AN: Y'all really wanted a chapter 2 to this story. Would have been super funny if I didn't update this story for like a month.
To clarify the previous chapter about Naruto being evil, he's not. It's really that simple. I'm going to toy around the idea of good and evil just being subjective.
Naruto is going to do what he wants to do. This is important to understand because Naruto has certain standards that he will uphold and adhere to.
If this doesn't satisfy you, you can suck my dick. Like the previous statement says, he does what he wants.
ANYWAY! JOIN THE DISCORD YOU UGLY CUNTS! Invite Code is StPc5Vp
Disclaimer : Therapy Session - NF
Naruto stood in the middle of his bathroom staring into his reflection with a small frown. His mismatched orbs glanced down towards his sink as he stared at the mask that Ino's mother had purchased for him. Why was it so familiar to him?
The second he saw the mask something within him lurched. It was becoming frustrating. He had most definitely seen this mask before. Somewhere, somehow. He just knew it.
Naruto reached towards the mask and slowly ran his fingers over the porcelain material. His index finger traced the design that sat on the upper half of the mask before slipping towards the ovals on the right eyehole. A sigh escaped him before gripping the object and placing it against his face.
"Who are you, Naruto?"
The boy continued to stare into the mirror for the next hour and a half as he contemplated the question he asked.
Break
"Alright class, settle down! I know you're all excited to start your journey in becoming a Shinobi but please calm yourselves." A man with a unique scar that ran across the bridge of his nose requested. A small smile graced his face as the children settled down. He proceeded to lean on his desk with a clipboard in hand and began to call attendance to the class.
A majority of the major clans in Konoha had sent their heirs and heiresses it would seem. Though a large amount of the class was populated with civilian families Iruka doubted that many of them would make it to graduation. The training regiments and qualifications for becoming a Genin were incredibly difficult and most civilian families didn't have Shinobi backgrounds.
Iruka idly called out several names, some he recognized due to their clan names and others who were unknown. Though he slightly paused when he stared at a single particular name. One that made him slightly uncomfortable.
"Naruto... Uzumaki..."
Iruka popped his head up and gazed at the entire room full of children as he tried to spot the young child. Several seconds passed by in awkward silence as the students stared at the man in slight confusion. The Chunin frowned before glancing back down towards the clipboard. As he was about to skip the name the door to the room opened drawing the entire class' attention.
"This is room 207 right?"
Iruka's eyes landed on Naruto who gave him an eerie smile. The boy wore a plain black T-shirt with black cargo shorts and a paid of black sneakers. Someone clearly loved the color black... The Chunin frowned lightly at the boy before motioning with his hand. "You're late... Naruto."
"You seem annoyed." His immediate response caused Iruka's frown to deepen. "There it is." Naruto gave the man a small grin as his gaze shifted towards the many children in class. He recognized a few of the students before landing on Ino's shocked face. His grin grew at spotting the girl before waving with his hand.
"Naruto! You're gonna be a Shinobi?" The girl's shocked expression shifted to one of joy before gesturing with her hand. "C'mere! Sit with me!"
The Jinchuuriki glanced at the Chunin for a scant few moments before making his way towards his friend. The boy slowly passed by several children, some of which glared at him in contempt and others who stared at him curiously due to his mask. Naruto reached the row of seats that Ino sat on before staring at the empty spot on her right side. His head tilted slightly before locking eyes with a young boy who sat on the aisle seat.
"Move." The blond Jinchuuriki grinned at the young boy who's eyebrows furrowed at the demand before settling on a glare.
"Did you just tell me to move?" The young boy with ebony hair and charcoal eyes stared into the single violet orb of the blond boy in front of him. Silence reigned in the class for several seconds as the boys stared directly at each other. Ino sported a small frown at the scene and was about to speak before Naruto leaned his head forward.
"Yes. I did. Now move. I want your seat."
Black eyes narrowed at the request before responding dismissively. "Then make me move."
A crooked smile formed on the Jinchuuriki's face before his right hand came to rest on the desk in front of the other boy. "This is the last time I'm going to ask you before I send you through it."
The ebony haired boy finally stood up from his seat and glared viciously at the blond. "You must not know who I am."
