Chapter 24

"That's enough for today, Sasuke-san. Don't want you slipping into chakra exhaustion." Naruto said. The Uchiha had done well with finding different ways to perform his jutsu but he could only get so far until he's done the manipulation exercises. Still, there was progress and Naruto had performed his assign duties. Honest day's work for honest day's pay.

"You have much experience with chakra exhaustion?"

"I've never experienced it."

"I think I hate you a little." Sasuke admitted. Near endless chakra would be a dream come true.

"Yea, it's sunshine and roses. You'd cry if you had to invest as much time into chakra control as I have and still do."

"I don't cry."

"Big, sloppy, bitchboy tears. Everyday."

"I don't know, I think he'd do the single tear to be extra dramatic and 'deep'," Kakashi supplied as he walked toward the pair. Sasuke scowled but there was no real heat to it.

"I think I should cry that a Chunin is better at instructing me than my Jounin Sensei."

"Just because Naruto works for cheap doesn't mean I don't understand my own value, Sasuke-chan."

"I think he just insulted us both." Naruto said with sweatdrop.

"I did!"

"I must have done something wrong in a past life to deserve you, Kakashi." If only Sasuke knew.

"Mah, mah. I'm one of the strongest Jounin in the village. You're lucky to have me. Who else would pay a prodigy to teach you in his area of expertise."

"I'm not a prodigy, 'ttebayo." Naruto responded only to see two faces giving him the 'Really?' face. "What? I'm not. And the last person to call me that got his ass kicked, so beware."

"Anyway, it appears you're done for the day so you are dismissed Sasuke. Naruto you can pick up your pay at the Mission Office anytime but if you're free I'll give you that spar you asked for."

"My schedule is open." Naruto answered, not hiding his excitement. A chance to test himself against an acclaimed Jounin and his dad's student was quite the opportunity. It'd also be a good test.

"Can I stay and watch?"

"Sure but no Sharingan. Lifting jutsu off me is one thing but Naruto's fall under Clan techniques." Sasuke nodded not even bothered by the stipulation, spending a few hours with the redhead he saw how much thought went into common jutsu. He wouldn't steal his work, it just wouldn't sit right.

Each combatant got into their stance and Sasuke noticed Kakashi actually put his book away, a signal he'd be taking Naruto somewhat seriously. Both looked relaxed, content to wait for some unseen signal. Whatever it was, Naruto blurred toward Kakashi, having aimed low with a sweep kick to Kakashi's left. The Copy Ninja simply lifted his leg. Naruto completed his rotation and quickly sprung up to hit Kakashi in the stomach. Kakashi slapped the strike away while backing up, not allowing Naruto to negate his superior reach.

While still on his back foot, Kakashi sent out a swift jab. Naruto narrowly dodged it and grabbed the offending arm. Kakashi had no interest in whatever the Uzumaki was planning and pushed him back with a front kick. Naruto sent several shuriken toward him in response, halting Kakashi's plan to press his advantage.

Naruto dashed forward again. This time he sent a high kick towards Kakashi's right side but it was easily blocked. A second kick from the same foot followed the block and Kakashi guarded against the kick strike. Naruto tried for a third attempt, having never planted his foot after the first kick but this time he pulled the leg back slight to perform a standing side kick. The maneuver caught Kakashi off guard enough to clip him on his hip. But he was a veteran for a reason.

Kakashi rolled with the strike and sent a left cross toward Naruto. The speed and distance was such that Naruto had no time to dodge and instead he took the strike. Kakashi watch as his head snapped back and the redhead fell on the ground, out cold. Knowing this wasn't right the Jounin flared his chakra, performing a ram hand seal and saying "Kai." to see he'd hit a log and Naruto was in the air coming out of a summersault. Taking a page from the Uzumaki's book he performed a quick substitution and Naruto's feet met a log.

