"He is not the Kyuubi! He is Naruto Uzumaki and he is one of my best students! He may not be the strongest, or the most intelligent, but he has gone through more than either of us have had to bear, but that is what will make him an excellent Hokage." Despite the fact that his mind was still being rocked by Mizuki's revelation to him about the Kyuubi, and that he had been duped into stealing the scroll of seals by a traitor, Naruto couldn't help but smile at Iruka's shouted exclamation.
"You fool Iruka, that thing killed your parents, and you let it's facade fool you. Well, I was going to kill you later, but your feebleness has pissed me off!" Mizuki was more angry than Naruto had ever seen him, raising a shuriken in his hand as he finished his proclamation, obviously intending to go through with his implied threat.
Most people would think very carefully about attacking an armed and trained ninja, but all Naruto cared about at that moment was that someone was in danger, especially someone who had just become one of his only precious people. Leaping out of the tree where he had been watching the encounter, Naruto didn't really hold back the slightly vicious grin that crossed his face, right foot slamming into Mizuki's face even as the chuunin tried to dodge.
Using the man's face as a springboard, Naruto used the momentary contact to push himself off and towards Iruka, landing even as Mizuki hit the ground with a heavy thud. The traitor chuunin flipped to his feet a moment later, spitting some blood from his mouth before growling at Naruto.
"You shouldn't have done that demon, you just made killing you that much easier!" Mizuki grabbed a kunai and charged forwards, but Naruto wasn't scared, merely forming his hands into what was quickly becoming a very familiar if unorthodox hand seal.
"You can try Mizuki-teme, Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" Smoke burst around him, which Naruto expected given all the practice he had done, jumping back amongst the dozens of versions of himself that now filled the clearing.
"Naruto..." Iruka's pride was audible as the wounded chuunin tried to sit up a little straighter, though Naruto was too busy absorbing the look of shock on Mizuki's face as he stumbled to a stop.
"Impossible... A dozen times nothing still means nothing against a chuunin like me!" A dozen? It was only then that Naruto realised that most of the other clones that had been generated in the wooded parts of the clearing edge had hidden themselves just after spawning, so Mizuki probably hadn't seen them.
"Well Mizuki, perhaps you try recounting, though after I put my fist in your face a few times I suppose that will be least of your worries..." Not the best of comebacks Naruto thought to himself, even as he said it he was trying not to wince, but the clones took his cue and appeared from hiding even as he started forwards.
Mizuki to his credit, not that Naruto really wanted to give him any, managed to dispel the first three clones that rushed towards him with his kunai. Then, as two of the clones grabbed his kunai arm and impeded his attacks, the silver haired chuunin used his other hand to back hand another clone as it tried to punch him in the face...
Though as Naruto slowed to a stop, watching his clones pile onto the man and not really seeing any point in joining in, he couldn't help but feel ever so slightly cheated.
He wanted to be the one to break Mizuki-teme's nose, damn it...
*Line Break*
Numb, that was the only word to describe his state as Naruto walked away from the Hokage tower, reeling from the emotional rollercoaster the third Hokage had just inflicted upon him. Naruto wasn't sure that being the Kyuubi's container was better than being the beast itself, after all given the reaction he got from the majority of Konoha, they certainly didn't make the distinction.
Mizuki's betrayal, and the rather touching if awkward promotion by Iruka caused enough turmoil inside his brain for one night. This meant that he did not even notice the Tower's night staff, some of whom threw hate filled glances at him, as he passed them without a word. If he had, Naruto would have noticed that it was mostly the civilian members of the night staff who were showing him such disdain, those members of the shift that were ninja or ex-ninja were for the most part far less hateful in his regard.
His evening had been, well enlightening was one word for it, world rocking was probably a better description. Having failed his graduation test for the third time in a row, thanks to the stupid bushin and paper tests, Naruto had been sulking off to the side of the academy entrance, watching yearningly as the parents of the rest of his class had come to collect their children, congratulating those who had passed and consoling those that hadn't.
It was then that Naruto was approached by one of his classes teachers, Mizuki, who had told him that there was an alternative test that Naruto could try and complete now he had tried three times to pass the normal test and not succeeded. Mizuki had said that this test had been created to test the more practical parts of a ninja's aptitude, in the cases where the ninja applicants were not as good with the knowledge based side of the academy teachings.
Naruto had naturally been ecstatic, and had agreed to take the test instantly, rushing home home to prepare himself once Mizuki explained what the test consisted of. He had been surprised that it was still the usual ANBU patrols that were taking part in the exercises, but he had spent more than enough time around the area that their sensors would not detect his chakra as unusual. And slipping past them physically?
He was Naruto Uzumaki dattebayo! Not that he was trying to brag, but he was the sneaking expert extraordinaire of Konoha, and the poor ANBU had not stood a chance at finding him. Only Iruka had ever managed to catch him when he was pranking people, though he did suspect that not all of them were taking it as seriously as they had made out they were at the time. With the sneaking in part completed, Naruto had done as he had been asked by Mizuki and completed his 'alternative testing', by breaking into the Hokage tower and stealing a prepared scroll of jutsu's.
The only minor hiccup in this plan had been the fact that the Hokage had been in his office working when Naruto had arrived, having snuck past the ANBU guards as he had done so many times before and not considering the old man would be present for such a test. Faced with adversity he didn't falter, Naruto using his original technique 'sexy no jutsu', which had distracted the old man enough for Naruto to get what he needed.
Grabbing the scroll Naruto had left hurriedly, he would then have to learn one of the techniques written on the parchment before meeting Mizuki at the meeting point in the woods by training ground 15 before midnight; otherwise he was told he would have failed the test.
