Chapter 1

Potential Discovered

Hello – Text

"Hello" – Talking

'Hello' – Thinking

Hello – Emphasis

oOoOoOoOo – Scene Break

xXx – Chapter Start

xXx – Chapter End

'Hello' – Important Title

xXx

oOoOoOoOo Chiyo oOoOoOoOo

The harsh light of the desert sun burned down upon the Village Hidden in the Sand. It was a harsh place, barely pleasant in the best of times, but it was still home. Still the place where so many people lived and found ways to make the most of it.

It was also a place Chiyo had been visiting less and less as time went by. Why, it probably wouldn't be long before she stopped coming at all.

Chiyo wasn't in a very good mood today. Granted, she was rarely in a good mood at all anymore. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she had more reasons to be bitter than anything to be happy about.

The Village's economy was plummeting, the new Kazekage had just ordered her to essentially condemn a newborn child, the Academy had recently undergone a number of budget cuts and her joints were acting up. Again!

'Dammit, I hate getting older.'

But despite all that, what put her in such a bad mood was that it was that day again. The anniversary that her grandson had disappeared, gone off to parts unknown. For all she knew, Sasori may very well be dead.

She'd never admit it, not even to Ebizō, but it hurt. She'd already lost her daughter and son-in-law to Konoha, and Sasori was the only child left in the tattered remains of their family. Knowing he was gone, that she'd failed, had torn her up inside. It left a wound, raw and gaping, that still hadn't healed, even in these years since he had vanished.

It was at its worst on this day in particular. The memories of those days would come back so strong that she'd find herself wandering aimlessly in the village. It's as if she was literally lost in the past.

She still remembered those days, the happier times. Walking Sasori around the village. Going out to eat with him. Enjoying the few festivals their village was able to hold. She even remembered the days she started teaching him Puppetry.

Chiyo held back a wince at that memory. It may have started out as a happy one, but it eventually became a nightmare. Oh, she'd been overjoyed at first. Puppetry was something of a passion of hers after all, a great art-form, she had every right to be proud of her skills. Passing them onto her grandson had been wonderful, especially when she discovered he was so talented. It felt like she was making up for lost time, given that her daughter had never shown significant mastery in the art.

But then everything changed and the dream became a nightmare. It was slow at first, a gradual process, but Sasori changed. It started when she saw him with those two puppets he'd based off of his parents, at that desperate attempt to recapture that feeling of being held in their arms.

Seeing the look in his eyes when they broke down, when he realized they could never give him what he so deeply craved, had left her both hurt and a little terrified. The look in his eyes wasn't just defeated. It was empty. Lifeless. Eyes that should never be found on a child's face.

That had been the first sign that something was wrong, but she was too caught up in a combination of pity and her own grieving to intervene. Perhaps if she'd stopped him from attempting such a thing, or even avoided teaching him Puppetry at all, the end result could've been avoided.

But she didn't. And as time went on, Sasori just seemed to get worse. He became colder, more distant, people and their interactions seemed to be nothing more to him than puppets being pulled along by their strings. The little boy she knew had grown up into a ruthless killer.

And now, he was gone. She was going to die alone, without even a chance to pass along her skills. And, worst of all, she'd die knowing she failed her daughter and Sasori.

Melancholy gripping her mind once again, Chiyo barely even paid any attention to where her steps took her. One foot moving in front of the other, she just wandered aimlessly in the silent streets of the village.

She would've just walked by if it weren't for the sounds of the cheering. Snapped out of her spell of bitterness, she wondered what they could be cheering about. It was far too early in the year for any of the festivals she knew, so what could it be?

Her curiosity piqued, she followed the noise to the source, finding a small crowd of people gathered in a rough semi-circle at the outside of a building. It seems there was some kind of entertainer in town, not exactly a common occurrence. Most traveling entertainers steered clear of the Hidden Sand Village, given its location and relative poverty compared to the other Hidden Villages.

Taking a place in the crowd, Chiyo moved to take a look at what all the fuss was about.

'A boy?'

Yes, it was a boy. A black haired young lad with silver eyes, probably no more than 7 years old. He was dressed in little more than the tattered and dirty remains of what used to be normal clothes and had an equally tattered joke of a bag beside him, but he had a smile on his face and a strange gleam in his eyes that was rather rare in people his age.

He was also playing with coins. Juggling them in an intricate aerial pattern, even as they landed twirling on his fingers. It was obviously well practiced, given that he did it with an ease and skill that wouldn't be out of place in the act of a seasoned professional.

But that's not what got Chiyo's attention. No, what perked her interest was something else, something nobody else here could see. Something that, in all honesty, was a little remarkable.

The boy was using Chakra Threads.

There could be no doubt, he was using Chakra Threads to connect to and control the movements of the coins. That's how he was juggling them so seamlessly even as they twirled. His dexterity was real, but the rest of it was a clever trick. Just basic Chakra control.

Chiyo was instantly on guard. Could the boy be an infiltrator?

