Chapter 4: The Start
Naruto stared at her blankly. "...Really?"
Kazumi just gave him one of those strange eye-smiles of hers just as the two ANBU started to leave. "We'll leave him in your care then, Kazumi-san," the Bird said.
"Good luck with the training." The Boar said as they walked on.
Kazumi stared at the pair as they left. "So, I guess we should start off with introductions. I'll go first," she said as she put her book away. "My name is Hatake Kazumi, my likes are...well you might be old enough to hear them but the Hokage will kick my head in if she ever found out I told you. My dislikes are…well I don't really feel like talking about them and my hobbies...well, not really important. How about you, handsome?" She said as she looked at him wantonly.
'Okay, that helps,' he thought sarcastically as he took on a flirting smile of his own. "Well my name is Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto, as the Hokage already told you. My likes are my bow, ramen, and music while my dislikes are the time it takes for ramen to cook and doing things that I don't want or like to do. My hobbies are archery, hunting, flute-playing, singing, cooking and sewing." He greeted.
"Oh, with hobbies like that then you are just begging to have some woman to take you home." She teased.
"Well I have to be more than just a handsome face," he said with a grin. "But I think we should get started on the training. After all, it would be bad if we spent the day just teasing each other."
Kazumi smirked. "Fair enough, the first thing we should do is see what your chakra nature releases are." She said as she pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to him.
"What is this?" He asked.
"It's called Chakra paper. It's paper made from special trees that are highly susceptible to chakra. We use it to see what nature releases our kunoichi have. Do you know what nature releases are?"
Naruto nodded. "I think I heard about them while I was in Kumogakure, they are sort of like elements of nature that a kunoichi can use in certain techniques right?"
"Yes, those techniques are called Ninjutsu. A person's nature release is different per person but here in Hi no Kuni, the most common nature release is fire. But since you have a Kekkei Genkei, you might have more thanone."
"Is that common?" He asked.
"It really depends on the Kekkei Genkei itself. In some cases, like the Uchiha, they tend to only have one in the it's fire, but there are rumors that they have an advanced nature release." Kazumi said.
"Advanced nature releases? How many are there?" He asked.
"The basic natures are fire, wind, water, lightning and earth," she said. "Advanced natures are a bit more complex. In some cases it can be a combination of two basic natures such as wind and water to make ice or something that isan entirely different nature all together like gravity." She explained.
"Okay then," Naruto said as she looked at the paper. "So how do I use it?" He asked.
"It's simple, just like how you activated your Doujutsu. Try channeling it though the arm, then into your hand and fingers." She said.
Naruto nodded as he looked at the paper. He inhaled deeply as he tried to focus on the paper in his hand. He nearly jumped when the paper was split right down the middle. Before the pieces hit the ground, one crumbled up while the other started to singe at the ends. "WOAH! How did I do that?"
Kazumi other eye was slightly wide in surprised. 'I haven't seen agenin rankedkunoichi have that kind of chakra control,' she thought. "That is very impressive. Not only do you have wind nature release, which alone is very rare in our village, but also lightning and fire. Though, guessing that the paper was first cut, wind must be your strongest nature. "
"So am I going to learn any new jutsu today?" He asked with barely hidden excitement.
"Yes, but the first one I'm going to teach you will help you learn faster and become stronger. You're going to need to use it a lot if you're going to be genin material by the end of the month," she said. "Now, watch my hands." Naruto nodded as he stared at her hands as she moved her hands into a sign. "Ram," she said as she did another one. "Snake," she said before she did the last one. "Tiger. These hand signs are seals that help channel the exact chakra you need to perform a jutsu. All but Taijutsu require these, so it's vastly important that you remember the names of each hand seal and the exact order of the seal in the jutsu you are trying to do. Ready?" Naruto nodded as he brought his hands up and ready to imitate her.
'Ram,' he thought as he made the seal, 'snake and tiger!'
"Good, now that you are familiar with the hand seals for this jutsu, repeat what I say after the seals." She instructed. Naruto nodded as he got ready. After a quick series of hand seals that Naruto followed exactly, much to Kazumi's shock and approval. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" (Shadow Clone Jutsu) They both shouted. In a poof of smoke, two exact copies of the student and teacher appeared.
"Woah!" Naruto said as he approached his clone. He waved at him and the clone waved back with a large smile on his face. "So I take it that this is used for distractions right?" Naruto asked.
