Chapter 2

New Relationships

It was mid-afternoon in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Naruto was at the park playing on the slide with the few kids that hadn't shunned him. Mostly these were children from clans whose parents seemingly never said to avoid Naruto or the children just couldn't be bothered.

"Hey, Naruto I'm getting bored," stated Kiba, a boy with red triangles drawn on both cheeks, "let's do something more exciting like teasing the girls."

"I'm not sure about that, some of the girls are too scary." Naruto was a little afraid of the blond girl Ino because she liked to hit and her voice hurt his ears.

However, nearby a chubby boy named Choji had other ideas. "How about we play ninja instead, that way we avoid the girls or they can join in. He said this as he climbed up the ladder for the slide.

"That would be less troublesome than teasing the girls." Groan another boy whose hair was combed to resemble a pineapple and seemed lazier than a snail's grandmother.

"Alright, we're all in then!" Shouted Kiba. "Naruto since you didn't object that means you get to play the foreign ninja invading our village."

The boys were enjoying themselves so much that they failed to notice the sky had not only gotten darker but the wind had picked up considerably. An angry thunderstorm was brewing in the distance and before long would be over the village. In the midst of all the screaming and shouting came the call from an adult voice.

"Choji! Shikamaru! It's time to go." A tall scared face man called out. "We're coming dad," responded Shikamaru, "come on Choji, you know how troublesome he gets if we make him wait too long."

As they were leaving, the boys called out goodbyes to their playmates. "Bye Kiba, bye Naruto, see you soon." Not long after the boys said their goodbye and left, Kiba's mom arrived calling for him to get his tail moving. "Later Naruto, we'll play ninja another time I promise." With that, he was gone.

Naruto was sad to see them go but as he looked towards where they were heading he noted that at the edge of the park stood various adults eagerly waiting as their charges gathered playthings before hurrying off to the safety of home. Soon the only child remaining was Naruto as he had difficulty finding some of his toys left in the sandbox. Finally gathering the last of his things, he turned to leave when he realized that someone was standing patiently waiting on him as well. His face lit up in recognition as happiness blossomed in his heart and he skipped towards the individual taking hold of the hand outstretched to him.

"Did you enjoy your time at the park today Naruto-chan?" It was his caretaker Chinami Mamiko asking about his day as she took in his bight demeanor. It was a change from the sad look that usually adorned his face when he returned from the park because the other children refused to play with him. Naruto then began talking a mile a minute much to the amusement of his companion.

"Yes I did!" he exclaimed "Kiba, Shikamaru and Choji played with me today and I finally got to be part of the game of ninja.

Well, I am happy for you, perhaps they will play with you another time."

"I'd really like that, plus Kiba promised he would." He said solemnly. They continued to converse as trod home, ignoring the glares from the villagers still milling around the streets. She is amazed that they can still have time to be bothered with a child while a storm brews overhead, threatening to potentially cause flooding if it doesn't pass quickly.

Six months had passed since Naruto moved into his new apartment and four months since Jiraiya had introduced his new caretaker Chinami Mamiko. She was a woman in her mid-thirties, of slender built with long rustic brown hair worn in a ponytail. Her hazel eyes always seem to hold mischief and when she spoke her voice came across as someone with a permanently sore throat. Since she entered the boy's life there has been subtle changes seem in his demeanor but perhaps the biggest change so far was that he no longer had that blank look in his eyes nor did he wonder the village wallowing in his loneliness.

Naruto had been apprehensive at meeting the unfamiliar woman, unsure of whether she would turn out to be like the villagers once she heard what they referred to him as. What the boy did know was that the two had met two years ago on the fateful night of the Hyuga heiress abduction.

Chinami had been the stranger who had encountered Naruto in the forest and rescued Hinata from the Hidden Cloud ninja. To ease his mind, she explained to the boy that she had merely used the henge/transformation jutsu to unsettle the cloud ninja knowing that she probably wouldn't have defeated him so quickly otherwise. Also that she had been in a hurry to meet with Master Jiraiya to relay very important information to him. Naruto can still remember clearly the encounter and was glad that his friend Raiya had found someone that would treat him well. Chinami was just thankful that she did mention the boy to Jiraiya on that fateful night two years ago.