Naruto smirked directly at the boy before standing to his full height as well. "Of course not and I don't care." The blond raised his hand and placed his index finger on the Uchiha Clan Insignia that rested on the jacket. "You being an Uchiha means nothing to me." Sasuke immediately gripped the boys wrist as he slung it away.
Ino immediately placed herself between the two boys and gently placed her hands against Naruto's chest. The young Yamanaka did not want a repeat of what happened yesterday. Her mother had punished her for lying because of the altercation and she didn't want another punishment due to it. Naruto wasn't necessarily wrong but he wasn't right either. The other boy would have hit her had he not stopped it.
"Sasuke... Just switch seats with me..." The girl glanced over her shoulder towards the Uchiha who sneered before sitting in her seat with a dismissive scoff. The girl sighed in relief before turning back towards her friend who continued to stare at the Uchiha. She frowned at his expression before grabbing his hand and pulling the boy towards the seat as she sat back down.
The young blond allowed himself to be pulled by his friend before giving an amused retort. "He seems fun."
The platinum blonde girl frowned at the statement before poking his chest. "Stop it." He glanced at her with a raised eyebrow before smiling.
"Naruto Uzumaki... Fighting between classmates is forbidden unless on the training fields."
Naruto glanced at Iruka with a small smile before shrugging. "What if I do it anyway?"
The Chunin frowned at the question before crossing his arms. "You'll be punished."
"That doesn't sound fun."
The Chunin continued to stare at the boy who returned the stare with that ever present eerie smile. This child... The man shook his head before continuing to call off the names of other students.
Naruto's smile disappeared before he laid his hand on his cheek and closed his eyes. This was going to be a waste of time. The basics of the academy were just that, the basics. He already knew how to use his Chakra effectively. Unless the academy was going to go more in-depth with how to properly channel it then he had no reason to even be here.
Naruto sat in his position for the entirety of the class period as Iruka began to describe Chakra and how it was used and produced in the body. All of which was irrelevant in the young boys mind. Chakra allowed you to perform the jutsus and was the life force of all humans... That's it. What else do you need to know?
"Naruto Uzumaki."
The boy was snapped out of hs daydreaming by the stern voice of his teacher who stared at him with his arms crossed against his chest. The young blond slowly opened his eyes and stared at the man with a small frown.
"Have you been paying any attention to what I've been saying for the past 3 hours?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow before shrugging his shoulders uncaringly. "Of course not."
The Chunin furrowed his eyebrows in slight annoyance before shifting in his position. "And why is that?" The class of children began to watch the interaction curiously. Naruto didn't respond for several seconds as he thought of how he wanted to reply.
"Because I already know this... This is boring." The boy shrugged his shoulders before opening his visible eye. "When do we get to actually train?"
Iruka frowned at the boy and began to lean against his desk. "That doesn't happen until year two of the course."
Naruto scoffed at the answer before slowly standing up. "This is a waste of my time. I'm leaving." Ino stared at her friend wide eyed who placed his hands into his pockets and made to leave the room.
"You can't just leave Naruto." The Chunin frowned at the boy who was slowly making his way down the small steps of the classroom where the desks rested.
"I can't? Then what am I doing right now?" Amusement was littered in the boys response as he made the final step down the small stairs of the classroom. He stood in front of Iruka with a small smile who frowned heavily at the action.
"Sit back down Naruto." The Jinchuuriki raised an eyebrow before a grin formed on his face. Naruto's violet orb bore into the older man for several seconds as he stood still.
A small spike of anxiety crept through Iruka as he continued to stare at the boy. The Chunin subconsciously took a small step backwards before making direct contact with his desk. The wooden object scraped against the floor drawing the older man's attention. Iruka quickly shifted his attention back in front of him only to notice that Naruto was now nowhere to be seen.
His eyebrows furrowed in confusion before glancing towards his students. The children returned his stare as Iruka tried to grasp what just happened. He blinked several times before shaking his head.
A small smile adorned Naruto's face as he stepped outside the Academy Building. That was far too easy to do. The boy made it all of two steps before a woman in a Cat themed ANBU mask appeared in front of him with her hands crossed over her chest. The two masked individuals stared at one another for an entire two minutes in silence.
The purple haired woman tilted her head slowly before speaking. "You are being difficult again?"
The boy adopted a grin as his hands rested in his pockets. "My time is better spent elsewhere."
