I Do Not Own Naruto!

To Protect and Endure

Story by Kyoka Suigetsu Totsuka

Chapter 10

Three months had passed since Naruto first began his new training method, and Commander Ryu had watched him closely every single day. It had been a surreal experience, watching the ANBU's Chibi grow so quickly before his eyes. It felt like just yesterday when the boy was a babe laying in his crib, reaching out for the Commander's dragon mask with the loudest giggle he'd ever heard. Where had the time gone, wondered the man. The little boy was growing up, and before him stood perhaps his future leader, the future Hokage.

The Commander had more than once heard the implication of training the Chibi as a future Hokage candidate. Of course, he had entertained the idea but had thought it a premature assumption. There was no telling how the boy would take to his training, and no matter how much he resembled the Yondaime, there was no telling how much of the man's talent he had inherited.

But after the last three months, it was no longer a matter of if, but a matter of when.

Ryu felt a familiar presence behind him and quickly turned to bow. "Welcome, Hokage-sama"

"At ease, Commander."

The Hokage puffed on his ever-lit pipe as he joined his right-hand man, peering down from the railing that overlooked the Commander's personal training group. From their elevated platform, they looked down to see Naruto standing at the center of the field. For once, the boy was not covered in dirt and grime and surrounded by hundreds of his clones but was dressed in fresh ANBU armor, looking every bit the ANBU recruit he wished to be.

"Are we ready to proceed?"

The Commander nodded, "Yes, my Lord."

As if on command, Naruto placed a blank ANBU mask on his face, and welcomed the group that appeared in front of him. It was a team of Kage Bunshin, each a replica of Team Ro. At the forefront stood Kakashi, donned in his own armor and dog mask, flanked by Tenzo and Kō with Yugao guarding their behind. They lacked their usual warmth and affection for the boy, and stood silently, awaiting their orders from above.

Commander Ryu bowed to the Hokage and gestured to the field below.

"By your command, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi puffed on his pipe again before nodding, "Hajime!"

Naruto vanished in a golden blur, circling the large rocky field as his enemies stood still. He had expected as much, given the differences in numbers. As he swiftly sped his way through the arena, spouting dirt and dust behind him, he jumped high.

Of his four foes, Yugao was the sensor, and he knew better than most about her limitations. One target was nothing for her, especially in a confined space as they were in, but with multiple targets in high speeds, her efficiency would start to drop. Three would delay her for a split-second, ten would occupy her completely, a hundred would render sensory abilities obsolete.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," he whispered softly.

One hundred clones suddenly appeared, all circling the group in tandem, spreading out into one continuous stream of golden blurs. Their silent steps did little to arouse the silent room, but a large dust cloud gathered, surrounding the four-man cell.

"Shuriken: Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

At once, each clones threw and multiplied their shuriken at the group. A hundred projectiles turned into a thousand.

"Mokuton: Mokujōheki (Wood Locking Wall)."

A wooden dome erected around the group, stopping each projectile, but the shuriken had completely covered the wooden structure.

Naruto and his clones quickly waved through their hand-signs, "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Great Fire Ball)!" A hundred and one fireballs were blasted at the wooden dome at blinding speeds, but the army was not yet done. "Futon: Daitoppa (Great Breakthrough)!" The original along with his clones chased their fireballs with gusts of powerful wind, fanning the flames into a firestorm. It roared and expanded, incinerating a large portion of the field, scorching the earth black.

Focusing his senses, Naruto did not sense his enemies disperse. He looked on the target and found only ashes, but they were gone. From inside the dome with his firestorm, there was only one possible route for them to take: underground. Naruto and each of his copies seemed to reach that conclusion at once, and all leaped into the air.

"Mokuton: Daijurin no Jutsu (Great Forest Technique)!"

Tenzo's face seemed to fade into view from the ground as his armed reached out, morphing into wooden pillars that stretched into sharp pikes. In an instant, he tore through ten clones. Also in that instant, the memories of those ten clones were transferred to Naruto and all remaining clones, revealing Tenzo's location.

