I do not own Naruto or any characters portrayed in this fanfiction.
Uzumaki Naruto slowly made his way to the Hokage's office as he had just escaped the ropes that his team had left him bound to. There was no way he could avoid this any longer as if he held onto his secrets even until the next day it could be seen as an act of treason. He knew this yet still he hesitated do to the rather extravagant mental pictures that continued to zip through his mind at what the old man's reactions would be.
Naruto sighed as he stood before the doors of the Hokage's office never noticing the look on the receptionists face as she stood spell bound watching a silent and unmoving Uzumaki Naruto. With another sigh Naruto pushed the doors open and entered the office and moved steadily until he stood before Hizuren who at the moment was looking at him with both curiosity and suspicion in his eyes.
Naruto purposely ignored the other four Jounin in the office as he spoke in a voice filled with resignation. "Hokage sama as I am now officially a genin under your command I must inform you that I have been withholding my true abilities." Naruto began never taking his eyes away from the old man's even as they widened in shock.
Hizuren slowly drew his pipe and filled it as he took in everything about the blond boy before him as he gathered his thoughts. "Why?" Was the only question that left his mouth as he lit the pipe and began smoking as he awaited his response.
Naruto's lips twitched as if attempting a smile that never made it fully before he answered.
"Although I was asked to keep my training a secret until I was officially a genin I first began hiding my true abilities and knowledge due to the civilian council. When I entered the academy my treatment at the stores got markedly worse and I happened to overhear people threatening the Ichiraku family to stop feeding me. I decided that if I made it look like I would never actually succeed then they would back off. My plan worked and the pressure against the Ichiraku's lessened." Naruto answered succinctly.
Hizuren's eyes narrowed about the training part but let the boy finish his answer before asking more questions.
"What precisely do you mean by training?" Hizuren asked as he glanced quickly between the jounin in his office noting that they where now all paying close attention to the blond.
"I was out exploring the woods behind the Hokage Monument three years ago and came across a guy fishing at a lake in the woods. His name was Toshiro and for the first month I just met him there three times a week after the academy and we talked.
We talked about a lot of things but one day he asked me if I really wanted to be a shinobi and if I actually knew what being one meant." Naruto paused as it appeared as if he where remembering the conversation before speaking again.
"He said that being a shinobi was a life of hard choices that break most people that choose the life of a ninja. I asked him what he meant and if he was a shinobi. He told me that at one time he had been a shinobi but had left that life behind him." Naruto again paused as someone spoke up at that point.
"Naruto san why did you not tell me of this man when you met him?" Hizuren asked barely keeping his anger hidden as he knew there where no shinobi named Toshiro in his forces.
Naruto swallowed heavily before speaking again. "I was going to as I asked him to train me to become a great shinobi but he said I needed your permission as he was never a part of Konoha and that to do so without permission would see him hunted. I do admit I tricked him the following day with a note with your signature on it." Naruto came to a stop as he clearly saw the anger in the old man's eyes.
"And how exactly did you get my signature on such a note?" Hizuren stated in a cold hard voice that easily made the blond flinch though Naruto answered right away.
"You remember that prank I played on you three years ago that prompted our agreement that I would never prank you again?" Naruto asked in response and Hizuren sighed heavily as he did in fact remember it as he had been in the middle of signing...
Hizuren's thoughts trailed off as he barely remembered signing one last paper as the prank happened though when he got back to the paperwork could have sworn he had just signed the paper that was on top.
"Naruto that could easily be seen as a treasonous offense." One of the Jounin stated as they spoke up for the first time since Naruto entered the office.
Naruto turned slightly to the woman that had spoken and nodded with a grimace. "I am aware and will accept any punishment the Hokage sees fit to give me for it." Naruto answered the statement before turning back to the old man that was now silently taking long drags from his pipe.
It took a few moments for Hizuren to tempter his first response and continue to listen to the boy's story. "Continue Naruto and once everything is out then I will decide on such things." Hizuren stated as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"As he began training me I asked him one day why he left the life of a shinobi behind. He canceled the rest of the training for the day as he said he would not want to do anything after reliving that story. He told me that technically he was a missing nin though his name never entered anyone's bingo book as his sensei thought he had killed him.
I was appalled and almost ran back here to you before he asked me to listen completely then if I still wanted to tell you he would even come with me to turn himself in. I stayed and listened as he explained that during his second mission as a chunin he was paired with his original team and sensei and sent to a village in order to kill the bandits that where attacking the place.
During the mission he and his other male team mate where to stay in the town and protect them should any bandits escape towards the town. As they where patrolling they found a young girl a few years younger than them and his teammate took her into an empty house near them. Toshiro followed and to his horror realized what his teammate was about to do. Toshiro attempted to talk him out of raping the girl but when his teammate refused Toshiro slit his throat.
Toshiro sent the girl away and immediately afterward his sensei found the two alone in the house. Without attempting to find out what happened the sensei stabbed Toshiro missing his heart by millimeters.