…..No, she decided. The boy was too young. Shinobi may be sent to fight at this boy's age, but to infiltrate a village? Hah! It just wasn't practical, such young Shinobi didn't really possess the subtlety and experience of other cultures to blend in. Besides, even if he was an infiltrator, he would never make himself stand out like this.

Still, just who was this boy? Chakra Threads weren't exactly a difficult Jutsu for people with the right training and Chakra control, but that's because they were Shinobi. It was all but unheard of for a civilian to learn how to do it outside of the academy, especially a child.

So, hidden in the crowd, Chiyo waited. Holding back for just the right opportunity to find out. She'd found something to perk her interest now and she wasn't letting it go.

oOoOoOoOo Tetsuo oOoOoOoOo

Checking on the ryō the people had given him for the show, Tetsuo gathered it all in his carrying sack and headed off for something to eat. "Looks like my show brought in a good haul, today."

"A better show than these people know," an old voice ground out.

Tetsuo jumped slightly at the voice. How did he not hear someone sneaking up on him? Turning around, he saw that the source of the voice was an old woman. Short, pale haired and with more wrinkles than his bag, she was very the definition of what one might call a senior citizen.

She also had a look on her face that reminded Tetsuo of a cat he saw once. After it had spotted a particularly juicy canary. It was actually a little worrying.

'A better show? Did she notice?' If she did, she was probably the first person to actually call him on it. Nobody had ever indicated they knew about his trick before. Nervous, he started glancing around for any escape routes, anywhere he could slip into or anything he could use as an obstacle if she tried to chase after him.

He could've been mistaken, but did he catch some kind of glimmer of approval in her eyes? Must've been his imagination.

Maybe playing dumb would throw her off a little.

Tetsuo quirked his head to the side, looking up quizzically at her. "Huh? Waddya mean?"

The look on her face became more pronounced. If she looked like a cat before, now she looked like a wolf of some kind. "I've just never seen a boy your age use Chakra Threads so well. I'm curious where you learned it."

Okay, now Tetsuo's instincts were telling him to run away as fast as he could. He'd seen that kind of look before, and it rarely meant anything good. Turning around to start running, he barely traveled a few feet away before something tripped him.

As he tried to push himself up from the ground and keep running, he could just hear the smile in the old lady's tone. "Unfortunately for you, I can use them even better."

He stopped struggling after he registered the words. Use them better? Did that mean…?

Chancing a look back towards his feet, Tetsuo focused his eyes and saw them. Chakra Threads! Several of them! No wonder this lady set him on edge, she was a ninja!

He must've spoken that realization aloud, because the old crone let out a barking laugh. It sounded rough, chafed, as if she hadn't bothered to attempt a laugh for a long time.

"A ninja? Really? This little old lady? Why, whatever gave you that idea?"

Tetsuo's right eyebrow twitched in annoyance. She was practically lying through her teeth, he could see the Chakra Threads extending from her fingers. More than that, it felt like she was insulting his intelligence with her little jibes and that smug smile.

So, like any mature 7 year old, he organized his thoughts for a witty and classic remark that would leave her stunned at its sheer ingenuity. Looking her in the eye, the boy cleared his throat and spoke in the most level tone he could manage.

"You're full of shit, granny."

The old bag just laughed even harder.

oOoOoOoOo Chiyo oOoOoOoOo

Alright, Chiyo's mood was now officially better. This boy had been a pleasant surprise, really. Witty, smart and even having a good dash of caution. The last quality was especially rare among people so young, so Chiyo found it to be a breath of fresh air.

Looking down at the boy, his legs still tangled on the ground, she let a smile show. A real one, something she hadn't done for a long time. It felt nice to feel her lips curl upward like that for the first time in years.

The boy deserved a reward for that.

"Tell you what," she began, trying to keep the chuckles out of her voice. "You've been a pretty fun little distraction, so I'll do something nice. How'd you like to get something to eat with this old lady? I'm not exactly a hot date anymore, but you'll get a free meal and some company to trade insults with. Sound fair?"

The boy was tempted, she could tell. He didn't exactly jump at the offer, but the look in his eyes gained a bit of light in them. It was brief, though, only there for a second before it was replaced with suspicion. 'Smart boy.' Her deal was sincere, but he really had no way to know that himself. Plus, he'd probably encountered other people that gave him similar offers. That he was still alive was proof that he was smart enough not to take them up on it.

"We'll eat in public," she offered. "Plenty of people around to see if I try anything. And I might teach you how to trip people with your Chakra Threads."

The look in his eyes told her she had a deal.

oOoOoOoOo

Chiyo's right eye twitched slightly in irritation at the sight before her. The vision of devastated plates, packed with food mere moments before, left barren in the wake of the boy before her. Dear god, his stomach must've been some kind of organic Sealing Scroll, there's no way any normal person could eat this much. She was half convinced an Akimichi from Konoha couldn't eat this much! And everyone across the Elemental Nations knew about the appetites of those giants.

