Chapter 14
"This is so boring..." Naruto muttered as four to five dogs sat about him. 'My chi seems to calm them so they won't leave me alone...' Naruto mussed with annoyance. Lee watched Naruto's way with the dog.
'He hasn't said a word and yet they are so tame... Then why...' Lee mussed as he was dragged along. 'Am I stuck with one dog that won't sit still?!' "Woah!" Naruto flinched as Lee landed flat on his face.
"Here..." Naruto called and the dog simply walked over. Lee could only blink as the large bull god sat before him. "Good boy..." Lee sweat dropped.
'Damn you Naruto... I shall get the dogs to be as calm as they around you soon enough...!!'
Gai chuckled mentally. 'Lee what Naruto's doing is not of his choice. It's the aura he's giving off that seems to tame the dogs about him... But it's good to see you eager to try...'
The day went by too the next job of painting a fence. Lee smiled as he finished his 10th post. 'Not bad...' "Hey Naruto-san... How many you..." Lee blinked.
Naruto held his hand out to the paint pot and a swirl of wind whipped up and Naruto controlled the wind along the fence. Giving them a fine coat. "Hmm..." Naruto glanced to Lee, about 20 or 30 fence poles away. "You say something..."
"Never mind..." Lee muttered.
And the final mission for their day.
'Now I defiantly know he can't be good at this...' Lee mused as he cut the grass. He glanced to Naruto who was to the far back. Lee grinned, as he watched Naruto stand in the thickest part. 'Like he'll be done before me...'
Naruto closed his eyes and slowly the wind whipped up violently. Lee had to cover his face as the wind blew passed him. The grass around Naruto sliced up and Naruto gathered the cut grass into an orb of wind before tapping his braces together and burnt the grass in that instant.
Lee grunted as he was able to see and blinked. 'N... No way!' Lee stumbled over to the clean cut square around Naruto. Lee glanced about. 'H-he cut the grass... And removed the waste in seconds...' Lee hung his head. 'Is there anything I can at least beat him at?' Gai watched from the side with interest.
'Naruto truly is skilled in the elements. Even more so than jonin... I wonder how this will affect Lee as he continues to improve?'
The day came to an end with the pair sitting at their meeting spot in the village. "You two have done well... Maybe we'll practice on team tactics for you two, or some simple training. What do you say?"
"Sound's cool sensei. What do you think Lee." Lee nods.
"I'm up for that..." Gai smiled.
"Good, now I'm off to train with a run around the village... And should I not complete my run in under an hour. I shall do 100 push ups for every second I'm late." Naruto sweat dropped/
"That's a task and a half. I wonder if he'll do it?" Naruto asked. Lee shrugged.
"I don't know... Well later, Naruto-san." Naruto nods.
"Later..." Lee waved Naruto off then turned to head for the forest.
'I to shall train like you Gai-sensei...' With that Lee left to train on his own.
Later into the night you could find Lee attacking a wooden post. "Ha, ha, ha..." Lee yelled as he kicked at the post.
"I will... Catch up to you... Naruto..." Lee muttered as he kicked out. 'If I can't complete 1000 kicks.... I shall do one thousand punches tomorrow night...'
The next day...
"Hargh!" Naruto blocked a right kick and pushed Lee back. Naruto thrust a palm forward.
"Ha!" Lee was hit by a burst of wind and knocked back. Lee forced his body up right and skidded back. His right leg buckling under his training last night.
'....' Naruto didn't flinch as he noticed the weakness. Lee rushed forward and jumped to the side as he arm thrust forward.
Naruto's arm swung in front of him and he smirked as he held the three kunai. He then jumped up ward and threw them back. Lee dodged left and right. 'He's letting me off; he noticed my weakness and is taking it easy on...' "Naruto...!!" Naruto yelled as he punched at Naruto. The blond blocked.
"Don't show me sympathy... How am I to improve if you..." Naruto blocked Lee's kick with his left palm. "Don't give me your all!!" Lee yelled giving a double back kick. Naruto evaded with ease.
"...." Naruto crouched. Naruto vanished and Lee didn't even know he was hit till he hit the tree 10 meters away. Lee grunted as he began to stand. "You're strong Lee... But if I were to give you my all I would hurt you. I can see you've been training..." Naruto muttered as he looked at Lee's leg. "I don't want to harm you so a point where you can't train..."
"...." Lee sighed.
