Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Kishimoto does.
Well, here's the new story that's been stuck in my head for weeks, chapter 2 is nearly done and i'm figuring out chapter 3 as well, but I keep tweaking events to make things smoother, there's a good chance this chapter is gonna get reworked at least once to mention something else or change timing or whatnot. The basic premise should be pretty clear from reading the story itself, I'm not aiming for a super powered naruto, just one that is trained, that isn't a genius but knows how to think. The planned pairing is Narusaku, whether that is a friendship or a romance is still up in the air, most likely it will be romantic but i'm still figuring out how exactly that is gonna play out in a believable manner. I have a basic outline of events and how things will be affected by the different beginning, and of course, the devil is in the details. But I figured i'd get at least this chapter up and see what people think, if the premise could be considered realistic enough to fly in the narutoverse. Don't expect fast updates, I do apologize but i work, go to school and have a family to look after so my writing time is limited to a few hours a week and occasionally some time on the weekends. At least until I replace the dead laptop ;p
"Hey look, it's THAT kid."
Sakura turned her head to look at the source of the noise, and saw a boy about her age, crying in the middle of the street. A crowd surrounded him in a circle, staring and muttering mean things.
"I'll become Hokage and you'll all have to respect me!" he shouted between sobs, wiping his tears on a soaked orange sleeve of the worn out jumpsuit he was wearing. Brilliant blonde locks of his wildly unkempt hair stood in all directions, bouncing softly as his head bobbed with each sob. He looked up one last time at the crowd, a defiant look on his face as blue eyes met green for the briefest of moments, and then he was gone, running back the other way, away from the academy she was about to enter with her mother. But she couldn't shake the memory of those eyes from her mind.
Pretty. It was the only thing she could think of to describe them, such a bright blue, despite the tears that fell so freely from them. A slight tug on the sleeve of her blue shirt brought her thoughts back to reality as her mother pulled her towards her first day at the academy.
"Come on Sakura, we don't want to be late for your first day." Her mother chided softly. "Remember, you don't have to become a ninja if you don't want to dear."
"Mom! I want to!" She knew her mother didn't want her to be a ninja, but it was something she had decided on herself.
"Mom…who was that boy, he was crying. Where was his mom at?" She couldn't help but ask; she just couldn't shake the image of him crying in the street… alone.
"That boy is trouble, I don't want to see you playing with him ever. Do you understand me?" The serious tone of her mother's voice scared her, and she could only nod in reply. Taking one last moment to adjust the red ribbon on the top of her head one last time, Sakura Haruno followed her mother into her first class at the ninja academy of Konoha.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed as he watched the defeated blonde sitting in his office. It was a simple matter to get Naruto into the ninja academy, as the Hokage it fell under his responsibilities to ensure that the next generation of ninja was adequately trained and prepared to become Konoha's future. It would have been a simple matter to approve Naruto as a student and watch him work to fulfill his dream. Unfortunately he had forgotten that any applicant for the ninja academy had to first complete one year of basic education at the standard academy, any ninja of course needing to know the basics of Konoha's history, laws and have possession of the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic.
Therein lay the problem, as the standard academy fell under the jurisdiction of the civilian council. For them it had been a simple matter to ban Naruto. Despite being Hokage, he could not simply ignore one of the core rules that governed the training of future ninja, no matter how promising the applicant be.
"Naruto, I'm sorry that you weren't allowed to go to school. I know I promised that you would get to be trained to be a ninja, and I will figure out a way if there is one, but I will need some time. Go home for today and rest, please stay out of trouble today and I will see what I have to do." Turning to one of the two anbu in the room he said "Bear, please take Naruto home, and make sure he gets a decent dinner, I'll reimburse you." Nodding, Bear took Naruto outside of the room, closing the door behind him.
"Any idea's, Inu?" He did have one, actually.
"You should consider Danzou-sama's idea."
Surprise lit up Sarutobi's face as he stared incredulously at Inu. "You're not serious? Turn Naruto into a weapon?"
