Beta is still wanted, so please don't comment on my poor grammar.
Summary:
Naruto grew up in another village, a non-ninja village, where team Kakashi is coincidently having a mission.
Chapter 10
"A story of the forgotten?" Naruto repeated. "What do you mean, Kakashi-sensei?"
Once again, Kakashi looked at him, with the same smile under his mask. I might know the true story, but this boy shouldn't know, he thought. "It was an astonishing way, the fourth defeated Kyuubi, actually. A way that none of us would ever be able to do."
"What happened?" he asked. "What did he do?"
"He used a forbidden sealing technique, which took his life," Kakashi answered. "But the reason that this is the story of the forgotten isn't because of the fourth, but because of Kushina-san. The fourth was only able to seal half of the beast inside of him, using the Death Demon Consuming Seal. It was a sealing technique developed by the seal masters of the Uzumaki clan. That technique could seal even the most powerful being…"
Uzumaki clan, Naruto thought, as he remembered the words Sasuke had told him, when they first met. "Then, who is Kushina-san?"
"Patience," Kakashi said, chuckling half-heartedly. "But Minato-sensei was almost out of chakra when he decided to use that, so he, much to his own regret, only sealed half of the beast's chakra away. Only half of it was already a burden to his body, so he couldn't move properly. That's where the ever so beautiful, Kushina-san came in."
Naruto paid extra attention at that part. He felt like there was something he needed to know about the mentioned woman. Something drew him to her.
"With her powerful chakra chains, she pulled the other half of the beast inside of herself and died alongside her husband, the fourth."
Naruto looked lost. What, she was his wife? But how could she have pulled the beast inside of her? How come she also died?
"The burden was too powerful for her as well, Naruto-kun," he said, when he noticed his troubled expression. Of course, she died, when she was pierced through her stomach by the fox's claw, but I can't tell him the true story. Though, there's one true thing in this story…
"Who was she?" he asked. "I know, s-she was his wife and such, but how come she could pull the beast inside of her with only chakra?"
"She was an Uzumaki as well," was the answer Naruto received. "Remember that Uzumaki's were seal masters. That's the sort of chakra chains it was, to seal things completely. But, although she was a hero like the fourth, she was forgotten. Not many people in this village remember her; rather they only remember her husband. It's really ironic how such a person could be forgotten. Just like every other ninja, who has died, one gets the glory, whilst another is forgotten."
Why was she forgotten? Naruto thought about that, over and over again. "Then, sensei, didn't they have any children? Someone who would remember them forever? Like you, you called the fourth sensei, were you his student, or something? How come you remember them?
Kakashi bit the inside of his cheeks, as he looked up at the sky. "I was 15 at the time, I remember them very well. Especially since the fourth, as my teacher, was also a lot like my own father. Seeing him on this stone, along with my other comrades… it breaks me."
That day, the two of them didn't get much training done. Naruto seemed a little depressed after hearing the story, so he sent him back to the Hyuga residence with a scroll of the basics, taught in the academy.
*o*o*o*
In the Hyuga's home, Naruto looked over the scroll. Hm, first of all, it's the transformation technique. A technique that'll allow me to change my appearance, I think this is the one I saw Sasuke-kun use back at home, he thought as Hinata came in with some tea. He looked at her and rose from his seat. "Sorry for bothering you, Hinata-san."
She shook her head, no. "It's nothing, Naruto-kun," she replied. "You're in your Ninjutsu week, right? I'm guessing you're being taught the basics."
He nodded, yes. "I'm starting with the transformation technique," he said. "I should release all of my chakra points at the same time, and think of an image to transform into, right?"
"Exactly, try transforming into me," she said. "If you have a clear image at first, it'll help you a lot. I used to transform into one of our clan members as training, and I succeeded fast, actually."
"I won't promise that it'll be perfect."
"It's your first try; of course it won't be perfect. Though, I've heard quite a lot about your chakra training, it went splendid, as well as your Taijutsu training."
Naruto smiled. "It was tough, but I survived, and somehow… it was actually really fun." Then I met Kakashi-sensei, and heard such a depressing story…
"I heard from Neji-nii-san that Gai-sensei is a strict trainer, but he has a carefree personality."
"Neji-nii-san, siblings?"
"Cousins."
"Oh, well…" he coughed to clear his throat and looked at the scroll he was given. "Dog, boar and ram, those are hand signs, right?"
Hinata nodded. "Do you know how to do them?"
"Yeah, Asuma-sensei taught me."
"Then try," was her final words, before Naruto began forming the three signs.
Dog boar, ram, he thought, focusing on his chakra in his body. Hinata-san, transform into, Hinata-san… He opened his eyes, which he had closed without knowing it, and looked at Hinata. "Did it work?"
She shook her head. "Try again," she said. "I did it until I was drained for chakra."
Amazing, I would never do that, he thought as he tried yet again. Work, work, work, transform into Hinata-san! This time he actually felt something, like his head was getting hotter with the temperature. "Did it work?" he asked and looked at Hinata, who was just staring at him.
"You…" she tried saying, but suddenly started laughing. She tried to calm herself down, and she finally succeeded, but she was still on the verge of laughing. "At the very least, you got the hair correct…"
Indeed he did. The short dark hair was on top of his head, but the rest of the body, as well as the face, remained unchanged. He groaned. "This is tough, I feel like dying!"
"You've only tried twice."
*o*o*o*
And so, the days went on. Naruto kept on practicing, training and improving his technique, little by little. He learned the transformation Jutsu in a short amount of time, after receiving advice from the people who was going to be his comrades. On the third and fourth day, he learned the substitution Jutsu.
