Naruto : Domination: Chapter 55

( 17 April- year 13 AK )

... I tried to mindfuck him: "I spied on Tsunade in an onsen and she punched me into the Summons Plane."

Jiraya spluttered while the Sandaime let out an appreciative snort.

The white-haired sannin looked at me more closely, before glancing at the roof: "You're a kage bunshin, aren't you?"

I nodded: "Your sensei had deemed wise keeping the real me on the lookout. I'm using kage bunshin to get stuff done while 'real me' sits still since I scuffled with your teammate. The creepier one."

I explained, knowingly avoiding any direct reference to the Sandaime, I couldn't be bothered to use -sama.

The Hokage helpfully pointed out: "It's his punishment for being a smartass during debriefs."

That sent Jiraya almost rolling on the floor in laughter and made me sigh. "Ahahahh... using a Sage like a sensor... Bwahaha!"

It was somewhat...a task beneath my station, but I deserved it. My body and mind could last several days in the trance, since I didn't need either food or water, and a single kage bunshin could attend to my other tasks.

"And since you chose to visit the onsen before reporting, you'll work in turns with Daiki-kun." The Sandaime cut him.

The laugh died immediately, and before Jiraya dragged us into his looney speech patterns declaring the holiness of being a super pervert, I spoke: "He can't."

Jiraya's eyes narrowed in my direction while the Sandaime raised his eyebrows silently asking to elaborate.

"It's hardly a discussion the Anbu need to listen." Jiraya surprisingly came in my rescue. We both looked expectantly at the hidden forms in the ceiling, who left by the window at a twitch of Sarutobi's fingers.

After that Sarutobi watched at me expectantly, not bothering hiding my smugness I gestured toward Jiraya like I was making introductions: "Mockery of senjutsu." Then I pointed towards myself: "Actual Sage."

Sarutobi was unimpressed, and Jiraya was watching me with a wary attitude. Ah, so there was an actual shinobi somewhere under the idiocy. I realized.

"You do realize that I am in Sage Mode right now, yes? I can feel your chakra as well as your life force. Whatever stuff you do that turns you into a Sage stresses your body, not enough to turn into stone, but it does strain your body." I rolled my eyes while I was explaining it.

I was milking my knowledge of the manga for all it was worth, but that close to him, I could feel lingering traces of senchakra not evenly distributed on his body.

Turning my golden eyes towards Sarutobi, I elaborated: "He can't keep cycling through Sage-not Sage without actually hurting himself."

Even if I could likely help him. I reasoned. Jiraya wasn't a bad guy on my books, having him stronger was only going to help.

Maybe, or maybe it was going to blow in my face like most of the changes I had pushed into the storyline. Besides, I really felt better with being the only Sage around.

As I said, very few things could stop a Sage: besides another Sage, cheaters with totally broken doujutsu, biju, and gods... well, nothing else.

The expression on Jiraya's face lost the edge of hostility it gained and showed a hint of... respect? Uh, what kind of thought process does he have?

"Do not despair, I'll find another way to punish you, Jiraya." the ancient shinobi merrily explained. "If you haven't discovered already..."

"The kid scuffled with my teammate until he got away, yes." Jiraya picked up "But escaping a sage, or even his senses, it's not something easily done, much less in the way the Anbu report stated."

He managed to drop by the onsens and read a confidential report before coming here. I confirm that maybe he is an actual shinobi, but what do I know. I thought, masking my surprise.

"A Sage can feel life itself, among the heightened senses." I reminded to The Professor.

"The only idea I have is that Orochimaru tinkered with a soul-projection of some kind.

Basically possessing a tsuchi bunshin, I had no idea it was possible and since Hokage-sama got all defensive when I mentioned it during the debriefing I believed it was something classified." I recounted to the sannin.

That got him to nod thoughtfully before smoothly changing topic: "He targeted the Uchiha, didn't he?"

He turned towards me: "How long can you keep watch in sage mode?"

I raised an eyebrow at the unexpected question: "Another 3 days would be stretching it."

"Very well, you can dispel, the rest of this chat will be above your paygrade." The sannin summarily dismissed me.

I looked at him blankly before turning my head towards the Sandaime, who nodded gravely in my direction. I shrugged and dispelled myself.

...

In the Hokage's Office

The sannin watched intently at the smoke left behind by the vanishing kage bunshin and closed his eyes, feeling his surroundings.