"Of course not, Hokage-sama. However giving him to Anbu for training has its merits, of course I mean the Anbu under your leadership not Danzou-sama's." Of course! Sarutobi wondered why that option had never occurred to him.
"That… may work. I could recruit him as a promising Anbu candidate, and the council would have no authority to interfere, legally Anbu answers only to the Hokage. I would have to keep him to a very strict training regimen for appearances sake, he doesn't need the council bothering him if he seems to be lacking in potential. I would have liked to have him in public school, allow him to make friends and socialize. "
"In all honesty, Hokage-sama, it may be in Naruto's interest to be away from his peers and out of sight so to speak anyways, the parent's views are influencing their children, and the boy has no friends among the academy staff if today's events are any indication."
Much to his own disappointment, the Hokage found himself agreeing with Inu's view on the situation. More and more he felt like he had failed the boy, and resolved that this would be a turning point. Naruto would get the training he needed to become great, whether he liked it or not.
"Inu, please have that newly appointed Jonin, eh…. Ebisu was his name report to my office tomorrow morning… 9am should do. He trained specifically to be an instructor, I think He is just who we need for this."
"Of course, Hokage-sama" with that Inu disappeared in a swirl of leaves.
Sitting back in his chair the Hokage took a long draw on his pipe, staring off for a few moments while digesting the day's events. Pulling an empty scroll out of a drawer in his desk he began writing a short message.
Some things happened and HE will begin training soon, it's early but had to be done. You should visit him sometime within the next year and help him with techniques. –S
Closing the scroll he sealed it before standing. Walking to the window he looked outside over the village he protected. "Bear" he called softly.
"Yes Hokage-sama?"
"Take this scroll and see to it that a messenger bird leaves with it today, it is important that this get to Jiraiya soon." Taking the scroll, Bear left without another word. Sarutobi continued to look out across the village he loved, remembering the words his friend's son had said.
"I'll become a better Hokage than you! And protect everybody!" He couldn't help but smile at that memory, at the determination and seriousness etched into the boy's face.
"I'll help you get there… Naruto."
Ebisu stood at attention, patiently awaiting the details on what he assumed would be a new mission. Adjusting his newly gained Jonin vest, fitted over a nondescript blue uniform he sweated slightly under the Hokage's intense stare. A bead of sweat formed where his sunglasses rested against his temple, sliding slowly down the side of his face.
"Ebisu-kun, I have an assignment for you. I can't classify it as a mission as you won't be leaving the village, well… not in the near future anyway." As he said that the Hokage tossed a file envelope across his desk and motioned to Ebisu to open it. Opening it he began to read its contents. It was a standard ninja dossier.
"Lord Hokage, this is… that child?"
"Yes Ebisu-kun, Naruto Uzumaki. He is to be your student, due to the council's actions he has been banned from a standard education. I have recruited him as an Anbu candidate, and under my authorization you are to begin his training immediately. You will need to begin with the basics, as he has been disallowed from even basic education. I will need you to assess his current status today and then report back to me on your findings so that we can develop a suitable plan for his development. "
"With all due respect sir, I do not-" Ebisu was interrupted before he could finish his protest. "I'm not interested in your reasons Ebisu-kun, you are a talented ninja, and this is an important assignment. As he is a potential Anbu member, his training is to be kept absolutely secret. You will be using my clan's personal training fields for this. Any materials or other resources that you need I will provide. That is all."
With a nod Ebisu acknowledged his orders. The Hokage had made it clear, this was what he would be doing, and neither failure nor poor performance would be tolerated.
"Lord Hokage where can I find Naruto-san then?" No sense in wasting time, he would take this opportunity to prove his skills to his village and turn a boy with no future into a respectable ninja of Konoha. As he asked his question the door opened behind him.
"Ah, there he is now, thank you Bear." The anbu that followed the young blonde boy in simply nodded his head slightly before closing the door and disappearing out of sight. Ebisu took this moment to examine the young boy standing nervously several feet to his left.
Short. Too short, and scrawny, telltale signs of malnourishment, poor posture and he seemed very depressed. Messy blob of blonde hair that practically screamed 'look at me!' and not to mention his orange body suit. Yes, that would have to go. Immediately.
