Of Opinions and Games 2

"Gai-sensei! If I cannot do 300 push-ups, I will do 600 sit-ups! I will be ready when the youthful Haruki-san arrives!"

"That's the spirit, Lee! Do your best!"

"Before anyone does their best, can we do introductions first?"

The light voice behind them made them both spin around, and Gai took a moment to wonder just how the red-haired Jonin managed to hide his chakra signal so completely.

"Haruki-san!" Lee had already jumped forward, bowing from the waist in greeting. "Gai-sensei has told us of your youthfulness! I, Rock Lee, the valiant green beast of Konoha, am honoured to make your acquaintance!"

Gai beamed proudly at his student's youthful greeting and cocked his head to observe Haruki. Most people seemed to find Lee's exuberance unnerving but if he was right...

Haruki chuckled and sketched a quick bow himself. "It's an honour to meet you too, Lee-kun."

The boy beamed and Gai chuckled. He absently wondered if Haruki could be unnerved by anything. Stepping up beside his student and flashing a grin at the redhead, the Jonin did a quick scan of the other's face. Well, Haruki certainly looked better than he had yesterday. There were still bags under his eyes, but they were less pronounced and the man no longer looked like death had warmed over.

"You are quite early, Haruki-san!" Gai said aloud. "Lee has just finished his first set of warm-ups!"

"Ah," The redhead reached up to rub the back of his head. "I couldn't sleep and you did say I could come anytime between five and six. It's around five-ten right now, I think."

Gai shook his head, hiding the brief concern that surfaced inside him. Haruki certainly looked like he could do with some sleep. "We don't mind! Now that you're here, we might as well start!"

Turning to his student, Gai clapped a hand onto Lee's shoulder and smiled at him. "Lee, stretch for a taijutsu spar."

Lee straightened to attention. "Hai, Gai-sensei!"

As he jogged off, Gai turned back to the waiting redhead. "Can you spar with Lee? I'm not quite sure what you specialize in. If not, I can spar with him so you can assess him."

Haruki only offered a slight smile as he shrugged off his coat and hung it on a nearby tree branch before tying up his hair. "I specialize in ninjutsu and taijutsu, among other things. Just don't get me to teach anyone genjutsu. I'm terrible at those."

Gai chuckled. "You'll do fine then. Lee is training to become a master in taijutsu alone."

Haruki nodded silently, eyes already taking in the smooth, sharp movements of Lee's katas. Already, he could see the powerful shinobi Lee would eventually become. He still had a long way to go, but the beginnings of his full potential could already be seen.

A few minutes later, Haruki was standing opposite of Lee, with Gai stationed several feet away, glancing between the two before raising his hand. "Taijutsu only; no weapons! Winner is called when one of you yields. Begin!"

Unlike Sasuke or Naruto, Lee stayed in one spot, body falling into his starting stance as he eyed Haruki carefully. The redhead nodded inwardly. A taijutsu specialist couldn't afford to charge right in when they knew their opponent was stronger than they were. It was better for the opponent to start.

So, Haruki decided to start, pinpointing the holes he could already see in Lee's defence before dashing forward, letting his momentum help him spin on one heel and bringing up his other leg to lash out at the Genin's open side with vicious accuracy. Haruki had only dropped his speed enough to allow Lee to defend against him only when the boy was fully concentrating.

Lee did not disappoint, his right arm dropping to block his leg and, instead of digging his heels in to hold his position against Haruki's obviously stronger kick, let the blow propel him away from Haruki's striking distance.

The redhead allowed a satisfied smile flicker briefly across his face before following Lee, readying his next strikes as the boy stood his ground against him.

Several feet away, Gai observed the blows being traded with great satisfaction and no little consternation. Lee was holding up well against Haruki, who had already gauged the boy's level and adjusted his own skill accordingly. But it was Haruki's style that troubled him. He wasn't both Lee and Neji's sensei for nothing; he could see their two styles mixed into the redhead's taijutsu. The Gentle Fist style could be explained away as Haruki having a friend in the Hyuuga Clan, but Lee's style was completely his, and some of the moves the redhead was pulling off, though watered down and probably unseen by those who didn't know what they were looking for, were moves that he hadn't even taught Lee yet. Who was this man?

"I thought we might find something interesting if we arrived early."

Gai blinked and glanced behind him. He had sensed Neji approaching earlier with his father and he now smiled at both of them, gaze taking in Hyuuga Hizashi.

"Hizashi-sama, it is wonderful to see you again. You have been missed." His gaze slid down to Neji, who, for the first time since Gai had laid eyes on him, looked completely at peace with himself. The boy was standing as close to his father as he could without seeming clingy and there was a lightness about him that made Gai breathe an inward sigh of relief.

"It is good to be back, Gai." Hizashi placed a gentle hand on Neji's shoulder and the boy only stiffened for a second before relaxing again and glancing up at his father with a small smile tilting his lips. Gai could honestly say that it was the first smile he had ever seen Neji wear.

"Well, Haruki-san arrived earlier than expected so I paired him against Lee. It's a... an interesting match."

Gai kept a subtle eye on Hizashi and Neji as he turned back to the spar, noting the recognition that dawned first on Hizashi's face, and then his own student's.

"Otou-san," Neji spoke up as his Byakugan activated. "Haruki-san knows the Gentle Fist Style."

Hizashi remained neutral on the outside, studying the redhead carefully. He thought something like this might happen, which was partly why he had suggested coming early. His son would no doubt have questions.

"Perhaps he has seen Hyuugas in battle," Hizashi replied out loud. "It seems he has incorporated pieces of the Hyyuga style into others."

Neji nodded, mostly focused on the spar, but Gai caught the slight flicker in Hizashi's eyes and the vague way he had worded his answer. It seemed Hizashi knew more than he was letting on, but Gai couldn't sense any concern from the Clan Head's brother so he pushed any remaining worries he had out of his mind. If such a high member of the Hyuuga Clan wasn't worried that someone outside the Clan knew their fighting style, it was hardly Gai's place to make waves.

But that still didn't account for the youthful style he could see in Haruki's taijutsu. Even in bits and pieces, slipped in when one least expected it, Gai could see that the other Jounin knew his style, and knew it well.

"Gai-sensei," Neji interrupted his thoughts. "Isn't that your style mixed in as well?"

