now is the winter of our discontent (Pt.9)
Aug. 3rd, 2016 03:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cywscrossFandom: Naruto
Summary: Everyone must do what they can.
On the surface, Konoha gradually relaxes again over the next few months. In the shadows, the shinobi are busier than ever, trying to juggle the extra workload that the military of the village suddenly finds itself neck-deep in.
Naruto is only an Academy student but he knows this much because Anko-nee and Maru-ji are away from home more often than not these days. Anko-nee keeps having to run missions with other Chuunin and Jounin, and Maru-ji is even busier, what with the Hokage heaping the bulk of the S-ranks on him. Maru-ji usually leaves for a mission, comes back a few days or a few weeks later, crashes for twelve hours, eats a meal or two with Naruto and Anko if she’s home, and then he’s back out again, off to spy on or kill someone or whatever else ninja do on S-ranks.
It’s frustrating for Naruto, not because he sees less of his family these days – he does wish that they don’t have to run so many missions but he can understand the necessity of it now that the Uchiha Clan is gone – but because Maru-ji looks more tired than Anko-nee or any other shinobi that Naruto has seen, and he doesn't understand why the Hokage can’t order the other two Sannin home and assign them some difficult missions if he really needs Kage-level ninja to complete those particular S-ranks for him.
But Maru-ji doesn't complain, Anko-nee never looks happy whenever her master goes straight to sleep the moment he gets back but she doesn't complain either, and Naruto is flicked in the forehead by Maru-ji the few times that he tries to complain.
“No matter how big or how small the job,” Maru-ji tells him once. “Or how hard or how easy, or how fair or unfair, in times of hardship, everyone must do what they can. Ninja are strong, so it’s our job to do what we can to protect this village.” A faint smirk. “And I'm the strongest ninja under the Hokage’s command, so it’s only natural that I do the most.”
So Naruto chews on the inside of his cheek and doesn't accuse the Hokage of anything during their monthly visits. He still pulls pranks – can’t let his skills get rusty – but less of them, and only when he’s one hundred percent sure that he won’t be caught, because he’s got more important things to do now, and he doesn't have time to get in trouble, such as having a hot meal ready for Anko-nee or Maru-ji when they get home, and keeping their house tidy so that they don’t have to waste energy doing it, and doing as much grocery shopping as he can in the few stores that grudgingly sell to him, and a number of other things that seem really insignificant compared to what his surrogate uncle and sister are handling.
But they ruffle his hair and give him a hug (Anko-nee) or grant him a rare honest smile (Maru-ji) when he cooks them dinner (nowhere near as good as Maru-ji’s food but at least it’s more edible than Anko-nee’s food) or have their laundry washed and folded (he accidentally bleaches a few shirts the first couple times), so he keeps it up because it’s the only thing he can do, and everyone must do what they can.
Still, even with so many missions on their plate, Maru-ji and Anko-nee still spare as much time as they can to ask how he’s doing at school, to follow up on his tests, and even to train him. Maru-ji finally starts him off on his fuuinjutsu studies by giving Naruto a scroll and a few books on basic sealing (“-to memorize, Naruto. Don’t even think about sketching any seals until I say you can.”), and starts him on hand signs to fundamental jutsus that the Academy won’t begin teaching until after the summer holidays.
And Anko-nee teaches him how to pick pockets and pick locks, and she takes him out around the village whenever she can where they then sit on a roof all afternoon with a genjutsu thrown over them while she points at different people, and Naruto has to tell her what he knows about them just by examining the emotions they show and the way they walk and talk and eat and a hundred different other things that he’s slowly getting better at picking out.
And when he’s by himself, Naruto throws himself into his studies, works on throwing kunai the way Anko-nee showed him, walks around the house balancing leaves on his forehead and fingertips, and religiously goes through the fluid katas that Maru-ji has begun teaching him.
