Today is the worst day of my life.
Such were the thoughts of one Uzumaki Naruto, a young blonde-haired academy student who decided long ago that he would wear an orange jumpsuit to catch the attention of every last person on Konohagakure no Sato.
Naruto's day started like any of his others – he woke up, he heated up some ramen, he got dressed, he left for the academy and, of course, arrived late. But today was a special day. This was the day of the Genin graduation exam. For Naruto, it was his third try. He didn't know why, he had no idea why he was completely unable to perform a standard Academy Bunshin, but for some strange reason all he created was a pale, sickly version of himself that was unable to stand.
Now, Naruto was not unintelligent in any way. In fact, he was among the most intelligent in the academy. As far as he could tell, his test scores should've been the highest in the class this year. Every single time he would get his test back the grade would always be failing. It pissed him off, especially because upon stealing a glance at Nara Shikamaru's paper, he would note that his answers were almost identical – if not more detailed – than the lazy Nara genius. But Naruto would always fail and his classmates would always pass.
It didn't help that every single girl in the class was head-over-heels for him. Ugh. Uchiha Sasuke, the famed Rookie of the Year in the eyes of his entire class. Sasuke had a knack for being good at just about everything. Sure, his academic test scores were just barely above average, but his physical capabilities far outdid those of any of the other members of Naruto's class. And Naruto hated it. He would intentionally show off just to piss him off, and when Naruto would be unable to match him, Sasuke would frown and label him as a dobe. Kami, Naruto wanted to annihilate the snot-nosed brooding bastard that Sasuke was.
But it didn't matter how hard Naruto would try.
The Academy instructors hated him. The whole damn village hated him. He had no friends, he had no family, hell, the only reason he was in the Academy in the first place was because of the Sandaime Hokage – Sarutobi Hiruzen. Naruto thought of him as his grandfather. But it was all for naught. Naruto's education would constantly be undermined. If he had a question he would be ignored. If he had a problem it wouldn't be fixed. If there was an important lesson he would be sent out of the room for absolutely no reason at all. It infuriated Naruto. He couldn't get anything done. Try as he might, he would never be able to graduate. The only saving grace was his current instructor, Umino Iruka. Naruto looked up to him. They were both birds of a feather. Both were orphans – though Iruka knew his parents before they died. Both had a rather large love of Ramen. Both knew the pain of being alone. But, despite Iruka's best efforts, Naruto still failed the exam. He could perform the Henge and the Kawarimi to absolute perfection. He could nail eight of the ten targets with kunai. He could answer every question on the written exam perfectly.
But it wasn't enough.
His Bunshin would always fail, no matter what he did. He hated it. He was never capable of learning what he was doing wrong, and even with Iruka's help, Naruto just couldn't do it. And that was why Naruto found himself in his current predicament. He was running through the woods just outside one of the training grounds, laughing his ass off at what he had just accomplished. He had stolen the Scroll of Sealing from the Hokage Residence, right from under the ANBU Black Op Guardians' noses. It was hilarious how easy it was. As he came to a clearing he stopped. This was where he was supposed to be. There was the hut, just like Mizuki had said. Naruto turned to make sure he was completely alone. He snickered, kneeled down and opened the scroll.
"This is going to be so easy! I'll have this technique down in no time!" Naruto remembered the promise that his other instructor, Mizuki, had told him. All I gotta do is learn one stinking technique from this scroll and I graduate! Aright, let's see… Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu... Alright, that sounds simple enough. Naruto rose from his kneeling position and held his hands in the hand seal shown, a cross pattern between his index and middle fingers on both hands. Alright, let's do this!
"Uzumaki Naruto! There you are!"
Naruto spun around, his gaze meeting the new arrival. "Iruka-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed. "Are you here to give me my make-up exam?"
"Make-up exam?" Iruka's expression morphed into one of pure concern. "Who told you about this make-up, Naruto?" Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment, tapping his chin. "Mmm… It was Mizuki-sensei… He told me if I could learn one of these jutsu, he'd pass me and I'd be an official genin of Konoha!" Iruka paled. So, Mizuki is behind this…
"I see that you're here, Iruka! Glad you could make it!" A barrage of kunai was unleashed in their direction. Iruka barely pushed Naruto out of the way, only to take the entire barrage himself. He spun around, pinned to a small wooden hut that sat in the clearing. Iruka and Naruto both looked up, their eyes fixating upon the figure of Mizuki. "Naruto, quick, give me the scroll!" Mizuki was grinning, a feral gleam in his eye. Iruka grunted in pain as he slowly pulled the kunai out of his body. "Don't… Don't do it, Naruto… Don't listen to him!"
"Shut up, Iruka. This boy here is guilty of stealing a scroll containing Konoha's most valuable kinjutsu! He must be punished!" Naruto's eyes widened. He turned to look Mizuki in the eye. "You said if I could learn at least one of these jutsu I'd be able to pass and make it to genin!"
"He lied, Naruto," Iruka muttered. "He lied to you, and he is still lying to you. Don't give him the scroll, no matter what you do!"
