"Uzumaki Naruto? Yeah, I had the pleasure of seein' him fight, back when he was a genin. 'Kurenai's little Badass' they called him before the invasion; heh, she flipped out when she heard the nickname. A right terror, he was. A mean-streak a mile wide and moved like the wind too! And he had the tightest little ass on him….Still does last time I saw him…"

-Inuzuka Tsume, Head of the Inuzuka Clan

::Chapter One:: Revelations

Fifteen year-old Uzumaki Naruto gave a jaw-cracking yawn as he opened his eyes to glare at the sun, which just happened to be shining back at him through his window with vigor.

"I hate you."

As with every morning he said that, the Sun refused to answer back, content to ruin his sleep in silence.

Sighing to himself, he ran a hand through close-cropped blonde hair, which was just starting to spike forward. "Might as well get up," he grumbled to himself, "I don't wanna be too late." And with that, he sat himself upon swung his sluggish body out of bed.

He REALLY hated Mondays.

Hearing a faint hissing sound, reflexes born of years of training awoke despite his half-asleep state and deft fingers closed around the head of the rather large snake poised to bite him, before a tightly muscled arm deftly flung the slithering reptile out through the open window. The creepy snake-lady next door REALLY needed to keep her pets in line.

Blinking twice as his brain caught up with his body, he let out a simple 'huh' and proceeded to grab a fresh towel and rag. He'd spotted one of the male tenants sneaking into the landlord's room yesterday evening, so the old perv would forget to turn Naruto's hot water off like he usually did, spiteful bastard. With a shiver, he made a note to avoid the man and his grabby hands even more this week.

Ten minutes and a pleasantly warm shower later, he was ready to go. Decked out in his usual slim olive-drab cargo pants, snug black turtleneck, and his shin and kneed guards over his knee-high sandals, he patted himself down to make sure he had his hip holster full of shuriken, his utility pouch and his large fighting-dagger which was buckled to his thigh in a simple black sheath.

After putting on his gloves and stashing a small book into his utility pouch, he put his goggles on his forehead and finally made his way out of the door, headed toward the village proper.


Having lived in the part of Konoha dubbed the 'Suicide Slums' since the age of eight, he knew exactly hot to duck and weave the disgruntled residents, drug-dealers and other generally unsavory characters as he made his way out of the village's low-budget Western Residential District.

'Another day, another five-hundred or so glares,' He chuckled internally as he engaged in his daily chakra-less free-run on the way to the academy. 'I wonder what they'll say about me today…' For as far back as he can remember, he'd been hated and vilified by his fellow villagers.

As he ran unassisted up and across a wall to avoid a gaggle of early morning shoppers, he laughed to himself; if their glares were poisonous, he'd have been dead ages ago. Leaping from the edge of the wall, he hit the ground in a safety-roll and kept moving, two-hand vaulting over the cart of a negligent peddler.

Luckily for his childhood, the villagers were above physically harming small children. Besides the occasional slap or shove, glares and willful ignorance of his very existence seemed to suffice, and the boy quickly realized that being nice wouldn't earn him any good will. So he gave them the same disregard he was given, peppered with a polite demeanor and a toothy grin.

This of course did nothing to decrease the treatment he got from them, and unfounded rumors of him being this conniving, underhanded delinquent suddenly gained that much more credence, much to the boy's chagrin.

And thus we have our young ninja to be; hated by the majority of the village, both shinobi and civilian, and many unjust rumors and stigmas dogging his every step toward progress and a relatively happy life. Why was his particular situation so bleak?

He hadn't the blue-freaking-foggiest!

'Not like it matters though, to be honest. Whatever happened, happened.' He frowned to himself as he hurdled another cart, surreptitiously snagging and stowing a few apples. Shaking himself out of his depressing train of thoughts, he gazed at the sprawling village ahead of him.

Scanning the scene ahead of him, quickly he spotted the wall of an old shop with two merchant-types standing around laughing at some rich-person joke, and the lamppost across the street from it which lead to an alleyway. Instantly forming a plan he made a beeline for the merchants.

Pressing for all possible speed, he closed thes several meters between them in an instant, 'accidentally' pushing them aside while covertly grabbing where he knew these types kept their wallets.

Twin cries of 'oof!' were music to his ears as three long steps saw him up and across the wall and with an impressive show of leg-strength he leaped across the street to the lamppost and swung into the alleyway's closest wall. The instant he touched the first wall, he rebounded to the next, hopped on to the roof and was merrily on his way.

Nodding to himself as he thumbed through the pilfered wallets for the cash within, he dumped them in the next available trash bin. "This and a Henge no jutsu (Transformation Technique) should take care of this week's food." He muttered. He mentally made a note to swing by Maikaze's and see if he could get in a couple extra hours this weekend working the kitchen, or at least make a few extra bucks with cheap massages for the waitresses.

In a few minutes he'd be at the academy, where he could do his cool-down routine and be in class before the bell rang. All in all, it wasn't a bad way to start the week.


Inside the Shinobi Academy, Thirty minutes later…

Umino Iruka once again scanned the room, his young ninja hopefuls silently taking the written part of their exam. His nine brightest students seemed to be done early, and were awaiting the next phase of the exam.

Uchiha Sasuke, Rookie of the year by unanimous vote and tragic prince of Konoha, sat in his usual corner; he was more focused on brooding than anything else now that he'd finished his test. Iruka pitied the poor girl that actually DID capture the boy's attention.

In contrast to the antisocial yet studious Uchiha, he glanced at Nara Shikamaru, who was also done much to Iruka's surprise. One point above dead last and the laziest young man he'd ever seen, Iruka still had high hopes for the boy. He knew that, like all Nara men, below that infuriatingly lazy exterior lay the mind of a genius. It was damn near hereditary, and it took skill to always stay exactly one point above the dead last.

At the moment the Nara, his friend Akimichi Chouji, and the ever brash and loud Inuzuka Kiba were all napping heavily. Amusingly enough, Kiba was actually drooling onto the desk, while his small ninken Akamaru in turn drooled on his head in a similar slumber.

Glancing over to the other side of the room, he saw his best and brightest kunoichi.

Hyuuga Hinata of course sat in the front, posture impeccable, and she dutifully waited for his next instructions. Though slightly more outgoing and approachable, she was just as opinionated and acerbic as her older cousin Neji; As of now, she was the academy's top kunoichi all around, and it showed.

Shooting the last Uchiha scion longing glances were two of his brightest, yet disappointing kunoichi, Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino. Self-proclaimed 'Rivals in Love', the two seemed to care more about Sasuke than their own careers. One would think the three extra years and more specialized curriculum that the Hokage's educational reforms had provided would have produced more fruit in the kunoichi section, yet it remained a sad truth: the younger generation of kunoichi cared more for social status and pursuits than their careers.

