Chapter 6

Problems

Konoha - Shinobi district - Jonin Lodge

Anko's Apartment

Night

Naruto imagined Anko had all but officially moved out of the Uzumaki/Uzuki compound after the Ten no Juin incident he was involved in. The purple haired woman couldn't take the embarrassment of having to face Naruto after he saw that side of her.

Initially, Naruto was left greatly upset by Anko's decision along with his clansmen inability to convince the snake summoner to change her mind. It was just a phase however. The following phase had Naruto blaming himself and the kyuubi for the entire development. After a few more days wallowing in depression, Naruto came to terms with the reality of the situation. It was nobody's fault.

Anko was very self-conscious about the Ten no Juin and everything pertaining to it, more so when it involved those she treasured. While Naruto wasn't sure he would have done the same had he been in her shoes, the Uzumaki knew her situation wasn't an easy one. He couldn't claim to understand what he didn't know. After the incident, Naruto made it his goal to always make sure to make Anko feel appreciated and loved every opportunity he had to.

Those opportunities came really scarce, and in the end Naruto had to resort to sending her gifts during holidays. He loved the idea of sending her presents whenever, but Anko was a very cognizant person. She most likely would perceive the frequents present as the desperate cry for her attention that the were.

Naruto wasn't willing to make himself out to be so pathetic, even though he knew Anko wouldn't judge him for it. In hindsight it was the right decision, knowing Anko she would blame herself for everything in the end. Naruto didn't want her to suffer even further on his accord.

After the kyuubi miraculously healed his injuries to a manageable level, Naruto requested to have some of Anko's time, to discuss something important.

The woman looked nervous when he said those words, likely misunderstanding Naruto's intentions. Anko perhaps thought the Uzumaki planned on ironing out their lingering issues once an for all. While

Naruto understood that there was a certain conversation himself and the purple haired woman had to have, but in the Uzumaki's opinion, now wasn't the time. It took a few minutes, but Anko eventually agreed to speak with him. She led him to the jonin lodge, where she had been spending most of her nights in.

Naruto had never been to the jonin lodge before, despite knowing so many jonin on a personal level. Almost all the jonin Naruto knew well were clan members, thus resided in the clan compound like rest of their clansmen. Anko was the only other jonin Naruto could claim to be deeply connected with.

Various jonin came and went to the Uzumaki/Uzuki compound for numerous reasons. Kenjutsu training, to purchase weapons and seals, or to simply enjoy the hospitality of their Uzuki companions and friends. Naruto had run into a fair amount of jonin from other clans, namely the Uchiha and Inuzuka. He even spent a few hours in the comps of two Uchiha teens Ha personally trained. He hadn't seen them in months however. It wasn't much a surprise, though he wasn't bothered to be surprised in the first place, the Uzumaki heard the two Uchiha discussing about an high rank mission they planned on embarking on. They sounded hopeful and excited of a promotion to jonin upon succession on the mission.

Well, one sounded excited, the other one barely spoke. He was a weird stress lined teen who stared at Naruto a lot, and it greatly unnerved the Uzumaki how he managed to maintain a straight face even after he was caught. A dubiously shameless individual, in Naruto's opinion.

The jonin lodge turned out to be everything Naruto expected it to be. A couple of regular looking apartment complexes erected orderly by a main road. The jonin lodge was home to almost a hundred top tier shinobi, naturally there was no requirement for it to possess a state of the art security system. The residents were the state of the art security system. Aside from personal possessions, nothing of value was stored in the jonin lodge. This made the chances of the jonin lodge being targeted by enemy or rogue nin extremely low.

What shinobi in the right state of mind would attack a building with the most concentrated number of jonin?.

Just from the first glance, Naruto could tell that Anko's apartment would be no different from every other apartment given the tenant made no altercations to it. Naruto was left a little dissapointed.

Saya told him some powerful jonin's apartments were customized to honor their high standing. Naruto guessed Anko hadn't reached a that level yet. Her apartment was a simple one, a tad bland since everything looked plain.

A plain bed with plain sheets. A plain couch. A plain desk and chair. A pair desktop computer. A plain fridge and TV. The widows had next to no designs, neither did the doors. Naruto hadn't seen the restroom but he knew it would be similarly plain.

Naruto didn't expect much, but would it kill Anko to add a tiny bit of her touch to this monochrome box?. The only thing that gave Naruto the indication that this apartment belonged to Anko was the half opened wardrobe. He could make out one colored trench coats uniformly hanging alongside each other on a rack. Naruto's hidden guilt for blowing up Anko's trench coat dissipated upon seeing that.

"Do you want anything?." Anko said, emerging from the restroom. She was dressed in a yellow crop top and a pair of hotpants. After the unexpected throw down with Naruto, Anko felt dirty in multiple senses of the word and had to quickly take a shower once they arrived in her apartment.

She absentmindedly left Naruto with a couple magazines, that kids his age probably shouldn't be reading. Now upon reentering the room, Anko realized what she had given the blonde. It wasn't the house decoration catalogue Kurenai left her like she thought, but one of her magazines. The purple haired woman couldn't help but blush when she saw the amused stare Naruto was giving her.

"No got everything I need right here." Naruto said, patting the cover of the adult magazine. He left a finger in between the magazine so he wouldn't have to search for the page he was on later. Yes. He was definitely going to read this later.

"That magazine ain't for kids..." Anko started saying, reaching for the magazine in the blonde's hands.

"Uh-uh." Naruto said, shaking his head. "This is treasure." Naruto said, raising the magazine in the air with both hands like it was a trophy.

Anko raised an eyebrow at the blonde boy. "What?."

Almost as if he had been waiting for her to ask, a deranged smile adorned Naruto's face. "Because now I know what you like. I'll be using this for... future reference." Naruto said, causing Anko to blush lightly and look away from him.

"Little perv." She muttered out but made no moves to reprimand the Uzumaki or take the book.

Considering the things she read when she was younger than him, Anko really didn't see any problems with letting Naruto read an adult magazine. He already acted like one, and in her opinion maturity was majorly psychological rather than physical. If Naruto was psychologically ready for this sort of information like she knew he was, then what the hell?.

The snake summoner considered her opinion was out of the norm, being the radical and easy going person she was. She had only witness one child being raised in her life, and that child was Naruto. Naruto was different from birth, completely unlike your average baby. He was born with a natural yet astronomical amount of chakra, as well as instincts not belonging to a child his age.

Naruto's infant years were anything but regular. He cried multiple times more than baby would, ate as much as a horse and seemed to understand instinctively understand things children six times his age would not. So, using Naruto as reference left Anko ignorant on how to properly raise a child. She had an idea on what was acceptable for children and not, but on the other hand didn't care to exercise this information on Naruto.

He was different. Special. Whatever he wanted to do and whoever he wanted to be, as far as it didn't endanger him, Anko wouldn't stop him. She had promised his father as much.

"You look good." Naruto complimented, the sleazy smile still on his face.

"Stop acting like a degenerate." Anko said. She could let him have his way most of the time, but he still needed to understand the limits. Her appearance was one of those limits. She saw Naruto give her a not-so-apologetic smile and sighed. When had he turned into such a hopeless pervert?. Anko had no idea why, but she had an urge to strike Jiraiya twice in the nads with a crowbar. Somehow she knew this was his fault.

"Heh, funny you're not the only person to say that to me today." Naruto said with a chuckle.

Anko sighed again. Her and the Gama Sennin really needed to have a chat.

Anko moved to the single chair by the desk and turned it to face Naruto. "Why did you want to see me?." She asked.

She wanted to stave off this line of questioning, but she with the substitute for a conversation Naruto presented her with, she had no choice. Anko had been avoiding Naruto for years. No matter the efforts others and the blonde went to, Anko always found a way to avoid being in the same room as him.

Now, she was consciously doing the opposite and it wasn't because she had finally decided to face the demons of her past or move on. It was because Anko sensed he needed her. With that possibility, even if she had her misgivings about spending time together with Naruto, Anko would never knowingly avoid him when he needed her help.

She realized it almost as soon as she held him. The few minutes she spent in silence after he asked to speak with her wasn't to consider an answer, rather to figure out exactly what he needed and how should could help. Anko wouldn't hesitate for a second if Naruto needed her assistance, just like she knew he wouldn't as well.

While Anko was having thoughts of her unyielding loyalty to Naruto, the blonde wasn't feeling too keen on having this conversation.

He knew Anko cared deeply for him, and would do her best to help him if he ever needed it. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that Naruto felt incomparably dirty for the favor he was going to ask.

The Ten no Juin was a taboo topic to Anko, and Naruto wholeheartedly understood why. He'd seen what it did to her. The pain it put her through, the stigma it came with, the shackles it put on her; both physically and psychologically. Nobody who knew Mitarashi Anko would be able to look at her and not think Ten no Juin. Not think Orochimaru. Now, Naruto was going to ask her to use her curse as an cover-up to get him a seal from a Tsuchi no Kuni shinobi.

To say Naruto felt like a vile piece of human garbage would be putting it mildly. Yet, and what scared Naruto, was his unwillingness to back down, whilst knowing how much pain even uttering those words would bring Anko. His unbridled selfishness repressed all other thoughts and emotions, leaving him with a single purpose in mind. The mission.

Looking at Anko's nervous but still unsuspecting face stirred those other emotions, but just only. A brutally loyal person, one he considered family. And yet he was still unwilling to put aside his selfishness, because he knew there was a chance. A chance that despite it all, everything could all workout and maybe for the better. And perhaps there was something else that scared Uzumaki Naruto more now. A fear, one of the suspicion that Anko may not even hesitate to throw herself to the wolves for him. Then he would be left with the ironic reality of his short yet eventful life.

He might be the jinchuriki of Konohagakure no Sato, the wakate of the Uzumaki and Uzuki clan and most recently the boss to a future world revered genius. All that he may be, but that was just a surface, a facade to guise the deep hidden truth.

Uzumaki Naruto put himself first.

'You're over thinking.' Kyuubi said.

Naruto shook his head as the fox's voice proved sufficient to push him out of his daze. He regarded the silently, nervous and expectantly waiting Anko. He felt like his heart was bleeding, looking at those yellow orbs staring at him like he was the most important thing in the world. Only Anko could claim to be an extreme loyalist. When it came down to it, Naruto picked himself over her in a heartbeat.

"I need a seal." Naruto said, unable to come forth with all of the truth at once.

Anko raised an eyebrow in confusion. She deduced that whatever Naruto was going to ask was probably something big. He started acting strange when she asked that question, so she knew. He wouldn't look so nervous if it wasn't something major. But whatever it was, Anko had already made up her mind to help him.

Now, however, Anko was left completely dumbfounded by his request. How ironic was this situation?. An Uzumaki asking her for a seal.

"Umm... I'm not sure I can help you with that. I'm not exactly versed in the seal arts. Bluntly put, I suck at fuinjutsu. All the lessons the hag gave were a waste on me." Anko said apologetically. She was already cursing herself for being such a dunce and not understanding fuinjutsu enough to even attempt to help Naruto. Thinking about it now... "Aren't you supposed to be really good with seals?."

'Ha!.' Kyuubi laughed.

Naruto cursed under his breath. Another day, another fuinjutsu illiterate he would have to educate. And just like kyuubi, Anko had no excuse to not know at least a little bit about fuinjutsu. Just looking at her Naruto knew her case was probably as bad as the bijuu's. "I'm not any good at making these kinds of seals."

"Just learn it then!. Are you having a fuinjutsu-ey writers block?, is that it?. You'll get past this, I know you will." Anko encouraged the blonde assertively.

Naruto almost felt bad to have to ruin Anko's delusion that he she could convince him that anything could be done if you work hard enough. But when had emotions ever stopped him from doing what was necessary.

A few minutes of explaining the different types of seals and what an ESMC was, Naruto was now sitting across from an embarrassment looking, but still educated Anko. "So, like I explained, I can't make a binding seal on the level of the one I require." Naruto said.

"I get it... I think." Anko said the latter part under her breath.

No wonder fuinjutsu was considered the least popular class of the shinobi arts. If Anko hadn't seen for herself the power of an accomplished seal expert or Seal Master, she would join the rest of the public in branding the art as a complete waste of time. Not only was fuinjutsu more difficult and time consuming to study, it used up a large amount of resources and thus funds.

It was the single only class of shinobi arts reserved for the wealthy. There was no way a poor individual would be able to study fuinjutsu to a professional level without spending tons of money. That was one of the many reasons so few people pursued the path of seals. It cost as much as a pay for a C-rank mission to learn how to make a basic explosive tag, and that wasn't considering the extra you'd have to spend on resources.

Anko was glad Naruto was part of a wealthy clan now more than ever. Seeing the passion in his eyes when he spoke about something as boring as seals made Anko feel her respect for Kotohime and her clan increase. Without the Uzumaki/Uzuki clan, this part of Naruto would be probably left unexplored and she wouldn't be able to see him make such a face. A face that reminded her of her second favorite blonde.

"Since you can't make the seal, and clearly the hag can't either, who're you gonna ask to make it in her stead though?." Anko asked, wondering what her connection in all this was.

"Meiku bay... bay-something. She's a Seal Master f–"

"From Tsuchi no Kuni. Yeah, I know who she is. Who doesn't know Meiku, the bastard daughter of Tsuchi Daimyō?." Anko asked rhetorically. The young lady's expression turned serious.

While Meiku was not a shinobi of Iwagakure, she was still from Tsuchi no Kuni. Considering the bulk of the assassins sent after Naruto came from the accursed land, Anko didn't feel too pleased with the idea of Naruto involving himself with Meiku. That was just one of her major concerns, however.

"Why her?." Anko asked, no longer appearing to be the nervous and docile person she normally was around Naruto. Now her expression could be best described as 'no-nonsense'. The significance of this idea of Naruto's was telling, Anko wasn't going to take it lightly.

"She's literally the only Binding Seal Master in the world." Naruto replied. He noticed Anko's expression shift and oddly felt a sense of relief. Maybe he was secretly afraid Anko could only act like a docile little puppy in front of him. Thankfully, he thought wrong.