Gai mentally winced at Neji's acute observations. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hizashi stiffen and look over at him. The man's expression was as unreadable as ever but Gai sensed that what he said next would be very important, in what way or to whom, he didn't know, but he was beginning to sense that there was something bigger in the process of being carried out right now.

"It seems Haruki-san is able to pick up different taijutsu styles quite quickly," Gai finally settled on a compromise. He hadn't lied. He could see at least half a dozen styles in Haruki's taijutsu and even if the redhead had years to practice, it would take a high level of skill to incorporate it altogether as flawlessly as Haruki had done. His answer was as vague as Hizashi's had been, but he liked Haruki, the man had never shown any discomfort towards him or Lee, and there was something about this whole situation that set off warning bells in his head and told him it would be best to get the full story before saying anything concrete to anyone.

Beside him, Hizashi's shoulders relaxed again and Gai knew he had said the right thing. For now, he would simply keep an eye on the red-haired Jounin. It didn't hurt that he was a great sparring partner as well. Haruki was pushing Lee to his very limits.

In the training grounds, Lee was astonished at the speed at which Haruki was delivering his strikes. Gai-sensei was still the epitome of cool, but Haruki (here he had to completely stop thinking as he dodged and defended against a sudden flurry of punches and kicks as if the redhead knew he wasn't completely concentrating) was somehow testing every single aspect of his training, forcing him to block properly and strike at just the right places or his attacks would be met with an iron wall of defence instead of just a simple block.

And slowly, as Lee got used to the speed (because this Jounin was teaching him to settle into a faster-paced fight instead of slowing down for him, pushing him to stop thinking and simply go with his instincts), he realized that Haruki wasn't just sparring with him, he was fixing the spots Lee knew he was still prone to leaving open. Striking anywhere other than the center of the sternum and then the abdomen when executing a Konoha Senpuu got him tossed back by a swift uppercut. And the simple rear spinning low kick when he tried the Konoha Reppuu only got himself knocked off-balance by the redhead if his leg was so much as an inch off from the best position.

This form of teaching forced Lee to learn on the spot, to fix his mistakes after the first time around or risk getting dumped to the ground again. It was hard and it forced him to concentrate solely on perfecting his entire fighting style, stance, alignment, offense and defence strength, and timing, instead of just parts of it as he usually did when he sparred against Neji or Tenten.

It was hard and Lee couldn't remember the last time he had had so much fun sparring against someone else. Haruki wasn't trying to defeat him; he was trying to teach him.

Finally, as Lee lashed out with a roundabout high-kick, Haruki simply ducked around him, one hand catching his wrist (Lee ruefully noted that his arm should've been tucked more closely to his side) and the other clapped onto his left shoulder, bringing him to the ground and expertly pinning his left arm behind him.

For a long moment, all Lee could hear was his thundering heartbeat as he gasped for breath. The spar had finally come to a stop and only now did he realize how fast he had been moving as his muscles felt like liquid fire as struggled to stay upright.

A light chuckle came from behind him and Lee found himself released and gently pushed into a sitting position. A bottle of water was suddenly produced and Lee took it with a grateful smile. He was too tired to say anything out loud.

Clapping reached his ears next and Lee turned to see Gai-sensei approaching them, Neji and another Hyuuga behind him. Lee blinked in surprise. He hadn't even sensed them in the clearing!

"Great job, Lee." Gai-sensei dropped into a crouch in front of him clapped him firmly on the shoulder. "I have never seen you move so fast or attack so accurately."

Lee managed a grin as he rubbed an arm across his forehead. He looked up to see Haruki standing a few feet away, quiet as his gaze met Lee's. The Jounin hadn't even broken a sweat!

Lee forced himself back to his feet, wobbling a little but finding his balance before Gai-sensei could offer him a hand. He stood in front of Haruki and bowed deeply. "Thank you very much for the spar, Haruki-san!"

When he straightened again, he made sure to stand tall despite his nearly-shaking legs. Haruki observed him for a moment before nodding once and asking, "Did you learn anything?"

Lee nodded immediately, breaking out into a determined grin. "Yes I did! Your training method is amazingly youthful! I promise I will fix everything you pointed out today before our next sparring match! If I cannot do so, I will run 100 laps around Konoha before practicing everything again!"

Haruki smiled faintly at him and nodded again. "Good then. You're welcome."

Lee beamed at the redhead before spinning around to face his sensei, only to lose his balance and tip backwards as his legs protested against the movement. Instead of meeting the ground though, Lee collided with a softer material and he glanced back to find Haruki standing behind him. He directed a sheepish look up at the Jounin but Haruki only shrugged and steadied him again.

"Lee, was this spar helpful?"

Lee turned back to his sensei, grinning excitedly at him. Gai-sensei was so cool! To invite someone like Haruki to practice with them was a stroke of genius! "Hai, Gai-sensei! Haruki-san improved my accuracy and speed and timing and..."

He trailed off as he realized the list was a bit long but Gai just laughed and nodded. "Good. Starting tomorrow, you will go over what Haruki-san taught you today. For now, cool down and do your katas after you get your breath back."

Lee nodded and then turned to Neji and the man standing beside him. Wait, wasn't that his uncle?

Seeing his teammate's questioning look, Neji took a step forward and motioned to his father. "Father, this is Rock Lee, one of my teammates. Lee, this is my father, Hyuuga Hizashi."

To his credit, Lee only looked mildly surprised before his face split into a wide grin again as he carefully moved forward (Neji couldn't believe that Lee, with his stamina, could be so completely exhausted after one spar with the Jounin that even his father praised. As soon as he finished the introductions, he would ask for a spar of his own.) and greeted his father. Youthfully.

"It is very nice to meet you, Hizashi-san! I am youthfully surprised by your unexpected presence today!" Neji had to stop himself from face-palming. Why did his team have to be so damn weird?

Luckily, his father didn't seem too perturbed and only inclined his head in greeting. "It is nice to meet you too, Lee-kun."

With the introductions over for now, all attention now turned back to Haruki, who had been standing off to the side, patiently silent as he observed their interactions. Hizashi hadn't missed the way that the Jonin had seemed unable to tear his eyes away from his son, regret and sorrow mingling in darkened cerulean. If he had any doubts about Haruki's origins before, they were all gone now. It seemed that his son and Uzumaki Naruto had been good friends in the redhead's timeline. He didn't want to know how his son had died to put that expression on Haruki's face though.

