Hello, hello. It's me, B-Day. Now, you may or may not know me from my other story "Naruto x Females of the Narutoverse!" I'm here with an actual story that isn't about sex. This story may or may not have some similarities with other stories you've read and I'm sorry, I didn't intentionally mean for that to happen. I'm going to try and make this as original as possible, but that probably won't be for awhile as some things are gonna end up being similar.
Anyways, this story was inspired by "Darkness Falls"by Midnight Lost and "A Better Path"by RegalCarnage19. Go give those a read if you haven't. Those two stories gave me some inspiration to write this one.
This story follows the original Naruto story up until Shippuden. Once it gets to Shippuden, it'll be my headcanons and what not. Also, some things will change in this story that are different from the Narutoverse, like for example, the Byakugan, it'll be more expanded upon and will deserve the recognition that it does to live up to the Sharingan and the Rinnegan.
Also the first 2 chapters are about Naruto's youth (I got it from ABP, you'll see some similarities) and chapter 3 is when things start to pick up.
Okay now that I'm done talking, read the story, and please review!
Also, there's Sasuke bashing, thought that I'd mention that.
(Also yes, there will be a harem, add people you want and I'll consider it)
(ALSO: if you are reading this, there will be some things that won't make sense in the early chapters and it's really rough so please bear with it if you can. Later in the story I've fixed some mistakes, but if there's something that doesn't make sense and I haven't fixed it, let me know)
'Thoughts'
"Technique/Demon/Bijuu" Talk
"Demon/Bijuu" Talk from inside
'Technique in head/Demon/Bijuu' Thoughts
Chapter 1: Start
After half of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox was sealed inside of the newborn baby of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, it was extremely pissed being sealed up once again right after it got released.
'Damn that Minato and Kushina!' The fox angrily thought behind its giant bars, lowly growling. 'And damn that Madara as well! I was already used by him once and now I was used by him again! How the hell could I let these filthy humans take control of me?!'
The Kyuubi let out a frustrated roar. "Damn this world!" The fox began swiping at the bars, but nothing happened. He slowly took deep breaths to try and calm himself down.
"No matter… I can always influence this child to keep using my chakra, and when he uses too much, I'll be released… yes… that's what I'll do…" The fox Bijuu planned out as he laid down and rested his head on his arms. He was going to close his eyes, but something caught his attention, making him open them again.
In front of the bars stood a woman with straight black hair, that reached down to her shoulders, and strange eyes. Her eyes had black rings around them and there was a black streak that connected to her neck. Her scleras were black, the irises were red, and her pupils were white. From her neck down it was all black. The Kyuubi was unsure if it was painted or not.
"Hello, Kyuubi!" The woman greeted with a cheery smile. The fox gave her a look of confusion.
"Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?" He asked, turning his head to fully look at her.
"Me? Ah, I'm just a passerby saying hello," the woman responded, closing her eyes in content.
"You're not a passerby if you can enter here. Now, I'll ask again and you're going to answer. Who, the hell, are you?"
"I told you, I'm just a passerby. You don't really need to know me, Kurama," the woman avoided but quickly closed her mouth at speaking his actual name.
"DO NOT PLAY GAMES WITH ME, WOMAN! YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY NOT A PASSERBY SINCE YOU'RE IN HERE AND YOU KNOW MY ACTUAL NAME! ONLY THE SAGE KNOWS THAT!" The fox Bijuu shouted at the woman, making her cover her face from all of the wind.
"Jeez, could you calm down? And brush your teeth, your breath smells like death," the woman told the fox as she waved the air and covered her nose.
The Bijuu named Kurama looked at the woman in more confusion. She wasn't scared at all from his yelling which shocked him, but he didn't show it.
"How are you not shaking where you stand? I'm the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox! Everyone trembles before me!"
"Guess I'm just built different," the woman muttered to herself.
"What was that?!"
"Well, you just don't scare me. You're not even as strong as me, especially since your other half's been sealed away inside of Minato," the woman responded with a nonchalant shrug.
"What are you talking about?! A mere human isn't stronger than me!"
"What about Madara? He seems stronger than you to have put you under his genjutsu, and you also fell for it again."
"Genjutsu is a cheap trick. That doesn't count," Kurama said and turned his head away in anger.
"Aren't you basically the Six Paths' child? Shouldn't you know about the Sharingan and it's genjutsu? Sounds to me like you're making excuses."
The fox Bijuu looked at the woman in confusion. "How the hell do you know about me being created from the Six Paths?"