Kazumi nodded. "It can be," she said. "This jutsu is called the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu; it's more advanced then the Bunshin no Jutsu (Clone Jutsu) by the fact that these clones are actually real clones with your chakradistributed to them and capable of doing jutsu on their own and fully capable of following orders as opposed to being simple illusions."
"R-Really?! Then why bother with Bunshin no jutsu if the Kage version is much more powerful?"
"Kage Bunshin takes up a lot of chakra and it's technically illegal for me to actually teach you it, but the Hokage has permitted me to do so giving the function Kage Bunshin has that sets it apart from the other Bunshin jutsu." Kazumi said with an eye smile just as the two clones disappeared.
"What's that?" He asked as he turned to her.
"Kage Bunshin not only have the ability to make exact copies of the user, but once that clone is destroyed or dispersed, then all the knowledge and details that it learned will be sent straight to the user. So, in other words, the more clones learning one particular subject, the faster you can master it." Kazumi giggled at the shock look on Naruto's face. "Though the downside is that a normal kunoichi could only someone about one or two Kage Bunshin max before suffering from chakra withdrawals and di-."
"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" Naruto shouted just as ten clones appeared. Kazumi eye(s) went wide with shock as she stared at all the smiling Naruto's. She stared at Naruto greeting one of his clones with a high-five before looking at his shocked sensei. "Sorry, did you say something Kazumi-sensei?" He said before grinning amorously. "Or maybe we should call you Kazumi-chan?" He and his clones said flirtatiously.
Kazumi started to blush at the way Naruto started to speak with her and the sudden dirty images that went into her head at the rather intense and dirty thoughts of what a large group of Naruto's might do to a girl. She shook her head lightly as she tried to push those thoughts back for 'private time'. Instead, she grew concerned as she asked, "Umm...are you okay? You don't feel tired or weak?"
"No, why?" He asked.
'BECAUSE YOU JUST SUMMONED ENOUGH KAGE BUNSHIN TO KILL A NORMAL KOUNICHI!' She mentally snapped as she face-palmed herself. "W-Well most people have a hard time summoning one or two kage bunshin their first time. It takes a LOT out of a normal a person. Summoning ten clones at once is...not normal."
Naruto started to chuckle lightly. "I don't mean to be smug, but I don't think anything about me is 'normal'. It makes me better that way." He said with a light wink.
Kazumi blushed underneath her mask, smiling at him. 'I may have a lot of competition,' she thought. "Well your grasp on the jutsu is very impressive. It's almost as if you were a natural at it. Though given your heritage, I'm not that surprised. You're mothers would have been proud of you."
"Did you know them?" He asked quickly.
Kazumi nodded. "Your paternal mother was my sensei when I was a genin. Oh, and be careful when dispelling those bunshin, since you experience everything they have been through and learn everything they have, dispelling too many at once can be too much on your mind."
Naruto nodded as he made the clones disappear one by one. "What kind of person was she?" He asked.
She smiled as she thought of the sensei of her youth. "Minako was a wonderful person. She was beautiful, intelligent and a caring and loyal person. She was among my closest friends and when she became the Hokage, she was among the best leaders that the village could have at that time. Even the most stubborn male had some respect for her. And when she and your maternal mother were expecting you, it was amongst the happiest I haveever seen the two of them. Kushina has always been a loud, energetic and lively person. Her being pregnant just made her even more excitable." Kazumi was lost in her thoughts that she almost didn't notice that frown on Naruto's face.
"Do...Do you think they would have given me up if they knew I was a boy?" He asked. "I know that some kunoichi couples often give up male children and ever since I learned who they where and what they represented, I always wondered if they woul-."
Kazumi placed a hand on his cheek. "Don't ever think that way. While they were expecting a girl, I'm sure they would have loved you too much to give you up. What woman could give up on a person like you?" She said with an eye-smile.
Naruto smiled at the woman's words. "Thanks. It means a lot to hear that."
Kazumi grinned widely underneath her mask as an opportunity arose. "How about you and I go get some ramen and then we go back to ninjutsu training?"
"HELL YEAH!" He said seriously as he eyes got large and serious.
Meanwhile
In the office of Shimura Daneiru, an elderly woman with bandages covering most of her wrinkled face and black hair on top her head. Daneiru was the head of an ANBU branch called ROOT. ROOT, while being a disbanded branch of the Konohagakure forces, was still a force not to be taken lightly as most of its members are highly trained, determined and fiercely loyal to Daneiru alone.
