Chapter 3: Naruko's Pupil

Arata muttered indignantly after he got his picture taken for his Shinobi license. He was nearly roped into doing a face paint trick with Naruko but he told her that he wasn't going to mess around with his Shinobi license so he had to leave before she could find him which in turn made it as soon as he got the picture taken he got bonked on the head for being and he quotes a 'Baka!'

With the mountain made on his head he was waiting for Naruko to get her license and he was trying not to bust a gut with her face painted pale white with some orange around her eyes and lips.

Shaking his head he left while she was taking her picture to take care of his monthly needs of getting food. After all not having any parents made him responsible for himself with the money he gets with the monthly salaries… Maybe that was why he gets along with Naruko because they're the same with the no parents thing.

He chuckled at the whole him being a Genin now and in a way he was grateful to Mizuki, he's not saying that he wasn't a bastard because he was… But if Mizuki didn't convince him to steal the scroll he wouldn't be a Genin now would he?

Sighing at that thought Arata walked to the store where he bumped into an old classmate, "Oh hey Chouji!"

Chouji was a very fat kid and you never say that in front of him or any members of the Akimichi Clan unless you want to end up with a few broken bones in the next few seconds, but he is a brunette with a green jacket and he held a bag of potato chips in his hands as usual.

Chouji smiled, "Arata! How are you doing?"

Must… Resist… Fat… Joke! Arata had a smile, "Pretty good Chouji, I'm just getting my monthly supplies while Naruko is getting her Shinobi license."

"Yeah I've heard that you managed to pass through a remedial exam!" Chouji said happily

Arata's eye twitched at the cover story for him stealing the Sacred Scroll which he's apologized a thousand times already but they could've given a better excuse rather than the remedial exam."

"… Yes." Arata sighed, "Anyway's what are you doing here?"

"Eating!" Arata gave him a blank stare

"…You're eating in the middle of the store?"

"Yup!"

"… Did you at least by that bag?" He asked after a long awkward silence

"I brought it with me!"

Shaking his head Arata said good bye and got his supplies before he walked out only to be grabbed by the scruff of his shirt by a pissed Naruko, "Hey at least let me get these home before you hit me!" He whined before noticing the kid with a gray helmet that showed black hair and a yellow shirt with a blue scarf that was too big for him following her around, "Did you take up babysitting?"

Arata got punched on the head for that, "OW! HEY MY SKULL IS NOT MADE OF STEEL YOU KNOW!" He shouted at her

The kid looked at the two of them, "Who is this boss?"

Arata raised an eyebrow, "Boss?"

Naruko sighed, "This is Konohomaru the brat that won't leave me alone!"

"I'M NOT A BRAT!" Shouted Konohomaru

"Uh huh and why is he following you around?" Arata asked as they walked to his apartment while he was carrying his bag of groceries.

"He wants me to be his teacher."

No sooner did Naruko say that Arata busted out laughing before he got punched in the head yet again, "OW! Seriously this is abuse!" Arata whined

"You're going to help me with him." Naruko said

"And why is that?"

"Because if you don't I might kill him." As Naruko said that Konohomaru paled slightly.

Arata glanced at her, "Noted and I would've helped you anyway Naruko."

"Thanks Arata." With that they headed to the training center after he left his groceries in his house.

"Okay so what do we teach the kid first?" Naruko asked offhandedly.

"SHADOW CLONES!" Konohomaru was justly ignored at that point.

"Why don't we see how well he does the Transformation Technique?" Suggested Arata.

Naruko nodded approvingly before taking the role of a wise mentor, "Listen my young pupil, you must transform into me to pass my first test!"

Konohomaru nodded and he focused doing the hand seals, "Transform!" In a second there was a very, very and did I say very, fat version of Naruko in front of them.

Naruko's eye twitched while Arata was failing at hiding his laughter and a second later they had mountains on their heads.

This is going to be a long day. Arata thought in pain.

The rest of the day was spent with Konohomaru practicing his Transformation Jutsu and he smiled as he got better but he was panting after continuous training for six hours now.

"How *pant* was *pant* that *pant* boss?" He asked breathing heavily

Naruko smirked, "Pretty good, I'll make a Shinobi out of you yet!" She was interrupted by something cold tapping her head and she turned to see Arata with three ice cold soda's in his hands and he was holding one out to her, "Oh thanks Arata!" She took the soda gratefully.

Arata raised an eyebrow, "You're not working him to death are you?" He asked before giving Konohomaru a soda.

"Thanks!" Konohomaru said happily chugging it down.

