Fair is foul, foul is fair
Disclaimer – I have no ownership over Naruto or his groupies.
A/N – The title is something I picked up after reading a certain play. I liked the saying so… yeah. I'm sure you all can figure out its meaning. I also changed a few things. For example, please completely disregard the canon map for the forest of Death. I made up my own which will be explained in this chapter.
"Who's there?"
Gasps were heard as a boy abruptly rose from his slumber, beads of sweat pouring down his face. Uzumaki Naruto was not a child that boasted about his lack of nightmares, as he was a haunted one. He didn't know why he dreamed of such things as he was innocent to such acts.
Naruto looked around; familiar with the room he slept in and sighed. "Again…" – He whispered softly to himself. The blonde brought his hands to his face to wipe the sweat. The child then got off his bed and began to stalk over to his bathroom.
Switching the flip to activate the lights, he took a good look at his own face. Signs of insomnia showing clearly on his face. Baggy eyes, blood shot pupils and a headache the size of the Kyuubi forming in his thirteen year old head.
Taking a deep breathe, he let cold water flow from his faucet, allowing a moment for it took ring in his ears. He liked the sound of water… so pure and it flows so naturally as if without a care in the world. He then took his hands and got a handful of water, splashing it into his face to force himself out the slump.
Leaving the bathroom, he took a look at the clock.
4:54 am… 4:55 am…
The blonde sighed. It was such a redundant cycle of waking at the same time every single day since the moment he was able to think straight. Naruto went to his closet and picked out a simple black shirt and dark green shorts, both having a spiral design somewhere on its surface. Walking out of his closet, he took out his earphones and a music player, an item that the Hokage had gotten for him many years ago. Apparently, it was the newest thing that the Konoha R&D department had created. It was the best thing that happened to the world since television.
Of course for Naruto, this thing was his life saver in a way. It allowed him to guide and channel his focus through music… nice and calming music.
The blonde sighed again and grabbed his jet black colored goggles. The surface of which was slightly tinted in order to hide his tired eyes from the world.
Walking out of his trashy apartment, he descended the stairs with equal steps, each precise and directly in front of the other. Naruto lived on the top floor of his apartment, giving him a great balcony and view. Not like he ever got a chance to appreciate such things of course.
After five minutes of walking, he found his way to the nearest training ground. Smirking as he saw the hole he had created in one of the fences to enter.
Training ground 44, the Forest of Death. Home to the vilest organisms in the country of fire. Poisonous plants, gigantic monsters, more or less the more dangerous things in the world.
And the boy felt right at home.
Making his way to the beginning levels of the forest that covered many kilometers, he began to warm up. Naruto didn't want to go too far into the forest yet; after all, he still needed to make his way back to the shinobi academy for classes.
Stretching, he began his warm up.
"I have four hours here before the academy even begins... Mind as well start with those katas…"
The Forest of Death is the most dangerous training ground in Konoha. Only the bravest shinobi dare enter it beyond level 6 and few survives if it comes to that point. Training ground 44 is a measured place that allowed shinobi to measure themselves appropriately.
There are 9 full levels in this deadly forest. Each of them bigger than the next and with warnings in between each level.
Level 1 is a ground for the green as grass genin whom wish to find a calm place to practice and to warm up.
Level 2 is a ground for the slightly more experienced genin whom wish to train with more powerful techniques but with the reassurance of no dangers.
Level 3 is a place where chuunins come to gather experience through fighting random monsters that inhabit the forest. Some of them including snakes and spiders, all relatively the size of small trees. This is also where the tower resides.
Level 4 is a ground for Jounin whom are yet to be experienced in the field. Monsters of higher levels roam here freely but are often difficult to find.
Level 5 is an extension of its previous level. The only difference is the location of wild animals and the level of their difficulty. This is where the cursed plants are and the home to gigantic snakes. Snakes the size of houses slither here, waiting to devour their prey. There are more than a few corpses here…
Level 6, also known as the midway point, is where the true Jounin come to test their skills at a relatively equal level. No one under the level of Jounin dares come here without supervision.
As for beyond level 6… well, it's no man's land.
Level 7 is known as the nest. This is the home to some of the most dangerous creatures in Fire Country and is safely many miles away from the village. Giant grizzly bears, snakes, leopards, tapirs… hell, it's also known as the training ground of the greats.
Level 8 is a forbidden area. This is where Orochimaru was discovered by the Sandaime Hokage… truly a cursed ground and also the extension of Level 7. There are rumors that speak of a great beast that roams here, feeding off the local animals. This level is also known as the great maze.
