CHAPTER 3

An hour after sunrise, weekend in Konoha, deep, deep in the forest of death a tree fell. Two more followed suit before there was a loud celebration of joy.

"Finally!" Naruto yelled as he marched around the manmade clearing, Samehada waving above him, sharing his joy. The blue haired shark boy whipped his sword above his head and it lashed at another tree, shaving it deeply so it fell down. The legendary sword shrunk in size and squealed, "I know, buddy, what's next?" shiver, shiver "water clones huh?" the 11 year old boy leaned his sword by a tree and opened his training scroll, nodding to himself.

He tossed the scroll to Samehada and it gulped it down as usual. He tested the hand seals first without chakra, like the scroll instructed, then when he instinctively knew that he was going fast enough and had memorized the chain he weaved his chakra with the hand seals.

'Water clone technique', nothing happened. He looked around before he jumped back when he saw a dwarf version of himself grinning up at him. 'Not enough chakra. This is going to be a long day.'

Mid-day and all the chakra control exercises finally paid off; he had made a perfect water clone. He didn't have enough chakra to make too many, he just had enough to make four. For now.

Next order of business, shark ability training.

He glared at a tree that and channelled a drop of his chakra to his hair. It spiked up dangerously and the boy bent his head and fired it off in quick succession. When he heard light thunks on the sturdy tree he lifted his head and grimaced; the spikes were everywhere. The target trees trunk, the trees around his target trees and the unfortunate birds that chose to remain in the tree despite him felling some. He ignored Samehada's giggling and began the exercise again, trying to shape his crazy spikey hair into a spear and shoot it at his target tree. Better result but the carnage was still present so he relaxed his hair and the senbon hair in the trees and dead animals curled up and turned into small droplets of water.

Naruto grit his teeth in concentration and his hair spiked up again, then painstakingly slowly it gathered together into a long point. He leaned his head down and the tips shot out and dug into his target tree…and a few others but it was still progress from practicing for three years.

He stretched his body, contorting himself in different angles then he fell into the basic stance for his sword less taijutsu. His arm fins slid out and slowly began buzzing with energy. He then went through the taijutsu styles kata but incorporated his razor sharp fins into the mix.

A forward punch with his right hand then a follow up elbow slash with his left. A round house kick then another round house kick before he slashed again. He grabbed thin air and brought it to his knees, elbow slashing before he apparently flipped the person over with a feinted foot. He backed up and drilled fast paced punches in the air and alternated those with snap kicks from his left leg and slide kicks from his right. He brought the air into his grasp again and this time used his other knee to drive the air out of its stomach and trip it to the floor. He flipped away twice and crossed his arms to block an imaginary blow before he slipped his legs forward and tripped his opponent again.

He did this for an hour before he summoned a water clone to spar with him.

The identical Narutos' settled into the same stance: their body's weight mostly on their left legs, razor sharp elbows out and guarding their chests and right arm pointing forward in a fist. The guarding elbow extends to the pointing arm and grasps the elbow as a sort of support while the left leg leans back and right leg stretches forward lightly. (You don't have to understand the stances. No significance what so ever. Just felt like writing it).

The still exposed sword that observed them from a tree whistled and the fighting duo shot at each other.

The two exchange a slash and dodge for their chests. The real Naruto punched the clones exposed belly and when the clone grunted in pain he jumped up and kicked it in the face. Successfully dispelling it. he formed another one and they charged again, this one seemed smarter; he feinted to the left and tripped his 'boss', it was about to drill punches but the real Naruto grabbed the fists and threw the clone overhead and flipped after him.

The clone rolled away from the axe kick and slapped away a snap kick but didn't see the blow to the chest until he was thrown back into a tree, dispelling not too long after.

The blue haired Namikaze grunted in frustration and summoned two clones, his shoulders sagging from the chakra drain. Perspiration formed on his head as he slapped away the synchronized attacks expertly and flipped away from the identical neck slashes. He caught a slash with his own fin and savagely kicked the water clones knee; breaking it and giving him a chance to head butt it to the ground. Before he could finish the clone off he felt an impressively painful blow to the back of his head that had him skidding far away till a sturdy tree stopped his progress. His eyes were blurry as a kick impacted his shoulder and flung him into another tree. He raised his hands and frantically told the clone to stop; thankfully it did.

