Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 4: Learning New Things

"This sucks!" Naruto said out loud as he paced restlessly back and forth in the hospital room. "I'm SOOO bored."

Thirty minutes passed since the silver-haired Dog had vanished with the empty breakfast tray and Naruto was mentally punching himself for not asking the ANBU for a deck of cards or a manga to keep himself occupied.

Kurama spoke up. Naruto, why don't you come in here. We might as well get started on the basics.

How do I get back? Naruto asked.

Just find a comfortable spot and lay down. I'll take care of the rest. Came the response.

Naruto eyed the furniture in the room.

Make sure its a good spot. You probably don't want to wake up with a cramp. Kurama suggested helpfully.

Naruto opted to go back to the bed; there was no telling when he would experience this type of luxury again. As Naruto sat back down, he could feel himself sinking into the mattress. He grow heavier as the cool autumn breeze and lazy morning sun overwhelmed him.


Naruto opened his eyes to a turquoise blue sky partially obscured by brilliant sunlight. Shielding his eyes from the midday sun with his forearm, Naruto sat up in the bed of grass he found himself lying on. Despite the brilliant sunshine, the temperature of the air remained cool and comfortable.

"Welcome back." A voice from behind Naruto caused him to turn his head around. Kurama materialized out from in between the blades of grass.

Naruto pivoted his sitting position so he was facing Kurama and smiled. "Thanks for getting me outta that room! What're we going to do first?"

"I want to start by evaluating your chakra control. Here," Kurama swiped half a handful of grass from the ground and handed it to Naruto, who groaned slightly. "Put a blade of grass on your forehead and keep it there without your hands."

Naruto laughed. "Easy, I can do this in my sleep."

"So show me." Kurama countered.

The exercise was a variation to the leaf concentration exercise taught at the academy; students were required to keep a leaf on their forehead as a means of concentrating their chakra at a particular focal point. But because a single blade of grass occupied a much smaller surface area, who ever was practicing the technique had to be more precise in focusing their chakra.

Naruto reached up and placed a single blade of grass on his forehead, and stared upwards as it stayed right where he placed it.

Kurama nodded in approval, "Good, good..." He stared in fascination as Naruto placed six more blades of grass equally spaced apart on his forehead.

Interesting.

A jutsu was a two step process; a typical shinobi needed to mould chakra first and then manifest the desired jutsu, which is done by performing hand seals. It was also possible to perform seal-less jutsu through extensive practice and/or if an individual was gifted with strong will. Developing multiple chakra focal points essentially cut down the preparation time for a jutsu in half since a user only needed time to manifest the desired jutsu and not spend time moulding the chakra.

And if the kit has a strong will like his mother...

"Naruto, when did you learn to do that?" Kurama asked.

"What do you mean?" Naruto stared upwards as he kept the seven blades of grass glued to his forehead, "I learned this at the orphanage."

"They don't teach you to hold more than one leaf at a time, let alone seven." Kurama stated.

"It just... feels right you know? It's kinda like pouring a cup of water, except instead of one cup, you pour seven cups at the same time." Naruto explained to the best of his abilities.

So he's doing it subconsciously then. Instead of splitting his concentration seven times, he is just duplicating the same concentration seven times.

Kurama contemplated if Naruto's seemingly casual affinity with Chakra was a freakish combination of his own chakra influence, the Uzumaki clan's gift of monstrous chakra pools, and Namikaze clan's natural inclination for all things related to shinobi techniques.

He has unlimited potential. Kurama thought. He felt like he was gazing upon a brilliant echo of his creator.

"Awww!" Naruto cried disappointingly as the grass fell off his forehead. "So, how did I do?" Naruto looked back at Kurama.

"Good. Very good." Kurama admitted. Credit where credits due. "You have the basic exercise down, so lets move on to the next step."

Three saplings sprouted up from the ground behind him. The saplings shot towards the sky and thickened into thick trunks as branches grew out quickly in all directions. As the trees stopped their growth, the barren branches exploded with a vibrant green as leaves burst forth from the branches.

"You will now climb a tree." Kurama instructed.

Naruto frowned. He knew how to climb a tree; he hadn't spent all those days in the forest by himself without picking up something useful.

His frown was soon replaced by open mouthed surprise as Kurama walked casually up the tree and sat on the first branch. He looked down at Naruto expectantly.

