An Assassin amongst Shinobi

Chapter Two: Setting the Stage

Where other men blindly follow the truth, remember... Nothing is true.

Where other men are limited by morality or law, remember... Everything is permitted.

X.x.X.x.X

Altaïr stared contently at his student, now ten years of age, as he sped through the katas of his sword-style. His movements were unnaturally fluid, given the hindrance of his wooden training sword. Despite the added difficulties, Naruto seemed to have no trouble keeping up with his master as they slid through an elaborate dance of swordplay. Naruto fought aggressively, but not overly so. Rarely did the assassin trainee leave himself open for a counter-attack. Altaïr grimaced as he parried his student's swing. Using his forward momentum, the master assassin was able to twist his body and plant his knee into his unsuspecting opponent's gut.

"Oomph!" A noise of protest escaped Naruto's lips as he was sent tumbling across the ground. Mid-roll the Jinchuuriki was able to flip himself to his feet, landing in a defensive stance. His instincts kicked in, urging the blond to duck. He followed his gut, ducking low under a horizontal slash that would have decapitated him, had the circumstances been different. Naruto slid into a sweeping kick as he tried to catch his mentor off guard. Of course Altaïr hadn't lived through countless battles with skilled Templar warriors through dumb luck alone. He was able to effortlessly back step his student's extended limb. Without so much as a moment's hesitation he brought his wooden sword down in a lightning quick slash, connecting with Naruto's extended leg.

"You would have just lost your leg had our battle been real," Altaïr pointed out monotonously, although the smile on his face seemed to relieve some of the gravity of his words.

Naruto frowned but begrudgingly accepted his master's words. He brushed the dust from his clothes; a long-sleeved white shirt and a pair of black pants. "I won't make the same mistake twice."

"In the world we live in a single mistake is all it takes," Altaïr spoke sagely as he set his wooden sword against a nearby training post. "Although I must admit your swordsmanship has been improving by leaps and bounds."

"Yeah..." Naruto accepted the compliment with sigh. "But that's because the only thing you've taught me is how to use a sword; well, besides assassination theory and history."

"All of which are necessities for an assassin." The famous killer answered simply as he made his way to the nearby river.

"I know! Why can't you teach me how to use the hidden blade though?" Naruto questioned intently as he followed Altaïr to the river that twisted through their makeshift training ground. It was a secluded training ground just outside Konoha. Although it had once been used by Konoha's Shinobi, it had been long since abandoned.

Altaïr finished his drink as he looked towards his student disapprovingly. "You know the hidden blade comes at a steep price. Only a dedicated assassin is allowed the right to use it." The man held his left hand in the air, clearly speaking of his missing ring finger.

"I am dedicated," Naruto argued. "I've trained with you everyday of the last three years. I deserve this."

"An assassin knows no vanity, Naruto." Altaïr paused as he seemingly pondered his choice of words. "Besides... Wouldn't it be difficult to form hand signs with a missing finger?"

Naruto blinked. He hadn't thought of that. His thin lips twisted into a frown at the thought, "So I have to choose between the hidden blade and being able to use Jutsu?"

"Perhaps," Altaïr admitted as his face morphed into a thoughtful expression. "It may come to that...and if it does you can't make a hasty decision. In this land hand signs are a vital part of being a Shinobi."

"I don't care! I'll find a way to use hand signs with only nine fingers. And if I can't I'll give up being a Shinobi -"

"Enough!" Altaïr spoke sternly, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Leave these thoughts for another day." 'That won't do... The Sandaime has expressed a desire to see Naruto as a Shinobi. He made it quite clear at our initial meeting...'

Xx Flashback xX

Altaïr climbed through the many flights of stairs, an anxious feeling building up in his mind. 'What could the Hokage want with me? Have I broken any law I'm not aware of?' It had been almost a month since Altaïr had begun training his newest recruit. To say he was impressed with Naruto's progress would be an understatement. 'That boy takes to a blade like a fish does to water. He's a born killer, in all right.' Shaking these thoughts from his mind, the assassin found himself at the tower's top floor. A quick nod from the secretary let him know that he was expected. Altaïr silently slid the door open as he felt a pair of eyes lock to his form.

"It's good to see you, Altaïr-san," the aged Hokage nodded respectfully towards his guest.

