Chapter 29
The newest member of Team Kurenai knelt in front of the Head of the Foundation as he gave him his report.
"The mission is complete, I am now officially a part of team eight," he reported.
"Good," and it had been one of Danzo's suggestions, which Hiruzen had accepted. A rarity nowadays, given that his old friend had begun to turn down much of his advice these days.
"I do believe that you know what your mission is," he asked, the glasses-wearing operative who nodded.
"I shall deliver the Hyuga girl to you, as per your order, Danzo-sama," and that was a part of the mission.
"And what of the boy? What of the rumor that I keep hearing of him using that technique?" and he had used one of Minato's jutsus, and the mere association with the Yondaime bought the boy much goodwill and fame, making him more of a menace.
"The Snake Sanin is not much appreciative of his constant interference in our affairs either. He will take care of the boy," and that would be good for the entire village, for Konoha could not let another menace like that flourish.
"And the jutsu? Did he really use one of Minato's techniques?" and he adjusted his glasses.
"While I did not witness it for myself, my own investigation leads me to believe that they are true," and that made Danzo stop, as his grip on his cane tightened.
"He did indeed use the Rasengan," and the jutsu was an S-ranked technique, one that allowed Minato to go toe-to-toe against Tailed Beasts, and now that boy had somehow mastered it.
He had known that Hikari Hyuga was a menace, but even he was not expecting this of him. If this continued, the boy could destroy all of his plans.
"He needs to be handled," Danzo thundered as he looked at Kabuto, who nodded.
"He will be, Danzo-sama," and he adjusted his glasses.
"But with the return of Jiraiya-sama, we will need to modify our plans…."
0000
HIRUZEN SARUTOBI
The applications for the chunin Exams had been received, and now the participants had already been decided. The teams from Suna, Ame, Oto, and other villages had begun to arrive, and the Exams were set to begin in a few days.
Hiruzen had been very busy during the time, both because of the sheer work from the Chunin Exams, and because of the machinations of his old unruly student who was planning something sinister for the Exams.
The Intelligence Department could not yet be sure, but the reports from Jiraiya and the ANBU all pointed towards the fact that Orochimaru was planning something.
What or When? That he did not know. But he was planning something, that much they knew.
"I took your suggestion," Hiruzen added, as he let his shoulders relax for the first time in hours as he summoned his old friend to his Office.
He had become somewhat frustrated with Danzo over some of his views, but in the end, Danzo was one of the few people who could shoulder the burden of the village with him, though he could sense that their era was coming to its end.
Age had begun to catch up with them both, and Hiruzen had made up his mind to retire after the Exams.
It was why he had summoned Jiraiya back, so that he could help his student familiarize himself with Konoha and its politics, and despite knowing of his intentions, his wayward student refused to take any interest in the Village or its workings.
Danzo was the other option, yet his old friend was too set in his ways. He would have made a fine candidate in times of war, but Konoha was not at war.
"Did you now?" Danzo asked, and Hiruzen nodded.
"Yes, putting Yakushi on Kurenai's team was good advice," and the boy was an experienced genin, who had suffered many a tragedy in his career. He had both the maturity and the experience to help the young genin from Kurenai's team get through these troubled times.
He had half a mind to reject their application until Danzo had made a suggestion, and it had made much sense for Hiruzen did not wish to crush the hopes and ambitions of young genin like that.
"It was sound advice," he added, and Danzo scoffed.
"Yet you refused my other suggestion," and that was where his uncompromising stance showed.
"Putting a clan exile in the chunin exams is not a good idea," and while years ago, he would have agreed, but he had learned to be more accommodating over the years.
"Hikari Hizashi is our best prospect in years," and he would proudly admit that his gamble on the boy had paid off.
Hiruzen had taken a massive chance with backing a boy of his circumstances, yet luck had been kind to him. The boy had lived up to his promise, and now, in less than two years, he had turned himself into one of his most reliable shinobi.
"I understand his utility, but the boy's very existence shames one of our clans. The Hyugas are not happy with your decision to back his rise," and he had not backed him much.
All of his achievements were his own. He had not taught the boy his jutsus, or chakra control. Yet he had mastered them all, including one of Minato's techniques.
It was not rare for shinobi to try and copy a technique. Many tried to do so, yet few ever succeeded, given that reinventing or replicating a technique was easier said than done.
Yet he had done just that. He had replicated Minato's famous Rasengan, using nothing but intuition and past records, and now the entire continent held its breath, as whispers of a shinobi wielding the iconic blue chakra orb of the Yellow Flash made them shudder in their sleep.
"And yet their clan head has made no official complaints," Hiruzen pointed out, as Danzo's lips thinned, for it was not actually the Hyugas who were upset but rather the elders, who had begun to lose their grip on the clan.
Hikari's rise had disproven their dogma of mainline superiority, and now many within the clan were whispering whether it was truly in the favor of the clan to stick with old traditions that excluded an entire part of the clan from proper practice and legacy.
"You know what I speak of," Danzo added, and Hiruzen sighed as he was reminded of why such meetings had become a rarity between him and Danzo.
"Let them grumble," he added a bit harshly.
