A/N: So, decided to update this version of chapter 1 and just run with the original plot. A few changes have been made, however, to make the story flow a little bit better.
X-X-X
Chapter 1: Chakra Focus
X-X-X
Sarutobi Hiruzen was known by many to be one of the wisest ninja to have ever lived. His advanced age was evidence of the fact, as many warriors his age were retired, and had been for a very long time. So when he originally pitched the idea for Uzumaki Naruto, the village's hidden ace, to graduate early, even he hadn't questioned the idea until now.
While knowing that Naruto's basics were abysmal, lacking style, finesse, as well as tact, the boy's tremendous talent was still very evident from day one. The main reason was that Naruto's chakra levels were off the charts, as well as his physical stamina and recovery rate. Many, for better or for worse, shared the thought that Naruto was not a ninja that could start from the basics onward, but instead going with upper-level training initially, giving him tidbits on the basics as deemed necessary. Sadly, however, Naruto's ascent into the ranks early was halted by the Bunshin no jutsu. His inability to perform it gave many detractors a plausible example that the boy needed to remain in the academy, even if his Henge no jutsu was exemplary and his other skills could simply be drilled into perfection with more focused training.
However, in spite of the prevailing thoughts of many teachers, Hiruzen knew that Naruto's inability to perform the rudimentary clone technique was all the more reason that he needed to be trained by specialists and/or ninja that possessed similar amounts of chakra. And his only solution lie in the form he held in his hand, one that would bypass the Academy's ruling and place Naruto into an apprenticeship. His only problems were the options of who he could place Naruto under.
'Hmm...Kakashi would be no good, he's been disjointed and unfocused since Minato's death, even if he's still a top notch shinobi..Asuma's still off guarding the Fire Daimyo...Gai is Gai...I need to be in my office for extended periods of time, and Jiraiya won't have enough...down time...to properly train the boy. And then he still believes that he will excel at the academy. Who can I use?'
The aged Hokage began looking over a multitude of files of jounin he felt would be capable to train the Uzumaki boy in chakra control. He'd even gone to promising chuunin, like one Yuuhi Kurenai, but he remembered what happened to the last 'irregular' student she'd taken on. The Kurama clan successor could've been something special. But he digressed as he continued to go over names before he sighed in defeat.
'No one is skilled enough in enough areas that Naruto needs help in to give him help...Wait...maybe...' thought Hiruzen as he. looked over a letter he'd received from an old friend who'd helped him in his taijutsu years ago.
He knew that the man had extraordinary chakra control and comparable reserves to match. The man's skills were the perfect complement to what Naruto needed to be trained in.
'Hmm...but how do I get him to comply?'
He looked down at his desk drawers for nearly a full minute before sighing heavily, and one could maybe make out a tear forming in the old man's eye as he opened the drawer. He took out a sheet of paper and wrote a long paragraph before signing it and pulling out the contents of the drawer. It was an orange colored book with a gold stamp on it. The old man placed the paper inside of the book before calling in his secretary. She entered and bowed before her village leader.
"Yes, Hokage-sama?"
"Send a message to Uzumaki Naruto. He is to be in my office in three hours with all of his personal belongings packed. And also," he stated as he put the orange book inside of a small box before closing it,"have our fastest courier-nin sent out with this package within the next few moments. The address is on the box."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen sighed heavily, and had an almost pained expression set on his face. 'Naruto better appreciate this...that book is a one-of-a-kind treasure that no man could part with easily.'
The Hokage cried silently in his office as his secretary closed the door with the package in tow...
0o0o0
The courier ninja knocked on the door of a pink house on the middle of an island, the mainland of Hi no Kuni just visible from the edges of the island. It shared the same climate, but had the benefit of receiving cool ocean breezes as to make a nearly perfect utopia for a common man.
After a few seconds of checking his surroundings, the door opened to reveal an old man, comparable to the Hokage in years, with a bald head, a long white beard, sunglasses, and a palm tree shirt. The courier held out the box soon after the door was opened.
"Delivery for Muten Roshi."
The man known as Roshi signed the necessary paperwork and let the courier-nin go on his way. He eyed the box carefully, wondering if it was a trap of some sort. But then he shrugged his shoulders and took it inside his home.
His abode was of simple tastes, just a couch and a television set with limited broadcasting channels. He did have a VCR, and the videos surrounding it were questionable to say the least. Once he reached the couch, he opened the box, revealing a simple book with a golden stamp over an orange cover. He picked it up, finding it to be something he never thought he would ever see in his life.
"I-i-it can't be! The legendary unreleased book from the Icha Icha series...Icha Icha Action..."