"You know my skills will out class you. You're not stupid Lee... You also know that even if you got as strong as Gai. I will be farther ahead of you still..."
"Then why do you care what happens?"
"Because you're my team mate. Someone I'll need to back me up. I maybe a good fighter, but should I get into trouble, I'll need your help. That's why I want you to get stronger Lee. So we can help each other..."
"What can I do to help someone who's a genius..." Naruto tilted his head. He chuckled.
"You think I'm a genius... Trust me Lee, I'm no genius."
"But you're so advanced beyond everyone. People like you are geniuses..."
"I was at the bottom of my class till I turned ten. Then I learned from someone. And he taught me the rules of the kame-sennin..." Naruto looked to the sky. "Gai-sensei... Can we call it a day... I know it's early but..." Gai shakes his hand.
"No worries, Naruto-kun. I'll see hokage-sama about some d-rank missions tomorrow and meet you two here... See you two in the morning..." With that Gai took off.
"I best be going Lee... I've got some training to do... I see you later..." With that Naruto walked off.
"Wait, Naruto!" Naruto glanced back.
"Yeah?"
"What is... the kame-sennin rules..." Naruto smiled.
"The way of the kame-sennin is this, move well, study well, play well, eat well and rest well. That is the turtle masters way." With that Naruto walked on. Naruto blinked as Lee walked beside him. Lee glanced to Naruto.
"Then, could you show me that way. If you went by this form of training. Then I shall follow your principle!" Naruto sweat dropped.
"Lee I can't teach you, the style I learn is a mixture of free style martial arts and another. But if you follow what I told you. It will help you in training. I will also recommend 20 kilos of weight. It will help to build up your body strength." Lee nods as he wrote it down a note pad he pulled from nowhere. Naruto sweat dropped more.
"Thank you for your help Naruto-san." Naruto smiled.
"No problem... I best get going. Training is a must for me right now..." Naruto then walked off. Lee stood there till Naruto vanished. He looked at his pad, then to Naruto's direction. He smiled. "I'll make sure to do my best... Thank you."
With that Lee took off.
Day in and out, night in and out. Naruto and Lee worked together, Lee learning his path to improvement by the way Naruto had followed. Naruto continued to improve his way in the art's of the swordsman.
It never bothered Naruto or Lee they couldn't go out and do c-rank missions. Both enjoyed the time they spent as a team and friends. Naruto and Lee would train even alongside Gai on his strange tasks. Both gaining new ways to improve one's self.
Gai took time to watch and help point out finer points to Naruto he himself still missed. It made Naruto glad in away. At least he had a second sensei in taijutsu to not minor points he could work on. And Gai helped Lee continue to improve by showing how much his training meant to him. How he followed his word no matter if his rival Kakashi was there or not to see him to his forfeit.
Half a year had passed. And Naruto had kept to his academy meetings with Iruka-sensei. He was still surprise on the points he still didn't know as a ninja. And today Gai was going to teach Naruto and Lee something new.
"So... What are we learning sensei?" Naruto asked. Lee stood beside his blond companion in green spandex like his sensei with matching bowl hair cut and orange leg weights.
"I've decided to teach you two something separate to each other. I would have taught you this technique that I'd teach Lee Naruto. But I believe you could learn more from using this ninjutsu, this is what I'm going to teach you two. Lee, I'm going to teach you the renge. A powerful taijutsu move just for you." Lee blinked.
"Gai-sensei... While I'm happy you would teach me this taijutsu. You to know Naruto is well more advanced at taijutsu that me. Would it not be best.,,"
"Lee." Naruto spoke out. "It's ok. I don't mind the fact. Besides, you've done well in taijutsu in the months since we became a team. You should learn this technique. I'll be fine with what I get in ninjutsu, it could be very useful." Gai nods at Naruto.
"Indeed it is... Now, I'm sorry to do this to you Naruto. But you ok from learning from a scroll. I must watch Lee and make sure he doesn't hurt himself learning the renge." Naruto gives a salute.
"No problem at all sensei. I'm more than able to learn from a scroll." Gai nods.
"That's good Naruto... Now..." Gai blinked as he looked over the pair. Naruto and Lee blinked and glanced over. Naruto gasped at the figure walking over.
"Yo! Naruto-kun."
"G-g-goku-oji-san... Wh-what you doing here?" Naruto stammered in surprise. He never expected the elderly saiyan to actually appear before his new sensei Gai.
'Oji-san...?' Gai and Lee mussed. Though Gai was more interested.
