Second chapter coming at ya!

Disclaimer: Naruto is owned by Kishimoto-sama while Zootopia is owned by Disney

Usagi no Naruto

Chapter Two: Training Days

"How goes Naruto's training, Guy?" Sarutobi asked the green clad Jonin on the seventh morning of the training month. "I assume that you have him doing a physical regiment again this morning?"

Guy shook his head with a light smile. "Not at the moment, sir. Naruto asked for an opportunity to speak with Lee since he came to last night. I had plenty of time to speak with my precious student, and I figure he could give Naruto some useful advice on his opponent."

"Yes, it was quite the surprise when Naruto drew the number he did after the Preliminaries. I had expected him to be given the opportunity to face down young Neji after his bold declaration."

Guy frowned at that. "A part of me was hoping Naruto would've had that chance to face Neji, considering the unyouthful act he took against Lady Hinata. But I suppose someone else will have to face him. I expect Shino to give him a run for his money for what he did to the young Aburame's teammate."

"Indeed," agreed Sarutobi as he took a light drag from his pipe. "What exactly do you plan to teach Naruto, besides a more refined taijutsu? I do hope you won't teach him how to open any of the Celestial Gates."

"That's a hope I'll, regrettably, have to dash, Lord Hokage," replied the Jonin with a straight face. "If Naruto is to have a better chance at facing Gaara, then he needs every advantage he can. Granted, he won't be able to open the Third Gate, but he should be able to get the first two opened by the end of the month."

"Nothing else?" The Hokage looked surprised at the lack of details on Naruto's training schedule. "No ninjutsu or anything else? We both saw how pure taijutsu – even with the Gates – faired against that sand defense. Naruto needs more at his disposal or he will be in danger!"

"Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but I believe Naruto would be ashamed at the seemingly little faith you have in him, sir." Guy didn't even bat an eyelash at the stricken look on his leader's face. "Naruto has an incredible level of ingenuity, and I wouldn't be surprised if he could give young Shikamaru a run for his money in planning. While that boy could plan a hundred moves with enough time, Naruto could come up with workable strategies while in the heat of combat. He's definitely a reactive kind of thinker."

"That kind of thinking will only get him so far," spoke up another voice from the windowsill, making the other two turn to the speaker.

"Jiraiya," greeted the Hokage with a smile. "Glad you could make it. I trust your network is running well?"

"As well as could be expected," the Sannin replied as he stepped fully into the office. "I was surprised when one of my internal members in the village informed me that Naruto already has a Summoning Partner. I thought I was supposed to have him sign the Toad Contract?"

"Things happened a couple of years after we made that plan. I couldn't just tell Naruto to abandon the Summon he chose because of something we decided for him."

Guy frowned at this, both at feeling a bit out of place and for how Naruto – who showed himself to be a compassionate young man – seemed to be having his future planned for him. It reminded him of how Neji always spoke of "fate" and "predetermined destinies" running the lives of everyone and everything. He, Lee, and Naruto all though such thinking was unfounded; and only Lee didn't see it as being spiritually weak while he and Naruto saw it that way.

However, he said nothing since it wasn't his place. Naruto was not his true student, nor was he a member of Team 9. He couldn't speak up on his behalf since that right belonged to Kakashi. Although he was slightly annoyed that his rival wasn't here to do so.

"Well, I can't make the kid my apprentice if he doesn't have the Toads on hand. My whole fighting style revolves around them; not cottontails," declared Jiraiya with his arms crossed. "Where the hell did he even find that Rabbit Contract anyway?"

"The library after his second failed attempt at graduating the Academy," Sarutobi answered. "It was by pure chance that the scroll was misplaced into some archives and that he found it; let alone it not being confiscated when he was kicked out of the library."

"…I don't know whether to call that the Devil's Luck or Lady Luck's Blessing," deadpanned the Toad Sage, though he was completely serious about the statement.

Guy coughed into his fist, letting the other two men know that he was still in the room. "If that is all, sir? I need to start planning out Naruto's next set of exercises before I get him started on the First Gate."

The Hokage nodded and waved the Jonin away, leaving himself and Jiraiya alone in the office. "Did I hear that right?" Jiraiya questioned with a raised brow. "The Celestial Gates at his age? Is Guy insane?"

"One of his students took to the Gates quite well and displayed a great deal of control over them; even if he became hospitalized after his fight. However, I believe Naruto may have a benefit that could somewhat counter the Gates' negative side effects."

