Naruto: A Lazy Life

-End of the month-

Pov: Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"-May I ask why you have made this decision" I ask Saburo Mori who kneels before me.

"Master Takumi suggested that I grow a back bone and start picking fights I cannot win" Saburo informs me.

Master Takumi... he became Takumi's disciple. How did this event even transpire? And why does Saburo trust the child of that clan so much? No amount of talent or skill in combat could ever inspire that much faith in another.

Maybe if he was a high ranked Shinobi..? But that is something Takumi actively refuses.

"So you refuse the Jonin and captain title?" I pinch the bridge of my nose and hold my pipe away from me.

Great- another team down.

"Yes. My apologies Lord Hokage" Saburo bows further.

"What do you expect of your future? I am not letting you take on missions that outrank you" I sigh.

"Master Takumi told me to tag along on all of his missions... but he didn't quite tell me what else to do with my time... sorry" Saburo bows again, clearly feeling overwhelmed by my authority.

Deny the job offer- do one mission a year and nothing else?

"Where is Takumi. I would like a word with him" I command.

I am not letting him infect others with his laziness, I am putting my foot down.

"I am unsure Lord Hokage. He left a few days ago after his hospital visit, told me he would be back soon" Saburo tells me.

...

He has been gone for days?

"Did he leave the village?" I question sternly.

"I think so Lord Hokage" Saburo sweats heavily.

...

That child does nothing and grinds my gears and now he does something and that too grinds my gears.

When will his nonsense stop?

"If you have nothing to do- than investigate him, report to me what he did before leaving the village- where he stopped, what he bought and the questions he asked" I order the Shinobi that kneels.

"Yes Lord Hokage!" Saburo stands and bows once more before leaving.

...

"Sorry for the interruption, let us continue- what else did the Inuzuka clan find?" I ask the Inuzuka clan member.

"Some top ranked Mist ninja are on full alert, apparently someone high up got kidnapped or killed- unsure of who, Kanabi bridge has been reinforced again and Stone camps keep popping up within our borders..." The Clan member speaks.

I sigh and smoke my pipe as I continue my work.

A whole garden to get through and the thorn in my side keeps bugging me- Takumi is not making my job easy...

... I also need to handle that information leak- Danzo said he was onto it but I need confirmation.

I also cannot forget the Clan meetings three days from now- I wish it were over already.

And I also...

---

Pov: Obito Uchiha.

"Oh? Okay... I think I got it" I announce and nod my head.

"He doesn't get it" Kakashi mocks me.

"Yeah I do! Watch this!" I confidently pick up the lockpicks and begin fiddling with the lock in front of me.

"You got this Obito!" Rin encourages and I blush a little.

"Don't encourage him" Kakashi yawns.

*Snap*

The lockpick snaps in the lock.

"Oi- stop annoying me while I unlock this!" I yell at Kakashi.

"You jumped to the hardest one, start down the line at least- now we have to replace that lock because you fumbled it" Kakashi points to the lock.

"Why you-" I start.

"Enough- both of you, lets just get a new lock and start again- you nearly got it Obito, this one is the charm" Rin stops me from yelling further.

"Psh, I can totally do this- if Kakashi doesn't mess with me" I cross my arms.

"May I remind you why you and only you are training your lockpicking skills again? I don't want to fail another mission because you got locked in a closet again" Kakashi sighs.

"Hey we didn't fail!" I speak up for myself.

"We didn't on paper- had Minato-sensei not been there..." Kakashi squints at me.

This idiot-

"Hi- sorry to drop in on you guys, have you seen Takumi?" Suddenly, Saburo-san enters the conversation.

I take a deep breath and turn to him.

"No- haven't seen him all week, scratch that- I have only seen him at work this past month" I answer.

"I thought he was with you Saburo-san?" Rin asks.

"Oh- he was, but left a week ago and hasn't returned... I suspect he left the village but didn't tell me a returning time" Saburo-san chuckles and scratches his neck.

"I saw him at the bookstore a week back. Had a few scrolls on him" Kakashi pipes up.

"Thanks- Scrolls? How many?" Saburo-san wonders.

"Just three" Kakashi replies.

"That helps I suppose- If you have anymore information let me know, see you all" Saburo-san leaves.

...

"That was the Shinobi who hangs around Takumi a lot, right?" Kakashi asks.

"Yeah, Takumi's... friend?" Rin looks at me.

"I heard him call Saburo a helpless student once- I think he teaches him" I offer.

"Is that what Takumi does with all that time he has?" Kakashi ponders.

---

-End of the same day-

Pov: Saburo Mori.

"-The smith said that Takumi ordered three weapons to be made, the bookstore held no leads and his house has been abandoned seemingly, I think Takumi has been missing for a week and won't return until he has completed whatever he set out to do" I inform the Hokage.

"Did you need me to investigate this matter Hiruzen? I can lead a small team on this, although it would require abandoning that small project on the wind border" Elder Danzo speaks up.

"It is fine Danzo- we will wait. Saburo, you mentioned a spar between you two before he left, severe injuries were inflicted onto you- did he leave out of anger? Was a conflict started?" I question.

