A/N hey guys thanks for the support and thank god for the spelling/grammar check in word 2007. But hey thanks to those who reviewed, Chewie Cookies, Dragon-King-Inferno, hinatanaruto fan, and the blueberry king. You guys rock, and just a heads up for everyone this chapter might appear a little slow action wise but it will pick up. I plan on covering the entire academy arc as well as some extracurricular activity in this chapter but don't expect this to be the cut and dry academy stuff things will be different.

Naruto Protecting the Dream

Chapter 1

Protecting the dreams of everyone with your own hands

(part one)

Naruto sat up on top of the Hokage monument for a hour completely still and unmoving for the entire time until the clouds which had rolled over the village and made the air smell of rain burst forth and released their payload of water, forcing Naruto to stand and make his way back into the village.

By the time he reached the streets of Konoha he was soaked through to the bone, and his hair was hanging down in his face and sticking to him. 'Killing to protect the dreams of the people I hold dear' Naruto thought with his hands in his pockets and his head down even though it wasn't necessary as the streets were practically disserted with the storm raging outside.

Naruto continued through the village, 'could I kill to protect jiji's happiness, or Iruka-sensei, what about old man Ichiraku, and Ayame-nii-chan' he continued this train of thought for a bit before deciding that he could see himself defending their happiness.

'But could I fight, die and kill for this village?' that was the question that he was currently struggling with the rain intensified and lightning flashed overhead and let loose a thunderous roar as it made contact with ground a few miles away.

It was during this time that Naruto saw something that he didn't like a group of boys had a young girl surrounded but what he didn't see was a small fox kit cowering behind the girl what he hadn't seen was the girl dart into the alley to save the fox, the boys had cornered it and had weapons drawn they all had a Konoha head band on and must have been fresh Genin as they weren't much older than herself. "Get out of the way girl, why do you protect that filth?" one of the boys he was on the left closest to the wall but the apparent ringleader.

"it-it's just a f-fox k-k-kit and i-it hasn't d-done nothing to you?" said the girl her speech broke from stuttering. The girl lacked confidence even Naruto acting under his mask could have seen that and it broke his heart to see it the way he was right now.

The girl was wearing black Capri style plants and her shirt was hidden under a heavy parka styled jacket. He couldn't see her face as her wet hair was clinging to her head and she had it tilted down as well but that didn't matter what did mater was that this girl had figured it out, now this was on a smaller scale than what Naruto had been wrestling with but in essence it was the same.

Here is this girl who happened upon this scene of these boys about to end the life of this fox with no apparent reason but she jumped in front of them to protect the fox. And slowly everything Ryu said fell into place.

(Flashback)

"So you take lives to protect dreams?" Naruto asked starting to peace things together.

"Yes if I have to, I get no enjoyment out of it and I have nightmares every time I do but Naruto there are very corrupt people in this world and they will stop of at nothing to capture their corrupt dreams, even if it meant killing others and taking their dreams from them." Ryu said speaking with a quite passion that was very stirring to the young boy.

"As long as people like that exist in this world I will gladly pick up my blade to protect the dreams of the people I hold close when they cannot. And that is what gives me the strength to do what I do." Ryu said looking at the boy who fell back into a state of concentration.

"Now the question is Naruto what will you do after I show you the basics of the Ninja arts I know nothing else to teach you other than the art of the silent blade and the way to defend dreams." Ryu said standing up.

(End flashback)

And now here was this girl who had proverbially picked up her blade to protect the dreams of those who can't as the fox is unable to defend its self. She is putting everything on the line to protect this fox and whatever dreams it might have. And that is what Ryu does it wasn't about taking lives to him, he would take lives if he had to but it was more about protecting the dreams of people, and if he had to, to stop someone who was abusive to other people's dreams then so be it. If he had to take a life he would do so the people he held dear wouldn't have to.

"Get out of the WAY!" the ringleader said as he advanced on the girl and delivered a vicious back hand to the girls face. The force of the blow was enough to make her turn around a fall off to the side of the kit opening the fox to attack.

It was when this happened that something shook Naruto awake, "HEY!" he yelled and broke through the other two and ducked his shoulder and plowed into the leader and knocked him over the kit and Naruto stepped over it as well if that girl wanted to protect the kit then he would to.

Naruto hit him with enough force to slam him into the back wall of the dead end alley the Genin's back hit first and then the back of his head met the wall in a painful manner causing the young ninja to lose consciousness. Naruto saw his luck and turned to face the other two; he was severely out numbered and highly out classed. He was in trouble and he knew it.

He stood in front of the fox and said, "If you want to get the fox you have to go through me." Naruto said as he tried his best to sound like he could defeat the other two with ease, he was banking on the fact that he had knocked out their leader had shaken them up.