Chinami's Flashback

It was just about dawn in the Land of Fangs when the unidentified individual arrived at their destination. Entering the small house they called home, it did not surprise them to see a hulking figure hunched over at the table writing furiously against the glow of an almost burnt out candle. It was none other than Master Jiraiya, a man known as one the sannin, Hidden Leaf's spymaster and a sage of the toad contract.

"You're late Chinami." The gruff voice reverberated in the room. Stepping closer to the table and taking a seat, the individual is revealed to be a woman.

"Sorry for the delay but there was an unforeseen situation taking place along my normal escape route that needed my attention."

The man held his hand up to stop her from launching into whatever secondary issue may have occurred. "You know the drill," he said, "mission report first, everything else comes after." Offering a nod of understanding she delivered her report as expected. Once all the questions asked had been answered and Jiraiya was satisfied that she had completed her mission to the letter, he then inquired about her unforeseen circumstance.

Happy to finally be able to relay what had transpired, Chinami launched into what sounded to Jiraiya as a tale fit for a novel. What really caught his attention was the mention of the little blonde boy named Naruto. In the end, Jiraiya was raging mad at himself for not holding true to the oath he had given his late student to look after his child; but also at his sensei because Hiruzen had promised him that the boy would be well cared for. He had been extremely worried about the boy after Hiruzen informed him that Naruto's identity as the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki had been leaked.

He should have known that the boy would face discrimination from the villagers and that the Hokage would not have time to oversee the boy's welfare. The only thing stopping him from storming the village and demanding Naruto be put into his charge wholly and solely was that he knew it would be difficult to raise the boy on the go as his life lacked the stability needed to give his godson a normal home. However, now that he had an unbiased report of his godson's life, unlike the ones he got from his sensei, he would have to pay a visit to the village and gradually insert his presence into the boy's life, responsibility to the village be damned. Maybe, just maybe he could talk Chinami into being the boy's caretaker until he was ready to take Naruto as an apprentice or the gods would smile on him and she would volunteer.

He was broken out of his internal diatribe when Chinami slapped her hand on the table. "Are you even listening to me Master Jiraiya?" She inquired of him a bit irritated that he had zoned out on her.

"Of course I'm listening to you woman; just because I'm not saying anything mean I don't hear you."

"Good then, so you know we have to do something to help that child right." The seriousness to her statement brought joy to Jiraiya's heart, her maternal instinct seemed to be blossoming more than ever.

Standing, he stretched out his tense muscles before moving to look out the window at the rising sun. Jiraiya crossed his arms over his chest seemingly lost in thought but when he turned around to look at Chinami she could not point one emotion long enough to name any.

"Of course we are going to help him, that child is really important to me, he's the only family I have left." He remarked in a grieved tone. I promised his parents I would care for him if the worse should happen to them and when it did I couldn't handle it and ran leaving the child to the mercy of the village. However, I've tried to keep tabs on him as best I could plus my sensei assured me he was being looked after."

"Well that's not the case," she replied bitterly, "it's either your sensei is lying to you or he is being lied to by the orphanage personnel and….."

"Be that as it may," he cut her off, "the most important thing is to find Naruto a guardian that can be trusted to give him the care he desperately needs." He said this as he eyed Chinami hoping she would volunteer.

"I wouldn't mind taking up that role." She responded a bit sheepishly.

"Really now, I never took you for the maternal type."

"Just because I never wanted children of my own doesn't mean I'm not maternal, for your information I love children."

"Okay, then it is settled. However, you still have one last mission to complete before you can take up that role." He reminded her. "In the meanwhile, I'll stop by the village, have words with sensei and visit with our favourite blonde brat. It should be easy since as you said we've already met."

Once they had finalized the details of her upcoming mission, Chinami went off to refresh herself before eating and then sleeping. Jiraiya, on the other hand, finished what he had been working on before leaving the house in search of entertainment and then meet one of his many contacts.

End of Flashback

Chinami was extremely happy to be given the opportunity to care for Naruto. When she first met the boy, she could tell that he was distrustful of adults but covered it by being very talkative and plastering an enormous fake smile on his face. However, once they started co-habiting she could see how lonely he was as well as undernourished and lacking in basic etiquette and hygiene. She was, however, pleased that the Naruto loved to read which made it easy to teach him. The boy would ask questions and she would give him answers and explanations which put a lot of what he knew into context.

Chinami took her role very seriously since Jiraiya had charged her with the responsibility of bringing Naruto up to par with clan children his age. This was to avoid Naruto being at a disadvantage once he joined the academy.