"Lying? Pfft, Iruka, don't you think it's a little old using that word? Naruto has been lied to his whole life!" Iruka panicked.
"Mizuki, don't you dare…"
"You want to know why everyone hates you, Naruto? Why no one wants to be around you? Why you're all alone?" Mizuki looked far crueler as the moonlight slowly shifted and revealed his face, bathing it in a pale blue glow. "It's because you have the spirit of the Kyūbi sealed inside you! You are the Nine-Tailed Fox demon!" Naruto's eyes widened. Suddenly, it all made sense. 'Demon brat' rang in his head. The insults, the glares, everything suddenly became very clear. It can't be… Naruto thought. Mizuki began laughing. "And now I'm going to kill you! So long, Kyūbi! Have a nice trip to Hell!" Mizuki unhinged one of the giant shuriken from his holster and threw it as hard as he could. Naruto turned and ran, tripping and falling. So this is it, huh?
"Naruto, no!"
The pain of being nailed in the back by the weapon never came. Slowly Naruto opened his eyes, turning around to see what stopped it. His eyes widened when he discovered it was Iruka who had taken the blow. All he could utter was one word. "Why?"
"I failed you… Naruto… I should've been there for you… No one deserves to be alone like you have. We're alike… Both of us. We're orphans. We both grew up completely ignored. We both played class clown for attention… We're the same…" A tear rolled down Iruka's cheek and dripped onto Naruto's. Mizuki's insane laughter filled the clearing once more. "Oh please! Iruka is lying to you again! His parents died when the Kyūbi attacked the village twelve years ago! He hates you! He wants to see you dead as much as I do!" Naruto's eyes widened and tears began to fall. "Don't listen to him, Naruto…"
Too late.
Naruto took off, scroll in hand. Iruka turned to Mizuki. "Dammit, Mizuki! Why are you doing this?!"
"It should be obvious, Iruka. When he killed my fiancé and my family, all those years ago… Hmph. That brat deserves to die. And don't worry, I'll be back to finish you off. I'll make sure everyone knows how the Kyūbi brat went berserk and attacked his instructor, and how I, being the hero that I was, stopped him. Too late to save you, though. Sorry!" Mizuki smirked and took off in the direction Naruto went. Iruka groaned, pulling the shuriken out of his back. I have to find Naruto before Mizuki does…
Naruto could hear the arguing from his hiding spot. Mizuki had just been tricked by Iruka, performing a Henge to attempt to lure him off. Mizuki looked disgusted. "Why, Iruka? Why would you defend that murderer!? He killed your parents!"
"I'm not going to let you have that scroll. You'll just use it for your own sick and twisted goals!"
"You're an idiot, Iruka. Naruto and I are one in the same."
"Oh?" Iruka quirked a brow. Mizuki's terrifying laughter filled the new clearing. "Exactly! Where I'd use the scroll to further my own ends, Naruto would use that scroll to unleash his hatred on the village! He'll release the fox and kill us all! And you want to know why, Iruka? Because that is what monsters do!"
"You're right." Naruto's expression fell. Iruka-sensei… Of course he thinks that. He thinks I'm nothing but the fo-
"That is what a monster would do, but Naruto is not a monster. Naruto is an excellent student! Naruto does everything in his power to try to be accepted. He's brilliant. He's intelligent beyond you or me. And don't think I don't notice how horribly he's been taught. You all undermined him. I've seen his tests. You fail him despite how correct his answers are! If Naruto were properly taught it would be him that earned the title of Rookie of the Year! Naruto is a fantastic kid. He knows exactly what pain feels like, what loneliness feels like, but he carries on. He carries on because he is Uzumaki Naruto, a proud shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato. He isn't the damn fox that everyone says he is! He's a hero!" Tears of joy began to stream down Naruto's face. Iruka-sensei… He accepts me! Iruka-sensei accepts me! And he thinks I'm better than Sasuke-teme! I can't believe it!
"You know what, Iruka? Fine. You can die now for all I care. Enjoy hell, bastard! I'm sure that's where you're headed for protecting a demon!" Mizuki unhinged his second giant shuriken and readied the killing throw. Iruka frowned. Is this it for me? Before Mizuki could throw it, Naruto leapt out from his hiding spot and tackled him to the ground.
"If you even think of hurting Iruka-sensei," Naruto spat, his chakra swirling and flaring around him as he stood up, "I will kill you!" Mizuki cackled maniacally. "You!? Kill me! Hah! You're pathetic, demon brat! I can kill you with a single jutsu! I'm a chūnin, kid! You don't stand a chance!"
"Oh yeah?"
Naruto held up the hand seal he was about to use before Iruka interrupted him. "Well then, lemme show you exactly how wrong you are! I'll beat you down for everything you've done! I'm gonna give it back a thousand-fold! Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" The clearing was suddenly filled with smoke. Iruka started coughing. When the smoke cleared his jaw dropped to the floor. There's… There's at least a thousand of him! He mastered something considered an A-rank just by looking at it! And to create this many on his first attempt… Naruto, you truly are amazing…
Mizuki paled. He fell backward and started trying to crawl away, only for him to be stopped by a clone's foot. "Going somewhere?" the clone asked. Another clone started laughing. "I thought you were gonna kill me with a single jutsu! Or are you scared? Scared because I'm about to kick your ass?!" A third clone sneered. "Hey, guys… Let's teach this bastard a lesson! One-Thousand Fists of Fury! Let's go!" Every single clone leapt into action, swarming Mizuki. Screams of pain and agony filled the air as the army of clones each took a shot at him.
