Chapter 7: There ain't no dobe here

Sarutobi blinked as he took in the chages that Naruto had made, both on the outside and the inside. Being the legendary ninja that he was, Sarutobi saw a lot of things with just that one glance. It wasn't just the change of clothes, though that in and of itself spoke volumes about Naruto. The fact that Naruto had the symbol of a fox of all things on his shirt, proudly displayed before all, meant many things about Naruto. To Sarutobi's eyes, the young man had learned of his burden and, not only he didn't hate having to carry it, but he had accepted and understood it. Something that even shinobi three times his age couldn't do. But most importantly, it was Naruto's eyes that startled Sarutobi. Before, the cerulean eyes were filled with stubborn determination and zealous courage. But now... now they revealed a person truely in tune with himself, a person that, not only is confident but most importantly in control. In control of himself, his body, his movements, his emotions, his mind... his burden. To Sarutobi's trained eye, the Naruto of before had a small sliver of fear hidden behind walls and masks of courage and determination. The Naruto of now was different. He was confident, calm, alert.

Sarutobi sighed. He was going to get a headache, he was sure of it now. "So, what did you learn in this past year Naruto-kun?"

Naruto smiled as he hid his face with his scarf, much like another ninja the Kage knew. "Oh, you know, this and that, a little bit of the other and a small dash of that one..."

The sarcasm in Naruto's words was so thick you could cut it with a kunai and Sarutobi's right eye twitched. "I would like a bit more detail Naruto-kun..."

Naruto's eyes froze, startling the old man. "Very well Hokage-sama. I learned kenjutsu, taijutsu, poisons and ninjutsu. Also, I learned a few things about seals but I'm more a son of my mother than my father if you get the point."

Sarutobi sighed again. It was painfully obvious that Naruto didn't want to say anything more. "Very well Naruto-kun. Go to the Academy and present yourself to an Umino Iruka or what your class is. And I hope you can forgive this old man someday..."

Naruto nodded and began walking out the door. Just as he exited he looked back and spoke with chukle. "I may have forgiven you already old man. I just don't trust you any more. But to show no hard feelings exist... why don't you use Kage Bunshin for that paperwork? It sure helped me a lot!"

Cackling like a maniac at the Sandaime's stunned face, Naruto walked off, listening to the cries of "BAKA BAKA BAKA!".

The shinobi entering the Hokage tower were treated to the sight of an intimidating looking man exiting the tower laughing like a maniac. When however they tried to grab him, he would disappear a split second before they would touch him and reappear a step ahead, his cackle unchanged. The person made a few steps outside the immidiate area of the Tower, the ANBU noticing it was exactly the line where the anti-Shunshin seals ended, before vanishing without a single trace.

Many shinobi had the same thought going through their minds. 'What the fuck was that?'

Naruto reappeared outside the Academy. It was only a year, but to him it felt like a lifetime. Looking around he saw several familiar faces. Of course not one of them looked upon him like they recognized him. They looked at him with curiocity, and some girls with that freaky expression they had when they looked at Sasuke. Shrugging his shoulders at his continuing failure to understand women and their speed at changing moods and/or targets of said moods, Naruto made his way inside.

Moving as silently as possible, which was very silent indeed, and reducing his presence to the minimum possible, Naruto enjoyed the looks of the future ninja. To them he seemed ephemeral, almost as if they could see through him. It was part of Anko's teachings. By reducing one's presence at a high degree, masters of the art could erase their very presence from a room or even the memory of someone seeing them. Of course someone at Naruto's level couldn't do it at that level yet, if ever due to his power, not to mention that those perceptive enough would still notice him, but it was really fun watching people trying to follow his movement and failing.

Iruka was having an average day. Well if by average you mean having to shout to a bunch of brats with no appreciation for the power of knowledge or what it meant to have to fight with your mind instead of your fists for once. He sighed. Sometimes he really wished Mizuki would have passed that test instead of himself. Getting ready to start another lecture, he heard a knock on the door. Through the door came a person, he couldn't really tell if he was just tall for a kid or short for a man though. Spiky blonde hair, cerulean blue eyes and an attire that, quite frankly creeped him out, it was an imposing figure.

