Chapter 20

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***

Reaching the barbecue restaurant, we sat down at a vacant table for four and Misami began listing a long list of dishes to a girl who had just approached and introduced herself as an employee of the place. She orders a lot, of course, but acceptable enough for me to pay for. In three years, she and Asami have gotten to know me. After waiting for everything we ordered to be brought to us, we started eating. As we ate, I thought about the return of my Clone.

-"Ha-ah, has it really been three years already?" I couldn't believe it. Even though these three years had been full of training, acquaintances, missions and the like, it was only now that I realised it had been that long. I looked at my friends carefully and thought, "These guys have changed in three years, too."

Asami and Misami. In such a long time, they haven't... they haven't gotten any closer. Even though they've started to act more like family and talk to me like I'm a dear person, they're still just doing their jobs and their reputations show it. In all three years, my reputation with them didn't exceed a thousand. It often went down, sometimes as low as -5000, but it recovered quickly, and it didn't move in the positive direction very often. This only confirmed my conclusions. I was able to get used to this attitude and not get attached to them. I also learnt to more or less play the role of someone who succumbed to their care and charm and became attached to them. In so much time, I've already learnt that it's easier than trying to push them away.

Their power as Kunoichi has grown, and they've both increased in rank. Surprisingly, both Asami and Misami only used iron throwing, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu. Of course, Asami was superior to Misu in everything, but the latter was also surprising in her abilities, especially when you remember her age. She and Daruma had become Chunin almost at the same time. Speaking of Daruma. I shifted my gaze to him and saw that he was trying to eat as neatly as possible despite his size. He had really changed during the time I had been training him. The same Daruma Kenshi from the team assignment. I gave him a good scare and beat him up, but after that he surprisingly started to respect me. During our training with him, I had maximised my Reputation and now it was 10,000. At the Exam he was afraid of me, but after my help he came up to me, a few weeks after I split with the Clone....

***

3 years ago.

After splitting with Clone, all my stats were cut in half and it was REALLY unpleasant at first! Feeling like you couldn't move as fast as you used to, feeling everything around you much worse than before, even thinking twice as bad and everything like that was completely unfamiliar!!!! I felt helpless at the time, and several times I tried to ask Kurama to link me to the Clone, but somehow I was able to hold on to the fortitude I had left, which was also diminished. My fighting power was deteriorating too, not only because of the weakening. I wasn't used to moving with my abilities as they were now, and so everything from throwing shurikens to using Rasengan deteriorated. The only good thing at the time was that there were no missions, and I could train and get used to my current strength.

That's when I started those very same training sessions in double time. I released a lot more clones, which gave me a headache after dispelling them and made my whole body ache from fatigue, but my stamina somehow allowed me to endure it all and I was rapidly increasing. I used the clones, of course, for control training and getting used to their current capabilities, making them throw iron and use techniques in battle with each other. On my own, I was trying to regain characteristics. That's also when I started using weights. I hadn't used them before, as Gai had told me not to do it yet, and then I forgot about them, but I remembered. It was easy to buy the weights at the Shinobi shop and I started training. It was impossible to train near the house because of the clones, so I went back to the place where Gai and I trained and did it there. A few days after I started my recovery, some guy came to my training ground.

- Menma-dono!" he shouted as he walked up to me and then sharply lowered his head down. "Please, let me train next to you!" I was a little dazed and couldn't understand what was going on.

- What? Boy, who are you? I didn't know this guy.

- What? Я... я... my name is Daruma Kenshi! Please, let me rub--

- Daruma? Who is this? Do I know you? - I really didn't realise who it could be.

- Menma-dono, you don't want me to bother you?! Please forgive me, I'll never bother you again!!! - he turned around and ran away from the range.

- What? Wait! - I quickly reduced the distance between us and grabbed him by the shoulder. - I didn't mean that you bother me, I asked who are you? - he opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but I stopped him. - Wait, I remember your name is Daruma Kenshi. I mean, how do you know me? And how would I know you?

- Y-you really don't remember? I'm the guy who dared to offend your d-girlfriend at the team assignment and the guy who Menma-dono helped at the Chunin Exam....

- Ahh! I remember! You're the guy who begged me for mercy! Oh, I'm sorry. I misspoke.

- No! I really did, and Menma-dono forgave me afterwards and helped me on the Exam. I'm really grateful to you!

- Oh, yeah. Speaking of the girl, she's not my girlfriend.

- Oh, I'm sorry I misunderstood. But then who is she to you?

