uzumaki Naruto?”
“Why?” Naruto abruptly asked, not missing the chance. A hundred times, he asked this to the adults who were nice to him. The Hokage, Teuchi-san, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen and even Iruka Sensei. A sad gaze was often his only reply.
“Twelve years ago-” Mizuki said, dodging a shuriken from Iruka. “do you want to know what happened that night?” He asked menacingly.
Two hours ago, Hokage’s office
“Lord Hokage! Are you alright?” a frantic ANBU shook their beloved leader. It was not often that you find the strongest ninja in Konoha and probably the entire elemental nations knoced out and unconscious. The ANBU could be forgiven for his lack of composure. A twitch in the Hokage’s right hand went unnoticed. A second later, the ANBU found himself pinned to the wooden floor, a kunai in his throat.
“Oh, it’s only you, Boar. Sorry. Reflex reaction.” The Hokage apologized, removing the kunai from his guard’s throat.
“Ah, it’s alright, Lord Hokage. I thought you were unconscious.” The ANBU said shakily, still shocked at the speed of the aged Sandaime. Not that he expected anything less from the Professor.
“I... dozed off.” The Hokage lied with a straight face, wiping a trickle of blood from his nose. Suddenly, he remembered what he saw when he was last conscious. Snapping his head towards his desk, he found what he dreaded.
“The scroll. Where is it?” The Hokage asked tersely.
Turning his head towards the location of the forbidden scroll, Boar gulped. “Not here.”
“ANBU!” The Sandaime called. Six figures materialized before him, all donning ANBU uniform and gear. “Alert every Jounin in the village that the forbidden scroll is missing. I want it in my desk in three hours. It was last seen with Uzumaki Naruto. Your orders are to retrieve the scroll. Do not harm him under any circumstances!” He ordered.
“Yes, Lord Hokage!” the ANBU chorused, and vanished from sight.
The aged Hokage sighed. What are you up to now, Naruto?
Training ground 32, Present time
Naruto had yet to get over his shock. Who could blame him? After all, he had just learnt that the most powerful demon in all of existence is sealed within him. He had the right to freak out, thank you very much! A small part of him wondered how this was even possible, but he reminded himself that in the world of ninja, anything is possible.
“That’s right.” Mizuki continued. “You are the Kyuubi no Yoko, the nine tailed demon fox.”
Naruto’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt. He was the Kyuubi? That doesn’t make much sense. Wouldn’t he know it if he was a gigantic fox?
“What?” Naruto exclaimed. “First, you said it was sealed in me. Now you’re saying it is me?”
“Oh, you can’t fool us!” Mizuki said, smirking. “We all know you took over that body, Kyuubi!”
Now Naruto was annoyed. “Oi! I would know if I am the fox, idiot! What, you think the fox has amnesia? I think you need to visit the nice guys with the white coats.” Yeah, his old sensei had gone nuts. It explained everything, really. Poor guy.
Mizuki sputtered in outrage. “Your time is up, Kyuubi!” He spat, readying his Fuuma shuriken.
“Maa, maa, I think you got it backwards.” A new voice came from behind Mizuki. “Nighty night!”
The last thing Mizuki felt before he blacked out was excruciating pain at the back of his neck. He fell down and crumpled to the floor.
Iruka blinked. “Kakashi?” Sure enough, he saw the infamous copy ninja in the branch Mizuki had occupied moments earlier.
Naruto gulped as he entered the Hokage’s room, a guilty expression on his face.
“I’m sorry, old man! He tricked me! He said it was a special exam and I-”
Naruto was silenced when the Sandaime held out a hand. “Yes, Naruto, I saw what happened at the end. I managed to locate you with this.” He said, pointing at this crystal ball. “You were not at fault. But please think twice before in the future. You shouldn’t trust someone blindly. As a ninja, you should see through deception.” The Hokage continued.
“So... I’m not in trouble?” Naruto asked.
“No, you’re not.” The aged Sandaime smiled. “But the fact that you managed to infiltrate the tower, with that outfit” the Hokage said, gesturing at Naruto’s orange jumpsuit “is quite a feat.” He finished.
Naruto thought for a moment. “Impressive enough to make me Genin?” He asked hopefully.
The Sandaime looked at Iruka, his question clear. He didn’t interfere with academy graduations, so the chunin had the final say.
Iruka shook his head slowly. “I’m sorry Naruto, but even if your stealth is impressive, I cannot pass you with just that. You need to produce a clone, as per the requirements.” He said, a little sadly. A small part of him wondered if Naruto was ready for the ninja world, when he was tricked by Mizuki so easily. Iruka knew it wasn’t fair to blame Naruto, for Mizuki was a good actor, but he couldn’t help but feel protective over the blonde ninja.
