'Note to self, building a secret basement is not fun,' Naruto thought to himself as he and his clones had spent a week creating a hidden space in his new home. Between using it as practice for his doton techniques and then secreting in the materials via sealing scroll hadn't been that hard. But buying everything he needed, from different shops in town so that it would be harder to guess his plans that had been difficult. Call him paranoid. "You're paranoid!"

"You're a clone."

"So are you, does this make us schizophrenic as wall?"

Naruto turned to glare at his clones. "Shut up and get back to work." As he turned back to bracing the new supports of his house. In actuality the three weeks of work had turned the 'hidden lair' in to a practical whole other home. The two story underground bunker was where he ended up spending most of his time. Putting in a workshop for his puppets, a if he could boast rather impressive medical lab. Along with the full compliments of a large home, as well as a training room and the room he was most proud of His 'control room'.

The last was an empty room with a large sealing array spread over every surface. It was essentially a remote seal that had several other functions from powering his security seals, maintaining the integrity seals for the complex, as well it linked to about eighty seals throughout the village. Those seals were mostly 'docking stations' for a handful of puppets he was working on. Any of these puppets could go there recharge their chakra and copy the information they gathered. That would then be transferred here where he could 'download' it just as if it were like dispelling a clone. Because it was. Thanks to the modified Shadow Clone seal he created years ago, it allowed him to implant the clone into the puppet, at the seal they would dispel and take on a new clone.

The downside it seemed where that his clones were gaining a bit of individuality from such extended use. Shaking the thoughts from his mind he tacked in the last nail. "I'm going to get cleaned up, you guys finish unpacking and putting everything away." He waited for the nod from his clones before enjoying the comforts of a hot bath.

The steam filled the air as he felt his muscles relax as images from the clones filled his mind continuously for twenty minutes. "I really do abuse this jutsu." He mused, but then anyone with reserves as large as his could. That being roughly maybe twenty people, nine of which were containers such as himself. The other eleven would be Kage level and above, give or take their control and if they knew the jutsu. "Exams are coming up...in a month." HE shot up in the water. "That Haku...was dead less that a minute when I sealed the body...I only stopped the heart..."

Jumping out of the tub and grabbing his towel he dried off quickly as the clones memories played through his mind. Getting dressed quickly he ran to the workshop grabbing the scroll and then headed to his 'med lab'. Placing the scroll on the table he started searching for a few things before he placed a syringe and a vial of sedative before he took a breath. 'Okay I really only get one chance at this...' He thought before he quickly dress out a stasis seal tag. If he screws up he can still preserve the body, taking a deep breath he summoned three clones before unsealing the still warm after so long body. The four began work hoping the theory was sound enough to work.

The seconds ticked into minutes, and minutes into hours. Before the clones each dispersed and Naruto stood there in a sad shake of his head he slide a sealing array under the boys head and began a long string of seals before bright purple flames sprung up from his fingers then he sunk them into the temples his eyes flying open as the array started glowing in a dark light. Blood flowed from Haku's nose sliding down onto the seal. While blood seeped out around Naruto's glowing fingers, as it pooled in his hands.

The jutsu ended and Naruto sagged almost dropping to the ground,catching himself he took several deep breaths. Before he placed the stasis seal on the body, "I was so close...", Then pulled the sheet up over the body. He started scrubbing the blood from his hands, his thoughts constantly going to the body that was laying in the next room over. Coupled with the memories he just copied the boy believed he was a tool, to be used and discarded...I could..but wold it be right? He shook his head once more, but the thoughts kept coming. "Just one...and he'll stay in the house."

-Hokage's office-

Hiruzen was looking over some reports when an ANBU arrived, "Hokage-sama." the masked figure spoke.

"Report." His eyes never leaving the reports.

"Hai, after finding the residence of Uzumaki I was unable to determine much." He shifted slightly, "Though I can confirm the reports of team seven and Kakashi, the property does have a drain on chakra. It's not noticed at first but the longer you stay the more is drained and the quicker. If I were to make a guess I would say it's some sort of security defense. Any civilians would pass out long before actually reaching the main building."

