A/N: You see these everywhere else so now see it here as well. I don't own Naruto, and that's okay. I make no money from this work, for like any other story on this site, it is free.

Core Control

Upload date 03/13/19

Chapter 1

Naruto pushed a hand through his spikey locks jostling his blonde hair as he scowled and squinted into the distance, it was like Iruka didn't understand! Ninja were supposed to throw around giant boulders, breathe fire, control lightning or even create illusions! So, what did it matter that he couldn't create a clone or that his transformations sucked? Well, okay he couldn't do any of the other stuff either, yet, but he would! And he could do other things that his classmates couldn't. Like, like, he slammed a fist into his palm and nodded, he could sneak around and hide better than any of them! He couldn't help but chuckle at the memory of Kiba running from the anbu, barely half a step ahead as he turned a corner, his faithful pup whining in pain from his masters grip. It was hilarious!

It didn't matter, he decided, even if he couldn't make a clone that wouldn't disappear with the sound of some eighty year old man passing gas, or that his transformation into old man Hokage made him look like he'd been cursed by that pinocchio guy he heard the other children talk about. He would be the best Hokage anyway!

"Believe it!" He shouted his self assured future victory to the heavens.

Even as he turned a corner bringing his old, slightly beaten up apartment building, Naruto was too lost in his own thoughts to notice how the civilians who had already been keeping their distance backed away further as his chuckling turned into rampant laughter. He didn't even notice as a young girl stopped a short ways away to stare at him.

"Mommy? Why is the crazy whiskered boy laughing?" She asked in the over loud voice only children used, even as he mother snatched her up and backed swiftly away her eyes never leaving Naruto's still retreating form.

As Naruto made his way up the stairs he was broken from his thoughts, a large crate had been placed in front of his door and it had to be his door as the last of his neighbors moved away the year before. He approached slowly, one hand clutching at several smoke pellets that he'd taped to the inside of his sleeve while the other extended a well worn kunai which he wedged under the lid. Best case scenario, it was another of those weird ladies in the bunny suit that somehow always ended up coming to his address when they wanted the creepy guy from one floor down. Worst case, the nutty clown was back to fling his pies at Naruto as he the blonde ran away.

Even as he began to work his makeshift lever he froze, atop the crate in loopy scrawl that could only belong to the old man was an envelope used for intervillage messages. No time was wasted in tearing it open.

Naruto-kun,

This package was recently found in the storage of post office with only the name Uzumaki. Apparently it was mailed before even it was my time to take up the mantle of Hokage. As you are now the only Uzumaki in the village, I believe it only right that it is turned over to you.

Sadly time in storage did little to preserve the contents but rest assured I've every confidence you will find something within will aid your way. Rest assured I have already confirmed nothing harmful or overly dangerous is enclosed within.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Third Hokage, or as you call me, old man.

P.S. I wish you luck on your graduation test in a few days. I know you'll make a fine ninja.

Naruto blinked, and then blinked again. He could feel the beginnings of tears burning at his eyes. Other Uzumaki, he wasn't the only one, and now he had something of theirs. Despite the streamings tears and runaway thoughts Naruto smiled not even noticing as he went through the motions of unlocking and opening his doors. Holding tight to the crate Naruto heaved and began shuffling his way inside. Though he had barely made it into the entrance way before he'd set it down and returned to prying it open with his kunai.

The crate creaked in protest with each wiggle of the blade until with a final groan the lid popped free and tumbled to the floor. Eagerly Naruto peered inside and found a single scroll sealed with the same mark etched into the patch on his shirts back, atop a pile of clothes. Not exactly what he was hoping for or expected considering the weight.

"Please be a ninja scroll, please be a ninja scroll." He chanted as he imagined himself standing over a battered, bruised and weeping Sasuke. Oh, and begging! Yeah, Naruto mused, it would be great if Sasuke was begging but as he unfurled the scroll his heart dropped into his stomach upon finding another letter, and it wasn't even addressed to him.

Young Chihiro,

I know your relocation to the Hidden Leaf was not what you were envisioning for your future. My apologies, however the Second Hokage specifically requested we send one of our ninja to their village to strengthen bonds as it were. We have chosen to send two, your mother and yourself.

I'm sure of many things; chief amongst them, you will make a grand ninja and do your home country proud! To aid you in this we have provided a number of tools to aid you, including the beginning weapons to what you have dubbed your path of power. Along with it you will find instructions in its use maintenance and repair.

