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Naruto7(typo of 8-9)

Disclaimer: chapter one foolish mortals

"what"

For anyone to have caught THE Uchiha Itachi stunned, it would make the papers in moments. The stone faced, bored, and worshiped man of 12 was frozen looking at me. A 7 year old who, yesterday morning, created a 20-foot radius sphere around himself of chakra. A blonde trickster who now has a blue flame wrapped around his thumb, the source of his abnormal reaction.

Quickly gaining posture once more Itachi spoke his thoughts calmly, "what is that?"

Naruto pov

By the time he responded I had already lit up and taken a drag, though I still had my thumb on fire, I don't know how to turn it off (O.o). I mentioned that it was a skill as I breathe out, still having my smoke hang on my lips.

"Fox fire, it's a... an ability I just learned."

'Hope he doesn't ask about my smoking problem.'

Itachi gives me a questioning look behind those bored eyes. "What's so special about it?"

'phew'

"It's cold."

He still looks a little perplexed but lets it slide. He lays his head back on the tree and closes his eyes assuming his previous position. I fallow suit the only change would be that I still take the occasional drag.

"So when did you start smoking?"

'Damn it.'

"'Bout a year ago."

A quiet silence flows until...

"Do you steal them?"

'Fuck, king subtle here has the finesse of a rock'

"You ever got caught?"

I flash my foxy grin, "You're talking to Konoha's number 1 trickster here."

The quiet to followed was peaceful but fleet. For my smoke ended and Itachi stood. I spit the butt out and dug it into the ground as I hear Itachi, "I have to go or my father will be upset, ja ne." When I turned he was gone.

And he takes the likeness of a ghost like no other.

I began walking toward Konoha when a thought started to surface. I thought of how the old man kept the secret from me. I couldn't stop being angry at him.

I wasn't going to tell you for some time either kit.

Nani! You would have kept it from me too!

Such a burden to be known at an early age is very hard on the mind.

(And the pouty Naruto emerges!) 'Your mean.'

And you're a brat.

Stupid fox

Blonde freak

Jerk

Prick

Those words shouldn't be spoken by a lady

Sexist little shit

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And the back talk escalated ceaselessly even after I reentered Konoha's gates. Shops by now were closing and people traveled home for a late dinner. Some time passed before I reached my street. By this time the fox and I cooled down enough to bear with each other's presence. Before I approached my block my stomach started to cave it. Doubling over, I seem to remember how I didn't have anything to eat yet today. So off I was to Ichiraku.

Some people wonder why I eat so much ramen. Or why almost the only thing at home to eat was ramen. Its because it's the only thing I can afford. At the start of each month a disgruntled man comes and hands me a wad of bills/food stamps and walks away. Even though I don't have to work for it I get just enough to last me until next payday. This is also the reason why I only have orange wears. A small store had a few pairs and was getting rid of them for real cheap.

Getting back to food, Ichiraku's one of the only restaurants that allows my patronage. Its strange how I now approach the booth I look around. I see the glares and dirty looks. But when I look back at Ichiraku I see a smiling middle aged man, and daughter. I know they give me way to many discounts to be normal. I never realized until knowing about the nine-tails how much they cared.

Even now as I sit their moods brightens and they ask if I'll have my regular or miso. I give him a coupon that I got the previous day and ask for chicken. He chuckles and starts cooking.

I can't believe I never noticed. Always accepting my company with open arms. Always there for conversation with open ears. Always laughing at my antics with a bottomless barrel. I took it for granted for all this time. Looking now the smiles are warmer, the laughter thicker, and the ramen tastier.

With all the inner turmoil I never notice that my ramen was sitting there for over 5 minutes now. Ichiraku gives me a shake and I lift my head for him to see my face streaming with tears. "Oi, you ok Naruto-kun, come on the ramen is good like always, I swear."

I wipe away my tears and beam a smile "It will be worlds greater this day." I begin to scarf down while he gives me an intrigued look, but shrugs it off to my random personality. "Oi, another with pork." Ichiraku smiles and begins cooking my ramen. The system goes on until I consume 12 bowls.

In the end you can find me rubbing my stomach with one hand and paying with the other. I left with a wave making my way back to my street. My building was one that was made way back, close to 76 years of weathered age. I went around back and came to a ladder. I started scaling the fire escape only for the fact that the stairs collapsed a year ago and no one bothered to fix it. I got to my floor and climbed onto the ledge walking the rest of the way to the open hallway to get to my door.

I pull out my key and just before I stick it in the lock I freeze. I put my key back in my pocket and open the door.

Almost forgot that I didn't lock the door.

