Chapter 2

“Hokage-sama…” someone said.

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned away from the scroll he was scrawling on to find a tall, stoic figure approaching behind him. Kakashi Hatake was walking toward him, the lightning chakra zapping around him reaching a five feet radius. It formed a field of static electricity that raced across the floor and in midair wherever he stepped. Despite knowing the thirty year old man for most of his life, he would never get over the jonin’s piercing stare.

It was the perfect combination of intimidating and stoic, the one eye visible casting fear into whoever looked into it. It was to be expected from someone with lightning chakra surrounding them as it was the chakra produced from the emotions of suppressed emotions. While this might not seem like much, it marked a very dangerous person as someone to have such poorly managed emotions.

All the anger, fear and sorrow of a lifetime was buried deep down by someone who had no way of dealing with it in a healthy way. So instead they hid it not only from everyone else but themselves, so deep it couldn’t even resonate as another chakra color. Despite outranking the ninja, Hiruzen never felt safe when Kakashi was around.

“What is it, Kakashi?” Hiruzen asked. “Is it Naruto again?”

“Yes,” he said. “The attention seeking brat doesn’t seem to know when to stop. But this time…he’s taken it a bit too far.”

“What do you mean?” the Hokage asked.

Naruto looked squarely at the masterpiece he had made. His waist was tied with a thread of chakra he had moulded prior to starting his carving. The rope of light gray holding him in midair was held in place above by the sharp stake it ended in boring in the rock above. Naruto had worked at this during the morning before class could start. He was so excited to prove himself in today’s chunin exam that he literally could not wait to show them all he wasn’t a failure.

He looked down at the many villagers who had gathered at the platform below to observe his work. At first they were merely shouting at him to stop, threats for punishment aplenty. But then they started to be really curious about what Naruto was doing and once he was done the threats started dying down. However, some still continued to attack him.

“You will pay for this, Bastard of the Hidden Leaf!” came from below.

“Look at all that…,” someone else said.

“Disrespecting the testament of the Hokages like that is taboo!” a woman shouted.

Naruto then swiveled around in his suspension and smiled down.

“Shut up you idiots!” he cried. “None of you could do something this awesome! But I can! I’m incredible!”

“Naruto, get down from there this instant!” a familiar voice came.

His spirits perked up at the sight of the Hokage approaching. Hiruzen Sarutobi was often too busy in his office or on missions to observe Naruto’s growth as a ninja. But now that he had a front row view of his latest accomplishment, the fifteen year old began grinning even wider in pleasure. The elderly man looked up at him to give a stoic, somewhat disapproving gaze.

“You think I’m cool now, old man?” Naruto asked.

Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto caught the flash of something that looked like it was covered in lightning chakra. He felt himself fall almost as soon as someone covered in the immense amount of chakra raced beneath him. Naruto looked up to see the thread holding him up was cut in two for him to plummet.

He panicked for a moment before landing in the arms of a ninja standing on the surface of the rock surface below, the harsh gaze mere inches from the genin. His strong arms were like a vice to Naruto’s body, feeling almost like being caught in a vice. His eyepatch was legendary, as taking it off usually meant death to all who saw his normally hidden eye.

“You couldn’t have waited until I was off duty to practice your shenanigans?” Kakashi asked dully. “Huh, Uzumaki-brat?”

His skill is on another level. Kakashi thought as he looked up. He’s come a long way since being the lowest ranked academy student when he was seven or eight. Such a long way I never thought it’d be possible for him to reach. And as a fifteen year old genin no less.

“Let me go!” Naruto shouted as he struggled against his restraints. “When I get out of here I’ll-”

“Be quiet,” he snapped. “Or I might not be so kind in how I’ve held you down. When I agreed to become an academy teacher for genin, I didn’t think my time would be wasted playing babysitter for impulsive children. I agreed to raise warriors.”

He turned to see the genin was wrapped in chords of lightning chakra that had been thoroughly solidified into fetters of bluish white. Three chords might not be enough to hold most as securely as they did Naruto but there was no need to fear. He had no need to fear the genin escaping for two reasons.

One was that Naruto’s normal emotional state was one of high energy, joy and high, lofty ideals. Someone like Naruto was always full of life and ambitious since he wanted to become Hokage so badly. This produced wind based chakra enhanced physical strength among the least of the 7 normal chakra natures, only behind water chakra born from sorrow and insecurity.

