Summary: Naruto experiences changes the day before his genin exam that have farther reaching effects than he could ever imagine. The awakening of new powers helps lead Naruto on a journey to make his dreams come true. Of course nothing ever runs smoothly, but Naruto will try anyway

Pairings: NaruHina (See Authors Note), Others?

Chapter One – Awakening Powers

In Konoha an exhausted boy collapsed onto his bed.Uzumaki Narutohad been out training late and was frustrated. He still couldn't create a good Bunshin and the next day was the day of the ninja exams. His stomach was in knots as he fell asleep, not sure how he would pass the next day.

Naruto found himself in a large cavern, no idea how he had gotten there. The cold made him shiver and he could hear the dripping of water from somewhere around him. The darkness was all around him, and he got the feeling there wasn't a light in the world that could penetrate it. Finally he saw two glistening red eyes staring at him from the darkness. He summoned up all his courage and said, "Come out. I'm not afraid of you."

For a moment all was quiet and then a voice said, "So you dare venture here and say you are not afraid. I must admit you have guts. I am the demon Kyuubi no Kitsune."

History lessons were usually something Naruto slept through but even he listened when Iruka had taught about the Yondaime Hokage and the Kyuubi. "That's not possible. The Yondaime killed you. Stop lying and show yourself."

"I was defeated but not killed." The voice replied.

Naruto even shivered from the power that radiated from the voice. He didn't know why, maybe it was the voice that sent shivers down his spine or maybe the setting, but he knew that the voice was that of the Kyuubi's. The voice was too animalistic and too much like a growl to have come from anything human. "Then why won't you show yourself to me?"

There was silence for a moment and finally Naruto detected movement in the darkness. The darkness lifted a bit and he could see in front of him. There were huge metal bars with an odd seal on them. These bars were forgotten quickly as he looked inside. The Kyuubi was not exactly what he expected. It was about as large as a normal fox but he could feel the power radiating from it. He couldn't stop himself as he asked, "Why are you so small? I expected you to be taller."

"I am a shape shifter. I can take any form I want, even a human. In fact all the demon foxes are shape shifters, though usually to a smaller degree. They can change the size of their bodies, not change form entirely like me." The Kyuubi replied.

Naruto dropped the topic and moved back onto his previous line of questioning. "Why are you in my mind then?"

"I am in your mind because, quite simply, I could not be killed. I was an immortal being, a being stronger than any other. No human, even your Hokage, could kill me. So the Yondaime, in a stroke of brilliance that I didn't think possible for a human, did the next best thing." The Kyuubi answered. "He sealed me inside of a newborn baby, you. That is why the villagers hate you; they fear that you will be controlled by me and that you will kill them all. Of course, those fears are unjustified but I don't think they can listen to reason."

Naruto stood there confused. "Why are those fears unjustified? Wouldn't you want to control me and kill them all?"

The Kyuubi then did something that Naruto couldn't believe was possible, he chuckled. "No kit. I would not wish to do that even if I could. Your Hokage was brilliant in his design of the seal. It is not possible for me to ever break free. The best I could do would be to fuse with you and even then you would still be in control. To answer your question though, no I do not wish to kill them."

"Then why did you attack Konoha in the first place?" Naruto asked, very puzzled at the way the Kyuubi was speaking.

The mirth that had been in Kyuubi's voice disappeared immediately, his voice becoming more growl-like again. "I was tricked. I had found myself a mate and she was preparing to give birth to our children. I went and hunted for food, ready to help her once she had given birth. That was a big mistake. When I returned to our home I found it decimated. I saw our newborn babies, dead on the ground. My mate was killed as well. Normally she could fight off any human but in her weakened state after childbirth she was extremely vulnerable."

Naruto couldn't believe his ears, the greatest demon in the world was telling him why he attacked Konoha and he could actually understand. The Kyuubi continued, "There was a man there when I came back. His forehead protector had the leaf symbol on it. When he spotted me he used a teleportation jutsu to leave. I was enraged. I wanted to kill him for his crimes against my family. I immediately set out towards the leaf and in my enraged state was willing to destroy the entire village to get to that man. I attacked and you know the rest. I have had a lot of time to think and I'm sure that man attacked my family so that I would attack Konoha, hoping I would destroy it in my anger."