Naruko brushed the question off, "Of course not, he's finally getting the Transformation Jutsu."

Arata nodded thoughtfully, "It only took him almost the whole day?" At Naruko's nod he continued, "How long before you start teaching him Shadow Clones?"

"A few weeks maybe." As she said that Konohomaru looked at her in shock.

"A FEW WEEKS?!"

Naruko took a sip of her drink, "So what's up with this weird obsession with your Grandfather?"

Konohomaru looked down, "My Grandfather named me Konohomaru, after the ancient name of the village so it should be easy to remember but no one calls me that name, not one person in the whole village." He clenched his fists, "That's cause when they look at me they really don't see me, all they see is the honorable Grandson of Lord Hokage."

"Must be tough Konohomaru." Arata said surprising him by saying his name, "But come on not everyone calls you that, we're living proof right here."

He smiled but he continued, "I can't stand it anymore, it's like I'm invisible, like I don't exist. I hate that… That's the reason that I have to become the Hokage now that way people will know who I am."

Arata felt sorry for the kid but before he could say anything else Naruko said something surprising, "Get real! You think that people are really going to accept a squirt like you?"

Konohomaru did a perfect imitation of a Goldfish out of water.

Naruko continued, "A kid can't just turn into the Hokage after a day or two."

"WHAT?!" Konohomaru snarled in anger.

"It's not that simple." Naruko took another sip of her soda, "You keep saying Hokage, Hokage you want to know what you really need to do?"

"What?" Konohomaru was holding back his anger, "What is it?"

Naruko had a very feral grin all of a sudden, "You're going to have to defeat me in battle!"

(Scene Shift- Hokage Monument)

Sarutobi was looking at the faces on the side of the mountain when Iruka came up, "Lord Hokage! I've been looking for you!"

"For what purpose?" Asked Sarutobi as he kept his eyesight on the Monument.

"It's about Naruko!" Iruka walked forward, "Did she resubmit her Ninja ID photo?"

In response to the question Sarutobi grunted.

"You know I gave her a big lecture the other night at the Ramen Shop but she's still beaming that she became a Ninja Genin that she thinks that it will change things! That people will stop looking down on her now."

After a long moment of silence Sarutobi sighed, "I fear that her dream will not come true… People do not change that easily."

"Huh?"

"The Nine-Tailed Fox is within her. Not everyone knows that of course; only those who fought the beast twelve years ago know the truth." Sarutobi looked down in shame, "I decreed that no one would speak about this, even those who whispered it were punished severely so the children of today know nothing of Naruko's connection to the beast that ravaged our village and nearly destroyed us all."

Iruka looked sad at hearing this.

Sarutobi wasn't finished "As long as the children are unaware of this Naruko has some hope of being accepted. That was the wish of the Fourth Hokage." Now he looked older than before, "Before he sacrificed himself to save us he asked that when Naruko grew up, that she would be regarded to as a hero."

"A hero?" That was something new to Iruka.

"The Fourth Hokage defeated the Nine-Tailed Fox by sealing its spirit inside of a newborn baby whose umbilical cord has just been cut. By containing the Fox spirit within her tiny body Naruko saved the village… That is why she was to be regarded as a hero."

"But then why do the Villagers hate her?" Iruka asked because this was the first he's heard of this part of the story.

"Unfortunately many of the villagers don't understand this, many are driven by fear because they think that the beast can take over Naruko's body, some even think she is the beast now and their children feel their fear and hatred and they turn against Naruko as well." Sarutobi gave Iruka a glance, "You know what the ancients say about such things Iruka?"

"What's that sir?" Iruka asked respectfully.

"When the people reject someone's very existence and look at that person, that person's eyes become cold… Colder than a deep winter's freezer."

Iruka was confused, "But Naruko isn't like that!"

Now Sarutobi smiled, "That is because of you and Arata. You cared for her as a sister ever since she was born and Arata was her first friend who accepted her when they both found out about the Fox spirit, it's because of that she is still a warm hearted person."

Iruka smiled, "Thank Kami for that."

(Scene Shift- The Training Field)

Konohomaru looked shocked but before he could say anything someone said, "I found you!"

Confused the three of them turned to see a Jounin in dark clothing wearing a dark handkerchief over his hair and sunglasses. But he gave Naruko a long icy stare which made Arata dislike the Jounin immediately for judging his best friend for her… 'Furry' little problem rather than getting to know her personally.

"So honorable Grandson!" He said jumping down from the tree branch, "Time to go home."

Konohomaru went off on him, "No way! Naruko is teaching me to be a Shinobi and I'll be the Hokage from that! Now don't get in my way!"