Aged eyes looked up, "Given his past it doesn't surprise me, however this does raise some questions as to how."

"I also noted quite a bit of Chakra usage over the last three months, but no outward signs of jutsu." the man continued, "There were however quite a few shifts in the ground so I conclude it was much more likely he was using Doton Techniques. However they were done within the confines of the home."

"Thank you, I will go visit myself." He dismissed the ANBU.

-Uzumaki Compound-

The aged Sarutobi looked over the low walls as he stood at the gate. The grounds had been manicured along with some decorative flower beds put in. The former storage facility looked as if it were built as a home, the low slung building save a small second story tower sprawled in the center. The deep blue paint along with the white accents made it fairly attractive. He would say Naruto was now doing fairly well for himself. His attention however was taken by three red blurs that seemed to play through the yard, stopping he could tell they were foxes. Oddly he could sense strong chakra coming from them, his only guess was if the grounds kept absorbing their limited chakra their reserves would have grown.

"Jiji are you coming in or are you just going to stare?" Naruto called from the door with a smile.

"I've heard rumors about your new home." He stated from the gate.

"Well come in I've got tea ready anyway." Naruto greeted after sprinting down the walk to the gate.

The two of them walked back, however the Hokage noted no changes in his own chakra. "So tell me Naruto-kun what have you been doing with this place?"

the blond laughed slightly as the made their way to the sitting room, a clone bringing in the tea before dispersing. "Well Sasori-sama had bought it, when I told you everything he left town before I could get here. All I found was a note saying he left this property and a bank account for me. He may have been a missing-nin but he still had a heart I guess." 'Guess Ha that's probably all he actually has left.' Pouring the tea, "So It beats the apartment plus people really don't come out here that much."

Taking his cup, "Thank you," His eyes looked the place over. He did have to admit it was very clean, and well decorated. "I had a strange report from the gennin team that was assigned for the D-Rank mission you requested not to long ago."

"Oh?" Taking a sip from his tea.

"Yes Kakshi in particular seemed to think that while here their chakra slowly was being drained away." He raised his eye brow slightly.

"Oops?"

"Oops Naruto?"

"I must have forgot to key them in when they got here." He shrugged, "It's just a simple chakra draining array used to power the integrity and security seals. Nothing major."

"The ANBU report said that if a civilian tried to come in they wouldn't make it to the house..."

"Exactly, I may not be the annoying brat I used to be but seriously people in this village would try attacking my home like they did my apartment once they found out where I moved to." He sat his cup down slowly. "When I'm in the village it's turned down that mid level reserves will last at least to the house in case I need summoned. When I leave I turn them up to the point Chunnin or lower would pass out twenty feet from the gate."

"That's a bit excessive don't you think?"

"I don't have a clan or family to really watch over my things Jiji... All my puppets or any of my scrolls on it are here.. I won't risk them being stolen because someone doesn't think the DEMON should have that knowledge." He leveled his eyes, "Anyone who has earned my trust is keyed into the seal to leave them alone if they decided to come by when I'm here or not so it's not doing any harm unless they are trying to break into my private property."

"Fair enough though I do wonder where you learned to create seals like that?"

He shrugged again, "Sasori taught me, puppetry is done mostly with seals. Which is why I don't want it getting around since if you know them well enough someone could just take my puppets and use them with out earning the right."

'I didn't really think of that, it would also explain how they made the adjustment to Naruto's seal as well as they did.' Taking another sip. "I hope I'm one of the few allowed in?"

A bright smile grew on Naruto's face, "Of course you are, I isolated your signature when you got to the gate and keyed you in before I came down to get you."

A small smile showed on the hokages features, "thank you Naruto-kun." Setting his empty cup down, "Though I do wonder about the foxes? It just seems a bit antagonistic doesn't it?"

Chuckling a bit, "Maybe but that was the point at first. They are relatives to Katsu, they were bred a few generations with some seals so I could make the puppet. I'm not exactly proud of what I did to them but that's why I keep them to remind me to not just follow someone blindly because of a little affection shown me." His features darkened slightly. " I didn't modify them genetically or anything but the seals I used 'forced' them to grow reserves and gave them limited control over the chakra enough to enhance their senses and use a few tricks like tree and water walking." ' And enough for some low powered genjutsu.' He looked out the window, "Not really any different from the Inuzuka dogs actually it's where I got the concept."

