AN: Apologies for such a short chapter yesterday. This is my first fanfiction ive written in years so writing long chapter is still coming to me. So some address ive feel like I need to make. Last chapter I said Naruto would be more serious. This isn't gonna turn into a cringe story and if you feel like its turning that way please let me know. I would like to try to give Naruto a life he's never experienced. Somethings are gonna have to folloe canon for plot development and sure there are going to be cliché training moments but I feel that's how best to develop him. He's already done it so why would he not do it at an earlier age to? Just my thoughts – Kuco

As Naruto made his way back to his apartment the village had begun to wake up. Slowly people begun to head to work while the markets were beginning to set up shop. The world around him began to come back to life but if you were in Naruto's head the world around him was silent. He was alone with himself and his thoughts. He could feel the dirty looks he received as villagers would glare at him with a murderous intent. They'll only love you as long as you protect them from harm, he thought to himself. The hypocrisy was almost laughable. As a child to his teens no one wanted anything to do him. No would bat an eye if he were to disappear. He shook his head as he continued his way, he would need to think about some things.

At the Hokage's Tower

Hiruzen Sarutobi had experienced much throughout his prolonged life. The death of his mentor, the betrayal of a student, the death of his successor. The old man took a deep drag from his pipe as the man continued tom ponder on his memories. He sighed realizing he was just pushing off his responsibilities. He proceeded to open his drawer, grab a file, and threw It on desk. He removed the pipe from his mouth, set it aside and removed the portraits from the file and spread them out before him.

Each picture were broken into trios of 3 with their future sensei's accompanying them.

Team 7- Sasuske Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, Kakashi Hatake

Team 8 Hinata Hyuga, Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka, Kurenai Yuhi

Team 10 Choji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, Asuma Sarutobi

Sarutobi looked at the assembled teams before him. How could he give Naruto what he wanted while keeping the teams balanced as well? He thought had built the perfect layout. Naruto, the worst student in his class would benefit from Sakura's intelligence and Sasuke's proficiency with ninjutsu. Sakura would benefit from her more battle-capable teammates and Sasuke would benefit from being forced to work with others. He leaned back in his chair puzzled. Naruto while being the absolute worst performer in his class was different. Naruto would struggle with genjutsu as he would not have the control over his chakra proficiently as others. If there was one thing the boy had exceled at was his taijutsu. While he rushed forwarded stupidly sometimes in battle, he would not shy away from a fight.

Sarutobi shook his head. He couldn't break up Team Guy, they had already been together as a team for a year and breaking them up would do a massive disservice to all of the team's members. Kakashi Hatake would have to put with the Uchiha. If he ever awoken his Sharingan then the boy would need guidance and its not like he could go to his clan for help. The answer was in front of him as he continued to stare at the pieces of the puzzle.

"Team 10" the old man uttered to himself. "I can switched Choji and Naruto and I believe that sacrifices the least cohesiveness of all the team" Hiruzen nodded to himself.

Team 10, the next generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio could supplement the young Uzumaki for the Akimichi. Sacrificing the Trio would look bad among the council but Team 10's specialty was always stalling against their opponents. On the surface Shikamaru Nara was perhaps the laziest genin this generation saw. The boy was always napping or laying down somewhere staring at the clouds, yet, he never seemed to fail any of his test. On the contrary, he seemed to pass always with flying colors. He would be able to supplement Naruto's failing grades.

.

Now on to the other teammate, Ino Yamanaka. The only child of Inoichi Yamanaka, Sarutobi from his brief observations had concluded that the girl was confident, bold, and outspoken. He had seen the way she had bossed around Shikamaru and Choji when they were younger and he believed that this girl could control both Naruto and Shikamaru. With a Nara to hold his opponents down, a Yamanaka to incapacitate the opponent, the Uzumaki had to be muscle of the group. Sarutobi laughed to himself. "He shouldn't have any problem with that" the manned grinned to himself. He would have to talk to his son about the change but if there was anyone in the village the Hokage could trust, his was his own son.
Naruto's Apartment

The young Uzumaki was tired, frustrated and yet felt nothing at the same time. He tried to fall back asleep, yet he could do nothing but toss and turn endlessly. Frustrated he threw his pillow across the room proceeded to get out of bed for food. He opened his kitchen cabinet as his stomach rumbled and saw nothing but prepackaged ramen. Ramen. Food of the gods, Naruto previous life had once thought. He shook his head and slammed the cabinet door closed. He looked around and thought to himself at what he could possibly do.

"I could meditate." He muttered. While not sleep, it relaxed Naruto and with how tired the boy had been maybe it would knock him out. In any other life you would not ever see this boy being able to stay still enough to even contemplate meditating but the training he had received at Mount Myōboku had instilled the knowledge of letting everything around you go and focus on nothing but breathing.

Naruto sat down and got into the traditional pose. He let go of everything that had plagued his mind and concentrated on nothing but his breath. He would take deep breaths and everything around his would slowly fade away. Naruto stayed in this position for what seemed like hours until he finally opened his eyes. He was not in his apartment anymore but his mind. He recognized the sewer system that represented his mind. He sighed muttering "I really need to get my mind out of the gutters."

Muscle memory took ahold of his movement before knowing where he needed to go. He slowly made his way through the halls wading hid legs through the murky water before stumbling on the massive hall. On the far end was something of a massive prison cell. Darkness was past and sheepishly Naruto slowly made his way towards the darkness. As he approached 2 massive red eyes opened up from behind the bars.

"Ah, my warden finally makes himself known to me." The fox muttered out. "What do I owe the pleasure to?"

All his memories flushed back to him, all the progress he made with Kurama he would need to start again. "Kurama" he whispered to himself. Suddenly a large claw slammed against the bars stopping the claw from impaling the young boy while only being inches away from his face.

"Explain to me how on god's green earth you know the name." the fox demanded.

Naruto proceeded to sit sown in front of the cage before speaking. "Even if could explain you wouldn't believe me. How to put this bluntly. We've been through a lot together. I know about old man sage."

Another claw made its way from the other side, similarly, stopping the same way. "Choose your next words carefully you young fledgling."

Naruto sighed. "I'm tired of talking Kurama, can I just show you?" Naruto put his hand into a fist and raised it inching closer. "Just don't kill me, I'm sure you don't want to wait 9 years being reborn. Right"

The fox glared at the young boy before going against his better judgement. He bawled his paw into a fist and pressed against his jailors hand. A rush of memories flew through the fox's mind before disconnected his paw. Kurama taken aback looked at the young Uzumaki. "My, my, my." The fox started to slowly grin. "I believe things got way more interesting, now didn't they?

If you would ever ask Kurama if he would get along with a human, he'd laugh in your first before slowly devouring you. But, here he was with memories of another version of himself. All the hate, anguish extinguished. A version of himself that would help his captor. "Go boy, I have much to think about now thanks to you." Naruto nodded before closing and reopening eyes again. He looked at his clock before only seeing an hour had gone by.

Naruto sighed again. "I just want to sleep" he muttered beginning to give up that rest will ever catch him.

AN: Just another quick heads up. Really do apologize that my chapters are short. I like building interactions and moments in 1 chapter, I feel like having a lot in 1 chapter is just hard to mesh together. I will try to buff up the words thougj. Hope your enjoying so far.