"Naruto, I want to see if you can figure out how to perform the exercise for yourself. Observation, awareness, and application of knowledge are important lessons you must learn for yourself, regardless of whether or not you are a shinobi. I will demonstrate again for you." With that Kurama jumped off the tree and walked back up, slowly this times as Naruto moved in close and observed where Kurama's feet made contact with the tree trunk.

Naruto took two steps back, folded his arms and closed his eyes to contemplate what he saw.

Remembering that this was an exercise, Naruto came to the conclusion Kurama was performing a variation of the leaf exercise.

Ah. So that's how you do it. Naruto nodded in realization. Instead of attaching a grass to my forehead, I'm attaching myself to the tree.

Naruto unfolded his arms and let it hang lose down his side. He kept his eyes closed in concentration while focusing a small amount of chakra at his feet. Naruto's eyes snapped open and he moved confidently to the tree and planted his left foot on the bark.

...And promptly slipped and fell on his back. Kurama held his laughter back. He had never met or seen any human succeed on the first try anyway.

Maybe I should use more chakra? Naruto thought as he stood back up and stared at where he lost his step. Dusting himself off, he closed his eyes once again and focused chakra at his feet, this time pouring quite a bit more chakra than the previous attempt. Naruto planted his left foot firmly on the trunk again

...And flew back a good five meters as the trunk underneath his feet exploded. Naruto sputtered as fine wood dust floated in the air.

"You are on the right track," Kurama encouraged him from atop the branch, "The first attempt had too little chakra, the second attempt too much."

Naruto nodded and walked back to the starting point. He concentrated chakra at his feet again, this time pouring slightly less chakra into his feet. He cautiously planted his left foot against the trunk again. The trunk groaned and the bark bent inward slightly, but did not explode as Naruto eased more weight on. Seeing that his foot was sticking to the trunk, Naruto concentrated the same amount of chakra on his right foot and pushed himself off the ground. He found himself staring upwards into the tree and parallel to the ground.

Kurama nodded his approval as Naruto slowly and carefully worked his way up to the branch where Kurama was sitting, one foot at a time. Naruto sat down next to him and grinned.

"Excellent. You are making good progress. Something you should be aware of is that the amount of chakra necessary will depend on what you are trying to climb, and will also be dependent on how heavy you are and how fast you are moving." Kurama laid out the fundamental knowledge regarding the exercise.

Naruto nodded, "That makes sense. Can I practice a bit more?"

"Of course." Kurama hopped off the branch and landed silently. The ground rumbled slightly as a flat concrete wall two meters wide rose up out of the ground. A second wall made of glass rose and joined the concrete. A third wall of solid soil rose up beside the glass.

"Try using these different walls for practice. Once you are confident with walking up on these walls, try running." A yellow backpack puffed into existence at the base of the concrete wall. "That is a special backpack that will change weight every minute; put that on before you start."

Naruto hopped off the branch and slipped the backpack on. He moved over to the concrete wall and placed his foot on the surface...


Kurama called an end to the exercise once he saw that Naruto mastered the wall climbing exercise. Naruto was now capable running up all of the walls with the backpack and not leaving a mark behind, which is kind of important for any active shinobi.

"It's strange, how come I don't feel tired at all?" Naruto asked as Kurama took the backpack from him with one of his tails.

"Because this space is just a very good imitation of real life. You can't really get tired if your body doesn't do any real work." Kurama told him, "It's perfect for learning and practicing what we already know, but the best way to find out your limits or test an experimental jutsu is doing it in real life. Now, lets move on to the last exercise. Follow me."

Kurama didn't feel the urge to tell Naruto that he would experience mental exhaustion all the same; Kurama's gift of regeneration made it all a moot point anyway.

Naruto followed as Kurama led him up and over the hill behind the trees. As they reached the top of the hill Naruto saw the crystal blue lake again. Kurama led him down to the pristine white shores.

"This is the last exercise we will do for now. Observe closely." Kurama stepped out on to the water. Instead of sinking or getting wet, his foot stayed level and slightly above the water. Naruto could see a faint depression where Kurama's foot made invisible contact with the water surface. Kurama walked for twenty paces, turned around, and sat on his haunches facing Naruto. "Give it a try."

Naruto folded his arms and thought back to the last exercise. This should be similar to tree climbing. If I use too little chakra, I'll slip and get wet, and if I use too much, the water will splash everywhere...

