[You have slept in a bed. HP, CP, SP and MP have been fully restored.]
Daichi woke up as the sun slowly rose in the sky. He sat up slowly, feeling refreshed after his sleep. He went through the new memories he got while he was sleeping.
'Looks like Dragon did his job. Getting ahead of this thing is the best move. If I stay silent and the Akatsuki or anyone else takes control of the narrative, it could cause problems for sensei, the village or even me… Hmm…'
Daichi quickly opened the option page and looked at the Gamer's Mind skill. 'No wonder I got irritated so easily by that guy. Let's turn this back on.'
[Skill Gamer's Mind has activated]
'I wanted to go investigate a few of Orochimaru's hidden labs but I'll have to save that trip for another day. Saving sensei is the priority. Can't have any distractions before that.'
He got up and quickly got himself ready for the day. Stepping out into his backyard, Daichi moved directly towards a small, unassuming shed nestled against the high wooden fence. He made his way to the small laboratory he and Kensei made in the back of the house. 'Her condition should be stable for now, but I need to move quickly.'
As he opened the door, the scent of medicinal herbs, antiseptics, and faint chemical odors enveloped him. Shelves filled with carefully labeled glass vials, jars, and scrolls lined the walls.
He walked purposefully to a shelf on the far side and began meticulously selecting certain vials. Small brown bottles, red tubes of vibrant liquid, and some unmarked solutions of various colors. He sealed them all carefully into a prepared scroll, placing it securely into his back pouch.
'This should be enough. Hopefully, it's sufficient to stabilize and heal sensei completely once I make my modifications to it.'
He slid the shed's lock back into place and left the house just in time to see a familiar head of silver hair walking down the road, eyes glued to a lurid orange book.
Kakashi Hatake slowly came towards him, entirely engrossed in his reading. He raised one lazy hand in greeting without looking up from his book. "Yo."
"Good morning, sensei," Daichi called, falling into step.
Kakashi turned a page, not looking up. "You slept?"
"Three hours. You?"
"Two. And a half." The single visible eye curved happily over Icha Icha Tactics. "Luxury. You ready?" Kakashi asked casually, finally lowering his book enough to glance at Daichi.
"Yeah." Daichi nodded.
The two set a comfortable pace and walked in silence through the tranquil streets of the Hidden Leaf. The village, usually bustling by this hour, felt unusually subdued due to recent events. The two ninjas were soon near the Hokage tower.
Suddenly they saw a whirl of orange barreling down a side street. Naruto Uzumaki sprinted towards them, arms waving exaggeratedly and his trademark grin spread wide across his face. Kakashi feigned complete indifference, keeping his gaze fixed deliberately on his book, but Daichi noticed his subtle glance toward Naruto from the corner of his eye.
"Daichi! Hey—Daichi!" Naruto skidded to a halt, panting but with eyes bright with curiosity.
Daichi lifted a palm in greeting. "Morning, Naruto."
"Everyone at the Academy got sent home! The orientation day is postponed. The teachers wouldn't tell us squat. I heard something crazy happened yesterday. You gotta know something, right?"
Daichi raised an eyebrow, gently shaking his head. "Sorry Naruto. I can't tell you right now."
Naruto pouted, eyes narrowing slightly. "Aw, c'mon! Everyone's acting all weird, and no one's saying anything! Not even Iruka-sensei would tell me! C'mon, you gotta tell me!"
Daichi held firm, shaking his head again. "Naruto, it's not my place to talk about this. You'll find out soon enough, but for now just keep calm." 'Even though I know that's gonna be impossible for you.'
Naruto folded his arms, sulking exaggeratedly. "Fine, be like that." Naruto's gaze then slid to Kakashi, puzzled. "Who's the scarecrow?"
Kakashi raised the book higher, as though hiding his face. "Mailman," he said blandly.
Daichi smothered a laugh. "Naruto, this is Kakashi Hatake. He's my Jonin instructor."
"Oh!" Naruto leaned in, openly inspecting Kakashi. "You're Daichi's teacher huh. That's super cool. Since you're teaching Daichi, you must be strong huh. Are you famous or something?"
"Or something." Kakashi mumbled.