This would have been fine, he had managed the infiltration in less than 2 hours, leaving him five in which he had learned the technique Kage bushin, or shadow clone jutsu, and then it was simply waiting for Mizuki to arrive, where upon he would have shown off his jutsu and got his headband, which would have been brilliant, if only the teme hadn't lied to him.
After the fight, which was more a game of cat and mice before ending in a rather one sided pile on, Iruka had then given Naruto his own headband. As Naruto had been stunned into silence at the move, the scarred chuunin took the opportunity to tell him that he had gained the rank of genin through a field mission test, rather than the academy testing.
And, the chuunin instructor was quick to continue, Naruto was not and never would be the demon that Mizuki had claimed he was. He was its jailer, it was him alone that was stopping the beast escaping and going on another rampage. This reassurance was nice, but that didn't stop the dots slowly connecting in his head as he walked down one of the darker alleys towards his flat building.
Being chucked out of the orphanage for being an unwelcome burden, none of the other kids wanting to play with him, saying their parents had told them he was a 'bad kid' and that they should avoid him if they knew what was good for them. The looks and treatment given by the academy teachers during his years there, the failure of two exams he knew he should have at least scraped passes on due to his ability on the obstacle course, the Taijutsu exams and the stealth testing.
As this self-revelation of why his life had always been such a struggle was sinking in, Naruto caught the sounds of movement from above him. Drawing on his years of pranking experience, Naruto leaped lightly and stealthily up onto the rooftops to see who it was, anything at this point to provide him with something else to think about other than tonight's truths.
Looking up along the curve of the roof, Naruto saw two vaguely familiar chuunin settling at the plateaued roof point at the top, and Naruto jumped into a recess to avoid being seen by them. The last thing he needed tonight was to be stopped under suspicion of spying on some ninja, especially given they had probably been involved in the hunt for him after he ran off with the forbidden scroll.
His curiosity now sated with the quick investigation as he didn't recognise them as anyone he knew, Naruto sighed at his failed attempt to distract himself and prepared to slip past them to continue on his way home. However, as he moved through the shadows to get past them; he caught their conversation, and stopped to listen.
After all, it was not like he had anything to get home to tonight other than his own conflicted thoughts and darkened room. And besides, even if they did notice him which he considered very unlikely at this stage, they probably wouldn't be able to catch him. Not without using any of the more dangerous techniques the two of them might have in their collective arsenal at any rate. It was the taller of the two who was speaking at that point, looking down at a scroll sadly.
"I was certain that would work, she's a girl, and she must have liked the roses, right?" The shorter one reached over and patted his friend's shoulder twice, his tone obviously meant to be comforting even if it did come across as slightly exasperated.
"I really cannot understand why you keep trying so hard Izumo. After all, you've been chasing her for years now, all she has done is ignore all you and put you down regardless of what you have come up with or tried." The now named Izumo shook his head disbelievingly at what the other Chuunin was saying, throwing his hands up in the air as Naruto settled into the darkest area of the roof.
"Of course you wouldn't understand Kotetsu, you were in an arranged marriage by the time you were seven. One who never had to chase their dream girl wouldn't understand how much she is worth this effort and much more." Naruto was now fully listening to the talking duo, he couldn't help but compare Izumo's problem with his own problem with Sakura, the pretty and intelligent girl in his year in the academy.
She was the girl he had chased after from almost day one, but she had rebuked him, sometimes quite violently as well when he had got too exuberant about it. Kotetsu snorted at his friends daydreaming speech, obviously having heard similar ravings enough times that it was treated with pitying amusement, rather than actual derision.
"Sure she is, whatever you say Izumo. What I don't understand is, why you don't try and go out with someone else? What about that Orihime I have seen you hang out with every now and again? She seems nice and it would get rid of your fascination with Riku, perhaps get her to appreciate your presence a bit more…" Kotetsu trailed off as Izumo looked up, his grin visible from where Naruto was hiding.
"That's, that's brilliant Kotetsu, If I go out with someone else, and treat her really well, then Riku will get real jealous that I am treating some girl other than her. She will then want to go out with me to get my attention back!" Izumo stood doing a thumb up gesture and a wide grin. He wasn't to know that whilst gesturing to Kotetsu, he was also doing it to Naruto's hidden position.
The boy in question stopped breathing for a moment as he thought about it, his mind processing the seeming moment of brilliance he had luckily been given by the young chuunin. Beaming to himself, Naruto rushed off to think some more and plan it all, moving as quietly as he could so as not to disturb the two chuunin. If Naruto had stayed a minute longer he would have seen Izumo slump, his grin disappearing as he sighed despondently all traces of excitement gone.
"Who am I kidding? Doing that to any girl, that would be heartbreakingly cruel, I'm not that much of a jerk. And I bet it still wouldn't do me any good with Riku." Kotetsu patted him on the shoulder and the two fell into a companionable silence.
Both of them were never to know of the massive consequences their seemingly simple conversation would have on the entire elemental nations. And the future of the 5 great ninja villages who called the continent their home...
A/N: So, After reviewing this story I noticed I was losing a lot of people on the first chapter, and I couldn't help but wonder why. I tried modifying it once, but I eventually came to the conclusion that it was because I had tried to hard to provide a backstory.
Providing a backstory is only useful if the reader is unfamiliar with the universe, and given that I hadn't changed anything from canon, people were probably bored to death by the end of the first chapter and that is why they give up.
So I have rewritten it, let me know what you think and if it is something else that is putting you off, please let me know!
Defias Out!