In formation, they turned to that spot on the ground.

But from the opposite side of Tenzo was Yugao, who had jumped from the earth to high the in air, her katana gleaming in the light. She was flanked by two of her own Kage Bunshin, each mirroring her stance. "Mikazuki no Mai (Dance of the Cresent Moon)!" She fell from the skies at blinding speeds, slicing through multiple clones at once. Her clones followed, each in a different trajectory, cutting down his clones from behind their backs.

This was a new development for the boy. He didn't expect his enemies to use his new memories against him, as if using Tenzo as a lure. They baited him and all his clones into focusing on only Tenzo as Yugao took advantage of his turned back. Now as new memories flooded Naruto and his clones, they hesitated, wondering who should focus on Tenzo and who to deal with Yugao.

But the moment of hesitation was costly.

"Shuriken: Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Kakashi and Kō appeared at opposite ends of the field, sending dozens upon dozens of shuriken into the crowd of clones, cutting them down to their last twenty.

Now Naruto was outflanked, surrounded by the ANBU Team.

But in an instant, the remaining twenty clones charged at the enemy as fast as they could, a wave of golden blur. Each enemy had five clones upon them within a blink of an eye and none of them retreated. Katana and Kunai were used to block their close quartered strikes. But when they noticed the original Naruto left in the middle without his clones, their eyes widened in realization.

"Bunshin Daibakuha (Great Clone Explosion)!"

Each clone overloaded its chakra, seemingly glowing with heat. At once, they exploded, each with the force of a large explosive tag.

From the center, Naruto sensed two of the enemies disperse – Yugao and Kō's clones were destroyed.

The Hokage puffed on his pipe, "He has certainly gotten faster." Looking down at the battle, a small smile graced the old man's face. "It seems your physical conditioning has proven fruitful. He is now moving at an acceptable speed, certainly comparable to your typical ANBU member."

Ryu nodded, "Yes, sir." His eyes never left the battle as he answered, "Because of his Uzumaki genetics coupled with his unique healing factor, his muscles heal nearly instantly. Any sort of resistance training will yield immediate effects. He has adapted to his resistance seals remarkably, and in only three months, his speed has increased tremendously."

"Is he currently moving at full speed?"

"Given the confined space of this training ground, I would say he is moving at only nearly his full speed – at around 90%. If this were happening in a large urban area or perhaps the forest, he would be able to utilize his full speed. Tight turns and quick stops are his weak points, which will slightly slow him down."

The Hokage nodded, smiling again at the firestorm before him. "I see his elemental training has also proven useful. Only a single hand-sign was used for both fire and wind jutsu."

"The boy has proven to have very strong affinities to both fire and wind. With his clones, it only took us three days to finish all elementary elemental exercises."

"His arsenal is expanding, but it seems more combat experience would benefit the boy." Hiruzen watched as Tenzo and Yugao play Naruto for a loop with a simple distraction and strike from behind. "He and his clones are all focused on the same thing. While fighting in formation can improve efficiency, it can also be predictable. Against Team Ro, it would never work."

Ryu nodded. "Yes, he must be nervous right now. He is reacting on instinct rather than analytics, and so are his clones. New memories are flooding his head and are dictating his next actions."

They continued to observe, watching as Team Ro decimated Naruto's clones. They worked in quick tandem, as expected of one of the most experienced teams in the ANBU. Tenzo would strike, then Yugao, always on opposite ends. Kakashi and Kō joined in with a simple flanking maneuver, surrounding Naruto and his copies, trapping them in the center.

But soon they saw the clones charge head-on, as if to sacrifice themselves.

"Ah," muttered the Hokage, "Quite the desperate attack."

"Had this fight been in an open field without a collapsible ceiling, he would have done this long ago. His clones are basically mobile paper bombs with their own free will. His hundred clones, in the beginning, could have perhaps wiped out all five enemy clones, but would have certainly brought down the roof."

