Rising Fame.
-1 Week Later-
Pov: Saburo.
"Saburo! Are you alright!?" One of the Anbu calls out.
"I AM FINE- STAY WITH THE NOBLES!" I bellow out a command through the rubble- stuck in some abandoned tunnel on the border... relic from the war I would say.
Twenty individuals on either side of me... I have barely slept trying to keep up with the nobles trying to rush home- and then we stumbled upon the small gang and their border human trafficking bullshit as we tried to enter the land of rivers... luckily they aren't trained Shinobi. Unluckily they managed to get their hands on dozens of paper bombs- I so much as twitch and this tunnel collapses with all the poor refuges and lost souls they kidnapped inside.
They die if I fail here...
*Swish-Swoosh-Swish*
Yu's hand signs connect to my chakra and I focus on the directions.
Am I fast enough? I haven't built up enough speed to save that many people after the bombs explode...
Wait- I don't need to save the people, just disarm the paper bombs.
We can handle the small gang after that...
"Don't move. We have hostages in three other camps nearby, this place will signal the hostages deaths the second you interfere with us" A bald and intimidating man threatens us.
How do we even...! Fuck it- what would Takumi say? Watch me save them all!
---
Pov: Hiruzen Sarutobi.
...
"Young Takumi. How are you today?" I enter the hospital room with a smile.
"I am fine" He yawns.
A small child rests in his arms- having fallen asleep while reading a children's book that Takumi seems to be holding.
"Is that... the little girl you saved? From the foxes bite?" I smile softly, genuinely.
"Yes- Little Kana refused to leave me alone and I indulged her rude behaviour, she has shown me literature" Takumi gestures to the book.
Hm~ despite the many bandages covering his body, he seems remarkably reliable.
"Your team- I came to ask about their missions... may I ask why you gave them so many? With no time to prepare for that many nor rest in-between?" I walk to the end of his bed and tip my hat.
"They can handle them" Takumi insists.
"I am sure they can- but while a common mug is capable of holding acidic material, I can assure you it cannot hold that material for long. This time it will be fine, but they will feel the consequences on the next mission. And then the next... And soon enough they will make disastrous mistakes" I raise an eyebrow.
"Unfortunate that you cannot stop that mistake- as I have control over my team and their missions" Takumi replies confidently.
"And if I strip you of that privilege?" I ask.
"Then you don't get the rewards of that risk. My team would have quit if they felt themselves unable to work, I trust they know their limits Lord Hokage" Takumi shrugs and closes the children's book.
...
"I do not want another repeat of last week- I will thoroughly prepare my team for the duty of being powerful, for the burden of that power is immense as one such as you should know" Takumi tells me with a regretful tone.
So he is pushing them to their limits, so they will crumble or rise? Is that it?
"If you wish to help me and my team- I could do with a few more Shinobi to train and command" Takumi suddenly opens up another can of worms.
"We are low on shinobi" I frown.
"But high on orphans- many of whom will swarm to fill those ranks in the coming years. All I need is a few to train- the academy cannot take on all of those children at once" Takumi retorts quickly.
"This is work. You never accept more work on your plate" I question.
"This is an investment to my rest- the less I have to throw myself at problems, the more time I will have to sleep. And it does not take much to train a few children into capable Ninja" Takumi replies swiftly once more.
It would not be too troublesome to grant training rights to Takumi... it would help out a lot of people, and many wish for Takumi's guidance.
"They cannot go on your missions- they are too dangerous" I shake my head.
"They are not going on any missions until they are old enough to make that decision themselves. I will train them- nothing more" Takumi frowns at me- for even insinuating he would send children on death runs.
...
Haaa.
"Very well. I owe you much more than some training rights after all... you saved quite the number of people and even jumped straight into the Nine tails mouth to save just one more, If you need anything- let me know" I sigh and withdraw my interest.
"I want my house rebuilt next to the orphanage of those I will train- make sure my yard is fit with training equipment" Takumi requests.
That's more of a-... never mind, I will have someone look into that.
"It will be done- I can cover the rest of what is owed with Ryo, I will deposit it into your account" I nod.
"Don't bother. Donate it to the people in need, I get payed weekly to sit around and defend- it is in the contract, further payments are unnecessary" Takumi refuses.
...
"Very well, I hope you get better soon" I nod and walk out the door... lingering under the frame for a few moments.
"You do realise how powerful you are right? What authority you seem capable of throwing in this village? The number of people you saved and the debts they owe you?" I ask one final question, the one lingering in the back of my mind.
*Yawn*
"I am skilled- notably lacking in power, as you saw in my confrontation with the fox. My authority is to be misused in the most relaxing way and no one owes anyone for their life. I did not grant them life nor do I care for them like some hero. I did my job and they remain the faceless crowd I show no care for" He yawns out.
"They tie you to Saburo and Yu- the VIP merchants, nobles and citizens they saved seem to think that they are indebted to you. Powerful people who rule the lands you walk on, thank you for their life" I state again.
Saburo while instrumental in saving our VIP clients- is just a member of the team named Takumi. The village and the outside world seem to think of Takumi's importance much more than Takumi does himself.
"Tell them if they wish to repay me- they can do so by funding the reconstruction of the village. Remind them that their debt is nothing but dirt in my eyes as I lack care to pay attention to every stone I walk past. Give all the credit to Saburo, he loves that attention" Takumi stares me in the eyes and re-states his prior comment.
...
I smirk and tilt my hat again.