The second Naruto’s chakra field was amongst the least amount ever seen. Only about half a foot radius light gray wind chakra swirling around him when most ninja never had any less than a foot of chakra protecting them. Chakra fields were easily measured on a scale of 1 to 5 feet since the vast majority of recorded ninja produced a radius of chakra between 1 to 5 feet around them by the onset of puberty.

While the type of chakra used for ninjutsu was determined by emotions, the amount was determined by genetics, unless you were a jinchuriki like Naruto. And the majority of ninja by the time period never had any less than a one foot radius of chakra they could produce while usually no more than five. Naruto was an anomaly in that factor, his chakra output was so infantile in volume. He wasn’t even holding back the full amount because maintaining a chakra field for hours upon hours was tiring. He was really that weak.

The nine-tails held inside of himself is leeching off his chakra. Kakashi thought. Before a jinchuriki learns to control the tailed beast inside them they normally have abysmally low chakra outputs due to the demon held inside them disrupting their chakra flow. Which is why I’m so impressed with his carving he made of himself.

The face of Naruto Uzumaki hewn into the rock was masterfully crafted. It looked exactly like the professionally crafted faces of the other Hokage near it. The face Naruto had cut into the rock that bore his resemblance as if he had really been Hokage. It looked as professionally well made as the others.

Except for maybe the hair spikes. Kakashi thought. Not quite as natural looking as the fourth Hokage’s is. What genetics and emotion does not determine is one’s level of chakra control which is only available through hard work. Rigorous and uncounted hours of practice is the only way one masters that…to think you’ve come so far as a genin.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The image of the Hokage hewn into place by professional ninja who specialized in artistry. This was to carry the legacy that each leader of the village left behind for the next generation to observe. Defiling it was a crime almost as severe as murder it was treated with such reverence.

And to think he did it in under an hour. Kakashi thought. Most ninja twice his age wouldn’t do half as good a job. His chakra control…it’s infinitely better than his chakra output. He could only do this by honing the inherent quality of wind based chakra.

Each chakra nature had its own distinct qualities that separated it from the other. Physical strength enhancement, physical durability enhancement, speed enhancement, malleability, nutrition rate and nature effect were these categories that each nature held. All but the last, nature effect, was measured from 1 to 5. And the nature effect of wind chakra was to cut while the nature effect of something like fire chakra was to burn.

Naruto had refined this usage of wind chakra so well he was able to make clean, precise slices into the side of Hokage Rock to make a carving of his own face. It truly was magnificent, his level of chakra control, possibly of a jonin’s caliber. Only a ninja who had advanced, dedicated training to such an art could make such an accomplishment. Naruto’s nearly ten years of hard work had paid off as he was far above genin level, very possibly beyond chunin.

When you first entered ninja academy you were the lowest ranking student. Kakashi thought. Iruka had given up on you, thinking you were unteachable you had so little chakra. And now you put to shame many ninja of my rank with your aesthetic masterpiece. Very good, Naruto. You will make a fine soldier for the Hidden Leaf as only a master of wind based chakra could accomplish such a thing. You put to shame many of my rank with your work.

With a swift motion of his arm Kakashi let loose a bolt of lightning from his chakra field. The bluish-white chakra struck Naruto’s carving faster than could be reacted to. The maker of the rock carving screamed in surprise as the blast of lightning chakra obliterated the image of the Uzumaki boy, looking almost like someone had bored a hot iron prod into it. This was aided by lightning based chakra’s nature effect being its piercing effect it had on objects once deployed.

“NO!” Naruto screamed.

A smoking crater of blackened rock was all that was left before Kakashi returned the wave of chakra back to his field, not wanting to waste it. Retracting chakra loose from around one’s body was one of the most basic techniques a ninja was taught. It was essential for not wasting one’s chakra and the reason Naruto did not lose much chakra from his field as he had long since learned to do so reflexively.

“What-?!” he cried, tears flowing down his face. “What did you do that for?! That was–that was meant to show everyone in the village I wasn’t a failure!”

Kakashi then turned to look at his pupil, his chakra turning blue from disappointment. He had seen that face before during the times Naruto had failed an assignment in class. As a teacher to the genin of the village he knew when a student was at their limit.

“If-if they saw it…” he said, trying not to sob. “They might not…might not think I’m worthless. It was the only way I could gain friends!”

He glared at the teenager. He marched over and grabbed Naruto by his bright blond hair, tightening his grip on the young man to elicit a grunt of pain. With a five foot radius of chakra surrounding him he could easily tear Naruto’s head off right now, as wind based chakra did not enhance one’s durability as much as the other chakra natures.