Using the knowledge he gained from the previous exercise and what Kurama had said about different materials requiring different chakra amounts, Naruto poured just a tiny bit of Chakra into his feet; water wasn't solid so it shouldn't take as much effort. Naruto smiled as he lowered his foot towards the water surface, but frowned as it got wet anyway He repeated again, this time observing the water more closely. The water near the surface was pushed down as the chakra made contact, but the water surrounding the depression quickly rushed into fill the gap.

If it keeps flowing back, then I will need to keep pushing down. Naruto put his foot forward again; however this time he bled out a constant amount of chakra from the soles of his feet.

Yes! Naruto let out a tiny cheer inside him as his foot met firm resistance on the water. He put his right foot forward. Gently, gently.

Kurama watched with amusement as Naruto stumbled haphazardly towards him on the lake. Ten paces in, Kurama threw the backpack at Naruto.

"Here! Think fast!"

Naruto's eyes widened as he scrambled and lunged for the airborne backpack. He managed to grab one of the straps as he lost chakra concentration before falling face first into the lake with a shout. Naruto flailed wildly and sent water everywhere as his entire body sank into the lake with a loud plunk. He came back up sputtering for air a moment later to find Kurama rolling on the water in laughter.

"Laugh it up furball." Naruto grumbled as Kurama picked up a very wet and miserable 4 year old and his backpack while walking back to the shore.

"Sorry, sorry." Kurama apologized with a twinkle in his eye as Naruto shot him an icy glare from behind, "It was just too good of an opportunity to pass up. Besides, a shinobi should always be alert for unexpected surprises."

Naruto mentally made a note to get the demon fox back as Kurama continued, "Practice this a bit more like with the climbing exercises. Try running again after you are confident with walking. You should be able to do this without thinking once you've mastered it, much like the previous exercise."

Naruto nodded as Kurama help slip the backpack back on to Naruto with two of his tails. He focused the chakra at his feet again and walked cautiously towards the water...


Naruto's eyes fluttered open the same instant a knock came on the door. He rolled to face the door as it opened and Sarutobi stuck his head in. It was the afternoon already.

"Hey Naruto, you ready to get out of here?" He asked with a smile.

"Yeah!" Naruto cheered, "I was so bored while you were gone jiji!" Naruto threw off the covers and hopped down from the bed. He put on his sandals and grabbed Sarutobi's hand. The aging Hokage guided the young demon container out the door and down the hall towards past the reception area.

Doctors and nurses nodded at Sarutobi in respect and glanced at Naruto in nervous curiosity as they filed past. Though they didn't show it, the hospital staff was extremely grateful none of the destructive rumors regarding the young boy was true. A few even revised their opinion of the child since his quiet deamnor directly contradicted the warning and whisperings of the civilian council.

Sarutobi guided Naruto out of the large set of glass doors in the front entrance. They walked in the direction of the Hokage tower and arrived at their destination two blocks and five minutes later.

The first thought that came to Naruto as he took in the building in front of him was how extremely unassuming it was. The building was so plain it could have been uprooted and dropped off in Suna or Kumo and no one would have been wiser. Whoever painted the apartment obviously had an overabundance of beige and red roof tiles. There were no windows on the first floor, only a set of wooden doors that gave way to a front office, which in turn blocked off access to a carefully maintained central garden.

Dog materialized and opened the front entrance for Sarutobi and Naruto. The office they entered featured cheap blue carpeting, a faded wooden counter that looked way past its prime, and two circular wooden tables with a pair of chairs each. Naruto felt the urge to explore, but Sarutobi held on to him tightly as he walked up to the counter and rang a rusty service bell.

A wiry, skinny old man popped up from behind the desk. To Naruto, the man was positively ancient; he had a battered look about him accompanied by a receding grey hairline. His face was lined with wrinkles and age spots. Despite his advanced age, Naruto could felt as it the old man radiated... dignity.

The man bowed politely to Sarutobi, "Welcome Hokage-sama." Sarutobi nodded politely in return and the old man turned his attention to Naruto, "And this must be young Naruto. Welcome, young Naruto. My name is Katashi Mori, I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

Naruto stared. Katashi was completely sincere in his statements. Naruto froze as he was unaccustomed to people who didn't shy away from him or or shoot him dirty looks.