The Toad Sage frowned at that, but gave a small nod. After all, it didn't take a genius to get what the old man was referring to.

"How are you holding up, Lee?" asked Naruto as he sat by his fellow Genin's bed. "I know that your fight with Gaara really messed you up."

The bowl-headed teen sighed at that. "Yes, I find myself feeling an unnerving amount of pain on my left arm and leg. I had hoped to be able to resume training with Guy-sensei, but…"

"They told you about your chances, didn't they?" Silence was his answer. "Hey, don't be so down about it. All we gotta do is find this Tsunade lady and have her come back to fix you up. She's one of the Sannin, so she's bound to know how to get you back on your feet!"

Judy, who was seated in her own chair, shared a supportive nod with her partner. "That's right. Don't give up just yet, Lee."

Rock Lee gave the both of them a small, but very grateful, smile. "Thank you both. I appreciate the youthful support."

Naruto gave his fellow Genin a grin and a thumbs-up, unknowingly giving him the "Nice Guy" pose. "Don't sweat it, Lee. That's what friends are for." He dropped the pose and rubbed his head with a slightly awkward smile. "Listen, I was kinda wondering if you had some advice for me."

"Advice? About what?"

"…My opponent for the Finals is Gaara." He saw Lee's eyes widen. "I asked Guy-sensei to help me get ready, but I feel like hearing from your personal experience would give me a better understanding of how to face him."

Lee frowned at that. "I'm not sure that I could be much help to you, Naruto. I wasn't a match for Gaara, as you can see from my current position."

"True, you lost," began Judy, "but you also have a better understanding of how to deal with the sand that Gaara uses. No one else has faced him, so Naruto can't get any advice from anyone else. You have the experience he needs."

Lee still looked unsure, so Naruto decided to lay all his cards on the table. "Look, Lee… I've never admitted this to anyone, but I'm actually scared of what could happen to me in the Finals." He had Lee's attention now. "I try hard to seem confident and sure of myself, but I know that without anyone to help me, then I'll die; and that terrifies me. I don't want to step onto that field feeling scared; I want to show up with confidence." He gave a smile and waved an arm to the crippled teen. "To tell you the truth, Lee, you're a great inspiration to me."

"I am…?" asked Lee in shock.

"Yeah, you are. Even without the ability to use ninjutsu or genjutsu, you still made it as a ninja, and you were able to do a crazy amount of damage to Gaara with just your taijutsu! You broke through his automatic defense and his sand armor! You caught him off guard and actually made him move in a fight! And when you used those Gates…" Here, Naruto gave a chuckle of disbelief. "I still can't wrap my head around how you lost. You had him on the ropes, but he pulled out some last ditch defense in the end. But even with that loss and your injuries, I still find you to be a great ninja."

Lee's eyes were wide at the truthful confession. He had never really had anyone look up to him or see him as a role model before. It was shocking to say the least. Meanwhile, Judy was proud of how her friend was helping Lee with his truthful comments. Once again, she was able to see just how compassionate her partner was towards others.

"You once told me that Neji and Sasuke were geniuses because of how talented they naturally were. Well, if anyone was a real genius, then it would be you Lee. You're a genius of hard work, and don't you forget it!" finished the Uzumaki with a bright grin.

The smile was so contagious that Lee couldn't help but return it, the corners of his eyes growing wet from how touched he was at his friend's words. Even if he was crippled, he felt that a part of his dream to be a splendid ninja had been realized.

Outside of the room, Guy was also smiling gratefully at Naruto's words. 'I'm glad Lee has a youthful friend like you, Naruto.'

"Alright, let's see," Naruto mused as he and Judy looked over a seal design he had copied from the Uzumaki Scroll. The scroll itself held three things: a smaller scroll that detailed key points on his clan's culture (considering their nation resided on an island), a small journal with a number of sealing designs, and half a dozen headbands with the Uzumaki insignia on them.

Considering how he would be representing his clan, Naruto had no qualms with adding one of their headbands to his attire and wore it like a belt. Judy wore one as well, but it was strapped diagonally around her form from the right shoulder to her left hip and tied in the back.

"One of your markings is off," informed the rabbit girl, pointing to the mark in question. Once she saw Naruto fix it, she looked at the design for anymore flaws. "I think…that's it. Give it a try."

