Hinata's Hero

by LabraBell

After the incident, all Naruto wanted was for the memories to go away. But now things are different. Now he's found someone he can share his pain with, someone who can share her pain with him, and someone who he can pursue his attacker with. PTSD, Recovery. Hiatus so I can work on KtM.

16. Shoot: 1

I made my first attempt at a decent fight scene (twice) in this chapter. Please let me know what you thought about them.

I made a mistake in chapter six, when I stated that Kakashi had left ANBU around the time that Iruka joined. Going by canon, it would seem that Kakashi left when Naruto was 8, and if Iruka had left at that time then he wouldn't have been the boy's teacher. I have now changed that chapter to state that Iruka left ANBU around two and a half years before Kakashi did.

Shoot 1

There was no hiding the excitement that rushed through his body this time around – it was almost like an adrenaline rush, making his nerves tingle. A wide grin threatened to split Naruto's face, seeming to light up the room.

It was finally going to happen – He was finally going to take the exam!

Let's see, the tenth of October was… a week away!?

[The next day – During class]

Naruto failed to suppress a sigh as yet another glance was shot his way. Ever since his outburst, Ino had begun sending strange looks towards him every now and then. It seemed like a combination of pity and curiosity, and it irked him to no end.

Today had been no exception – in fact the looks had seemed to increased tenfold today, which didn't bode well with the boy.

It seemed that Iruka had noticed his discomfort too, given that he was silently asking him a question.

'Are you okay?' He'd asked. Naruto just nodded his head a fraction, not really wanting to launch into any deeper conversation.

Instead he looked towards the worksheet he was supposed to be doing.

Explain the three primary uses of chakra, and give an example of each.

Well this was easy enough. After all, he'd covered almost exactly the same question with Iruka yesterday.

Chakra is a shinobi's life-force, similar to blood. If it is drained from the body, it can cause the body to grow weak, and can eventually lead to death.

There, that ought to do it for the first example. Then he just had to do the same sort of thing for improved agility and ninjutsu respectively.

Man, this was so boring!

Naruto could feel his mind wandering as he wrote, but given how simple these questions were, he didn't really mind. It wasn't long before he turned to one of his favourite subjects.

For four years the boy had been studying under three different teachers, which hadn't left him a lot of time for himself. He didn't mind though – when he wasn't with his teachers he was training himself anyway, so it wasn't like it would have made any difference.

His secret training, his hobby, had been going very well despite the fact that he was learning almost entirely from books and textbooks. Iruka had asked him on multiple occasions about what exactly he was doing, but as of yet he'd remained tight-lipped.

Oh, Iruka was talking again. Naruto supposed he ought to listen for now.

OoOoO

The boy let out a loud yawn as bell rang, pointedly ignoring the way Ino had fumbled around with her bag. He'd figured that she would stall for time to catch him on his own, so at least this time he already knew what he would say.

He locked eyes with his sensei, who had sensed the situation and taken his time packing up too. A shake of the head was all he needed to do to let the man know that he'd be okay.

"Do you need something?" He asked once the room had cleared, remaining as polite as he could. The girl nodded, turning to him.

"I spoke with Daddy yesterday." She began. "He told me about some stuff. Made me realise a few things. So I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry for pushing you. I won't talk about it again."

"Look, Ino. I never really apologised for shouting at you back then. I just don't want to talk- wait, what?" He was sure he'd misheard her.

"I said I'm sorry for pushing you. Daddy told me that sometimes it's more hurtful to talk to someone about these things, and that if you wanted to open up you would do it in your own time."

A warmth began to pool in the pit of his stomach as she said this. He'd worried quite a lot about how this conversation would turn out, and for it to go the way it did filled him with happiness.

The smile he bore must have been contagious, as Ino soon followed suit.

"And I'm sorry too, by the way." He eventually continued. "For shouting at you before. I'm really happy you understand."

In an impulsive movement, the boy extended his hand to his fellow blonde. She looked at it in shock for a moment, before shaking it.

"Daddy said you're not as bad as everyone seems to think." Ino mentioned as they walked towards the classroom door. "He said that I should decide what I think about you for myself."

"Well then, please pass him a hug from me, 'kay?" Naruto replied with a grin, before exiting the classroom. "See you tomorrow."

The two parted ways, each feeling significantly lighter from their conversation. It had been a weight that bore down on both of their shoulders for much longer than it should have, and it was great to finally clear the air.

The smile faded once his back was turned, but it didn't quite fall from his face as he walked down the corridor. At least, not until a quiet voice caught his attention.

For some reason his curiosity had been pulled in by this faded noise, and he found himself edging towards a classroom that should have been empty. Focusing some chakra towards his ears in order to enhance his hearing, the boy listened intently to the conversation.

The more he listened, the faster Naruto's heart began to beat. This was bad. Really bad. He forced himself to calm down, thinking through what he'd heard.

There was no doubt about it. This was an emergency, and it would be down to him to fix it.

OoOoO

Naruto crashed through the doors of the hokage's office, followed by a thoroughly disgruntled secretary who was yelling something about a meeting.

There was a silver-haired man stood before the hokage, wearing a chuunin jacket. His back was turned, so he couldn't immediately recognise him.

"Old man, I need- gurk!" He tried to yell, only for the man to appear behind him.

Within the space of a second, Naruto found himself on his knees, with both arms held behind his back. The tip of a kunai appeared in his vision, pointed directly at his throat.

"Relax, Kakashi." The sandaime commanded, clearly amused. "Naruto won't hurt anyone."

The boy could feel this man, Kakashi, nod as he put the kunai away, but made no effort to release him. There was something about this guy… something familiar, somehow.

An idea struck him suddenly, and he channelled some chakra to the tattoo on his wrist. Giving a silent thanks to Anko for teaching him how to use it, he directed his concentration towards the man behind him and tapped out a message.

'You smell familiar.' It said.

A mischievous grin fixed itself to his face as he felt Kakashi stiffen slightly. It would seem that his suspicions were correct – this guy had an ANBU tattoo. But the smile dropped as he remembered why he was here.

"Old man, something big's about to happen." He began. There was something about the seriousness in the boy's voice that immediately put the two men on edge.

He was suddenly lifted to his feet by Kakashi, and turned around to get a good look at him. He recalled seeing Kakashi before, with his mask and his slanted hitai-ate, but he couldn't be sure where. The bored look he usually had was gone though, as he stood straight and still, a mixture of seriousness and intrigue showing in his one visible eye.

"Explain."