Glancing to the very back of the class, Iruka saw the quiet form of Aburame Shino. Like most of his clan he was polite, intellectual, a bit distant, and as a rule hard to read. If only the rest of his students were so easily categorized.

At last Iruka's eyes fell on Uzumaki Naruto, and a frown crossed his face.

It wasn't that he disliked the humble and hardworking boy. His heart actually went out to him for what he dealt with, both at the academy and in the village at large. The problem was that the young Uzumaki made it no easier on himself with that evil temper of his, when it flared every now and then. He was notorious for getting rather violent when bullied, whether by student or staff. That was enough for the other teachers, who'd made it their personal business to break the 'little freak child', assigning him countless punishments and verbally degrading him whenever possible.

As of now the boy was, as usual, quietly reading from what Iruka gathered to be some kind of theory text, waiting for the Taijutsu portion of the exam.

Glancing at the clock, then to Mizuki, he signaled that they had reached the twenty five minute mark, and the students had five more minutes to finish their test. This next section would actually make or break it for the students without ninja background. Many a dream would be crushed today. Again, Iruka sighed.

It was hard being a teacher.


The Hokage's Office

"Kakashi," The Third Hokage sighed from his desk in front of the ten assembled Jounin, "I understand your reservations on the matter, but you are honestly the only one able to teach young Sasuke; especially now that he has awakened his bloodline so early and shown such aptitude."

Said masked Jounin deliberated for a long while before replying, with a slightly annoyed drawl, "Of course, Hokage-sama. I live to serve the leaf."

"Thank you, Kakashi. I have no doubt that Sasuke, and the rest of First Response and Assault Team Seven, will flourish under your tutelage." The old Sarutobi smiled.

"Only should they pass." The scarecrow yawned as he pulled out his Icha Icha book. This of garnered a few nervous chuckles from the assemble ninja, glad that the earlier stand-off between the Cop-nin and the Hokage had finally ended.

"Indeed, Kakashi." the elderly Fire Shadow grinned wryly, "Now on to the next team. Jounin Yuuhi Kurenai, please step forward."

Twenty-eight year old Yuuhi Kurenai, rookie jounin, made her way to the Hokage's desk, ignoring the few leers from both strangers and her boyfriend, Sarutobi Asuma.

"Yes Hokage-sama." Came her crisp, professional reply. This is what she'd been waiting for, ever since she'd left her post at the academy as a chuunin instructor, and what she'd needed after her failed attempt at teaching with Yakumo; it was a clean slate, another chance to personally mold and guide children that had taken up the path of shinobi. To show that Kunoichi were the superior role models and mentors.

The Sandaime gazed at the folder in front of him, containing the files of all three of her prospective students. "As a rookie Jounin, you are assigned a team instead of being able to scout and choose a team yourself. This would have been of great help this term, as all students are slated to graduate. Luckily for you, your prospective students are both highly capable and perfect for the team's mode of operation."

Kurenai simply nodded, anxious to get this over with and study her new team.

"Reconnaissance and Extraction Team Eight will consist of Hyuuga Hinata, Aburame Shino, and Uzumaki Naruto."

Many faces around the room, including Kurenai's, grimaced at the sound of Uzumaki Naruto's name. If the Hokage noticed it, which she was more than positive he had, he didn't say anything and continued on with his task.

"As Jounin sensei, should they pass, I have no doubt that these three will flourish under your tutelage and do their village proud." Hiruzen continued, handing her the folder with her students' files, "You will meet them at the academy tomorrow at nine and administer your test when and as you see fit. I wish you luck, Jounin Yuuhi"

"Of course, Hokage-sama." Kurenai bowed as she took the file, "May I inquire as to why Inuzuka Kiba and Uzumaki were switched around? It was my understanding that the Inuzuka-Hyuuga-Aburame matchup had worked wonders in the past…"

"But of course, my dear. Originally, young Naruto was to go to Kakashi's team, even though his grades put him in the number two ranking at the Academy. Upon looking further at his files, specifically his skill set, he was found to be exceedingly complementary to that of young Hinata and Shino."

Nodding stiffly, Kurenai frowned and replied, "Of course, Hokage-sama. If I may be excused?"

"By all means, Jounin Yuuhi." The Hokage smiled genially.

"Thank you again, Hokage-sama." Kurenai sketched another bow, before composedly walking to the door, opening and closing it with nary a sound. Once she was on the other side, she slipped in to the fastest Shunshin (Body Flicker) she could manage, heading straight for the restaurant she knew Anko was currently in.

She needed someone to vent to about this little development.


Ninja Academy, Training Grounds…

Naruto winced as Sasuke mercilessly pummeled one of the civilian-born students.

The Uchiha heir, like usual, was not up to petty taunts or bragging needlessly; the boy just went in and tried his damnedest to humiliate the other person without it looking like he was trying. It was standard operating procedure for Sasuke, and it worked most of the time.

Hate it or love it, the Uchiha was good. Even without his funky eyes.

The only people the Uchiha actually lost to on a regular basis were Shino, who was too much of a well-oiled machine once he got going for the Uchiha to stop, and himself.

As he watched Sasuke's opponent go down for the count, the question of who was getting the shorter end of the stick came to mind. Was it the Uchiha's opponent, who was unlucky enough to have his exam fight against someone so clearly above his skill level? Or was it Sasuke himself, who had garnered another effortless victory, one which would serve to unjustly boost his already absurdly high opinion of himself? 'Either way, it sucks to be them', he thought to himself.

A bit uncharitable, yes, but he was entitled to occasional spitefulness.

Having worked their way through the names most of the students had already fought. Hinata had faced the Haruno girl, much to his secret glee. It seemed that the Hyuuga heiress liked the girl's vapid demeanor no more than he did. The Yamanaka fared much better, showing some actual skill against her 'rival' Ami, but the fight itself was rather pathetic as expected. Naruto inwardly prayed that he would be teamed up with a competent kunoichi.

Shino and Chouji, as expected, had completely dominated their respective opponents. The shy Akimichi, it seemed, was not averse to throwing a fellow student halfway across the training area if it meant passing the exams. Shikamaru, it should be noted, simply dodged and waited for his opponent to tire out before taking him out with a well-placed kick to the shin.

Out of the top combatants, only Kiba and himself were left; judging by the look on Mizuki's face as Iruka left a few minutes early to set up for the Ninjutsu exams, and the feral grin Kiba was now sporting, this was planned.