"It's an honor to finally meet you, Hokage-sama." Altaïr felt uneasy just being around the man. Despite his aged body, the assassin had no doubt in his mind that the old man before him was not to be taken lightly. He knew that he stood little chance of survival should he evoke the Hokage's wrath, at least not without the Apple of Eden by his side.

The Sandaime nodded, accustomed to such respect. "I'm sure you're wondering why I've called you here today."

"I'm sure your reason is sound, whatever the case may be." Altaïr responded coolly.

"Yes," Hiruzen paused as he took an exaggerated drag on his pipe. "It has come to my attention that you are currently residing with a young child of my village; one Naruto Uzumaki."

The assassin nodded, having expected such a question. "Yes, a temporary housing option. It's just until I find a place of my own."

"Of course. The only question I have is; why a child, of all people?"

"Well," Altaïr paused, contemplating his words wisely. "I've grown a sort of...tolerability for the child, more so than I can say about anyone else in your village."

"I see. If my sources are correct, I am to believe that you are training him as well?" The Sandaime's normally light-hearted features were now replaced by one's of complete seriousness.

"Yes," Altaïr answered after a moment of silence.

"Well..., from what I've heard the boy has grown quite attached to you." Hiruzen stared directly into Altaïr's eyes at this point. "Naruto means more to me than you could ever know. If you hurt that child... I'll kill you myself." This was not a threat. It was a promise.

"You have my word that no harm will befall him."

"Good," Hiruzen smiled, his deadly aura dissipating. "I also intend for him to be a Shinobi one day. It is what his parents would have wanted."

"I understand." Altaïr had caught the hidden message. 'Don't do anything to try and stop him from being a ninja... or you'll regret it.' "Will that be all?"

"You are dismissed," the aged Sarutobi answered calmly.

Xx Flashback End xX

"-ensei! Altaïr-sensei!" Naruto's voice broke the assassin from his thoughts.

"Sorry, I dazed off for a bit." Altaïr said as he ran a hand through his brunette hair.

"Yeah..." Naruto agreed uncertainly. "What are we doing next for training?"

"We're done for today," Altaïr answered as he pulled his hood back over his head, shadowing his face once again.

"What? Why?" Naruto questioned confoundedly. "I can keep going."

"I know you can," Altaïr agreed as he began to walk off, followed quickly by his confused student. "I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise...?" Naruto asked suspiciously. A surprise could mean a number of things when one had Altaïr as a teacher; an upped training schedule, for one. "What kind of surprise?"

"You'll just have to find out won't you? It wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you what it was," Altaïr answered cryptically. With these words he took off into a sprint.

"Wait! Hold on!" Naruto shouted in protest as he rushed after his teacher, grumbling curses under his breath the entire way.

X.x.X.x.X

"H-ha!" Naruto shouted through pants as he finally caught up with Altaïr. "I finally caught up to you."

"That you did," Altaïr chuckled as he approached a nearby building. A sign hung from the modest sized shop. It read, 'Sapurai's Weapons: The Home of Konoha's finest Ninja tools'.

The Jinchuriki stared at his mentor strangely. "A weapon shop? I already have plenty of kunai and shuriken. Why are we here?"

"You'll see," Altaïr answered simply as he pushed open the door, a bell alerting the cashier of his presence. The store was a modestly sized, family owned weapon shop. While it was not the corporate juggernaut that Shinji's store was, it got by well enough.

"Welcome to Sapurai's Weapons. Can I help you sir?" A feminine voice called from behind the counter. The girl was young; being around Naruto's own age. She was clothed in an average looking pink blouse and loose pants that reached down just below her knee. Her short brown hair was pulled into two buns atop her head. The girl's chocolate eyes stared intently into Naruto's own. All of a sudden a flash of realization appeared in her eyes as she shouted, "I know you! You're the boy who was kicked out of the orphanage."

Naruto nodded timidly. His experiences at said orphanage were ones that he would rather not relive. "Yeah..."

"They said you would always cause trouble; steal from the other children," the girl accused with a frown.

Naruto seemed to shrink into his shirt. While it was true that he would occasionally steal food from his fellow orphans, he would only do so because he wasn't given any of his own. "I...uh..."

Altaïr raised his hand dismissively. "What's done is done. There is no changing the past. I'm sure Naruto didn't steal from anybody without reason."

"Sure," the girl accepted Altaïr's answer without question. "Your name's Naruto, that's right! I'm Tenten."

