Disclaimer: Still not Kishimoto, but kudoes to anyone that recognizes the mistake in Chapter 1's disclaimer and this chapter's. Also, if anyone can guess my real name they get a shoutout.
Naruto was disillusioned with the academy. His bookwork was terrible in spite of hours of studying, his ninjutsu and genjutsu were making terrible progress, and he was the leader of the class in taijutsu. Surprised? So was Naruto, his adoptive father constantly told him that hard work would allow someone to overcome all barriers, and that he was Youthful, so everything would work in the end. Naruto was ashamed that even his taijutsu and stealth grades were not enough to raise him above dead last. Kiba was only a few points higher, but he was arrogant and rubbed his status in Naruto's face constantly. At this point, Naruto preferred the company of the brooding loner Sasuke to Kiba anyday. Not to say they hang out, just trained near one another.
In any event, Naruto decided he was right with his initial assessment of the academy, that it would be long, arduous, and a most unyouthful experience. Until his third year at least, as that year Iruka shaped up and apologized for the way he had been treating Naruto, and Naruto successfully passed Kiba due to his bookwork grades rising dramatically. Naruto now spent what free time he had either training in his father's Goken with the weights he received as an eighth birthday present, or asking Iruka for tips on the thrice-damned Clone Jutsu. It made no sense to Naruto that the single easiest and the first jutsu taught to the class was the only one he could not reproduce. His Replacement Jutsu and Transformation Jutsu were flawless, but his clone was unusable.
The third year of the academy also saw Naruto officially make his first friend his age, someone the antithesis of Youth, Nara Shikamaru. It had started from that first detention they shared the first day, but didn't progress until the third year, when Shikamaru became curious enough about Naruto's treatment to question his father about it. This led to Shikamaru seeking answers from Naruto when his father alluded to some vague reference about "troublesome people just can't see what's in front of their eyes, only what's behind their hearts". Naruto remembered the conversation he had with Shikamaru as if it had happened yesterday. (You knew at least one of these was coming in a Naruto story, but I won't abuse them)
"Hey Naruto!" came an uncharacteristic shout from one Nara Shikamaru. Naruto ended his training of 2,000 kicks per foot before turning around and and replying, "Yes, Shikamaru-san, what is it?" "Well I've been wondering about the way that the teachers treat you, and the civilian-born students aren't any better. Do you know why?" A sad smile appeared on Naruto's face before he nodded and told Shikamaru, "For the longest time, I had no clue, but my dad told me a little while ago, and while I could use some vague reference about kunais and scrolls, I think I'll just tell you. On the tenth of October, the Kyuubi attacked our village and was sealed away into a newborn baby. I was the only child born that day, and thus became the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi."
Shikamaru had thanked Naruto for trusting him with the truth, and offered to hang out with him in their free time. Naruto accepted immediately, and burst into his first experience with Youthful tears when Shikamaru further asked if Naruto could help him with his taijutsu. Being friends with Shikamaru instantly made you friends with Choji, and an acquaintance with Ino. Naruto never cared too much for Ino and to a further extent Sakura's infatuation with Sasuke, and told her as much when he was reintroduced to her as a friend of Shikamaru's. That started a conversation about Naruto being jealous of Sasuke's good looks, and ended up with Ino retracting that statement after she appraised Naruto in depth for the first time. The black body suit of the Third Hokage he wore showed defined muscle far above what an eight year old should have. The haori on his back, while unadorned, was a piece that made him look noble as it blew in the wind. His face was a bronze tan, and was angular in a handsome way, with the whisker marks softening the look. His eyes were a sapphire blue that held people's attention, and sparkled like the gems they resembled. The breastplate was a rusty red color with a swirl hammered into the spot above his heart, making him appear fierce, but the smile he always wore comforted those set on edge by the armor.
Ino had actually stated that the eyes, hair, and face made Naruto look like a miniature Fourth Hokage, which had caused Shikamaru to pale and Choji to choke on his chips, as the two had spoken of that before, and came to the conclusion that if Naruto did not know than the hokage must have a reason. Naruto's face crinkled into an obvious thinking pose for several seconds, before he hugged Ino shouted his thanks and ran to talk with his father and the hokage about what had just been discovered. Ino had blushed from the sudden contact with a boy she had just declared attractive, possibly nearly as much so as Sasuke, before returning to normal and leaving to follow her tall, dark, and handsome somewhere where the brooding was good. Shikamaru and Choji went to one of their usual relaxation spots. Naruto confronted his dad and jiji about Ino's statement, and the truth was ignored until Naruto asked for a blood test to prove paternity, where Hiruzen cursed Gai for making Naruto smarter and Gai began crying until Naruto assured him that even if the Fourth had sired him, Gai was still his father.