Kakashi looked down at the rookie Chunin from atop a tree branch, smiling. He reasoned Naruto placed a very subtle genjutsu on him when he grabbed Kakashi's arm. Kakashi sent a brace of shuriken, knowing they weren't going to hit; he simply needed to distract Naruto from tracking his shunshin. The redhead didn't dodge, instead he created a two meter wall to intercept the projectiles. Kakashi was undeterred appearing behind Naruto. The Uzumaki was just fast enough to get up his guard to absorb the snap kick of Kakashi, sending Naruto into his mud wall but instead of the thud he, and Sasuke, were expecting Naruto merged with the wall, coming out the other side.

Naruto formed the ram seal and caused the wall to drop then resumed his attack on Kakashi. He jumped and kicked Kakashi, who lifted his right arm to block. Naruto brought up his other foot but Kakashi ducked the follow up, raising when the leg passed his head and kicking Naruto away. Naruto rolled into a skid but had to hastily defend Kakashi's offensive, ducking and dodging when he could. Having had enough, Naruto formed a [Rasengan] which surprised Kakashi just enough for Naruto to kick him away. The power behind the blow impressed the cyclopic Jounin.

"And here I thought I was going to have to warn you about using that against a comrade. To have the chakra to waste on using the Rasengan as a feint, it must be nice."

"It has its advantages. For instance," Naruto didn't finish, instead speedily performed a series of hand seals and thought [Wind Style: Gale Bullets]. The technique, similar to wind bullets in that compressed air is formed into a shell. However, the shell isn't as stable and this jutsu doesn't have the piercing power. In exchange, when the constructs meet resistance they unleash the stored wind chakra and a high amount of concussive force.

Kakashi simply assumed it was the Wind Bullet and dodged them, only to be jettisoned toward the water by the gale force winds. He wasted no time performing the [Water Style: Water Dragon jutsu] once he landed, causing Naruto to put up another mud wall. From behind the mud wall emerged three Naruto clones, each moving at top speed to attack Kakashi. The Jounin the charge, fending off the clones but paying attention to the real Naruto's location. He watched his Sensei's son join them on the water but kept his distance, instead forming a long chain of of hand seals, twenty two by his estimate. Kakashi had no intention of waiting to see what was about to happen and quickly dispelled the clones with retrieved kunai and rushed toward the original.

He almost made it but Naruto finished the seal chain in time and Kakashi's charge was halted by a tentacle grabbing his left ankle. It was soon joined by three more, each grabbing a limb and before Kakashi knew it he was pulled under the water. That was Naruto's strongest suiton jutsu, [Water Style: Release the Kraken Jutsu]. Once Naruto learned that some Kiri Shinobi were able to form semi-autonomous water constructs and the Nidaime was able to form an exploding water dragon he dedicated a far amount of clones to accomplishing the task. While he couldn't do it out of a body of water, he found forming something in water was a manageable task. It still took him four months to get a even quasi workable version down but he's improved a lot since then. He was only ten at the time.

Kakashi was both impressed and amused at the large, mythical, yellowed eyed squid that was dragging him toward the bottom of the lake. It was really quite fearsome and was putting on the squeeze as it attempted to for Kakashi to take in water. Naruto was giving him a decent workout but if he let this drag on too much longer the Uzumaki might get the wrong message. Kakashi channeled a fair bit of raiton chakra through his body, destabilizing the jutsu and propelled himself back to the surface. Naruto saw the Jounin returned and noticed his eye was uncovered.

"Really, using the Sharingan against a Chunin?" Naruto asked and Kakashi just shrugged, completely shameless in his overreaction. Naruto braced himself, knowing things were about to get a lot more difficult.

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"This is so embarrassing." Naruto grumbled from the back of Kakashi. He'd been correct, things did become more difficult in that almost everything he tried was neutralized or countered and he got his ass handed to him. Admittedly, not that surprising as Orochimaru does it constantly as well but at least she leaves him his dignity. And he was too tired to even fight him on it.

"I couldn't just leave you in the field."

"I might have preferred it. Besides, didn't you go a little hard on me?"

"You could handle it. Clearly, I didn't push you hard enough if you didn't use any fuin or kenjutsu. Besides you needed to learn that the little brother can't beat the big brother. Law of nature."