“I learned how to do it!” Naruto said with a big grin. “It’s a bit different, but still.” Naruto crossed his fingers to form a hand seal that the Hokage instantly recognized. “Shadow Clone Jutsu!”
Three identical copies of Naruto materialized near him, grinning ear to ear. “Do I pass now?” They asked simultaneously.
Iruka was gaping.
The Hokage felt his mind reel in shock. He looked at the scroll of seals, and saw what he dreaded. While it was rolled up, the seal surrounding the scroll had vanished. It was now open.
“Naruto!” The Sandaime nearly shouted. “How did you open the Scroll of Seals?”
Iruka shakily looked at the scroll, only to find that the scroll was, indeed, open. Impossible! Only the Hokage’s blood will open it!
“Umm... I swiped some of my blood in it.” Naruto replied. “And put some chakra” He added.
His blood? The Hokage suddenly paled. Minato’s blood. The seal works for close blood relations as well. Oh dear.
“Naruto, what else did you find in there?” The Hokage asked cautiously.
But how did Naruto open the scroll? Iruka thought, still shocked. He didn’t voice his question, however. Maybe there was more at play here than he initially thought, but it wasn’t his position to ask questions.
“I learned the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.” Naruto thought for a moment and shuddered slightly. “I also saw the Impure world-”
“What?!” The Hokage shouted, dropping his pipe in shock. “Tell me you didn’t see how to use it.”
“I... did. But I won’t use it! What kind of a Jutsu needs you to-” Naruto was interrupted again by the Sandaime.
“That’s enough. Naruto, I absolutely forbid you from using that technique, or even mentioning its name, to anyone. I hope you know why. The number of people who know about it can be counted with one hand. This will be an SS ranked secret. Do not, even under threat of death, reveal that technique to anyone. Iruka, that goes for you too. You did not hear anything. Understood?”
The Naruto and the chunin nodded shakily. Neither had seen the Hokage react like this before. Naruto understood the reason, as he knew what that technique did. Iruka glanced at Naruto, worried. What kind of a technique did you learn, Naruto? For your sake, I hope you know how to keep the secret.
After a moment of silence, Naruto turned to Iruka. “So does that mean I can be Genin now?”
Iruka shook his head, an exasperated smile finding its way to his face. “You made three clones. With a B ranked technique at that. So Congratulations! You pass!”
“YATTA!” Naruto jumped, fist-pumping. “I’m gonna take that hat from you in no time, old man!”
“Naruto, be respectful!” Iruka admonished.
The Sandaime chuckled good naturedly. He opened another drawer in his desk and took out a storage scroll. Unsealing it, he took out an old headband.
“Uzumaki Naruto, from this moment, you are a Genin of Konohagakure! Congratulations!”
“Thanks old man!” Naruto smiled. “Eh... don’t you have any new ones?” He asked, inspecting the worn headband.
“Oh, I do.” The Hokage smiled warmly. “However, the previous owner of that headband would have wanted you to have it.”
Naruto frowned. Who would want to give him a gift? “Really? Whose headband is it?”
“That of my successor.” The Third smiled. “And predecessor.”
Naruto froze, his hands shaking. “You... you’re kidding, right?”
“No, Naruto. That is the very same headband I gave to Namikaze Minato, Konoha’s beloved Yondaime, when he made Genin.” The Sandaime said with a smile, enjoying the look of shock on both Naruto’s and Iruka’s face.
“But... why?” Naruto asked after a moment of silence. He couldn’t think of a single reason why he would be given this.
The Sandaime smiled sadly. He couldn’t tell him the truth. But since Mizuki had already spilled the secret, he could go with that. “Because you, Naruto, saved Konohagakure from the Kyuubi no Kitsune twelve years ago.”
The headband clattered as it fell on the wooden floor.
Naruto looked down, unsure how to feel. “So Mizuki was not lying?” He asked, his hopes dashed.
“Minato did seal the Kyuubi in you, Naruto.” The Sandaime said, sighing. He couldn’t reveal the true reason for Naruto’s burden. “Please understand. The Kyuubi no Kitsune is a force of nature. It cannot be killed. The village would not have survived the encounter if he had not sealed it. Only a living body can contain it. That too, of a newborn, whose chakra coils will be undeveloped. He did not have a choice, Naruto. If he had not made that decision, neither you, nor I would have lived to talk about it.” The Sandaime hoped Naruto would understand the true reason some day, when he could be counted on to keep it a secret. He couldn’t afford rival nations going after Naruto in retribution to the Yellow Flash’s actions.
