Chapter 8

My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I am the fastest shinobi alive. When I was a baby my parents were killed by something, impossible, that thing was then sealed inside me. Then a brutal fight with the one I call brother made me the impossible. To the outside world I am just the Kyuubi brat but secretly I use my speed to protect my village and one day I will save my brother and keep my promise to my teammate. I am the Flash.

Previously on Orange Flash

"Ryota"

"What?" 'Who is Ryota?'

"Well since you won't give me your name I decided to call you Ryota" said Naruto with a wide grin on his face stunning the former Oto-nin allowing him to wheel her into the stand

Xxxx

"Who are you?"

Removing her mask Naruto noticed that she was the same age as Kiba's older sister, then she picked up a rock and instantly it was covered in a purple substance and when she threw it up it exploded

Somehow Naruto was not surprised "It was you, you're the bomber"

Xxxx

"Sasuke is powerful and he will only grow stronger under Orochimaru but out of all the people in our generation you are the best person to match him and stop him"

"Shikamaru I can't kill Sasuke" Naruto's voice then turned hard "But I will die before I let him harm Konoha. I made a promise to save him not just to Sakura but to myself and that is exactly what I am going to do"

Seeing the determined look in his eyes Shikamaru sighed "it can't be helped"

"Eh?"

"Very well Naruto I will leave Sasuke in your hands"

Now

Naruto had spent the last two hours speeding across the entire forest and landscape surrounding Konoha and Fire Country in hopes of finding even a clue as to where Danzo's base of operations is. He did not find anything; not a single damn thing!

'Well I guess it is a secret base for reason and it is not like I can just find Danzo himself and shadow him until he gives up his location. If he could avoid detection this long then a stake out is not going to work and clearly neither is running around Fire Country. Come on this is espionage gold if I can crack this then I will be ANBU Commander by reputation alone. Maybe if I think of it like a prank; yes a prank on the most secretive person in the village.'

After thinking about it for a few minutes Naruto realized that if he could not get anything on Danzo or on the Root HQ then he had to think outside the box. That was when he remembered something Iruka-sensei had said when he was talking about teams placements: a team was as strong as its weakest link.

'That's it I don't have to bust Danzo or Root they are too far hidden but if I take down their weak links then eventually they will be forced to either get more involved or get replacements either of which creates a trail that I can follow. Kukukuku it is perfect ttebayo.'

Now the question is: what was the Root's weakest link? The bomber had told him that three people were involved with Roots activities but they were all high profile individuals and they were heavily guarded finding out anything about them would mean getting into their inner circle or having someone on the inside.

His grumbling tummy reminded him that his speed greatly diminished his calories and he had been running for the past two hours across a continent making it snack time for him. So he sped home with ramen in mind after which he would go back to planning on how he was going to infiltrate Root. When he got home a minute later he made the mistake of immediately dispelling his clone seeing as how Ryota was still sleeping. The memories that his brain received gave him a serious dizzy spell almost knocking him flat on his ass.

"Whoa what the fuck was that, ttebayo?"

Taking a deep breath Naruto assimilated the memories of his conversation with Shikamaru as if he actually met him only he was miles away. It was as if the clone's memories had been transferred to him when he dispelled it, which was not possible right?

Deciding to test his theory he created two more clones then had them go outside and head to the ground floor then he dispelled them. Immediately he received memories of his clones talking smack about him.

'How is this possible?' thought Naruto 'does this mean that whatever the clones experience I also experience? Why the hell did I not know about this before? I wonder is it just memories or does it include chakra memory as well'

Creating two more clones he had them do the Rasengan then dispelled them and he noticed that the memory was transferred to him. Once the shock wore off Naruto realized two things: he had found the perfect spying technique and he could practically skyrocket his chakra based skills. I mean his clones were him so if he trained for two hours with five clones then by the time the training ended he would have trained for ten hours.

'Kukukuku oh Sasuke you have no idea how badass I will be in just a few months Mwahhahhahahaha'

An evil grin spread across Naruto's face before reality bitch-slapped him. He did not know anything about ninjutsu or genjutsu not to mention medical techniques. How was he supposed to learn and improve if he did not have anyone there to teach him; Jiraya was out of town and heaven knows when he is coming back, Kakashi was a lazy ass pervert who was extra stingy when it came to techniques and Tsunade was training Sakura-chan on top of her Hokage duties. The only options left are to find another teacher or head to the library.

After trying to think of whom else could train him full-time Naruto decided to choose going to the library. Unbelievable yes but right now it was his only option unless a magical sensei from a different world just happened to drop by right now.