A soft voice came from the figure, making many girls look between him and Sasuke as if they were comparing each other. "Are you Unino Iruka-san?"

Iruka was startled by the question but answered none-the-less. "Hai that would be me. And you are?"

The person's eyes lifted a bit, indicating a smile while they twinkled with something between glee and mischief. "Simply your new student that Hokage-sama had been talking about. Name's Naruto, just Naruto for now."

Iruka nodded, indeed there was such a person. "Very well, you may seat between Ami and Ino, seeing as it's the only free seat." Of course there was a reason why that seat was open and the man pitied Naruto for it.

Naruto made his way there but saw that both ways to the seat were taken and neither girl was moving to his seat. Both however, seemed to be in a contest to make room for him to pass through, just enough room so he'd have to rub himself on them. Smirking at the low-level scheme, at least compared to Anko. In responce he placed one hand in front of his seat and, with notable ease, lifted himself up in a one-handed handstand, rotated himself in the air and simply fell just right into his seat. The two girls next to him looked at him with something between awe and disappointment.

Without looking a breath, Naruto took a scroll from a pocket too small to hold it without a bulge, unraveled it and with practiced ease unsealed a few books and scrolls. Before anyone had time to comment on it, he had placed the scroll back and murmured. "Ah, the wonders of sealing..."

Iruka shook his head to get back to reality and with a shout he got back to teaching his class. A few minutes later he had to shout again as most his class was ignoring him. Most since, Sakura was, as always, paying rapt attention while the new kid was busy taking notes. Curious about what the new student was writing about so diligently, and inwardly pleased that the people who were paying attention had doubled, Iruka leaned over to read the scroll. And had his jaw drop.

Instead of notes about the lesson, there were weird designs of, what he thought were, mechanical contraptions of some kind. Angered that his hopes were dashed so brutally, Iruka threw his chalk at Naruto.

Without giving any sign of recognition, Naruto's hand blurred as the chalk was about to hit him. Iruka noticed that the chalk was now on the desk, next to the scroll while Naruto hadn't even stopped writing. Finishing his notes, Naruto looked at Iruka with a bored glare. "What was that about sensei?"

Iruka saw red. "What was that about? It was about you ignoring my lesson!"

Naruto chukled a bit and interrupted his sensei. "Just like 95% of the class sensei. Besides, unlike them, I have already learned all of that."

Iruka stared disbelievingly at his student. "Well, if that's the case, then prove it."

His expectations of calling a bluff were dashed as Naruto simply smiled and slid down under his desk in a display of contortion. He then motioned Iruka to the side, walked to the blackboard and started teaching.

It took enough time for Iruka to recover that Naruto managed to teach the entire chapter in half the time Iruka did. Of course that might have been due to the fact that Naruto didn't react to the students not paying attention. Or his body didn't. That was because when someone was either ready to make a break for it, Kiba Iruka noted, or tried to sleep, such as Shikamaru, Naruto would blast them with a burst of killing intent. Of course, it wasn't so much, but to people that never experienced it, Naruto's sickly sweet 'eye-smile' coupled with a healthy dose of KI... it was more than enough to shock them back into odedience.

The lesson over, Iruka dismissed the class but kept Naruto in.

"Alright Naruto, please explain to me what the heck you did back then."

Naruto smiled again. "Simple really. I left it all in their imagination. Shikamaru and Kiba are from ninja families. As such they have heard more about torture than you ever spoke about in here. If they are unlucky enough, they may have even seen its after effects on a family member. All I did was project their subconscious idea of a torture expert. Sickly sweet smile laced with too much killer intent, for them at least. In other words, someone who enjoyed doing what they thought I would do to them. As a result, to them, I was an expert that wouldn't hesitate to torture them, regardless of being in this class or not. Well subconsciously they thought that. Their conscious mind justified it by linking it with my intimidating appearence. Anything else?"