I still ached from the ordeal this morning and my work out, so I decided to crash early. I was thinking about patching things up with Shika when I slipped into the dream realm.

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General pov

It was still dark out when Naruto awoke. He stole a glance at his clock to find his assumption correct; he woke up way to early. The clock had 2:36 blazed across its front.

'What the hell is this about, I feel like I slept for nearly 10 hours?"

I told you I have more of an affect on you.

'Jezz...ahh well, I guess I should get up and do something.

Naruto got out of bed and went over toward his bathroom, stripping along the way. He climbs in his tub and turns on the shower. Shaking the last bits of sleepiness from his eyes, he washes his hair and does a quick scrub down. Following his rinse, he ends the shower.

Stepping out of the bathroom with a towel around the waist he heads over to the dresser. He pulls out one of his very few different pairs of paints, blue jeans, gama boxers, and one of his black t-shirts. Putting those on, he fixes the mess he left 2 days ago. After whipping on his goggles first of course.

Lets embark on a quick tour of the Uzumaki household looking from the entrance door. We have an average sized bedroom placed at the end. In front of the bedroom and to the right is the kitchen. And to the left you will se the living room witch has the front door.

After accomplishing the set objective a new mission started to become apparent.

'Down to my last pack, better make my run.'

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Naruto Pov

Stuffing the Lucky Strikes in my back pocket, I slide down the last bit of ladder and started my walk over to a tobacco/coffee shop I've never been to. That was always how it went. Every run a new shop/store, no more then 2 packs at any place.

Coming upon the shop I make sure no one is in sight. After double-checking I take out my bobby pins and commence picking the lock. Doing this twice a month has made me proficient. Soon after unlocking the door I check for cameras. Finding none I walk behind the counter and my eyes gaze at the selection before me.

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II am making my way down the lamp lit street with my front pockets pack; 2 strawberry, 2 chocolate, and a raspberry. Craving one after my 'operation', I headed for an alleyway. I step out of the alley and resume my original path but stay to the shadows. Anyone looking in the light would have noticed my very burnt hands (not as good with the foxfire as I would like).

'Dam its still hours before sunrise, what am I going to do in the meantime...to the library!'

With that captivating my mind I had to think of any libraries I might have passed before. Most of witch I could only remember the front of the building not where I could find it. Of all the ones that I could remember, I only knew the location of 3, the 3 largest libraries of Konoha.

I start up my trek to the giant vaults of imagination.

The first was closed

Along with the Second (grrrrrrr)

But the 3rd was a 24/7 availability, lucky number 3. Witch complemented the number of cigarette butts I rendered to the ground on my voyage.

I make my way inside and become humbled by its vastness.

'Lets start with short ones uhnnnn. Poetry would make a nice start.'

Taking another once over of the place, I turn to the only visible male librarian. The man was lying down on a couch with his hands behind his head, eyes closed.

"Hey mister where is the poetry section?" with out even opening an eye he lifts his left arm and points to a collection of shelves. "Over there kid" "Arigato"

I weave my way over to the appointed section. I am immediately faced with thousands of poetry books. My eyes trail down row after row until stopping on a black bound book labeled "The Raven" authored by E. A. Poe. So all through the night until sunrise and after I read poem after poem.

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Stuffing the cup of instant ramen down my throat reading the clock as 7:35. I make the run to yesterdays training ground like a man on fire. After taking a short breather I follow through with the modified list tacked down in my mind. The only thing changing from yesterday was meditation. During that part of my regimen I had the foxfire flow through my thumb, later my hand, over and over again keeping the temperature fixed. And making an 11 o'clock I began trying to peferm my kawarimi, henge, and bunshin.

After finishing up I make a calm walk back to my place for some chow. I am now finalizing my plans for the task ahead of me with the Naras. My watch read 3:12 when I exited my house. Remembering how damn long it took last time I run to Shikamaru's house.

At the front door of Shikamaru's house I can't stop being nervous, not knowing what could happen when I try to get on her good side. I ring the bell and wait. Nothin, I ring again, I hear a deep voice on the other side, I'm comin I'm comin" The door opens to reveal none other then Shikamaru's dad, Nara Jaka.

He gives me a once over give me an amused look, "ok orange what can I do for ya?"

Never hesitate

I straighten up, "Is Nara Shinobu in at the moment?" Immediately I see his face darken but go back to his smirk and instant later. There was no edge on his features or in his voice, "Just a minute kid." "Hai" After the acknowledgement he turned around and went up the stairs never closing the door. I here some talk upstairs and then a voice at 2 o'clock high, "Naruto?" I look up to see Shikamaru leaning over the balcony rail. I flash my foxy grin and wave "Oi Shikamaru!"

