I do not own anything from Naruto, that is all Masashi Kishimoto.

This is my first fanfic and because it is my first, criticisms are welcome, feedback is appreciated, and flames (well, noone usually likes you anyway :P), no I'm kidding, please still feel free to post reviews.

Sorry about the long time between my updates, between work and school, and depression issues I have been abit bothered to write, however, after seeing a few reviews and a few PMs, I will write more to keep my readers interested. :)

Universal: No, he will not be as pacifistic attitude that he has in the canon, but he will have pacificistic traits. As for naivety, he will be towards women. After all, women are very complex creatures. 3 all you women out there and all that read this story.

Danny: I enjoyed your review and I will be the first to tell you that I do have plans for Naruto to have supplemental jutsus in the event of losing his sword, some might even surprise you.

SilverEagle: Loved your review a lot. I have a rough time with compound words because I know it can be done either way, but I'll keep an eye on them more and make sure my beta reader keeps an eye on them as well. As for the chakra gem idea, I actually came up with that idea off the top of my head, much like I did with the Rule of Silver. And I think I can put a chapter explaining the usage of the chakra gems later, I'll have to work it around a little bit though. :)

As previously stated, I do not like to write to canon, but some parts will be as per canon. Though that will be up to my discretion. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed the reviews.

"Normal conversations"
"Thoughts"
"Kyuubi talking"
"Kyuubi thoughts"
"Jutsu"
(Jutsu name)

Chapter 11: The Pet

Team Seven woke up before the sun had started rising and packed their gear up. "Alright, let's go. We've got a two day trip ahead of us and let's keep it slow, I don't want to lose any of our scrolls." Kakashi said as he turned around and began walked towards the docks that they had come from, his three genin following behind him.

Naruto looked back towards the temple before following his jonin leader, noticing that he had jumped to the trees to pick up a little more pace but didn't go as fast as they had been when they were coming to Uzushiogakure. He wanted to create a few clones and leave them there to study, but he didn't want to bring any sort of suspicion towards himself, as it was, he still had a few clones back in his house still trying to get to the bottom of the hidden passageway. He sighed and closed his eyes, letting his chakra shoot out with each step and felt where everything was at, even as they reached the docks. "Kakashi-sensei, what exactly are bingo books for?" Naruto asked as they stepped onto the water and started back the way they came, through the calm sections between the whirlpools.

"Hmm?" Kakashi responded, only having been half listening as he was in thought about who this masked student of his really was. "To have a seal as similar as Minato-sensei's, you must be very skilled or a great copy-cat shinobi." He thought to himself as he turned towards Naruto, "Sorry, what was your question Menma?"

"What exactly are bingo books for?" Naruto asked again, his two teammates listening in.

"Oh. Bingo books are where missing nin are listed by each village, usually listed because they either have critical information about their village, original jutsus, or rare bloodlines. Each village has their own distinct bingo book with all their missing nin and in order to get the other villages books, you need to either kill an enemy shinobi jonin or steal them." Kakashi answered, as he continued to lead Team Seven through the whirlpools until they cleared them and got to the boat that they had left anchored, jumping up to the deck.

"Ok, so why were we collecting the bodies?" Naruto asked once again.

"Well, as a shinobi, everything you learn before death is recorded in your chakra coils and because of that, shinobi tend to try to get their own dead after a battle. The reason we are collecting the missing nin is because the village medics and interrogators can then do their job of extracting information from them that is vital to our survival." Kakashi answered as he raised the anchor to the boat and began sailing back to the docks towards the Land of Fire.

"What do you mean he's missing?!" Jiraiya yelled out, not noticing the seals that his teacher had activated on the walls. "The Fourth left his safety to you and to me! How can you so calmly state that he's missing?!" The white-haired sannin was letting loose a massive spike of killer intent, though Hiruzen was paying no mind to it. To him, Jiraiya was still a child despite having obtained an official rank that not even Danzo or himself had been able to obtain in their younger years.