Iruka rubbed his temples. That was one heck of a headache coming. "Yeah. You already knew everything, so why bother coming here?" Iruka regretted that question almost as soon as he made it, seeing the haunted eyes of Naruto.

"Did you know sensei how they break people in torture interrogation? It's not just the pain. Pain is temporary, even if the scars remain forever. No... they break people with a fear second only to the fear of oblivion. The fear of loneliness. Death, if you think about it, isn't all that scary. After all we will all die at some point. In some cases even, it is a release. So, there is no fear of death in a captive. Fear of oblivion though... of never being remembered, of being forgotten for all of time, as if you never even existed... now that's a whole different thing. Second to that fear is loneliness. The fear that you have noone left for you, noone to care or look at you with sympathy and care, noone to share your burdens or hold you when you break down in sorrow. Yes, these are the two greatest fears a shinobi must overcome. I'm here because I have always been alone. Well, with the exception of the past year, but that's a different matter. By making bonds with people here, I won't be alone any longer. Understand now sensei?"

Iruka nodded solemnly. He understoood. He too was alone, especially after the Kyubi's attack. "Yeah, I guess I do. Now go out and make these bonds Naruto."

Naruto smiled, the depressing atmosphere gone in an instant. "Thanks for understanding sensei. See you later!"

Only when he was alone did things click into Iruka's mind. Blonde hair and blue eyes! Naruto was really Uzumaki Naruto, the Kyubi's Jinchuuriki! Then, as his anger began growing, he remembered both Sandaime's and Naruto's words.

"He is more like you than you know Iruka. He has always been alone, denied of everything you consider normal, denied of family on the very day he was born, denied of friends on the first day I foolishly told them the truth, denied of everything important in this life. Don't forget that Iruka, everything that you consider standard in your life, Naruto had to work immensely to just see or touch once. Besides, don't you trust Yondaime's skill? Or Jiraiya's?"

"I have always been alone. Well with the exception of the past year."

"Did you know how they break people in torture interrogation? Thet break people with a fear second only to the fear of oblivion. The fear of loneliness."

Iruka looked at the mirror and saw himself staring back at him disgusted. Was Naruto really hated that much? Had he really suffered that much? In the end, could he stand being alone for so long? Iruka thanked Kami that he never had to find out. Then cursed Kami that a boy, a mere boy, had to.

Outside, Naruto was sitting concealed in a tree, enjoying the bento he again pulled out of a random pocket when he saw something as funny as it was sad. Sasuke was running away from a bunch of his fangirls. Deciding to do something about it, he stuffed his bento back into his pocket and disappeared with a shunshin.

As Sasuke was running away from his rabid fangirls, he made a left turn, hoping to loose them, when suddenly a hand clamped over his mouth, an arm grabbed him from the wais and pulled him in some bushes. Before he had time to consider it, a clone of himself leapt out of the bush and started running away in the same direction Sasuke originally was. Slowly the hand let Sasuke go and he turned to see his saviour, finding him to be the 'new kid'.

Nodding in thanks, Sasuke made to leave, only for the hand to grab him from the shoulder. Then the new kid pointed towards a tree. Sasuke was surprised to see several kunai embedded on the trunk. Naruto then prodeeded to use the kunai as handholds to climb up the tree quickly, motioning Sasuke to follow. Once both were up, Sasuke saw Naruto pull a bunch of wires, causing the kunai to be dislodged off the trunk before reeling them back and placing them in another pocket. Without loosing his breath, Naruto took out his previous bento and a second one, handing it over to Sasuke.

The two ate in silence, each for his own reasons. After eating was over, Sasuke leapt off the tree and walked away, hands in his pockets. A few steps later, he stopped, turned to Naruto and muttered "Thanks."