Anko frowned. She knew Naruto wouldn't lie about this, and thinking about it it made sense. She didn't know much about fuinjutsu, but she knew much about people. She worked in the TI division, and a stack majority of the missions she took were either associated with assassination, sabotage, espionage or tracking. This meant Anko had to invest a great deal of time in studying foreign lands, cultures and enemies.

The woman may not look it, but when it came knowledge on the scope of the Elemental Nations and its many high ranking inhabitants, Anko knew a lot more than multiple clan heads and politicians did. Anko was able to recall that after the kyuubi attack, the number of Seal Masters in the Elemental Nations was reduced from seven to five. And amongst those remaining five, only Meiku fit the profile of a Binding Seal Master. Thinking about this, Anko had an idea why Naruto came to her now.

"You want me to be the one to commission this seal to Meiku for ya, ain't that it?." Anko asked.

Naruto nodded, appearing a tad hesitant. Anko didn't think much about it. Even she would be hesitant if she was in Naruto's shoes, considering who this Meiku was.

"It's a smart decision. You did the right thing. I can't imagine Meiku would be keen to be commissioned to make anything on behalf of you or any Uzumaki slash Uzuki." Anko said with a wry chuckle.

Her chuckling stopped when she turned to Naruto and found the Uzumaki giving her a weird look. Anko mirrored his stare momentarily, then realization dawned on her.

"Wait... You don't know?." She asked.

"Know what?." Naruto queried. Did he offend this Meiku woman in someway or the other?.

"Damn, so you really don't know." Anko said, shaking her head in amusement.

The since greatly confused Naruto, Anko felt a little happy for it. Petty revenge for making her feel stupid with all that fuinjutsu jargon. Little did Anko know, she wasn't the only one who was celebrating the small victory.

"Let's put it like this. If you hadn't come here, and instead had one of your clansmen send a letter of commission to Meiku, or even have done it yourself, she would absolutely decline it out of spite." Anko said.

Naruto's confusion became even more visible on his face. "What?. Why?." The Uzumaki asked. What kind of Seal Master rejects the request of an eight year old out of spite?.

"Well that's because of Kotohime, or to be specific a younger version of the hag we know today." Anko said with a chuckle. It was so fun to be the one in the know. Naruto's hopelessly confused expression was just priceless.

"Huh?."

Anko grinned at the sound of the dumb question from the blonde. "Didn't you know?. Your sweet 'ol granny Koto took poor Meiku's hand due to what many considered a small dispute." Anko revealed, almost bursting out in laughter at the sight of Naruto's fish like shocked expression.

"...Damn." Naruto whispered out, not sure what to say.

He had heard his obassan talk briefly about Meiku a few times, but she never gave the indication that they had been at odd with each other to the point that she cut off the other Seal Master's hand. The only person the Uzumaki woman openly despised was Namikaze Mina and according to Saya and Ha, the feeling was mutual.

To think that his obassan had not only clashed with such a legendary figure from Tsuchi and went as far as taking an arm from her. This forced Naruto to reevaluate his obassan and the current Uzumaki/Uzuki in a whole. While he was the clan's wakate, Naruto feared he hadn't a smidgen of a clue how powerful the clan really was.

He knew the top three strongest in the clan were his obassan Kotohime, Ha and Tate, but loathe him to admit, he didn't know exactly how strong the three were.

He heard stories from Hinata –that she overheard from her personal guard and instructor speaking– about how his obassan had been able to all but completely suppress many of the top Hyūga fighters by merely releasing her chakra. Naruto had thought Hinata was just exaggerating the story to stroke his ego, but now... Naruto feared the Hyūga had even undermined the Uzumaki's power.

Who exactly was Meiku?. Naruto didn't remember her full name, but her legend was unforgettable and one of his very best. Meiku was a woman not only renowned for her expertise in fuinjutsu, but her overwhelming power and talent for ninjutsu and taijutsu.

She was hailed in many names, all due to her said-to-be unbeatable ability. An ability so extra ordinary it was dubbed a mutation, much like the mokuton of the Shodai. This ability made Meiku a terror to her enemies, as she was like a goddess of war, stepping into battlefields completely barehanded ripping through opponents in a frenzy of slaughter.

The most terrifying thing about the legends of Meiku was the fact that she had never been injured a single time. It didn't matter when she fought a battalion of chunnin with only a few injured and tired jonin and chunnin as support. It didn't matter when she clashed head on with yonbi's insane former jinchuriki. Nor did it matter when Kiri shinobi tried to execute her with a hundred high rank explosive tags. No matter what, Meiku always stepped out of battle and calamity without a single bruise.

Yet... Somehow, his obassan had managed to take an arm from such a woman. Naruto felt annoyed by his own ignorance, but he knew it couldn't be helped. Kotohime wasn't the type of person to prattle on about her past accomplishments to her students. She had told him a little bit, and Naruto knew she was a powerful Seal Master. But to defeat Meiku of Tsuchi no Kuni was a different story altogether. Now the blonde realised he knew nothing about the woman. She taught him history, however that was history he needed to know. Naruto wondered, just how powerful was Uzumaki Kotohime?.

"Wondering how powerful the old hag is?." Anko asked.

Anko herself was left gobsmacked when she learnt of the power of Uzumaki Kotohime, and more so Uzumaki Kushina. It was strange since for the former she got wind of her true reputation when on a mission outside Konoha. When found out about everything, she realized just how ignorant the denizens of Konoha were about their legends.

Most of Konoha knew Uzumaki Kotohime, Uzuki Ha, Namikaze Mina, Kaname Yuhi, Senju Akane, Senju Nobunaga, Uchiha Shii, Hyūga Rōha, Nara Shikaku, Aburame Shibi, Shimura Danzo and more as merely clan heads or influential clan members. However, outside the gates of Konoha and in the real world, all those names were taboo to one hidden village and settlement or another.

That was one of Anko's dreams, and these casual looking devils served as benchmarks for her. She envied their reputation inside the village and more so outside of it. The name Mitarashi Anko was fast spreading, thought much to Anko's chagrin, her late sensei's name played no small role in her international emergence. Anko wasn't satisfied with that. She desired to create a name for herself, to be feared and renowned much like her mentors. That was why she worked so hard, why she had no time or interest in 'extracurricular activities'.

Anko decided a long time ago that since the world shunned and rejected her, she would force it to fear and respect her.

"Yeah. Will you tell me?."

"You can just ask her yourself, I doubt that overbearing hag doesn't want to blab about her past to you." Anko replied.

Naruto nodded. It was true that he hadn't actually asked his obassan about her past. He didn't ask her many personal questions and simply trusted her to tell him on her own time. That didn't mean he would always wait patiently for that time to come.

Most of the time, Naruto endeavored to figure out what he wanted to know by himself. With his obassan, he had made the foolish error of seeing her as a manipulative but still old woman.

Though Kotohime truly didn't look so old. If it wasn't from her greying hair, one would think Kotohime belonged to the same generation as Inuzuka Tsume and Shiōin Yoruichi despite being almost double their age. Perks of being an Uzumaki or Uzuki, she told him. Perks that he should look forward to.

"Now that's out of the way. You wanna tell me what this seal is for?." Anko asked, adopting a stern expression.

Naruto put aside his thoughts for later. "What do you mean?." The Uzumaki responded with a question of his own.

"You know what I mean." Anko narrowed her eyes at the blonde. "You didn't know about the enmity between ya granny and Meiku, so you definitely didn't come to me because you were wary of Meiku's grudge or didn't want Kotohime to find out you are planning on asking her enemy for help. That leads me to think, the nervousness stems not from an extension of malice for Kotohime to you, but for a different reason. A personal reason." Anko said, her analytical gears turning as she deduced Naruto's motive in meeting her.

"You're smart." Naruto said with a genuine smile.

Anko blushed slightly from the compliment. She was almost completely a society outcast who worked in the TI division. She didn't get many compliments. "T-thank you." Anko stammered as she murmured out. She quickly got over her embarrassment. Knowing Kotohime, and seeing how much Naruto was influenced by the woman, that compliment albeit a honest one could still have a primary objective of distracting her from the point while he quickly constructed a lie.

Anko gave him no chance to gather his thoughts and spoke again. "It's actually really simple. When a person like you asks for a seal, it common sense to assume it–"

"Person like me?." Naruto asked, appearing to be slightly offended by the way Anko highlighted his status.

Anko immediately panicked. She was against the idea of telling Naruto about his status this early, and only found out when the decision had already been taken.

Yūgao kept her updated on the blonde's situation and aside from a problem attributing to a lack of remorse for killing an enemy nin, Naruto was said to be totally fine. In Anko's opinion, the lack of remorse wasn't really a problem. She didn't exactly feel bad when she took her first life. Admittedly, she felt something but it wasn't remorse. She never felt bad for once for doing the did, just that the gruesome sight of it stuck with her. She agreed with Yūgao that it was out of the ordinary for Naruto to not feel a thing after committing murder, but to Anko it didn't really matter.

They knew Naruto was anything but heartless and had a big heart, so big he could still love a person who hurt and avoided him for years. So what if he was cold hearted and ruthless to his enemies?. In Anko's eyes, that just made him look more like a great shinobi.

However, like Anko implied Naruto had a heart and thus feelings. It wouldn't be surprising if the quick-witted blonde picked issue with her poor choice of words and how she made this whole thing about his status. It was unfair to consider his status as the driving force for every single decision he made. Thinking about it, it was no different from what the villagers did to her. When they stared at her they saw Orochimaru's mark first, and Mitarashi Anko second. It was only, the inhabitants of Konohagakure didn't give Anko a second glance.

"Heh, you actually fell for that." Naruto said, smirking at the surprised looking purple haired lady. "I know you know I'm a jinchuriki. Also it'd be unreasonable of me to get mad at people for highlighting that fact when we're talking seals. More so since its you." Naruto said making a dismissive expression, indicating that he really didn't take any offense.

Anko frowned. This little prick tricked her again. Influenced by Kotohime?. If Anko didn't know any better she would think that said Uzumaki woman somehow miraculously birthed the blonde little devil in front of her.

They were so alike it was disturbing. Naruto had inherited the Storage Seal Master's love for mind games, which was one of her most terrible qualities. If only Anko rrealizd, even now she was still being played by Naruto. Much like the current Uzumaki clan head, Naruto's love for mind games stemmed from his secret desire to manipulate others.

Naruto didn't say those words as a mere joke, no, it was something more elaborate than that. By faking offense, he led Anko to sympathize with his status, which would in turn cause her to make a comparison between both their burdens. Once Anko did that, Naruto had successfully subtly incited her to cast her thoughts along the line of her seal. Although she could take offense to the revelation that she had been tricked, Naruto was willing to accept such an outcome.

A small price to pay for the reward of disarming of whatever self deprecating or depressing thoughts she was having. His final implication about how Anko especially could relate with him, would serve to strengthen the purple haired lady's belief that their burdens were the same. This way, Naruto would find it easier to broach the topic of the Ten no Juin and convince Anko that getting a seal from Meiku would be beneficial to both parties.

To Anko, refusal of his request would be tantamount to saying they carry an equally heavy burden yet her the older one was too much of coward to face it. The question would no longer be about how Naruto could be so selfish to ask her of something like this, but the question of why Naruto should be brave enough to face his demons while she hid from hers.

For a proud young lady like Anko who craved companionship and was afraid of the thought of being left behind, the impression that Naruto would be facing his reality ahead of her would trump over all other thoughts. Over all emotions of betrayal at how he requested her to throw herself to the wolves in his place. All other thoughts would become secondary to the single driving thought. Thoughts of fear. Fear of being left behind by Naruto.

With that Anko would make a decision based on her fears rather than her better judgement.

It was the perfect manipulation.

"Don't do that again." Anko said, slightly glaring at the blonde.

No matter what, it wasn't good to play with people's emotions like that. It reminded her of a person she rather forget. Naruto's response was a smile. A smile that told Anko that this wouldn't be the last time she would be a recipient to Naruto's mind games.

Anko sighed. This kid was so unruly, how hadn't she realized it until now?. No wonder Yūgao and Saya bitched so much about his stubbornness. Anko didn't know whether Naruto even knew what the words 'No' and 'Stop' meant. He probably interpreted that as 'keep doing that, I'm secretly proud of you'. Yet another nasty gift from his grandaunt.

"What's the seal for?." Anko adopted a stone serious expression once more. She wasn't going to let him distract her from the point.

Unbeknownst to Anko, Naruto wasn't trying to distract her from this question, rather leader her to it on his own terms. Naruto's expression turned serious. One couldn't fix a game and smile the whole time he was playing/winning it. A little deception most come into play. It was common sense not to look guilty.

"I wanna replace an auxiliary seal in my main seal with the seal I want from Meiku." Naruto said. There was no cause to lie. Trickery was more effective when you said the truth. It just depends on how the person takes it. Or better put, how you make the person take it.

Anko frowned lightly. She feared as much. However, the blonde said he was just exchanging an auxiliary seal with another, so it wasn't as serious as her initial fears. Anko had suspected that the kyuubi had somehow manipulated Naruto into finding a way to break the main seal.

Who better to break a binding seal than a Binding Seal Master?. Now, though her doubts weren't completely cleared, Anko was put at ease a little.

"You don't plan on tinkering with your own seal now do ya?. Come to think about it, have you messed around with your seal?, and don't you lie to me!." Anko warned, making the best stern big sister face she could. No doubt she looked ridiculous to Naruto.

"No to both questions." Naruto said dryly.

"Lies!." Anko yelled, slamming her palm into the desk by her side. "You've been messing with your seal all night long haven't you?. Yeah I know you have, so don't even think about lying to me!. I bet you tinker with like every other night, wait for all your Uzuki clansmen to hit the hay then you take your shirt off and–"

"–furiously wank to thoughts of Mitarashi Anko."

