Author's Note - I still don't own Naruto. If I did, Naruto would have learned more about his parents.
Further chapters will be uploaded when completed, this download will give you 4 new chapters to read. Enjoy.
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Chapter Five – Restart
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"Welcome back my two favourite cute students! I have made a marvellous repast to celebrate… your… your flames of youth seem diminished. What happened?"
Kakashi seemed to appear behind Gai and stared at the duo. Lee was wearing his Hitai-ate like a belt, the same way that Gai did and once again Kakashi had to restrain himself from sighing. Despite his best efforts to persuade him otherwise, Lee had insisted on moulding himself in the image and style of the Jonin who had seen the potential in him and found him a sparring partner to help him maximise his potential. Naruto, though…
"Naruto-kun, where is your Hitai-ate?" Kakashi asked, his voice filled with concern. Naruto sighed.
"I don't have one."
Kakashi froze in shock while Gai raised his eyebrows.
"How is that possible, Naruto-kun? I know that Kakashi drilled you in Henge, Kawarimi and Kage Bunshin until you could do all three without seals, and both he and I have taught you all the other things you needed to know, so how could you have not passed?"
"The exainers made a most unyouthful decision and disallowed the Kage Bunshin." Lee said, watching worriedly as Naruto trudged through the doorway. "They said that the test called for a pure Bunshin, and that if Naruto could not perform such a jutsu, he could not pass."
"And with Naruto's chakra reserves, he is unable to use a pure Bunshin and probably never will." Kakashi growled, clenching his fists. "Dammit! I was sure that he'd pass with flying colours… I should have followed your example and made him my apprentice, Gai. If I go the Hokage now, maybe I can…"
Gai turned and placed his hand firmly on Kakashi's shoulder.
"Kakashi, whilst Lee is now my student, along with two others, Naruto is more than welcome to join my team for training. In addition, I shall ensure whenever I am not leading my team, I will be there to help Naruto continue to refine his control. When the next exam comes around…"
"I'll take Naruto as my apprentice then so that they can't sabotage his passing." Kakashi nodded, then he blinked. "It just occurred to me. This way, he has a chance to meet students his own age, rather than those a year or two older than him."
Gai nodded, then frowned. "I heard that the Last Uchiha is in that year. As the only other Sharingan wielder in Konoha…"
"He will be assigned to my team." Kakashi finished with a sigh. "I hear he's an arrogant snob, but with Naruto, I know that at least I'll have one pupil I can get along with. Even if you have corrupted him somewhat with your… youthfulness."
"He has combined my youthfulness with your hip and too cool attitude, creating something unique." Gai smiled, looking across to where Lee was talking quietly to Naruto. "I shall train him for the next few weeks until the academy restarts, maybe trying to wear him out will keep him from brooding, although with his stamina, that will be tricky."
Kakashi nodded slowly. "I have nothing useful at this time. Tell me if you need help with anything."
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"Good morning class, and welcome to your final year. We have a new student joining us, Uzumaki Naruto."
Naruto nodded at the students facing him, his eyes darting across as he tried to identify them.
'Hmmm, that one's an Akamichi, hard to mistake that body shape. Shades and big coat, no expression, has to be an Abarume. The sleepy one is obviously a Nara, the blond girl… Yamanaka. Wonder if I'm a Yamanaka, they're the only other blonds in the village other than me. Emo boy has to be Uchiha Sasuke…wow, his hair looks just like a duck's butt, how does he get it like that? Boy with dog… obviously an Inuzuka. Dark-haired girl with pale eyes, Hyuuga? Doesn't seem stuck-up like Neji, wonder if she's his sister or something. Pink hair…what? Pink? Okay, I got nothing. I have no clue what clan she comes from. I wonder what her special skill is?'
"…NARUTO!"
Naruto jolted. "Yes Iruka-sensei? What did you say?"
Iruka sighed. "I can believe Kakashi helped to raise you. I said can you please introduce yourself to the class."
"Oh! Sorry. My name is Uzumaki Naruto, I've studied under Hatake Kakashi-sensei who know hundreds of Jutsus and Maito Gai-sensei who is the best Taijitsu master in the village. I often spar with Gai's student Rock Lee, who is the only person my age strong enough for me to be able to fight with without having to hold back too much. My likes are making friends, cooking, learning stuff and ramen. I dislike those who judge others without getting to know them first, and those who try to bully others. And my special skill is a Kekkai Genkai which means I'm awesomely strong."
