Chapter 3: I, Doctor

Naruto groans in annoyance as the morning sunlight from a window by his bedside hits his face, rudely rousing him fron his slumber. He reluctantly opens his eyes and stares as the ceiling as he mulls his schedule for the day.

Yesterday had been quite eventful. After her formal ascension as the Godaime Hokage, his mother had reinstated Kushina Nee and Shizune Nee as ANBU captain and as a Tokubetsu Jounin respectively and gave him the him the rank of chunin NCO of the Medic Corps on a probationary basis.

Of course, there had been no shortages of... 'suggestions' from various parties on where the newest prodigy should have been placed but in the end, Tsunade assigned him to the hospital for the mean time to keep him busy while she figured out what to do with her son.

His placement suited Naruto just fine. Like his mother, he prefered healing people rather then maiming or killing them though he was just as capable of inflicting physical harm should the need arise.

After that, the family had retired back to the re-opened Senju estates to rest for the night to prepare for work the next day.

After taking a quick shower and changing into work clothes, he tucks a few scrolls inside his robes before going down to the dining room where he finds his mother reading the morning papers while having tea.

"Good morning squirt. Ready for your first day on the job?" Tsunade asks without looking up from what she was reading.

"Even if I say no, it wouldn't really make a difference now would it? I really hope I don't screw things up though." Naruto replied as he brought out a carton of milk from the ref and some fruits from a basket before taking them to the dining table. "Where are Shizuna Nee and Kushina Nee?"

"Kushina's meeting her ANBU team this morning and Shizune has a shift in the hospital so you should be able to meet her when you get there." Tsunade said, lowering the newspaper to look at her son. "Remember everything you've learned and you'll do just fine Naru Chan. Just don't antagonize anyone there, ok? Not everyone can be a medical prodigy like you."

"No promises Kaasan." Naruto answered as he ate his breakfast of fruits and milk. "And will you stop calling me a prodigy? I'm the son of the greatest medic nin in the Elemental Countries so it's only natural that I'm more skilled then your everyday run-of-the-mill doctor. That's because YOU taught me everything I know."

Tsunade smirks at this, pride evident in her expression. "And don't you EVER forget that brat."

Naruto rolls his eyes at his mother's antics and finishes up his meal before taking the dishes to the sink. "I guess I better get going. I don't want to be late on my first day after all." Naruto said as he pecks his mother on the cheek. "See 'ya Kaasan."

Tsunade looks on fondly as her son hurries off to the hospital for his first day at work. Naruto had personally been trained by her and much to the Slug Sannin's delight, had proven to be a quick study in the medical field which was why he had been certified at such an early age.

And though he tended to be a bit short tempered especially when his medical skills are called into question by people whom he feels are unqualified to pass judgement on him, he was a good and responsible kid overall so she was confident that he will do well and had nothing to worry about.

"..."

Well, at least she was fairly certain that Naruto won't give her anything to be TOO worried about.

(Konoha Hospital... A few hours later)

"Jiisan. Do we have to do this?" A boy wearing an unusual looking skullcap and a long red scarf asks his elder companion.

"Yes we do Konohamaru. I DID promise your mother I'd bring you here for your annual checkup. Besides, now that I'm retired, we can now spend more quality time together." The old man who turns out to be the former Sandaime Hokage wearing civilian robes said to his grandson.

"Not that I mind Jiisan, but did we have to spend it here? I hate hospitals." The boy identified as Konohamaru griped.

"Now now Honorable Grandson. Perfect health is an essential part of preparing to be the Hokage." The Sarutobi's companion, a plain looking man wearing an all black outfit with a bandana and dark glasses named Ebisu mildly admonished the boy.

"But if I were Hokage, then nobody could tell me what to do! Even go to the stupid hospital for a checkup!" Konohamaru insisted.

Sarutobi sighs in resignation. One of the drawbacks of him reclaiming the Hokage position was that he was not able to regularly monitor the growth and development of his only grandson.

