A/N: Here's the THIRD CHAPTER! God, I'm hard working. Worship me.

Holy crap! 70 reviews! That's… a lot.

As always, though, REVIEWS are welcomed and hankered for. You wouldn't deny a poor little author like me my Review Cravings, would ya? (puppy dog eyes)

Also… okay, look at it this way. I am writing this fic. Therefore, everything is my decision. If I decide to stop writing this fanfiction, there's nothing you can do, is there?

That being said… threatening me by saying that you won't read it isn't going to work.

Thank you.

Enough babbling. Here's the fic!

Professional Ninja Skills for Idiots

Chapter 3

In no time at all - for Naruto was an extremely fit boy, even by ninja standards - the youth reached the building. Grinning to himself, he barged through the simple, green swinging doors of the back entrance to the Ninja Academy. Once he was inside, though, he slowed down. The building had a comforting, homey look, what with its wooden floors and white walls and ceiling, stained slightly gray by the bustle and hustle of everyday life. Footsteps echoed everywhere, and sunlight filtered in through translucent curtains as the sun happily shone away on Konohagakure. It had a warmth to it that Naruto's own apartment lacked, and Naruto - to be honest - loved it.

Walking to the office where he knew Iruka-sensei would be, struggling with a mound of paperwork, he threw open the door and strode in. "Iruka-sensei!" he called, dragging on the last syllable.

"I'm here, Naruto. What is it?" the familiar head of his teacher - and, Naruto felt, almost older brother - popped up in one of the many gridded cubicles. "I'm kind of busy, you know."

"Oh... Well, if you're that busy, then... sorry." Naruto grinned sheepishly and prepared to back out of the room.

"Nah, it's okay. So, why'd you come?" Iruka-sensei was an honest-looking man, with strong features - he had a nice face, all curves and no sharp points, that made people instinctively want to trust him. A scar across the bridge of his nose caught the eye and drew people to him, and his hair - looking somewhat like an errant bush sticking straight up - also caught attention.

"Well... you know, I was just sparring with Sasuke, and he beat me pretty badly... but that was only because he got lucky!" he defended.

"Yeah, I figured, you looked pretty beat-up." Iruka frowned for a moment, before his normally cheery look came back. "Well then... what brings you here? You still haven't answered me, you know..."

"Ehehe... I know, I know! I was just getting to it. Well... I've been training like the book you gave me said, and I think I've improved a little... but Sasuke still beat me bad, dammit! I want to get faster! A new Jutsu wouldn't hurt, too," the youth added the last somewhat plaintively.

"Hmm, you want to get faster, you say? Well... besides training more, I don't really..." Iruka said thoughtfully.

"Well, the book said something about training weights…?" Naruto wondered out loud.

"Ah, I see! Yes, the school has quite a store of weights. I'll go get them now – stay here!" Iruka called over his shoulder as he walked off.

The Genin-in-training fidgeted around, his naturally vibrancy expressing itself in little, jerky movements the blond made. "I can't wait, I can't wait! Finally, a way to get a lot better than Sasuke!" Standing up, he paced around for what felt like a lifetime before Iruka came back.

"You got them?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"Yep!" Iruka smiled. Iruka withdrew a few things that looked like belts or sashes of some kind, with a pouch in the middle and two strips of cloth that could stick to each other at either end.

Naruto nearly fell over. "So… so many?" he said hollowly, looking somewhat dubious.

"Oh, come on, they're really useful!" Iruka insisted. "Here, I'll help you put them on. First, you've got to strip down."

"Wha-a-t!" Naruto yelped. "But... but..."

"Oh, come on, it's not like there's anyone here or anything..." Iruka rolled his eyes. "Unless you're so ashamed of your own body?"

Naruto bristled at the implied insult, before he saw the laughter in Iruka's eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know you're just trying to get me naked, that's all..." he muttered back, smiling a little.

"That's a good boy. Now, two go around your wrists and ankles, and there's one here that goes around your waist... and then that one there goes around your upper forearms, and then these little ones go around your fingers..."

"No way! If I put that much weights on me, I'd probably be too heavy to move! Stuuuuuupid," Naruto, who was by this time bug-eyed at the masses of weights, sticked out his tongue at Iruka.

"Well... I suppose you wouldn't be able to deal with them anyway." Iruka conceded.

"What's that supposed to mean!"

"They're just too much for you to handle, aren't they?" the Chuunin mused.

"Hey!"

"Even though the best ninjas all have them, I guess you could find your own way to strength..."