Remember, a great strength is nothing but a great flaw to one with the proper perspective. Show them, reveal to them all why the Village amongst the Eddies is so feared. Show them why where we walk devil, men and gods alike fear to follow. For there exists nothing in this world that we can't overcome, this is our truth.

Humbly

Uzumaki Ashina

The tears that had all but come to a stop flowed freely, the tear drops staining the ancient page. Placing the letter on a table to his left, Naruto began pulling out clothes ranging from ponchos to sleeves, pants to shirts each bearing the swirl somewhere in the design. Finally beneath the fourth layer of clothes came something else and Naruto's heart dropped right back into his stomach. Books and scrolls.

"What is with all these old people and wanting to make me read!" Naruto grabbed his head as he wailed. Thudding erupted from the floor beneath him and glaring downward, Naruto stomped right back. The two traded stomps and thumps for several minutes before Naruto's neighbor seemed to give up and the thumps died away.

"Jerk." He grunted almost as an afterthought. "Wait didn't he mention weapon? Did the old man take it?" Naruto mused as he pulled the books and scrolls from the box and found a long box settled along the bottom.

Before he could reach it however Naruto jumped as a knock came from his door. "Naruto, open the door Naruto." Immediately Naruto recognized the voice as Iruka and grinning he bolted for the door.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed as he opened the door, "You gotta loo-grk" He was cut off as Iruka pulled Naruto outside and closed the door behind him. Naruto cringed as he looked at a man somewhere around double his age with a long scar stretching its way across his face scowled down at him. Naruto would swear to anyone Iruka's head seemed to grow a few extra sizes in that moment.

"Don't your Iruka-sensei me Naruto! I mean seriously!? What would make you think of painting the inside of the women's hotsprings with fake peep holes!" For his part Naruto started to smile than winced as he caught more of Iruka's glare, but it was funny! To be fair he had totally forgotten about doing it what with the crate but it had needed to be done. He winced again as Iruka continued.

"You're lucky, the owner Otokuri-san, thought it was amusing and agreed if you cleaned it up she wouldn't bring it up the the civilian council!" His teacher snapped and clamping a hand on to Naruto's ear began to drag him back along the way he had come.

Dejected Naruto did his best to hang his head as he followed Iruka and tried to keep him from ripping his ear from his head. He needed that!

Upon reach the hot spring Naruto found a tall womanly man or manly woman, Naruto couldn't tell, with a sharp nose, wearing bangles of gold and a plum kimono that must have been Otokuri-san. "How's life granny" He called raising his hand in greeting.

Just like that the amused expression she wore was replaced by a smile that showed a hint of teeth and promised mass amounts of violence.

"Why you little brat! I'm only twenty-four! " The veins in her head seemed to pulse with her every word and Naruto found his head forced down as Iruka uttered an apology and bolted into the building hauling Naruto along behind him and didn't stop until he they'd reached the hotspring proper.

Sheepish Naruto rubbed the back of his head as Iruka sweatdropped at lay before them. Spread across the fencing surrounding the spring were what looked to be holes, some with a clear line of sight through them others black as if shaded or covered and others filled with what could only be lecherous eyes. "You're an idiot." Iruka groused.

Naruto turned away his lips pursed and brow furrowed, "It was for training Iruka-Sensei, I promise and I fixed the real holes!" He grumbled as he took the bucket and sponge from his sensei.

"Training, right, training that pervert jutsu of yours." Iruka groused behind him and sighed. "Look just get this cleaned up quick and I'll take you for ramen okay?"

Not needing anymore encouragement Naruto bolted to the wall chanting "Ramen, Ramen, gonna get some Ramen."

In the end it took far longer to clear away his work than he had thought it would! The sun was setting for crying out loud! He bolted toward his teacher adjusting the goggles atop his head as he went. "Iruka-Sensei! He cried when he was nearly on top of him. "Come on! It's time for ramen!"

"Naruto! Apologize!"

Naruto cringed back as Iruka rounded on him his head growing as his veins throbbed and to top it off his eyes shivering with a threatening light. Naruto scratched the back of his head and bowed to the woman in front of him. "Sorry, it won't happen again."