After taking Chiyo up on her offer, the boy –Tetsuo, she'd learned- demanded that they go to the most expensive restaurant in the village. Foolishly, she decide to go along. She wasn't lacking in money, and the boy was so small that she doubted he could even eat a single plate of food.

'Oh, how wrong I was.'

This had to be his way of getting back at her. Taking her to somewhere really expensive before putting her in the damned poorhouse.

The moment they got in and the boy started looking through the menu, he immediately ordered several dishes worth of food and almost literally inhaled it all. Responding to the looks of the serving staff with a shrug in her direction, he just replied "She's buying." Chiyo was so shocked that she'd barely even taken a bite out of her own order. Then he ordered even more food, getting several expensive platters with a total price that could buy a decent piece of jewelry. The little brat was going to eat a hole clean into her wallet and let the money flow out.

At this rate, the runt might end up with his stomach exploding.

…

'Yes,' she thought, her expression turning as dark as her thoughts. 'That's it, boy. Keep on eating. Keep eating until your stomach pops.'

oOoOoOoOo 30 Minutes Later oOoOoOoOo

Now everyone in the restaurant was staring at their table. Their looks a combination of awe and dawning horror as they saw the scattered plates around the boy as he just. KEPT. EATING!

'WHY WON'T YOU POP ALREADY!?'

Chiyo had no idea how much food the restaurant had left, but she was pretty sure they would run out soon. This brat had eaten enough food to feed a small army and this place could only hold so much stock at any one time. Their reserves were surely almost empty by now.

Then, when it looked like he was about to order something else, he put his chopsticks down, patted his gut, and said the two words Chiyo had been hoping to hear since this eating debacle started.

"I'm full."

As the words spread throughout the restaurant to the other customers, Chiyo sagged down into her chair, barely listening as the other customers erupted into applause. The boy was finally finished. Finally! Doing the math for all the orders of food he'd made, she suppressed a cringe upon realizing just how close she'd came to being in debt to this place. She really didn't want to spend her free time washing dishes down here.

Hearing a server approach, she took a brief glance towards the man and wondered what he came to do. Give them the bill, maybe?

"So," the man nervously began. His voice was barely more than a stutter and Chiyo couldn't blame him. He was probably worried this ravenous brat would try to eat him up too. "Would you like any dessert?"

Chiyo froze in horror as the words sank in. Right before she stood at her full height, pushing back her chair in the process, and brought her fist down on the table with a shout of "NO HE WON'T!"

She barely even felt it as the table shattered under her hand, all of her attention focused on the server who almost pushed her that last step before complete bankruptcy. The poor man was standing still like an alabaster statue and was just as pale, his eyes beady from fear as Chiyo pinned him in place with her glare.

Then, of all thing, the brat who started the whole scenario spoke out in a strangely childish tone.

"Granny? Why are you scaring the nice man?"

Swiveling her head around so quickly she thought there was a snap, Chiyo's gaze landed on the boy. The boy who had suddenly developed an oh so innocent expression as he seemed to curl inward from fright. The picture of innocence was ruined only by the glimmer of amusement behind his eyes, seen only by Chiyo herself.

That settled it. This boy was pure evil.

She couldn't help the smile that formed on her face. "I think I'm starting to like you, kid."

oOoOoOoOo

After their little scene in the restaurant, Chiyo and Tetsuo passed the time by sitting on the roof of a building to watch the stars in the sky. Taking turns to point out the different constellation, they also traded a few jibes at one another's expense. Just some playful ribbing.

"Are you blind or something, Granny? That can't be the right constellation."

"I assure you, brat, I'm not blind. My hearing is starting to go, I get joint pains all the time and I think I threw out my hip on the way up here, but I'm not blind yet."

And so it went on. Really, finding this boy had turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. She hadn't felt this relaxed and at ease for a long time. She just might even teach him that trick she'd promised.

Oh, that reminded her.

"Where did you learn that anyway?"

Tetsuo looked over with an expression of confusion. Fake. "Learn what?"

"Don't try and fool me boy. You're at least 80 years too young to even come close."

Tetuo smiled and Chiyo knew she just walked right into this one. "I got you to buy me all that food, remember?"

"That was before I knew how evil you really are. Come on, out with it."

Tetsuo's face became cautious for a moment. She really couldn't blame him, it was likely a dangerous subject that brought up some nasty memories. Civilians generally didn't learn how to manipulate their Chakra outside of the Academy very often. And the circumstances tended to be very bad, indeed.

"It happened a while ago," Tetsuo began. His voice came out in a whisper, low and slow. Yes, this subject definitely didn't bring up pleasant memories. "I came from a small village in the Land of Rivers, small enough that it didn't really have a name. My family and I were poor, but we got by."