The woman looked to the side with an awkward grin. "Ah shit… me and my big mouth…"
"Answer my question!"
"Alright, alright, just stop yelling! Jeez, your breath stinks!" The woman shouted and covered her nose once again. "But it's simple really… I was there."
"What?"
"You heard me, ya damn fox! I said I was there!"
"... How…?"
"I watched as the old man gave you beasts names. It was so adorable seeing all of your cute faces when you were younger! What happened to make you such a smelly and pissy fox?" The woman asked with a disgusted expression on her face.
"What… the Sage made sure that no one could watch him as he gave us names… stop spouting bullshit!"
"Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu, Son Goku, Kokuo, Saiken, Chomei, Gyuki, Kurama… and Datara, the tailed beast that you all came from," she replied with a sinister smile that made Kurama flinch slightly.
"W-What… There's no way…"
"I guess you could say that I'm Hagoromo and Homura's little sister," She said with a shrug.
"Impossible! There's just no way that's true!"
"Believe it you damn fox, because it is true," the woman told, growing serious and glared at Kurama. His eyes were wide as he stared at the woman in slight fear.
"Listen to me well. I'm the offspring of the God Tree, and you know how plants' offspring are the exact same as the parents, right?"
"Yes…"
"Good. I was made from the God Tree to primarily destroy Kaguya and wipe out the humans on this Earth. I'm technically Hagoromo and Homura's long lost sibling. Unfortunately for them, they're dead and I'm still alive," the woman explained and snickered.
"T-Then what's your name?"
"I don't have one," the woman answered. "But don't call me God Tree or anything like that, it just sounds stupid."
Kurama could only nod. He was at a loss for words. Hagoromo told him about the God Tree and what it did to planets it grew on. If this woman did come from a tree like that, he could only imagine what she'd be able to do.
His attention was brought back when she started giggling.
"You can call me… Kiseichu…" the woman said with a smile.
"... Parasite…?" Kurama asked.
The woman frowned at him. Ugh, did this fox have to ruin her cool moment like that?!
"I should kill you for ruining my cool moment like that," the woman stated, making Kurama gulp and sweat drop, but she sighed and lost her glare. "Fine, just call me Kirai…"
Kurama nodded, not wanting to possibly upset her even more.
"Anyways… I've spent too much time here. Hey fox, listen up." Kurama gave her his full attention. "You're going to help this brat grow up."
The fox blinked at her a few times. "Huh?"
"You heard me you deaf fox! I said you're going to help the child of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki become strong! You're going to help him make the right choices in his life and not go down a dark path! Don't go against him and do not try to break out of here by making him use a lot of your chakra to the point he loses himself," Kirai ordered.
"Wait… why? What are you trying to accomplish by doing this?" Kurama asked, a bit puzzled by this request.
The woman groaned. She didn't want to explain this, and she knew the questions he was going to ask. "Listen. I'm doing this so I can escape and wipe this land clean of humans."
"Can't you do that yourself? Why use the boy?"
She facepalmed. 'This is so annoying…'
"Ugh… I can't do it myself because I don't have enough power to do so. I can't do anything with this body."
"But-"
"Yes, I know I said I'm my own entity, but I'm only an entity. I don't have a stable body to use my power, so that's why I'm using you and this child."
"Is that why you chose Parasite as your name?"
"If it helps you understand me, then sure."
"Okay… couldn't you just take over one of us Bijuu?"
"No. You're entirely made out of chakra."
"Wouldn't that make it easier since we're connected?"
"Quite the opposite. It makes it near impossible since you don't have any actual parts like a human would, or an animal. I need a stable body, not more chakra," she explained.
"Alright… I understand now…"
"You better, or else I'll kill you," the woman threatened with her glare, sending shivers down Kurama's spine. "Jeez, you don't have a spine do you? All you are is arrogance and hate, huh?"
"You're a tree!" Kurama shouted at Kirai.
Kirai looked at him with a smug smirk. "But I'm a God Tree."
Kurama could only growl at her.
"Please, for the love of me, take a damn shower!" Kirai yelled at the fox, covering her nose again.
"Where the hell am I supposed to take one?! This water is filthy as you are!" Kurama yelled back.
"At least wash your damn teeth!" Kirai lifted her arm up in an ark and the water before her shot up, splashing Kurama in the face.
"You damn woman!"
"Bleh! You can't get me from behind the bars!" Kirai teased, sticking out her tongue. "Anyways, do as I said before or else you'll die permanently."
