Half Measures Have Full Consequences

Fūinjutsu was strange. Every ninja knew enough to recognise certain seals, and that was it. Very few took the time needed to truly study it. Oftentimes, they found it far too much to learn. A discipline that required vast amounts of knowledge from almost every single subject that exists. Even civilians knew about Fūinjutsu. To them it was magic. Making things disappear and appear at will was mindboggling. Truly, an esoteric art.

How unfortunate that both spectrums of the populace were so disgustingly and wilfully ignorant. When one seals a kunai into a scroll it vanishes from this realm. No amount of wishful thinking will summon it back. The scroll remains exactly as it was before. A scroll. The only difference was that it housed a weapon inside it.

They knew this of course. His people. His ninja. But they chose to ignore reality, and let their thoughts wander down an asinine path. The child wasn't an object. It lived, breathed, and could think. A scroll can't summon the weapon itself, but a person could. They were right of course. Even he couldn't deny such simple logic, but they purposefully forgot a crucial ingredient. Without it the weapon would forever remain sheathed. Intent.

One needs intent to draw the weapon from its sheathe. It was one of the most ancient rules that existed before ninja. Even before Chakra.

Never draw your weapon unless you intend to use it. Anything less is an empty threat.

Now, as Sarutobi sat in his chair watching the members of the Shinobi Council seat themselves did he prepare himself.

"Esteemed members of the Shinobi Council," he began. "This meeting is one that must be dealt with thoroughly. The individual restrained before you is guilty of treason."

This had quite a ripple effect as every one immediately burst into hushed whispers and speculation. It was understandable of course. After all, the accused was stripped of his armour and shirt leaving the tattoo that signified him as part of the ANBU Black Operations Division for all to see. The traitor was covered in seals that stripped him of Chakra and all senses except touch. He motioned for the Division Commander to proceed with the report while he took the time to centre himself.

Most people harboured a delusion of the Hokage wielding absolute power over the village. It was untrue of course. The hierarchy of power was vastly different compared to samurai. A village of ninja was a village built on secrets. Mutually assured protection and destruction. Trust was the cornerstone of village. The threads between clans could easily be severed and descend into chaos. Kirigakure was proof of that. A Kage's duty was to know which strings to pull, and when to let himself be pulled.

Naruto was not fairing well in the orphanage. He expected as much. The law forbids one from revealing the status of the Jinchūriki to those who are unaware. It was a very broad law with little specifics. It was easy for the populace to violate the spirit of the law. To skirt around its edges, but never cross the line. He couldn't force people to be nice to the boy, but at the very least he expressed they should be civil.

Even that is too much for them apparently.

The seal that kept the Kyūbi imprisoned was strong. Far stronger than the seals used by other villages. It had to be considering the Shinigami himself empowered it, but it was not without flaw. The strength of the seal would eventually corrode allowing the Bijū greater influence over its warden. Naruto's willpower would be the only thing holding it at bay as he aged. It was a tremendous task to ask of a child. To demand the boy to resist the creature. To resist the allure of its power.

Might as well ask him to carry the moon while he's at it.

It was supposed to be a routine check-up. Inspect the boy for any irregularities in his physical and mental health. In all honesty Sarutobi had expected Naruto to be introverted. He didn't have any friends, and majority of the populace tried their best to ignore his existence. Verbal abuse was the only response he received when they were forced to acknowledge his presence. Yet, the boy was hyperactively cheerful. It was baffling.

Even Inoichi was confused when he had broached the topic with him. It defied all common sense and reason. The ANBU guard had reported that any moments when Naruto was sad or pessimistic were extremely short-lived. Lasting only a minute or two before becoming disturbingly happy again. He didn't want Naruto to be unhappy, but being in a constant state of positivity couldn't be healthy. Similar to bottling or burying one's emotions until eventually it becomes too much, and expresses itself in an explosively destructive manner. Understandably, no one wanted Naruto to explode in any manner.

