Naruto time! No crossover, but some influence from elsewhere.
Explanation: the secondary Rider from Kamen Rider Fourze, Meteor, is a user of the Seishin Dairinken (Star-Mind Large-Ring Fist), though it more resembles Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune do, complete with Bruce Lee's signature cries when launching kicks and punches. Which got me researching. And looking.
And suddenly Naruto's learning Jeet Kune Do from Danzo of all people. My mind is a strange place to visit.
Disclaimer: one day later, still don't own anything.
Shimura Danzo watched quietly as the 6 year old boy bashed his fists against the training post in the abandoned training ground. His movements were sloppy, completely wrong and totally pathetic, with no strength behind it at all. It would seem that the civilian council's plans to sabotage the boys education was well underway; six months in the Academy and he still had no grasp of the basics.
As it was, the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, Uzumaki Naruto would be useless as a ninja, no skill, no prospects.
Perfect.
Danzo would have smile if he didn't think such actions were a useless by-product of equally useless emotions. The Hokage may have been happy to let the weapon rot, but Danzo was not .He had made sure to have his ROOT ANBU, under the guise of being regular villagers, to force Naruto here, to this old field near where the Kyuubi had attacked, where nobody ever went, for that reason; with Naruto hidden away, and the ambient energy left over from the Fox's attack shielding the field from the Hokage's crystal ball, he could train the boy with impunity. He couldn't train him as he normally would, removing all emotion, no, the old fool would realise something was wrong. But he could still mould the boy into a true weapon, with loyalties only to the Leaf. He would consider this an experiment of sorts: adding his training techniques to the boys emotional mindset and seeing what would be created. Yes, the end result would either be interesting or a catastrophic failure.
He stepped out of the shadows. "You are doing it wrong," the boy leaped six feet into the air, landing on top of the post, albeit not entirely stable.
"What the hell, you trying ta kill me!" The boy began to rant before realising Danzo wasn't a lost animal, but a villager. "Oh, shit!"
"Do not panic, boy," Danzo said, seeing the boy ready to rabbit. "I'm not here to hurt you."
"Bullshit!" Danzo winced. The boy's language was atrocious, his syntax nearly as bad. "You villagers're all the same! Ya probably..."
"That will do!" Danzo said forcibly. Naruto's jaw slammed shut and he fell off the post. "Now, if you are quite finished, as I was saying, I'm not here to hurt you. Indeed, I have been watching you for some time?"
"Me?" Naruto asked. "Why?"
"You have certain attributes I believe will make a fine ninja," Danzo said, laying the praise on a bit thick. "You think on your feet, you're fast, agile... most of the time," he added as an after thought. "And what you are taught properly, you have picked up quickly. That, however, is the problem."
"Wha'chu talkin' 'bout, one eye?" Only Danzo's legendary discipline stopped him from frying the brat with a fireball.
"The civilian council, for... various reason that are not relevant right now, have decided to sabotage your education, paying certain teachers to ensure you are held back in regards to your skill," the boy looked at him blinking as his mind managed to decode the sentence very slowly. It was two minutes of silence in which Danzo thought he'd have to translate. Then...
"Tha hell you mean it's not rele...rele... something I'm supposed ta know?" Danzo raised an eyebrow. The boy was smarter than he thought. Excellent. "Tha whole damn village wants me dead, the council wants me dumb, I think I should know the damn reason!"
"The truth would leave you a simpering whining wreck on the ground from fear," Danzo said. Naruto was on his feet, staring at the man in challenge.
"Prove it, mummy man!" Danzo quirked visible eyebrow. The boy's attitude was... familiar. "Bring it on! I can take everythin' ya can dish!"
"You think so, hm?" Danzo asked. The boy was almost amusing.
"Hellz yeah!"
"Very well then," Danzo said. Screw Sarutobi and his law, it's not like he'll find out and he was intrigued to see if the boy was as strong as he thought. "6 years ago, the Kyuubi no Kitsune attacked our village. The fourth Hokage was able to defeat it. The only way that was possible however was to seal it inside a child. You," again, silence as Naruto's brain processed the sentence, then...
"BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Naruto began laughing. Danzo, for a moment, though the boy's mind was broken as he lay on his back in tears. "That's stupid!"