"How strong are you?"
Naruto managed to hide his surprise. The question had come from the Nara boy, who was sitting up and staring at him.
"I don't really know. I once punched a log almost out of Konoha and threw a kunai through a target dummy and several trees."
"And two walls, a sofa, a table, a door and into another wall." Iruka sighed. "That throw is legendary, and the reason why Naruto is excused target practice at the Academy. As for sparring, none of you can hope to defeat him in a straight taijitsu fight."
Naruto nodded. "Only Gai-sensei and Lee-nii-san can beat me."
Sasuke scoffed. "Like we'd fall for that. You must be a real dobe to think you could get away with claiming that."
Iruka stared at the Uchiha for a moment, then glanced at the other adult in the room, who looked back at him.
"Alright… Sasuke, I give you permission to spar with Naruto after lunch. Naruto, please be gentle with him. In the meantime, there's a spare seat by Hinata. Hinata, please raise your hand."
The Hyuuga girl raised her right hand and Naruto walked over and sat down, mentally thanking Kami that he had finally managed to get his control to a level where he could pass for a slightly stronger than normal boy as long as he paid attention to what he was doing.
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"Go Sasuke-kun!"
Naruto winced slightly as the shrieks of the fan-girls assaulted his ears and Sasuke took position opposite him, a superior smirk on his face.
"You face the last Uchiha, Uzumaki. Surrender now and you won't get hurt."
Naruto hid a grin. This was just too perfect. "Hmmm, did you say something?"
Sasuke's expression instantly darkened as Naruto imitated Kakashi. Growling slightly, he dropped into a stance that Naruto recognised.
'The Intercepting Fist, hmmmm? But he hasn't activated his Sharingan yet, so that leaves several open spots I can capitalise on.'
"Begin!"
Even as Sasuke tensed, preparing to attack, Naruto moved. Holding his strength back meant very little in relation to his speed and he had been practicing with Gai and Lee sans weights. To the watchers, he seemed to vanish and reappear just in front of Sasuke, pushing his hand into Sasuke's face, then he was gone and reappearing behind Sasuke, striking out even as Sasuke jolted back from the first impact. Six more strikes and Naruto returned to his starting position as if he had never moved, while Sasuke staggered, trying not to fall over as he recovered from the high-speed series of light slaps.
"Sensei, I learned a certain Taijitsu move from Kakashi-sensei. If Sasuke refuses to forfeit now that I have shown just how outmatched he is, I will use the secret village jutsu on him."
Iruka paled. He had seen Kakashi use it, and knew exactly what Naruto was referring to. By his side, Mizuki scoffed.
"You're bluffing. Why would Kakashi teach you of all people?"
"I don't know." Naruto shrugged as Sasuke managed to pull himself back into his starting stance. "Perhaps because we live under the same roof?"
"Do your worst, dobe." Sasuke sneered. "I'm ready for you this time."
"Naruto, don't…!" Iruka started to shout, but it was too late. Naruto had moved, his hands forming the Tiger seal.
"Ultimate secret village technique, one thousand years of pain!"
With a stangled scream, Sasuke was launched into the air, both hands clasped on his behind. His fading scream was the only sound anyone heard, as almost everyone else was staring in horrified amazement at Naruto, who was half-crouched with his hands thrust out in front of him.
A distant splash announced that Sasuke had made contact with the pond.
"…do it." Iruka finished with a sigh. "You know, there are few ways that are both more painful and humiliating to defeat an opponant without doing damage that needs medical treatment. I think I need to speak to Kakashi about what he's taught you."
"Gai-sensei taught me too, Iruka-sensei." Naruto said, causing those who knew Gai (or knew about him) to stare at him, jaws dropped in shock. "He said that my flames of youth are amongst the brightest he has ever seen."
Iruka shook his head and glanced over at the assembled (and still shocked) audience.
"Okay, I am outlawing that move for all future spars in the Academy grounds. And if anyone is idiotic enough to take on the student of both Kakashi and Gai outside the Academy, they deserve whatever they get. Naruto, how long have they been teaching you?"