Level 9… is an unknown ground. Only five shinobi in history had ever been able to come here and survive its dangers. The first of course…was the Shodaime Hokage, Senju Hashirama, the only true man to have conquered it. The second was the Nidaime Hokage, Senju Tobirama. The third was Orochimaru of the Sannin, of course he only did it due to a bet that was made between his teammates. He had gotten out of the place with several blood gashes and a few natural diseases. The fourth was well… the Yondaime Hokage, a man who went in without a scratch… and left with more than a few cuts. The fifth was Uchiha Itachi, the greatest prodigy to have ever come out of Konoha. Like Orochimaru, not even his eyes protected him from the merciless wrath of Mother Nature.
Not many shinobi dared enter through the last 3 levels, let alone go into level 6 itself.
The Forest of Death… a natural phenomenon that confuses even the smartest in the world. It is one of the seven great wonders of the world.
Level 2 – Forest of Death
Sounds of collected breathing was heard in the area, signs of training being conducted more likely than others. In this case, Uzumaki Naruto was just finishing up his morning warm ups and light training. He was nowhere near his limit but he didn't want to risk falling asleep in class once again. Why? Because his teacher Iruka was pretty annoying once a lecture starts. He wasn't exactly in the good graces of the village… and he didn't need any more enemies.
Taking a look at the sky, deducing the approximate time it was, he promptly left the forest and jogged lightly to the academy. Thankfully, both places were nearby the other.
Naruto didn't even sense the presence of the two ANBU behind him, both impressed by his little regime.
Academy
"HAHAHAHA! HOW WAS THAT PIG!" Naruto sighed as he sensed the presence of two of the loudest students in the history of Konoha. One of which was Haruno Sakura, an egotistical kunoichi in training and without a doubt, a fan girl of Uchiha Sasuke. The only bright side that she had was her ability to study all day and night… and ace all of their paper tests. Naruto nodded in approval at the thought, not everyone was capable of fighting off the bane of paperwork and Sakura's resume was beyond great for it. The second voice belonged to one Yamanaka Ino, Sakura's rival and the "popular" one of the school. While she was good at paperwork, she had nothing on Sakura. But what Sakura didn't have was Ino's field capabilities. The blonde girl was adept at fighting and was definitely a great fit as a teammate if Naruto had to choose.
Of course, those good sides did not have anything on their loud voices. The blonde's ears were ringing at the sheer volume. He turned his head when he heard a sigh escaping the mouth of another classmate, a boy with black that was tied in a ponytail.
"You know Shikamaru, if you don't wanna be here, you can always fake sickness." Naruto said, eliciting a snort from the boy.
"Maah… my mom would throw a fit if she found out and that would be too…"
"Troublesome." Naruto finished for him and chuckled. The kid was a friend of his, seeing as how they shared the same desk for nearly three years. They didn't speak much but they were comfortable enough to share opinions of random things that came up.
"Tch, why do you always…"
"Finish your sentences?" Naruto said in the middle of his sentence, grinning at the suddenly annoyed Nara.
"…Yes." He replied with a sigh, ignoring Naruto's chuckle. The blonde boy was a mystery to the Nara… and if it was one thing that got the attention of a Nara, it was something confusing. And Naruto was a very confusing individual. The boy was definitely not liked by many people for reasons beyond his knowledge. That wasn't the intriguing part though.
The blonde Uzumaki was able to somehow guess not only his words but at times, the words of others. He knew the intentions of everyone around him… Shikamaru deduced that the blonde was somehow very talented at reading others. That was why Shikamaru avoided playing any sort of strategy game with him.
The record between them was 1 to 0 as Shikamaru was completely destroyed the first time he challenged Naruto to shougi or just about any variation of chess on the planet. The blonde not only shamed him but he had countered all of his tactics with his own. For every move, Naruto had a counter move that often placed him in a threatmate or brinkmate. It was as if the blonde could read minds… though he found the possibility very low.
Naruto was definitely not someone to trifle with. And for some reason, he could hear others speaking with his earphones blasting music 24/7. It confused the hell out of him.
"Graduation is tomorrow. You up to it?" He heard Naruto ask him.
"Yeah. Shouldn't be too hard… only a stupid bunshin (Clone), kawarimi (Replacement) and henge (Transformation) for the practical which is weighted as 40 percent of the whole test. 60 percent of the test is the written portion…which is easy as well." Naruto agreed with his friend's deduction.
