Return To Monke - 4

He was, thinking on the mans words. He understood it all, and the point, and even why it was necessary.

But…it was just so.

Contradictory.

Take the Yondaime Hokage for instance. Namikaze Minato was an incredible shinobi and powerful beyond words. People treated him like he really was a god and spoke of him in awe to this day over a decade since his death.

But he wasn't invincible. He wasn't even close to infallible. He was freaking dead after all and left his only son to fend for himself.

…Yet, people acted as if him actually dying didn't detract from that all. Fucking hell, even in the academy not even a year ago, there were girls in his clash gushing over pictures of him and wanting to marry him…when he was fucking dead!

'Humans as a whole are a contradictory species,' Isobu mused, piping in, 'You speak of love and peace, yet readily wage war and commit atrocities in the same breath. You look down up murderers and thieves, yet have made a profession out of them that dominates the world. You yourself are terrified and find yourself lacking in too many ways to count, but brag and boast louder than anyone else of your greatness.'

Daiki grimaced.

He couldn't even think of anything to say in response that. After all, that was the ugliest part of being human. And the ugliest part who he was.

His very identity was an illusion that he made himself believe in. And to be Hokage, it seemed…

Was to make that illusion your reality.

When he thought about it like that. Maybe Naruto wasn't wrong at any point in his path at all. The blonde constantly lied to himself and lived an illusion, buried his rage, despair and hatred into a deep dark corner and hid it away from anyone and everyone.

The only one who knew the true Naruto for the longest time, was Kurama.

'Just like only I know the true Daiki,' Isobu added with a wistful sigh, 'Kind of ironic when you think about it. Considering your practically the direct opposite of him and well, I am the polite sibling as I've said multiple times now, while Kurama is the most violent, rude and gruff among us, but also the most damaged.'

…Daiki wasn't sure how to reply to that.

'You don't need to,' Isobu pointed out, 'That's your biggest problem Daiki and the biggest source of stress in your life, you always think you need something to respond with, or a counter. Sometimes, the best course of action is to say or do nothing at all.'

Daiki opened his mouth, before pausing. If he replied, he would just prove his point.

'Not what I meant at all,' Isobu sighed, 'But baby steps I suppose.'

He didn't get much time to ponder on the Bijuu's words, because finally, after minutes of walking down the stairway, they reached the bottom.

It opened up into a large cavern area. And by large, he meant massive, it had to span the length and width of the entire mountain.

And it wasn't exactly empty either. There were rows upon rows of weapons from swords, to maces, to even staves lining the cavern walls, huge training posts at one side of the huge area, and at the far end of the room he could see what looked to be a massive pond, with a huge tree growing up out of it.

And behind it, he could see a door leading in to some other area. Honestly, how the hell had he not noticed something this massive underneath the mountain?

It was as he looked around the room though, he noticed it.

Familiar scrawls of ink over the walls.

Seals.

He couldn't recognise most of the patterns, but some of it was similar to a few things he knew.

Specifically-

"Barrier seals?" he muttered aloud.

"That's right Daiki-kun," Sarutobi nodded, "This is the personal training area for the Hokage, it was created by Hashirama-sama with the help of his wife Mito-sama."

Ah…that explained it. Playboy Kage and his kinky Uzumaki wife, this was definitely something he could see coming from them.

And it explained the stupid huge tree growing out of the underground pond as well.

…Where there was no sunlight, yet it looked healthier than most trees he saw outside the village.

"This Daiki-kun, is where we'll be spending our time training over the next eight days," Sarutobi gestured to the wide expanse of the training…cavern? "I will of course not be able to spend all my time here with you, and will have to often leave to take care of my duties, but for the next eight days, you will not be leaving this area."

…Well, good thing he had already planned ahead for that kind of thing, even if it was actually going to be longer than he thought. His dimension force seal was always stacked with food that would keep for a while just in case he went on a training binge after all.

Though it did bring up the actual questions, what if he hadn't been prepared already? "What about eating, or pissing and shitting for that matter?" the genin asked.

In response the old man gestured to the door behind the pond, "That area behind that door is a small living space, it has everything you'd need," the older man replied, "There is a bed, basic medical supplies, food, and of course a toilet with plumbing."

…There was fucking plumbing down here?

"How?" Daiki asked, raising an eyebrow at the man.

"Fuinjutsu, how else my boy?" Sarutobi laughed, and then placed his right hand on his chest and his left hand on his left leg, "Speaking of seals though, I believe it is time we get down to business, no?" as he said that, his Hokage robes shifted and disappeared, leaving him clad in nothing but a familiar full black outfit, the Hokage hat disappearing the same way a second later and being replaced by a black hooded helmet.

Daiki blinked, "Wait…huh?" he gaped.

"I must admit, your storage seal is very useful." the old man mused with a grin.

This motherfucker stole his jutsu!

Well really, it was just an augmented storage seal really, but come on that was his thing!

"Y-you…you Uchiha!" Daiki spluttered, such was his surprise.

'….I mean, how many jutsu have you stole from others?' Isobu pointed out dryly, 'Pot meet kettle, you're both black.'