Disclaimer time again: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, nor any of the songs or movies I may quote. Also, this is not a Marine Corps sponsored work of fiction. Besides that, Semper Fi and Happy Birthday, Marines! HOORAH!
Next Morning
4:59 am
Most mornings were routine for Naruto and Sasuke. Strangely enough, they were eerily similar. Both would get up around six, do some light exercise, shower and eat, then head to class. After what their father said last night, that was about to change.
5:00 am
"GET UP! GET UP! GET OUT OF THE RACK! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE IT!" the commanding voice of Chronos screamed as he stormed into each of the boys' rooms ripping the blankets off of them.
Sasuke glared at the man and almost launched at him, until he saw what he wore. All he wore was a green t-shirt and green camouflage trousers accompanied by black combat boots. It was if the man woke up ready to train. A smile crossed Sasuke's face as his Otousan proceeded to treat Naruto to the same rude awakening.
'Maybe having him train with me will be useful. I like his style. I bet Naruto will be complaining.'
"DAMN IT, OTOUSAN! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!?!?!" Naruto screamed at his father as he kicked him out of bed.
'Yep, I was right. Kami, that dobe is funny!' Sasuke couldn't help but laugh loudly. He didn't laugh long.
Chronos heard the laugh and sprinted to Sasuke's room, stopping face to face with the young Uchiha, noses only inches apart.
"DID I TELL YOU TO LAUGH!? YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY!? THEN I GUESS YOU'RE READY TO GO!! BOTH OF YOU, OUTSIDE IN FIVE MINUTES READY FOR EXERCISE!!"
On that note, Chronos sprinted out of the room and down the stairs. Sasuke was wincing at how loud he was, holding his ears. Luckily, he couldn't really hear Naruto laughing at him as the both of them got dressed in a hurry.
Outside, 4 minutes and 55 seconds later
Chronos couldn't help but laugh at the glares the two boys gave him as they sprinted out of the door. Both were wearing a t-shirt and trousers as well as basic shinobi sandals, with the only difference was the colors. Sasuke wore a blue shirt and off-white trousers, while Naruto's combination was red and black respectively with an orange belt.
After giving them a few seconds to catch their breath, Chronos took them through a typical Marine PT session. It started with a set of seven exercises done in cadence and synchronization. Each exercise was either a stretch or simple exercise done to warm up. Each and every time one of the boys was out of sync, the exercise started over. Needless to say, the "daily seven" as it was called took thirty minutes.
After that, the three proceeded on a brisk run around the perimeter tree line of the complex. All the while, Chronos was barking out a sing-song cadence. After the first couple of cadences, they realized that the two of them were supposed to repeat back the cadences at each pause. Strangely, this turned into a competition between Sasuke and Naruto as to who could repeat it louder. Chronos could only grin inwardly as he noticed the two glaring at each other as they belted out each line of the cadence.
Finally after a good three laps around the compound in thirty-five minutes, the group concluded with some push-up and crunches, followed by some stretching. Once concluded, the trio went upstairs to grab hygiene items and towels.
Chronos only went to a bath house once and that was during the trip to Korea, but nothing compared to this one. The lights flickered on when the opened the door to the bath house and illuminated a large stone tub with water already steaming in heat. There was a slight mineral smell to the water and Sasuke mentioned that it might be due to an underground hot spring. As the three washed quickly and soaked for a few, a simple conversation was struck.
"Did you do that every day back where you came from?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah," Chronos muttered fondly. "Every day, except for weekends. Mind you, we had some variety, but the routine was nearly the same."
"Is that all you did for training??" Sasuke inquired curious about the level of strength his adopted father had.
"There was also weapons marksmanship training, as well as our martial arts training."
"Will we get any of that training??" Sasuke asked hopefully.
"Let me ask you this. What do you call hand-to-hand combat here?"
"Taijutsu." Naruto stated looking to impress his father with some knowledge.
"Figure my martial arts training as another form of taijutsu. Most of what I excelled in was counters to strikes, holds, and weapons. Everything was done in repetition and with series of moves until they become instinct. My true specialty was with firearms. I was an expert marksman with rifles, machine guns, and pistols."
"What are those?" Sasuke inquired. "And why won't we be learning them?"