"Good morning, Haruki-san," Hizashi greeted instead, and watched as the redhead stirred, his usual impassivity surfacing again as Haruki looked at him.

"Good morning, Hizashi-san. This is your son then?"

Hizashi had to hide a wince when the redhead tried to smile at Neji but the action came out pained and even his son looked startled. "Yes, this is Neji. Neji, I believe you have training now?"

Neji nodded briskly and stepped forward in the redhead's direction. He wasn't quite sure what to make of the odd expression Haruki had when the man looked at him but bowed respectfully anyway. "Good morning, Haruki-san. I would like to ask for a spar as well. Your match with Lee was very interesting."

Haruki nodded once. "Warm up first. We can spar afterwards."

Neji nodded and quickly moved away to begin his katas. If his spar would be anything like the one Lee had been put through, he would need to be in his best condition.

As Neji started his warm-up, Hizashi remained beside Haruki as Gai and Lee drifted further away to discuss his training. Glancing sidelong at the redhead, Hizashi couldn't help asking, voice low so as not to attract the others' attention, "You were good friends?"

Haruki flinched minutely, hands tucked in his flak jacket as he stared ahead, avoiding Hizashi's gaze. "The best of friends," He finally revealed, just as softly. "We knew each other since we were both Genin. When...When the war started, we were assigned to the same ANBU team."

Hizashi was captivated. Unlike last time, Haruki was actually revealing specific parts of his past. And though the Neji Haruki was talking about belonged to a different timeline, Hizashi still felt a glow of pride that his son would one day become ANBU.

"...I was promoted after a while," Now that Haruki had started, it didn't seem like he could stop until he finished. "ANBU Captain. I picked Neji as my second on my squad. When I became General, I made Neji captain of his own squad and my Second-in-Command of the ANBU troops." He was silent for another long moment, and Hizashi waited patiently for the redhead to finish.

"... And when I became Hokage, Neji became one of my ANBU generals."

ANBU General. Hizashi watched his son go through a kata, smooth and well-practiced. He had no doubt that Neji could become great, but it was a pleasure all the same to hear what his son had become in another time.

"One of your generals?" Hizashi continued lightly. He wasn't surprised that Haruki really was a Kage. He talked to Sarutobi as an equal, after all. But a Kage usually only assigned more than one general when there were too many men to lead.

Haruki shrugged. "A few of the other countries had fallen and requested to join us. We needed all the help we could get. So I assigned two people as my generals."

Hizashi frowned. The other countries had fallen? If that was what would eventually happen, no wonder Haruki had travelled back in time. He didn't ask anything more though. The redhead seemed to have used up his sharing quota for the day and was already moving towards his son as Neji finished his last kata.

Again, Gai started the spar and, like Lee, Neji held back and waited for Haruki to make the first move. Haruki closed his eyes briefly, firmly reminding himself that this was not his time's Neji, not as strong, not as knowledgeable of his movements, not him. And then he opened his eyes, and attacked.

He knew the Hyuuga style's strengths and weaknesses, knew them like he knew the back of his hand having sparred with Neji even more than he had with Sasuke. So the standard Gentle Fist Style, the one Neji had used before he had modified and improved it, was slow and predictable to Haruki, so much that he could predict each attack several seconds before Neji even started executing it.

Haruki sighed inwardly as he easily fended off the blows. This wouldn't work. It was obvious that Neji was already quite good at the style and he had the skill to move on. He also knew that Neji had already learned, if not mastered, some of his clan's secret techniques and Haruki wouldn't force Neji to show them here. But perhaps, Haruki could get the boy started on his future style.

Jumping back, he raised a hand to pause the spar, and Neji pulled up, a slight frown on his face.

"Neji-kun, I think you can see that I know how to counter the Gentle Fist Style quite well already." Haruki paused and Neji nodded stiffly, obviously not knowing what to do about it. "If you wish, I could teach you a more... advanced style."

The silence that descended on the training grounds was loud and tense as Neji looked stunned at Haruki's offer. He seemed to waver and then turned to look at his father. Haruki tilted his head as well, gauging Hizashi's reaction. The man was frowning, not with disapproval but concern.

"Are you quite certain, Haruki-san?" Hizashi called out after a moment. Haruki heard the unspoken question: Can you afford to show your hand here?

Haruki glanced at Gai and Lee. Neither said anything, observing silently at their exchange. But Haruki knew them. They understood that training secrets were not to be given out unless permitted to. They would not say anything about this to anyone. Hizashi already knew the truth, so...

"I am sure," Haruki replied as he turned back to Neji. "Neji-kun, what I want to teach you is not a completely new style. More like your Gentle Fist Style with more layers added to it." He paused, watching the Genin. "I would appreciate it though if you kept quiet about where you learned this."

Neji stayed silent, weighing his options. To learn something new on top of his Gentle Fist would be very beneficial, and he was interested to see what someone who wasn't a Hyuuga could teach him on said style. If the price was simply to keep his silence if questioned on this new style's origins, so be it.

"I would like to learn, Haruki-san," Neji straightened from his stance. "And I will not say anything to anyone else about this."

Haruki nodded, satisfied. This style would help, especially in the Chuunin Exams when Orochimaru attacked. Any extra strength Haruki could give them would keep them alive that much longer.

"Alright then, start in your usual stance," Haruki watched the Genin settle into the stance, recalling the lessons his time's Neji had given him. When the Hyuuga had started giving him lessons, Neji would attack in specific places and Haruki had gradually learned his friend's style by defending against those attacks. He had complained once that he had only been defending, and had asked Neji how he could learn a fighting style when he wasn't even fighting.

Neji had laughed at him and invited him to attack in return, using the Gentle Fist Style as a basis. Naruto had, and had been astonished when his body had immediately followed the movements Neji had been drilling into him for weeks. Yes, he had been defending, but the way his muscles had moved when he had defended had automatically given him a powerful offence, hidden behind an iron wall of defence.

So, "Defend yourself only while I attack," Haruki ordered, and then shot forward, pinpointing all the tenketsu points Neji had aimed at when the Hyuuga had taught him.

And so it went for the next half hour, with Haruki attacking in swift, precise movements, and Neji defending accordingly.