He grinned at that and placed a single leaf he plucked from the ground earlier on top of the seal. With a slight application of chakra, he activated the seal and some markings similar to the seal's design spread across the leaf. He reached down, cutting off chakra from his hand, and tried to move the leaf, but the markings gave off a glow when he did and the leaf wouldn't budge in the slightest. Resuming the natural flow of chakra into his hand, he found himself able to free the leaf easily while the markings receded back into the tag on the ground.

Both human and Usagi found themselves grinning at the successfully made Restraint Tag. It wasn't a particularly high caliber seal like the ones his clan were famous for, but it was a step in the right direction. After all, the basics of any skill or trade were fundamental for advanced practices down the line.

"Great job," she praised, and while she kept her smile, she was internally sad that her partner turned so bashful at a small compliment. 'Then again, I was the same growing up. At least I had plenty of family, but who all did you have, Naruto?'

"Okay!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Let's move onto the next seal!"

Her smile returned to its genuine level and she gave a faint nod. 'You have me,' she mentally declared, answering her earlier query as she and Naruto looked at the next design. 'And like I've told you before, I'm with you, Naruto…'

To the edge and back.

Hana was growing frustrated and her ninken could tell. Why was she frustrated, one might ask? Well the answer was simple: she couldn't find Naruto Uzumaki!

'Seriously!' she mentally ranted as she leapt onto another roof. 'How hard is it to find someone with gold hair wearing ORANGE?!'

Let it be known that, while he preferred to wear clothes that made him stand out and be seen, Naruto could be quite stealthy when he wished to be. He had hone that skill tremendously during his pranking days; especially with ninja on his tail before he even entered the Academy.

In fact, only Iruka was able to find him; though no one had the slightest idea as to why.

Hana was tempted to go find her fellow Chunin and have him help her search for the Uzumaki under threat of his manhood being a chew toy for the Haimaru trio. Luckily for the Academy Instructors privates, Honō picked up a scent and barked.

"About time," she noted with relief as she let the ninken take point. A halfbreed of the Ōkami she may be, but she still wasn't as well-trained in her sense of smell as a full-blooded canine. When they reached the largest gathering of the Genin's scent, she barely resisted the urge to palm her face. "Of course he was here," she grumbled as she stepped into the training field for Team 7.

And lo and behold, there was the Genin she was searching for along with his rabbit partner. This was actually the closest she and her ninken had ever been to the duo, and she was able to smell that the rabbit was female; plus the overall build of the humanoid rabbit looked more feminine.

'Now or never, I guess,' she mused as she saw the two of them looking over a journal of sorts and some seal tags on the ground. She smirked as she decided to have a little fun with the orange-clad boy. "There you are! Geez, I've been looking for you all day. How the hell can you be so hard to find running around in bright ass orange?! It makes what would happen if you switched to basic black downright terrifying; you know that, Bunny Boy?!" She took some not-so-small pleasure when Naruto and Judy both jumped, jolted from their concentration at the sudden voice and they turned to see who had spoken.

Hana was a young woman a few years older than him, with long brown hair that she had in a ponytail with two locks of hair framing her face over her large, black eyes. She also had on a light shade of lipstick and had the traditional fang-like tattoos of the Inuzuka Clan on both of her cheeks; however, her appearance was noticeably softer than the members of that family, not having the extended canines, the slit-like eyes, or the wild and untamed hair. She had on light-brown clothes with white faux fur around the collar and a grey sash around her waist.

"Ok," began Naruto, standing up from the ground with his partner, "who are you?" He then realized the nickname she gave him. "And what did you just call me?!"

Hana just smiled. "In reverse order; I called you Bunny Boy on account of your summons and I'm sure you've had it with being associated with foxes. As for who I am, the name's Hana Inuzuka."

Naruto went red. Ok, first off that nickname HAD to die! He wasn't at all ashamed of his affiliation to the rabbits – since he had an awesome partner in Judy – but that name would make being taken seriously almost impossible! Even Judy didn't like being called a simple bunny! And judging from the look on her face, she was annoyed by the name too!

But once he shook off his embarrassment, he took note of what she said her name was. "Inuzuka?" he asked, studying her face. "Uh…don't take this the wrong way, but you…don't look all that much like an Inuzuka, except for those red marks on your face. Most of them have that wild animal look; no offense."

She merely shrugged since she got that a lot. It was no secret to her that she didn't look as wild as the rest of her family. In fact, she got the softer features from her dad; which was kind of funny when she thought about it, really. A wolf having softer features than a human was ironic in a very humorous way.

