Yo!
The next chapter here.
Reviews:
ZabZab: WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU? Some sort of critic or sensor through which every new story on this site must pass before publishing?
YEAH, I have seen your reviews on many new stories and most often, the reviews include insulting the story and the author.
And you are a worst hypocrite, because in your bio, it is mentioned that some reader asked you to update the story and you, quite beautifully, shut him down.
Going as far as to stop writing your stories. Yet, you insult other authors and their work.
Have you even read your own stories?
I glanced at the one where Naruto is signed in anbu - THAT PLOT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE.
Seriously consider it, a dumb brat, wearing orange, able to outrun seventeen squads of ANBU - THE ELITE - for three fucking hours!
ARE YOU RETARD?! - your words back at ya!
Let's even lowball Anbu to the level Kakashi showed in the survival test after graduation, are you really stupid to think that Naruto can outrun them?
Yet, you showed THE FUCKIN' ANBU COMMANDER discussing about his potential with his subordinates WHO were NERVOUS on getting lost to a academy, untrained, student.
The anime only showed a brief scene where Naruto was ahead of some chunin level shinobis - not anbu.
Even with the chunin, it was mostly due to humour.
LOL!
DON'T EVEN SAY IT'S FANFICTION, THE AUTHOR CAN DO ANYTHING WITH THE PLOT!
COZ THAT WOULD MAKE YOU A BIGGER HYPOCRITE!
And, you have the gall to say I don't know what I am writing. Seriously?!
In the span of 20 days, I have delivered 4 chapters and nearly 30K words, and I don't know about my story?!
I WILL SAY IT AGAIN, I WRITE MY STORIES AFTER PLANNING THEM TO THE CLIMAX.
AND, UNLESS YOU ARE OMNISCIENT, ABLE TO KNOW HOW MY MIND WORKS, DON'T EVEN TRY TO INSULT ME OR MY WORK!
YOU DON'T LIKE IT; GET LOST!
To, all others who have supported the story, THANK YOU, and I will only ask you to stay connected, you won't be disappointed.
There's a reason why Mito and Naruto are separated.
I KNOW all that love thing defeating hate of Kyuubi but this is FANFICTION! You don't need to go cannon.
Here stories exist from alive Minato and Kushina favouring other kids to Naruto, to either of them alive but Naruto doesn't know. Further, they help Naruto but without telling him.
Considering they grew without parents, do you think the neglect plot makes sense?
Then, there are stories of Naruto - a Kage of other village - to Naruto - the emperor of the west - when there's clearly no west.
Civilian council, Uchiha-sama demanding jutsus, evil Kakashi and so on; this is fiction. YOU ARE ONLY LIMITED BY YOUR IMAGINATION!
Still, I will drop a hint of Mito and Naruto's separation.
Fear-Death-Love-Hate
Death can change even most composed of the persons.
It was care for and potential death of Orochimaru that prevented Sarutobi from taking any action against the snake after discovering his experiments.
Death of Sakumo that made Kakashi adher to the rules, and again death of Obito, that made him drop the rules.
Potential death, and love, of Sasuke apart from the clan's coup that formed Itachi's decision.
GUEST: LimexGohan story is under process. I am still planning the climax arc.
GUEST: Thanks for the support to this story.
I AM ALL FOR CRITICAL REVIEW BUT WON'T TOLERATE ANY PERSONAL INSULT.
Now, off to chap.
Crap! I am late! Naruto dashed towards the academy, cursing his alarm clock for breaking down today of all days. This time, I will buy a proper one in my disguise.
The building came into sight, the Uzumaki picked up his speed, straining his legs.
Two of his teachers were already impassive towards him for some unknown reason, giving them another one - tardiness - might draw their hate like Mizuki.
Cutting his thought process, the disguised blonde released a breath before opening the door, and immediately became a subject to every pair of eyes present in the classroom. Why can't they mind their own business?
Umino Iruka glanced at the six-year-old for a moment, not even acknowledging him, before looking back at the class. "Takawa Maki."
"Hai, sensei."
Guess that's my cue. Though Iruka's whole indifferent attitude didn't put the man at the top of his list of favorite sensei - which was still empty - the chunin was still better than Mizuki and Sasame.
The first purposely misled him while the latter simply sent him out of the class for no reason at all. Ah well, at least Sasame teaches the boring things which I can even learn at home. The Uzumaki thought while taking his usual seat beside the window.
As the name calls were being made and answered, Naruto, per his new found habit, looked at the various groups having had formed on the very first day of the class, and grown in the past week, now busy in their own activities.
And, as expected, he wasn't a part of any.
They might haven't seen my disguise, but everyone and their grannies know who 'Uzumaki Naruto' is. The parents must have warned them to stay away from 'it'. He lightly snorted. It hurt just a bit but aside from that, he was okay with the arrangements.
For his classmates, Uzumaki Naruto might be a brunette but for the villagers, he was still a blonde, blue-eyed whiskered child. It's funny the villagers don't even realise the whiskers are just black markings.
All in all, weekly appearances were a good idea.
Still, he wasn't the only one lacking in social areas. There were others too…
"Uchiha Sasuke."
"Hai."
… like the duck ass who only talked with Mito. The Aburame was only talked to by a couple of boys but hated, with a passion, by all the girls. The disguised blonde smiled in amusement recalling the screams of the girls when the bug-boy had shown his bugs.
"Uzumaki Naruto."
"Here, sensei", Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the pale-eyes glancing at him - a saddened expression on her face - just like everyday, since the past week, whenever his name had been called.