"It does show his basic thinking abilities."

Five explosions of five clones each happened nearly in tandem and it shook the training ground to the core. A powerful shockwave blew through, but the Hokage and Commander only leaned closer over the railing, looking down at the dust cloud. Both could sense only two ANBU Kage Bunshin remained, and they could help but lean even closer as Kakashi and Tenzo faced Naruto.

"Exploding your clones," muttered Tenzo with a slight pant, "A desperate move, Naruto."

"For a regular Shinobi, certainly," answered Kakashi, staring at the unmoving Naruto. "But for Chibi, with his stamina and chakra reserves, I doubt he even felt it."

The dust settled as the two men stared down the boy, waiting for someone to make the first move. They both slightly twitched as Naruto seemingly summoned a katana of his own to his hand, sheathless and already gleaming.

Then Naruto lunged forward, jumping into the air, his katana drawn back, sending a glare of light off the blade.

Tenzo reacted first, once again morphing his arm into wooden pikes, aiming for Naruto at blinding speeds. "You shouldn't jump in the air during a charge," he muttered, "You can't react well in midair." Tenzo watched as his pikes approached the boy, closer and closer until they seemed to phase through him, and in the next instant, Naruto was before him.

His eyes widened in shock, but it was too late.

He felt a slice through his torso and looked into the blank ANBU as he dispersed in a puff of smoke.

Naruto's slice was not yet done as his blade continued to strike at Kakashi in the same swing, but the man jumped away, whispering "Kai," before landing a fair distance away. There was only one enemy left. This was what he was hoping for, a one-on-one battle with one of the very best of Konoha.

"Genjutsu," announced Kakashi, "The same kind as your security system."

Naruto stood silently, unmoving.

"You must have engraved a seal on your blade. Upon looking at it, it acts as a catalyst for the Genjutsu, instantly trapping the onlooker in an illusion. Impressive to have chosen something so simple. All you did was make yourself look as if you were two feet to the left. In highspeed combat, it's just subtle enough to be incredibly deadly."

"You managed to avoid it, Nii-san," said Naruto, breaking his silence.

"Only because of this eye of mine." Kakashi's left eye was open through his dog mask, revealing his three-tomoe Sharingan. "Without it, I'm afraid I would have fallen for it, too. I've been underestimating you, Chibi. Clearly, you've given your Fuinjutsu a lot of thought."

"We are not yet done, Nii-san."

"Your Genjutsu won't work on me; what else have you prepared."

"What a terrifyingly effective style," praised the Hokage, for once not smoking his pipe, focusing entirely on the battle. "To be able to passively utilize Genjutsu while attacking with Kenjutsu. With just one look at his blade, anyone would fall into a Genjutsu. If not for special abilities like the Sharingan or the Byakugan, it would be nearly undetectable."

"The key here is to not use flashy or high-ranking Genjutsu. Anything too out of the ordinary would just make it obvious. Naruto only used simple illusions on his seals, engraved on either side of his sword. Looking at one side would have him appearing two feet to the left while the other side would have him appear five feet closer, giving the illusion of a speed burst. Either one can be devastating mid-battle. This is a completely new style of Kenjutsu never before seen. No one would ever expect it."

"So, without some sort of Genjutsu detection, it can mean certain death." The Hokage held his hands behind his back, "The Sharingan and Byakugan could see it coming. Perhaps some elite sensors could sense his physical location, but outside of that, the vast majority of enemies outside of Konoha would be vulnerable to it."

Commander Ryu turned to his leader, "Most importantly, it can be easily replicated. Naruto's seal is small and can be easily engraved on the standard ANBU tanto. They also require very little chakra to activate, so any one of our soldiers will be able to use it. We can start mass-producing these blades for the ANBU forces. Our entire army will immediately gain a huge advantage over foreign enemies."