Unsurprisingly, their names were called next.

Naruto simply sighed as he made his way to the large circle in which the two would fight. He supposed this was Mizuki's last chance to try and sabotage him or get him hurt, so he should have seen this coming. The man had been trying to get him either expelled or maimed ever since he'd turned twelve. He did have to wonder at his choice of accomplice; while the young dog-user certainly was a vicious fighter and of the type to agree to such nonsense, with or without his dog he wasn't really up to Naruto's level. And Mizuki knew that.

Whatever his game is, it won't work. Naruto thought to himself as he watched Kiba go through a few ridiculous poses as he left his ninken on the sidelines and made his way into the ring, throwing grins and winks at Hyuuga Hinata. The girl in question simply scoffed at Kiba's lame attempts at impressing her, before pinning Naruto with an unreadable expression.

Half a second later the stoic Hyuuga was looking elsewhere, leaving Naruto blinking rapidly. Focusing on the task at hand, Naruto turned back to Kiba, who was apparently talking to him.

"…eady for another beat-down, looser?" the Inuzuka jeered with false bravado, "I won't be holding back today."

The blonde boy in question simply held out his hand in a friendly gesture, "Let's do our best, Inuzuka-san." He grinned.

"Whatever, clan-less freak." Kiba sneered, slapping the boys hand away and settling into his family's taijutsu stance, "You only THINK you're hot shit. Iruka-sensei ain't here to stick up for ya this time, and I've been doing a little training myself. Your ass is mine now."

A wider grin, showing off the Uzumaki's longer-than-average canines, was all that the Inuzuka got as Naruto slipped into his own stance. One foot in front, he leaned slightly forward and pulled both fists up to eye level in standard boxing-fashion.

Seeing both combatants were ready, Mizuki sent a discreet nod to Kiba while shouting "Begin!" at the two. Barley had the words met the air before the dog-user sprung at Naruto as fast as he could, using his chakra to boost the strength of his claws like his mom had taught him.

With his confidence making him feel ten feet tall, he had no doubt that this loser, who had NO one to teach him or help him for the exams, would be easy pickings.


Hidden in the trees, the two AnBu operative stationed at the Academy winced in sympathy for the young Inuzuka. This would not end well, if the Uzumaki's change in body language meant anything.

Poor boy.


As a crushing right cross to the face forced Kiba to the ground, the Inuzuka was forced to admit that maybe he'd been a little too fast with the 'clan-less freak' insult he'd thrown out not a few seconds ago. Shaking off the pain, he scrambled to his feet and swung with a right, lunging as he did so.

Swatting the offending wrist wide with his left hand, Naruto sent a soft jab to Kiba's throat to disorient him, before grabbing his hair and laying a stern elbow blow to the left side of his head. From there, he brought Kiba's head down into the path of a rising knee to the mouth, then grabbed him by his jacket and bodily threw him over his shoulder and down to the hard ground, where he landed in a heap, all within a few seconds.

Rolling away from his opponent once he was able, he struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth and glaring at his opponent; this was not how it was supposed to go down. Mizuki-sensei had pulled him aside the week before and told him that if he put down Uzumaki, he'd take the number two spot on the roster, which guaranteed a top-flight sensei and team. Given That Kiba was in the middle of the pack all around, this was a golden opportunity, and he got to put a hamper on Uzumaki's career as an added bonus.

Knowing how much he'd prepared, Kiba had been reasonably confident that this was a done deal. And now he was getting his ass handed to him by his year's conveniently overlooked number two student.

The problem now was that while not naturally gifted like Hinata-chan or that poof Sasuke, he was evil quick, mean as hell, and a strong little bastard to boot. He honestly knew what he was about, and his usual quick-ass takedowns and chokeholds were a definite problem.

Trying to push these thoughts away, he lunged back at Naruto, who was bouncing on the balls of his feet at the ready. His first swipe was ducked, so he used the momentum to spin into a back roundhouse, which Naruto tilted his head back to dodge. Turning quickly, Kiba tried a shoulder tackle followed by a clawed backhand. Both were evaded with minimal movement, and the Inuzuka was rewarded with a one-two to the stomach and right kidney, followed by another bone jarring head shot.

Retreating for a moment to catch his breath and allow his vision to stop swimming, he leaped back into action, feigning a swipe with his right then shifting into a kick to Naruto's right leg, trying to hobble him and at least equalize the match.

Seeing through the feint immediately, Naruto took a quick step back, then just as quickly stepped forward and sent a lightning fast left straight crashing into the middle of Kiba's thigh followed closely by another blurring cross into Kiba's unprotected face, causing the young Inuzuka to once more retreat- this time with a noticeable limp in one leg and another darkening bruise on his cheek.

Growling to himself, Kiba slowly circled his opponent, trying to find a weakness, or opportunity to exploit. Right as Naruto moved to cross one foot over the other to keep Kiba in his sights, the dog-nin struck, exploding forward with his claws ready to do serious damage. This proved to be a mistake.

As soon as Kiba had taken his first lunging step, Naruto quickly ducked down and suddenly closed the distance in the blink of an eye. The Inuzuka, caught unawares mid-step by the boy slipping into his guard, was wholly unprepared for the quartet of punishing blows that beat a rapid rhythm across his torso and the right which sent him to the hard ground on his back with a bloody nose.

Kiba could almost feel the students and staff around him wince at the crunch of his nose breaking. Hell, he winced too, as he got back to his feet and wiped the absurd amount of blood onto his sleeve. 'Kami, why does a nose bleed so fucking much? ' he internally raged as he tried to burn a hole in the Uzumaki's face with his eyes, made unsuccessful by his own backpedaling. With a sigh, He looked to their referee, Mizuki-sensei, to see if he'd end the match like he was supposed to at the first sign of serious injury.

A not-so-discreet shake of his head confirmed that no, he'd have to pull through this one.

"Fuck this…" Kiba muttered to himself, putting his hand together into a seal, activating the Inuzuka's Shikyaku no jutsu (Four legs Technique) and getting into position. He then lunged forward with all his strength, easily twice his previous speed. Having spotted the use if jutsu Naruto ducked low, eyes narrowed as he prepared to counter whatever was coming.

But this time, Kiba had a surprise for him.

Right as he closed in on his target, Kiba kicked off the ground to gain even more speed and quickly rotated his body, becoming a swirling missile of claws and muscle that was aimed at a momentarily Naruto.

"TSUUGA (Piercing Fang)!" Kiba roared triumphantly. He had the runt for SURE now!