On the sidelines, Hizashi hadn't been able to stop himself from activating his Byakugan and following the movements, his own arms twitching to learn as well. Though Neji was only defending, he could see a new style coming together. Where Neji was blocking with an open here and a forearm there, Hizashi could see the potential this defence could become when Neji reverted it into an offensive style.

Hizashi's muscles hadn't weakened too much due to the Life Suspension Seal, but he still needed to start training again. When Neji managed to pick up enough of this style to start practicing the offensive part on his own, he would ask his son to teach him as well. Or maybe he could just corner Haruki when the redhead had some free time and ask for training too. That could work.

But what amazed him the most was the thought of where Haruki had learned this fighting style. He had obviously been taught by a Hyuuga, which meant that someone had had to develop it in the first place. Haruki had seemed to imply that Neji was one of the few Hyuugas he had associated with. Did that mean that his own son would eventually develop this style? And if he had, did that mean that Neji would be able to create something even more powerful if Haruki was teaching him this style now?

Barely able to think, Neji was defending for all he was worth. Haruki's attacks were different, tugging Neji's arms and legs to positions that were similar to his usual fighting style but not exactly the same either. It was strange and he couldn't quite see how this would build up to better taijutsu. But he had caught a glimpse of his father's face when he had been forced to twist away from a sharp jab and follow through with a diagonal block of an open fist heading towards his side. His father had looked openly interested, Byakugan activated and never wavering from the battle. Hizashi must have picked up on something Neji had yet to see, enough so that it had drawn his complete attention. Either way, Neji was at least building up a very powerful defence.

"What's going on?"

Gai glanced back and offered a distracted grin to his final student jogging up to them. "Tenten, Haruki-san came a bit early and we decided to start sparring. Start stretching while you watch. You're up next."

Tenten was a little on the bewildered side at her sensei's abruptness but understood when she caught sight of the ongoing spar. Falling into her katas, she almost gaped at how fast the red-haired Jonin had pushed Neji into moving. And was her teammate defending on purpose? There was a few times where he could've attacked, although Tenten had to admit that Haruki was leaving very little opportunities.

Ten minutes later and the spar was over, Neji panting for breath as he leaned his weight on his knees. Haruki simply reached into his jacket and withdrew a scroll, unsealing a bottle of water for the Hyuuga as well. Neji managed a nod of thanks and quickly downed a third of the bottle. A full work-out was not what he had been expecting when he had woken up this morning and it wasn't even seven yet.

"Neji-kun, keep practicing the movements you went through today. Treat them as katas even."

Neji tried to settle his breathing as he straightened and nodded. His muscles remembered each move, even if his mind didn't. But he could see a pattern to the movements, a little strange, but now that he had the time to think instead of just react, he was also starting to have an inkling of what the Jounin was trying to teach him.

"Thank you for the spar, Haruki-san." He sketched another bow and made a mental note to ask Gai after practice if it was possible to invite the Jounin again next week. That way, Haruki could point out any flaws in his new training.

Moving over to his father, he caught sight of Tenten and quickly introduced his father again. The words felt nice on his tongue. He had never been able to introduce anyone as his fatherbefore. Tenten also looked surprised but greeted Hizashi politely as she straightened from her katas. Neji knew that the Hokage was going to do a village-wide announcement of his father's return sometime soon so there would no doubt be quite a number of shocked people if Hizashi decided to walk through Konoha.

Soon, Tenten was standing in front of Haruki while the redhead studied her with a critical eye. She blinked and shifted a little nervously as she got into her taijutsu stance. Was there something wrong with her stance? She was quite good at taijutsu but she preferred having some sort of weapon in hand whenever she fought.

"Wait," Tenten pulled up short as Haruki shook his head. "Do you have a katana or a ninjato? Or even just a tanto?"

Tenten immediately brightened, nodding eagerly. "Are we going to use weapons?"

Haruki inclined his head, turning to glance at Gai. "Gai-san, I'd like to see Tenten's skill with a weapon, if that's alright?"

Gai was already nodding. "Go ahead. Tenten is at her best when she is wielding a weapon."

Tenten flushed a little but pulled out a scroll and unsealed a pair of tanto. Haruki nodded in approval and pulled out his own scroll, unsealing a beautifully made katana that Tenten instantly recognized.

"Hey, that's from my family's store!" She stared wide-eyed at the Jounin. "My dad talked about you! He said you must be great at kenjutsu since you knew exactly what you were looking for!"

Haruki glanced down at the blade before nodding at her. "My old one was destroyed. I had to get a new one and this was the closest I could find in Konoha. Now then, shall we?"

As metal clashed against metal, all those watching noted the difference immediately. Haruki was good, very good, when only using taijutsu, but he was great with a sword in hand. The Jounin practically danced as he wielded the blade with the skill of a master, and even toned down, no one could deny the power accompanying every strike.

Tenten found herself caught up in a whirlwind of blades as she defended rapidly against the red-haired Jounin. She knew he was holding back and she could barely take the time to draw breath as Haruki bore down on her, as unrelenting as the steel he wielded. But once in a while, when she managed to strike back, Tenten caught a glimpse of bright cerulean and she knew that the gleam she saw in them matched the one in her own eyes. Unlike the taijutsu spars Haruki had had with Lee and Neji, Haruki was having much more fun now, even with a mere Genin like herself.

And this made her grin because she hadn't ever sparred with a kenjutsu master before. Sure, she knew there were Jounin in the village who wielded swords, but it wasn't as if they were going to take the time to practice with her. Her eyes followed the katana that thrust at her ribs and she half-jumped, half-threw herself back, already panting but still grinning.

"Haruki-san," She called out. "Those blades channel chakra. Aren't you going to use their full potential?" She knew she was pushing it and if Haruki decided to humour her, his next attack would finish the spar. But she wanted at least a taste of what this man could do at the height of his power with a katana and if she could see that, then she wouldn't mind ending the spar prematurely.

The redhead tilted his head, a few bangs brushing over one cheek before he smirked. Actually smirked. Tenten hadn't thought he ever would what with the controlled smiles and neutral expressions Haruki usually wore.

"Alright, you asked for it." And with a flick of his wrist, chakra crackled down the blade in his right hand, curling around the katana like a snake.

Tenten's eyes widened and she quickly raised her tanto again. It would do no good, she knew, but it would be better to at least try to defend herself.