The hokage was a little shocked at the revelation of what the boy had done. But given the situation would anyone have been much different? He was just glad the boy was still loyal to the village and had a love and respect for him. "Could I possibly see this Katsu?" He asked, "And maybe look at how a puppet works?"

Naruto thought about it before he summoned the fox puppet, "It's an advanced skill but even some in Suna use it. Sasori, Chiyo, Garan and Myoto are all users of the 'human puppet' technique. Sasori was the only one who went perhaps beyond the allowed line of that with what he did."

The hokage was crouched in front of the puppet, he could sense Chakra from it along with the barest hints of Naruto's which must be controlling it. The twitch of it's eyes down the the rising and falling of it's rib cage. It he wasn't told he would never know the difference between this and a living one from the yard. "Beyond the line?"

Naruto nodded, "Turning a fallen enemy into a puppet isn't considered wrong, looked the other way yes. However purposefully killing someone to make them a puppet definitely wrong." 'Even more so is turning yourself into one.' He finished in his own thoughts.

"I..see, So what makes Katsu so 'life-like'?"

"Besides he was once a living fox it would be how I constructed him. Sasori didn't care for 'realism' just the actual function of the technique." He sent Katsu off into his office only to come back with a rather large scroll in it's mouth dropping it onto the table. "These are the schematics for this puppet." He unrolled the scroll to reveal the complex design of not only the inside parts but the full array that let him use it all.

Sarutobi sat down and looked everything over with a clinical eye. It was a fascinating concept and after realizing how complex the seals were it amazed him further with just what Naruto had managed to accomplish in five years. "You're telling me not only can you create a real fox but it shoots exploding tags, acid spheres, and senbon along with having a poisoned bit and claws."

Naruto nodded, "Yea he's actually rather simple compared to some puppets I've seen.. I mean if it were a true human any jutsu and skills they knew in life I could use with the puppet."

'That would explain why Sasori is considered so dangerous really, if he turned the Sandaime Kazekage into a puppet...' His thoughts ran in that direction for some time as his eyes would move from the diagram up to Naruto and back. "Would you ever consider making a true human puppet?"

Naruto flinched, "I've thought about it... but...it would have to be a pretty long and thought out concept. I mean I couldn't do it if they had family, or if they were you know.. a person."

"Naruto that wasn't the answer I was looking for," the hokage said softly.

Looking down, "I know.. I've already started on one...it was Zabuza's partner. I tested the body recently after remember I had it stored in a scroll. He had a blood line form Kiri, I already collected genetic material for the CRA from him, enough to actually introduce it into a clan."

"What was the bloodline?" 'I can't believe I'm asking. But, if we could do this and we could credit Naruto with bringing in a new bloodline it would get some of the council of if his back.' Rubbing his face, 'I'm getting to old for this job.'

"Hyuton, I can even copy down a fair amount of the jutsu for it as well to be passed along with the samples."

"Promise me two things." He looked into the boys blue eyes, "One that you will not use this technique on any Konoha resident civilian or shinobi. Two you inform me or the current Hokage of any knew human puppets and if they possess a bloodline that you document the techniques and collect enough samples for the CRA."

"I promise Jiji. I'll even ensure that they wear a Brand or marker showing they are a puppet." 'I'll simply put the Uzumaki crest on them.' He secretly thought. Knowing he was going to give the Naruku a Hitae-aite with the swirl on it.

"That's very thoughtful Naruto. Now if you could have the jutsu and the samples delivered." He began.

"I can hand them over now if you would like, I have to just seal them in a scroll for you." he got up and disappeared for a while before returning with a white and blue scroll. "Blood, Tissue, Bone samples are marked along with Seamen collections before I deactivated the body. Along with the sixteen jutsu the donor was aware of though I am sure there are more out there these were just the ones I could recover from the mind."

"You know that jutsu?"