"Tch like that would ever happen, library it is"

"Why are you talking to yourself? And what the hell are you wearing?"

Naruto's blood ran cold he had completely forgotten that he was still in his flash suit and that Tayuya lived here.

'Gah what do I do ttebayo?'

"Oi I asked you a question shithead, what are you wearing?"

Right now Naruto had two options: trust her with his secret or lie right now. Oh who was he kidding he was a terrible liar hopefully Baa-chan won't find out that he had told Tayuya otherwise she would kill him.

A flick on his forehead brought him back to reality "Have you finally snapped or something?"

"No I uh" taking a deep breath Naruto "I am the flash"

Tayuya blinked twice before saying "what the hell is the flash?"

"During my fight with Sasuke something happened, something that changed me"

"What the fuck are you talking about shithead? If you are going crazy just tell me"

Naruto decided to just show her "don't blink"

"What…"

Tayuya could not finish her sentence because Naruto made the move to run and then the next thing she saw was yellow lightning surrounding her like a storm with what looked like a person inside it. A few seconds later Naruto stopped running in front of the stunned redhead with a smirk on his face

"Wow I rendered you speechless"

His cockiness snapped her out of her funk "what the fuck was that?"

"Well it is like I said when I was fighting Sasuke an explosion occurred that created a dark matter wave that changed my DNA and anyone within a 70mile radius of the blast"

"Do I look like someone who shares your intellect levels? The mere fact that you know what dark matter is, is shocking enough not to mention the fact that Dark matter is theoretical but even if it does exist it cannot be caused by a fight"

Naruto started to get nervous; he did not want to tell her that he was a Jinchuriki who knew how she would react "well Sasuke was using the second level of the curse seal and he used it to super-charge his Chidori and it hit my Rasengan that was what caused the Dark matter explosion"

Tayuya eyes narrowed "the Rasengan is the Fourth Hokage's signature move and you just happen to know it?"

Naruto relaxed thinking that the explanation was enough so he created a clone then formed the Rasengan stunning Tayuya even further "Believe me now"

Shaking her head she adopted a no-nonsense tone of voice "there is no way that that clashing with the fucktard's enhanced Chidori will create a Dark matter wave capable of influencing anything let alone in a 70 mile radius. So do me a favour stop bullshitting me and tell me the truth"

'Gah how smart is this girl?'

"If you put me through the trouble of finding out for myself you will not like the consequences shithead"

"Fine I will tell you if you tell me your name, your real name"

"What does one thing have to do with the other?"

"They are both very sensitive and personal information"

"Tch fine my name is Tayuya"

Naruto smiled "that wasn't so hard now was it?"

The glare he received wiped the smile of his face though "fine I was using my secondary chakra network"

"Dipshit the only things that have secondary chakra networks are Jinchuriki. Wait a fucking minute, are you telling me that you are a Jinchuriki?"

"The Kyuubi Jinchuriki"

Tayuya's mouth dropped "first you have super-speed then you know the Yondaime's Rasengan and now you are telling me that you are the Kyuubi Jinchuriki?"

"Yep" said Naruto already preparing himself for when she cursed him or called him a monster only for him to see her laughing her out loud

"What is so funny?"

Tayuya took a breath then said "you are practically the strongest teen in your village yet you dress in orange and tights and love ramen. The jailor of the deadly Kyuubi no Yoko is a ramen loving shithead. Oh shit Kyuubi must be so proud of his vessel"

Naruto was not sure if he should take this as an insult or not. Well the good thing was that apparently she did not hate him "well he is pretty grumpy all the time"

"Of course he is, the vessel representing him is an idiot. Kami that is so hilarious"

Okay now that was insulting "oi I am not an idiot ttebayo"

"Yeah sure shithead whatever you say I'm bored"

"You know I have a name you know"

"Hmm yeah so what shithead"

"Why don't you use it?"

"Because I don't want to"

Naruto had to take a step back and breathe

"Oi dipshit did you hear me I said I am bored"

"And how is that my problem?"

"You are my host or have you forgotten that?"

"I'm hungry"

"You just ate at least two hours ago"

Naruto decided to ignore her and head to the kitchen where he picked up a bowl of instant ramen and while he was getting that ready Tayuya had picked up a spatula and threw it at his head

Smack!

"Ow what the hell is wrong with you woman?"

"Who the fuck do you think you are to just ignore me you fucking cocksucker"

'Shikamaru was right women are troublesome'

"I am talking to you shithead"

"The down side of my speed is that it burns up my calories very quickly and as such when I push myself I get hungry"

"And how did you push yourself that you have to eat after only two hours?"