"Why did you tell me this?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know. I may not be a killer but I don't usually go spilling my heart to people, especially when no good can come of it. Even in my mate's weakened state it would take an extremely powerful ninja to kill her. There are very few humans who have the power and knowledge to kill someone like that and the only clue I have is the smell, it was like snakes." The Kyuubi replied.

"I'll do it." Naruto replied confidently. "The bastard who did that to you shouldn't be allowed to live, especially since he wanted you to attack Konoha which, as future Hokage, I must protect."

The Kyuubi was silent for a few moments before he replied, "Then I'll do my part to help you?"

"What can you do if you're locked away inside of me?" Naruto asked.

"Earlier I mentioned the closest I could get to living would be to fuse with you. I wish to do that. Usually I would detest fusing with a human but you seem to be a worthy vessel and are willing to risk your life to help me." Kyuubi replied. "Since I am so powerful, the fusion will increase your power significantly and give you extra powers. These will help you in my revenge and in your dream of becoming Hokage. The physical changes will be minor so no tails or anything but our minds will be much closer. It is, of course, your choice and you will still be yourself afterwards, albeit much more powerful."

It took Naruto a whole five seconds to agree. He was pretty much on board when Kyuubi said it would help him in his dream of being Hokage. "Okay Kyuubi, I agree. Now how do we fuse?"

"I can do it but be warned, this may hurt a bit?" Kyuubi replied.

Naruto discovered that Kyuubi wasn't kidding about the pain. When he woke up he felt pain running through his entire body. It felt like his entire body was on fire, his eyes especially. Eventually the pain faded and Naruto opened his eyes. He immediately shut them after he experienced the pain from the light. "What the hell has happened?"

'Interesting.' Kyuubi stated. 'I think that you have gotten my ability of heightened senses. I guess it stands to reason that you would receive my particular gifts when we fused. Of course, the heightened senses are not the most special of my powers but it will be interesting to see whether all my powers have been transmitted to you. If so training you will be a lot easier.'

Naruto tried to digest all this but knew it was true. Not only did the light burn his eyes but he could hear and smell everything around him like it was nothing. Finally he noticed something and asked. "How can you talk to me here?"

'I told you that our minds would be closer. This allows me to communicate with you through your thoughts. You also don't need to speak out loud for me to hear you. I can hear you through your thoughts.'

'Like this?' Naruto tried.

'That's perfect kit. Its five o'clock right now and we have a lot of work to do if we're going to make you a great shinobi. I think you should get up at this time every morning. Then you can do your morning exercises before your other obligations.' Kyuubi stated. 'Today you can't go anywhere and will have to stay here. It will probably take about a day for your eyes to adjust to the light. You will also have a small problem when you go outside for the first time. Your ears will not be accustomed to the noises and you'll have a pretty bad headache for a couple days. This pain is relatively minor for the power that comes with them and I will do everything I can so you can harness these powers and we can both fulfill our dreams.'

'I'm okay with the pain if it makes me stronger but what will I do today. I have a my ninja exams and I need to pass if I want to become a genin.' Naruto explained.

'I suppose you can go out now since it is only five in the morning and with my eyes you can see in the dark.' Kyuubi replied. 'To go out later you need to find some sunglasses and then after that you can go about the rest of the day, even though you'll have a pretty bad headache and your eyes will hurt a bit.'

'Where can I get some sunglasses?' Naruto asked.

'I don't know kit. Go around town and see if any of the merchants have opened up shop.' Kyuubi suggested.

Naruto bit his lip. 'I can't.'

'Why not?' Kyuubi asked.

'Well the shopkeepers they kind of hate me. They think I'm you and are going to kill them any minute.' Naruto muttered.

'When did you last try?' Kyuubi asked.

'Well when I was ten.' Naruto admitted.

'Well then maybe some people have changed or new shops have opened up.' Kyuubi suggested. He suddenly thought of something and asked, 'Is that why you wear that jumpsuit that just screams "kill me" instead of normal ninja attire?'