He paused, seeming to gather his thoughts before he started speaking again. "I tried to help them make some money on the side. I did trick on the street and entertained people. I practiced juggling a lot to give a performance." His body shuddered, likely from a particularly bad memory. "Then it happened. One day, when I was out doing trick, there was a bunch of explosions. There was fire and lightning and the earth started shaking and…..I panicked. I just crawled into a ditch and tried to wait it out."

He stopped talking again and started shaking like a leaf. She wasn't surprised, the boy had obviously been terrified. She reached out to lay a hand on his shoulder when his head shot up, startling her.

"Then I looked over and I saw it. Some weird….black….thing! It looked like some kind of monster and wore a white mask, walking on its legs and breathing fire. I saw it killing people, roasting them alive and I couldn't even move. It was the scariest thing I've ever seen."

He folded his legs further inward, resting his head on his knees and clenching his arms around his body. "All I could do was watch. I was so scared that I couldn't even run, I just sat there in the ditch and hoped it would leave."

The poor thing seemed to almost be hysterical by now, shivering and wide-eyed as he relived the memory. Chiyo could only imagine the kind of terror h was feeling when he went through it all.

But this still begged the question, how did he learn to use Chakra Threads?

"Then it left. It left and the whole village was just gone. Just burned bodies and destroyed buildings. And I couldn't do anything."

He stopped shivering, getting himself back under control. Sniffling slightly, he rubbed his eyes with his right forearm to clear the tears. "I couldn't stay. Not after everything that happened. So I left. I got a bag and filled it with anything useful and got ready to go. Then I found something while I was looking through a wrecked building for anything useful."

He reached out an arm to the bag he'd been carrying, pulling it closer before he started rooting through it and pulled something out.

"I found this."

Handing her what he'd dug out, Chiyo was surprised to find…

"A book?"

'The Science of Chakra Threads', by Monzaemon Chikamatsu.

Monzaemon Chikamatsu? The father of the art of Ninja Puppetry? Looking through it, Chiyo noticed that the book was obviously old. The edges were tearing, the spine of the book was flimsy and almost falling apart and the pages were fragile with a number of small rips. It also seemed to be more of a collection of notes rather than an actual book.

Could it really have been written by him? It certainly seemed old enough to have been one of Monzaemon's notebooks, and the information written down was quite detailed. Like he was constantly writing in it as he experimented.

"Yeah," Tetsuo breathed out, breaking Chiyo out of her little interlude. "I found it in a burned down house, the one where the explosions started. It looked interesting, so I took it and started reading." Extending a hand, the boy summoned up some Chakra Threads to emphasize his point. "I think you can guess the rest."

Guess the rest? Was this boy serious? Chakra Threads weren't exactly an advanced Jutsu, but they were very specialized. The user required a not insignificant degree of Chakra control just to form them, much less actively manipulate them. To her knowledge, they'd never even been successfully taught outside of the Academy. And this boy learned it from a book?

Closing the book in her hands, she gave it back to Tetsuo, watching as he carefully stuffed it back into his bag. "You really learned to form Chakra Threads by reading a book?"

"Yeah," the boy responded. He sounded a little nervous at her question. "Is something wrong?"

Chiyo shook her head in the negative. "No, not wrong. But it's very unusual. Are you really telling me that nobody actually taught you how to do that? That you learned it all from a book?"

"Yeah, I am."

Chiyo stared at the boy. Waiting, daring him to show some sign that he was lying. Some flinch, a glance away, any nervous tic that showed her he wasn't telling the truth.

But there was nothing. The boy was telling the truth.

'Looks like he's even more interesting than I thought.'

For a moment, Chiyo considered what this all implied. The boy had somehow learned a specialized form of Chakra control, without any help beyond the references in a book, and had mastered it to the point where he could use it with something as precise and intricate as juggling a bunch of twirling coins. And at such a young age, too.

Dear god, what would happen if this boy had the proper training?

Chiyo made her voice as hard as she could to make her point. She wasn't going to sugarcoat this. "Listen to me, Tetsuo. I'm not sure you realize just how impressive your accomplishment really is, but believe me when I tell you it's a big deal."

Tetsuo's face scrunched up slightly. "They're just strings."

"I assure you, they're not just strings. What you've been doing isn't some parlor trick. It's a very specialized form of Chakra manipulation. So specialized in fact, that it's almost unheard of outside of the borders of the Land of Wind. Not to mention it's considered too advanced for anyone to learn outside of the Academy or certain apprenticeships."

The boy's eyes widened at that. Apparently, he never thought it was anything so impressive. Unsurprising, given that he'd likely never heard of them until now.

"You have a rare potential in you, Tetsuo. More than what I've seen in many people twice you age, and you're using it to work as a street performer. That's a waste when you could be using it for so much more."

The boy looked at her, his eyes a combination of confusion and some strange hope. "More?"

"Yes," Chiyo answered. "Much more. I'm saying you could become a Shinobi."

She let the words hang in silence for a while, allowing them to sink in. This was definitely a significant moment for the boy, discovering he could be something more than a street urchin. That he could have a better life than living hand-to-mouth every day.