"None taken. Like I said though, I've been looking for you for a while now. Although, with how much you have the scents of both rabbits and ramen on you, a tracker would think that there was a walking bowl of rabbit-flavored ramen going around," Hana said flatly.

Judy paled at the idea of rabbits being used as a dish like that, and Naruto nodded with an embarrassed head rub. Ok…that example was the kind of comment Kiba would say.

"So you're an Inuzuka after all, then," the blonde confirmed.

Hana nodded, but then frowned as the Genin slipped into what was unmistakably a fighting stance. She rose a brow at the beginning stance of the Heavy Fist; though it looked just a tad shaky. 'Not bad. Guy's really been pushing him this past week.'

"So, what do you want? Did the butt sniffer send you to get back at me since he's too spineless to do it himself?" Naruto demanded.

'Butt sniffer?' she repeated in her head. 'Did he just…?' Hana snorted, trying desperately not to laugh…and utterly failed at it! In the time it took to blink, Hana was on all fours, beating the ground with her fists and rolling around, howling with laughter and clutching her sides as tears leaked from her eyes. This caught the rabbit duo off guard somewhat.

After a good five minutes, Hana got up, gasping as she tried to breath properly again, chuckling to herself still as she clapped slowly.

"Not bad, pup," she praised. "A good name for my idiot brother since he did smell your butt." She snickered and added, "I bet he'll never forget your scent for as long as he lives."

The Haimaru brothers all looked amused and gave barking comments that made Hana cough out another laugh. Judy also stifled a laugh since she understood what they had said, though Naruto looked lost. Seeing this, Judy explained, "They said that they wonder if Kiba will smell old ramen for the rest of his life."

Naruto rolled his eyes with an amused smile before turning back to Hana. "So, if you're not here to get back at me, then why are you here?"

"To avoid beating around the bush, I want to help you and your friend there," Hana pointed at Judy, "get ready for the Finals. I understand that you have Guy helping you out physically, and that's great. But from what I can see when I look at you two, you're both going to need to learn some team tactics and collaboration techniques if you want to be an effective team."

"Why help us?" Judy asked suspiciously, shifting her right leg slightly. "I thought dogs hunted rabbits?"

Hana rolled her eyes at that. "I'm not particularly fond of rabbits, so I'll pass on that. Besides, this goes beyond that whole predator/prey relationship our two animal connections naturally have. The way I see it, you both are valuable members of the Leaf's Ninja Forces. As such, it's my duty to help lower classed ninja like you be more prepared."

"And what do you get out of this?" Naruto asked with a raised brow.

"I get to say that I helped someone who was seen as a failure beat the odds and become a great ninja," she answered truthfully. "I had tried to help out my brother many times, but he always blew off my help and said he didn't need it." There was a brief moment where her eyes reflected an inner pain, and she was unaware that Naruto had noticed it before she could rein it back in. "So, I figured that I could show him what he missed by helping out the kid who beat him. It might seem selfish on my part; but hey, at least you get someone else to help you, right?"

"…That's true," he conceded. "Plus, it would be nice to have someone help me and Judy get better synchronized."

Judy reluctantly nodded, still not fully convinced that the Inuzuka was being 100% honest. But, she had spoken sincerely and Naruto was starting to turn around, so she would go along with it. That didn't mean she wouldn't keep an eye on Hana or her ninken.

"So, do you accept my help?' Hana asked.

Naruto shared a look with his partner, silently asking for her opinion. Judy closed her eyes and gave a sigh before she nodded once. The blonde turned back to Hana and gave his own in agreement. "Sure, we'll accept your help. I'm honestly wondering what you'll have us learn during the rest of the month."

Hana gave a slightly fanged grin. "You'll find out soon, Bunny Boy."

He and Judy both had their brows twitch. "Don't call me/him that," they both deadpanned, but in a sharp tone.

All they got in response was Hana keeping her grin.

A week had passed since that day, and we find Naruto once again going through a rigorous training segment with Guy before the first crack of dawn. This morning, the Jonin had Naruto running around the outer gates of the village with three things slowing him down: his leg weights (which had once again been increased), his turtle shell pack (almost double in weight from his first shell), and a large tarp that had the corners secured by ropes tied to a harness on his belt (the tarp being used as extra air resistance).

Naruto had his teeth grit as he pushed through his morning run while Guy was staying at his side while doing the lap on his hands. As for Judy, she was running alongside him with her own leg weights, shell, and tarp harness. Both of them were in the training together, so Guy made sure to have them both do the same kind of intense exercises.