"Gimme those weights!" Naruto demanded. Iruka handed them, barely covering his laughter, and watched as the blond student struggled to pull all of them on.

When he was done, the youth looked like he was going to die.

"Are...are you sure all the best ninjas wear them...?" Naruto gasped, his face turning a tinge of purple from the effort, as he tried to stand up.

"Yep! The Yondaime, for one, and Gai-sensei - he's a most respected Jounin - and lots of others!" Iruka said cheerfully.

"Thanks a lot, Iruka-sensei... I'll be the best n-ninja ever, you-you'll see…" Naruto said weakly as he prepared to stumble home.

"Remember, don't take them off! You'll get used to them in a while!" Iruka called after his favourite student, with a smile on his face.

When Naruto finally made it back to his apartment (the stairs had really been hell) it was all Naruto could do to make himself a Cup Ramen before sinking into a chair. He sighed blissfully as he relished the sensation of finally not having to rely on his own two feet to keep himself up, only to be rather rudely jerked from his reverie when the wooden chair – already flimsy with age – broke under his new weight.

"Owww!" he cried in pain and shock, wincing as a splinter drove itself into his butt. He spent the next ten minutes picking bits and pieces of sharp wood out of his rear, a feat not at all helped by the fact that 2-kilogram weights were attached to his fingers. More than once, he had to use his other hand to steady the one picking out the pieces, it was shaking so bad.

At the end of it, he groaned in pain and exhaustion, cradling his right hand – the one he had used, mainly – and resting his head against the wall.

'Stupid Iruka-sensei… stupid, stupid stupi-' "OW!" Naruto exclaimed out loud as he accidentally banged his elbow against a table leg. Mumbling angrily to himself about irresponsible teachers who never told you about the side effects of weight training, he dragged himself to his room and had barely enough strength left in his poor, abused body to pull himself onto his bed and roll over before falling asleep immediately.

Naruto had owned that bed for all of his life; the covers were frayed at the ends, and the bed sheets were more than a little worn. It was quite a hard bed, and yet not very steady – the springs creaked ominously as Naruto settled in comfortably, and the bouncy ninja was more than a little alarmed. 'But,' he reflected, 'thank god it didn't break like that lousy chair, and I think this is the most comfortable I've ever been!' the last he thought somewhat cheerfully, if tiredly. He thought triumphantly that in a few days he would probably be able to move on. The Taijutsu training was no where near where he wanted it to be, but he could already feel himself getting stronger, as his body adjusted to the weights. Trembling, he brought his hands up to snuggle into his pillow. The feat was a tad easier than when he had pulled out the wooden splinters, and within seconds he succumbed to the sweet darkness of slumber.

"What's with him?"

"Is he alright?"

"Should we tell Iruka-sensei?"

Mutters filled the wide corridor as a slightly pale looking Naruto limped his way towards the classroom. 'Just… Just a little bit more…' he thought somewhat desperately as he felt his whole body's muscles burning as they strained to transport Naruto to the class. Just as he thought his calves were going to snap, he reached the door. Leaning against it, he gulped and gasped as he tried to replenish his body's spent oxygen supply, almost sagging against the doorframe.

Sakura glanced up from where she was (which was wrapped around the arm of a certain Uchiha) and scoffed at the bright orange figure hanging onto the doorway. "Hey, Sasuke-kun? Look at that stupid Naruto! Looking so tired just from walking here… what a loser."

Sasuke started. He had been tuning out the babble of the multitude of fan-girls crowding around him. The chatter always made his head hurt. But…

"Did you say something about Naruto?" Sasuke fixed his emotionless gaze onto Sakura, whose face lit up with joy once she realized that Sasuke was actually paying attention to her for once.

"Yes! Yes! I was just saying about how weak he is… look at him in the doorway! His face is nearly purple, and I passed him earlier today, he wasn't even running!" Sakura happily burbled on.

'Weak?' he thought, frowning. "He's stronger than you are."

"Yes, of course, Sasuke-kun! He definitely… huh?" Sakura looked slightly confused. "But… Sasuke-kun… surely…"

"We sparred. He managed to hit me. I have not had the chance to spar with you before, but from what I've seen…" his gaze turned about five degrees colder. "He's way above you. You have no right to say that he's weak."

Sakura wilted visibly, her face falling. "I… I…" then, abruptly, she stood up, turned, and walked away. Sasuke thought he heard a sob. But that was not what suddenly concerned him.