This came from the old man, who'd all but forgotten about the trademark pipe hanging from his lips. Naruto turned back to him, nearly sending himself dizzy from all the movement.

"There's no time, hokage-sama." He urged, choosing the formal response. "Can you trust me on this?."

The hokage hesitated for a moment, considering the request. He knew full well the amount of progress that the boy had made lately, but the urgency in his voice suggested that this wasn't any ordinary incident.

"Alright, I'll go with you on this. What do you need me to do?"

Naruto glanced at a watch on his wrist, gauging the time he had left.

"In twenty minutes, somebody is going to steal the scroll of seals."

"What!? How do you know this? And more importantly, who would be so stupid as to-"

"It's your grandson." Naruto muttered gravely. "Konohamaru's going to steal it."

He could see that both Kakashi and the hokage were about to interject, so he raised his hand to prevent them from doing so.

"Don't worry, he isn't doing this of his own accord." He continued. "That's why I want to plant a fake version of the scroll of seals, so I can show you some proof."

He could easily have attacked there and then, as soon as he'd heard the conversation in the first place. But Iruka had taught him never to make big decisions without evidence to back them up, and that little nugget of information had stuck with him for a long time.

"And you're sure that it's going to happen?" Kakashi asked.

"Positive. I heard them talking. I'm going to tail Konohamaru in case he's attacked at any point. He's meeting up with Mizuki in the training field behind the academy though, so it's best if someone goes there to meet up. Don't attack though please – I want to do this myself if I can. I've been training for this."

He glanced at Kakashi, who nodded.

"I'll go there now." He said in response to Naruto's silent question.

"I'll keep in contact." The boy replied, lifting his sleeve to show the man his tattoo. Kakashi nodded once more, tapping his left shoulder almost subconsciously, before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

Once the man had left, Hiruzen stood up and took Naruto by the arm.

"We're going by shunshin." He stated simply, before they too disappeared.

OoOoO

"So how are you planning on cloning the scroll?" The hokage asked as they stood before the display. It wasn't very well guarded, but there had never been any issue since there were so many guards on the entrance to the hokage residence. Only the hokage himself and people with his permission were allowed inside, so it wasn't like it was easy to get in.

In Konohamaru's case, however, it would be a piece of cake. The guards knew him by name, and given that he was the hokage's grandson, he had a room of his own within the mansion. All he'd have to do is walk straight in, break the lock and be on his way.

"You said it yourself. I'm going to use a clone. I've been working on improving the way my shadow clones work, you see. When I make a specific type of clone it can take several hits before dispelling."

"I'll take your word for it. Let's go."

"I'm going to need to look at some of the writing on there." Naruto stated. "I need to make sure that the henge is believable, just in case Mizuki tries to check it."

That was the second time Naruto had mentioned Mizuki. But that man was kind and generous, was he not? Surely he wouldn't be the sort of person to form a plan like this?

Ah, but that was besides the point. Now the sandaime was faced with a dilemma – either he could allow the boy to read some of the forbidden jutsu on the scroll, to make a believable clone, or he could refuse and risk his grandson being put in more danger should Mizuki make the connection.

Then again, the first kinjutsu listed in the scroll was the kage bunshin, was it not? Naruto already knew that jutsu, so it would stand to reason that he could just allow him to read the first one and leave it at that. Not to mention the fact that Mizuki could well seriously injure himself if he were to try that technique, potentially doing the ANBU's job for them.

Yes, it would surely be okay.

"Naruto, this scroll is full of very dangerous techniques. I don't want them falling into the wrong hands."

"I understand, but I still-" He was cut off by the hokage, who hadn't finished speaking.

"Nonetheless, the first jutsu listed is one that you already know. Your sensei almost lost his job teaching it to you."

This was news to Naruto. He'd had no idea that one of his ninjutsu techniques were actually kinjutsu, nor had he known that Iruka had nearly been fired! He'd have to ask about that later.

"Alright, then. I'll just read the first one."

The sandaime unlocked the display case with practiced ease, handing the contents to Naruto. The boy opened it just far enough to read the first technique a few times, then nodded and stood up. He boy created a clone, making sure that it was a high-level one, before instructing it to henge into an exact copy of the scroll.

"Since my clones also have the communication tattoo, I've instructed this one to relay information to Kakashi." He stated as he placed the replica back into the display. "You should probably get back to the office for now. The real scroll should be safe there."

Hiruzen paused for a moment longer, a tired look on his face. Naruto seemed to sense his hesitation, as he smiled widely.

"Don't be so worried, old man. I'm going to bring Konohamaru back in one piece, and that's a promise."

OoOoO

In the training field behind the academy, a silver-haired man crouched on a branch, watching for signs of his target from his leafy vantage point.

As he waited, he allowed himself to think back to his meeting with the hokage.

When the boy had burst into the room, he'd acted purely on instinct. All he'd seen was a potential threat to the hokage, and that was something he could never allow. He was back in ANBU mode, just for those few seconds.

And then the boy had activated his tattoo.

He knew who that kid was, of course. He'd caused quite a stir a few years ago when he'd vanished from his home, later turning up on the hokage monument. Being one of the hokage's elite guards at the time, Kakashi had been one of the few operatives dispatched to retrieve the boy. It had been one of his last assignments actually.

He'd been the one who made sure Iruka and Naruto both got to the hospital in time. He'd been the one to carry the boy when Iruka's fractured ribs had gotten the best of him. Come to think of it, Naruto had been drifting in and out of consciousness at that point. Could it be that he recognised Kakashi's scent from that time?

The concept certainly held some weight. It would have explained how the boy knew that he'd been in the ANBU too. Then again, if the boy had that tattoo then he must have joined the T&I department. Could it be that he recognised the signs of a seasoned ANBU just from one instinctual restraint?

His tattoo pulsed, pulling him from his thoughts. It would seem that Konohamaru was on the move.

OoOoO

Mizuki grinned an evil grin as he watched the ANBU flitting about on the rooftops. It would seem that word about the sealing scroll being stolen had already begun to cause quite a stir. Not that that mattered, though. It wasn't like anyone would expect the honourable grandson to be the thief.

Ah, speaking of which, here he comes. The naïve Konohamaru had fulfilled his end of the bargain, as could be deduced from the large scroll the boy held.

"Mizuki-sensei, I've got it!" He called, skidding to a halt in front of him, nearly toppling himself over. The man easily caught the scroll, using it to push the boy back upright before pulling it out of his grasp.

'This is clearly the real deal!' Mizuki thought to himself, peeling back the edge to check its contents. As expected, there was a jutsu listed there.