Naruto chuckled, once a brooder, always a brooder. A few moments later he too leapt off, making his way around the building. He came upon an interesting sight. Ami and Ino were fighting, or more like a catfight.

Resisting the thoughts Anko oh-so-expertly implanted into his mind, Naruto made his way there calmly, listening to the two girls disagreeing.

"Well he's mine! He looked at me first!"

"Only because of you fat ass! He likes me more!"

"Oh yeah and where did you get that idea? He didn't even look at you! He smiled at me though!"

"Yeah, but he has blonde hair making him your cousin and that's sick!"

Deciding to stop the girls before they gave a free show to everyone, Naruto stepped forward. "You shouldn't be fighting you know, frowns will marr your beautiful faces."

Smiling his disarmingly happy smile, and thanking Kami for that book on charming women, as well as Anko's advice on how to handle them, Naruto watched as the girl's anger deflated. Meanwhile the two girls stood in stunned stupor as Naruto walked away, only his his last three words repeating themselves on their minds.

"KYYYYYAAAAAH!"

Their fangirlish squeal would be heard for a long way. Hearing it, Sasuke stood upright and dashed off, hoping to run into Naruto or Iruka, so they would protect him. Unfortunately, his sudden movements notified his fanclub, which began its classic 'Sasuke-kun hunt'.

Sasuke for his part ran as fast as he could, hoping to escape his fangirls. Dashing for the class, he saw Naruto heading back in. Yelling, in his head at least, "SAFE!", Sasuke made a last dash towards the 'new kid'.

Naruto heard the rumbling of feet behind him and looked back to see Sasuke dashing towards him, obviously seeking to escape them. Calculating the time it would take for Sasuke to get to him, Naruto started using handseals in a rapid place. Just as Sasuke moved past Naruto and the fangirls almost leapt over said boy, Naruto's jutsu activated.

"Fuuton Kekkai: Kaze Doomu! (Wind Style Barrier: Wind Dome!)"

Winds perked up around Naruto creating a barrier of wind powerful enough to scatter the airborne fangirls (an easy feat really since there is no traction in the air). Naruto turned at Sasuke with his eyes indicating his smiling face. "You okay there Sasuke? They didn't rape you or anything?"

Sasuke sighed in relief. "No, thankfully I got to you just in time. Thanks again Naruto."

The fangirls were stumped. For so long they had only gotten dismissals and grunts. And this 'new kid' who didn't even have a last name managed to get that much out of their Sasuke-kun!

Naruto waved off Sasuke. "Meh, think nothing of it. Bros before ho's and all that crap you know?"

Sasuke, against his usual behaviour, snickered for but a second. "Yeah I know. I don't suppose you can move with this jutsu?"

Naruto kept ignoring the fangirls. "Why wouldn't I? It's wind man, not stone or anything else. Now let's get going. Class is starting." The bell rang right then. "See?"

Sasuke nodded and walked alongside Naruto, as if he was his lifeline, which for the young Uchiha, he was. "Umm, Naruto, could you like, teach me this jutsu?"

Another shock for the girls and a surprised look from Naruto. "I'd ask why, but I already know. I would teach you, but I can't."

Sasuke's turn to be surprised. Again. "Why?"

Naruto shrug his shoulders. "Simple, because you're an Uchiha."

Sasuke stopped walking with a stunned face before frowning. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Naruto sighed. "Think about it Sasuke, what are the Uchiha clan famous for, apart from your dojoutsu? That's right Katon jutsu. It's in your blood, giving you a fire affinity."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, curious more than angered. "So?"

Naruto sighed, but remembered that noone here knew had read all these books about chakra manipulation. "Wind is opposed to Fire. Meaning that your natural element will interfere with the jutsu. At best, it would just make a warm gust of air and at worst... burn your lungs or skin." That made Sasuke reconsider. "However..." Sasuke's head perked up. "if you master fire manipulation, not only will your Katon become all the better for it, while also allowing you to learn more, but it will also let you safely use Fuuton jutsu as you will be in control over the element of fire."

