Chapter 16: The Deal

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any other references mentioned in this fanfic.

A/N: Right, I would first like to start by writing a few words.

I want to say thank you to everyone who has complemented my writing. It means so much to me when this happens because it means that I'm really improved since I first started writing fanfiction.

The entire reason why I began to write on this website was so that I could sharpen my skills. It's always been my dream to someday write a book and I feel that with every chapter I write I am steadily getting closer to my goal. One day I know I will achieve my dream.

Again thank you!

As a treat, I extended this chapter. Hope you enjoy (:

Chapter 16

Day 17

It has been over two weeks since I was unjustly imprisoned.

My only confident has been the moon, but as I stare out of the window on this night, I cannot help but notice her absence. And that hurts more than any other betrayal.

Where have you gone my white lunar goddess? Have you too forsaken me?

It has been days since any sort of sustenance has passed through these lips, and my mouth has become as dry as the Mora Desert.

My body aches from their interrogation. They might break my body but my spirit will remain unbending.

Knock Knock

"Oi, that chair you asked for is here," someone from the other side of the iron door said, interrupting Kenji's train of thought.

"Aw man," the small boy whined as he noticed the long line of ink that he had accidentally made on the paper.

He was sitting in a lavish chair and using the desk provided to write a new novel. His time in this cell had given him plenty of free time, and he was determined to be productive.

The door opened and a masked Anbu stepped inside pushing a plush swivel chair.

"Oooh, that's very nice," Kenji said as he gently caressed the black leather seat. He turned to the Anbu, "Thank you Snake-san."

Snake inclined his head slightly, "Dinner will be served momentarily."

"What's on the menu today?" he asked as he planted his behind on the luxurious chair.

"Lobster," was all Snake said as he walked out of the room.

Kenji spun on his new chair.

'It's not so bad,' he thought about his home for the past two weeks, 'Sure I missed the deadline to buy that farm land but at least most of my stress is gone now.'

That was partially true. The day of the deadline Kenji had raged all around the room. It got so bad that a whole squad of Anbu had to be called in to hold him down before he hurt someone or himself. They had pumped him full of tranquilizers just to calm him down. When he woke up, he found that all of the broken furniture had been replaced. After that, he had gone through the five stages of grief. Now he was as cool as a cucumber.

While he was technically a prisoner, he was one in the loosest of terms.

He received regular meals everyday that looked like they came from 5-star restaurants. He was given a steady supply of materials, like paper and ink. They would regularly bring books of his choice to help pass the time. He could ask for practically anything and they would bring it here. The only thing he couldn't do was leave, not like had much reason to.

It was sad that he was living better in this cell than when he was free. Nobles really were on a separate class if this what they considered prison.

The only down side was that he couldn't use his artifacts. They had searched him for any before they put him in here, but to their surprise he had none on his body, even his spatial ring was missing. He had given all of his belongings to Akame as soon as they had asked him to follow them after the test had ended.

Lin-Lin was currently hiding out somewhere in the village along with all of the other Chakra Beasts that had been in his room.

Akame had chosen to keep him company during his stay, as she had rarely left his shadow, except for the few times when she had to check up on Lin-Lin and the others to make sure they weren't causing trouble. Although to be perfectly honest, he suspected that she was only there for the food.

As mentioned, this had given him plenty of time to himself. So, he chose to spend it on productive things. Fore example other than writing, he had spent most of his time practicing his taijutsu and ways to use yang chakra.

From what he had discovered yang chakra could do a number of things as long as there was a physical body to store it. Example, he could make objects fly if he injected them with enough chakra and then controlled the chakra inside it. As long as he gave an object plenty of yang chakra, he could control it as if it were alive. They couldn't move on their own or do basic task like an actual being though. It was similar to Suna's puppet technique in that regard, only there was no need for chakra strings.

However, it had to be inside something to work, since Yang chakra quickly dispersed if it was outside a container. As the physical side of chakra, it needed something solid to work with.

He suspected that yin Chakra was the opposite, and with it, someone could create complete chakra constructions like weapons or shields similar to a Susanoo.

Sitting on his chair, Kenji sent a pulse of yang chakra throughout the room bathing everything in his unique chakra. A pen and a piece of paper flew from his desktop and toward his hand. All around the room were a number of lightweight objects that were also floating off the ground. His control was still rough, but he was making strides, now he could control things that weighed less than 2 pounds.

Of course, not everything was good. He rubbed his eyes to relieve some of the strain they felt. Ever since he put on that mask, his vision had become odd.

His sight had been improved bound normal human, with him now being able to count the individual threads on his pillow case all the way from across the room as a small example. However, what was more surprising was the fact that he didn't lose the ability to see nature energy. In fact, he had to consciously hold back this ability otherwise his vision would be obscured from all of the colorful smoke coming off of things. Closing his eyes helped a bit, but he was always conscious of the things around him. He had briefly wondered if this was what the Hyuga's felt when they activated their dojutsu.

Speaking about nature chakra, he had found out that he could draw it into himself just like a sage. When he did this though, he noticed that a purple crescent moon would appear on his forehead, along with two red lines would appear on his cheek and a red line on his eyelids. The only thing he was missing was white hair and he would look just like a certain character from an Anime back in Adult Kenji's world. That thought alone was scary since this meant that Kaguya had been able to access more of his memories without him knowing about it.

Oh yes how could he forget the entire reason he was here.