Naruto noticed that they started to look panicked and decided to add to his bluff. He brought his hands together and began to channel chakra and go through hand signs. It was then that the boys took off at a run with a look of terror in their eyes. But before they could make it out of the alley Ryu appeared in front of them and grabbed both by the head and brought them together like a couple of coconuts.

With a sickening crack the two Genin fell limp in a heap on the alley floor.

"Ryu! What are you doing here?" Naruto said surprised to see his Sensei.

"Well about that…" Ryu said scratching his head looking mildly embarrassed.

"I saw that you were having trouble coming to grips with what I will teach you so I thought I would show you a real life example of why I pick up my blade, all though It didn't quite go according to plan…" Ryu said scratching smiling.

"Yeah you got that girl hurt all over a fox!" Naruto said turning around to see the girl rising to her knees."

Hinata was still trying to grasp what exactly happened. The leader had struck her and it stung across her check and she could feels it starting to swell a bit. And it hurt but that didn't matter the fox kit had turned into the man that her savior was yelling at. The said man had released some killing intent behind the boy to make the other two run and then dispatched them without effort. She had been out in the forest collecting herbs for her medicinal salves and had gotten caught in the storm and was making her way home when she had seen the fox kit being chased by some Genin. And she felt as if she couldn't allow the fox to be harmed without at least trying to stop it so she acted on an impulse that had reverberated to her very core. She wanted to protect that fox kit. Not because it was extremely cute, but because the fact that it was a defenseless being incapable of stopping the injustice being committed against it. Those boys were going to kill it and it hadn't done anything except walk across their path. So she jumped in front of the kit and promised herself that she would save it. But she had failed in that aspect, it took a boy that she never met to defend the animal and that animal didn't even turn out to be an animal, but rather what would appear to be the boy's teacher.

Thankfully Hinata was pulled out of her mental belittling before it got started. "Hey are you ok?" Naruto asked as he held a hand out to the girl to help her onto her feet.

"G-gomen I-I didn't mean to interrupt a lesson." Hinata stated as she looked to Ryu for forgiveness.

"No it's quite all right and if I am right I believe you actually helped my student learn what I was trying to teach." Ryu said as he walked over to look at the girl, he instantly noticed the distinctive eyes of the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan.

"Its fine now come on, on your feet Hyuga-san." Naruto said as he quickly gripped Hinata's hand and pulled her to her feet. She blushed at the contact of their hands. "If anyone here should apologies it should be my Sensei for his bad teaching habits." The blond said as he let go of her hand only to grab hold of her by the waist as she stumbled a bit.

"Are you ok Hyuga-san you did take quite a hit." The blond asked causing Hinata to Blush a little bit at the closeness that and she managed to look into his blue eyes, and saw nothing but caring.

"I-I'm f-fine really, my head h-hurts a little b-but I am ok." She said but on the inside she thought, 'he's so close.' And it was about that time all conscious thought left her and she went limp in his arms.

She feel back and nearly pulled Naruto down with her but he planted his feet and managed to haul her in so that her head came to rest on his shoulder in a near hug, except that she was limp and her arms hung lifelessly to the side.

"Ryu-Sensei is she all right?" Naruto asked sounding worried.

"She's fine Naruto just fainted, she went through a lot." It was know that the rain broke and the clouds started to break and reveal the moon shining in the night.

"Come along Naruto we should take her home." Ryu said as he turned to leave the alley.

"Umm… Sensei?" Naruto said still half hugging the sleeping Hyuga.

"What is it Naruto?" Ryu turned to look at the boy.

"Two questions, one what do we do with these pigs?" Naruto said gesturing to the Genin on the ground, "Two how should I carry her?" he said gesturing to Hinata.

"Well for the Genin…" Ryu said as he rounded them up and tied them together in a bunch of rope that would give them some trouble getting out of once they awoke.

"And as for Miss Hyuga carry her like a groom carries a bride." Ryu said as he watched Naruto's face grow red.

Ryu couldn't help but smirk as an assassin you had to get a laugh when you could or otherwise you might lose your mind. And this was a classic case of getting a good laugh at your students expense.

But rather than questioning his Sensei he did just that he dropped one hand down to her knees while he brought the other up to her shoulders. He swept her knees out from under her sleeping form and easily brought into the bridal carry.

Ryu smiled and the two made their way out of the alley leaving the trash to get picked up. They made their way down the streets of the village with no incident and no conversation Naruto was too caught up in his thoughts to make conversation.