A daily routine was established for training and studying but because Chinami was uncertain how long she would remain Naruto's guardian, she taught him to cook simple meals, to mend his clothing; do his laundry, grocery shopping and how to keep track of his small monthly allowance.

As time when by Naruto became more efficient in maintaining a training schedule that saw him awake at five every morning, using the bathroom, preparing breakfast and then leaving his home. He had found a medium-sized training ground at the back of the first Hokage's head that provided him with privacy away from the prying eyes of the villagers. One of the most important tasks in his training regime was unlocking his chakra and then learning to control it using the leaf sticking method. This, however, proved to be harder than they thought since Naruto's chakra capacity far exceeded that of even Chinami. Luckily for Naruto, Chinami recognized the problem of having the boy start with the leaf exercise for chakra control, considering she believed his Uzumaki name wasn't just for homage to the long destroyed clan; it meant she needed to introduce him to the more advanced tree walking technique which was the better-suited mechanism for his situation.

"Okay Naruto, let me explain this new exercise then I'll demonstrate so you get a better understanding before you attempt it." Chinami was standing in front of one of the many trees lining the edge of the training ground they were using, she looked at Naruto to ensure he was paying attention and once he nodded she commence with the lesson.

"By channeling chakra to the soles of my feet, I'm going to use it to stick to the tree, its best to use a running start." With that Chinami set off and before Naruto could blink she was more than halfway up the trunk of the tree.

Awed by what he was seeing, Naruto attempted the feat only to be blown off the tree and falling flat on his butt causing Chinami to laugh at his misfortune.

"Okay, what did I do wrong!" The boy shouted at Chinami who had yet to stop cackling.

Finally composing herself, Chinami proceeded to explain the finer points to performing the technique.

"There are two important things to keep in mind when attempting this exercise. First, if you apply too much chakra you will be blown off the tree as in the case with you just now. Secondly, the opposite also applies, if you apply too little chakra then you slip off the tree. The trick is being moderate with a fixed flow until you create a feeling of magnetism between the tree and yourself. You have to determine what the approximate amount is for yourself, because your capacity is far greater than every child your age, therefore, while it may be easy for them to apply a small amount from the cup of chakra they possess, you are taking a small amount out of an ocean of chakra."

Pausing to allow the boy to process the information, she threw a kunai towards him before continuing her lecture. "I want you to use that kunai to mark your progress for every attempt." Nodding his understanding, he picked himself up and started afresh. "It is proven that this form of chakra control exercise has many practical uses. Theoretically, once you would have mastered this you should have acquired a level of control required to perform most jutsu without wasting your chakra which prevents fatigue."

"How will I know that I have mastered this technique?" Naruto asked between breaths while running up his tree, then promptly slipping off after a short distance.

"When you are able to perform it without thought to the chakra flow needed to sustain your hold on the tree; when you can hang upside down for an hour or more without falling; or even perform katas for your taijutsu style as if you were on the ground." She responded while demonstrating her points.

"Then I will master it because Uzumaki Naruto never gives up!" He proclaimed pumping his fist in the air. "Then I will learn as much jutsu as I can and become really strong."

"I believe in you and have no doubt that you will not only master this but the water walking technique as well." Said Chinami.

It took him the rest of the week to get both techniques down and was ready to move onto another aspect of training. He was wondering when his friend Jiraiya would come to visit him because he promised to introduce Naruto to basic fuinjutsu so that he can make his own sealing scrolls to hold his equipment.

However, for the next two weeks or so, Chinami had him focus only on chakra control outside of his studies.

The morning dawned too soon and it seemed that he had just gone to bed. Opening the door Naruto stumbled out of his room rubbing his eyes to remove the residue of sleep.

The apartment was silent and empty indicating that Chinami had already left. He liked the quiet every now and again and it no longer bothered him when he was alone because he knew it was only temporary as Chinami would return.

Entering the kitchen he found a note pinned to the refrigerator telling him to pack two sets of lunch boxes, extra snacks, and water for his day of training.

Finishing his usual routine Naruto made his way out his apartment remembering to lock the door. Normally he left very early which meant that only a few were awake and roaming the streets. It would seem that the villagers were shocked to see he was still alive and in the village as he had more or less disappeared from sight and the pranking he usually pulled had all but stopped.

Arriving at the training ground he found Chinami waiting for him. He also noticed that she had set up more boards for target practice'

"Good morning, I see you found my note, remarked Chinami, you can just put everything down over there and we'll begin your training."