When I look back down I see Shinobu coming toward me with a face that could be caste in iron. And Jaka nowhere in view. She doesn't stop coming until she is right in front of me and mutters under here breath, "leave right now you fucking brat"

At the tone I lost it, I look her straight in the eye "I will not leave until I meet with Shikamaru, bitch" SLAP I grip the frame of the door to stop from falling, "How dare you come to this house again, and how DARE you call me such a thing you guttersnipe!".

She was breathing hard like she ran a mile. Her eyes set on me like sharpened blades. Yet not sharp enough to follow my movements from the door to inches from her. And in a flash I had her hand around one of my kunai tracing my neck line. I look her in the eye with a expressionless face and with a matching tone I say to her, "If you can honestly say to yourself that I am the Kyuubi, that I am a demon, and that I killed thousands, then logic says kill me, so kill me." the fury in her eyes burned even brighter as she pushed the blade in a few milimeters letting blood flow down and start to soak my black shirt. But the look in her eyes changed oh so swiftly and she pulled away with a great suddeness. 'thats how Jaka looked when one of his teammates died'

She walked over to a table and put her hands on the surface. Her back was to me when she spoke, "He is upstairs" I now see Jaka, giving me a unreadable look, standing at the stairs

She is not stupid.

Maybe not, but you are she could have killed you

but she didn't so don't worry about it

I sprint up the stairs past Jaka and out to the balcony. The couple that now stands close can hear the sound of one grumbling Shikamaru and one bubbling blonde.

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General pov

Naruto could be seen on his back next to Shikamaru. The 'lazy one' convinced him to 'find his inner cloud'. And find my cloud, I did. I released myself and ascended to the clouds, flying over, under, and through the sky's puffy marshmallows. I knew right there, that the leaf I turned, was beautiful.

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1 year later

Dear sweet Jesus, he's gonna kill me, maybe if I run farther he wont be able to track me.

Need I remind you I told you to keep the flame controlled and cool

Oi, its not my fault that trees are made of a flammable material

Baka

You might be wondering what they are talking about. Well if we look behind them some 2 km, what can be found is a forest fire consisting of blue, scorching, unfathomable sized flames traveling from tree to tree. Naruto has truly out done himself. The fire would most likely have consumed the entire forest had Itachi not been training near by. This Uchiha wasn't a prodigy for nothing; even after finding water ineffective he went through all the other elements to cease the spread.

All elements proved to be as useless as water until he reached earth. Using a jutsu that had large mounds of dirt from all over covering each tree's surface while all fires were extinguished. To say the least to cover a square kilometer of forest fire with dirt in 6 minutes was very, very exhausting, he was on the ground heaving. He knew he needed to report this and under any normal circumstanced he would chalk it up as a natural fire. But not many natural fires are blue, and not many people can start blue fires. Subsequently this ANBU did know a man or should he say a boy.

'Naruto...'

Also to mention he was none to happy

"NARUTO!"

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Naruto Pov

'!He is pissed, oh god, help me.'

I ran, and ran, and ran. I just couldn't stop knowing what would happen if I did. I knew that I was little more then 3 km from Konoha, and running as fast as I was I would be there in little time. My thoughts though, told me that this was THE Uchiha Itachi, from him there is no escape. I confirmed this as I felt myself trip. I was flying a short distance in the air only to be pulled back with the force of a smith's sledge.

I blink a few times, refocusing my senses only to look at an irate Itachi, upside down. My feet were bound and he had me pulleyed up to eye level.

'uh oh he's got that look in his eye'

"Well Naruto lets go visit the Hokage shall we."

He pulled on the rope until I flipped over the branch, slamming into the ground head first, and proceeded to drag me the last 2.5km to Konoha. Mean while, being dragged for the total 4 km to the Hokage I had time to think. My thoughts brought me back to the days when I just started making friends.

Since then the Naras have become great friends. The dad usually was out doing missions, but when he was home he would always make me laugh with his dry humor. Shikamaru was either at home or his cloud watchin field when I wasn't there to mess with his not so troublesome life style. I had actually won 4 games against him so far, tied 18, and lost uhhh... a lot I'll leave it at that. Shinobu has gotten to accept me as she would a stranger, always watching but always polite. She also loves making food, and when you refuse you would be at the receiving end of a stick, pan, spatula, or anything else she would have in her reach.

'Yeah they were crazy, but a comfortable crazy.'