"Come on, Naruto! Let yours and Judy's youth EXPLODE and finish this exercise!" supported Guy before taking off at high speed on his hands.

Both human and rabbit had a comical sweatdrop join the natural beads of sweat that had formed during their run. "I'll never get used to that," commented the blonde.

"Same here," Judy agreed.

"As far as humans go, he's in a whole separate category."

Turns out even Kurama couldn't help but make a comment.

Naruto pushed chakra into his limbs and his body began to move faster, but he felt something blocking him from using more. Frowning, he pumped more and tried to have it break the "blockage" by force. As he did, he felt a sharp pain in his head that left just as suddenly as it came.

However, when that pain left, he felt his body get flooded with chakra while his muscles felt like they were on fire. Along with those feelings was his body now moving faster as if the restrictions were of no consequence to his speed. And so, he blazed through the rest of the lap while Judy decided to just stop running and take strong leaps to finish.

A few minutes after Guy had finished his hand-standing lap, he heard someone approaching at high speed and turned to see that it was his blonde student. One of his thick eyebrows rose at this before both of them furrowed in realization. 'So, he must have forcibly opened the First Gate. I didn't think he'd open it on his own and that I'd have to show him how to do so. This might be a good thing…'

Naruto stopped running and was panting hard before he fell on his back with a groan. "Aw, man! My arms and legs feel like they're made of lead!"

The man gave a hapless chuckle at that complaint. 'Though I should DEFINITELY warn him about the negative effects of using the Gates.' He then saw Judy leaping to the finish before falling to her knees in exhaustion herself. Both of them were breathing heavily, though Naruto's breaths sounded just a bit strained due to the First Gate's negative recoil. 'I better get someone to look him over, just to be safe.'

"Damn that stings," Naruto hissed out as he tested his limbs. He was being looked over by Hana after asking Judy to go find her.

According to Guy, his muscles had been stressed due to him forcing open the First Gate: the Gate of Opening. The Jonin had explained that the First Gate had the brain give full 100% usage of his body's muscle strength instead of the naturally restricted 20%. Since he was nowhere used to 100%, his body was incredibly sore and had stinging feelings in several jointed areas.

"You're lucky it only stings, idiot," admonished Hana as she used her healing jutsu on him. "What were you thinking, forcing your chakra to break past that blockage as you called it?"

"Nngh," he groaned as the pain slowly subsided. "I was thinking that I wanted to get passed the exercise. I only have two weeks left and I know I'm not strong enough yet."

"You keep being reckless like you just were and you won't have to worry about being strong enough. Don't forget, idiot, that there's a reason that the Eight Gates are a Forbidden Technique."

He looked away shamefully, not used to having someone berate him like she was. But, a small part of him felt strangely happy that she was berating him. He didn't understand why though.

Judy watched the interaction and the light twitch of her partner's lips, and she gave a faint smile. She had an idea why they did that, but she wouldn't say anything unless he brought it up to her. Some things were just that personal, and she would respect that.

"Alright, I did all I could for you," declared Hana as she stood up. "Just take it easy for the rest of the day." Catching his pout, she bent down and lowered her face to his with a dangerous expression. "I mean it, Whiskers. I catch you not resting and I'll make sure they have a vacant room for you at the hospital. Get it?"

He gulped at the threat and nodded while comically sweating with anxiety. "Got it," he nearly squeaked out.

"Good," stated Hana before giving him a condescending pat on the head. "Little bunnies shouldn't try and play with the big dogs."

His brow twitched dangerously at that comment. "…I hate you…"

She just grinned before walking away. "I know you mean love!" she called back to him over her shoulder, making him give a ghost of a smile.

'Weird… Why do I feel so…happy?' he thought.

"Ready to go home?" Judy asked, getting his attention. "We could work on some more seals while you rest up?"

He mentally shook off his earlier question before grinning at his friend. "Yeah, that sounds good."

Only a single week was left before the Finals and Naruto was sparring with Hana while Judy took on one of the Haimaru brothers. While not looking like the stereotypical Inuzuka, Hana was still a fierce combatant and wasn't afraid to use her claws in the fight.

However, Naruto was using everything he had learned in this spar. He kept his focus on his legs and moved quickly past Hana's strikes and into her guard; almost hopping right into it when he kicked off the ground. When he was close enough, he went for a rising knee strike, but Hana slapped the knee down and went for a swipe with her claws.