Come on Naruto. Be polite. Kurama urged.

Naruto realized Sarutobi and Katashi were staring at him. Naruto took the cue and bowed. He then stuck out his hand at Katashi.

"I am pleased to meet you. Mori-sama."

The old landlord flashed a toothy smile in approval.

"Please follow me, I will show you to your new home." Katashi led Sarutobi and Naruto out into the carefully manicured courtyard filled with bonsai trees and up two flights of stairs to the third floor.

"This complex is dedicated to the needs of the Konoha shinobi force; no civilians other than janitors and repairman are permitted. As such, security and noise is not really an issue."

It was true. Though most genin kept normal business hours, once a shinobi made it to chunin working odd hours became a universal, unsaid job requirement. And because shinobi kept such a different schedule, this meant there were at least a dozen shinobi in various states of alertness in the complex at any given time. Any fool who would incur the wrath of the shinobi in their own home often met painful ends.

Sarutobi hoped that this will keep the the vengeful villagers away. Assuming the shinobi living here accept Naruto as one of their own.

"Here we are." Katashi stopped in front of room 306 and unlocked it. "The Anbu came by earlier to drop off your personal belongings." Naruto laughed a little. Whatever belongings he 'had' could fit in a small potato sack.

I hope you find this to your liking." Katashi opened the door and stepped aside to let Sarutobi and Naruto in.

Naruto grinned as he examined his new studio apartment. The entrance opened up to a medium-size beige-carpeted living area twice the size of his room back at the orphanage. It contained a small wooden coffee table and a brown, L-shaped sofa facing an empty counter. Behind the sofa was a bare, sheet-less queen sized bed flanked by a pair of white nightstands. A closet with a sliding door faced the bed on the right wall. Opposite the living room was a white-tiled bathroom with a the standard porcelain toilet and sink. A metal shower head which drained into the corner of the room rounded out the bathroom furnishings. There was a medium sized kitchen with a metal sink, two burner stoves, plenty of counter space, and numerous cabinets in the back left corner of the studio apartment.

This will be adequate for our cooking lessons. Kurama stated as he spied the kitchen area from Naruto's eyes.

Sarutobi walked over to the bed and threw open the curtains by the bed. Naruto gasped as the window provided him with an unobstructed view of the Hokage tower and the monument.

"This is great." Naruto murmured happily.

Sarutobi nodded to Katashi, who handed Naruto the keys.

"Please remember other shinobi live in this building as well; be courteous to your neighbors and keep the noise level to a minimum. The complex will also be getting an upgrade to take advantage of electricity in the near future. I will let you know when we have a set date for the upgrade."

Naruto nodded earnestly as Katashi handed him the keys. Katashi bowed to Sarutobi and shuffled out the door, "Please enjoy your stay." He bowed once more and closed the door behind him.

Sarutobi watched Naruto went over to the bed and started hopping up and down. He laughed at the scene. This was something that is more fitting for a 4 year old. He enjoyed the scene of normalcy for another minute before remembering his duties.

Sarutobi called out, "Naruto, I have to take care of some more paperwork back at the Tower. How about I pick you up around six and we can have dinner."

Naruto jumped off the bed and and landed in front of Sarutobi in one leap before squeezing the old man in tight hug. "Sure jiji. Thanks again!"

Sarutobi hugged back with a smile and closed the door behind him as he left, leaving Naruto alone in his new home.

You should find some paper and pencil. Kurama piped up.

What for? Naruto asked.

You need to make a list of things you need to buy since you are going to be living here from now on and you don't have caretakers anymore; Kurama stated. Toilet paper, toothbrush, blankets, pots and pans, cooking utensils, clothes that won't get you killed...

Wait, Naruto interrupted. Go back to that last part. What's wrong with my clothes?

Are shinobi supposed to be stealthy? Kurama asked, sounding bored.

Well Of course dummy! Naruto answered.

And WHAT part of the color orange screams stealth? Kurama demanded.

Whatever, orange will the be the last things the bad guys see before they fall over. Naruto said confidently.

...with laughter. Kurama tacked on.

Naruto gritted his teeth. The fox had a point. Naruto liked orange because it attracted attention, but a real shinobi isn't in the business of attracting attention unless he or she wanted to. Those who did had spectacularly short careers.