Naruto's mind froze for a heartbeat, and his body shifted to auto-pilot. A split second before the Inuzuka missile would've collided, the blonde Uzumaki ducked even lower and twirled his body tightly, appearing to roll along the Kiba's attack. Everyone stood shocked as the boy's frightening surprise attack failed, the world seemingly running at the speed of molasses.

As Kiba came out of his spin, turning around to launch himself at the blonde again, the world snapped back into high-gear, and with a feeling of dread he realized that Naruto was already on him.

A sharp jab to the chin snapped his head back, followed by a crippling shot to the right hip and a crushing blow to his left side. His left foot was kicked wide sending him into an awkward almost-split and a fist rocked his jaw hard enough to pop his neck. Before he could fall to the ground, a hand caught him by the throat and wrist, slamming him sideways into the ground. An immediate blow to the temple saw to it that the now-wheezing Inuzuka was down for the count.

Naruto, for his part, fist outstretched and on one knee, panting slightly from the small adrenaline rush as regained his higher brain function and realized that he was kneeling over Kiba's unmoving form.


'Fuck…' was the first coherent thought to run through Naruto's mind as he caught up with his body.

Then he realized that ALL small conversation and background noise had come to a halt. Looking around, he noticed most of the adults and student were looking at each other and Kiba in various states of surprise.

'Reeeeal smooth, Uzumaki.' The teen berated himself, 'Goin' ape on the idiot like that, in front of all the others. Top-grade stuff, that.' He consoled himself with the fact that the Inuzuka in question was still breathing. Had his brain been in 'back alley' mode, their little tussle would've had a VERY different outcome.

'At least all that training paid off…' thought the blonde as he remembered all the effort he'd put in to make his taijutsu reflexive.

He noticed with no small amount of chagrin that no one had actually called foul for Kiba's use of a jutsu. Had the positions been reversed, HE would have been severely punished, the teachers ALL too happy to mark his whole exam invalid. Speaking of teachers…

"What the fuck Mizuki-sensei?" Naruto speared the silver-haired instructor with an accusing glare as he stood up, that ugly temper of his flaring. "Why didn't you stop the match? Did ya NOT see the blatant use of Inuzuka-clan ninjutsu or are you that fucking blind?"

Mizuki, snapping out of his own daze, sneered at the boy. Just as he was about to reply, a familiar voice cut in.

"End match! Winner, Uzumaki Naruto."

All eyes darted to the entrance of the training ground, where an obviously perturbed Iruka stood, glaring at Mizuki.


30 minutes later, outside the Academy gates…

Seventeen year-old Shibata Tenten was bored and anxious, a bad combination for a kunoichi like her. Smoothing out the non-existent wrinkles on her short dark blue dress, she took a deep breath to calm herself. She just returned to the village from a long C-rank mission, and a quick shower and change had seen her on her way here.

One Uzumaki Naruto, her best friend, was graduating from the Ninja Academy today; she, the supportive type, was waiting patiently for the exams to end…and being stupendously bored and more than a bit jittery in the meantime. As her mind wandered in circles due to said boredom, she recalled just how she met Naruto.

She'd been a year ahead of him in the academy, remembering him to be a shorter than average, bright-haired little ragamuffin who nobody would play with. She was of course aware of his treatment by teachers, once she was old enough to pick up the not-so-subtle clues, but was in no position to do anything about it.

Plus, she had her studies to worry about, being an orphan in the Ninja program left little time for other things. So she went about her life as usual, silently cheering the quiet boy on whenever she caught a glimpse of him. Life moves on, right?

Then about month and a half after graduation, she ran into him. It had been a long while since she'd seen him, years really, and had almost not recognized him the day she'd stumbled onto the training ground he was using that day….

..::Sweat poured off of him, causing the tank top he wore to cling like skin to his torso, and the tied sweatpants he wore hung low from his hips. His close-cut blonde hair nearly glowed in the sunlight as he bobbed and weaved round the largest of the training posts, laying into the poor thing with a speed, focus, and fervor she'd come to associate with her sensei or her youngest teammate.

As she took a step back to silently leave, a twig snapped underfoot, drawing his immediate attention to her and those beautiful midsummer blues pierced her with open curiosity.

After what felt like hours, Tenten pierced the silence.

"Uhm….Hi there…." came the greeting.

"Hey…" followed the jovial reply accompanied by a grin, which displayed a disturbingly long and sharp-looking pair of fangs.

"That…uh… Your technique, it's really good." She continued, feeling a bit lame.

Naruto's eyebrow quirked in mild surprise , "You saw that, didja?"

Biting her lower lip, she nodded.

The blonde boy simply grinned wider, which did an admirable job of dispelling the awkwardness that had settle on the small clearing and…Ohmygodwhyishesofreakingripped! "Thanks, though I'm sure you could do better."::..

Every time she remembered their first real meeting, Tenten can't help but giggle. She'd asked him his name, and given hers in return. It was almost like a page out of one of those cheap romance novels that girls her age seemed to flock to!

After that, they'd regularly bumped into each other, never really saying more than hi and bye, until one day, Tenten screwed up her courage and convinced him to help her train, which he tentatively agreed to, and the duo made a day of it one Saturday. Soon this became a regular occurrence for the two, especially when she learned just how skilled he was.

Days turned into week, weeks into months, and they continued to bond over mutual adoration of Tsunade of the Sannin and sharp, pointy objects.

She was equal parts horrified, and amazed to find that he'd lived in the red light district of the village since he was a small child. For someone who grew up in such a…rough…environment, he was pretty well-adjusted and sociable, if a little crazy..but that just made him cuter in her opinion.

He was so adorable at times, like when she was teaching him the basics of swordplay."Wait, don't we just want to hit the enemy with the sharp bits?" was his first reaction to her tutoring. She of course teased him mercilessly about it, at times calling the blonde her 'Wildboy' for of his simplistic, caveman-esque demeanor when I came to certain aspects of the Ninja Arts.

Such fun and teasing made her feel like a girl instead of just a tomboyish kunoichi who had never been described as more than 'kinda cute but too serious'.

Yes, Shibata Tenten was quite smitten (not that he knew), and was happy to support him on a day like this….

Even with the loud, obnoxious bint not three feet from her, badmouthing her friend with such gusto that it made her eye twitch.

"…can't believe they actually think it wise! Letting that thing into the school with our children in the first place is bad enough! Training it to kill? Preposterous!"

The shorter, round-faced woman next to her opened her gaping maw to offer her own opinion. "He must be trained Sumiko. I would rather have a trained, controlled beast around than a wild one. At least then he can be of some use!"

The thin woman, Sumiko, gave a longsuffering sigh. "Bless your sweet, tolerant soul Ayeka, that beast cannot BE tamed! If Hokage-sama won't put him down, he needs to at least keep him away from decent people!"