"A firearm is a weapon that uses a small explosive charge made from gun powder or another substance to propel a projectile, typically copper or another metal, over far distances with tremendous force. There were a couple reasons why I didn't bring them. First, I assumed there were no such things as firearms here, so I didn't bring them. Second, I believed it would be too difficult to recreate the ammunition here. A firearm is not worth anything if the ammunition is too limited. Third, there were space and time restrictions on my travel here. I had to get out quickly and only had enough room to bring what I did."
Both boys looked downcast hearing that. Chronos saw this and thought of something. "I do have a movie that I promised to show you. You can see those weapons in action there if you wish, but I doubt your weapon smiths can recreate weapons like that. However, it could give you some ideas for your training."
Sasuke and Naruto nodded happily at that thought. A few minutes later, they left the bath house. After getting dressed and a good breakfast, the group headed to the Academy.
Konoha Ninja Academy
Umino Iruka enjoyed his job. He never really liked the idea of being a Jounin and running around on special missions or only training with a group of Genin. Here at the Academy, he could help shape many young minds. Every year, the Hokage would ask him if he wanted to try for the Jounin exam and every year, Iruka would refuse politely.
Out of all of the young minds, there were a few that were a problem. This year, it was mostly a group of four boys. Nara Shikamaru was lazy and slept through class but always had high marks in all of his exams. Akimichi Chouji always ate through every class and even during training. Inuzuka Kiba was a loudmouth and his dog, Akamaru, would always bark during class. However, the worst of the group was Uzumaki Naruto.
Iruka sighed thinking of all of the pranks he pulled. Everything from tacks or glue on seats in class, to stink bombs in drawers of his desk, to even painting the heads of the Hokage on the monument, that gaki pulled. No matter what punishment he gave, it never dampened the brat's spirit. Couple that with the stealth it took to pull off those pranks and Iruka couldn't help but be impressed with the young jinchuuriki.
Iruka lost his family during the time that the Kitsune no Kyuubi attacked, but he bore no animosity toward the blond boy. It wasn't his fault and he knew that all the pranks were just a form of him getting attention. It wasn't long before the boy grew on him and he started to look after the brat. He would feed him after detention, and in a way, Iruka thought Naruto increased the frequency of the pranks just to have dinner with him.
Unfortunately, rumor spreads fast in Konoha, especially since it involves both the 'Demon Brat' and the last Uchiha. Everyone, from fellow teachers at the Academy, to the ramen cooks, and even the Hokage was talking about the new member of the Uzumaki and Uchiha clans. That was why Iruka was here early straightening up the classroom. It isn't everyday that a new parent was arriving to the classroom, especially after getting word from the Hokage that a blood relative of both the Uchiha and the Uzumaki was found and adopted the two.
'I wonder if this will be good or not. Those two are like fire and ice. Can someone handle those two??' he mused silently.
After a few minutes finishing preparing the classroom and pondering over similar thoughts, the door opened, causing Iruka to turn toward the sound. In walked the trio he was already thinking about. First thing he noticed was Naruto and Sasuke seemed to be similarly dressed. Now granted, Sasuke did not change from his earlier appearance of his khaki shorts and blue top with the Uchiha symbol emblazoned on its back. The shocker was Naruto. Gone was the horrid orange jumpsuit and it was replaced with a black trench coat, black fitted t-shirt, gray ninja cargo pants and black combat boots. The only orange was they orange swirl on the metal plates of his black fingerless gloves and an orange belt.
Iruka smiled at Naruto's appearance. He absolutely despised the abomination that was the jumpsuit. Looking over to the man that was with him, he noticed the next thing that struck him that day. The man had a presence in the room. He could tell not just from height and build, which was a good few inches taller than him and showed no signs on fat or unhealthy habits. It also wasn't his stance or posture, even though he stood proudly and didn't slouch, hunch over, or cowered. It wasn't his clothing; even though it was distinctly similar to Naruto's, except the belt was a sash and his pants were a gray-black camouflage. It was a combination of those things that made his gaze distinctive. The reddish tint to his hazel eyes gave an appearance of a predator and the hardened squint as his eyes poured over the room and Iruka told him everything he needed to know about the man. This man was a warrior and someone who would protect anything close to him.
