A/N: So it turns out that the biggest concern I've noticed is who Naruto is hooking up with. Haha, as of right now, I have no plans for anything of the sort. Maybe it'll be Hinata, maybe not. You'll just have to keep reading to find out. ;)


There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force. But as he parried another swipe, all those words had been thrown aside. Right now Naruto was a mess of emotion and every part of those tenets became null and void as he clashed against his would-be assassin. Death was a very real possibility, and he feared they would get acquainted far too soon. The blonde managed to roll to the right as the assassin brought its saber down in a cleave. Coming out of the roll, Naruto swung at his opponent's leg. At the very least, he hoped to knock it down. The thing, however, simply lifted his leg up and avoided the strike. It swung at his side next, and Naruto desperately raised his saber to parry. Spotting the opening, the blonde planted a kick firmly in the assassin's chest and knocked it back. A scant few seconds of breath was all he gained though, and soon they were right back at it.

The trees rang out with the humming and clashing of laser swords; one a stark crimson, the other a deep blue. Unfortunately for Naruto, the figure in black had much more experience. With a whirlwind of strikes and parries, Naruto was forced on the defensive, the choppy movements of Shii-Cho all he really had to fall back on. He mentally cursed his luck for his lack of repertoire. A swing to the side was blocked, which glided to another swing to the legs. The blonde yelled in anger when they locked, but this time he stepped forward and planted a backhand firmly into the assassin's face. He pressed his advance with a swing to the neck, but the figure easily ducked and spun out of the way, sending a chop to the boy's neck with its hand. Dazed and fatigued, Naruto stumbled forward as he gasped for breath. They continued this pattern several times over, the assassin spinning and nicking at the child's openings. Naruto gritted his teeth to keep from crying out as the red blade cut him over and over again. Why didn't it finish him? His limbs grew heavy, his robes tattered and charred where the lightsaber had cut him. More than once his defense was exposed enough to get run through, yet they continued their one-sided dance. That was when the thing thrust an open hand out at him and Naruto found his feet leaving the ground, his body flying away and into a tree. His eyes shot open in shock from the impact and he crumpled to the ground.

"Pitiful child. I won't end here. You will get up, and you will kill it."

Naruto struggled to his feet, not caring about who's voice it was or where it came from. He dug deep as he returned to full height, and felt a surge of power flow through his veins. The two combatants reengaged, this time with much more ferocity. Naruto didn't understand what had happened. All of a sudden his reflexes were quicker, he could see the assassin move before it even happened, the pain in his body had disappeared. He brought his blade up and let it come crashing down on his enemy, following up with slash after slash, first to the side, then to the neck, then down to its legs. Now it was the assassin's turn to defend. The only difference was that Naruto had every intention of killing the thing, even with the training blade with which he was forced to make do. As they locked together again, Naruto stepped forward and grabbed his opponent's wrists. With his other hand, he sent the hilt of his lightsaber into the assassin's jaw. He struck once, twice, and a third as it finally let go of his lightsaber. Now armed with a real blade, the blonde wasted no time and swung with all his might. The saber passed through the still stunned figure's neck. The body crumpled to the ground as the head rolled away.

Naruto gasped for breath as he collapsed backward, his muscles too fatigued to support themselves. The lightsabers fell away from his grip as he lay against the tree. He watched the body warily, expecting another trap, but none came. Instead, the body and head started breaking away into dust, and with a gust of wind scattered into the forest. It didn't matter to him though why the corpse had disappeared like that. All that matter was sleep as he drifted into blissful darkness. Little did he know that what was supposed to be a red bladed lightsaber had disappeared as well.

From a distance stood Revan and Sarutobi as they watched Naruto from the branch of a large tree. Revan had a small smile on his face while the Hokage looked thoughtful.

"Not bad Sarutobi. I knew he needed a trigger of some sort. Remind me to learn some of those illusion techniques. How do you feel about his progress so far?"

"It's impressive for one his age. I can tell you have put a great deal of time into his growth. But was calling me to create a genjutsu like that really necessary? I frankly don't care if you let me borrow one of your memories to help build it."

"It was the best idea at the time without causing any real harm. Naruto needed to experience a stressful situation where he would have no choice but to force himself to make a connection, or would you have preferred I threw him off a cliff?"

The elder man chuckled, a smile of his own growing on his face. "No I suppose not. Any plans on when he is to start training in the Academy?"

"On his tenth birthday. He's a fast learner and I know he won't take anything less than joining the graduating class. What were the graduation requirements again?"

"Clone, replacement, and transformation jutsus, a taijutsu and throwing weapon examination, and a written examination on history and tactics."

"That's all? If that's the case, he'll be ready to graduate tomorrow, after some rest of course."

The Hokage raised a brow at that. "Might I ask how you've been able to teach him shinobi techniques?"

"Naruto isn't the only one who's been doing training. I've been studying how shinobi fight since I first came here. I know more than I let on. The question is, would you allow him to simply take part in the graduation exam?"

Sarutobi shrugged. "I suppose I can pull a few strings. The shinobi council would have no problem with a home-schooled applicant, so long as he can earn the proper marks. I'm not too sure about the civilians though."

"The civilians are of no consequence. It's because of you and your shinobi that a rival village hasn't stepped in and turned Konoha into a dictatorship."

The Hokage had to laugh at that one. "Any particular time I should be expecting his participation?"

"Give it a few years still. His jedi training at this level is nearing a close, and I have a little surprise waiting for him. After that, he will be ready to start his career as a shinobi. Whether or not he still wants to, well... we'll just have to wait and see."