Leaning back, Naruto avoided the attack, but kept his body rolling backwards before he kicked off the ground and struck Hana in the chin with his feet. The back-flipping kick rattled her and she stumbled, leaving herself open for Naruto to immediately kick off the ground as soon as he landed. In midair, he spun in place and lashed out with another kick, crying out, "Leaf Hurricane!"

Hana righted herself just in time to avoid the first kick, but it ended up being a feint for the true kick, which actually aimed lower and struck her in the chest. With a grunt she was pushed back before holding up a hand to stop their spar. Just in time too, for she absently noted that Judy had incapacitated her ninken with a well-placed senbon needle.

'Damn, that bunny is deadly with those,' she though with a wince. She had firsthand experience with senbon and how they could shut down the body. It wasn't fun…at all.

"So," Naruto began, lightly panting, "how'd I do?"

She chuckled and rubbed her jaw, still sore from the kick. "Not bad, Whiskers. Maybe next time I'll be a little more serious."

"Keep telling yourself that," he shot back, grinning with her as Judy walked over to them. "Have fun reversing the Food Chain?"

"Oh, most definitely," Judy answered, and all three of them shared a light laugh. It was becoming just another day for them since Hana had offered her help.

It took some time for him to figure out – as well as asking Judy about it – but Naruto was finally able to understand why the insults and teasing that he and Hana gave one another made him happy. Because he had never really had anyone to call family, he yearned for that type of connection with someone. And with Hana, he found himself feeling like he had an older sister; one that would tease him but also guide him and teach him.

Sure, he sort of felt that with Ayame as well, but she wasn't much older than him; so it didn't really have the same depth. Don't get him wrong though, he still loved Ayame very much and would do anything to keep her safe; it was his nature.

But Hana was five years his senior compared to Ayame's two years. It was hard to explain, but it just felt a tad more significant. He didn't say anything to Hana though, because a part of him felt like he would be seeing her less and less after the Finals were done. Such feelings left him depressed, but he refused to show it.

"Well runt, I gotta get going," Hana said as she easily hefted her immobile ninken on her shoulder while her other two flanked her. "Keep practicing with Bunny Girl, alright?"

Having realized that Hana wouldn't stop calling her that nickname, Judy said nothing; though her brow did twitch.

"Will do! Thanks again, Hana!" he called to her as she left. He then turned to Judy and said, "You're awfully quiet for being called Bunny."

"I've decided to ignore that. If I get upset when she calls me that, then what happens when someone trying to kill us does it and I fly off the handle?" she questioned in response, earning a grim nod from her partner. "Besides, the more she does it, the worse her prank will be when we finally nail her!"

He laughed when he saw her punch a furry fist into her other hand. "That's true! But we'll have to start planning for that after the Finals."

"Then I'll just have to really savor that moment when it comes," she declared with an evil-looking grin.

All Naruto did was snort out another laugh. He'd never say it out loud, but seeing her make that face was just downright adorable.

Guy watched as Naruto roared and slammed a thick log into the ground with a high-speed, rotating pile driver; the Primary Lotus.

During this last week, he had drilled Naruto every day to have him get used to the First Gate and the boost it gives, along with being able to use the Primary Lotus. Like Lee, Naruto struggled at first to get used to it; but unlike Lee, Naruto's natural recovery helped him get back on his feet quicker and give it another go.

Once again, a part of the Jonin wished that he had noticed the boy's potential sooner. He pulled some strings with Lee to get him to graduate and on his team, so he probably could've done the same for the orange-clad teen.

"C'mon," he heard Judy say supportively as she helped Naruto to his feet. "Up we go, Foxy."

Seeing the smile on Naruto's face made that regret he was feeling vanish in exchange for a smile. 'No, if I had chosen him sooner, then he probably wouldn't have met Judy. A bond like theirs is a rare thing to find, and I wouldn't want to deprive him of that; not with the life he lived.'

Naruto was steadying his breathing while Judy supported him from the waist. "How was…that, Guy-sensei?"

He turned back to the log and saw that it was split down the middle. It wasn't a clean split like the Lotus should've done, but it was pretty close. "It's acceptable for now, given the timeframe we've had. Now, I want you to open the Second Gate. Remember what it was called?"

Nodding, the Uzumaki answered, "The Gate of Healing. And like the First Gate, it's located up in the brain, but on the other side."

Judy chimed in next, "And you told us that it will help rejuvenate for a short while before the exhaustion returns."