'It seems he has already helped Naruto out. He was quiet so far, but I wonder if Sasuke will get better or worse with a hardened man such as this. I hope that…'
Iruka was shaken from his chain of thoughts when the man walked over to him and extended his hand.
"I'm Uzumaki Chronos. You must be Iruka. I heard so much about you from Naruto on the way over here and from the last two days. It is a pleasure to meet you finally." He said cheerfully displaying a completely genuine smile.
Iruka was confused slightly by the gesture, but took a chance and grasped Chronos's hand. Chronos smiled even wider than before and heartily shook Iruka's hand.
"At least someone is not put off or confused when I try to shake hands. I guess my son was right about you. By the way, I don't think you need to worry about a Ramen bill anymore."
Iruka laughed at this as they finished shaking hands. "I guess not, but are you aware of his appetite?"
"I think I won't need to worry about that. Last time we ate ramen, he only had three bowls."
"Was he sick?"
"No, he actually listened to what I told him and picked up some manners. There is more work to be done there, especially since those two girls will be hanging around more."
Iruka looked at the man curiously. "Two girls? You mean someone actually his age wanted to spend time with Naruto?"
"Yeah. It was nice seeing the interaction, even though one of them was more interested in Naruto than everyone else was. Anyways, enough of that. I have a couple of requests of you."
"What would that be? I am not one to give out favors or special training."
Chronos waved his hand dismissively. "Not trying to make it easy on those two. Actually we got some light exercise this morning, right boys??"
Sasuke grunted irritatingly while Naruto replied with a hint of anger. "Light exercise?? You ran us into the dirt! And every time Sasuke would screw up the timing on our push-ups or crunches, we had to start over!"
Chronos couldn't help but laugh. "Just be grateful I was not like my drill instructor in boot camp. A comment like that would have had you doing push-ups and flutter kicks until he got tired of watching you."
Naruto gulped. "So you were taking it easy on us??"
"Of course I was. It could have been more intense than that. We only did a five-K run and just basic exercises. I still need to put up a bar for pull-ups and we didn't even do any force marches or any sparring. I also think I could have gone much faster on the run, but I won't know until today."
This time Sasuke responded incredulously. "Faster? I was worn out on that run. If we didn't have the conversation at the bath house, I'd still be trying to catch my breath."
Chronos chuckled while glancing back at Iruka. "Well, I hope these two will still be in decent shape for today's classes, which brings me to the first request. I would like to have a copy of the training plan you got for the class. I wouldn't want to interfere with your training."
Contemplating on that for a few seconds, Iruka did not think of anything against it. "I guess I can do that. What else do you need?"
"Come to dinner on in six days. Their friends are going to be coming over every weekend and I would like to have you come over as well.
Iruka smiled. "I think I would like that."
The conversation went on for a few minutes until the classroom started to fill. When any of the kids that were with the trio yesterday came in, they greeted them warmly. Sakura even seemed slightly mellower in her greeting to Sasuke and didn't even call Naruto a baka.
Finally, Hinata came in the room and smiled warmly at the trio, blushing when glancing at Naruto.
"Ohayo, Chronos-san, Sasuke, N-Naruto-kun. How is everything this m-morning?"
"So far, so good, Hinata. Did you think about the singing idea of mine?"
Hinata smiled sweetly. "I would d-definitely like to try, i-if it can h-help me out."
"Sure thing. I will load up my music player with some songs that you can sing and give it to you tomorrow."
Hinata nodded and turned to Naruto. "You l-look great today, N-Naruto-kun."
Naruto stood there slightly shocked. No one has ever really complimented Naruto on his appearance other than her. 'To be honest, no one has complimented me other than Hinata and Otousan.'
"Arigato, Hinata. It may not be orange enough though." She giggled at that response. Only Naruto would think neon orange is a good color for clothing.
Chronos shook his head. 'I guess my son needs a little more help than I thought. He has time though. He is only twelve.'
"Alright you guys and ladies, get going. Sasuke, Naruto, you both know you got a report to give after class, right?"
"Hai, Otousan. We got it." Sasuke stated not masking the irritation in his voice.