Naruto refocused on Daichi. "So spill."
"Can't. Sorry."
"Tch… fine. Be that way." Naruto pouted and turned his head. Daichi had a smile seeing Naruto's childish antics. "What are you doing here so early in the morning?" Daichi asked his friend.
"I'm seein' the old man. Got something important."
Daichi raised a curious brow. "Important?"
Naruto suddenly leaned closer, conspiratorial excitement shining in his blue eyes. "Yeah, I gotta show the old man my brand-new registration photo! I bet he's gonna flip! It's gonna be hilarious!"
Naruto took out his ninja registration form and on it Daichi saw the picture Naruto took.
'Of course. Why did I even bother asking?' Daichi sighed heavily, closing his eyes for a brief second. "Naruto… seriously? Now isn't exactly the best time for pranks. Lord Hokage has way too much on his plate already."
Naruto scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Eh… but it's too good to pass up!"
'I can't believe I'm gonna have to deal with this kid soon.' Kakashi, who was standing near them, sighed behind his book, already tired by Naruto's relentless energy. "Maybe save the prank for another day. It'd be less trouble for everyone." He spoke in a soft tone.
Naruto folded his arms stubbornly. "No way! You just don't get the subtle art of a great prank!"
Daichi exhaled. "Naruto, today isn't a great day for jokes."
"That's why it's perfect—comic relief!" Naruto flashed a fox-grin. "Trust me!"
'Nothing good ever started with 'trust me' in that tone.' Daichi shook his head, resigned and gestured toward the tower. "Let's just go."
They entered the Hokage Tower, ascending to the office on the top floor. A Chunin, seated at a desk near the office door, looked up from her ledger and saw the three coming her way. She was the Hokage's secretary, a bespectacled kunoichi with tidy braids. "Lord Hokage is currently in a meeting. You'll have to wait just a few moments."
Daichi nodded calmly. "Of course."
They settled into a waiting area nearby. Naruto dropped into one seat, swinging his legs impatiently. Kakashi leaned against the wall, book still open, while Daichi stood beside him, arms folded. As time went by, Naruto started pacing impatiently, occasionally muttering under his breath about how slow everything was moving.
After several more minutes, the office doors swung open, revealing a tired-looking Shikaku Nara. He gave a small wave and nodded upon seeing Daichi and Kakashi. "Morning Kakashi, Daichi. Good work yesterday."
"Morning," Kakashi and his student nodded back.
Shikaku's eyes then drifted to Naruto briefly. The Jonin Commander's expression softened subtly, and he gave the young blond a faint, kindly nod. Naruto merely stared back, uncertain, before Shikaku walked away down the hallway.
The Anbu guards at the Hokage's door gestured for Daichi and Kakashi to enter. "Lord Hokage will see you two now."
Naruto hopped up. "Great! I'm coming too." Naruto moved to follow, but one of the guards politely but firmly placed a hand on his shoulder. "Not you."
Naruto's eyes widened indignantly. "Hey! Come on! It'll only take a second! I just gotta show the old man something real quick!"
The guard shook his head gently but resolutely. "Lord Hokage is very busy, Naruto. Official business only. You can't see him today."
Naruto opened his mouth to protest, but something in the guard's tone made him hesitate. He glanced at Daichi and recalled his earlier words.
"Fine…" Naruto mumbled, dropping his head a little. "Guess I'll see him tomorrow." He turned around slowly, shuffled off down the corridor with his hands in pockets.
Distracted and frustrated, Naruto walked without looking ahead and promptly collided into someone small, knocking them both down onto the wooden floor.
"Ow! Hey, watch it, you jerk!" Naruto snapped.
"You watch it, idiot! Do you even know who I am? You should apologize!" yelled back the small boy who had fallen alongside him. He was wearing a lengthy blue scarf and was looking particularly irritated.
Naruto jumped to his feet and grabbed the kid's scarf. "Who're you calling an idiot, you pipsqueak."
At that moment someone came running towards them. The sudden arrival of a tall man in dark glasses and a flak jacket took Naruto's attention.
"Honorable grandson! Are you hurt?"