"I ran around Fire Country"

Tayuya blinked twice in shock "What the fuck for?"

"That is classified"

She scoffed "Yeah right, you are a blond Genin there is no way anyone will trust you with anything classified"

Naruto became acutely aware of how much he hated the three minutes wait for ramen at least if he was eating he wouldn't have to answer her. Heaven knows that he was a breath from snapping

"Oi I believe I asked a question"

"Look I have been given a high ranked assignment that I have to do that is what I was thinking about before you woke up. It is important that I do not tell anyone"

"Okay so what is the assignment?"

Naruto was about to erupt when he realized something Tayuya was one of Orochimaru's top elite and if there was anyone who could sneak into Root it would be him. So if the student was half as good as the master then maybe she could help but he would have to trust her

"If I tell you do you promise not to tell anyone?"

Tayuya gestured to her wheelchair "who am I going to tell?"

"There have been some bombings in the village and this morning I found the bomber. She is a meta-human with the ability to turn anything she touches into an explosive. When I confronted her she was wearing an ANBU outfit but not the standard one and she had a silencer seal on her. As it turns out there are a few people in the village who possess an ANBU unit that is loyal only to them and that they are not fans of the Hokage."

"How did they build their army?"

"She did not say so we don't know but they call themselves Root so it is my mission to find out who they are and bust them"

"Boys" said an unimpressed Tayuya "if you want to catch their trail then you need to find out how they are getting their recruits. The Meta that you met have you ever met her in the village before?"

"No why is that important?"

"Just roll with me shithead. Is there any record of her face anywhere?"

"No"

"Then that means that they recruits orphans probably from other villages but if they are a part of the village then I am willing to bet that some of the clans and families have 'lost' children to them either through blackmail, deception, fear or ignorance. I would start there if I were you"

The more Naruto thought about it the more plausible the reasoning was but it also presented a problem "access to that kind of information will generate suspicion which we can't afford not to mention that none of the clans will take me seriously"

"Because you are a Jinchuriki"

"Yes"

"Well then get someone who can act in your stead, someone who you can trust to handle themselves in high-risk situations and who will take you seriously. And word of advice; don't be overly concerned with exposure sometimes letting the enemy know that someone is asking the right questions will get them to reveal their hand if you know what to look for that is"

"Hmm thanks Tayuya I will speak to someone like you said"

"Good oh your ramen is cold"

"What? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO THAT WAS MY LAST RAMEN CUP"

Laughter and cries of sorrow filled the apartment scaring the villagers into thinking that the Kyuubi had finally snapped

Hokage Tower

"So he is going to try to save him huh?"

"Hai Hokage-sama that is what he said"

"Do you think he can do that Shikamaru?"

"It will be very troublesome but yes I believe he can"

"Very well thank you. Stick to your mission"

"If you don't mind me asking Hokage-sama, why don't you just promote him and let him learn on the job?"

"Because I need the report before the council will agree to a promotion"

"Troublesome"

"Stick with him Shikamaru and let me know as soon as he does something Chunin worthy"

"Hai Hokage-sama"

Back with Naruto

After painfully throwing the cup ramen away, eating cold ramen would be a travesty. Naruto's hunger was more intense than ever to make matters worse Tayuya had a permanent smirk on her face and the statement a hungry man is an angry man rang true here.

"Oh lighten up whiskers you can buy another one"

"That ramen cup was a limited edition I was saving it for a rainy day and now it is wasted"

Tayuya's smirk widened "A limited edition, you are kidding me right?"

"I never joke about ramen woman and why the fuck did you not warn me sooner?"

"Well first of if ramen is so precious to you then you should have noticed it before I did; and secondly I was bored and I wanted to entertain myself"

Naruto's eye was twitching madly but instead he took a few calming breaths. He could not afford to fly off the handle at her especially since he was trying to become more mature.

"You do know that taking deep breaths when you are angry just makes you a cocksucker right?"

Naruto choked on air causing him to start coughing "Tayuya please stop I am trying to relax I still have a ton of work to do"

His patronizing tone pissed Tayuya off, she was not his junior and wheelchair or not no-one messed with her, not even this shithead. The smile that spread across her face gave Naruto so deep a chill even the Kyuubi felt it

"So you think that you have the patience and maturity to take care of me, do you Naruto-kun? Why don't we find out eh?"

'Kami what have I done to deserve this?'