"Fine, I'll be back at the end of class. I have a bunch of training myself this morning, supposedly. Iruka-san, what will they be doing in the afternoon?"
"Well, there will be a taijutsu sparring session as well as kunai and shuriken practice. That should start around two-thirty. Why do you ask?"
"Mind if I come by and sit in on it? I was going to train Sasuke and Naruto in my taijutsu after class but maybe I can work it in a little? It is one of the few things from my combat training that correlates to your methods here." Chronos asked expectantly.
"How about giving a demonstration? That might be useful for not just Sasuke and Naruto, but the rest of the class." Iruka countered hoping to gauge his skills for a later event.
Chronos smiled. He was one to never back away from a challenge or any friendly competition. "You're on. I'll be here at two-fifteen."
"Why then?" Iruka asked in bewilderment. "That portion won't be starting until two-thirty."
"Sasuke and Naruto, listen up. This is a lesson that I got from my first squad leader. I will hold you to it as well." Naruto and Sasuke perked up awaiting this pearl of wisdom. "He told me 'You are either fifteen minutes early or you are late'. There are no in-betweens and late is disrespectful."
Iruka chuckled to himself when he heard that. 'If only he could convince that to Kakashi.'
Hokage's Office
AACCCHHOOOOO!
Kakashi gave a puzzled look as he never really sneezed much. 'I wonder who would be thinking of me now.'
Kakashi shook the thought from his head as he continued listening to the Hokage's plan for Chronos's training along with the other two Jounin in the room.
Konoha Ninja Academy
"I guess I should be going. I have a meeting with Sarutobi-sama in a few minutes. Take it easy, you two. Don't have too much fun." Chronos said with a smile as he slung his pack over his shoulder and walked out of the classroom.
Naruto and Sasuke could only shake their heads in disbelief as a similar thought ran through their heads.
'I didn't think sitting in class all day was supposed to be fun.'
The duo just looked at each other and shrugged making their way to some open seats. Interestingly enough, the only two empty seats were between the three girls, Hinata, Ino, and Sakura. Naruto happily sat in the open seat next to Hinata, glad to be able to sit next to someone friendly as her. That left Sasuke to grumble and mutter to himself as he was forced to sit with Ino to his right and Sakura to his left.
'I swear today will make me insane if those two babble incessantly.' Sasuke complained internally.
"Ohayo, Sasuke-kun." Sakura said as Sasuke sat down. "How is this morning treating you?"
Sasuke grumbled in reply. "Otousan was not that kind in waking me up this morning."
"Really, he doesn't seem like a mean person, Sasuke." Ino stated matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, but you didn't have to get up at five by him yelling at you and ripping the blankets off then screaming at you to hurry up, all just to get us downstairs for exercise, or PT as he called it." Naruto stated disgustingly.
"Ano, Naruto-kun… M-maybe he did it for a g-good reason?" Hinata suggested.
"I think I got the impression that he was going to really tear into us with his training to try to discourage us." Sasuke muttered.
"Why would he do that?" Naruto asked.
"Remember he lost his only son, which looked like you, Naruto, as well as his nephew which I resemble. We both know what pain a loss like that can inflict, right?"
Naruto lowered his head. "I guess you are right. We should talk to him about it."
"We will. Remember the movie he wants us to watch tonight. He said earlier it was both to show the weapons he used, but also to show us how bad things can get."
Naruto could only nod as he still was thinking about his past and the family he never would know. Looking over at Sasuke, he remembered one thing.
'At least I have a family now.'
Hokage's Office
"Is everyone agreed with the plan to get Chronos up to speed? From looking at what the trials are, we may have a heavy workload in front of us." The Sandaime asked of the Jounin in front of him. All three nodded in agreement as a knock on the door ended their part of the meeting.
"Come in."
Chronos walked into the office and noticed three persons in the room along with the Hokage. One he immediately recognized as Kakashi, leaning against the wall on the left reading an orange book.
The second person was a man that seemed a bit sickly. His hair was covered with his Konoha hitai-ate used as a form of a bandanna, tied in the back, bringing two dark brown bangs framing his droopy brown eyes. His frame even seemed thin and frail covered in his blue long-sleeve shirt, green combat vest, and blue ninja pants with matching combat sandals. He gave a slight cough while watching Chronos enter the room.
