Inside the Hokage Office
Hiruzen and an old lady with striking red hairs were seated across from each other, sipping tea.
"What do you call me here for Hiruzen?" She asks as she puts down her cup of tea.
"I am here to ask you to take in a boy as your student." Hiruzen replied as he also put his cup down.
"Oh? And why should I accept after you and your village refuse to send reinforcements to the Land of Whirlpools when they ask for help?"
"What if I said the boy may have awakened the lost Nara Clan Kekkei Genkai? You should know Mito."
Mito's eyes widened slightly at the mention of the Nara Clan's lost Kekkei Genkai. Her fingers tightened around her teacup for a moment before she set it down with careful precision. Her gaze was fixed on Hiruzen.
"What makes you so sure that he has awakened it?"
"Do you know about the tournament yesterday?"
"That tournament where all those arrogant clan kids were humiliated? If so, yes. What does this have to do with the Kekkei Gankai?"
Hiruzen leaned forward, his hands clasped in front of him. "The boy I want you to take in as your student participated in that tournament. In there, he showcases techniques that would otherwise be impossible for the typical Nara clan members to perform. The most telltale sign was his ability to jump between shadows and blend in with his environment. He causes massive chaos and I have to spend a huge amount of effort eliminating all the spies so that the news does not leak."
Mito's eyes narrowed, her sharp gaze never leaving Hiruzen's face. "Why me though? Couldn't you teach him since you have already taken in 3 students?"
"Because you're the only one alive who understands the power. You've lived through the wars and seen the devastation it can cause. I want you to teach him but also to keep an eye on him."
"You think these old bones can keep a young boy at bay? Maybe when I was younger but now, I am just an old fossil waiting for my time to come."
"Mito," he said, "I'm not asking you to fight him. I'm asking you to guide him, to shape him. Your experience is invaluable. That is something I cannot provide for him, no matter how many students I have taken in."
Knock knock knock
Just as Mito was about to reply, there was a knock on the door. The ANBU signals to Hiruzen that Kuro has arrived.
Hiruzen looked at Mito before breathing out a sigh.
"You may come in."
…
Kuro arrives in front of the Hokage office after going through some checks from the ANBU.
Looking left and right, he released a sigh before placing his knuckle on the door and knocking it.
"You may come in."
Hearing the voice of the Third Hokage, Kuro breathed out once more before straightening his back and turning the knob.
Kuro stepped into the Hokage's office, his eyes scanning the room quickly before they landed on the two seated figures.
He recognizes Hiruzen but the old hag with striking red hair makes him remember a prominent character from Naruto.
He then felt a chill crawl up his spine when he saw the old ha..the old lovely lady staring at him. 'Can she read my mind?!'
Kuro froze for a split second, feeling a chill crawl up his spine as the woman's intense gaze seemed to pierce right through him. Her sharp red eyes never left him, and for a moment, it felt like she was silently judging every thought he had.
He quickly pushed the odd sensation aside, forcing his posture to remain straight, even though he couldn't shake the feeling that she knew exactly what was running through his mind.
Kuro bowed his head respectfully to both of them, though his mind was still partially focused on the old woman's piercing gaze. "Thank you for having me, Hokage-sama, and this lovely lady," he managed to say.
"Oh my!" Mito touches her cheeks at the complement before her face becomes expressionless. "I know what you are thinking up in that head of your young man. The moment you walked into this room, I felt someone calling me an old hag. What do you say about that boy?"
Kuro's back was sweating. "H-how d-did you know?" Kuro pointed his finger at the old woman with a terrified face. 'Can the old hag read my mind?'
"Oh? So you admitted that you called me, Mito Uzumaki, an old hag." Mito started cracking her knuckles as she got up.
(ಠ_ಠ)
Kuro felt the 3 bumps on his head throbbing again as a sense of Deja Vu set in.
"PLEASE! I DON'T ME…"
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Before Kuro could complete his sentence, he saw stars and felt pain in his head. 'At this rate, I would become dumb!' The world around him was blurry from the pain, and his brain was spinning from the rapid series of knocks Mito had so kindly delivered. He half expected to feel his IQ drop a few points with each blow.
"Lady Mito, please!" Kuro stammered, his voice panicked. "I didn't mean it! I swear! I wasn't thinking anything bad! I was just—"
"You were thinking I'm an old hag," Mito interrupted smoothly, crossing her arms. "And not just any old hag—the old hag. Is that right?"