The Sandaime continued. “The last part of what Mizuki said was not true. You are not the Kyuubi. You are the hero of Konohagakure who keeps it at bay. The Fourth wanted you to be seen as a hero, but the villagers didn’t see it that way. I’m sorry for their poor treatment, Naruto, but even I can only do so much. I passed a law preventing the younger generation from knowing about this, but that was all I could do.”
Naruto bent down slowly, and picked up the headband. “I think I understand.” He said, contemplating. “A Hokage has to do what is best for the village.” He repeated what the Sandaime had once told him. “Don’t worry, Jiji. One day, I know they’ll understand who I am.” He tied the headband around his forehead, replacing his goggles. “Uzumaki Naruto of Konohagakure, future Hokage!”
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled, knowing that his parents would be proud of their son. Iruka too, was more than a little impressed by how Naruto had taken the news.
“Now, remember what I told you, Naruto. Not a word about that technique, don’t even mumble it in your sleep.” The Hokage said seriously.
“Right.” Naruto nodded. “Too bad you can’t do it with Shadow Clone, though.” Naruto said, almost as an afterthought. “See ya later, Jiji!” He waved, and left the room. Iruka followed him after bowing to the Hokage.
The thoughts of the Third Hokage had all but frozen at Naruto’s latest remark. Do it with shadow clones? Could it be possible?
The Hokage abruptly signalled his ANBU to leave him alone until they were called back. He opened the forbidden scroll, and gazed at the technique abandoned by the Second Hokage. His thoughts wandered back to nearly fifty years ago, when his teacher shared with him the technique that could start or end a war.
“Sensei, do you actually plan to use a technique like this?” Young Hiruzen asked, horrified at the jutsu that was wrong in so many levels.
“No.” Senju Tobirama shook his head empathetically. “However, I wish I could have.”
“What do you mean?” Hiruzen asked, frowning.
“When I started researching this technique, I wanted to create a technique that would enable our shinobi to be called back from the dead if they wished to fight for Konoha.” Tobirama clarified. “I know quite a few ninja that would happily battle for Konoha even after their last breaths. I myself, and my late brother would do it without a second thought. But only after reaching the final stage of this technique, did I find the problem.”
“The living sacrifice?” Hiruzen asked. Tobirama nodded.
“Exactly. Do you know why we need a living sacrifice, Hiruzen?” Seeing his student shake his head in negative, Tobirama elaborated. “It is for chakra.”
Hiruzen frowned. “What do you mean?”
“While a genetic sample would allow me to recreate the personality and techniques of the person I summon, there is still one major obstacle. That person should have chakra to perform his techniques. A genetic sample cannot create chakra. Hence the living sacrifice.” Tobirama said gravely.
“The chakra of the person is used for the reincarnated shinobi?” Hiruzen asked.
“No. The body of the person... is converted to chakra.” Tobirama explained. “The body also serves as a medium to hold the summoning together until all of the body is converted.”
“But sensei, converting the body to chakra... that would create a lot of chakra.” Hiruzen paled at the implications.
“Yes. For all purposes, it would give an enormous amount of chakra. As the jutsu progresses, parts of the person is converted to chakra. Thus even if the reincarnated shinobi suffers from a mortal wound, the chakra would coalesce again around the wounded body to rebuild it. It would be practically impossible to defeat. However, I’m not prepared to sacrifice someone for this, even if we use captured enemies. We are not desperate to sink that low. That’s why, Hiruzen, I’m sealing this technique away in the Scroll of Sealing. If you succeed in finding a way to avoid sacrifices after my time, you may call me back to fight for Konoha.” Tobirama watched his student nod, and sealed the technique away in the scroll.
A Shadow Clone... could the answer really be so simple? The Third Hokage thought in wonder. It would serve as a medium, and it has the chakra of the user. But converting the body of the Shadow clone to energy would still yield only as much chakra as the chakra used to create the clone. The Shadow Clone is an entity made of Chakra, after all. Its robustness depends on the amount of chakra used to create it. Shadow clones are the reverse case of a living sacrifice, he realized. So converting the shadow clone directly to energy would destroy the clone. But what if I could modify the process and have the technique leech out the chakra from the shadow clone instead?
Wordlessly, the Hokage took his brush and a fresh scroll. He remembered the pattern required for the special scroll for the Impure World Reincarnation. He closed his eyes in thought. The disintegration seal and the chakra seal are combined to convert the body to chakra. But if I replace it with an absorption seal... The Sandaime made quick, careful strokes as he traced out the intricate pattern. He looked at the new pattern carefully. That should do it.
