From A Life Long Past

8: Agreements?

"Naruto-kun, please let it be anything except this. I cannot simply compromise on the team configurations, even if you're the one asking," Hiruzen sighed, tiredly setting down his hat on yet another stack of paperwork while sitting at his desk.

Hiruzen realised he could not look Naruto in the eye like this -- he was unable to see the blond past the pile of messy papers before him.

With a cough, he stood and shuffled his chair next to the desk. His sagely and wise veneer was lost as he sat down once more, attempting to block any thoughts on the paperwork at the edges of his vision out of his mind with sheer willpower. Forcing a tight smile at Naruto, Hiruzen's fingers twitched at the thought of having even more documents to sign and change.

Naruto grinned cheekily at the aged Hokage.

"If I tell you the secret behind defeating paperwork, will you do me a favour and assign me, Sasuke and Shikamaru to the same team?" Naruto asked slyly.

Hiruzen's eyes brightened as they shone with a vitality that was lost the first time he faced the paperwork swamp that was the Hokage's Office. He was excited by the very notion of finally putting an end to the days of slaving away at documents whether trivial or crucial. It was to the extent that, not to mention just changing the genin team assignments, Hiruzen was even willing to give Naruto a fair position in ANBU.

"Certainly. Sasuke-kun and Shikamaru-kun, you said? I will allow it," Hiruzen permitted with a genial smile, writing it down on a paper.

Naruto borrowed the Sandaime Hokage's brush and wrote but one phrase on a blank sheet in broad strokes:

影分身の術

Hiruzen gasped in understanding, a self-mocking laugh escaping him.

"I see. Those are the only clones capable of conveying information to the user upon dispelling," Hiruzen murmured, already doing the required hand seals and moulding the necessary chakra.

"I will trust Hokage-jiji to keep his end of the deal!" Naruto shouted over his shoulder as he ran out through the window.

Hiruzen was no longer paying attention.

"Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! All of you, let us clear this table of paperwork once and for all!"

A resounding battle cry could be heard from the Hokage's Office on this fine morning as all of Hiruzen's duplicates attacked the documents with vigour.

~♡~

"Of course innate talent matters," Shikamaru scoffed. "Have you seen any dumb civilian child enter the Academy and leave it as the Rookie of the Year?"

Sasuke rebutted, "That would be possible if the civilian child had absurdly large chakra reserves. What matters here isn't the intelligence or background."

Shikamaru laughed in incredulity. "And where do you expect to find such a child? Besides, if the child in question is stupid, he or she would never be able to graduate anyway."

"A loser can defeat a genius if he works hard enough," Sasuke argued passionately as if speaking from experience.

Well, a certain someone would be able to testify that that really was the case.

Shikamaru countered, "Sure, but that is only if the so-called loser had potential. How many kids have you seen work hard for a goal and yet never achieve it? Of course effort matters, but it is no magical elixir that can give someone Kage-level chakra reserves. It wouldn't make a difference if someone without talent trains like their life depends on it. The loser must have been a genius in his own right, even if not a child prodigy."