"I assure you..."
"This village is full 'a morons!"
"I... what?"
"Everyone with a brain knows ya don't try ta fight the biggest bully in the yard without getting yer ass kicked! I've got the biggest bully in the world in me and these dumbasses're giving me every reason in tha world ta let it loose!" Danzo blinked. He hadn't thought of that. "Awright, old man!" Naruto said, getting to his feet. "You obviously don't buy whatever crap they're selling, so you must have an idea. I'm listenin'."
"I believe, as you, that those that sign into this...plan to weaken you are fools."
"More like slightly retarded," Naruto mumbled.
"Ahem, yes, well, I have decided to go around them," Danzo continued. "I am willing to train you into the true ninja I believe you can be. However, it will not be easy. There will be no days off, no breaks, no rests. I will press you to beyond the very limits of human endurance. You will be disciplined when you step out of line, you will be pushed, you will be beaten but, when I'm done, you will have the strength to move mountains. And then,' he looked at he boy seriously. "Then, I will train you in the beasts energy."
"Alright then," Naruto said, grinning up at him madly. "Ya got yaself a student, sensei."
"You will refer to me as Danzo-sama."
"You got it, Danzo-sama," wonders will never cease, the boy could be taught. "When do we start?"
"Now."
6 hours later
"Sadist," Danzo raised an eyebrow at the fact the boy even knew what that meant. He'd already gotten used to the fact the boy had more energy than an orphanage full of 5 year olds on a sugar high. After 6 hours of training that would make even Might Guy weep in agony, the boy had only just collapsed and was still conscious. The more time he spent with the child, the more he knew Sarutobi was a fool for not ensuring the boy was properly trained. "Yo, Danzo-sama?"
"Yes, boy?"
"Why're you going to all this trouble?" Danzo raised an eyebrow. "People find out, things're gonna get more difficult for ya, and I ain't dumb enough to know jiji obviously had his own ideas on how I should be growin' up an' pushin' my traiin' outside a' tha academy obviously wasn't one a' 'em. So, why? And tell tha truth! I'm tired 'a' bein' lied to!"
"The truth?" Danzo asked. "Very well. It is as simple as this; you are a Jinchuriki, a power of human sacrifice. You exist for one reason and one reason only; to be a weapon in the service of the village. I intend to forge you into the greatest weapon in the Elemental Nations and cement Konoha's place as the greatest of the ninja villages. If I must go behind the Hokage's back to do so, then so be it. Nothing more or less."
"So, I'm just a weapon to you, huh?" the boy chuckled. "Eh, I can live with that. Ya treat me better than most 'a' the rest 'a' tha villagers, so I can't fault ya that. I can agree with your reason too. Makin' tha village strong? All for it," Danzo was starting to get used to the boys surprises. "But yer thinkin' too small."
"Oh really?"
"Yup," Naruto said, sitting up. "Hokage's strongest ninja 'a' 'em all, right? Well, what stronger ninja, or more terrifyin' to our enemies, would there be than tha container 'a' tha Kyuubi no Kitsune?" Danzo was half way between a snort and sheer shock.
"You truly believe you could be Hokage?"
"Ya just watch me, Danzo-sama," Naruto said, pointing at hte man with his fist. "I'm gonna be the most powerful 'a' 'em all. No one's gonna threaten my village!"
"We shall see, boy," Danzo said, turning away. "we're done for the day. Be here right after the Academy ends tomorrow," Uzumaki Naruto. Perhaps I underestimated your spirit and will. Perhaps. This will be most interesting from here on, for both of us.
2 months later
Danzo smirked as the boy deep fried the training pole with a fireball jutsu almost 10 feet in diameter. One chakra monster, ready made to order.
This only reinforced in his mind that Sarutobi was a fool. Well, time to tie the boy even closer to him.
"Uzumaki," Naruto stopped beaming in pride at the ashes and headed over to Danzo.
"Ya called, Danzou-sama?"
"Yes," the cripple said, handing over a scroll. "Some... homework, if you will."
"Huh?"
"On that scroll," Danzo explained. "You will find the underlying principals and discipline to my personal taijutsu style from before my... accident on the field," Naruto's eyes went wide in shock and pleasure. "I have never taught anyone this, primarily because I have never found anyone capable of properly utilising it."
