I don't own Naruto.

Bold is supernatural speech.

Italics are thoughts, flashback, the like.

-Chapter Two: The Power-

Naruto had woken early and went over to the ANBU headquarters. They had a special underground training area to preserve the secrets of the ANBU. Naruto showed up and followed the man that was to guide him.

Currently he was standing in front of the most insane looking obstacle course he'd ever seen.

"You have one hour to complete the course and neutralize all threats within. Start when you're ready." Naruto nodded and began immediately. The first thing was a wall, it was neither tall nor incredibly imposing, but the fact that large spikes would make their presence known at random times was worrisome. Naruto cleared the wall, getting a look at the whole course, he nodded and jumped down the wall. Landing on a foot thick log he ran across quickly, and dodged the kunai that nearly struck his temple. Drawing his sword he blocked the incoming kodachi from the ANBU, he elbowed the man across the face, splitting the mask. Naruto ran along, using the square hilt to assist him in his vault over the next wall. He jumped up and caught the bar above the wall, Looking around he found his next obstacle, a large log sticking from the ground, he landed on it and quickly dropped down.

Three ANBU met him as he landed, he put his sword away and drew his knives. The first brought the sword down at an angle, Naruto dodged outside the blade and struck the throat of the ANBU with the butt of the knife. The next one attacked from behind and nearly hit the boy, but also felt the pommel of the knife. The final ANBU attempted a knee to the face, but Naruto leaned back and punched the man in the groin.

Naruto made his way over several more obstacles before coming to a maze. The maze was roofed and pitch black save for small lights that gave off the amount of light one would get from a match placed at random intervals throughout the whole place. Naruto let his senses guide him, all through the maze he would find depressions in the walls, and occasionally he would find ninja waiting to ambush him.

The ninja had masked her presence as best as any could, but Naruto could still feel her, he stood with eyes closed, and with a single word he startled the hiding ANBU.

"Come." The ANBU steeled herself and attacked, with no room for the kodachi she used the tanto that was sheathed in the end of the sword's scabbard.

Naruto sensed the motions, he redirected her arm by pushing his forearm on hers, with a ridge hand blow to the side of the head she fell to the ground unconscious.

Naruto continued through the maze with his eyes closed his vision did him no good here. He had learned to navigate blind because if he were to be in a place where mist ninja were using their techniques or somewhere like a jungle where dark reigns after dusk he couldn't use his eyes.

The next ANBU fell without knowing it, Naruto sensed the person before the ANBU sensed him. He covered the man's mouth and choked him out. Finally he reached the end of the maze, and was confronted by nearly ten ANBU, he readied himself with his sword.

Two ANBU attacked at once, Naruto dropped and rolled backwards, as he stood he saw the ninja were still approaching so he moved one way and struck quickly with his sword, leaving a shallow but debilitating cut, the second man was knocked away with a punch.

Another ANBU caught Naruto by surprise and managed to actually land a blow on Naruto, the blade slid across his cheek under his left eye, Naruto caught the handle, pulled and with an uppercut to the elbow effectively neutralized the man.

The sword made a great distraction, Naruto threw it and as the ANBU blocked it he swung low, kicking the man's leg with his shin, destroying bone and muscle. Several more came at once, Naruto jammed his sword in the ground, using it as a vault he launched himself up into the air. Many ANBU followed but didn't expect the knives.

Naruto's blades blocked swords, and cut through cloth and flesh, two ANBU were defeated in the airborne combat. Naruto hit the ground and came up with a blow to the chin of the final ANBU.

Pulling his sword out of the ground he walked across the finish line, hitting the buzzer on his way.

"Fifty four minutes!" One of the ANBU shouted, medics immediately went to work looking for ninja who were injured. Only five or six out of the full twenty five were injured enough that they needed medical attention. A few broken bones and lacerations, nothing life threatening.

"Well Naruto-san, it seems that you're of ANBU level easily. I've never seen anyone fight that efficiently. I'm Yamato, the current ANBU captain." Yamato said. "What style are you using?"

"Mushin No Shin Ryu." Yamato's eyes were wide open.

"You were taught by Kaisho-sama?!"

"Well if you want to call it that. It was more like learn or die." Naruto shrugged. "So when will I be starting my missions?"

"We can start as soon as you get your mask. Regulations state that you have to wear a standardized uniform, so we'll have to get that as well, but you may be able to start soon."

The next few hours were Naruto filling out paperwork and getting his uniform sized up properly. He chose a fox mask, figuring it would be appropriate for him. Foxes were ironically Naruto's favorite animal. To him they represented the baser meaning of the arts of ninja. Though smaller than it's cousins the wolf and coyote, the fox managed to survive using cunning and speed.

Leaving the headquarters Naruto went over to the Hokage's tower, he wasn't required to wear his mask until his inauguration, which would take place in a week.

"So Tsunade-sama, what's my first mission?" Naruto asked.

"Temari will need an escort back to her village after your inauguration, we also need a ninja to stay there for two months, if you'd like you could be the ambassador for Konoha and during your two months there you may be able to take missions for Suna, and while here you could also take missions."

"Sounds good." Naruto said. "Say, do you know where she is? I've been meaning to ask her something." the soon to be ANBU had planned to ask her about her brother.

"She usually gets tea at Han's about now. You know the tea house by the hot springs?"

"Yeah, thanks." Naruto nodded and left.

Temari was enjoying a fairly normal schedule for her days here in Konoha, that was until she saw Naruto come in.

"So you gonna go for him?" Shikamaru's words echoed in her head. She began blushing. Then she noticed he was walking over to her.

"Hey Naruto-kun. I never pictured you to be one much for tea." Temari said.