The Uzumaki sighed a bit. The girl was a weirdo, never talking to anyone, sitting on her own, and many times a day, looking at him with an expression of disappointment, as if he stole her candy or something. Ah well, it's not like I wanna know or something.
"Silence", A pin drop silence befalling in the class, Iruka took in everyone. "Continue with Chakra control exercise", Some groans were heard. "Quiet. It may not seem like it but it's necessary."
"Also, until all of you can effectively stick the leaf onto your forehead, don't expect any further lessons", A glare finished the chunin's words, daring anyone to contradict him.
Of course, nobody did; nobody could with that demon head no jutsu the scarred shinobi had in his arsenal. Naruto shuddered a bit. That thing is scary.
"Good. Now, start practicing", The sensei gazed around the classroom for some moments, making sure everyone had started. "Uzumaki-san, come here."
Not even covering the grimace on his visage, the former blonde groggily lifted himself off the seat ahead of taking small steps towards the front.
A wave of snickers began following him.
Ignoring them, Naruto continued. Why do I have to do this daily? It isn't like I won't tell him once I get it right. Musing to himself, he halted before the sensei.
"You know what to do."
Releasing a breath, the six year old nodded before retrieving a leaf out of his pocket, and placing it on his forehead - tilted upwards.
Carefully, he began forming the Ram seal, closing his eyes for further concentration.
The seal completed, Chakra rushed into his grasp and he focused the energy on his forehead…
Whoosh!
A moment of silence ensued. Here it comes…
Peals of laughter burst out in the classroom, drowning his groan. Dammit! Why can't I get it right?
"Quiet!"
The guffaws immediately reduced to some sniggers.
Naruto opened his eyes and almost slouched in defeat seeing the leaf held by the chunin with the thumb and index finger.
"Hmmm… ", Iruka rotated the leaf, inspecting it a bit. "The leaf is almost intact, apart from the small cut in the middle; it can be considered as progress - definitely better than the previous attempts."
"Uzumaki Naruto, have you accessed your Chakra?"
"Hai", The disguised blonde replied, a bit unsure.
"Show me."
Nodding, he put a leaf on his forehead, bringing his hands into Ram seal, and took a breath. It might be a bit different but should count as success.
FWOOSH!
He mentally cursed, for the umpteenth time, seeing the leaf shooting - as if done by a slingshot - into the air before reducing to splinters.
Utter silence descended in the class followed by laughter.
The Uzumaki cringed, the memory still fresh. That had been a humiliating experience. Iruka hadn't even commented on the weird happening, simply asking him to practice. What else should I expect? Considering everything, he is even willing to teach is surprising in itself.
All in all, he was a bit disappointed in himself. Even after spending hours, the technique wasn't just working as it should.
Nevertheless, keeping his feeling aside, he nodded in understanding at the sensei before turning around.
His eyes landed on the others; everyone, apart from him, it seemed, had managed to work the technique. Of course, the clan heirs and the Hokage's daughter had been the first.
The Clan heirs…
Now, that was mind-boggling.
Even after a week, it was difficult to get his head around the fact that he, a no-named orphan, was in the same class as the future leaders of various clans in the village. What are the odds?
"Today, we'll read about various clans of the village. And, it's an honor to contribute to the teaching of all the Clan heirs as well as Mito-san."
Though Sasame had kicked him out afterwards, the words still managed to incite his attention. Thankfully, he had the books to sate his curiosity.
Can I even compare myself with them? They have all the resources at their use…
"Very good, Sakura-chan."
Naruto, heeding to the words, looked at the pink-haired civilian girl. The girl was holding three leaves - stacked onto each other - on her forehead as well as one on her either hand.
A feat, nobody had managed to achieve.
His earlier thoughts instantly vanished. Idiot, stop underestimating yourself. If she can do so many, why can't you? And that too, just one?
His mood doing a one-eighty, the Uzumaki walked up to his seat, emptied his pocket and spread the leaves on the desk. With so many leaves, they might have to change the name of the village.
Chuckling to himself, he took the seat and turned towards the window before placing a leaf on the forehead and commencing the practice.
Whoosh!
Mizuki waited, arms crossed, tapping his left bicep with his other hand, as the students assembled themselves into a line. They are so clumsy, and Tsubaki wants to have one with me…
"Brats", He announced as the line was made up. "Five laps around the academy", A scowl immediately developed on his face as the groans and mutters filled the clearing. "NOW!"
Most of them recoiled for a bit, before dashing off.
"Sensei, Genji gave up and is laying on the other side."
"Tch!", Not even two laps and he wants to become a ninja. Sneering a bit, Mizuki nodded once at the… What's she? Takawa… something? Before giving up and jumping towards the school rooftop. Ugh! I hate playing a carriage to these shinobi wannabees.
As expected, Uchiha and Namikaze are the first. Despite everything, Mizuki respected the two heirs. They did everything with a certain degree of fervor - a must for a shinobi.
Both the heirs came to halt, panting heavily, and immediately began walking around. The chunin gave an approving look. They are the only one to know the basics.
A dog's yipping diverted his attention, he almost snorted, seeing Inuzuka dragging himself without any sort of symmetry of the body, tongue hanging from his mouth making it only worse.
Then his eyes narrowed, another figure becoming visible after turning around the corner of the school building.
Sparing another moment, he looked at the Inuzuka heir, having dropped on the ground. "Get up! Walk for some minutes and allow your body to cool off!"