Naruto nodded in greeting as he turned towards his mentor, "So why are we here again Sensei? You never told me what you're getting."

"Not what I'm getting, what you're getting," Altaïr corrected. "It's time for you to get a sword of your own."

"A sword?" Tenten questioned, disbelief written across her face. "That little punk can use a sword?"

Naruto turned a glare towards the girl. "I'm not that much younger than you, you know."

"I know, but you're tiny!" Tenten argued. Her words, while offensive, were nonetheless true. Naruto was short for his age, despite his growth spurt in recent years. Fortunately Altaïr was helping the boy in changing his eating habits.

The Jinchuuriki stalked towards the counter, proving that he was a couple inches shorter than the girl before him. He stared into the girl's eyes, his gaze unwavering before her own cocky expression. A snort escaped his nostrils as he turned around, opting to not start anything. "Can we just find the sword and go, Sensei?"

Altaïr nodded, although he was inwardly impressed by his student's act of self-restraint. A few years prior, the young blond would have escalated the event into a spectacle. "I believe you would be more inclined to a smaller, more precise sword. Perhaps something akin to a wakizashi, at least until you hit another growth spurt."

Naruto frowned. He had wanted a larger sword, something along the likes of Altaïr's sword. Unfortunately he did see the logic in his master's words. Eventually he conceded, figuring that Altaïr would know more about swords than he would. "Yeah, I guess that'll work."

"Altaïr!" A new voice called as a large man appeared from the back entrance. "It is good to see you my friend."

"And you as well," Altaïr smiled as he shook the larger man's hand. He turned towards his student," Naruto, I'd like to introduce you to Tanomoshii Sapurai; the best blacksmith in all of Konoha and also the owner of this fine establishment."

"You over exaggerate," Tanomoshii waved off Altaïr's praise as he extended his hand towards Naruto. "It's good to meet you Naruto. Altaïr has had nothing but good things to say about you."

"Thank you, it's good to meet you too." Naruto grasped Tanomoshii's hand in a firm grip.

"I need to talk to you about something; a new design of mine." Altaïr gestured towards the children.

The blacksmith understood the hidden meaning immediately. "Tenten! Would you take Naruto over to where we keep the blades and show him around a little. I need to talk to Altaïr."

Tenten shot her adopted father a suspicious glance before nodding slowly. "Sure. Follow me." With these words the two academy students trekked to the far corner of the shop.

"What is the design?" Tanomoshii was all business now. Every ounce of humor that had once filled his gaze was gone at this point. Altaïr dug into his cloak, producing an odd colored scroll. "What is this?"

"It's a design," Altaïr began, his gaze flickering over to his young prodigy. It lingered there for a moment as the assassin pondered his choice of words. "An upgrade, if you will."

The blacksmith nodded as his keen eyes scanned the scrolls contents. As he read further and further into the complex design his respect for the man before him grew tremendously. His eyes widened as he glanced towards Altaïr, "This is...a very complicated design. It would no doubt be a useful tool. Will it work?"

Altaïr nodded his head assuredly. "Yes, I have no doubt in my mind it will work. This new design will open up countless opportunities for future upgrades. Without the loss of a finger...one could possibly wield two of them simultaneously."

Tanomoshii nodded approvingly as he rolled up the scroll, tucking it into his pocket. "I will begin on it at once. It will probably be complete in... Say two weeks?"

"Excellent," Altaïr's lips curled into a wide grin. "Thank you my friend. I'll go check on Naruto; he has a tendency to become overwhelmed during a difficult decision."

X.x.X.x.X

Naruto stared longingly at the innumerable amount of blades on the wall. Swords of all length, shape and design decorated the numerous shelves. They had everything from large, seemingly unusable, zabatous to the smallest of daggers. It was a rush of material for Naruto's young mind to comprehend, let alone judge. He turned a nervous gaze to brunette girl, "Umm, Tenten?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm not really a good judge of these. Can you help me pick one out?" Naruto questioned hopefully, his cheeks tinted pink in embarrassment.

Tenten rolled her eyes at the boy's question. "Sure." She scanned through the shelves of blades, mentally judging the properties in an attempt to find Naruto's perfect match. Her small hands slid across the sheathed form of numerous swords, all varying in size. "What's your price range?"