"Well, I've often heard that the boy lives in the Suicides. Maybe…" started another woman.

"Maybe he will be killed." snapped Sumiko. "He belongs there with the other degenerate beasts at any rate. For Kami's sake, I've heard tell of a rumor that some young trollop has taken up with the brute! Can you believe it?"

A snort from one of the younger mothers drew their attention, "Well some people need to have the itch scratched, Sumiko. And whatever else the 'brute' may be he's far from ugly. Far better looking than that ogre-looking impotent you call a husband at any rate."

"Maybe you should hire him out, Sumiko-san?" chimed in another one, "I hear that he can be seen often times at Maikaze's little whorehou…I mean 'restaurant'. How about it, Sumiko-san? Wave a little cash, show a little skin, and if nothing else you'll at least be satisfied!"

"Hell, I've come across the thought myself a few times, when my Renji leaves on one of his business trips..." confessed another woman nearby. "I heard he's legal now, too."

"Oh, your so bad!" gigled another.

This of course caused the surrounding women to chortle and snicker. The shrewish Sumiko, whose face flushed now in embarrassment, steered the conver sation into safer waters…

Safer for them because Tenten, who had already calculated the trajectory of her kunai, had been milliseconds away from the not-so-worrying dilemma of just where in the Forest of Death to hide five bodies.

But before she could further contemplate homicide, the academy doors were thrown open, and the area suddenly was filled to the brim with laughing and cheering graduates.

The scene before he put a smile on her face, as they ran around her. Excited parents, quite a few of which were shedding tears of joy, proudly hugged their children and lavished them with praises. Some bragged about their performance, some made plans for parties, and some were just content to bask in the pride of their parents.

Tearing herself away from the nostalgic scene, the seventeen year-old scanned the area, before spotting her quarry exiting the academy with what looked to be her old sensei, Iruka. The metal plate of his hitai-ate strapped to the front of his belt, the leaf insignia standing proudly against the black fabric. With a smile blooming on her face, she ran towards him.

"Naruto!" She called out.


"I'm truly sorry for what happened during your taijutsu examination, Uzumaki-san. That kind of…of foolishness should-"

"It's OK, Iruka-sensei." cut in Naruto, "Mizuki's been trying to either maim or expel me ever since he found out I wouldn't fail on my own. It's not your fault."

"But still, I should have at least-"

"I shoulda known he was going to pull something. Luckily Kiba wasn't threatening enough for me to stab him on reflex."

At this Iruka looked as if he'd swallowed something sour, glancing at his now-former student's long fighting-dagger, holstered as it was on his thigh.

"Anyway," the teen continued, "I'm done with the academy after tomorrow, and don't have to worry about Mizuki anymore. It does neither of us any good to dwell on it."

Iruka sighed as he stopped at the academy doors, "I guess I see your point. In that case, good evening Uzumaki-san. I'll see you tomorrow."

"And you, Iruka-sensei." He smiled and kept walking. With a half-hearted wave, he made his way out of the gates.

"Naruto!" came a familiar dulcet voice. Turning, he spotted his best friend running towards him with a beautiful smile on her face.

"Ten-chan!" he smiled, catching and spinning her as she leapt into his arms before pulling her close. Tinkling laughter passed her lips as she threw her arms around his neck.

"I didn't expect you to be back yet," he said, face buried in the crook of her neck, eliciting a giggle from her. "You must have been bored silly out here with the gossips and the gawkers."

"And miss you graduating?" she grinned, pulling back to look him in the eye, "Not a chance." She pulled into another brief hug before asking, "So, how'd it go?"

"Well, surprisingly." he smile, somewhat nervously, "It was honestly just business as usual. You know how it is; write down a couple of answers here, do a few jutsu there, cause a concussion or two…."

"Hold it!" Tenten interrupted with a frown, "What was that last one?"

"Do a few Jutsu?" Naruto supplied hopefully.

"Uh-uh. Spill."

"C'mon, Ten-chan. It's not that big of-"

"Spill."

"Ten-chan, it's already been hand-"

"Spill."

'You really don't wa-"

"Spill."

Naruto slumped in defeat "Alright, alright. I'll tell you while we walk. I don't wanna talk about it here, okay?"

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" she smirked, looking for all the world like dimpled victory. "Now come on, we've got to show you off!" and with that, she linked one arm in his and proceeded to march down the main street, dragging Naruto along at a sedate pace.

Naruto frowned, "Ten-chan, I don't think this is such a good idea…"

"Oh, shush." She replied, pausing to glare mildly at him, "You're a shinobi now, Naruto-kun. You're beyond their stupid looks and words. And I will not be bullied into being ashamed of you being my friend, so no more hiding." She sniffed at him and grabbed his arm, resuming her pace while speaking in a haughty voice, "Now come along, Wildboy. I wish to show you off to the peasants."

A bright smile slowly spread across Naruto's features, "I'll have you know that I'm not some prized animal to be led around and stared at." He tried to affect an affronted look.

Tenten patted him on the arm absentmindedly, as if he were a bit dim, "Of course you are dear, now come along."

His laughter was music to her ears, the glares she could feel on her back as they left the academy having no effect whatsoever. Now If only she could keep him away from that ramen-serving hussy over on Orange street…


The Hokage's Office

Knocking once on the great oaken door with the handle of his cane, Shimura Danzou strode into the Hokage's office and closed the door behind him, just as the elder Sarutobi was finishing the last of the day's paperwork. Looking up from the last form, the elderly Fire Shadow addressed his visitor.

"And to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, old friend?" he queried, offering the man a seat. "I may be getting on in years, but I know today is Monday and not Thursday, our usual Tea Day."

Danzou merely grunted, taking the proffered seat with a grace that belied both his injuries and age. "My sources have informed me of your last-minute switch. That of course warranted an earlier visit, Hiruzen"

Sarutobi chuckled, "Yes, young Naruto's file was tampered with; a later assessment showed that his placement warranted a small change." He quirked an eyebrow, "I take it you approve?"

Danzou scoffed, "I wouldn't be here if I didn't. My spies have been monitoring the boy for some time, as I'm sure yours have, and I agree that the team he was placed with meshes together adequately."

Sarutobi nodded, absentmindedly filling and lighting his pipe, "If my hunch is correct, his will be one of the more successful genin teams in circulation. Between his impressive talents, the Aburame's intellect, and the Hyuuga's leadership and abilities it shall be a force to be reckoned with." This garnered a weary chuckle from his old rival.

"I saw him when he stomped Tsume's youngest into the ground, acts just like Mito-sama used to."

