I just want to thank everyone again for reading my crappy story so far. It feels good to see people actually like something that I wrote. I had a review from someone asking why Sasuke was acting the way he does in CH. 1 even though he was the first to feed Naruto in canon. Well, I like to think that in my story Sasuke acts more like an entitled brat who's never been told no. That doesn't mean that he won't grow, on the contrary I hope to develop Sasuke into a decent character. He really just needed to be taken down a peg. Anyone can me questions about the story and I'll try to answer them without spoiling as best as I can. As always, I don't own Naruto or anything that has come from the anime or manga.
Namikaze Estate
Naruto awoke about a decent night's sleep, considering everything after yesterday's events. From becoming the lone student of Kakashi to receiving his inheritance, yesterday was a very taxing day for the young heir of the Uzumaki and Namikaze. Naruto made his way down to his kitchen. He started to make a checklist about what he needed to get done. He needed to get groceries and new clothes. After doing his morning routine, Naruto made his way to the kitchen for breakfast. After completing his customary cup of ramen, he sensed Kakashi about to enter the house.
"Hello, Kakashi. I'm surprised that you're here early," Naruto stated without turning around to face his new sensei.
"You're a sensor?" Kakashi asked, slightly surprised that Naruto could sense him coming.
"Yeah, I figured I got it from one of my parents. I never really told anyone about it, though, so you're the only one who knows," Naruto said while still fixing his ramen. "Now that I think about it, I should tell you more about what I know and can do, right?"
"That would be preferable, but we can discuss that later when we start training," Kakashi mused as he read his little orange book. "I am here to figure out how we should conduct your training from this point. So, I figured we could assess your current skill level and then go from there. I have a rough idea of the regime that you're going to be doing and with whom."
"I like the sound of that, but I do have a few things I want to do before we get started with training. First, I need groceries, and secondly, I need new clothes. I can't exactly be a great ninja while wearing 'kill me orange,' now can I?" Naruto told his father's student.
Kakashi thought and said, "You make a good point. I know the best place for anything ninja-related, plus I need to see someone there anyway. I can suggest a few grocery stores in the shinobi section of the village that have fair prices for you."
"That sounds good. Just let me finish breakfast, and we can get started," the young jinchuriki said. Once finished, the two then made the way to Higurashi's Weapons and Supplies.
Higurashi's
Naruto and his sensei had walked into the store that Kakashi had mentioned earlier. Once inside, Naruto noticed the various sections containing clothes, weapons, and different shinobi tools. While looking around, he heard a female voice, "Welcome to Higurashi's. Is there anything I can help you with today?" Naruto turned to face a young woman probably a year older than him, wearing a pink Chinese-style shirt, black pants, and blue sandals. Her hair was in a Chinese-style buns on either side of her head with short fringe-bangs falling over her forehead protector.
"Yes, you can. I'm looking for some new clothes and sealing supplies like ink, brushes, and paper," Naruto stated while eyeing the pants on the racks in front of him.
"Well, I agree that you need something less disturbingly bright. I'm Tenten. Nice to meet you. I guess you just graduated, right?" the now-named Tenten stated to the young boy standing in front of her. That's when she noticed the tall scarecrow near the boy. 'That must be Kakashi. Guy-sensei's eternal rival' mused the girl before turning her attention to the blonde standing in front of her.
"Yeah, I know. I'm thinking either black or dark grey for the base layer, and do you have anything in a dark red, either a vest or jacket that has added protection?" Naruto asked Tenten. He turned to face her for the first time since entering the shop. 'Cute,' Naruto thought before turning towards the armguards.
"Yes, we do. Most of the pants we keep in stock are dark blue, but we have a few items in different items. I can show you everything now if you would like," Tenten said to the boy, a little miffed that he didn't acknowledge her. "Just follow me, and I can get you set up."
After a bit, Naruto found everything he wanted and decided to get a few versions of his new outfit for if he needed to do any missions at night or whenever the situation called for at the time. His base outfit consists of dark blue ANBU-style pants, black sandals, a long-sleeved black shirt with tape covering from the wrists up to just below the elbows. Armguards cover the wrappings to add additional protection and provide a hidden blade to surprise enemies. A dark red sleeveless hoodie completes the look to provide extra protection to his torso and a way to hide his bright blonde hair when tasked with missions that require stealth. Naruto had also changed the fabric of his hitai-ate from blue to black. He walked out of the changing room to show off the completed look to Tenten and Kakashi. "So, what do you think?" Naruto asked his two guests.
Kakashi was the first to answer, "It looks good, Naruto. I'm sure that your parents would approve the change, especially that vest." Tenten tried to rid some rather inappropriate thoughts from her mind when she saw how the clothes seemed to hug his frame while still giving him a wide range of movement. "I agree. You look a lot better now that you don't look like a moving target with that bright orange jumpsuit," Tenten said while getting rid of her slight blush.