The Sandaime checked the room again, and saw that it was indeed empty. Placing some silencing seals, he shakily extended his hand and traced out a pattern in the Forbidden Scroll. A pop was heard, two vials of blood materialized.
Lord Tobirama wanted this. I am not summoning him against his will. The aged Hokage reassured himself.
The Hokage created a Shadow Clone, who placed himself in front of him. Removing the cork of the vial, the Sandaime smeared a few drops of his mentor’s blood on it. Tiger, Snake, Dog, Dragon. The Hokage clapped his hands together and muttered.
“Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation!”
A layer of mud and dust coated the Shadow Clone, and the Hokage watched on with slight trepidation as the form of the technique shifted to that of his mentor. Soon, the form of the Nidaime Hokage was complete. The Sandaime jolted as the body gave a twitch and the Second Hokage opened his eyes.
“Sensei...” The Sandaime whispered in a sorrowful tone, still shocked that it had worked.
Tobirama looked at his body and stared at his hands for a moment. He looked at the Sandaime and smiled. “Took you long enough, my student. You’ve grown old.”
<------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------>
This story was originally posted by me at FFN.net. Your opinions are most welcome!
Summary: A passing remark from the most surprising ninja of the Village Hidden in the Leaves leads the second God of Shinobi to redesign his predecessor’s technique. Armed with the help of the legendary leaders of Konohagakure, watch the growth of Uzumaki Naruto on the road to his destiny.
Disclaimer: I do not own ‘Naruto’.
Chapter 1
The scroll of forbidden techniques
The things I have do to become Genin... Naruto thought to himself as he sneaked out of the Hokage tower, treading in light but quick steps. I mean, stealing a scroll from the old man’s office? Come on! If this is what I have to do to become Genin, I’d hate to think what I should do to be chūnin. Naruto shuddered, abandoning that train of thought. Ah well, it’s not like Mizuki Sensei would lie to me, right?
And so, Naruto proceeded to put as much distance between himself and the tower as possible. Inwardly, he patted himself on the back for knocking out the Hokage and all his ANBU with his ultimate secret technique. He chuckled menacingly. What a bunch of perverts! All he had to do after that was to apply Henge on himself to make it look like he was not carrying anything. The forbidden scroll was safely strapped onto his back, the Henge covering it from view of unsuspecting shinobi. It would have been a whole different story if the ANBU surrounding the building had noticed the technique. But as it was, they weren’t particularly looking for it and they had seen him often enough around the tower to not give his presence a second thought.
After a good amount of sneaking and hiding, he arrived, unnoticed, at one of the many training grounds of the village. As it was evening already, most of them were deserted. Now all he had to do was learn a technique and be done with it.
Naruto inspected the large scroll in his possession. A large seal surrounded the scroll, the continuous black ink surrounding it many times. What’s this fancy writing? He wondered. Looks like that writing in those explosive tags, but the characters look different. What do they call it again, fuuinjutsu?
Upon his attempt to open the scroll, Naruto found that he could not. Gritting his teeth, he tried to unroll it with all his might. The scroll didn’t budge.
It’s like it’s locked. Naruto frowned. But he couldn’t see any locks, as bizarre as it sounded, on the scroll. All he could see were those patterns that ran around the scroll for no apparent purpose.
Oh, so that’s it! Naruto thought back to his visits to the shinobi weapons shop a few months ago. He had seen the owner smear some of his blood on a similar scroll to open it. When he asked about it, the man grinned and said it was for protection. Naruto liked that man. He was one of the few that treated him like he was there. Between the hostile glares of many of the civilian populace and weary looks of a few shinobi, Naruto knew only a few people who acknowledged him as just a kid. Whatever the others thought he was a mystery to him.
Well, no harm in trying. Naruto mentally shrugged. Cutting his middle finger with a kunai, he smeared his blood on the scroll. Seeing nothing happen, he instinctually pushed some chakra into it. Naruto almost jumped back in shock as the scroll suddenly snapped open.
Yatta! He cheered mentally. Eagerly looking at the first item in the scroll, his pleasant mood suddenly evaporated. You have got to be kidding me.
An hour later found Naruto lying with his back in the ground, an exhilarated smile on his face. I finally did it. Shadow clone technique, success! With Multiple shadow clone technique to boot! He thought happily. Dismissing his first ‘batch’ of successful clones, he got up to roll up the scroll. That was when a thought struck him.
Might as well see what’s in here. He thought to himself. Hmm... Bringer of Darkness Technique. Created by the First Hokage? Cool! But damn, that’s a Genjutsu. No good with those. Naruto frowned. Maybe there’s another technique by a Hokage in here? Glancing further down, another technique caught his attention.