The Jounin walked forward, "To be Hokage is more than strength, he must be wise, virtuous and have honor as well as knowing a thousand Jutsu's!" He smirked, "You don't even know one Jutsu!"

Konohomaru's eye twitched, "TRANSFORM!" He turned into the Third Hokage right in front of the Jounin, "I know the Transformation Jutsu and that was thanks to Naruko and Arata!"

"Naruko is turning you into a delinquent, only my special training can put you on the fast track on becoming Hokage-!" He didn't get any farther when Arata punched him in the face.

"Why don't you shut it?!" Arata snarled as the Jounin glared at him, "You don't know Naruko like Iruka and I do so why don't you shut the hell up about your prejudice? Also Konohomaru made his choice already and if you really cared about him then you wouldn't stand in his way!"

"You don't know what you're talking about boy!" The Jounin told him, "I bet that if you knew the truth about her than you wouldn't be saying these things."

"He knows!" Naruko said shocking the Jounin, "And I know too but he accepted me as his friend despite that!" The Jounin still looked shocked, "Look I never asked for that to happen, I never asked to be hated and treated like dirt for something that was out of my control but Konohomaru is also my friend and if you keep trying to force him away then I will fight you!"

Konohomaru looked confused at what they were talking about but he just wanted to watch the show.

The Jounin chuckled, "Do you think you can beat me brat?"

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Immediately Shadow Clones appeared around Naruko leaving the Jounin to smirk as he pushed his sunglasses up.

"Hm. I'm not impressed; I'm a Jounin, an elite Ninja Warrior."

"That got punched by a new Genin." Arata muttered to his annoyance but he continued, "Kick his ass Naruko!"

"Come on Boss." Konohomaru cheered, "You can do it!"

The Jounin charged at Naruko but she moved with her shadow clones so fast that Arata and Konohomaru lost sight of the real Naruko before one of the clones flew at the Jounin kicking him in the gut causing him to bend over before kneeing him right in the nose breaking it and blood squirted out.

Then the clones disappeared as Naruko came in with a chakra charged punch that sent him flying into the tree knocking him out.

Konohomaru looked down, "Man I couldn't even say no to that snobby trainer of mine… How can I be Hokage if I keep messing up? Why can't I do it?!"

"You really think it's that easy?" Naruko asked him with a smirk.

"Huh?"

Here we go! Arata thought in annoyance ready for Naruko to give out her Hokage Speech.

"To be the Hokage, you have to be the greatest of all Ninja!" Naruko said calmly, "You have to prove yourself so everyone believes in you! Look at me, I've been through a lot already, I've been ignored, pushed away and treated like I had the plague or something and after all of that I found two people that believe in me!"

"Like me!" Arata put in throwing in arm around Naruko in a joking matter before he got elbowed in the gut.

Naruko continued as if she wasn't interrupted, "To find those two people I had to get knocked down a lot, so you better make sure that you're ready!"

"Ready for what?" Konohomaru asked in confusion.

"For a lot of sweat and tears while you're learning to be a Ninja." As she said that the wind started to blow around them and she smiled and looked at Konohomaru, "By the way, there is no easy way to be Hokage, believe it."

Now Konohomaru had new found determination in his eyes, "Who do you think you are anyway giving me a big lecture like that?" He looked away from Naruko, "That's it! I'm not going to be your apprentice anymore! From now on we're rivals."

As Konohomaru declared that Arata couldn't help but grin, "You hear that Naruko, you have some competition!"

Naruko chuckled, "I wouldn't have it any other way!" Then she turned her gaze back to Konohomaru, "Well I can't continue to be your trainer anyway because tomorrow I begin my advanced Ninja Training, and someday we'll fight for the title of Lord Hokage!"

Konohomaru gave him a surprised look.

"So let's both look forward to that day Konohomaru!" With that Naruko walked away and Arata chuckled a bit.

"And I hope to see that fight as well!" He said patting Konohomaru's head, "You and Naruko going at it when you guys are ready will be the showdown of the century!" With that Arata ran off to catch up with Naruko.

Konohomaru had tears in his eyes, "It's a promise Naruko!" He called out, "I will fight you for the Title of Hokage!"

As they left the Training Center Arata noticed a tear sliding down her face, "You okay Naruko?"

She wiped it away, "Yeah, I'm just looking forward to tomorrow and to when I do fight Konohomaru!"

Arata laughed, "Same here Naruko, same here."

With that they headed their separate ways looking forward to the next day.

To Be Continued…