"Even as we speak, Kumo and Iwa are rattled by the whispers of the reemergence of another Yellow Flash, and while one would be a fool to compare Hikari with Minato, his mere existence puts doubt and fear in our enemies' hearts," Hiruzen countered, and one could never underestimate the effects of doubt or fear.
"It also muddies the water about Naruto's identity, allowing us more leeway in his training," for now Naruto could hide behind, the looming shadow of Hikari Hizashi as Jiraiya helped him train with the bijuu chakra as Minato had intended.
"That may be true, but my point still stands. The boy is dangerous. He could unravel the very foundation of our village," and he was dangerous indeed, but over the six months, many of Hiruzen's fears had been put to rest.
It was why he had put him on a team with Shikaku's and Inoichi's children, for he relied on their pragmatism and protective nature to help keep an eye on the boy.
And the results were fairly encouraging.
"The boy poses no danger to the village," Hiruzen assured Danzo, with some finality.
"You say tha…."
"He is not," he repeated, for his ploy had worked. Putting an ANBU with that particular skill set into a genin team was not a regular decision, but he had done so with the hopes of not repeating the mistake he had made with Itachi and Kakashi.
He had hoped to deepen the boys' connection to the village, and he would happily admit that his plan had worked.
While he doubted that Hikari Hyuga would ever come to terms with the behavior of his clan, or no longer aspire for change in it. The boy now had people he cared for.
He had been spotted a dozen times sharing some rather intimate moments with Inoichi's daughter, and even Shikaku's son had found an ally in the friend in his crusade for change within their world.
Inoichi had initially been hesitant about the boy, yet the changes and transformations within Ino had made him accept the whole idea, and now the Yamnaka and Nara clans were silent allies in the struggle of Hikari against the traditions of his clan.
"And that is all I will hear of it," and despite his grumbles, Danzo knew not to push his limits.
"I will believe for now, but don't say that I did not warn you, Hiruzen," and he wouldn't.
"Speaking of danger, I believe we must move on to the real reason behind summoning you," Hiruzen began, relieved that they had moved past that discussion.
"And what is that?"
"I am putting you in charge of the security of one of the phases of the Exams…."
0000
HIKARI HYUGA
The conversation with Shikamaru still ran in his head as he contemplated on the Nara's offer, and he would be lying if the offer did not interest him. One could hardly ask for a better ally to have than a freaking Nara, and even amongst his clan, Shikamaru was one of the most promising shinobi alive.
He was also the future clan head, and what he asked in return was something that he had already wanted to do. Violence and death were prevalent in this world, and while he was not a saint who wanted to save everyone, he wanted to protect the people he cared for.
He wanted to shield Hinata, Hanabi, Neji, Shikamaru, and Ino. And a few more people. He was not delusional enough to think that he could save everyone, but he wanted to save those who mattered to him.
And as far as notoriety was concerned, he couldn't really avoid that now, could he?
CLINK!
And he moved in a blur, as his fingers caught the kunai by its round handle centimeters when it was just centimeters away from his face, and sometime ago such a feat would have been impossible for him.
And as he opened his eyes, he jumped as his body twisted in the air, as he used the kunai to parry nearly a dozen shuriken and kunai all aimed at him, before he landed on the ground with a resounding sound of clapping.
CLAP. CLAP. CLAP. CLAP.
"That was quite something," and it was the Sanin who walked out of the trees, smiling wildly at him as Hikari turned to face the man, and threw back the kunai with a simple twist of his arm.
"You used a real kunai," he retorted, and the white haired shinobi had the gall to catch it with his fingers.
HIS DAMN FINGERS!
"Now. Now, don't be so angry. I just had the inkling that you were ready," and he couldn't question that, but still it could have ended in disaster.
"And see, I was right. You are finally ready," and the man had warmed upto him, after the mission, and now, with a few days left in the exams, Hikari had learned the art of sensing.
"So, our deal is done," he asked, and Hikari nodded.
"I believe it is," and the deal between them was simple, for the Sanin was to teach him a method of sensing, and in return, Hikari was to make a spectacle using the Rasengan.
"You won't ask me why I wanted to you use the Rasengan so publically?" the Sanin questioned, those dark orbs narrowing slightly as he shook his head.
"I won'," and he saw those lips twitch.
"You aren't even a little curious," and Hikari sighed.
"I already know," and that smile widened, as the Toad Sage simply began to use the kunai to pick his teeth, as if it were a toothpick.
"I was right about you. You are a sharp one," the man whispered, and if that was a compliment, he would take it.
"Still, I do hope that you realise that this technique is not quite perfect," and indeed it was not, for Hikari did not actually sense chakra. He was basically doing something like thermal sonar sensing, as he located his enemies using their heat signature.
It had quite a few flaws, and the range was not great as well. But it was a start.
He had long rued his lack of sensing ability, and now he had some solution for his woes.
A partial solution, but a solution nonetheless.
"I know, but for the time being it will do," and at that, the man shrugged.
"Well, my work is done now. Still, good luck for the exams, kid, though I don't think you will need it," and with that, he walked away, and as Hikari was about to jump away, he was stopped.
"ANBU Sparrow," and he was surprised as the Sanin used that designation.
"Keep your eyes peeled during the exams…."
0000
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