Summoning: Impure world Reincarnation. Created by the Second Hokage. Bingo! Naruto grinned to himself. Glancing at the rank, his breath caught his throat. S-rank? Are you freakin’ kidding me? They’re letting me look at a scroll with an S-rank technique? Naruto began to get a feeling of dread. This is the scroll I was supposed to take, right? Blocking his thoughts on the consequences, he glanced at the technique. Can’t hurt to know. He thought.
Let’s see. Hand Seals are Tiger, Snake, Dog, Dragon and then I should- clap my hands? What? Okay then. Hmm... Now what does it do? Naruto glanced at the description. A minute later, his face became pale and he almost started to hyperventilate. Bring back the dead? Human sacrifice? What the hell? Naruto was totally freaked out. No way was he going to kill someone to have a zombie army!
“Do you have any idea what you have done, Uzumaki Naruto?” A voice jolted Naruto out of his shock. Naruto recognized the voice even before he saw the owner. Turning, he confirmed his suspicions. Yup, Iruka Sensei. A very pissed off Iruka Sensei at that. Looks like I got the wrong scroll after all. Naruto started to sweat slightly.
“Umm... I passed?” Naruto decided to play it safe and act like he didn’t know anything. After all, he was only told to get a scroll from the Hokage’s office, and the description matched the one he had.
“What?” Confusion replaced the furious expression the chunin wore seconds ago.
“You know, because I completed the special exam! I did it exactly like Mizuki Sensei said!” Naruto exclaimed.
“What special exam?” Iruka frowned. He didn’t know of anything like this, and he began to get a feeling of dread. After all, something similar had happened before.
“He told me that if I could steal this scroll from the old man’s office, I’ll become Genin! So now I’m Genin, right?” Naruto asked, now in an unsure voice.
“Mizuki told you that?” Iruka shouted, disbelieving.
“Yes I did.” Another voice interrupted the duo. Looking up, the student and teacher saw Mizuki standing on one of the branches of a nearby tree. “Now if you would be so kind as to give me the scroll, I could get going.”
Now, while Naruto was fairly confused at the turn of events, Iruka was not. He was a chūnin, and knew what this meant. “You’re betraying the village? Why?” he asked, pained. Mizuki had been a good friend. What could possibly drive him to this?
“No concern of yours.” Mizuki said coldly. “My business is with the little demon over there.” He turned to Naruto. “Hand me the scroll, and I might spare you.”
Naruto was now in shock. It looked like this wasn’t a case of a mistaken scroll after all. He put two and two together. He did get the correct scroll, but there was never a special exam in the first place. Mizuki had tricked him! “What do you mean, betraying the village?” Naruto shouted.
“It means that I no longer have my allegiance to Konohagakure, dear dead last.” Mizuki replied with a smirk.
“I know what it means!” Naruto said indignantly. “But why? Konoha is our home!” He said desperately.
“Konoha was my home. And it is not your home, Kyuubi.” Mizuki replied with malice.
“Mizuki, don’t!” Iruka shouted, horrified.
Naruto froze. There it was again. This was perhaps the third time he was related to the Kyuubi. All this because I was born on that day? He asked himself. Somehow, that didn’t make any sense.
Mizuki smirked. “Don’t you want to know why you’re hated, Uzumaki Naruto?”
“Why?” Naruto abruptly asked, not missing the chance. A hundred times, he asked this to the adults who were nice to him. The Hokage, Teuchi-san, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen and even Iruka Sensei. A sad gaze was often his only reply.
“Twelve years ago-” Mizuki said, dodging a shuriken from Iruka. “do you want to know what happened that night?” He asked menacingly.
Two hours ago, Hokage’s office
“Lord Hokage! Are you alright?” a frantic ANBU shook their beloved leader. It was not often that you find the strongest ninja in Konoha and probably the entire elemental nations knoced out and unconscious. The ANBU could be forgiven for his lack of composure. A twitch in the Hokage’s right hand went unnoticed. A second later, the ANBU found himself pinned to the wooden floor, a kunai in his throat.
“Oh, it’s only you, Boar. Sorry. Reflex reaction.” The Hokage apologized, removing the kunai from his guard’s throat.
“Ah, it’s alright, Lord Hokage. I thought you were unconscious.” The ANBU said shakily, still shocked at the speed of the aged Sandaime. Not that he expected anything less from the Professor.