"Tayuya look I am hungry and I am not thinking straight so can you just ignore what I said before"

"Absolutely Naruto-kun"

The way his name rolled off her tongue scared him shitless but part of him liked it. Oh man he was becoming a masochistic pervert like Jiraya that is it he was going crazy from hunger once he had a bowl of ramen he would be fine.

"I am going to Ichiraku's for some ramen after that I will attend to some affairs I will be back soon"

"You are drunk if you think that I am going to let you leave me in this house by myself"

'Damn so close' thought Naruto who was crying anime tears inside at what he would have to put up with. Although it proved to him that Shikamaru was right when it came to women they were all too troublesome to deal with. But there was no way he was getting out of this one he would just have to take her and hope she did not drive him mad before he ate.

'Oh who am I kidding this will be a disaster'

"Okay let's go"

"Good now push shithead-kun"

The suffix added to his new nickname made him pause then he decided that he was too hungry to care so he pushed the chair all the way to Ichiraku's but as they were wheeling he realized that until Tayuya got her feet back she would depend on him for a lot of things and for someone as proud as her that had to be hell.

'Huh I guess I would be grumpy if I was confined to a wheelchair for at least three weeks' sighing Naruto decided to be nicer to her starting now

"I am sorry for what I said before I do not think you are a child I was angry and while in the past I would have exploded on you I am trying to be more mature"

"Tch yeah right"

Naruto decided then and there that no matter she said or did he will not hold against her after all he had done a lot worse in anger growing up

"I have a short fuse I always have but I am trying to curb it because so far my temper has made people believe I am immature, irresponsible and incapable of doing anything noteworthy. I need to get better at being someone that people can count on"

"Look dipshit if you want to become a yes-man or some kind of fucking stiff then that is your problem"

Naruto smiled because now that he was trying to see her side of things he was starting to understand her "I will not stop being me if I see someone who needs a good dressing down or the finger then I will give it to them. I also don't have a single yes-man bone in my body if I have an opinion I will share it. I just want to use my head and ears more that's all"

"Whatever Shithead we're here"

"Ohayo Naruto"

"Ohayo Teuchi-oji-san"

"Ah I see you brought your friend"

"Is it just ramen you sell here? I mean ramen is not a healthy meal regardless of what dunce thinks" said Tayuya

"Actually we do try to add healthy ingredients to our foods" replied Teuchi

"Yeah Teuchi-oji makes the best ramen ever ttebayo"

"So what will you kids have?"

"Beef oji-san"

"I am not hungry" said Tayuya

"I see well would you like some tea then?" asked Teuchi he got a shrug in response

Thirty bowls of ramen and an impressed Tayuya later the duo left the ramen stand

"So where are we going Shithead?"

"To the library"

Tayuya choked on her saliva "are you high or something?"

Naruto rolled his eyes "no I am not I just realized that I have a lot to learn and the library is the best option"

"Surely you have a sensei"

"True but even if I could find Kakashi-sensei it wouldn't do me any good. He is a lazy pervert who hasn't taught me anything aside from tree-climbing I need to take responsibility for my own training and not wait for someone to train me"

"And do you have a plan for when you get to the library?"

"I need a plan?"

Tayuya shook her head "that place is stacked full of books you need to know what you are looking for before you enter stupid"

"Oh well I did not think about that"

"Of course you didn't. What field exactly are you looking for and which one would you never consider"

"Uh ninjutsu…"

"Not ninja style stupid fields. You don't know what I am talking about do you?"

When he shook his head Tayuya sighed "the ninja fields are your specialization every shinobi belongs to one some can fit into two but never more than that otherwise you will be average in some and better in others. The fields are: Frontline assault example the First and the Fourth; Assassination and espionage example Orochimaru and the ANBU; Medic example Tsunade or Kabuto [healing and poison]; Information example the interrogation and torture department and the Intel department they break codes and such I think; Defence example guards; and finally tracking and recon example Hunter Nin. Got it?"

"Hai I do"

"Good so which field do you want to do and which one would you not be good at?"

"I won't make a good Hunter Nin or a guard. Information is also a no so I want to do frontline assault, espionage and assassination, and medic"

"Shithead I already told you that you can't be an expert in more than one field"

"Have you ever heard of the Kage Bushin and what it can do?"

"Yeah but that type of training is forbidden for a reason the chakra strain alone will kill a Kage not to mention the mental backlashes will destroy that tiny brain of yours"

"I am the Kyuubi Jinchuriki and the Flash I can take it"

Tayuya decided that it was not her problem so she shrugged her shoulders "it is your funeral shithead"

Author note: I decided to make this one longer because of all the people who are now following this story I really appreciate it. Don't forget to review.