"Hm… too easy though. Think there might be some secondary test to throw us off?" Naruto spoke, eyes narrowing.
"Maybe…I wouldn't be surprised." Before they could finish their conversation, the chuunin teacher walked through the door. His aura a commanding one as everyone immediately looked at attention.
"Tomorrow will be the day of your graduation. I hope you have all prepared accordingly." Iruka said, his voice calming any anxious child.
"Yes, sensei!" The class said together, excluding a few.
"Good. Now, we'll be reviewing today so get into lines!" Everyone nodded and proceeded to follow their teacher's directions.
Naruto sighed, it was gonna be a long morning now…
Four terribly boring hours later, Naruto was finally released from the academy, now free to go anywhere he pleased. Walking down the road and noticing that everyone was simply disregarding his existence, he sighed. The blonde was patient… and he was willing to wait for the village to come to terms with their grief.
Yes, Uzumaki Naruto knew exactly why people hated him. They… just couldn't look at him. Naruto knew that they weren't doing it because they hated Uzumaki Naruto the boy but rather they hated what he contained, the Nine Tailed Demon fox and unfortunately, at the moment, were one in the same with him. Naruto wasn't some sort of specialized therapist but he knew enough about the human mentality and how they subconsciously find ways to cope with pain and grief. In a way, Naruto would be willing to forgive them.
But twelve years of this was slowly grating his patience. Naruto was not the ultimate god of good will and forgiveness.
The blonde stopped thinking when he suddenly arrived at his destination. Higurashi Weapons… one of the few placed he liked shopping at. Entering the store, he saw many sharp, pointy objects along with various types of armor. Noticing that the counter was empty, he walked to the section that was filled with shinobi gearing.
He took a look at his little toad wallet/purse or whatever it was, noticing that it had just enough for a few pieces of armor. The blonde smiled.
"Shin guards would be nice, so will a light chest armor. Something… concealable." The blonde picked out a pair of shin guards with a spiral design on them along with a light weighted plate of armor that was fabricated to wear within a shirt.
"Hmm… even with that, I could still use a primary weapon… Nah, kunai will do for now. No need in spending money on a bunch of junk."
He brought his items to the counter and rung the bell. Not a moment later, a tall man walked in from the back door, smiling brightly at his customer.
"Naruto-kun, I see you've been getting ready for your graduation…" The blonde grinned and nodded.
"Sure am, Ensensei-san." Ensensei was a man Naruto had met long ago. The blonde found the man to be very welcoming… and not to mention his prices were fair.
"Armor huh? Not confident in your Taijutsu?" He teased, eliciting a chuckle from the blonde Jinchuuriki.
"Not quite. It never hurts to over prepare, am I correct?" The elder man nodded sagely, he himself being a shinobi once in his life as well. Though… he was given a rather swift retirement due to an injury.
"Indeed. Anyways, Tenten has been asking for ya! You should drop by on one of her shifts sometimes too you know." Higurashi Tenten was the adopted daughter of Higurashi Ensensei. Like Naruto, she was a young shinobi that was only a mere one year ahead of the boy himself.
"Maah… I try to you know. But her training regime is too erratic and frankly, it's hard to guess when she's in or out." Ensensei nodded, remembering scolding the girl for being late to work several times in the past. The man knew it was hopeless, knowing her sensei was quite a… odd one.
"Well I guess that can't be helped. So how've you been kid?" Naruto brought his hand up to his chin in a thinking pose.
"I've been decent. The other day, I went to the Library and looked up a few scrolls on the basics of elemental techniques. I know that my affinity is wind… but Konoha has limited documentation on that certain element." Naruto explained casually, frustrated with his halted training regime.
"Interesting… if you are indeed a wind type, then it would be hard to find any help around here. Wind types are rare here… but tell you what, if you do me a favor, I'll pull some strings and get a supplier to get you some of those scrolls." Naruto had to think about the offer.
"Depends. What do you want me to do?" Ensensei smirked.
"I want you to go to the Forest of Death and get something from there. It's in the Level three section so be careful!" Naruto snorted in amusement.
"Only Level 3? Shouldn't be too hard. I've been training there for a while now and I'm preparing to move onto Level 4." The elder man widened his eyes.
"Really? Not bad kid… You really remind me of this one strong shinobi back in the day, ya know. He was about your age when he entered Level 4." Of course, the Forest of Death was quite a popular place. It was common knowledge that you had to have a high skill level to get to Level 4 at his age.