The dog boy groaning but complying, Mizuki took in the Kyuubi as it came to halt before him, looking fine apart from the slight raised breathing rate as was wont to happen. This is a glaring proof it's no human.
As the brunette sat down, the sensei simply ignored him and began waiting for the others.
"Line up brats!", The white-haired shinobi shouted over his shoulder, taking in the cheerful visages as if they had earned the respite. All of them are fodder. Disgust marred his face as the Yamanaka heir strode forward, purposely and haughtily.
The hell is Inoichi thinking? She isn't even deserving of the title of clan heiress. Still, his face would be worth watching once she knows the horrors of our world. Outwards, he took in the brats assembled in line. "Today, we'll learn about Taijutsu."
Mizuki rolled his eyes, seeing Sakura giving him an expectant look. Doesn't she learn? "Taijutsu or melee combat is one of the four pillars of Shinobi ideology; the others being: Ninjutsu, Genjutsu and Iryojutsu."
"Iruka sensei will teach you more about the last three. So, let's begin with Taijutsu", Not waiting for the response, he took a couple of steps to stand beside a dummy. "For today, I will teach you the basic academy style."
"Even the clan heirs need to learn this because this style is the foundation and can be modelled into any other stance", The chunin placed his right leg diagonally behind the left, the limbs two feet apart and crouched a bit.
Eyes not leaving the students, he brought his left fist up to the level of chin, and placed the right arm parallel to his waist, closing the fist. "Copy me."
The students began imitating the sensei, some interchanging the arms, other, the feet, and a couple even falling onto their asses after crouching.
Sighing, Mizuki relaxed and approached them, taking in the three students that had gotten the stance right. Namikaze and Uchiha, I can understand, but the Hyuuga too, eh? Surprising indeed.
Beginning from the first, the chunin started correcting the flaws, swatting the arms into the correct position, kicking the shins and ankles, while ignoring the grunts among other expressions of pain. This way, you'll get it right brats.
Smirking towards the others who corrected their stance on their own, probably out of fear, he soon reached the second-last in the line, gave the stance once over before nodding and moving forwards.
Months of practicing kept Naruto from showing any expression on his visage, but inside, he was stunned.
Mizuki had just nodded at his stance, as if in approval which was shocking in itself. Hate aside, does he think of me as some sort of idiot? Or just because I am a clan-less orphan, he's grouping me as another no-brained civilian kid?
Most of the civilians were content in learning the way the three sensei were teaching. The clan heads didn't give two shits, simply because they already knew it or could learn at their homes.
Only Sakura asked questions - too many- but in the end it worked for him. He got most of his doubts answered without any need of voicing them.
But here, Sakura wouldn't know how his body felt. How he was leaning towards the right side, and how there was a distinct lack of confidence in positioning the left arm in comparison to the dominant right one.
The Uzumaki sighed, not wanting to ask the chunin. Here also, it's learning by watching, then. He glanced right, first time grateful for his name beginning with 'U', seeing the Uchiha standing without a flaw, and tried his best to imitate him.
A couple of minutes and some really awkward moments later, the disguised blonde felt a semblance of balance in his body. Well, It's better than earlier.
Mizuki's eyes slightly narrowed, the Kyuubi managing to correct almost half of the flaws just by observing, rousing suspicion in him. This warrants further looking into.
At the same time, aware of the others, he generalized his attention, taking in the rudimentary grasp of the stance by everyone. "It's time to begin with the art of punching."
Some confused stares were directed at him.
"Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking but punching is what I said - an art. It's more than decking your opponent with a closed fist, like not telegraphing your attack or in other words, not letting your opponent know with which hand you're gonna punch him, among other things."
"Anyway, you'll learn that on the go. For now, let's begin with simple punching", Mizuki faced the dummy. "Now most of you'll normally punch like this", He raised his hand up to the level of head, bringing it behind the ear, closed the fist and punched.
Then, he turned towards the students. "As you saw, this way of punching is time consuming, totally gives away my intention, and with the way my arm jerked back after the motion, it's wrong."
Vocing, Mizuki settled in the stance. "The stance is basically a platform where you are in a ready position to attack."
Facing the dummy, he laid a series of slow punches on it, altering between both the hands, sometimes starting with the left but finishing with the right.
Satisfied, he turned to face the students and was met with clear expressions of understanding from all of them. So, they are not totally useless, after all. "I take it you understand?"
A series of nods were his answer.
"Then…", Hmmm… "Minamoto Ichi, share your thoughts."
The brown-haired boy stepped forward, scratching his chin. "The way you punched, sensei… hmmm… and compared to the previous attempt… "
Mizuki nodded, getting a bit impatient with the boy's dragging.
"... It was cooler, faster and awesome!"
"..."
The chunin grimaced, more so at seeing other civilian kids beaming at the boy. "Namikaze Mito, step up."
The red-head stepped forward. "From the position of your arms, you were able to attack faster; the reason being your arms in front rather than behind your head. Also, due to that, you were able to control your arms the way you wanted."
The white-haired man simply nodded, satisfied, before taking in the others. "Now, start."
Naruto, standing before the dummy, tried a couple of punches with his right hand only to frown. Not only is it far slower than Mizuki's but there's a jerk also post hitting. Mizuki's arms remained totally straight and controlled.
Placing the observations aside for the time being, he punched with his left hand and nearly dropped it in resignation. The movement was clumsy, sloppy, and slower than even the right hand. Just like writing only works with the right hand.