With the truth known Naruto began training even harder, after all, he was going to be Hokage and surpass both of the men he looked to as father's. Naruto requested that even if he were given scrolls of inheritance his heritage itself remain hidden until he made Chunin, as he was nowhere near strong enough to protect himself from his doubtless future assassins. Despite his Youth burning brighter than ever, he still could not make the basic Clone Jutsu work, and his dad stated that the only other clone he knew was a kinjutsu, and that he could not teach it to someone that was not already a shinobi. Iruka tried near the end of the year to help the most dedicated student in his class, but nothing they did seemed to help. Iruka discovered though that the amount of chakra Naruto put into one clone could create sixty clones, though all of them still turned out dead looking and soon disappeared.
With all other avenue of help exhausted, Naruto went to the Hokage for help, and prepared his full argument for why he needed a replacement for the Clone Jutsu. "Jiji I need something that can take the place of the clone jutsu for my ninjutsu, even after three years of training it I have had no progress." The old man stared at the amalgam of miniature hokages for a few minutes before replying, "Alright Naruto, I will allow your father to teach you the Shadow Clone Jutsu on the condition you not use it until the graduation exam. Do I have your word?" "Of course Jiji, and should I fail to follow your condition I will run 400 laps around the academy training ground on my hands!" 'That's all, wow, I could have done that way earlier.' Naruto's Youthful shout echoed in the small office, earning a groan from the hokage. Without further ado a grinning Naruto dashed off to tell Gai about the hokage's deal, shouting about learning something new being Youthful. Hiruzen, meanwhile, simply thought to himself 'you are lucky I already know you have the chakra to do that technique, otherwise who knows what would have happened.' (In a less Youthful Narutoverse, everyone still alive sneezed simultaneously)
Back with Naruto, the hero was excitedly running back home… on his hands. He was also doing scissor kicks while balancing rocks not quite large enough to be boulders on his feet. Naruto's Youthful exercises had ceased to catch the attention of the civilians for months, but even they were paying attention to him now. At least, in his head they were, as they were fervently congratulating him on becoming the Fifth Hokage, his first decree of course was that his guilty pleasure, that being ramen, would have research done to make it still taste amazing but also be incredibly healthy. His daydreams came to an end as he saw the humble apartment he shared with his Youthful father, and he quickly righted himself and dropped his rocks before wiping his feet and announcing himself. "Dad, I'm back! Jiji said you can teach me the Shadow Clone Jutsu if I promise not to reveal it until I'm a Genin." Gai's teeth flashed with an audible ping as he turned to Naruto, smiling at the news. "Yosh! My son your training in this most Youthful jutsu will begin immediately, but if you don't learn it within three days, you must have it done and usable without hand-seals in one month." Naruto knew that these challenges were supposed to be penalty tasks, but he loved training and getting stronger so much he typically did them even when he didn't need to, his 'walk' home being an example of this.
Naruto's training continued in a manner like this until his fifth year in the academy, when he and his father were called in by the Hokage to his office about half-way through. When the Youthful duo arrived, they met a stern-faced Hokage, whose frown and slouch combined to say that he had bad news. "I have a busy day today, so allow me to get straight to the point. Gai, you can't be the Jounin sensei for Naruto's team, it would lead to unconscious favoritism, something the ideal of Konoha teamwork cannot allow. As such you will take one of the Genin teams that graduates this year, the choice of team will be up to you." Naruto and Gai both appeared to be nonplussed by this news however, as it was something they had discussed before, and they agreed with the Hokage, although Gai believed he should still be able to teach his son as the major clans taught their children even after selection. "Hokage-sama, Naruto and I agree with you about the favoritism, but if you tell me that I cannot teach my own son in my spare time, that is most unyouthful." "Very well, Gai, there is a shinobi prospect this year I believe you might enjoy teaching though, he cannot mold chakra externally, or in high amounts, leaving him as a taijutsu only shinobi should you approve of teaching him. His name is Rock Lee."