The Hokage nodded, "Definitely a good idea, but the same as before. We need Naruto to create a failsafe for his seals, somehow make it unusable or undetectable if fallen into enemy hands. Without some sort of protection, by scavenging our weapons many foreign nations will be able to recreate the same seals for themselves."

Ryu bowed in response, "I've told the boy the same thing. He has been working on a remedy."

Sarutobi chuckled, "I look forward to his findings."

Naruto sped forward in a burst of speed, engaging Kakashi in close combat. He channeled his chakra into his sword, casting another Genjutsu on his blade, but the ANBU Captain easily parried his strike. The boy had grown up hearing stories about his brother's skill with the Sharingan, about him copying a thousand different jutsu from foreign enemies. But to him, the ability to copy was the least of his brother's skills.

After all, he rarely used hand-signs.

Naruto jumped slightly back before extending his hand out, palm forward. "Katon: Karyūdan (Fire Dragon Bullet)!"

Kakashi's eyes widened as a colossal stream of blazing fire erupted from Naruto's palm.

Weaving his hands, he slammed it to the ground. "Doton: Doryūheki (Earth Style Wall)!" Earth and dirt erupted around Kakashi, forming a structure around him, but the flames immediately blasted through the sides. Further channeling his chakra, Kakashi reinforced the small surviving wall in front of him, successfully outlasting the flames.

Amidst the scorched earth and black smoke, Kakashi felt the air to his right shift. He immediately turned and launched a legion of shuriken and kunai at it, only to face an impaled Naruto who started to glow. It was another exploding clone, he yelled inwardly. Flaring his chakra, he pulled away with a Shunshin no Jutsu, flickering away just quick enough to witness the explosion destroying the rest of his wall.

Naruto appeared above Kakashi and stretched out his other palm.

"Fūton: Atsugai (Pressure Damage)!"

A focused, pressurized gust of wind exploded from Naruto's palm, forming a tornado-like mass that ripped into the earth. Again, Kakashi managed a Shunshin no Jutsu, flickering away, but the wind followed. The windstorm expanded upon hitting the ground, chasing the fleeing Kakashi, who had to flicker and flicker to near the back of the training field. He scaled the back wall and stood upon the ceiling, hanging down to see the boy hiding behind the dust cloud clearly with his Sharingan.

"You've done it, Naruto," Kakashi muttered mainly to himself. "Create seals that recreate the hand-signs of various jutsu and you can use them by just channeling chakra through it. If you keep flinging A-Rank jutsu without any hand-signs at me, I won't be able to last long."

Kakashi knew his only saving grace was his superior speed, but his stamina was limited, especially as a clone and his chakra was almost completely depleted. Needless to say, Naruto had passed this test and more. Based on his skills alone, he was already stronger than most of their new recruits. With all his Fuinjutsu fully utilized, he would give most combat veterans a run for their money.

Once Chibi gained more field and combat experience, he could take Itachi's record as youngest ANBU Captain.

"What will you do now, Chibi?" asked Kakashi loudly, "You can't catch me, but I can't beat you." He saw the boy clearly unmoving in the dust cloud, "Will you just try to outlast my chakra reser-"

Naruto suddenly vanished from Kakashi's eyes.

The ANBU Captain felt cold steel against his neck and glanced back behind him.

'S-Sensei?!'

It was the same icy blue eyes he had trained with so many years ago, and Kakashi felt a cold shiver down his spine as the blade edged closer to his jugular.

"Sorry, Nii-san." His child-voice broker Kakashi out of his shock. "But I win this one."

Kakashi's clone was destroyed with a quick slice, leaving Naruto alone on the battlefield.

Naruto sighed a breath of relief as he jumped down to the ground, dropping his hands to his sides. His fingers were cold and shaking, and his breath shuddered. He had never felt so nervous before – to be in an actual battle simulation, outnumbered five to one. Even if it was only with his siblings Kage Bunshin, they were still Team Ro. He had never beaten any of them before in their casual spars, but now.