"Oh..." Naruto's mood deflated at this point. He wasn't exactly well off, as the only source of income he currently had was his monthly allowance. A quick glance towards the price tags assured Naruto that he was definitely lacking the funds for the swords of upper-end quality. "Well, I -"

"Price is not an object," Altaïr's voice broke Naruto from his thoughts.

The Jinchuuriki's mood of depression pulled a sudden one-eighty as he spun around, staring at Altaïr in a mixture of bewilderment and happiness. "Sensei... You don't have to."

"Nonsense," the assassin brushed off Naruto's hesitance as he turned towards Tenten. "A boy such as yourself must be well armed."

Naruto nodded in delight as his gaze flickered to the wall of swords, his lips stretching into a wide grin. His eyes skimmed the wall and his eyes lit up in approval. His arm straightened as the boy pointed towards a position on the wall, "That one."

"That one?" Tanomoshii questioned skeptically. The last thing he desired was an unsatisfied customer made from their own haste.

"Yes." Naruto nodded, his voice overflowing with conviction. The blade, a wakizashi, was approximately thirty-six inches long. The hilt was sewn of a royal blue cloth, with midnight black silk wrappings. Its sheath was a similar color to the hilt, being a deep blue. The blade itself spanned twenty-four of the thirty-six inches and was a shade of dull gray, reflecting a minimal amount of light. It was a weapon optimized for single handed use, although the hilt was long enough to hold a second hand, should the situation call for it.

"Yes," Tanomoshii hummed as he approached the blade. His large, calloused hands engulfed the small sword as his keen eyes scanned its build. "It's a masterly crafted blade, no doubt. Although it is a bit on the small side, it is as good of a first blade as any Naruto could find."

"The size matters little," Altaïr assured his friend as they approached the counter. "Naruto is a very resourceful boy. He'll manage."

"I'm sure he will. The total will be 1200 ryo." Tanomoshii grinned as he caught sight of the frantically approaching child.

"Sensei! Can we go train with the sword now?" Naruto questioned eagerly as he clenched the wakizashi protectively to his chest.

"You want to train?" Altaïr asked suspiciously. His lips curled into a smirk at Naruto's nod. "Training must be too light if you are asking for it. I believe it's time that we up your regimen, wouldn't you say?"

The assassin-trainee's face lost all color as he stared at his mentor, flabbergasted in every aspect of the word. He choked down a groan and nodded in defeat. He wasn't looking forward to his new found training schedule... that was for certain.

X.x.X.x.X

Naruto sat evenly in his seat as he waited for the rest of his class to arrive. It had been a little over three months since he had acquired his wakizashi. Since then every day since had been a nonstop routine of school, training and sleep. He had trained endless hours with the blade, hoping to become as proficient as possible with it under his master's watchful eye. While it was difficult at first, as adjusting to a differentially proportioned blade was never a task of ease. After three months of honing his skills he'd finally come to the point where he would allow himself to carry the sword in public. For an assassin the public display of one's blade was not for novice swordsmen. For many it wasn't until their fifth or sixth year of training that they would wear their blade in public. For Naruto it had taken three, which was no small achievement. He wore the blade on his hip, held securely in place with a leather belt. His acute sense of hearing alerted him to a new arrival in the room, previously occupied by only himself and Iruka-sensei. His eyes snapped open as he identified the culprit; one Sakura Haruno.

These days Naruto's opinion on the aforementioned girl was impartial at best. During his early days in the academy the young Jinchuuriki had developed a small crush on the pink haired girl. It wasn't near the level of the Haruno's own crush towards Sasuke Uchiha, but it was nonetheless a crush. He had been enticed by the girl's oddly pigmented hair and her shy personality. That all changed the day Ino Yamanaka came into the picture.

Ino was one of the popular girls; always in with the trends and possessing perfect hair. She had, more or less, broken Sakura out of her shell. At first this was a good thing, as the girl's self esteem had skyrocketed. After awhile, the two best friends found themselves in a predicament. They both liked the class prodigy, Uchiha Sasuke. From that day on, they had both developed loud, beauty obsessive personalities. They had also both started to develop a dislike towards the class dobe... which unfortunately was none other than Naruto Uzumaki. Although over the previous three years Naruto had established himself in the upper quadrant of the class in terms of skill, his reputation as dead last hadn't left.

"Hey Naruto," Sakura called, her curious eyes shifting to the blade at Naruto's hip. "What's with the sword?"