"–furiously wank to thoughts of sexy ass Mitarashi Anko– wait, no!." Anko couldn't even blush this time. She just started at the licentious blonde with a gobsmacked expression. To say he was a degenerate would be an understatement, Anko feared another super pervert of Konoha was slowly emerging. "You weren't this licentious months ago." Anko said, suddenly looking pale as she stared at Naruto like he was an alien.

"I was." Naruto confessed. "Only Saya-chan knew though. But that's a secret." Naruto's wicked grin got even wider. "Wanna hear another secret?."

"I'm pretty sure I don–"

"I only let people I know will let me have my jollies in on this secret." Naruto whispered to Anko. The woman face turned red and a little disgusted.

"Jollies?." Anko repeated questioningly.

"Jollies." Naruto affirmed.

"I pity the innocent virgin girls of your generation." Anko whispered with a shake of head.

"And you too."

"Just stop it. I know you're playing those mind games of yours again." Anko said, effectively calming herself down.

The blonde had thrown off her concentration yet again, and though it worked easier since she had a personal connection with him, Anko still felt Naruto would have a great future in the TI division. The only problem was she didn't want him to torture scumbags for a reason and the prospects of sharing a workplace with Naruto scared her.

"Guilty." Naruto smiled. "But I was saying the truth the first time. I really don't mess around with the seal. It's too high level for a rookie like me and do you think obassan wouldn't know if I was even touching the seal?." Naruto asked.

Anko had to admit, those were two good points. While Naruto was a talented boy, being able to understand a seal the Yondaime placed his hopes and fate of Konoha in was a stretch.

Anko also knew Kotohime was very mindful of things regarding the seals and made sure to run regular checkups on it. If Naruto was doing anything to the seal in secret surely the woman would know. "Then how are you gonna replace the old auxiliary seal with a new one?." Anko asked.

"I'll have Kotohime-obassan do it. She knows more about the main seal than anyone." Naruto answered.

Anko raised an eyebrow in surprise. "She knows?."

"No I just plan on telling her after we get the seal from Meiku. No matter her grievances with the woman, she isn't petty to the extent of confiscating or stopping me from using the seal. As long as she knows it's aiding my growth she will help. But, considering the off chance that she decides to be that petty, I plan on making a photocopy of the seal in advance. If Kotohime-obassan doesn't help then I'll convince ero-sennin to. Installing an auxiliary seal shouldn't be much of a hassle for him." Naruto explained.

"Wow... You really think stuff through." Anko said in awe.

"Thanks."

"You still haven't explained why you need my help in particular. I'm guessing the reason you don't commission this seal to Meiku yourself is because of your status. The whiskered Uzumaki boy asking for a seal related to one that supports a jinchuriki seal will no doubt set off alarms in Meiku and Tsuchi no Kuni's minds. Since you figured out as much, I'm guessing you know that no matter who asks for such a high level elaborate seal, as long as they're affiliated with Konoha would be basically announcing your existence to Tsuchi no Kuni." Anko said.

She like most of those on the know of Naruto's status, were aware the top brass of other powerful villages suspected Konoha had a jinchuriki. That suspicion remained as such for the past decades til date. Konoha never gave the indication that they had a jinchuriki, while the other villages kept on suspecting they had one. If Naruto or any Konoha shinobi requested for such a seal then the suspicions of Tsuchi no Kuni and in extension the world would be confirmed.

"Yes, I realize that. That's why am asking you. Because with you asking, no one would link this to Konoha having a jinchuriki." Naruto explained. This was the moment of truth.

Anko stared at the blonde blankly for a few moments before smiling wryly. She looked away from him and at nothing in particular. "You want to use the Ten no Juin as a cover up."

Naruto felt a piercing sensation in his heart at the sound of those words. The badly hidden pain and disappointment in them. He couldn't see her face since she was looking away, but Naruto could make a guess on what her expression looked like. It wasn't a guess he liked. Naruto stood up, unable to continue sitting, maintaining the calm facade he had been since coming here.

"There's no way I can make this sound less scummy... The world already knows about the Ten no Juin on you. This seal, it can also be used by you, so if you were to ask Meiku to fashion you one there wouldn't be any other suspicions. I wish there was another way Anko-chan, you can say no if you want." Naruto said.

Silence reigned. Absolute silence. Anko gave no reply to Naruto's words and the Uzumaki was left to endure a seemingly endless spell of uncomfortable silence. No matter the preparations he had made for this moment, nor the subtle manipulations he succeeded in, nothing would make this moment an easy one. No matter what, no matter how he planned on this going, Naruto had still asked Anko to sacrifice herself for him.

"I'll do it."

Naruto froze. Was it as he feared, though there was a spell of hesitation, did Anko have so little regard for her well-being that she would willing sacrifice herself for him?. Naruto swallowed nervously and walked towards the purple haired woman. "Anko-chan I know it's difficult but the Ten n–"

"Please don't come near me." Anko said.

Naruto halted, his eyes widening in shock. Anko avoided him all the time, even on his birthday she made sure to never be left alone with him. However, Anko had never said not to get close to her. She may avoid him, but Naruto knew it was just a defense mechanism to protect her psyche and in her mind, him as well.

What Anko wanted more than anything else was to be close to him, and Naruto knew this. That was why it came as a huge shock, hearing Anko's cold voice telling him to stay away. The young lady wasn't done speaking however.

"Also, don't talk to me about my seal. This is all about you." Anko turned to look at Naruto.

The blonde shuddered at the sight of the woman, a woman regarded as one of the village's fiercest. She had a calm and cold expression, staring at Naruto as though he was any other scumbag she interrogated in the TI division. However, something else bothered Naruto ahead of that. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Mitarashi Anko was crying. "Isn't that right?." Anko asked.

Naruto of course couldn't answer, wouldn't answer that question.

He didn't understand it. He expected Anko to be upset and distraught by his words, but not to the point she would tell him not to come near her. Not to the point she wouldn't let him explain how the seal helped her too. Not to the point of crying. This outcome was well and truly out of Naruto's expectations.

What did he miss?. Did he overestimate her love for him?. He was morally wrong to assume Anko would just throw away herself willing for him, and even though he told himself that it was an unwelcome development, he still considered it to be the most likely outcome.

And though, in a way that was what happened, Naruto didn't expect it to be like this. For her to stare at him in cold resentment while agreeing to his request. If her actions were out of love, then why was she staring at him like that?. Then, something else occurred to the jinchuriki. Maybe it was the reverse.

Maybe Anko did truly care for him as much as he thought, and even more. Maybe Anko cared so deeply for him that she was willing to endure the pain of his betrayal and still offer her hand in aid. Not the kind of obsessive love he believed she had for him, not one that blinded her of her own pain and well-being. No, a superior kind of love that suffered the pain of having the most important person to you treat you like trash, yet still remaining loyal to those feelings.

Naruto wondered how he didn't see this coming. Anko wasn't a docile obedient puppy. She was a person who suffered untold hardships, struggles and pain but still did all that was required of her out of her loyalty. Be it to the village, to her comrades or to him.

That was why she still took missions to assassinate potential enemies of the denizens of Konoha, even though a majority of the village detested the sight of her. That was why she still protected the backs of her comrades even after overbearing the hateful and hurtful things they say about her in secret. That was why she was now agreeing to help him, even though he just trampled on her feelings. Mitarashi Anko was a loyalist through and through.

A woman who did what she had to despite what she felt. Naruto looked down, unable to look the woman the face any longer. He had destroyed one of the few things precious things Anko had left. And all for what?. Because he didn't want to be unlike a normal Uzumaki?. Because he didn't want to be an outcast... like Anko?.

'I'm scum.'

'That you are.' Kyuubi concurred. 'I don't like to tell you I told you so– Who am I kidding, I do love to rub it in your face. I told you so, kit. I told you to have a little faith in the purple princess, but no. You see life like it's some big ass library of fuinjutsu scrolls. You think everybody is a scroll, that you can easily analyse and detect all factors from. You think with a few quick strokes here and there you can make people do what you want?. What a dumbass you are. Who knows, maybe if you hadn't been such a douche bag purple princess would've just gotten a lil upset and agree to help you on a latter date. But now that ship has sailed, crashed, burned, decimated, beyond repair, ruined, destroyed, it's gone now and you can never ever s–'

'SILENCE YOU IMPERTINENT CREATURE!.' Naruto screamed mentally, unconsciously releasing an outrageous volume of chakra and killing intent. Still it had no effect on the kyuubi, who cackled in amusement at his frustration.

'There he is!. That arrogant little bastard who dares to take offense when his inferiority to the King of Bijuu is highlighted!.' Kyuubi said, smacking its tails against the seal gates in excitement and oddly joy. 'Where have you been, this king has been lonely pahahahaha.'

'I SAID SILENCE!.' Naruto roared.

'Or you'll what?.' Kyuubi's tone turned serious. 'What can you do to me?. Within the seal, or outside it, what can you do?.' Kyuubi asked mockingly. After a moment of silence it snorted. 'That's what I thought. You can rage but it's meaningless. You can't beat me or harm me, so it's meaningless to lose your temper. Just like the thoughts you were having towards purple princess.'

'You don't know anything!.' Naruto retorted in anger, though he had been greatly cooled down by the kyuubi's words. Truly, losing his temper at the bijuu sealed in him was meaningless.

'I do know apologies don't count for shit. that's what you were planning on doing, no?. Tell her you're sorry, you care for her and mush like that. You really think that girl is going to believe you?. Do you really think that'll make it better?. You fool. You can't take fuckups back once they happen. That's why it's called a fuckup. You can't unfuck anything. All you can do is make up for what you've done and hope to whatever divine creature you worship that it's enough. No dumbass analysis needed, no calculations required. It's common sense. The kitsune part of you knows that. The part that didn't bat an eye when blowing up a Kumo fucker, who gave negative shits about it later. The part that understands that reality can not be escaped by mere humans prediction and does his best with what he's got. That part at least is not a fucking idiot.'

The kyuubi still believed Naruto had a split personality. However, what others would consider the smart Naruto, kyuubi dubbed his idiotic personality. To the fox, the calculative and analytic Naruto was fool, in the sense that whilst analyzing situations akin to how a computer would, this Naruto lost sight of the truth in the depths of emotions and just treated them like data to be analyzed. He understood the concepts, but lost track of their true meaning. An understanding that could only come when one experienced such emotions.

The other personality of Naruto was the instinctive Naruto, who was impulsive and didn't question the situation and just adapted to it. A survivor type Naruto, that used whatever he was provided with and moved on. Ironically, this wasn't the sympathetic or humane Naruto. Neither was the other.

Kyuubi didn't attribute emotions to Naruto's personalities. To the fox, Naruto's base emotions never changed. It was just that both his personalities had a way of ignoring it to make a better judgement. The analytic Naruto converted everything to stats and data and momentarily lost sight of what true emotions were.

The animalistic impulsive Naruto acted on base instincts and though it had emotions it didn't settle on them. Like a mammal that lost a cub, he didn't mourn for too long. In the end, for a better part of his days, these two personalities are merged as one, with his emotions governing which would one would take the dominant role. When there was a problem to solve or piece of information to understand, the emotions of curiosity and confusion empowered the analytic Naruto as the leading personality.

During moments of extreme danger or excitement, the impulsive Naruto took point. What Saya considered the childish and foolish version of Naruto, kyuubi considered a young inexperienced kit. A kit it may be, but it still hand a good head upon its shoulders. It knew how to survive, how to face life and when to act. And even if Naruto disagreed with the theories of him having a split personality disorder.

Even if the analytic Naruto had assisted in breaking down the kyuubi's words for the kit to understand. Even though moments like these proved Naruto's belief that his perceived personalities could work in tandem and weren't at odds to dominate the other. Kyuubi still decided to believe that it was the little kit in control of Naruto's current bold actions.

Naruto didn't understand much of the kyuubi's words at first due to his anger, but when he rightly put it aside to absorb the information he knew exactly what he had to do. The Uzumaki wondered why he was so stupid sometimes, why he tried to repress his true personality in a bid to be like his mentor.

Naruto would admit he did enjoy doing what he did and mostly did it for himself, but now that wasn't what was needed. There was no need to impress or ridicule anyone by proving his mental superiority. There was no need to be smart or act smart. He didn't have to over think this. Kyuubi was right. He messed up.

There was no point thinking about why he messed up or what he could've done to prevent what had already happened. All he had to do was make up for it. So Naruto opened his eyes. He was met with the sight of worried looking Anko kneeling in front of him. He flared a crazy amount of KI laced chakra and then suddenly stopped and remained in the same spot for minutes. Naruto had gotten to immersed with his argument with the kyuubi he forgot he wasn't alone.

"Baby, are you okay?!."

Naruto had the urge to smile. How stupid had he been?. Even after everything she still used that term of endearment on him. That was how love worked, so why was it so hard to see?.

Yes, he had hurt Anko, and was foolish to do so. But Anko still cared for him. If she didn't she would agree to his request or look at him like this now. And as long as she still cared, there was still a chance he could fix this. Naruto didn't reply to the young lady's question and instead moved his hands forward and pulled her into a hug. He couldn't hear her gasp but he didn't release her.

"I don't want to lose you." Naruto said.

That was all he could say, because he had no idea what to say. He decided not to think about what the best possible answer would be and just come forward with his fears.

"I took advantage of the feelings you have for me. I'm a terrible person. Sorry isn't going to be enough to make up for it."

Naruto separated from the woman. He placed his hands gently on her shoulders and stared deeply into her yellow reptilian-like eyes. She looked shocked, overwhelmed but most importantly... relieved. Relieved that the most important thing in her life still existed. Her connection with a blonde boy of eight years.

"So I'll make a promise to you instead." Naruto said, a determined fire lit in his blue eyes. "Anko-chan, I will either help you remove or master the Ten no Juin. I swear it on my parent's grave and my honor as wakate of the Uzumaki and Uzuki clan." Naruto declared. The kyuubi roared in the background as though to punctuate Naruto's statement. The demon fox bore witness to this oath made by its host.