“I... dozed off.” The Hokage lied with a straight face, wiping a trickle of blood from his nose. Suddenly, he remembered what he saw when he was last conscious. Snapping his head towards his desk, he found what he dreaded.
“The scroll. Where is it?” The Hokage asked tersely.
Turning his head towards the location of the forbidden scroll, Boar gulped. “Not here.”
“ANBU!” The Sandaime called. Six figures materialized before him, all donning ANBU uniform and gear. “Alert every Jounin in the village that the forbidden scroll is missing. I want it in my desk in three hours. It was last seen with Uzumaki Naruto. Your orders are to retrieve the scroll. Do not harm him under any circumstances!” He ordered.
“Yes, Lord Hokage!” the ANBU chorused, and vanished from sight.
The aged Hokage sighed. What are you up to now, Naruto?
Training ground 32, Present time
Naruto had yet to get over his shock. Who could blame him? After all, he had just learnt that the most powerful demon in all of existence is sealed within him. He had the right to freak out, thank you very much! A small part of him wondered how this was even possible, but he reminded himself that in the world of ninja, anything is possible.
“That’s right.” Mizuki continued. “You are the Kyuubi no Yoko, the nine tailed demon fox.”
Naruto’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt. He was the Kyuubi? That doesn’t make much sense. Wouldn’t he know it if he was a gigantic fox?
“What?” Naruto exclaimed. “First, you said it was sealed in me. Now you’re saying it is me?”
“Oh, you can’t fool us!” Mizuki said, smirking. “We all know you took over that body, Kyuubi!”
Now Naruto was annoyed. “Oi! I would know if I am the fox, idiot! What, you think the fox has amnesia? I think you need to visit the nice guys with the white coats.” Yeah, his old sensei had gone nuts. It explained everything, really. Poor guy.
Mizuki sputtered in outrage. “Your time is up, Kyuubi!” He spat, readying his Fuuma shuriken.
“Maa, maa, I think you got it backwards.” A new voice came from behind Mizuki. “Nighty night!”
The last thing Mizuki felt before he blacked out was excruciating pain at the back of his neck. He fell down and crumpled to the floor.
Iruka blinked. “Kakashi?” Sure enough, he saw the infamous copy ninja in the branch Mizuki had occupied moments earlier.
Naruto gulped as he entered the Hokage’s room, a guilty expression on his face.
“I’m sorry, old man! He tricked me! He said it was a special exam and I-”
Naruto was silenced when the Sandaime held out a hand. “Yes, Naruto, I saw what happened at the end. I managed to locate you with this.” He said, pointing at this crystal ball. “You were not at fault. But please think twice before in the future. You shouldn’t trust someone blindly. As a ninja, you should see through deception.” The Hokage continued.
“So... I’m not in trouble?” Naruto asked.
“No, you’re not.” The aged Sandaime smiled. “But the fact that you managed to infiltrate the tower, with that outfit” the Hokage said, gesturing at Naruto’s orange jumpsuit “is quite a feat.” He finished.
Naruto thought for a moment. “Impressive enough to make me Genin?” He asked hopefully.
The Sandaime looked at Iruka, his question clear. He didn’t interfere with academy graduations, so the chunin had the final say.
Iruka shook his head slowly. “I’m sorry Naruto, but even if your stealth is impressive, I cannot pass you with just that. You need to produce a clone, as per the requirements.” He said, a little sadly. A small part of him wondered if Naruto was ready for the ninja world, when he was tricked by Mizuki so easily. Iruka knew it wasn’t fair to blame Naruto, for Mizuki was a good actor, but he couldn’t help but feel protective over the blonde ninja.
“I learned how to do it!” Naruto said with a big grin. “It’s a bit different, but still.” Naruto crossed his fingers to form a hand seal that the Hokage instantly recognized. “Shadow Clone Jutsu!”
Three identical copies of Naruto materialized near him, grinning ear to ear. “Do I pass now?” They asked simultaneously.
Iruka was gaping.
The Hokage felt his mind reel in shock. He looked at the scroll of seals, and saw what he dreaded. While it was rolled up, the seal surrounding the scroll had vanished. It was now open.
“Naruto!” The Sandaime nearly shouted. “How did you open the Scroll of Seals?”
Iruka shakily looked at the scroll, only to find that the scroll was, indeed, open. Impossible! Only the Hokage’s blood will open it!
“Umm... I swiped some of my blood in it.” Naruto replied. “And put some chakra” He added.
His blood? The Hokage suddenly paled. Minato’s blood. The seal works for close blood relations as well. Oh dear.
“Naruto, what else did you find in there?” The Hokage asked cautiously.