The water clone helped him up and gently dropped him by his sword. "Buddy, I need some chakra please," the sentient sword chattered and wriggled its handle into his hand. Since the day Kisame handed his sword to the child he had been storing chakra in it, like the scroll said, so that Samehada would recognize him and so that if he ever was too low on it he would request for some. The dizziness that struck the 11 year old ceased when he felt the comforting flow of his and Samehada's chakra enter into his arm and circulate through his body. "That's better."

He dispelled his clones and wobbled to his feet, still holding the sword of the mist, and stumbled to the centre of the clearing.

"I need more chakra before I can keep doing that, buddy, when do you think I'll have enough?" the living sword tittered before it shivered, "a year? Not too long. When I graduate I can be taking missions and sucking out enemy chakra like Kisame-sensei writes in the training scroll," shrill cry, "thanks. Say, I'm hungry, how about we go and have lunch." He neatly wrapped Samehada in the clean bandages before he nodded to himself at his work and sped out of the forest.

He pounded out of the forest in a blur and flipped expertly through the streets. He ran by the walls and jumped over some children playing ninja, then slid under a table where some elderly people were playing Shogi. He front flipped to a wall and flipped to another till he got to the roof. He then continued his blurring run to the Namikaze mansion which was a few ways away in the middle of the village by the Hokage tower.

Naruto took a deep breath and crouched, eyeing the usual audience of ANBU and jounin that caught him during his sprint back home which was usually about two hours after noon. Most tried to look as inconspicuous as possible as they went about their duties but he clearly saw how they would look up at his position for a few minutes too long. This meant only one thing; the Hokage, his father, assigned them to keep track of him and if he was ever forced to run away they were to bring him back.

'Fantastic…' he thought sarcastically. He had to find another route home but the only one that could serve was the one by the massacred Uchiha compound and he didn't feel like going anywhere near there. He tracked back stealthily and sprang into a dark ally. He looked out and spied a weapons shop, 'perfect,' he bent down and shot into the light then into the weapons shot, by-passing the jounin and ANBU that expected him to pass them from on top of the building. He ran into the shop and jumped out of the back door…into a man's apron covered belly. He gulped and looked up, coming face to face with a glare, "Uhm…hi?"

He stumbled back and saw from the corner of his eyes a girl, maybe two years younger than him, with twin bun styled hair looking at him from behind a rack that contained iron Bo staffs. "What are you doing running through my shop, Namikaze-sama," little surprise the man recognized him. The shop owner was a burly man with a large shaggy beard. He wore a dusty apron and baggy black pants; he must be a black smith as well as a weapons shop owner. The man crossed his ripped arms and glared down at him with his beady black eyes, "I hope you weren't trying to steal anything, right?"

"No sir; I was just passing through." Naruto answered calmly, correctly reading through the man's glare. Orochimaru kidnapped a lot of people and used them in his sick experiments; maybe one of this man's family members was used too.

The black smith looked at the bandaged weapon on the tall child's back, "what'cha got there?"

"None of your business," he glared back at the obviously strong man and walked back to the entrance, "I'll be on my way."

"Not so fast, kid. I have to make sure you didn't steal that," the man grabbed the boys shoulder and reached over to the swords handle,

"N-no! Don't do that!" but it was too late. When Higuarashi's hand touched the legendary sentient sword sharp spikes shot out of the handle and impaled his palm. The muscled man pulled his arm back and grunted in pain. Naruto used this opportunity to blur out of the shop and to his house.

We now find the blue haired swordsman in training pounding through his house and into his room. He closed his door with a shaky sigh and turned around. He smiled at his friend, Minisaki Aburame, idly sitting down on his bed and flipping through one of his notes, "hello," she said lightly. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ears as she looked at Naruto; her glasses were gone to reveal dark blue eyes. Her jacket was also off and lay on his desk. She wore a long sleeved black shirt with the Aburame clan symbol on the chest and black pants. This was as exposed any Aburame could get with any trusted non clan mate without it being indecent.