"How," he questioned.

Chiyo smiled. "You would be enrolled in the Academy. You'd be staying her in the village, taking classes with other children your age. It won't be easy, but you have a chance to make much more of your life than what you have now."

The boy looked pensive at that, thinking it over. Smart of him, given just what she'd told him. Becoming a Shinobi wasn't just a job, it was a lifestyle. When you made the choice to become a Ninja, you didn't back out on it, and it would change you forever in a number of ways.

After a few minutes of silence, he spoke. "I don't really have enough money to stay for long."

"I know some people. I'm sure I could get you a stipend to handle your costs."

"I don't even have a place to stay."

Chiyo smiled down on him. "I know just the place."

oOoOoOoOo Tetsuo oOoOoOoOo

"You really live here?"

Tetsuo was currently looking around the inside of what was, apparently, the old lady's home. On the outside, it looked like any other building in the Hidden Sand Village. A large upward dome of clay or stucco, good for keeping an opposing temperature to whatever was outside.

Inside, though, it was anything besides what he'd come to expect. The interior was Spartan, but well maintained and had enough furnishings to have a warm and homey feel.

But what surprised him the most was that the large interior happened to be made for one family. This place probably had enough room to give a large section of space for every family from his old village and still have plenty of room left over. Granted, that wasn't saying much, but it was still very surprising. Compared to the huts from back at home, this place was practically a palace.

"I used to," Chiyo responded. Her tone seemed far off, as if she wasn't really here. "Now it's just an empty building gathering dust. It might as well go to someone who needs it."

Tetsuo almost jumped in joy. Never, even in his wildest dreams, had he expected a turn of fortune like this. If somebody had told him yesterday that some old lady would trip him up with Chakra Threads, bring him out for a ton of food, watch the night stars with him, tell him could be a Ninja and said she could arrange for the money and living space to make it happen, he'd have slowly backed away while looking for escape routes from the obvious loony. But it really happened, he was really here and he was gonna be training to be a Shinobi.

"Can I look around?"

"As long as you don't break anything, fine."

He raced off before she even finished talking.

oOoOoOoOo Chiyo oOoOoOoOo

"I never should've let that brat run off," Chiyo muttered. The runt had just bolted down into the halls the moment she said 'don't break anything'. He didn't even both waiting for her to finish.

So, muttering 'brat' under her breath as she searched her old home, she looked for the boy who had vanished like a ghost. Was he actually hiding from her, somehow? Given the mischievous side she'd seen so far, Chiyo wouldn't put it past him.

Flipping the lights on as she walked through the halls, Chiyo prowled around the inside of her old home in search of the boy. Even if he was hiding from her, she knew this place like the back of her own hand. He wouldn't stay hidden for long.

Surprisingly, her search didn't last very long. She only got to the second floor when she noticed something off. An open door, to a room she had personally spent years in. A room with a door she remembered closing, once and for all, a long time ago.

Walking up to the door, Chiyo opened it and stepped into her old Puppet room.

Coming back in here brought so many memories. Some good, others bad, but she had sworn to leave it all behind years ago.

Seeing Tetsuo staring at the racks and racks of puppets in awe, she couldn't help thinking if it was a cruel joke of fate that she'd find him here. It would certainly fit her experiences. Fate had been a real bitch to her after all.

Turning to her at the sounds of Chiyo's footsteps, Tetsuo stared at her as he worked his mouth for something to say. "Are these yours?"

"Yes," she answered, her voice as heavy as her own heart. Coming back in here to see such a look of wonder on a young boy's face….it reminded her of Sasori all over again.

"THAT'S SO COOL!"

She blinked, stirred from her melancholy at the loud shout. What did the boy just say? "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"These are all Ninja Puppets, right? I read about them in that book. They're supposed to be weapons for Ninja right."

Chiyo couldn't help the slight twitch of her right eyebrow. Yes, she wanted to leave all the talk of these creations behind her, she wanted to let it all go. But hearing the boy refer to them as mere weapons was an insult to the art and its practitioners that she couldn't ignore.

"No. They're not just weapons, brat. They're a complete and systematic form of Ninja combat in their own right. Everyone who uses them is a specialist in a very elite and demanding field. The Shinobi capable of wielding these puppets aren't just Ninjas with an extra tool. They're one of the Hidden Sand's greatest military assets, and you should speak of them as such."

Alright, so maybe her opinion was a little biased, but nothing she said was really false. The Puppet Brigade of Hidden Sand was an elite and exclusive corps. of highly skilled specialists and had been responsible for a significant number of key victories and operations in the last two World Wars. Chiyo knew because she'd actually been in a number of them herself.

It seemed that her little rant had actually had some effect on the boy, if the look on his face was any indication. Good. The last thing this Village needed was people that didn't take such a line of work seriously. A dismissive attitude could get a Ninja, even an elite and promising one, killed.