"So… I can graduate now, right?" Konohamaru asked tentatively. He really didn't like the evil smile on his sensei's face.

"Aah, yes. I promised you I'd make you a genin, didn't I?" The man closed the scroll, turning to give the boy his full attention. "But I didn't promise that I would make you a genin in Konoha."

A multitude of emotions crossed Konohamaru's face, starting with confusion and making its way up to fear when he realised how much trouble he was in.

"You've just stolen a very important item, after all." He continued. "If you go back now, you'll be thrown into jail!"

"No… No! I… you're lying!" The boy spluttered. He was shaking all over by this point.

"Am I? That scroll was locked away for a reason, after all!" Mizuki laughed; a deep, evil laugh. "Come with me and I can take you to a new village. You'll be a genin there – no, a chuunin! You can get big and strong there. Unless of course you want to stay, and go to jail?"

Tears began to well up in Konohamaru's eyes. Was he really in that much trouble?

"Actually, I think you'll find that Konohamaru will be hailed a hero when he returns to Konoha."

The voice came from behind Mizuki. As he turned around, a figure with a kitsune mask stepped from the treeline. ANBU? No, that wasn't an ANBU mask. Judging by their height and voice, surely they weren't even a teenager yet.

His eyes caught sight of a lock of golden hair from underneath the hooded overcoat the boy was wearing, and suddenly it made sense.

"Damn you, Uzumaki brat!" He yelled. "You're not going to stop me this time. I'll kill you and that stupid boy. I already have the scroll; I have no need to spare you."

The blond grinned, cocking his head to the side. He was wearing his battle outfit at the moment, figuring that this was exactly the sort of time for it. Since he never really knew when he might need to use them, Naruto had taken to storing the clothing in a sealing scroll for the sake of easy access. Today just happened to be one of those days.

"What scroll would that be?" He asked innocently. The scroll-clone took this as a signal, and promptly dispelled itself. "You see, when Konohamaru found out about your little plot, we decided to set up a trap. And you fell straight into it."

The younger boy was rather confused by what Naruto was saying, but he figured it was best to just play along for now.

"That precious scroll of yours was nothing but a clone!"

As the blond spoke, a clone appeared, positioned so that Mizuki could not see it, but Konohamaru could. The clone held up a hand, fingers splayed, and began to lower them one at a time. A countdown. Despite the state of shock he'd been in, it was clear that he was supposed to make a run for it when the count reached zero.

Mizuki growled, glancing at the treeline as though he was waiting for someone. But no response was offered, so he turned back to the boy. If he was as strong as his confidence suggested then he'd clearly have to go all out.

Before he could continue on that line of thought, both Naruto and Konohamaru burst into a flurry of movement, with the former leaping straight for him as the latter dashed off into the trees. With the younger boy gone, Naruto would no longer have to look out for him. Kakashi could take care of that, while he took care of this man.

His frontal attack had been little more than a distraction to prevent Mizuki from going for the weaker target, but nonetheless the hastily drawn kunai just barely missed his face as he was thrown to the ground.

Instead of falling face-first as the man had expected, Naruto managed to turn his momentum into a forward roll; launching several easily dodged shuriken at his enemy as he did so. But the teacher's dodging had put him in clear view of the clone that was still waiting in the trees, and he was forced to use the fuuma shuriken on his back to counter its sword slash.

Since when had this brat been able to use a sword?

Without sparing Mizuki a moment to catch his breath, both Naruto and his clone launched themselves at him. But this time around the movement was far too predictable, and soon enough he buried the tip of his shuriken into the clone's torso.

But Naruto grinned, and instead of attacking he kicked off of the man's back, launching himself backwards just as an explosion engulfed the clearing.

[flashback]

Naruto suppressed a smile as he studied the scroll. It was clear that the old man had not wanted him to see any other kinjutsu techniques, but it would seem that he'd forgotten a key point.

"The kage bunshin is a useful B-rank kinjutsu, and it is categorised as forbidden because of its excessive chakra costs. If one is able to master the use of this technique, they may be able to use an extension of it. This extension widens the range of uses that the kage bunshin offers. Its name is…"

[End flashback]

"Bunshin Daibakuha!" Naruto shouted, as his clone's dispulsion caused it to self-destruct.

Mizuki's shuriken was blasted out of his hands, having taken the brunt of the force. But minor burns covered his left arm and a piece of shrapnel had embedded itself in his cheek, serving to do little more than enrage him.

"What's up sensei?" Naruto mocked. "Can't even handle a fight against a mere pre-genin?"

Adding insult to injury only served to tip the man over the edge, and he let out a near-inhuman yell.

"You've done it now, little brat! I'm going to beat you to a pulp!"

Mizuki pulled out a phial, uncorking it and draining it in one before the boy could react. His muscles began to bulge, tearing his jacket into shreds and revealing dark, tiger-like shapes on his arms. His earlier wounds all healed up with a 'hiss' as foul chakra began to saturate the clearing, thoroughly unnerving Kakashi and absolutely terrifying the hokage's grandson beside him.

An ANBU operative appeared beside them a few moments later, and he quickly explained the situation.

"Bring Konohamaru to the hokage for now. I'll sort things out here."

"You're going to pay for this!" Mizuki bellowed as the blond's expression changed. It was clear to Kakashi what that change meant. Naruto was getting serious.

An unmistakeable rush of adrenaline coursed through the boy as the Kyuubi gave him some chakra.

'I thought you didn't want to give me free power?' He asked the bijuu.

'Unless it's for an entertaining cause. Just channel some chakra to your eyes so I can see your fight.'

'Okay, got it.' Naruto replied, obliging the fox's request. His eyes glowed red as his vision cleared up, and he focused on the enraged man before him.

His enhanced senses picked up on Kakashi, who looked as though he was about to jump into the fight. Staring straight at him, Naruto shook his head. His crimson eyes were full of determination, and something else he couldn't quite place.

The muscle-bound Mizuki suddenly pounced at him, slashing with a kunai. His movements were slower now, clumsier. It was like this strange potion he'd consumed was bulking him up so far that he was struggling to control his power.

The kunai broke in half under Mizuki's strong grip, so he threw the pieces to the ground and resorted to wildly punching at Naruto instead. He darted around the punches, deftly jabbing at the man with a kunai of his own.

Each jab barely even made a mark on the bulked-up teacher, so he was forced to drop that attack pattern pretty quickly. Rapidly dodging yet another punch from Mizuki, Naruto leapt a few meters back, landing in a crouch.