"Aye," agreed the Hokage as he took a puff of his pipe,"has a mean streak just like her too. Must be in his blood." He added wryly, thinking of the First Hokage's fiery wife.

"You might be right," the crippled shinobi snorted before sobering, "Fond memories aside, Hiruzen, there is something important I wished to ask you. Will you be informing the boy of his status and his heritage?"

The Sarutobi patriarch gave a weary sigh, "I…I have honestly debated not telling him at all, the situation being as it is." Here he sighed again, "Yet I made a promise, and I intend to keep it. I will be sending a messenger shortly to bring him here. It's time he knew."

Danzou nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer, "And his parents?"

"I shall indeed inform him of his maternal heritage. He at least deserves that much, though her Jinchuuriki status will die with us. On the other hand, his father's Identity won't be revealed until much later, if at all. It would bring closure, true, but it could also sour his view of the village if revealed at this time."

"Be that as it may, the boy may figure it out for himself, as sharp as he is. Then where will you be, Monkey? The boy is not idealistic like his father, nor is he like his mother. He is…harder, in a sense, Hiruzen." Danzou warned.

The Sarutobi simply emptied his pipe, "We shall cross that bridge when we get to it, old friend. Now, am I correct in assuming you would like to be present when I explain his situation?"

"You are indeed. I would like to personally gain the measure of our Jinchuuriki."

Hiruzen chuckled at this, "I'm sure you would. Kuma!" at his call, a hitherto unseen ANBU appeared silently beside the Hokage. "Go and retrieve young Naruto. Please, check Shibata Tenten's residence first."

With a small bow, the ANBU operative once again vanished just as silently as she'd appeared.

Turning back to Danzou, a mischievous smile pulled at the Hokage's lips, "Would you care to look over the file my operatives completed?"

The root commander snorted, "Why yes, let's see what's had you smiling for most of the day."

Hiruzen simply handed the manila folder to his old rival and waited for the inevitable. I took slightly longer than anticipated, but eventually he got his wish.

"Monkey," Danzou breathed as his eyes continued to flip through the pages in the file, "How accurate is this? Who wrote this up?"

Hiruzen grinned like a Cheshire, "I pulled a few from Intel to observe him, I believe Ms. Sazanami in particular wrote the report."

"And you gave him to the Yuuhi woman?" Danzou nearly hissed, scanning the psyche report again. "What in the world were you thinking?"

"That she could help the boy along his path and offer a bit of guidance, maybe even heal some of her own wounds…as well as curbing that little complex of hers." The Hokage returned glibly.

"As head strong and sexist as the woman is, putting a boy so willful and independent under her command would be like putting oil with water, regardless of her obvious expertise on the subject." Suddenly, Danzou shot him a look, "And I suppose it simply slipped your mind to hand her an updated copy of his file, leaving her thinking she'll have to deal with some talentless little teenage hellion that she can just bully into compliance?"

Sarutobi simply offered a shrug and a grin, "Aren't surprises what make life the most interesting?"

Danzou gazed him for a long while, casting a suspicious eye on his longtime rival and friend, "You're up to your old tricks again aren't you, Monkey?" he sighed as it dawned on him what Sarutobi was doing, "This is going to be a disaster, as clever as this ploy is. I'm surprised you have the stones to pull something like this, what with your little grandfatherly, warm and fuzzy way of handling everyone.."

Hiruzen glibly responded, "Have a little faith, Danzou. There's a reason I wear this hat." They boy shared a small smile at this statement.

"How soon are we talking?" asked Danzou astutely, mind quickly running through scenarios. "With this amount of blank canvas…"

"Barring any unforeseen field promotions?" Hiruzen grinned unrepentantly, "After the Chuunin Exams. Experience is most important in our line of work after all."

"And I suppose that is just a convenient cover?"

"Naturally, old friend."

Danzou sighed as he gazed back at the file in front of him, "If anything, we at least know that the boy has potential, if nothing else." Looking back at him was the proof:

Subject: Uzumaki Naruto

Age: 15

Height: 5 ft. 4 in.

Weight: 190 lbs.

Rank: Academy Graduate (Set 2 of the Revised Curriculum Trial)

Affiliation: Konohagakure no Sato, Uzumaki Clan (Last known member)

Standard Proficiency Rating (Scale of 1 to 5)

Nin: 2

Gen: 3

Tai: 3

Stamina: 4

Hand Seals: 2

Chakra Control: 4

Speed: 4

Strength: 2.5

Classification: Low-impact Kinetics, Sensory-type Support

Notes: Subject is exceedingly adept at Illusory applications, as well as Storage, Circuit, and Explosive seals.


Konoha's Northern Residential District, Tenten's apartment

"…and then poor Lee grabbed the package and took off in the wrong direction, and ran straight into a tree!" Tenten told Naruto between giggles as he sat at her kitchen table, watching her cook dinner, "I think our client was too busy trying to breathe to worry about scolding Lee for almost breaking it."

Naruto looked up from his tea, "Lemme guess, Neji gave him the stink eye the whole way back, right?"

"Leave him alone, Naruto-kun." she mock-scowled. "He can't help it."

"Yes," he chirruped, as she turned to him with her hands on her hips, "Stick-in-Ass is such a horrible disease, sneaking up on perfectly normal people. Forgive me; one shouldn't speak ill of the afflicted. How's his jaw, by the way?"

Tenten sighed at her too-cheeky friend, remembering his rather violent last encounter with her white-eyed teammate. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Cook for me as I sing your praises and tell you how wonderful and talented you are?" was his grinning riposte. She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her as he grinned shamelessly.

"That sounds delightful, Uzumaki-kun." She replied in kind, "You may begin singing now."

Just as he was about to reply, there came a knock at the door. Immediately, the warmth and humor left his face, replaced by a light frown. Standing up, he glanced towards the front door and turned to her, "ANBU."The puzzled look colored her face, before realizing what he meant. She'd forgotten he could do that.

Nodding to him, she walked out of the kitchen and made her way to the door of her small apartment. Upon opening the door, she was unsurprised to see a full-fledged ANBU standing at her door, "Um, may I help you, Anbu-san?"

The Operative's lifeless bear-themed mask stared imperiously down at her, "Is Uzumaki Naruto at this residence?"

"Is there something you need with me, Anbu-san?" Naruto's head suddenly poked over her shoulder, startling both.

The operative's painted mask shifted in the blonde's direction as she regained her composure, "Hokage-sama wishes to speak with you, immediately."

Naruto frowned, but nodded nonetheless, "Of course, thank you Anbu-san." And with that, the Bear-masked operative vanished in a puff of smoke and leaves.