Naruto's silence was all he needed to know before he said, 'Well that outfit will need to change. Whether we do it nicely or by threats is dependent on their attitudes so get going.'

Naruto reached for the lights and turned them off. He opened his eyes and found Kyuubi was right, he could see in the dark and the pain was more like a small irritation. With hesitation he followed Kyuubi's advice and left his house to wander down to town.

The shopping experience wasn't going so well for Naruto. As he had expected he was shunned from all the stores he visited, not even given a chance to voice a complaint. Kyuubi was growling as he was forcibly removed from store after store and Naruto thought an outburst of energy was quite likely if things didn't turn around quickly.

There was also the problem of the sun. Being denied entry to every store, Naruto's time limit was quickly approaching. He had to find an accepting shopkeeper in the next fifteen minutes or he would be forced to stay inside all day.

Naruto looked around as he walked, noticing the glares of each of the villagers who had decided to get an early start to the day. Finally he noticed a new store that he had never seen before. The sign read 'Ninja World' and he decided to give it a try. He cautiously opened the door, expecting to be shunned but instead the old man at the counter looked over and said, "Oh a customer so early. I'm surprised. Most of them don't start coming until at least sunrise."

Naruto couldn't believe that he wasn't being shunned and asked, "You aren't refusing me service?"

"No." The old man frowned. "Should I be? Are you a bad kid?"

Naruto shook his head and said, "I'm sorry it's just most people refuse the demon boy service. I guess if you count some pranks as bad then I'm a bad kid but right now I need a pair of sunglasses quick."

"Sure, right this way." The old man replied. He led Naruto to a case that had a number of sunglasses inside. "What style do you want?"

Naruto looked at them all and picked a stylish pair of black sunglasses. "I'll take this one."

Once he paid the man and put on the sunglasses he sighed, "That was way too close."

"You have me curious kid. Why did you need a pair of sunglasses right before dawn?" Curiosity was evident in the man's voice but there was no suspicion.

'What should I tell him?' Naruto asked.

'Just tell him you awakened your bloodline of enhanced senses and you needed the glasses so your eyes wouldn't burn in the light.' Kyuubi replied.

"I unlocked my bloodline this morning." Naruto replied. "It enhanced my senses a lot but unfortunately my eyes burned in the light. In another few minutes my eyes would have hurt like hell. Since I got the sunglasses, however, I can go about my daily business until my eyes adjust to the light."

The man nodded thoughtfully. "You seem like a nice boy. I can't imagine that there is a procedure for warning new shopkeepers about pranksters and the name demon boy doesn't fit a prankster. Care to tell me why I was warned about you when I arrived?"

Naruto fidgeted nervously but after a nudge from Kyuubi he muttered, "I'm sure you heard about the demon Kyuubi no Kitsune."

"Of course." The man replied. "I used to be a ninja of Konoha before I went out traveling many years ago. I heard about it in water country, though the feeling there was that they'd rather Konoha be crushed."

"Well the Kyuubi wasn't killed by the Yondaime Hokage when he attacked as is thought by most people." Naruto replied. "He wasn't powerful enough and sealed it into a newborn baby, me."

"Good." The man smiled at Naruto's shocked expression. "I had hoped that was the reason. That was actually the reason I came back here to Konoha. I'm not one of those fools who see the Kyuubi as a killing machine. I don't know why the Kyuubi would attack but I know it isn't because it went mad. The Kyuubi was a guardian not a killer."

Even the Kyuubi was shocked and asked, 'How does he know about me? How could a human know about me being a guardian?'

Naruto was puzzled and said, "Wow you even stumped Kyuubi. He wants to know how you know."

"You can even talk to him." The man replied happily.

Naruto scratched his head and said, "Well we fused last night and so our minds are much closer."

The man's smile widened. "This is wonderful. You said you received your heightened senses this morning so I presume it came from him." When Naruto nodded he continued, "Wonderful. I am curious about whether you have any of his other powers. Have you had a chance to check for any physical changes yet?" When Naruto shook his head he point to a bathroom and said, "Feel free to go and check in there. I'm very interested because I have something that I know Kyuubi will want."

