Disclaimer: Naruto doesn't belong to me. On a side note...if I did own Naruto, he would be respected by the villagers, wear cool ninja gear and have a loving girlfriend or two...or even more

Legend:

"blablabla" … speaking
/What a stupid thing to do/ … thinking
-Baka kit- Kyuubi talking
-Baka kit- Kyuubi thinking

Shinobi don't play fair – Prologue

Somewhere out there there is an unwritten law. This law, if you can call it that states that boys from a certain age up, until they are old and wrinkly love explosions. Be it professional fireworks, homemade firecrackers or bombs in any shape, form and power, with an additional rule that 'bigger is better'.

Ninja Lesson #53: Explosive Notes:

Explosive Notes are the number one tool, when a shinobi needs additional firepower. They have the form of small paper slips with chakra in form of a Katon Jutsu sealed inside them the user only needs to add a little bit of his own chakra to trigger the release seal, which can either be timed or directly detonated via the Ram seal. The standard explosive note produces a fireball about 16 feet wide, but depending on the skill of the Seals Master, the results can vary.

8 year old Naruto closed his schoolbook in awe. Being a young boy, he was naturally fascinated with things that went 'boom', and accordingly found those 'explosive notes' he just read about really neat.

In the background there was an ominous roll of thunder. On a cloudless day in the middle of autumn.

The next day, Naruto successfully infiltrated the library (read sneaked by that bitchy librarian), Naruto began to search for the stuff he needed to make his own explosive notes, as no shopkeeper would sell him any of the 'good' stuff.

Having found two books about basic and intermediate Katon jutsus as well as a book about basic sealing techniques and one book titled 'Explosive Notes, Homemade in five easy steps' (subtitle 'Explosions for dummies') Naruto checked out of the library and raced home to pour over the books.

A few hours later had Naruto complaining at his home.

"Awww...that's not fair" complained Naruto after he finished reading 'Explosive Notes, Homemade in five easy steps' in hope of finding a shortcut, without having to learn something from the other books. The handbook called for a level of understanding in molding chakra, chakra control, Katon jutsus and obviously sealing, that he hadn't reached yet.

"No I will not give up, you hear me, I will learn this" shouted Naruto to the ceiling of his apartment. "Time to bug the jiji for some lessons" decided Naruto and shot off in the direction of the Hokage's office.

"Buggers, that's too hard" complained Naruto to no one. While the old man Hokage had indeed some tips for him to increase his chakra control and some basic techniques that kinda stuff was too hard for him.

He pouted. Then a strange glint entered his eyes...he'd do it...somehow.

Ninja Lesson #1: The Shinobi:

A shinobi fights from the shadows, he strikes when the enemy expects him the least. He will use whatever means necessary to complete his mission and bring his team back alive. In a fight shinobi vs. shinobi there's only one rule...Whatever it takes...survive.

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Over the next months Naruto ran a stressful program. His day began at 5am with a 'small' morning workout and Taijutsu training followed by a shower, morning hygiene and a hearty breakfast. After that it was time for the ninja academy.

After school Naruto would run to the nearest wood to train himself in chakra-control and a few beginner Jutsus until he was nearly exhausted. Then he would run home to pour over the scrolls he managed to borrow from the library (read: sneak by the librarian without getting thrown out).

About a year later Naruto was sitting in front of a slip of paper, forming the seals for a simple Katon Jutsu over the paper slip. As soon as the first flame appeared it was literally sucked into the paper and the Kanji of a simple one point seal appeared on the paper. Naruto, happy about his success grabbed the Katon Jutsu note (It's not really a explosive note quite yet) and triggered the seal. The note burned up and a small fireball erupted from it. It landed precisely on his right hand.

Moments later Naruto rushed to the kitchen sink to dunk his hand in cold water.

Another year later found Naruto under the supervision of the Sandaime Hokage, who after watching Naruto with his crystal, saw Naruto stepping into the footsteps of his father as a Seals Master. He always believed that talent should be supported whenever possible and Naruto had tons of raw talent. But his instructors just didn't want to see it.

Just half a year later, Sarutobi began to regret his decision to support Naruto just a tiny little bit. Granted, the boy was very bright and a fast learner, but the hate of the village in the last years gave him a mean streak far wider than the Kyuubi could jump. And while he never did any lasting damage, anything else was free game for him.

This was the reason, why a shopkeeper that threw him out of his shop found himself sealed inside a roll of toilet paper in the mens room of a public restroom. Or why his Chunin instructors at the academy found themselves shocked by a Raiton (Lightning) Jutsu after crossing out a correct answer on his test papers.

Others found themselves on the wrong side of Naruto's, now patented, 'Itchy Note' (Itching powder sealed inside a paper slip, activated through chakra), or experienced the wrath of his other pranking skills.

He was born a shinobi, but it was the hate of the village that molded him into the perfect definition of a one.

-To win, whatever it takes-

But the real trouble began one hot summer day at Naruto's private training ground, a small clearing with a lake in it. Naruto was just reading about another book on sealing techniques. It was really hot, so Naruto had abandoned the top of his orange jumpsuit and his T-shirt, leaving his torso bare.

After reading to the end of the chapter in the book Naruto closed it and decided to practice one of his Katon Jutsu over the lake. As luck would have it, he noticed his reflection in the lake while he made the hand seals.

Shocked Naruto let go of the technique and looked at himself in the lake...he could've sworn that he had seen black lines appear on his torso just a moment ago. Abandoning his train of thought he gathered his chakra again for the Jutsu, when he noticed the lines forming on his torso. This time, he held the chakra in and got his first view of the Hakke no Fuin Shiki (Eight Trigrams Sealing Style) created by the Fuuin Jutsu: Sanhoufuuin (Sealing Technique: Three Directions Seal). Needless to say, Naruto was less than calm and immediately rushed to the only person that he thought could help him. The Sandaime Hokage.

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A/N: Only a small prologue as apetizer...