Closing the door, Tenten turned to him with a slightly worried expression. "What do you think this is about? Do you think Inuzuka-sama went to the Hokage about what happened?"

Naruto scratched at his cheek, "Nah. She's not that bad, and Kiba'd rather die than get her involved. This is something different, though the ANBU would wait 'til dinner's almost done to make his appearance." He finished with an exaggerated grumble, trying to lighten her mood.

She stared at him with that same worried expression for a few moments longer, before adopting an adorable pout. "Well, there goes our quiet evening, Uzumaki-san. I expect something good to make up for this!"

His mock-scowl was replaced by that innocent smile she loved, "Of course, Ten-chan. Anything you want." He smiled and speed out the door. "I don't know how long I'll be gone, so I'll just see you tomorrow after I meet my team!" and with that he vanished mid-step with a soft swoosh, simply disappearing into thin air.

"Anything, huh?" Tenten said to herself as she closed the door and made her way to the kitchen."

The giggles that later came from the Shibata residence could be construed as devious.


The Hokage's Office

"Come in, Naruto-kun." Came the answer before he'd even knocked.

To say Uzumaki Naruto was nervous would be an understatement of the highest order. This…this Being in front of him had forgotten more than Naruto would see and know even if he lived to be one hundred. This 'Man' had lived through not one, but THREE Shinobi World Wars, and so powerful that he'd been Hokage since the age of twenty-one. This was the man who singled-handedly turned the Village Hidden by Rivers into a large valley in a single day.

As he stepped forward to the Hokage's desk, the door closed behind him. It took all the discipline not to jump at the sound.

The man known throughout the world as the 'God of Shinobi' smiled genially at him, looking up from the manila folder he was perusing.

"Hello Naruto-kun, it's good to finally meet you. Please have a seat." The Sarutobi elder greeted.

"L-likewise, Hokage-sama. It is an honor." Naruto replied, giving a deep bow before taking the proffered seat.

Hiruzen looked to his right, where Danzou was standing near his chair, "This gentleman here is one of my advisors, Councilman Shimura Danzou. It was he who sponsored your enrollment into the Shinobi Academy."

Naruto nodded respectfully towards the man, "Elder Shimura-san." Danzou simply returned his nod.

Gazing back at the manila folder, the Hokage addressed Naruto, "I must say, Naruto-kun, this is a most impressive file my Anbu have gathered on you. Advanced application of Illusion techniques and Law Enforcement tactics? Creating a genjutsu on your own? Quite impressive indeed, Naruto-kun. You truly are a remarkable individual."

A now thoroughly startled Naruto was puzzled for all of five seconds about how the Hokage had gotten a hold of what he'd tried so hard to hide from others, before he realized how silly he was being. Of course the Hokage had his info. The man had a dozen squads dedicated to gathering Intel about anything at any given time. Just because Naruto hadn't sensed them didn't mean they weren't there... Bringing himself back to the present, he tried his best to thank the elderly leader for his glowing review.

'Tried' being the key word.

As Sarutobi listened to the obviously awed and nervous young man stammer out a 'thanks', he took a moment to observe the child he hadn't seen since he was a babe. He'd been expecting a clone of Minato with Kushina's personality at the very least, but he was a bit surprised to say that, besides the facial feature that hinted to both parents, he was nothing like them.

His down-to-earth and disarmingly sociable yet cunning nature was at nothing like his father's roguish charm and cocksure confidence, or his mother's brash and in-your-face attitude. And his physique set him apart even further from his father's image, as it was obvious the boy had heavily inherited the much shorter and rather muscular male Uzumaki frame. He doubted if Naruto would grow past his current 5' 4". Shaking himself out of his quiet inspection of the lad, he chuckled ruefully.

"I regret, however, that I did not bring you here to discuss your skill in the Ninja Arts, or questionable living arrangements." here the Hokage gave a knowing glance. "You are here this evening because it's time you had answers.

"Hokage-sama?"

"Tell me, Naruto-kun, what do you know of the terrible tragedy that struck our village fifteen years ago?"

"You mean the Kyuubi attack?" Naruto queried slowly, and at the Hokage's nod continued, "Well, on October tenth, the Kyuubi no Kitsune attacked our village, killing hundreds. After hour and hours of intense battle, the Yondaime Hokage appeared and proceeded to defeat the Kyuubi, costing him his life."

Sarutobi nodded gravely, "I see that the academy is at least doing its job in that department. And how do you suppose he killed the Ninetails, Naruto-kun?"

Here Naruto quirked an eyebrow at the strange question, but answered nonetheless, "I guess he used a powerful Hiden Jutsu or Kinjutsu, something like that."

"I am afraid that you are only half right on that account, Naruto-kun. What if I told you that the Yondaime did not slay the fox, but merely defeated it?"

"Wait, what?" was Naruto's intelligent reply. "But the academy books, and the history texts too, say that…" but the Hokage simply held up a hand to silence him.

"The Kyuubi was a beast of untold power. It was, or should I say 'is', not an entity one can simply kill." Hiruzen grimly intoned."The Yondaime realized that, and devised a plan accordingly; after stalling the beast he selected a newborn and used a Kinjutsu known as the Shiki Fuujin in conjunction with the Shishou Fuuin (Four Symbols Seal) and Hakke Fuuin Shiki (Eight Trigrams Sealing Method) to seal the soul of the beast inside of the child, thereby saving the village. It was the hope and dying wish that the young child which contained the beast be seen the savior of the village."

Throughout Sarutobi's explanation, Danzou silently watched the boy, reading the facial expressions the boy made as he digested what was being told to him. The leader of ROOT saw first confusion, then horror, then shock and anger. The slightly disturbing part of all this was the lucid state which finally settled over the teenager as he leaned back into his chair; while the shock could clearly still be read in his eyes, the anger in them was no longer hot and reckless but cold and focused. He also made note of the fact that the boy's chakra signal was quickly growing faint-

Killing Intent.

For a moment that was both brief and tortuously long, killing intent forceful enough to make the air hum with malice filled the air, and then abruptly disappeared. Sarutobi gazed at the boy, whose eyes were glued to the floor in thought at the moment, before speaking.

"By the expression on your face, you know that you are in fact the container or jinchuuriki of the Nine-tailed Fox. I understand that this is hard for you to hear, but it's time you knew. If you have any questions, you need only ask."

For a few tense minutes, Naruto did not stir, eye held to the floor in furious contemplation, but after a while he raised his head to stare at the elder Kage. "This," he near whispered, "This is why they hate me? Because I saved them?"