What could he do? Physical attacks seemed to make no difference to the brute, so that was out. Unless…

Coming to a decision, the boy unsheathed one of his swords and stood up, falling into a simple defensive stance. Wind chakra began to flow across the blade, causing the sword to emit a low hum as he rushed at his target.

Naruto jabbed forwards, thrusting the sword with all his might at the man's chest. But he managed to block it with his left arm, the blade slicing right into it and sticking there. The boy was left wide open as Mizuki reared back, landing a brutal right hook directly to his chest.

He was flung backwards at the impact, crashing through several trees before finally coming to a stop. He was sure he'd heard a rib or two crack in that punch, but there was strangely no pain as the blond shakily stood up.

He'd landed on the edge of the treeline, the academy visible less than twenty meters behind him. There were several groups of students leaving the academy, having been kept back for detentions or extra-curricular activities.

He picked up the mask that had been jostled from his face as he fell, quickly donning it and pulling his hood back up before any of the students noticed he was there. He figured that at least this way he could keep his progress a secret… from the students, anyway. Hopefully Kakashi would keep quiet too.

Not a moment later, Mizuki crashed through the trees, seemingly using his arms to propel himself forwards. The commotion attracted the attention of most, if not all of the students nearby, and chaos ensued as they took in the sight of their sensei.

This was bad. Mizuki seemed to be building up his chakra, steeling himself for some large-scale attack. If he were to unleash anything here, so close to the academy, there would be innocent lives at stake. Naruto couldn't allow that to happen.

He could only see one solution to this problem.

"Aah, I'd hoped to keep this a secret for a while longer." He muttered to no one in particular. "But if it means stopping you, it's a small price to pay."

Four groups of two clones poofed into existence, surrounding Mizuki in a square shape. One clone in each group performed a snake seal before clapping their hands together, a fiery purple barrier shimmering into view. The man was effectively trapped. The clones remained inside of the barrier, but a second smaller barrier was formed around each pair in order to protect them from harm.

The four clones that weren't already busy each took a piece of paper from one of their many pockets. They were small, about the size of the boy's palm, but each one was packed with identical black markings similar to those found on explosive tags. Each clone slammed their paper onto the ground in perfect synchronisation, applying a hefty dose of chakra as they did. Black lines began to flow from the papers, connecting with one another around the perimeter of the barrier until a perfect square was made. From each corner of the square came more black lines, these ones snaking towards the center.

The lines began to glow a vibrant purple as they activated, freezing the man in place.

"Shishi Kyushu!" The eight clones shouted in unison.

Almost immediately after the black lines had begun to glow, Mizuki's bulging muscles began to shrink and shrivel. He let out another inhuman scream as he collapsed to his knees, the loss of his chakra taking its toll on his body. It took less than a minute for the man to go from musclebound brute to a frail old man, almost all of the life drained from him.

Naruto could feel the last of the Kyuubi's chakra drain from his system as his clones dispelled. Waves of pain from his ribs began to wash through him, but he forced himself to ignore it. The sword he'd buried within Mizuki's arm was now lying beside him, and the boy picked it up and slotted it into his sheath with ease.

Kakashi emerged from the treeline a short while later, regarding the blond with a calculating expression.

"Is Konohamaru okay?" Naruto asked. Kakashi simply nodded, watching as the tension fell from his shoulders. "That's… that's great." He mumbled, suddenly feeling very tired.

He began to sway as his head spun; mild chakra exhaustion from such a high-level sealing technique beginning to set in. But before he could fall, Kakashi darted forwards, easily catching the boy and swinging him onto his shoulders.

"Rest now, Naruto." He commanded. "You've done enough."

"Heheh, I'm glad…" Came the slurred response. "Hey, this is familiar."

Kakashi chose not to reply, not really having an answer to that. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, though – The boy had already fallen unconscious.

OoOoO

When Naruto had regained consciousness an hour after the incident, he found himself in his own bed. The earlier pain from his cracked ribs had already vanished, replaced with little more than a dull throb that he could easily ignore.

Almost immediately as he'd gotten out of bed, Iruka had ran into the room with a look of relief on his face.

"Naruto! Do you have any idea how worried I was when-" He began, but a knock at the door stopped him in his tracks. The boy suppressed a sigh of relief when he turned back around to answer, knowing that he'd just escaped a pretty lengthy lecture there.

"Hello again, senpai." Iruka greeted.

"Meh. I get enough of the "senpai this" and "senpai that" From Tenzo." The visitor stated. To Naruto it was immediately clear who this voice belonged to. "Anyway, the hokage has requested an audience with myself and young Naruto, to discuss the events that took place earlier. You're welcome to come along too."

Ah, the boy had been expecting this. After all, he'd turned up at the hokage's office uninvited, crashed a meeting and then told the old man that his own grandson was about to commit a terrible crime. Yeah, it wasn't much of a surprise that he'd have to answer some questions.

Naruto had already hopped out of bed and changed into his casualwear by the time Iruka made it to his room.

"I'm already ready, ya know." He grinned, walking past the scarred man and heading towards the door. "Heh, try saying that five times over."

When he caught sight of the familiar blue mask, the boy raised a hand in greeting. "Hey Kakashi-san. Long time no see!"

"It's barely been an hour." The jounin muttered, his eye narrowing slightly. He was secretly amused by the statement, but he figured it best to remain serious for now. "Shall we get going?"

OoOoO

"So… how long were you in?" Naruto asked suddenly, breaking the tense silence as they walked. He could see Iruka's brow beginning to furrow, but Kakashi seemed to understand.

"Ten years, give or take." The man replied. "I would probably have lasted for longer, were I not needed elsewhere. You?"

"Four years so far. I developed a new jutsu and Yamanaka-sama saw potential in it. I trained with Morino-sama for a few weeks to improve the jutsu and learn about my work in T&I, then I joined straight after." The blond replied. "But I'm technically only an apprentice. I'm taking the exam next week."

If Kakashi was impressed, he didn't show it.

"You know you were supposed to keep all this a secret right, Naruto?" Iruka asked when no response was given.

"I know, I know. But I couldn't help myself. It's a funny story actually-" The boy began, but he was cut off as he realised that they'd arrived.

The same secretary as before was sitting at the desk, though this time she seemed a little happier to see them.

"Aah, there you are. Go straight through, sandaime-sama is expecting you."

The old man was standing at the window when they entered, seemingly lost in thought. But as the three of them entered the room, he quickly turned around and sat down, likewise offering them a seat.

"I won't take too much of your time." He began, using a fire jutsu to light his pipe. "Since this little incident was not an official mission, I just need your verbal report. Kakashi, given your experience, I would like you to report first."