Anko's eyes went wide in astonishment. She stared at the boy with a fearless look in his eyes as he made such a grand promise.

The Ten no Juin was a cursed seal with next to no records on it and Seal Masters who understood more than the basics of it. Not only was it an incomparably crude yet complex seal, it belonged to a taboo class of fuinjutsu.

Cursed Seals. Seals that were illegal to study talk-less practice. Anko understood the Ten no Juin remained on her not just because it was a difficult seal to destroy, but because to do so one would have to first immerse themselves into the dark arts of cursed seals in order to understand a high level seal like the Ten no Juin. And as the name implied, cursed seals and its study didn't entail anything pleasant nor humane.

Those brave enough to walk the path of cursed seals were either mentally unstable or just plain evil. What Naruto was swearing to do, was to just not simply destroy this seal but to plunge himself into the dark arts for Anko. Anko realized this and quickly opened her mouth to speak.

"You ca–"

But Naruto hushed her. "I will. I made you cry Anko-chan, I deserve to go to hell for it." Naruto said with a sad smile. "But that's not the best way to put it, huh?." Naruto chuckled lightly before turning serious again. "What I'm saying Mitarashi Anko is... I will go to hell for you." Naruto said, leading forward to kiss her on her forehead.

The complex of their relationship had always been a strange one. They both felt like they were siblings that never got to share a proper home nor relationship together. Most times Anko took the role of the elder sibling, but this time Naruto felt it was his turn to protect his surrogate sister. Naruto released the woman and turned to leave.

"...I'll get the seal for you. I meant it, I'm not taking it back." Anko said, determined not to let Naruto suffer alone over a promise. She as well would throw herself into hell for him.

"It's for us." Naruto said placing a piece of paper on the couch before turning to Anko with a small smile. "That much I meant. We're in this together." Naruto said with a grin before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Anko was left kneeling alone, a genuine happy smile adorning her features. She placed her hand on the spot Naruto kissed her on, closing her eyes to enjoy a rare moment of internal bliss.

Anko didn't care if he kept his promise or not, she was just happy to hear him say those words. To hear somebody promise to take the darn thing off her. Words not even the Yondaime could say. It didn't matter if they came true or not. It mattered that they came from him, and he dared to say them. To be fearless for her. To walk into the darkness for her. To share the pain with her. Nobody else had offered to do so but him. Only him.

Anko knew before that the blonde meant everything to her, but now she couldn't describe how much he meant to her. To say he was everything was an understatement. Uzumaki Naruto was her entire life and as long as he was there she needed nothing else. No one else.

"...Naruto." Anko whispered out, calling the name after so long and feeling her heart warm up in response.

But despite Anko's bliss, she reminded herself of the reality of the situation and dangers of the future. If Naruto decided to study cursed seals there would be a public uproar at the very. Anko served and protected this village but she didn't trust it. If Naruto was do something so dangerous then it fell on her to eliminate the danger. And to do that, she had to meet with a certain someone.


For the next three days Naruto was under house arrest, courtesy of the decision of the clan elders.

Naruto hadn't had much interactions with the old fogies despite his status. The Uzumaki/Uzuki clan was unlike most large clan, in the sense that the clan head assumed the role of dictator for all things concerning the clan.

This was possible because of the nature at which the first clan head was appointed. The Uzuki clan were equivalent to a vassal clan of the Uzumaki in the old days, but after the destruction of Uzushiogakure the clan had seen a rise in prominence, absorbing most of what was left of the Uzumaki into its being. However, the Uzuki were incapable as well as unwilling to complete devour the Uzumaki clan, thus left some inheritances and sections of the new clan exclusive to the Uzumaki.

The clan was renamed the Uzumaki and Uzuki clan, always putting ahead the name of their ancient patron clan as a sign of respect and their never dying loyalty. However, the greatest privileged handed down to the Uzumaki, or what was left of them, was the right to rule.

Upon the formation of the joint clan, Kotohime was appointed clan head, due to being to most suitable Uzumaki present. Prior to the appointment, she was the head ambassador for the Uzumaki, sent to Konoha to maintain their friendly relationship. The Uzuki had long since recognized Kotohime as their leader, so when the opportunity to make it official came up, they were more than willing to oblige.

Naruto was unanimously accepted as the heir of the Uzumaki and Uzuki clan, despite not being born from its elders or leader, and that was simply because of the Uzumaki blood coursing through his veins. Kotohime's decision to make him the wakate came with no push-back because of his origins and the woman's standing. He was given a special status, and handed more power than other clan heirs or heiresses his age. And even though Naruto was an Uzumaki, he may have lost out on some of his rights if he hadn't proven Kotohime's faith in him time and time again.

The clan elders had minimal influence on the affairs of the clan, but they still had enough power to call Kotohime and Naruto to other should they abuse their authority. That was the reason why Naruto was currently under house arrest. Even without meeting the elders frequently, Naruto knew that he was heavily favored. His obassan told him the elders appreciated his talent and intellect, though there were a few that rather he not conduct himself in such an unruly fashion. Naruto suspected whoever it was that made that complaint was likely responsible for his current predicament.

Kotohime wouldn't have placed him under house arrest for losing his bodyguards. She would've punished the men instead. Maybe she would have scolded him a little but he knew she would approve.

It appeared the clan elders were a lot more strict, and immediately punished him for his actions. As for the bodyguards, they probably got a light warning and were still trusted to guard Naruto on his way to and back from the academy. House arrest didn't mean he could skip school. Perhaps it was the clan elders that convinced his obassan to send him to the academy.

Naruto sighed. Today was another boring day in school.

Saya and Ha were still out on their mission, and Yūgao hadn't been back for the past four days too. His obassan and Tate were still in Suna, and Naruto didn't get to see Eri much either since the woman was helping an Uzuki woman nurse her ill child. Naruto only got to see the loveable black haired woman when she brought him food, that wasn't everyday.

On some days she had someone else bring him his food in her stead. For the past three days, Naruto had been incomparably bored and frustrated. Bored for obvious reasons, but his frustrations had a different reason altogether.

Hinata was avoiding him.

Ever since that uncomfortable conversation with Hinata, that the blonde thought ended well, the lavender haired girl had been doing her best not be around the Uzumaki. She took a different path to school, sat on a different bench, ate her lunch in at different table and quickly bolted straight for home once school was over.

Naruto had no idea why the Hyūga heiress was avoiding him, but was forced to avoid Bonnie so not to further upset the girl. Whatever reason Hinata had for shunning him, he knew being around Bonnie during her 'absence' wouldn't help matters. He knew it was unkind to Bonnie to be scapegoated like that, but Naruto had no choice. Hopefully Bonnie would understand.

She didn't.

Naruto smiled bitterly as he felt Bonnie's hateful glare settle on his back again. Just to avoid the other blonde, he was forced to give up his rights as a backbencher. He now took a seat in one of the middle columns, sharing a bench with anybody who cared to and wasn't Bonnie.

These past three days must've been the most peaceful for Iruka-sensei, Naruto mused. The blonde had so much on his plate now, he didn't have the time nor will to make trouble for the scarred jonin in class.

The Uzumaki remained quiet the whole, pretending to be attentive and sneaking quick glances of Hinata and Bonnie.

He had lunch alone. People could share a class bench with him, but never a lunch table. It was common knowledge that Naruto's diet was odd. Unless one sought to empty the contents of their stomach during break, sitting with the whiskered boy wasn't a good idea. Only few people like the Uzumaki's friends and oddly enough Kiba and Shino could stand the sight of the Uzumaki's lunchbox.

Naruto had no desire to share a table with the noisy Inuzuka, and he was sure the feeling was mutual. Kiba always sat with a crowd of troublemakers, making jokes about teachers and girls all through break-time. Though Kiba didn't mind the Uzumaki's cuisines, his friends did. Naruto and Kiba weren't friendly with each other enough for the Inuzuka to pick him over the other troublemakers. As for Shino, Naruto didn't look forward to the prospects of making small talk with the young Aburame.

Naruto emptied his bottle of sweetened Kumo mountain lion milk. These days his lunches didn't taste as good. Was it because Eri was so busy or the lack of good company?. Naruto sighed for the umpteenth time. Why did everybody important to him have to travel or ghost him this week?. Naruto was wallowing in his depressing thoughts when he heard a person speak out to him.

"Lover's spat?."

Naruto looked up and found a grey haired girl with dark blue eyes staring at him with a friendly smile.

Naruto didn't need to stand to confirm that the girl was taller than him. She was also much more developed than the girls Naruto had seen in his class. Even before looking up, he already knew the speaker wasn't any of his classmates. That wasn't to say Naruto knew all his classmates' voices by heart. He didn't. Naruto, however, recognized this voice. It was the voice of the most popular girl in the academy and the most talked about topic amongst the male students.

Naruto hardly got to see the girl, but like most boys he could recognize her anywhere. Despite this being a joint cafeteria, it was mostly Naruto's class that occupied it. During break, other students took their lunch to different parts of the school to sit and eat with their friends in silence. It was said that only first year students found the cafeteria conducive, and after a year or so they would, like the class before them, grow tired of the noisy first years and leave to find a spot of their own.

However, today, the most popular third year student was standing in the cafeteria, in front of none other than Uzumaki Naruto. The noisy hall immediately went completely quiet. All eyes turned the Uzumaki and the third year girl.

"Excuse me?." Naruto said, suspecting he misheard the girl's first words. The third year girl smiled prettily, Naruto almost choked on his saliva at the sight. One could not even begin to describe the beauty of the sight that the heavens graced Naruto with just now.

"I said, lover's spat. You normally hangout with the Hyūga heiress and a blonde girl but you're sitting alone today. I'm wondering if there's a love quarrel between you three." The third year girl said, smiling mischievously at Naruto.

Naruto quickly calmed down his beating heart. He'd seen far more attractive women than this preteen could hope to match up to. He lived with two of the four popular ice queens of Konohagakure for crying out loud.

He basically groped one of said ice queens days ago and she let him!.

'Uzumaki Naruto you're the chaddest of chads this academy has seen yet. Don't be allow your esteemed self to be flustered by the smile of this earth descended heavenly entity!.' Naruto yelled mentally.

Thankfully, his democratic training came in handy and helped to mask his emotions. Whilst his mind was in chaos, Naruto calmly stared at the third year girl as though she was ordinary.

"Normal people wouldn't just assume we're all in a relationship." Naruto said.

The third year girl's smile only got wider and somehow even prettier. She leaned down so her head was level with Naruto's. "I guess I'm abnormal then." She quipped.

Naruto's expression didn't change. 'Good ol poker face training!. Thank you obassan!.' Naruto cheered mentally. "What do you want Namikaze Kimiko?." Naruto asked bluntly.

Putting aside his nervousness from meeting the queen bee of the academy, Naruto maintained the awareness that this girl was from the rival clan of his Uzumaki and Uzuki clan. While Naruto had no interest to carry on the grudges of the older generation, it would be foolish to assume the rest of the younger generation shared his sentiments. So when Naruto saw a Namikaze acting friendly, he reminded himself to be wary.

"Full name and everything~" Kimiko said in a sing-songly and giggled. "Nice to meet you too, Uzumaki Naruto." Kimiko said, revealing that she knew the blonde's full name as well. Kimiko's giggles rose in intensity when she saw Naruto narrow his eyes. "You should know you're popular, Naruto-kun."

Naruto repressed the urge to smile at how the girl added the 'kun' honorific to his name. "How so?." Naruto asked.

"You're the hero that saved the Hyūga heiress, aren't you?." Kimiko responded with a question of her own, faking curiosity in a cute way.

Naruto slowly began to develop a distaste for the girl. He was a person who enjoyed mind games, a natural trickster. So, obviously he disliked being the one who was getting played. "Her name is Hinata." Naruto said.

"Oh, how defensive." Kimiko remarked with a light smile.

"I'll ask you again. What do you want?." Naruto asked, his chakra slowly rising as his blue eyes shone in a dangerous glow.

"No need to get violent Naruto-kun." Kimiko said, waving her hand placatingly. She didn't appear intimidated though. No matter what, Naruto was still a first year and she wasn't an ordinary academy student herself. "I just wanted to see you up close, honest!." Kimiko said, stepping away from the Uzumaki.

Naruto knew the taller party hadn't retreated out of fear. "You've seen me. You can leave now."

"Ara... So mean." Kimiko said in faux sadness. Her eyes suddenly light up and a smile adorned her face once more. "Well you are right. I'll be leaving now. I hope we can have another chat in the future, Naruto-kun the saver of the Hyūga heiress." Kimiko said, turning to leave.

Naruto suppressed his chakra and frowned at the retreating girl. "You refuse to call her by her name. Are you really interested in me because I saved Hinata-chan?." Naruto queried.

Kimiko stopped and turned her head to glance at Naruto. "Interested?. I only wanted to see what you look like, who said I was interested in you?. Or isn't your 'Hinata-chan' enough for you?." Kimiko teased, making a mocking mimicry of Naruto's voice when she said 'Hinata-chan'. Much to her disappointment, however, Naruto didn't rise to the taunt. Kimiko's smile turned thin. "You are right though. I'm more interested about the other thing you did that day."

"Hardly anybody knows about that." Naruto said.

Of course this had nothing to do with Hinata. The grey haired girl just used the Hyūga as to broach the real topic she wanted to discuss with him. Unfortunately for her, Naruto responded with hostility and she was forced to temporarily retreat without saying all she wanted to say.

"Those who matter do." Kimiko said with a shrug. "It makes one wonder... For a kid who was bloodied so early, and even before his shinobi career, why is Uzumaki Naruto underperforming in his first year at the academy?." Kimiko asked, that mischievous smile working its way up to her face again.

"Who said I'm underpreforming?." Naruto retorted.

Kimiko chuckled. "Please. By your standards, your scores are absolutely abysmal." Kimiko said. She saw Naruto shrug but said nothing in response. "You should understand my confusion at finding your rank exactly at the middle of your class. So, I wanted to ask whether it was deliberate or not."