Glancing around, a bit disappointed, he furrowed his brows seeing the Uchiha rhythmically punching the dummy with both his hands.
The motion was perfect.
But the movement of the duck ass made it difficult to observe and compare with his own flaws. Duck ass isn't of any help. Hmmm… what about… He glanced to his left, seeing the Yamanaka also busy in the movements.
Despite being slower, even she could use both of her hands.
Footsteps approaching interrupted his thoughts, the Uzumaki looked in the opposite direction to see Mizuki coming towards them, halting on reaching the duck ass.
Should I ask him? A contemplating expression developed on his face. Most certainly, Mizuki was going to provide a wrong answer, but it wasn't like he was doing it correct on his own. Let's try. I have nothing to lose.
"Sensei", The former blonde voiced, as the man neared him, the latter raising an eyebrow at the addressal. "I can't get it right. The hand jerks after hitting the dummy, and the left hand is clumsy and slow."
"Show me."
Not the one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Naruto did as told before gazing expectedly at the white-haired man.
"Well, I can't seem to find a fault. It's your first time, maybe, you've got in your head that you're doing it wrong. Keep practicing."
The disguised blonde was again floored by the sheer lies this man could spout from his mouth. "But others made the same mistake and you corrected them, and now they are a lot better… "
He could see from his position, the three civilian kids making improvements after the sensei had approached them. Dammit! This way, I won't even learn anything.
Mizuki smiled. However, the tightening of the skin beneath the eyes gave it away. "I can't correct something that already is, Naruto-kun. Please, keep practicing and you'll manage it in no-time", Replying, the chunin walked past him.
Glancing at the back of the chunin, slight shock filling his being at the blatant dismissal, Naruto gritted his teeth. What was the point of joining the academy if this would be a regular occurrence? Two of the sensei clearly hated him while the last one tried to mask it.
"Only after you become a shinobi, you'll be able to go on various missions, afford things that are now out of your reach, and most certainly, be able to warrant respect from your colleagues if you prove your worth."
Earlier thoughts slowly receding, the Uzumaki released a breath, old man Hokage's words resurfacing in his mind. The shinobi path is my only way out… Spending days on missions outside the village would be awesome.
His mood uplifting, picturing the future, Naruto glanced at the blonde girl to his left, and started paying attention to the motion of her hands. She's my only chance.
Blowing out some air, Naruto wiped off his forehead of sweat, the act causing him to look towards the skies, orange hue indicating the time of the day.
It's already evening, huh? The brunette glanced towards the academy building for a bit. I have been practicing for three hours? … Cool!
A slight throbbing pain in his hands drew his attention to the limbs. Flexing them a bit, Naruto took in the red knuckles and then, the slight indentations in the practice dummy, an expression of near satisfaction paving its way on his face.
There was improvement, though slight, but everything counted. As it turned out, Yamanaka Ino was also trying to perfect the punch with both of her hands, and her method was to deliberately slow down the motion.
Guess, she is more than just an appearance concerned girl. But he couldn't help the bout of self-lamentation that it had taken him around half an hour to read the blonde girl's method of just attempting the motion without the element of speed.
Still, it was worth it.
Now, after the practice, he could punch almost straight without any jerk, and even though the left hand was still slower, there was a distinct lack of clumsiness from earlier.
This was progress in his eyes.
Alright, Uzumaki Naruto! Keep trying and you'll be shinobi in no time. Who the hell needs a sensei? Grinning a bit, the disguised blonde began walking towards the academy building. Let's pick up the bag and then, Ichiraku, here I come.
He entered the building, taking a left and began ambling towards the last room in the corridor. As he passed the third door, the sounds of paper shuffling invaded his ears, making him glance at it. This is… sensei lounge. They stay this late in the academy?
Though shrugging after a moment, the Uzumaki walked past it.
No later, he entered the classroom, picked the bag and exited into the corridor, while fixing the straps over his shoulders. Another bout of throbbing in his hands, and he began flexing them for relaxation of the muscles.
"... What if it is responsible?"
The Uzumaki slowed down, nearing the sensei lounge, the voice - obviously of Sasame - from inside the room, pronouncing 'it' in an all-too-familiar manner. What are the chances?
"I don't know but the de… "
A slight hushing was heard, made by Sasame, but the previous voice was obviously of Mizuki's!
The subsequent snort too.
"... Fine. Brat is clearly perceptive. Just today, he managed to remove most of the flaws in his stance and punching, by merely observing."
If the 'de' before the brat wasn't any indication, then, these recent words were a glaring proof that he was the subject of their conservation.
Eyes narrowing, Naruto found himself inching closer to the door.
"If what you are saying is true, then it is definitely a cause of concern. Should we tell Hokage-sama?"
"You already know, Sandaime-sama favours it alot; also, he, being hokage, is already burdened enough."
"That is… correct. So, what should we do?"
"What else? We take the matter into our hands."
"Y-you mean… ?
Naruto's eyes widened. Having spent the last months in the red light district, he knew what the words entailed. Are they going to…
He gulped, and for a moment, the survival instincts urged him to dash away, but wanting to learn more about their plan, he stayed rooted on the spot.
"Only if he continues to show such improvement. After all, being an orphan and considering his treatment, he should struggle to learn, not improve on his own."
There was silence for some moments, and the Uzumaki found himself clenching his frantically beating heart. M-mizuki…
"But Mizuki-kun, it could be an initial bout of attention and excitement that every student has… "
"Hmmm… It might be. Still, we need to keep an eye on him."