"Naruto-kun" began the Hokage, a kind smile on his face, his tone light and warm. "This is Ebisu-kun. He will be your instructor. I expect you to listen to him, respect him and do your best to learn from him, do you understand me?" The boy nodded his head, looking pensively at the tall man next to him.
"Hi… I'm Naruto…" he said, doing his best to smile normally at the man. Ebisu regarded the young boy silently. Fear. Uncertainty. Nervousness. The boy 's eyes looked older than they should, like they had seen and felt far more than any boy should. They reminded him of Itachi Uchiha's eyes. He was sure that smile had fooled many people, possibly even the Hokage himself, but Ebisu had trained for this, he knew what was really behind that smile.
Despair. Desperation. Hopelessness.
It was to be expected; the boy was shunned, had no friends, was picked on by other children and had no one to care for him. Despite what may be sealed inside him, this boy was no demon, and Ebisu knew, even if he had the chance, he would not refuse this opportunity.
"Naruto-kun" Ebisu said, smiling softly at the boy. "Don't smile at me, unless you mean it." The look of shock on the boy's face was expected. "Hopefully in the near future, I can see your genuine smile." Confused, the young boy just stared at him.
"Ebisu-kun, could you please wait outside a moment?" Nodding his head, Ebisu moved to the door and let himself out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.
"Naruto-kun, I am sorry to say but you won't be able to join the ninja academy with the rest of the children." The look of confusion on Naruto's face was not missed by Sarutobi.
"But I thought you said that Sunglasses was gonna be my instructor?" Naruto whined, clearly struggling to figure out what was happening.
"Allow me to explain then, Naruto-kun. The council would not let you join the academy for reasons that I cannot tell you right now. But I promise to in the future when you are ready. Instead I have made you an Anbu candidate, something not normally done until someone is of at least chunin rank. Ebisu-kun will be training you alone. You will complete most of your training at my private training field where you will not be bothered by any trouble makers. This will be very intensive training Naruto, I need you to give this your very best and get strong. Do you understand how ninja's are ranked Naruto?"
Naruto had sat patiently listening to this point and could only shake his head in response, still recovering from the news. He was going to be a ninja! The old man kept his promise! He was quivering with excitement and wanted to do nothing more than jump around shouting whatever came to mind. But the old man was still talking, so he forced himself to listen.
"We rank ninja based on their abilities and strength, starting with the lowest level, known as genin. These are the ninja that have just graduated from the academy, have only basic skills and are just learning what it truly means to be a ninja and work in a team. Next we have chunin, who are a step above genin in terms of power and is only given to those who can demonstrate the ability to make proper decisions in any situation, lead others and put their village before themselves. Above that we have jonin and then anbu. Jonin are elite ninja, those we trust to protect the village, handle the most dangerous missions and also train our future." The hokage paused to take a sip of water from a glass sitting on his desk before continuing.
"Anbu are the special forces, they are the strongest of the strong and the most dedicated of loyal ninja's, doing whatever is necessary for the sake of the village. When no one else can do it, we trust the anbu to get it done. Anbu is the group to which you will belong should you choose to continue this, though that decision is far away in the future. Because of what they do whenever an anbu is on duty they must wear a mask, due to what is required of them at times it is important that they have that semblance of anonymity, otherwise the very people we depend on wouldn't be able to enjoy their lives outside of their duties. Do you understand all this so far Naruto?" The boy nodded his head, not completely sure of everything the old man had said but understood the basics of who was who.
"But aren't anbu like really strong? I'm just a kid…and all of the mask people I know are adults."
Sarutobi smiled at the young boy happy that the normally hyperactive Naruto had been following along with everything he said. "Well I don't expect you to get that strong anytime soon. But I think it's reasonable to expect you to be as strong as the average chunin by the time the children that would have been your classmates graduate and become genin. " Pausing a moment he stared into the boy's eyes, his face set in a serious look. "Naruto I need you to understand this and commit yourself too it. This will be intensive, harder than anything you've ever experienced before. The only thing you are going to be doing for the next few years is train, rest, and train some more. I'm asking you to give up what's left of your childhood Naruto."