"Maah, I think we both know that skill levels are only "roughly" measured there. I only go because I have nothing better to do… and it helps me become a better shinobi." The man chuckled and ruffled the blonde's hair.
"Good for you, Naruto-kun. At this rate you're going, you might become the Hokage." The blonde actually laughed at the thought.
"And be stuck in a tower doing paperwork and appeasing the daily needs of the rich and spoiled "nobility" of Konoha. No thanks!" They both shared a laugh at that.
"Anyways…I have to get going. Can you tell me the specifics of your favor so I can get it done? I'm heading to the Forest of Death after this." Ensensei nodded and pulled out a small piece of paper, writing directions for the blonde.
"Here, it's not too far out. Have fun, Naruto-kun." The blonde nodded.
"No problem… I'll drop by when I get your…" Naruto took a look at the paper with the specifics and face palmed himself.
"Icha-Icha Paradise book..." Ensensei laughed at full volume when he saw Naruto's expression of exasperation.
"You adults… now I've read the book and it was ok at best… but why are so many people so obsessed with the thing." The elder man shrugged.
"It has a good plot too you know." Naruto sighed and shook his head.
"The plot was mediocre and cliché. Personally, I think Jiraiya's first book was the best… Now why can't he go back to that style of writing?" Naruto mused as he left the store, paying for his items before he did.
Ensensei smirked when Naruto was out of sight.
"You only liked the first book because you were named after the main character."
Half an hour later, Naruto had equipped his new armor on and appreciated the feeling of protection it gave him. The shin guards were easy to adapt to while the chest plate would lower the blonde's speed by a bit. It wouldn't be long before Naruto would get used to the feeling.
The soon to be shinobi took out a piece the piece of paper Ensensei had given him and looked over the directions, not wanting to miss out any details.
Normally, I wouldn't trust this job to anyone unless they were genin or higher… but I trust your skills, Naruto-kun. There is a small shack in the eastern section of the Level 3 area of the Forest of Death. It used to be a safe house for me when I was an up and coming shinobi but after that, I didn't have much use for it! Unfortunately, I forgot to get the Icha-Icha Paradise book that I kept there and I want you to retrieve it. Kakashi-san would be angry with me if I lost his book…
Naruto had no idea the man could write so fast… I mean, did he really need to tell him a story for such a simple job. The blonde was amused… he was doing a job for shinobi and he hadn't even graduated yet. Though there was another thought that caught him.
"Kakashi-san is a fan of Icha-Icha? Hm… that would explain all the glares women give him… Ah well, I don't know him that well so it's not a surprise."
And with that thought, Naruto sped into the forest. He knew that there were beasts in this part and he knew for fact that he could defeat anything here. Whether it was by Taijutsu, Genjutsu or Ninjutsu, the blonde shinobi was quite adept at all three.
As he was searching for the shack, Naruto caught the sight of a tree sized bear. Now normally a child of his age would be frightened but Naruto was a shinobi in training…and there was no way this thing could in any way intimidate him. Naruto put his hands in the ram seal and began to focus chakra into his body.
The bear rushed him at mediocre speeds, his claws ready to pounce on the smaller form if Naruto. The blonde dodged easily and threw a chakra enhanced cross, connecting with the bears sides and sent it stumbling back in pain. Knowing the bear was in a daze; Naruto rushed him and delivered more striking hits to its body. Soon, the bear flopped to the floor defeated, leaving Naruto to smile.
"Practicing out here has done wonders for my battle experience…" Naruto had discovered this place when he was a mere nine years old. Ever since Ensensei had told him about it, Naruto just couldn't stop himself from going every day from then on. Why wouldn't he? Not many people go there anymore. It's quiet and filled with animals that kill each other without discrimination.
He loved the damn place because it was awesome. It was a damn shame that his house wasn't out here instead of in the village. Hell, he loved the mere thought of it.
Breaking off from his muse, he proceeded to continue his search for the shack. On his way, he encountered a few more beasts that were easily dispatched. After two hours, Naruto found the place.
Before he got in, Naruto felt a presence behind him. Turning around, he found himself in the presence… of a very familiar face.
"Well if it isn't the gaki himself. My seals alerted to me that a gaki had entered the premises and I just had to wonder… out of all the dumb kids I know, which one would be dumb enough to come all the way out here?" She brought her hands to a thinking pose, smirking as she eyed the kid in front of her. The woman was dressed in a brown trench coat, mini skirt and mesh armor. She had violet hair and a rack that men would kill for. Oddly, Anko was quite proud of it.