Apparently, she had taken over his body when the upgrade system was being updated.

They had shown him the video footage of him calling down hundreds of lightning swords from the sky. Apparently using an untested S-rank jutsu on his fellow teammates was enough to land him in prison, who knew. They had questioned him the first couple of days trying to get the full story and Kenji was forced to answer all of their questions. However, when they asked him on certain topics he only told half truths since he was sure that the Yamanaka assigned to him was able to tell when he was lying. Why they didn't just enter his mind, he wasn't sure but he wasn't one to complain.

He had been unable to contact her since then. The throne room was still there, but she wasn't. He was curious to know what was keeping her so busy that she didn't have time to answer some of his questions.

The Anbu on the first day had said that the Hokage was going to talk to him but it had already been more than two weeks and he had yet to show himself.

It seemed that he was left forgotten.

"Lunch is here," Snake said as he opened the door and pushed a metal serving tray into the room. He took a giant plate and removed the lid revealing a steam red lobster cooked to perfection.

'On second thought, they can forget about me for a bit longer.'

(Hokage Tower)

Hiruzen head slammed against his desk, the sudden impact jolted him awake as he stood ramrod in his seat.

He gave a large yawn as he rubbed his tired eyes. They were blood shot and the bags under them were nothing to laugh about. He had not had a good nights rest since the end of the genin exams.

But that was to be expected, never in the history of the village had there ever been a genin test like that one. Sure they were used to the occasional collateral damage, maybe an excess of environmental destruction and such, but what they weren't prepared for was for a 10 year old academy student to literal change the landscape of the land in a single attack.

The lightning storm had been visible all the way from the village, and many had actually thought that they were under attack. It had caused village wide panic for many minutes until they could get back control.

The only silver lining was that no one had actually died. They were however injured and needed to be transferred to the hospital with great care.

He had been stuck in his office ever since, trying his best to cover up the events of this incident as best he could, but it was an uphill battle. There had been about 200 genin-hopefuls in that battle and all of them had been a witness to Kenji's lightning attack and worse, his wood style technique. It didn't take very much for someone to put the pieces together.

They absolutely couldn't let this information reach the wrong hands. While the appearance of a Senju who could use wood release would no doubt be seen as a boon to the village, especially after the Kyuubi attack and the loss of the Fourth Hokage, it couldn't be further than the truth.

In the eyes of their enemies he was a grave threat that needed to be eliminated before he had a chance to grow, and that was only with him being a Senju. If they were ever to find the full extent of Kenji's abilities, then they would be knocking on their doorstep within a month.

He would be lying if he said he didn't feel a sudden rush of excitement at knowing that there was finally a Senju in the village. The village desperately needed a beacon of hope, and what better than someone that shared the same blood as one of the founders of the village.

He had already issued a law that prohibited anyone from talking about the events of this Genin exam, it wouldn't stop any leaks, but it should at least stem part of the problem until they could find a better solution.

Knock. Knock.

Taking his eyes of the pile of paper work, Hiruzen called out, "Enter."

The door was opened and two of his old friends sluggishly walked inside, closing the door behind them. They looked as tired as him, with dark bags under their eyes from sleepless nights.

"Hiruzen," they said as one as they gently lowered themselves on the couch in his office.

"Homura. Koharu-"

"It's no use Hiruzen. We can't stall her any longer. Madam Shijimi demands that we let her see Kenji today," the aged kunoichi interrupted him.

Like the Third, the two councilors had been working around the clock trying to do damage control. Many of the Nobles from the Capital had become unbearable to deal with, asking needless questions and such. The Daimyo and his wife had asked to meet with Kenji a number of times, but Homura and Koharu had been able to deter them thus far using different excuses.

"What is to be done with the boy," Homura asked as he rubbed his tired eyes and adjusted his glasses. "It's been more than two weeks. We can't just keep him in that cell."

"Don't fear old friend I have a plan for that. Jiraiya get your ass in here!" the Hokage ordered and Jiraiya appeared in a plume of smoke in the center of the room.

"Hey sensei, you're not still mad about the Exam are you," the Toad Sannin said from a safe distance.

The pen in Hiruzen's had snapped like a twig when the exam was mentioned. "Sit your ass down Jiraiya. We were just discussing what we will do about Kenji Yamamoto."

The white-haired pervert knew he was already on thin ice so he did as he was told without much complaint. "So what do you have planned for the little guy?"

"First we must discuss about the events of the battle. We cannot simple ignore the fact that he used an S-rank jutsu on many of his fellow recruits. It is miracle in itself that no one actually died," the Hokage stated as he took out his pipe from the pocket in his robes.

It was Jiraiya's turn to chime in, "I've been meaning to discuss that by the way. The kid definitely used senjutsu in that fight. I was standing right next to him when he launched that bolt of lightning into the sky as well as make those wooden tree roots that protected him. However there was something strange about it."

"Strange how?" Homura asked.

"First of all, there was no indication that he was going to attack. He clearly intended to surrender but then he froze all of a sudden. I might not be the best sensor in the village but even I felt a shift in his chakra presence. Only thing is that it didn't feel like him anymore. It almost felt like when a Yamanaka bodys someone," the Toad Sage said with a serious expression.

Koharu released a tired breath, "This could be bad. How certain are you about this Jiraiya?"