“I’ve just been thinking,” He says one night when both Anko-nee and Maru-ji are home, and he shows them another 75 on his latest history test. “Maru-ji is always saying that a shinobi should have an ace or ten up their sleeves, so I thought, in the long run, being Rookie of the Year is more likely to kill me than to help me if I show everyone and their dog what I can do. What if one of my classmates blabs all about it in public or becomes another traitor to the village or whatever? So I think I'm gonna hold back. Not a lot, I’ll keep my grades somewhere in the middle, but I don’t think I want to stand out too much.”
Anko-nee looks mildly surprised but she just shrugs and stuffs her face with more dango. Maru-ji inclines his head in acknowledgement. “Do what you will; it’s your career in the end. However, no matter if you are first, tenth, or last in your class rankings, I expect you to do the best you can outside of school.”
Naruto grins. “Of course! I'm still gonna be the best; I just don’t want to be too flashy about it.”
For some reason, Anko-nee and Maru-ji exchange a thoroughly amused look between them as if they’re sharing an inside joke, and Naruto pouts because he hates being left out of the loop.
“Do as you please,” Maru-ji repeats, tossing another leaf at Naruto, who is already balancing six leaves, one on his forehead, and five on each finger of his right hand. Hastily, he uses his left to snag the seventh one, almost dropping the rest before securing it to his left forefinger.
“This seems to be marked fairly though,” Anko remarks as she scans his history test again. “You got full marks on the questions you got right. That new Umino guy is still okay?”
Naruto rolls his eyes, and then quickly stops when the leaf on his forehead almost slips down his nose. “Yes, Anko-nee. He’s kind of... stiff with me when he calls on me in class, but hey, at least he does, and other than that, he treats me like everybody else. So there’s no need to go and threaten him with your snakes like you did all my other teachers.”
Naruto’s eight years old, nine in less than five months. He’s smarter, and he knows now why all his previous teachers sneered at him and insulted him at the beginning of the school year but rapidly changed their tune after a few weeks.
“Hey, I'm just a newly-minted Jounin as of two weeks ago,” Anko-nee objects, but there’s something mischievous in the curve of her smirk. “I can’t threaten a Chuunin instructor without them probably running to the Hokage or something.”
Maru-ji’s expression stays entirely guiltless but his eyes gleam with something that looks a lot like pure remorseless spite, and Naruto is so very glad that the Sannin is on his side because the man takes payback to a whole new level.
“Do you guys have another mission coming up?” Naruto asks next as Maru-ji adds another leaf to his left hand.
Anko stretches languidly in her seat. “Nah, I'm off-duty for the foreseeable future. Hokage-sama said to get some rest. That goes for quite a few other people too.”
“And Maru-ji?”
“I have an S-rank. One month.” Anko scowls. Naruto does too. Orochimaru arches an unconcerned eyebrow at them. “I assure you, compared to the number of skirmishes and frontal assaults back during the Second and Third World Wars, my current workload is a mere annoyance.”
“It’s just a lot, Sensei,” Anko grouches out. “Be careful.”
“It’s still at least ten years too early for you to be saying something like that to me,” Orochimaru drawls, patronizing as heck, but at the same time, it serves as an unspoken reassurance to them anyway.
“I’ll be back in a month,” Orochimaru reiterates, and then promptly directs a thin, concentrated stream of wind-natured chakra at Naruto from his fingertips.
“Gah!” Naruto cries as his own chakra fights against the gust of wind and loses, sending all the leaves fluttering to the ground. “Maru-ji!”
Orochimaru chuckles because he can be downright evil. Anko sniggers from the side because she thinks his pain is hilarious.
One day, Naruto is going to one-up them, and then it’ll be him standing on the side and laughing his ass off.
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Date: 2016-08-04 02:36 am (UTC)I am worried about Orochimaru. Just because he can handle a full workload doesn't mean it's easy. At least Anko is getting a break.
no subject
Date: 2021-09-29 10:50 pm (UTC)