After three months of training with Commander Ryu, he won. He beat all of them. He had done it.

He couldn't help but wonder about his future. Sure, he'd often claim he'd become Hokage, but deep inside, he doubted himself. The Hokage were the strongest Shinobi Konoha had ever produced and were renowned around the world as some of the most powerful in history. He had heard countless stories about each of his heroes, especially stories of his father. He had wondered if he would ever approach their level, but now, with this training method, he started to believe in himself.

He might be able to keep his promise to Tora-nii after all.

"Well done, Naruto."

Naruto turned to see the Hokage and Commander Ryu joined by the original Team Ro. He saw the proud smiles on their faces and couldn't help but return in kind. It felt as if this was the start of the next part of his life as if he could no longer be the small boy everyone babied. It was time to grow up and become a real Shinobi – to protect his home and make his family proud.

He bowed to the old man, "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"You can take off your mask, Naruto." The boy took off his mask, revealing his smile. "You've performed beyond my expectations. I expected you to successfully destroy some of your superiors' clones, and maybe outlast all of them, but to defeat all of them was nothing short of extraordinary."

Naruto stood tall, silently listening to the Hokage.

"You've demonstrated your mastery over the Kage Bunshin, and while you still lack actual battle experience, you've shown forethought and decent analytical skills. Your elemental control is also far beyond what anyone your age should be able to do. With more training, I can see you fully mastering your elements before long."

Commander Ryu nodded along, confirming the plan.

Yugao stepped forward. "Using your clones in formation has its advantages, but as you saw today, it also makes you predictable. Also, the memory of clones returning to the original is a double-edged sword. It's an amazing training tool for you and can be used for reconnaissance, but can also be used to distract you." Naruto nodded along, "But then again, with the number of clones you can make, combining it with your Bunshin Daibakuha, you would be able to wipe out an entire encampment or teams of enemies if need be."

Kō nodded, "Yes, and if all your other skills fail you, you can use it as a last resort. Even if the enemy survives, it will give you an opening to escape."

"I understand," the boy replied. "Thank you."

"What I truly commend is your utilization of Fuinjutsu. The seals you have etched on your palms are quite ingenious. Being able to fire A-Rank level jutsu without any hand-signs will give you a huge advantage in battle. But what is truly impressive is your Kenjutsu style." Tenzo and Yugao nodded along, softly smiling. "I commend you on exploring the different possible applications of your security system. To be able to utilize subtle Genjutsu by simply attracting attention to your sword is dangerously effective. Without proper means of Genjutsu detection, it is devastating."

Tenzo stepped forward, "Yes, I did not see that coming at all."

"The only reason I evaded you was because of my Sharingan," added Kakashi, "Most Sharingan users and Byakugan users are loyal to Konoha, so very few enemies outside of the village will be able to detect anything."

Naruto smiled, looking down.

"But what I must implore you on is the final technique you demonstrated today." Naruto looked up at the Hokage. "Your speed increased dramatically in an instant. What technique was that?"

Ryu nodded along, "Yes, I don't think I've ever seen you move like that before."

Naruto nodded, "Yes, that is a surprise I saved for today." He looked at his sensei, "I'm sorry, Commander. I wanted to surprise you with this as well, so I never used it in training."

"That is fine, but what is it?"

Everyone, especially Kakashi, paid close attention.

"It's just the Shunshin no Jutsu, the same one Kaka-nii was using." He smiled, getting excited. "I did the same thing as my other hand-sign free jutsu. I created a seal to replicate the necessary hand-signs for the Shunshin no Jutsu and engraved it on the sole of both of my feet. By channeling chakra into them, I can activate the seal and use the Shunshin with every step I take." He looked at Kakashi, who looked shocked beyond words. "The more chakra I put into each step, the faster and farther I move. Of course, I can only operate within the limits of the Shunshin no Jutsu, so there is a limit on how much chakra I can force into the seal before it overloads and fails. My speed at the end was about as fast as I could go for now."