"Okay," responded Naruto.

"Now, today we are going to take your weapons throwing to a new level since your proficient in hitting one target. I want you to try hitting those three targets at once; it's the basic requirement at the academy."

Really? Asked Naruto "I didn't know that."

"Yes, the academy has a set curriculum for the four years students spend there; it's designed to develop young minds and bodies to handle the rigors of being a ninja. It's also divided into two categories, classroom learning or theory and practical:

Year 1: comprises of 75% theory and 25% practical (this involves physical conditioning and weapons throwing etc)

Year 2: comprises 50 % theory and 50% practical

Year 3: comprises 25% theory and 75% practical

Year 4: is 100% practical, this is necessary as it is geared towards developing a mind-frame of a ninja in service."

"It is also done this way because not all students are from clans and more civilians are enrolling their children hoping to get ninjas into their family for the prestige they believe it affords them. She explained.

"I guess that's why civil children start the academy later than children from clans."

"In a sense yes, civilian and non-clan shinobi children typically go to kindergarten where they learn various subject matters while clans tend to teach their young members then determine when they are ready for the academy."

"So does that mean I will be attending kindergarten as well?" he asked her a bit apprehensive.

"Yes, you will." She declared, holding his gaze to see his reaction. "Master Jiraiya thinks you need to start associating with children your age as well as to get you accustomed to being in a classroom setting."

"When do I start? He questioned worry evident in his voice.

"You start in the autumn season when the new school year begins."

"What if they don't like me?" She was sure if it was a question or statement but she kneeled so she was face to face with him before answering.

"Then it will be their loss," pulling him into a hug she concluded her finished her state, "because you are the most wonderful person that I know."

After that somewhat emotional moment, he refocused on his training. The first hour or two, most of his attempts went off target while those that hit were nowhere near the bull's eye. Becoming frustrated with his lack of progress he turned to Chinami for guidance.

"Please tell me what I'm doing wrong because everything I've tried so far has failed."

"The trick is to concentrate on the targets, erasing all surroundings; you need a steady arm and an even steadier gaze. Don't ever break your concentration, see all the targets as one then throw with your eyes on the target, not on the weapons. Keep in mind that in a real fight it's dangerous to take your eyes off your enemy, knowing that if you lose track of them it could cost your life and that of your teammates."

"Focus on the targets, meld them as one, erase surrounding, steady my arm and gaze. I've got it." With that, he took several deep breaths and then released his weapons hitting all three targets.

"Yes! I did it, I did it." He was so excited he started jumping around.

"Good, now hit them again until it starts feeling natural. Then you can pause for a snack and some water. Remember you have to keep yourself hydrated as the day gets hotter."

Meanwhile, at the Hyuga compound, little Hinata is training with her father, uncle and young cousin. Currently, she is going through her forms after sparring with Neji and losing. She could see the disappointment on her father's face and was trying her best to perfect here clans style of taijutsu in a hope of getting her the man she admires most to once again look at here with the kind, loving eyes he once did.

"Hinata!" she paused in her stride to look at her father, his face a mask of indifference. "Your form is sloppy"

"Sorry, I'll try harder." She replied meekly.

"You keep saying that but you have yet to demonstrate differently, now retake your stance then begin again."

"Yes, Father." If Hiashi noticed that slight tremor in her voice he did not comment.

"Hinata!" Again he called making her almost jump at the harshness of his voice. "Keep your knees bent and your back straight."

Off to the side, Hizashi and his son Neji look on in silence not sure what to make of Hinata's inability to complete the simple katas but understanding the rigorousness of the training she was being put through.

'It would seem that Hinata truly takes after her mother, they both have extremely gentle natures and this training seems to be going contrary to it.' Hizashi thought to himself. "It's just a pity that she belongs to the main house while Neji who is already performing superbly is merely of the branch, yet such is the fate we have been dealt."

"That's enough for today; I believe you have other lessons to attend today. Rest a little before presenting yourself to your tutors."

Bowing deeply she acknowledged the dismissal. "Yes father, thank you for training me today."

Looking to where his brother and nephew were seated he cleared his throat to gain their attention before speaking.

"Hizashi, please walk with me, there is much I must discuss with you."

"Yes, Hiashi-sama." Rising he followed shortly after his brother.

