Naruto: A Lazy Life

-3rd of February, Takumi's Age: 13-

Pov: Takumi Uchiha.

...

My eyes suddenly open as I wake- I roll around to face my window and adjust my sheets.

Noon? I slept in again.

I rise slowly and stretch letting my blanket fall onto the bed as I slide into my slippers and equip myself with a jacket, as I leave my house I tie my hair back to keep it from my face.

I should really cut it... maybe later.

I pocket my hands and crack my neck as I pass a few houses- taking my time as I wander the streets.

...

Hn.

"I am buying these" I throw a few coins at a pop up market and grab some packaged candy.

The merchant catches the coins and waves me away- he has gotten used to my shopping habits.

*Yawn!*

I yawn and open the bag of candy, various assortments- I pick out all the bear shaped gummy delicacies and devour them slowly.

...

After a few minutes I arrive at my teams designated training area- The Hokage has leant me his old one for the time being, we have to share with Hatake of course.

*Slap!*

I throw one the candy bags at Yu- the bag slaps into his back and lands near his heel as he ignores me and continues his training- I then hold out my hand and drop the opened bag to my left as I walk forward.

*SWOOOOOOSH-*

A blurred human shape slides past me as the bag is grasped by Saburo- in the middle of his maximum speed training.

"Nothing homemade this time?" Yu undoes his blindfold and sighs.

"Deal with it. How is your form?" I ask.

Luckily he has opened up more- I can speak to him without any glares being thrown in my direction.

"Fine- I re adjusted my footwork like you said, this better be worth it" Yu sighs in annoyance as he turns to continue his training, pocketing the bag of candy.

"It will" I confirm.

*WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!*

Saburo passes by me again and I take my jacket off- folding it nicely and placing it on the ground.

I then lay down and rest my head on the jacket- using it as a pillow.

Times are too peaceful.

I am unsure if I like it or not- Minato Namikaze, the current Hokage doesn't bother me with nonsense and even feels bad about requesting my one mission per year contract... granted I am liking the benefit of lazing around, I just wish I did not feel so much unease from this.

"Takumi" Hatake passes by me, covered in sweat and exhausted.

"Kakashi" I nod back.

"The kid is looking for you" Hatake tells me, before flickering away.

Itachi? How bothersome, Fugaku did not tell that child was hardworking and talented- the burden seems much more now that I carry it's weight.

"Teacher" Itachi states, hovering over me.

"How long did it take you?" I ask.

"I finished learning the footwork this morning" Itachi tells me.

Is this kid not 5 years old? He should learn to enjoy life rather than train all the time.

Granted I designed the footwork to be simple and easy to consume for a child... Haaa- maybe that is where I keep failing. In order to keep him busy I should give him techniques that take a while to learn.

...

"Let's start on your swordsmanship then-" I sigh and sit up.

"Yes Teacher" Itachi walks around and in front of me.

"You are a smart kid- So I am going to stop treating you like some talentless majority" I stand up and yawn.

"What will I be doing?" Itachi asks.

"Attempting to get me to move- any step I take is your victory. You have three hours" I nod at him.

...

"How is this swordsmanship training?" Itachi tilts his head and examines my stance.

Is it instinctive? Checking my balance? Or is he that smart as a 5 year old?

"You can leave if you wish. Take one of Yū's wooden training swords and start striking" I order around the child.

"He is too small to wield mine- get him his own" Yū complains.

"I do not care- he can do as he wishes, whether he feels comfortable with yours or his own is up to him" I yawn again.

I really should stop sleeping all the time- it makes me yawn so consistently.

Itachi sizes up the wooden sword- examining it before looking back at me.

"I will be back within twenty minutes" Itachi states and walks away.

*Woooooooooooooooooooosh!!!*

Saburo flashes by me and I glance at the tracks he leaves behind.

'{Certainly lacks a stealthy assassin approach with tracks like those}' The inner voice chuckles to himself.

You were far worse.

'{I was not a Shinobi- I had one job and I did it perfectly}' He replies.

Perfectly? You lost.

'{You died}'

You could never do better than a draw speedster- those speeds you were moving at would have killed you just after you finished fighting me, plus- I won, then died. Although your curse was a factor in my death, I still believe it was my own awakening of Cruelty that sealed my fate.

'{You never did tell me how you awoke your third aspect- in the middle of a fight}'

I did. I am simply Better than you- was that not a significant explanation?

'{Far from it}'

I see... I did not account for your lack of critical thinking- lets try it from another angle.

You- were Worse than me.

You trained your entire life, to kill me. But I still won.

You spent weeks beating me down and I still managed to kill you despite the very unfair advantage you had.

Is that enough?

'{You did not explain how you awoke the third aspect}'

I did- You just refuse to listen to reason.