'According to record... Naruto-kun has no living relatives... Hmm...' He looked over the elderly figure, gauging if he was a threat. 'Could he be the one to have trained young Naruto here?'
"Oji-san... Why you here..." Goku smiled.
"You're training can begin..."
"Really? I'm ready?" Naruto asked in surprise. Goku blinked.
"Haven't you seen your tanto?" Naruto blinked. He shook his head.
"Not for since last week... Why?"
"Well unseal it and see..." Naruto nods and brushed a seal on the upper part of his vest. Naruto stumbled as he saw a large black sheath appear. "Woah!" Naruto yelled as he caught the sheath. He blinked. He didn't have this... Where his tanto...
"Told you to keep that tanto on you. I changed the blade into a tanto. And when you were ready to learn kaio-ken. The seal would break and you would have figured it out soon enough. Guess I was wrong."
Naruto eyed over the weapon. The sheath was a simple black with a gold curve at the bottom of the sheath. The hit was golden circular guard. The grip was black with a white star imprinted on both sides. At the end of the hilt was a small chain with a ball with one star in it.
"First star..." Naruto muttered as he pulled on the sheath and hilt with a click. Naruto looked at the fine white metal that reflected back. A light black reflection from the sharp blade side could be seen. "Sugoi..." Naruto said in awe. Finally he had his katana... Naruto blinked as Goku held out his hand. A black sash with a star pendent was in it.
"To hold on you back. So it can hold your sheath with you unseal it the katana." Naruto grinned.
"Thanks Oji-san!" Naruto said as he quickly strapped it up. Lee joined Naruto to study to the blade while Gai walked up to Naruto.
"So you're the man who trained Naruto...?" Goku chuckled.
"I didn't really do much... He's learned from more skilled people than I. Gai-san. I wish to request taking Naruto away from a few months." Gai raised an eye brow.
"Why do you need to take my student away for so long sir?" Gai asked.
"I'm going to finish Naruto's training. But the art he's going to learn will take time to master. And he can't learn it on and off from his ninja training..." Gai crossed his arms.
"....." He glanced to the genin and then back to Goku. "Then I need to know something then..." With that Gai unleashed a powerful right kick. Goku blocked with his right arm.
The genin blinked and looked at the pair.
Gai and Goku remained eye contact for a small period before he brought his leg down. "Very well... I will let Naruto-kun leave for the time being... But I have to make it reasonable over wise the hokage will question Naruto-kun's disappearance..." Goku nodded.
"Thank you Gai-san... I can see Naruto has a skilled sensei to learn from." Gai smiled.
"I should be thanking you for such a unique student..."
And so Gai set out with his idea. Due to the amount of d-rank missions the team had done in the last 5 to 6 months. Gai was able to convince the hokage of a training mission. But he could only get the maximum of four months. Then he had to be back and stay back.
This gave Gai a good amount of time to teach Lee the renge and the counter parts to it. Plus refine Lee's taijutsu more. Goku had promised Gai he would have Naruto back in four months for the teams return.
And so, as Naruto waved to Gai and Lee as they left down the path to a training area for the two. Goku and Naruto took off with shunkan Ido to a place Naruto would truly master his art of kaio-ken.
Naruto blinked as he found himself staring at a yellow sky. "Where the..." Naruto muttered. He blinked as he found he weighted heavier now. Goku had told him to cancel any weight he had on his seal. As where he was going he wouldn't need it. He could see why. He felt heavier than he did for some time.
"Welcome Naruto..." Naruto blinked and turned to Goku. Beside him was a small blue man with a halo. "My name is Kaio-sama..."
"R-really? You the man who taught Oji-san Kaio-ken?" Kaio-sama nods.
"And I too will teach Naruto the art of kaio-ken... Now, your first job is to chase my monkey bubbles... Bubbles!" Naruto blinked as a monkey with a halo appeared from the house. "Once you catch bubbles we will move on to your next task." Naruto punched his palm.
"This will be easy..." Kaio-sama smiled.
'They always think it does....' And so Naruto's training began. And in the time that passed Naruto was amazed of how hard he had to work to learn the kaio-ken. He didn't know that it would be this hard.
But, four months passed quickly in other world. And it wasn't long before Naruto had to return home. With the knowledge Goku and Kaio-sama had passed on Naruto vowed he wouldn't lose after what he'd been taught.