Hiruzen leaned back in his chair and grabbed his pipe, lighting it and smoking it. "Calm down Jiraiya, we will find him. I have sent out the best tracker and sensory ninjas in the village." He told him, grinning to himself, almost unable to contain his humor. As Hokage, it's not very often he gets to have a laugh, but then again, it's also not very often that Jiraiya makes an appearance in Konoha.

Jiraiya grew a tick mark in his head as he watched Hiruzen smoke on his pipe. He brought his fist down onto the table in between him and the Hokage, doing nothing more than making a few cracks. "Why aren't you searching for him yourself?" he countered, getting angrier by the second.

"Why would I need to look for him myself? I am the Hokage, I have many skilled shinobi at my disposal to use to find people for me." he said, grinning as he looked at Jiraiya, watching the humor that was his anger.

"Why would you…." Jiraiya stood up and reached over the table and grabbed Hiruzen's robes in his now balled up fist and pulled him close, their faces mere inches away from each other. "I swear, if any harm has come to Naruto by the time you find him, so Kami help you, the Akatsuki would be the last of your worries." Jiraiya threatened, before tossing the old man back into his seat before sitting down.

"No harm will come to Naruto, I promise… well no more harm than what comes to any real shinobi." Hiruzen said, straightening his robes after the violent display that Jiraiya made towards him.

"How can you even say that?! You don't even know where he is!" Jiraiya exclaimed, punching the desk once again, making the cracks larger and longer.

"Easy. He's on a mission with Kakashi's Team Seven." Hiruzen answered, watching Jiraiya's dumbfounded expression as he deadpanned onto the ground, causing Hiruzen to burst out in a bout of well needed laughter. "And who said pulling pranks isn't as fun when you get older?" he thought to himself as he continued to laugh.

Team Seven were traveling through the trees, Naruto seemingly on autopilot as he thought about everything his clones had learned while he was in the temple.

"So, you find a way to minimize the seal yet.. or get rid of it brat?" the demon fox growled at its container, clawing at the floor.

"Why do you always have to call me names? Can't you be nice for once in your miserable life?" Naruto asked his inner demon as he leapt through the trees, each step sending out a wide net as he took notice of everything around him.

"I'll be nice when you have earned my respect. After all, you are still human and have done nothing spectacular to even start gaining my respect." He responded, growling out the last bit.

"You really need to get over your hatred of humans, or at least of me. To answer your question though, yes, I did find a way to alter the seal so that you can be in a different environment, however unless you intend to be nicer, I'm not going to change it for you." Naruto responded, grinning to himself. He knew Kurama would never agree to being nice unless something was in it for him.

Kurama growled at his jailor's sentence, knowing the blonde boy's plan. "How about this, you change the seal and I don't eat your mind from the inside out."

Naruto sighed softly as he shook his head. "You really are a pain Kurama, but I'll change the seal not because I don't want you to destroy my mind, but because I want you to trust me. What kind of environment do you want?"

"Hmmm. My own environment huh? How about an environment of three parts: a forest area with plenty of training area, a volcanic area to relax in, and a temple to rest in that is dedicated to the Kami." Kurama practically hummed out his ideal environment, considering how vast the mind can be, an environment that large is completely plausible.

"A temple? Aren't you a bit big for a temple?" Naruto asked curiously, as he continued traveling through the trees.

"I am, but something normal jinchurikiis don't know is that we Tailed Beasts do have a human form, a gift granted to us by our tou-san." Kurama answered, a genuine smile gracing across his fox face as he thought of his father.

"Your father? You have a tou-san?" Naruto asked, a bit shocked that a beast of pure raw chakra would have a father. He thought about it and got the image of two more huge chakra beasts and shuddered at the thought.