The intentions were clear and well received.
The disguised blonde took a step back, then another and no later, he was dashing out of the academy, eyes haunted and face pale.
The moon was playing hide and seek with the clouds; sometimes, lighting the water in the river, and others, making it appear as if the river had just vanished into the darkness; the wet sensation on his submerged feet, serving the only proof.
Even this isn't helping. For as far as he could remember, this place and the Hokage monument had always calmed him, alleviating his worries, but today, neither seemed to work.
Naruto glanced at his heaving chest, taking note of the rapid and heavy breaths that hadn't calmed down since the last two hours. Even if I am trying to think of something, the body's reaction - like it has a mind of its own - is making it difficult
But the issue at hand was too severe, he couldn't just fault his body.
Mizuki hating him was one thing but going as far as to plot his murder - the former blonde shuddered - it was scary.
That too, because he was just trying to improve.
He couldn't just understand what was wrong in that? Wasn't that the very point of joining the academy? Learn and improve yourselves and…
The Uzumaki shook his head. The academy wasn't that important but the reason: why Mizuki was willing to go this far? What had he ever done to the chunin or others, as a matter of fact?
"If he continues to improve… "
The white-haired man's words flashing in his mind, Naruto frowned heavily. It was like the man was afraid of him getting stronger. But why? He was sure he wasn't going to harm the man or something.
Hell, he didn't even care anymore what the villagers thought about him, so why couldn't they just leave him alone? And that… Naruto sighed loudly, almost slumping to the ground. I need to stop this.
Trying to solve the issue for the last two hours hadn't worked at all. Rather than thinking of a solution, it seemed his mind had gotten stuck on the problem, again and again, playing the same train of thoughts.
"Ugh! I still don't know what to do", The six-year-old fisted his hair in frustration. I can't even go to jiji.
The old man was already taking care of him, burdening him with this new problem wouldn't just bode well with him.
Further, what were the chances that the new teacher, if old man Hokage actually got rid of Mizuki, would not hate him and continue on the same path?
Even worse, he or she could try to be more secretive of that.
Also the way things were in the village, for how long would he be going to rely on jiji? Red light district had taught him that you were your only hope.
His stomach chose to rumble at that time.
Still, he continued to ponder for some moments. Only after hitting a mental block, just like previous attempts, the brunette decided to leave the issue for the time being.
Let's get the food first. Time is something I have. The Uzumaki got his feet out of the river before standing and walking towards the ramen shop.
Sleep was going to be a stranger tonight
"Ah, Nanashi-kun!", Teuchi exclaimed, as the kid entered the shop. "A moment please", Muttering and sparing a glance at the clock that showed ten minutes to eight, he began wiping the remaining side of the counter, sure the kid would be the last customer of the day.
"Hey, old man", Replying, the Uzumaki perched atop the stool directly opposite to Teuchi.
The old man paused, taking note of the dull tone of the voice, before gazing at the kid. "What's bothering you, child?"
The endearing expression bringing a bout of warmth in his chest, Naruto lifted one side of his lips. "Just a bad day at academy." More like the worst day.
"Oh. Sorry in that case, I can be of no help in shinobi matters", The old man gave a slightly sad smile, but after a bit, his face brightened. "But I know where I can", The kid tilted his face. "With a bowl on the house!"
Naruto's smile widened, earlier thoughts disappearing for the time being. "Thanks, old man!"
Teuchi gave a thumbs up in response. "Wait," Before disappearing into the shop. No later, the shop was filled with mouth-watering aromas.
Savoring the fragrance for a bit, the disguised blonde directed his attention to the menu on display, eyes scanning the various flavors of the heavenly dish. Someday, I am gonna try that super deluxe Ichiraku combo and that one too… also that one…
The sound of something placed on the counter drew his attention, mouth salivating seeing the bowl full of miso ramen. Not waiting, he picked up the chopsticks. "Itadakimasu!", Before immersing into the food of Gods.
Teuchi laughed, amused and surprised at the fervor displayed by the kid. "You know, I used to have a customer just like you, a couple of years ago. He also loved ramen but without the vegetables and meat."
Oh. Chewing the meat in his mouth, Naruto looked curiously, almost sure about what kid the old man was talking about. "He doesn't visit anymore?"
"Sadly, no", Teuchi shook his head. "He stopped around two years ago. I don't know why 'coz this used to be his favorite food. I wonder what happened… ?"
"Yeah", The former blonde muttered absent-minded, looking back at the bowl of ramen. Sorry, old man, I can't tell you; I don't even know for how long?
"Anyway, don't let me interrupt you", Teuchi nodded at the bowl of ramen before making himself busy around the shop.
Unable to do anything, the Uzumaki could only heed to the man's words.
Petting his stomach, Naruto looked around the street, taking in the villagers and the shops. The shopkeepers were still going to wait for an hour, waiting for any customer, before closing down. And, I have nothing to do but think.
Nothing had turned up so far; he couldn't think of anything to deal with Mizuki. Though, if he was going down, the chunin would too, that he was sure of.
A mixture of frown and determination covering his face, the Uzumaki began walking towards his apartment. Just you wait, Mizuki-teme; I will find…
A wail caught his attention before his eyes took in a smaller kid pointing towards a shop.
"I want the teddy! Now!"
"But ren-chan… "
"Teddy! Teddy! Teddy!"
Naruto found himself slowing down, the mother capturing his attention more than the wailing kid. The lady was doing everything to comfort the boy but the latter wasn't listening at all.