The masked man nodded curtly, clearing his throat.

"I was meeting with you regarding a particular mission I'd recently completed when Naruto burst through the door, followed by a disgruntled secretary." He stated. "Having not yet relaxed since the mission, I instinctively marked him as a threat, and I restrained him."

Naruto let out a sheepish grin at that.

"During this time, Naruto had somehow figured out my black ops past, and used his own communication tattoo to relay me a message. He stated that I… smelled familiar. I believe that this was a reference to a separate occasion where I was the one to carry him to the hospital. I must admit I'd been caught off-guard by that, as it had been almost five years since I had been contacted through my tattoo.

"Naruto stated that something bad was about to happen. His tone of voice caught our attention, so I released him and allowed him to speak. He stated that there was no time to explain the details, instead offering a brief explanation."

He looked to Naruto at this, seeming to figure that this was the best time for him to speak.

"I was walking down the corridor from class when I heard someone talking in an empty classroom. I don't know why, but something made me stay and listen. Mizuki and Konohamaru were there, and they were talking about how Konohamaru wanted to defeat the old man so that he could become hokage.

"Mizuki picked up on this and told Konohamaru that he could do a "secret task" that would let him graduate straight away. That teme told him that he could prove that he was ready to become a genin if he stole the scroll of seals and brought it to the training field behind the academy.

"When I heard this, I knew that it was a problem, but I couldn't just go in and attack him. He'd just call me out and say I was turning into the Kyuubi."

He lowered his voice as he said this, more out of habit by now than anything else.

"So I ran all the way here, and that's where Kakashi's story starts."

Hiruzen remained silent for a few moments as he absorbed the information.

"Konohamaru told me as much." He eventually stated.

They continued to describe the fight in a similar manner, each interjecting to add information that the other missed. By the time reached the end of their report, half an hour had passed.

"When I was thrown out of the forest, I realised that our fight had been brought far too close to the academy, and I knew that this fight had to be brought to a close quickly as there were some classmates in the area." Naruto continued. "My mask had fallen off during the flight, so I quickly put that back on to cover my identity."

He paused for a second, carefully thinking through his next words.

"When I realised that there were innocent lives in danger, I decided that I would use a technique that I've been secretly working on for the last few years." He stated, studying his sensei's expression from the corner of his eye. "I've been teaching myself fuuinjutsu with books and scrolls."

Iruka's exclamation of shock was quickly stifled as the hokage raised a hand.

"This was certainly unexpected." He muttered. "However, we will discuss this new revelation later. Continue with the report first, please."

"Okay. I used a combination jutsu I've been working on for a while now, where I combine the Shishienjin and a chakra sealing array, which I call Shishi Kyushu. Using eight clones, I was able to restrain him and seal away most of his chakra, which I think caused him to shrivel up like that."

Naruto's eyes closed for a moment, as if he was remembering the scene.

"That was the first time I used it on a real person, actually. I always practiced my fuuinjutsu on my clones, which was fine but they would always dispel with that technique. I guess because they're made mostly of chakra."

"I take it that's the end of the report?" Hiruzen asked.

"Well, I guess so. I kinda passed out after that, so I only know that Kakashi caught me and he told me that Konohamaru was safe."

"That's all the information I need. Kakashi, you're free to go if you wish to."

The silver haired man nodded, glancing towards Naruto one last time before he vanished in a swirl of leaves.

"Now then Naruto. Do you know about the universal sealing grades?"

The boy looked back at the hokage with a thoughtful look on his face.

"That's the ten-point guide to show how strong fuuinjutsu users are, right?" He asked.

"Yes, exactly. It's used as a general guide for professionals to understand how much ability somebody has. Nowadays though, sealing masters are few and far between. I think the highest graded shinobi that we know of is grade eight."

The old man was refilling his pipe as he spoke, having smoked what was already in there during their conversation.

"Well Naruto, I would like to determine your sealing grade. Are you open to a sealing test on the tenth of October?"

"But the exams are on the tenth." The boy replied. "And I already know my grade. Sort of."

"The exams take place at noon, actually. We can arrange for you to be tested in the morning. It's not a big test, you know. You just have to talk to someone about what you can do and demonstrate it to them. It would help for you to have an official grade, would it not?"

This had come from Iruka, who had clearly gotten over his shock enough to go into lecture mode. Hiruzen nodded along as he spoke.

"Okay, I'll do that then."

"Very well, I'll make the arrangements. That's everything now, so if you have no more questions you're free to leave."

The blond shook his head, an action mirrored by his sensei.

"Just out of interest, before you go… what do you think your sealing grade is right now?"

His brow furrowed slightly as he considered the response.

"The guide I read didn't really say a lot about it, but I think I'm a grade five, and making progress on grade six."

The boy didn't miss the way their eyes widened, but he figured it wasn't worth commenting on. He'd just revealed a secret that he'd made considerable progress on, so of course they'd be surprised.

Naruto just didn't realise how much of a big deal that really was.

OoOoO

Word had spread fast about the previous day's incident, that was for sure. As Naruto walked to class, every group he seemed to pass was talking about the mysterious figure that battled their sensei. Given the design of the mask, everyone had taken to referring to him as "Kitsune-kun."

Not that he was complaining. It was a pretty cool name. It was just a shame that no one would know it was him.

"Hey Naruto, did you hear about last night?" Ino called from behind him. "About Kitsune-kun?"

The boy knew that this was a good opportunity, and promptly broke into a grin.

"Hear about him?" He exclaimed, his voice rising by several octaves to convey his 'excitement'. "I saw him! He was tall and cool, and he trapped Mizuki-sensei in a big purple wall made of fire, then made him shrivel up into an old man!"

There was an incredulous look on Ino's face, which was to be expected.

"And did you see his clothes? He was wearing orange!" Naruto continued giddily. "He looked so cool, I'm thinking about buying the same coat myself!"

There, perfect. That way, if he was ever seen wearing his mission outfit, he could at least put it down as him being a starstruck fan of Kitsune-kun. Naturally there would be certain classmates that would see right through it, but he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

"You know, you look really creepy when you make that face." Ino muttered, referring to the maniacal grin that he'd plastered across his face. He let it drop, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

Once everyone had filed into their seats, a hush descended on the classroom. Iruka stepped forwards, a grave expression on his face as he marked the register. Everyone was waiting to find out what would happen next, especially considering they were supposed to have Mizuki for a lesson that afternoon.