And thus a new person would be introduced into the Youthful atmosphere, and he would admire Gai so much that, one day not far off, he would model himself on the Youthful but unfortunately fashion-challenged shinobi. Rock Lee would also become Naruto's second friend his own age, and would prove himself an adept in the training method of Youth. Naruto's training with his father changed focus after Lee was introduced to the Goken, as Naruto's mastery of the style was extreme, it was complete with the exception of the use of the eight-gates, which his father refused to teach him before he became a Genin. With his only taijutsu practice being used to maintain his skill and increase his speed, strength, and reflexes, chakra control was his newest subject. Gai realized after learning of Naruto's problem with the Clone Jutsu that he wouldn't be able to use genjutsu without significant control exercises and that his ninjutsu would also suffer from overcharged techniques that may or may not explode in the user's face or lungs. So Naruto got on the fast track with tree-walking, while simultaneously holding stones to his body and practicing his taijutsu to make the training both more efficient and difficult. Naruto was actually capable of using the only genjutsu shown to academy students by the sensei there by the end of his fifth year, the Illusion Art: Misdirection Jutsu.
Naruto's final year in the academy was easier than all of his previous years by far, leaving him in second place in the class standings when the Genin exam was finally taken. Due to the Rookie of the Year actually being a cumulative score decided upon by the scores of all six years, and with Sasuke using his Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu to gain extra-credit in ninjutsu, he failed to earn the award. It didn't matter to the unflappable hero though, his father had promised him all he could eat ramen at Ichiraku's Ramen as a graduation reward. When he got back from the C-rank he had taken his team on anyway. So while Naruto sat on his favorite swing, watching the others get congratulated by their parents, a certain slimy Chunin walked towards him, hoping to take advantage of the fact that Gai wasn't here to protect the object of his animosity. "Hey Naruto, I see your dad isn't here to pick you up today, how about you do something to make him extra proud when he comes back?" Mizuki said this in a kindly voice, one he had perfected after years of living in a village filled with those he considered simpering idiots. "What exactly do you think I should do Mizuki-sensei? I really wish I could have been Rookie of the Year for him, but it's a cumulative reward." Naruto scrunched his face up and tilted his head while responding, thinking too deeply to notice Mizuki's wrath that the brat he was speaking to was ever adopted and taught enough to even pronounce the word 'cumulative', let alone know what it meant. "Well Naruto, there is the extra-credit exam, Sasuke failed it so if you pass you will automatically be Rookie of the Year. All you have to do is sneak into the Hokage's office, take the Forbidden Scroll to training ground 8, learn a technique and hand me the scroll." The maniacal grin was thankfully only in Mizuki's head, otherwise even someone like Naruto who was rather naive even after Gai's training would have caught on. (Naruto has no sexy jutsu in this dimension, so how will things play out?)
Naruto snuck into the Hokage's office looking for the scroll Mizuki told him about, and found it completely undetected. Of course, he had just opened the window rather than gone through the whole building, and the scroll was propped against the Hokage's desk for some reason, so it wasn't exactly the chore Mizuki led him to believe, but hey, free scroll. The Hokage watched from underneath the Ninja Art: Chameleon Cloak Jutsu that his favorite student created as Naruto took his scroll, and sent ANBU to follow immediately after the boy had left. He also had the distinct feeling he should feel thankful that he was not defeated by a humiliating technique, but shrugged that off. The ANBU kept at their task of following Naruto until he reached his destination, and even watched over him as he learned a new technique. Naruto quickly memorized the hand-seals for his chosen jutsu, and even the entire description including fine-print of what it did. After several hours of exhausting training, Naruto lay smiling and panting on the ground, the wielder of a brand new kinjutsu. It was then that Mizuki showed up, and twenty seconds later that he threw one of his impractically large shuriken. (Shuriken means literally "Sword hidden in the hand" Mizuki's couldn't be hidden in the hands of a bijuu) Naruto managed to duck, tired as he was, and even glared at someone for the first time since Iruka apologized to him. "Sensei why did you attack me, I passed the test?! Your actions are literally the opposite of Youthful, beyond unyouthful in every way!"
Malicious if not truly threatening laughter broke from Mizuki's lips, before a snarl was released with a few 'surprising' words for our hero. "Why? You want to know why? Well I'll tell you. You are the Kyuubi! That's right, the foul demon that destroyed the majority of this cesspool was never killed, but instead sealed into the form of a pathetic babe that night, and that baby is you! Ahahahahehehe…" The odd laughter continued a few more seconds, before a confused Naruto watched the pathetic joke of a first villain be knocked out by the ANBU that had been there. Naruto really didn't get what Mizuki was on about though, he had been told that the fox was sealed inside him by his birth father, and that he was a hero that the civilians misunderstood, but Mizuki was a ninja, so why would he think something like that? Naruto quickly shrugged his thoughts off, before waving to the ANBU and returning to his home, saddened that he wouldn't be able to give his father a framed Rookie of the Year award.