"Why not?" Naruto asked.
"The style I'm aiming to teach you uses two things. First, the ability to strike hard and fast before the enemy realises what you're doing. Second, the ability to strike from any position, including while blocking, without the enemy realising the blow is coming," Danzo's single eye burned into Naruto. "When I am done, you will be able to make the most devastating blows with, at the most, 6 inches of room for your fist to move."
"Is... that even possible?" Danzo walked over to on of the remaining posts, leaning the tops of his fingers against the pole. He exhaled, lining the surface with chakra before closing his fist and ramming it into the pole. The blow, without chakra, would be enough to wind a man. Adding the chakra layer, which detonated upon impact, shattered the training log into kindling. Danzo turned to his wide eyed student, who as holding the scroll he'd been given like it was the most sacred treasure.
"When I am done," Danzo said. "That... will be your opposition."
"I am so beyond freakin' words right now, it ain't even funny," Naruto said in awe.
"Your homework," Danzo said. "Is to read over that scroll before next week. Learn everything it has to teach and then... the real training begins."
Six months later
Danzo nodded as the boy bashed away at the training post. It had only taken six months to correct the mistakes made by the councils bribery's . All ready, Naruto's taijutsu was improving. It was time to push things forward a bit.
"Naruto," the boy halted, moving quickly over to Danzo.
"You called, Danzo-sama?" Danzo managed to hold in a wince. The boys speech was still horrendous. Something to fix at a later date.
"You should have gone through the chakra tests today. Report," Naruto scowled and Danzo settled himself in for a rather bad report.
"Teacher in charge took one look at me an' brushed me off," Naruto scowled. "'Someone like you shouldn't even be in tha academy. You're only here 'cause the Hokage feels sorry for you. It's not even worth tha effort on my part to test you, you have no talent to be a ninja'," Danzo frowned. He'd expected something like this, but...
"He didn't even pretend to test you?" Danzo asked. Naruto shrugged.
"Depends. Is tha test supposed ta be him standin' there an' insultin' me 'til I 'splode?"
"No," there was a momentary silence. "Did you?"
"What?"
"Explode."
"Nah," Naruto said. "Cool, calm an' coll... Okay, I may have snuck a paint bomb inta his back pocket."
"I see," Mental note: begin training in espionage and counter-intelligence. "Can it be traced back to you?"
"It didn't go off til...," Naruto looked up and grinned, checking the time via the sun. "'Bout now. Timed storage seal I picked up offa one 'a' tha ANBU that looked after me. He thought it'd make a good distraction ta get away," intuitive, clever, making things up with very little to play with... Sarutobi was a fool not to ensure he was properly trained. Also, his ability to endear himself to his handlers, who had been specifically forbidden from making contact or aiding him in anyway not covered in their mission briefs. Definitely espionage and counter-intelligence training.
"Very well," Danzo said, pulling out a small chunk of chakra conducive metal. "Ordinarily it's paper used but in this instance, I think this is more appropriate."
"Waddaya mean?"
"You hold a demon in you," Dazno reminded him. "Additionally, if you really are an Uzumaki, and it wasn't some name given to you by the Hokage to give you an identity, then your chakra is far more dense than a regular person's. You would probably cause the paper to burst into flames."
"...Cool," Naruto said with a troublesome grin. Mental note: keep him away from explosive tags, Danzo thought as he handed the metal to the boy. "So, how's this work?"
"They have taught you to summon your chakra?"
"Uh, yeah," Naruto said, kind of embarrassed. "An' I kinda... blew the teach away. Got in big trouble for it."
"And yet they claim you have no future as a ninja?" Danzo asked. What kind of idiots were teaching at the Academy? Perhaps it was time to insert some of his own people.
"So... that's good?" Danzo managed to fight the urge to facepalm as he looked at the confused boy. It really was time to investigate the possibility of a secret overhaul of the Academy.
"To be able to do that with just your chakra shows you have far more than you can easily control. We'll be beginning chakra control exercises tomorrow. For now, simply draw on your chakra and channel it into the metal. Do it as slowly as possible."