Naruto returned with high spirits for his last few months. As it wouldn't be long before the pairs first year was over. And they would soon be on track to begin c-rank missions.
It was into late march, only 3 months before the class Naruto was in would get their first chance to become ninja. Naruto was surprised one day when Sakura appeared before him.
"What's this...?" Naruto muttered.
"It's a letter Naruto... Oh well it doesn't matter, I'm having birthday soon, and I thought you would like to come. Seeing as you used to be in our class. And you weren't so annoying during the last year. So what do you say."
Naruto's answer was an instant yes. Though Goku had told Naruto not to be focused on Sakura like that. Naruto still had them, apart from his favourite view in konoha. Sakura was another reason he would protect konoha as its hokage.
Not really material for a hokage to just protect one person. But Naruto knew he would have to protect everyone. But there were reasons he wanted to become hokage. And Sakura Haruno was one of them reasons. Though he would never tell Goku that.
"That good. It's the 28. You know where I live right." Naruto shook his head. Sakura sighed.
"Ok, you know the fountain in the middle of konoha? By the market?" Naruto nods. "I'll meet you there... Make sure you dress nice. I'll see you later." Naruto had a light blush on his face as he waved bye to Sakura.
'Now I just need to make sure I have nothing to do...'
"28th?" Gai muttered as he watched Lee train on the posts. "Well beside me and Lee training together. There's nothing assigned for our team that day."
"Great! Thanks sensei!" Naruto said as he ran off. Now to check Goku.
He found the old man packing at his home that he brought back. "Where you going Oji-san?"
"I'm heading to the land of water for a week... They have a fishing contest and I'm going to come back with the grand prize! Ouh it's going to be a good few hours trying to eat that fish..." Goku said with a dreamy look as he drooled. Naruto sighed. Goku and food. It was something that hadn't changed for this old saiyan in 500 years.
"Ok, take care then... I'll make sure to keep up my training." Naruto said with a grin. Goku smiled.
"Later then... I'll bring back a picture of the fish."
"Will that be before, or after you've eaten it?" Goku rubbed his chin.
"Depends how hungry I am..." Naruto chuckled as Goku walked off.
'Good... Now nothing can go wrong...'
XXXXX
"What?!" Sakura yelped as her mother yelled at her. "I won't let that boy come!"
"B-but what's wrong with having Naruto come? He's not been as bad as he used to be... I thought it would be fair seeing as everyone else from class is coming."
"I don't mind anyone but that child. I don't want him in my house. He's a trouble maker and something that people shouldn't get close too... God knows why he was even allowed to become a ninja last year... The hokage must not be thinking right..." Her mother muttered.
"But he's ok, honest. True he's done some pranks here and there..."
"I won't hear it! If you bring him here I'll ground you till you 16 young lady. And don't even mention it with your father round got it..." Sakura hung her head.
"Yes mom... I'll just let him..."
"No... You won't. You haven't told him where we live right?"
"N-no... I just said I would meet him and take him here."
"Good, leave him there. I don't want to hear you've been near him at all..." Sakura frowned.
'He's not that bad... So why do you hate him...?' Sakura sighed. Her parents were confusing when it came to Naruto Uzumaki...
A few days passed and on a nice day we find Naruto glancing about as he sat by the fountain. A small package beside him. He didn't have anything fancy to wear. So he stuck with his usual outfit.
'Where is she...?' Naruto mussed. 'The dates not wrong... I made sure to remain myself. And this is the only fountain by the market...' Naruto sighed as he kicked the ground a bit. "I'm bored..." He muttered.
Elsewhere Sakura was looking at her party with a smile. Though she would have been happier to have had everyone. And that was the main reason she wasn't. Because right now she knew someone who should have come was sitting to come to a party he's not allowed to go to. And though she was mean. This was something she felt really bad about. She looked at the approaching rain clouds.
'He's probably gone home... I hope... I mean he wouldn't just sit there waiting right? Even if it rained...'
"Something wrong forehead?" Ino asked walking up. "You should be enjoying yourself. Normally you should be showing off the fact you even got Sasuke-kun to come. Hell he never comes to birthdays..." Ino grumbled as she saw Sasuke standing in a corner with his fangirls trying to get his attention.
"I'm just not in the mood... I think it was the cake."
"Really? Tasted fine to me..."
"Really? Guess it's just me then..." Sakura blinked as the rain began to fall. Her mother calling them inside. 'Yeah... He must have gone home. Like he would really sit in the rain...'