Silence filled the dojo as only the two children remained. Noticing that she had yet to move from the bowed position Neji drew near to her side, curious as to what could be troubling her.

"Hinata," Neji calls to her gently once they are alone, "are you alright?"

"Yes, I am fine Neji-nii-san, no need to worry about me. I am just a bit tired that's all."

"Are you sure? He asked, "You seem to lose focus during practice."

"I… don't like… to practice taijutsu." She mumbled not looking at him less she sees his disappointment in her as was always on her father's face of late.

"But you are the Hyuga heir, surely you know it is required of you" He did not understand her reasoning but could clearly see she was struggling beneath the weight of expectation.

"I wish I could switch with you, Neji-nii-san… you are very strong, after all." Not that she wished her burden on another but that her beloved nii-san would lend her some of his strength to endure that which she must.

Neji paused at her statement, hoping that his response would offer her some comfort as well as strength. "I will make you strong." He proclaimed as if by his words it would come to pass. "When you are in danger, I will give my life to protect you!"

Hinata sniffed; tears evident in her lavender eyes but never falling. "Neji-nii-san!"

Neji contemplated her profile, wondering why she seemed so sad all of a sudden. "Please Lady Hinata, tell me what troubles you."

Hinata regarded him, as if unsure whether to reveal her deep dark secrets of fear and hopelessness. Finally, she responded in her usual sot tone. "I…know that I am disappointing my father… because I'm not what he expects me to be."

Neji smiled at her, placing his hands on her shoulders, turning her fully to look at him before speaking. "You are still very young and have a lot to learn yet." He paused to gauge her reaction to his statement before pushing on in what he hopes is reassuring her. "I am your nii-san, surely you can count on me to help you get strong."

"I know… I just wish to be me, not who everyone thinks I should be."

"And who are you Lady Hinata?" He asked hoping she would share with him.

"I am someone who is kind and gentle just like my mom but I want to be strong like father as well;" She replied in a tone that seemed almost rehearsed. "However, everyone thinks my kindness means weakness." She paused, lips trembling and fist clenched but she carried on speaking. "Is it so wrong to love one's family, to not want to hurt them?"

He gave her a small smile of appreciation for sharing with him her desire or was it her ambition. "There is nothing wrong with that as long as you balance the two but you might want to keep some of your thoughts to yourself" She made to respond but Neji raises his hand to indicate he was not finished. "There are those who will see the old ways remain forever, if you wish to make a change then you have to become the next clan head."

Shaking her head in dismissal sort of way, she opened then closed her mouth before finally speaking. "Not for father, he along with grandfather thinks I'm weak for showing kindness or that I appear shy in the presence of others." She seemed as though she wanted to choose her words carefully. "I do intend to become clan head to effect change in the clan, I just don't want to lose myself doing so."

'She really is burdened by her pending role it would seem.' His eyes never leaving hers, as he listened to her plight. 'I wish I could say I fully understand the pressure being the heir carried but I can't.'

However, he knew what he would do if the roles were reversed and so he shared his solution with her. "Then prove uncle and all those who doubt you wrong."

She nodded, acknowledging his advice to her and just like that they had an accord. They would train together no matter what, helping each other gain strength in the areas they lacked most.

About eight (8) months later…

The sun could be seen making its way over the mountains, its glow illuminating the brightly coloured leaves adorning trees and telling that autumn has arrived in the Land of Fire and the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Time flew by in a hurry were Naruto was concerned, he could hardly believe it was already the start of the new school year. He would be lying he said he was not nervous about starting classes with children and teachers he didn't know and who are most likely going to treat him with scorn and ridicule.

"Naruto," Chinami called to him, "hurry up, or you're going to be late on your first day."

"Coming Chinami, I just have to finish dressing." He hollered back.

Exiting his bedroom a few minutes later, he stiffed the air trying to identify what was the incredible aroma filling the entire apartment and causing his mouth to water.

"Hey Chinami, what's for breakfast?" He inquired walking into the kitchen. "Whatever you're cooking is really making me extremely hungry."

"Then set the table and take a seat, we'll eat then leave for school." She then proceeded to place several dishes on the table comprising of eggs, toast, porridge, and bacon. "Offer thanks for the food and dig in."

"Thank you for the food," He said quickly before partaking.

After breakfast was finished and the dishes washed, Chinami handed Naruto a neatly wrapped lunchbox before both left the apartment.