"Why ask questions that you already have an answer to." Naruto said dismissively.

"Naruto-kun is right. Okay, I've found out everything I need to know for today." Kimiko said, continuing her steps. She waved at Naruto as she left. "Catch you later Naruto-kun!."

Naruto frowned. The girl said her last words loud enough for the whole cafeteria to hear. She was definitely here to make trouble for him.

Naruto watched the girl join in with two other girls. One of the girls, a girl with black hair held in a messy ponytail, glanced at him briefly before turning away in disinterest. The four third years left the cafeteria and slowly the noisiness and liveliness returned to the hall. Naruto rose from his seat and left the cafeteria through the opposite exit from the one Kimiko used.

'It seems your trickery didn't transcend your class as you hoped, kit.' The kyuubi spoke up, revealing that it hadn't slept through the entire meeting with Kimiko.

'She also knows I've killed. Kotohime-obassan said that jiji marked that detail as an A-rank secret and wouldn't be released until I officially become a ninja. Yet, Kimiko knows.' Naruto said, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

'Safe to say this girl must be a pretty important figure in the Namikaze clan.' Kyuubi mused. 'Maybe a clan heiress?. She did carry herself with a noble-like grace.'

'No, that's impossible. The Namikaze clan doesn't have an heir. In respect of the Yondaime, the Namikaze have forgone bestowing the status of heir or heiress to any of their clansmen. In respect of the Yondaime's memory, or something like that.' Naruto explained.

Kyuubi made a dry expression. 'Well, that's just dumb. Wouldn't they require a successor, should the current clan head die?.' Kyuubi queried.

Naruto shrugged. Kyuubi sweatdropped. Humans always used honor as an excuse to do something idiotic.

'Well, on the up-side, with this brat approaching you, you're guaranteed a means in which you can connect with possible future teammates from the upper classes.' Kyuubi said.

'I still plan on making Hinata-chan and Bonnie my teammates. Kimiko's actions changes nothing.' Naruto said firmly.

'Oh c'mon!. They're not even talking to you. Plus look at that girl. She's prettier, more capable and isn't the least bit intimidated by you.' Kyuubi argued.

'She's not prettier, just more confident and mature. We don't know how capable she is yet. Finally, she's not intimidated by me... yet. She won no points today. The only thing she's assured of is my ire.'

Kyuubi groaned. Stubborn little fool. 'You pick the worst possible times to get sentimental.' Kyuubi complained. 'When that girl grows into a drop dead gorgeous and powerful kunoichi, don't say I didn't warn you.'

'You just want me to take her as a mate.' Naruto said dryly.

'Yes!.' Kyuubi didn't even deny it. 'When I say teammate, I mean I team of mates. Mates that you can shag whenever you want, during, before or after missions. And trust me on this one kit, that girl is gonna grow into a hottie. So be smart, get her while she's still in her less attractive form!.' The fox encouraged.

'No. I'm looking for teammates and a sensei I can trust.' Naruto said.

'Yeah, that's why you picked the two girls who have a crush on you as your future teammates, and the Uzuki woman who promised to let you bang her once you are stronger as your sensei.' Kyuubi said sarcastically.

Naruto blushed. 'Saya-chan never said that!.'

'But you thought it!. Trust me kit, no woman would say those words without considering the future implications. You should be happy. Someone is will to end your miserably virginity in the future. That's way more than most virgins can say.'

'Sh-sh-shut it, ero-kitsune!.' Naruto sputtered.

"I guess even boss can't withstand the charms of the mighty Namikaze Kimiko."

Naruto jumped as he heard somebody's voice. And judging from the loudness, the person was too close for comfort.

On reflex Naruto summoned one of Yūgao's old swords in his hands and pointed it at the neck of his 'attacker'. When Naruto got his wits back, he realized the attacker in question was actually Bonnie.

"Goddammit Bonnie, I told you not to do that again!." Naruto said to the blonde girl, who didn't appear much bothered by the blade pointed at her neck. Naruto returned the sword back to the seal and sighed. "What is it?."

"I figured I'd follow you here, where your precious Hinata-chan can't see us." Bonnie said, hardly trying to repress her irritation.

Naruto's eyes turned slightly gloom. "Sorry." He said. He didn't know what else to say, if there was anything else to say.

"Whatever." Bonnie said dismissively. She huffed, closing her eyes as she spoke. "I'm done smelting the raw materials for your suit into one. You can come pick it up, today if you want –not that I want you around or anything... You'll need a weaponsmith to make an armour out of it. I'm a scientist, not an artist. I'll write down the precise temperature the material should endure, I don't want some incompetent fool ruining months of my wharaaahhhh!." Bonnie screamed out in the end. Naruto had suddenly grabbed her by the waist and started spinning around happily laughing like a buffoon.

"I knew I could count on you Bonnie!. You little freckled genius you!, I knew you could do ittebayo!." Naruto laughed loudly, ignoring the screams and pleas of the girl to put her down.

Bonnie actually did it!. She actually managed to fuse three raw material that were said to be repulsive to one another. She had succeeded where hundreds of others had failed, in merely five months at that.

If Naruto did not believe Bonnie was a once in a lifetime genius before, he did now. To think this girl was labelled as the dead-last, ignored by teachers and students alike.

The whole of Konoha had no clue a girl they labelled as slow and an outcast had now made the impossible possible. Naruto was going to take advantage of their ignorance. He didn't care what kyuubi thought. He was definitely going to make this girl his teammate, completely loyal to him and him alone.

After a few more spins Naruto put the disorientated Bonnie, still grinning from ear to ear. "Bonnie, you're the best. I mean it."

"Yeah yeah... Let me just get my balance first." Bonnie said, using a wall as support. After a minute or so, Bonnie was able to stand by herself.

"Sorry for ignoring you." Naruto said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "It's just... If Hinata-chan sees us together when she's like this, she might take it the wrong way." Naruto explained.

"I understand." Bonnie said. Despite saying so, her expression didn't improve at all. She and Naruto spent a few minutes of uncomfortable silence before she spoke again. "Well... I gotta go." She turned to leave. "Just..." Bonnie started speaking again, with her back facing Naruto. "You would do the same thing to Hinata if I was in a mood too, right?." Bonnie nervously asked.

"Absolutely." Naruto said without hesitation.

Bonnie remained quiet for a little while. Thankfully she had turned her back when she asked that question, so Naruto couldn't see the goofy smile on her face. "Good." Bonnie said and quickly left so Naruto wouldn't see her face.


Uzumaki/Uzuki Clan Compound

When Naruto got home he was feeling happy. Seeing Hinata hurriedly leave with her bodyguards again left him feeling a little depressed, but memories of Bonnie's success improved his mood once more.

The blonde was still in shock by how fast Bonnie had succeeded. That she had succeeded. Now, with the help of the Uzuki clan's weaponsmiths, Naruto could finally go on his first real mission.

Naruto couldn't stop himself from grinning whenever he thought about it. But, even with the primary objective, Naruto was left lost for words at the other possibilities Bonnie's formula had created.

Bonnie created a formula and process in which one could fuse three of the most important ores in the Elemental Nations. Chakra ore, Uzu ore and Kumo iron ore.

Chakra or as the name implied was a type of metal capable of withstanding chakra. Most ores collapsed or quickly lost their quality when chakra was transfused through them, but not chakra ore. Chakra ore was not only able to withstand chakra, but smoothly distribute, retain and amplify its properties using chakra. This ore was mostly used to create long lasting weapons for shinobi and samurai alike. Chakra ore could be commercially found in Kaminari no Kuni, Tetsu no Kuni and Hi no Kuni.

Though Konoha's home country had the ore in a barely commercial amount, it was more than enough to craft and fashion all types of weapons for the denizens of the country. Kaminari no Kuni and Tetsu no Kuni were able to use the excess raw material for foreign exchange, profiting in the trillions.

Uzu ore was an ore that was once only located in the territory of Uzushiogakure, but over the years small hordes of the rare ore had been discovered. Uzu ore was best known for its lightness and flexibility. It was a ore best used to fashion light armours and weapons. Though it couldn't be compared defensively to the Kumo iron-ore, weapons made with Uzu ore were said to be the sharpest.

Finally, the Kumo iron-ore. This was the toughest metal that could be possibly smelted as a weapon. Commonly found in Kaminari no Kuni, it was a metal popularly used for most weapons. The basic kunai, shuriken, needles, swords and armours were made using this metal. This made it the single most sought out metal in the world.

These three metals, in their own way were unique and valuable. Many genius weaponsmiths had long since dreamed of the perfect fusion of the three metals, yet had all failed to succeed in smelting the hybrid metal. A metal with the transcended ability to harness chakra without flaw of the chakra ore, the lightness and flexibility of Uzu ore and the sturdiness of the Kumo iron-ore.

Such a metal was the dream of weaponsmiths, shinobi and samurai alike. Now, Naruto had gotten his hands on the formula of that dream metal through Bonnie. After he assessed the girl he concluded she was a golden goose, and already she had gifted him with her first golden egg. The discovery of this new dream hybrid metal spelt riches. Riches that could one day rival that of an entire great hidden village. It was a futuristic estimate, and Naruto first had to procure various other elements before he could even begin to consider marketing the hybrid metal.

However, futuristic or not, it was a possibility. An opportunity, one that Naruto and Bonnie would definitely not miss out on. It was an opportunity that spelt independence, influence and power. Naruto was excited for the future and just how much he and the blonde freckled genius would accomplish together.

Naruto's good fortune for the day had thankfully only begun. When the blonde returned, he found the jean clad siblings sitting together in the clan's main training field, watching a few Uzuki shinobi go through their katas. Ha gave instructions from time to time, while Tate and Saya enjoyed a pot of sake together.

"SAYA-CHAN!." Naruto screamed at the top of his lungs upon seeing the woman. The blonde boy bolted to the blonde woman at his fastest speed, rocketing into, and throwing the seated woman into the ground. The Uzumaki hugged the groaning woman tightly and fake cried into her chest. "I've missed you so!." Naruto sobbed.

Saya pushed herself up with her elbows and rubbed the back of her assaulted head in pain. "Goddammit squirt. I manage to survive an A-rank mission with minimal injuries and the first you do upon seeing me is give me a fucking headache!." The pierced woman cussed.

"Language. You're holding a child." Tate cautioned the woman.

He was the most soft-spoken out of his siblings, as well as the most well-mannered. Tate was like their mother; gentle, caring and spoke properly. His siblings however were like their father; brash, tough loving and cursed as much as a pirate. Well, Saya at least toned it down due to her training with the okami, but Ha?. Ha was terrible.

Tate was sure his elder brother couldn't go a single hour without cussing, and that included hours of silence. Ha was the sort of person to break a long silence with a cuss, simply because he wanted to cuss. Sometimes, Tate heard him cussing in his sleep.

"A child my tattooed ass." Ha said, turning from the group of chunnin he had just finished yelling at.

The fools thought the appearance of their wakate was an excuse to stop training. They could make up for their rudeness later and give their respects the boy a million times if they wanted. But right now it was training time with their favorite pierced torturer.

"This brat is already rotten to the core. Look how he jumps straight into Saya's tits when we've also been gone for days." Ha said, pointing an accusatory finger at the Uzumaki who was trying his best to smolder himself inbetween Saya's small breasts.

"You're just jealous he didn't say he missed you onii-sama." Saya said.

The curly haired goth sweatdropped at the scene of her eldest brother shamelessly agreeing to her words. Ha was always a direct person.

He hated to pretend and repress emotions. If he felt a way about something he would say it, and without hesitation. Ha had nothing to hide and feared no one. His life was an open book, much to the chagrin of others. People loathed to hear about Ha's personal feelings and thoughts.

Saya ignored her eldest brother, who was still complaining, and looked down at the Uzumaki who was not so subtly sexually harassing her. She pinched the back of his neck with her free hand, causing him to look up at her.

His blue eyes glittered with genuine emotions of happiness and fondness, a big cute smile was plastered on his roundish face. Saya, despite herself, couldn't deny that the scene was an incomparably adorable one. Her thoughts of reprimanding the blonde boy soon dissipated. She managed to stop herself from mirroring his smile, and placed her hand gently on his spiky blonde haired head. "How've you been squirt?." She asked.

"Now that you're here... Great." Naruto said, smiling softly. He closed his eyes and returned his head back into Saya's bosom, enjoying the softness of it as well as the familiar scent of her cologne.

Saya couldn't hold back her smile anymore and let it reach her face as she stroked the Uzumaki's hair fondly.

During the entire mission with her brother she was thinking about him. Worried that he was doing something foolish or got himself in trouble without her to protect him. Saya hadn't realized how much the blonde had grown on her until she took a lengthy mission out of the village.

She found her mind drifting back to home far more than it ever had. She, a woman who relished combat and the blood and muck of a violent life and death battle. Saya had a taste some would call unhealthy. A taste for violence.

Much like her older brothers and parents, Saya was a war dog. A blood obsessed war dog who thirsted for the violence and chaos of a battlefield, who found home and solace cut inbetween life and death. But now, Saya found that what she knew as home had been demoted to merely a second one.

The first, and most important one was right here, with this blonde whiskered boy. Saya found a greater sense of ease, comfort and peace with him than anywhere else. It made her dread the days he would be the one leaving her for missions, going to places she couldn't just run off to, places she wasn't familiar with. Saya never looked forward to those days even though she wished to see Naruto grow into a powerful ninja.

A selfish part of herself wanted to keep him here with her, protecting him from the dangers of the world. Sheltering him so he could continue to keep her company for much longer.

"Aren't they cute?." Tate said, staring at the adorable scene of his little sister hugging the wakate with a small but warm smile.

"Nothing cute about it." Ha said dismissively. "That kid is up to no good, I'm telling ya. He just wants to get into sis' pants and you fucking clowns are cheering him on." Ha said.