"Yes, I have a tou-san you insolent brat. All us Tailed Beasts share the same tou-san, but that is a story for another time. However, you cannot say I will not keep to my word. You change the scenery and allow me a different seal, I will begin your training." Kurama said, giving off one of his rare smiles as well as a small growl of contentment at the thought of being able to take his human form once more.

"Last question Kurama."

"Hmm? What is it kit?" Kurama answered, in a better mood than he had ever been in for quite some time.

"You said you had a human form. How come you can't change back into it now?"

"Ah, you have the Fourth to thank for that. When I am in human form, the chakra is condensed into a smaller body, so it requires more control. However, I was not fought in human form because a man with a mask and those damned Uchiha eyes had taken control over me and made me revert to my beast form. The seal you have is one that doesn't allow chakra to change shape, but simply allows me to offer you my strength. Which is why the seal, when you redo it, will need to have the ability to adapt to a change of chakra shape." Kurama said, as he laid his head down onto his paws and closing his eyes. "This will be the most interesting fun I've had in awhile."

"How do I know you won't attack me during the time I am changing the seal?" Naruto asked, still wary of his inner demon, and for good reason too as Kurama has yet to accept him as a friend despite all they've been through.

"You don't, but that is a chance you must take if you wish to become strong." Kurama said, growling at his host before cutting communication off with his host.

"Hmph, and you call me a brat…" Naruto thought to himself as he continued to jump from tree to tree, before noticing a white spot on the ground. He stopped and jumped down and looked at the white spot, "A bit odd to see something white in the forest." He heard the footfalls of his teammates as he spread out his senses for any signatures of chakra, not sensing any other than his own and his teammates. He walked closer to the white bundle and stopped as he kneeled down to it, looking at it. "Its an animal." he said, to himself and to his team.

Kakashi walked over to stand next to his student and looked at the animal. "Its an albino panther." he stated matter of factly.

"Where's its mother?" Tenten asked as she walked up to the animal as well and looked at it, frowning at how obvious the animal was emaciated from lack of food.

"Simple Tenten. Its mother has abandoned him or her. Panthers by nature are rare beasts in these parts and are seldom seen because of their black fur. By this one being an albino, a legend in itself, its mother would have left it to die as a survival instinct because her enemies would have found her easily by her cub." Kakashi said, before standing up. "Lets go, we have to get back to Konoha."

"What about the panther? It can't be any more than a month old with how small it is." Naruto said, frowning and petting the albino animal.

"Its an animal. I hate to say this, but we all follow the circle of life. Its life was forfeit the moment its mother walked away. Now lets go, no more questions." the silver-haired jonin answered as he jumped into the trees, waiting for his student team.

Tenten frowned as she pet the animal, not wanting to go against her sensei's instructions but feeling bad about the inevitable death of such a unique animal. Sasuke grunted as he jumped into the trees, before looking at his teammate. "Lets go baka. You're holding us up." he said, hoping to get a reaction out of his teammate.

Naruto looked down at the shivering and whimpering animal, remembering his own life and imagining his life through the animal. He took off his black shirt, keeping his mask on as he did so, and wrapped the animal in his shirt and picked it up, cradling it like a child. He jumped up to the same tree limbs as his teammates and looked at them through his mask. "I won't accept that Kakashi-sensei. No being, human or animal deserves to die or live like that." he said, as he looked at the young animal.

"He's so gorgeous without his shirt on. I mean sure, he still has his mesh armor on, but still, he's so defined even for a pre-teen." Tenten thought to herself as she gazed upon the masked boy in front of her.

"Hmm. Lets go." Kakashi said as he turned around and headed towards the village, looking back at his student and smiling softly underneath his own mask. "You have a good heart Menma."

Sasuke and Tenten slowed down to Naruto's pace and was looking at the albino animal. "So what are you gonna do with it Menma?" Sasuke asked as he looked at the whimpering animal in his friend's shirt.