A few minutes of intense beating later…
Naruto stood alone above a bloodied and broken Mizuki. He was grinning and rubbing the back of his head. "Heheh… I think I may have gone a little too far…" Iruka grinned.
"Not a problem, Naruto. Hey, come here a second and close your eyes." Naruto did as he was told, feeling his signature goggles being taken off his head and something else being wrapped around the vacant spot. After a few seconds, Iruka spoke again. "Alright, Naruto, you can open your eyes." When he did, he noticed the distinct lack of a hitae-ate on Iruka's forehead. He immediately put two and two together and smiled.
"No way…"
"Congratulations Uzumaki Naruto. You pass! You are officially a Genin of Konohagakure no Sato!" Naruto was grinning ear to ear. He couldn't believe it. "Hey, Naruto, we should probably go report to Lord Hokage's office. He'll want to know absolutely everything that has happened tonight. I'm also sure you have a lot of questions for him. And, tell you what, tomorrow I'll take you out for ramen." Naruto's face lit up even brighter.
"Alright!" Naruto and Iruka stood up and left the clearing, Iruka wincing from the pain with every step that he took.
Naruto hesitantly knocked on the Hokage Office door. He was nervous, and he had many questions for the Old Man. "Enter," he heard. Carefully Naruto opened the door, placing the Scroll of Sealing on the wall next to him, Iruka close behind. The Hokage looked up from his paperwork, a smile forming on his lips. "Ah, Naruto, Iruka, glad you could make it. Word has it that Mizuki had a nasty plot against this village that you officially thwarted, no?"
"How did you-" Hiruzen tapped his orb, interrupting Naruto.
"I can see anything I want in this village, Naruto. All I need do is think of who it is I want to watch."
Naruto hesitated again, formulating the question in his mind that was burning within. "Jiji, be honest with me… Did the Yondaime seal this… thing," Naruto grabbed his gut, "in me because I'm his son? It would make sense, right? He wouldn't want to burden any other families with it, and he would only do something like this to his son… Please, Jiji, don't lie to me. I have to know! It would make me feel better about having this curse placed upon me!"
Hiruzen sighed. The boy is perceptive, I'll give him that. Slowly he rose. "Before I answer that, I must know something. Umino Iruka, how would you summarize Naruto's academic experience? Was he taught correctly or poorly?"
"Actually, Hokage-sama," Iruka looked nervous, "to be honest, Naruto wasn't taught anything in the academy. They didn't help him at all. He has so much potential, as seen tonight with his use of the Kage Bunshin, but the instructors did nothing to cultivate it. I'm sure that they held a massive grudge against Naruto for being the jailor of the Kyūbi, but it is still no excuse. It is why he is unable to perform a standard Academy Bunshin. His chakra is simply too massive and they never instructed him properly on chakra control."
Hiruzen nodded. "I see. Well then, Naruto, as an attempt to correct the massive errors of the Academy, I am going to grant you two things tonight. The first will be private specialized instruction with two of my finest ANBU Black Op Guardians. Hebi-san, Neko-san, please enter." Naruto turned around to see two ANBU Guardians enter the office, one wearing a Snake mask and the other wearing a Cat mask. Hiruzen smiled. "Anything that is said in this room tonight is now classified as an S-rank secret punishable by death. Do you all understand?" Everyone nodded.
"Good," Hiruzen stated. "Now, for my plan. Hebi-san and Neko-san will both instruct you privately. They are both well aware of your heritage already and your burden, and they hold no bias toward you. They will be by your apartment tomorrow at eight o'clock to begin your training. You have a week and a half before the team selection occurs in the Academy. I will be finalizing the rosters this week and consulting with each of the jōnin instructors as to whom they would prefer to instruct." Naruto nodded, a smile gracing his sad features.
"As for your heritage…" Hiruzen's face darkened. "Your parents, Naruto, are the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and the daughter of the Uzumaki Clan Leader, Uzumaki Kushina." Naruto's eyes widened. "Let me explain why you were not told, Naruto. In the Third Great Shinobi War, your father single-handedly defeated an entire platoon of shinobi from Iwagakure. Iwa hated the man with every fiber of their being. In fact, Iwa placed a five-hundred million ryō bounty on his head in their bingo book. If they were to discover that he had a child, you would be in grave danger. Additionally, you are Uzumaki Clan Royalty. You are the only living heir to the Uzumaki Clan's leadership."