A small smile broke free from Naruto's lips at the attention. "It's my first sword."

Sakura nodded deliberately slowly as she shot him a look of disbelief. "Do you even know how to use it?"

"Yes." The blonde's eyes closed in discontent as he took a breath to steady his rising temper. "Why would I bother buying a sword if I couldn't use it?"

"To show off, obviously." Sakura rolled her eyes as her lips spread into a cocky smile. "It's sad, really. You always go out of your way to try and attract attention to yourself."

"Whatever," Naruto muttered in an apathetic manner. Although his exterior appearance was one of indifference, on the inside Naruto was seething at the words. 'Everyone always underestimates me... If only Altaïr-sensei would let me go all out in the spars. Then they wouldn't be able to underestimate me anymore.'

Soon enough students began to flood in through the doorway, most bringing with them sour moods at the prospect of another long day. Naruto brushed off the expressions of shock the student's seemed to develop at sight of his blade. He had more pressing matters to worry about than the public opinion. One such matter was the present Altaïr had promised him if he aced the Kawarimi test. Altaïr was not exactly the most generous person in the world, so a present could mean anything. That included an upped training regimen, as he'd disguised such a thing as a present before. Naruto had a good feeling about this one, however.

The reason for his optimism was simple; it was his birthday. Every year the tenth of October would catch Naruto off guard. It wasn't that he didn't know the date of his birth...he instead opted to try to forget it. Every year the cold glares would escalate on this very day, and although he had never actually been physically harmed, it was an unpleasant experience nonetheless.

"Naruto!" A sudden shout alerted the boy of his teacher's annoyance.

"Yes...?" Naruto questioned innocently.

"Pay attention!" Iruka scolded the Jinchuuriki as he gestured towards the chalk board. The day's lesson was written in large characters. "Unless you want to fail today's test?"

Naruto shook his head quickly as a sigh escaped his parted lips. It was going to be a long day.

X.x.X.x.X

Naruto exited the building slowly, his lips stretched out in a face-splitting grin. He'd passed the Kawarimi test. Not only passed, he had aced the test. Iruka-sensei had showed him his test scores. They were the highest in the class. The Jinchuuriki beamed in self-pride as he began his trek home, his excitement guiding him through the crowds of people.

"Naruto!" A feminine voice called from his blind spot.

The blonde's head snapped backwards as he caught sight of the voice's owner. It was Tenten, clad in her usual sleeveless blouse and green pants. "Tenten, did you need something?"

The brunette shot Naruto a suspicious look as she spoke, "You promised you would train with me today."

"Oh..." Naruto blinked in realization. He'd forgotten all about his prior arrangements in his hurry to make it home. He chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry, I guess I forgot."

"Whatever," Tenten rolled her eyes as she latched on to Naruto's forearm, taking off in a sprint. "Come on, I've got a new technique I want to try out!"

They arrived at an empty training ground shortly after. Tenten was panting lightly and Naruto looked no worse for the wear. Naruto shot the girl that he had come to call a friend a wary glance. "What exactly are you going to do? Last time you wanted to 'test out a new technique' you almost killed me!"

"Don't worry. You'll be fine," Tenten assured as she produced eight kunai from her pouch. She quickly slid the knives into position; four in each hand with each kunai attached to a finger via the small ring. "Hopefully," she added as an afterthought.

Naruto's lips parted in silent protest as she hurled the dangerous daggers towards him with pinpoint accuracy. He side-stepped the first dagger, catching it between his middle and index fingers. He quickly spun on his heel, using the newly acquired kunai to deflect two more. The blond flipped over a fourth, using his hands as a springboard to propel him to safety. Dropping the kunai in his hand, he turned an exasperated glare towards his training partner. "What the hell was that? You could have warned me you know!"

"I'm sorry," Tenten stated in an exaggerated tone of sorrow.

The observant blond noticed a glint in her eye and immediately began to sweat. "No. Whatever you're thinking, do not do it!" It was then he noticed a glint of light coming from Tenten's fingers. 'Invisible wire...?' Tenten jerked various fingers in a seemingly unrelated pattern. Soon the previously dispatched kunai responded to her command as they twisted around, speeding towards Naruto at alarming speeds.

'Damn, no time to dodge...' Naruto thought in panic as he chained through a set of five hand signs. The ten kunai embedded into Naruto's flesh just as he finished his seals. He exploded into a cloud of smoke, revealing a log had taken the damage. "Are you trying to kill me?" Naruto questioned irately as he appeared from the surrounding brush, seemingly unscathed.