Same day he learned the substitution, he began practicing the clone Jutsu. This time, Kakashi actually watched over him whilst he trained. Naruto kept trying the technique, but without any results. "Try doing it with less chakra," Kakashi suggested and the student nodded.
And so he tried, but without any luck at all. He was panting, heavily, and he was feeling slightly nauseous. It might be because of all the training he has been doing this month. "Sensei, please excuse me for a bit…" he muttered as he ran behind the bush at training ground seven.
Kakashi winced slightly, when he heard the boy barf, loudly. Maybe it's too tough for him, he thought, but decided to ignore his thoughts, when Naruto came back looking all pale. "Naruto-kun, would you like a break?" he asked.
Naruto shook his head, wildly, making him even sicker. "I won't take a break before I master this stupid Jutsu!" he exclaimed, loudly, as he formed the signs necessary for the Jutsu. Ram, snake, tiger, create a freaking clone! I don't care what it looks like, just create something!
*o*o*o*
"Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata questioned, as she saw him at the porch with Naruto on his back, fainted. "Did he overdo it?"
Kakashi nodded in respond. "I told him to take a break, but he didn't want to until he had actually mastered it," he said. "Take care of him for now, when he wakes up you should get him a lot of rice. Maybe you could give him some advice on the clone Jutsu. It didn't seem like he was going to master it anytime soon…"
"If he doesn't master it, what happens?" she asked.
"I can't allow him to be a ninja," he said. "That was the condition from Hokage-sama. If Naruto-kun doesn't master the basics, then he can't become a ninja."
"I'll try my best to help him then."
"Please do, I trust that you can do it."
She took Naruto from him, and supported him with one of his hands hung over her shoulder. "Please, don't get your expectations too high, sensei. He's still a novice. The fact that he is improving in such a speed is miraculous."
Kakashi chuckled slightly. "Almost like he was born to be a ninja, right?"
*o*o*o*
The next day, Naruto felt refreshed again, so he went to train early in the morning. At the training grounds, he found Sakura and Sasuke, training as well. They waved at him, and he waved back and ambled his way to them.
"You've learned the substitution and the transformation Jutsu, right?" Sasuke questioned and Naruto nodded in respond. "Great, then all you need to learn is the clone Jutsu, and then you're done with the basics."
Naruto's face fell slightly at that. "About the clone Jutsu, I have a question…"
"Shoot," Sakura said.
"How are you supposed to feel?" he asked. "Every time I try, I feel a little spark, and then it dies."
He feels a spark? The two ninjas looked at each other, and then back at Naruto. "You just have to imagine another you," Sasuke said. "Like, when you do the signs, and then imagine yourself standing beside yourself… I don't know how to explain it, but I never feel a spark…"
"I don't either," Sakura said, agreeing with Sasuke. "How much chakra do you use?"
"Kakashi-sensei said that I should only use a little, so that's what I focused on," he answered. "But no matter how many times I did it, I felt like I used too much. I just can't get it any lower than that." He sighed and bit down on his lip.
The two ninjas looked at each other, yet again. "You think he might…" Sakura questioned.
"I think so," Sasuke answered.
What, Naruto thought as he looked at them and listened to their so-called conversation.
"Then maybe he should…"
"Yeah, I think so too."
Think what; please tell me, what do you think? Naruto tried to smile, but it turned into a scowl instead.
"But how are we gonna…"
"I don't know, maybe we should ask…"
"Yeah, that's probably for the best."
They're trying to provoke me, he thought. They're doing that on purpose.
*o*o*o*
Another day without luck, Naruto walked back to the Hyuga residence, exhausted. Damn it, I couldn't do it today either. What the hell is with that stupid Jutsu, why do I have to learn it? He sighed and looked up to the sky. "Why can't I just get it right?"
"Maybe because of your chakra coils," a voice said and as Naruto turned to him, he saw Asuma. "You have a very powerful chakra, Naruto-kun. If you master it, you could be an unstoppable ninja. But your chakra coils are too large. That's why you fail at mastering the clone Jutsu."
"What does that mean?"
"You can't ever master such a petty Jutsu. You'll have to aim for something bigger, like the shadow clone Jutsu."
"What's different?" Naruto questioned. Other than the shadow part…
"Shadow clones are real clones, not just illusions like the clone Jutsu is," Asuma answered. "Though, if you want to learn that one, you'll have to ask Kakashi. I should not even say this to you; I just thought it would be better if you knew, instead of you waiting to succeed."
"Did Kakashi-sensei know?"
"I think he did," he answered. "But he was probably just testing it at first to confirm his theory."
"Then I should try the shadow clones?"
"Well, it's a forbidden Jutsu, so I don't think you'll be allowed to…"
"Where's Kakashi-sensei?!"
Like talking to a wall, he thought, chuckling. "He's at the Hokage tower."
Naruto jumped to the roof of a building. "Thank you, Asuma-sensei!" he yelled as he started running and jumping from building to building.
"I guess he has learned a lot since I taught him…"
*o*o*o*
As Naruto arrived to the Hokage tower he was just about to knock on the door to the Hokage's office, when he stopped as soon as heard some voices. "Do you really think we should let Oto join the Chunin exams?" a voice questioned, which he identified as Kakashi's.
"We can't just forbid them from coming," another voice, the Hokage's, said. "Although I know why we shouldn't, this is a united exam. It is for everyone."
"But Hokage-sama, if Naruto-kun found out that it was Oto, he'll kill them."
"How is he going to find out that Otogakure, the village hidden in the sound, was the one who attacked the Corn village?"
Well, yeah… I have a lot of free time …