"Okay, I can do that," Naruto said, focusing his chakra into the metal, eyes widening as it began to glow. "Sweet..." Then float. "... Is it supposed ta do that?" Naruto asked as it flew into the air.
"... No."
"Oh. Oops," Naruto said as the metal fell in front of him, creating a six inch smoking crater. "Um... damn."
"... Yes, well, I think we can safely say a lack of chakra isn't your problem," Danzo coughed. The only person that could do anything close to that was Uzumaki Kushina, but she wasn't a container.
At least, he was pretty sure she wasn't... hm... That would explain a lot.
"Well, I think we can skip E and most D rank jutsu for your training," Danzo said dryly. That could be a problem. He would never be able to use the Bunshin no Jutsu, a requirement for passing. "However, your chakra control training will begin now," he made a sign, summoning one of his ROOT ANBU. "Ni, here, will show you the first exercise: tree walking."
"Let's get this show on the road!" Naaruto said as Ni took him away. Danzo sighed at the boys exuberance, moving to retrieve the metal...
"What on Earth?" Danzo muttered, picking up the metal. while cool to the touch, the chunk was now a crimson red and showed no signs of returning to it's usually grey. "Curious..."
One year later
"ATAAAAA!" Naruto screamed as he sliced through the ROOT trainees his age Danzo had supplied for his practice dummies. There were twenty of them, trained 24/7, emotionless drones working in cooperation against one determined 7 year old.
They never stood a chance
The last one was downed by a non-chakra charged 'inch punch'. Admittedly, Naruto still needed a minimum of 20 inches to do any damage, but that was a vast improvement. His moves weren't exactly up to par, either, but the boy didn't slack off on his training. Danzo had given him a day off once, just to see what he'd do.
The boy was back the next day, abusing the training logs.
He was the perfect student, dedicated, determined focused. But he was lacking something. Something important; a training partner, someone to test his abilities against and grow properly, someone that matched him in determination. But where to find one?
Casting his eye over the training ground, he noticed movement behind one of the bushes. Moving quietly, the old man prepared to move the bandages covering his 'missing' eye to deal with the intruder...
Only to find a Hyuuga with her Byakugan active, training. Danzo was about to dismiss it when he noticed three things.
This was Hinata Hyuuga, the Hyuuga heiress, supposedly weak and useless.
Her form was nearly flawless and her strikes were smooth and effortless, flowing like a river.
All her attention was focused on his student.
Danzo looked on for a moment, a plan forming in his mind. His ROOT had noticed the girl following Naruto before, but hadn't seen her come this way. She was obviously in someway obsessed with the container for some reason, often watching him from corners and even making sure he arrived home safely. And now she was training within Byaugan range of the boy, focusing on his movements and moving more confidently than she sho...
Danzo stopped, blinking his visible eye. Was she... using Naruto as some kind of inspiration to bypass her own weakness? Was that even possible? He had, of course, noticed the boys ability to encourage and inspire people to be better; several ROOT trainees he had discarded mentally had surprised him by passing onto the next stage of his training after a mere week with the boy. The Hyuuga, supposedly weak and useless, had a much greater skill than he had been led to believe. Her younger sister was showing promise, to the point where Hiashi was pushing the elder daughter to one side. And yet, Danzo would rate her skill as average at worst.
And the reason behind that seemed to be his student.
Suppressing a smile, Danzo stepped out of the bushes. First the Jinchuriki and now a Hyuuga? The Fates were smiling on him, it would seem.
"Hyuuga-san?" Hinata nearly jumped ten feet in the air as Danzo approached her. "I think we need to have a little chat."
2 years later
Danzo raised an eyebrow at the duo that entered their training ground: a concerned Hinata and a battered, bruised and generally pissed off Naruto. "Report," he said simply.
"The Academy has introduced a new 'parents day'," Hinata began. Her stutter had long since faded, as had her shyness. Training with Naruto every day had done more for her confidence than any beating or verbal abuse could have done. Hiashi was as much a fool as Sarutobi. "A part of it is inviting previous years graduates to face for a special 'tournament'," Hinata spat the word out, her own anger clear for a moment. "They put Naruto up against the 'deadlast' of that class," Danzo nodded.
"They are trying to beat him into submission."