The boy stared at him for a moment, face scrunched up as if he was thinking hard. "I'm not sure what a childhood is old man. But I don't think I'll miss it."
"Very well then Naruto, Ebisu-kun is waiting for you in the hallway, from now on please refer to him as 'Sensei'" The boy nearly flew out of the chair he was sitting in, ripping the door open before looking back at the hokage watching him. "Thanks old man!" Naruto shouted before slamming the door shut behind him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stared down at the paperwork that officially made Naruto an anbu candidate and assigned Ebisu as his personal instructor.
"I'm not sure what a childhood is old man. But I don't think I'll miss it."
A bitter tear slid down his left cheek, splashing silently onto the paperwork.
"Forgive me Minato, I don't know what else to do."
Ebisu walked into the Hokage's office the next day, wearing a serious expression and carrying a small scroll in his left hand.
"Ah Ebisu-kun welcome, what can I do for you today?" Sarutobi asked, setting aside a mission report he had been reading as the jonin entered his office.
"I have the report you requested on Naruto-kun, Hokage-sama." Ebisu replied, handing the small scroll the Hokage before standing at attention. "Naruto-kun is severely malnourished; I believe his growth has been negatively affected by this as well. It seems he only eats at Ichiraku's, a ramen stand near his home as no other establishment will serve him. It's not a problem that he eats only there so long as what he eats contains the proper nutrition he needs, however such a menu would cost considerably more than he has available to him. I am hoping we can set up some kind of billing or charge system so that he can get the necessary nutrition to grow and train properly. I will also be instructing him on basic food preparation and in the future would like to see him preparing his own meals as much as possible."
Taking a deep breath he waited for the hokage to nod before he continued. "Physically he is weak for his age, and is far too thin. His muscle tone is severely lacking and will take considerable effort to bring up to a satisfactory level. He seems to possess near limitless energy though so I am confident we can improve his physical condition quickly. As a test I showed him how to channel chakra with a ram seal to test the development of his chakra system. Despite his handicaps I was very surprised, he seems to possess chakra reserves on par with the average genin. Due to his… condition I can only surmise that his chakra capacity will continue to grow rapidly from this point, and to avoid severe problems with chakra control later on will need to start training him immediately on chakra control specifically to counter that."
Sarutobi silenced Ebisu with a wave of his hand before looking up at the man. "If his chakra is already this high, he will need more than simple exercises to help him control it. You should probably start training him in the basic three as well, though sparingly, the most important thing we need to do is get the boy literate and give him a basic understanding of the world around him."
Ebisu nodded his head before speaking. "I agree, and will incorporate that into his lessons as I can. I did not test him for taijutsu aptitude at this time as I feel it would do more harm than good until I can train his body up to an acceptable level to endure that. That concludes my report." Ebisu stood at attention, watching the Hokage read through the scroll one more time.
"Very well" Sarutobi muttered, then looked at Ebisu. I will arrange for the anbu training program to cover Naruto's food expenses with Ichiraku's. Please give them a menu of what he needs to be eating, I'm sure they will be happy to help out." Looking around amid the paperwork on his cluttered desk the Hokage pulled a single sheet of paper out of the mess. "Take this, it's the information for the billing account to charge any equipment needs to, please make sure to get him the equipment he will need for his training."
"Ah yes, would that include new uniforms Hokage-sama?" Please Please Please Please
"As long as it isn't orange." Sarutobi replied, images of orange jumpsuits danced in his head.
Kill it with fire!
Four anbu promptly appeared in the room. "Hokage-sama! What is the problem!" Bear asked worriedly. It was only then Sarutobi realized he had flared his chakra in response to the disturbing image in his mind. Ebisu was as white as a ghost.
"No, that'll be fine. I just hate the color orange." Four anbu cocked their heads slightly sideways, unsure of how to take that statement before disappearing into separate swirls of leaves.
"I will expect monthly reports Ebisu-kun, though please let me know immediately if you need anything."
"Of course, Hokage-sama."