Kurama exhaled heavily, nodding at Kirai's demands.
"And don't stop him from learning the Shadow Clone Technique," Kirai added with a smile.
"Huh? How do you know he's going to learn that…?" Kurama asked, tilting his head slightly.
"I just have a hunch. But do listen to it." She gave him a wink and turned around to walk away. "See ya later, Kurama. Don't let the kid die."
Kurama could only watch as she walked away. He deeply sighed and fell on his back, the heavy pressure in the air finally going away.
"Damn it… now I'm forced to help this brat…" Kurama thought as he closed his eyes. "Whatever… I don't know what she has planned to get to her goal, but maybe the kid and I could kill her before she reaches it…?"
"You damn demon fox! Get the hell out of here!" A man shouted as he began throwing random things at a young, blonde boy. The blonde quickly turned and booked it out of the store, somehow dodging the items that were being thrown at him from behind. After he ran out of the store, he turned left and ran as far as he could before reaching an alleyway. He ran inside and sat behind a couple of trash and boxes. He sat there for a little bit and tried to catch his breath. He grit his teeth to try and hold back the tears that were about to spill from his ocean blue eyes.
The kid's white shirt with a red swirl on the front and back was dirtied, and so were his grey shorts. One of his sandals was gone from his previous venture to try and get food for himself. Today was sadly the day he was being hunted down. He'd completely forgotten about it after the sun set and couldn't get any food.
'Guess I'll just have to starve for another day…' he thought as tears began to spill out. 'Why is it every week this happens to me…?'
The young blonde couldn't catch a break. Everyone in the village always looked at him with hatred or fear in their eyes when he was around. He never had any friends and he was alone. Oh so very alone.
The parents always told the kids to never interact with the boy in any way. Only to stay as far away from him as possible. But why? Why stay away from him? What had he done to these people for them to hate him so much?
The blonde rubbed his face clean of tears and dirt and stood up. It was eerily quiet and he didn't like it one bit. He slowly and carefully made his way out of the alleyway and peaked his head out, only to have to duck back inside as a kunai flew past him and embedded itself into the wall to his right.
"FOUND IT!" The man that threw the kunai shouted at the top of his lungs. "IT'S OVER HERE!"
The whiskered blonde's eyes widened and he quickly made a break for it.
"GET BACK HERE!" The man shouted after him. The boy ran as fast as he could away from them, tears now freely flowing down his cheeks, slightly blurring his vision. He felt the need to duck and so he did, hearing three things whiff by his head. He picked his head back up and saw three kunai fly ahead of him. He looked behind himself to see a lot of people were chasing him.
'No, no, no!' He thought, pushing himself to run faster. He soon began making random turns to try and lose the horde of villagers that were after him.
He soon jumped into an alleyway and hid behind some boxes, making sure his breathing wasn't too loud. He heard the horde's massive footsteps and just prayed to Kami that they wouldn't find him there. He could hear the running footsteps pass by him, it seems like they didn't know where he was.
Breathing a quiet sigh of relief, the boy stood up and turned around to bump into something.
"Ow!" He yelped as he landed on his ass. He rubbed it to try and stop the pain as he looked up. He stopped his movements, eyes widening as the man standing before him looked down with a sinister grin.
'N… No… this can't be…' Any more thoughts stopped there as the man forcefully kicked the boy's stomach, sending him flying out of the alleyway and into the open street. The boy coughed up some saliva and a bit of blood as he tried to get up, but couldn't. The pain in his stomach wouldn't allow him to stand.
"I FOUND THE FOX!" The man informed whoever was around. The boy's eyes widened again, tears flowing from his eyes.
'Why do I have to be the fox…?' He asked himself and tried to get up, but still couldn't. The pain was surprisingly going away, but it wasn't fast enough. He soon heard a lot of footsteps come his way and he froze.
"You are so dead."
Naruto's eyes barely opened and he realized he was in a different place than he was last night. He could see the white ceiling and lights. He assumed he was in the hospital. It wouldn't be the first time he was in there.
The boy fully opened his eyes and tried to sit up, but pain shot through his body and he didn't try to get up again. He exhaled deeply as tears began to flow from his eyes.
'I hate this so much… I hate these hospital ceilings… I hate being here…' he angrily thought and grit his teeth. Just then, the door to his room opened and he forced his arm to wipe away the tears which caused him great pain.
A man with a white robe on and a white and red hat entered the room. As he made his way to the boy, he looked at him with a sad expression on his face. Once he got to his bedside, he sighed.