Arriving at the school gate Chinami bend to Naruto's level and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

"Have a good day and try your best to pay attention to your teacher." Rising she smile at him

"Okay, I'll do my best." He promised as he turned and walked into the yard not looking back.

Entering his assigned classroom he was must with twenty-five pairs of eyes, each filled with many emotions at the sight of him and none too favourable.

"Oh great, my first day and already I'm the bane of their existence." He mumbled under his breath. "What joy."

"Alright, everyone, quickly take your seats and let's have roll call." Doing as they were told, the teacher proceeded. "Akane, Ami, Bochoto…." On and on he went with each child responding with a 'here sensei' or a 'present sensei'; however, when he got to Naruto's name he simply skipped it in favour of calling the last name. This didn't come as a surprise to Naruto as he was accustomed to being ignored by the adults of the village and while the other children noticed that his name wasn't called, none would ever draw it to the teacher's attention.

The day continued much the same; during lessons in various subjects, the teacher would ask questions then point on a student to answer once they raised their hand. However, he ignored the occasions Naruto would raise his hand even if he was the only one that did so at times. During lunchtime, Naruto spent his time eating in a secluded area of the yard; his thoughts occupied with earlier events in the classroom.

"Alright class, home assignments are on the board," the teacher turned to the class to fully address them. "The due date is the day after tomorrow, and no excuse will be accepted for unfinished assignments." Letting his gaze roam over each student one final he brought classes to an end for the day. "You are dismissed, have a good evening everyone."

Dragging his feet, Naruto made his way out of the classroom, a sober look on his face. If this was how the class was going to be from now on then he wasn't certain he wanted to be there but he had promise Chinami and Jiraiya to do his best and since he never went back on his word, he knew he was in it for the long haul.

During one of the breaks the school had in a year, Naruto found himself at the park where he, Kiba, Choji, and Shikamaru usually played. However, there was no sign of them and so he decided he would explore the woods around the park to see if he found any of the medicinal herbs he and Chinami were searching for. Ways into his exploring he came upon a young boy around his age seemingly inspecting the different insects inhabiting the woods.

"Hi there, I'm Uzumaki Naruto it's nice to meet you" Greeting the unusually quiet boy who was dress in dark shades and a heavy coat, he peered closer to see what fascination the other boy so much. "What are you looking at?"

Pointing at the bark of the tree he was standing in front, the boy finally spoke. "Those are Miyama stag beetles; they interest me so I study their behaviour within their habitat." Turning to look at Naruto he bowed slightly. "I am Aburame Shino; it's a pleasure to meet you as well."

Grinning at being acknowledged but the other boy, Naruto continued to observe the beetles while asking questions to should his fondness of the little critters as well.

"Do you always come here by yourself Shino?

"Most days yes." Why you may ask because it is a good area to find insects."

"Mind if I join you sometimes?" He inquired of Shino, hands folded at the back of his head, his body swing to and fro.

"That would be favourable." Shino regarded him kindly, noting how much energy seemed to be vibrating in him.

"Then it's a deal, I will stop by a least once a week to look for you so we search for new insects." Extending his hand towards Shino "Who knows we might become good friends."

Shino shook the offered hand as it was the polite thing to do.

"It is getting late; I better get home before I miss dinner." Already turning to leave and waving his hand in goodbye. "Thanks for talking with me Shino, see you around."

Days turned to weeks, then to months and before he knew it a year had passed. Summer break was sent training, playing with Kiba, Choji, and Shikamaru and meeting up with Shino as they continued to explore the wooded areas for rare and exciting insects.

Before he knew it his second and final year o kindergarten had started, most things remained the same except he had a new sensei. A female who wore glasses and didn't seem too bothered by his presence in her class; it seemed that the gods had heard his plea and sent him a neutral person, one who was just interested in teaching children and not concerned with their life outside of the classroom. Thank the stars for small mercies.

"Naruto." His sensei called, beckoning with her hand for him to come to the front of the class.

"Yes sensei." He politely answered while making his way towards her.

"It is your turn to try and solve the last mathematical problem, do remember to show each step needed to arrive at the answer." She informed while handing him a piece of chalk.

Accepting the chalk Naruto proceeded to work through the sums until finished. He then turned to his sensei returning the chalk to her and indicating she should inspect his work.

"Very good Naruto, that is correct, you may return to your seat." Facing the class once more she addressed them for what would be the last time in the school day.