"Anko... you haven't been around lately. Ji-chan been giving you missions?" The woman nodded.
"Yup! Now, what the hell are you doing around here? I own these parts of the woods, gaki." She deadpanned, eyes searching him much to the boy's discomfort at being stared down.
"Just picking something up for Ensensei. He wanted me to get a book that he left here." Anko suddenly grinned and pulled something out from her equipment pouch. It was an orange book.
"Oh ~ you mean this?" Naruto eyed the book and confirmed that it was indeed what he was looking for.
"Yeah, that's it. Mind if I take it?" The woman shook her head in the negative, grinning widely.
"Not until you do me a favor!" The blonde sighed.
"And what is that?" Even though Naruto had a good idea of what she wanted, he played along.
"Get me some…" Anko was cut off instantly.
"Dango, yeah sure." Naruto finished for her, smirking at his soon to be superior.
"Ahhhh… you know too well! Now get going, brat!" Naruto nodded and complied with the order, running off to the closest stand.
Anko shook her head and entered the shack, a smile adjourning her face. The first time they met was a little over two years ago when Naruto was still ten and had begun to enter the Level 3 area of the forest. At first, the woman thought he was just some dumb fool that for lost but she was instantly proved wrong when saw his training regime. The boy was improving at an incredible pace… and this was without the aid of the academy. His Taijutsu katas were not academy issued she had recognized when they first met, in fact they looked awfully familiar to a style she had seen up in Kumo.
"The kid really likes to throw quick punches and strong holds… Damn, watching the brat powerbomb a bear was freaking hilarious. I should spy in on his training more often, it's better than television." Anko didn't know where the brat had learned his techniques but she didn't pay it too much thought. The world of shinobi was full of surprises and this was nothing compared to the biggest ones she's seen.
"His Genjutsu is pretty mediocre….well for a brat, it's really good but compared to a seasoned chuunin, it's pretty average. I'm pretty sure he could defeat just about anyone in his class." In the beginning, Naruto was never really interested in the illusion aspects of shinobi. That perspective began to change into though, when he realized that Genjutsu was an excellent tool for slowing down opponents.
"His Ninjutsu is also above average. He can use one or two Suiton (Water) techniques… and I saw him use a Doton once but it was really weak. Neither of them are his affinity, obviously. If I had to guess… he'd probably a wind." Anko knew of the lack of wind users in Konoha and apparently, Naruto didn't know any of them. She was considering pointing him in the direction of one after he came back; after all, the brat was a good kid though mentally unstable in a way.
"He sure as hell doesn't act like it though… but I know better. His eyes are proof." She stopped her line of thinking when she sensed the return of her young friend, carrying in a bag.
"Yo, Anko! I got the stuff." He sat at the table in the shack, placing out small plates so they can share the meal.
Anko grinned and threw him the book, watching him catch it without looking. She always wondered how he was able to predict the actions of others but she had long given up on figuring it out. Anko just figured the boy just had a gift for reading people.
"Hearts." Naruto mumbled quietly. Anko raised a brow.
"Huh?" Naruto smiled and shook his head, not answering and just placed the food on the plate.
"Nothing… so how's the Jounin life? I heard you have to go to the village shrink every two weeks for a "mental" checkup." The blonde smirked. Anko laughed as she downed her first meatball.
"Yeah… Inoichi is a pretty cool guy to talk to. You wouldn't even be able to tell that he was once part of one of the best teams in Konoha." She replied in earnest, after she was betrayed by Orochimaru, it was Inoichi that had helped her along the way. The woman respected him for his work.
"That's good. You know he has a daughter that's in my graduating class. Her name's Ino and she is very bad for my mental health." Anko smirked.
"I feel sorry for Inoichi, having to deal with his daughter who is a huge fan girl." Naruto continued but was then interrupted.
"What? Is she really that bad as a shinobi?" Anko asked, voice turning a bit serious for once.
"She's not bad per say but without her extra training regime at home, she wouldn't even be graduating. Ino can fight… but she doesn't understand the line of work." Now, the violet haired woman raised a brow.
"And you do?" She countered. Naruto nodded.
"Maybe not like you but I understand that our work heavily relies on trust and teamwork. To be honest, only a few people in my graduating class really understands."