"As you are probably all aware, there was an incident on the academy grounds yesterday." The teacher began once he'd finished his normal morning routine. "Fuuma Mizuki was discovered attempting to steal valuable information from Konoha, and after a short battle with an unknown contender, he was defeated and has now been imprisoned."

He paused to allow this information to sink in for a while.

"Because of this incident, we are now dealing with a shortage of teachers for our physical lessons. Until we can find a new teacher, you will be training with the class a year above you."

The statement was met with muttering as the students began discussing this change of plans. But Iruka was not finished yet.

"In the light of these issues today, I can see that many of you have a lot of pent-up energy. We have decided to cancel your theory lessons today, and go straight to physical sessions so that everyone can become acquainted with one another."

Much more noise broke out this time. Most of the class enjoyed the physical lessons, particularly as it tended to be quite a lot of fun. Though they were slightly apprehensive about training alongside their upperclassmen, it definitely gave them an opportunity to show that they were the better class – even if they were younger.

Naruto remained quiet, though he was smiling widely. He would definitely be looking forwards to this training session, that was for sure.

OoOoO

Half an hour later, the class was stood in one of the academy's training fields. Their upperclassmen stood in a separate group nearby, and both were shooting glances towards one another when they thought they weren't looking.

"Today we are going to be playing an icebreaker game." Iruka yelled once the general noise had died down. He pulled out a familiar bag, upending it and emptying the contents onto the ground before him.

It was a stack of bands similar to those he used for his Karyoshi games. But inversely to the ones he used, these ones were made of many different colours and patterns. They were tied into matching pairs, and it seemed that each pair was different to the others.

"I want you to pair up with someone from the opposite class as yourself, then take a band. You should wear the same marked band as your teammate." The teacher continued. "Who you pair up with is up to you, so make sure you pick someone who will give you a challenge."

The two groups remained silent for a while, regarding one other. Then, one by one, students began to come forward, hesitantly looking for a partner.

"You caused quite a stir yesterday, Kitsune-kun."

The voice had come from behind him, quietly whispered into his ear. Had he not sensed the well-known chakra, Naruto would have been rather startled.

"Tenten, good to see you." He replied, turning to face his friend. "Looking to team up?"

"I don't even know what this game is about. Iruka-sensei said to pick someone who would offer a good challenge though, and you're that guy."

"So you're saying I'm good, then."

He received a 'bonk' to the head for that, earning a few confused glances from those around him.

"Don't get the wrong idea, baka!" She yelled. "I just know you better than everyone else, that's all. And it's not like you were my first choice. If we could have teamed among our group…"

"You'd have picked the super cool Hyuuga." The boy stated in a soppy voice, before dodging a second punch. "What? You know I'm right. You're crushing on him soooo hard."

"Whatever. So, since you're literally living with your sensei, do you know anything about this game?"

"I might." Naruto grinned. "But I want you to answer a question first."

The female rolled her eyes, but nodded nonetheless.

"How did you know that yesterday's incident was me?" He asked.

"Duh, I was there. No one else has swords like that."

"Oh… right…"

"So? The game?"

"I helped him design it." The blond began as he grabbed a pair of bands. They were yellow, adorned with a swirling flowery pattern. "It's based on a game I've been playing to improve my stealth and tracking skills, called Karyoshi. Basically I make teams of clones, one team hides around the village and one team goes and finds them. Well when he first showed me this game he said he was considering using it as a class activity, but he wasn't sure how to implement it. So since I had a lot of experience playing it, we sat down and came up with this."

"That still doesn't explain what this game's about though." She pouted.

"Instead of just having two teams we decided it would be better if we had lots of pairs. One person from each pair will go into the forest over there and hide. After ten minutes everyone else goes in to search for them. The aim of the game is to have two identical bands, so each pair has to fight for it. Anything that puts people at risk isn't allowed, but support jutsu is okay. Anything sharp is banned but other weapons are fine as long as they aren't dangerous."

"So you have to knock the opponent out?"

"Not really. The rules only say that you're supposed to bring the two bands to the safe zone, which will be marked out here. So if you can just attack your opponent and steal their band, then get to the safe zone before they attack you then that's fine too."

Just as he finished his explanation, his sensei called out to them, instructing them to gather around as he listed the rules for everyone else.

"In your pairs, pick a person to be number one and one to be number two. I want you to get into two separate lines, with number ones on my left and number twos on my right." The chuunin stated, gesturing as he did so.

"Pick your number" Naruto told his friend. When she asked which number meant which group, he simply shrugged and repeated the phrase.

"I'll go for two." She answered finally, clapping a hand to his shoulder as she left for the other line.

OoOoO

[Fifteen minutes later]

Naruto allowed a small chuckle as he watched his target run right below him, not even glancing towards the tree branch he'd been perched upon. It probably wouldn't have mattered anyway, though – he was currently making use of a henge that helped him blend into the trunk behind him.

In the distance, he could see the spot where the Hyuuga from the other class had hidden himself. Neji, that was his name. According to Tenten, he'd pushed away everyone around him with his cold demeanour and mutterings of "fate" and "destiny." But the tool-mistress still seemed to have a soft spot for him.

If Naruto recalled correctly, the Hyuuga had partnered with Sasuke Uchiha. That would surely be a fun fight to watch.

His momentary distraction proved to be a big mistake on his part – for the few moments that the boy had been focusing elsewhere, he'd forgotten to monitor Tenten's chakra signature, and he suddenly found himself bound by several coils of industrial-strength ninja wire.

With his hands bound, Naruto was powerless as his hunter strolled right up to him and plucked the band from his forehead. Tenten winked at him, grinning wryly as she turned her back… and stepped directly on a seal that he'd placed on the branch.

The seal did little more than send a pulse of chakra into his opponent's system, but it was enough to disrupt her control. The chakra that she'd been using to reinforce the ninja wire immediately dissipated, allowing Naruto to easily free himself and launch at the girl, who'd been caught completely off-guard.

She managed to parry his attack with her forearm, making note of the considerably heavy tree branch he was using for a weapon. A moment later a metal bo staff was clasped in her hand as she unsealed it, adding her own chakra to reinforce it.

Naruto came forwards once more, swinging his tree branch in a sweeping attack and aiming for her legs. Tenten used chakra to hop over it and into the air, using her momentum as she came back down to slam down on the branch. It broke into two pieces with a reverberating snap, catching the attention of some of the students nearby as the impact also severed the branch they were standing on.

Having fully expected this, Tenten used another chakra-fuelled jump to get some distance between them. She landed on another tree nearby, nearly overbalancing as she did so. As Naruto began to fall, the girl turned tail and began to jump through the trees as fast as she could.