"Well Temari-san, I do in fact love tea, my favorites are Green tea and jasmine." Naruto smiled under his mask. "I came to ask you about Gaara's well being." Temari was shocked when Naruto got to the point.

"He's been doing well, he's opening up a little. He's more social to a point. I think being Kazekage has sort of forced patience on him."

"He's Kazekage now?" Naruto hadn't ever predicted that Gaara would be in any position of authority.

"Yeah, he was the only person that could meet both the power and intelligence aspects."

"You seem to be an intelligent person Temari-san." Naruto saw the blush on her face deepen.

"But Gaara's more suited for the job. I couldn't stand the position." She couldn't believe that Naruto had just complimented her so openly.

"Apparently I'm going to serve as Konoha's ambassador now, I'm supposed to be going with you to Suna next week after my formal introduction into ANBU."

"You're going to be an ANBU?" Temari gawked. "Cute and strong." She wondered where the thoughts kept coming from.

"Yup, they tested me earlier, and I passed. I've got my mask and they took measurements for my uniform, now I just wait." Naruto ordered some tea for himself. They sat and talked for a while longer.

"I'm sorry but I'm supposed to meet Ino soon, so I'll have to go." She reached for her wallet.

"Don't worry, I've got it." Naruto retrieved his own wallet.

"I thought you didn't have any money?" Naruto grinned, his mask was down to drink his tea.

"That's because I just drew this out of my father's bank account. I didn't have any until I got access to my father's stuff." Naruto set the money down. "I want to go see her, It's been a while since I've surprised anyone."

"Who's your father?"

"The fourth Hokage was my father."

"That's yet another thing you have in common with Gaara. The fourth Kazekage sealed the demon in him. And it happened to be our father."

When they met with Ino, Sakura was with her as well.

"So who's your friend Temari?" Ino asked, looking at Naruto.

"You should know him. He was on Sakura's team. And how many people have bright neon blond hair in this village?" Then it suddenly clicked.

"Naruto?!" Sakura shouted. Naruto pulled his mask down. Temari leaned over and whispered into Ino's ear.

"You should see his body. It's absolutely amazing." Ino looked at her questioningly.

"This is Naruto we're talking about."

"So ladies, what're we saying about me over here?" Both girls jumped, Sakura laughed.

"Well Temari was commenting on your apparently amazing body." Temari blushed.

"I don't think much of it."

"Well let's see what she was talking about." Ino ordered. Naruto shrugged, removing his gi he saw two jaws drop, and Temari's face simply turned redder.

"Kit, it seems you've got a gift there." Kyuubi said from inside.

"Naruto… When did you get to be so amazingly hot?" Ino was always unusually blunt. Naruto put his gi back on.

"Well Ino, if you spend three years with Kaisho sensei then you'd understand. Now that I've had my fill of surprises today, I think I'll go find Kakashi, I'm supposed to stay with him for a while." Naruto stood up and left.

"You weren't kidding, he does have an amazing body." Ino said.

"I told you." they looked at Sakura who had been surprisingly quiet.

"What?"

"Your nose is bleeding Sakura." Sakura's face then turned a color that quickly hid the fact. "It seems that Sakura's got a bit of a crush. What about Sasuke?" Ino teased the girl.

"I do not like Naruto… Not that way."

"Your face tells all forehead." Ino nodded. "Better act quick, I'm sure he'll quickly become the new heartthrob of the village looking like that." Ino was even thinking of claiming him for herself. Unknown to all three, each of them was thinking the same thing.

Naruto walked to Kakashi's, oblivious of his effect on the girls he found the man's house. He knocked. Nothing. Knocking again. Still nothing. Finally he stepped back, and with a powerful kick, he smashed the door down. He quickly wished he didn't. He saw Kakashi's head and bare back, and a purple mop of hair.

"The Hokage says I'm supposed to live here until my house is finished." Naruto began. "I'll come back in a few hours." Naruto reached into the house and put the door back into place.

After he went and bought a whole new doorway for Kakashi, he returned. Pushing the door over he saw Kakashi sitting, reading a book.

"Sorry about the door, I got you a new one." Naruto held up a sealing scroll which had all the supplies, he made a clone to work on the doorway. "I didn't ruin anything did I?"

"No, it's happened before." Kakashi shrugged. "Anko and I are used to it."

"ANKO?!" Naruto shouted. "The crazy snake chick?"

"That's the one. It's a funny story how we hooked up actually. We went drinking, and when we woke up together the next morning, we decided to see what we'd missed, and decided to stick together."

"That's an interesting story, I guess." Naruto asked him about the book."

"Well since Jiraiya died, I can't read my usual material, plus Anko insists that she could satisfy my needs for perversion."

"So you've taken to reading normal books. Better than peeping at the bath house."

"True. So do you have your eye on anyone?"

"Not in particular. I think I'll worry about that after my schedule is steadied out. I made ANBU."

"Ah, well then you probably won't have much time for ladies for a while." Kakashi said. "you'll be required to do at least four missions a month. Most of them will be about a week long."

"I'll figure it out eventually. That's how my life's always been." Naruto shrugged. They continued their conversation like that for a while.

-??-

Uchiha Sasuke was running. Why was he running? Because the container of the Eight tails was on a rampage induced by him, and now that his comrades were all dead, he had to escape.

Finally managing to escape, he was now sitting by himself, his sword leaning against his shoulder. He didn't find it possible for one person to be so strong.

Naruto, are you like this now? He thought, remembering how his former teammate had always seemed to have unlimited strength. He sighed, running had exhausted him. Where will I go now? I've no desire to destroy Konoha anymore, it seems like it just disappeared. Sasuke got up and began walking.

-Chapter Two: End-