On the sidelines, the glow of white chakra had the audience backing up a few steps. Gai almost reeled as he finally got a taste of the other Jonin's chakra. How had Haruki managed to hide so much power? The air itself seemed to tremble.

Readying his katana, Haruki raised his sword which flashed with intricate patterns and seals. He didn't need handseals for this attack.

"Raiton: Hyou no Soshaku."

Tenten remained frozen as lightning exploded around Haruki's katana, the head of a panther forming at the blade's tip and jaws made of pure lightning yawned open as the redhead flashed towards her at a terrifying speed.

Before she could even think to move, the teeth of the panther had closed around her tanto and ripped them from her hands with as Haruki's katana came down, slashing downwards across both her weapons and leaving her empty-handed.

Mere moments later, the glow of the lightning ebbed before disappearing altogether and she was left staring at Haruki standing calmly in from of her, katana lowered to his side and her two tanto scattered on the ground. She had no doubt that the redhead had pulled back the jutsu at the last second, preventing it from destroying her weapons.

Silence settled over the training grounds but Tenten couldn't even consider speaking right now, too busy reviewing the Jounin's attack in her mind. The lightning had been channelled into the katana in the form of a panther. The jutsu itself had been directed by the sword. Had Haruki's control of the chakra that had tempered the lightning been even slightly off, he would no doubt have lost control of his blade entirely.

"That was so amazing!" Tenten bounded forward, glee lighting her eyes as she bent down to study the blade that Haruki still held. Without waiting for a reply, she whirled to face Gai, her excitement keeping her exhaustion at bay for the moment. "Gai-sensei, did you see that? Why didn't you invite Haruki-san sooner? He's a kenjutsu master! I mean, did you see that!"

Gai sweatdropped before shaking his head. He had no idea why Tenten would want to be a medic-nin when it was so obvious that she was much more suited to become a weapons specialist instead. Still, the jutsu Haruki had just pulled off would amaze anyone.

"That was very cool, Haruki-san!" Beside him, Lee sprang forward, all thoughts of rest gone. "You must have a lightning affinity!"

Haruki blinked and moved to reseal his katana but sighed at the stars in Tenten's eyes and passed her the katana. She brightened even further, though Haruki had no idea why. The katana came from her family's store, after all.

"No, actually," Haruki replied, tugging the hair tie out of his hair and shaking it out. "My affinity primary blood affinity is wind, but I'm alright with lightning as well."

Hizashi twitched from where he was standing. Alright? Haruki called that 'alright'? Well then. "Are there any other elements you are adequate with?"

Haruki blinked, eyes narrowing a little and Hizashi was careful to keep his features blank. "Water and Earth," The redhead replied slowly. "Some of my jutsus are based on those elements as well."

Hizashi's eyes widened. Water and Earth were complete opposites, as were wind and lightning. To have mastery over all four... "Not fire then?" He asked lightly.

Haruki was quick to shake his head and smiled softly. "I errrr have a special relationship with fire. I know a few simple ones that I learned as a Genin and maybe one or two high ranked but that's it and only under special circumstances. I can't do many fire jutsus."

Well that came as some relief. Hizashi didn't anyone besides the Hokage who could proficiently wield four elements, much less five. He was slightly curious as too Haruki's special relationship with fire. Absently, he made the connection that Kazama Haruki was actually Uzumaki Naruto again. This man was the one Konoha had shunned and feared and hated. Some people were truly stupid.

"Haruki-san, when can you come back to join us for a sparring session again?"

Haruki took back the katana Tenten held out as she grabbed her tanto from the ground. He shrugged and glanced at Gai who grinned back.

"Come back anytime, Haruki-san! So long as it's at least once a week!"

Haruki arched an eyebrow as he resealed his katana and unsealed a bottle of water for Tenten. "I don't want to intrude on your own-"

Gai waved a dismissive hand in the air. "Nonsense. You've been here for two hours and my students have already become more youthful. You must come back."

Haruki blinked before glancing between the three students around him. Tenten and Lee were both nodding in agreement and Neji gazed back at him expectantly.

"You have only just started teaching me that new style," The Hyuuga pointed out. "I would not be able to advance if you do not make sure I am learning correctly."

Haruki sighed and then nodded. "I'll come back sometime next week. For now though, doesn't your team have to start actual training, Gai-san?"

Ten minutes later, Gai had his students running laps around the clearing while Haruki nursed his own bottle of water on the sidelines with Hizashi beside him.

"Thank you for teaching my son that style," Hizashi spoke up once Haruki had tucked away the bottle.

Haruki shrugged. "It belongs to him. If I didn't teach him, he'd develop it himself in a couple of years. But he needs it right n-"

He fell silent abruptly and Hizashi glanced over, a faint frown creasing his brow. "Will something happen soon?"

Haruki was silent for a long moment, debating on how much to say. "Everything will start during the Chuunin Exams. In my time, that's when everything began."

Hizashi sorely wanted to ask but held his tongue. Haruki wasn't likely to say more on the subject. He trusted the redhead to tell him when he needed to know.

For now, they watched Team Gai train, slower than usual as all three of them were still tired from the spars but still determined to do well.

x.X.x

Haruki stifled a yawn as he made his way to the Hokage Tower. He had forgotten what training with Gai was like. It was a wonder nobody died when subjected to his regimen.

He glanced at the midday sun and sped up his pace. He wanted to tell the Sandaime about the Chuunin Exams before heading over to the Nara Compound. As he walked past the Yamanaka Flower Shop, the redhead grimaced at the earlier conversation that surfaced in his mind.

Shortly before Haruki had been able to make his escape from Team Gai's training session, Asuma of all people had accosted him with an easy smile and a determined glint in his eyes. The man had told him that he had seen the jutsu Haruki had used earlier when he had happened to pass by on his way to see the Hokage. Unfortunately for Haruki, this had piqued the usually laidback shinobi's interest and the Jounin had proceeded to ask the redhead to join his team for a training session tomorrow.

Haruki had wanted to say no, but he hadn't been able to think of a good excuse and it didn't help that the last time he had seen Asuma was before his battle with Hidan and Kakazu , shikamaru had described it vividly enough covered in blood and missing an arm while the man had clung to life to say a last farewell to Shikamaru, Ino and Choji, who had been rushing to the scene at the time, he had promised that he would look after his team. But later on, he had failed all three and they had died fighting on the battlefield.