"Hello, Naruto," he greeted the boy with a small smile.
"Hey, Gramps, how are you?" Naruto asked with a bright grin. The Hokage was caught off guard by the smile. It didn't look fake at all.
"I should be asking you that, Naruto," the Sandaime Hokage said with sadness laced in his voice. "I'm sorry…"
"For what? You didn't do anything wrong," Naruto said.
"I wasn't there for you when you needed help… and I let you get severely hurt… you're lucky you're not dead," He responded, looking at the bed.
"Gramps, I know that you're busy doing Hokage things… I can't always have you protect me, ya know," Naruto said with a smile. "I was being careless and forgot that today was Fox Hunt… it was my fault."
The Sandaime Hokage exhaled. "You going to be okay?"
"I have to be. If I'm not, then I'll just end up dead," Naruto answered, losing his smile.
"I wish you weren't treated like this… it makes me sad knowing the people of Konoha would treat one of their own like garbage…"
"I've gotten used to it, so it's fine."
"Are you sure?" The Hokage asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, thank you for visiting me, Gramps, I appreciate it!" Naruto assured with a foxy grin. The Hokage couldn't help but smile at the young boy.
"Alright then, I'll be going now. And I've also done a bit of shopping for you, so you don't need to worry about food," He said with a smile. The boy's eyes widened as his stomach growled.
"Thanks! You're the best!" Naruto exclaimed, hugging the old man.
"It was nothing." He chuckled and returned the hug before they let go. "Now, I'll see you later, try and stay out of trouble in the meantime."
"You got it!" Naruto promised with a thumbs up. The Hokage soon left the boy alone in the room and he sighed. He soon closed his eyes and went to sleep, that's the least he could do.
Kurama was sleeping without any problems until he felt a familiar presence. He opened his eyes and saw Kirai with her arms crossed in front of his cage. Kurama instantly got up.
"Hello there, Kirai… What brings you here so suddenly?" Kurama asked in a nervous tone.
"I'm here because the child's been getting severe injuries over the years… You haven't been doing your job, Kurama," she said with a glare.
"W-What?! I can't do anything to help him other than heal him! If he uses my chakra then people will get suspicious and it will reinforce their beliefs thathe's me!" Kurama defended himself.
"You could at least talk to him."
"How do you think a child would react hearing voices in its head?"
"If you're nice to him, he'd react calmly and perhaps listen to you. You'd be the closest thing to a friend he'd have at the moment," Kirai responded.
"But not every child is the same. This one would think he'd be going crazy if he heard voices in his head and that wouldn't get us anywhere," Kurama stated.
Kirai stared at him for a few moments before sighing. "You have a point I guess. But can you at least heal him a bit faster?"
"I'm trying to…"
"Good." Kirai turned around and walked away, leaving Kurama alone.
"I hope this doesn't become a regular thing…"
Naruto woke up a few hours later and after he felt fully healed, he left the hospital. Since they wouldn't discharge him themselves, he'd just do it himself.
Naruto made it home safely and without any problems. Once he entered his run-down apartment, he went to the kitchen and opened up his ramen cupboard. He was surprised to have seen so many cups in there and smiled.
"Thanks, Gramps!" Naruto thanked out loud as he grabbed one and began making his noodles. As he waited, he looked outside of his window and saw the sun was high in the air. He looked down to see someone on top of a rooftop. The person had long and straight purple hair that went down to their waist and had on a white mask that looked like a cat with three red stripes. She was wearing black and grey armor, metal arm guards, and a katana strapped to her back. She had on black pants with white gauze wrapped around her right leg and black sandals. Naruto also noticed the red tattoo on her right shoulder.
The masked person turned to her right and stared at Naruto. He stared back and didn't blink, afraid if he did, she'd disappear. And he was right to think so.
When Naruto blinked, she was gone from sight.
"Huh?!" He shouted and opened his window. He looked around, trying to locate where the masked woman went before he felt something tap his head. He looked up and saw her crouched above his window. waving at him. He stared at her in astonishment. How did she get there?!
"Wha… how did you get there?!" He asked, completely in shock.
"Mind if I come in?" She asked in a soft voice. Naruto shook his head and got his head back inside. He moved out of the way and the masked woman jumped in. She inspected his apartment before looking down at the boy.
"Who are you…?"
"Me? I'm an Anbu kunoichi," she responded. "My name is Cat."
"Cat…? That's a cool name!" Naruto complimented.