If only I had someone like that… He wished as the lady finally relented and entered the shop, kid in her arms.
A bittersweet smile paved its way on his face.
Parents were truly a gift, one almost everyone, whether a child or a grown up took for granted. But what was surprising, the former were always happy with the arrangements. I would never…
"Yayy!"
The disguised blonde blinked, hearing the sudden cry of happiness from the child emerging from the shop, a white teddy clutched in small arms.
Behind him, the woman ambled out, smiling at the happy child.
Shaking his head, Naruto resumed his walking. Lucky one.
"You brat! You conned another one!"
Despite the words, there was a bit of fondness and exasperation which made the Uzumaki turn around. Upon doing that, he saw a young man, bearing a small resemblance to the child, running towards the duo.
The child only giggled, raising his new toy.
"Uh, what?", The woman looked at the man with a confused expression.
"Sorry, Megumi-chan", The man came to halt before grabbing the ear of the child. "My nephew is a bit of a trickster. He fake cries to make you lower your guard, you know what I mean?"
"Oh… "
Naruto stopped listening after that. Gears began turning in his mind, the experience from the red light district and his pranks from even before, concocting a solid plan in his mind.
A few moments passed.
Then, a wild grin appeared on his visage. Trick them, huh? I can do that, hehe!
"Uzumaki Naruto."
No response came, forcing Iruka to look at the usual seat of the jinchuuriki, only to find it empty. Is he absent today? He repeated again. "Uzumaki Naruto!" Voice, a tad bit louder.
"Comin', sensei!"
The sound of pacing reverberated in the corridor, easily audible in the classroom too, before the door slid open.
The scarred chunin turned to reprimand the boy for delay but found himself flabbergasted, mouth parting in sheer stupor, seeing the six-year-old's choice of attire. "Wh-what are you wearing?"
The Uzumaki tilted his head, apparently in confusion. "Uh… clothes?"
Immediately, a roar of laughter filled the classroom.
Iruka was sure they weren't laughing at the Uzumaki's response. Nevertheless, he couldn't bring himself to stop them, still shocked at the monstrosity on display before him. "But they are… O… Ora… "
"Orange?!"
The sensei nodded, surprisingly glad at his failed attempt to finish the word.
"Yeah, I know right; Orange is awesome", Naruto even pinched the collar of the jumpsuit for further emphasis. "This is my favorite dress, and I have been dying to try it here since the very first day!", A wide grin accompanied his words.
If possible, the children only laughed harder.
D-dying to wear th-this?! The chunin was floored. How could someone consider such a glaring piece of trash as their favorite dress? It was beyond understanding! "Where did you even buy it?"
Someone had the gall to actually sell such things?!
Iruka's eye twitched as the jinchuuriki fondly looked at the dress. "From the market of sector five. The shop guy said it's a good quality fabric, enables air to pass, and even gave it for just two thousand ryos!"
The Uzumaki gave an astonished look. "Can you believe it? Only two thousand ryos for this awesome orange jumpsuit? I was so happy that I bought two!", He even nodded with an air of accomplishment.
The scarred shinobi's jaw hit the floor. T-two thousand ryos?! For this?! He didn't need to even touch the fabric to tell that it was of extremely poor quality and could have been easily bought at a quarter of the price paid.
At that time, as the ramifications settled into his mind, Iruka couldn't help but feel a sliver of pity for the kid. The villagers' attitude towards the latter wasn't hidden, and it was blatant that the shopkeeper, whoever it was, had played the kid false.
Does he deal with this on a daily basis? Though, despite the brief conflict of emotions, the chunin still couldn't bring himself to mend the boy's doing. "Whatever. Take your seat."
"Whatever. Take your seat."
Naruto shrugged but inwards, he was laughing at the reactions of the normally composed chunin. Oh my Kami! This is hilarious! Thank you jumpsuit; never thought you were gonna be useful like this.
The former blonde began ambling towards his seat, thoughts about the next course of action swirling in his mind. Seeing Iruka's reaction, he was hopeful that the attire would have some sort of influence on Mizuki too.
And considering how the white-haired chunin frequently tried to avoid dealing with most of the kids - especially the civilians - apparently because they did not learn like the clan heirs, he was positive that Mizuki would also label him as a useless brat playing shinobi.
The fuck?! Mizuki barely prevented himself from yelling out the words, taking in the hideous orange jumpsuit - the Kyuubi was wearing. Is he trying to compensate for his fur?
"The color and quality aside, he said he bought it for two thousand ryos! Can you believe it?! That's four times the actual price!"
Iruka's words flashed in his mind, the white-haired chunin frowned. How could Kyuubi fall for such an easy deception? Wasn't it supposed to be a master of deception and tricks?
His eyes immediately narrowed. Is it trying to deceive us? Though, he immediately shook his head. There was no reason for the demon to do that. If anything, it needed to learn to get strong and that warranted attention and respect of the sensei.
Not this - which would only draw their ire.
"Naruto, you ask?," Iruka hummed for a bit. "Well, he hasn't even managed the basic leaf exercise. In fact, he tries daily, even at home - he told me - but it isn't just working."
The demon wasn't even able to get the most basic of the exercise - that everyone was able to do by second day - in a week, could it be that it was actually dumb and no-brained?
The possibility was there.
It might be that the demon possessed a foolish and stupid child?
But then, how did it manage to correct most of the flaws in the stance?