I truly couldn't believe it when the 'Crazy lady' took me shopping getting sick of all the orange I wore. I now have a wardrobe that consists of more then orange wear, old torn blue jeans, and white or black shirts..

Itachi has now become what I would call a friend. The only thing stopping me from finalizing that title is that the occasions we meet are incredibly sporadic. When we would meet though it took some time and coaxing to get him to relax. To get that bored yet serious look off his face made me feel real good, I couldn't explain it just loosened the mood 10 fold.

My views of the city in general were still the same. Besides a select few everyone were assholes. Everyone still looked at me the same. I was refused at the same stores. I still had to eat ramen every meal, besides when Shika's mom cooked.

Training stayed the same, besides it got upped since back then. All exercises with a number got doubled, while those with time frames I just made more strenuous like rate or work or with conditions attached. For meditation I was now able to cover my whole upper body with foxfire and chakra. Dancing just made me take on more of a tai chi form and moving at a faster speed. I was coming along very well with kawarimi and I am now able to perform a bunshin and henge but I am not very good with them. And I have begun making a new jutsu for Kyuubi. (that's all you get to know wait and see :P)

Kyuubi also became much easier to talk to. She now sits in a cozy open meadow with a rising hill to the east (change of mental scenery). Though now she insists on being called Iziri. Calling her kyuubi/nine-tails so much got on her nerves apparently. So the friendship is going swell, though she beats me up in my dreams.

I am brought out of my reverie with my head slamming against the Hokage's office wall, I was now tied around my legs and my wrists are bound. The Hokage looks up from his small pile of work (there is always a pile but its always small coincidence?), and looks at us and gives a small chuckle. "What can I do for you Itachi-san?"

Standing up straight he looks the Hokage in the eye "Hokage-sama, Uzumaki Naruto started a forest fire which I have put out in the 14th sector of the outer lying forest."

The look the jiji gave me was one of irritation then anger. "Naruto-kun what is the meaning of this."

"Hey I didn't mean to start a fire I was practicing a fire jutsu and the trees lit up. I didn't have anything on me or a jutsu I know that could help."

Itachi in the mean time had the bored look plastered on his face once more. The old man takes notice and asks about it "why the sullen face Itachi-san, didn't you get back from a mission a few days ago?"

Itachi answers with little enthusiasm "Yes Hokage-sama but it required litle effort."

To anyone looking close enough you would notice a deviant look in the Hokages's eyes. "Itachi-san if you are so anxious to do something why don't you look over Naruto-kun to make sure he doesn't get into anymore trouble, lets say a 2 week supervising?"

I swear I could feel all the particles in the room stop moving. I look from jiji to Itachi and I can see his left eye twitching (never a good sign!). At that I take out my knife from my back pocket, and start getting to work. Itachi masks his feelings expertly when questioning, "is this a mission Hokage-sama."

"Yes consider it a cool down from your type of missions."

I just finished cutting through the rope on my wrists when Itachi spoke his unwilling approval. He is being told the boundaries of the mission as I prepare my leap for the window.

General Pov

Itachi has one thought when he turned to find ropes on the floor.

'Naruto, you will die.'

Naruto after cutting the ropes binding his feet in mid flight is in a full out run, trying to evade inevitability. But alas the inevitable is a cruel thing. For he felt a hand on his shoulder and Naruto could almost start to cry. Feeling the waves of killer intent come streaming out of Itachi was nearly crippling. If the Uzumaki only knew what was to come.

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Naruto Pov

I am now in my shower washing the still fresh vomit in my mouth I involuntarily let out, in the fight. It was now almost 10 at night. The Uchiha had me fight him for 6 continuous hours, ending it with a hard punch to the stomach were I threw up my lunch. I took his words to heart when he told me to never run from a problem.

(flashback)

I got back up from the gut punch and I saw him drawing back another. Hearing the words and knowing that I could get out of the way in time, I stood tall and eyes open. His punch came faster then a bolt of lightening and stopped a cm in front of my eyes. He then took me in both arms and set me on his shoulders. "Come on little man you don't look so good" he said it with something I never saw on him before. A full-fledged smile. Oh yeah the pain of the lesson was worth this.

(end Flashback)

I was going to enjoy these two weeks to there fullest, at Itachi's expense though of course.

You are a cruel thing

Just a little

I get out and dry sliding on a pair of pants and boxers. I slip outside and climb the rest of the way up the escape, and get on the roof. I light up and think of how far I came since I met Shikamaru and how far I will go. I see a shadow and jump at it. When I got close enough I could see-

Very sorry for it taking so long, I will also make the next chappy twice as long as the first. Reviews I need reviews!