"The Uzumaki Clan was one of the most powerful clans in the entire world. Their capacity for the art of fūinjutsu was unparalleled. They could do things that no other single human being was capable of, including the greatest feat of Uzumaki Mito, sealing the Kyūbi within herself. She was the first jinchūriki. She was also the youngest daughter of the Uzumaki Clan leader. She had a sister, Uzumaki Tasami. Tasami was the eldest child and heir to the Uzumaki Clan. She married within the clan and had a son, Mōroi. He went on to marry and had his own child, and that child gave birth to Kushina. Kushina was a very strong and brilliant young woman, albeit with a fiery temper and a short fuse. She had near perfect chakra control and rivaled Senju Tsunade with her strength. She was not an Iryō-nin like Tsunade, but she was very capable of the art."
"She was sent here just before the destruction of the Uzumaki Clan's village, Uzushiogakure. She enrolled in the Academy and graduated among the top in her class. The other top graduate was one Namikaze Minato, whom she went on to marry fifteen years after her graduation. She was especially gifted in fūinjutsu and ninjutsu, excelling in the use of any Katon and even developed her own taijutsu style to complement her precise chakra control. After Uzushiogakure was destroyed she became the official clan head of the Uzumaki Clan. In this village, that made her royalty. Eventually she was selected to become the next generation of the jinchūriki to house the Kyūbi. She was chosen specifically for her unique and advanced chakra, something you have inherited from her. Kushina loved you with all her heart, and she was very upset that she was unable to raise you. She was killed the night of the Kyūbi attack by the creature itself."
"Namikaze Minato, on the other hand, was a born prodigy. A genius in everything and a master at anything he desired to be, Minato became a jōnin by the age of thirteen. He had two particularly strong chakra natures – lightning and wind. And this is where it becomes incredibly interesting. Minato was the son of Namikaze Ryūtan and Senju Yashira. Yashira was the daughter of Senju Kazami and Kazami was the daughter of Senju Tobirama, the Nidaime Hokage. Naruto, are you aware of what this means?"
"It means…" Naruto said, absolute awe lighting his features. "It means that I'm directly related to three of the village's Hokage! I knew it! I'm destined to be Hokage!"
Hiruzen smiled. "That you are, Naruto. Minato learned fūinjutsu from Kushina. On the night of the Kyūbi attack he had to seal it. The Kyūbi is a bijū, a sentient being of living chakra. These beings feel emotion, think rationally and have unquestionable power. Due to their nature, they cannot be killed, only temporarily disrupted. In order to permanently defeat the bijū they must be sealed. Unfortunately Kushina was in no place to have the Kyūbi resealed within her. She was near death as it was. And so he chose you, because he believed that only you could tame the Kyūbi's power. He wanted you to be a hero. He loved you as much as your mother did, Naruto. He wants you to be his legacy. He believes that only you can surpass him."
"Jiji… What happened the night of the Kyūbi attack? I mean, if she was the jinchūriki, how did the Kyūbi escape?"
"When a female jinchūriki is giving birth, the seal that houses the bijū is weakened dramatically. A masked man – claiming that he was Uchiha Madara – knew this. He infiltrated the secret location where she was giving birth and captured her. He released the seal and unleashed the Kyūbi upon the village." Hiruzen frowned. "We do not know where he went or how he got in and out of the village without setting off any alarms. I am sorry, Naruto."
Naruto frowned. "Uchiha Madara… The same Madara that founded the village? He's claiming to be that Madara?!"
"Unfortunately, yes. That is why, Naruto, you must be strong. We must fix the errors of the academy, and that is why Hebi-san, Neko-san and Iruka-san will all train you tomorrow." Hiruzen met Iruka's gaze, noting the absolute awe and surprise contained within. "Iruka-san, tomorrow you will bring books on chakra control, fūinjutsu, unit tactics and political history to Naruto." He then turned to Neko. "Neko-san, you shall work on Naruto's basic ninja skills. Kunai, shuriken, taijutsu, even kenjutsu, if you wish." Finally, he turned to Hebi. "Hebi-san, you shall work on Naruto's chakra control and teach him a few basic jutsu, as well as work on his fitness. Do you all understand?"
All three responded at once. "Hai, Hokage-sama!"
"One last thing," Hiruzen started, opening a drawer in his desk and pulling out a piece of paper. "Naruto, I want to know your chakra nature affinity. This paper is from a special tree fed with chakra from the day it was a seed. If you channel your chakra into it, one of five things will happen. If it splits in half, you are wind natured. If it crumples, you are lightning natured. If it burns, you are fire natured. If it crumbles to dust, you are earth natured. Finally, if it becomes damp, you are water natured. Do you understand?" Naruto nodded. He took the paper and channeled his chakra into it, and Hiruzen's eyes widened at the result – the paper split in two, the first half igniting and the second crumpling. He couldn't help but smile.
"Why, Naruto, it seems you've inherited all three possible chakra natures from your parents! Wind, fire and lightning! You truly are gifted, Naruto."
"Thank you, jiji! I won't let you or my parents down. I'll become a great ninja!"
"I have no doubt you will, Naruto." Hiruzen smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. "Additionally, due to the nature of tonight's events, I am awarding you A-rank mission pay. It will not be placed on your record officially, but I want to thank you for dealing with Mizuki." Naruto smiled and nodded. With that, the group turned and left. Hiruzen sat back in his chair and grinned. Naruto is going to make you proud, Minato, Kushina. Just watch.