- She's nobody, forget it. So what did you want?

- Please, let me...

- Stop shouting, speak normally!" I shouted as he wanted to shout something again.

- I'm sorry, Menma-dono." he said in a quieter voice.

- That's better. Go on.

- Please, Menma-dono, let me practice next to you." He bowed again, but more slowly.

- What? Next to me? Do you need a training ground? There are many free training grounds on the outskirts, you can go there.

- No! Oh, sorry. I don't need a free range. I wanted to train next to you, Menma-dono.

- Hmm? Why would you do that? You want to copy my techniques or something?

- I wanted to copy your training, Menma-dono. I'm sorry, I'll understand if you say no. Please don't feel sorry for me.

- Hmm. I'm only training Taijutsu here and training my body. You won't be able to copy my technique seals or see the scrolls I use.

- No! It will be enough for me to see your physical training. Please allow me.- Are you sure? You won't be able to copy my Taijutsu techniques and you can't copy my physical training either, and you won't be able to follow my movements, much less memorise them.

- Please let me at least try. - Well, I have nothing to hide in my training here anyway, so...

- Go ahead, just don't yell and get in my way.

- Yes! - he shouted and shone with happiness, and I closed my eyes and let out a weak YAKI. - I'm sorry. I'll be quieter." he bowed, to which I nodded satisfactorily and continued training.

Reputation with Daruma Kenshi +100.

At first he just watched and tried to make out my movements. It was now afternoon, so I was training Taijutsu specifically, and therefore he wouldn't have been able to copy anything anyway. He didn't really leave until the evening and tried his best to follow me and repeat my moves until I left on my own.

The next day when I got to the range he was gone and I just grinned and started my training. By about ten o'clock I saw Kenshi come to the range and stare at me in surprise. After a few minutes he came closer and stopped about thirty metres away from me. I realised he was waiting for something and asked.

- What do you want?

- I'm sorry to bother you, Menma-dono.

- It's nothing, so what did you want?

- What time do you come here to train?

- What? Well, usually at six or seven, why?

- I see! Sorry to disturb you! Go on! - he moved back about sixty metres and started trying to copy my moves.

- I just kept practising, trying to ignore his clumsy movements.

Reputation with Daruma Kenshi +50.

After an hour he went somewhere and came back by 5pm and continued his training to imitate me. The next day when I arrived at the range, he was already waiting for me there in his seat.

- Good morning, Menma-dono!

- You're making a lot of noise! Noisy! - Seriously, his shouting is ear-splitting. He'll never be a singer.

- I'm sorry, I'll try not to make any more noise.

- Ha-ha, it's okay. Good morning. He got even more glowing after my reply.

Reputation with Daruma Kenshi +100.

Just like yesterday, he left again at eleven and didn't return until six in the evening. After training, I left the range as usual. After a week I got used to my reduced stats and was doing okay on missions, but I didn't leave the training to regain my former strength. All the days I was at the range, Daruma was there too, and still trying to train the same way. After my physical performance training, he just huffed and puffed, and after he couldn't repeat even a fifth of it, a reputation boost notice came to me again with him. I thought he would quickly give up and abandon all attempts to repeat me, but to my surprise, he tried despite failing. At first Daruma trained Taijutsu as well, but after a few days he concentrated only on physical training. Kenshi pushed himself to the max every time and was never late in the mornings, coming before me and wishing me good morning every day, I even got used to him being around me all the time. After a month of this kind of pastime, on the morning of one of the days, I approached him.

- Good morning, Menma-dono." he said smiling.

- What's this for?

- W-what are you talking about?

- Why are you training here? You're not good at it, and you can't learn anything. Why would you even dare to ask such a thing?

- It's because. It's about my Sensei." He lowered his head for the first time, not to bow, but because he was sad and faded. - Teams of Clanless Shinobi are given Mentors no higher than the rank of Tokubetsu-Jonin. We got Chunin, but he's... he's a terrible Sensei and Team Leader. On the first day, he just laughed at our potential and said we'd be nothing but meat. He's only officially our Mentor, but he does nothing for our training. This man only takes us D rank missions and reads a book next to us while we work, and takes half of the money we get for completing the mission. But my teammates have Shinobi parents who started training them after the Chunin Exam and they started doing more difficult missions. I'm just an orphan with no one to train me. I wanted to approach the teachers at the academy, but they were also busy.....

- Hmm, so when you leave for half a day, you...

