I'm back! Hey y'all, how ya been? Apologies for the long drought, I've been busy as all get out and haven't had much time to write, mostly speculate and bounce the occasional idea off of Kamen Rider Arashi.

Well, here's the next chapter. Some basic plans for the future and a bit of the training they'll be having. Stay tuned and let's see what we got coming!

On with the chapter!

Hiruzen stood at his window, staring out at the village he had been charged with by his sensei, the Nidaime Hokage, to lead and protect. He had let his grasp slacken in his old age, he was well aware of that. But he had also finally taken the steps to remedy that and it all started with his challenge to Danzo.

Still, that left the Academy. With some of the changes made during his period of mourning of the death of his successor and the pause before he retook his former position the civilian council had managed to get their hands on the puppet strings of the establishment. Claiming that because the students were not yet shinobi, they were in fact still civilians and therefore did not fall under the jurisdiction of the shinobi council.

He would think of a loophole to exploit to remedy that later. Right now he had to think about what he could do to prove to Danzo once and for all that the Will of Fire is the true way. Short of taking the children under his wing like he did his first students he couldn't think of anything at the moment.

'Besides,' he thought to himself. 'I couldn't do such a thing now. I'll be far too busy retaking control and riding the political rollercoaster to be a good teacher. No, perhaps I could assign a mentor?'

That was when his brain all but shut down for a moment. 'A mentor...' his puzzled frown slowly began to stretch until it formed a massive grin. 'That just might work.'

Spinning around he snapped his fingers, summoning one of his Anbu to his side. "Relay this message to Jonin Commander Shikaku Nara, the Anbu Commander and Ibiki Morino from the Torture and Interrogation Division," he ordered. "Tell them I require their assistance with a certain matter immediately. After that, I want you to order Anbu operative codename Inu, Might Gai and Asuma Sarutobi to wait in the lobby outside to receive a new mission after I'm done with the first meeting." The Anbu nodded and immediately left to carry out his orders.

Once he was gone, Hiruzen immediately sat down at his desk and pulled out a scroll and inkbrush. Dipping the tip carefully into the inkpot he began writing with an intense vigor. Some few hours later a knock sounded on his door to which he called for whoever was on the other side to enter.

Through the door stepped a shinobi clad in the traditional armor of the Anbu with the main difference being the mask that covered his face. Instead of a design that resembled an animal, his mask was simply marked with the spiraled leaf of Konohagakure.

"You summoned me Hokage-sama," he said, his voice set in a rigid monotone.

"I did Commander, but first we will await the arrival of the others before we begin the discussion. I'd hate to repeat myself." The Anbu Commander nodded and simply took a standing position in front of the right corner of the desk, feet shoulder-width apart and hands firmly clasped behind his back.

Fortunately it did not take as long as either of them anticipated. They were soon joined by the remaining people the Hokage had sent for. Seeing everyone there Hiruzen cleared his throat and set his pipe down.

"Everyone, I must begin what I've called you here to discuss by first giving you an apology," he said. "I am deeply and truly sorry that I have allowed the role of the Hokage to be resorted to little more than a figurehead with such limited power. I am sorry that the council has been allowed to act as freely as it has been...and I am sorry that it is only now that I come to realize just how old I have become."

He paused to let the words sink in, taking note of the frowns on the two whose faces were visible before continuing. "Still, it will be some time before I choose a successor and before I do even that...I should probably do some house cleaning before I hand this job over to someone else. With that said, I want to begin a special series of meetings. These meetings will outline our strategy for bringing our village back to top condition."

He locked his fingers together in front of his face, features schooled into a stern expression. "I have called you all here to tap into your various areas of expertise. Now then, I believe the process should begin at the beginning of a shinobi's career. Thus I want to establish a way to work around the civilian council and their claim over the establishment. I have a suggestion but before I voice it I want to hear what the rest of you have to say."

The men just stared at him for a moment. It had been a long time since Hiruzen had acted this way and they were not ashamed to admit that this was a blessing. The Professor had found himself again and now things were going to get a whole lot better.

The first to speak was a slim man dressed in an open, gray, short-sleeved jacket over a mesh shirt and black shinobi pants with blue sandals and the only member choosing to sit during the meeting. "Well, the first order of business would be to find a way to transfer the jurisdiction over to the shinobi side," he said. He raised his hand to his chin and hummed in thought. "I would recommend an order stating that any potential student hoping to enlist into the Academy is considered a shinobi-in-training and thus a member of the shinobi forces. In order to make it stick we would be required to assign a certain stipend from the village funds similar to what we pay the actual shinobi."