"Well, thanks for that Nii-sama." Naruto said with an eyeroll.

"Listen, Naruto-"

"I know the Old Man ordered you to stay away from me. Jiraiya said as much. I don't blame you or anything."

"I appreciate that but I should have done more."

"No sense dwelling on it now, besides I'm still here though if you're just going to beat me down and force piggyback rides on me I might have to defect, 'ttebayo."

"Well, it's lucky for me I'm quite the gifted tracker." Kakashi said before knocking on the door. They didn't have to wait long for the exact last person Naruto wanted to see him like this.

"Kukuku, long day?" Naruto had never felt so lame.

"We had a spar and I pushed him a little hard is all. He might need some help."

"No, I don't, just put me down." He'd crawl, roll or do the freaking worm but he was not letting Orochimaru carry him. Unfortunately, his body couldn't obey his command to protest vehemently and he found himself in the Sannin's grasp. He had a new appreciation for how sacks of potatoes felt.

"I thank you, Kakashi."

"No problem. Naruto, I'll be in touch." Kakashi couldn't hear his response but it sounded a lot like ducking traitor. He departed and left Naruto with his humiliation, as a good older brother should.

Orochimaru walked through the door, ignoring Naruto's assurances that he could walk. If he could move he'd have done so but Kakashi had managed to push him near physical exhaustion. Impressive given his stamina but Kakashi's years of experience would aid in negating that advantage. As she made her way to Naruto's temporary room, he finally said something that made her pay attention.

"Are you alright, Shishou?"

"I'm fine, why do you ask?"

"Something seemed to be bothering you this morning but I didn't want to pry." That surprised her as he hadn't let on he suspected anything. Seeing no reason to lie she responded.

"I removed Anko's cursed seal last night and stay with her. It was at the behest of Koharu, an attempt to make amends. I don't know what will come of it."

"Oh, maybe it'll work out and you two can reconcile."

"I can appreciate your optimism but I doubt it. Could you forgive Sensei?"

"I don't know. When I think about all he's done, I can understand a lot of it but what hurt the most was his refusal to trust me. If he'd explained everything we could have worked something out but he chose not to and when things started changing between us, when the things that should have earned his acknowledgement were essentially ignored I had no way to understand it. I wondered if it was my fault or if he never really cared and that's when I started to hate him. The hiding my lineage, the taking from my inheritance were betrayals but it only added to what I was already feeling."

"Could he make it up to you?"

"I can't say. If he'd admitted to everything before he was forced to, if he didn't do things to still try to save face like telling the ninja forces the removal of the Uzumaki swirl was because the clan was becoming official within the village then maybe. But he still values his own power and reputation too much. I believe he's sorry but it wasn't enough to make him change and now that he's been forced to anything he does after that is tainted. On the other hand, I know what's like for people to hold something against me with no way to make it up, even if I didn't know what I had done so I wouldn't rule out ever forgiving him in the future but I'm not there yet."

"Interesting. I wouldn't hold out much hope for Anko then, I don't think she's as forgiving as you and I did something similar."

"Maybe, maybe not but sometimes it only takes a really small gesture." Naruto said and was grateful Orochimaru didn't try anything weird like tucking him in, though she did seem lost in her thoughts. He did mean what he said, as angry as he was with the old man, those early years of his; the craving for absolution, he knows how heavy that weight can be. It took Bagheera a long time to convince him he truly didn't deserve it but counseled his summoner to always remember the feeling. Holding people responsible is one thing but holding grudges is something else and those lines can blur in an instant.

Orochimaru had thought about Naruto's words. She very rarely cared about who she'd wronged in her life but Anko was an exception, especially when she realized how she was mimicking her own Sensei. The curse seal was supposed to help her, make her stronger while taking away her memories so she couldn't be held responsible for anything she was ordered to do. That didn't pan out but maybe there was something she could do for her former student once the Ame Invasion was over and the Akatsuki were gone. One small gesture? What could it hurt?