"There's more though. The mask that crumbled into metal sand, I took it to Fukasaku. He said that the mask was a receiver of some sort, and it had a strange chakra signature, different from the artifacts that Kenji had previously made. Do you know if he made it or if someone gave it to him?" Jiraiya aimed the question at his sensei that was looking though a file.

The Hokage scanned though the testimonies that the Anbu had taken from the boy. "He has been very forthcoming thankfully. One of the few questions he asked was about the whereabout of his mask. When they questioned him on the importance of the mask, all he said was that it was a gift from someone."

"All of this is starting to feel a little fishy. The timing is all to perfect. I have no doubt in my mind that someone was controlling him," Jiraiya threw in his two cents as he leaned back on his chair.

"I'm starting to get a migraine just thinking about it," Hiruzen said as he rubbed his temples, "Anything else you can tell us."

Jiraiya's face went serious as he unsummoned a scroll and handed it to the Hokage.

Seeing the expression that his former student was making, Hiruzen almost didn't want to open it for fear it would make his migraine worse. Still he needed to know.

As he read the contents of the scroll, he felt his insides go cold.

"What does the scroll say Hiruzen," Koharu asked.

Jiraiya answered instead, "My spy network has reported appearances of animals with strange powers all over the Land of Fire. More and more of these chakra beasts are starting to appear. It's not just here either, some of my informants in other countries have reported the same thing."

"Could there be a correlation between this and Kenji Yamamoto. As we already know, he is suspected of being the person responsible for creating these abominations," the old woman asked.

Jiraiya shook his head, "I don't know for certain yet. What I do know is that the first reported case was two weeks ago."

Nothing more was needed to be said as all of them got the implications.

"This is turning into a disaster isn't it," Homura said while closing his eyes in thought.

"If Jiraiya's theory is true, then that means that there is someone out there that not only knew of Kenji's ability but also created a situation where he could momentarily take over the boy and use him for some unknown purpose. This is truly troubling," Koharu summed up perfectly.

Jiraiya turned to the Third just as he finished the list of reports, "What of his pets? The chakra beasts he was able to tame. Have you found any trace of them yet?

"None. Our best trackers have been unable to find neither hide nor hair of them. They disappeared as soon as Kenji was taken into custody. Another curious thing is that when they patted him down, they were unable to find any of his equipment. Likewise, his room had been cleared out by the time that Anbu could arrive," Hiruzen couldn't help but be impressed.

"Really. That kid is something else. He has so much raw talent that it's unnatural. It's like every Senju of the past is on his shoulder guiding him."

"Kami I hope not. I owed quite a few of them some money," Hiruzen muttered.

"My point is that Kenji could be a great asset to this village. Currently he knows the most about these chakra beasts and he has the capability of taming them, if the rabbit and weird dog-lion is anything to go on. Not to mention his weird ability to imbue items with nature chakra."

"What do you mean. I thought he only became a sage recently?"

"Well yes, he might have only recently achieved Sage Mode, but from what Fukasuka tells me, the artifacts he creates utilize a strange form of nature chakra. Even he's not sure to tell the truth. The kid has been using nature chakra all this time without knowing it. It's not fair! It took me years to learn Sage mode! Years I tell you! And when I do use it, I turn into a toad person! And now this kid comes along and does it in less than a day, and all he gets is some cute face paint! Some people have all the luck," Jiraiya ranted as he began to pace around the room in circles.

The elders rolled their eyes at his childness.

"Despite that last part, Jiraiya does bring a good point Hiruzen. Kenji Yamamoto could be an invaluable piece if he was guided correctly," the only female in the room said rationally.

Hamura nodded as well, "She's right. With careful guidance he could be one of the best shinobi in the village. He has remarkable healing ability as seen when he regrew his arm, something that not even Tsunade could do without unleashing her Yin Seal. Not to mention the boost in missions when people find out that the Leaf Village finally has a Mokoton user. Costumers from all over the nation would come just to catch a glimpse of him."

Slumping back in his chair Jiraiya warned them, "I'd be careful of underestimating him. Despite his goofy nature, a skilled tactician is just under the surface waiting for you to make a mistake. I read some of those notes in his novels, the battle depicted in them were well thought out and showed great insight in strategic and military tactics. Not to mention that he we haven't even seen all that he could do yet. I could tell that he took great care to hold back when he was facing against others. Sure he would break bones and other injuries but he never used moves that would prove to be fatal to his opponents. The only reason why we learned of his healing ability was because he was taken off guard with that cat-gator creature," Jiraiya had the decency to look guilty when he said this, "if it weren't for that, I doubt we would have seen it at all. He only showed what he wanted us to see."

Jiraiya stood up from his seat and walked toward the open window. He took out the telescope artifact and began to adjust the dials on the side until he was able to see the woman's bath. "The kid is powerful in his own right. I doubt there is anyone in his generation that could match him right now, including the clan heirs. He is strong, fast, smart, and more over tricky. He doesn't let emotions rule him either. When he found out that his friend was a traitor, he didn't get sad or angry like most, instead he devised a plan to counter her. And despite his willingness to listen to orders I can tell that he won't allow himself to just be led around blindly."

Hiruzen exhaled a large puff of smoke before turning to his pupil who was giggling perversely, "You know that Kenji will demand you return him that telescope, right?"

The Toad Sannin looked scandalously as he clutched the telescope closer to his chest, "No way in hell am I returning it, he'll have to rip it out of my cold dead hands before I let that happen."

"From what others have told me, that sounds exactly like something he would do."