He knew he sounded like a broken record with how much he talked about Naruto having ill intentions, but it was true. This false show of innocence and cuteness didn't fool him. Naruto was a dog. A hungry dog, the worst kind of dog. And Saya, the little putz she was, was the oblivious piece of meat.

It was sad yet inevitable that the dirty dog would devour the piece of meat in the end. It was just fate. Now, Ha was just trying to figure out if his sister would be okay with this or not.

Ha's first thought would be not, but looking at them now... Ha really had no clue. He hoped her fondness for the blonde brat wouldn't blind her too much of what true happiness is.

He knew Saya was more like their father and mother than any of them. Saya much like their mother was a loyalist based on principles, and like their father formed a deep bond with person who gave her a shot at a good life. The recipient of the loyalty and oaths of their family would normally be the okami, but Ha perceived a shift in Saya's case. Her life now seemed to revolve around the wakate more than anything, and her greatest principles was in turn safeguarding the boy and his well-being. That would imply Saya was even more loyal than all of them. Loyal to Uzumaki Naruto first.

Naruto was going to be the future leader of the Uzuki, so most wouldn't find problems in the situation. Like Tate, who was in complete support of the close relationship between Saya and Naruto. Ha, on the other hand couldn't help but be wary of the blonde.

At such a young age he was already contesting for the loyalty of one of the clan's strongests with the okami. If by chance the Uzumaki male had a falling out with the clan, Ha dreaded to know what decision Saya as well as Yūgao would take. Would they side with the wakate or the Uzuki clan?.

Naruto was the future of the Uzumaki clan, he represented the Uzumaki perhaps more than the aged Kotohime did. Should the blonde come to odds with the clan, that would be tantamount to a segregation between the Uzumaki and Uzuki. The question to every clan member then would be; what camp would you belong to?. Uzuki or Uzumaki?.

Ha put his thoughts aside and returned his attention to the group of chunnin. It was meaningless thinking about things like that now. It wasn't like the Kotohime hadn't considered such an outcome. Ha would trust the woman to do the right thing if such a situation should arise. And should it arise, Ha would be firmly in camp Uzuki.

After catching up with Saya and her brothers, Naruto left for the Uzumaki main building to have a chat with his obassan.

According to Tate the woman was in the middle of a clan meeting and wouldn't be out until later in the evening. Naruto spent his free time with the jean clad siblings, leaving only when Tate confirmed that the elders had departed. Tate was the best sensor amongst the trio, which was a boon for them since he mostly took the role as the support.

Saya whilst the weakest in the three-man team, had racked up more direct kills than the two put together, on joint missions that was. Saya took the role of assassin, sneaking up on occupied or disorientated enemies to deliver a sure kill strike. The woman had mastered the art of one hit killing, and that was one of the reason her reputation didn't lose out to that of her rival, Yūgao.

Saya may not have much in the ways of chakra, sensory or fuinjutsu talent compared to other top Uzuki clansmen but she was still comfortably sitting amongst the top five strongest in the entire clan. Saya was deadly. Many Uzuki revered the genius kenjutsu, speed, power and combat efficiency of Yūgao but none would dare to fight Saya over the purple haired woman.

Yūgao may be regarded as the superior of the duo, but the lethally of Saya was something that couldn't be ignored. Fighting with Yūgao many things could happen during the bout, but in the end the main reason for a loss would be her sheer superiority in combat. Being the jack of all trades she was, hardly any Uzuki could completely overpower Yūgao in any type of combat, be it sword fighting, hand to hand combat, long ranged combat, mid range combat, short blade combat or ninjutsu combat.

Yūgao was like a superhuman, unbeatable in all aspects of battle. Saya, on the other hand had several flaws in her style of combat. She lacked strength, her kenjutsu style lacked knockout power to take down sturdy opponents, she didn't know any destructive ninjutsu and finally her blades were easily the most fragile in the entire clan. Yet, despite all this, Yūgao had absolutely no confidence in suppressing the blonde goth jonin in battle.

Saya made up for her flaws with an advanced proficiency in what she was adept at. Evasion, speed, agility, genjutsu and poison. Adding all her strengths together, Saya was one of the most infamous killing machines the Uzuki clan had seen. She wasn't a walking tank like Tate, nor a super soldier like Yūgao, yet the okami and clan trusted her more with the most important missions of the clan. Yūgao may be efficient in combat, but Saya had an efficiency. A killing efficiency, an efficiency to get the job done at all times.

However, regardless of how outstanding Saya, Tate and Yūgao were none could compare to him.

Uzuki Ha.

Ha was hailed as the strongest Uzuki in the clan after the okami. This wasn't because he was born with a physical superiority to your average Uzuki like Yūgao, nor was he a high level sensor with advanced chakra control like Tate, nor was he as lethal, possessing a throat cutting efficiency like Saya. In a sense, Ha was similar to Saya. He as well had a lot of flaws as a shinobi, more so than his youngest sibling.

While Saya had a few weaknesses here and there, Ha was hopelessly weak in every area of the shinobi arts but kenjutsu. He didn't know many ninjutsu, his chakra control was too iffy for powerful genjutsu, his taijutsu wasn't anything special and much like Yūgao he sucked at fuinjutsu.

There was a common saying in the shinobi section of Konoha. Uzuki Ha without a sword was a chunnin.

Though the statement was exaggerated, it was true that Ha was grossly weakened when he was without a sword. Not a weapon, but a sword. And just as ridiculous as the statement sounded, there was truth in the opposite of what it implied. Uzuki Ha with a sword was a monster.

It didn't matter what kind of sword, as long as it was a flat single blade that could cut, it might as well be a sword in Ha's hand. The man was without doubt one of the strongest jonin in all of Konoha and even the Elemental Nations with a sword in his hand. Ha's kenjutsu was said to be second to none in the entire country. None could match up to him and many dreaded to cross blades with him.

Ha's reputation with a blade spread so far and wide, and his feats shocked so many. It got to the extent that Ha was banned from ever coming to Mizu no Kuni for as long as he lived. The reason, it was one every Uzuki spoke with pride.

Naruto ascended a short flight of steps to get to the top floor of the Uzumaki main building. The building was a two storey one, holding five bedrooms, a kitchen, library and its very own sauna. Despite having so many rooms, this building was home to just two individuals; Naruto and Kotohime. It was a building reserved for the Uzumaki descendants alone, and though workers and maids were present at all times, none resided here.

(AN: Shifts. They have working shifts, but not even the night workers are permitted to sleep in or on the job)

Naruto found his obassan in the patio, conversing with Eri.

"Make sure he gets extra buffalo meat, the fatty ones. Our wakate is going to eat a lot of those from now on." Kotohime said to the black haired woman.

"Hai, okami-sama." Eri answered with a polite bow. The woman hadn't changed much from herself eight years ago. She still looked the same, dressed in the same baggy clothes and had the same oddly glittery black orbs for eyes. "What about Yono-san?." Eri asked, her ever bubbly expression momentarily turning downcast.

"I'll call in doctor Matsuda to have a look at her child, rest assured. Now, run along and give my message to the merchants. Also, try to get some rest Eri, you look pale." Kotohime instructed.

Eri smiled at the woman for her words but didn't say anything in response. She turned to leave to see Naruto stepping into the room. The boy walked around with an infectious smile as usual. Eri couldn't stop herself from smiling back, though she was feeling a little guilty now she saw him. She knew with her daughter, the okami and all Naruto's other friends gone she was the only one left for the boy to play with. But she had been so busy she didn't have any spare time to be with the blonde. The last few days must've been hellish for the blonde.

Eri knew Naruto was unlike most Uzuki children, he was smarter, stronger and all round more matured for his age. This made it difficult for him to befriend other children, and preferred to be in the company of those older than him. Naruto would only go out of his way to befriend another person his age when he sensed something special or unique about them. Something worth troubling himself over. On normal days Naruto would be found in the midst of people more than two times his age.

Eri would like to think she was the blonde's best friend, and she was old enough to be his mother. As old as his mother. Yet, Naruto called her 'Eri-chan', as though they were age mates or she was even younger than him. He was a strange boy.

"Don't mind obassan Eri-chan, you look beautiful everyday." Naruto said with a big smile.

"Oh Naruto-kun you tease." Eri said, placing a hand on her cheek like she was embarrassed, giggling like a schoolgirl. Despite being the biggest mother figure in the clan, many would say Eri acted a little immaturely for her age. Perhaps that was the reason why children would so easily connect with the black haired woman. Eri wasn't a tall woman, so she didn't have to kneel but just lean down to kiss Naruto on his cheek. "I just hope you'll use this silver tongue of yours for the right things Naruto-kun." Eri teased.

'Oh he will, I guarantee it.' Kyuubi said, snickering at the innuendo it made. Now Eri's words sounded dirty, Naruto couldn't help but blush at them. Fortunately for the blonde, it was seen as a natural response in this case.

'Shut it fox.' Naruto said. He watched Eri leave with a small smile on his face before turning to the other occupant of the room. He found that his obassan was already looking at him. A flat expression on her face as though she was about to say something sarcastic.

"Eri's a little too advanced for you, isn't she?." Kotohime asked dryly.

Naruto turned red at the woman's words. First the kyuubi and now her?!. Why was the blonde surrounded by so many perverted people in the older generation?.

According to Yūgao the Sandaime was a closet pervert as well. Was there some entity that turned people to perverts once they entered their sixties?. Naruto feared that perversion would bring Konoha to its doom first before any foreign enemy. Thinking about it now... That gave Naruto a really good idea.

"I'm too young to have this kind of conversation!." Naruto protested, turning away from the smirking Uzumaki woman.

"But not too young to peep on Yūgao when she changes into or out of her ANBU gear for day?." Kotohime teased. She chuckled as she saw the boy's head make a snapping sound as he quickly turned to face her, an incredulous expression on his face. "What, you thought I didn't know?. You'll find, my little wakate that there is nothing concerning the Uzumaki and Uzuki clan that I don't know of." Kotohime said, using the double layered words as a warning for the young Uzumaki.

Naruto didn't let the incoming frown reach his face. His blush instantly disappeared however and his expression settled into a calm one. "How was Suna?." Naruto asked, shifting the conversation to something else.

Kotohime didn't stop her emotions from showing and let out an amused chuckle. "Sandy." The Uzumaki woman answered cryptically.

As she expected, Naruto didn't frown nor say anything. He knew better not to. He was still ignorant of the game. The game she played, the one he tried to play. He may be able to mess with easy targets like Yūgao, Saya and Anko but it was still decades to early for him to be a match for Kotohime. The woman appreciated the effort and was glad he knew how to pick his battles.

Whatever little secrets the young Uzumaki had, he could keep them. Suffice it to say that he can if he could. If Naruto was foolish enough to give her a metaphorical inch, she would take not just a mile but the whole road down his memory lane a reap every little secret he had.

Now, however, she made no move to force out information from the blonde. She knew a lot she didn't tell him, and an awful lot of it had to do with his history, future or his life in one way or the other. The boy was entitled to have his own secrets, and the grander they appeared the more she encouraged herself to let him be. No matter her curiosity, he could not become who and what she hoped if she interfered too much.

Also, his becoming wouldn't be much of a treat if she knew everything already. Seeing how the boy could showed restrain and didn't rise to her taunt, Kotohime–in her opinion–benevolently let him go.

"What can I do for you wakate, surely you aren't eyeing this elderly gal like you are already eyeing Eri and her daughter." She couldn't stop herself from teasing him further. Seeing Naruto's face twisted into disgust. Kotohime had both the urge to laugh and yank him by the ear. "What?. I'm an Uzumaki woman, seventy is like the regular human's mid thirties for us." Kotohime said.

Maybe she was a little insecure, seeing how she was defending her attractiveness to an eight year old. She didn't lie though. Despite pushing seventy, Kotohime looked like a woman who was merely in her thirties. The only indication of her true age was her grey hair and the slight wrinkles at the corner of her eyes and around her neck. Kotohime was only treated like an old lady due to her reputation and popularity. She had the baring of one her age; snooty, grouchy and was extremely old fashioned.

There was also the case of her popularity. Who didn't know who she was?. Nobody would look at her as anything other than an old woman who even personally knew the Shodai's bride. Knowledge of this was a sore spot for the Uzumaki, but she hardly gave the indication that it was.

"That's not it. You're pretty, but I'm pretty sure we're related." Naruto said.

He recently came across a thirteen year old girl with grey hair, and it worked pretty well for her. Looking at his obassan, it worked just as well for her. In Naruto's eyes, the woman could be attributed to the word old anymore. She was far too sharp, cognizant, agile and to his recent discovery, powerful to be associated as old. He didn't know exactly how old the woman was, and while he could make a rough guess, he always placed her in the same generation as Eri. The only difference was his obassan was much more cunning, intelligent and powerful than most women.

Kotohime was left completely stunned by the boy's words. She momentarily stared at the still grossed out looking Uzumaki in a daze before smile adorned her features. Trust Naruto to say something like that. That was what Kotohime loved the most about the little Uzumaki. He was the only one who could get her by surprise so easily.

"We are related. But you should try to get used to the idea of incest wakate, because should I find a fertile Uzumaki woman, I'm going to make you breed her. I don't care if she turns out to be your distant cousin or aunt, it will happen." Kotohime said with all seriousness. Those other words may have been jokes but this ones weren't. If an opportunity to continue the Uzumaki lineage present itself, Kotohime wasn't going to let it slip her by. And if by some miracle she did, she trusted the elders not to make the same mistake as she.

Naruto stared at the serious woman with a pale expression. "Obassan... tell me you're joking."

Kotohime shook her head with a smile, as though as a show of pity for the ignorant blonde. If only he knew how far she would go, had already gone to ensure the continuity of their bloodline. He would be fortunate to find a cousin or aunt in time. "You didn't say why you were here, my boy." Kotohime said, ignoring Naruto's statement.

Naruto smiled bitterly. Was he truly fortunate to be the heir of this clan and a successor to this woman?. "Nothing in particular, I just wanted to see how you are doing." Naruto said with a shrug.