- Yes, I do D-rank missions. I take them by myself and do them alone too. After the Exam, Mentor just stopped talking to us, and so did my co-commanders. D rank missions are the best I can do for now.

- Wait, but you somehow managed to make it to Stage 3 at the exam, didn't you?

- I-I just got lucky. In the first stage, my teammate had the right equipment for the task and, in order not to fail himself, he helped me too. Then when I saw you jump out of the office, I took my team and knowing that you were doing the right thing, I followed you. On the Second Stage you helped me, and in the battles I got opponents only a little weaker than me, and then....

- And then you gave up on me. I see. So you don't have anyone to help you train?

- Yes. The teachers at the academy said I had good control and physical attributes, but a woefully low chakra reserve. It's a miracle I made it to Shinobi.

- Hmm. But you're also very diligent.

- W-really?

- Or just stubborn as a sheep.

- Heh-heh.

- Well, if that's the case, I'm willing to help you train." The guy stared at me in mute shock.

- W- are you kidding me?!

- Would I joke about something like that? Really, after that, my reputation with him reached eight thousand and I thought. "If that's the case, there's nothing left to ten thousand. When he reaches them, he'll be loyal to me like no one else, excluding Mina of course. If that is indeed the case, then I will have my first subordinate. With his physical abilities and control, he reminds me of Rock Lee.

If I can train him and he's loyal to me, I'll have my own killing machine who can activate the Eighth Gate on command.... if I can get him pumped up. But I think with potions and all sorts of ways to pump him up, I can bring his potential up to the same as Lee's, maybe even higher, and with his diligence and loyalty, he can get through a hell of a training session. And when he learns the Eighth Gate, I'll be able to experiment on him to find out how to improve this technique. For example, if I give him a potion of supreme healing while using this Technique, will he be able to use them until the potion's effects wear off? This and other all sorts of hypotheses can be tested on him specifically.

- N-no, of course not.

- Good. Daruma, from this day forward, I will train you to become a great shinobi. I have decided that today you will be my first student and I will take care of you, just like a true Sensei takes care of his students. Do you agree? But you must obey me and never cross me! The training will be hard and you might even kill yourself if you don't do it. But trust me, the results will be amazing. - Of course, I'm going a little overboard... or not. It's not like I'm going to train him like myself, he's going to have to try harder, especially since I have high performance and potential from the start and he's doing worse. But I like his diligence a lot, I truly respect those who try their best!

- Menma-dono..." he said in a low voice, his eyes wet with tears.

- Are you crying?

- N-no, of course not!" he mumbled, wiping away his tears. "I'm sorry, it's just that no one has ever said something like that to me or tried to do something like that before. I'm really happy, Sensei!" he said without covering his tears.

- All right, all right, that's enough. You'll cry about it at home, but now run a hundred laps around this mountain!

- That one?!" he shouted in surprise, pointing at the Hokage Mountain.

- Yes, that one. You're leaving for your mission at eleven, right? Then finish this before eleven. You don't have much time, you better hurry up." I said smiling at my newfound student.

- Yes! Sensei!!!" he ran off at a breakneck pace.

- Don't call me Sensei! Call me Sensei!" I shouted after him. "Well, learning is learning, but I need to restore my body too..." he said.

***

That's when we started talking. It took me a year to regenerate myself and the next two to open the Third Gate. Kenshi's progress was slow at first, but as his supply of Soul Crystals increased, I began to strengthen him, and after three years of hard training, during which he surprisingly never gave up, never ran away, and never complained, he gained a lot of strength, was able to open the first Gate, and even mastered the strength techniques like Princess Tsunade's, which I had learnt in the barrier. He also learnt how to use different weapons and excelled well at it, almost like Tenten in canon. I wanted to teach him Elemental Techniques as well, but he had too little affinity and no predisposition to any element.

I thought about it for a bit and decided what to teach him and what could enhance him. Kenshi now specialises in Taijutsu, which means he's a melee fighter, and there's an ideal Technique for him to use, in most cases, only in close combat. Namely Rassengan! He really liked this technique, but it took him a long time to master it, half a year. But the result was excellent. Now it's not worth it to approach him in close combat... Unless, of course, you're a fighter on the level of Gaius or other high-level melee fighters.

I also taught him to resist most of the Genjutsu techniques, because when he came into my inner circle, Asami and Misa didn't like it and tried to scare or torture him with their Genjutsu techniques. But even when I told him about it, Daruma didn't even think about getting back at them, or even just taking offence. No, he said that he understood and that it was his own fault for not knowing how to counter such techniques. Honestly, I don't understand such good-natured people. I would at least create an "eye for an eye", but I did not impose my worldview on him and teach him to take revenge. Let him be, the main thing is that he is as loyal to me as possible, which I have repeatedly checked.