But how did Naruto open the scroll? Iruka thought, still shocked. He didn’t voice his question, however. Maybe there was more at play here than he initially thought, but it wasn’t his position to ask questions.
“I learned the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.” Naruto thought for a moment and shuddered slightly. “I also saw the Impure world-”
“What?!” The Hokage shouted, dropping his pipe in shock. “Tell me you didn’t see how to use it.”
“I... did. But I won’t use it! What kind of a Jutsu needs you to-” Naruto was interrupted again by the Sandaime.
“That’s enough. Naruto, I absolutely forbid you from using that technique, or even mentioning its name, to anyone. I hope you know why. The number of people who know about it can be counted with one hand. This will be an SS ranked secret. Do not, even under threat of death, reveal that technique to anyone. Iruka, that goes for you too. You did not hear anything. Understood?”
The Naruto and the chunin nodded shakily. Neither had seen the Hokage react like this before. Naruto understood the reason, as he knew what that technique did. Iruka glanced at Naruto, worried. What kind of a technique did you learn, Naruto? For your sake, I hope you know how to keep the secret.
After a moment of silence, Naruto turned to Iruka. “So does that mean I can be Genin now?”
Iruka shook his head, an exasperated smile finding its way to his face. “You made three clones. With a B ranked technique at that. So Congratulations! You pass!”
“YATTA!” Naruto jumped, fist-pumping. “I’m gonna take that hat from you in no time, old man!”
“Naruto, be respectful!” Iruka admonished.
The Sandaime chuckled good naturedly. He opened another drawer in his desk and took out a storage scroll. Unsealing it, he took out an old headband.
“Uzumaki Naruto, from this moment, you are a Genin of Konohagakure! Congratulations!”
“Thanks old man!” Naruto smiled. “Eh... don’t you have any new ones?” He asked, inspecting the worn headband.
“Oh, I do.” The Hokage smiled warmly. “However, the previous owner of that headband would have wanted you to have it.”
Naruto frowned. Who would want to give him a gift? “Really? Whose headband is it?”
“That of my successor.” The Third smiled. “And predecessor.”
Naruto froze, his hands shaking. “You... you’re kidding, right?”
“No, Naruto. That is the very same headband I gave to Namikaze Minato, Konoha’s beloved Yondaime, when he made Genin.” The Sandaime said with a smile, enjoying the look of shock on both Naruto’s and Iruka’s face.
“But... why?” Naruto asked after a moment of silence. He couldn’t think of a single reason why he would be given this.
The Sandaime smiled sadly. He couldn’t tell him the truth. But since Mizuki had already spilled the secret, he could go with that. “Because you, Naruto, saved Konohagakure from the Kyuubi no Kitsune twelve years ago.”
The headband clattered as it fell on the wooden floor.
Naruto looked down, unsure how to feel. “So Mizuki was not lying?” He asked, his hopes dashed.
“Minato did seal the Kyuubi in you, Naruto.” The Sandaime said, sighing. He couldn’t reveal the true reason for Naruto’s burden. “Please understand. The Kyuubi no Kitsune is a force of nature. It cannot be killed. The village would not have survived the encounter if he had not sealed it. Only a living body can contain it. That too, of a newborn, whose chakra coils will be undeveloped. He did not have a choice, Naruto. If he had not made that decision, neither you, nor I would have lived to talk about it.” The Sandaime hoped Naruto would understand the true reason some day, when he could be counted on to keep it a secret. He couldn’t afford rival nations going after Naruto in retribution to the Yellow Flash’s actions.
The Sandaime continued. “The last part of what Mizuki said was not true. You are not the Kyuubi. You are the hero of Konohagakure who keeps it at bay. The Fourth wanted you to be seen as a hero, but the villagers didn’t see it that way. I’m sorry for their poor treatment, Naruto, but even I can only do so much. I passed a law preventing the younger generation from knowing about this, but that was all I could do.”
Naruto bent down slowly, and picked up the headband. “I think I understand.” He said, contemplating. “A Hokage has to do what is best for the village.” He repeated what the Sandaime had once told him. “Don’t worry, Jiji. One day, I know they’ll understand who I am.” He tied the headband around his forehead, replacing his goggles. “Uzumaki Naruto of Konohagakure, future Hokage!”
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled, knowing that his parents would be proud of their son. Iruka too, was more than a little impressed by how Naruto had taken the news.
“Now, remember what I told you, Naruto. Not a word about that technique, don’t even mumble it in your sleep.” The Hokage said seriously.
“Right.” Naruto nodded. “Too bad you can’t do it with Shadow Clone, though.” Naruto said, almost as an afterthought. “See ya later, Jiji!” He waved, and left the room. Iruka followed him after bowing to the Hokage.
