Pov: Kenzo
I hate the heat.
These long sleeved clothes do me no favours and I feel like zing around and doing nothing... especially in this cssroom that doesn't have a fan or air conditioner- wait, does the world have that level of technology? This pce can be very varying with its technology sometimes...
I am currently staying behind after css to do my test- the teacher writes down my answers for me and reads the questions aloud so I may answer them.
I just finished and he is marking them all, I could leave but Naruto got detention today and I might as well sit in a pce I can y my head down.
------
Complete: Perfect score.
Reward: D-rank scroll.
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Yes! Its been so long!
I have a few skills to get to D-rank don't I? Wait... perfect score? Did I get a perfect score on my test? That's great! Why does that constitute as a quest but not other things... maybe I should try getting first in a lot of other things?
Should I just try to join as many competitions as possible? What counts as interesting enough to get rewarded though..? A school test was fine... but not any of the tests I did before... was there something different about these tests?
"Het Oto-sensei?" I call out and my sensei looks up.
"Yes?" He asks.
"Was their... something different to these tests in comparison to other ones?" I ask and he squints at me.
"What makes you say that? Anything specific?" He replies.
...
So there is... but what is it? What did I do differently from the previous ones... this one was more jutsu reted as the previous ones had multiple basics of life questions like math, history and etc.
Jutsu focused- Genjutsu focused actually... a lot of Genjutsu knowledge... oh. In hindsight the knowledge on the test was a bit far ahead from the Academy curriculum... were they testing my knowledge on Genjutsu? Why?
"Was very specific in being genjutsu- but we haven't been learning much about genjutsu in css..." I reply.
"Just an aptitude test- you have certain talents and we wish to develop them instead of teaching ninjutsu which you cannot do" He tells me and I nod.
...
Something is up.
There is two more stares than usual on me today.
Genjutsu test that goes beyond Academy knowledge.
...
They are trying to determine my level of knowledge? But where else would I have gotten this knowledge if not from my skill scrolls... wait- Oorochimaru technically taught me...
"The test was incredibly hard... was that something built for me to complete or for you to see my level?" I ask.
"Ah- hahaha, no its for us to see your level- sorry about that Kenzo it seems you have been panicking, do not worry you have not failed the test as there is no failing it" Oto-sensei replies.
He starts to mark off the tests again.
...
Has he marked mine yet? It sounded like he thought I had failed which I should not have considering my knowledge on Genjutsu... the three stares keep looking at me... I need to alter that test without raising suspicion.
Lets... test something, I mean if it fails something interesting will happen and if not I stay under the radar- win, win.
*Snap*
I snap my fingers and start to weave a genjutsu... the chakra leaps from the sound and carries through the air... careful O, this is extremely hard to work with considering my chakra control is entirely based off snapping my fingers...
I mould and move my chakra as it bounces around the room... okay... one of the stares looked away- one intensified and the other grew more curious.
Someone I can fool... someone who can see my genjutsu and someone who is curious at what I am doing...
No luck then.
And I have exposed myself as capable of casting jutsu with a snap of my fingers...
...
Well. I seem to be between a rock and a hard pce, there was no changing my test without genjutsu and if my watchers can see my work then it is useless to try and sneak my test away from a ninja teacher... all I was relying on was luck and the hope that the three watchers were not that proficient in perception or insight and that seems to have backfired.
I messed up and got a perfect score.
Is this interesting enough for another scroll I wonder?
---
Pov: Hiruzen
"I warned you Hiruzen but you did not listen, Kenzo knows much more than he lets on-" Danzo rudely paces around my office.
"Kenzo knows up to the genin standard for genjutsu- surely that only means Oorochimaru got interested same as us and taught him a few Genjutsu for his tests" I reply with annoyance dripping from my tone.
"Well it certainly seems that you are wrong about the child, I told you to let me handle him but you did not listen! He was with your student for two years- surely you have a small drop of sense under that hat of yours" Danzo speaks down to me and I stand up.