Naruto woke up at 7:30 the next morning, adrenaline already pumping through his veins. He couldn't wait for what was going to take place today. His first day of actual training! He was so stoked. He had already showered, gotten dressed in his orange jumpsuit and eaten breakfast when the door knocked. He rushed to get it. When he opened it the two ANBU from the previous night were there, sans masks. The very first thing thrown in his face – literally – was a new pair of clothes.
"Put them on, gaki. I'm not going to teach a kid who sticks out like a sore thumb. Granted, the sweatshirt is still orange because I know you like it, but at least it isn't an eyesore jumpsuit."
"Hey! I like orange!"
"Gaki, I'm not going to question what colors you wear when you prank the ANBU headquarters and aren't even caught. Your stealth skills are incredible, but I'm tellin' ya, that jumpsuit is making you look like a moron."
Naruto frowned, but then sighed and rolled his eyes. At least there's some orange! He quickly went to his room and changed. After he was done he quickly looked at his appearance. He had to admit, his new attire actually looked good. The sweatshirt was primarily orange with some black flair on the cuffs and the bottom hem, three black stripes extending from a black collar down each sleeve to the cuff. Underneath the sweatshirt was a mesh shirt, each hem being the same black color as the sweatshirt. He now sported black shinobi fatigues. His new attire was completed with black shinobi sandal-boots that extended from three-quarters of the way up his calf down to his toes. He exited his room and noted the approving glances given to him by his two new instructors.
"You know what'd go good with all of that, Yūgao?"
The purple haired woman, Yūgao, tapped her chin for a moment. "Hmmm… Well, Anko, I think a black headband would work better with Naruto's hitae-ate, instead of the standard blue."
"You're absolutely right! Good thing I have one. Here, gaki!" Anko tossed a black hitae-ate to Naruto, who caught it mid-air and grinned as he replaced his blue headband. Anko grinned approvingly. "Now you look like an actual ninja." Naruto nodded.
"So where are we going?" Naruto asked.
"To my favorite place, Training Ground Forty-Four. It's a special training ground reserved for the Chūnin exams, the Jōnin exams, and the ANBU Black Ops as a special training ground. It's known as the Forest of Death, but it's not actually all that scary. None of the wildlife is released into it unless one of the exams is taking place. Otherwise they're all sealed in special facilities to keep 'em all nice and healthy." Naruto grinned.
"Alright then, let's go!" The two ANBU turned and began walking, Naruto trailing closely behind. He took this opportunity to fully examine his two new instructors. Yūgao had long purple hair and light skin, her eyes a chocolate brown color and her features delicate. Her standard attire was the ANBU Black Op equipment. Black shinobi clothing was the base, with a gray flak jacket covering her torso. Metal armguards were attached to her wrists, her hands and forearms covered by black gloves. A large katana was strapped to her back, and with her upper arms visible Naruto noticed the ANBU Black Ops tattoo on her right shoulder. She wore the standard ANBU Shinobi Sandals with spikes to aid in mountain climbing. Strapped to her legs were three pouches.
Anko was quite a different story. Her hair – also a violet color – was shorter and spikey, held in a tight ponytail that resembled a fan. Her eyes were a much lighter brown. She elected to wear a mesh body suit that covered the entire area from her neck to her lower thigh, just above the kneecap. Around her neck was a small snake fang pendant. A tan overcoat with a purple in-seam hung from around her shoulders and fell to the area just below her knee. A light brown miniskirt was wrapped around her waist, held in place by a dark blue belt. Her chosen footwear was blue shinobi sandals, her shins protected with steel shin guards. Naruto decided he wanted to break the silence.
"So… Your names are Anko and Yūgao?"
"Yes, Naruto-kun," Yūgao replied. "I am Uzuki Yūgao, and I was trained by your mother prior to becoming a member of the ANBU Guardians."
"And I'm Mitarashi Anko. I didn't know your mother that well, but I knew your father through my sensei. He was a pretty swell guy. Was pretty depressing when he… y'know…"
Naruto nodded. "So you two don't hate me?" The two women looked at each other and started laughing.
"Hate you? Why the hell would we hate you?" Anko asked, still chuckling a bit through her laughter. "In our eyes and the eyes of most of the ANBU, you're a damn hero. The fact you've gone twelve years living under the villagers' hatred and you haven't cracked means you're one hell of a guy. Lemme tell ya, your father would be freakin' proud of you, gaki!"
"Your mother as well," Yūgao added. "She was ecstatic when she discovered her pregnancy. You were named five months before you were born."
"And I'm going to be trained to surpass them?" Naruto asked, hopeful. "I don't want to let either of them down. They gave their lives for me to be given this opportunity, after all." Both women nodded, smiling warmly at him.
"When we're done with you, that Sasuke brat isn't going to be anywhere near able to compete with you. By the way, since you now know your heritage, the Hokage is hoping that you're up for becoming a member of ANBU soon."
Naruto looked at Anko, confusion etched on his face. "ANBU? Don't I have to be at least a Tokubetsu Jōnin to be in ANBU?"