What concerned him was… that he had actually…

For a second…

Defended Naruto. Sure, the insult had been completely undeserved, but…

Shaking off that fact, he decided resignedly that if he had chased that annoying pink-haired girl away, it was probably worth showing an emotion or two.

He turned and stared at Naruto, as his lean frame sagged and hunched as he sucked in air. Sweat stained his orange jumpsuit, a dark fan spreading out from the top of his back bearing witness to his exertion.

Narrowing his gaze, the brunette detected some hard bulges around his body… was the dobe actually…?

Nah, it couldn't be. He was so lazy; he probably wouldn't even train for the Genin exam. Sasuke ignored the nagging voice in his head saying that he was not fair, because he knew (even if he didn't want to) that Naruto had been catching up by leaps and bounds.

He had to train harder. That was the only way he would get good enough to defeat Itachi.

And that was all that mattered.

Hinata trembled like a leaf in the wind. Like a tiny, miniscule leaf in hurricane winds, whipping around and around in circles and spirals…

And she was not exaggerating.

Uzumaki Naruto (she nearly blushed just thinking his name) was sitting next to her!

Yeah, maybe it had been because he was so tired that he could only get to the seat farthest back of the class (which Hinata always sat at, because… well, because!) and maybe he was sleeping, but…

He was the cutest guy she had ever seen.

Hyuuga Hinata was, you see, something of a freak among her age group of girls. Not in the "whoa, look at her, ha ha ha!" way, but in the "what's with her?" way. This was because of one reason alone.

She did not like Uchiha Sasuke.

She did not even find him remotely attractive.

All her life, she had known nothing but the cold, impersonal glances and nods of her family.

And Uchiha Sasuke reminded her almost uncomfortably of her father.

Her mother she never knew, or at least never remembered. She had died when Hinata was eight months old. A vague recollection of warm hands and soft skin was all.

Uzumaki Naruto was so different.

He practically shone with exuberance and joy, though everyone scorned him. He was the last, he nearly failed all his tests, and all the exams Iruka-sensei had put them through in the year…

But he was, in her eyes, perfect.

The confidence in every action he did… his smirk, brimful of pride and a sort of arrogance… and the way he got back up the moment anyone knocked him down, figuratively and literally…

Yep, Hinata had it bad for the blond-haired hyperactive Genin.

Before she had the chance to think more, he started to stir, and Hinata 'eeped' and snapped her head back, where she began once again staring at her hands.

"Kami-sama… ugh, I'm tired…" Naruto mumbled. The sleep had helped a great deal though. He could actually move now, albeit with a great deal of grunting and sweating.

Glancing next to him, he saw the shy, somewhat hunched-over form of some girl. 'What's her name again…? Hanata… Hinata! Yes, that's it… what's she doing?' he thought, somewhat confused.

"Eh, Hinata-chan, why're you so red?" he asked quietly, frowning slightly as his brain worked to try and get an answer. Iruka-sensei continued on in the front, lecturing about chakra control or something like that. He didn't really need to pay attention… the book was (though he didn't say it to Iruka-sensei's face) probably better than what the kindly Chuunin was teaching.

"O-oh… it's nothing, N-Naruto-kun…" she mumbled, looking away.

"Well, if you say so…" he shrugged, turning about and trying to pay attention to the lesson. But it was hard, when all your body felt like doing was collapse and go to sleep.

For the next few days, Naruto repeated the grueling process over, and over again… but by the fourth day, interestingly enough, he could actually start running.

This marvelously cheered up the blond Genin, and the class (which had been feeling slightly uncomfortable because of the sudden peace and silence they had not been used to) was, once again, treated to the usual round of smart-ass comments and brash words.

"That's so easy, Iruka-sensei! Why don't you just skip it?"

"You're so slow!"

Such comments now filled the air, but Iruka-sensei just ignored him. For a while, this was a great source of amusement for Naruto – he got the whole class' attention, even if the Chuunin (who had already gotten used to his rough exterior) didn't listen to him.

But then he got bored. At home, the book gave much better advice. He'd already finished with the basic Taijutsu, and was now going on to the Jutsus… but he couldn't very well practice them in the class, or someone might steal his techniques! Naruto was very protective of his newly gained prowess. Finally, Naruto realized what he could do.

"Ne, ne, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto cut in the next day on a particularly long lecture on the art of stealth with a mischievous grin on his face. "Why're you teaching us this crap! C'mon, let's get to the juicy Jutsus!"