"Kenzo is not-" I try to speak but Homura interrupts.
"This is far worse than a child being a spy! It insults your integrity and the ninja who follow you will believe you to be weak... Konoha is in tough times and you need to be tough" Homura interjects.
"I understand you feel guilty for having lost the friend of Naruto... someone that you swore to protect, but sometimes mistakes happen, sometimes its best to fix those mistakes instead of ignoring them due to guilt- you never swore to protect Kenzo!" Koharu tells me.
"I swore to protect every child in Konoha! You were all there! When I donned these robes I swore to uphold the future of Konoha- to ensure children do not return home in sealing scrolls!" I argue back.
"Enough- you have been too soft on Kenzo, much like you were too soft on the Uchiha... we do not want another incident like Itachi do you? We don't want Kenzo to be torn between his friends and whatever Oorochimaru did to him do we? Let me train him- supervise him-" Danzo speaks and I interrupt.
"Enough? Danzo I am the Hokage, I will never do enough to protect the future of Konoha! You only want his unique constitution same as my student- do not act all high and mighty in MY OFFICE! You two need to understand that there is more ways than war and Danzo you need to understand that Roots job was done the moment we entered into a peace time" I lecture the three children in elderly bodies and they all scoff or frown.
"You cannot deny that Kenzo was hiding his abilities from you- he performed a D rank genjutsu, one not in any of our libraries" Homura says and I sigh.
...
He is right, for whatever reason Kenzo hid his abilities from me and caused such suspicion, I do not know why he would hide having such Genjutsu knowledge... it almost makes him not suspicious as a spy would never make such a blunder- but nonetheless Homura is right, Kenzo needs something to ensure he is not a spy... but I do not wish for Danzo to be judge, jury or executioner.
"T&I wont work- you saw the scars that boy has on him" Danzo reminds me and I grit my teeth.
Oorochimaru is crafty enough to use a child as a spy.
Kenzo is calm enough to confuse us all.
And Danzo puts his foot down only when I know he is right.
...
What should I do?
...?
What will Danzo do with Kenzo once he has him...? Wont he be in the same situation as me? He is unable to study the body past what Oorochimaru has done- without Tsunade or Oorochimaru to help him he cannot figure out anything...
I sternly look up to the three council members and I frown.
Lets ignore what everyone wants right now and focus on what Kenzo needs to do to stop any more suspicion falling onto him.
One. Kenzo needs to confess to any and all knowledge taken from Oorochimaru and his... studies on him.
Two- wait-
...
I just had an idea... Kenzo was interested in learning but didn't want to do the same old Academy stuff... and Danzo wants to 'teach' Kenzo and gain insights into the boy in order to make sure he is loyal... aka he wants to mark him with his seal.
Oorochimaru and his seal did not work on the boy...
Perhaps if I just ask Kenzo if he is willing to start ninja work early... he is a mature boy and unfortunately he cannot get out of this without a scratch... but he surely can gather a few fruits from the thorny bush.
He can infiltrate the leftovers of Danzo's root for me.
But he doesn't have to be fully integrated.
A part time Root member perhaps? Which means no long term missions- the hardest of missions... he would just be training in Root and then attending the Academy before being under a Jonin sensei... Danzo cannot say much after all the bullshitting and loyalty talk...
Yes... Kenzo will just be training as he has to remain in Konoha and Danzo can barely use him there...
I look up at Danzo and smile warmly.
"Fine. You can have Kenzo be part of your 'Loyalty training'... but you may not take him away from the Jonin track" I relent and Danzo frowns... good- all he gets from this is a child to train for a few hours every day... he signed up for babysitting.
I apologise if this is too much for you young Kenzo... but it is much kinder than all other fates.
---
Pov: Kenzo
"Bye Ino!" I wave to the girl who helped me put with my flowers.