"You're one of them, aren't you?"

"…..I used to be," she conceded. There was no reason to lie about it, he'd find out on his own anyway. Besides, he'd probably find some way to needle an answer out of her at some point.

"Can you teach me?"

Chiyo blinked at that. "What?"

"Can you teach me to use them?" Tetsuo asked, looking up at her with an intense look in his eye. Seems he took her speech a little too well.

"No." She responded, her tone flat as the look on her face. "I left these things behind me a long time ago. Besides, you'll be learning at the Academy."

The intensity in his eyes didn't waver. "Why won't you teach me? You weren't saying anything but good stuff about them, before."

She stared down at the boy with her hardest gaze. "I told you, I left that part of my life behind me. I'm not interested in teaching anyone, least of all some kid I just met on the streets."

"You taught someone before, didn't you?"

….Dammit. Now the brat was asking those kinds of questions. "Only once," she dismissed, trying to shrug the question off quickly. "And I'm not doing it again."

"If you taught someone before, why won't you teach me?"

Oh, for the love of god, this brat just wouldn't drop it!

"The last one was a prodigy and I'm not interested in teaching any less." The excuse sounded weak even to her, but it was the best she could come up with on the spot. But the look in Tetsuo's eyes didn't show he'd back down. She just knew this was gonna be a hard fight.

"I can already make the Chakra Threads. You said yourself that I had talent. What have you got to lose?"

What did she have to lose? Dammit, this brat had some gall asking her that. What did she have to lose? Another person to this damned form of warfare? Another disciple losing his mind because of its demanding requirements? Another disaster like her own Grandson?

But that was only the surface. Deep down, the reason was that she was scared. Scared to hope again, to believe in something good happening only for it to be crushed once more. And this damned brat was pulling on that one thread with everything he had.

There was no way for her to simply convince him with arguing. She'd have to try a different approach.

"Fine then," she breathed out, surprising the boy. "You want to learn this? Then I'll make you a deal."

Walking over to a desk of drawers, Chiyo opened up the compartments in search of something. A very particular book on Puppeteering. Ruffling through the old piece of furniture for a while, she eventually found it in the bottom right. Tossing it to Tetsuo, she ground out a serious "Read this."

He opened it up, pouring over the contents. After taking dome time to observe the writing, he closed it and looked at her. "This is a book about Ninja Puppet manipulation."

"That's right." Chiyo didn't even try to hold back her wicked smile. "You'll find a number of different practice motions for the Puppets in that book. In one week, I expect you to have mastered at least half of them. I'll come by to test you and see how proficient you've gotten. If you pass, I'll teach you. But if you fail, you'll drop this whole subject. You'll learn everything in the Academy and you'll like it."

The boy was glaring back at her, but didn't give an immediate answer. He was weighing his options, she could tell, measuring his odds of success against the odds of failure. Once again, Chiyo couldn't help but be a little surprised at the boy's sense on caution and realism. She briefly wondered how many Shinobi would still be alive if they had possessed the same caution as this boy.

"Your last apprentice. Did he pass this test too?"

"Yes."

That was a bold faced lie. She never had Sasori take a test like this, she wouldn't give it to anybody interested in the art of Puppetry back then. But right now, she just wanted this boy to fail the damned test and drop the subject entirely.

"Alright then." He took a seat in the corner of the room and started reading. He was determined, Chiyo could give him that. "And when I pass, you're gonna teach me and you're gonna like it."

Chiyo kept her face carefully blank at the statement as she silently walked out. There was no taking anything back now. Whatever happened, happened. For better or worse.

oOoOoOoOo Tetsuo oOoOoOoOo

It was just his first day and Tetsuo was already having problems with moving the puppets. He'd barely been taking the time to eat and attend to his own needs as he leapt into the training, pushing himself past his limits to pass Chiyo's test. Everything was so much easier in the book, he thought he could follow the instructions like he did to learn the Chakra Threads. But, apparently, it was something completely different to use the Threads for anything substantial. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he didn't think it would be this hard.

"Damned old crone. Of course she wouldn't give me a book with anything useful."

He could tell the subject of an apprentice was a difficult one for her. Hell, he was surprised she even made this concession at all. But he'd read about Ninja Puppeteering in that book he'd found, back in that charred husk of what used to be someone's home.

He wasn't sure why the image of being a Ninja Puppeteer was so compelling to him. Maybe the thought of being someone in control? Of being the one pulling the strings instead of fate pulling his own? It was a little disturbing, thinking about it like that, but he couldn't really say the thought was an unappealing or inaccurate one.

There was a certain allure in holding the strings of something powerful, being able to turn it against anyone who wanted to hurt you. In being able to have something do the fighting for you as you watched the fight progress like a big game of Shogi.

But, most of all, it was because of that thing that had destroyed his home. The monster that turned his whole life into a scene out of hell on earth. He wasn't entirely sure how he knew, but somehow, he knew that abomination was some kind of puppet.