Indeed, being able to hold the most legendary and coveted pieces of the equally revered Jiraiya's masterpiece series. Icha Icha Action only had four copies made, and for good reason. Action was a masterpiece of writing, combining the simple smut of Jiraiya's popular erotica with the sense of adventure that one could only describe from years of experience. Legend has it his publisher didn't release it only because it was considered the 'perfect book' and would ruin profits, but still printed enough copies for himself and a few close friends as trophies.
The projected selling price of one, if proven to be the genuine article, was said to be greater than the total net worth of Gato Shipping Co.
Before he could marvel in it's glory, or even get to the first page of his new treasured object, a note fell out, with handwriting he immediately recognized, and had hoped to never see again.
Dear Roshi,
I hope that this will be an adequate payment for a favor I need of you. We have a...special...academy student who has too much chakra for our ninjutsu at his level, and much too stamina to stay interested in our taijutsu forms. Your particular style, however, is perfect for him. With him will be the funds needed for his room and board as well as additional payment for your services.
P.S. You will get the tape when I get confirmation that Naruto is under your tutelage.
Sarutobi Hiruzen
Roshi silently cursed, he knew that the old fart, himself aside, wouldn't just give away such a jewel without withholding something.
'Damn ninja...' he thought as he opened his closet, looking at a few relics from a past long forgotten. A black and white kung fu uniform, a blue wig, and a purple turtle shell with straps on the non-shell side. As he looked longingly at his possessions, his doorbell rang once more. He contemplated not answering, but he heard a voice that would forever haunt him in the years to come.
"HEY! ROSHI-SAN! HOKAGE-JIJI SAID THAT YOU'RE MY NEW SENSEI! SO OPEN UP!"
He looked at the book longingly, wondering if the risk he was taking would be worth the reward...
0o0o0
Naruto sat on the floor, surrounded by a few suitcases carrying things varying from clothes to projectile weapons to books about chakra and controlling it. In front of him was the man that the Hokage had told him was supposed to be his sensei for the next three years. The nine-year-old ninja hopeful didn't really see anything that the old man could do that would be really noteworthy.
"So, you're supposed to be a famous ninja or something?" said Naruto.
"I'm not a ninja, you young fool. I'm a martial artist and a hermit," replied Roshi. His eyes rolled behind his sunglasses. This kid had a lot of misconceptions that would need to be fixed before any meaningful change could occur. Even then, he still seemed like a hopeless cause.
"Well, if you're not a ninja, how are you going to teach me ninjutsu? Only ninja know those."
Roshi chuckled slightly at the young boy's naivety. If there was even one more copy of Icha Icha Action in the world, or if he didn't know without a shadow of a doubt that old man Sarutobi had that tape in his possession still, Naruto would have a one way ticket back to his homeland, fist class. But, for whatever reason, Roshi decided to give the boy a preview of what he would eventually be learning during his tenure.
"No, you won't be learning ninjutsu. But you will be learning to use your chakra in a more...focused sense. I'll demonstrate."
As Roshi finished his sentence, chakra began to gather to his hand. It coalesced near the palm, where it began to compress into a ball. Once it reacjed a perfect sphere, which was less than a second later, it launched itself at Naruto, who promptly dodged it. It grazed him, leaving a burn on the floor where it landed. Naruto looked horrified that his teacher would use such a technique on him, while being secretly impressed at the sheer awesomeness of said technique.
"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME!"
Roshi thought about his reply before smiling evilly. Suddenly, many upsides were showing themselves to training this boy. He summoned more chakra before responding, "Only if you can't dodge, Renzoku Kikou Dan!"(Continuous Energy Bullet)
With nothing but a smile as a warning, Naruto saw his new teacher send chakra blasts nearly twice the power of the one that nearly injured him minutes earlier, at a speed his eyes were too slow to follow. He managed to throw his clothes from out the folly before being hit with two blasts and the others destroyed nearly all of his other possessions.
The boy was now awkwardly lying in the midst of clothes, charred books, shrapnel from kunai and shuriken that had been destroyed, and bits and pieces of the leather suitcases he'd bought with all his money weeks before.
"What was that for?"
"A test. You pass. Pack up your things, we leave in an hour."
Naruto grumbled as he tried his best to ignore the stinging pain of partially burned bruises and the occasional sting from touching something too hot to pack up what was left of his clothes. While doing so, he noticed that his sensei was giggling. Like a schoolgirl, nonetheless. He turned to see exactly what the cause for this was, only to see a screen with multiple physically fit women exercising in incredibly tight spandex.
'Damn pervert,' thought the boy as he shook his head and continued on his mission to finish packing…
X-X-X
A/N: I wanted to abandon this one. Really did. But, in the spirit of writing, I figured I couldn't allow this one to die. So I updated parts of the first chapter that didn't flow well and ended up deciding to continue the idea.