Konohamaru had been orphaned early when his parents, his eldest son and his wife who were both shinobis, died in a border skirmish when he was but an infant. And with Asuma serving his stint as one of the Twelve Guardians of the Fire Daimyo, the task of raising young Konohamaru fell to Sarutobi. But since his responsibilities as the Hokage required his utmost attention, the Sandaime had tofind someone to look after and teach his grandson and Ebisu was the most viable candidate at the time.

Unfortunately, it would seem like it wasn't the smartest move he made. While Ebisu may have been a capable shinobi tutor in his own right, he was rather lenient when he handled Konohamaru and tended to let him get away with a lot of things which somewhat spoiled the lad.

This wouldn't do at all especially if he wanted to follow in his grandfather's footsteps. Sarutobi needed to nip this one on the bud immediately before things his grandson's attitude gets worse.

Now how to best deal with this unpleasant situation?

"Pardon me for asking Jiisan but is that kid on crack or something?" A familiar voice spoke from behind the Sandaime which made the old man smile as he turns around to face the speaker.

"Looks like I have my answer." Sarutobi thought to himself as he gazes at an unamused looking Naruto who wore a white hospital jacket over his normal clothes and held a clipboard in his hand. "A Naruto Kun... How is your first day at work coming along?"

"It was actually going great till I overheard this brat flapping his gums about how nobody could tell him what to do if he was the Hokage." Naruto said, giving Konohamaru a baleful look. "Does he even know what he's talking about?"

"Who the hell are you anyway? And what gives you the right to talk to me like that?" Konohamaru demanded, ignoring Ebisu who apparently recognized the blonde and was trying desperately to get his ward to stop talking.

"Me? I'm nobody. Just your friendly neighborhood doctor." Naruto replied.

"Liar! You're not much older then me so how can you be a doctor?" The young Sarutobi said. "Don't you know who I am? I'm the Sandaime's grandson Konohamaru! You can't touch me!"

"Really now?" An unimpressed looking Naruto stated flatly. Konohamaru soon found himself sprawled flat on the floor via a light finger flick to the forehead from Naruto who loomed over the frightened boy "And what makes you think that matters to me?"

Ebisu was about to intervene but Hiruzen stops the special jounin and continues to watch the interaction between his grandson and the Senju heir.

"You earn respect kid NOT demand for it like some spoiled ass pansy. And even if you DO earn respect, you've still gotta act responsibly. No exception." Naruto said sternly as he easily picks up the boy and looks him in the eye. "If you keep up this rotten attitude of yours, then the day you become Hokage is the day pigs fly... With the possible exception of Tonton of course." He added almost as an afterthought before tossing Konohamaru towards a surprised Ebisu who manages to catch his ward without stumbling back.

"Anyways, I gotta get back to my rounds Jiisan." Naruto said to the Sandaime.

"By all means Naruto Kun. Don't let us keep you from your work." Hiruzen said. The blonde nods and was about to walk past Ebisu and Konohamaru but stops besides the special jounin. "Ebisu San was it? You're this kid's tutor?" He asks.

"Y-Yes..." Ebisu answers nervously and he had every right to be apprehensive. Naruto had just demonstrated that he had his mother's insane strength. Who knows what else he was capable of.

"Are you trying to get this kid killed or something? With whatever the hell you've been or you HAVEN'T been teaching him, he won't last five minutes as a shinobi." Naruto said plainly.

Anger replaced apprehension as Ebisu's eyes narrows behind his glasses. The boy may be the son of the Hokage but he had NO right to question his teaching methods. He was, after all, a special jounin. "Now listen here you..." Ebisu started to say but was interrupted by Naruto.

"No. YOU listen here." Naruto said harshly. "I don't know how you do things here in the village but I WON'T have kids getting crippled for life or dying here in the hospital just because they were not prepared to handle the dangers of a life as a shinobi. Not on MY watch. So it's either you shape up or the kid should look for another sensei or another line of work altogether."

With his piece said, the blonde marches off to resume his duties.

"Sandaime Sama! Are you not going to reprimand him?" Ebisu protested. "Even if he is the Godaime's son, he was still acting way out of line."