Anko and Yūgao grinned. "He's willing to make an exception for you. The ANBU marker," Yūgao pointed at her tattoo, "will give you unlimited access to any documents you want, freedom from the police and large discounts at any shinobi store. He figures it's the only way to ensure that you don't have a hard time getting everything that you need."
"On top of that, ANBU gets a special payment. He knows you're broke. He wants to give you money but he can't do it without justification. And since the Hokage doesn't need council permission to select ANBU members, you're perfectly fine," Anko quickly chimed in. Naruto grinned at this info.
"Awesome!" That was when he noticed that they had arrived. Training Ground Forty-Four was a huge forest surrounded by a fence. Anko walked up to a gate and unlocked it, ushering them all in. She closed it behind them and locked it back up. She then turned to look at the other two.
"Iruka should already be here…" Sure enough, Iruka popped out of the tree line, three scrolls in his hands. He waved them over, and they followed him into the forest. When they came to a large clearing they stopped. Iruka set down the scrolls and opened them, revealing them to be sealing scrolls. He quickly undid the seals, revealing three stacks of twenty books. Naruto's eyes widened.
"How the hell am I going to read all of that in a week!?" Naruto demanded.
"Easy, gaki. This is why you're extremely lucky to have massive chakra reserves. You know that Kage Bunshin you've already mastered? Well, it's considered a kinjutsu for a reason. Anything a clone learns is committed to chakra memory, meaning when it is dispelled you learn anything that it learned." Anko patted him on the back. "That means that you have a style of training that no one in the entire village is capable of, seeing as you have monstrous reserves!"
"What Anko means," Yūgao cut in, rolling her eyes, "is that in order to create even a single Kage Bunshin you must have a fairly large reserve of chakra. To create a thousand, like you did last night, requires chakra reserves that dwarf those of even the Sandaime." Naruto's eyes widened even further.
"So… What you're saying is…"
"That you're capable of becoming Jōnin level in a month." Iruka supplied, smiling. "So why don't you create about… mmm… four-hundred clones? Leave sixty here to read these, then send one-hundred and forty with Yūgao, and send the remaining two-hundred with Anko. You'll go with her as well to start doing some physical training. As much as you can learn from clones, physical prowess can only be achieved by you. Chakra memory can't enhance muscles."
"Alright, Iruka-sensei! Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
The clearing filled with exact replicas of Naruto. Before Naruto could even give out commands the clones began to separate. I guess I don't need to give orders… They just know what I want them to do. The real Naruto quickly ran off with Anko and two hundred clones, one-hundred and forty following Yūgao, leaving sixty behind. They each took a book from the pile and began reading them. The books were each on a new subject, ranging from Political History of the five Great Nations to the basics of fūinjutsu. Each clone took to the task with alacrity, opening the book and pouring every last drop of their concentration into the text. Naruto was actually incredibly smart, an intelligence quotient equal to that of Shikamaru. Many people mistook Naruto's pranks for his lack of intelligence, but some of his schemes were so advanced and elaborate that it truly marked how clever and intelligent he was.
Naruto also had spent a lot of time in the library. While he wasn't able to do anything at first, he quickly remedied the situation by using a Henge that allowed him to fool the librarian. His vocabulary and grammar were near flawless. His handwriting was perfect. Naruto's capabilities in math encompassed everything from basic arithmetic to advanced calculus. This, of course, led to him being a genius in physics. He had a great range of knowledge that would put many civilians to shame, and Naruto knew this from the day that he began the academy. He loved learning and reading. Sure, he may not read in class, but Naruto was a great academic.
His physical skills didn't leave much to be desired, either. Despite the lack of rudimentary training, Naruto had quickly learned the basics to using kunai and shuriken, as well as ninja wire to set up traps. His basic stealth skills far exceeded those of a high-level chūnin, and as such he was capable of pulling off masterful pranks. His crowning achievement occurred the day before the Genin exam, defacing the Hokage Monument right under everyone's noses.
Honestly he didn't pull pranks to be annoying. The only drive behind his pranks was to get the Hokage to spend time with him. Sure, there was the matter of wanting recognition, but it didn't matter as much as spending time with the closest thing Naruto had to family. Naruto and Hiruzen were quite close. Hiruzen, deciding he wanted his grandson, Konohamaru, to have an older friend, introduced Naruto and Konohamaru at a young age. The two bonded fairly quickly, each becoming a master at pranking. It was together that they had created the Oiroke no Jutsu, a technique that Naruto dubbed his 'Anti-Pervert Jutsu'. Although the technique seemed rather irresponsible and stupid, the actual technique itself was rather impressive. Naruto didn't just create an illusion, but he physically changed his body. His Henge was near perfect.
As the sixty Naruto clones left with Iruka took to reading, Yūgao divided her hundred and forty into four groups of thirty five, each and every group taking to something different. One group worked on his shuriken technique, another on his kunai, the third on his kenjutsu and a fourth on his taijutsu. One clone in each group would watch the other thirty-four, taking in information and making suggestions based on what he saw. Yūgao was impressed. Naruto was already quite a genius when it came to training.