Sasuke nodded his head, understanding what Naruto meant. That didn't mean he had to like not having such a usefull technique. It really was a good technique, being able to shield him from all these fangirls. "So? Do you know how do master that fire manipulation thing?"

Naruto chuckled a bit. "Yeah I know a few things. I started that out too, since fire works real good with my natural element, wind. I'm nowhere near finished though. Hmm let's see... first step... ah yes, I think I remember it, here catch."

Naruto took out a scroll from a seemingly empty pocket. "Try to use your chakra to burn the parchment. It's easy for paper to catch on fire, so it won't need much chakra, but it needs quite a bit of focus. Oh and don't worry about getting it at first. Elemental manipulation is a jounin skill that takes years to learn for most."

Instead of a disheartened sigh though, Sasuke gave a determined grunt of acknowledgment and pocketed the scroll.

The next hour was boring for everyone but Naruto, who was constantly trying to defend himself from his two fangirls that were, incidentaly seated at each side of him. At least Sasuke understood his pain and suffering, as indicated by the pitying glance sent his way.

When the bell rang, Naruto was the first to run off, using his much superior speed to escape the kunoichi's grasp. Sitting on a tree, he breathed out. "KAH! Never thought I'd loose them. What the hell do they feed girls these days?"

Sasuke's voice came from the ground, as he was making his way up. "Do you really want to know?"

Naruto chuckled and shook his head. They both sat in comfortable silence as Sasuke got down to trying to burn the scroll. It proved to be frustrating stubborn in its refusal though, but he did make the edges curl a bit. According to Naruto that was more than he had done when he first started. Of course, Sasuke wouldn't for the longest time know the fact that Naruto used his clones to complete that step in a few days.

When the break was over, both boys made their way to the training grounds, where they would be tested in the physical aspects of being a ninja by their second teacher, Touji Mizuki. When Naruto got there, he met a cold glare in the eyes of his would be teacher and inwardly cursed.

Mizuki turned to his class. "Alright, since we have a new guy, I guess it's time to tell us a few things about your skills."

Naruto sighed. "I assure you I'm good enough. I know this and that with a little bit of the other, you know?"

The class chuckled inwardly at Mizuki's red face. Naruto could rile up the man by doing absolutely nothing. "Well then, I suppose these swords are just for show then?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed with anger, but he didn't rise to the bait. "I just don't think things here are serious enough to warrant me drawing them out. But since you asked oh-so-kindly, I am a master swordsman."

Mizuki snorted in disbelief, followed by Sasuke's fangirls. Sasuke though blinked in surprise. Mizuki's voice came again. "Well, we don't need no damn samurai here last."

Out of the entire class, only two people realized that this was a mistake. Sasuke and Hinata. Naruto just gritted his teeth, but stayed silent. Revenge is a dish best served cold as Anko had taught him.

After an easy, for Naruto that is, gauntlet run, it was time for sparring. Everyone got paired with someone, everyone but Naruto.

"Sensei, where is my pair for the spar?"

Mizuki sneered. "Well we don't have an extra student so it seems you fail this one." This last statement caused many wide eyes from the students and a positively evil smirk on Naruto. A smirk soon copied by Sasuke.

"But sensei, you are wrong. There is someone that hasn't been fighting."

Mizuki looked surprised. "Oh yeah, and who is that dobe?"

Naruto smirked and pointed at Mizuki. "You. Oh and I assure you, there is no dobe in here."

Mizuki laughed. "Alright everyone stop. It seems dobe here has offered to show you how strong a chuunin is. Make a circle and watch closely as I show you how to properly use the Academy style."

Naruto's grin only widened at the cocky attitude while Sasuke muttered "Baka-sensei, you shouldn't have done that, he's far from weak."

Mizuki laughed some more as he saw Naruto's stance. "What's that supposed to be dobe? This isn't a dancing class."