Across from her were her two personal agents and bodyguards, Fu and Tora. "So, the son of Minako and Kushina can mold chakra?" She asked.
"Yes, Daneiru-sama." Fu said.
"We knew that we must come straight to you with this information." Tora said.
Daneiru was silent as she rose. "Then keep an eye on him. This...'boy' could destroy our beloved village from the inside if we aren't careful. But, the fact that there is a human male that can even mold is something that is too voluble to pass up."
"So what will you have us do?" Fu asked.
"Watch him and when the opportunity arises, we will capture him and give him two choices." She said as she grinned darkly. "Be a breeding stock to bring glory to Konohagakure forever or die." The two guards looked between each other before bowing lowly before their leader.
"Yes, Daneiru-sama." They said before they disappeared into smoke.
Later that Evening.
"Naruto-kun has shown some amazing abilities," Kazumi started. "He not only learned how to make kage bunshin almost instantly but he's already making rapid progress on several jutsu. Some of them are even jounin-level."
Hiruko smiled proudly at the news. "Wonderful and what are his nature releases?" She asked.
"Wind, lightning and fire." Kazumi said. "Though one thing does worry me and it's about the Namikaze bloodline."
"What?" The kage asked.
"If Naruto DOES have it, which is something even I doubt he's capable of," Kazumi started, "with three chakra natures and in addition to having the Namikaze bloodline. He'll be extremely powerful."
"How powerful are you suggesting? Like Orika or the other sannin?" Hiruko asked as she puffed on her pipe.
"More like Uchiha Mayura," shedeadpanned. The old kage started to cough lightly as smoke went down her wrong pipe. "And I don't know how we could test him to see if he even could have it."
"Then we shouldn't worry about it. The Namikaze bloodline is just a rumor; it's not very likely for him to have it after all." She said.
"Very well," Kazumi said. "Then when will we tell him about the Kyuubi? He's a smart person, Hokage-sama. It will only be a matter of time before he puts things together himself."
Hiruko was silent; she was having a hard time wondering if she should or shouldn't tell him about Jinchuuriki and Bijuu yet. Let alone his connection to the Kyuubi itself. It wasn't easy as saying 'Oh by the way, the reason why all the males hate you is because you have an all-powerful demonic fox sealed into your stomach and it killed you're parents...SORRY'. She sighed as she said, "We will tell him when he asks."
Kazumi nodded. "Fine then, so before I turn in for the night, whose going to be he's next sensei?"
"Yuuhi Kurenai."
"The Ice Queen? Ouch. That isn't going to go well for him." Kazumi said.
Hiruko nodded. "Kurenai may not favor the male sex, but she agreed to teach Naruto genjutsu and be professional about it. Though she made it more than clear that she has low expectations of him."
Kazumi gave the older woman one of her eye-smiles. "Oh I'm sure by the end of the day, she'll be like dough in his hands." She assured the older kage.
At That Moment.
Naruto twitched his nose as an irritating itch came to him as he walked to the library of the clan compound. As he just walked through the doorway, he let out a loud and powerful sneeze. "Hope I'm not coming down with something," he said as he walked over the closest had seen a scroll on this particular shelf but never got a chance to read it because he had to go to sleep for training. Since he had more time, thanks to the kagebunshin, he took it to read about the 'Uzumaki Clan: Takagen.'
Naruto smiled as he pulled it out of its place. It was a small scroll tied up with red string and with a darker red roll of cloth surrounding it, and decorated by the black title tag that also had what looked like a whirlpool emblem on it. He sat down as he pulled the scroll out of its cloth holds and scanned the writing on it. Naruto read it to himself:
Uzumaki Clan Records: The Takagen's History and Abilities.
A Brief History
The Takagen is a doujutsu that amplifies a kunoichi's vision on several levels and enables the ability of several different types of sights as well. The Takagen has its roots in the Honshi clan of Kirigakure; the most famous kunoichi of the Honshi clan was Taka who became famous during the First Kunoichi World War. Due to reasons not fully understood, she left Kirigakure and changed her name to Uzumaki. Some rumors say that she had to change her last name when she married a civilian male in Uzu no Kuni (Land of Whirlpools) while others claim that she had to change it when events occurred that forced herto become an enemy of Kirigakure.