The man standing next to him, a tall, heavily-scarred man clad all in black with his headband serving as a bandanna, nodded. "Shikaku is right. I'd suggest half of the bi-monthly amount that is issued to those of Genin rank. It will give them enough to buy supplies such as extra study material, tools and clothing. They'll officially be payed for their services and thus be under the jurisdiction of the shinobi council and the Hokage."

Hiruzen pulled a second scroll and began jotting down the suggestion. "Very well, that should work. Now then, it is common knowledge that those with shinobi in their families will receive extra tips and guidance from them during their time in the academy but what of the orphans and those of civilian descent?" He picked up the first scroll. "This is an idea that struck me while I was out for a walk and is part of the reason I decided to start this in the first place."

Academy Student Mentorship Program

All academy students are eligible for any shinobi bearing the rank of Tokubetsu Jonin or higher to become their mentor.

Conditions for Mentorship Include:

All shinobi wishing to register as a mentor must bring the student of choice to meet with the Hokage to be given the final word.

Should an academy student request a mentor, the Hokage will assign a shinobi skilled in the interests of the student to help them develop.

Should a shinobi be interested in mentoring a member of a clan they must have the permission of the head of that clan before meeting with the Hokage.

Should more than one shinobi be interested in mentoring one student, the Hokage will notify each requesting shinobi of the others interested in taking the position. The shinobi must then meet with each other and decide on a training schedule.

Any shinobi that takes on the role of a mentor will still be required to serve missions for the village when required.

A student being mentored is not exempt from any classes or assignments issued by the teachers in the academy.

Finished reading he placed the scroll down and looked to the gathered men to determine their reactions. Shikaku had leaned forward, elbows rested on his knees and fingers laced together under his chin, the Anbu Commander had his face tilted upward, observing the ceiling in silent thought and finally there was Ibiki. Standing with his usual stoic expression the tall jonin head of the Torture and Interrogation Division was glaring out of the window.

"It seems to be well thought out," he said. Hiruzen nodded but remained silent, sensing the 'but' in that statement. "However, you should add a clause that allows only you to finalize the approval for a mentor. This is exactly the kind of thing the council would try and usurp control over."

Shikaku nodded. "I would also suggest something to limit the demands of a certain Uchiha who aspires to avenge his clan. The council caters to him, you'll need to have some sort of buffer to keep him held back."

"I would also suggest you allow a way for the shinobi that is requested by a student to have a way to deny the action," the Anbu Commander stated, now looking back to his commander-in-chief. "There are some who do not prefer to teach."

Each of the conspirators pictured a certain white-haired Anbu but chose not to voice their thoughts. Instead, Hiruzen simply took note of the suggestions. The group spent the next few hours hammering out more bugs in the Hokage's first move to take back control. Midnight had come and gone long before they finished but when they separated it was with a sense of satisfaction. When his guests departed Hiruzen chose to enjoy one last smoke before retiring for the evening.

As he puffed away on his pipe, the old veteran gazed at his village. He pulled the stem from his lips and tapped his bearded chin. "I'm about to make the first move Danzo," he said, his gaze hardening. "Let's see how you respond."

Six Months Later:

"Alright Naruto, you've got his scent. Now the hunt's all yours."

Nodding at his tutor's order, the young academy student crouched low to the ground, sniffing the small pool of blood that was there. "It's close," he said, raising his head to take a whiff of the air. "It passed through a few minutes ago."

In a branch above him, Hana Inuzuka watched her student with a sense of pure satisfaction and pride. In the months since her mother had come home and instructed her to prepare teaching someone to handle their enhanced senses. Being a freshly promoted Chunin, the kunoichi had been apprehensive about her ability to teach. Fortunately, their clan had set classes for teaching young Inuzuka children how to use their senses in conjunction with their canine partners so it was easy to gather the necessary guidelines and materials.

On top of that, Naruto was an exceptional student. Eager to learn and better himself, in the three months leading up to this moment her charge was capable of recognizing and tracking almost any animal and was growing skilled in identifying people by their scents. She blushed mildly when she remembered the conversation they'd had when he asked why women smelt so different from men…yeah that was fun.

Shaking it off she made sure to follow the blonde as he shifted through the underbrush, hot on the trail of the deer that would be serving as their evening meal. That was another skill she'd been honing since moving into the clan compound hidden within Training Ground Forty-Four.

Coming from a clan that specialized in tracking by scent as well as being highly in tune with their more animalistic nature, Hana was skilled in identifying edible and medicinal plants as was Yugao thanks to her training as an Anbu shinobi. Both women made sure to pass this knowledge onto the boy and ensure his ability to survive in any terrain presented to him.