Anko, on the other hand, was having a lot of fun. Because Naruto's chakra control sucked, she divided the two-hundred that she was in charge of into four groups of fifty. One group was responsible for climbing a tree with chakra, the second was attempting to cut a leaf with chakra, the third set to burning it and the fourth took to crumpling the leaf. Naruto himself was going through physical exercises. Crunches, push-ups, pull-ups on high branches, laps around the forest and using a lone stump as a punching bag, all while wearing heavy weights. To say that all three of his new instructors were impressed with how much energy he had would be a colossal understatement. His energy, his chakra reserves, and his ability to keep pushing himself, were insane.
As the day progressed, Iruka left and returned with takeout from various sources. He brought dango for Anko, of course, while also bringing Ramen from Naruto's favorite place – Ichiraku's – along with various other foods. Meats, vegetables, dairy, Iruka brought it all. He explained to Naruto that he would need to eat a lot more than Ramen to progress faster. As each clone finished a book or scroll, it would dispel itself to relay that knowledge to everyone else. It was comical when one clone finished a book on basic chakra control and dispelled, because almost immediately the clones under Anko's care suddenly adjusted themselves and began rapidly progressing. When another finished a scroll on basic taijutsu katas, the clones practicing taijutsu would quickly adjust. Watching Naruto progress from a talentless Academy student to a potent shinobi in one day was quite impressive.
As the day slowly drew to a close, Naruto was exhausted. Clones dispelled themselves in groups of ten, each relaying new information to Naruto. As he cooled down and ate a dinner that Iruka brought, memories from each and every clone quickly adjusted themselves in his mind. The fact that Naruto hadn't passed out at all was incredible, and the amount of progress he was making was even more remarkable.
This training regimen continued for the entire week and a half, each day seeing an incredible amount of progress. Naruto's chakra control was highly refined and corrected, his abilities to mold chakra and not waste it nearly perfect. It was almost laughable when Naruto, as a joke, created a standard Academy Bunshin that actually worked flawlessly. Iruka had to stifle his own laughter, settling instead for a grin. Naruto learned a basic jutsu in two of his elements – Katon: Endan and Fūton: Daitoppa – but was unable to learn any Raiton jutsu due to the complexity and the level of chakra control required. Naruto wasn't quite there yet.
In addition to his own ninja skills, Naruto learned quite a bit about everything. He learned about advanced tactics and ninja formations from various sources, he learned about political history between the five Great Nations, he learned about the various applications of all chakra, he read about the Great Shinobi Wars – all three that had occurred – as well as any new jutsu that were discovered, and he learned a fair amount of fūinjutsu. One particular thing caught his eye. It was a summary of the high-level enemy jutsu used in the Third Great Shinobi War, and this particular account was written by none other than Namikaze Minato himself.
The report listed running into a group of shinobi from Kumogakure. One of the shinobi, only known as A, used a technique that Naruto found quite interesting. The technique, labeled Raiton no Yoroi, created a field of electricity around the user that hyper-stimulated every last nerve in the body, allowing incredibly fast reaction times and increasing the user's speed tremendously. The technique was S-rank without a doubt, something that required incredibly intense chakra control and knowledge of how the element worked. And so Naruto set off to create his own version of it. In his spare time he would attempt to create something similar with his wind chakra, channeling it around himself in an attempt to create a small pocket of air that reduced his air drag.
He failed, miserably.
It was then Naruto decided he would set to reading as much about chakra manipulation and nature manipulation as much as possible. He was going to create this technique. He was going to have his own signature jutsu and he was going to show everyone up. And so he read up on everything related to chakra nature and shape manipulation. He was starting to make a tiny bit of headway, enhancing his arms to have wind behind every punch and his jumps to be much higher. But it was nowhere near battle-ready yet. He had a long way to go.
His most impressive feat, however, was mastering the basics and even some of the more advanced aspects of fūinjutsu. He could create sealing scrolls, explosive tags and chakra suppression seals. He was capable of understanding the basics behind how every single seal worked. And this led him to understand the basics behind the Hiraishin no Jutsu. Anko, Yūgao and Iruka were all massively impressed that he could even manage to understand it. So when he successfully performed it on a tree that he had marked on the last day of his training, their jaws dropped. Naruto had begun to learn an S-rank jutsu.
So far, Naruto couldn't do much with it. The target had to be stationary and he had to concentrate incredibly hard on where he was trying to teleport to. His chakra control wasn't at the level that it needed to be yet. It wasn't second nature, like it was with his father, but he could at least perform it. He would have to dedicate a large amount of time to understand the more complex workings of the Hiraishin, as he realized his inability to perform it as well as Minato also stemmed from a lack of understanding it.
On top of all of this other training, his physical training also drastically improved him. Due to the nature of muscle growth, the accelerated healing of the Kyūbi allowed his muscles to grow at a rate that most shinobi would envy with their entire being. At the start of the boot camp, Naruto had barely been able to perform a hundred pull-ups without breaking into a painful sweat. By the end he could successfully complete five-hundred in the same amount of time. By the end of the week, Naruto was at a level equal to that of a mid to high level chūnin. He was ecstatic at his progress. Constant use of the Kage Bunshin also greatly enhanced his chakra coils. His already massive reserves were even bigger.