"There was no way that guy was deadlast anything," Naruto muttered. His way of speaking had improved, thankfully. The ear rending abuse of language was starting to get on Danzo's last nerve.
"I overheard that he was indeed the deadlast of his class," Hinata said. "Three years ago."
"Typical," Naruto spat.
"Another roadblock," Danzo nodded. "As was expected. A roadblock you will overcome, Naruto,' there was a note of pride in his voice. "safe in the knowledge that you could probably beat him anytime you liked."
"How much longer must we hide, Danzo-sama?" Hinata asked. "I'm growing tired of Neji-nii-san's abuse and 'fate' speeches,' Danzo nodded thoughtfully.
"We shall wait two more years," he said. "when I am sure that you are ready, then we will reveal ourselves at this little 'Parents Day' affair of theirs," Hinata nodded while Naruto grinned ferally.
"Lookin' forward to it, boss," Naruto said, slipping, temporarily into his 'street punk' persona. Danzo nodded. In truth, so was he.
3 years later
2 days before 'Parents Day'
Hokage's office
"Ah, Danzo," Sarutobi said sourly as Danzo entered his office. "I knew it had been too quiet."
"A pleasure to see you too, Hokage-sama," Danzo responded.
"What do you want, Danzo?" The Hokage said, looking tiredly at the pile of paperwork in front of him.
"Are you going to the Academy Parents Day this year?" The Hokage's head raised sharply, glaring at his old rival.
"If the paperwork doesn't overwhelm me again," he said carefully. "Why?"
"You should make an extra effort," Danzo said. "I am assured it will be most... intriguing this year."
"What are you up to, Danzo?" The Hokage demanded. Danzo just smirked as he left the office.
"Come to the Parents Day," he said. "You'll find out."
2 days later
Academy Parents Day
The last three years, the Konoha Ninja Academy Parents day had been a fun filled day for everyone. Everyone except Naruto Uzumaki and the few (Hinata and Iruka Umino, one of the instructors) that didn't treat him like crap. For everyone else, it was an exciting day of showing off to their parents, proving their worth and watching as Naruto was embarrassed in a one-on-one match against an experienced 'genin'.
This year, however, things were different. This year, there was an unexpected pall on the proceedings.
This time the Hokage, on paper Naruto's guardian, had managed to pull himself away from the paperwork to attend. There would be no embarrassment this time. Or at least, no obviously set up one. They would be forced to allow him to compete as is advertised: against the previous years deadlast, one Rock Lee.
At least, the staff and parents thought, he would still get the stuffing beaten out of him by the student of Might Gai. There would still be some entertainment.
The poor, deluded fools...
"Ah, Sarutobi, how nice of you to join us," Danzo said with a smirk. The Hokage eyed his old rival cautiously as he took a seat, noting the nervous people around him.
"Quite an... odd reception," he noted.
"They're probably a little concerned they won't have time to change the main event," Danzo said. "Fox Baiting, from what I've heard," the Hokage blinked for a minute as his brain processed that, eyes widening in realisation.
"What?" He said, looking for the headmaster of the Academy. There would be words.
"Yes," Danzo said, hiding his smirk. It was about time the old buffoon got off his ass and did something for the boy. Pity it was too late. Oh, Naruto still saw the Hokage as a grandfather, but it was with a fair bit less affection. "A 'genin' with at least 3 years experiance and instructions not to hold back. I'm quite surprised the boy's still alive."
"Why was I not informed of this?"
"And who would inform you, Sarutobi?" Danzo said scathingly. Sarutobi's head jerked towards him in shock. "Naruto? He has been forced to rely on himself for so long it probably didn't even occurred to him," true enough. He'd asked Naruto why he hadn't approached the Hokage. The answer he gave was along those lines, with the added revelation that such a strategy rarely did anything. The village happily hid it's mistreatment behind the Council and paperwork. "The instructors? Most of them are in on it and the one who isn't is kept out of your office," also true. All attempts by Iruka to meet with the Hokage had been met with roadblocks and refusal, thanks to the secretary the council had supplied him with. "His friends? He has one and he asked her not to interfere," true again; Naruto didn't want their cover blown by Hinata's disgust at his treatment causing her to drop her shy, introverted mask.