"It is a medic jutsu, as well it helps with controlling the puppet as I am fully aware of all the information I collected from them." He sighed settling himself down. Sometimes being almost thirteen and having the life experiences from his clones for almost five years made him feel much older than he was. "If needed I will volunteer my skills."

"How are you coping with the feedback?" He asked, "it takes years of mental training to handle the information."

Naruto shook his head, "I used seven shadow clones a day from the age of six now I use roughly twenty or more on a daily basis."

Hiruzen was slightly shocked, but he knew the boy used them he just wasn't aware of how often he guessed or rather how many. " Why so many now?"

"Projects mostly, I guess.. but truthfully half of any clones I make still work on chakra control exercises." Seeing the questioning look. "My coils still are solidified because of the continued pressure from the seal, on average you could do the control exercises every now and then and still keep your level even with the growth over time.. Mine are constantly increasing at roughly twenty times the rate of an active gennin, who is trying to build their reserves." He ran his hand through his hair once more, "If I live to absorb the entire demon, I will have enough chakra to equal the Nibi no Mekomata. As it goes right now that would be about four to five years because of the changes to seal and as long as it continues 'opening' at it's current rate."

-Day of the Exams-

Team eleven walked up to the academy, a little more than a year had passed since they had been inside and each of them had grown far beyond what they had been taught within. Shino had gotten a newer coat like Naruto's and wore black high necked shirt underneath covering the lower half of his face. Hinata had taken to wearing a dark blue sleeveless coat with a long sleeved ninja mesh shirt worn underneath and a simple set of matching ANBU style pants. All three had their weapon attached to them Naruto his Hariken on his back, Shino had his black staff resized up his sleeve, while Hinata had her whip tucked just inside her coat.

The three of them quietly walked in and took the back way up to the third floor before arriving outside of the testing room. Taking the chance to look down the stairs to see several teams trying to get into the door below them. Looking at each other they just shook their heads. Turning they walked into the room to see several teams already there. Naruto scanned them seeing Kumo, Waterfall, Suna... He stopped starring at that team a creepy kid with a gourd, along with a girl that had a fan. It was the last one that he didn't like and couldn't help the sneer that grew on his features as he saw the puppet strapped to his back. "Pitiful." 'Now I will use them just to see how good he actually is with that piece of junk.'

It wasn't long before more teams started to file in however he was surprised to see team seven arrive and couldn't help but notice they still looked like they did a year ago. "I see you made it Naruto-kun."

Turning he smiled, "Kabuto-nii you're actually taking it this time?"

"Hehehe, yes. Sasori-sama is gone allowing me more time to myself." Kabuto said with a smile.

Laughing, "Or is it because your girlfriend is helping out with the exams this year?"

"What did you say about Sasori?" A voice interrupted them both.

Turning they saw the boy from the Suna team that Naruto wanted to test. "Nothing that concerns a failed attempt at a puppet user that's for sure." Naruto scoffed at him.

"I'm Kankuro no Sobaku, and what would you know about puppets." He glared.

Shaking his head, "More than you if you're still carrying scrap like that on your back."

"Why you."He started to say only for a puff of smoke to appear and a small head of blond hair filled his vision as he felt a hand push him away from Naruto.

"This is a puppet, that. " he pointed to the boys back, "is nothing more than a child's toy."

Kankuro looked at the small puppet in front of him seeing that it looked rather like the boy he had confronted he could almost see the crafting marks in it. "So you stole our village technique."

Naruto laughed, "Hardly I was the apprentice of Sasori." he pulled his shirt down to reveal his mark before letting it go. "I wouldn't mind testing Naru against that piece of junk if only to see it fall apart." Naru flicked it's fingers setting a few senbon into the straps holding the puppet to make Naruto's point.

Kankuro saw it, but didn't see any movement from the user. 'This is bad...' "Yea whatever..." He huffed and stalked off to the corner with his team.

