Chapter 2: Monkey Business

“Wake up, child. The day is upon us.”

Disturbed by the sound of the deep, gravelly voice, a young boy with wild brown reluctantly opened his peculiar yellow eyes and groaned, “Can you keep your voice down? I’m trying to sleep…”

In response to the youth’s words, a brown-skinned man with prominent, monkey-like features narrowed his equally yellow eyes. He had a mane of spikey white hair that extended to his lower back, fur framing the sides of his face, a prominent goatee, and, most notably, a tail protruding from his lower back. Above his brows, protecting his forehead, was an elastic band bearing a metallic plate and swirling symbol depicting a leaf.

Crossing his arms, the distinctly haplorrhine man adopted an expression of discontent as he muttered, “This is the child that bears the fate of our world on his shoulders? We’re doomed…”

Though he could not make out what the man said, the youth could hear him muttering something under his brown. However, when he looked up to ask what the man was saying, he immediately paused, his expression morphing into one of abject confusion as he asked, “Are you a monkey…?”

Furrowing his brows even further than they already were, the white-haired ‘man’ responded, “Indeed. Not just any monkey, mind you, but the King of all Monkeys. From now on, you shall refer to me as Monkey King Enma, Lord Enma, or Master Enma. Now, hurry up and get changed. Your training begins immediately.”

With an incredulous look, the youth retorted, “Training? What the hell are you on about, old man…?”

Instead of answering the youth’s questions, Enma picked him up by his collar and carried him out the door. The youth was about to protest this, but another wave of confusion silenced him as he compared himself to the size of Enma and gawked at his hands. He couldn’t explain it, but he felt as though he should be a lot bigger…

“Ah! My head…!”

Feeling a sudden and intense pain, the youth grabbed the sides of his head, prompting Enma to set him down and get a better look at him. This involved placing his hand on the youth’s head, a faint green light emitting from his palm as he asked, “Where does it hurt? Is it just your head, or do you feel pain elsewhere…?”

Hearing Enma’s questions, the youth was about to scream his response, but when he raised his head, the entire world around him appeared to be frozen in time. Everything was a series of greys, blacks, and whites, and, as far as he could tell, not even a single hair was moving on Enma’s body.

As the youth observed his surroundings in confusion, no longer feeling any pain from his head, a thumb-sized piece of jade fell from his clothing, followed by a voice echoing within his head, stating, (“Listen, brat. I don’t have a lot of time. All you need to know right now is that this is a path you decided for yourself. I did what I could to make things easier for you, but it’s up to you to take hold of your destiny. If you mess up, don’t blame this Grandpa for laughing at your expense! Kishishishishishi~!”)

“Ugh…”

With the mysterious voice sounding like claps of thunder within his mind, the youth doubled over in pain. Blood began to trickle from his eyes, ears, and nose, so the voice wrapped things up by saying, (“Oh, yeah—one last thing before I go. Your name is Wu. No surname and whatnot. Feel free to give yourself one or seek out an existing family and take theirs. It doesn’t matter to me. Good luck.”)

Seemingly finished with what it had to say, the voice disappeared from Wu’s head, followed by color returning to the world. When Enma saw the state he was in, he quickly snatched up the barely conscious boy in his arms, shouting, “Summon the medics!” in a commanding voice…

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<Four Years Later>

After living amongst the Monkey Clan of Jigokudani for four years, Wu was now a spry, incredibly agile eight-year-old. He still wondered about his origin, but after integrating with the Monkey Clan and training every single day, he stopped fretting over the unknown and started enjoying his strange yet incredibly stimulating life.

Though he was initially physically weaker than the average member of the Monkey Clan, Wu’s strength and speed began increasing explosively once Enma started instructing him on the basics of Chakra. Just channeling the mysterious energy through his body caused Wu to feel ecstatic, so he had taken to the training like a fish in the water or, as they said in Jigokudani, a monkey in the trees.

If there was one thing Wu was dissatisfied about with life in Jigokudani, it was their ‘vegan,’ primarily fruit and nut-based diet. He had never tasted it before, but Wu had an almost insatiable desire to eat meat. Unfortunately, no matter how often he entreated Enma or the other Elders to let him eat some, they vehemently refused, stating, “So long as you reside within the valley, you will adhere to our customs.”