She giggled at his energeticness. "Aw thank you, but that's not my actual name."
"Well then what is your actual name?"
"Can't tell you, that's a secret," she said, bopping his nose lightly with her finger.
"Aww, why can't we trade names?! I tell you mine and you tell me yours!"
"The thing is, I already know yours, Na-ru-to," she said with a giggle, making Naruto pout.
"No fair! How do you know my name, masked lady?!" Naruto quizzed.
"Because I work for Lord Hokage. We know a lot about the people in this village."
"So then why come see me? Isn't there anyone else worth seeing besides me?" Naruto asked, growing somber.
"Don't say that, Naruto. You are worth seeing! You're so cute!" Cat replied and poked his cheeks. He blushed, but didn't tell her to stop.
Naruto's pot of boiling water began whistling. Him and Cat's attention were moved to the whistling pot and Naruto quickly rushed over. He poured the hot water into his cup of ramen and grinned.
"Finally, it's done!" Naruto exclaimed. He grabbed two chopsticks, then sat down at the table and was about to dig in, but he remembered that Cat was still there.
"Oh, Cat! Do you want some?" He asked, offering up his ramen. Cat giggled before politely denying the gesture.
"No thank you, I'm good." She sat down next to him and rubbed his hair. "Such a gentleman for offering up his ramen to a guest."
His blush returned, but he leaned into the rubbing. "It's polite to offer food to your guest before you eat." Cat nodded at him and he ate his ramen slowly.
"Miss Cat… what does an Anbu shinobi do?" Naruto asked and was soon leaning against her. She continued to rub his head as she thought about her answer.
"Well… Anbu shinobi do secret missions that Lord Hokage assigns us," Cat answered.
"What kind of secret missions?"
"They're called secret missions for a reason," Cat said and plucked a hair out, making Naruto yelp.
"Hey! Don't do that!" Naruto yelled and rubbed his head.
Cat giggled. "Well, I can tell you one type of mission that we do."
"And what's that?"
"Surveillance."
"So you watch people?" Naruto guessed.
"Yes. We watch people in case they are spies or criminals then we either take them down or continue tailing them."
"Wow… that sounds so cool!"
"I know, right? But being an Anbu isn't as cool as it seems," Cat said, bringing the mood down a bit.
"Why's that?"
"Because there's a lot of danger that comes with it. It's like being a regular shinobi but even more dangerous," Cat answered.
"Oh wow…"
"If you're thinking of becoming an Anbu shinobi, don't," Cat told the child.
"Aww, but you guys look so cool and can do cool things!"
"Yes, but at a cost."
"And what's the cost?"
"Your personality, your emotions, everything. You lose it all once you become an Anbu shinobi."
Naruto now looked scared. Cat rubbed his head and hugged him with one of her arms, his blush returning.
"But, you can become a regular shinobi," Cat said.
"A regular shinobi?"
"Yes. Pretty much anyone could become a shinobi, but you have to have the strength, courage, drive, determination, and the Will of Fire to do it."
"The Will of Fire? What's that?"
"The Will of Fire is something all Konoha shinobi have. Konoha shinobi with the Will of Fire loves, believes, cherishes, and fights to protect this village," Cat explained. "Do you have the Will of Fire, Naruto?"
"Yes! I want to protect this village, no matter what!" Naruto declared with a fist bump and determined look in his eyes.
Cat stared into his eyes and saw that he was serious. "Excellent. Now, all you need to do is attend the Academy."
"How do I do that?"
"How old are you?"
"Five."
"Wait three years and you'll be able to attend."
"What?! Three years?!" Naruto shrieked and leaned back.
"Yes. You'll be spending four years there. Well… I recommend you spend four years there but you can graduate whenever you want to," Cat elaborated with a shrug. "But please Naruto, go with my recommendation and do the four years. You'll learn a lot as a shinobi and you'll become strong as well!"
"So then… what should I do in the meantime?" Naruto asked.
"Train. Train your body, your chakra, your mind, anything you can to help you get ready for the Academy."
"Can you train me?" Naruto asked, catching Cat off guard.
"Huh?"
"I said, 'can you train me?'" He restated.
"Um… I… I don't know if that's possible, Naruto…" Cat answered as she scratched her head nervously.
"Why not?! You're the perfect one to be my teacher! You're an Anbu shinobi, you can teach me all kinds of things!" Naruto pointed out with a pout.