The last person in the room was the one that caught his eye, even though he did not make notice of it. She was sitting on the chair to the right, twirling a kunai staring at him as if he was prey for the kill. From her looks, she could have easily been a model but the hardened look on her face gave the impression of someone who seen pain and death.
As he walked towards the open chair in between the two, more of her outfit came into view and it took most of his concentration not to stare or change his breathing. Her womanly features were perfectly framed by her tan trench coat, black metallic mesh bodysuit, a purple form-fitting mini skirt, and black combat sandals with accompanying shin guards. Her raven colored hair was cut to neck length, but was kept out of her eyes by her Konoha hitai-ate. Chronos also noticed the pendant that dangled around her neck but didn't linger his eyes there.
Anko was curious who would be willing to take in the Uchiha and Uzumaki brats. From what she was briefed by the Hokage, the man was not familiar with forms of ninjutsu or genjutsu, but seemed to be versed in some forms of genjutsu and taijutsu. Also from the use of the Hokage's crystal ball, they noticed the brats' response to the morning exercise. She already could appreciate him for being a taskmaster and wanted to see how skilled the man was personally.
When he walked in, she noticed his confident stride and choice of attire, but instantly she recognized that he had his weapons hidden, but not so much that they would be completely inconspicuous. She could tell that he came prepared for some training today and with that, she gave him an appreciative nod, which Chronos returned as he came to a stop in front of the empty chair and stood at attention, looking past the Hokage as if he was not supposed to be gazed upon.
"Uzumaki Chronos, reporting as ordered, sir."
Everyone else looked at each other, slightly confused until the Third shook his head and motioned for Chronos to sit down.
"You didn't need to do that. It wasn't an order to come here, but rather consider this our way to get you acclimated to our ways."
Chronos smiled and chuckled softly. "My apologies – old habits. Before we begin, I must compliment you on your choice of teachers. Iruka-san seemed rather friendly and Naruto spoke highly of him. Was it your choice to have him help Naruto out?"
"No, that was all Iruka's doing." The Sandaime stated shaking his head. "He grew an interest in the boy's well being after a couple times Naruto missed class due to incidents outside of class that put him in the hospital. However, this is not the time to dwell on the past. In ten weeks, a set of trials will commence to determine if you are worthy of leading the Uzumaki and Uchiha clans. I can not disclose the nature of the trials as they were only disclosed to me in a letter contained in the one scroll we looked at."
"In order to get you ready, we will test you today to determine what your skills are. I know that you will be giving a demonstration of your taijutsu. I have sent word that this demonstration will be the last part of your test for today."
"Kakashi is here to train you in your kekkei genkai, which Yamada and Kina listed as gifts in the scroll you read. He will also train you in chakra usage, basic taijutsu, and some ninjutsu. We already know you don't have any skills relating to chakra and or ninjutsu yet, so no tests will be done with that today." Chronos waived at his friend and Kakashi gave a small nod in return.
"The man on your left is Gekko Hayate. He is the master genjutsu artist in the village. His abilities in the use of the sword are top notch, and since you seem to have a clan sword, he will best hone your skills there. So after we get done here, you will spar with him to test your skills with your katana." Sarutobi continued.
"A swordsman." Chronos stated appreciatively. "My grandfather instructed me from an early age on the uses of my katana, even though supposedly there is a special skill it holds, unlocked only by family blood. I still haven't found anything about it, but I did bring a couple of boxes that contained some Uchiha and Uzumaki scrolls. Maybe it is in there. Either way, it will be a pleasure working with you, Hayate." Chronos extended his hand and Hayate shook it, as he was already briefed as to the nature of this greeting.
"If you got those scrolls," Kakashi muttered over the top of his book, "then you could let me look them over while you spar with Hayate."
"I wouldn't mind at all, so long as you aren't going to copy them too extensively. My ancestors trusted your family. Yamada-sama mentioned your family name when he spoke to me on my last day back home. I wouldn't want that trust to be degraded at all." Chronos commented.
"Don't worry about that. I don't copy anything from other clans unless given permission to, except from the Uchiha since I do carry the Sharingan. It is the main reason why I am teaching you. You may have a form or mutation of it."