"And who are they?" Naruto began to sit up and think.
"Nara Shikamaru is a really good analyzer and is well versed in tactics. Aburame Shino is also very skilled at analyzing things and will most likely become the ace of whatever team he's selected into. Hyuuga Hinata, the top kunoichi in my class…well in my opinion at least and she's a beast Taijutsu fighter. She's also mentally prepared for the job if her acting skills are as good as it seems." Naruto was cut off again.
"Acting?" The blonde smirked.
"She's really good at acting weak. For a Hyuuga, it's really weird and yet, it's incredible. Most Hyuuga have the samurai look while she acts like a true shinobi. It is admiring and frankly, she's probably far superior than she lets on. I have no doubt… that she is the best shinobi in the class." Anko was shocked by the revelation. It was interesting to hear the opinion of someone as good as the blonde that was in front of her.
"What about you? Is she better than you?" Naruto sighed.
"If we were to fight all out and in equal circumstances, I would probably win by a small margin. My ninjutsu is very limited and I wouldn't dare approach her in a Taijutsu fight. She's proved time and again, that she can defeat anyone in the class in Taijutsu. Uchiha Sasuke, the rookie of the year or whatever it's called also admitted that she was better at Taijutsu than him. And that's saying something because he isn't known to be humble." Anko nodded, it made sense for a Hyuuga to be the best hand to hand fighter. It was almost a tradition in the academy. But the woman couldn't shake off the feeling that Naruto was just trying to be humble with his skills.
"Wow… I didn't know the academy shrimps had gotten so good. Anyone else worth mentioning?"
"Well yeah… Uchiha Sasuke is balanced and very good at fighting. I don't know much about him, not that I really care. He's probably going to graduate… but it's up to his ego. He needs to accept that fact that he's not invincible and will lose sometime. The sooner he knows this, the better. Other than that, he would probably be one of the only people I'd work with in the class. If I got to choose my own team, I'd pick Shikamaru and Hinata but…that's doubtful since Shikamaru is gonna be paired with Ino and Chouji." The Ino-Shika-Chou trio was a famous combination in Konoha, Anko figured.
"Sasuke's gonna be paired with the dead last… Some random kid and the top Kunoichi, Sakura."
"And that leaves you?" She questioned.
"I don't know…I don't exactly do well with paper tests but I know just enough to pass. I rank somewhere in the top ten because of that. So I have no idea who my teammates are gonna be."
"Hm…" Anko had an idea of what was gonna happen but there was no way in hell was she gonna tell him. Of course, that is if he didn't read her mind or something.
"Anyways… I have to get going. I have to get this book back to Ensensei." Anko nodded and placed the plates in the bag.
"Well it was good seeing you again gaki. We should do this more often." Naruto nodded and began to leave. Anko on the other hand took off in another direction towards her home, tired after a long day of work. The conversation with the brat was definitely interesting…maybe the academy shrimps will surprise her after all.
Back at Higurashi's shop, Naruto was standing in front of the store. The day was long but it felt fulfilling in a way. The blonde talked to some of his friend, something he had very few of. Walking in to the store, he spotted another familiar face. She had brown eyes and black hair that was tied into a bun shape. The girl was currently reading a magazine.
"Tenten." Said girl looked up from what she was doing, searching for the voice until she noticed the blonde at the door.
"Naruto! It's been a while, how've you been?" The blonde smiled.
"I've been decent. And you?" She sighed and put down her magazine and jumped over the counter. Naruto was tall in comparison to her and the age the difference was a whole year. The blonde was about 5'7 in her estimate, probably the second tallest in his class.
"Stressed. My Jounin-sensei is an animal that trains 24/7. Don't get me wrong, he's a great teacher and he's helped me a lot but he's so… eccentric." Naruto chuckled.
"All great men and women have a quirk. At least his is something that will help him better himself and the future generation." Tenten nodded in agreement.
"You know, you should come by more often. Gai-sensei has finally given us a regular schedule. I come off training at about 5:00 in the afternoon now." Naruto nodded.
"That sounds fantastic. Maybe you can tell me the stories of your adventures as a rookie genin." She smiled, nodding.
"That sounds great." And with that, they began to converse for a little over an hour more.
When the sun had set, Naruto had finally left but not before giving Tenten Ensensei's book. Tenten didn't know what to think about the boy but there was one for sure, he was pleasant company. The guy was charismatic in a way and she couldn't help but be drawn in.
