Chapter 2
"Naruto, can you stay behind after class" Mizuki said, causing the boy to give a look of surprise.
He hadn't done anything this lesson. In fact, it had been at least a year since he had acted up at all. Mizuki didn't really notice the change at first, but the boy started being awake in class and took the occasional notes. He even asked relevant questions, not that the teacher took the time to properly explain the answers.
Naruto's attention was fleeting though, and it was seemingly random. It was as if there was a switch that caused him to become interested in learning that activated every so often.
"I didn't do anything!" He exclaimed. "Why do I have to stay?"
"Don't argue Naruto"
It would be accurate to say the boy didn't learn anything for the rest of the lesson, simply choosing to glare daggers at the man.
After all, but one student left the room, the teacher called him up to the desk.
"I'm actually here Naruto because I wanted to talk to you about your last test scores"
Naruto groaned. "What test? Did I fail or something?"
"Actually Naruto, it is the exact opposite" He stated, holding the test up. "Can you tell me how you achieved a near one hundred percent on this test?"
Naruto looked at the test and shrugged.
"I just knew the answers I guess" He said, rolling his eyes. "Why do I have to stay behind because I did well? Shouldn't you be encouraging this"
"That would be true, but unfortunately this looks a little closer to cheating than anything else" The teacher pointed to an answer. "Look at this one, the question on the immune system. That is the textbook definition pretty much precisely"
"Maybe I just know about those things"
"Unlikely, given your track record"
"I have read the textbook before, I know what's in it! How come no one else gets questioned when they do well?" Naruto said in annoyance.
Mizuki stared at the boy intently. He sighed, rubbing his eyes.
"You know I can't just ignore this. I would do the same to anyone that just started randomly getting near perfect test scores from getting fails. I just want to know if you are doing extra studying or something"
"Extra studying?" Naruto considered telling his teacher of all the studying he had been doing in the past year, all the nights he stayed up looking at diagrams of the body and how the various systems in it work. He even was able to sneak in on a rare lecture given at the hospital on autopsies. "I think I do about as much as anyone my age does"
There was something Naruto wasn't telling him, but he was going to let it slide. He had no evidence to support the idea that he was cheating, and if he was good enough to leave no evidence, he deserves to be a ninja.
"If you are sure, you just need to start thinking about how you are going to pass the academy. At the minute, you are scraping by in taijutsu and your knowledge of genjutsu is minimal. You only know one of the three ninjutsu you are required to know by graduation. If you keep your grades this low, the academy may decide to fail you regardless of minimum standards"
"What?!" Naruto screamed, slamming his hands on the desk. "What the hell?!"
"Calm down, calm down. I only meant that whilst those are the minimum requirements, unless you have top scores, we expect you to have another skill besides those we teach you. Look at those in your class. They are all either getting top marks across the board, or they have clan jutsu to rely on. You don't have that luxury"
Whilst Mizuki was explaining this, Naruto was formulating a plan. He couldn't tell his teachers that he was trying to become a medic-nin. The Hokage indirectly advised him to not tell everyone, as it was a lofty goal that people may ridicule. Whilst he had no qualms with being ridiculed, the academy wouldn't believe that he could become one. That meant either he had to master the mystic palm technique before he graduates, or improve another skill to the point he could rely on it.
"What can I do sensei?"
"You have a few years left to actually have something ready, but I would suggest trying to pick up a new jutsu" He said, gesturing with his hands. "Bolstering your arsenal can never hurt"
As if Naruto hadn't tried going down that avenue before.
"Come on sensei, you know learning jutsu is difficult! Surely that is the reason you are worried about me becoming a genin!"
"I'm worried because you aren't progressing in taijutsu, genjutsu and haven't made any effort to learn the remaining two jutsu. I just think it is something to consider – we all have different jutsu we are good at, and the more you practice learning a more diverse range of techniques, the better your chakra control will be"
Naruto admitted that the theory made sense, and it wasn't as if it wasn't an attractive idea. But as it is he was struggling with learning all that he wanted to know, let alone adding extra techniques in here and there.
"So how am I supposed to just 'learn a new jutsu'"
"Well, why not just get a scroll from the library"
Naruto facepalmed.
"You actually think I haven't tried learning from a scroll before?"
Mizuki laughed. "Alright, alright. How about this, I'll give you one demonstration of an easy jutsu, and you can spend your time recreating it"
The boy's eyes went wide, before he leapt up on the desk.
"Are you serious?! Hell yeah! You rock Mizuki-sensei!" He exclaimed, hopping from foot to foot.
Despite wanting to know everything about how to fix people's injuries, Naruto still loved the prospect of learning new jutsus, and he imagined one on one teaching would mean he could learn it in no time.
Mizuki sighed. "Well, at least we know what gets you interested in learning. Now could you please get off the table"
Naruto sheepishly hopped off and stared at the man patiently, giving him his full, undivided attention.
"Right, this is just a small jutsu, you do with it what you will, it is mostly used for camping. Watch closely. The hand signs are boar, horse and tiger"
Mizuki took Naruto's test and threw it into the air. He ran through the hand signs and breathed in.