Now they spent at least two days hunting and foraging, both as a way to train themselves and to save money. The less they could spend on little things the more they could save for emergencies and special needs, according to Yugao anyway and she was the one holding the purse strings at the time.

The teen was drawn out of her reverie when she saw her student grow still, eyes focused on a point off in the trees. She saw the indicators of a pending transformation or shift as he called it, muscles rippling under the skin, fur sprouting spontaneously, his jaw widening as his face elongated into a snout. All of this and more were visible thanks to the fact the blonde-turned-red-furred boy had grown tired of ruining new clothes and chose to hunt clad in a pair of ragged shorts.

Now fully transformed into his wolf form, Naruto leaped through the air with a bellowing roar. In the blink of an eye the large predator latched onto the back of the deer, his powerful jaws snapping around its neck, severing arteries and puncturing the throat. He let it drop, breathless and bleeding, to the forest floor and slowly began to regress back into his human form, wiping the blood from his chin as he did so.

"Not bad," Hana said, dropping down next to him. "Looks like we got our dinner for the next few days. Let's get it back and clean it before you get to your classes."

"Got it Nee-chan," he said, slinging the bloody deer over one shoulder and following the woman back to the compound. An hour later Naruto was in bathroom, cleaning the blood from his body in preparation for the day at the academy.

Knowing he was short on time, the hybrid slipped out of the shower and into his bedroom, toweling himself off before reaching for his clothes. Since receiving his first set of new clothes the only difference was the discarding of his mesh shirt and replacing it with a simple sleeveless tank top.

Now fully clothed, Naruto stepped out of his room and into the kitchen, where his nose was struck with the pleasant aroma of freshly cooked pancakes. Standing at the stove was the woman acting as his mother figure, Yugao.

The former Anbu had taken to her new role with gusto. She'd squashed his more...rough manners in an attempt to make him more socially acceptable. His instincts still led to issues but she'd been hammering the need for restraint into him from the beginning, sometimes literally.

Yugao turned from her work, smiling as she hugged the blonde hybrid and kissed his forehead. "You have a good hunt Naruto-kun?"

"Yup! I nailed a deer so I've got something to bring with me for lunch today," he replied, sitting at the table where a plate was already waiting for him he started wolfing down the food without reserve. "You still can't eat like a normal person, can you?"

"Sorry," he mumbled around a mouthful of eggs. "Instincts."

A glass of red liquid was set on the table in front of him. "Well you better handle this part of your instincts too," she said, slightly chuckling when she saw the frown her son was presenting. "I know the blood still gets to you but it's necessary. Remember what happened last time?"

For a moment the boy's frown grew deeper at the reminder. He was only lucky he'd lost control in the middle of the prison. He shuddered to think what would happen if he'd been in the village proper. Still, the reminder served its purpose and he drank the blood, still attempting to ignore how good such a thing tasted.

'You should be used to it by now,' the Kyuubi's voice chided him. 'After all, you're not entirely human anymore are you?'

Choosing not to respond, he set the glass down, finished his food, kissed Yugao on the cheek and rushed out the door, jumping immediately into the branches surrounding his compound and heading for the village.

'So are you punishing me again?' No response was given, the only indication the blonde even heard his tenant was the slight twitch of his eyebrow. 'Can't believe you get worked up over a couple of dreams, figured you'd be better at that stuff by now.'

'Shut up.'

'Oh, a response. Hehehehe.' The dark chuckle set Naruto on edge but then he heard a low moan and instantly his cheeks turned as red as a batch of ripe tomatoes. 'Don't stop Naruto-kun...please don't stop!'

'Kurama! Stop doing that!'

'But you're the one that had the dream. Face it little wolf cub, you're an animal now and you have urges.'

'That doesn't mean I'm going to just mate with any random girl just to get off!'

'So now your precious Nee-chan is a random girl?' The giant fox chuckled as his host attempted to stutter out a rebuttal. 'Maybe you should tell her. She's a kunoichi, and a Chunin at that. Maybe you'll get a couple of good strong kits outta that one.'

The thought of Hana and children sent the poor boy for a loop and he missed the branch he'd been aiming for, slipping and slamming his face into it instead. "SHUT UP! What is the matter with you?"

'I'm locked in a sewer of a mindscape...what else am I gonna do?'

'How about not annoy the guy you're sealed inside? That'd be nice.'

'Since when have I been nice?' The fox shrugged. 'Alright so not the dog girl...how about that Mabui chick? She's cute and you two won't stop writing each other.'