"How thoughtful." Kotohime said with a thin smile. She knew he was lying. He came here for something, she just didn't know what yet. "How about you Naruto, how have you been?." Kotohime asked. They were playing their game again. This time she was the one on the defensive. Naruto was trying to procure a particular information from her, she didn't know what it was but wasn't going to give it up easily.

Naruto eyes brightened slightly. He thought she'd never ask. "Fine... ish. I was under how arrest though." Naruto said. He hated to snitch on the elders, but he needed them to stray the conversation to the direction he wanted.

"Oh, what did you do to warrant such harsh punishment?." Kotohime said in faux curiosity.

The elders already snitched on themselves. They dared not keep things away from her, especially when it concerned Naruto. She was left mildly upset by their decisions to let the incompetent Uzuki jonin continue safeguarding the wakate, but aside from that she supported their decision.

Admittedly, were she present, the outcome would have been entirely different but that wasn't important after actions had already been taken. Either way, Naruto had to understand that he wouldn't get a free pass due to effort every time. There were consequences for acting out. Her incapability to properly discipline the boy, stemmed from her grandparental at seeing him break common logic, sometimes –most times prevented her from doing what was right. That was where the elders came in.

"I ditched my guards to go play around with a friend." Naruto said, intentionally adding the extra bit of detail to tickle Kotohime's curiosity. He already considered that somehow she knew about everything, at least everything the elders knew.

He didn't know about the elders enough to know if they would be so transparent with her, but he still assumed she knew. In Naruto's mind, at all times he took his obassan as an all knowing entity. Omniscient.

'Luring me in with a vague piece of information, not bad. A little too obvious for my taste, but not bad.' Kotohime thought, mentally approving of the blonde's tactics.

This was why she could never punish him. He was a lot like her during her much younger years. Reprimanding Naruto made her feel like she was holding him back, stopping him from becoming who he was meant to be. Nobody ever held her back. Her sentiments once again ruled over her better judgement, making her take the obvious bait. "What friend?."

"Hinata-chan, who else?." Naruto said, repressing the urge to grin. He almost got her, it was a almost too easy.

"Ah, the young Hyūga heiress. You fancy her?." Kotohime asked, looking a little interested.

"Yes." Naruto felt encouraged so he spoke without hesitation. So if he liked Hinata?. With how much his obassan talked about his future bride... brides, he had no reason to feel embarrassed speaking about such a thing with her. He was a little worried she wouldn't approve of Hinata though. For obvious reasons.

'I want teammates and a sensei I can trust~' Kyuubi said, poorly imitating Naruto's voice as it repeated his words from earlier today at the academy. 'You're a hypocrite, kit. The sooner you admit it the sooner we can have some real fun. You don't want the Hyūga girl, freckled genius or goth girl because you trust 'em. You want 'em because you know when you're all set and ready they'll pop it for ya with minimal fuss. Same way you wanna schlong down mama bright eyes, purple princess, purple stabby princess, ya own gran gran and that ramen god's sweet little daughter. Cuz you know they'd be more open to the thought, you perverted little kit you!.' Kyuubi accused. Naruto didn't have the mental strength to argue with the fox so said nothing in response.

"A good choice." Kotohime said.

Naruto was taken aback by the woman's statement. It wasn't so hard to believe that she saw Hinata as a good choice, they did think alike, but... Naruto expected her to at least bring up Hinata's status as a deterrent to the potential relationship.

Kotohime easily picked out the blonde's surprise. "Why do you look so surprised?." The woman queried, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Or do you think I was merely jesting when I said you can have any woman you want, as long as it isn't Shiōin Yoruichi?." The woman said, reminding the other Uzumaki of her brazen words that day.

Words that had lead to the creation of one of the most popular phrases in Konoha today. 'You can even have his wife' and the many other variations of it.

"I wasn't jesting, for it is an indisputable fact. Anybody wakate wishes to have, shall become his. What is a mere Hyūga heiress to our Uzumaki clan back in its prime?. The Hyūga and the rest of the world paid homage to us, groveled at our feet seeking our favor. The very foundation of a village they swore loyalty to, a village that dominated the entire Elemental Nations for decades, that still dominates it now, was carved with the aid of our ancestors.

We stood at the very apex of the world, independent of foreign aid and powers. Within the coastline, separating Hi no Kuni from Mizu no Kuni, we existed self-sufficiently for years. Never partaking in wars, and best believe little Naruto, that none of those warring villages dared to question our neutrality. They knew better than to dare. The whole world once revered our great clan and village. So tell me wakate, is there truly a woman out there that should not be honored to have you as her owner, not to talk of her husband?. It doesn't matter what their standing is, nor what political status they have clawed their way to after our fall, an Uzumaki heir is an Uzumaki heir. Not even Senju Tsunade dares to refuse you one the grounds of status. Rather she is the one lacking the status to warm the bed of our esteemed heir. Even her mighty grandfather, Senju Hashirama lowered to a knee to plead for Mito-sama's hand in marriage.

I would like to see just who is fearless enough to say their offspring or ward is too important to be your bride to my face. If such a day comes then I will personally wipe the scoundrel and his petulant clan off the face of the earth. You are Uzumaki Naruto, and everything thing in this globe suits you. Never you forget that!." Kotohime said, pointing her finger at the boy's chest. Her normally calm eyes burned with a rare fiery passion and determination.

'Oh wow... Oh wow.' Kyuubi said, lost for words. So was the fox's host.

Naruto knew for a long time that the name Uzumaki meant far more to Kotohime than it did anyone. Even Naruto himself had no idea how much the name and that crest that was etched on every ceiling in this building meant to the woman. What it should mean to their descendants.

Today, he was given a glimpse. What an imperious meaning it had. What a boundless arrogance. A domineering notion of self-importance that only the ancient Uchiha clan could hope to match up to. Madara's era of madmen who claimed to be gods and harnessed power akin to divinity. Naruto had no idea the ancient Uzumaki were equally egotistical. In hindsight it made sense.

A clan that ushered the era of jinchuriki, that paved the way for the somewhat peaceful coexistence of several hidden villages. A clan that dominated all knowledge connected to perhaps the most dangerous ninja art in existence. Why wouldn't they be arrogant?. A clan so powerful that the top forces world banned together to destroy them, how could they be considered ordinary. Truly, what was a mere Hyūga clan to the Uzumaki?.

Naruto hadn't considered the history of his clan much and merely called himself Uzumaki Naruto without understanding what it entailed. Without understanding who he was. Today his eyes had been opened. Naruto was filled with a powerful sense of pride as well as nervousness. Now he understood the weight of the burden he bore a little better. Now it terrified him.

The Uzuki wanted to support to reemergence of the Uzumaki. They longed for it. Kotohime longed for a successor who could do what she was too old to do. A figure to carry the banner of the Uzumaki clan and raise it right at the very top of the shinobi world, where it once was. Where it belonged. That figure was him and this wasn't a responsibility that could be handed off to anybody. It wasn't a responsibility he wanted to give up on either. It terrified him, but it excited him at the same time.

He was curious to see what that summit would look like. What it would feel like to bring his clan back to its former glory. Naruto reevaluated his outlook on the world and himself. His destiny was a scary as well as grandiose one. The name Uzumaki was not to be said casually, it meant a great deal for it to be said so casually. His goal was to remind the world of that, what it meant to be an Uzumaki. Unbeknownst to him, he had started already when he suppressed that chunnin in the presence of the hokage and raikage. He thought it was his personal pride that had come to play, but that was not it. It was the pride of an Uzumaki, the pride Kotohime had been subtly cultivating in his heart.

It bloomed for the first time six months ago, now it was steadily growing again and when next it would bloom the onlookers and recipient would be unable to ever forget the scene for years to come. Before that, however, Naruto still had to gather the information he required before he could even think about getting to that part. Naruto put aside all his pretences for now, feeling much too far too proud of his history to continue with this insidious act. At least for now.

"When will you be attending the next council meeting?." Naruto asked straight forwardly.

Kotohime smiled lightly. "Why do you ask?."

"I plan on seeing Hinata in the Hyūga compound without Hiashi there to monitor us." Naruto said. It wasn't a lie. He had plans on visiting the Hyūga.

Kotohime detected the honesty in the words and mentally gave her approval. The best way to mask your true intentions was to say a bit of the truth. "Four days from now." Kotohime rewarded the young Uzumaki's effort with a truth of her own. "I'll be taking Saya and Ha with me. Yūgao's ANBU duties conflict with the schedule. Yourself and Tate will be tasked with protecting our clan." Kotohime handed out extra pieces of details for the boy's benefit. She also wanted him to know that she knew this was what he wanted to know all along.

"Thank you, obassan." Naruto said, rising to leave the room. When he got to the door he stopped at the sound of his obassan's voice.

"Aren't you a little scared that I'll stop you from doing whatever it is that you're trying to do?." Kotohime asked, the thin smile still on her face.

Naruto didn't turn to answer her. He continued walking as he spoke. "You can try." Naruto said as he left.

Kotohime sat in silence, meditating on the words and the reactions of the blonde boy before suddenly bursting out into laughter. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes as she laughed, the melodious tune ringing across the room. The laughter ended as abruptly as it started. Kotohime settled back into her usual small thing smile.

Naruto's growth so far had been absolutely wonderful. Far beyond her original hopes and dreams, the boy had transcended common sense and was well on his way to becoming an anomaly of the shinobi world. It had it all. The brains, the brawns, the charisma, the heart and the ambition. He was everything she hoped he would be and a whole lot more.

"He's still a little too green though." Kotohime muttered out.

It was a little too much to expect the blonde to decipher the hidden intentions behind her powerful words about the Uzumaki. She felt hopeful for the future, however. Though he didn't realize he had been played into revealing his hand, he adopted similar tactics in a bid to get the information he wanted. And similarly, it worked.

His statement about wanting to see Hinata Hyūga without Hiashi interfering aided in getting him the information he needed, just as Kotohime's fervent words about what it meant to be an Uzumaki caused him to reveal his true intentions. On both case, they were both telling the gospel truth. Though it was shrewdly used as a guise to hide their true intentions. That was how the game was played.

The best way to mask your true intentions was to say a bit of the truth. Kotohime understood this tactic completely, and today Naruto had learnt to understand it a little better.


The next three days went by quietly for Naruto and the Uzumaki/Uzuki clan. The only thing of note was Yūgao's return on Sunday, the day before yesterday.

Today was Tuesday, the day the council meeting was scheduled. The day Naruto had been waiting for –for months.

Currently, the Uzumaki was in the cafeteria of the academy, sharing a table alone again.

Hinata was still avoiding him and Bonnie hadn't shown up this week. Naruto wasn't too bothered about Bonnie. He knew why the girl had suddenly gone AWOL, he was the one that instructed her to do so actually.

Naruto hoped with the absence of Bonnie, Hinata would be able to work up the courage to face him, but no such luck. The Hyūga continued to avoid him in the academy and race home after. Naruto knew if he didn't take action this would go on until eventually his friendship with the Hyūga girl would dissipate. Naruto couldn't let that happen. So, as scheduled, he would go to the Hyūga clan to see Hinata today. He already informed his obassan of his plans for the night, and since Yūgao, Saya and Ha were unable, while Tate was left in charge of the clan's safety, his escorts would be two other Uzuki jonin.

As Naruto expected, his obassan was unable to spare any of the elite Uzuki to keep an eye out for whatever he was planning. She knew he was going to do something today, but the woman grossly underestimated the blonde's schemes and didn't consider it as anything big. If she did, she would've left Ha or Saya behind to watch him and take along another Uzuki jonin. She didn't. Things couldn't be any more perfect than this.

"Good afternoon Naruto-kun!."

The first negative of the day had made its appearance.

Naruto sighed and looked up from him plate, as expected, Kimiko was standing there. The girl was dressed in her usual dark blue dress with black leggings, but today she wore a blue scarf around her neck. It was October already, so the weather was getting increasingly cooler as the days rolled by.

Naruto also noticed that Kimiko had a bento in her hand. The Uzumaki chewed on his bat-ears, eyeing the girl intensely before speaking. "Good afternoon Kimiko. What can I do you for today?."

Kimiko pouted. "Aw, c'mon Naruto-kun!. Most of the first years call me senpai you know?. You should too." Kimiko said.

"I'm not most of the first years." Naruto said with a shrug.

"That's true." Kimiko said, cutely nodding her head. "But you're my favorite first year student!. Here, I made this for you to prove it." Kimiko said, thrusting the bento out the Uzumaki with a bright friendly smile.

"You ever considered doing a toothpaste commercial?." Naruto asked.

Kimiko raised an eyebrow. That was a really random question. "No. Why?."

"Cuz your smile, I have to say–" Naruto spoke between munches, then paused mid sentence to swallow. He was intentionally building up suspense before he finished the sentence. "–it's so unbelievably fake. So I was wondering. You should give it a thought." Naruto said.

The smile from Kimiko's face dropped for the first time. The Namikaze girl stared at the Uzumaki with a blank expression for a moment before speaking again. "Are you taking the bento or not?. I really made this you know." Kimiko said, emphasizing on her efforts in preparing the lunchbox once again.

"No thanks, it's probably not tasty." Naruto bluntly rejected.

"You haven't even tried it." Kimiko insisted, finding her smile once again.

"Look at what I'm eating right now." Naruto said, gesturing to his fifth half empty plate. Kimiko's eyes went wide and she turned slightly green at the sight. "So yeah, it probably isn't tasty." Naruto said and returned back to eating his lunch.

"Wow. When I heard you eat weird stuff I had no idea they meant this." Kimiko said, still placing the bento by Naruto's side despite his rejection. She also took a sit, despite his clearly unwillingness to be in her company. He was a big boy, he could bare with a little inconvenience. "Can I have a taste?." Kimiko said.

"No."

The grey haired girl sweatdropped. He was even more hostile to her advances than the last time. She thought after a few days he would be more approachable, but it proved to be the opposite. Kimiko wasn't used to such a situation. Used to a person rejecting her requests. "Please?." Kimiko said with no small amount of difficulty.