The Hokage stared at the boy, "I-I see."

"I tried to emulate what Shisui-nii used to do!" Naruto grinned, "He mastered the Shunshin to its limit, which I tried to do, but I didn't like using a hand-sign for it, and I don't have good enough mastery over it to use it hand-sign free by muscle memory. So, I figured I'll just make a seal for it – replicate the signs for it in the seal. It was quite simple."

"Simple?" muttered Kakashi, "Chibi, do you have any idea how incredible this is?"

Naruto chuckled, "I really like it. I think it's my favorite seal so far!" Resisting his urge to bounce on his feet, he continued, "I named it Shunpo (Flash Step)."

"Shisui did have mastery over Shunshin, but even he didn't use it repeatedly like you. He focused on short bursts of Shunshin to create afterimage-clones, or to focus on high-speed close-quarter combat. To use Shunshin as a travel speed is unheard of." Kakashi shook his head in wonder, "The only people I can think of doing something like this is Kumo's Raikage."

"Really?" asked Naruto.

"Yes," Ryu crossed his arms, "This is another seal of yours that can only be used by you. The Shunshin normally costs a small, but decent amount of chakra. Your average shinobi will be able to use at least a few in a row casually but to use one every single step is out of the question. It can deplete one's chakra very quickly, especially the way you use it." He nodded, "Good work. This is a prime example of how you should take advantage of your chakra reserves."

"If you can master moving at such high speeds and incorporate your Kenjutsu style into it, I can honestly say you will be able to defeat most people in Konoha already." Kakashi looked at his brother seriously. "I can only think of a few people who could even react to that kind of speed, but to react to it and defend against your Genjutsu blade, I would say less than three."

"Naruto, how many steps can you take at once?" asked the Hokage.

Naruto shook his head, "I don't know, Hokage-sama. I've been training with it for a while, but I've yet to reach a limit."

"Incredible," muttered Tenzo.

"Can your clones use Shunpo as well?" the old man asked.

Naruto nodded, "Yes, they can."

"Kami-sama above," whispered Kō, "So, right now, Naruto can make an army of a thousand clones, rush into enemy lines at Shunshin speeds, all armed with his Genjutsu blades, and at the very end, all of them can detonate like bombs."

Commander Ryu nodded, "Yes, precisely that."

Kō rubbed his temples, "After Itachi comes another child genius."

A small silence reigned as everyone waited for the Hokage to finish his questioning.

The Hokage looked at Naruto with a smile, "This is certainly good news for Konoha. Naruto, you are on your way to becoming a wonderful Shinobi." He chuckled, "This is cause for celebration, so how about you all head back to your quarters to clean up." He looked to Team Ro, "I have no other mission to assign Team Ro today, so enjoy the night off and take Naruto someplace nice for dinner."

Kakashi nodded, catching the Hokage's glance. "Yes, of course! How about it, Chibi?"

Naruto grinned and brightened, "Can we go to Ichiraku?"

"Again?" asked Yugao, "You've been going there every other day." She shook her head, "You need to have more nutrient-rich meals, Naru-chan."

"Oh, come on," interrupted Kō, "What's one more meal? Naruto loves that place and we're celebrating him today."

Yugao sighed, "Fine, but only after you clean up properly." Naruto nearly pouted at his sister, "Make sure to clean thoroughly. If I find a spec of dirt on you, I'll clean you myself next time."

"Stop babying me, Nee-chan!"

"What, you think you beat my clone and I won't baby you anymore?!" Yugao pulled Naruto along as she left the training field, "You're a hundred years too young to talk back to your sisters, little boy." She smiled and pulled him close, "And I'll baby you even when you become Hokage, Naru-chan."

Tenzo chuckled as he caught up to them, "Just be glad Nana, Mizu, and Shiki aren't here, Naruto."