"Okay class listen up," pausing to make sure everyone was paying attending she then continued speaking, "you are to complete the problems on page forty-nine (49) for homework and we will revise them in class next week." Listening to them groan at having received homework she smiles at them. "You are dismissed, do enjoy your weekend everyone, bye."

"Bye sensei," was the shout of her twenty-five (25) students as the rushed out, ready to do any and everything except school work. "Enjoy your weekend as well."

Finally, the school was as it should be and he would make the best of this year to learn everything he could from his new sensei. The sky was the limit and who knows maybe he actually might finish top of his class this time around. Only time would tell.

He decided to go straight home as he had promised Chinami to help with dinner, besides she did say that a surprise would be waiting for him when he got home.

Entering the apartment he heard a very familiar voice speaking with Chinami, he also smelled the oil and woody odor that always lingered on the particular individual. Unable to restrain his excitement any further he dashed in, tacking the giant of a man whose only response was to hoist him in the air while giving a burst of boisterous laughter.

"Raiya! Raiya! You're back; I missed you so much you know." "Did you miss me too?"

Oi, gaki, let me look at you first before you ask twenty-one questions." Holding the boy away from him and inspecting him from head to toe. "You've grown about an inch or two and I thought I told you my name is Jiraiya." His only answer came by way of a stuck-out tongue.

"How long are you staying and do you have time to spar with me?" Jiraiya had set him back down on the floor and taken a seat at the table. "You also promised to show me basic fuinjutsu."

Laughing at the pout Naruto was giving him, Jiraiya places a large hand on the boy's head and ruffled his hair. "I might be able to fit you in somewhere but I have important business to attend to first."

"Okay, as long as you keep your word because that is really important you know." Before he could continue, Chinami called for them to help place the food on the table so they could eat. Dinner was a jovial affair, with much laughter and teasing, Naruto could not remember the last time he enjoyed a meal that much or laughed that hard. It is always good to have precious people to share your life with.

Over the weekend Jiraiya did indeed keep his promise to Naruto, using his usual training ground at the back of the Hokage's mountain they spend hours sparring, learning basic seals for storage scrolls, and demonstrating his weapons throwing skills. He also attempted the bushin/clone jutsu for the first time to give Jiraiya an indication of how effective his chakra control was. However, the clone was faulty and all eyes turned to Jiraiya hoping he would know how to fix it.

"Well, Naruto, it would appear that as good as you've gotten with controlling your massive chakra flow; you are still not able to apply a simple drop for this E rank jutsu." Hands crossed over his chest, Jiraiya appeared to be in deep thought, wondering if it was wise to introduce the brat to the jutsu he had in mind.

"My only solution would be to teach you a clone that requires more chakra than the basic bushin/clone which is just an illusion."

"Have you ever heard of water clones? Naruto nodded his head indicating that yes he knew of the type of clone, he had read of it in one of the books Jiraiya had given him.

Verbally recalling the information he had on the jutsu, Naruto also wondered at having to tote around water all the time. "Water clone is a corporeal C-rank jutsu from Mist Village, it uses a tenth of the user's chakra and can even perform on its own but can't travel too far from the original. However, one needs to have a water source to perform the jutsu or be like the second Hokage and pull water from the atmosphere." Luckily for them, there was a small pond near the training ground they were in.

"Look at you," Jiraiya mused, "when did you get so smart."

"You did say reading brought about knowledge, and that knowledge also resulted in power, so I followed your advice."

"Well good for you." Jiraiya was beaming with pride at his godson's intellect like a proud papa. "Alright, so the water clone is done using the tiger seal, like this." A copy of Jiraiya appeared next to him and even mimicked his actions. "Now you try it Naruto."

"Alright, here I go, water clone jutsu." Several clones appeared next to him however each chose to do their own thing.

Grinning like the idiots they were, both Jiraiya and Naruto proceeded to engage in a battle royal to end off the day's training.

Soon enough goodbyes were being said along with the promise to write, keep up with studies and training. Tears were shed in a mixture of sadness and compassion for bond shared between the two, Naruto could not recall being happier for having someone so precious in his life than being so cherished by Jiraiya and he was sure the older man felt the same.

Before he knew it, the end of his second year was upon him. He had indeed placed top of the class but was happy to be done with regular school, he now needed to prepare for the entrance exam into the ninja academy. However, he did intend to enjoy some of the time between now and the start of the new school year with his friends along with more intense training.