They had met at the orphanage many years ago and shared a room as children. In a way, she thought of him as a little brother that she never had. Tenten knew of his troubles with sleeping… hence why she did her best to help him over the years. That was how their bond was formed. Back in the day, it was all about survival for them due to Konoha's recession that was a result of the Kyuubi attack. After a few years, Naruto was given an apartment and Tenten was adopted by Ensensei. The man was unable to adopt Naruto for unknown reasons… but nonetheless, everything turned out ok. She just hoped Naruto would do well with his insomniac problem.
She sighed… there was a conspiracy going on and Tenten knew it involved Naruto. She didn't particularly like being kept in the dark but she had no choice in the matter. For now…she was content.
Back at the apartment, Naruto stared into a tube of pills he had received from the hospital to help in his insomnia issue. He sighed…and downed them following with a gulp of tap water.
"Another night…"
The next day, Naruto's morning routine repeated. He woke up at around 5 in the morning to train and went the academy. It was graduation day so he figured being early was a good idea.
Entering the room, he noticed his sensei at the chalk board looking a bit worse for wear.
"Are you ok, Iruka-sensei?" The man turned his head and smiled when saw the boy. He wore his usual black shirt and dark green shorts that reached his knees. The only difference was the new black shin guard he wore.
"Yeah. Thanks…I'm just a little tired." That much was obvious… the blonde nodded in understanding.
"I see. Well you should start taking in easy, sensei. A vacation would help you tons." Iruka chuckled.
"No, no. I haven't worked long enough for a decent vacation yet." Naruto shrugged and went to his seat.
Waiting for about half an hour for everyone to file in, he noted the concentrated look everyone had on their face. Iruka stood up and began to speak.
"Today will be the testing for genin! Now, it will start with a paper test. The practical will consist of a perfect performance of the three techniques you have been taught." Everyone nodded.
"Let us begin…"
Naruto grinned as he held his black colored fore-head protector. The test was way too easy in his opinion but he wasn't complaining. He continued to go on about his day. He was planning on training a bit more in the Forest of Death to finalize his evaluation of his personal skill level.
The blonde couldn't wait for tomorrow. Once he knew his team training schedule, he would be able to set up a better training regime.
Naruto went about his day in a routine like fashion… then went home to get a good night's sleep.
The morning after, Naruto found himself walking to the academy at a leisurely pace. It was a nice day out and the wind was soothing to the bone. His earphones were blasting so he could hardly hear a thing other than it which he was glad for.
Naruto sighed when he heard the sound of yelling coming from behind him. The blonde did his best to ignore it but that was impossible as two girls ran right into him like a brick wall. Naruto fell down to his face, not expecting such a thing to happen. He looked back and saw Sakura and Ino, ear to ear looking down at him with apologetic looks on their faces.
"S-sorry about that." Sakura squeaked out, Ino nodding right along. Naruto sighed and waved them off and told them it was ok.
"You two are in a rush…" Ino grinned sheepishly.
"Yeah! Forehead here was trying to get to Sasuke-kun before me and there was no way in hell that was gonna happen if I could help it!" She spoke as if inspired. Sakura glared at her and was about to start an argument before the blonde intervened.
"Maah… friends shouldn't fight. Besides, if you two don't hurry…someone else will get to the guy…" Naruto was doing his absolute best to get rid of the two. Smiling as they widened their eyes in realization and sprinted at full speeds to the academy.
"Those two are really easy to manipulate…" Naruto mused as he continued his leisurely walk. In half an hour or so, he arrived to see more than a few new genins there. In the corner was Sakura and Ino, both bothering Sasuke equally. Said boy was currently rubbing his head in annoyance. In the middle of the room, he saw Shikamaru flanked by Shino and Chouji, who was in his regular seat. At the top row was the Taijutsu ace, Hyuuga Hinata. He saw an open seat next to Hinata and decided to strike up a friendly conversation.
"Hinata." Said girl turned her eyes and smiled shyly at him. Naruto almost rolled his eyes… but he knew for a fact that she did like him. Usually, she acted shy around everyone but around him, it was genuine.
"You passed with one of the top scores in the class. Congratulations." She nodded, trying to maintain eye contact with him.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun. I-it was nothing." And there was the stutter. Naruto smiled genuinely.
"I guess that speaks volumes of your skill, seeing as the test was nothing." Hinata blushed at the praise and nodded.
"Well I just wanted to wish you luck. I've hoped to be placed on a team with you but it's a long shot seeing as how we're top students." The mere thought of that depressed her a little.