Fine. You made your point. Naruto conceded reluctantly.

Naruto could feel a faint sense of satisfaction come from within, but ignored it.

You need to ask the Hokage to set you up with a bank account by the way. You don't have any money to your name, and for now you are just going to have to get by on his good graces.

Naruto frowned slightly. Though he was only four, Naruto had his pride and didn't really like handouts, completely ignoring the fact he is already staying at a nice apartment on Sarutobi's expense. He told Kurama as much.

If you want, we can save some of the allowance money and invest it. You can pay the old man back several times over by the time he retires. Kurama suggested.

That was a good idea. If he can make money for the old man, then its not really a handout... it would be more like the old man is making a long time investment in him.

You should probably ask him for a library card, and maybe find out if there is a private place you can go to train. Oh, we need to check...

Naruto hurriedly located a pencil and paper on the nightstand next to the bed, and started scribbling furiously as Kurama rattled off the things they will be needing. They had work to do.


Naruto skipped down the stone paved street in the market district beneath the orange colored evening skies. Sarutobi and two Anbu followed close behind. Market district hadn't changed much since Konoha's founding, it was consistently packed with tourists and villagers looking to shop and dine, especially at dinner time.

"Hey Naruto! Do you know where you are going?" Sarutobi called out from behind.

"I sure do!" He twisted his body and flashed the Hokage a quick thumbs-up.

Is there a reason why you lied just now? Kurama asked.

I'm not blind Kurama. I can feel the gazes of those restaurant owners. They would probably spit in my food while I'm not looking. And while I don't really care I can't take the risk of them doing the same to the old man. Naruto answered. So I gotta find a restaurant that doesn't hate me.

Heh. I'll give you a hand then.

All of a sudden Naruto felt his awareness multiply ten fold.

"Wha-" He put his hand to his head as he slowed to a walk. Too much information was coming in too fast.

He could hear the loud conversations between drunk villagers,

"99 bottles of sake on the wall~ 99 bottles of sake, take one down, pass it 'round' -"

the nonsensical ramblings of gossiping grandmothers,

"You hear the latest gossip out of Kumo? So apparently-"

and the whispered insults of the restaurant owners and hostesses.

"It's that brat, I can't wait for him to come in here so I can-"

Naruto slowed his breathing to calm himself. He thought back to what Kurama told him about not giving any power to words, and felt the insults drift around, through, and past him. A few seconds later he managed a smile and started skipping again.

Kurama frowned on the inside. He had underestimated the resentment of the villagers towards Naruto, who was busy filtering out the insults and feeling the general intent behind the words.

Shinobi or not, no four year old should be subject to this kind of mental abuse. Kurama was about to apologize to Naruto for giving him heightened senses when Naruto turned left into a smaller side street.

"There!" Naruto said loudly as he pointed towards a wooden shop and ran to it.

Kurama focused on the wooden two story shop in front of them. He felt a distinct lack of malice as Naruto made his way to the shop. The shop had a large water tank on the roof and two gas canisters outside; it gave off a very mom and pop feel. Kurama spied the words on the shop as Naruto hopped onto one of the serving stools.

Ramen Ichiraku huh? Well. I hope their food is good, its been a while since I've had ramen.

"Two specials!" Naruto shouted as a smiling Sarutobi took the empty seat next to the hyperactive four year old.

"YOSH!" Came the enthusiastic response from the pair behind the counter. The server was a slender, pale-skinned girl with dark brown hair and black eyes. The main cook, whom Naruto assumed to be the proprietor, was a solidly built man with tanned skin and dark grey hair. He had a slightly round face, with just a hint of wrinkles creeping in around the cheeks. Both wore white robes; the only difference was the cook had a small serving hat, while the girl wore a white bandanna which held her hair back. Naruto watched the pair expertly go about their craft and was not disappointed as two fresh bowls of beef katsu ramen landed in front of Naruto and Sarutobi in three minutes flat.

"Enjoy!" The chef smiled warmly without any hint of hesitation at Naruto and Sarutobi.

It's safe to eat. Kurama told Naruto. I followed their movement the entire time.

"Itadakimasu!" Naruto cheered loudly as he took a pair of chopsticks and bit into the beef katsu.