"Very well- I will let them know" I leave the room.
---
-1 week later-
Pov: Yu Hyuga.
"BREAK HIM- NOW!!" I yell out and raise my rapier- pointing it at my enemy.
An Anbu leaps from the trees and slams his fists down like hammers- sending the injured shinobi into the dirt below.
*CRASH!*
"Haaaa- that's... Chunin... Katsuya... down- 12 more to find" Saburo slides to a stop next to me and breathes slowly.
"Haaa! We struggled against a Chunin Saburo..." I groan out.
"We are tired... we handled the show off assassination mission... the small gang... and delivered the nobles without rest- all we have to do is handle these guys" Saburo tells me.
"The Anbu are tired too- we shouldn't be struggling against these guys, we are stronger than this" I state.
"He is right- we should return to Konoha and take a break before finishing this rogue hunt" The Anbu-nin suggests.
"Then go ahead- I am completing my task" Saburo waves us away.
...
"You two head off and restock- your friend got injured in that fight yesterday as well, go heal up for a few days and team Takumi will continue to investigate and detain Rogues" I sigh and command.
"That is not our directive"
"You follow Saburo's orders- and he is telling you to come back and help us clean up while we are at our worst" I reply.
"He is right- go back and rest quickly, we will take a night off as well" Saburo reasures.
...
"Stay safe" The Anbu vanishes in a breeze- flickering away.
...
...
...
"We aren't taking the night off are we?" I ask.
"I'm not"
"FUUUUUUUCCCKKKK!!!!!" I shout out into the forest, throwing my blade into the nearest tree.
---
Pov: Takumi Uchiha.
"HEY! Did you see this!" Kana throws a paper into my face.
"No" I state.
"Read it!" Kana insists and pushes the paper into my cheek.
...
Hn.
I take the paper from her hands and ignore her jumping around my hospital bed.
'Takumi Uchiha donates substantial amount to those in need...'
What?
'Saburo Mori- The speeding bullet praised by local lords and merchants alike...'
Hn?
'Takumi Uchiha funds construction of an Orphanage right next to his residence, the Lazy Uchiha protecting the young who have lost their homes... by giving them a new one to rest in'
I see.
'Takumi Uchiha statement on his stance to those he saved during the Nine-tails attack- "I was just doing my Job, nothing more"-'
Perhaps I should have worded my answers to the Hokage's questions a bit better- removed my name from such nonsense. But I can see why this news is being published so brazenly, my name is being tied to good things... and this Village needs good news now more than ever.
...
"Did you read it!" Kana shouts.
"It is... troublesome" I frown.
---
-2 days later-
Pov: Saburo Mori.
...
*STAB!*
My hand plunges through bark- as the rogue Kunoichi narrowly dodges my strike.
"You are slow- guess the village was just hyping you up. Typical political bullshit" The kunoichi licks her senbon and stabs it into my wrist.
I wince and pull my arm back- sliding backwards into another tree, growling out anger as I fail to identify the obstacles in my environment.
"Poison will paralyse you for a good few hours, you look like you need the rest" The Kunoichi stretches slowly and I glance over to the very still and silent Yu.
That's what she hit Yu with before... he fell over twenty seconds after being struck by her senbon.
...
"I got 14 seconds left" I note.
"You can't do much with it-" She notes and I dash forward at her.
No sliding technique- I ditch the fancy stuff and put foot to floor. Charging her down with a determined look in my eye- She raises her defence and widens her stance... the way she is leaning suggest she is going to sweep my legs from under me.
I form a handsign- then another- and another- before swiftly casting a ninjutsu!
*Trip!*
She sweeps my legs and I go flying past her- legs in the air as I spin past her... before releasing a lightning disk in her direction.
"What-?"
*BA-ZZZZZTT!*
I crash into the tree I had just stabbed twenty seconds ago- and watch the Kunoichi fall over after being struck by my lightning jutsu.
...
A perk of training speed... is casting ninjutsu quicker than the opponent can react.
---
Pov: Takumi Uchiha.
"Are you sure you should be out of that hospital bed?" A stranger asks me.
He is in charge of re-building my house... and the orphanage next to it. I have yet to learn his name, nor will ask for it anytime soon as I lack care.
"I am fine. Why is my house being relocated here?" I question.
"Sticking all the Uchiha in one place allows for quicker reconstruction and-"
"Enough. It is segregation, I suppose the higher ups wish to be warry of the Uchiha since the tailed beast had the Sharingan in it's eyes that night... but to burn bridges so casually..." I click my tongue.
"I only need one story- keep it all to the minimum requirements and make as much room for the backyard as you can- I need training dummies, targets, scroll shelves, tool shelves and a small forge to replace this 'vanity' room you have on the blueprint" I poke the page he is showing me.
"You don't want a dining room?" The man replies with curiosity- or worry.
"I do not" I state.
"Do you have the money for all this stuff?" He asks another question.
"I get paid to do nothing. Ignore the costs" I frown.
The weekly pay... My families immense savings... Team Captain pay... minimal costs... reimbursement from insurance... 'gifts' from those my team saved... I have this covered.
"All right... we will do some more work... scrap a few days of it too" The man sighs.
"Are you upset over my changes?" I look him in the eyes.
"Yeah- it's gonna be a lot of work when we could be doing something more important..." The man nods.
"It must suck that you are being forced to do this instead" I note.
"Yeah... haha" The man averts his gaze.
Hn.
Small talk was easier with Obito.
Thanks for reading! :)