Haruki didn't think that Asuma meant for him to carry that promise all the way back in time, but he had failed once; he didn't want to fail again. So, he had agreed.

Finally reaching the Tower, Haruki shunshined up and through the Hokage's office window. It was so much easier than using the door.

Inside, Sarutobi looked up in mild surprise from his paperwork before dismissing the ANBU in the room with a wave of his hand and activating the privacy seals.

"Good afternoon, Haruki-kun," Sarutobi greeted, pushing away his paperwork.

Haruki offered a half-smile and took a seat on one of the chairs in the room. "I have to tell you about the Chuunin Exams."

"Ah," Sarutobi clasped his hands and his face turned sombre. "Very well."

Quietly, Haruki recounted all that he could remember of the events of his first and only Chuunin Exams. Of Suna and Oto and Orochimaru, of Gaara and Sasuke and the Curse Seal, and of spies and the absence of Tsunade and Sarutobi's own death.

The office was quiet when he finished, the silence neither tense nor horrified, just thoughtful as the Hokage digested this new information.

"We will need to bring Jiraiya and Tsunade back before the Exams," Sarutobi finally said, voice grave. Haruki nodded in agreement. They would need all the help we can get. "But getting Tsunade back will be very difficult. I will send word to Jiraiya and have him try to retrieve Tsuande but..."

"If worst comes to worst," Haruki offered. "I will go get her myself."

Sarutobi studied him for a few seconds before giving him a small smile. "I suppose if anyone would know how to change her mind, it would be you. What should I tell Jiraiya though? I expect you would want to tell him the truth yourself?"

Haruki nodded stiffly. "I'd rather tell them both at the same time. If you could just tell him it's an emergency and that everything would be explained once he got back with her..."

He trailed off almost uncertainly and Sarutobi quickly nodded in acquiescence. "That will be fine. I will send a message to Jiraiya. For now though, that is all I can do. I trust you will know the right time to deal with the spies and this Gaara?"

Haruki nodded. "Leave all that to me. I will take care of them when the time comes. Though that may not be in the near future. Much of my predictive knowledge relies are certain people being alive, though we can still stop there plans."

Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction before opening a drawer and withdrawing an envelope. "Alright then. Here is your pay for your recent mission. I will get started on preparations. What do you suggest? The next Chunin exams are still a little over 4 1/2 months away."

"I suggest we get another village as an ally. It will counter balance the temporary loss of Suna and prevent other nations from capitalizing on the attack."

"Oh and which nation would you suggest."

"Kiri. Or more specifically the new Kiri that is going to rise if aided in as little as two months. How bear me out Old man, I'm about two weeks time a mission from wave country will come up for team 7 it will appear as a simple Crank but it will turn A-rank when Zabuza Momoichi, who recently tried his own cou deta and failed, appears. Not only is this man and his companion crutual for Naruto's development but also key in overthrowing the genjutsu enslaved yondaime Mizukage, this bringing peace and stability to the region and putting us in the prime spot to benefit economically and in public standing. Send me to back up team 7 on their mission with my own to connect Zabuza to the Mizu resistants with the offer of backing and a treaty. This could be down with in the parameters that they participate in the Chunin exams which could also be my missions expiration date so they have to move soon if they want help. Knowing Mei-chan, the future Godaime Mizukage this shouldn't be a problem."

Haruki paused here to let his proposal sink in and almost laughed at the dumbfounded look on the old Hokage's face. "What your asking is a serious proposal. While I'm completely for the peace and stability of the region as that helps out on economy and ninja's safty, their are serious ramifications to consider. First are you sure the Yondaime Mizukage can be defeated by the Mizu rebels in particular this "Mei-chan"? Second who will I send to back them up? Are we not trying to prepare our own forces for the invasion? Third, if this fails it will resort to war as we will have attempted to assist in the assassination of a Kage?! And finally and most important the council. The council has to approve all treaties and alliances. How do I explain your knowledge of the area and convince them of the mission"

The exasperated Kage finally slumped down is his chair and punched the bridge of his nose. Past or future Naruto always seemed to cause him headaches. He looked up to seem Haruki smiling softly and seemingly waiting for the Hokage to collect himself to reply. Hurizen motioned with his hand nonchalantly saying he was ready.

"I'll answer your questions in the order they were asked. Mei Terumi is easily an S-rank shinobi and can use both Yoton and Futton in addition to here high level mastery in Suton. She successful overthrew the Yondaime after a much longer bloodier conflict in my own time. You could also say I'm uniquely qualified to help her as we were able to form collaboration Jutsu using our respective things considered she is perfectly capable of going toe to toe with a jinchuraki."

The Sandaime nodded in acquiescence and motioned for him to continue.

"As to the forces provided, the entire point of this early intervention is to avoid a large scale conflict. So the only person that should be committed to this endeavor is me. I won't wear a haite and we know there are no records of me anywhere so if it fails, which it won't because I am confident I could kill Yagura myself if necessary, but if it does then there is no loss to the village and the most will be even further destabilized which also helps our village in a different way."

Seeing the Hokage open his mouth to say something Haruki cut him off.

"And before you say anything. Remember I was Hokage too and a strong enough seal master to crack time travel. I'm also still a Jinchuraki and on really good terms with mine. I'll be fine."

And with a click the Hokage's mouth closed though he still looked like he wanted to protest.

"The Council will be the only real problem. Concerning my knowledge we can just tell them I learned some of the information due to refugees coming from Mizu no kuni to Rai no Kuni. And given my current standing on the village and records it makes the most sense to send me. I'm sure they won't take too much to convince. And even with Donzo's vote against it. With enough clan support that's still a majority which is all we need."

Haruki watched as the Hokage seemed to wrestle with the various factors and chances in his head and process his arguments. After a few moments the old Hokage seemed to come to a resolute conclusion. He look Haruki in the eye his gaze confident and firm.

"Very well Haruki-kin I'll agree to this and we will propose it to the council in a weeks time but only on three conditions."

Haruki frowned slightly but nodded, "Name them."

"One you must be one of my bodyguards at the eventual meeting with the Raikage and the Third Procter of the Chunin exams.

Second regardless of the current state of affairs you must return here a week before the start of the Chunin exams and keep my updated with regular reports. Lastly, you must teach me Fuinjustu." At this Haruki's grumbling gaze sharpened with surprise and mild irritation. He hadn't expected that last one. Seeing his hesitation Hurizen clarifying his reasoning.