Naruto noticed the blush and rubbed the back of his head, saying, "Thanks. I wanted to wear something similar to my parents or, in the case of the hoodie, something that reminded me of my mom's hair. I'm glad that you think that they would approve." Turning to face Tenten, "I'm wondering if there's any way I can get multiple versions of this outfit, some in these colors but also some that would be suitable for nighttime operations."
Tenten thought for a moment and said, "Yeah. I think we can cover all of that. Is there anything else you need help with while you're here today?"
Tenten thought for a moment and said, "Yeah. I think we can cover all of that. Is there anything else you need help with while you're here today?"
Naruto shook his head while Kakashi spoke up. "I need you to pass this on to your sensei. Just tell him that I'll owe him one." Tenten then accepted the scroll with a little bit of hesitation. Kakashi then gave his patented eye smile and told Naruto to meet him at training ground 3 in two hours. Then Kakashi shunshined to who knows where leaving a slightly confused Naruto and Tenten.
"Does he do that often?" asked Tenten, not taking her eyes off the spot where the walking scarecrow was standing.
"You'd be surprised. So, how much do I owe you?" Naruto asked, changing the subject so he could finish there and complete his other task for the day before he had to meet up with his sensei.
Before she could answer, a deep voice from the back sounded out, "Tenten, where are you? I need some help with this shipment of kunai." Out of the door that leads to the back came a man that towered over the young teens. One look from Naruto could tell the man had spent a lifetime as a weapons smith from the large muscular build and the same brown hair as the girl before him. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know that you were with a customer. It's nice to meet you. My name is Heiki Higurashi. Who are you?"
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. Nice to meet you, sir, and I'm sorry for not introducing myself earlier, Tenten. I guess I was just so focused on getting new clothes," Naruto answered the pair in a sincere tone. Heiki knew who the young man was standing in front of him. The older man had heard of the young boy's rumors, but he didn't believe them because if he was right, the boy deserved to be seen as a hero. Looking at the young man standing before, Heiki knew just who the boy's parents were, considering that the two came into this store so many years ago.
Heiki just smiled and said, "It's nice to meet you, Naruto. Welcome to my store. You are welcome here anytime. In fact, to commemorate your first time here, how about I give you a discount? Let's say 25% off." The number got two very different responses. Tenten couldn't believe that her father would give out such a significant discount to someone, especially to someone younger than her. Naruto, on the other hand, just looked on in disbelief. He had figured that the man would overcharge him like some of the other shops had done to him over the years.
"If you don't mind me asking, sir, but why? I'm sure that you know just who I am," Naruto stated while his hand unconsciously went to his stomach. Tenten didn't understand what the blonde was talking about, but her father knew what the boy asked.
Heiki nodded and said, "Yes, I know who you are, and I will say that you are not what the villagers make you out to be. Plus, you remind me of some noble people who shopped here not long ago."
Naruto looked at the man with slightly widened eyes. "Thank you, sir. Hopefully, I can live to the standard they had set," Naruto told the man while giving a look that said that the boy knew of his parents.
"Well, in that case, if you come here for all of your shinobi tools in the future, I'm sure we can agree on a permanent discount. How does that sound?" Heiki asked the blonde, who agreed with no hesitation. "Good, well, let's get everything settled, and you can be on your way. After all the details were decided upon, Naruto bid the two farewell and left to finish his errands for the day. Tenten turned to her father and asked, " Dad, why were you so accommodating to him? He didn't seem all that special." Heiki thought for a second and said, "Tenten, that boy deserves so much more than what life has given to him, and if I can do something to help, I will. Plus, his parents were good to your mother and me. I like to think that you and he would be good friends if things had been different, but life rarely turns out that way. It would help if you were friends with him. Who knows what might happen?" Heiki turned and left to gather more equipment to restock the shelves. Tenten took what her father had said and decided to get to know the blonde. 'At least he doesn't have a stick up his ass like Neji and dresses better than Guy and Lee, ' Tenten thought to herself.
Training Ground 3
(Hours Later)
Naruto is at the training ground mentioned by Kakashi. Currently, he is reading over his father's taijutsu scroll. 'It seems that I will have to increase my speed to get the most out of this style. I should ask Kakashi if he knows the best way to get faster. It probably wouldn't hurt to ask him some pointers on the style since he was dad's student,' Naruto mused while waiting for his sensei to appear. Kakashi soon showed up to see his new student looking over a scroll. "Yo," Kakashi said to his young pupil. "What are you looking over?" He then noticed a scroll on his former sensei's taijutsu. "I see that you want to learn your father's taijutsu. That's good. It is, by all accounts, your birthright. Is there anything else in particular that you want to learn?"
"There are a few things that I know that I want to learn. First is my father's taijutsu style. Second, I would like to learn my mother's kenjutsu style since she left her swords. Also, I want to start on fuinjutsu, but my parent's left me all of their scrolls on the subject, so I don't have to be taught that mainly I need someone to look over my work to make sure I don't blow myself up. I guess that's everything unless there's anything that you want me to learn specifically," Naruto expressed to his sensei.