And he wanted it. He wanted that kind of power. The power to keep anything like that from ever happening again. And if learning how to use these puppets was the first step to gaining it, he'd do whatever it took.

So, with just a moment to grit his teeth, Tetsuo formed up some Chakra Threads and started again.

oOoOoOoOo

It was day three, and Tetsuo was happy to say he'd made some progress. After all his effort and re-reading of the instruction manual the old lady had given him, he gotten the puppet to start moving. The motions were clunky and uneven, forced and rather inefficient, but it was moving now.

Granted, it wasn't exactly something momentous, but it was still progress. Progress! Now, he just had to make the motions more economical. Fluid. Being able to move a puppet didn't mean anything if it couldn't move right. That was something the book made very clear and constantly stressed.

Pushing his exhaustion to the back of his mind, he summoned more Chakra Threads and attached them to the Anchor Seals on the Puppet. The tiny Seals that acted as the connection points and control nodes for the Puppet.

Willing the Puppet to life and twitching his fingers in command, Tetsuo willed the Puppet to move.

It took several steps and got halfway into a bow before it collapsed to the ground, Tetsuo almost joining it.

"Dammit!"

oOoOoOoOo

It was day five now, and Tetsuo was on the verge of tearing his hear out. He'd made so much progress with getting the Puppets to move, but he just couldn't make them move right. They always seemed to sway and step in clunky and jerky ways with every motion. Worse, he was almost out of time. Chiyo would be showing up in two days to test him, and if he failed she'd send him to the Academy.

No way. He'd seen the Academy when he first came into the Village, when he was wandering in a search for any places where he could perform in front of any crowds. The place was an absolute wreck. He didn't know why the place seemed so run down, but it had obviously fallen on hard times. They could probably only barely cover the very basic necessities for being a Shinobi. Much less help him learn anything impressive.

No. If he wanted to become a real Shinobi, someone with real power, he'd need to learn it from Chiyo. Something in Tetsuo's gut was telling him that the old lady was way more than she appeared to be, and that feeling hadn't steered him wrong before. He was gonna be her apprentice, even if he had to push himself to death's own front door to pull this off.

'But how?' He'd tried everything the book said, but it didn't work. Could it have been leaving something out? Some kind of crucial detail? It was a worryingly likely scenario. He hadn't exactly studied much on the mechanics of Puppeteering, the book only told him so much, but from what he could gather, it was a very detailed and intricate method of combat with very demanding requirements. He seriously doubted everything he needed could be put in a single book.

He let out a long sigh, trying to recollect himself. Panicking and rushing headlong into this without thinking would only hurt his chances. He wouldn't have agreed to this test if he didn't think he could pull it off. He'd already done a lot of the hard parts, so there must've been something he missed. Thinking over everything in the book, re recited the information related to animating the Puppets with the Chakra Threads.

'Okay. By molding the Chakra into a fine and condensed form, the user may extend it from their fingertips in the form of Chakra Threads. Constantly dissipating, the Threads can only be maintained over a significant period of time by giving them a small but consistent flow of Chakra to keep them from degrading. The Threads themselves are used to both power and create a connection between the Puppet and Puppeteer. The connection is achieved through the usage of Anchor Seals, a type of seal that…..'

Tetsuo blinked. "Wait a minute. The Seals."

Looking at the Puppet once again, Tetsuo tried one more time to move it like the diagrams in the book showed him to.

Attaching the Chakra Threads to the Seals, this time he manipulated the connection a little differently.

oOoOoOoOo Chiyo oOoOoOoOo

Chiyo walked down the street to her old home, not really knowing what to feel right now. On the one hand, she was happy that the day had finally come to get the boy out of her hair. Happy to finally know she could drop the whole matter and leave any ideas of an apprenticeship behind her.

But there was another part of her that was feeling something very different. The boy had actually grown on her a little, with his irreverent sense of humor and pigheaded stubbornness. It actually reminded her of herself when she was younger, always just as flippant with authority figures as she could get away with. Always reminding them that, for all that they could give her orders, they could never change her or any opinions she had.

And maybe, just maybe, there was a small part that hoped he would pass.

She stopped walking at that thought, honestly surprised it had even popped up. "Oh, that's just perfect. Now I'm going senile as well as throwing my hip out."

Stomping off in a huff, she decided to hurry and just get this day over with and get these damned thought out of her head.

Finally reaching the door to her old house, she unlocked the door and entered with a shout of, "Brat! It's test time, so shape up!"

But there was no response. The only sound in the house seemed to be the echoing of her own declaration. If she didn't know better, she'd think nobody was really here.

Letting out a groan, she walked further in before closing the door behind her, already knowing where he must be. Moving through the halls, Chiyo glared at the stairs she needed to ascend to reach the next floor. Bracing herself to go up the steps, Chiyo rose with a muttered, "Should've had a damned elevator installed."