'Don't even go there.' The tone itself was enough to warn off the Kyuubi and he wisely chose to back off. Still, he couldn't help but smirk. Since the night he met the girl the boy had been protective, like a wolf protecting his mate. He truly had adapted to his monstrous DNA.

Seeing his host had managed to reach the village he sat back and watched as yet another day in the boring academy was about to commence.

The Academy:

Naruto stepped through the classroom door with twenty minutes to spare. He paused to see if anyone else was there and once he counted the two others who managed to arrive before him, he moved to sit in the back of the room. He had a moment of peace and was beginning to contemplate the values of life when the window one row down from him was kicked open and in jumped his primary tormentor since the beginning of his third attempt at the academy.

"Alright! We're not late this time Akamaru!" The boy yelled, throwing his arms up in the air in victory. The small white puppy that was taking perch in the front of his jacket gave a bark of agreement at his master's call. Naruto did his best not to laugh at the display.

The boy was the same age as Naruto and had wild brown hair that was just as spikey as the blonde's. He was dressed in a dark gray hooded jacket with a black fur lining around the hood and the hems of his sleeves coupled with brown trousers and blue sandals. His sharps black eyes shot around the room before locking with his so-called rival's ocean blue while he grinned broadly, the red fang tattoos on his face adding to his feral appearance. "Naruto! What's up wolf pup?"

The hybrid laughed and shared a high five with the newcomer. "Nothing much dog breath, how's the family?"

"Well Hana you already know about but mom's wondering when you're gonna drop by for dinner again." He plopped down in the seat next to Naruto and kicked his legs up on the desk. "She wants to see how your techniques are coming along again."

Naruto groaned and palmed his face. "Kiba, are all the women in the Inuzuka clan so insistent or is it just your part that acts like that?"

The newly identified younger Inuzuka laughed and slapped his friend on the shoulder. "Sorry man, but that's just the way my clan is. So, you think we're gonna get to spar today?"

The two continued to talk as more of their fellow classmates began to wander in, the room slowly filling as the time for classes to start drew ever closer. It was just two minutes before the bell was scheduled to ring when the ground began to shake, eliciting yet another groan from the hybrid shinobi-in-training.

The door exploded open as two girls did everything possible to shove the other out of their way. One was dressed in a red qipao dress decorated with a white circle between her shoulder blades with biker shorts underneath. Her long pink hair was tied back by a strip of red ribbon, proudly displaying her large forehead. Her adversary wore her long blonde hair tied up in a ponytail with a single section hanging over the right half of her face but did nothing to hide the pair of light blue pupiless eyes that were meeting the pinkette's emerald green glare with one of her own.

The blonde was dressed in slightly more revealing clothing than her pink-haired counterpart. Sporting a sleeveless top with a slightly raised collar that was cut short a ways above her naval and an apron skirt with a split all the way up to her hips on either side, her dignity was preserved by the bandages wrapped around her waist and legs, an attire she complimented with purple and white arm warmers and blue sandals.

Finally the struggle ended and both managed to step through at the same time…a fact neither one of them were willing to admit.

"I got through first Ino!" the pinkette yelled, her shrill voice grating on the eardrums of all present students.

"Not a chance Billboard Brow!" Ino yelled back, although in a moment of mercy on the side of lady luck herself it was not anywhere near as shrill as the girl she was currently arguing with.

"My foot hit the floor exactly half a second before yours did!"

"I don't see a stop watch in your hand Sakura so there's no way you could know that!"

"ENOUGH!" Both girls suddenly bolted to the other side of the room, cowering from the enraged Iruka, who had simultaneously made his presence known and ended the argument. His enlarged head shrank to normal proportions as he cleared his throat. "Sakura Haruno, Ino Yamanaka, both of you, sit down now."

The girls nodded and moved to take their rehearsed positions. The pinkette made a straight line to the open seat next to a black-haired male dressed in a high-collared blue shirt with white shorts. His ebony eyes never wavered from the invisible spot on the wall he seemed to be staring at, not once acknowledging his new neighbor. Ino, on the other hand, bolted up to the back row and daintily sat on the seat next to Naruto, doing her best to smile sweetly at the boy.

That was another thing Naruto was having trouble getting used to. It turns out that having a natural Alpha presence that was coupled with a feral appearance gifted the blonde with the rugged bad-boy look some girls seemed to be drawn to. This, unfortunately, led to the birth of his own fan club, the second largest in the school.