"So what's your decision Hiruzen? How do you plan to deal with him?" Koharu asked.

Stretching his back to relieve some of those ache the Hokage smiled, "I think I have given him enough time."

"Enough time?"

"If he is truly as smart as everyone think he is, then no doubt he used this time to think of various ways to appeal to us in order to stay out of prison. Cat, I want you to take this note to the Anbu ordered to watch over Kenji. Then I want you to personally escort him to the designated spot," he ordered as he handed the note to Cat, who appeared at his side.

"It's just as you described Jiraiya, Kenji should not be handled with the mentality of wanting to control him. Instead we will appeal to his greed and reach a compromise that will satisfy all parties. Madam Shijimi is no doubt waiting for the chance to drag him to the Capital, something we can't allow. Right now, we need something to permanently tie him to the village."

"Do you have something prepared?"

The Third nodded as he took out a folder from his desk. They contained the documents that would decide everything.

All three stood up from their positions and crowded around his desk, reading the papers.

"This is-"

"That might work."

"Wait. So you kept Kenji in that cell all this time because you were waiting for him to find the solution to his own problem. I don't know if I should call that devious or just plain lazy."

They reviewed the information in the packet, thinking of the best way to use it to their advantage.

Cat appeared back in the room a few minutes later, "Hokage-sama, Kenji Yamamoto has been brought to the appointed destination as ordered."

"Well done Cat. It's time to be off," the Third said as he stood up from his seat and out of the room followed by his two advisors. "Are you coming Jiraiya?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'll be up in a second," the self-proclaimed super pervert stated as he went back to using the telescope.

(Scene change)

Kenji sat calmly in his seat, drumming his fingers against the white round table in front of him.

He was currently on top of the Hokage Tower. A squad of 4 shinobi guards stood vigilant along the perimeter of the area looking inward. He was sure that there were more hidden around the area, just waiting for him to make a mistake.

His slim and beautiful appearance looked especial elegant as a soft breeze fluttered his robes and lifted his brown hair behind him. The only thing out of place was the white bandages over his eyes. However, they were there at his own request, rather than it being a precaution by the shinobi.

'The world is too bright now. I was not expecting to almost be blinded the second I got out of the cell,' the small boy thought about how he had been overwhelmed by all of the colors coming out of his surroundings.

However even after closing his eyes and covering them with a blindfold, Kenji could still see. Everything was just a different shade of grey, black, or white. It looked like one of those old time black and white movies. His range wasn't that long, only thirty feet in radius.

Before he left his cozy cell, they had patted him down for any would be weapons and had given him a new set of clothes. Kenji would be lying if he said he didn't feel flattered by all the precautions.

His ears twitched when he heard the steps of people coming up the staircase.

When they entered his range, Kenji could finally tell who they were. It was the Third Hokage followed by his trusted advisors.

Kenji stood up from his seat and turned to face them, feeling as the shinobi around him tensed. He gave them a bow of respect and smiled, "Greetings Hokage-sama and Councilors Utatane and Mitokado. It is an honor to finally meet you?"

Hiruzen returned the smile as best he could, "Kenji Yamamoto, I've been meaning to have a talk with you. I apologize for not get to it until now. I hope that you have been treat well."

"Yes sir, it has given me much time to think."

"That's good to hear, we have much to discuss," the Hokage said as he gestured for everyone to sit around the table. "Cat. I don't believe I asked for Kenji here to be blindfolded, is there a reason why he is?"

A person appeared next to him in a submissive crouch. Kenji recognized this person as the Anbu always tailing him. If he remembered correctly, she was Yugao Uzuki.

"He asked to be blindfolded Hokage-sama. He stated that his eyes were hurting," she reported diligently.

Hiruzen waved her off and she disappeared out of Kenji's range.

"Is there something wrong with your eyes Kenji-kun," the Third said in a worried manner, wondering if this would be a problem.

Kenji gave him a smile as he shook his head, "No, no, Hokage-sama. It's just eye strain, from reading too many books. I was not prepared for the sun to be so bright today is all."

"It is good to hear that it is nothing. Now then why don't we get to the root of the matter. I take it you understand why we are here," the Third said trying to gauge how much he knew.

Kenji felt a shift in their emotions and it took him a second to understand what they were. With a mental grin he answered, "You are to decide what to do with me. I apparently used a jutsu during the final test that was deemed too dangerous. The rule against the use of lethal force against fellow Leaf Ninja was therefore broken. Normally this would be a clear and cut case, but the fact that I have yet to be transferred into a public prison leads me to believe that you have yet to pass judgment for whatever reason. Is that close enough?"

Hiruzen felt reassured in his assessment of the boy. "You are right on all accounts, Kenji-kun. Then can you guess as to why you were brought here."

The boy swung his legs back and forth under the table as he feigned deep thinking, trying to buy time so that he could get a better understanding of their emotions. This wouldn't be a problem if he was touching them, but he was trying to do it at a distance which was harder than it would appear.

"You wan- no. You need something from me. Hmm… could it- no that doesn't make sense. Then what about… no. Perhaps? Naw. I'm sorry to say that I don't know what it is you want from me Hokage-sama," he said with a shrug and carefree smile.

Seeing as his plan had been seen, Hiruzen gave a chuckle. This was starting to become interesting.

Hamura let out an exhausted yawn at his moment.

"Hmm? You all seem to be tired. They say it is not good to overwork the body. I find a good cup of tea can help calm the mind and relieve fatigue," the small boy said, ready to show his hidden card.

