Chapter Three- What Now?

''I'm going to do what, you crazy demon?'' Naruto asked in disbelief. He had spent no less than five or six hours listening to the Kyuubi and every minute made him more and more doubtful that he could do it. But he would try, because he was Naruto Uzumaki and he made a promise.

''I already told you kid, I'll dumb it down one more time. You are going to leave the village and become a missing ninja on the day you pass your exam- and you will pass your next exam. I will make sure of it. Afterwards, you will spend 10 years training in the wilderness with me. On your 17th birthday, we will stop training in the woods and begin- by this time the Akatsuki will have begun to make their plans. We will head towards Sunagakure, home of the Ichibi no Shukaku. He will be the first bijuu we will take into your mind. Then, we will train him to obey you and allow you his power whilst we make our way toward Kumogakure, home of the the Niibi no Bakeneko and then we will continue onwards in that fashion. Some bijuu don't currently have jinchuuriki, and that will make them the easiest in some ways to capture, and the most difficult in others. Just be thankful that the Hachibi has a container- otherwise you would have some trouble getting him in.'' the Kyuubi spoke all of this in a easy-going, carefree manner, as if what he was describing wasn't the most completely insane nonsense idea that any chakra-containing thing demon or otherwise had ever said.

''And why are we doing this, and what happens if we fail?'' Naruto queried in his most innocent voice- it was hard to remember he was going to have to kill a lot of people in his lifetime as a shinobi.

''

''Because if we don't the Akatsuki will capture them all, then use their power to defeat me, trap me and combine us all into one all powerful being which will destroy all life on earth as we know it and turn any miracle survivors into mindless followers who will do whatever they want. And if you think this sounds very odd, that's because it is so stop asking me stupid questions.'' Kyuubi thought of himself as a patient creature, but honestly, when the kid acts so completely stupid it's hard to take him seriously. ''I know you aren't stupid, I live in your brain, so please I beg of you, try to remember all of the stuff I have told you.''

''Okay, I've got all that but I do have one question. Why do I have to become a missing-nin? It just doesn't make sense. Surely we could leave before I'm a ninja and then I'd be able to come back to the village after it's all over, right?'' Naruto asked.

''The kid has a valid point,'' the Kyuubi thought to himself, isolating his thoughts from Naruto. ''But this is going to crush him.''

''Naruto, we could do it that way, but without a headband, and therefore without becoming a missing ninja, the seal to transfer the bijuu won't work. You need to use your headband in it and without it, the whole ordeal could be greatly jeopardised. Please don't worry, they will accept you back by the end of it anyway. They won't have any choice. Who would reject someone with that much power from joining them, at least no one sane.'' The Kyuubi said. Naruto's face dropped- he had really thought the could do this the easy way and everyone would just let him take time off regular missions to let him do what was needed.

''I see. The next ninja exam is in a week- how will I pass? I've never come close before and I can't get that good in just one week...it's impossible!'' the blond haired shinobi-to-be was clenching his tiny fists in anticipation. He just knew that the Kyuubi was going to tell him some really cool secret that makes him really strong really fast, and means he won't have to fail the exam again.

''Lots of hardwork.'' the bijuu deadpanned. ''Lots of hardwork, and lots of training in every subject, regular shinobi activity, taijutsu, low level genjutsu, ninjutsu, we need to get your handseals faster, I'm pretty sure you need more than just a 'Sexy Jutsu' to pass the academy, and I'm also sure that you thought this was going to be really easy, didn't you?'' by the end of his sentence, he had regained a playful lilt to his tone and dropped the more serious demeanor. In the past few hours, Naruto and the Kyuubi had come to know each other relatively well, at least when the kid wasn't bombarding him with nonsense questions.

Naruto continued thinking things over in his head. His thoughts were moving unprecedentedly fast and you could almost hear the cogs turning and the steam coming out of his ears really was nearly visible. ''You stupid fox! I thought you were some really clever awesome cool ninja fox, but no! You're just like Iruka-sensei. Haven't I told you already? I can't do that sort of thing! I've tried but all that ever happens is that people put me down, and when people put me down I lose concentration and get all depressed inside...''