Kuro's mind raced for an excuse, but none came. "I—I mean, yes, I was thinking something like that but—" he winced as another sharp pain from his head made him flinch, "—I wasn't being serious! I respect you! Really!" His voice cracked as he tried to salvage the situation.
Mito's eyebrow twitched, but she finally seemed to relent, sitting back down with an amused glint in her eyes. "Mm, you've got guts, I'll give you that, boy." She leaned forward, resting her chin in her palm as she examined him. "But next time, be a little more careful with your thoughts around me. It's not that I can read minds—" she paused for dramatic effect, "—I just have very good ears."
Kuro's face paled, realizing just how much trouble he could have gotten himself into. "I… I'll be more careful. I promise."
Hiruzen, who had been watching the exchange with a mild sense of amusement, leaned forward with a slight chuckle. "Mito, you're terrifying the poor boy."
Mito shot him a glare. "You always did have a soft spot for these kids, Hiruzen. I'm just making sure he knows who he's dealing with."
Kuro stayed quite, not wanting more hits to his poor head. He doesn't want to become retarded from the constant head trauma.
"Now, I suppose we can get back to the business at hand." Hiruzen stated as his face got serious. "Kuro, you've caught my attention, and not just because of your… unintentional remarks. Since I have dropped out of the academy, I have Lady Mito here to become your teacher. She can teach you more than any academy teachers can possibly teach you. I can positively say she can teach you more than me, a Hokage.
Kuro swallowed nervously hearing Hiruzen. Looking at Hiruzen and then Mito, he nervously nodded his head. "I... I understand, Hokage-sama."
"Why do you sound hesitant?" Mito asked. She then turned to Hiruzen. "When did I ever agree to take him in?"
Hiruzen, however, didn't seem surprised by her response. In fact, he let out a small, almost imperceptible chuckle. "Mito, you've always had a way of making things more complicated than they need to be."
Mito gave him a sharp look, but her expression softened ever so slightly. "And you've always been too trusting, Hiruzen. I don't just take in anyone who wanders into my line of sight."
Mito leaned back in her chair, looking at Hiruzen and Kuro for a moment longer, before letting out a slow breath.
"Alright. I'll take him in." She stated.
Hiruzen's expression brightened a little before Mito poured water on his head.
"But not for free. Since you recommended him, you have to give me that private villa that you secretly built behind the Hokage Monument."
Kuro, who had been silently watching the exchange, couldn't help but glance between the two of them, unsure whether to laugh or be horrified at the sudden demand. A villa? Behind the Hokage Monument? Kuro tried to imagine it—Hiruzen, the Hokage, sneaking around building a secret getaway…
Hiruzen, however, took it in stride, exhaling a slow breath. "You know about that, huh?" he stated with resignation.
"Oh, please," Mito replied with a smirk. "I've known about it for years. Do you think I wouldn't notice the construction, especially with how many ANBU guards you've had stationed nearby? That place is practically a second Hokage office." She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing slightly. "So, what do you say, Hiruzen? The villa, or no 'training' for the boy."
Hiruzen sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I can't believe I'm actually doing this." But his tone held no anger, only a resigned acceptance. "Alright, Mito. You drive a hard bargain, but I agree. The villa is yours. But just know, I expect you to take 'care' of Kuro."
Mito's grin widened at his response. "I'm a woman of my word, Hiruzen. I'll take good 'care' of him." She then shot Kuro a glance. "But don't think for a second I'm going to go easy on you just because of this little... arrangement."
Kuro's stomach twisted. "I-I understand, Lady Mito," he said, his voice a bit shaky. This whole situation was out of his control. People are deciding for him without his consent.
'Power huh? As long as I have the strength, I would not be in this situation.' Kuro decided he would start working a little harder than usual, taking five minutes off his rest time.
Hiruzen leaned back in his chair. "Well, it's settled then. Kuro, you're officially under Mito's care. I trust you'll take the training seriously."
"Of course, Lord Hokage," Kuro replied quickly.
As the conversation wrapped up, Hiruzen stood and stretched, giving Kuro a reassuring smile. "Good luck, Kuro. Mito's tough, but you'll learn a lot. Just don't get on her bad side."
Kuro nodded quickly, remembering Mito fists.
With a final nod to the Hokage and a wary glance at Mito, Kuro exited the room.
"Why does every female in this world love to hit people?" Kuro asks himself, remembering all the violent females he met. "All of them are crazy."
Kuro made his way toward his usual training ground, not wanting to meet his mom just yet.