Currently he was sitting on a tree branch, padding off sweat with a towel. His mesh shirt and sweatshirt had been taken off before he even began his physical training. Anko and Yūgao were both grinning like crazy.
"Well, gaki," Anko cheerfully said, "the week and a half is up. You've come a long way since the start, and I have to congratulate your work ethic. While we're not stopping these little training sessions entirely, it is now your responsibility to continue working. We can have a new advanced training session every Sunday, but other than that, your job is to work with the team you get assigned tomorrow."
"On top of that, you've earned the respect of practically everyone in ANBU. They've been watching secretly through the week to track your progress. There is not a shinobi in ANBU who doesn't know the name 'Uzumaki Naruto', and I must say that both Anko and I, along with Iruka, are all incredibly proud of you."
Anko looked at Yūgao and Iruka and started chuckling. "Finally, with the body we've given you, those Sasuke Fan Girls will think twice before accusing you of being inferior to him. A six pack in a week and a half? Damn, gaki, if all ANBU could have the same level of regenerative power that you had, we'd be the scariest damn village in the entire world."
Naruto blushed a little bit. He knew that Anko wasn't being sexual, but he could tell what she meant. Maybe Sakura-chan will actually stop being so mean to me… Wait, who am I kidding? I'm freaking annoying to her! Maybe if I back off a little, try building a friendship instead… Yeah… that would work. The very thought of having friends, let alone being friends with Sakura, made him smile. "Thank you, all of you… You don't know how much this means to me. I won't let you down, I promise! I'll show the world just why I will be the next Hokage!"
Naruto stood up and looked proud, pulling his mesh shirt and sweatshirt on. It was then that Yūgao chuckled. "You know, Naruto, because you haven't had time to have a haircut this week, you actually look a little more like Minato."
"Huh?"
"Your hair, you have the two bangs framing your face that Minato did. You look like him." Yūgao smiled. "You should keep it like that. The resemblance is uncanny. Also, take off your sweatshirt again, there's something I have to give you."
Naruto did as he was instructed and pulled off his sweatshirt. He watched Yūgao unseal a paintbrush and some black paint from a scroll she retrieved from one of her pouches. He quirked a brow, confusion settling on his face. She smiled and pulled up his right sleeve of his mesh shirt to expose his shoulder.
"I'm giving you the ANBU Marking, just so you can have full access to the things we promised. This paint is laced with a very special chakra that will bind it permanently to your skin. Additionally, it will respond to chakra that is run through it. This marker allows us to contact you when we need you. You'll feel a warm vibration if it isn't urgent, and a very hot vibration if the Hokage's life is in danger. It will also allow you to prove your identity. If you channel your chakra to it, the marker will light up and turn red, proving you are a member of the ANBU. That way shopkeepers can't deny your patronage. And, while it isn't official yet, this marker is also your first step to becoming one of us."
Naruto nodded and smiled. "Alright, do it!" Yūgao carefully and skillfully painted the marker on. After she finished she ran through four quick hand seals and placed her index and middle fingers on the seal. It lit up momentarily and then died down. She smiled.
"It is done. You are now officially connected to the ANBU network. Congratulations, Naruto. I look forward to fighting alongside you."
Naruto smiled and nodded. He then looked back to the other two instructors and grinned. "Well, Iruka-sensei, Anko-neechan, Yūgao-neechan, I have to go. Tomorrow is team selection. I have to rest and get ready! Thanks again for everything!" He spun around on his heel and left, leaving Anko, Yūgao and Iruka to watch him go.
"Naruto is incredible, isn't he?" Iruka asked. Yūgao nodded.
"The incredible fortitude, stamina and chakra reserves of his mother, the incredible intelligence, cunning and determination of his father and the amplification of all of those traits from the Kyūbi… Naruto is going to go far."
"It'll be interesting when the Chūnin exams come along," Anko added. "He'll make quite an impression. Especially if he learns the Hiraishin and that new technique he's creating… What'd he call it? Fūton no Yoroi?"
Iruka grinned. "Leave it to Naruto to do the unexpected. I'm looking forward to watching his progress." Anko slyly slid her arm around Iruka.
"So, Iruka-kun, you interested in… y'know… goin' to get some dango tonight?" Iruka blushed furiously.
"Uh… Uh… Uhm…"
"Ah come on, Iruka-kun! It'll be so much fun! Let's go!" Anko and Iruka both ran off. Well, Anko ran, Iruka was dragged. Yūgao merely smiled and shook her head at the antics of her two friends. She looked up toward the sky and locked her eyes on the moon.
Can you see it, Kushina-sensei? Your son… He is becoming the strongest of us. He won't fail you, I know it. Just you watch. Naruto is going to become the next Hokage.
And so ends chapter one! I hope you enjoyed and I hope I can rebuild the fanbase my previous story had. Review/Favorite/Follow, please! I promise to do better this time =)