July 30th
Hokage-sama,
This is your monthly report of Naruto-kun's training. Though it has only been a month since we started his progress has been very impressive. I cannot say that he is gifted with great intelligence, but at the least average. His hiragana and katakana are progressing well, and basic mathematics skills are coming along as well, he should be able to handle simple financial transactions soon I think. I have begun teaching him a limited amount of history while doing physical training, though he doesn't seem to retain that kind of knowledge well I think repetition will help greatly. Physically in this last month he has improved greatly, his stamina never ceases to amaze me, nor his appetite. He is starting to develop some real muscle tone, and I have noticed that he seems to recover extremely quickly from minor injuries, which I think is also part of the reason for his rapid muscle development. Another attribute of his condition I suppose. He finally seems to be starting to trust me. He seems very lonely.
January 29th
Hokage-sama,
It has now been six months since the start of Naruto's training. I have started teaching him the basic anbu taijutsu style as you requested in lieu of the academy style. Though I myself am not proficient in the style the anbu known as Weasel has been very helpful. His chakra control is still struggling, and he has yet to produce an acceptable bunshin. You may be right concerning his chakra levels and if he does not improve I will go ahead and teach him the kage bunshin as you suggested. His basic academic skills now exceed the minimums for the ninja academy so I will be leaving any further advancement in those areas to his own discretion during non-training time. He is also now learning proper throwing techniques for kunai, shuriken and senbon. He can now prepare some basic meals and I will be requiring him to make meals at home on a limited basis, which will increase as his proficiency does. The meditation exercises are helping him control his emotions better and keep better focus during training. I wish he could associate with peers his own age but at this time I feel you are still correct that it would not be to his emotional benefit. He is only seven after all, and children can be especially cruel in their ignorance.
June 30th
Hokage-sama,
Naruto has finally produced a functional bunshin! It took a lot of work but the kage bunshin technique apparently helped give him the feel for how to do it. His chakra control is still horrible, but there is improvement. He is progressing well in his Taijutsu, even without Weasel around to help him out with that. I'm hoping to get Bear or even Inu to help out in that regard, if you could assist in that it would be helpful. The time that was spent on ninjutsu theory is now being spent on tactics and planning, and I feel that we will be stuck on these subjects for a quite some time. Naruto is very talented at improvising and in our spars has shown remarkable creativity with the basic 3 and kage bunshin techniques. Naruto will need new uniforms again soon, he's growing remarkably well. Aside from the tactics and planning instruction I'm going to focus all of his training time on strengthening his body and working on his chakra control. I would rate his chakra reserves as being very high for a genin, perhaps even equivalent to that of a weak chunin.
February 27th
Hokage-sama,
Naruto as you know is now eight years and four months old. I can say at this time that Naruto can easily pass the basic requirements of the genin exam. He will have a lot of work ahead of him to achieve the goal of chunin equivalency in the next four years. I feel that he is at a bit of a plateau at the moment, while we certainly could train him harder and achieve the goal in less time, he's just not ready. He's eight, not twelve. I am going to shift his training somewhat into developing some hobbies, and focus more time on history and the social structure of the village. He now has enough self-control that I think he can truly benefit from those lessons finally. I will certainly maintain his skills and we will spar and perform chakra control exercises still, but for now his mind needs to catch up to his body. Naruto is not a weapon after all, he is a ninja of Konoha.
February 27th
Hokage-sama,
In half a year Naruto will be ten. He has been progressing well with the wind jutsu, and can now create gusts strong enough to deflect weapons or knock back opponents. Despite wind being his dominant nature his chakra control is as always the issue hindering him. It seems like every time he makes a breakthrough in control his reserves spike and then his control is affected. It feels like every time we take two steps forward we are forced one step back. Naruto still has no friends, I agree that taking him with you on trips to the academy may benefit him, if only in helping him get used to working with people his own age. Please inform Jiraiya-sama that his chakra still appears to be stable, and that earth technique , the mud wall one that he showed Naruto is nearly mastered. Again his chakra control is an issue, but I am beginning to wonder if the spikes in his capacity correspond to his growth spurts. I have not tracked it up till now but will in the future.