Neko continued to stare at the unique child before shifting her position. "Hokage-sama ordered me to take you back should you try to skirt the academy."
"That's mean."
His response was expected. Neko knew the boy far more than others. She had been his personal watcher for the last 3 years. His mannerisms, his actions, his words. They weren't that of a child. It was noticeable to any and all who ever interacted with the boy. Clearly something was... off about the boy but most either ignored the child due to his condition while others wrote it off as him expressing his self. Children were unpredictable after all.
"You follow the Old Man blindly Nee-chan."
Yugao blinked slowly underneath her mask as the boy shifted on the balls of his heels. He knew that she knew exactly what he was trying to accomplish. She would play along though.
"I'm a Shinobi." Her response was immediate as the boys violet orb gleamed with amusement.
"Oh I know."
Yugao and Naruto continued to stare at one another for another minute before the woman narrowed her eyes. He was beginning to speak alot more nowadays.
"What do you believe a Shinobi is?" It seemed to be the right question to ask because the boys smile increased in size.
"The real questions..." Naruto tilted his head before glancing off towards the village. The boy was quiet for a few moments before directing his attention back on the woman. "A Shinobi... is a dog."
Yugao's eyes narrowed at the boys response. She knew exactly what the boy was implying with that statement. The woman took a step towards the boy before crouching and staring directly into his visible eye.
"Go back."
A cheeky grin pulled at his features as he slowly raised his hand and traced the markings on her mask. "No can do Nee-chan! It's boring in there. I want to have fun."
Yugao allowed the boy to touch her mask as she pursed her lips. On one hand he was absolutely correct. The academy was awful and dull. Someone like him would find no use for it. On the other hand Hiruzen had specifically ordered the boy to attend the academy. Naruto already knew how to use his Chakra and she doubted that learning more about it would benefit him. He was already learning subjects revolving around the application of Chakra by himself. Of course... she had given him the pointers to begin with.
Naruto's gentle ministrations ceased as the woman tilted her head before placing her hand atop his head. "How about a deal?" A small smirk formed on her face as his eyes gleamed curiously. There were few things that could entice the boy and anything revolving around deals, aggrements, and word of honors demanded his attention.
"I'm listening."
Yugao ruffled his hair for a few moments before speaking. "Finish the first month of the academy and I'll teach you something that'll allow you to skip the academy in it's entirety." She smiled as the boy began to grin in excitement.
"I'll never have to come back?"
Yugao's long tresses swung from side to side side as she shook her head. "Never again." The boy narrowed his eyes before raising his hand.
"Shake on it." Had she been a lesser woman she would have snorted in amusement at the boys actions. Yugao had honor despite being a Shinobi. She upheld any bargains that she made. The woman's gloved hand gently gripped his smaller one before dipping it down in a show of faith.
"Have I ever lied to you before, Naruto-kun?"
"That's why you're my favorite, Nee-chan." The boy smiled as he let go of the woman's hand before about facing and making his way back into the academy. Yugao watched the boy the entire time before disappearing. A sinister smirk morphed on the boys face as the doors to the building shut behind him.
"Unexpected but ultimately a welcomed outcome..."
Break
Naruto sighed to himself as he sat outside the academy. It had been several days since he and Neko had made the deal and he was slightly regretting it. It was so boring here. Naruto glanced at the brown paper bag in front of him as a small glare formed on his face. The boy opened his bag and pulled out a small, red apple. His violet orb gazed at the fruit for several seconds before he began to squeeze it.
He hand began to tremble for a few seconds before the fruit was ultimately crushed due to the boys strength. The blond stared at the fruit with a sense of detachment as the juices dripped from his hand. The mushed pieces of the apple slowly slipped to the ground as Naruto slowly unclenched his fist.
"Naruto! Heeeeey!"
The boy shifted his attention to Ino as the girl made her way towards his table. He immediately wiped his hands clean using a napkin before smiling as the girl got closer. The bubbly girl sat down beside Naruto as she placed a bento box on the table.
"What cha doing eating out here alone?" The girl tilted her head causing her pony tail to bounce.
Naruto glanced at the napkin in his hands as he began to gently ball it up. "Don't really like being in crowds all that much." He gave the girl a small smile as he began to tie up his brown paper bag.