“You are so clueless,” he said. “Naruto.”

He said it with visceral disgust in his tone, trying to further break the boy’s already crushed spirit.

“Do you really think this is what it will take to gain the village’s respect, Uzumaki?” he asked.

He continued gritting his teeth in pain, obviously not wanting to shout in agony as Kakashi twisted harder.

“You think childish acts like this that will get you jail time will make them respect you?” he asked. “Love you?”

He threw him against the floor of the platform they stood on, the boy skidding across the surface with a dull grunt. Just as Naruto tried to get to his knees, Kakashi swiftly kicked him in the stomach to get another grunt of pain. Just as he was reeling from that blow he stomped down on the boy’s face to get a true shout of pain. That was what he wanted.

“They don’t care about that,” Kakashi said. “They don’t care about you. They see you as a monster, Naruto. As a threat to their safety.”

“Wha-what?” he asked before Kakashi kicked him in the mouth. “Gah!”

“They fear the day you will take your revenge on them,” he said. “The day you will destroy all that they love. The day you will lose control of what has been held inside you for so long.”

Naruto looked up with realization, his eyes wide with understanding.

“Y-You mean-” he said.

“What?” Kakashi accused sharply. “You thought no one else knew of the monster hidden inside you? You thought you were the only one aware of that beast hidden inside you? The village children might have accused you of being a failure in your early days but the adults feared you would kill those very children?”

While Naruto was in thorough physical pain and emotional pain, Kakashi bent down to whisper into the young man’s ears.

“Why do you think you were avoided even after becoming such an accomplished genin?” Kakashi said. “The highest ranking of your class? Because they don’t trust you. They won’t trust you…until you prove to be an asset to the village.”

His face showed thorough pain, his world shattered by his sensei’s words.

“Until you protect them,” he said. “Show them you are a shield to them rather than a knife that will stab them in the back…they will hate and fear you with all their being. They will tell their children to stay away, they will ostracize you and wish to kill you. Until…of course…you prove to be a ninja that will bring honor and wealth to their village. Who will defeat their enemies and win us many battles.”

He then stood up.

“Me,” Kakashi said. “I don’t care what happens to you. Only that you be a good soldier under my command, a warrior for my nation. I care nothing for your reputation or your well-being…because too many men and women better than you have lived and died so you could play in the streets like the naive children you are. Now, I offer you a choice. Become worthless to my village and regain your reputation…or be cast out in darkness forever.”

“I couldn’t do it,” Naruto said.

He saw the young woman fall to the ground, dead in an instant while blood rushed from her slashed throat. Kakashi held the kunai in front of him while Naruto sat from behind. He was glad he couldn’t see her face as it was covered with paper tied by rope, a common practice for prisoners. Her arms and legs were bound behind her. Kakashi glared as he turned around to look at Naruto standing solemnly behind him.

They were in a grassy field just outside the village. This was the first portion of the chunin exams. To see if they were able to kill another human being. It wasn’t just a part of the chunin exams either. Being forced to kill a prisoner was something Naruto had to do at the end of each year as a genin. This was meant to desensitize them to killing so it would be easier on the battlefield.

Each and every time, Naruto couldn’t. He wasn’t able to do so, meaning Kakashi had to instead. He didn’t have the stomach for it. Every other portion of his ninja qualities he excelled or was competent at. Killing…not so much.

“She was an enemy of the Leaf, Naruto,” Kakashi said. “A traitor. She was leaking intel to our enemy for money. Nothing more. Do you think a parasite like that should live?”

“N-N-No,” he said, tears stinging his eyes. “I-I-I…I just…”

“Naruto,” he said. “I want you to remember something. Anyone who does not comply with orders…”

He pointed his reddened kunai down at the dead prisoner.

“...including eliminate threats to our village’s safety,” Kakashi said. “Is a threat as well. A threat as a parasite.”

“B-B-But-!” Naruto said. “I-I’m not-!”

“You are,” he said. “If you are raised by our village and do not defend it. Then there was no point in the Leaf Village helping bring you into this world. Do you understand?”

“Y-Y-Yes,” Naruto said.

“Good,” Kakashi said. “Because on the battlefield where I won’t be behind you every five seconds you will have to kill. Both for your life, your comrade’s life and your village’s.”

His glare took on an odd quality.

“But knowing you…” he said. “You will learn that the hard way.”