October 19th
Hokage-sama,
This report is a few weeks early but I trust it will be a nice start to your day. Today Naruto successfully performed the Konoha shunshin, along with finishing the first step of the mystic palm technique. I doubt he will ever have the chakra control to do anything but the smalled amount of regeneration with that jutsu but the generation of medical chakra is confirmed. With the Shunshin finished he has completed all the technical requirements for the rank of chunin. The experience requirements will be handled soon as I start taking him on missions, however the requirements you needed fulfilled for the official Anbu acceptance are now complete and I have signed off on the appropriate paperwork, included with this scroll.
Hiruzen Sarutobi set the scroll he had been reading down and reached into the lower right drawer of his desk, pulling out a plain white mask. Unlike standard anbu masks this one did not carry an identifying animal shape on it. It was the mask of an anbu cadet, a ninja who had met the requirements to be tested and trained and had been chosen by the best Konoha had to offer. It was an honor most never received, only the most dedicated and promising were offered the chance. Most declined.
"Bear."
"Yes, Hokage-sama?"
"Assemble your team and bring me Naruto Uzumaki. We will need the marker as well." If Bear didn't know any better, he would think the old man sounded sad.
"Of course, Hokage-sama."
One hour later, Naruto Uzumaki stood before the Hokage of Konoha, the village hidden in leaves. Surrounding him and the hokage were five anbu, watching silently. A sixth Anbu stood next to the Hokage, his mask completely black.
"Naruto Uzumaki, do you swear to protect Konoha and all its citizens, obey your Hokage and adhere to all the tenets and regulations that govern the anbu black ops teams?"
"I do." There was no hesitation, only a fierce determination as Naruto's eyes met the Hokage's eyes.
"Very well, then accept the seal that is proof of your loyalty and membership, until such time as you wish to be relieved of your duties." Following the protocol of the ceremony he had been instructed in by Ebisu, Naruto turned until his left shoulder was facing the man in the black mask, the black tank top he was wearing gave the man the access he needed to the skin of his left shoulder. He hissed in pain as the man began tattooing the leaf seal onto his shoulder with the chakra ink. The seal was intricate and took slightly more than an hour to finish. When finished the man in the black mask flashed through 6 hand signs before declaring "Sealing technique" and slamming a chakra engulfed hand onto the tattoo on Naruto's shoulder. The seal bonded itself to naruto as he cried out in pain before passing out.
Naruto woke a moment later and stood up, scratching the back of his head as he grinned at Sarutobi.
"Eh… sorry about that old man."
Sarutobi could only chuckle at the young man's antic's. "Don't worry about it, the sealing is a bit of a shock at first after all, you aren't the first to be overwhelmed by it. " The hokage brought his hands around from behind his back, to reveal two items he had been hiding. "This is your mask as a cadet, it is plain to symbolize that you are just beginning as an anbu, and have not developed who you are as an anbu yet. While you are only required to wear the mask during missions outside of Konoha, it is recommended you wear it whenever in public if you are in uniform, simply to get used to having it on. " Handing Naruto the mask he continued. "This is your katana. All anbu are required to carry and be proficient in their katana. Ox there will begin your training tomorrow morning in basic kenjutsu. Take care of your katana and it will take care of you. Bear will show you the various locker stations we keep throughout the village where you may restock supplies and uniforms. Always keep one uniform sealed and with you at all times. You are only off duty if you are not needed, which can change at any time."
Smiling with pride the Hokage looked down on his newest anbu. "The package on the desk behind me is your first uniform. Even as a cadet you are expected to dress as anbu when on duty, this includes training. Present yourself tomorrow morning at 8am. Your first mission will be to accompany me to class inspections at the academy." The rest of the anbu disappeared, each tasked with notifying the rest of the teams with the news of the new cadet. As Naruto grabbed the bag sitting on the Hokage's desk the aging man had one final thing to say.
"Naruto, your one step closer to your dream. I'm proud of you."
Flashing a brilliant smile the blonde replied "Thanks old man!" before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.