The last was spoken rather bitterly, that dark haired lady was the only one who seemed to notice him when he was sneaking around! Heck, Iruka-sensei could only seem to find him at the end of his pranks. But the lady, she noticed him about half the time! Maybe she was a ninja? It would explain how hot she was, it was like a rule for crying out loud, female ninja were gorgeous. Anyway, was there a technique she used to find him? Could he learn it? Oh!

Snapping out of his bow, a look of pure joy crossed his face, Naruto beamed up at his teacher, and managed to miss Otokuri-san's reply entirely. "Iruka-Sensei. I've got to tell you about this box of stuff I got from the old man with my families stuff."

"Huh?" Just like that Iruka's angry face deflated and morphed into one of confusion.

Naruto laughed and launched into a description about his day as he made his way out of the hotsprings unnoticing or uncaring that Iruka paused say his goodbyes before following behind him. Neither of them saw the small smile that followed after them.

Needless to say, much to Iruka's wallets joy and Naruto's disappointment, the ramen was taken to go. They ended up returning to Naruto's apartment, gathering a set of each piece of equipment and heading to the academy training ground. And after much arguing, eating their single serving of ramen; Naruto, stood at the throwing mark about twenty feet from his target, holding what looked like a roll of bandages.

"It's a roll of bandages." He stated dumbly looking back at his teacher, his confusion evident.

He turned his eyes back to the roll as Iruka spoke. "The booklet says otherwise, now channel some chakra into the bandage, I mean. You know what, just put your chakra into it Naruto."

Folding his hands into the ram sign, Naruto focused on pouring as much chakra into the clothe as he could and stared blankly at it as it extended as if it were a metal beam, it continued beyond the dummies Naruto had been aiming at before reaching its end with all the sound of a bull whip, its edge fraying. Though Naruto would swear for a moment he could see one of the patterns woven through it glowing.

"Sensei, was it supposed to do that?" Naruto asked as he gave it a test swing. It had all the weight of a kunai and felt just as hard.

"No, Naruto. No, it wasn't." Iruka muttered as he took hold of a second roll they'd brought and channeling chakra into it found, it didn't move an inch. "Okay, try these. They're supposed to harden."

Cloth squares the size of shuriken and black as coal, were dropped into Naruto's hand and after passing Chakra through them found the did what they were supposed to and flew just as well as the shuriken. Though Naruto still ended up burying them in the ground with a small number scattered across the target.

"Naruto you have to practice your aim." Iruka sighed and handed the blonde a three-piece segmented staff. It also happened to be the oddest weapon in the crate sent to Naruto. "And what's this one supposed to do again?" He mumbled thumbing through the pages.

Naruto shrugged began channeling chakra through it as soon as he screwed it together. Nothing happened. He tried again and again, nothing changed. Not when he swung it, or when he slammed it, not when he jabbed it or stabbed it either. After five minutes of wailing away with the blunt instrument Naruto finally stopped and looked to Iruka.

Iruka groaned holding up a page yellowed with age and sporting a wet mark streaking its front, just one of many that'd spread out in hopes they would dry. However, even though some might be legible at the end of the day a few wouldn't and the notes regarding the staff just so happened to be one of them. "Right, the entry on that one is the one to damaged to read. Thank you for reading, talking and eating Naruto. Your ancestors appreciate it."

Immediately all cheer went out of the blonde at his teachers words. It was true, he agreed when Iruka said it earlier and he agreed now. Sorrow filled him at the sight of his neglectfulness. Sure, it wasn't like he meant to, or even thought it could happen! He never spilled when it came to ramen. Or so he thought.

"Can we just go on to the next one. Please Iruka-sensei." Naruto didn't bother waiting for his response, instead he began disconnecting the staff. As soon as it was back in its case Naruto began to pull on the next item, a pair of silver vambraces. Embedded in each was the whirl that Naruto had come to associate with his family, funnily enough they weren't the silver of the vambrace, instead on was a black and the other white.

"Naruto." Iruka started but Naruto stopped him by grinning.

"It's fine Iruka-sensei! I'll just have to be so awesome that they'll look passed this right? So that's what I'll do." Naruto said with such vitriol that Iruka couldn't help but smile and nod his head in agreement.

Clenching his hand around the leather band crossing his palm Naruto nodded and set to work tightening the other bands. The vambraces were a lightweight metal, a little bulky but nothing unmanageable but most importantly, thanks to the adjustable straps, tight against his forearms. Even if they didn't end up doing something as cool as he was hoping, the ends came even with his knuckles and they'd make okay defensive counters to a few things and if angled right he could even hide his hand signs.