"It might be an initial bout of attention and excitement that every child has… "
"The stance is the most rudimentary one; you don't have to be overly intelligent to grasp it."
Was Sasame right
Ugh! Mizuki clenched his fists. This was seriously beginning to give him a migraine. Taking a deep breath, he decided to push the issue back in his mind. Let's observe him for some days.
"Continue the punching."
For the remaining time, the chunin continued to watch the Kyuubi trying to correct his motions only to fail. The clumsiness of the left hand, the jerk post hit and the lack of speed was still there, just like yesterday.
The words of Iruka and Sasame seemed to be increasingly plausible. Still, to be safe, he decided to pursue the observation for some days.
"Alright, you can go now", Mizuki announced, waiting as the brats departed towards the building. When the jinchuuriki approached him, he smiled. "The jumpsuit looks good on you, Naruto-kun."
The demon's face lit up with joy, nearly making him cringe. "Thank you, Mizuki-sensei!"
Is he for real? The sensei thought in shock, still smiling outwards. Then again, the demon did eat ramen for all the three meals.
Taking note of the genuine smile on Mizuki's face, Naruto felt relieved and hopeful. It seemed he was on the right track. Hopefully, I will be able to solve my problem without going to the hokage.
Moreover, it wasn't like his studies would suffer any more than they already were. He was already learning by observation and relying on others getting their doubts answered.
He could continue this.
Observe at the academy and practice later. But I will need to change the training place; academy grounds are risky.
Naruto waited for Sasame to enter and take notice.
Some moments later, a purple haired woman entered the room, and as expected, her eyes immediately locked onto him, but she didn't say anything about leaving the class.
She's on mission, huh? The Uzumaki smirked. Well, so am I. He purposely yawned loudly, not caring for the others, and laid his head on the desk.
The sensei frowned but again refrained herself.
Two can play this game, sen~sei. Let's see how long you can manage. He shifted his head and began looking out of the window.
"Uzumaki-san, pay attention."
That was quick. Mentally grinning, he lazily glanced at her. "But it's so boorring~"
The kids began laughing.
Sasame, though, began fuming, fists clenching, and then she glared. "Get out!"
I win! "Sure!", Naruto stood up, giving a two-fingered salute, before jumping out of the window.
"Uzumaki! Get… Where the hell are you three going?!"
Three?! The former blonde looked over his shoulder, eyebrows lifting in surprise, seeing Kiba, Shikamaru and Choji also jumping out of the window.
What the?! At that moment, Naruto found himself slowing down, hoping that maybe the three would like to join him.
But on touching the ground, the three boys dashed towards different directions. The disguised blonde shook his head, a sad smile on his face.
Not everything, Naruto, not everything.
Grinning at his escapade, the Uzumaki strode towards Haru's shop. During Sasame's lecture, I can help Haru-san and later, in the evening, practice and all that. The sun is quite moody this time of the day.
Thwack!
Naruto's smile vanished.
The sound, apparently of a hit, followed by a clutter of noise as if several things had fallen down simultaneously, made his eyes narrow.
This is coming from inside! The disguised blonde mused, looking intently at the bricked shop.
"Please!"
That was Haru-san's voice.
Not waiting anymore, Naruto swung open the door and dashed inside. His eyes widened taking in the scene.
A heavy man was trying to choke Haru, both hands clasped around the thinner man's neck. The burly man had also pushed the shop owner over the table.
Apparently, his sudden entry did not go unnoticed.
Both the men turned to look towards the door, Haru only able to move his eyes which widened further, if possible. "N-naru… to… r-run… "
Perhaps it was the plight of the man who had helped him so much, or his budding confidence after numerous fights with Kenta, or it was the sight of the same burly man who had tried to smash bottle on his head, only to be whisked away by a ninja, but Naruto stayed rooted.
"Stop it, ya bastard!", The Uzumaki shouted, using the same words he heard around the red light district. "The hell are you lookin' at?," He further added, seeing the weird look the man was giving him.
"Nah-ruh-toh," The man slowly pronounced, the slur giving away his drunk status, as if testing the name on his tongue.
In that moment, both the man and Naruto simultaneously connected the dots. The former's glare harshened, face twisting into something ugly. "Demon!"
The disguised blonde's eyes widened, hearing the word, and he waited for the shinobi to pounce on the drunk bastard.
Some moments passed but no one came.
The burly man, having grimaced slightly at his slip-up, also noticed the non-happening. Then he looked around for a bit, before a snarl escaped his mouth. "I'll fucking kill you!", Totally forgetting about Haru, the drunkard began striding towards him.
Naruto almost took a step back, the shout of 'help' reaching his throat, but then he halted.
So did the words.
The past months in the red light district flashed before his eyes, seeing a lot of men, women and children alike in some worst situations, screaming for help and mercy.
But it had never come.
Neither it would, now.
Slowly, he began accepting the reality and the situation he was in. Still, not wanting to ditch one of the very few men who had shown kindness to him, he looked around the shop before dashing towards the counter…
Thwack! Crunch!
… something hit him on the side of his head, head jerking, and the disguised blonde felt himself falling in the opposite direction.
Some moments later, he found himself looking with blurry eyes, becoming aware of his prone form. I don't remember hitting the ground...
He tried blinking, the motion making him aware of the sharp pain in the top of his head, but apart from the slight clarity before the eyes, nothing happened.
At that time, something turned him over and next moment, a heavy pressure settled onto his neck, restricting his breathing by a lot.