His only competitor was the boy currently ignoring the admiring stare of the Haruno, a boy named Sasuke Uchiha. Unlike the feral hybrid, Sasuke was gifted with the pretty-boy problem and the tragic past of his clan being all but slaughtered in one night. Porcelain skin, a sophisticated (or pompous in most of the male student's opinion) attitude plus the fact his expression seemed stuck in either the scowl of annoyance or an arrogant smirk that made it seem like he thought everyone was beneath him ended up having girls label him as a dark, hot boy with a tragic past. Thankfully the smirk only showed up when he tried to show off his so-called superiority, Naruto would have smacked him a lot earlier if he did it more often.

The two treated their fan clubs with completely opposite reactions. Sasuke chose to ignore them, avoiding any interaction with them…or anyone really. Naruto on the other hand, actually held conversations with them and often encouraged them to train and take their career seriously. Ino had assumed the position as his top fangirl, devoutly following his advice and becoming a capable potential kunoichi because of it. Where most of the girls had originally dieted to gain a slimmer appearance, Naruto's followers ate decently and worked off the excess by training diligently.

Shaking off the sudden walk down short-term memory lane, the blonde turned his attention toward the front where Iruka was beginning to explain the day's agenda.

"Alright everyone, today we start a new part of your training." At his words three figures appeared next to him. "These three are going to be in charge of your weapons training. After I introduce them we'll be going to the enclosed practice area where you will select a weapon you wish to utilize in your future career." He paused when a single hand was raised in the air. "What is it Ino?"

"Iruka-sensei, why are we learning how to use a new weapon all of a sudden?"

"Hokage-sama has decided to make it a mandatory requirement for graduation that all students master a weapon beyond simple kunai and shuriken," the chunin explained. "Both Kirigakure and Kumogakure require their shinobi to have at least the basic level of training for kenjutsu. Hokage-sama has decided to branch out his shinobi more, allowing them to choose a weapon and therefore bringing more variety into his forces." Satisfied, the blonde returned to her seat as Iruka turned to indicate the shinobi standing the closest to him but another comment stopped him.

"You forgot to mention Sunagakure sensei," the one known as Shino Aburame said. "Do they not have a weapon course?"

"Actually they do Shino but they have them begin the training after graduating as genin. We're starting the training during the academy which gives you more controlled environments to learn as well as plenty of time to sharpen your skills before you begin missions."

He saw the Aburame and several others nod in understanding and turned to finally begin his introductions.

"This is Hayate Gekko, he'll be training anyone who chooses to use a blade as a weapon." The man Iruka indicated was dressed in the standard attire of a jonin with his headband worn like a bandana over his head, his dark brown hair protruding from the bottom and a single loch dangling between his eyes. The man's face was incredibly pail, dark shadows under his eyes suggesting a lack of sleep and overall poor health. Naruto briefly noted the plain katana at his waist before moving on to look at the next guy. He didn't need to get introduced to his surrogate mother's boyfriend after all.

Instead he turned his attention to the second member of the party…and had to wipe a trickle of blood from his nose. This woman was, without a doubt, the one with the biggest assets he had seen yet. Dressed in a tan trench coat over a mesh shirt that hugged in all the right places and an orange skirt that was too low to serve any purpose but to entice the eyes of any hotblooded male, the woman was introduced by his sensei as Anko Mitarashi, the woman who would be teaching the kunoichi how to use different types of throwing instruments and poisons. For just a moment…Naruto regretted being a guy. But then he remembered that he was a guy with the powers of three legendary monsters and figured he could live with it. She was still hot.

"And last is Asuma Sarutobi," Iruka said, pointing to the last of the trio, a man dressed in the standard uniform with a cigarette between his lips, spiky black hair and a beard. "He will be aiding in combining any students who prefer more in the face kind of weapons such as his signature trench knives."

Naruto examined this new man with a critical eye. He had the relaxed air of a veteran who was sure of his actions and had the power to back it up. A small hint of red drew his eye to his waist, the man was wearing a sash with the kanji for fire on it…actually he knew that was important. He remembered Yugao telling him that people wearing those were once bodyguards to the Daimyo himself. A feral grin began to spread across his face, this guy had to be strong and a Sarutobi which meant he was related to the geezer.

"Now then, since our introductions are made I want everyone to make their to the taijutsu grounds where you will choose a weapon and begin today's training." The words barely left his lips before the students vanished, some even taking to exiting through the windows in their haste to begin. The teacher and his assistants for the day shared a chuckle before following them out. Those poor kids had no idea what they were in for.

And Cut!

Well there you have it. Hope it was to your liking and there's more coming, hopefully soon.

Also, challenges are finally up on my profile. Check em out and see if there's something you could be interested in.

That's all for now, hope y'all had a good one and it's good to finally have an update for ya.

Hope to hear good reviews, Yurei King signing out!