Only a Man
AN: Good morning everyone, some small notes before the start of the story
Regular Person talking- "Hello"
Overpowered Person talking- "Hello"
Demon/Bijuu Talking- "Hello"
Someone thinking '
This is a Naruto Rinnegan fic, that doesn't mean he'll get it right away. It'll be fun to see how my ideas of the Narutoverse are different from cannon. Naruto won't be Godlike for a very, very, long time and S Rank shinobi are going to be bad motherfuckers. Also, this is my first writing expedition in about a decade. I'm not particularly talented at writing. I want to run with this idea and take it to the moon.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It was a wonderful day for the Village Hidden in the Leaves. It was sunny, warm, and with a nice breeze giving the populace joy no one had a care in the world. Children were walking down the street with their parents getting goods from local shops, during those activities you could look to the rooftops. When you looked up you could see shinobi moving quickly on their own personal highways known as the rooftops. Truly a glorious day for the Leaf Village
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ninja Academy
A man was quickly making his way down the hallway to class; he had a scar on his face, a Chunin flak jacket, and ninja pants. Opening the door to his classroom he quickly found chalk shavings and dust in his face, breathing in deeply trying to keep his cool. After quickly deciding to scare the students his face was serene.
"Whoever decided it was a good idea to prank me on exam day; you'll be expelled. I placed a clone in here earlier who has been watching for behavior and attendance" Iruka said calmly.
"SHIT," Said a blonde kid in an orange jumpsuit and goggles, already scared about what was going to happen with the exam, but now more scared that he won't even get the opportunity to fail.
Iruka then laughed and looked at Naruto. "It seems a guilty mind made you let it slip, do you have anything to say for yourself?"
"I DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, THERE'S NO REASON FOR ME TO NOT TAKE THE GRADUATION EXAM TODAY!" Naruto Shrieked
"Well, that's good Naruto. Please sit down, we have an exam to take." Iruka said calmly
After about two hours of children changing their form, swapping themselves with items, and making copies of themselves using energy known as "chakra", the exam was over. For our blonde protagonist, a bad day was about to get worse.
The other students of the course were looking at him with a mix of pity and sadness. Most of the passing children of this grade were born to ninja clans where they had access to knowledge and training before they even reached the academy.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
He found himself walking back from the exam sullen with fresh failure, and was trying to think of a way out of his situation.
'That exam was so stupid! There was nothing practical, I suck at the clone jutsu and that was my downfall. Maybe I can talk to gramps and see if I could retake it.' Naruto thought.
At the same time walking down the street was his secondary instructor Mizuki, scheming and about to make straight his path to his new master. Orochimaru was a genius of this village and he thought the man was thrown out due to politics rather than his evil nature.
'I can't believe how things are coming together, I met his agent in the village and now all I have to do is get the Forbidden Scroll and I'll become a member of his fighting force. Even better is I'm not going to be the one to steal it!' Mizuki thought excitedly.
Moving quickly to stop the blonde he yelled
"Hey Naruto, come quick! I have some news for you from Lord Hokage!"
Naruto quickly looked up with hope and met his teacher on a park bench.
"What's the news Sensei? Naruto asked, hoping to find a solution.
"Lord Hokage has determined that you deserve a secondary exam, as the only thinking that kept you from passing was the clone jutsu. Would you like to hear the secondary option?" Mizuki asked knowing that Naruto already fell for it hook, line, and sinker.
"Yes, Sensei!" Naruto exclaimed, happy that things may go his way today.
"Alright; the task Lord Hokage has set up for you is to steal the forbidden scroll in the Hokage Tower. He has provided here a list of the times when the guard changes so you have to slip in. Once you have retrieved the scroll, you will meet me in training ground four at 2300 to bring me the scroll as proof you completed the task. Do you accept Uzumaki?" Mizuki asked with passion.
"Absolutely, I'll pass this easily and become the best Hokage ever!" Naruto said with determination.