After finally reaching the door to her old Puppet storage room, she opened it to the sight of Tetsuo laying on the ground and sleeping under a blanket. Did he actually sleep in here instead of using one of the beds? Jeez, he could've at least used the damned couch. What an odd boy.

Moving closer, she caught a brief glimpse of his sleeping face. He looked surprisingly peaceful, actually. As if all the painful memories of his past couldn't touch him. It was surprising, considering what he'd gone through. Unfortunately, it was time for him to wake up and fail so she could get on with what remained of her own life.

In her defense, she only kicked him very lightly.

"Time to wake up, brat."

He stirred at the sensation of her sandaled foot lightly jabbing his back and the sound of her voice, his eyes fluttering open as he woke up. Sitting himself up on the floor, he released a great and heavy yawn. The boy obviously hadn't been sleeping much, especially if the look of his eyes was any indication. Slightly bloodshot and with pronounced lines around his eye sockets, he looked like he'd barely gotten any sleep for the whole week. Unfortunately, she wasn't exactly in a mood for giving sympathy.

"Come on, it's time for the test. You remember, right."

Blinking his eyes to clear them of the morning sand, he stared up at her. What she didn't expect was the look of triumph in his eyes. What was that look for? Did the boy have something planned?

"Oh, right. The test. Don't worry, I'm ready."

Ready? "Alright then. Show me."

Fully rising up from the ground, Tetsuo walked over to….wait a minute. "Hold on. Why are you going to that Puppet?"

Tetsuo turned and looked at her in confusion, apparently not sure about the meaning of the question. "Waddya mean this Puppet? It's the one I'm gonna use."

Before Chiyo could protest and save the boy from embarrassment, he'd already formed up some Chakra Threads and attached them to the Anchor Seals on the Puppets Chassis.

And to Chiyo's amazement, it started to move. The boy had obviously been practicing non-stop since she'd left the house a week ago, the Puppets movements all precise and fluid as it went through every motion. Not just the half she'd dared him to do, but all of the motions depicted in the book. 'Impossible.'

Chiyo's amazement must've showed on her face, because Tetsuo took a glance at her expression and flashed her a smug grin that honestly made her want to slap him. Having the Puppet take a bow beside him, he exclaimed, "Thank you, thank you, for coming to see how amazing I am."

Chiyo shook herself from her shock and glared at the boy. No way was she going to take that snark lying down.

"The best? Don't make me laugh. You're still just a beginner. Any Puppeteer worth their salt could've moved that damn thing with only a single Chakra Thread."

The brat rolled his eyes at her remark as he came out of the bow, somehow getting the Puppet to do it too. "Yeah yeah yeah, I know. I've got a long way to go, right? I've gotten ready to hear that since a week ago. But I passed, right? I got the Puppet to move, so I'm your apprentice now."

'A long way to go? The brat's made a big first step already and he doesn't even realize it.'

Taking a glance at the Pupped he'd chosen to use, she couldn't help but be a little impressed. When she'd given him the instruction manual, she'd assumed he'd be practicing with one of the beginner Puppets that she kept in the room, not one of the more complicated combat models like the one actually shown in the book. Those were much harder to use, generally only given to someone who had already graduated from an apprenticeship. Even if he used a Chakra Thread from each of his ten fingers to animate it, what he just did was phenomenal.

Of course, she wasn't actually going to tell him that. He'd just get a swelled head.

He'd apparently gotten rather nervous from her lack of response, fidgeting slightly as he stood in place. He probably thought she'd go back on their deal, but that wouldn't happen. She gave the boy her word and she was going to keep it.

'Besides,' she thought, even as a smile worked its way onto her face. 'Maybe having this runt as an apprentice wouldn't be so bad.'

"Nice to know you have some realism in that thick head of yours. But yes, you've passed. Barely."

If the boy was insulted by her choice of words, he sure didn't show it. Then again, he probably didn't notice her last word after he started cheering.

xXx

Hello everybody, and welcome to my first Naruto Fic.

First off, allow me to assuage a particular worry some of you might have. All those crappy Naruto attempts at philosophy like the cycle of hatred, forgiveness, understanding one another, the power of friendship and never giving up? That's not gonna be here, I plan on having my characters and story being much more realistic and down to earth. You're not gonna hear any of that spiel coming from Tetsuo. That stuff is just so fucking sickening for me to hear by now that I've essentially stopped watching Naruto altogether, I just couldn't take the bullshit. In fact, I've been turned completely off by some otherwise good Naruto fics because of some combination of that idealistic bullshit ad shoddy attempts at trying to use it in dramatic writing or speeches to make it sound more inspiring or cool. I swear, I actually get headaches while trying to read it.

Anyway, please stay tuned for the next chapter. If you're also interested in any Fics about RWBY, Highschool DxD or maybe a Naruto/RWBY Crossover, feel free to go check the other stories on my profile. Though I'm afraid to say I haven't gotten to the last one yet. That might take some more time.

I hope you enjoyed reading this and you have a Merry Christmas!