Koharu thought some tea would be great right at the moment, "Yes, I'll call someone to prepare some immediately."

"Not to worry Councilor Utatane, it just so happens I brought my own," the little merchant exclaimed as he reached into the depths of his sleeves and took out a tea pot.

The shinobi around them became alert. They had checked him for all hidden objects, so the chances of him being able to sneak a tea pot should have been impossible.

The Hokage and the Councilors however took this for what it was, a show of power. Kenji was basically saying that despite being watched carefully by their best agents, he was able to sneak something like that to this meeting. He demonstrated that just because he was willing to listen to them, it didn't mean they could truly hold him even if they wanted to.

Now it was their turn to respond.

'He's very sly I'll give him that. It would be best to not treat him as an ordinary child, despite his disarming appearance.' "That is very considerate of you Kenji. Then if you don't mind we will take you up on this offer."

A small smile appeared on his face once he realized that his plan had worked. Now this meeting would no longer be conducted with the mentality of a superior and a subordinate, instead they would treat him as an equal for the time being.

Reaching into the shadows of his sleeves he grabbed the tea cups and plates that Akame was secretly handing him and placed them on the table. A total of five cups. The last thing he took out was a rectangular airtight tin box.

The Hokage called one of the guards over, Anko Mitarashi if he recalled correctly. He hadn't met her personally, but from what he remembered from the show, she enjoyed tea ceremonies and was a poison expert.

She took the cups and kettle to subtlety checked them for any tampering that could suggest foul play. She found nothing and gave a discreate gesture to the Hokage telling him so.

Next she took a hold of the metal box and opened it, showing it to be filled with loose tea leaves.

"It's my own special blend. It does wonders for the body. I've been saving it for a special occasion and this seems just a good a time as any," Kenji told them. What he failed to mention was that tea leaves had been extracted from Stumpy's horn bush and then been left to dry in his cultivating tub, giving it special properties.

Spirit Tea Leaf

Quality: Mid-Human

+ Tea made from this leaf will be delicious and have the following beneficial properties: relieves physical and mental stress, rejuvenates the body, fills the body full of energy. (1 teaspoon of tea leaves per person.)

Chakra Points Needed to Upgrade: N/A

"One scoop per person should be enough," he added helpfully.

Anko still looked unsure but a gesture from the Hokage made her hold her tongue. She had a high resistance to poisons as did the Hokage and the Councilors, so it was unlikely that the boy would try to do something like that. And even if he did it was unlikely that it would work considering that a medical-nin had been stationed a few feet away from them. Not to mention the dozen Anbu operatives that were ready to attack him at the drop of a hat.

She momentarily left to get some hot water but when she returned, she did as instructed and added one teaspoon of loose tea leaves inside the pot for every person at the table including one for herself.

Almost as soon as she added the boiling water did the aroma of the leaves become stronger.

In no time the tea was done, and everyone had a tea cup filled with the golden liquid in front of them.

Kenji was the first to take a sip to show it was not a trick. He was closely followed by Anko who added chakra to her tongue in order to detect any hidden substances that could have been released after the addition of the hot water.

However, she was unprepared for what came next.

As an expert in tea ceremonies she had tried a wide variety of teas, but they all paled in comparison to what she had just tasted.

The taste was something that couldn't be described with mere words, flavors would appear and disappear leaving her befuddled. For a second she thought she tasted cinnamon but when she focused on it, it had turned into raspberry, and then that had turned into lemon. She felt an airy feeling inside of herself and was unable to hold back the small smile that had made it to her face. There was something calming about this tea that managed to dismiss all of her worries. Without realizing it she had drank the entire cup of tea in seconds.

It was then when her eyes shot open and her hand flew toward her left shoulder.

Kenji saw this and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"…M-my shoulder doesn't hurt anymore?" she said simple, throwing the Hokage and Councilors a look to tell them what she really meant.

'Interesting.' "Ah yes, this tea does have a minor healing benefit, it relieves some of the aches and pains from the body," Kenji said with a smile, deciding to play dumb for the time being.

"Ahem. It is delicious," was all that she said as she walked back to her post, but as she did so, she gave Kenji a curious glance.

Seeing that it had gotten Anko's approval the other three drank from their cups.

The moment it touched their tongues they became enchanted with the unique taste. They let themselves enjoy this one moment of bliss, forgetting about all of the stress they had accumulated during the past 2 weeks. When they went in for another sip, they found that their cups were already empty.

Then just like Anko, they felt their minds become clearer and more focused. Their aged and withered bodies also felt better as various cracks could be heard from their bodies as they righted themselves. The pain in their backs and joints had disappeared. They sat straighter in their seat now that their slight hunch was gone. Their skin also looked more vibrant and younger. Overall, they felt 10 years younger.

'Since they were already so old to begin with, the benefits are more noticeable compared to me or Anko. Hmm, something to take into account next time,' the small boy thought as he looked toward the elders that were moving their bodies experimentally.

"Now then, since we are all relaxed why don't we continue where we left off," the Third said as he returned back to his seat, feeling more chipper than before.

"Okay."

"I'd first like to ask a question if you don't mind. Where did you say you got that mask from Kenji?"

Seeing this question coming, Kenji had already prepared a response, "Oh that. I'm not sure to tell you the truth, it just appeared in my room one morning, about three days before the test. There was no note or anything, so I thought it must have been a present left by one of those Anbu assigned to watch me."