"Then you know your task, I'll be waiting to see your success."
Mizuki disappeared using the body flicker leaving Naruto to his own devices.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
He stalked quickly through the halls, knowing that one wrong move would have him fail. His target was in the Hokage's office, and he knew he only had a window of five minutes to get in and out. Turning left he moved into his target's room. Quickly peeking inside, he saw his grandfather figure sleeping and knew it was time to act. Hearing sleepy words stopped in his tracks
"Oh my, Hitomi-chan your hands are so soft. I can't wait to play with you some more. You and all your friends"
'Oh my God, gramps is having a dirty dream. Move quickly and leave' Naruto thought, scared by thoughts of his perverted old leader.
Naruto looked left and found his target, he strapped the scroll on his back and made it out of the office quickly. He was out of the tower in 90 seconds.
"Sensei is going to be so proud of me!"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Naruto made it to the training ground with two hours to spare. After waiting for 15 minutes he started thinking.
'I've already passed, I'm going to do a little extra credit. A cool new jutsu should cover it' Naruto thought excitedly.
After searching he found his jackpot. The technique read as follow
Shadow clone Jutsu: "This jutsu allows the user to create one or more copies of themselves. The user's chakra is evenly divided between themselves and their clones: creating one clone will give it half the user's chakra, creating two clones will give each a third of the user's chakra, and so on. Depending on how much chakra the user has and how many clones they make, this rapid depletion of their reserves can be dangerous. Because of this, usually only those of at least jonin-level can safely use the standard Shadow Clone Technique."
Naruto was excited. 'Such a cool technique and it only requires one hand sign. Today is my lucky day. Ain't no time like the present to test her out!'
Naruto put his hands together in the tiger seal and gathered chakra and yelled.
"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU"
Suddenly naruto saw three of himself, not believing he made it happen on the first try he went up to the first clone and poked it in the chest.
"Hey! What's the big idea?" Clone 1 said.
"Yeah quit poking him!" Another clone said
"What? Do you want us to poke you back!" Another clone asked
The original Naruto dispelled the clones and jumped up in joy.
"I'm the shit! I just did a B rank jutsu without even trying, suck my ass Sasuke and your big, dumb fireball. Now all I have to do is wait."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
His village was in an uproar, a sacred item with important knowledge was stolen and he didn't know the culprit. He looked up from his desk, "Report." he said calmly knowing that his ANBU would handle it.
"Sir! We have no new reports about the missing scroll, The Jonin are patrolling the city looking for the culprit as we speak." A man in a boar mask said with power.
"Then be out of my sight until it is found, it is paramount that whoever did this doesn't leave the village." Hiruzen said with the finality of a leader.
"By your leave, Sir!
"Dismissed"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mizuki moved through the forest with a purpose, double-timing his way to meet the child that would make his dreams come true. 'All I have to do now is get the scroll, kill the child, escape, and profit.' He had a meeting place with the agent set for one hour from now and it wouldn't bode him well to be late.
Reaching past the treeline he saw Naruto and put on his game face. Appearing five feet away from Naruto he said "Report."
"Mission accomplished Sensei, easy as pie. I even got a new jutsu for my troubles." Naruto said proudly.
He was moving his hand to give the scroll to Mizuki when a kunai struck between them. Mizuki jumped ten meters back and Naruto saw the shadow of his other teacher.
"What the hell Iruka-Sensei? I was about to give him the scroll and complete my mission! I'm gonna be a proud ninja of Konoha!" Naruto said, confused at seeing the angry look on his teacher's face.
"Yeah Iruka, give me the scroll so I can return it to the tower and this mess will be over with" Hoping the man would fall for it.
"Naruto, the village is in a panic. We couldn't find you or the scroll and I was worried sick. I'm lucky to have found you before anyone else. Stay behind me while I apprehend this-"
Iruka had no time to think before Mizuki was on him, deftly dodging punches and kicks while waiting for an opening to strike. Mizuki was strong but slower and Iruka could take advantage. Telegraphing an overhand right, Iruka parried; landed a savage combo to counter and ended with a kick that sent Mizuki into a tree.