And I have free time this afternoon so I can use that D-rank scroll finally, I am thinking of just increasing my hearing to the next stage this time.
...
Nothing actually happened after my accidental/purposeful mess up with genjutsu... its been a few days and I really want something more interesting to happen because if I have to sit through yet another css about ninja chakra basics I cannot replicate I am going to lose my mind.
We just started on control exercises and I can barely stick a leaf to my body and they will only stick to the needle points where my chakra can escape- I am nearly exhausted from sticking leaves to my palm for more than an hour and that means I have utterly terrible chakra capacity, supposedly I can maybe cast a B-rank genjutsu if my reserves are full...
What is the point of Genjutsu affinity if I cannot cast the Genjutsu in the first pce?
Haaa- finding out the downsides to my skills and stats has become a major bummer, I mean why do my eyes have a passive terror effect now? It feels like I am slowly becoming more and more dangerous to my allies rather than my... well I don't really have enemies unless you count my kidnapping with Oorochimaru...
These skills feel very good at first and yet I am getting none of the power- I assumed a skill over S-rank would be amazing but it currently drags me down more than anything.
Who do I have to bme for my mess? Me, I chose those skills that I knew would break and not make much sense and yet I did it again and again.
Maybe I should pick something more helpful next time... like I am using hearing to substitute for vision.
Haaa-
I arrive at my apartment and pce the flowers I bought into my vase before sitting cross-legged on my bed.
I pick up the D-rank scroll on my bedside table and I focus on hearing.
...
I blink.
And when my eyes open I find myself in the deep orange box yet again.
*Scratch!*
I look to the floor and see the scratched message.
'Listen to the surroundings... focus on them and discern the details, a picture painted with sound'
The world goes dark and I sit on the floor- soon enough my ears twitch and I listen intently to what is happening.
*Drip* *slide* *drip* *woosssh!*
"Someone showering?" I ask.
*Drip* *Slide* *Drip* *Woosssh!*
...
Hmmm.
Lets focus.
*Drip* *Rustle* *Slide* *Tap* *Drip* *Woosssh!* *Aaahhh~*
Hair being brushed... the light taps of feet... someone sighing in appreciation- a women's voice.
"A dy showering?" I ask.
...
*Drop* *Drip* *Rustle* *Slide* *clink* *Tap* *Drip* *Woosssh!* *wobble* *Aaahhh~*
The clothes drop... the tap drips... hair brushed... shower door slides open... it clinks against the metal frame... she steps lightly into the shower... shower still drips... shower is turned on... dy nearly slips but feels relief when hit with a warm shower...
As I picture this image the sound stops repeating and is repced with another.
*crunch* *sp!* *crash* *sob*
A leaf? No that's bones being crunched... but what one?
*Stamp* *Crunch!* *Sp* *Crash* *Sob*
That's a foot smming down on it... and the crunch hollows out as the foot sps against stone... so a skull? Someone steps through a skull and sps against the stone floor.
Crash? What is that...
*Stamp* *Crunch!* *Sp* *No...* *Crash* *Sob*
Someone gets hit... someone was struggling and whispered very quietly before getting hit with something wooden... the crash is more like a crunch but splinters off... and the final sob is the attacker crying.
The crunch was of the attacker too...
*Stamp* *Crunch!* *Sp* *No...* *Crash* *Sob* *crackle*
Fire? There is fire... skulls fire and an attacker that doesn't want to hurt the one being attacked... a fire surrounds me and it is close... above below and around... its in a closed off area- a house fire, and the crash splinters in ccks in multiple directions... five? No four directions... chair legs...
*Stamp* *Crunch!* *Sp* *No...* *Sorry* *Crash* *Sob* *Haa..* *crackle*
Someone reluctantly killing another in his own home... someone he knows and it hurts to kill this person- the one being attacked is silent and uncaring...
The sounds stop and I assume I have discerned enough about this situation.
Thanks for reading :)