Naruto was still puzzled but decided to check for any changes like the man had said. The first thing he noticed was his hair, which now had red streaks running through it. He also noticed that his eyes were a bit more slit like, his ears a bit pointier and his teeth a bit more canine but nothing too noticeable.

'Check your back.' Kyuubi instructed. It was a long shot but he might as well try.

Naruto removed his shirt and turned with his back to the mirror. He craned his neck and gasped at what he saw. "What the hell."

Kyuubi was in a similar state as he stared at Naruto's back. 'How is this possible?'

Naruto now had a number of tattoos on his back. In the center was a black tattoo of a one tailed fox. Surrounding the fox were eight symbols. A flame, raindrop, lightning bolt, rock, tornado, tree, sun, and moon were outlined on his back, surrounding the fox. Each was outlined in black except for the tornado and lightning bolt. The tornado was outlined in grey and the lightning bolt was outlined in yellow.

Finally Kyuubi regained his composure and said, 'It seems you've gained much more than I originally thought. These are the strongest of my gifts. I think the one tailed fox is the amount of power that you can use of mine. Each time you grow by a significant amount a new tail will be added, signaling a new amount of power you can use. The other symbols are those of the elements. They are fire, water, lightning, earth, wind, forest, light, and darkness. The ones outlined in color are the ones you can use. I also think you can unlock all of these over time.'

Naruto tried to digest all this information as he put his shirt back on. 'Why can you control the elements?'

'Each of the tailed beasts could control one element except for me. I was the guardian of all eight elements and the greatest of the tailed beasts.' Kyuubi explained.

As Naruto walked back into the store, he asked, 'What should I tell the old man?'

'Tell him the truth.' Kyuubi shrugged, although interest was clearly evident in his voice. 'I want to see what he has that I'll want.'

"I seem to have gotten a lot of tattoos." Naruto answered. "One tattoo is of a fox telling me how much of the Kyuubi's power I can use and I have eight more for each of the elements. Right now wind and lightning are outlined in color though. Kyuubi is very interested in what you said you have so please tell me. I've got enough of a headache without Kyuubi yelling at me too."

The old man chuckled and said, "Well I'll tell you and I'm glad for the tattoos because it only makes this that much better. I don't think you'll understand but I'm sure Kyuubi will. I have all eight elemental scrolls."

Kyuubi prided himself on his poker face but that was all forgotten after that announcement. 'How the hell did that human find them? I scoured the earth for them and couldn't find a single one. He couldn't find them either unless he had the master scroll and that's impossible unless…kit ask him his name now!'

Naruto did as instructed and asked, "What is your name?"

"I thought you'd ask that. Well the Kyuubi is right. My name is Hogosho Kentaro." Kentaro replied, his smile wide.

'I knew it.' Kyuubi stated. 'The Hogosho clan were the keepers of the master scroll. The master scroll was the only clue to the places where the elemental scrolls were hidden and only a Hogosho clan member could decipher it. I thought they were all dead so I didn't even bother looking for the scroll. Kit, you have to ask him for the elemental scrolls and for him to train you.'

"Can I use the scrolls?" Naruto asked. "Kyuubi also wishes that you would train me."

"Of course. The scrolls are yours to keep. I can't teach you to use them because I can't control the elements but I can teach you higher ninjutsu. I take it from your bare forehead that you haven't graduated yet." Kentaro stated.

"Well not yet." Naruto muttered. "I take my graduation exam today but I don't think I'll pass. I've never been able to do Bunshin no Jutsu."

"That is understandable." Kentaro replied. "Bunshin no Jutsu is a technique that doesn't require much chakra. The seal probably threw off both your chakra control and the amount of chakra you have because Kyuubi's chakra would leak through the seal. This would cause you to put too much chakra into the jutsu and cause you to overload it, creating useless clones."

"So I'll never be able to produce a good Bunshin." Naruto replied sadly.

"Quite the contrary." Kentaro laughed. "You can't do Bunshin no Jutsu but Kage Bunshin and Mizu Bunshin should be easy for you."

"What should I tell the teachers at the academy?" Naruto asked.