Thunder cracked above over the square. Market stalls long gone from the rain. But in it sat one figure. His blond hair hanging over the front as he looked at the floor. A small patch dry from where the rain hadn't hit.
Two wet dots sat at the centre at the top. Tears from a heart broken child. Naruto sat there trying not to cry as the rain fell. His gift sitting at the base of the water fountain, having been thrown in only minutes ago.
'Why... Why did I even bother...' Naruto sniffed as he put a hand to his face. 'I knew it was too good to be true... I'm such an idiot... Naruto put his other hand to his face. Naruto's body shook s he cried. How he have been treated like that? He never did anything wrong to her? Sure he may have been a bit forward... But he hadn't done that in over a year. Then to do this...
Naruto didn't even move when a hand rested on his shoulder. "Naruto-kun... What you doing out here? You'll catch a cold and we have training tomorrow..." Naruto rubbed his eyes with his thumb and glanced to Gai. Lee was beside him, both looked worried to see their companion like this.
"I-it's nothing..." Naruto sniffed. "I just felt like sitting in the rain. That's all..." Gai looked at Naruto's red eyes.
"Naruto... What has saddened you so? Who has hurt you so my young student..." Naruto laid his head against his sensei's chest as he cried. He couldn't hold in. With these two, he knew he couldn't. Gai frowned as he glanced to the water. He knew it may hold his answers some reason.
"Lee... Take Naruto home. He'll catch a cold staying out here... I'll join soon." Lee nods.
"Hai Gai-sensei! Naruto-kun, let's head home! I shall entail you of day with me and sensei to you..." Naruto chuckled lightly.
"Thanks... I could do with some cheering up..." As the pair walked off, Gai glanced to the water.
Sakura blinked as she heard the door. It was late in the afternoon and everyone had gone home. She glanced out her bedroom door to listen so see if was for her. Her mother answered the door.
"Hello... My I help you sir?" Sakura's mother asked Gai. Gai coughed.
"You're Mrs Haruno correct?"
"Yes, something the matter?" Gai handed the soaked package to her. "What's this?"
"This was left at the bottom of the fountain for a girl named Sakura. There aren't many and I assumed she was in Naruto's class." The woman appearance changed.
"Sorry, but no one by that name is here. You must have the wrong address..." She tried to close the door but Gai stopped her. "Excuses me sir. But this is rude to barrage in."
"Then let me tell you this before I go. My student has been sat in the rain for some time. I don't know how long but the fact the patch he sat in was dry must have been an hour or so... I don't know why you would do this to him... But I hope you're happy with yourself..." With that Gai left the package on the floor and left.
"Like I care... Brat deserves it for the time he's been around..." Sakura heard her mother mutter before she threw the package into the bin with a smash.
'Naruto... Oh no...' Sakura didn't know what to think right now... All she could do was know that she left someone to sit in the rain for an hour in hopes of coming to a party he wasn't allowed to come to...'
Naruto missed a day due to a cold and Gai and Lee spent it with him to help him recover. But the next day he was fine thanks to his healing ability and we could now find Naruto and Lee walking from a early training session for lunch before returning to Gai.
"Man... Gai's been putting us through the passes today... It must be because we've fallen behind maybe..." Naruto yawned.
"We have sort of Naruto-kun. We've gone our own ways in training. So it's understandable Gai-sensei wants to make sure we can still work well on par with each other."
"I guess..." Naruto muttered as he looked forward. He came to a stop. Lee blinked. He looked forward and saw a long pink haired girl.
"Um... Hello..." Sakura muttered. Lee replied. But Naruto didn't even look at her. "I want..." She even didn't get to finish as Naruto walked right on by. Lee blinked at Naruto's sudden movement.
"Naruto-kun... That is most un-youthful... I'm terribly sorry... N-Naruto!" Lee called following. Sakura remained where she stood.
'I should have never asked him...'
XXXXXXXXX
Man... I felt really heartbroken there... It really ate me up the way I did that. To do that to poor Naruto... I bet many girls wanted to just be there to say it's all right to the poor blond.
Life can never be all ups. I did this as it's a point that will be connected to the future of this story.
I think it came out rather well. And the reason King kai still has a halo. Was because during the cell saga he decided to stay dead, seeing as Goku was going to be dead as well.
Anyway, I bet you never thought that was what the tanto was for. And man, am I quick. One day and I have a second chapter done. And in the small time I had too! Man I'm really on the ball!