Naruto just smirked. "This? This is my mother's taijutsu style, Rasenken. As for dancing, well, high level fights can be linked to a dance can't they?"

Mizuki, having enough fell into his stance and had a student count down for the start of the spar. For all his training he wouldn't know what hit him as soon as the kid counted 3...

Naruto dashed forward, blurring to all from his speed. Appearing in front of a surprised Mizuki, he lashed out with a sweep of his right leg, tripping him. Before he had time to reach the ground though, Naruto's spin brought first his left elbow and then his right fist right into Mizuki's ribcage, breaking two ribs from the force exerted. The spin continued with Naruto lashing out with a rising right kick, causing Mizuki's body to bend in an unhealthy degree before rising up from the force of the kick. As the spin came to an abrupt stop, Naruto's entire kinetic force was transferred to his raised right fist, as it came down with immense force, slamming itself on Mizuki's solar plexus, planting him to the ground. Not half a second later, Naruto had his knee on Mizuki's chest with a kunai on his left hand, not an inch away from his throat.

Mizuki twitched.

He then let out a groan in pain.

Naruto for his part, got up and removed imaginary dust from his shirt before walking back next to Sasuke.

For not the first time that day, many people would simultaneously ask themselves the same thing: 'What the fuck was that?'

Sasuke just smirked. "That was cool, but you shouldn't rest. He's gonna be pissed when he comes to. Besides... now... we're rivals."

Naruto nodded, a smile on his face. Both boys stuck their hands out in a mutual agreement.

Hinata, having realized who Naruto is, smiled gently at him. Who said the Byakugan wasn't useful. She had to really try to stiffle the gasp of surprise when he found out who he was.

Imagine Hinata's surprise when Naruto turned and winked at her before mouthing 'Good Luck'. Unfortunately, Hinata wouldn't make use of that good luck as she instantly turned red and faited, missing her spar.

Naruto had to re-activate his Kaze Doomu technique to avoid getting swamped by a few fangirls. He only deactivated to let Sasuke in and out of the dome. Though he made sure to send a bit of KI towards a few of the bolder fangirls that tried to ambush the Uchiha. Thankfully for both boys, the fangirls were too easily embarrased to try and test the technique's resistance to bigger incoming objects. After all, it was made to deflect projectiles like shuriken and kunai, not rabid fangirls launching themselves at it in a desperate attempt to break through. Naruto once again thanked his mother for the teachings on how to condence his chakra.

After the session was over, which was completed by a different teacher as Mizuki was taken to the hospital, Naruto walked with Sasuke to the Uchiha compound before leaving for home. The reason? Not only did Sasuke appreciate the presence of a person that could actually shut up, but he also kept the fangirls away. He'd have to learn how to use that fear-inducing gaze. It was a necessary skill for the Uchiha's continuing virginity.

Naruto walked back home, a weird look on his face. Anko landed next to him and snaked her arm around his shoulders. "What's wrong gaki? Tell your sexy onee-sama what's troubling you."

Naruto let a chuckle. "It's women Anko. I just can't seem to get any of them."

Anko nodded her head sagely. "Me neither gaki, me neither."

Naruto just looked at her, eyebrow raised. "You know that sounded completely wrong on so many levels right?"

Anko just laughed at him. "Of course I do gaki. But it isn't a lie now is it?" And cackling like a maniac on speed, Anko made her way home followed by a chuckling Naruto.

A/N: 'Nother chapter for you by yours truly. After the pop you can't stop and after the first chapter I can't stop writing! YAY!

Yes, today I'm hyper and I don't know why since Monday signifies the first day of school each week.

You don't think I actually like it now? *Looks around freaked out* No! It can't be! I CAN'T LIKE IT! NOOO! *Screams fade away as some very nice people with white shirts pick Soulblazer up...*

*Ahem.* After that mental breakdown, I just want to say, read, review and let me know of your opinions :D

Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.

I shall not update this, or any other story.

I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.