"-and this concludes the summary of the event."

Sarutobi was drawn away from his thoughts when he heard Danzō's voice.

"Every single applicant for ANBU is thoroughly vetted and constantly screened. How did this happen? How did he fraud all the tests?"

He knew Danzō's question was meant for him, but he was looking directly at Inoichi. The insinuation was quite overt compared to his usual cloak and dagger approach.

Then again, he does view Naruto as a valuable weapon which can be used to serve the village.

"The traitor was scheduled for an evaluation the day after the incident. I think it's obvious that he knew he would be fail the tests, and thus, carried out his plan as swiftly as possible." Inoichi said. If he was offended by Danzō he didn't show it.

It was moments like these that made him hate being Hokage. Playing peacekeeper was exhausting.

"Unfortunately, we have more pressing concerns before making modifications to ANBU protocols. Naruto's current status is of utmost importance." Sarutobi said. "Yakushi-san has a medical report that I believe we all need to hear."

He ceded the floor to the director of the hospital. Yakushi looked nervous. A bead of sweat was quickly wiped away.

"Naruto-san is as you all know our Jinchūriki. The seal is stable and holding strong as far as we can tell after the incident. We'll need to consult Jiraiya-sama for a more thorough analysis. The traitor, Gin-san, had attacked Naruto by penetrating his skull with a kunai. The kunai had damaged almost every single part of Naruto's brain. It should have immediately caused death, but it didn't.

"I have reviewed the incident via Mind-Walking alongside Inoichi-sama of every person that was present at the scene. I can only describe what I saw as a miracle. Naruto-san's ability to heal from wounds at an accelerated rate is well-documented, but this proves he can recover from almost any injury provided it isn't dismemberment."

Sarutobi noted the looks each person made at this news. First shock, then disbelief, before finally understanding the gravity of what occurred.

"The kunai was slowly being pushed out of Naruto-san as his body healed the damage, but I'm afraid he will never be the same again. Brain damage is irreversible. Even Tsunade-sama wouldn't be able to heal such injuries. Brain cells are part of a group called permanent cells. It means that they cannot be regenerated. Yet, Naruto-san's brain was regenerating. All the damaged brain tissue was being expelled along with the weapon until the wound completely healed. There wasn't even a scar."

Even the most stoic of people displayed shock. How could they not? It was a level of pseudo-invincibility that seemed almost godlike.

"Inoichi-sama and myself conducted several tests when Naruto-san awakened after being transferred to the hospital. The conclusion is that despite his brain regenerating there was indeed quite a lot of damage incurred. The level of severity is unprecedented, and permanent."

There was a moment of silence. What could one say? Sarutobi could only hope that they would at least try and help Naruto by encouraging their children to be friends with him. That this mess wouldn't turn them against him. The report so far painted Naruto as some sort of abomination.

"What are the ramifications of this attack? Is the Jinchūriki's mental state unstable? Would this render him unfit for military service?" Danzō asked.

Trust Danzō to remain detached and objective at all times. Honestly, would it kill you to show at least some emotion?

Yakushi took a moment to comport himself.

"I cannot give a definitive answer at this time, but I would like to think that Naruto-san can still pursue a career as a ninja. Although, his mental state has drastically changed for the worse. To understand I'll have to explain how Naruto-san was before and after the attack. Also, most of the information we have is speculation as we'll need to extensively monitor him to truly know how deep the damage is.

"Naruto-san was the best vessel for sealing the Kyūbi into as his mother was the previous Jinchūriki, and was exposed to the Kyūbi's Chakra during development. Biologically, he was the perfect vessel. When he was placed in the orphanage many reports were made regarding his health. It was noted that Naruto-san was exuberantly cheerful almost all the time. The moments when he was not in a positive mental state were brief. The longest time he was not positive was roughly four minutes. As I'm sure you're all aware that is not a good thing.