Iruka quickly looked at Naruto "Leave and get the scroll returned, I'll deal with this tra-" Interrupted by a kunai in his back he tried to support himself with a tree and failed.
Naruto saw his favorite teacher on the ground bleeding from this heavy wound that made him angry. He was tricked! Now the only teacher that cared about him was down for the count.
Seeing Mizuki walking closer to him made him angry, he could feel power swelling up in his chest.
"Now that you see what resisting gets, how about you give me the scroll before you end up like your precious teacher." Mizuki said tauntingly. He made 5 meters away before he could feel the energy around Naruto
He could feel that power burning through him and he let it out while screaming "SHADOW CLONE JUTSU."
The entire clearing was filled with copies of the blonde, all looking at Mizuki with malice in their eyes. Mizuki quickly took stock of the situation and realized he was going to die.
"Shit"
In what can only be described as a thousand blondes beating the stuffing out of a grown man. It was over in forty-five seconds and it left Mizuki unconscious. After getting the anger of his system he forgot why he was angry, and he was met by his bleeding teacher on the ground.
Naruto walked up to him thinking Iruka was going to die and he started crying. He was brought out of the trance ten seconds later by hearing Iruka say "Kneel down next to me and close your eyes."
He heard and felt cloth around his forehead when he was told to open his eyes. He felt the metal of the forehead protector and smiled. Iruka looked him in the eyes with pride and said "Congratulations, Genin of Konoha, Naruto Uzumaki"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The professor had seen many things in his days; three world wars, a giant chakra-demon killing his predecessor, and much more. He was still taken aback when he was briefed on the situation fifteen minutes prior to Iruka and Naruto's arrival. It was two in the morning and he wanted to get some sleep.
Still, he had an image to uphold, and it was time to scare Naruto shitless.
"I just want to be sure this is correct, you came into my office while I was sleeping, stole a dangerous and forbidden scroll, LEARNED ONE OF THOSE JUTSUS, then used it to apprehend a traitor of Konoha. Is there anything else you would like to add Naruto?"
Naruto could feel the power radiating off the old man, this was his leader and commander and he felt it while under scrutiny. "No sir, that is what happened, I take full responsibility for my actions." Looking down at the floor under the presence of his leader.
"Good, good; then it is with great pleasure that I formally instill you unto our ranks as a genin. Congratulations" The professor said.
"I understand, I'm sorry and I'll make it up to…... wait really Gramps!?" Naruto said, surprised.
"Are you questioning your leader, genin?" Said the Hokage with help back amusement.
"No sir!" Chorused his newest recruit
"Good, get something to eat and go to bed. You have a big day tomorrow; Iruka, escort genin Uzumaki home and assure his safety, Understood?"
"With pleasure, Hokage-sama"
The room was empty in ten seconds and he groaned knowing his night wasn't over. "What do you want, Danzo?" The old man wearily.
He looked up to see his old friend and compatriot, bandaged like normal. "It seems the jinchuriki has made it through to our forces, be sure this isn't a mistake, Hiruzen." Danzo said ominously.
They both looked at each other trying to assert dominance and it was Hiruzen who won. He watched as Danzo walked out of the room and sighed.
"I'm getting too old for this shit"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Iruka and Naruto were at his favorite ramen stand eating when Iruka spoke out "You know how important this decision is, there is no going back. You have pledged to fight and die for this country and for the will of fire. It's time to be serious, Naruto. No more bullshit, you understand"
"Yes sensei, seeing you hurt scared me something bad, thanks for your support."
"No problem Naruto, and don't forget I'll be here for you. I've got to be sure I have a future Hokage on my side"
A/N: This is chapter 1, no beta. I'd love to see constructive criticism in the comments. The goal is weekly uploads once I get into a groove, until then it'll be more sporadic.