"Katon: Hibana" the man said as a small flame shot from his mouth and latched onto the paper. Naruto stared in wonder.
"That is an easy jutsu to learn, and the basis for bigger techniques" The teacher said, liking the attention Naruto was giving him.
"That was awesome!" Naruto said, doing the hand signs with his hands, trying to get a feel for it. "Thank you so much Mizuki-sensei!"
Mizuki rubbed the back of his head. "Don't mention it, now get out of here"
"Wait a minute, you just burnt my test!" Naruto exclaimed, staring at the still burning paper.
"Woops, so I did, looks like you will have to take it again tomorrow, under my close supervision" Mizuki said nonchalantly.
Naruto stared at the man for a full minute, before turning around and walking out. "Well played sensei, well played. I'll forgive you this time because of the jutsu lesson, but next time you won't be so lucky"
Mizuki rolled his eyes and chuckled. The kid was growing on him, that was for sure. He had never gone out of his way for any other student, so why did he for Naruto?
It didn't take long for Naruto to get back and to start going through the hand signs for the technique he was about to master. With the image of his sensei burned into his mind, he copied what he saw exactly. Boar, Horse, Tiger, and breath out.
He followed this to the letter, but nothing happened.
He tried again, but to no avail. He could feel the chakra mould and move for the technique, but nothing happened.
A little annoyed, Naruto made extra care in doing the hand signs and picturing what he wanted, before taking a deep breath and exhaling. Nothing happened.
"God damnit!" He exclaimed.
Trying to be positive, Naruto concluded that it would help to do some chakra exercises first to really get a handle on moving the chakra around his body for the technique.
As always, he closed his eyes and focussed on his chest, and pushed the chakra to his hands, arms stretching out in front as he did so.
Immediately Naruto felt something different about the exercise. If this didn't give him a clue that something was wrong, then the smell of burning flesh and the pain he was feeling in his hand could.
Opening his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of his hands engulfed in flames, causing him to scream.
He ran straight to the sink and shoved them in the water. The whole apartment smelled like burnt meat, and Naruto's hands looked awful.
"What the hell happened?" He puzzled, trying to deal with the large amount of pain being inflicted.
Carefully, he bandaged his hands and took a few painkillers, all the while fearful to ever try using chakra ever again.
Eventually, he resolved to just try flaring some chakra. If he turns into a human fireball, at least he can deal with it in his own home and not in the academy or outside in the street.
Tentatively, he formed the ram seal and pulled.
After a few moments and realising he wasn't in mass amounts of pain, Naruto sighed in relief. At least he could still be a ninja.
Able to think about things rationally now, Naruto realised that it was obvious that his attempt at the fire jutsu caused the reaction, and it only took a few more minutes of thinking to work out how it happened.
To put it simply, he moulded chakra for the technique, which was akin to fire, but couldn't release it by breathing out. When he tried to move that chakra to his hands, it was understandable that fire would engulf that area.
Whilst it nearly cost him his hands, Naruto suddenly had an amazing idea.
Sasuke stared out the window, watching a bird fly aimlessly across the sky. This lesson bored him, these people bored him. He shouldn't be doing his, he needed to train, to prepare.
He didn't have the luxury to sit around and talk about make believe and to have fun. He was an avenger.
Such thoughts often stayed in his head, circling around until he got up and did something. For now, he needed the academy and all its not so useful lessons. It was the only way to become a genin, who can then become a jounin and learn all the high-ranking techniques they wanted.
So, he would wait until his chance. Besides, there was a few things in the school that could amuse him.
"Sorry I'm late sensei!" Naruto screamed, stumbling through the door. "It won't happen ag-ahh!"
What followed was an impressive display of rolls, flips and diving, ultimately making Naruto fall unceremoniously in the middle of the class.
Sasuke chuckled at Naruto's misfortune. The boy was a loser, but at least he provided entertainment.
"Pick yourself up and sit in a seat" Mizuki said, not turning around from the board"
Naruto hurried to the only available seat (the one next to Sasuke) and quickly got his books out and ready.
"Good afternoon, dobe" Sasuke said, smirking.
"It is still morning man, come on! I basically made it!" Naruto whispered, gesturing to the sky outside.
Sasuke noticed the bandaged hands and the badly burnt skin that wasn't quite fully covered.
"What's up with your hands?"
"Huh? Oh! That, my friend, is the product of my brand new jutsu that I invented" Naruto said proudly. "That's right, I have invented a totally new and unique jutsu. Try not to be too jealous"
Sasuke began laughing, half muffling it with his hand.
"As if dobe! You can't even make a clone"
"It's true! I spent all of last night making it, that's why I was late"
Sasuke looked back at his hands, and then shrugged and stared out the window.
"Whatever"
Naruto giggled. "You want to know, don't you?"
"I don't care"
"Come on, I know you are a sucker for a jutsu just like me. Just ask me" Naruto said, knowing exactly how to play the Uchiha.
After a few minutes of silence, Sasuke couldn't take it anymore.
"Fine!" He exclaimed a little too loudly, causing the whole class to look at him.