The boy rolled his eyes, "Whatever."

Kakashi lingered behind as the boy left with his team, looking back at the Hokage and the Commander. The Copy Ninja had been active long enough to know exactly what his two superiors were thinking, and it was something Kakashi had been concerned about ever since his little brother started his new training schedule. Naruto was developing too quickly, and his skills were vastly beyond his maturity.

"He's still too innocent, Hokage-sama," Kakashi said as he turned to leave, "and I'm not sure if any of us wants him to lose his innocence quite yet. It's peacetime right now, so why not let him grow up peacefully." He closed his Sharingan and sighed, "Minato-sensei and Kushina-sensei would have wanted him to remain a child for as long as possible."

"I know, Kakashi," muttered the Hokage, "But it is clear now that we cannot wait until his twelfth birthday to make him a genin. He is already stronger than all Chūnin in the village, and can probably give most Jōnin a very real challenge, and that is only because of his lack of experience. By the time he turns twelve, he'd give me and Jiraiya together a very real challenge."

Commander Ryu stepped closer to the Hokage, "He still lacks many qualities for becoming an ANBU, especially his strong morality and immature ethics. I agree with Kakashi that he is far from ready for real missions – only because of his personality. ANBU may be out of the question, but being a regular genin should be considered."

"Is the village ready for that?" asked Kakashi, "And will he take his mother's name or father's name?"

"The villagers would welcome Naruto as the son of their hero – that I do not doubt." Hiruzen sighed, "And I see no issues with giving Naruto both of his parent's family names. He can be the Yondaime's heir as well as be the new Uzumaki Clan Head when the time comes." He puffed on his pipe, "Given the boy's talent in Fuinjutsu, we may see an Uzumaki Clan revival after all."

"So, you will let him join this year's graduating class?" asked the ANBU Captain.

"No, definitely not." The Hokage turned to face his two subordinates, "Naruto is far too strong to be a part of a normal three-man cell. Not only will it off-balance his teammates, but his Jōnin instructor would have nothing to teach him. If he does become a genin, it would be done under an apprenticeship." He saw the two understand his meaning, "And it's about time I call all my students home."

"Whom will you assign to teach him?" asked Commander Ryu, "Jiraiya-sama or Tsunade-sama?"

"You will still teach him on most things, Commander," reassured the Hokage, "I will not take away your prized student from you."

Ryu bowed his head, "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"If anything, this apprenticeship is a way to bring Naruto out in the open. Jiraiya can help with his Fuinjutsu, and if Tsunade is willing, perhaps they can both develop some new seals for the medical field. Either way, the important thing is to contact Jiraiya immediately – seeing how we won't be able to find Tsunade without his help."

"I shall draft a letter right away, Hokage-sama," volunteered the Commander.

"Do not mention anything specific," the old man added, "Just a simple summons."

"Duly noted, my lord."

"And Kakashi," the Captain turned to face his leader, "Originally, I was going to assign you as Naruto's Jōnin-sensei once the time comes." His one eye widened but remained silent. "But seeing how that will no longer be the case, I still need you to be by his side, not as a teacher, but as his brother. Once he is out in the open with his parents' names attached to him countless potential enemies can come for him. I'll need you to protect him."

"I'll be with him every step of the way, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen nodded, "Good, then we're all in understanding." He sighed and puffed a long drag on his pipe, "If fate is kind and willing, I'll be able to retire soon."

Chapter 10 – End

This is basically an informative chapter on Naruto's current strength and development. It looks as though he is growing too fast when compared to his emotional maturity. Thankfully, one Ero-Sennin and another Baa-chan will be joining the picture soon.

PS. Sorry, but no fluff in this one chapter. I personally find fluff much easier to write than action, so you can expect a lot more fluff to come, especially when Naruto and Ino age up.

I hope you all liked this chapter.

Please let me know what you think.

Please leave me a review!