- Menma-sempai, who was that guy there? I thought you knew him," Misami's slightly childish voice, which was distorted on purpose, brought me out of my thoughts, "does she think I like to feel older? Hmmm.

- Yeah, Menma-kun, it seems like you have a guess as to who it could be, am I wrong?" Asami was staring at me with a question as well.

- Menma-dono, is he your clanmate? I've heard that people from your clan are quite rare. I only know you from the Uzumaki clan, and I haven't seen anyone else in the village with that hair colour.- Daruma was apparently curious too.

- I don't know. Maybe he's from another Village. There are no other Uzumaki in Konoha besides me and another orphan in the orphanage. And I'm the only one with red hair, no one else in the village. - I shrugged my shoulders and left the money on the table after finishing my portion, then walked out of the restaurant at a leisurely pace. Daruma immediately came out after me.

- Menma-sempai, don't leave me with that pervert!

- Uh-oh, who's the pervert? Aren't you the one who tries to sneak into Menma's house every day?

- Leave me alone! Menma-sempai...

- I'm tired today. I think I'll just go straight home. Kenshi, practice without me today.

- Yes, Menma-dono, good night." he bowed to me with a 90° bend.

- Yeah, good night.

- Hey, should I say good night to my sister? I'll miss you in bed, you know.

- Can I stay with Sempai tonight? Misami's tired too... Eh?! Before it turns into a sleepover at my house, I hurriedly left with Shunshin.

- Shhh! Ran away...

***

Hokage's office

- Interesting seal and unusual. I can't figure anything out. Does it really hold the Tailed One so easily while giving him access to his power?" Hiruzen asked, looking at the seal on the young man's back.

- Not really. It's more for communication between me and Three-tailed." the boy smiled and put the mesh shirt back on his harmoniously toned body, which he covered completely.

- Sarutobi sat back down at his desk and Ryoshi sat on the chair in front of him.

- I thought we had already talked about this, Hokage-sama." The red-haired man didn't remove his charming smile, but he had an aura of danger about him.

- I remember Ryoshi-san. And please, just Sarutobi. I don't want my status to make you respect me out of your own free will.

- If you say so. So we've discussed everything?

- Yes, there will be an unscheduled meeting of the Clan Chiefs tomorrow night to resolve this matter.

- I hope everything goes smoothly.

- I will," the Hokage replied with a smile.

- If that's all, I'd like to ask you if I can meet the younger Jinchuriki? Naruto Uzumaki, if I'm not mistaken. I'd like to see what he's like. It would also be nice to meet his older brother too, who I saw at the entrance of the residence.

- That's not a problem, but let me ask you something.

- What is it?

- Menma and Naruto don't know about their family ties, and the other doesn't even know who his parents are. Can I ask you not to divulge this information to anyone, including themselves? It's very important to the Village and there could be trouble if you don't.

- Hmm. Well, I can do that, but, um. are you sure that would keep them from knowing this information?

- What do you mean?

- Soon they'll both be part of the same Clan, and since there aren't too many of us, I plan to put them all in the same house. Now, before this, Menma had never seen Naruto and could believe that his brother was dead. But when he sees him... Firstly, he had seen his brother as a child before his "death", hadn't he? Secondly, the man, who looks remarkably similar to his brother and is practically the same age, has the last name Uzumaki. Thirdly, his eye and hair colour are identical to his father's. And finally fourth, I've never seen anyone else have the same tendrils on their cheeks that Menma and Naruto have. He may believe in sealing Kyubey, but because of these facts... the elder Jinchuriki isn't stupid and will figure it out quickly. But so be it, I won't tell them about it unless they figure it out for themselves. Now, please, can one of your ANBU's escort me to Naruto Uzumaki's location?" Hiruzen sat in a stupor for a few seconds, staring at nothing, and then stopped....

- N-no, I'll take you there myself. But there's something we need to decide. Panther!

- Yes, Hokage-sama.

- Take some ANBU and alert all the Clan Chiefs of tomorrow night's meeting. It's urgent. Tell them that the Hokage has personally requested everyone to attend. Do it.

- Yes, sir. - Sarikawa disappeared into the Shunshin.

- Let's go, Ryoshi-san.

- Yes.