"I understand how he feels and he has brought up a valid point." Hiruzen stated, giving Ebisu a look. "I think we need to have a long discussion on the 'lessons' you've been giving my grandson."

The look that the former Hokage was giving him made Ebisu shiver.

(With Naruto)

"Tutor my ass." Naruto mutters to himself as he walks towards his next appointment feeling more then just a little peeved at Ebisu. His day had been going so well with Shizune showing him around the hospital and assigning him his duties but his encounter with Konohamaru and Ebisu had soured his mood. "That prick probably wouldn't know a kunai if it hit him in the head. What kind of stuff are they teaching kids here anyways?"

Arriving at his destination, he opens the door and finds one Uchiha Sasuke sitting in the room. "Well at least this day couldn't get any worse." Naruto thought to himself as he enters the room and takes a seat in front of the dark haired boy who looks at him in confusion.

"Good morning." Naruto greets.

"I remember you. You're the Hokage's son Naruto, right? What are you doing here and where's Dr. Hattori?" Sasuke asked.

"Dr. Hattori can't make it so I'll be in charge of your annual psychiatric evaluation today." Naruto said reading the notes in his clipboard.

"You? But you're almost my age. How can they let you do this on your own? Are they planning on wasting my time again talking about my supposed problems with you?" Sasuke grated.

"Well first off, I'm actually very good at what I do despite my young age. After all, I DID learn from the best." Naruto answered plainly. "And secondly, I'm not gonna ask you to talk about your problems because it IS, as you pointed out, a waste of time because I've already been briefed on your... Difficulties."

"So I can go now?" Sasuke asked a little hopefully. Naruto had to smile at this. He had heard that the Uchiha was quite a hard worker and going here must have chaffed at him because it interfered with his training schedule. But if he had to go by the last Uchiha's tragic experience, Naruto was concerned that he was doing it for all the wrong reasons and he needed to nip that problem in the bud at the earliest possible time.

"Not quite. I wouldn't be much of a doctor if I didn't do my job now would I?" Naruto stated before his expression turns serious. "But don't expect me to just listen and try to comfort you like others either though coz that ain't my style. I'll tell you EXACTLY what you need to hear and it will sometimes piss you off. But know that everything I say or do is for your own benefit and I CAN be that REAL sympathetic ear you may need from time to time and not just some schmuck whose only reason for doing this is because it's his job."

Naruto then offers his hand to Sasuke. "So what do you say?"

(Later that night at the Senju Estates)

"So how'd your day go gaki?" Tsunade asked as she ate dinner with her son.

"Not too bad." Her fellow blonde answered. "Did the rounds... Met Sandaime Jiji, his brat of a grandson and his idiot tutor..."

"That must have been quite an experience." Tsunade comments with a smile, already aware of the incident at the hospital having been told by the Sandaime.

"For the record, the brat started it and that so called tutor deserved it." Naruto stated in his defense before continuing. "I also had a session with the last Uchiha."

"And how'd that go?" Tsunade asked in interest.

"It's just as I suspected. All he had people telling him were things he WANTED to hear and NOT things that he NEEDED to hear. Are those pricks trying to sabotage his career or something?" Naruto said sourly.

"You seem to feel rather strongly about this? Care to tell me why?"

"Uchiha Sasuke has the potential to become a REAL asset to the village. But only if he gets his head straight." Naruto said. "Believing in your own hype is a sure fire way of getting yourself killed before you even get somewhere in your life and he needs someone to give hima reality check every now and then."

"You're not telling me everything though." Tsunade observes. "So out with it."

Naruto sighs at this. His mother was too perceptive for her own good. "Sasuke is possibly the only one I'd have to rely on when the time comes."

"When the time comes to what?" Tsunade asks, not really liking where the conversation was going.

"Kaasan. You know what I hold inside of me right? There may come a time that I lose control of myself due to it's influence and only the Sharingan has been known to have any sort of effect on a Biju." Naruto said. "When the time comes, Sasuke may be the only person who can stop me and I'll do everything I can to protect my family... Even if it kills me."

Author's notes: Updates may come slowly because of my sked. Hope you like this update though. As usual R&R please :)