"W-well let us hope for the best." Naruto nodded and sat in silence, waiting for Iruka to arrive.
Five minutes later, said teacher arrived in with a list of teams. Naruto narrowed his eyes as he spotted a few of the names from the corner of his eyes.
"Hm…" He grunted, as Iruka began to talk.
"I would like to take some time to congratulate you all for becoming genin. I would like to wish you all luck! Now for team assignments." Everyone leaned forward.
"Team 1!" Naruto noticed that everyone that was assigned on teams 1 through 6 were students with below average scores. Now that was suspicious to him…seeing as how these teams were supposed to encourage balance.
"Team 7, Haruno Sakura, Eisho Ikutski and Uchiha Sasuke." A loud scream was heard as Sakura began to prance around, thanking true love where ever it was. It was an amusing sight to watch for the class and a miserable one for the other fan girls.
"Team 8, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata." The pale eyed girl lowered her head slightly, sad that she wasn't paired with Naruto. But she would be professional.
"Team 9…well that's odd. Uzumaki Naruto, you will report to training ground 40 to meet your instructor. Apparently, you're the odd number and you will be kept on the reserve until teammates are available for you." Surprisingly, Naruto liked it. It gave him a lot of time to himself for training. He could feel the envious glare from Sasuke from the corner of the room.
"Team 10, Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chouji." The sound of a head hitting the table was heard from two placed. One from Ino and the other from Shikamaru. Naruto chuckled lightly.
"You are to meet your instructors in an hour. Again, I wish you all luck." And with that, everyone began to converse among themselves. A few leaving and others staying to wait.
"Well that's a shame. I guess I have to go and get to training ground 40 to meet my instructor. I hope we get to work together soon, Hinata." The girl nodded and smiled.
"I feel the same way. Good bye for now, Naruto-kun." And with that, Naruto walked out to meet his new instructor. He had a weird feeling about the meeting but didn't dwell too much on it.
Naruto took a moment to study his surroundings. Training ground 40 was a forest that was secluded from the other places. Not to mention that his place was dangerously close to the Forest of Death. He frowned when he noticed a paper on the floor. He approached it with caution and picked it up. The paper had a message.
Uzumaki Naruto, you are to meet me in Training ground 44, area 3 in the north western section, near the entrance to Level 4. This letter will disintegrate exactly fifteen seconds after you touch it.
For the first time in a long time, Naruto felt excitement rip through his body. He had a sensei that frequented the Forest of Death. As he felt the letter burn up into nothing, he looked up to the sky.
"Forest of Death, here I come."
It took about twenty minutes for Naruto to arrive in the area. A kunai in his hands as he had to dispatch a few wild beasts on the way here. He took in his surroundings and approached the gate to Level 4 but stopped when he sensed the presence of a man. The blonde widened his eyes as the chakra seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Turning his head to right to the source of chakra, he saw a figure standing on top of a massive rock with his back turned to the blonde. The figure wore a nothing but a black cloak that and a hood that covered his hair. On his cloak was a cape that was only worn on his right shoulder, it had an unfamiliar sign on it.
Naruto approached the rock, stopping when a deep voice spoke.
"Uzumaki Naruto?" The blonde nodded.
"Hai."
The figure turned around and Naruto widened his eyes as he took a look at where his face would be. The figure wore a dragon mask, signifying his membership in ANBU.
"I will be testing you today, Uzumaki Naruto." If it was one thing Naruto knew, it was the fact that this man was no regular ANBU. The cape on his cloak signified his powerful position. "I am the General of the Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai division, ANBU for short. Now…let's get started, boy."
END
Well, I hope you enjoyed the beginning. There will be many secrets that I will be keeping from you readers… just to make things more fun. If you're wondering about Naruto's abilities, I'll make them known in time. It also ties with his knowledge of the Kyuubi and such.
As for Bashing... nope, not my style. At times it will seem like I am but it won't be anything permanent. If you're looking for heavy bashing, I would gladly point you in the direction of a good story that bashes just about everyone.
As for Hinata, yeah, I made her stronger. She's a freakin Hyuuga so I figured she should have been stronger than she was in the show and manga.
As for the ANBU General, the cape he's wearing is like what the guy in Assassin's Creed has except it's black and ties around his shoulders.
As for the forest of death, I did this to make things more interesting. I hope people are smart enough to figure out that the levels of skill aren't meant to be accurate.
Well that's it. Later…