Ebisu pushed up his glasses and then turned to Naruto. 'That kid. The nine tails. The biggest troublemaker in the village.'
"You there—release him at once! Do you realize whom you are man-handling?" Ebisu glared at the blonde boy and ordered.
"Nope." Naruto's nonchalant answer made Ebisu face palm for a moment. He quickly regained his composure and spoke. "He is the honorable grandson of the honorable Third Hokage."
"Hmm…?" 'The old man's grandson?' Naruto turned his attention back to the kid in his hand.
Konohamaru smiled hearing Ebisu introduce him. 'That stopped him. He's just like the rest.'
"What's the matter tough guy? Now that you know my grandpa's the Hokage, are you scared? So you better apologize, loser!"
Naruto's eyes narrowed challengingly, unimpressed. "Huh? I don't care if your grandpa is Hokage or king of the ramen shop! It doesn't matter to me! Believe it!"
Bham!
Naruto punched the kid on the head and walked away like nothing mattered.
"Ah ah…" Ebisu gasped. "Such insolence! He punched Lord Third's precious grandson—" He quickly ran to his student lying frozen in shock on the floor. "Honorable grandson! Are you alright?"
He carefully pulled Konohamaru to his feet and began his lecture. "Listen to me carefully. You are the honorable grandson of the honorable Third Hokage. You cannot let troublemaker ruffians like that draw you into a fight. Even though he deserves it."
He turned around and spoke as if he was a great scholar. "As your Elite ninja trainer I am never wrong. So heed my every word. Your goal is to become the next Hokage and I can teach you the best shortcuts to achieve that goal. With my great skill I can take you quickly and easily to the top but you must always listen to my instructions. You understand, honorable grandson?"
A few seconds went by with silence and Ebisu turned around only to find no one behind him. He turned and looked all around him but found no trace of his student. "Aaahhh! Where'd you go now?"
At that moment, the guard watching the whole encounter spoke with a humorous tone. "I think he followed Naruto, but it's just a guess."
Ebisu froze for a moment after hearing that. "He went after Naruto? Oh this is a nightmare! Honorable grandson. I'm coming." The special Jonin quickly ran off trying to find his ward.
The guards at the door just chuckled as they were familiar with the antics of both Naruto and Konohamaru. 'Those two together are a recipe for disaster. Good luck Ebisu.'
Inside the Office.
Hiruzen was updating his two ninjas on the current events. "I've sent Jiraiya to hunt down the rest of Orochimaru's people currently hiding in the country. And Lord Second has his own tasks."
Meanwhile, Daichi while listening to the old kage was also keeping an eye on the encounter outside with his sharp senses. He was glad those two met. 'Maybe their meeting is like a fixed point in time or something… Well, either way I'm happy for them.'
"What about the Hidden Stone village? We made quite a commotion in their country last night." Kakashi spoke as he glanced at his student.
"The Hidden Stone will be jumpy for the next few weeks but you two don't need to worry about that. I already have Shikaku working on minimizing the fallout. Nobody there knows of our presence. As far as the rest of the world is concerned we were never there."
Hiruzen replied and then turned to the Genin in the room. "So Daichi, have you found a way to heal her? I know you haven't had much time to examine her condition but do you at least have an idea as to where to start?"
The Hokage's question brought Daichi's full attention back to the people in the room.
"Yeah. I do." Daichi nodded and took a scroll from his back pouch. From that storage scroll he took out a small closed test tube filled with a strange liquid and held it up for everyone to see.
"What is that?" Hiruzen asked.
"A special serum that can tip the scales of a battle if used correctly. I call it 'The storm'."
—-------------
Author's Note:
A simple lighthearted chapter after so long.
I really wanted to write about Naruto and Konohamaru's first meeting. It's always been part of my plan. I gave it my own twist.
I'm curious to see if you guys liked it.
Next chapter onwards, Tsunade's treatment and the mystery of one of Daichi's old quest is revealed.(that wont be in the next chapter but its coming soon. I'm curious to see if you guys can guess it)
If you like my story and want to read ahead, then check out my P.a.T.R.E.0.N page. I've uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there.
Patre on.com/MonkWithAPen (No space)