"I'm going to take care of it. I'm sure the Inuzuka clan might have some food they would be willing to sell or trade with me to take care of this young thing." Naruto said as he held the animal closer, rubbing its head with his thumb lightly.

"Won't it be dangerous having a panther in the village?" Tenten asked, reaching over to pet the animals head as well.

"No more dangerous than the wolves the Inuzuka's raise and train."

"That's different. They are ninja animals. This..." she said, motioning towards the albino panther, "Is a wild animal."

"She's right Menma." Kakashi said as he looked back. "You will have to be careful when it gets older and make sure it doesn't attack anyone or else you could be convicted for treason, assault, and or murder if the case was severe enough."

"Why would I be convicted for all that if I didn't do it?" he asked curiously.

"Its the law. A pet is an extension of the owner, even the Inuzuka clan is held to that law. If a pet should attack someone, it is the owners fault for not having disciplined them well enough and is therefore accountable for the attack and any damages sustained from said attack. It was a law made to hold pet owners accountable for their pets." Kakashi said as he moved along from tree to tree.

"Interesting." Was Naruto's answer as he picked up the pace a little more after noticing that the animal was resting a little peacefully despite it being likely hungry.

Jiraiya stood up and rubbed his head, glaring at his teacher and shinobi leader. "You really are a jerk, you know that?" he said as he sat down in the chair across from Hiruzen and crossed his arms, looking at him with a glare that would rival his own teammates glare, completely taken aback at the fact that he was just pranked.

"Sometimes, but I never get to have so much fun anymore with all this damned paperwork." Hiruzen said as he waved his arm in the direction of the now damaged table in front of him that was now covered in a mess of paperwork, not that it wasn't before only it was messy because of the times Jiraiya had punched the desk. He was thankful that the legendary sannin didn't have the strength of one of his second students, otherwise he would have been looking for a new desk. "Anyway, I will accept your request, however he must complete the Chunin exams first. After that, you can take him on a 3 year training trip."

"Excellent. When are the next set of exams?" Jiraiya asked as he pulled out a secondary notepad from the right breast pocket of his brown jacket and an ink stencil.

"The next exams are in a year from now. During that time, Naruto is training with his team and his sensei and will be completing missions to learn the value of teamwork and the life of a shinobi." Hiruzen said as he smoked on his pipe, watching Jiraiya write down information into the notepad.

"That's fine. A year should give me enough time to get more information about the Akatsuki and the whereabouts of Orochimaru. What team is he on and who is his sensei?" Jiraiya asked, not once looking up from his note taking.

"He is on Team Seven and his sensei is Kakashi Hatake, the Copy Ninja. Though you will have a hard time noticing him if you didn't see him with his team as he doesn't look the same, also, another thing." Hiruzen said, getting a serious tone of voice. He didn't use the Hokage tone very often, but when he did, everything he said held conviction and the utmost importance. "He no longer goes by Naruto, at least not right now."

Jiraiya looked up from his notepad, lifting an eyebrow toward his sensei. "What do you mean, 'He no longer goes by Naruto'? What else would he be called, and why is he going by another name?" he asked, his hands with the ink stencil and notepad resting on his legs.

"Exactly that. He no longer goes by Naruto, he goes by the name of Menma Shonjiki and now wears a black kitsune mask and black clothes. He's becoming a fine shinobi." Hiruzen said, recalling the meeting he had with Naruto when he spoke with him last about his new name.

"Why did he come up with a new name? Does he hate his name that much?" Jiraiya asked frowning, thinking that his student's sacrifice had been for nothing if this child doesn't appreciate the name his parents gave him.

"No, nothing like that. He was attacked and left for dead in an alley. After that, an ANBU team assigned to watch over him, healed him and took him under their wing and trained him. He decided to make a new name for himself along with a mask to hide his real identity, so that the villagers wouldn't attack him again." Hiruzen explained, grabbing a few reports from his desk that Itachi had given to him about Naruto and handing them over to Jiraiya. "From what I have been told, Naruto shows amazing intelligence and a rare ability to wield all five chakra natures, likely from being the host of the Kyuubi."