"No," Tenten answered with a grin of approval. She beamed in her apparent success, happy to have finally mastered the technique. "I knew you would survive! Well maybe not knew but I was pretty sure."

Naruto rolled his eyes at the older girl's antics. "Whatever, I'll see you tomorrow then."

"You want to train tomorrow too?" Tenten questioned hopefully. As an afterthought she added, "Kenjutsu only?"

"Kenjutsu only...?" Naruto asked suspiciously.

"I promise," Tenten smiled warmly.

"I guess," Naruto agreed. In truth he would have agreed either way. He didn't have many acquaintances, and even fewer friends. After three months of training with the girl, Naruto could happily place her in the latter category. Despite some of the girl's more... dangerous antics, Naruto couldn't help but be drawn to the sole peer he considered a friend. It also helped that she was an orphan like him. "See you tomorrow, Tenten."

X.x.X.x.X

"Sensei," Naruto called as he entered his small apartment. Despite his home's small size, it was always kept clean and organized. Altaïr had purchased a second bed, a futon, in the event that he would actually spend the night. Most nights the assassin would disappear, claiming that he had work to do. After almost four years of, more or less, living with the man, Naruto couldn't really say that he actually knew him. All he knew was that Altaïr was incredibly strong, and supposedly the leader of the Assassin Order. The man was shrouded in secrecy, never so much as hinting towards his past. Despite all the mystery that surrounded him, Naruto found himself trusting the man more and more with each passing day. It helped that he was the first person to actually take an interest in Naruto's training, where his other teachers would have been more than happy to see him fail. He shook himself from his thoughts as he closed the door behind him, searching for any sign of the man. "Sensei?"

"I'm here, Naruto." Altaïr entered from the bedroom. Something seemed different about the man. Naruto couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he knew that something was off. "Did you need something?"

Naruto nodded slowly as he scanned the man's appearance. Then it hit him like a hundred pound anvil falling from the top of the Hokage's tower. "You have two hidden blades?"

Altaïr nodded as he flicked his right wrist. With a light click the blade slid from its sheath, exposing itself to the outside world. With another gesture to blade slid back into his wrist, leaving no outward sign of its existence. "I do."

"It seems different though," Naruto frowned as he examined the blade. "You're not missing a finger on your right hand. The blade also seems to be made from a different material."

"It's true," Altaïr admitted as he sat down, gesturing his student to join him at the table. "I had the blade redesigned. This new design does not require the sacrifice of a finger. It is also forged from a denser, chakra conductive metal. Despite the density the weight remains virtually the same. Overall it is a satisfactory upgrade for the dated original model."

"Wow," Naruto gawked at the blade, jealous of its functionality.

Altaïr smiled as he produced a wrapped package from his robe, tossing it towards his apprentice. "Happy birthday Naruto."

Naruto's face was overtaken in a grin as he ripped open the package. Inside was the new, redesigned hidden blade. He bowed towards his teacher, "Thank you Altaïr-sensei. I will use this blade with honor."

"I wouldn't doubt it," Altaïr agreed as Naruto attached the blade to his wrist. "Remember Naruto, this blade is not a toy. It is a privilege to wear the hidden blade. This blade is the trademark of an assassin; our all purpose weapon. I give it to you now because I feel you are ready."

Naruto nodded somberly as he flicked his wrist, allowing the small blade to protrude from its protective sheath. His gaze flickered towards his mentor's; his eyes were void of all humor. "I understand."

"Remember the tenants Naruto. Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent," Altaïr preached as he gestured for Naruto to continue.

"Hide in plain sight," the blond continued.

"Never compromise the brotherhood." Both the master assassin and the trainee finished simultaneously.

"Good..." Altaïr nodded as he stood up, making his way to the bedroom. He nodded towards Naruto, urging him to follow. "It is time to make your ascension into the brotherhood official... Come, we have much to do."

X.x.X.x.X

A/N: That's a wrap. Next chapter will have another short time skip and *possibly* Naruto's first mission as an assassin. Many people have asked about the pairing. The pairing in this story won't come into play until later - how much later I'm not sure. I could go a few different directions. If you liked the chapter, have any advice, ideas, etc... Leave a review. Review either way.