"Hey," he unstrapped his weapon and leaned it on a wall. He jumped onto his bed and laid his head on her laps, welcoming her fingers to run through his hair. They stayed quiet as she combed through his hair and read his notes.

"…does it ever hurt?" he looked at her questioningly, "I mean I notice how everyone looks at you and you said you ran away with…him once. Does the way they look at you hurt?"

"It's easier to ignore them. Do you hate me?"

She flicked his nose, "of course not; you're my first friend. I can't hate my first friend," she laughed her special laugh, the one she only let him hear, and he basked in the way her pale skin glowed and how her cheeks reddened when he smiled at her. She gently dropped his note beside her and allowed her breathy laughs to calm down, "how was your personal training, Naruto-kun?"

"I've finally got the hang of swinging Samehada and I've got water clones down pat. I still need more chakra though." He grabbed her fingers and idly played with them, "how's your grandpa?"

She smiled warmly down at him, "this is a better day. Shizune-san says he'll be able to come out of the hospital in a week or two. She says that he's too old and sick to be walking so she's going to give him a wheelchair. He was so happy that when I wanted to leave he told me to say 'hello' to you and smiled!" Minisaki's airy voice filled the room and he happily listened to her animatedly talk about a story her grandfather told him about the last great ninja war to a butterfly he saw on her way to his house then to her clan heads son, Shino, who was about the same age as his two younger siblings.

Naruto just lay on her lap, content as he listened to her describe one of her cousins hive. Her hands were waving over her head; they were the only indication that she was excited because her breezy voice didn't indicate it. It was nice feeling, having a friend. Before he met her, his daily schedule consisted of going to school, training and sleeping (of course he'll eat too). But now, the welcome change was that the calm Aburame brought a ray of light to his formerly one track life.

He nodded when she asked him if he was hungry and dragged him downstairs to the kitchen and fixed him a sandwich. As they ate they kept talking about any random thing that came to mind, "your hive? What's up with them?"

They were the only ones at home so she was still in her shirt and pants. In response she let a beetle crawl out of her wrist and settle between them, "jiji says my control is good enough for him to start advanced formations," she whispered to him. He nodded and zipped his mouth. "I can even send them out to spy on people."

"Cool," he tore a bit of his chicken sandwich and swallowed, "up for a spar?"

"Not now. Maybe tomorrow; I'm stuffed." She finished her own tomato and lettuce sandwich and cleaned her hands together, "I feel like taking a nap."

He raised an amused eyebrow, "you mean you want to have another sleep over," a slight smirk from her answered him, "does your grandpa know?"

She punched his shoulders and answered, "Yeah he knows. The house in the clan compound would be empty for another few weeks or so. You've got a problem with me staying?" she raised her fist for another punch.

Not in the least threatened, Naruto stood up, taller than her, and grinned, "as long as you don't pee on my bed I'm game."

The flustered Aburame girl punched his stomach numerously, "I have never peed on the bed and I never will, idiot."

He caught her fists expertly and patted her head, "yeah, yeah. Do you have your stuff or are you 'borrowing' my clothes again?" 'Borrowing' meaning that she would wear them and never return them. He still wondered why she still had his boxers.

"I happen to have forgotten my things at home. I guess I'll have to make do with yours." Minisaki airily said as she sauntered back to his room. He grudgingly followed after her and mentally reminded himself to buy some more shirts.

"Fantastic…"

Time skip: One year later

"Yo, Saki-chan, want to see something cool?" the girl beside him shrugged nonchalantly as she looked up from the scroll she was reading. She was in her full Aburame garb as they sat at the back of the class waiting for the teams to be called. The difference being that she wore a dark blue rimmed pair of glasses and she died her hair dark blue with black streaks running through it. She also tied her forehead protector to her upper right arm. It was meant to be a prank. Naruto switched her shampoo for blue dye, she beat him up and didn't speak to him for a day. But since then she didn't really change much beside the black hair streaks.