"Yeah, but Naruto, I have to do important missions with my squad and I could be given one any minute. I can't just train you right now… I'm sorry," Cat apologized and rubbed his head. Naruto picked at the remaining ramen, his mood sullied a bit. He began eating it as an idea came to mind.
"I understand…" He said as he finished his ramen. Cat sighed in relief.
"But… can you at least tell me something?" Naruto asked her.
"Tell you what?"
"Tell me what I should do to get my body in shape."
"Well, you need an exercise schedule, a good diet, good sleep, and you need to keep this consistent. No cheat days," Cat answered.
"What do you think's a good exercise? And what's a good diet also what's a good sleep schedule? And what are cheat days?" Naruto quizzed the Anbu shinobi.
"Calm down Naruto, one question at a time…" Cat said and rubbed his head. "Alright… for one, I'll write you down a good exercise schedule for you, and a good diet. For the third one, go to sleep at around nine and wake up at around seven, doesn't have to be exact. For the last one, cheat days are whenever you break away from your diet for a day to eat whatever you want."
Naruto nodded at what Cat told him. "Right, I see."
"I'll return here tomorrow and give you a sheet. For now, I have to go, bye my cute little Na-ru-to," Cat said and gave him a tender hug. He returned it too.
"Bye Cat!"
After their hug, she left through the window and disappeared. Naruto looked out the window before sighing and closing it. He turned around and smiled.
'Cat may not think she'll be able to train me… but that'll change right now…' He thought with a little snicker.
Naruto went over to the Sandaime Hokage's office shortly after Cat left. Once he got there, he knocked on the door to wait to come in.
"Come in," the Sandaime Hokage said. Naruto opened the door and he was surprised to see the blonde. "Naruto? What a surprise to see you here!"
"Hi Gramps!" Naruto greeted back and closed the door behind him. He ran up to Hiruzen's desk and peeked over it on his toes.
"What made you come see me?" Horizon asked the child as he pushed away a paper he was reading over.
"Well, an Anbu shinobi visited me a while ago and it was so cool!" Naruto responded with a wide grin.
"Oh? Who could have visited you?"
"Her name was Cat! It was so awesome seeing her teleport to my window!"
Hiruzen chuckled at Naruto's storytelling. "Really now?"
"Yeah, she also told me that I could become a shinobi too by attending the Academy in three years," Naruto added and put three fingers up for Hiruzen to see.
"She's not wrong. To become a shinobi you first have to attend the Academy to understand what it means to be a shinobi. Then, you'll have to become a genin to see if you have the potential to become a shinobi. After that, you'll have to become a chuunin to test that potential. And then there's jounin and sannin, but that's farther down the road," Hiruzen explained.
"Ohhh, I see," Naruto commented. "But Cat also told me that I should start training while I wait to attend the Academy, but I dunno how to do that. She told me that she'll give me a proper diet and excersice schedule too…"
Hiruzen was surprised by the request. He knew it would be troublesome if he took Cat away from her squad and missions just to train a little kid, but this wasn't an ordinary kid… and he could fill Cat's spot in with an Anbu commander that was just as good as she was.
Hiruzen took a moment to see if he really could do that, but him seeing as there were no issues, he smiled at Naruto and nodded.
The Sandaime Hokage took out a piece of paper and began writing on it before handing it to the blonde. "When you see her, tell her that she begins training you now."
Naruto couldn't help but show off his foxy grin, this was perfect! "Thanks, Gramps!"
Naruto ran off and Hiruzen smiled after the boy. "I hope Cat doesn't mind the slight rearrangement."
The next day, Naruto got up early and began making some ramen. He was in a good mood since today would be the day that Cat trains him and he couldn't help but grin at that.
As his water was boiling, he heard a knock at his window. He turned around, and as expected, Cat was there. Naruto's grin grew wider as his new friend had appeared.
Naruto rushed over to the window and opened it. "Hi Cat!"
"Hello Naruto, how are you?" Cat asked and ruffled the boy's hair.
"I'm doing great! Come on in!" Naruto said, moving out of the way. Cat let herself in and closed the window behind her. She sniffed the air and sighed. The kid was making ramen for breakfast? She should've known… it seemed like that was all he ate.
"I hope you slept good last night, Naruto, because your training starts after you eat your ramen," Cat informed the whiskered blonde.
"So you will be training me?!" Naruto excitedly asked with a hopeful expression on his face.
Cat quickly put her hands up to defend herself. "Woah, hold on kiddo. I'm sorry, but I can't train you. I'm an Anbu shinobi and I could be called out to a mission any minute… I can't stay here all the time, I told you this yesterday."