"No Lord Hokage, well- sort of? We fought each other to resolve a conflict with him letting me win... I believe he himself desperately wanted to lose so he could change? I am not certain on the details sorry. I do believe that he will be taking things a lot more seriously, unsure about the laziness however" I report on our fight.

The Hokage smokes his pipe and glances at Danzo for a few seconds, a silent conversation occurring with just their eyes.

"Hm. Well if he doesn't return within three weeks time we will begin our search for him, I will let you handle this Danzo" The Hokage orders.

"Understood, I will wait" Danzo nods with a smile.

"Now onto our next matter Saburo. Have you thought on your current career path, do no expect the same treatment Takumi gets" The Hokage sternly asks.

I have- I was hoping to become a permanent member of a team under Takumi's leadership... we would deploy normally and Takumi would lead us on a really deadly mission, the one's he usually throws himself into.

Maybe something even deadlier since a team would be backing him up... I mean my skills would compliment his- he favours one on ones while I favour battles where I can pick off the weaklings and support my teammates.

We would be a perfect combination- And Takumi would be able to contribute a lot more to the village by training an elite team, something I think he would genuinely enjoy.

"Lord Hokage- I understand how ludicrous this idea can sound and how little the village can afford to invest in it with it's current state. But I believe in the Idea of Takumi training more people like me, training nobody's doing nothing into an elite team- I wish to fight under Master Takumi in his team, join his missions. And when he doesn't deploy on mission's perhaps I could lead the team on less difficult tasks" I ask sincerely.

"And what... would this teams missions cater to?" The Hokage asks, he draws a long breath from his pipe and each moment between his words seem ever so long.

"I believe my Master would be disappointed in me if I didn't answer that question with 'the most difficult or impossible tasks'... but if he isn't going on the missions I can only assume B-rank or higher assassination or assault missions" I answer, sweat dripping down my face.

...

The silence is killing me- should I look up again, when did I start bowing? Am I bowing for too long?

"Take a break Saburo. I will discuss this with Takumi when he gets back" The Hokage says finally.

I nod my head and rise.

"You are dismissed" The Hokage waves his hand, clearly stuck in thought.

---

-A few days out from Konoha-

Pov: Takumi Uchiha.

I step slowly but surely, each step taking me forward and away from Konoha, I find myself climbing a mountain.

Only a small mountain, I would not go anywhere near the land of Stone who dwell with numerous enemies capable of killing me with ease.

'{Why do you climb? Why do you walk away from Konoha- Answer me}'

This young assassin has been bothering me constantly now that he has shown himself, every hour within that Hospital was torment, listening to his ridiculous thoughts and rampant rants.

'{Just because you speak in this alien tongue- do not assume I am unable to hear tone, I know you are mocking me Emperor}'

This naïve fool refuses to shut up. And so I thought to clear my head with a nice hike outside of town.

'{Just give up Emperor- You cannot keep running forever, I will salvage this failed takeover like I salvaged your death from the claws of your victory}'

{Your spite did not kill me. It merely worsened the awakening of my cruelty, I could not handle the backlash of my own power}

'{What an odd way to say I killed you}'

Mocking child.

'{Oi- what did that mean? I will learn this tongue just to hear your squealing Emperor!}'

Of course he would, he is the most spiteful person I have ever met, and now I need to ensure that little Assassin in my head never leaks outside.

I will refuse to underestimate the man who cursed me and placed seals upon my body.

Three chains, One sealed my Yang energy- keeping my bloodline dormant, when I awoke the Sharingan it broke.

And my Aura turned Chakra will be capable of much more than before.

For example I can already see the difference between the previous me and the current me- ignoring the depressive episodes of course.

My chakra reserves are larger- the detail of my control is better than before, even if I thought myself to have reached the greatest heights of Chakra control previously.

The final benefit of my first chain being broken is the confidence to keep on moving, despite my darkest thoughts drowning me.

Is it much of a benefit? Just what I was owed at second birth?

Not really, but I do not care so much about how powerful I am-

'{Stop talking so much Emperor, unless you are talking to me}'

I used to be capable of zoning out to reflect on myself, now I have to deal with this nonsense.

'{I can still hear your tone idiot- keep talking shit about me and see what happens!}'

{Shut your mouth child. We reached the peak}

'{And? I don't really care}'

{You will. Do not forget who I am child}

'{Oh... I never forgot who you are Emperor, I was made to hunt you- kill you- it was my life's purpose to study you and every detail of your life, I know more about you than you know about yourself}

{Then you know exactly why we are, where we are then?}

...

{Thought not}

I roll my shoulders and stretch a little, taking in the fresh air and looking down on the landscape below.

Why do they call the land of Fire as such- when it is filled with beautiful trees and forests that cover every corner... an impressive dark green spreads across this land with a wonderful vibrant grass underneath the leaves.

Hn. I should study some history on top of reading my romance novels.

I smile and sit down to meditate, taking in a deep breath and calming my mind- reducing all noises into a silent hum.