He told me that he would have died in that house if the girl had not come back after having seen the sensei leave without him. She saved his life. He told me that while he held no hard feelings for his original village he would never again set foot in their country." Naruto finished as the others in the room where deadly quiet at the conclusion of the story.
"Naruto san are you sure he was telling the truth?" The man that was smoking a cigarette asked and Naruto nodded before speaking.
"He showed me the scar and while I was not a shinobi I have always been able to tell when someone lies to me. Like when Hokage sama told me he didn't know why the villagers hate me or that he doesn't know who my parents are." Naruto answered giving Hizuren a pointed look.
Hizuren grunted slightly before speaking. "You are correct and as you now know the answer to one of them I will tell you the answer to the other when you are strong enough to protect that secret." Hizuren stated evenly and was slightly surprised to get a nod in return.
"I thought it was something like that before I knew who they where." Naruto said with a slight grin as he watched the eyes of Hizuren widen comically.
"You know?" Came the voice of his own sensei causing Naruto to turn and look at him before nodding.
"Anyway, as I know you would like to speak to him I am afraid that is not an option as I had to bury him three months ago." Naruto said with a grimace and a lowered head.
"What happened?" Hizuren asked in a soft voice full of understanding at losing someone though he almost took it back as the boy in front of them flinched violently at the question.
"Three months ago I met up with him and he told me that he had taught me all he could with the exception of one last lesson." Naruto began but stopped as a lump formed in his throat.
It was not Naruto that continued to speak but the fourth Jounin that had been in the office. "He fought you to the death didn't he." The man stated softly.
Naruto could only nod before barely being able to speak in response. "Said he had to make sure I could make the hard decisions. Said if I failed he would kill the Ichiraku family."
The office was silent as they let the boy work on gathering himself again.
Hizuren winced internally at what had happened but took the fact that once Naruto was a registered genin officially immediately came to him and told him everything as a good sign that Naruto was still loyal to Konoha.
It took almost five minutes before Naruto seemed to gather himself and was once more looking directly at the Hokage.
"Naruto I am going to call a few Anbu to give you a full skills assessment and I do not want you to hold anything back. Am I clear in this?" Hizuren stated as he made hand signs to keep the Jounin quiet.
Naruto nodded before speaking. "I understand Hokage sama but if I am to do my best I will need to get my supplies." Naruto answered as he bowed slightly at the command.
"Very well I will have them meet you at training ground thirteen in thirty minutes." Hizuren ordered.
The room was silent as they all watched Naruto bow once more before turning to leave.
Once the blond was gone Hizuren motioned for his Anbu to come out. "Bear go find Cat and meet Naruto in the training grounds. I want the two of you to treat this as a full Anbu entrance assessment." Hizuren ordered causing the other Jounin to go wide eyed at the man.
The moment the Anbu left his office Hizuren sighed heavily as he emptied and refilled his pipe.
"Kakashi as I expect you already know depending on his assessment we may have to change the teams around." Hizuren stated as the Jounin came to attention.
"Hai Hokage sama, what is Naruto's punishment going to be?" Kakashi stated surprising everyone with the amount of worry seeping through his voice.
Hizuren slowly shook his head before speaking. "I am not sure I will be punishing him. As far as I am concerned that young man is already the best shinobi in the last five or six graduating classes. That and having had to kill the man that trained him I believe should be punishment enough. Whoever gets him in the end though will need to watch him closely for instability." Hizuren stated getting a round of nods.
The five continued to talk about possibilities as they passed twenty minutes though all talking came to an end as Hizuren pulled out his crystal ball.
The moment the ball activated the group as one took a sharp gasp as the blond that was in the image looked nothing like the boy that had left twenty five minutes before. He was now wearing black pants with multiple pockets and a mesh short sleeve shirt covered by a burnt orange muscle shirt. Above the shirt he was wearing a black trench coat that looked like it would be tight to his body if closed without hindering his movement.
He also had black bandages wrapped around his feet and arms which disappeared into black combat gloves with a black steel back plate. They watched as he was doing something with what was in his hands before finally getting a clear picture of it as he put it on.
It was a half porcelain mask that was painted black with a barely there snout looking like the jaws of a fox in burnt orange. Attached to the mask was his headband that was now on a black cloth that he pulled back and over his hair concealing the mop of blond hair.
They watched as he landed in the training area as he was finishing closing his trench coat. Once he was done he pulled a scroll from his right pants leg pocket and with a puff of smoke two kodachi where quickly strapped to his back with the handles jutting up just over each shoulder.
A low a slow whistle was let loose in the office and all eyes quickly turned to the offender. Kurenai shrugged before answering the unspoken questions. "What if I where his age I would be all over that." Asuma tilted his head as his eyes narrowed as the others chuckled at the two before everyone turned back to the ball.
Naruto was exceptionally glad for the mask he now had on as he was sure it helped hide just how nervous he was as he landed in the clearing and was pulling out his Kodachi.
Just as he was finishing he heard the two Anbu land a few feet away from him. "Bear san and Cat san." Naruto said as he nodded his head to them in greeting.