"And you?" The Hokage asked. "How did you find out?"
"I have been telling you from day one the boy was wasting away in the Academy," Danzo said flatly. "And when I informed you of the Parents Day, you instantly thought I was up to something. Why would you act on my word? As to how I know, well, someone had to keep an eye on the boy."
"Just an eye, Danzo?" Sarutobi said suspiciously.
"Would it matter if I hadn't?" Danzo asked. "His education here has been sabotaged, Sarutobi. Someone had to correct that mistake and you certainly weren't."
"I told you I didn't want him trained in your ROOT ANBU, Danzo," the Hokage growled.
"And he wasn't, I am not that foolish," Danzo said. "I trained him as you would a 'regular' apprentice. Any pushing in his training was done entirely by him. He has something to prove, Sarutobi, and if I hadn't someone less... loyal to the Leaf may have stepped in and done it. I could not allow that."
"... What have you done, Danzo?"
"Watch and learn, Sarutobi," Danzo said as Naruto walked past them. An imperceptible nod passed between them, a second passing between Danzo and Hinata, something the Hokage noticed.
"Hiashi's daughter as well?" Danzo snorted.
"If that fool is willing to waste a perfectly good daughter for a quick and easy study, then it's his loss," he said.
"Anyone else I should know about?" The Hokage asked tiredly.
"No one else is worth my time," Danzo snorted. "The Uchiha is lazy, only focusing on beating his brother and not investigating his weaknesses and training in those. The rest of the current crop... No, the only two with any dedication, any grit, any desire to be a ninja greater than average are Naruto and Hinata. They are also the best actors in the village."
"... How strong are they, Danzo?"
"You'll find out, 'old friend'. Very soon."
Half an hour later
"So... freaking... bored..." Naruto complained quietly to Hinata. Where the 'Fox Baiting' would usually be first, with the Hokage appearing, they were forced to push it later into the Two: deadlast v deadlast and Rookie of the Year v Rookie of the Year. Well, at least Hinata's match was coming up. That will be interesting. "So, who have they got you up against?"
"Haruno," Hinata whispered darkly. "Again."
"Smartest in the class, top of the rankings, but only 'cause you've been holding back, neh, Hinata-chan?" He teased. "Damn. I was hoping for an actual interesting match. You'll finish her off in a second."
"I'll try to make it entertaining for you," she whispered as she was called. She stood, stripping off her thick coat to reveal a sleeveless tee underneath, showing a wiry frame good for fluid smooth movements. There was not shyness, no hesitation and Naruto grinned as he caught a glimpse of Hiashi's confused face. This was gonna be goooooooood!
"Oh goody, I get to beat on Hyuuga again," Sakura said sarcastically. "Save us both the trouble and just quit," Hinata just looked at her calmly, no sign of her usual shyness. It was... unnerving.
"Haruno-san," Hinata said, no stutter, no hesitation. "For over 6 years I have been forced to watch as you took your aggression and inability to attract the Uchiha out on Naruto, several time sending him to hospital from one of your blows and could do nothing as he asked me not to. Now, however, the time for holding back is over and, I must admit..." the girl slid into a modified Juuken stance that had her Father hyperventilating. "I am going to enjoy this. You, however, might not."
"Hyuuga Hinata versus Haruno Sakura. Begin!"
"What do you..." Sakura didn't even have time to gasp as Hinata charged in, disabling her arms before moving behind her, placing a hand on a specific spot on her back. Moments later, Sakura was on the ground, convulsing in pain.
"She will be fine," Hinata said as she was declared the winner. "Eventually."
"When's eventually?" Iruka, the instructor in charge of her match, asked.
"... Two or three hours," came the answer as Hinata moved back to her spot next to Naruto, leaving her jacket on the ground.
With the Hokage and Danzo
"Well, that was..." the Hokage said began, lost for words.
"Impressive, is she not?" Danzo asked with a small smile.
"I think I will have to talk to those in charge of psychological profiling in the Academy," Sarutobi said. "Her profile said nothing about any of that - her willingness to hurt someone and her aggression towards Haruno-san in particular."
"I did say they were the best actors in the village," Danzo reminded him. "Perfect for infiltration missions."