Naruto plucked out a strand of hair from his head and flicked it at the board. The hair strand lengthened and sharpened as it zipped down and nailed itself to the board. He released his control and the senbon hair strand curled inside itself and turned into a drop of water.

"Cool huh?"

She rolled her eyes and went back to the scroll in her hands, "eh, it's ok."

He nudged her teasingly, "bet you wished you could do that," she stomped on his foot and he immediately grabbed hold of them and fell off his chair. He limped back into his chair and glared at her, she ignored him.

He wore his usual sleeveless and hooded garb with his forehead protector tied to his forehead.

"Team 4: Namikaze Naruto, Aburame Minisaki and Hyuuga Jo. Your sense shall be Inuzuka Aizen."

The duo, who had semi-reconciled, looked around for the Hyuuga they were placed in a team with. The boy's milky white eyes caught their gaze and Jo smiled fractionally at them. He wore his forehead protector around his forehead, to hide his caged bird seal, indicating him as a branch member. He had a deep purple shirt and black shorts that contrasted his neck short and spikey silver hair. He had bandages wrapped around his arms and legs; even his fingers which meant that he was still recovering from burnt tenketsu.

Jo stood up and walked purposefully to them. He stopped in front of their desk, small smile still in place, and extended a hand to the Yondaime's son, "I am Hyuuga Jo, Namikaze-sama, and it's nice to meet you."

Naruto suspiciously eyed the limb for a moment before he shook it, "no need to call me that, just call me Naruto or-" foot stomp courtesy of the silently reading Aburame beside him. He winced "son of a-" stomp and chose to jump over what he was about to say. He released the limb and the curious Aburame introduced herself to the boy and the Hyuuga sat down beside the shark boy. "Say, I don't mean to sound rude or whatever but most Hyuuga have dark hair,"

"And have metal poles shoved far up their asses," Minisaki mumbled,

Jo's smile brightened at what they said, "My kaa-san is from the Hatake clan. I inherited her hair but I inherited the Hyuuga byakugan. My little bro inherited her hair and our byakugan too. He's going to start school next year." This meant that he was the son of a main branch Hyuuga and that he took the caged bird seal instead of his brother. It was quite obvious that the Hyuuga was nervous; he kept twitching in his seat as he looked out the window, "my Tou-san also tells me not to follow the crowd or at least not all the time. So I would like to spar with you later, Naruto-san; sensei says you're a bit higher in taijutsu than me, a point to be accurate, and I want to see it for myself."

"Haven't we sparred before?"

"Yes, first year, but you weren't too good then. It's a big class."

"We can go at it after we meet our sensei, Jo-san," Naruto nodded and bumped the boys shoulder, "relax, dude."

Jo nodded and took a few shaky breaths, "who do you think our sensei would be?"

"I don't know. But he sounds pretty badass if you ask me," the Hyuuga laughed quietly and smirked at Naruto. He was about to say something but was promptly interrupted by a male voice in front of the class.

"Team 4, with me," the speaker looked to be about 18 years old with a leanly muscled build. He wore the leafs standard jounin flak jacket, tight dark red long sleeved under shirt, black ANBU pants with black ninja sandals. He also wore red fingerless gloves and a forehead protector that neatly contained his gelled and combed down brown hair. His dog partner was smoothly trimmed brown with patches of red on her fur. The dog looked to be about half the size of a horse with a powerful looking iron lower jaw. "If you're done ogling me I'll meet you three in training ground four in…five minutes. If your late, you fail…" he and his partner disappeared in a poof of smoke after his last words.

What the man had just said finally registered in their minds, "wait, fail?!"

The three newly minted genin scampered over themselves out of the class to the mentioned training ground.

Authors note

Next chapter I'm going to take a dive into the other three members of Team 4 (Minisaki, Jo and Aizen). Don't start flaming them till you read it; I can say you'll get them more. Bear in mind that I take perverse pleasure in twisting generic dudes.

Opinions or whatever?

Review!

B.j.