When he was sure the scary Sage was effectively gone, he resumed talking: "Removing the Uchiha kid from the village would allow us to focus on the rest of the security until the end of the exams.

Let Kakashi-kun take his team away, on a false two days long C-rank, he will conveniently get them lost until after the tournament, with his ninkens he shouldn't have difficulties. And a training trip would only do them some good."

The Sandaime considered the proposal while puffing on his pipe. "I would curse the cameras for having recorded our standstill in the Forest of Death, forcing me to disqualify Team 7, but perhaps it's for the best..."

"Still, can Kakashi-kun stay hidden from Orochimaru with his three genins behind him?" the Sandaime pointed out. "The Haruno girl needed a wake-up call before the exams, and Naruto-kun is hardly subtle."

Jiraya sighed. "And that is without considering the Akatsuki... Just Kakashi and the Uchiha then. Toss the other two kids to the 'Actual Sage', keep him busy and out of my hair."

The Sandaime nodded thoughtfully: "I'm only glad that nobody from Kumo managed to pass the second stage, having the Kazekage, the Raikage and the Tsuchikage in Konoha would have been..." He exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, not completing his thought.

"When your message said you found another Sage I thought it was a joke." Jiraya mumbled.

"I knew the kid was talented, his original ninjutsu was scary, even if very rough, he was basically a combat specialized Tokubetsu during his chunin exams, but a Sage..."

He shook his head, the white mane following suit: "What is exactly his skillset?"

The Sandaime puffed on his pipe: "I had him go a trial in Anbu as soon as he came back from the Capital, he passed the training program bull heading it with sheer taijutsu, his mastery over the first five gates is something Guy-kun had never thought possible.

Somehow, likely thanks to his extreme chakra control, he keeps them open without incurring in any kind of strain.

In close combat is dangerous, he uses mostly an Iron Fist heavily influenced by his knowledge of the human body, less overwhelming force and more lethal one-hits."

The Hokage rose from his seat and walked over the window, distractedly watching over the village. "I signed him up in the jonin tournament and asked Kakashi-kun to evaluate him.

Daiki-kun used a kage bunshin to throw genjutsus on his opponent to gain an edge in close combat, manipulated water almost with the same effortless grace of my own sensei, and pulled off a combination technique on his own, futon and katon.

He kept up with Kakashi-kun without opening his gates until his opponent started using the Sharingan.

I gave him a genin team because his skill is undeniable, and frankly I hoped the parents would be able to glean something from the children' recounts of their training."

Jiraya rose an eyebrow, say what you want, but Kakashi was no pushover.

"He crossed path with Naruto, in this office in fact." The Hokage continued. "He picked up on Naruto's father after only a glance. But I got the feeling he wanted me to know that he knew, the why, however, it's beyond me."

There is one skill every good ninja manages to learn: rolling with whatever shit happens.

After a deep breath, Jiraya answered: "Well Naruto does resemble Minato... but to notice it as you said, it points towards an awareness of his surroundings not common."

"I joined him while he was fighting Orochimaru. During the debrief, he explained that he was in the sage mode to keep an eye on his students." The Sandaime added.

"You don't believe him?" Jiraya questioned: "I read his file, the stuff he put his genins through doesn't make me think of a mother hen... Do you think he knew of the attack?"

"It's awfully convenient." Hiruzen replied "But not enough to make me see a mountain where there is only a pebble, that's more up Danzō's alley."

"The Akatsuki is made by a careful bunch of people, I don't know who is in it, not really, but I don't think they contacted our mysterious jonin." Jiraya reassured his old sensei.

"They can't have told him about Naruto, that he only noticed his parenthood and not his status as a jinchuriki mostly confirms it."

"I won't lie, he could be one of Konoha's greatest assets but..." the Sandaime gestured vaguely with his pipe.

"He doesn't have a reason to protect the village, he doesn't have bonds. His old teammate went on a bender and is an overqualified chunin who runs D-rank no stop.

Daiki-kun is protective of his team, he keeps an eye on Sasuke Uchiha, but that's mostly because he lives in a yurt on his compound, and he got strongarmed to join Guy-kun in one of his training sprees, but that's it.

He doesn't search for the company of his peers, and his superiority complex, while carefully kept in check, is still there." The old shinobi trailed into silence.

"What do you ask of me Saru-sensei?" Jiraya asked after a few seconds.

"Get to know him." The Hokage ordered.

...

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