Regardless of why Taka left Kirigakure, the end result was that she soon created the village of Uzushiogakure no Sato (Village hidden by Whirlpools). As the village prospered, the Uzumaki clan soon split itself into two groups much like the Hyuuga of Konohagakure. Through selective breeding, one group of the Uzumaki clan didn't have the Takagen but instead had the ability called the Kagura Shingan (Mind's Eye of the Kagura).The Kagura Shingan had the ability to track chakra over vast distances as well as tell when a person is lying or not by sensing negative influences on chakra that is a result from such emotions such as dishonesty or malice. The members of this group were the most common and treated like normal kunoichi amongst both the civilians and other kunoichi of Uzushiogakure.
The other group was considered to be the more prestigious and most of its members were more highly regarded. This part of the clan became famous for not only having the Takagen but also for developing the use of golden chakra chains and their own, unique form of Fuinjutsu that eventually lead to the destruction of Uzushiogakure. They also were renowned for being the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi.
Naruto's eyes went wide at the last sentence as if a huge hand just slapped him across the face. 'WHY THE HELL DIDN'T I REALZIE THAT?!' He thought to himself. 'That explains so much! That mark on my stomach, the men calling me a demon, the fox jokes!' He slammed his face against his head in frustration. 'Kami, I'm stupid!' He thought before going back to the scroll.
The Abilities of the Takagen
The Takagen is separated into three stages, each granting different array of abilities and attributes. The first stage is merely known as The Takagen, the second is called Shūchū (Focus) Takagan and the last one is the Zuboshi (Bulls Eye) Takagen. The first stage is characterized by the 'ring' that forms in the iris and separates it into two different colors. The outer being the person's natural eye color while the inner tends to being a darker shade. Since most of the Uzumaki are known to have blue eyes, the inner part is usually purple. The second stage is known by a second ring above the first. The new outermost part is usually lighter than the original eye color, making it turquoise usually. In the third stage, two lines appear intersecting each other in a vertical and horizontal pattern, giving it a look that others often compare to a target, hence the name 'Zuboshi.'
The first stage grants the following abilities.
Thermal: This vision allows the user to see the heat signatures of living organisms.
Telescopic: This vision allows the user to see across vast distances.
Night: This vision allows the user to see in pitch black darkness.
Calming Gaze: This vision is actually a very subtle yet powerful genjutsu. It makes the targeted victim feel at ease, calm and uncaring. Over time the target loses inhibitions and often becomes forgetful and easily convinced.
Blood: This vision allows the user to see a person's circulatory system.
The second stage grants the following abilities. It should be noted that these abilities are more hazardous to use then those in stage one as they work by manipulating certain parts of the brain as opposed to just the optic nerves:
Probability: This vision is among the most useful but also the hardest to use and the more physically damaging abilities of the Takagen. It allows the user to see every POSSIBLE outcome of a confrontation. It should be noted that the more that the user knows about the other's abilities, personality, faults, ETC., the more accurate the outcomes will be.
Photographic: This vision allows the user to instantly memorize anything they wish in a split second. Much like a camera in how it captures something in great detail. It will be hard for the user to memorize such things like hand seals since they often move to fast, so the image could end up blurred in the user's mind.
X-Ray: This allows the user to see through solid objects and can be enhanced to see the skeletal system of others.
Illusion: This vision allows the user to escape most genjutsu.
The last stage offers one single ability that is different per person. No two Uzumaki has the same final ability but it is usually more directly offensive or defensive then the other abilities described in this scroll. It should also be noted that it adds another nature release to make a total of four nature releases that the Takagen grants.
Naruto rolled the scroll up as he looked up at the moon. He yawned lightly. "Well, let's see who might my next sensei be." He said as he went towards his bed. Yet as he made way, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that someone was watching him.
END
Hope you enjoy the story! For the next chapter I'm going to need your help choosing the two characters that will be his teammates and who would be his team jonin. You're choices are below and please submit via a review or Pm but note instead of going with the choice with the most, I will go with the one that has the best arguments for and if you have a better choice then feel free offer them. Hope to hear from you soon!
Potential Teammates:
Sasuki Uchiha
Hinata Hyuuga
Shika Nara
Kira Inuzuka
Cho Akimichi
Ino Yamanaka
Sakura Haruno
Shina Aburame
Potential Team Jonin:
Kazumi Hatake
Kurenai Yuhi
Anko Mitarashi
Asuna Sarutobi