Naruto
Behind Blue Eyes
Chapter II
Naruto was walking the streets of Konoha on his way to the training grounds trying to ignore the whispers of hate directed at him. Most of them were insulting Hiruzen sayin how could the Hokage let Naruto become a ninja. He is just going to turn on Konoha and destroy the village.
Naruto jumped to a nearby rooftop to get off the streets and made his way to the training grounds he would have to talk to Hiruzen later but the truth was if Naruto ever lost control then the Kyubi could very well destroy the village. What hurt Naruto the most was that it was the Yondaime Hokage that damned him to this life of hate and the elder council made sure Naruto knew that he was nothing in the eyes of the village for they hated him most of all. Danzo had made his intentions clear, he wanted Naruto in his Root program to ensure Naruto's loyalty. Naruto arrived at the training grounds where he saw Hinata, Shino, and Kurenai waiting for him.
"Ohayo Kurenai-sensei. Ohayo Hinata-chan and you to Shino." Naruto said trying to force a smile, he didn't want to show his weakness in front of his team.
"Ohayo Naruto." Kurenai said to Naruto. "Now that everyone is here I will explain our training. This training is for me to see your skills and see if you have what it takes to be shinobi. In other words this is a test fail and you get sent back to the academy."
"Th-then what w-was the graduation exam f-for?" Hinata asked.
"To weed out those who were not ready to be ninja." Kurenai replied. "Now be sure to come at me with everything you have, otherwise you'll never be able to pass."
Naruto sighed he couldn't use his best skills without seriously hurting Kurenai but he couldn't let his teammates get hurt either. Naruto wasn't the best in the academy but he wasn't stupid either he knew that alone he couldn't take on a Jonin, killing Mizuki was one thing but Kurenai held far more respect and power than Mizuki plus she was hailed as the Genjutsu Mistress of Konoha.
Kurenai pulled out two bells. "Your mission is simple, take these bells from me. The one who fails to get a bell goes back to the academy."
Naruto thought about the mission take the bells from Kurenai he one who fails goes back to the academy but then why split the graduates into teams of three if each team would end up having only two, wait that was it it was a trick they wanted to see if they graduates could set aside their differences and complete a goal even if they goal would damn a team member.
"Your test starts now." Kurenai said.
The three genin looked to one another all with similar thoughts, team up for a common goal. The three nodded and got into ready stances. Shino's stance was relaxed with his hands in the pockets of his long coat, Hinata assumed the base stance of the Juken, and Naruto assumed a stance that was similar to Hinata but different.
Hinata saw Naruto's stance and her eyes narrowed; the juken was the pride of the Hyuga clan not to be used by a lowly clanless orphan. Naruto on the other hand had modified the juken to compliment his wind nature and his high speed movements. Kurenai saw Hinata's judgment of her teammate even though it was silent, it was there and sighed. Hinata, while timid and kind hearted, was still Hyuga and still thought that the main family secrets should remain within the Hyuga clan.
Naruto made the first move; he used the shunshin to appear behind Kurenai, taking the jonin by surprise. Shino unleashed his swarm of bugs to drain Kurenai of her chakra. Hinata also rushed Kurenai ready to use the Hyuga clan's Eight Trigrams Sixty-four Palms jutsu. Taken By surprise like this made Kurenai rethink her team. She couldn't escape the combined efforts of her genin so she used the Kawarimi to avoid the three attacks and remained hidden for a moment to study her team.
While in hiding Kurenai studied her team. Naruto was fast and with his use of the Shunshin in battle he could be a dangerous foe. Hinata could hit strong with her clan's jutsu. And Shino could trap and drain any opponent with his swarm, a dangerous team combo.
Kurenai was about to make her move when she felt cold steel on her neck. Turning her head she saw Naruto behind her with a tanto to her neck.
"How did you find me?" Kurenai asked.
"I'm a sensor sensei you couldn't hide from me for long." Naruto explained.
Kurenai sighed and handed Naruto the bells her team had won this battle, dangerous indeed.
XxXxXxX
"Now that everyone is here we can get started on your team's final test. Starting with team one." Hiruzen said.
One by one the jonin in charge of one of the newly minted genin gave their reports.
"Team seven?" Hiruzen asked.
"Pass, just barely." Kakashi replied.
"Explain." Hiruzen told Kakashi.
"They failed the initial test attempting to take me on one at a time trying to get a bell. However when it came to the secondary test they came together and acted like a team." Kakashi explained.
"I see. Team Eight?" Hiruzen asked moving on with the teams.
"They passed. But I need to talk to you about Naruto, in private." Kurenai said.
"Stay after the reports and we'll talk." Hiruzen said. "Team Nine."
"Pass." Gai said.
"And team ten?" Hiruzen asked.
"Pass." Asuma said letting out a stream of smoke.
"Alright thank you all for your reports, you are all dismissed." Hiruzen said. "Kurenai stay and we will talk about Naruto."
The office cleared out and only Kurenai and Hiruzen remained.
"Hokage-sama who trained Naruto?" Kurenai asked.
"His friends." Hiruzen said bluntly.
"I don't understand, how can Naruto be skilled enough to kill a chunin and use the shunshin in battle and not have been trained by anyone but his fellow academy students?" Kurenai asked.
"I don't know Kurenai but Naruto refuses to tell me where he learned how to make seals and who taught him the shinshin." Hiruzen replied. "Naruto doesn't have a family his parents died during the Kyubi attack no one knows who his parents are not even me."
"Do you think the Kyubi trained Naruto?" Kurenai asked.
"Unlikely." Hiruzen replied quickly, quicker than he should have.
XxXTime SkipXxX
Two months have passed since the formation of team eight Hinata still resented Naruto's use of his modified Juken and Shino seemed indifferent about both his teammates. Naruto had proven to be more skilled than anyone thought with his use of the Shunshin and his seals. Currently team eight was standing in the Mission Hall to get a mission.
"Hokage-sama I feel like my team is skilled enough to handle a c rank mission. Nothing too serious but something simple like an escort or protection detail." Kurenai said confident in her team.
"Well I do have a client seeking protection while he finishes a bridge he's building." Hiruzen said. "Iruka go get the client."
Iruka rose from his seat in the mission hall and left the room.
"A bit of background information on the client. His name is Tazuna, he is a bridge builder from Nami. He has hired Konoha to protect himself from danger until he completes his bridge." Hiruzen explained.
"Should we expect ninja attacks?" Kurenai asked.
Before Hiruzen could answer, the door opened and Iruka returned with the client.
"This is my protection? I requested ninja not children." the man asked.
"We are ninja but if you don't want our help I'm sure you can get protection elsewhere provided you aren't attacked by whoever it is you're hiring protection from in the first place." Naruto said.
The man took a swig from his bottle of cheap sake. "Fine then I expect you to protect me at all costs."
Naruto narrowed his eyes at the man. "Who are you afraid of old man?"
"It doesn't matter gaki, just do your job and protect me." the man said.
"Tazuna-san, if there is something you are hiding from us that could be beyond the scope of your mission request now would be a good time to come clean." Kurenai said seriously.
Kurenai had an uneasy feeling about this mission and about Tazuna. Naruto was also feeling uneasy but that was the Kyubi inside him warning him of Tazuna's negative emotions.
"If there is nothing else, team get your go bags from home and tell whoever you need to about your mission." Kurenai ordered. "Meet at the main gate in one hour."
One hour later team eight was at the main gate of Konoha ready to go with Naruto sitting in a tree branch looking at the Hokage Monument.
"Wish me luck tou-san." Naruto said under his breath so no one heard him.