As if due to shock, his vision cleared even more to the point that he could make the image of the burly man sitting beside him. He's killing…
Fear of death making itself known, the Uzumaki was rendered frozen in shock. He forgot everything around him, focus oriented on his struggling breaths and the subsequent feeling of weakness and helplessness that was slowly covering his entire being.
The various emotions registered, and immediately, a strong urge to survive also rose up, dwarfing all other sensations.
Eyes going frantic, Naruto began flailing his arms in a hope to find anything to help him escape. Small hands began petting the floor in a frenzy, and no later, his right hand landed on something sleek and hard.
Not thinking, his fist closed around the object before he brought it towards the man.
Taking the support of the table, Haru pushed himself up. Eyes immediately landing on the drunk man purposely moving towards the prone kid, he shouted. "Fuji! Stop!," But the voice came out hoarse.
Fuji didn't stop, a distinct aura of blood palpable around the burly man. Is it due to Kyuubi? But they seem to have some history. Still wondering, Haru pushed himself off the table, taking a step, but immediately fell down.
Not relenting, the tavern owner again tried to stand up, taking purchase of the edge of the very table, while his gaze landed on the drunkard about to choke Naruto.
Perhaps it was slight fear of losing the kid who had become a close acquaintance, or the subsequent fear of Hokage tearing him asunder, or the worst case scenario - the revival of Kyuubi, but at that time, Haru felt a surge of strength and determination wash over him.
Standing, he began to walk towards the duo, a realization dawning in the mind that Fuji would not stop.
… Unless made to.
Eyes landing on an empty bottle on the table to the left, his hand quickly closed around its neck. His resolve made, Haru picked up pace, covering the distance in three long strides.
Tightening his fist around the bottle, for reassurance, the tavern owner swung it with full might, the previous beating by the drunkard resurfacing in his mind only fueling the power.
Crank!
The bottle broke from below the neck, glass splintered around, a couple of shards even emerging into his own skin, but he didn't care.
Fuji, though, recoiled - both his hand coming to clasp around the hit area for some moments - before falling, as if cut off from some imaginary strings holding him, over the smaller body beneath him.
Haru took a breath and immediately choked when a metal grill protruded out of the drunkard's chest.
The rusty metal was quickly recognized, his eyes landing on the broken grills of the window. Fuji, ya bastard! Now who's gonna pay for all this damage?
Wiping his hands, Haru looked at the boys standing behind him. "Take the rest of the day off, and not a word of this to anybody," Voice as casual as it could be, confident of the duo's secrecy.
After all, this was the red light district; such occurring though few but were far from rare.
Both the boys nodded and walked out of the tavern.
Haru turned his gaze towards the Uzumaki. The boy had not moved in the entire last hour, keeping his arms crossed around his knees hugged to his chest. Brown eyes were unblinking and slightly wide.
At least there are no tears. The older man mused looking at the boy. He's taking it a lot better. Though, knowing the boy needed to let out or at the very least talk, Haru crouched. "I have taken care of the body; nobody's gonna trace it back to us."
Voicing, he waited for some moments, hoping to get any sort of reaction. But nothing came. Dammit! I am no good at this shit… Raking a hand through his hair, he opened his mouth, keeping it parted for a moment. "Listen kid… it couldn't be helped."
Nodding to himself, getting a hold of the words to be spoken, he continued. "It was either him or us… it wasn't even our fault; I just wanted to knock him out, and you just happened to hold the grill at the exact time."
Finally, the kid's eyes dropped a bit, and Haru pressed on. "If not… if we hadn't done that, he would have killed you and then me… I don't know about you, but I want to live and would gladly do it again."
"Also, don't you want to be a shinobi? Well, treat it as your first… kill," He finished, slightly hesitating at the last word, hoping the brat wouldn't break down or something hearing the word.
But to his slight surprise and huge relief, the child nodded slowly. The hesitation was obvious but was expected.
Still, Haru decided to stay with the jinchuuriki for the time being.
"Report."
"Uzumaki Naruto accessed his chakra but is unable to control it even to the point of the basic leaf exercise. Further, he struggles in Taijutsu, but so do other civilian kids, so maybe in the near future, he will manage it."
"Though he barely pays any attention to Sasame-san's lectures", Iruka finished, releasing a breath, and waited for his leader's comments.
Hiruzen stayed silent for some moments, contemplating the words of the chunin. Must be due to his large chakra reserves. "Do not worry, Iruka-kun, I will talk to him", The scarred shinobi nodded humbly. "Anything else?"
"Uh… Uzumaki-san has also started wearing a totally impractical orange jumpsuit."
If not for the circumstances, Hiruzen would have smiled, seeing the barest of the concern that had seeped into the voice of the chunin. You were the right choice, Iruka. "Does he have any friends in the class?"
Though confused at the strange question, Iruka knew he had to reply in kind. "None I am aware of, Hokage-sama."
Regret and sadness tried to clench his heart but years of practice helped in pushing the feelings aside. It seems, once again, he's trying to get attention by wearing bright clothes. Mulling about the issue for some seconds, he nodded to himself. "Let him be."
The tone of the words leaving no qualms, Iruka could only nod, no matter the surprise that filled his being. Well, I did my duty.
That's all.
Again, I will say, this chapter and the previous one were the only ones to explain about academy. Next three, at the very most four, chapters will be different. They will have passing reference to academy due to set in the same time period but will be mostly different. Then, you will have graduation.
PLEASE REVIEW.
Next chapter: Some unexpected findings.