"It was only after we analysed his Chakra thoroughly that we realised exactly what we were dealing with. Naruto-san's Chakra was imbalanced to a degree that resulted in permanent damage to his brain even before the incident. The Yondaime only sealed half the Kyūbi within Naruto-san. Specifically, the Yang half. Coupled with his seal that was purposely designed to allow some of the Kyūbi's Chakra to mingle with his own has led to this disaster."

"Half?" Danzō questioned. "The boy only has half a Bijū. Why didn't the Yondaime seal the whole beast?"

Sarutobi was equally surprised. He had read every report regarding the sealing. The idea of Minato sealing only half the creature was astounding. It was like sealing half a shuriken. Utterly, pointless.

Yakushi swallowed thickly before answering.

"I wouldn't know, but what I do know is that it was a mistake. Each of us has both Yin and Yang Chakra. Those with strong Yang Chakra tend to have strong physical qualities. This means they heal and recover faster, develop stronger muscles and bones, and are more resistant against diseases. Those with strong Yin Chakra are inclined to have better mental capabilities. They learn faster, have better memory, and are more resilient against psychological trauma. Our Chakras even if skewed towards one or the other are still balanced.

"In Naruto-san's case his Yin Chakra is completely dwarfed by his own Yang Chakra because it feeds off the Kyūbi's as well. Before the incident this issue could have been fixed. If Naruto-san was to undergo intensive training in Yin Chakra then it would have eventually balanced out. He would be at the very least average in terms intelligence, perhaps a little above-average if he really pushed himself. But after this? He would be lucky to reach average at all."

"If I'm understanding this right," Danzō said. "Then you're implying that this incident has only worsened his previous condition, and now we have a Jinchūriki that suffers from emotional and mental retardation?"

Sarutobi pinched the bridge of his nose. He could only imagine how much worse this situation could evolve into. Looking at the rest of the council brought a tremendous amount of despair within him. Their faces told him enough. They would never trust the boy at all now.

"That is indeed the case," Yakushi replied. "His brain was normal, and was assisting him in combating the imbalance by slowly learning to generate enough Yin Chakra. Now, more than eighty percent of his brain was regenerated incorrectly. It didn't restore the brain back to the way it was. It changed his brain into one that desires Yang Chakra because that is what flooded his head during the regenerating process. Every neural connection has been altered to be subservient to Yang Chakra.

"Inoichi and I tested him again and again. He could experience negative emotions for a few minutes before, but now it's only a few seconds. And the Yang Chakra has completely warped his personality. Yang Chakra seeks life in any way, and requires Yin to maintain a definite form. So, Naruto-san is almost incapable of understanding the concepts of death or any complex thought."

"So," Shikaku began. "What you're saying is we have a Jinchūriki that's incapable of killing anyone because he cannot mentally process death? That he basically has a phobia of killing?"

Sarutobi was surprised that it wasn't Danzō that spoke. He had fully expected his old rival to lambast him for this entire incident, and use it to bolster his ideology. Now that Shikaku entered the conversation he knew for certain that things were going to get worse. Most members of the council didn't follow Danzō's aggressive policies, but they definitely respected Shikaku because of his intellect.

"Yes," Yakushi answered. "The best we could hope for is that Naruto-san would incapacitate his enemy so that another would finish them off. At worst he could end up getting his comrades killed, because he couldn't kill the enemy and let them go."

Sarutobi knew then and there that all hope was lost.

The mission reports from Team Seven painted a very bad picture. Sarutobi knew if the other ninja read the report they would demand Naruto be dishonourably discharged from military service.

They would be right. What Naruto did was practically treasonous.

Naruto refused to kill an enemy combatant. It was sheer dumb luck that Kakashi managed to evade Zabuza's attack while his arm was pinned down by Haku. If Kakashi was killed then the whole team would have been slaughtered. Konoha would have lost its Jinchūriki, an elite Jōnin, and the last surviving Uchiha. Just thinking about how close the mission could have gone south almost gave him a heart attack.