"Edo Tensen was a Jutsu originally created by the Nidaime. In researching this summoning jutsu Orochimaru has modified I will be looking for flaws and weaknesses. Should I fail to find any other than what we already know, then I will need a manner to seal or counter the summons, being a bit more than adept with Fuinjustu may be crucial."

Haruki's features soften and nodded at the reasoning and agreed to come every day some time for an hour of fuinjutsu training until his departure. Though concern could help but show in his face for his fellow Kage. At the flash of worry in Haruki's eyes, Sarutobi smiled reassuringly.

"Do not worry, Haruki-kun. I will not die this time. I do wish to see Tsunade become Hokage though. It would be an interesting change for this village."

Haruki sighed but rose to his feet and left with a short bow. He only hoped Sarutobi knew what he was doing. Things would be moving fast before long and they would not be able to afford mistakes then.

x.X.x

"You're finally here, Haruki-san," Shikaku drawled, waving him inside when he caught sight of the redhead lingering at the gates. "Waiting was getting troublesome."

He glanced back in time to catch Haruki rolling his eyes and quickly hid a grin. He definitely liked this Jonin more than the impassive one from yesterday.¸

"I already set up the board," Shikaku waved a hand at the shogi board set up on the wooden table and they both took a seat on either side of it. The Jounin Commander discreetly observed the way the redhead's eyes were already flickering from square to square, no doubt figuring out different starting moves.

He scoffed inwardly. Not all that good his ass.

"You can start first," He offered aloud, watching that cerulean gaze flicker up to meet his. He had finally placed that color after thinking on it yesterday evening. Those eyes were the same as the Yondaime's, and there were gestures that the redhead made that reminded Shikaku of Minato as well. He had a few suspicions on what this meant, but he wasn't sure yet.

The Jounin Commander watched as Haruki slid a pawn forward. A simple enough move and he moved one of his own in return.

And so the game began. Shikaku had no time, nor did he have the desire, to make idle conversation as he frowned inwardly at the red-haired Jounin's wild playing style. There wasn't much logic to each of Haruki's moves, as if he was simply picking a random piece up and moving it. But after the first time that Haruki had made a seemingly useless decision of sacrificing a lance and, eight moves down the road, Shikaku had found himself caught between losing a knight and losing a silver general, he had sacrificed his knight and never made the same mistake again.

But still, there was something strange about Haruki's playing style. Shikaku had never played against anyone who could read his moves so far ahead and counter them accordingly. He had thought that maybe the redhead had picked up on a tell and had glanced up at Haruki several times but each time, he had found the Jonin staring avidly at the board, one arm balanced on a knee when he wasn't moving a piece, the other upright to cushion his head in one hand.

Of course, Shikaku wasn't the Hokage's Chief Strategist for nothing and, after studying the redhead's playing style for several minutes, he was able to counter some of Haruki's moves.

And so they played for the next four and a half hours, neither able to outmatch the other but Shikaku had found a diamond-sharp mind behind Haruki's neutral facade, one that intrigued him all the more because every unpredictable move on the shogi board meant one more unpredictable thought. And if there was one thing Shikaku had learned since the beginning of the match, it was that Haruki had a very original and mildly chaotic mind.

"You are very good," Shikaku finally spoke, breaking the silence for the first time since they had begun.

Haruki's eyes flickered up to meet his. It was Shikaku's turn at the moment and Haruki was forced to respond when the Jounin Commander made no move to continue. "I have not beaten you."

Shikaku's mouth quirked up into a slight smile. "Most people wouldn't measure their skills in accordance to mine."

Haruki managed a shrug without dislodging his head from his hand. "I am not most people."

With that, Shikaku agreed wholeheartedly. And if Haruki was not most people, then perhaps he shouldn't ask his questions the way he would with them. Haruki had said he was straightforward. Shikaku preferred that as well. He left the twisting interrogations to Inoichi.

"Then," He finally moved his rook forward. "Who are you?"

Haruki countered with a bishop. "I'm not quite sure what you mean."

Shikaku arched an eyebrow. "Alright, I'll be clearer. There are two things I want to know above all else right now: What relation do you have with Namikaze Minato, and what are you planning to do in Konoha." He moved a pawn.

To his credit, the redhead only tilted his head and moved a knight forward without looking away from Shikaku. "That's what you want to know above all else? Really?"

Shikaku offered a lazy shrug. "I could ask you if you plan to harm Konoha, but that's somewhat pointless. I trust the Sandaime and he trusts you. Explicitly in fact. I could also ask you how you managed to find Hizashi in the first place, but that's even more pointless. You're obviously partial to information I'm not and I'm not interested in finding out something that's already over and done with. I could ask you how you managed to get from Konoha to Kumo and then back again while stopping multiple times on your way back in only four days when it would take an average ninja six days to make the entire round trip, but again, you must know some sort of jutsu I don't and I'm not interested in that as I have no reason to go to Kumo anytime soon. And finally," Shikaku had now propped his elbows on the edge of the wooden table and propped his head on his clasped hands as he surveyed the motionless redhead with sharp eyes.

"Finally, I could ask you why, when you entered the Nara Compound," Shikaku slowly turned his head, gaze still fixed firmly on the Jounin as he freed one hand to tug aside a curtain that had been half-drawn over the window they had been sitting beside and revealed a seal, glowing a faint red on the glass. Haruki's entire face had frozen over, any remaining warmth disappearing as recognition flickered briefly through cerulean. "Did this Chakra Sensing Seal, given to me by the Yondaime before the Kyuubi attack to pick up any chakra of a biju should one wander too close to my Clan grounds, activate?"

Shikaku watched Haruki closely for any reaction but the redhead simply sat there, still sitting in the same position, eyes now focused on the seal. When it was clear that Haruki could not be speaking anytime soon, Shikaku sighed and rubbed at his goatee before reaching out and moving one of his gold generals.

"I could ask you that," He continued casually. "But even though the seal picked up the demon chakra, I still can't sense anything from you. Your control over whatever chakra you have inside you is good enough. As long as you're not about to go insane and destroy the village, it's none of my concern. Your move."