Jiraiya looked through the reports, taking note of his chakra levels, his ninjutsu advancement, taijutsu advancement, chakra control, and every other tidbit of information he can glean from the reports. "So, based off these reports, he seems to be high Chunin level. Why not just promote him off these qualifications alone? Also, why didn't the ANBU team stop the attack from happening?" Jiraiya said as he handed back the reports to Hiruzen, who in turn waved his hand, a motion he had picked up a long time ago as 'You can keep them'. He folded the reports and put them into his pocket, making a mental note to study them more in depth later.

Hiruzen sighed as he leaned back in his chair and massaging his head lightly. "Damn my old age, I'm getting too old for this stuff." He thought to himself, wishing he could be in his comfortable bed right now and be resting. "I don't promote him because he doesn't have the experience a Chunin needs to be an effective leader. He has the skills and intelligence, but just doesn't have the experience. As for why the ANBU team didn't stop the attack from happening is because I ordered them to not interfere unless he was in imminent danger of dying." He raised a hand as he noticed Jiraiya take a breath, stopping him from asking a question, "Let me finish. The reason why I made that order is because I did not want Naruto thinking he could get away with whatever he wanted by thinking that the ANBU would stop whatever happened as a consequence of his pranking. However, because his life was in danger of ending, they stepped in and kept him alive. Yes, I feel bad for not being able to protect him more, but I will not have a spoiled child running the streets of Konoha, even if he is a jinchurikii." he finished, looking at Jiraiya for understanding.

"I see. Well then, I will be taking my leave if that is all. I will return in a year to pick up Naruto." Jiraiya said.

"Of course." Hiruzen said as he picked up his pipe, "Oh, one more thing. You are not to tell anyone of Naruto's alias or anything you know about his existence. When you see him, you are to address him as Menma. Understand?"

"Understood." Jiraiya answered as he stood up and headed for the door, noticing that some seals were being deactivated, as he opened the door and walked out.

Team Seven arrived at the gates of Konohagakure and showed their ninja ids to the guards before being allowed entry, though they gave the albino panther an odd look as the masked child walked through the gates. "Hey Kakashi-sensei, I'm going to head over to the Inuzuka clan to see about getting Sanarah in better condition." he said as he unclipped the large scroll from his back and let it fall to the ground. "Give the Hokage my apology. I'll pay for it later. The sealed scrolls are in that large scroll." Naruto said as he shunshin'd away from the group and showed up at the doorstep of the Inuzuka household, knocking on their door.

A woman in an off white cloak answered the door. Like many of her clan members, she had the double red tattoo markings that resembled themselves as an Inuzuka on her cheeks, two straight bangs of hair wrapped around the sides of her face while the rest of her brown hair was straight and was kept in place by tight bandages at the nape of her neck. However, unlike the rest of her clan members, she was a veterinarian medic shinobi, one trained to take care of the animals of the Inuzuka clan. She looked down and smiled at him, "Oh, hi! What can I help you with Menma-kun?"

"I was hoping you could help me with something Hana-san." Naruto said as he looked down at the resting panther in his arms. "I found this panther in the forest of Land of Fire not far outside the docks to Uzushiogakure, I was hoping you could help me restore her to proper health." He said, looking back up at Hana.

"Is that... an albino panther?" Hana asked a bit stupidly, surprised at having the opportunity to see, let alone help, such a rare beast, one that so few had ever seen before even in passing.

"Yeah. Can you help her?" he asked, looking at her, his eyes having small glimmers of hope even though his mask hid his emotions.

As always, leave your reviews at the end of the chapter. :) They give me the motivation to update this story faster the more reviews I get. Also, if you have your own thoughts on this story, or think you can add something to it, please feel free to PM me. I look forward to any and all reviews and messages. - Tohrment