Chapter 6 – Balance

Naruto was standing on an open field near the outdoor training grounds. There was a giant waterfall to his right and forest surrounding this large clearing. "Your first lesson" said Deziray "is balance". "You suffer from a lack of balance in your life and it effects your training. Your parents make everything easy for you. Allow you to only do the things you enjoy all the time instead of forcing you to do unenjoyably things or even things that would make you suffer." "Why would I ever have to do unenjoyably things?" asked Naruto "WAKE UP!" shouted Deziray. "You are training to be a ninja. That does not mean running around all the time trying to pick up girls. It's a life that requires discipline, leadership, and sacrifice. From what I have seen you haven't had to sacrifice a thing in your life. You barley even know what hardship feels like. In other words you life is completely tipped to one side. No one back have everything. We will start correcting this today."

"First things first" said Deziray "you will no longer have servants picking up after you, you will be treated equally as any other piece of shit non-genin, and finally you are no longer going to be living with your parents. Its time to start learning to be independent Naruto. And guess what? Since mommy and daddy won't help you do it you will be living with me!" "NOOOOOOOOOOOO" screamed Naruto. "You can't do that! Your not my legal guardian, under law I don't have to go with you." "Oh yes you do" said Deziray and held out a sheet of paper. It was a temporary transfer of guardianship and both of Naruto's parents had signed at the bottom.

Naruto was reeling in shock. How can my parents do this to me? He wondered. I thought they loved me and now they are going to leave me with this psychotic bitch. "I need a minute" said Naruto and staggered away. "Your parents aren't abandoning you" called Deziray after him "They are simply doing what they believe is best for you." Naruto barely heard her. His knees weakened and he sank down near the waterfall. Soon he began to cry. Naruto cried pretty often for a boy who was 11, but he felt within himself that this time was different. Water wasn't just leaking out of his eyes this time. He felt his chest heave with great quaking sobs, and the back of his throat began to burn as though someone had just made him drink acid. This time he felt how much pain he was in, how betrayed he felt, how angry he was.

***6 hours before***

Deziray sat in the Hokage's office with both the 4th hokage and his wife. "Look" said Deziray "You son is a spoiled brat there is no way around it." Kushina who had been previously smiling began to glare at Deziray and the 4th hung his head. "Look Dez" he said "We know he's spoiled but watch what you say about him. He is still our son." "And that's why you picked me sir" said Deziray "with all due respect you know that I am one of the few within the Black ops with the skill set necessary to train the boy. My greatest asset is being able to succeed while skirting the line of authority and the chain of command. You knew when you choose me that I have a bit of a reputation for not following orders and that's exactly what you needed, because your son acts exactly the same way." Kushina began to rise from her chair red hair whipping behind her. "Kushina" said Deziray "I know you want to love and protect your son, but you must face the fact that he simply must be broken. Some day soon he'll be a ninja, and he will be a liability to the village if he remains the way he is. Especially since we know what is going to eventually happen." Kushina paused for a moment. Deziray could see the calculations running through her brain. Finally she pursed her lips but sat back down.

"My request is plain and simple" said Deziray "I need you to transfer custody of Naruto over to me temporarily" "Absolutely NOT!" shouted Kushina finally getting to her feet. "You will not take my son away from me to live in that hell hole you call a house." Kushina glared at Deziray. " That hell hole, is going to do him a hell of a lot more good then you two ever did him. You baby him too much, and my training methods are harsher then most. I wouldn't want to have you interfere and ruin his training if you think I am being too hard on him." Minato looked pleadingly at Deziray "is there not some other way?" "No" she said firmly "Its my way or you can take a gamble of what will to him in 7 years, you know what the prophecies say." Minato gave Deziray one last hard stare. Seeing she wasn't breaking he sighed. "Come Kushina" he said "Just do what she asks, it's for Naruto's own good." Kushina gasped "Minato how could you?" "Because" said Minato "I know Deziray's training it is what Naruto needs to grow."

***real time***

Naruto was still dazed sitting by the waterfall staring at his reflection. Deziray stood back and just watched him. His racking sobs had ended, now he didn't utter a sound, not a cry or a moan. He just sat there silently with his grief, absorbing it, taking it all in. To understand what it's like for Naruto at this point, please remember the first time you lost something dear to you, Naruto still has a child's innocence in many respects and this is a difficult lose to be his first.

Naruto sat for hours in front of the falls. The more the realization sunk in the more innocence was striped away. Deziray had long since fallen asleep. Finally Naruto rose wiping his eyes, his movement woke Deziray and she dozily stood. "Are you alright?" she asked sleepily. Naruto paused for a moment. "No" he said firmly "but I will be."

Deziray gave Naruto a long hard look. "Alright lets get started then"