The class, filled with muted whispers, suddenly went silent. Nobody interrupted Iruka-sensei's lectures. They just ignored them. The pupils stared at Iruka-sensei, trying to discern his reaction.

A vein in the Chuunin's forehead twitched.

"I mean, you've already taught us all this before… or have you forgotten? You're getting old, sensei!"

"Naruto…" Iruka ground out. "Get out of the class."

Naruto could barely hide his glee. "No way!" he protested, feigning reluctance.

"OUT!"

Sulking, the blond picked up his books and exited the classroom. Once out, though, he smirked, sat down cross-legged, took a book from his bag and flipped to the section titled "Ninjutsu".

Ninjutsu is the bread and butter of every professional Shinobi's weapon arsenal. Ninjutsu dates back for almost four centuries; from long ago, when people used to call it 'magic'; to the present, where people now know it as it is – simply techniques utilizing the body's energy.

Ninjutsu techniques (usually shortened to 'Jutsus') are divided by their elements – there are fire Jutsus under the name of Katon; water Jutsus under the name of Suiton; etc, etc. Traditionally, the element of a Jutsu typically comes from the country in which the Hidden Village is formed. For example, the Hidden Cloud village (in the Thunder Country) would have Jutsus with the prefix of Raiton.

Ninjutsu (and Genjutsu, for that matter) techniques are initiated through seals, the name of the Jutsu (once created, the name is an important link of the Jutsu) and concentration of chakra. It is not sufficient to fulfill only one or two of the requirements; all must be completed, before the Jutsu will activate.

Once more, as with Taijutsu (except in that case, it is with styles), Jutsus can be created simply by focusing on what your goal is, and utilizing suitable seals to create it. For example, if one wanted to create a "Fire Sword Jutsu" (leaving the results to your imagination), it would be sufficient to say, "Katon: Hi Katana no Jutsu!" and use the Tiger-Horse seal for fire, and the Ram and Snake seal for a weapon, all the while focusing on the result in your mind.

Besides the elements of Fire, Water, Wind, Earth and the various sub-clan Jutsus (wood, stone, sand, lightning, shadow etc.), there are also several Jutsus that fit neither here nor there; for example the basic Henge, Bunshin and Kawarimi.

Absorbed in the pages, Naruto didn't even notice when Iruka-sensei strolled out of the class, almost yelping when he was shocked by the sight of Naruto (Naruto!) reading a book. When he saw what Naruto was reading, however, he went through a very rapid change of emotions.

First, shock; that Naruto was reading, much less studying, was nearly a miracle. Then a mixture of pride – surely Naruto could only get better from here! Iruka had already been seeing massive improvements in fitness over the last two weeks – and that was only fourteen days! Following that, a sort of wounded look settled over him.

"Naruto…" he said stiffly, slightly hurt. "Is that book so much more interesting than my lectures?"

The blond-haired Genin jumped, his head snapping around in surprise. "I-Iruka-sensei?" he stammered, looking abashed. "Of course… Of course not! It's just… you know…"

"It's all right, Naruto," he said, slightly weary, his eyes tired-looking. "I just wanted to tell you that class is over. Have a nice day." With that, he started to walk away.

"I… Iruka-sensei!" Naruto called, quickly picking up his book and bag, and hurried after his instructor.

"What?" Iruka answered without turning around, or stopping.

"You're… You're a really great teacher! Seriously!" Naruto insisted, an earnest look on his face.

Iruka sighed, finally turning to face Naruto. He ran a hand through his hair. "Thanks, Naruto. It's just that… you've always been – no offence meant – somewhat stagnant, you know? But now, with this book… you've improved! And so much! I… I just wonder; all these years, what've I been doing, that can't compare with half a month of that?" he jerked his head in the direction of the innocuous looking book in Naruto's hands.

"Nah, it's just that this book takes a whole new angle to things! Iruka-sensei is still the best teacher ever!" Naruto continued, relieved that Iruka was finally talking properly to him.

Iruka smiled. "Thank you."

A/N: Alright, that's the third installment done. BTW, NaruTemari is winning by a massive margin. Sooo… all you otherpairing people, get your pants on right and start voting! Also, if you could leave a comment or something about the story itself, that would rock.

Don't worry, guys. Yeah, Hinata likes him, but… it's one-sided. In my opinion, Hinata and Naruto are too big of opposites to be paired up – she admires the things he does, but could never bring herself to do them. He would never want to be attached to such a timid, un-fun girl like her…

Okay, maybe he might. But I still don't like it that much, and it isn't winning in the votes, so… yeah.

SD