I would like to tell the readers that there will not be harem in this story. truth is i am not fond of harems. Shikamaru just predicted the reactions of the females. nothing more, they will fight over naruto, but as to who he will end up with...

I can tell only one thing-it wont be Hinata.

please give me your suggestions, i might come up with an oc later too, like a silver haired girl, or a redhead. tell me which do you prefer more, and i'll think about it.

Thank you.

Disclaimer:I dont own Naruto

"What's wrong, Shika? And what's with the book?"

Shikamaru just sighed and said.

"Ever since the day you told me of the Kyuubi, I got interested in why would the Yondaime choose you. My dad, Inoichi-san and Chouza-san always spoke very highly of him. So I tried to find out. I wanted to get the bingo book of the time of war. No one in Wave had. Then today, after we separated, I found a man, talked to him and bought it. You might want to look at page 321."

Frowning a bit, the blonde stared at the book. It was very old, looked worn, and even burned in a few places. Shikamary was watching, his brow ticking in impatience.

Finally Naruto opened the page and stared. There he was, the Yondaime hokage in the picture, wearing standard jonin uniform, with a white cape with flames licking the bottom over it. His sunshine yellow hair stuck up just like his, and the ocean blue-eyes…Is it even possible? How can i look so much like him?

As he stared at the face of the Fourth, a small memory flickered through his mind. A face of a blonde man, smiling at him, through despite all the red that covered him...A few minutes lated he distinguished said red as a mane of long hair... mixed with blood, and green eyes looking at him with love and hurt.

Hands shaking a bit, he read.

'Minato Namikaze, kiroi senkou of konohagakure no sato. Newly appointed yondaime Hokage. Known techniques –Hiraishin no jutsu, Rasengan, fuuinjutsu master. Flee on sight…teacher of Sharingan no Kakashi and has benn seen with one Uzumaki Kushina'

Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Shikamaru watched him closely.

This could come off really bad, his reaction, and the fact they were going near Iwa….

His parents...Uzumaki Kushina...

The redhead from his memory smiled.

And the Yondaime hokage...the one he admired, the one he wanted to be like, the one who motivated him to become a shinobi, the one...

A choked sob escaped his lips.

The one who sealed the kyuubi in him.

He didn't notice tears coming down his face. Shikamaru sat beside him, not saying anything. Nearly an hour passed like that. Then Naruto looked up and declared in a clear, strong voice. "Tou-san, Kaa-san, I won't let you down, I will make you proud and be worthy of the Namikaze, I promise, and I never go back on my word, dattebayo" he punched his fist in the air.

Shikamaru smiled. Now, that's more like him.

"Ne, Shika kun, did you finish your jutsu, 'cos I finished mine"

Shikamaru shrugged, then stood up and faced a tree. He pulled his hands in front of him and concentaited chakra. After doing a few hand seals rapidly shadow hands glowed from his hands and grew, wrapping around the tree. Shikamaru closed his hands and the shadow hands did the same, demolishing the tree in the process.

Naruto stared wide eyed.

"Sugoi!"

"I can also do what you do with your water chakra. I've added that to my taijutsu, now what about you?"

Naruto stood up, crearing the tears away with the back of his sleeve, he clapped his hands together.

"Yosh!"

The shadow wielding ninja looked at him expectantly.

"I only need to test it, to see if it works"

Shikamaru watched as the blond took his position. He pulled out 4 three pronged kunai and threw them around him. Shikamaru felt his eyes widen. Shurely he couldn't recreate….'

But he was cut off his musings whe said boy shouted

"Hiraishin no jutsu" All Shikamaru saw was a yellow flash, then the boy was sprawled on the ground by one of his kunai. Massaging his bottom and rimacing, Naruto realized that it worked, somewhat, and repeated his action several times. Confirmed that it worked, as his last attempt was more successful and he reached the kunai without falling, he fell on the floor laughing like there was no tomorrow.

"I did it, can you believe it! And history books said many tried but couldn't recreate the jutsu!"

" I told you you were a genius" smirked Shikamaru. When they got back, Konoha was in for a good ride.

As they still had 2 more weeks till they reached Iwa border, they continued training. Shikamaru made his own doton jutsu (they didn't have scrolls, so they made up their own jutsu) and Naruto practiced Hyoton. After he found out his heritage, everything came to pieces. Ero-sennin, Tsunade, Jiji, Kakashi, and his water element, which he didn't practice at all. In these 2 weeks, Naruto started advanced fuuinjutsu. It was a hundred times more difficult than intermediate, but he understood everything, seeing as he mad a very complicated seal himself. It seemed that combining several seals into one was the easiest thing in advanced fuuinjutsu, and it had taken Naruto a month of tiring work to do so, it was going to take long. Naruto created 2 new hyoton jutsu, the first was a protection shield, which surrounded him, and the second were ice needles.

Haku inspired him for that one, he still remembered the hyoton user, he was after all the one who taught him of the importance of preciaous people, he was the one who made Naruto who he currently was.

Shiakamaru also created a doton protection, which went along with his other created jutsu – the shadow wall. Naruto had in all 3 protection jutsu one for his each element. But the best was the wind wall, as it repelled and cut whatever came his way. It was defensive and offensive at the same time. All in all they were glad with their progress, and both felt that now at least they will survive the mission...at least they hoped for it!

Naruto was nervous, Shikamaru was sweating. They were standing near Iwa border and looking in the face of the man they had to eliminate-Akuma Inakuri. He was huge, and had a huge sword with him too, not as big as Zabuzas had been, but still big. They were also surrounded by nearly a dozen of other nuke-nin. 'Crap' they both thought. When they arrived, the man was alone. Sure it felt strange, but before they could do anything, they were surrounded.

They had been watching him for several hours, trying to figure out a way to ambush him and capture, but their plans were runed when the other ninja appeared.

Truth was that neither Shikamaru nor Naruto expected this.

"Now, now, what do we have here? 2 boys from Konoha, playing games? And one of them looks like that blonde bastard too…..Well, it would be a pleasure killing you, don't you thin...who knows, maybe you are the long lost son of the bastard...?"

They gulped. Shikamaru was already thinking of a strategy. They had to separate. One had to take the Akuma, while, the other had to deal with his minions. He quetly whispered that to Naruto. The boy nodded. They both disappeared. Akuma blinked, then felt a a blade cut his right hand.

He yelled and threw the blond from him. Naruto did a back-flip and landed in a crouch. He quickly stood up and moved into his taijutsu stance. His back half straight, one hand behind his back raised high, the other crouched low and ready. Akuma smirked and darted at the boy.

Shikamaru dodged another kunai as he did a back flip, then a fist came to his face. He hurriedly made a ram seal and disappeared in a cocoon of shadow. The ninja surrounding him blinked I confusion. Shikamaru watched them with speculating eyes, while grabbing his left hand. One of them had hit him, while he was fighting off 2 others. I have to finish this fast.

I hope the knucklehead is ok...Dammit!

please review, and if you have any suggestions, please tell me. I am thinking of doing another round of chuunin exams, before Naruto leaves with Jiraya.