Naruto frowned. "Well, Gai-sensei started teaching me to control my Kekkei Genkai a bit after I turned five, he waited until my seventh birthday to start my taijitsu instruction. Kakashi-sensei started me out on chakra control at the same time, you know, the whole tree-walking and water-walking thing, and he also started to teach me ninjitsu when I turned seven. So… say six years for control and a bit over four for the rest."
"How the hell did you fail your graduation exam?" Iruka asked, a shocked expression on his face. Naruto shrugged.
"I have too much chakra to do a pure Bunshin and the examiners refused to accept any other sort. Kakashi-sensei's taught me several other sorts. The first one that he taught me was the Kage Bunshin, which I use loads for training, and after that exam fiasco, he taught me the water clone, fire clone and earth clone techniques. I think it was so that the examiners would look like total morons if they tried to fail me for that reason again."
Iruka blinked several times. "You know… four different clone jutsus?"
Naruto nodded. "Yep. Gai-sensei's taught me three different taijitsu styles, but not the Goken. That one he reserved for Lee, who's his apprentice and I understand his reasons. Goken makes you stronger as you learn it, and I'm way too strong as is. He's also taught me physical and mental self-control, and cooking, so I really owe him. Kakashi taught me to read, do maths, history and almost fifty different jutsus. He even tested my affinity, it's wind, by the way, and he said that he's going to try and arrange lessons for me in how to use it."
Iruka looked dazed by the revelations, as did several of the other students.
"And with all of that, you failed because of a plain Bunshin?" Iruka asked. "What in Kami's name were those examiners thinking? I am so going to have to persuade the Hokage to change the graduating requirements because of this."
"I wouldn't bother." Naruto drawled. "The Civilian Council's responsible for the Academy, and they're trying to screw things so that more civilian kids get waved through. That's why the genin-test failure rate has gone waaaaay up. Anyone not of a ninja clan's pretty much screwed since the Academy doesn't cover the things that Ninja really need to know. Nutritional requirements, physical conditioning and fitness levels, Hinata over there's the only Academy Kunoichi from this year that I'd think has a clue on that one, situational awareness, the art of camouflage and hiding, not wearing bright colours like pink or red… the standard things that give you a chance of not dying in your first mission outside Konoha. Instead, we learn about dead guys and shinobi rules that don't work when actually applied. If I hadn't been taught what I have, I'd have been really screwed when I finally made it out there. "
For almost a minute, silence ruled as everyone stared at Naruto. He looked round and shrugged.
"What? I learned from the best. And when I do get out there, I'll prove how good I am."
Iruka shook his head. "But if you need to perform a standard Bunshin, and you have too much Chakra for it…"
"Meh, I'll be fine." Naruto said dismissively. "Kakashi-sensei filled in the paperwork yesterday and the Hokage approved it. At the end of the year, pass or fail, I'm going on his team as his apprentice, like Lee is for Gai. Would be there already, but none of us thought the examiner would be such a stuck-up moron. Oh, hi, teme! Enjoy your swim?"
From beside Iruka, the dripping figure of Sasuke glowered.
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"Could it be true?" Sakura said as she sat beside Ino, both of them looking at their light lunches.
"Could what be true?"
"What Naruto-baka said." Sakura said, poking at her salad. "I mean, I'm about the only civilian that is near the top, everyone else is from a clan. And most of the reason that I'm near the top is because I do so well in the tests, and they're all history and stuff."
"I… don't know." Ino mused. "Dad's been telling me to eat more and Mom's been trying to add more to my lunch box, but I don't want to get fat. But from what he said about Hinata being the only one of us who has a clue about that… she eats more than we do, but…"
Sakura nodded, glancing over to where Hinata was sat beside Naruto, listening to him and occasionally turning red.
"My dad warned me not to try and use my family's Jutsu on Naruto." Ino added. "He said that if I survived doing so, he'd lock me away for being so Kami-damned stupid. Who is Naruto? What do we know about him?"
"He's an orphan." Sakura said, her brow creased in concentration. "My mum mentioned that he was born on the day the Kyuubi attackedand he lost both parents to the Kyuubi…"
"Then that's the place to start." Ino said firmly. "Tomorrow we hit the archives. I'll bring Choji and Shikamaru along. Shika's lazy, but brilliant. You know paperwork, Choji can help us move stuff around… yep, we'll hit the archives tomorrow, and see how much we can find out about him."