The Kyuubi felt for the kid, he really did, he knew how hard he tried and he knew how he was always either ignored or criticised over the top by adults who couldn't forgive a small child for something he wasn't even aware of, especially not committed a massacre.

''Yes, but you're going to be training in your mind with me. Anything you learn in here is going to be directly trasmitted to your body- you're going to become a ninja without having to do anything physically taxing, but mentally you will be stretched to the extreme. All the physical conditioning will be done living in the wilderness after we leave the village. So when do you want to start training?''

''NOW! I wanna be the strongest ninja ever, and if I have to break my brain I'll do it! Shoot-away, Kyuubi-sensei!''

Timeskip the week of training

It was the day of the genin exams, and if all went well, the day Naruto became a ninja and subsequently a missing ninja all on the same day. The entire past week, day and night, training during his sleep with the most patiently impatient teacher possible. Kyuubi knew everything about being a shinobi, even things it didn't need to know, like how to throw kunai and shuriken. He was a fantastic teacher and always let Naruto take time to master each skill- but that didn't mean he liked the wait. Naruto remembered back to the day following his long talk with the Kyuubi, and the day he learnt everything he had to do to save the world...including abandon his village. The worst thing for Naruto though, was knowing even Ojii-san had lied to him. He thought back to the day he had confronted the Hokage just after he had learnt everything from the Kyuubi.

FlashBack

Naruto stormed into the Hokage office. Usually he walked, jumped and ran, but today he stormed like a man on a mission- which he was. He threw the door to the Hokage's office open, disregarding the ANBU on either side and striding straight in. Slamming the door behind him, and slamming his tiny hands on the desk, and subsequently slamming the lamp to the floor it was suffice to say there was a whole lot of slamming occuring in the Hokage Tower that day.

''My my Naruto, what has you so irked on such a fine morning?'' The Hokage said. He attempted to keep a light tone, but he could tell this discussion was going to be nothing less than torture on both sides.

''Why didn't you tell me about the Kyuubi?'' Naruto said, face straight and voice wavering in anger. His face was red and his fists were clenched so hard he was digging crescent shapes in his palms.

''I thought we did. The Yondaime confronted the demon in battle, and defeated him. When the beast was dead, his body visibly dissapeared from this plain and he passed onto the afterlife- he is in the hands of he Shinigami now.'' the Sandaime was hurt knowing he had to lie to Naruto again, but he couldn't find out the truth, it wasn't safe.

''Lies! The Kyuubi wasn't killed, I know it! If he was killed, people wouldn't call me demon. I know he isn't dead, he talked to me in my head. He told me that Yondaime couldn't kill him and in order to get rid of him, he sealed the greatest bijuu in me! I'm a jinchuuriki, and that's why people call me a demon child and that's why no-one helped me when I got poisoned by that snake. They didn't want to help the demon kid.'' Naruto barely managed to keep from screaming in the Hokage's face. He kept it level, as best he could.

''Oh no...'' the Sandaime thought to himself. ''The Kyuubi has already made contact with him.''

''And I suppose the Kyuubi has told you some lie about how the village needs to be punished for our crime, and that you need to destroy it and the shinobi in it to get revenge?'' the Sandaime knew he was being obscenely callous, but he needed to know.

''No, actually he want's me to help you! He said that it wasn't you're fault that he attacked the village, and he got what he deserved. Apparently, he was being controlled on that night and would never have attacked the village otherwise. He said he was sorry, and he was sorry for all he trouble he caused me. The Kyuubi No Kitsune is a lot nicer than most villagers. And he doesn't lie to me, unlike a certain Hokage I could mention.'' Naruto ended his statement with a glare.

The Sandaime visibly shuddered when Naruto mentioned his lie. He felt dirty and unclean, as if his lie had tainted his very soul. This wasn't just some small lie, like telling a child about Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy- this was big. The village had kept a secret which could determine his entire fate from him, and didn't even think of telling him.