Naruto's expression changed into a wide smile. "Yeah, you may think that, but Gramps says otherwise!" Naruto then pulled out the written paper from Hiruzen and gave it to Cat. The Anbu kunoichi took the paper and read it over.
'Wait a minute… the Sandaime Hokage actually signed this?!' Cat asked in her head. She was shocked that the Hokage would put aside her missions to train this boy.
"Oh, I see…" Cat handed Naruto the paper and stood there for a minute before sighing. "Well, I guess I'm your trainer until you get to the Academy."
Naruto's smile turned into a grin as he hugged Cat. "Thank you, Cat!"
Cat returned the hug. "Yeah, no problem, my cute little Naruto."
The pot began to whistle and Naruto broke off from the hug to get it. Cat decided to sit at the table where she sat yesterday and Naruto gladly sat next to her. He opened his ramen cup and looked at Cat.
"You want some?" Naruto asked.
Cat giggled and grabbed his chopsticks. "Sure, but after this meal, you won't be eating ramen for awhile."
Naruto's bright mood diminished as he heard that. His face looked horrified at what Cat said.
"W-Wait, whaddya mean by that?!" Naruto questioned and nearly dropped his cup ramen.
"I mean that when we start training, you're gonna have to stop eating ramen. It's for the diet," Cat answered and grabbed a piece of ramen. She lifted up her mask and began slurping on it.
"W-What… but… it's so good! I can't just stop eating it!" Naruto told the Anbu kunoichi.
Cat smiled at him. "Well, now that I'm going to be your trainer and teacher, I'll help you with that."
"... How so…?" Naruto asked, a bit afraid of her answer.
"I'll force you to stop," Cat replied and continued to eat Naruto's ramen. "If you try and eat ramen, I'll know and I'll hit you."
Naruto gulped at that. He didn't wanna know how powerful or hurtful her hits were. "I-I see…"
Cat finished the last of the ramen and sighed in content. "That was delicious! Thank you for the meal, Na-ru-to!"
Naruto tilted his head and retracted his arm to look at the cup ramen, only to realize it was empty. "Huh?! W-When did you eat it all?!"
"When we were talking," Cat answered as she adjusted her mask.
"Darn, guess I'll have to get another one." Naruto sighed and went to get up, only for Cat's hand to firmly grasp his shoulder.
"Where do you think you're going?" She asked in a serious tone.
"Uh… t-to get another cup of ramen…?" Naruto responded, visibly shaking.
"You finished your meal, it's time to train now."
"W-What?! You ate it all!"
"But you offered me it."
"I said some not the whole thing!"
"Oh well, you still gave me it. Now, we're going." Cat grabbed Naruto's hand before getting up and dragging him out the window.
"WOAH, WAIT A MINUTE, CAT!" Naruto shouted at the kunoichi that began jumping from rooftop to rooftop.
"From this point on, I'm your teacher and trainer. You will call me Cat-sensei, understand?" Cat asked the whiskered blonde.
"And if I don't?!"
"I'll drop you right here and now," Cat said as she stopped at the edge of a roof and dangled Naruto over by his ankle.
"OKAY, OKAY! CAT-SENSEI PLEASE DON'T DROP ME!" Naruto pleaded. Cat threw him on her shoulders and resumed her roof hopping.
"Good, just what I wanted to hear."
'I shouldn't have made her my sensei…'
Naruto and Cat made it to one of the training grounds that was used for genin shinobi. Cat settled Naruto down and placed her hands on her hips.
"Alright, Naruto. The first thing we'll do is some exercises to get you started," Cat informed.
"Will I ever get to fight?" He asked and slightly tilted his head.
"Yes, you'll be able to spar against me, but first you have to do these exercises before we can get to that point," Cat answered as she put a finger up.
"Right!" Naruto nodded furiously at that. Cat began to explain to him everything about the exercise schedule she came up for him. Naruto looked at the paper, horrified at how much he'd actually have to do to get fit. Cat reassured him that he would get used to it as long as he kept doing it and didn't slack off.
So, the two began with warm up stretches first, then they began the first exercise which was to jog five laps around a certain trail. Naruto was able to keep up with Cat, but that lasted for a short while when they barely started the third lap. The route Cat mapped out was longer than Naruto expected and his legs burned.
After painfully succeeding in the five laps, they took a small break.
"Cat-sensei… why didn't you tell me this would be painful…?" Naruto asked his sensei as he tried to catch his breath.