Ino glanced at the bag with a small frown as she unwrapped her lunch. "Do... Is that all you have to eat?"
Naruto glanced down at the bag before shrugging. "I don't really eat all that much."
The Yamanaka scooted closer to her friend as she moved the boy's bag away. "Here. You can have some of mine." She glanced over at the boy with a small smile. "It's really good."
Naruto stared at the girl for a few moments before glancing down at the assortment of different foods. It did look rather tasty... As he reached for a piece of the food his hand was gently slapped by the girl. He shook his head in slight annoyance before staring at Ino who had a chesire smile on her face.
She gathered some of the food with her chopsticks before placing it near his face. "Say 'ahh'." The boy looked at her indignantly as Ino continued to try to place the food in his mouth. After several seconds of the food hovering near his face the boy caved.
A giant smile morphed on Ino's face as she began to feed Naruto some of her lunch. "See? Wasn't so hard. It's good right?" The boy nodded in agreement with a muffled hum. Ino continued to feed the boy with her occasionally taking her own bites.
"Why did you come back to class that one day?" The girl idly began to peel her orange as she glanced at her friend. Naruto glanced at her for a few seconds before turning towards his brown paper bag and balling it up.
"The Hokage forced me to go back." He shrugged afterwards before throwing his trash in a can that sat a couple feet away. "It's boring here. I already know this stuff."
Ino tilted her head before throwing her left over peels in the bento box. "Then why don't you tell him that?"
Naruto scoffed at the question before resting his cheek on his fist. "He won't listen."
"Never know until you try." She began to swing her feet back and forth as Naruto remained silent. The girl glanced towards her friend before picking up her chopstick and poking him on the nose. A giggle escaped her as his nose curled up from the action. She twirled the chopstick in her hand before placing it inside her bento box. "C'mon! The day is almost over. After class we can go to my house!"
The blond Jinchuuriki sighed before slumping in the table. "Don't wanna..." Ino smiled at the boy before grabbing ahold of his hand and dragging him off the bench. The boy refused to even stand to his feet as Ino struggled to pull him. She dug her heels into the ground and began to pull with all her weight.
Naruto smirked before allowing the girl to pull him off the bench. The shift in weight caused Ino to yelp as she tripped backwards. Her skirt rumpled lightly as Naruto was dragged towards her. His eyes began to widen in shock as the girl held on and he toppled over her. Naruto tried to lighten his fall as much as possible as to not cause harm to the petite girl. Ino gave a small grunt as her back connected with the soil with Naruto's hands landing beside her head.
The girl shook her head and blinked several times only to notice her friend staring at her in concern with those beautiful mismatched eyes of his. A small blush colored her face at the position as she tried to wiggle out from under the boy.
"You ok Ino?" The girl responded with a nod of the head not trusting her voice. The boy smiled down at her before slowly removing himself off her and gently pulling her to her feet. "That's good. Sorry about that!" He grinned at the girl before gently grasping her hand and pulling her towards the academy. Ino trailed behind and allowed her self to be pulled by her friend. Her face was red with embarrassment as she glanced several times towards her fellow blond.
"If your mom promises to cook food then I'll definitely come over!" The whiskered child exclaimed.
"I feel like you're using me to get mommy's cooking." The girl petulantly replied to her friend.
A sly smile appeared on Narutos face as he shrugged lightly. "Maaaaaaaaaaybe." The boy began to laugh as Ino huffed in exasperation.
Break
"You remain idle, Hiruzen."
The aforementioned man glanced towards the person speaking before closing his eyes. "I'm observing the boy."
Danzo stared at Hiruzen for several seconds before shifting his cane. "And how long will you observe him? You know as well as I do that something is not right with him."
The Sandaime Hokage shifted in his seat before slowly and meticulously packing his pipe with tobacco. He lit the object with a simple application of Katon chakra and inhaled a generous amount of the addictive substance. "His personal watcher has observed him for several years now. Abnormal behavior from a child with his condition is not entirely unsurprising."
Danzo narrowed his eyes before speaking tersely. "And how are you so sure that his watcher isn't providing cover for him? He is too similar to Itachi in that regard."