After a brief period where he seriously considered fleeing the valley, Wu more or less gave up his dreams of eating meat. He still longed for it, but he wasn’t willing to sacrifice his place among the Monkeys of Jigokudani, colloquially known as Hell Valley. They had embraced them as one of their own, and while his training had been fierce, Wu understood it was to instill discipline into him and help him grow stronger.

With such thoughts guiding him in his day-to-day life, Wu leaped through the branches of his forest home with the familiarity of someone that had spent the majority of their life amid the canopies. Lord Enma had sent one of his servants to summon him, so Wu was hurrying back, curious to hear what his surrogate father and mentor had to say.

Upon reaching the biggest tree in the village, large enough to support a small mansion, Wu exchanged greetings with the guards before making his way into the interior as if he owned it. He had spent much of the last four years as a resident, so, with the exception of his ‘secret’ hideout, it was the closest thing he had to a home.

Without bothering to knock, Wu made his way into Enma’s study, tensing when he discovered an elderly human male seated alongside his mentor, both nursing cups of tea. The man had spikey grey hair that had receded away from his forehead, several liver spots along the left side of his face, and a pointed goatee that made him seem incredibly ancient. Despite this, he gave off an aura that compelled Wu’s body to tense like a small animal cornered by its natural predator…

Raising his gaze, the elderly man adopted a disarming smile and said, “Good afternoon, Wu. My name is Sarutobi Hiruzen. I believe Enma has told you about me? Either way, I’m pleased to meet you.”

With Wu just standing in the doorway like an idiot, Enma exhaled a tired sigh before adopting a stern expression and ordering, “Come and take a seat, Wu. We have important matters to discuss.”

Though he obeyed Enma’s command, the expression on Wu’s face made it clear he didn’t want to be there. Enma had, in fact, mentioned Sarutobi Hiruzen to him. He was apparently some big shot in the Land of Fire and the sole individual permitted to summon Enma and the other Elders of the Monkey Clan. Under normal circumstances, Wu would be eager to meet and learn from such a man, but he understood why Enma had summoned him here today…

Without beating around the bush, Enma stated, “Starting from today, you shall refer to yourself as Sarutobi Wu. The Elders and I have discussed the matter and decided it would be best for you to live among your fellow humans. Jigokudani will always welcome you, but the remainder of your training will be left in the hands of Hiruzen. Understood?”

Lowering his head, Wu reluctantly replied, “Understood…” in a faint, barely audible tone. He didn’t feel angry or sad, but the notion that he was about to be leaving his home filled him with reluctance.

Misinterpreting Wu’s reaction, Hiruzen’s wrinkled face softened into a grandfatherly smile as he said, “Worry not, young Wu. We understand this is a lot to ask of you, so you will be allowed to return to Jigokudani on the weekends. Our hope is that, with time, you will come to view both Konoha and Jigokudani as your homes.”

Since the elderly duo had expressed their willingness to ‘compromise,’ Wu understood he didn’t have room to speak on the matter. Instead, he kept his head down for several seconds before replying, “I understand…” in an even quieter tone. His voice made him sound pitiable, but the truth of the matter was that Wu was already thinking about how he would fit in at his new home, Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves…

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After making the rounds to say goodbye to all his friends and several of the Elders, Wu returned to Hiruzen, now sporting a red, diamond-shaped hat with the symbol for ‘Fire’ blazoned on the front. The hat gave the man a somewhat sagely appearance, so Wu politely cupped his hands and was prepared to bow before Hirzuen stopped him with a gesture, stating, “You are a member of the Sarutobi Clan from this day onward. There is no need for formalities among family.”

As he had never enjoyed lowering his head to others, Wu didn’t hesitate to rise, surprising Hiruzen as he asked, “What should I call you? Grandpa? Father…?”

Taken aback by Wu’s frankness, Hiruzen coughed to clear his throat, a soft chuckle following as he answered, “Grandpa or Grandfather will do nicely. Now, do you have all your things…?”

Nodding his head, Wu showed off the tiny pouch that had been with him since his awakening four years prior. The interior was inscribed with seals that made it several times larger on the inside while reducing the mass of any object placed within to zero. It was only around three cubic meters in size, but that was more than enough to store Wu’s few possessions.

Though his eyes briefly shimmered when Wu produced his storage pouch, Hiruzen didn’t remark on it. Instead, he extended his left hand toward the mysterious and fateful boy and asked, “Shall we depart?” while giving his best, most endearing smile…

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