It was glorious. Naruto had never tasted anything so good in his life. The lightly-peppered, flaky outer crust of the meat gave way easily to the soft tender core. Naruto took a bite of the noodles and drank a little bit of the broth. The noodles were firm, yet yielding; and the broth...salted just enough to give it flavor, but not enough to overwhelm the noodles and the meat.

Tears of joy ran down Naruto's cheeks. He was undergoing a religious experience.

"Why are you crying Naruto?" Sarutobi looked over in concern.

"It's sooooooo gooooooood! This is the beat meal I've ever had! I'm worried I'll never be able to eat this again!" Naruto wailed.

The cook from behind the counter laughed heartily, "Don't you worry my young friend! As long as I have customers like you I will never stop cooking!"

Sarutobi patted Naruto's head, "You heard him. This place isn't going any where. Now eat your fill."

Naruto nodded and started packing it away.


Sarutobi stared as Naruto finished his sixth bowl.

"Wow. That must be some kind of record." The cook said in amazement as he scratched his head.

"Whoo! I'm stuffed." Naruto said as he finished off the broth and put the bowl on the counter. "Thanks for a great meal old man! I'll be sure to come back tomorrow!"

The cook smiled. "The name is Teuchi kid. And this is my daughter Ayame." Ayame nodded with a smile. "What's your name?"

"Uzumaki Naruto!"

"Well now, you have a good evening, young Naruto. We'll see you back here tomorrow!" Teuchi and Ayami waved as Naruto and Sarutobi got up to leave.

"Thanks for the meal, Teuchi-san and Ayame nee-chan!" Naruto waved back.

When Sarutobi dropped Naruto back off at the apartment, Naruto gave him another hug.

"Thanks for the meal old man!"

"Don't mention it." Sarutobi muttered, "Really, don't remind me again." His wallet was a lot lighter now.

"Say jiji," Naruto began with a twinkle in his eye, "Do you think you can help me out with some things?"

Sarutobi did not particularly care for Naruto's scheming expression, "What do things do you need help with?" He asked cautiously.

Naruto took out a list out of his pocket and put on some reading glasses.

Wait, where did he get those glasses?!

"Oh nothing that's too troubling for a Hokage I'd imagine; just a bank account since I'm not old enough to set one up, maybe some easy missions that I can do to help pay for things, a library card, may be a private training area..."

Sarutobi put one hand over his face as Naruto went down the list one item at a time.

What did I get myself into?


Naruto found himself sitting in the mindscape back at the edge of the lake. The moon hung brightly above the hill and provided subdued illumination.

"Hey Naruto!" Kurama materialized out of the grass in front of him.

"Hey Kurama. Are we going to train some more?"

"Yes. I wanted to apologize first thought for raising your awareness like that. I shouldn't have done that without asking you first." Kurama said remorsefully.

Naruto understood the real meaning behind Kurama's words. "Hey don't worry about it. I know you were just trying to help. Besides, it's like you said, words are just words. I'll let my actions speak for me!"

Kurama returned the grin, "That's the spirit! As a reward I'll teach you a jutsu!"

Naruto pumped his arms up into the air. "YES! What am I learning?"

Kurama beckoned to Naruto and they sat down facing each other.

"Now pay attention." Naruto leaned in close as Kurama began his explanation. "Your very first jutsu is a ninjutsu called henge. This technique allows the user to transform into any shape or person by using chakra. The hand signs are dog, boar, and ram in sequence."

Kurama used four of his tails and manipulated Naruto's fingers to each shape.

"Go through those signs in sequence while I talk."

Naruto obediently begain forming the hand seal sequence repeatedly.

"This technique is used primarily for gathering information as it allows the user to blend in with their surroundings. The key to this technique is creativity and experience. If you are just transforming into a random person, then the only thing you have to worry about it creating a consistent persona for that person. If you want to transform into someone everyone will recognize, like the Hokage, for instance, then you need to emulate every aspect of his behavior. The success of your transformation depends largely on your skill in awareness and observation."

Kurama continued as Naruto nodded.

"Chakra usage for this technique will vary depending on your transformation target. Transforming into something that is similar to your shape and mass won't take much effort. Transforming into something small like a shoe or something large like a house will take a large amount of chakra. One of the drawbacks of this technique is that it will drain your chakra constantly to maintain the form, and any sort of physical contact and exertion will increase that drain."

Naruto considered this information carefully.