"Just try your best today and I'll teach you Kage Bunshin if you fail. Once you show them that they'll have to pass you." Kentaro replied.

When Naruto grinned Kentaro said, "Well after you pass I think I'll train you twice a week. Tuesday's and Thursday's if you don't have other commitments, such as team meetings and team training."

Naruto nodded happily and Kentaro asked, "So how long do you have until your ninja exam?"

Naruto checked the clock and said, "I've still got time to spare. Why don't you teach me Kage Bunshin now?"

"Kage Bunshin takes a lot of chakra and I don't want you to get chakra exhaustion right before your exam. I do have a question though. Do you always wear the most stealth lacking clothes?" Kentaro asked, eying Naruto's orange jumpsuit.

'He's right. You need to change clothes and you need weights and weapons. Now that that you found a shop you might as well buy what you need.' Kyuubi stated.

"Kyuubi agrees that this outfit is a little off." Naruto replied.

Kyuubi scoffed, 'That's like saying I'm a little powerful.'

"He also says I need weapons and weights along with a new outfit." Naruto finished.

"Well then come right over here and we can make some magic." Kentaro replied.

Naruto looked like a whole new person as he set off for the academy. His orange jumpsuit had quickly found the trash bin and he now sported a black long sleeve shirt and khaki cargo pants. He had kept his signature color alive with an orange stripe running down each leg and a stripe going down each arm. He also kept his signature swirl with an orange one on the back of his shirt. The outfit was complete with a pair of black fingerless gloves.

For weapons he had filled the pockets of his cargo pants with shuriken and kunai. He did, however, have two unique additions. Strapped to his back he had a beautiful katana that he had fell in love with the moment he saw it. The other addition was his belt. The belt was unlike ordinary belts in that it had a number of small compartments built into it. These compartments held exploding tags, smoke bombs, stink bombs, flash bombs, and, his favorite, sonic bombs.

A sonic bomb had to have a button pressed and detonated ten seconds later, sending sonic vibrations into the air which would temporarily knock out everyone within a twenty meter radius not wearing earplugs.

The weights were also unique. Instead of normal arm and leg bands or weighted vests, Naruto wore a bracelet on each arm and an anklet on each leg. There was a seal on each of them that increased its weight. He decided to start out with fifteen on each and found it much more difficult to move. With the weights he received a scroll that explained the techniques to cancel the weights and to change the weight setting.

Needless to say Naruto was almost unrecognizable as he walked up to the academy. This also allowed him to slip into class unnoticed by anyone and allowed him to take a seat near the back. He looked around as one by one the students were allowed to leave to take the test.

Finally, Naruto heard his name called and left into the room. He saw Iruka and Mizuki seated at the table and replied, "Hello Iruka-sensei, Mizuki-sensei."

Iruka seemed stunned by Naruto's attire but brushed it off and said, "Naruto please perform Bunshin no Jutsu."

Naruto gathered his chakra in the seal and cried out, "Bunshin no Jutsu."

As had been predicted a dead looking clone appeared on the ground next to him. Iruka's eye twitched and he yelled, "You fail!"

Mizuki on the other hand said, "Come now Iruka. He did at least produce a Bunshin."

Iruka sighed, "Mizuki everyone else created at least three Bunshins and that one is useless. I'm sorry but I can't pass him."

Naruto wasn't dejected as he sat on the swing. He had known this would happen and knew he could pass anyway. He looked up and noticed Mizuki next to him who said, "Follow me."

After Mizuki left Kyuubi said, 'He's lying. He wants you to steal the forbidden scroll so he can take it from you.'

'So what should I do?' Naruto asked.

Kyuubi grinned. 'Steal the scroll like he asked and try and learn a high ranked technique from it. That scroll is full of good techniques and it would make you stronger. He isn't a very strong chuunin and I'm sure you can beat him with the new move you learn.'

Naruto grinned as well and left to the Hokage tower, slipping inside easily. He approached the scroll when a voice from behind him said, "Why are you here Naruto?"