"That's correct, Miss Hopps!" exclaimed Guy with a thumbs-up and smile.

The rabbit duo were both forced to blink when the smile was accompanied by a bright ping.

"The opening of the Second Gate will get you back in the game, but it will only be for a limited time. So when you use it, you have to either end the fight or stall enough to withdraw. Remember that Gaara is a strong opponent; stronger than most of the other Genin. If the judges see that you gave it a valiant effort, but still knew when to make a tactical retreat, they'll see that as good decision making." His smile lessened a little, but it was still there even with the serious nature of his lecture. "Sometimes, a ninja must know when to withdraw. They can't fight to the last man for every mission. They must do what they can to see the mission through with the least amount of casualties; and that could mean both injuries and death. Do you understand?"

Both Naruto and Judy nodded. "We do," they said as one.

Guy's smile returned to full force and he gave another thumbs-up. "Excellent! Now, as much as I've enjoyed helping you train, I should let you have the last day of this month to rest and prepare. Training is good, but you must also know when to take it easy and let the body recover; even if you have a higher degree of healing than most."

"Got it," Naruto replied before he gave a respectful bow from the waist. "Thank you so much for helping me this month, Guy-sensei. I really appreciate it."

"We both do," Judy added as she too gave a bow. "We'll show everyone just what your training did for us."

The man gave a boisterous laugh and nodded to them both, his grin so wide that his eyes were shut. "Think nothing of it! You two are fine examples of those who believe in hard work, as well as those with the Flames of Youth!"

Both of them chuckled, but Naruto had one last question. "Hey, sensei, I have to know…what are the Flames of Youth anyway?"

Guy's grin softened considerably, changing into a warm smile as he turned to see the village from the Hokage Mountain they were training on top of. "It's my personal name for the village's Will of Fire," he answered simply, making the other two smile as they too looked out to the village.

Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, the village gave off a fiery luminance that made it look all the more stunning. When they would look back on this day, both Naruto Uzumaki and Judy Hopps would say that this day helped solidify their belief in the village's greatest philosophy.

The night before the Finals was an awkward time for Naruto and Judy. The whole day had been spent planning and getting seal tags made, as well as a new outfit for Naruto to wear.

However, to their surprise, they had been invited by Hana to join her at the Inuzuka Compound for dinner. Of course, for two rabbit-related people to step foot into a canine-related place, it was very nerve-wracking.

But, to their fortune, the only people that they were joining were Hana, the Haimaru brothers, an older woman Naruto recognized as the Clan Head, and the woman's ninken who looked like the dog version of a war veteran.

In respect to Judy being an herbivore, Hana gave the rabbit girl a bowl of greens, carrots, and berries to eat while Naruto had been just fine with meat that was offered. As they ate, they noticed that Tsume was giving them curious looks, and Naruto couldn't take the growing anxiety anymore.

"Not to be rude, but why are you staring at us?" he asked after taking another bite. Judy had set down one of her carrots to listen as well while Hana watched in silence.

Tsume hummed thoughtfully as she looked over the young man before her. "You seem different from the last time I saw you. Back then you were cocky and overly excited, but now you seem to be much calmer and more confident. Did one month really affect you that much?"

"It wouldn't have if I didn't have Guy-sensei and Hana-senpai helping me with my training," he answered truthfully. "She was a big help in getting me and Judy in better synch for the Finals, and I had fun sparring with her and her ninken."

"Not to mention that she gave me some pointers on healing jutsu," Judy added with a light smile. Jabbing a thumb towards her partner, she continued, "Now, I could help this idiot stay out of too much trouble."

Hana smirked at that while Naruto slumped dramatically. "I don't get into that much trouble…" he mumbled.

"Yes you do," both Hana and Judy deadpanned, which made a depression cloud form over Naruto. Both women laughed at that while Tsume smirked at the comfortable air that the trio had.

'My my… Seems like he helped you in return, Hana; even if he hasn't realized it yet,' she mused.

It had been a while since she had seen her daughter so comfortable and upbeat. Most of the time she was withdrawn, if not perfectly polite; especially around other Inuzuka.

'And yet, when she's around this boy and his partner, she allows herself to open up and be herself for a change… Maybe it was a good thing for her to help him and his rabbit friend.'

Kuromaru sensed the change in demeanor from his partner and watched the exchange between her pup and the other two. He smirked at seeing Tsume's pup relaxing and having a nice time; even if it was with their natural prey.