"Thanks to your Uzumaki blood, you have enough chakra to maintain a similar sized henge for about eight hours, two to four if you are going to perform any sort of physical activities."

"Okay let's give it a try." Naruto stood up as Kurama coached him, "Visualize what you want to become... Now hold that image in your head...Focus the chakra into your hands and go through the seals, when you finish the seals push the chakra out of your hand while still holding the image in your mind.

Naruto went through the seals fairly quickly and visualized the old man as he exhaled and pushed the chakra out of his body. White smoke enveloped him as he felt the chakra coursing through his system, coating his skin, subtly altering his shape and stretching his body out. It felt slightly uncomfortable and awkward, but there was no pain.

Naruto opened his eyes as the smoke dissipated.

"Well?" He asked. Only it was not his voice, it was the tired voice of a wise leader long past his prime.

Kurama got up from where he was sitting and circled Sarutobi-Naruto. He nodded positively. Every detail was spot on, from the white robes to the red kimono underneath, to the age spots that dotted his face. Naruto even had wood striping pattern on the tobacco pipe down exactly.

"Very good Naruto, release the technique."

Naruto released the chakra coating him and felt the chakra dissipate out of his skin in another cloud of smoke. As the smoke settled he felt himself back in his normal shape.

"That is a very good impression, but lets up the ante by transforming into something different."

"What do you have in mind?"

Kurama grinned as the ground beside Naruto cracked open slightly and a line of metallic white filing cabinet rose up out of the ground. Kurama walked to the eighth cabinet and pulled open the second door with his tail. He stood on his hind legs and pulled out a series of manila folders and walked back to Naruto as the cabinets retreated back underground.

"In these folders are a series of profiles. Select one of these profiles to be your alter ego." Kurama informed him.

"Why do I need an alter ego?" Naruto asked as Kurama handed him the folders and they both sat back down.

"To level the playing field." Kurama responded, "We still have a long ways to go before the villagers will change their mind about you. Using this alter ego will allow you to buy things without worrying about quality or price."

"I dunno... that seems kind of like cheating." Naruto turned his nose up with his eyes closed.

"Heh, not even if it saves the old man money in the long run?" If Naruto was one weakness Kurama could exploit, it was his fondness for the old man. Naruto still looked skeptical.

"Look, I'll prove it to you tomorrow. But just go along with it for now."

Though still skeptical, Naruto figured he might as well put in his best effort since this was he first jutsu.

"Won't people recognize some of these profiles" Naruto asked as he opened the first folder.

"Nope. Most of these profiles were people I met a long time ago outside of the elemental nations...I seriously doubt anyone here knows who they are."

Naruto read the first profile.

Name: Super Sonico

Age: 18

Occupation: Model/Singer/Musician/Artist

Description: A talented girl with musi-

What kind of name is Super Sonico?

Naruto glanced over at the attached portrait. PINK HAIR? REALLY? The girl was cute no doubt, but her attractiveness build and pink hair would attract the wrong sort of attention. Naruto discarded the folder into a new pile.

On to profile number two...

Name: Hatsune Miku

Age: 16

Occupation: Model/Singer

Description: A gifted sing-

The name passes... but why is her hair turquoise? Naruto thought as he glanced at her photo. Wait a second...

Naruto tossed the Miku folder into a new 'maybe' pile and rifled through the rest of the profile folders quickly.

"Hey Kurama! How come all of these profiles are teenage girls?" Naruto complained loudly.

Kurama stared at him as if he had just asked the most ridiculous question in the world, "Because most shopkeepers are men, and they only have enough blood to power one of two organs."

Naruto raised his eyebrows.

"Which two organs?"

"I'll tell you when you get old. Look, just trust me on this okay?"

"Finnneeeeee." Naruto picked the profiles back up.

Profile number three...


Thirty minutes later, Naruto settled on profile number two.

Kurama nodded his approval. "Okay, whenever you are ready."

Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Kurama stared at the three foot cardboard cutout of Hatsune Miku. He buried his face into his paws.

Naruto changed back, "Okay, that was wrong." He smiled sheepishly.

"Visualize whats IN the photo, not THE photo." Kurama growled from between his paws

"Yea yea yea... stupid ero-kitsune." Naruto muttered.

He put his hands together and ran through the seals again...


A/N: I want ramen now. And don't worry, there won't be any crossovers. I'm just borrowing some character designs for Naruto to use.