It had been three days since that incident at the forest. Naruto had fully recovered. Though the physical injuries had been a mere illusion, the memory was still strong. He had become much more sedated than he used to be. He was still lively at times, but had a greater hold on those outbursts. And as he and his master returned to the waterfall, he looked at the inevitable session in a new light. The blonde sat down and began his breathing exercises. He let his mind empty of unnecessary thoughts, he calmed his emotions and put them away in a different corner of his subconscious. All that mattered was reaching out and feeling the world around him, as Revan had preached to him countless times before.

Naruto's mouth fell open as the world as he was supposed to see it opened up to him.

"What is this...? It's so much different," he breathed as he felt the Force in its entirety. He could feel it in the air, in the ground beneath him, in the water as it crashed into the depths. He felt it in the animals that roamed the forests, in the trees and flowers, even in every blade of grass. This energy, it pulsed and flowed through and around everything.

"This, my apprentice, is the Force. This is what we have worked so hard to achieve, and you have finally done it."

"This is incredible, it's like I can see everything at once!" he exclaimed has he broke the connection.

"The Force is everywhere, it flows through everything. No matter where you go, no matter what you do, the Force will always be there. It is where a Jedi finds his true strength. It is your weapon, your armor, your companion. Feel the Force, and you will never be alone."

"I think I understand now, why I'm supposed to stay calm. A power like this... I'd hate to see it out of control."

Revan smiled. "In time, you will be able to gain a finer degree of control over its more destructive capabilities. But for now, welcome to your next phase in life."


With his new connection with the Force, Naruto's growth expanded rapidly. He learned telekinesis as he lifted, pushed, threw, pulled and otherwise played with the objects around him. He channeled the energy into his body, amplifying his strength and speed. Where before he managed to jump a few meters at best, he could now leap clear over rooftops during one of their runs throughout Konoha. Yet as he continued to learn through the Force, he always returned his attention to the stars above him. For some reason, he felt them calling, and his desire to leave the planet grew stronger by the day. The weeks faded into months, months into years, and now here he was taking yet another big step into a new world.

Naruto stared breathless out the windows of the Ebon Hawk's cockpit. At long last he was entering the cold unknown of space. Since he first met Revan five years ago, he had yearned to see the galaxy as his master did. He watched as his planet, while at first vast and magnificent, soon shrunk to the size of a small blue orb in the darkness. Off in the distance, he saw the sun itself, a giant ball of fire that constantly threw its energy at his home to give it life. Beyond that were the countless stars he so desperately wished to visit. He sat back in the co-pilot's chair as Revan punched several coordinates into the navigation computer behind them.

"Hang on. The first jump is always a bit unsettling."

Naruto strapped in as the stars outside seemed to stretch. With a jolt, he was pushed back into his seat as the ship launched into a swirling blue tunnel.

"We've just entered hyperspace," explained Revan. "It'll still be a few hours before we reach our destination. Take this time to rest, you're going to need it."

Naruto didn't say anything as he gazed out into the void of hyperspace. A few minutes had passed and Revan was about to ask what was wrong when the blonde smiled.

"I want to thank you sensei, for everything."

"Hmm?"

"You gave me a new life, you gave me a new purpose. You showed me what it was like to have someone that cared for you, someone who wanted you to grow and become strong, someone I could call a friend and a parent. I hope that someday I can be even half the man you are."

Revan stood and walked up behind his apprentice. He placed his hands on Naruto's shoulders and the two locked eyes.

"Naruto, there's is no need to thank me. You have grown into a strong young lad, and hold a wisdom beyond your years. I am proud to call you my student."

Of course, not even the Force could have warned him of the impending missile that was Naruto as the boy latched around his waist. He was crying. He let it all go, all his feelings on this man he could call a father. Revan returned the embrace, albeit a bit awkwardly. As the sniffling stopped, Naruto looked up at him all teary eyed and asked, "Can I be alone for a little bit?"

Revan nodded. As they gave each other one more embrace, the Jedi turned and retreated to his quarters. Naruto remained in the cockpit as he stared out into space and by extension, his reflection in the thick glass. He was ten years old now. Much of the baby fat had given way to a more angled face thanks to his training and lifestyle. His blue eyes still sparkled with young innocence, but also held the edge of maturity. His hair remained spiky and wild as ever, save for the single long braid behind his left ear. The whisker marks along his cheeks had always confused him, but by now he had simply accepted them as birthmarks, and pretty cool birthmarks at that. The padawan robes he now wore were darker than the sets he had grown accustomed to during his training, and they now included a long, flowing brown cloak with a hood and sleeves. Sometimes he had to double check himself in the mirror, wondering if it was still him or someone much older staring back.

As he settled himself into the chair, he bundled up and let his eyes droop. As soon as they arrived at wherever it was they were going, his first trial would begin. Revan never said what it would be, or where it was, only that he would need all the skills he has built up until now in order to pass. His thoughts drifted into fantasies any child his age would dream of; fighting a great dragon, rescuing a princess from a tower, saving the life of an old king and gaining his favor, the list just trickled on. It could be anything, but no matter what it was, he would still win. That was a promise.

"This is what I've been training for. Sensei, old man Hokage, I'll make you both proud."


A/N: And that's chapter five. To give an idea, Naruto's younger years will be focused more on the Narutoverse. He still holds a good connection to Konoha, despite his absence and will still place it before the countless thousands of other worlds that make up the Republic, most of which he has never even heard of let alone seen. Also, expect this one to be the last time skip for a long while, now that we're getting into the juicier bits of the story. Review!