He knew he should dismiss Naruto from the ninja forces, but he couldn't. Naruto had unleashed the Kyūbi's Chakra when he thought Sasuke was dead. Yakushi's report from years ago had finally come around to haunt him. He had read Naruto's academic reports, and could scarcely believe what was written. Yakushi had feared that the attack had also damaged Naruto's basic cognitive functions, and it did.

His hand-eye coordination was atrocious even beyond throwing weapons. It was so poor that his handwriting was barely legible. Iruka had corroborated the report adding that his reading and comprehension was equally terrible. He could barely do addition and subtraction, and asking him to multiply and divide was akin to asking Kumo to admit to the kidnapping attempt against the Hyūga clan. An impossibility.

Naruto unleashed the Kyūbi's Chakra because he couldn't comprehend Sasuke's death. It was only because he knew Haku beforehand that held him back. He couldn't understand negative emotional concepts. Sarutobi knew that Naruto would view his dismissal as betrayal. Especially, from him. He saw the way the boy looked at him with such reverence simply because he was the Hokage.

If the mere thought of Sasuke being dead could summon the beast's Chakra then how far would betrayal push him?

The Chūnin Exams are soon to begin and Konoha was chosen to host it. Kakashi had confirmed his decision to put them through when he requested the forms. Exposing foreign ninja to Naruto could be a recipe for disaster. Sarutobi rubbed his forehead to stem the oncoming migraine.

If by some miracle they make it past Ibiki then they'd have to survive the forest. That area was closed off by Hashirama due to the creatures within. The entire forest is almost halfway reaching into the Yokai Realm. Exposure to the Kyūbi's Chakra only accelerated the process. At this point I'd have to send for Chiriku to organise another cleansing ritual.

The decision was no longer in his hands. Naruto was an official ninja, and had every right to partake in the exams if offered. Allowing Naruto to walk into a forest that makes it easier to unleash the Kyūbi's Chakra could only end in massive bloodshed. Yet, he could do nothing.

This is all Minato's fault. He couldn't inform me of his intentions to seal the beast despite me having his marked kunai on my person. No, of course not, he just had to commit suicide. It's not like I also knew how to perform the sealing technique. Congratulations Minato you saved the village, and fucked us all over for it. Just you wait. It won't be long before I die, and when I do I'll beat the stupid out of you one bone at a time.

Sarutobi heard his window open and was greeted by the grinning face of his student.

"Long time no see, Sensei."

Jiraiya hopped in, and sat down on the couch without a care in the world. How unfortunate that he was about to receive a very rude welcome.

"It's good that you're here Jiraiya, because we have a very serious situation that could have easily been avoided if your ever so prodigal student didn't turn out to be a complete fucking idiot."

The absolute dumbfounded and shocked expression on his student's face would be dearly treasured until his dying day. He could only hope he lived long enough to fix his mistakes.

AN: After my previous one-shot about Kushina I hope I got the hang of this new writing style. It feels a lot easier to write and express my characters. I hope you enjoyed reading this short piece.

The idea for this piece came about when I was discussing with a friend about how Naruto was always portrayed as an idiot in canon. It seemed baffling that he was allowed to become a ninja and given the right to carry and wield weapons. Especially explosives. We eventually debated on whether the Kage Bunshin technique only made him dumber because his brain was forced to process experiences that are almost exactly the same over and over again.

Then I recalled that Naruto had only half the Kyubi sealed inside him. So, I wondered if maybe that caused him to become an idiot. Since Yang Chakra is life without form and Yin Chakra is Form without life. The entire premise is that Chakra isn't just some energy that ninja can use as it if were completely separate from their physiology, but rather an integral part of them.

This idea seems to fit inline with canon as I can't recall any character who primarily used genjustu as being an idiot. Most genjutsu-wielding characters are actually quite smart like Itachi, Kurenai, and the 2nd Mizukage. Those who were incredibly strong physically have a few that are shown to be quite dumb such as the Legendary Stupid Brothers.