The thoughts of the Third Hokage had all but frozen at Naruto’s latest remark. Do it with shadow clones? Could it be possible?
The Hokage abruptly signalled his ANBU to leave him alone until they were called back. He opened the forbidden scroll, and gazed at the technique abandoned by the Second Hokage. His thoughts wandered back to nearly fifty years ago, when his teacher shared with him the technique that could start or end a war.
“Sensei, do you actually plan to use a technique like this?” Young Hiruzen asked, horrified at the jutsu that was wrong in so many levels.
“No.” Senju Tobirama shook his head empathetically. “However, I wish I could have.”
“What do you mean?” Hiruzen asked, frowning.
“When I started researching this technique, I wanted to create a technique that would enable our shinobi to be called back from the dead if they wished to fight for Konoha.” Tobirama clarified. “I know quite a few ninja that would happily battle for Konoha even after their last breaths. I myself, and my late brother would do it without a second thought. But only after reaching the final stage of this technique, did I find the problem.”
“The living sacrifice?” Hiruzen asked. Tobirama nodded.
“Exactly. Do you know why we need a living sacrifice, Hiruzen?” Seeing his student shake his head in negative, Tobirama elaborated. “It is for chakra.”
Hiruzen frowned. “What do you mean?”
“While a genetic sample would allow me to recreate the personality and techniques of the person I summon, there is still one major obstacle. That person should have chakra to perform his techniques. A genetic sample cannot create chakra. Hence the living sacrifice.” Tobirama said gravely.
“The chakra of the person is used for the reincarnated shinobi?” Hiruzen asked.
“No. The body of the person... is converted to chakra.” Tobirama explained. “The body also serves as a medium to hold the summoning together until all of the body is converted.”
“But sensei, converting the body to chakra... that would create a lot of chakra.” Hiruzen paled at the implications.
“Yes. For all purposes, it would give an enormous amount of chakra. As the jutsu progresses, parts of the person is converted to chakra. Thus even if the reincarnated shinobi suffers from a mortal wound, the chakra would coalesce again around the wounded body to rebuild it. It would be practically impossible to defeat. However, I’m not prepared to sacrifice someone for this, even if we use captured enemies. We are not desperate to sink that low. That’s why, Hiruzen, I’m sealing this technique away in the Scroll of Sealing. If you succeed in finding a way to avoid sacrifices after my time, you may call me back to fight for Konoha.” Tobirama watched his student nod, and sealed the technique away in the scroll.
A Shadow Clone... could the answer really be so simple? The Third Hokage thought in wonder. It would serve as a medium, and it has the chakra of the user. But converting the body of the Shadow clone to energy would still yield only as much chakra as the chakra used to create the clone. The Shadow Clone is an entity made of Chakra, after all. Its robustness depends on the amount of chakra used to create it. Shadow clones are the reverse case of a living sacrifice, he realized. So converting the shadow clone directly to energy would destroy the clone. But what if I could modify the process and have the technique leech out the chakra from the shadow clone instead?
Wordlessly, the Hokage took his brush and a fresh scroll. He remembered the pattern required for the special scroll for the Impure World Reincarnation. He closed his eyes in thought. The disintegration seal and the chakra seal are combined to convert the body to chakra. But if I replace it with an absorption seal... The Sandaime made quick, careful strokes as he traced out the intricate pattern. He looked at the new pattern carefully. That should do it.
The Sandaime checked the room again, and saw that it was indeed empty. Placing some silencing seals, he shakily extended his hand and traced out a pattern in the Forbidden Scroll. A pop was heard, two vials of blood materialized.
Lord Tobirama wanted this. I am not summoning him against his will. The aged Hokage reassured himself.
The Hokage created a Shadow Clone, who placed himself in front of him. Removing the cork of the vial, the Sandaime smeared a few drops of his mentor’s blood on it. Tiger, Snake, Dog, Dragon. The Hokage clapped his hands together and muttered.
“Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation!”
A layer of mud and dust coated the Shadow Clone, and the Hokage watched on with slight trepidation as the form of the technique shifted to that of his mentor. Soon, the form of the Nidaime Hokage was complete. The Sandaime jolted as the body gave a twitch and the Second Hokage opened his eyes.
“Sensei...” The Sandaime whispered in a sorrowful tone, still shocked that it had worked.
Tobirama looked at his body and stared at his hands for a moment. He looked at the Sandaime and smiled. “Took you long enough, my student. You’ve grown old.”
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This story was originally posted by me at FFN.net. Your opinions are most welcome!