One week later, on the day that teams were to be decided, Naruto was as usual the first person to sit down in the classroom. In spite of the relative dislike he had once held for the place, he had always attempted to arrive early for class, in an attempt to prove that he was deserving of being there. Sasuke came in next as normal, and sat next to his favorite buffer for fangirls as was his tradition. The two weren't friends exactly, but they respected the others talent and drive for becoming Shinobi, Naruto knew they wouldn't be immediately put on a team together, but they likely would work together in the future. The rest of the class filed in more or less at the same time, with the exception of Ino and Sakura, who arrived too late to sit next to their crush once again. They almost thought he was avoiding them, but there was no way that could be true. Well not for Ino at least, as she took time to actually work on the physical skills of being a kunoichi, especially since Naruto said it might help her get Sasuke. Sakura on the other hand, was about as useless as the average civilian girl that came out of the academy, which is to say, she couldn't fight. She could call up answers to book questions easily, but was essential as tough as a down pillow. Just as she started her deliberate walk to move Naruto away from 'her' seat though, Iruka walked through the door and ruined yet another opportunity to sit with the grand emo. (I dislike both Sakura and Sasuke, but at least one of them will be an acceptable character in this work. I am not going to seriously bash any main character. Mizuki wrote his own jokes though.)
"Alright Genin, everyone sit down. THAT'S AN ORDER!" Iruka brought out his own original technique for the last time that his first class would ever see it in their entirety, it nearly brought a tear to the scarred Chunin's eye to think about that. Everyone was seated by the time the 'an' had come out of his mouth, all of them still amazed their teacher could be so intimidating in spite of having not been one of the teachers to have fought in the war. "Alright, I will now read the team numbers, names of Genin in each team, and sensei for said Genin teams. First, team one, nameless side characters, same for two through six. Team Seven, you are Inuzuka Kiba, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke. Hatake Kakashi is your sensei." Iruka ignored both Kiba's shouts of indignation and Sakura's screams of 'true love conquering all' and proceeded to simply shout the next team over them. "Team Eight, you are Maito Naruto, Hyuuga Hinata, and Aburame Shino. Yuuhi Kurenai is your sensei. Team Ten, The other three named students, you get Sarutobi Asuma." Ino managed to not even look upset about her team, having matured more than Sakura with the help of her friends.
As soon as Iruka finished speaking, a tall man with short hair, a beard and rugged looks came in smoking a cigarette. He also had what appeared to be a red handprint on the side of his face, but seemed able to ignore it. "Team Ten, follow me." He turned and went right back out the door not even waiting for his students to follow him. Next through the door came a woman whose appearance gave Naruto what he thought might be a heart attack. Stylishly wild and loose ebony hair framed a chiseled feminine face with full pouting lips and sinfully gorgeous crimson eyes. A slender neck descended from this visage to reveal a body that gave proof of rigorous physical training with its obvious muscle and complete lack of fat. The tight white dress covered in a motif of rose thorns clung to the body wearing it so tightly it seemed in love with it. The very lightly tanned skin that was exposed drew the eyes and held them where they were, reducing the ability of anyone that could appreciate aesthetics to think of anything else. Large and perky (D-cup, or larger? You decide) breasts, a narrow waist, and perfectly curved hips finished what many might describe as the ideal female as she walked into the room, the ornamental red sleeve on her right arm flashing slightly as she moved.
"Team Eight, you're with me." Even her voice was intoxicating enough to stun anyone unprepared to hear it. Yuuhi Kurenai was patient and respectful enough to wait for her students to all stand up and follow her before she turned and left. Naruto recovered from his mini heart attack and followed his angelic appearing sensei with a smile, certain that he would enjoy his life as a Genin.
Endnote: This chapter kinda fought with me and I feel that it is sort of rambling a lot. Anyone who can guess the pairing have fun, and anyone that can't there will be more "hints" next chapter. The next chapter will feature the first actual combat in my "Rated M for violence" story, and I hope it excites you. Also, there is another story with an incredibly similar premise that came out a week after I published chapter one of this story. I say this to avoid flames from people that don't read dates. Please review, and there will be another chapter within two weeks.