''I see. I apologise for being so cold hearted Naruto, but as the Hokage, my first duty is to the village and I couldn't tell you because the elders thought it would endanger us all. They have some notion that if you found out, you would go on a rampage and destroy everything. Unlikely, I know, but they outvoted me. I apologise for lying to you Naruto, but it had to be done.'' the Sandaime explained the whole thing with a sad tone in his voice.

''Don't worry Ojii-san!'' Naruto adopted his happy persona once more, although he was almost certain that that mindset was about to dissapear. ''I forgive you! I'm still going to pass the genin exams,'' truth, ''and I'm still gonna be the Hokage!'' lie. Naruto had lost his dream of becoming Hokage when he realised that he'd be becoming a missing-nin. No missing-nin had been a Hokage before. In fact, a missing-nin had never been ANY Kage before, not unless they started their own shinobi village.

And with that, he had run from the room before anyone could say anything to follow it up.

FlashBack Over

Naruto was now stood in line with the other academy students. Wearing dark blue ninja trousers, a black shirt, padded get sandals and a black jacket with dark orange swirls, Naruto looked very different from the last time he had taken the exam. This time, he looked like a real ninja.

''Okay guys,'' Iruka-sensei said, his voice not loud, but confident and carrying across the entire classroom easily, quieting the students. ''Today is the genin exams, and to pass you need to do he following. One henge, one clone, one ninjutsu, and you have to have you taijutsu approved in a spar. We will start with the henge, and work our way through. First up, Choji Akimichi...''

And so it went, Iruka calling out names that weren't Naruto, until suddenly, the name was Naruto. ''I really hope he passes this time, or he won't be able to try again...'' Iruka thought to himself.

''Okay Naruto, one henge please.'' Iruka said, his voice never betraying his internal worry.

''One henge coming right up Iruka-sensei.'' Naruto said. Quickly flashing through some handsigns, Naruto quickly flashed out into a poof of smoke. When the smoke cleared, an exact replica of the Sandaime Hokage was stood in front of them all- shocking Iruka and all of the kids. This was the first time Naruto had attempted anything other than his Sexy Jutsu, and it had actually gone well! Perfect even!

They quickly made their way through the other students, still amazed by Naruto's apparently transformation- both figuratively and literally.

''Alright guys, lets do our clone jutsus! We'll start with Naruto, since he got the highest score on the last mini-test.'' Iruka said, immediately picking up on the scowl Naruto recieved from an angry and pitifully jealous Sasuke Uchiha.

Naruto stepped forward and crossed his fingers in a handsign Iruka hadn't seen before. ''Shadow Clone Jutsu!'' Naruto yelled, and suddenly the room had an extra five inhabitants.

Once again, Iruka was shocked beyond all belief and every kid in the room was blown away by Narutos incredible convert from being a dobe, a dead last, to better than Sasuke. Sasuke continued to attempt looking stoic, but if you looked close you could see his grimace- and Sakura looked ready to explode all over Naruto for taking Sasuke's spotlight.

''Very nice Naruto! Where did you learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu?'' Iruka asked, noting the immediate nervousness which overtook Naruto the minute the clones dispelled.

''Um...er...Ojii-san taught me it! My chakra reserves were too high for regular clones, so he taught me that one instead haha,'' Naruto chuckled out...crisis averted.

The rest of the day continued in the same vein. Naruto continued excelling in areas he had previously sucked at, and in taijutsu even managed to land a direct shot to Sasuke's face, despite the fact he was obviously slower than the Uchiha. Sakura had raged for hurting her Sasuke, but Naruto didn't care.

He was a ninja.

As he headed home, finger brushing over the leaf symbol on his new headband, he thought how much it sucked that he was going to have to put a line through the middle so quickly- it was almost as if he hadn't earned it truly.

But once you put on that headband, you're legally an adult. And Naruto was a ninja.

He headed back to his apartment, to make plans for his leaving.