"Well, that's certainly an extensive list. I can test you in all areas, but I focus more on ninjutsu. So, I will focus on training you on ninjutsu and other aspects of being a shinobi, such as infiltration and assassination. I have someone in mind to get you up to speed in taijutsu, and I can find you a proper teacher when it comes to kenjutsu. However, we will be sparring once your other teachers and I deem ready. For missions, you'll be joining some other teams so that you have an understanding of how to work in a team. Otherwise, you'll be training with either me or someone else. Do you have any questions?" Kakashi said as he looked upon his charge. He noticed the glint and smirk when Naruto had asked when they would start? Kakashi grinned, although no one could see behind his mask. Kakashi then went on to help get Naruto up to speed with his physical condition and help him get used to using shadow clones for learning.
Ichiraku Ramen
(Later that day)
Naruto was sitting on a stool at his favorite restaurant, thinking over how his day had gone. From getting a decent set of clothes to receiving actual training and finally ending the day with his favorite food at his favorite restaurant, he surmised that it had been one of the best days of his short life. When he entered the small ramen stand, Teuchi and Ayame had gasped once they realized that it was Naruto that had walked into the establishment. The new clothes led to Naruto filling in the two ramen chefs on everything that had happened up to that point. To say that the father and daughter were surprised would be an understatement. After a good bit of questioning on the chefs' part and quite a bit of ramen on Naruto's part, the evening was over, and everyone was headed back to their respective homes.
As Naruto was making his way home, he decided that he should probably have some shadow clones start reading some of the books to catch up with some of his former classmates and become a master in fuinjutsu like his parents. Naruto knew that he was on his way to becoming a solid shinobi that would live up to his parents' standards.
(One month later)
Over the past month, Naruto had steadily increased not only his speed but also his strength. This improvement is due to Kakashi's regiment and because Naruto started wearing resistance seals. Also, he began receiving some training from the foremost taijutsu expert in the village, one Maito Gai. Another aspect of Naruto that had vastly improved was his mental acumen. He started using shadow clones to help him catch up with several areas of the academy where he was lacking, and then from there. He started having his clones learn various aspects of the shinobi world, ranging from the customs of the different nations to reading the bingo book that Kakashi provided.
"Alright, Naruto. That's enough for right now. Now, I will test you to see what elemental affinity or affinities you have. If you have a wind affinity, the paper will split in half. If you have a water affinity, the paper will be soaked with water. If you have an affinity for earth, the paper will crumble to dust. If you have an affinity with fire, the paper will burn. Lastly, for lightning, the paper will crinkle into a ball. Understand?" Kakashi explained to the boy as Naruto took the paper.
Naruto asked, "So all I have to do is pour some of my chakra into the paper, right?" Kakashi nodded. Naruto did as he was told and let his chakra flow into the paper. What happened next surprised both teacher and student. The paper in Naruto's hand began to shred into dozens of tiny pieces, with half of them becoming soaked with water and the other half crinkling up into little balls.
"Well, damn," Kakashi stated bluntly. "It seems that you have three affinities. Your wind affinity is potent. While your affinities for water and lightning aren't as strong as your wind, they are still strong in their own right. I figure you got the potent wind from both of your parents. Your lightning is from your father, while your water is from your mother. That's beneficial for you cause I have a strong lightning affinity, and while I know plenty of water and wind jutsu, they are not my primary affinities."
"Seriously?" asked Naruto as he just stared at the pile of shredded paper at his feet. "So if you're going to help with my lightning affinity, who will help with wind and water?"
Kakashi pondered the boy's question and then said, "Well, there is only one wind user in Konoha, and that's Asuma Sarutobi. As for water, there are quite a few in the village, but I think I'll have you learn from Inoichi Yamanaka. He is proficient with water. He is also a sensor, and it would be better to help cultivate that skill from someone like him." Naruto nodded and asked when he would begin that phase of his training. "We'll get that set up later, but first, we have a C-rank mission. We're needed to go and clear out a bandit camp. It's about a day's travel from here. Pack for a week, and we'll be leaving in an hour." Kakashi turned to walk away but stopped and turned back to the boy. "Naruto, I'm going to let you know now. You will be getting your hands dirty on this mission. We'll talk more about it later on, but I did want you to know so you can prepare mentally. Ok?" The young blonde nodded and then made his way home to pack for the mission and meet up with his sensei at the designated spot. Kakashi sighed and thought, 'Sensei, I hope you'll be looking out for us, and I hope you and Kushina can forgive me for getting Naruto's hands dirty so young." Kakashi made his way to get ready for what would be a routine bandit removal. Although, neither he nor Naruto would know what would be waiting for them once they returned.
Thank you guys for actually reading my crappy writing. I appreciate everyone who follows the story. I'm trying to keep to a semi-regular schedule. However, life gets in the way. The next chapter is going to catch up with what Sasuke and Sakura have been up to since the true genin exam. I'm gonna be honest, I've kinda avoiding writing them because I'm worried that I wouldn't do the characters justice. Anyways, stay safe in this crazy world of ours.