From the small signals that the three gave each other, it seemed that that was the right answer.

"I see. Now then, I would like to start off by saying that you have been pardoned from all crimes committed during the exam. So there is no need to fear," Hiruzen told him.

That momentarily stunned the small boy, but immediately put him on guard. "I humbly thank you Hokage-sama. I am sure that this must not have been an easy decision. But might I ask why?"

It was Koharu that answered this time. "Tell me young Yamamoto-san, what do you know of your lineage."

"I am an orphan, Councilor Utatane. As far as I am aware, it could be anything."

"Now, now, Yamamoto-san, surely you have some inkling to what it might be."

"…Surely you are not suggesting what I think you are?"

Homura that had stayed quite until now chose to speak, "We all witnessed you use wood release during the exam Yamamoto-san. In the entire history of this village, there has only been one clan with that ability. It's only logical to conclude that you might have some ties with them."

Kenji snorted, "Me? A Senju? Your sense of humor is truly amazing Councilor Mitokado. That however is impossible. "

The Hokage took out a folder from his robe and slid it to the small boy.

Kenji opened the folder, curious to what it contained and scanned the medical papers inside with a disbelieving expression. A simple DNA test showed that he indeed had Senju blood.

He gave them a skeptical look, or at least as much as he could with a blindfold, "This doesn't mean anything. The Senju were known for marrying outside of their clan. I'm sure that many in the village has at least some Senju blood in them, and not doubt they are more pure than me."

The aged leader knitted his fingers together as he leaned in close, "You sound rather defensive about this?"

"I'm not."

"Really? Cause to me it sounds like your trying your best to deny this fact? Most orphans in your position would be overjoyed to learn that they have some family remaining?"

"Family?"

"Princess Tsunade," Koharu chimed in.

"Her? No offense Elders but I would rather not be associated with someone like her."

"Why is that?"

"From the rumors I've heard, it seems that she is a violent drunkard that has no sense of responsibility. Also she's a very loose woman if her nickname is anything to go by."

The Third was taken aback by the rather harsh description of his former student, "No, no, Kenji-kun, there seems to be a misunderstanding. Her nickname comes from her poor judgement when it comes to money."

"What! That's even worse!" Kenji said with scorn.

All that were listening sweat dropped at his response.

"Moving on. The reason why I brought this up, is because you my dear Kenji are currently the only candidate to restore this long forgotten clan."

'Why would they bring this up now? This entire conversation is starting to sound fishy. But why would they offer- Those sons of a-' Kenji thought having figured out their plan, 'they want to trap me here. For a ninja clan to exist, either the Clan Head or the heir must be a shinobi at all time. But since I would be the only member in the clan, then it would be expected of me to be a shinobi until the day I die or until I could pass on the title of Clan Head to someone else. Nice try, but I'm not going to be a shinobi for all of my life.'

"Ahem, thank you Hokage-sama for telling me this, but I have no plans of ever taking the Senju title or restoring the clan. I do not want my achievements to be downgraded simply for belonging to a famous clan. I want the world to know me as Kenji Yamamoto not Kenji Senju," the small boy said with an apologetic smile.

"That is most disheartening to hear. I'm sure that you and Tsunade have many things in common if given the chance."

"I would appreciate it if you did not tell her of my existence if possible. I have lived without a family just fine until now, I don't need one now."

"…I will respect your wishes Kenji-kun but be aware that the truth will come out sooner or later."

"Thank you."

"Now on to other matters. I think it is high time that we talk about your crafting of these 'artifacts' as you call them. I would also like to discuss your involvement in why the Forest of Death is currently overrun by mutated animals," the Third said in a stoic tone to show that he was very serious.

Luckily Kenji had plenty of time to come up with a plausible excuse. "I take it you've already tested everything and still couldn't find out how I did it."

The Hokage took another folder from a seal in his wrist and passed it to Kenji, "Would you be so kind in explain this?"

Inside was plenty of incriminating evidence that showed Kenji as the culprit. One whole page was just on the exact crimes he had committed as well as the jail time he could be facing along with a rather large fine for all of the damages to the environment.

"Hurk! 5-5-5 billion," he stuttered out loud when he saw the final total. The greedy merchant felt lightheaded all of a sudden, as he went to pick up his cup of tea with trembling fingers.

The three grinned inwardly, glad to know that they had managed to unbalance the small boy. They had struck where it hurt the most, his wallet.

"I-I see. It looks like you have me in a corner. So what would it take for this to disappear," he said pushing the folder back to the Hokage.

"You can begin by telling us exactly how this came to be," Homura said.

"I suppose there is no choice then. I will begin with my ability," Kenji told them. 'This is all going to plan… well almost. 5 Billion! Really!?'

"I don't know how it works, but I've been able to channel chakra into objects for a few months now, and for what ever reason if I give them enough they gain certain abilities."

"Since you collapsed in the street you mean."

"I'm amazed that you were able to figure that out. Yeah, ever since my fainting spell, I got this ability. I have a theory of how it works though."

"Oh, what would that be?"

"I ran into a traveling monk that helped me out. He told me that all things in nature have something he calls 'kami'. Everything from rivers to mountains to animals or manmade tool. I think that I am somehow using my chakra to activate the kami in things. This would explain why I have no control over what ability they have."

"You mean you don't know what their ability is going to be beforehand," Koharu questioned.