Haruki remained still for a few seconds longer, gaze still fixed on the seal before turning back and extending one hand, moving a pawn forward. Half a dozen plays that Haruki could make with that move sprang up in Shikaku's mind but he dismissed them. He could stop each of them if he took the pawn now. Moving his knight, he secured the pawn.

"It's not finished," Haruki's quiet voice accompanied his next move as he shifted a lance.

Shikaku frowned. "What isn't?"

Haruki flicked a finger at the seal. "That seal. The centre is not finished. At the moment, it can only detect chakra levels and of those it will only flare as a a warning when the levels approach that of the Kyuubi's chakra."

Shikaku immediately stiffened, eyes narrowing as he realized what the redhead had just told him. But how? The Kyuubi jinchuuriki was Uzumaki Naruto. But the again this man could be lacking a biju all together and just have ridiculously high reserves.

"Who are you then?" He asked again, moving his rook to the left. "You look like the Yondaime. I can almost see it. Change your hair and you'd be an almost exact copy. Long-lost brother? Cousin?"

Haruki gave a half-shrug as he moved his lance again. Shikaku scanned the board before moving a silver general and capturing another of Haruki's pawns.

"Maybe I just look like him," Haruki tapped a finger on the edge of the wooden table before shifting a gold general. Shikaku immediately took the knight that Haruki had failed to move with one of his gold generals. It seemed like the game was coming to an end. Haruki wasn't concentrating anymore.

"I highly doubt that but we'll leave it for now," Shikaku observed the redhead for a moment. "So what are you doing in Konoha? You're definitely not one of my Jonin. I was Jonin Commander eight years ago. I would've remembered sending out any of my Jonin. Even if the Hokage didn't inform me of it, I would've at least noticed you missing."

Haruki finally straightened from his lazy slouch, meeting Shikaku's gaze evenly. "Protect Konoha. That's what I've always tried to do."

Shikaku frowned. The devotion that now shone in Haruki's eyes was startling. What attachment did he have to this village to show that much dedication to it?

The sound of a door sliding open and closed signalled his son's arrival. "I'm home."

Shikaku quickly pulled the curtain back and turned to face Shikamaru as the boy stepped into the room. "Welcome back. How was training?" Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the oddly wistful expression flickering briefly across his temporary shogi partner's face as his focus turned to his son. Strange.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru had paused to take in Haruki and then the shogi board. "Are you the one training with us tomorrow? Asuma-sensei described you."

Shikaku blinked in surprise before turning to look at Haruki. The redhead seemed to struggle with himself before producing a strained smile in his son's direction. "Yes, he invited me to train with his team tomorrow."

Shikamaru nodded briefly, stepping forward as he glanced at the shogi board again. "I'm Shikamaru. You'll probably find training with us troublesome."

Haruki only shrugged before rising to his feet. "Perhaps. We'll see." He turned back to Shikaku and nodded at the board. "I believe this game goes to you, Shikaku-san. It was an interesting match, but I'd better be going. Thank you for having me. I'll see myself out."

With a low murmur of "See you tomorrow, Shikamaru-kun", the Jonin swiftly departed the Nara household, disappearing from sight without another glance at either of them.

Shikaku remained in the same position for several seconds after the redhead's abrupt departure. He only stirred when his son dropped down in Haruki's vacated seat, waving a hand at the board to get Shikaku's attention. "You were playing?"

Shikaku hmm'ed an affirmation. "Five hours. He's good."

Shikamaru nodded distractedly, eyes on the board. "When he left, why did he say that the game went to you?"

Shikaku arched an eyebrow and glanced down at the board as well, reaching out to tap one of his silver generals. "I would've checkmated him in three moves. He was distracted near the end."

Shikamaru frowned and scratched his head. "Yeah, but if he moved this," His son tapped a simple rook sitting innocently near the left side of the board. "He would've checkmated you in the next move."

Shikaku sat in frozen silence, eyes glued on the pawn as he reviewed all the moves that had been made in the last six minutes and all the possible moves he could've taken or not taken.

The two pawns and the knight. They had been distractions, mere diversions to draw the gold and silver generals that had been guarding his king away from their positions and remove the knight that had been blocking the rook's forward movement that now trapped his king. If he moved any piece to stop the rook now, he would leave the redhead's lance or gold general free to attack his king. Those two pieces, he realized, were the very ones that the redhead had seemingly carelessly moved last, and the two pieces that stopped them at the moment were the two generals he had moved to capture Haruki's sacrificial pieces. Instead of capturing the pieces in his way, Haruki had simply moved them elsewhere. Instead of going to the effort of cornering his king, he had let Shikaku do it for him.

And like any fresh amateur, he had fallen for it, so preoccupied with his questions and Haruki's answers that he hadn't seen it. And the runt had forfeited and given him the win!

"That damn-!" He cursed long and hard inside his head when he remembered that his son was still in the room. How dare he? He couldn't remember the last time he had lost a game!

And with that thought came a rush of respect as he allowed his short-lived annoyance to leave him in a rueful laugh. Haruki was an excellent shogi player. Even if he had lost, the redhead had still matched him move for move for five hours. The strongest player Shikaku had played before Haruki had come along had only lasted three and a half.

"Shikamaru," He barked out sharply as he suddenly straightened.

Shikamaru pulled back, looking mildly alarmed. "What?"

"You have training with Haruki-san tomorrow?" At his son's wary nod, Shikaku continued, a foreboding glint in his eyes. "Don't let him get away afterwards. Drag him back here if you have to. I want a rematch."

But his son only scoffed and rose to his feet, stretching and making his way out of the room again, no doubt to go cloud-watching. As he left, Shikamaru only tossed back, "Old man, if he can beat you, then the only one Haruki-san will be playing tomorrow will be me. I've never met anyone who could trump you in a shogi match before. Besides, dragging him all the way back here will be too troublesome."

Shikaku twitched as he watched his son leave the room. "Damn brat," He growled, glaring at the board. And then he leaned back and smirked, turning to glance at the curtain now covering only blank glass once more. He had learned some things today, some from his own observations, others that Haruki had willing imparted to him. He would have to think on it some more, and in the meantime, he would need to come up with a way to convince Haruki to come back for another round of shogi.

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Konoha Senpuu – Konoha Whirlwind (Taijutsu)

Konoha Reppuu – Konoha Gale (Taijutsu)

Raiton: Hyou no Soshaku – Lightning Release: Panther's Bite