Naruto grinned and formed a seal, "Oiroke no Jutsu." He laughed as the Hokage collapsed in a sea of blood and quickly left with the scroll. When he reached the clearing he opened the scroll. 'Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Kentaro said he'd teach me that so no need to learn that.' He opened it up to the next technique and read, 'Mokuton: Jukai Koutan (Wood Type: Birth of Dense Woodland). That sounds like a good one.'

Naruto had just finished learning the technique when Iruka entered the clearing, clearly looking for him. "Hello Iruka-sensei. I've learned a technique so now you have to pass me."

'He was out he learning a technique.' Suddenly something hit him. "Why do you think I'll pass you if you learned a technique?"

Naruto grinned, "Mizuki-sensei said so. He told me about the scroll, this place, and said if I learned a technique from the scroll you'd pass me."

Iruka noticed the approaching kunai with just enough time to push Naruto away before the kunai pinned him, though only one hit him.

After he had been hit, Mizuki jumped down and ordered, "Naruto give me the scroll."

"Don't give it to him Naruto. He just wants the power." Iruka screamed.

"Naruto would you like to know secret? It is a secret only you can't hear." Mizuki smirked.

"What. Only me…" Naruto faked.

"Don't Mizuki." Iruka yelled.

"Naruto do you know why the Fourth Hokage is famous for?" Mizuki asked.

"Of course. He killed a nine tailed fox that tried to attack the village but lost his life in the battle." Naruto replied in fake arrogance.

"That is half true. He did lose his life but he didn't kill the fox." Mizuki stated. He then continued saying, "He sealed it in a baby. Do you know who that baby was?"

"No Mizuki!" Iruka screamed pulling out the kunai in his leg.

"That baby was you. He sealed the fox in you." He replied. "The villagers hate you because you are the nine-tailed fox that attacked the village and killed Iruka's parents."

"It can't be true." Naruto whispered, inwardly laughing.

"Now give me the scroll Naruto. You have no use for it." Mizuki ordered.

"NO! NO! NO!" Naruto yelled making his chakra flare up. He then ran away from Mizuki in the direction of the village.

"Hmm. It seems he is going to avenge against the villagers. I'll kill him to get the scroll." Mizuki said to Iruka before running off.

"Not if I stop you first." Iruka yelled as he ran off too.

Naruto hid behind a tree and watched the altercation between Mizuki and Iruka. He almost laughed when Iruka hit Mizuki who was in Henge as him.

'You'd, better go kit.' Kyuubi warned when Mizuki charged Iruka.

Naruto wasted no time and kicked Mizuki. "If you touch Iruka-sensei, I'll kill you."

"I'll kill a kid like you in one move." Mizuki boasted.

Naruto formed a series of hand seals and cried, "Mokuton: Jukai Koutan!"

Iruka's face showed disbelief as tree branches emerged from the ground and entangled Mizuki. 'How can he perform the Shodaime's most advanced technique but not a Bunshin?'

Naruto walked up to Mizuki and punched him in the face, knocking him out. Naruto grinned at Iruka and said, "Pretty cool. Right Iruka-sensei."

"Naruto come over here and close your eyes." Iruka called. Naruto complied and when he was allowed to open them he discovered that Iruka had given him his own forehead protector.

'Congratulations kit.' Kyuubi offered.

"Thanks Iruka-sensei." Naruto cried, getting Iruka in a big hug. 'Thanks Kyuubi.'

AN - Not the most original story ever written but I think I can make it so it isn't too boring. I know people are going to scoff at me for my NaruHina pairing and I'll get dozens of reviews that say "that's so unoriginal" or "those pairing suck man" and everything in between but here is my reply to all of those reviews GET OVER IT! Probably not the nicest thing to say but I've read enough fanfiction to know you have to say it very clearly. I entertained the idea of a NaruIno or NaruOC, and will probably try one of those in my next fic, but I eventually decided on NaruHina. I'm not sure on other pairings but no Sasuke/Sakura pairing will show up. I don't like Sasuke and I'm still debating Sakura's fate. Any questions, comments, and concerns (be wary of statements above) are appreciated in form of reviews. I know even if people say "no flames" they will get some so if people are really that insecure that they need to flame my writing on the internet, go ahead. WellI hope you enjoy it!