"Alright Maggots there will be no fighting or killing unless I say so." A voice boomed catching everyones attention. "I'm Morino Ibiki and I will be the proctor for your first exam." The man seemed to glare at everyone. "Take a number then find that seat. You will be taking a written exam. Each worth ten points. Each question is worth on point, you loose two points if you're caught cheating, if you loose ten points you and your team are failed. Your team needs at least fifteen points to pass this portion of the exam." He rattled off the rules in boredom as they took their seats. "you have one hour, at the end I will give you question ten with around ten minutes to finish begin."

Naruto looked over the test, and began answering the questions. He sighed realizing how easy the test was. Not that he understood that it was suppose to be extremely difficult for the average gennin. But he was far from average with his up to current four teachers. He finished looking up at the clock seeing there was still thirty minutes turning his paper over and pushing it to the corner he pulled out a scroll and started working on the plans that he had inside it for the rest of the time. "Number 67 two points."

He looked up as that was his number and raised his hand. "How am I cheating when I finished five minutes ago?"

The proctor that called him out walked over and looked at his desk seeing the test flipped. Taking it he looked over all of the answers before turning to Ibiki, "He's right.. it's done and they are all correct... do I give the points back?"

Ibiki looked at them both, 'even the hidden chunnin aren't finished yet...how..' "Yes..."

That over with Naruto went back to work with a small smirk on his face. 'Now if I can alter the rotations of the chakra it should help stabilize the shape. But that would require a little more chakra...' he thought as he looked over the equations and diagrams for a jutsu he was working on. 'I can't use suiton for a base simply because I can't pull enough water for this size.. but futon... yes that would help with a bit but I would need to compensate the area around it with more chakra or infuse it the water in the area as a side affect, plus I would need to lower the pressure and temperature of the air while using this...' He began drawing pressure augments and trying to determine the consumption versus usage variables. 'Even at full power I could only pull this off twice right now.' With a smirk he wrote Ten no Iki across the top of the scroll, Breath of the Heavens indeed kukuku.

As he was sitting there he felt his seal flare and his body begin to burn before the iryo chakra in his system began fighting the feeling. Naruto doubled over for a moment, "Fuck.." he breathed out.'Key.. seal.. FOCUS'. He yelled into his own thoughts as he tried to reign in the force of chakra now pouring into his system. Unaware of it but he had a faint cloak of green chakra glowing from his body.

Elsewhere, "Are you sure that is wise Jariaya-sama?"

An older man with spiky white hair and red markings under his eyes nodded, "The Gaki is going to need to get used to the extra chakra. With Akatsuki coming for him it's better this way, besides I only opened it up to where it would be two years from now.." He looked to the strange shaped toad. "I'm going to head to Konoha and try to help the kid access the chakra and learn to use it. It's not like he's taking the chunnin exams. Sensei told me he just graduated last year, no one would put a rookie team in like that."

Back with Naruto he was swearing a great deal as he finally managed to pull the chakra into control. He looked at everyone staring at him, only those five in the room he had trusted enough about the Kyubii plus Kabuto knew what that was. Though Kabuto knew a fair bit more mouthing the word 'key' to him. He only nodded with a slightly pained expression.

Ibiki had a worried look seeing let alone feeling that much chakra come from the kid. 'Shouldn't the Demon have been red? And I didn't feel anything evil it was actually kind of peaceful really.' He noted aside from the strong burst it did seem to have a relaxing affect on the room. The tenth question came and went with no one leaving due to the fall out form that chakra. Even surprisingly to him Anko actually managed to wait til he was finished before bursting through the window.

"Seventy-two you're loosing your touch Ibiki." She chuckled before winking at her two boys.

"They're better than I expected but I'm sure you'll cut most of them off at the knees." he grinned, 'I should inform Hokage-sama of this.'

She smirked, "Alright you piss-ants I'm Anko Mittarashi, I will be your proctor for the second portion of the exam. Follow me." She walked out the door .

Team eleven stayed back, Shino having tagged a few of them with bugs to make sure they could follow. Ibiki watched them gather together for a moment before he walked over, "Explanation please?"