Chronos soaked that information in as the Hokage continued laying out the training plan.
"The woman to your left will be testing and working on your physical endurance, stealth, and infiltration, as well as more ninjutsu and taijutsu techniques. Her name is Mitarashi Anko."
Chronos eyed her even more appreciatively than before, smiling at the woman. "Physical endurance, stealth and infiltration. I thought I was good at that already but I guess if she was recommended by you, then she can make me better at that. No matter what, this should prove to be time well spent. It is an honor meeting you, Anko."
Chronos again extended his hand. Anko already was slightly off guard by his comments. No one before ever considered working with her to be an honor. Noticing he extended his hand in greeting she took his hand, which he gently turned in a pulling motion and kissed her hand bowing slightly. Chronos glanced up from his gentlemanly gesture and immediately was greeted to the most confusing look he ever saw.
'The guy looks tough. I think I could like him, but he just kissed my hand. What kind of pansy kisses a girl's hand in a greeting?' Anko thought. 'This baka is well armed and confident, like a proud warrior. Why in the hell is he kissing my hand? And this jackass says it was an honor meeting me? I don't know if I should be flattered or puke my guts out.'
Anko made up her mind and jerked her hand away. "I don't know what in the hell you are playing at, teme, but never do that again."
Chronos frowned. 'Well that didn't work. Guess I should just be myself, right?? Nahhh… I knew she was a hard case. Let's have more fun. Maybe I can get her riled up and get some real fun out of her.'
"My apologies, Anko. It is customary for a gentleman to greet a lady in such a manner." Chronos said with a flirty smile.
"A lady? I don't have time to be a lady. I prefer me just the way I am." Anko scoffed.
Chronos grinned even wider than before, knowing he pegged her right the first time. She was a badass that loved to be in control and didn't want to be an object. 'Time to finish this.' "Oh you know you loved it. I guess you just can't wait to test me now, right?"
"Alright, that's it." Anko screamed leaping from her chair. "You want a piece of me?? You got it, maggot. Meet me in 15 minutes at Training Area 44. Let's see if you can survive me." She sprinted from the room, leaving the men staring in disbelief, except for one.
Chronos couldn't help but laugh hysterically. Kakashi and Hayate just looked at him wondering what was going through his mind. Sarutobi however wanted answers.
"Why did you provoke her like that?"
"I wanted a challenge. She seemed like the type that liked to tease men but overwhelm them with an abrasive attitude and toughness. I figured I could get under her skin that way, Sarutobi-sama."
The Third put down his pipe and chuckled slightly. "You don't know what you are in for now. She is one of our best interrogation specialists and is well known for her brutality and blood lust."
Chronos narrowed his gaze. "I guess then I should not disappoint anyone's expectations of her or me. I assume someone is going to guide me there?"
Kakashi spoke up. "Hayate will take you there. Leave the scrolls with me and I will look them over here while those two test you. I will meet you at the Academy at two-thirty."
Chronos nodded and pulled the two clan scroll boxes out of the pack, then removed his coat, revealing his sword strapped to his back, the Bo strapped to his right leg and the throwing knives on his left bicep.
"Take care of this until I get back. This should be… entertaining." Chronos said with a mischievous wink as he followed the swordsman out the door sling his pack over his shoulder.
Kakashi just shook his head as he looked at the two boxes. Both were unsealed. He opened both of them and took the top scroll out of each container. After reading the titles, he gave them to the Hokage.
"You should take a look at this."
Sarutobi grabbed the first scroll and read the title aloud. "Accelerated Sharingan activation training method. Interesting. Looks like something you, Sasuke and possibly Chronos could use." He set that scroll back on the top of the Uchiha box and read the next one. After reading it, he smiled knowing that there would be some interesting times ahead for Chronos and Naruto.
The scroll's title read, 'Nyuurou Saisei: Kekkei Genkai of the Uzumaki Clan'
(A/N): Things are starting to go better. I will be gone to another hearing for my son in a few days. In anticipation, I wrote the next chapter as well as started on Chapter 13. I won't post them, however, until I get some reviews from this chapter.
Simple translation of the new Kekkei Genkai: Neural Rebirth.