Naruto would have been caught unawares by the sudden drop, but he would be back up and running soon enough. She had to put enough distance between them before that did happen, so she could make it to the safe zone.

Not even one chakra-fuelled jump later, the tell-tale sounds of pursuit from below her told Tenten that the chase was back on. She could see the safe zone in the distance, growing ever closer with each jump, but at the same time she could tell that Naruto was gaining. It would be a close fight, that was for sure.

As the treeline ended and the clear field began, Tenten could see that the boy was directly underneath her. It was clear that she would not be able to make it back to the safe zone in time, so she immediately changed tactic. As Naruto burst out into the clearing the girl immediately jumped into the air, backflipping away from the treeline and up into the higher branches of a nearby tree.

The blond skidded on the soft grass, struggling to keep his footing as he tried to give chase. He could just barely see his opponent through the multitude of leaves, stopping for a moment to catch her breath before she jumped away, vanishing from sight.

The Kyuubi refused to relinquish the chakra that Naruto would need to enhance his vision, stating that it would be "less fun" if he used the easiest option. He sighed, knowing his chance of catching Tenten was rapidly fading. The boy closed his eyes, reaching out to see if he could feel his opponent's chakra. To his utter surprise he could feel her directly behind him, but as he turned to meet her he found that there was no one there.

It took three full rotations for the boy to realise that Tenten was not in fact behind him, but instead that she had placed a seal of some sort on his shoulder. Further inspection confirmed his suspicions; this was a tracking seal, and she'd clearly been using it to find his location.

This was good, though. Tracking seals were useful things, that was true, but they relied on the target being unaware of them. They were little more than two seals linked together, so if the target were to discover the seal they would easily be able to reverse it and discover the enemy's location. They could also 'hotwire' the seal, so to speak, and instead link it to something else, like a rabbit. Then the rabbit would go about its business and the enemy would follow that instead.

So yes, tracking seals were certainly useful. But they could also easily be turned against the opponent.

For now he would leave it be. An opportunity like that was not worth wasting. He would instead use it to guide his senses in the direction of the girl's chakra, helping him to find her in a way that wouldn't give him away. He could use the tracker later if he really needed it.

Judging by her distance, it would seem that Tenten intended to circle around and get to the safe zone from the side. He would lay in wait, concealed within the foliage, and do his best to ambush her despite the beacon that her tracking seal would provide.

He easily found a hiding place, his time spent playing Karyoshi really paying off. At this distance, he knew he wouldn't be able to use anything from his 'extracurricular' training, since there were two teachers and several students that would easily see him once their fight ensued.

The sound of running was the only warning Naruto had before Tenten burst through a bush, her metal staff making short work of the leaves. He could see her looking wildly around, knowing full well that he was nearby, but the fact that she didn't know exactly where he was confirmed that she was not too good a sensor.

The girl seemed to know that breaking her stride would mean making herself vulnerable, so she continued to run despite him clearly waiting for her.

A hand snatched out of a nearby bush, grabbing her ankle as she sped past. The sudden action was enough to make her stumble, but as she was using chakra to enhance her legs the boy could not keep his grip. The wooden kunai she'd been grasping in her right hand was flung into the distance as she did her best to stay upright.

Not even a second later, Tenten's staff crashed to the ground where his wrist had been, leaving an inch-deep ditch in the dirt. Naruto grinned at her as he leapt forward, opting for a simple right hook which grazed her on the shoulder as she dodged to the side. But her dodge had left her wide open for the boy to swing his leg around, following the punch with a hefty kick to the stomach.

He could hear the air leave her lungs with a huff as she doubled over, clearly winded by the attack. But as he looked the girl over, he realised with a sinking heart that she'd somehow hidden the two bands during her escape. He slapped a palm to his forehead, making a mental note to work on his observation skills, before turning and running back into the forest and retracing his opponent's steps.

As his footfalls faded into the distance, the tool-mistress let out a watery smile. Shakily getting to her feet, she spared one final glance in the direction that her opponent had run and headed straight for the safe zone. There, a confused-looking Iruka stood holding the wooden kunai she'd 'accidentally' dropped.

And tied to that kunai was two yellow flower-patterned bands.

OoOoO

Naruto had cottoned on to Tenten's plan soon enough, but by then it had been far too late. Now he sat in a corner of the field, sulking as the rest of the students filed back into the safe zone.

The last pair to arrive had been Neji and Sasuke, the former smirking as he clasped two brightly coloured bands. The Uchiha limped into the field a few minutes later, scowling deeply despite seeming to have lost the feeling in the right side of his body.

It served to put a momentary smile on the boy's face, but it was quickly replaced with a pout once more.

"That marks everyone, present and correct." Iruka called, grabbing everyone's attention. "I hope you put some thought into your opponents, because each of your pairings have been written down. From now on, your opponent is your mission partner. Every training session we take part in will require you to work in these pairs. At the end of the year I want to see perfect teamwork. You must take care of your headbands in this time. You're free to spend the rest of your day as you please."

Naruto perked up at this, confusion written clear on his face. Once the crowd of students had dissipated and he'd bid goodbye to his new 'mission partner', the boy decided to talk to his sensei.

"Iruka, what's going on?" He asked simply.

"I wanted to try something new, and we came up with this idea. It's going to teach you students teamwork and strategy, and you'll have to learn to get along with your mission partners-"

"I don't mean that. I mean I'm taking the exams next week. When I graduate, isn't Tenten going to be left without a partner?"

'When', eh? So he had every intention of graduating the first time around, then.

"Well, it did cross my mind. But your graduation isn't set in stone. You understand that, right?"

"Of course." Naruto replied. "But if I do…"

"If you graduate, then we'll be left with an odd number of students. I know this. But as it happens, we've come up with the perfect solution to that."

"You have?"

Iruka smirked slightly.

"Yep. You see, since you were the one who defeated our assistant sensei, it only makes sense that your first mission after graduation is to become the new assistant sensei."

"Eeehhh!?"

OoOoO

[A week later]

Naruto stood in the hokage's office, having just completed the fuuinjutsu grading test. His original estimation wasn't far wrong – he was in fact a grade five, but the amount of progress he'd made towards grade six was far better than he'd first thought.

"So when does the ANBU exam start, old man?" He asked. He was getting kind of impatient standing in this office, as Hiruzen had offered no explanation as to why he was here.

"Patience, my boy. All in good time. Let's wait for Iruka to arrive first."

As if on cue, two knocks at the door signalled the chuunin's arrival.