Naruto pretended to write in his notebook, only furthering the embarrassment Sasuke was feeling.
"I'll show you, don't worry" Naruto said, still pretending to write. "Though, it isn't finished yet"
"What do you mean?"
"I haven't really figured out a use for it yet" Naruto said, slightly embarrassed. "I actually stumbled onto it"
The Uchiha couldn't believe that Naruto could make a jutsu, and with each comment his curiosity doubled.
"Give me a second to get it ready" The boy said, holding one hand up in a half ram seal. He closed his eyes and concentrated.
It took about thirty seconds to mould the and move it, but as soon as he could he pushed it to his hands again.
Suddenly, flames appeared on the ends of Naruto's first two fingers, flickering gently. Sasuke took a few moments to register it, and started giggling.
"Dobe what the hell is that?!" Sasuke said, trying to keep his voice down. "It's so small!"
"Shut up! It is my first ever homemade technique! Show it some respect" Naruto said, stroking the flame. "Don't listen to the nasty man, you are beautiful, yes you are"
"What can you even do with it?"
Naruto blew the flame out. "Well, for one, I guess I can light things on fire easily" He started, saying it slowly to try and give himself time to think of a new use. "Look, don't think about what it is, think about the potential. This is a building block to a thousand amazing techniques"
Sasuke stared and the boy, and shook his head.
"I'll believe it when I see it dobe"
"Just know that I am the only one in this room to invent a jutsu. That means I am officially a genius" Naruto said, winking. "you must be awe-struck right now. I'm sorry, I can't help being the best"
Mizuki coughed, stopping Naruto's admission of greatness, and carried on with the lecture.
Sasuke couldn't stop smirking, as every time he tried thinking about something else, Naruto's antics always came back to make him laugh. He didn't have time for such nonsense, he couldn't afford to sit around and make up useless jutsu. He needed strength.
Mizuki observed the flame with curiosity.
"With just one night you were able to do this?" The teacher asked. "How did you manage this?"
Naruto smiled proudly. "Basically, I messed up the technique and instead of spitting fire out I made the technique try to exit via my hands. The result was my hands catching fire. Painful.
"But, after it I realised that I could make something out of it. A few hours of working on control and a few more to come up with a way to stop my fingers burning and suddenly I found myself with a new technique"
Mizuki couldn't believe it. The boy was for all intents and purposes failing the academy. He was far behind everyone else and didn't present any potential for growth, and yet in one night he totally redesigned and invented a jutsu. Sure, it wasn't a very good one, but if he was able to accomplish that in one night, Mizuki truly shuddered to think of how strong he could become.
"It is… well… amazing. How did you stop the burning?"
"I just focus a ton of normal chakra there beforehand" Naruto said. "I don't really get how it works, but my fingers are fine right now!"
The teacher laughed. "I am impressed Naruto, even if the jutsu is a little useless"
Naruto flinched. "Useless?!"
What followed was a ten-minute rant on all the things it would enable Naruto to do and how amazing it was, which unfortunately fell on deaf ears. Mizuki ignored most of it, and instead thought about how he could teach the boy more.
"Look, bottom line, you still haven't got a jutsu that can help you pass. But, you have the beginnings of something here"
Naruto crossed his arms, annoyed. He worked hard to make his technique, he knew it wasn't useless.
"I'll show you sensei" He said, leaving the classroom. "I'll make the technique so damn amazing I'll be able to defeat even you with it"
Despite his bravado, Naruto knew it would take a lot more than a night to make something to help him pass. But he put such matters behind him, and readied himself for training.
Mizuki marked Naruto's test, irked that every answer was correct.
"Maybe Naruto knows more than he lets on…" He wondered how Naruto came to be so knowledgeable on things related to diseases and the body. Every ninja needs a grounding in such things, but no one at his age should know that much.
Finishing marking, the teacher felt a little glimmer of pride in the boy. He was finally starting to become a ninja.
It was as he was doing this that he noticed a note tucked underneath the few books he had on his desk. He looked around, confirming he was alone.
Picking it up, his frown darkened.
"Guess I couldn't run forever"
After a week of trying to practice his skills, Naruto hadn't been able to do anything with his newest jutsu, but he had discovered that he can vary its size and intensity. He realised that it was a good exercise for training his chakra control if nothing else.
He was a little disappointed with his progress. Roughly a year and a half had passed and all he had to show for it was a little knowledge on the human body and a simple glorified matchstick jutsu, Sure, his chakra control was at a decent level now, but it wasn't any better than the other students in the class.
Regardless, after another night of not sleeping, Naruto was currently waiting for Mizuki to speak to him, as he had been asked to stay after class.
It had been a boring class, Naruto choosing to sleep through it rather than listen to it. He toyed with the idea of trying to find ways of doing something productive in it, but soon gave up. Most of his sleep came from class, and to give that up would likely kill him.
"Sorry I'm late, I just had to do a few things" He said, putting a piece of paper on Naruto's desk.
"What's that?" The boy said, skim reading its contents.
"It is a letter from the council, recommending your expulsion from the academy"