NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: Three Young Sannins
Land of fire, the beautiful Konoha was shining like the sun. The wall of the Hokages has a third headcount Kids were laughing with hope in their heart, and heroic dreams in their head. The village just got out of mourning the second Hokage and celebrating the ascension of the Third. In the training yard, three kids who barely passed the age of 6 were training hard. Some more than the others. Harboring pridefully their forehead protector. White, blonde and Black, the meaningful color of their hair could be seen in the yard as the kids were fighting their sensei, trying hard to take one of the bells at his waist.
Hiruzen seemed genuinely happy at his students' progress. Witnessing the growing generation, made the bitterness of loosing his sensei easier to handle.
"Jiraya! Why do you always act without thinking! You ruined our formation!
-Why do you only scream at me? Orochimaru acted without caring about our us at all!
-You are so stupid.
-What?! Orochimaru-yaroo!!! Do you want to fight? I will kick your ass now!
-DON'T SPIT IN MY FACE!"
The three of them entered in their usual conflicts.
Suddenly, a loud laughter was heard from 6 meters. Hiruzen, the hokage guard following him all had shocked faces. They turned to find a weird individual, laughing his ass off, standing gently against a tree watching everything unfolding. As if him being noticed was not of importance to him.
"Its even more hilarious in real life."
The man upper body was stark naked, with trace of deep wounds, his body was muscular yet lean. He was tall, his long hair was a little spiked up like it was defying gravity itself. He gave a domineering aura, like he was a savage that destroy everything and everyone. His face was plain, yet fierce and imperial could be seen in his eyes. A monkey tail could be seen coming out behind him fluttering in the wind.
The three genins were the latest to notice the anomaly. Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately got into attack position, covering his three disciples. When they saw the solemn face the Hokage was making they knew, this wasn't a simple enemy.
"Oh! What's with long faces! You were having such a great time! Sarutobi Hiruzen!"
As he said he made his way towards the Kage:
"I wouldn't want to be the one to ruin such a great day. I actually just came here to have a little fun on my own."
As he was halfway thought, 12 ANBU corps jumped on him with blinding speed. The three genins couldn't even see their shadows:
"Bad Idea! When adults talk, DOGS SHOULD KNOW THEIR PLACE!"
When the sentence ended the ANBU as if crushed by a hammer immediately crashed on the ground, the sound of their bones breaking as their wails of pain were getting louder and louder. This mighty wave of power that came out from him!
"This like, no this aura its greater than Hashirama-sensei!"
He unintentionally said that out loud and a little girl heared him as cold sweat was dripping from her forehead. Every person in Konoha, no every person in the Land of fire felt that wave energy! Looking at this man, he deeply sighed as he spoke:
"You said you only wanted to talk. We could go to my office.
-No. The Hokage office is for official business, I am only here to have a little fun of my own. If you bring me a little tea here, it would be perfect"
He said that as he gently sat down. The hokage sighed as he told his shadow guard to close the courtyard to all acces and to bring them tea. He then turned around to his disciples ready to send them off, but he was cut off:
"Let them here, they are actually the principal reason I am here."
Hearing that, even Orochimaru felt that his heart was about to implode. In his mind the third was always the strongest, but looking at this man it felt like he was on dimension of his own. He couldn't even be categorized as a shinobi anymore. Jiraya was oblivious to all other considerations, but his guts told him:
'He may become stronger than Orochimaru or Third in his lifetime. But there is no way he will get close to that guy's level.'
Marek looked at the three little guys, an innocent grin on his face:
" Jiraya, Tsunade Senju and Orochimaru. What great talents, I wish I had disciples like that. Third Kage you are a lucky one."
The third sat down too, he sipped the tea that was already brought up:
"You have overpraised, your excellency. They still have a lot to learn.
-Do you handle it well? The pressure of being a young ruler.
He laughed sheepishly with his hand on his neck:
It gets tougher with time. But I try to make the best out of it.
-War is coming sooner or later. Since Senju Hashirama died, every country has been eyeing the Land of fire like a juicy piece of meat. When it comes, its probably those little runts who will fight it.
-I wish, that everyone could live in peace. This ninja world is restless.
When he heard that Marek laughed out loud, his gaze turned from a friendly one to a disdainful one:
-You are funny one Hiruzen ! Saying you want peace! Aren't you a hoot?!
The three disciples felt the disdain and haughtiness in his laugh as he couldn't stand what has been just said:
-Your country is the source of war itself. While you live in beautiful forests and fertile land, other countries live in salted water, isolated mountains, deserts and rocks. Of course, you want peace, there is nothing you need in other countries, you have everything you need.
The little shinobis who had never been educated to geopolitics and warfare only now understand what was happening with their village. The picture of their sensei preaching peace in their mind was distorted.
"You want peace indeed, but you want it in your own terms."
Hiruzen gaze sharpened staring at Marek he asked:
"I am still young. If you have some advice, I am all hears."
