8DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY ASSOCIATED CHARACTERS
Hello everyone! I've been wanting to write a Naruto fanfic for a while now, but I wanted it to be original. This is what I came up with. Reviews are much appreciated, as they will help me get this story on its feet quickly. Enjoy!
Thoughts
"Dialogue"
"Kyuubi/Tailed Beast dialogue"
"Kyuubi/Tailed Beast dialogue inside a character's head"
"Radio/mental communication"
Chapter 1
Every time. Every time it ended like this, and yet he was still challenging his older brother. As if every collision with the dirt of the training ground wasn't deterrent enough. His adversary had distracted him with a clone before teleporting behind him and knocking him to the dirt. Accepting the offered hand, Matsuo Namikaze was pulled back to his full height by his older brother, Minato.
At 17, Matsuo was a touch over six feet, sporting the same blonde hair as his brother, only less spiky, and tucked under his leaf headband. His face was more defined, with a sharp chin and piercing blue-gray eyes as opposed to Minato's rounded face and soft blue eyes. He wore a simple, black, long-sleeved shirt underneath his combat vest with Uzumaki crests on the shoulders, not dissimilar to his brother's blue one, over a chainmail shirt. Matsuo was often overlooked due to his older brother's successes, but that didn't mean that he was a slouch. He'd made jonin at 15, and specialized in stealth and frontline combat. Against any foe but his brother, Matsuo could hold his own.
"You're getting better! I think you lasted an entire thirty seconds this time," Minato teased with a smile.
Matsuo rolled his eyes as he brushed the dirt off of his Jonin vest. "That's only because we do this so often that I'm starting to predict your moves, which is more than can be said of anyone else in the world."
Minato shrugged. "Well, I'd love to keep this up, but I'm meeting my new genin team today."
Matsuo's eyebrows rose. "Oh? Maybe I'll tag along and see how the famous Yellow Flash does on his first day teaching."
Minato chuckled. "Alright, just stay out of sight, I don't want any unnecessary distractions on their first day."
Matsuo gave a mock salute. "Whatever you say, Minato-sensei."
As the pair walked towards Team Minato's designated training grounds, Matsuo decided to spark up a conversation. "Know much about your genin yet?"
Minato grinned and placed a hand behind his head. "I may have forgotten to read their files. All I know is their names and what they specialized in at the academy. There's Rin Nohara, a kunoichi. From what I hear, she showed exceptional promise when it comes to medical ninjutsu. Next, Obito Uchiha, a sensory type, or I'm hoping, at least. He and Rin are the same age, but Obito seemed to be in the bottom of the class, and hasn't awakened his sharingan yet."
"That'll make things rough on him until he awakens it," Matsuo remarked. "And the third?"
"Kakashi Hatake. Sakumo's kid. He graduated the academy at five, and has been in the ANBU training program since. Since his class finally graduated, it seems they wanted to assign him to an actual team."
Matsuo nodded. "That's probably for the best. ANBU leaves us emotionally detached. If I hadn't been on a team before I joined ANBU, you might not recognize me right now."
Minato stared at the path ahead as they walked. "Do you wish you would've become a sensei like me?"
Matsuo let out a short bark of laughter. "Of course not. I don't have the patience for it. That's where we're different, big brother," he said, clapping Minato on the back just as they arrived at the training ground.
Matsuo nodded to his brother before turning and walking up the trunk of a tree.
Matsuo had to hand it to Master Jiraiya. This bell test that he'd passed down to Minato was an ingenious way of forcing your team to work together against a superior foe. Divide and conquer rarely applied in the shinobi world. From his perch in the branches of a tree on the outskirts of the training ground, Matsuo studied the four ninja down below.
Rin Nohara, the cheerful one, seemed to always want to lighten the mood, but when it came down to business, she turned serious in an instant. Minato was correct about Obito being somewhat lacking in his skills. The young Uchiha seemed to be all talk, and couldn't back it up with his skills. Then there was Kakashi Hatake.
Matsuo had been a student of Kakashi's father, Sakumo. The White Fang was a master swordsman and deadly foe. Matsuo learned much under his tutelage, though he utilized different types of jutsu. He did pick up a little kenjutsu from the White Fang, though, which he translated to the two chakra blades that remained in his tool pouch.
Matsuo remained a teammate of Sakumo's up until his death. A mission had gone wrong, and instead of completing it and risking any members of their team, Sakumo had ordered the retreat. At the time, Matsuo had criticized his former sensei, arguing for the completion of the mission. What he didn't realize, however, was the toll that it was taking on Sakumo until it was too late. Matsuo often cursed himself for never apologizing to Sakumo before his death.
Evidently, the White Fang had passed his chakra blade to his son, because Matsuo could see the hilt of it extending above Kakashi's shoulder. With regards to the young ninja, Kakashi seemed to be a stickler for the rules, and his fighting style focused on one on one combat.