"Here we go!" He pumped every scrap of chakra he could gather into the weapons and once more received nothing. "Nothing again." He whispered as a thought struck him.

"What if," Naruto said mirroring the words thundering through his mind, "what if, it's not them. What if it's me."

"Idiot." Iruka groused behind him. "They are a combat tool, try hitting something."

Naruto swore he heard his teacher grumble about how miso broth and old paper shouldn't be mixed. Instead of letting it get him down again though he renewed his efforts to pump every bit of chakra he had into his newest weapon and slammed it into the ground. Next thing he knew: Dirt, rock, smoking blades of grass and what looked to be glass of all things blew by him and did the village always have bells?

As his vision faded to black the last thing Naruto could see was Iruka leaning over him speaking without a sound coming from his mouth. He tried to smile at his teacher but slipped into unconsciousness before he could manage even that simple task.

The End of Chapter 1.

Authors Note: So if you couldn't tell this is the end of chapter 1. I hope you enjoyed it, seriously if you've read this far than I really hope you liked it. Otherwise, why, just why?

That said, I was hoping the chapter would be a little longer, heck I had originally planned for the graduation exam to occur but I figure this is as good a place as any to stop. The next chapter will be longer. Now can any of you guess what the vambraces do?

Anywho, I wrote out a quick bonus scene, thought it would be a good way to start things off.

It's a continuation of the hot springs scene with Iruka as the main.

Iruka smiled as he watched the blonde work, Ramen always did the trick, though he was starting to wonder if he may have been overusing it. Naruto hadn't grown more than an inch since he started taking him to Ichiraku's Ramen. After a moment he shook his head, Naruto could be dense, log save him, but he wasn't dense enough to eat nothing but ramen, right?

The sound of footsteps stopped his thought process even as Otokuri-san stopped beside him. She tilted her head to lay in the palm of her hand watching Naruto as he scrubbed with all the ferocity of a man at war. "The boy has an eye for art, he managed to replicate what you'd see through those holes perfectly."

Iruka nodded with a small smile, "he's got the best eye for detail in his class. It'll serve him well as a ninja. However." He turned and bowed, "as his teacher I take responsibility for his actions, please accept my most sincere apologies."

It wasn't the first time he had to apologize for a student, it wouldn't be the last. Of course, he had apologized more for Naruto than any of his prior students and a good portion of them combined to boot. In fact despite Naruto's graduation exam happening in just two short days, Iruka had a strong feeling he was going to be apologizing for the blonde a few more times before he was done.

"Mmm-mm, honey." Otokuri replied with a grand shake of her head, and pointed off to where Naruto still scrubbed relentlessly at the fence before him. "There's no need for none of that. That boy, he managed something seasoned chunin can't."

"May I ask what you mean?" Iruka asked turning back to face Naruto who glanced over his shoulder to smile manically at his teacher.

Otokuri chuckled, "he managed to get in and out this morning, because those weren't there when I opened I assure you, and did all that without being spotted by that Yuuhi-girl." Just like that Iruka's eyes twitched, granted Naruto always seemed to avoid the anbu to a degree that made it awkward when dealing with those particular apologies but to hide from Yuuhi-san when he'd heard Jiraiya-sama himself hadn't managed it. Something doesn't add up.

Naruto tried hard, sure, he rarely got the results he either of them were hoping for but he put more effort in than any of his students. Why hadn't one of the stealth op specialists been informed after the first year. They would have tailor made a training regimine for him. Hell at that point even if Naruto failed the practical portion of the exam he could have been taken on as an apprentice. After all, Iruka knew several jonin who would have despite the burden Naruto carried.

His mind awhirl, Iruka almost didn't notice Naruto heading for him like a blonde rocket of unbridled energy.

Even before Naruto could say a single word, Iruka could feel his head just ache at the incoming decibel. Oh he could already feel his want for the day to be over.

In other news I am looking for a Beta if anyone is interested please let me know and in the immortal words of Atlas. Read and Review.

The next chapter will be out on 18th, or the day after St. Patricks day if you prefer. If you don't feel like following here you can follow me on facebook under Samuel Ryder or on twitter as Sam_w_ryder