He smiled:
"Conquer everything, be as greedy as they are, there isn't a thing in this world that is useless. Don't wait for them to start war. Invade them, kill them, hurt them so much that even the idea of invasion wouldn't cross their minds as they will to be busy fending for their lives."
His tone was cruel, ruthless, like a bloody demon Emperor. The savage and evil nature of the Legendary Super Sayan has already heavily influenced Marek's mind after the fountain of truth.
'This bearing. He is like Madara Uchiha. This man is too dangerous. Yet there is absolutely no way, to deal with him.'
But the words that came after, made him reconsider hi previous remark:
"I would rather other people live off the tragedies of war, than my own disciples, than my own kin. If the nature of humanity is to hurt each other. I would rather my people do the evil, then my own people fall victim to the evil others. Passivity is going to be the end of you, Sarutobi Hiruzen. That was my only advice to you. I actually have a little advice for each one of them."
Immediately as if he lost interest, he turned to the other little kids. His previously savage aura disappeared and excitement was all over his face. He faced Orochimaru first, he put his hands on his shoulders:
"Mortality is difficult to come to term with. Some people don't dare to talk about it, other spend their life pursuing immortality, while some chosen few achieve it. Yet, there is no reason in pursuing it alone. If you do that, even if you achieve your goals, you will only live in an eternity of regrets. If one day your environment chackles you and you find yourself without a solution, come find me."
Orochimaru heart startled, he tackled all the subjects he have been obsessing about. His words kept ringing in his mind as the smile of this being seemed to hold a deeper meaning. When Orochimaru was still in daze, Marek already couched down to the little princess level, he pinched her rosy cheeks as he told her:
"Little Tsunade-hime, even if your grandfather passed away its not a reason to look for him in any boso who claims that he want to be hokage! You will only end up getting hurt! Yes, there will be a lot of people with Hashirama's persona, optimism and charisma, but there is a lot less, with his hardwork, talent and POWER. Do not search for what supposed to be a great ninja, look at who really is a great ninja."
Tsunade was tilting her head sideways, in tought, as she seemed to have a hard time understanding this weird advice. Hiruzen who understood the underlying meaning of Marek, looked at Jiraya with a slight smile on his face:
'That may be a good idea'
He took the neckace of her grandpa in his hands:
"Your aspirations as a medical ninja are expetional, and worthy admiration of even me, who will only use these hands to kill. Give this necklace, to someone who is really worthy. Not only of Hashirama's legacy but above everything else, your love and hope for the future."
Marek dearly loved the sannin back when he was in Earth. The regrets they still carried where heart wretching for him, when he was a simple fan. No, looking at their young, unbridled selves. A protective instinct emerged for him. His face showed it eagrly. His eyes were warm, his mouth formed a true smile from the bottom of his heart. Looking at his appearance, Tsunade turned red as she felt as safe as when she was with her grandfather. Little tears started dropping as she nodded lightly with her head. Hiruzen was shocked internally as he himself didn't knew his students were harboring such profound feelings
'He cares about them and understand deeply how each of them think. Its frightening.'
Seeing the scolding that every one of them got, Jiraya was getting prepared to hear it out. Marek approached as he saw his favorite character his face brightened the most. He patted his white head and laughed:
"I actually don't have much advice to give to you!! You are great the way you are!"
When he said that even Hiruzen was surprised:
"A man should pursue his desires. If you have perverted thoughts act on them! If you think you should do something do it! If you fall in love! Pursue it until the end of the earth! Don't falter! Don't abandon your desires nor your ambitions! In this village, you are the one I hold in the most regard!"
He then stooped to his ear and whispered:
"And don't give up on your love, no matter what. Be on her side, she needs you more than you think."
Jiraya who only heard mockery and disdain, all his life, for being who he is, already broke down in tears:
"Grow up to be a fine man. So we can party and drink together. Here"
As he spoke up a little blue piece appeared on his hand, only it wasn't a king but a Pawn:
"Hold on, this piece dearly. And one day if you or the people you cherish find yourself in Danger. Use it."
The other three all had a different reaction. Hiruzen eyes where shining with a weird light as he was looking at the piece that disappeared in Jiraya's heart. Tsunade was pouting as she didn't get as good of a treatment, Orochimaru was calm but his eyes betrayed some envy.
"Well! This was fun! Kids! Lets meet next time when you are bigger!"
He instantly disappeared and instantly appeared behind Hiruzen back:
"A little advice. Take good care of Tsunade. Her talents in Medical could make or break a War. Also, if you want to keep her, get her as far as possible from Dan Kato. If I come back and I see him approaching her, I will kill him myself. You've been warned. Goodbye"
At the last threat, Sarutobi felt like he was ant talking with a lion. His words downing like thunder immediately swept the atmosphere he had just created. The Third Hokage was left alone looking at his students who were still shaken by the meeting.