The exercise was going poorly for the genin, as each one was too focused on getting a bell for themselves to work together. Kakashi constantly attempted to take a bell from Minato himself, never once paying any mind to the other two members of his team. The three little genin took turns attacking Minato, but the blonde jonin simply flipped over them over and over again. Matsuo shook his head at the lack of realization from the teenagers.
At least, until Kakashi stopped his attacks in favor of observation. Matsuo looked on curiously. What is he up to? he wondered.
Suddenly, Kakashi stood up with a determined gleam in his eye, almost as if he finally understood the true meaning of the exercise. "Obito, Rin! The first formation we learned at the academy!"
The other two began to protest, as they were dead tired. "I doubt a simple formation like that would work against Minato-sensei," Rin tried.
Obito paused. "I don't think it'll work either, but I don't have anything else we could try, I'm in!"
The three of them began to rapidly circle Minato, the dust from the ground churning up into the air, creating a miniature cyclone. Matsuo gave a small smirk of satisfaction, as his brother's students finally had some essence of teamwork, though he was pretty sure Kakashi was just using the other two as bait so he could get a bell for himself. Nevertheless, teamwork was still the goal of the test, and technically, they were working together, so Matsuo was pretty sure that Minato woul pass them.
As the dust cloud grew, Matsuo found it harder to observe the action. All he could see now were shadows, Minato's being the only one not moving. Without warning, two shadows converged on the immobile one in the center, and a third leapt high above the others. Matsuo couldn't make out the action, but as the dust finally cleared, he saw a trio of exhausted genin and a smiling Minato, still holding both bells.
"Well done, everyone! I'm pleased to say that you all pass!" Minato said warmly.
Rin and Obito's expressions immediately brightened. "Really?"
Kakashi couldn't look less interested, though. Minato nodded. "That's right. The goal of the exercise was teamwork, and by using a formation in which you all participated, you succeeded even though you didn't get a bell. Remember, teamwork is key. Now, all of you go home and get some rest, we'll start bright and early tomorrow."
As the three teenagers left the training ground, Matsuo leapt off of his perch in the tree and landed in a crouch beside his brother. "I thought they did rather well, once they decided to work together, that is."
Minato nodded. "They're definitely skilled, though I'm going to have to find a way to get through to Kakashi. His father's death has made him value individual skill and shinobi code over his comrades."
"Yes, that could be problematic. Though I'm sure the great Yellow Flash can sort it out," Matsuo teased.
Minato rolled his eyes and smirked. "Come on, let's get something to eat."
After an exquisite meal of pork miso from Ichiraku Ramen, Matsuo trudged back to the Namikaze residence alone, as Minato had run off to 'work on a new justu.' Though Matsuo knew he was really sneaking off to see Kushina. The two of them had been nigh inseparable ever since the daring rescue that Minato had pulled off.
Matsuo had no such special person in his life, just his brother. He was in ANBU, and attachment was the death of duty in the shinobi special forces. It was a tedious and mentally taxing lifestyle, but Matsuo tolerated it because he had a village to protect, and a family to come home to.
The Namikaze brothers' parents had died some years before, and the house still felt empty to Matsuo without them, though Minato's presence, and occasionally Kushina's lessened that void somewhat. Being one of the lesser clans, the Namikaze had a simple wooden house, fenced in by wooden posts. It wasn't anything special, but it was home.
Matsuo had just began to settle in for the night when he heard a knock on the front door. Curiously, he trudged over to it. He knew it wasn't Minato or Kushina, as neither of them would knock. When he opened it, he was surprised to see the small form of Kakashi Hatake staring up at him.
"Minato-sensei, I was just coming to confirm the training time for tomorrow," the small white-haired ninja explained.
Matsuo blinked. "Um, Kakashi, right? You see, I'm not Minato, I'm his younger brother, Matsuo. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Kakashi remained silent for a moment before turning on his heel. "I'll come back later," he said over his shoulder.
Well that was pleasant, Matsuo thought sarcastically before closing the door and heading off to bed.
Matsuo woke to the sunlight streaming through his window, as well as the unusual sounds of people rushing back and forth outside. Matsuo threw open his curtains and was confused as to why so many people would be in such a hurry on this side of town. After all, the Namikaze house was on the outskirts of the village.
Matsuo quickly threw on his chainmail and his long-sleeves and Jonin vest before pulling on his sandals and heading out into the main room. Looking out into the backyard, Minato could be seen with his genin team. Matsuo debated leaving them alone, but he was just too curious. He had to know what was going on outside. He slid open the back door and stood on the threshold.
"Minato! Why is everyone in such a hurry this morning? The commotion out front woke me up," Matsuo called.
Minato's head flipped around. His expression was uncharacteristically serious at a time like this, with his mouth set in a hard line, and his eyes steely. "If you didn't sleep through everything, you'd know already. You're as lazy as the Naras."
Matsuo waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah. Just tell me. What's the big deal?"
"War. Konoha has gone to war."
Sorry for the short chapter, but I needed a cliffhanger. More chapters coming soon! Drop me a review if you guys enjoyed or have any suggestions!