...

"I am back" Itachi steps back into view, coming back much quicker than stated.

He raises a wooden sword and strikes down on me without hesitation.

*Wham!*

...?

"You should train your strength- and your form, all your weight is displaced and your strike is weak" I state.

"What should I do?" Itachi looks at his own stance.

... Haaaa- If he trains like I did... maybe his talent could shine, he certainly has it- and the will to see it through...

'{I thought since the war ended you would be done with effort}'

This is in my contract.

'{Oh? Is it? What about the monthly training the new Hokage has been letting you loophole out of?}'

...

"{You itch to bleed and sweat- I admit I lost that fight, can you admit that you suck at being lazy? Why do you try so hard at sleeping of all things? This isn't the Emperor that I know...}'

You do not know me.

'{I studied you my entire life Emperor- I was made to know you, so I could foil you}'

You failed at your goal, perhaps the journey itself was flawed.

'{Stop trying to distract me with my failure... You are so desperately trying to ignore your duty- acting reluctant to go on missions but smiling brightly when within a battle- You have never felt this weak and thus get excited when overcoming that weakness}'

I have successfully ignored my duties- I am sleeping through almost everyday- In places most could not grow tired- I do my missions to fulfil the contract and-

'{-Lies- all of this is lies, you don't know how to rest- you barely even want it yourself, convinced you had succeeded in resting when you merely slept as a baby- the second you could fight, you started fighting}'

I was forced to attend the Academy.

'{You were not forced to improve the Academy children- you did that}'

My caretaker found that book, I tried to keep it hidden.

'{Exactly my point- Others need books, to understand Your genius. Why would You require notes on some basic punching skills?}'

...

'{Are you lying to yourself? Or did you truly fall so low... don't get me started on how easily you lost to Saburo- He wanted to see You so terribly and you gave in? Within a single fight? Is this truly the great fall of an Emperor? Or... have you simply let yourself lose so he would be inspired to drag you into more work?}'

My rest is what I deem to be rest- I will be Lazy even if that means giving in easy.

'{Excuses- am I hitting a nerve? The Emperor making excuses?}'

You are just trying to get under my skin- I understand, your spiteful nature can accept a loss if it means dragging me down with you. I will not fall for this rage inducing conversation.

'{The fact that you can acknowledge this conversation as 'Rage Inducing' means you understand it hits some cores of truth. You know that you are terrible at being lazy, putting in far too much effort to call it such- all you do is put on a show for the world, but I know the truth, I have seen who you were... and what rattles inside of this head of yours}'

...

'{Ignoring me are you? Are you afraid of conversation? Or do you wish to avoid acknowledging the fact that you failed that evil grandfather of yours... a second time}'

"Did I do something wrong..?" Itachi snaps me out of my anger.

I shake my head and stop glaring into space.

"No, just thinking to myself- continue" I soften my eyes and watch Itachi re-analyse his style of attacking.

'{The kid is good for his age- he can grip a weapon well for a child}'

He should be far away from weapons at his age- only the few fools like us wielded destruction at his age.

'{This we can agree on- the age for war is far too young here... although our home is cruel and cunning, it had morals}'

Morals were needed to safeguard against demonic upbringing... here power can be earned without punishment.

...

It seems he finally shut up.

...

'{So- was I right?}'

This infernal!- Haaa- Yes, I need to go find the meaning to my rest- and what it means for an Emperor to rest.

'{Good- because all this sleeping is boring and keeps you safe}'

I quite like the sleeping, reading and cooking though- that will not stop... I just need to find a way to fit those activities into my life- where they usually do not belong.

'{Ha- So I win the arguement?}'

I admit my fault- I got defensive and lazy in my counters, you win the argument.

'{Hahahaha!-}' The inner voice bounces with glee.

Unlike the time you lost to me in true combat however.

...

'{That's it- I am done tormenting you for the day}'

I knew that would shut him up for a while.

"... Adjust your stance- stop placing all your weight into the back of your foot, you are striking me, not guarding a blow" I look over Itachi and offer some pointers.

"Hn" Itachi nods and focuses on learning.

*Thwack!*

His wooden sword strikes me again with much more power... not enough to move me but certainly enough for me to actually feel it.

Hn- imagine what he could do with chakra running through those strikes, look how quickly he learns- how swiftly he refines... it reminds me of myself, if only a bit happier than when I was a child.

Is it the side effect of having other child-soldiers to talk to? Or perhaps I was just colder to most unlike the warm hearted one standing before me.

...

Yeah- his future does look bright, it would not hurt to guide it- train him- enhance the light and push away weakness.

"Itachi- how about we up the training here, go get a real sword for someone your size... a Kunai will do if none are available" I smirk.