Naruto looked up from his lunch and at the blue eyed girl.

He'd seen blue eyes, but never ones so deep blue, it was almost unnatural. Naruto found that one could find out a person's entire personality just by looking into their eyes. The eyes gave up most of the emotions people tried to hide or suppress. The skill of eye reading was a must know in Naruto's democratic training. This was part of the lie detection course he was on his way to perfecting.

Perhaps it was his nervousness and embarrassment from seeing Kimiko the first time, somehow Naruto had forgotten a very important fact. His training. He wasn't merely an heir of a clan, he was the wakate of two clans merged as one. The training and grooming he went was a lot more advanced than what your regular clan heir or heiress received.

Kimiko wasn't even a clan heiress, so no doubt she didn't get much in the ways of preferential treatment. So, how could whatever mediocre training or tutoring this girl receive compare to the personal handiwork of Kotohime?. There was absolutely no chance. Maybe it was her bearing that made Naruto forget, or her irritability?.

Naruto wasn't sure, and now he didn't care. He was aware of his advantages now, so he would make full use of them. Naruto starred into the girl's eyes with so much intensity that she had to lean back, looking disturbed.

"Don't blame me if you end up having a stomach upset." Naruto said, picking a piece of his lunch with his chopsticks, then pointed it at Kimiko's face.

Kimiko hesitated a little. The short spell of intense staring threw her off her game a little. She hadn't been stared at like that before. The way this kid looked at her, it was as though he was analyzing her. Appraising her like she was as piece of jewelry, yet Kimiko didn't feel like any precious stone. On the contrary she felt greatly disturbed, embarrassed and even a little angry.

The way Naruto looked at her made her feel naked, like he had caught her innermost thoughts with just a glance. To be unable to hide her true intentions from the blonde, she found herself feeling like she was naked. She had an urge to stand up right now and leave, but she quickly repressed it. If she did that now she would seem like a coward.

Naruto was finally offering her a chance, it was a smidgen of a chance but a chance nonetheless. She would be foolish to leave at such a critical junction. Kimiko leaned forward, pursing her lips nervously before opening her mouth, allowing the blonde to feed her.

"Ooooooooooooohhhhhh."

Naruto and Kimiko sweatdropped. In hindsight maybe they shouldn't have done it like that. They were in the cafeteria, and literally everybody in it was subtly or not so subtly watching them. With this action they had sent the wrong message.

Naruto felt especially foolish for being so thoughtless while Hinata was still in a mood. Said Hyūga had definitely caught the scene. How was he going to explain this later tonight?. Hinata was the only non-Uzuki person he ever fed.

'Not anymore...' Naruto thought bitterly. He didn't dare turn to the Hyūga's direction to see what her expression was like. He instead focused on Kimiko, forcing himself not to scowl at her. This was all her fault!.

The oblivious grey haired girl pulled the piece of food from the chopsticks with her lips and slowly chewed it. Naruto lowered his chopsticks and observed the girl's expression, as did the rest of the cafeteria. Their gossips about the unlikely relationship between Namikaze Kimiko and Uzumaki Naruto aside, Kimiko dared to tread into the tiger's den!. She actually ate out of Uzumaki Naruto's lunchbox!.

'The bravery of true love is truly fearsome.' Many occupants of the cafeteria thought in unison.

Unbeknownst of the thoughts of his classmates, Naruto continued watching Kimiko's expression. Oddly enough, it hadn't twisted into disgust yet. The girl wore the same curious expression as before, still chewing on her food. She was a thorough chewer. Probably well raised on etiquette, judging by her bearing and table manners.

Naruto had his fair share of etiquette training, or was it drilling?. A jinchuriki got confused sometimes. The Uzumaki didn't care much for table manners, though he learnt to it properly he never used it. It was not like anybody would dare share a table with him, so who was he trying to impress?.

"That's... oddly really tasty. May I have more?." Kimiko said, smiling at Naruto like a girl her age for once. That wasn't a fake smile nor compliment to the chef. She actually really liked the... Whatever that was. Probably she would empty her stomach right here and now if the Uzumaki told her exactly what he was eating. Kimiko saw the incredulous look on Naruto's face turn to one of suspicion. "I assure you, I'm not pulling your legs. I really do like it." Kimiko said. She leaned forward again with her mouth agape to prove her point.

Naruto eyed the girl and almost appeared to be wary as he put another chunk of his lunch in her mouth. The Uzumaki watched the girl, waiting for the choke of disgust but it never came.

"Yum!." Kimiko said, giggling at the blonde's stunned expression.

'What fuckery is this?.' Naruto and Kyuubi said in unison. Naruto looked down back at his lunch to make sure it really was the roasted giant bat stew Eri-chan made him this morning. Alas, it was and there wasn't some sort of trickery going on here.

Naruto looked up to Kimiko, clearly baffled by the impossibility of the scene. Kimiko actually ate his lunch. She actually ate it and liked it. Nobody else Naruto knew of had even tasted any dish Eri made for him without almost hurling out their guts. To Naruto, the food may taste delightful, but to others it was beyond disgusting. His obassan told him the recipe was specially made for him and him alone.

Every ingredient and season was handpicked to sooth his unique taste bubs and his alone. The only other person Naruto suspected would appreciate his food was the kyuubi and that made sense. Whoever created the recipes for his meals probably did so with the kyuubi's likes in mind. So how was this possible?. How was there someone else who could eat one of his meals and enjoy it?.

"How?." Naruto asked.

"How what?." Kimiko wiped her mouth with a napkin before speaking.

Naruto realized the grey haired girl had already emptied his plate by herself and from the looks of it there were still no side effects. She looked completely fine. Naruto managed to calm his emotions and stared at the girl in slight amazement. "It's not normal for people to like my lunch." Naruto confessed.

Kimiko giggled. "Didn't I say it before, Naruto-kun?. I'm abnormal."

"Can't argue with you now." Naruto said, still in shock from the memory of the girl calling food meant for him tasty. The Uzumaki didn't know what else to say, so he busied himself by clearly the plates. He felt uncomfortable, knowing Kimiko was closely watching him. The shocking scene had left Naruto completely disorientated, unable to hold any of his advantages over Kimiko.

Naruto had no idea what he would say to the girl after he was done cleaning up. Fortunately the bell came to his rescue.

Kimiko pouted. Seeing how nervous and scatterbrained Naruto was now, it was the perfect opportunity to make some real progress. If she knew eating his lunch would have such an effect on him she would've done it earlier.

"Ah, darn bell. I wanted to talk to Naruto-kun some more." Kimiko said, resting her chin on a palm. Her pink lips formed one of her famous pretty smile as she batted her eyelashes at Naruto. "Maybe next time Naruto-kun will take me someplace more classy?." Kimiko teased.

Much to her surprise, Naruto didn't blush. He didn't even blink. He just stared at her blankly before going back to what he was doing. 'Damn kid got his wits back at the sound of the bell.' Kimiko had an urge to grumble.

Feeling like a slice of old cheese, with how Naruto was ignoring her, Kimiko had no choice to to rise up to leave. "Try my bento out okay?. I did try yours so it's only fair." Kimiko said, making a faux stern face.

"I'll probably throw up after a bite or two, but I will." Naruto said, sealing the tidied up boxes into a storage seal hidden somewhere on his person. The Uzumaki looked up at the smiling girl. She was always making that fake smile. It was a pretty smile, but Naruto could see from her eyes that she didn't mean it. "I'll do it as a thank you for the gift you gave me today." Naruto said, preparing to leave.

"The bento?." Kimiko queried.

"No. The surprise." Naruto turned to the girl and looked her directly in the eye again, this time not as intensely. "I like surprises. The good kinds." Naruto said, and with that he left.

Kimiko stared at the spot the Uzumaki was standing on in a daze. This was progress. This could definitely be regarded as progress. To think she made a breakthrough with Naruto on the second, not due to her charms but a complete coincidence. A coincidence that she had no hand in orchestrating. It was like the wheels of fate spun her to the direction of that bento.

Kimiko wasn't going to fool herself. She knew without that little bit of fortune today she would've ended the day with absolutely nothing to show for it. Naruto was a tougher nut to crack than she thought. He was very observant, careful and hostile towards things he didn't completely understand. In a way he was more like an Inuzuka than an Uzuki or Uzumaki, from what she'd read. After their first meeting,

Kimiko already decided that the process of breaking down the social barriers of the Uzumaki would be a long and arduous one. Fortunately for her, the heavens smiled upon her cause and gave her a shortcut. Still, Kimiko wasn't too joyous. Even with knowledge of one of Naruto's weaknesses, getting the Uzumaki to let his guard down wouldn't be easy. Kimiko was also not foolish enough to think herself the cat in this game of cat and mouse. Naruto was the predator in this story. He had a powerful clan and background behind him, while she at this point had next to nothing.

She was the mouse, whether she liked it or not, that was the reality of it. Thankfully, the only win condition of the game wasn't to kill the cat somehow. That wasn't an outcome she hoped to see. The win condition she had in plan was far better. She would outwit and befriend the cat and have it kill the neighborhood dog for her.

Kimiko's face broke into a genuine but not so pretty smile, her blue eyes contracting much like the feline in question. Kimiko almost broke into a chuckle, but then she realised she was alone. Alone in the cafeteria. Everybody had left and she was still standing in the same place with a creepy smile on her face. Kimiko giggled self-loathingly and then sighed.

'I got too cut up again.' Kimiko said in her mind. She stared at the seat Naruto was on minutes ago one last time before leaving.


(With Naruto)

'Was it wise to give her such information, kit?.' Kyuubi asked Naruto.

Naruto settled down in his seat. He was sharing a bench with Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chōji today so he knew he was guaranteed a little peace and quiet. Assuming Iruka could maintain order in the class. 'It's never wise to give your enemy ammunition.' Naruto answered matter-of-factly.

'Then why did you do it?.' The fox queried.

It was in favor of Naruto taking Kimiko as a teamMATE before, but now the kitsune couldn't help but feel conflicted. The girl was quite clearly trouble. Not only had she insidiously incited her many admirers to pick fights with Naruto randomly, forcing the blonde to reveal a much higher proficiency in taijutsu than he demonstrated in training, she also caused the rift between an already established mate and the kit to widen.

Kyuubi didn't like the Hyūga heiress much, that much was certain. However, she was an established mate. And like all established mates, kyuubi was obligated to defend her interests even if the girl didn't know what they were. The heiress nor any of the kit's established mates, kyuubi would not stand for anybody coming inbetween them.

'Cuz I wanna know what Kimiko's play is. I don't know whether it was because of my state of mind during our first meeting, but I really didn't address the whole thing with as much scrutiny as I normally do. I really didn't care what she wanted from me, all I was thinking about was the deadline, Hinata-chan, Bonnie and when my family would come back. I really had no time nor desire to wonder about Namikaze Kimiko. Not today though. My family is back, me and Bonnie are on good terms again, my suit is ready and I'll be able to make it before the deadline. The only wrinkle is Hinata-chan's still mad at me, but I shall fix that tonight. Guess since I was so much at ease, my brain started working the way it normally does, and normally I'm a curious person–'

'All kitsune are.' Kyuubi interrupted.

'Mm. So, I guess you can say I now have time to give a damn about what Kimiko wants. Now, since I can't just force her to spill, I have to settle for a more subtle and insidious approach. From my brief observation of Kimiko, I was able to detect her hidden nervousness and fear behind that dazzling smile. This leads me to assume, whatever it is that made her seek me out isn't something minor, at least to her. I know one thing for certain, and that is that it is a personal issue. With personal issues, people tend to commit a lot. They bank their hopes and beliefs on the success of something and will go the extra mile to achieve it.

Now, if I want to find out what this personal problem of Kimiko is, I have no option than to play ball. That's why I gave her a freebie. This way she'll be under the impression that she's successfully roping into whatever it is she's planning. She believed, he lied and all that. She shouldn't be too worried though, cuz I'll be needing a lot of rope to rope me in with. What a shame it would be if she ended up hanging herself with her own rope along the line.' Naruto said, resisting the urge to break into a predatory wicked smile. Kyuubi did the honors for the Uzumaki.

'What if she's getting close to you on orders of her clan?.' Kyuubi asked.

'Press X to doubt on that one. It's personal. She doesn't approach me outside the academy, and I've never seen her outside the academy before either, so I'm led to believe she doesn't get to move around that much. If she was truly doing all this under the orders of her clan, I doubt she would be given this little leeway to worm herself into my heart. Her methods are pretty sucky to be associated with a clan as big as the Namikaze's instructions. She's definitely doing this on her own will, and if she's working with someone I doubt they're that smart.' Naruto said.

'So what are you gonna do next?.'

'What else?. Do what I have to do. Kimiko isn't a priority. I'll deal with her in my leisure, right now I must remained focus on what you told me. Since we're on the topic, are you sure it will be there still?.' Naruto queried.

'Positive.' The kitsune said without hesitation. 'Trust me, I wouldn't forget where I kept something like that. Believe it or not, I have a really good memory.' Kyuubi boasted.

'My ass. You can't even remember your own name.' Naruto deadpanned.

'Then it must've been a really terrible name, In which case I'm happy I forgot. I do have an odd feeling it begun with K though.'

'I wonder what gave you that idea.' Naruto said sarcastically.

'That's right... It was Joe!.' Kyuubi said, slapping its head with a chuckle.

'You're name is Joe?.' Naruto said in surprise.

'No no. It was Joe that gave me that idea.' Kyuubi replied.

'Who's Joe?.'

'Joe momma!.' The kitsune said, bursting into hysterical laughter at the blonde's expense.

Naruto hated this fox.

End

Best ending this fic has had by far. I love writing these Naruto/Kyuubi moments. Maybe I should draw out some Omakes for their interactions?. What do you guys think. See y'all soon. One last chapter before I take a break til next week.

Review!. I wanna know what my readers think.