Hiruzen sighed at the man as he took another drag of his pipe. What Danzo was insinuating was... interesting. Neko did always have a soft spot for the boy. But he doubted very much so that the woman could be manipulated. Naruto was incredibly intelligent but there was no way he could get inside the head of a seasoned ANBU Captain. But... there was always a possibility. Children like Itachi and Naruto were one of a kind in this world. The only problem with Itachi was the he was pushed too far. Hiruzen found that particular thought slightly ironic.
"You would only insinuate such things if you had some sort of proof." The Hokage stared into Danzo's eyes before speaking slowly. "Which would mean you are watching him." Hiruzen laid his pipe on the table before staring at the man pointedly. "I've authorized no such thing. You will refrain from continuing to do so."
The two rivals stared directly at one another for several tense moments before Danzo eventually shut his visible eye and nodded. "You are making a mistake."
"I've made many in my life. What is one more?" Hiruzen took another drag of his pipe before sighing. "I can assure you that Neko is performing her duties with Konoha's interest in mind."
The crippled war hawk shut his eye for several moments before slowly rising from his seat. "For your sake, as well as Konohas, I hope she is. We don't need another incident like Itachi." The crippled man vacated the office leaving Hiruzen to his thoughts.
The village couldn't afford another incident like with Itachi. Too much pressure on one so young... It was truly a tragedy. Itachi had always been a calm and talented child. Humble and well mannered. So it came as a shock to the village when he... cracked.
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes as he took a drag of his tobacco. The Uchiha clan may have been difficult individuals to get along with in the village, but their annihilation at the hands of their most powerful prodigy since Madara Uchiha was unfortunate. Several members had survived the teens rampage but the damage had already been done.
No one truly understood what had happened for Itachi to just seemingly snap as he did. The youngest S- Rank Shinobi in the Elemental Nations at just 14 years old. He had slaughtered more than half of the Shinobi in the Uchiha Clan, most of which were comprised of seasoned Jonin. After being discovered by a patrolling ANBU unit he killed the members and severely injured the Captain before fleeing the village.
A handful of the Uchiha lived on but it was a night that many would mourn. The Uchiha's were an integral part of Konoha. Naruto was exhibiting signs of following in the boys footsteps. He was a boisterous individual and Neko could attest to it but she had also stated that he allowed you to perceive what you want.
The woman had explained that it was similar to a game of sorts to the boy. She was the only person who was in constant contact with the boy. Hiruzen didn't truly understand the explanation but he got the gist of it. Perhaps Danzo's concerns were well found... The only person in the village with the knowledge of how Narutos mind worked was Neko.
There was only so much Hiruzen could do in regards to Naruto. The blond was incapable of being read by the Yamanaka Clan. It was a danger to both should they try to delve into his mind. Making a proper diagnosis would be incredibly difficult. Hiruzen was well aware of the sociopathic tendencies that Naruto harbored. And if he was being honest... He felt that Naruto knew that he knew this information. And it all circled back to the situation with Itachi.
The same symptoms were being shown and Hiruzen knew that it would be far more volatile. Naruto could end up like Orochimaru and that was something that truly scared the man. He would need to find a way to balance Naruto's more negative attributes and place him in situations that would net postive gains...
The elderly man narrowed his eyes as he thought back to a report given by Neko just under a week ago. The boy had taken a keen interest in the Yamanaka Clan heiress. For what reason? It was entirely up in the air but considering Naruto had been invited into their home it was something to look out for. Perhaps he could use this to his advantage. It would take some time and many negotiations but he could make this work.
Hiruzen pulled out a scroll and began to scribble his thoughts on the parchment. Ino Yamanaka was the first thing that Naruto had truly shown an interest in.
"For the betterment of Konoha..."
Break
Naruto and Ino walked hand in hand towards the Yamanaka Clan compound to spend the rest of the day together. The time had passed by pretty quickly for the couple and once the bell signalled for the students to leave they were the first to immediately leave.
Naruto quietly listened to Ino as she described how several types of flowers bloomed and which seasons they would bloom in. She was very knowledgeable in the flora department. Knowing many native plants that grew within Fire Country and their names. If the boy was being honest, it was impressive. She was clearly very passionate about flowers. It was cute.