Clearing her throat, Tsume got their attention once again. "I'm glad to see that my daughter had such a positive effect on you, pup. It's an improvement from how you used to be for sure." She smirked and continued, "And I should thank you for showing my other pup some humility. Kiba was getting a bit too cocky for my taste, and I would've helped drive that home myself if you hadn't beat him in the Preliminaries."

He blushed in embarrassment, which only served to make her smirk grow in amusement. "I uh… It was nothing really. I mean, I didn't really even win fairly."

She barked out a laugh at his response. "Pup, if there's one thing you should always remember about the life of a ninja, then let it be this: we use everything at our disposal to get through the mission at hand. As far as I'm concerned, you passing gas was just another way of using what you had."

Naruto groaned in further embarrassment, his face hitting the table to hide the red blush. It was that reaction that caused everyone us to have a good laugh. And even though he was thoroughly embarrassed about his "come-from-behind" victory, Naruto smiled at the warm air that he felt around the Inuzuka Matriarch and her eldest child.

For some reason, he felt content.

Standing outside the lower entrance to the Chunin Exam Stadium was Naruto and Judy. He was trying to calm his nerves before walking inside and taking his place amongst his fellow Genin combatants. Judy stood by his side, offering silent support for her partner.

He had already received words of encouragement from Guy and from Lee, who was being allowed to watch the matches with a paramedic watching over his condition. Both were very supportive and helped ease some of his nerves; but he still felt anxious, considering who his opponent was.

"Hey, Whiskers!" called out a familiar voice, making both of them turn to see Hana approaching them with a smirk. "Don't tell me that the Mighty Rabbits of the Leaf are feeling scared?"

He growled at her teasing. "I'm not scared!" he said dramatically while pointing a finger at her face. "I'm gonna go in there and show everyone that Judy and I are the best!"

All Hana did was soften her smirk into a smile before she ruffled his spiky hair. His eyes were wide at the warm gesture and he felt all of his tension melt away. "I know you will, runt," she replied before surprising him yet again by crouching down slightly to hug him. "Be careful in there," she continued. "Don't do anything stupid, don't be reckless, and for the love of everything don't be too idiotic."

He couldn't help but grin at her advice, nodding in agreement. "I won't, but don't be surprised if my make one idiotic mistake or two."

She scoffed playfully. "Yeah, I'd be more surprised if you didn't do anything idiotic in there." Turning to Judy, she gave a look of mock exasperation. "Keep an eye on him, will ya? We all know he needs someone watching his back."

Judy shook her head in amusement at the banter between both ninja. "I'll be sure to keep him in line."

"Hey, I resent that!" cried out the blonde.

"Hush you," admonished Judy playfully. "The women are talking."

Naruto crossed his arms and turned away, grumbling about women and making said women laugh at his misfortune. Hana ruffled his head again and said, "I better get to my seat. Good luck in there, pup." As she walked away, she turned back one last time and added, "Nice clothes by the way!"

The clothes in question consisted of a black sleeveless undershirt, an orange over-shirt with two white straps on each shoulder (each bearing the Leaf Village symbol), the Uzumaki headband wrapped around his waist, and black stretch pants with a pair of lightweight brown shoes. Around his neck was a beige sash while similarly colored leg warmers were around his shins. From fingertip to elbow on both arms were white wrappings similar to what Lee wore around his own arms. (1)

All-in-all, Naruto looked more professional than he did in his orange track suit. He may have loved the color and how it helped him get attention, but he understood that he had to take his career seriously and show the judges that he could do that. So, he chose a new outfit; but he couldn't resist having his favorite color in it somewhere.

"So," began Judy as the two of them once again faced the entrance, "you ready?"

His whiskered cheeks stretched as he gave a confident grin and nod. "Let's do this, Judy!"

1~ He's in a more masculine version of Yoruichi Shihōin's outfit from Bleach

And there you have it; Chapter Two!

Now, a lot of you guys guess on Naruto's elemental bloodline. VERY few of you guessed correctly. Most of you guessed overused choices that I'd rather not use in this.

I mean really, how often would you guys see a Naruto story with the bloodline I'm choosing?

On another note, this is the second element from the Bleach series that I've thrown in. Coincidence? Nah, not really. In fact, don't be surprised if I bring in MORE elements from that series!

Until next time!

pain17ification

Fanreader26 here

same with as before

and pointless for me to do a reviews corner but I do want to say: kgarz01, your review, though not really a flame was very rude.