Giving a gruff sigh, it was Danzou who answered, "Unfortunately, before the Hokage announced your status as a container, certain elements in the village took advantage of the confusion and stirred the hive, so to speak. This, coincidently, was the cause for the second sealing."

Naruto's anger subsided only slightly, a puzzled frown now marring his features. "Hold on, what do you mean 'second sealing'? I thought the Kyuubi was already sealed inside me."

Sarutobi nodded in agreement, "Yes, but the Elders and the Clan Heads were fearful of the power a jinchuuriki of the mighty Kyuubi might wield. Jinchuuriki have been used by other villages in the past and none wanted to deal with something of that nature; most called for your death. As a solution, we overlaid the Yondaime's seal with one of their own, one which permanently cut you off from any and all access you could have had with the demon and making you a jinchuuriki in name only, as well as an agreement by all parties politically affiliated to limit contact 'so as not to influence you unduly'. This was of course done with the hope that you would have a relatively normal childhood."

As the implications of what he'd been told sunk in, Naruto took several moments to keep his response respectful, and to sum up the feeling running through his mind into word form. Once he'd succeeded, he looked first at the now silent councilman, then to the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama, I…" he choked out before pausing again. "That whole situation was stupid. To blurt out something like that to people who'd just lost…"he trailed off, not being able to verbalize his sentiments.

Sarutobi snorted, "Young man, I can truly say that your sentiments on the matter mirror that of my own and councilman Danzou here. Fear has a way of twisting even the sharpest and most experienced individual. Someone had ascertained your status as the container and had already spread the word. I simply gave them the truth before to many lies could be spread. Sadly, the party responsible was at least partially successful, hence the reaction of the Clan Heads and Elders. "

Naruto nodded, running a hand through his hair as he again gathered his thoughts.

"Wow….just, wow." Breathed Naruto. It wasn't every day that you were told that you alone housed a being of pure malice, capable of leveling an entire village, in your navel. The fact that the Majority of the village's adults hated him for it and passed on that hatred to the younger generations didn't help at all.

'Yeah,' He sighed to himself finally, 'This kinda sucks, but at least I know now...' And with that Naruto Uzumaki got over himself. If there was one thing he'd learned growing up in the Suicides, it was that life moves on, with or without you. He was alive at least, and though he'd been thrown a curve-ball in the form of a nine-tailed demon , he'd also been given the opportunity to find out something that had been eating him up for as long as he could remember…

"What about my family, Hokage sama? Where they killed that night, or….?"

The Hokage nodded, steeling himself for the half-truth was about to tell, "Though your father was never revealed to us, your mother was Uzumaki Kushina, one of the finest young women I've had the pleasure of knowing."

This was too much, "Really? You knew my…" His face now a mask of happiness, disbelief, and hope. Saying the word 'Mother' was both the easiest and hardest thing in the world at the moment.

"Indeed, Naruto-kun. Your mother was the sole survivor of the attack and subsequent destruction of Uzushiogakure. Seeking asylum with us as a young girl, she later became a ninja of the village, eventually joining the ranks of ANBU's Internal Security Division. She was a vibrant young woman, full of determination and laughter, with an unquenchable spirit, matched only by her rather fierce temper; something you seem to have inherited." Sarutobi finished with a fond chuckle. "Were she here today, I have no doubt Kushina-chan would be immensely proud of the strong, determined young man you've become."

Naruto smiled weakly at the nostalgia in the elder Kage's voice, wishing that he himself had spent even a day with the woman that had given him life. It was almost too much. His mother…his mother…was an ex-ANBU and apparently an acquaintance of the Sandaime. Just what could you say to that?

"While most records of her and a number of other shinobi were destroyed in the attack, my secretary was able to find this within the tower's archives. I hope it will suffice."

And with that, Sarutobi reached into his desk and withdrew a dark grey folder, and handed it to Naruto over the desk.

With shaking hands Naruto accepted the folder, only iron will stopping him from snatching it out of the elder Kage's hands. Taking a deep breath, he slowly opened the folder.

The first thought to run through his mind was that she was absolutely the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Vibrant, long red hair framed her face, accentuated by her bright blue eyes and warm smile. He could see that, except for hair color, he got most of his features from her. Her nose, eyes, chin, and cheeks stared back at him every morning from the mirror, and he realized that she was also to blame for his hair turning red at the tips when it grew to reach his neck. She was wearing a Chuunin vest, her hitai-ate worn like a necklace, in what must have been a picture taken for her updated Ninja ID.

Staring down at the picture in front of him, burning the image into his memory, one word escaped his lips, carrying the desperation, joy, and longing he'd felt at that moment, as both the jaded young ninja he was and the lost little orphan inside of him spoke in one voice….

"M-mom…."


"Well, Danzou?" Sarutobi enquired, not a minute after Naruto had left the Hokage's office.

The leader of Root rubbed his chin pensively, "The more he talked, the more I was convinced we were talking to a younger version of Sakumo. It was uncanny to say the least; he was certainly interesting."

"Yes, yes. It was a very surreal encounter I admit, but that isn't what I was getting at…" Sarutobi allowed, waiting to hear the final verdict.

"I approve of him, for now."Danzou finally gave, grudgingly.

"Remarkable isn't it?" Replied Sarutobi, "Growing up with so little, he has accomplished so much."

"I'm more worried about his mental state. The reports I was given suggested he was a bit..angrier. Beyond that brief glimpse, I saw nothing." replied Danzou, quirking an eyebrow.

Sarutobi simply puffed his pipe, "Like any good ninja, I suppose he's learned to reign it inwhen necessary. Not surprising."

"I hope so. In any case, we shall see just how he fares in the real world fairly soon." Danzou replied, thinking of the reports his spies had given him on this 'Akatsuki' organization that had popped up. "His opponents will be tougher than the standard yakuza thug, or opium junky. Especially if your little plan works."

"As I keep telling you, old friend, you must have faith." A smirking Sarutobi puffed as he turned to the moon-lit visage of his predecessors upon the moutain, remembering the determined look on the boy's face as he put his own tragic past behind him. Such strength of character would serve him well in the many trials to come.

'Yes,' Sarutobi chuckled to himself, the future looking a bit brighter, 'Faith will go a long way here.'


A/N: And that concludes the first REAL Chapter of Ninja Revolution: The next chapter , we'll see a bit more character development for our hero, as well as the first clash between him and his new jonin sensei, who doesn't seem to care for having him on her team at all, All that and more in the next chapter of Ninja Revolution: the Scout…

::Chapter 3:: Pride Goeth Before The Fall!

Please Read and review! It helps me grow as a writer and tells me what I'm doing right/wrong (making the story that much better). Until next time!