The small boy shook his head, "Sorry, but you have as much a guess as me. The abilities could be anything, and I don't know it after it is done."

It was Homura turn to ask something, "And how does this tie in to the chakra beasts."

"Seeing as you have all this evidence against me, there is no need for me to hide this," he told them with a sigh as he held his tea cup by the handle.

Tea Cup

Quality: Normal

Defense: 12

Chakra Points Needed to Upgrade: 2

"Sometimes when I give objects chakra, they are unable to hold it," he explained as he began to upgrade it before them until it reached level 8. The next time he tried to upgrade it, it failed and crumbled into blue dust that fell on the dish under it. "When that happens, the item gets destroyed and turns into a blue dust. Back when I was first figuring out my ability, I didn't know what it could do so I was flushing it down the drain. It wasn't until later that I found that it had some miraculous properties. With it, I could make pills and elixirs. However, animals could also benefit from the dust. They could grow intelligent and gain the power to use different elemental attacks."

Hiruzen rubbed his beard pensively, "I see. You don't mind if I…"

"Oh no, by all means," Kenji offered as he took the plate full of chakra dust and handed it to an Anbu operative that appeared right next to him.

"It is very good that you decided to be honest about this Kenji-kun," the Third said with a kind grandfatherly smile, "it is good to own up to your mistakes."

"I understand that what I've done can not be easily overlooked, Hokage-sama, so I am willing to help you in anyway I can," Kenji offered humbly. 'Come on, take the bait.'

"If that is truly your honest opinion then perhaps there is a way for all of this to be resolved."

'Yes!' "And what might that be Hokage-sama?" Kenji asked like curious child.

"You have an amazing gift Kenji, your ability could benefit the entirety of the village if used wisely."

"I know this Hokage-sama, which is the reason why I had been so determined to build a shop. So that ninja and civilians alike could benefit from this ability of mine."

"Is that so? Then how would you like a chance to achieve this dream of yours," the old man told him.

"Do you mean to say that you would allow me to build my shop?"

"Yes, precisely that."

"That's very generous of you Hokage-sama, but I can't help wonder what you would ask in return for this," the merchant boy said in a cautious tone.

"In order for you to make your shop, there will of course be certain conditions," the Hokage told him as he took out a scroll from his sleeves showing that he too had come prepared.

Opening the scroll, Kenji read over the list of agreements, making sure to frown as he continued to read it even if on the inside, he was feeling the opposite. 'These conditions are better than I could have hoped for, but I can't tell them that. Let's see how far I can take this.'

"Ahem, I'm sorry Hokage-sama, but this says that I need to disclose the techniques used to make my pills and elixirs. This also says that I need to disclose all information on chakra beasts that I currently have. Chakra artifacts will also need to be regulated and go through screening before sold. Not to mention a bunch of smaller things."

"Oh I see now that this deal might come off as a little one-sided. Then perhaps you would like to add your own demands to help even the odds," Hiruzen said as he passed Kenji a pen.

Holding back a devilish grin, Kenji took the pen and made some small but reasonable adjustments to the list.

His demands were simple.

He would agree to give them all of his current pill and elixir recipes as well as teach group of people the art of alchemy. In exchange he would get royalties from every pill made using his techniques.

Next he agreed to give them all of the information on the chakra beasts, as well as a method in how to tame them. However this information would become public knowledge for anyone that wanted to learn it, and again he would receive a portion of the sales from the books sold. He also wanted all information on his involvement in their creation to be erased.

Concerning the regulation of chakra artifacts, he agreed that they should be regulated, but a system needed to be created using the input from him, the Clan Heads, the Hokage, and the Daimyo so that it would benefit all.

The last major change was that he wanted to be acknowledged as adult with all the rights and responsibilities it entitled but without being a shinobi.

Then there were small things like, a reduction in business taxes, the power to deny service to anyone no matter their title, the power to reclaim stolen artifacts, the ability to set his own prices and such.

The three looked over the list carefully. It all looked great to them, all except, "I'm sorry Kenji-kun but this one is impossible, we can not give you full legal rights if you aren't a shinobi of the Leaf."

"Are you sure an exception can't be made? I don't fancy myself dying during a mission to be honest."

The Third shook his head before continuing, "None I'm afraid, the Second made a law that prohibits this exact thing from happening to protect civilians. It was to prevent families from selling their children in arranged marriages and such."

'Tch. Damn Senju.'

"However, I can offer you this. You will be given the chance to refuse missions with a ranking of B or above."

"I'll take it then."

Koharu rolled up the scroll and summoned an Anbu guard to bring in some paper and ink.

"Then we have a deal?" Homura stated.

"Yes," was all Kenji said, unable to believe he had gotten away with it.

"Oh, one last thing Kenji-kun. I would appreciate it greatly if you were to offer council or some type of assistance should a matter requiring your expertise arise."

Kenji smiled softly, "I would be more than happy to help, Hokage-sama,"

"That is good to hear," the Third said, inwardly smiling, unable to believe he had gotten away with it. Now he could push the matter concerning the rise of chakra beasts to the young boy.

The two grinned at each other, unaware what the other was thinking.

It only took a couple of minutes but a contract had been written, with both Kenji and the Hokage signing it, Koharu and Homura acted as witnesses.

Sure the sharing of his methods to create pills might seem damaging to Kenji on the surface, but he was thinking about this in the long run.