He was studding the young Hyuga he was holding 'that is definitely going to leave a bruise' he thought as he saw the swollen mark left on her face by that jerk who had struck her. It angered him that the Genin had done that but that wasn't what was bothering him. It was how this girl had showed amazing strength and courage to defend something that couldn't defend its self but yet could form a sentence without stuttering with a lack a confidence. 'What happened in your life that made you the way you are?' he thought to himself.

"We are here Naruto." Ryu said as they came to a stop in front of the Hyuga estate. It was large and expansive now the largest clan in Konoha after the Uchiha massacre.

"This is where she lives'?" Naruto said shocked by the size of the compound.

"Yes Naruto this is where she lives, she is a Hyuga and this building houses her entire clan." Ryu said as he made his way to the gates, and as per typical Hyuga protocol there were two guards from the branch family standing guard at the gate and as Ryu and Naruto approached they hailed the two men.

"What business do you have here at this hour?" The branch member on the left said a little gruffly probably displeased with drawing the late shift.

"I am Jinrai Ryu and this is Uzumaki Naruto, we are returning the Heiress Hyuga Hinata." Ryu said as he bowed to the guards.

Taking a hint from Ryu Naruto bowed as well, well as much as he could with the unconscious girl in his arms.

The guards were slightly taken aback by this news and rushed over to Naruto to check the form in his arms. And sure enough the Hyuga in question was in the boys arms.

"Go get Hiashi-sama!" the guard that had Hailed them said and the other one rushed off into the compound. And within a few minutes head of the Hyuga clan appeared at the gate.

"What is the meaning of this?" Hiashi said rising up to his full height.

"We have your daughter Hiashi-sama" Ryu said to the man with a bow.

Once again Naruto followed his Sensei's lead and bowed his head as well.

"Why is she unconscious?" the clan head said in an accusing manner.

"Well you see I was trying to teach my student a very important lesson." Ryu said sounding a little embarrassed, "well it didn't go as planned and your daughter stepped in and inadvertently helped out." He continued.

"And what lesson is this?" the clan head said as he noticed his daughters swollen cheek.

"You see I have been appointed to be this boys teacher in the ninja arts and my specialty is different than most Shinobi and to live with my specialty you have to do so with an objective and reason honorable enough to live with the cost of obtaining this objective. So I told him why I fight. And well he was struggling with what it meant so I thought I would set up an example. Well your daughter happened upon the scene and rushed out to protect a defenseless being. Witch was the objective I wanted to show my student in the first place. She really did great." Was what the silent killer stated to the man and Naruto agreed with him.

"Well next time Jinrai do not involve my daughter in the teaching of your fables." Hiashi said rather coldly and with a disregard for respect.

"Yes Hiashi-sama." Was the only reply from Ryu despite the insult.

The clan head gestured to his daughter and a branch member took her inside the compound. With that he departed in an abrupt and agitated fashion.

Naruto and Ryu walked away from the compound and once they were away from the compound Naruto opened his mouth, "Man that guy is a total asshole…" Naruto said apparently it was all the boy had to restrain himself from saying so to the clan head himself.

"Tread lightly Naruto, there is reason for his cold disposition that you know nothing of." Ryu said as they started for Naruto's home.

"What do you mean Ryu-sensei?" Naruto was wondering how anyone could be such a jerk reason or no.

"It's not my place to say, but I will tell you that, that man has had it extremely hard for the past four years." Ryu said with a definite tone of voice that told the boy not to try to dig deeper.

So the boy retreated into his own thoughts as the pair walked wordlessly through the still empty village. It wasn't long before they came to Naruto's apartment.

"Well this is your home; we will meet on top of the Hokage Monument after you get out of the academy. Come prepared to work we got a lot of ground to make up before you can learn the ways of the silent blade.

"Right I will be ready because I want to protect this place with everything I am." Naruto said making his declaration.

And with a grin and a nod Ryu left Naruto to enter his home and get some sleep for the upcoming ordeal.

A/N hey guys yeah originally I was going to post one big chapter to cover the entire academy. but life for me is hectic and I have been having major writers block so I thought that I would post this chapter in two parts, here is part one which was put up just to let you guys know that I am still alive and haven't abandoned this story. I will work on part two witch will be the rest of the academy up till the graduation exams. You will see similarity to the cannon but as you can tell this is an extremely AU fic. and there will be a extreme defining moment in this story after graduation you will have to wait and see what it is but I already have the ideas shelled out I just need to get them typed out. Once again apologies for any spelling and grammar mistakes. (It's not my strong point) oh and please read and review let me know what you think, and what's missing feedback makes writing more fun and if I feel like I got a good response I am more willing to write so it's a great motivation for me to keep going. And I would like to know if I have made any plot holes.