"Well, this is your first lesson in being a shinobi. Nothing's ever easy. Things like exercise and being a better ninja come with hard work and effort. There are no shortcuts, especially if you wanna be something like the Hokage," Cat explained to the whiskered blonde.
"Was it hard becoming an Anbu shinobi?" Naruto wondered.
"Yes. You have to be really good to become one. And being really good isn't easy, even if you have natural talent, you'll still need to train to make it better."
"I see…" Naruto said and looked up at the sky. He watched it for a bit before a smile made its way to his face. He got up quickly after feeling peppy. "Alright! I'm gonna crush this exercise schedule you made for me, Cat-sensei, believe it!"
Cat giggled at her student's statement. "I hope so, because this'll be hell for you the more we get into it."
"Heh, I won't back down from a challenge, there's no way I would!" Naruto declared with a thumb pointed to his chest.
"Alright then…" Cat said and stood up. "Let's move on to the next exercise, shall we?" Naruto nodded and the two continued with the next exercise. Naruto was in for a rude awakening at how painful this exercise schedule was.
It had been hours since the two had done the things Cat made Naruto do. The whiskered blonde was spent and was resting on Cat's back. The Anbu kunoichi smiled underneath her mask as she saw how peaceful Naruto looked sleeping.
Cat soon brought him to his apartment and placed him down on his bed. She placed the covers over him and stared at him before disappearing.
Cat reappeared at the Hokage's office, standing in front of his desk.
"Excuse me, Lord Hokage," Cat spoke, kneeling.
"So, how was the first day training Naruto?" Hiruzen asked with a small smile, reading over some papers.
"With all do respect Lord Hokage, do you really think it's okay for me to be training that boy?" Cat asked as she stood up.
"I do," the Sandaime Hokage responded.
"But, what about my missions? Aren't those important?"
"They are, but I already have someone else filling in for you. The team dynamic may have to change a bit, but it's all taken care of."
"Yes, but it's gonna change for three years… don't you think that's a bit worrying?"
"Not at all. I'm pretty sure your team's dynamic won't change when you come back after the three year break," Hiruzen dismissed her worry. "I didn't do this without a reason, plus, you were the one that gave him the idea."
"Y-Yeah… but I didn't expect him to make me his teacher…"
"He's a kid, he can't do much on his own, it was bound to happen at some point. Whether it was you or someone else," Hiruzen pointed out.
"... I guess so," Cat agreed with a sigh.
"Don't worry so much, Cat, I feel as though everything will work out in the end."
"Right."
"If that is all, you're dismissed," Hiruzen told the kunoichi and looked up at her.
"Hai!" Cat responded and teleported away.
Naruto's eyes fluttered open and he realized he wasn't in his apartment. He instantly got up and looked around frantically, wondering where he was.
It looked like Naruto was in a giant sewer of some sorts with pipes leading to nowhere. Naruto looked at the water and saw that he wasn't wet.
"I'm not… wet…?" Naruto asked himself as he inspected his hand which was clean. He looked ahead of himself and saw giant bars with a sealing tag on the middle one. He looked at them in awe before standing up and walking towards them. As he was walking towards them, something shifted behind the bars, making him stop in his tracks. Naruto watched as a giant red eye slowly opened up.
"Are you… Naruto Uzumaki by any chance…?" The eye asked.
"Uh… y-yes… who are you…?" Naruto asked back, slightly shaking at the scary voice
"Have you ever heard of the Monster Fox?" It asked. Naruto shook his head. "Kyuubi?"
Nope.
"Nine-Tailed Fox?"
Naruto nodded. "That's the demon fox that attacked this village years ago, but the awesome Yondaime Hokage stopped him!"
"Yes… you are correct…" the voice confirmed. "What about the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, have you ever heard of that name?"
Naruto was about to shake his head, but then he remembered how all of the villagers called him the demon fox every Fox Hunt.
"Well, maybe not the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox… but the villagers always call me demon brat, demon fox, demon, or other mean names," Naruto answered as his head tilted down.
"I see… well, today's your lucky day, kid," the eye said as there were now two giant, red eyes staring at Naruto menacingly.
"Why's that?" Naruto asked as his head tilted to the side.
"Because…" the voice began as Naruto could hear it moving. The whiskered blonde gasped as a bit of orange, black, and sharp teeth could be seen.
"You get to meet the fox that caused you so much pain."
Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter! Stayed tune for the next chapter to come out!