"And there are these specific subspecies of plants that grow only near the waterfalls of Fire Country and when they bloom they take on the shape of a square with..." The girl trailed off slightly as she noticed the boys amused expression. Inos face began to color red as she realized she had gone off on a complete tangent about flowers.
Naruto glanced at Ino with a small grin before tilting his head. "You're cute when you talk about flowers." He began to laugh as the girls blush grew in intensity. "Keep going. Your knowledge about flowers is interesting."
The young girl glanced at her friend shyly before replying. "Are... You sure? I don't want to bore you... People think I'm weird when I talk about flowers and stuff... I just love flowers." Her eyes found the ground after speaking.
Naruto stared in her direction for several moments before gently squeezing her hand. "So? Who cares what people think? Do and say what makes you happy." He shrugged his shoulders with a small smile as Ino turned towards him in slight shock. "Like I said, keep talking. I enjoy listening to you speak."
A small smile morphed on Inos face before she began to continue on about flowers and their traits. The entire time Naruto listened to the girl with a small smile. The children made it to the compound as Ino continued to speak about flowers. Several clan members watched the couple walk through the compound in slight amusement. They knew of Ino's... obsession with flowers.
The blonde couple reached the main house of the compound before entering it. The two began to make their through the house before stopping short of the living room due to hearing Inoichi and Saya speaking to one another.
"Inoichi! He's using her as a tool! Be rational!" Saya's voice exclaimed rather loudly. The sound of Inoichi sighing heavily was heard before the man began to speak.
"I know Saya... I'm not disagreeing with you. Hiruzen has his beliefs and-" He was cut off from speaking as Saya slammed her hands on the table.
Ino jumped at the rather loud noise as Naruto gently squeezed her hand. He began to move closer towards the entrance of the living room and peeked his head out slightly with Ino a step behind.
"Do not justify his reasonings! My daughter isn't some political tool to be paraded around like a monkey!" The woman screamed in frustration as Inoichi grimaced. Her husband began to rub his face with both hands before sighing.
"What would you have me do Saya? My hands are tied..." The woman trembled in aggravation as she bounced her legs from her spot on the couch.
"I... I don't know! I just... I." The woman began to tug on her dress before sighing heavily. "I want my little flower to be happy... She doesn't deserve to be forced into situations because the Hokage finds it 'convenient'. I don't want to force her to do anything she doesn't want to do..." The woman was pulled into an embrace by her husband as he gently ran his fingers through her hair. He kissed her head lovingly before responding.
"I know... I know my love. I will... See what I can do."
The two adults heard a slight creaking of wood before turning their heads towards the noise. The couple spotted Ino and Naruto glancing from behind a wall as Ino glared at her friend for making a noise. The boy sheepishly rubbed his head while apologizing. The scene caused the married couple to smile slightly.
"Naruto Uzumaki! Ino Yamanaka!"
The two children froze at the voice of Saya as she slowly stood from the couch with her hands on her hips. She stared at them with a stern visage before calling them into the room. The two blonds slowly made their way to the woman who began to smile down at them.
"It's rude to eaves drop you two." She placed her hand on Ino's cheek and gently began to caress her face before glancing at Naruto. "How much did you two hear?"
The boy shrugged with a small smile before tinkering with his mask. "Uhh... Alot."
Saya nodded slightly before sighing. "How about I make a home cooked meal hmm?" She chuckled at the sight of the two children who grinned with joy at the question. The woman gestured with her head before speaking. "Run along and go play. I'll call you when the food is ready." The two children nodded their heads before running off to the backyard.
"Well... It isn't all that bad is it?" Inoichi grasped Sayas hand in his own and stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.
The woman sighed to herself before pulling Inoichi towards her. "...they are rather cute together..." She buried her face in the crook of the mans neck as he began to laugh.
"Come. I'll help you cook."
Saya scoffed at her husband before pulling away. "You'll do more harm than good. Last time I let you cook you burned the meal. You'll wait just like the children will."
Inoichi began to laugh before following his wife into the kitchen to harass her. The married couple throwing shots at one another that had no real venom behind it. Perhaps things wouldn't be so bad.
AN: Nerds. Important question! What do you guys think about timeskips? I'm not really a huge fan of them in my stories but I ask for the sake of doing so. I can definitely continue to write as is and give you glimpses into Narutos mind but it never hurts to ask. Let me know what ya think!