Naruto with a heavy look of concentration on his face, "Tell the old man someone has the key and decided to open it up. Tell him two years.." he bit out before he pushed himself up and looked around for a moment. "Is anyone going to be using the room for today?" getting a shake of the head no, Naruto filled the room with shadow clones a look of relief flooding his features. "Control exercises until you run out." Before him and his team left Ibiki in a room of over one hundred Narutos.

"I really need a new job." He shook his head reaching into his pocket and pulled out a flask that he downed before vanishing off to the Hokage.

-During the Second Portion of the Exam-

The old Sarutobi had a frown on his face as he looked over the reports keeping an eye on the tower he saw the teams enter and smiled softly when team Eleven found their way in. "Three days, good job Naruto-kun."

"Three days? You mean he's in the exam Sensei?" Jaraiya said as he hoped through the window.

"Yes Jaraiya my boy, all the rookie teams were put forward this year. SO far they have all made it except for team seven." The hokage said while looking at his former student.

Rubbing his head, "Oh... then that might have been a bad idea.."

"What would have?" he leveled the man with a stare.

Laughing nervously, "I used the key scroll to open the seal further a few days ago..."

"What?" He slammed his hand on the desk, "I tell you I want his seal looked at five months ago.. you just now get here and tell me you opened it further with out checking it first!"

Jaraiya leaned back confused, "Hey I trust Minato's seal to work just as it was made.. I don't know why it needs looked at. No one in the village has the skills to alter it."

"You're right no one from our village DID have the skills. However after finding out somethings from Naruto.. which is why I wanted you to look at it. The seal was altered by him and his former teacher." Sitting down heavily into his chair he shook his head.

He was shocked, "Who taught the gaki seals? No one should have in this village.. hell there's not even another actual seal master out there. I've looked!"

"Apparently you over looked Sasori of the Red Sands."

"He's part of Akatsuki!"

"No.. he left the same time Orochimaru did if Naruto is to be believed, which I do." he pulled a file from his desk and tossed it to his former student. "That is Naruto's current file. Given from what he has revealed and Asuma has compiled from being his sensei."

Looking at the think folder, "Asuma.. I figured Kakshi would have been."

"Naruto scored in the top percent in his class, and is verging on Jounin in ability if not experience." He rubbed his brows.

He opened the folder and began scanning the documents, letting out a low whistle. "Medic, Puppet Master...Suiton and Futon affinity and working on Doton... Wait how do you know about Akatsuki?"

"Naruto was told everything by Sasori. Including his status a jinkurichi, along with teaching him to master puppets. Which includes a strong basis of seals after seeing the designs for what Naruto refered to as a 'simple' puppet. He was taught from the age of six by Sasori. Also he was taught to be a medic from the same age by one of our Gennin Kabuto Yahuhi, a medical genius according to the hospital. He then received further combat training from Anko Mittarashi after finding a way to destroy the curse seal." He waved a hand at the folder, "It's all in there... as well as a copy of the method he used."

The mans jaw was hanging, as he listened and continued to read through it all which took him nearly an hour. Closing the folder he sat it on the desk, "He even repaired Kakashi's sharingan."

Nodding, "He also revived and documented a new bloodline that is now being propogated into the Haru Clan."

"Their kind of small.. and typically low reserves..."

"But the best control over all, and since it's a sub element of Ice it would be best that way make them work harder even with the new prestige of the bloodline." He sighed pouring himself a cup of sake. "there's going to be a one month training window after the second test, I want you to check the seal for further tampering that he may not know of. From what he told me before you messed with it he had about five years before he managed to absorb the whole of the demon."

"It should take twenty years for that to happen...even with me pushing the seal further."

"That's why I want it looked at. The estimation that he would have equal levels of chakra to the nibi once done is better than that of the Kyubii. However I am informed that your decision happened during the written portion of the exam, which caused him to create over one hundred shadow clones just to not look in pain and had them begin a mass chakra control practice over running the academy for two days." Downing the glass, "Here are directions to his estate why don't you go and wait there for him?"

Jaraiya took the paper and jumped out the window, "I'll let you know what I find out."

Smirking, "And Naruto will find you passed out in the yard. Since you will be hiding there for at least a day." Making a few clones he got up and laid down on the couch. "A nap does sound good."