He had no problem teaching a couple of people, since this would ultimately fulfill his goal in strengthen the shinobi world. With the help of Konoha, alchemy would become well known much faster than with just him. And despite how much they tried, they would never be able to accomplish the same level as his own pills, but now with a rival to compare, the people would begin to see just how superior his own were. This would allow him to justify him raising the price of his own product. It was perfect, he would get a portion of his rival's earnings and increase his own in one move. Mwahahaha!

The chakra beasts were also another concern. By spreading the information on how to hunt and tame them, it would start a new business venture. He would offer to buy the animals body if it wasn't in too bad a shape or trade it for some equipment. Dismantling would also be impossible for chakra beast that were grade 2 or higher since normal weapons didn't work on them, meaning they would be forced to come to him or risk letting it rot away. He would get a stead supply of crafting materials without even having to leave the village. It was perfect.

Finally, the system for chakra artifacts. With it in place, people would start to get more interest in them, after all the more restricted something was, the more people wanted it. It was greed and pride at its finest, with people themselves raising the level of importance on his goods. Also since the Daimyo would take part in this discussion, he would no doubt make it favorable to civilian like himself and stop any monopoly that the shinobi might try to implement. And with him setting his own prices, this meant that he could raise or lower it to fit his needs and no one would be able to complain.

He had never even once considered running away from the village. He was too important and not nearly strong enough to survive on his own, especially know that he knew Danzo was keeping an eye on him. His goal was to make a lot of money, but that would all be worthless if he kept having to watch over his shoulder for the rest of his life.

'No, if you want to own me like a good little pet, then you better be willing to put up with all my selfish needs because this doggy is ready to be pampered,' the greedy boy thought. "Would anyone like another cup of tea?"

"If you don't mind," the Hokage said with a carefree smile.

"Not at all."

Anko made her return and began to make a fresh pot of tea.

"Now all that is left, is to find a piece of land to build my shop," Kenji said out loud.

Hiruzen took out another folder and handed it to him, "Not to worry Kenji-kun. I took the liberty of purchasing the land you wanted in your name, as well as a little extra, free of charge of course."

Kenji felt a grin raise on his face, "Thank you Hokage-sama"

It was then that a plume of white smoke erupted near them.

A white-haired man that could only be Jiraiya was standing on a battle toad with stupid grin as he began to introduce himself in a ridiculous dance, "I am the man who has no enemies in the North, South…"

Kenji recognized the signature right away. It was Yuuto from the exam or Jiraiya now. Immediately things began to click in his mind and he felt a bubbling annoyance build inside him. He also felt the telescope that he had forgotten to get back on the Toad Sage's body. "If you'll excuse me Hokage-sama, but I'll be activating the retrieval clause now."

"-The great Jira-Urk!"

The fool was just about to finish his infamous dance when Kenji shushun-ed in front of him and threw an uppercut right into his groin. His eyes bulged out as the air left his lungs and he fell over on his summons. The giant battle toad disappeared seeing as his presences was no longer needed.

Kenji crouched next to him and began to rummage through his clothes.

He found the telescope easy enough and just about to walk away when a hand grabbed his ankle. He turned to look at the Toad Sannin that had tears running down his face.

"P-please. Don't take it away, it's all I have?" Jiraiya begged the small boy as he clung to his pants.

Kenji tried to shake him off, but the man was determined to stick on.

"Come on Vice-Captain. It's me your best friend Yuuto. Remember all the good times we had. I know! I'll trade for it, how about limited-edition copies of my books!"

The small boy felt a tick mark form on his forehead, so he threw a punch at the man's face.

"Gold Edition!-"

"No!"

It was then that Jiraiya managed to grab the telescope out of Kenji's hands, "Aha! It's mine!"

However, before he could even take his first step, the small boy was already on him, looking like a possessed beast. He knocked Jiraiya over and began to rain blow after blow on his face.

"Ark. Ahh! Arg- Why- Isn't- Anyone- Stopping him!" the man shouted to the other shinobis who were just watching him get beating.

Anko looked to the Hokage. The Third answered her unspoken question with a simple hand gesture.

Three snakes emerged from the confines of her sleeve and headed straight toward the duo's direction. However they didn't stop Kenji, instead they went to Jiraiya and held down his limbs to stop him from defending himself. The blindfolded boy looked questioningly at the snake mistress but all she did was give him a smile and a thumbs up. He grinned as he continued the Toad Sage's punishment.

The Hokage and the councilors drank their cups tea in bliss, Jiraiya's pain filled yelps acting as a perfect therapeutic sound.

Things were still a long way from being fixed, but at least they were making progress.

A/N: Done. Now it's question time.

First I'll answer one of the ones you all probably had. Why didn't he run away?

The thing is that he wants money, not because he likes holding it but because all of the things he do with it. Being a rouge would severely limit what he could do. Also the Bingo book isn't just for ninjas it also has important people like the Daimyo or influential politicians. So not being a shinobi would save him from being placed in one.

Also another concern you all might have. Rest assured that Kenji won't have the byakugan or any type of dojutsu.

More talisman will make the appearance such as the rat talisman.

Now, I think it is clear what Kaguya did with the chakra dust she took from Kenji in the last chapter. This sets the premise for the fanfic, with Kenji being tasked to deal with these outbreaks and such.

As you can all tell, this chapter was more political in nature. I'll admit that the genin exam got out of hand, so this was a way to even that out.

Now I am sure I left you all much to think about in this chapter…

Bye. Until next time.