"Hey Iruka!" Naruto greeted. "I did the test. I'm a grade five, just like I said. But apparently I'm quite close to grade six too!"

"That's great, Naruto." He replied. There seemed to be something… off about him, but the boy didn't really think it was a big enough deal to worry about. "I'll be sure to treat you to some ramen tonight."

The boy flashed a wide grin at his sensei, then turned back to the hokage.

"So, now that Iruka's here, when does the ANBU exam start?" He repeated. His response did not come from the old man as he'd expected, but from his sensei who'd come over to stand beside him.

"Well… about that…"

Naruto could feel his stomach dropping as he watched his teacher stutter.

"You're not going to be taking the exam."

"What? What did I do wrong?" He fretted. "Is this about how Tenten managed to trick me? I only let my guard down because she's my friend, ya know. Or…"

The boy trailed off for a moment as he made the realisation.

"This is about Mizuki." He stated in a tiny voice. There was no question in his voice at this, he just knew.

"Yes, I'm afraid it is."

The old man was using his 'hokage voice.' This could only spell trouble.

"Your actions last week, quite frankly, surprised all of us." He continued. "You eavesdropped on a conversation you should not have been a part of, you burst in on a private meeting between myself and Kakashi Hatake – and that's just to begin with. It is because of your actions that I have decided to-"

"But please, hokage-sama, you know I was only doing what I thought was best at the time!" He exclaimed, desperately trying to explain himself. But his speech was stopped by a raised hand.

"Please, my boy. Allow me to finish." Hiruzen requested solemnly. "It is because of your actions during that evening that I have decided to offer you a field promotion to the rank of genin."

The blond froze, mouth opening and closing in shock.

"Two days ago, Iruka Umino undertook and consequently passed an examination to be promoted to the rank of jounin. His first action after receiving his new rank was to announce his resignation from teaching at the end of this academic year and take on the responsibility of becoming your jounin sensei. He is also taking part in a new program that bridges the gap between shinobi and ANBU, wherein members are trained as both regular shinobi and ANBU, and as such will be permitted to take on both mission types."

The hokage paused to allow the boy to process what he'd been told. When it became apparent that he did not have anything to say, he pulled out a hitai-ate from underneath his desk and held it out. Naruto walked forwards stiffly, still seemingly unable to comprehend what was happening, and took the black fabric from his hand.

The metal plate was gleaming as he turned it from side to side, inspecting it closely as if it were an unstable explosive tag.

"A custom mask and cloak have been created in order to aid you in your ANBU-ranked missions, which I believe have both been placed on your bed." Hiruzen finished, watching as a smile lit up the boy's face.

It wasn't like his normal smiles, not exactly. Even when he was happy, there had always been a hint of sorrow hidden in those blue eyes. But this time his eyes were sparkling with happy tears, and his grin stretched from ear to ear. The sheer happiness on Naruto's face had been plenty worth the headache that had come from dealing with the council on this matter.

When he'd finally seemed to regain control of his voice, the blond turned and looked Hiruzen directly in the eye.

"Thank you so much, old man." He exclaimed. "I won't let you down, I promise!"

Iruka took this moment to move in front of the boy and crouch down until he was at eye level.

"Well Naruto, I have a question for you." He stated simply. "How would you like to be adopted?"

In his clouded mind, Naruto seemed to be unable to grasp what that meant.

"Then… are you going to put me in the orphanage?" He asked. The newly promoted jounin laughed heartily, confusing him further, before placing a hand on his shoulder.

"No, of course not." He smiled. "What I mean to say, is how would you like to be adopted… as my son?"

The new rush of emotions seemed to be too much for the boy. He stared at the scarred man, tears streaming down his cheeks as his eyes glazed over. He was frozen in place once more as the emotions threatened to overwhelm him.

A minute passed. Then another. Iruka was starting to become slightly uncomfortable at the silence.

"Are… you okay?"

The words seemed to be enough to break Naruto out of his reverie, as he let out a sob and lunged forwards into his sensei's waiting arms.

"Of course! I would love to be adopted!" He wept "You're the best father I could ever ask for!"

OoOoO

Memoirs: Publishing day.

[Three days before present date]

"I've finished reading the book today." Iruka stated. He and Naruto were in the kitchen, working on some food. "I think I know someone who would pay a lot to publish this, so I can talk to him tonight if you'd like."

"That would be great." The boy replied, not bothering to look up at his sensei in favour of continuing to peel the potato he was holding. "How long do you think it'll take to publish?"

"A couple of weeks, I'd say. Not much more than that." The scarred man placed the pork he'd been slicing into a pot as he spoke. "Though I'm going to need an author name."

'Kurama Otsutsuki.' The Kyuubi grumbled from within Naruto's mind.

'I never knew your name was Kurama.' The boy replied to him, before relaying the name to Iruka.

'You didn't ask.'

OoOoO

Apologies, it's a short Memoirs story today. Unfortunately I couldn't come up with anything else to write about the Kyuubi, so I thought I'd have it published instead. If you have any ideas on what chapters I could write about next, let me know. Otherwise it'll be comical mission reports.

I've just realised that I failed to consider something kinda important. So for the sake of this story, students graduate at thirteen as opposed to twelve; though there is an end-of-year test when they are twelve which has the potential to let them graduate a year early.

"Shishi Kyushu" Is the Shishi Enjin technique followed by a combination of Tajuu Isshi Tojin and a chakra draining seal.

If you didn't understand it, Hiruzen had intended for Naruto not to learn anything from the scroll of seals but had not realised that there was an extension to the kage bunshin. That extension is the bunshin daibakuha.

I brought forwards the curse mark potion for a couple of reasons. The primary reason is because I gave Naruto a powerup compared to canon, and as such to keep it fair I figured that Mizuki should use his powerup too.

In any case, Mizuki is stronger than he's made out to be in the anime, anyway. I mean, c'mon. I get that he was shocked by the fact that there were thousands of Narutos, but that still doesn't change the fact that he got beat by a pre-genin. It's not logical for someone strong enough to make chuunin to have such a hard time.

I gave him the surname "fuuma" because I thought it was fitting given his reliance on such tools.

I made some notes about fuuinjutsu, and I decided to add the information to a google docs sheet. I'll add the link to my profile for you to view at your leisure. In there I listed all fuuinjutsu techniques that Naruto could potentially use, either now or in the future, and explained the levelling system for sealing masters.

Got an idea for a sealing technique? The page is set to allow readers to make comments on it. If you think of a technique that could be used in this fic, note it down in a comment and I might include it!