7 A chance meeting.

Dumpling house.

Ebisu was waiting for someone, it had been quite some time. Ebisu had before him 3 empty tea cups and 4 dumpling plates with only the sticks.

" Don't tell me i got stood up and wasted a perfect afternoon which i could have better spent peeping in the hot springs village" thought Ebisu with a nosebleed.

" Yo Ebisu-kun, i got lost while coming here" came a cliched response from behind him.

Ebisu wiped of his nose bleed and adjusted his sunglasses while reprimanding" You late coming liar"

" Well it is now in the past, tell me why you wanted to see me?" spoke a half masked figure who had one of his eyes covered with his forehead protector with a dirty book in his hand.

" Well Kakashi- kun i want your help in training a student of mine" spoke Ebisu.

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The hokage's office

Sandaime was playing shogi with Neji in absolute silence.

" How is your training coming along? i heard that you have mastered an unusual technique." sandaime spoke to break the silence.

"Nothing slips pasts Sandaime sama " chuckled Neji.

"Well i am a kage after all, if i didn't even know about my village and its citizens then its time for me vacate this seat." said sandaime.

" Well yes i have made some progress in making a chakra based attack based on shape manipulation." said Neji.

" Do you know that Yondaime had invented a similar technique, it was the pinnacle of shape manipulation called Rasengan." said Sandaime.

" I am not aware, if yondaime sama had invented such jutsu then i may have merely discovered it accidentally. I don't want to claim it as my own." said Neji.

"ho ho such humility at such young age, not bad not bad" praised sandaime.

"Sandaime sama about that hiraishin no jutsu....." dragged Neji. He was to embarrassed to ask for it directly as he was rejected the first time.

"Why are you so obsessed with that technique?" asked Sandaime as he was amused.

"It was the reason yondaime sama earned his moniker 'yellow flash' so i am curious and much to eager to learn the same" said Neji.

" sigh.... My answer is the same, you need to expand your chakra reserve, if you don't have enough chakra it is a waste of a technique" said Sandaime.

Neji kept quiet as he continued to play.

"Okay i will teach you some other technique for now so cheerup" said the 3rd. After interacting with Neji for about 4 years and teaching him some techniques Sandaime began to see the image of orochimaru in him, not the creepy and malicious orochimaru but the childhood version who was always melancholic and prodigic. Sandaime had always blamed himself for not stopping orochimaru as he cared for him like his own son. Sandaime saw Neji's potential and wanted to groom him and weed out any maliciousness in him as he didn't want an another orochimaru.

Neji just smiled and said "i believe that is check and mate sandaime sama"

Neji rose from his seat and bowed and before he left he asked to be taught Kuchiyose no jutsu. Sandaime thought for sometime and agreed as his kuchiyose didn't require as much chakra as hirashin no jutsu.

Neji was also happy with the bargain as he would be able to sign a contract with King Enma.

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Kakashi was walking back home, he took the 3rd's offer of becoming a jonin instructor but the 2 batches he got were not satisfactory and he failed them. He became the sensei students dreaded to deal with. But today his colleague had asked his help to train a student who Ebisu had described as someone with limitless potential.

Kakashi didn't have anything better to do and was bored very much so decided to visit Gai to see if they could have one of their rivalry match, the record stood at 25:24 leaning in Kakashi's favor.

Kakashi finds that Gai was at the academy so he decides to visit him there. As Kakashi reaches the teacher's lounge he saw Gai standing near the window observing the training ground. Kakashi leans out to see what had got Gai's attention. There was a kid running around the ground. Looking at the large eyebrows and his unique hairstyle he closely resembled a younger Gai. Kakashi talked to Gai" Whats up with that kid?".

" He cannot use ninjutsu and genjutsu, his taijutsu is also not commendable, he resembles my youth." said Gai. Kakashi asked " So?"

"Nothing i had always seen him bullied by other students and he would train desperately, but now his eyes have a new determination like he had attained something" said Gai. Kakashi didn't know much about that kid so he challenged Gai and they went to have a curry eating contest which ended in a draw as both of them passed out from overeating.

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Neji was walking back home, he passed through the ichiraku, he was not a regular but he had atleast visited it time to time But this time as he passed he hears a voice ,he was overly familiar with it too.

"Teuchi no oosan give me a miso pork ramen with extra naruto dattebayo."

The verbal tic was a dead giveaway. Neji decided to eat at ichiraku's today. As he enters Ayame recognizes and welcomes him in. Neji sat at a corner and ordered a seaweed topping ramen.

Neji was in no hurry and enjoyed his bowl of Ramen but Naruto had finished his already and asked for a second serving. Mr Teuchi refuses as Naruto only redeemed a one time usage coupon. Naruto searches his pockets overturns his clothes but he didn't have a single coin on him. Just as he was about to leave dejectedly, Neji paid for a second bowl of whatever Naruto was having and slide it towards him.

Naruto had never been offered anything before so he was slightly apprehensive towards the tattooed Neji.

" Just eat, i am celebrating today" said Neji and went back to eating from his bowl.

Naruto was happy and started to digin saying " Sankyuu dattebayo"

Neji didn't speak much after that as he had plenty of time to befriend Naruto and he didn't want to influence him too much.

Neji left after finishing bowl.

" Ah crap i forgot to even ask his name" lamented Naruto.

Naruto even forgot Neji's face as he only remembered the cool looking tattoo.