Kumo's Kitsune

Academy Days

"Kumo Kitsune" – human talking

Kumo Kitsune – human thinking or flashback talking

"Kumo Kitsune" – demon/summons talking

Kumo Kitsune – demon/summons speaking

Kumo's Kitsune - jutsu

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Bleach and I never will T.T

Yugao Uzuki stood infront of a room full with ambitious academy students, multiple tick marks dotting her forehead. Since she was no longer an active ninja, she needed something to do, so she became a teacher at Kumo's ninja academy. She was given the task of instructing the students in their last year of study before graduation. But in the six years she had taught her class there, she had never had such an unruly class. No unruly wasn't the right way of defining her students, no they were just extremely eager to learn things, whether it be about the Great Shinobi Wars or Elemental Chakra Affinities, or, what seemed to be the favorite, what was the easiest way to sneak out and do 'extra curricular' activities without getting caught. And with Naruto and his best friend Mikishi Raikoukami being the best prankster duo in the village, she had to keep a critical eye on the both of them, as she was right now. The two teens had just been caught trying to slip out of the room with bunshins as their doubles. But the two had gravely underestimated the former ANBU member and were quickly and easily caught, much to the displeasure of the two teens and amusement of the other students.

"Just because today is the last day before the graduation test, that doesn't mean I'm going to let you get away with goofing off, and in truth, I'm also disappointed in your 'attempt' to get out. Honestly, after all you've learned you could have at least masked your chakra, you would have escaped easier." she sighed. Before she could reprimand her younger brother and his friend further, a loud gong sounded the break in class for lunch. "Ok guys, be back in an hour, we still have things to go over before tomorrow!" Yugao smiled at students and couldn't help but feel prouder than she did with the prior year's graduates, whether it be because it was the year that Naruto would graduate or because of well roundedness of the class. There was no clear cut class genius or number one rookie, they were all full of potential, even those with bloodlines weren't as powerful as some of the clan less teens. Most, if not all of them, had some sort of training with their families or other tutors or even both, Mikishi being an example with Yugao giving him lessons in Kenjutsu every week, along with his own training he received from his family. It's because of that fact, only a small slimmer of strength, speed, knowledge or strategy forming separating each student from their peers. Although both Jinchuriki Naruto and Yugito sat at the top of both the top aspiring shinobi and kunoichi lists, they weren't complete masters of every thing. For example, Naruto may have been a strong up close and personal fighter with his very unique taijutsu style, he lacked the capability of easily using Raiton jutsu in favor of his Fuuton alignment. Whereas, the 'no. 2' shinobi, Mikishi, was the exact opposite, his nigh perfect Raiton control, a gift to his clan from Kami herself, and his growth in Kenjutsu in fact were the best of the class. This was the trend with all student's, each making up for the other's weaknesses with their strengths. This showed greatly during the many team exercises as Yugao called them. Said exercises were simple team games like Capture the Flag and Tag but with teams that were always the same, all specially made by the Raikage himself, pairing them up with others who would be able to pick up their lacking skills with their own and vice versa. Each squad was also formed with their own special task, whether it be an up close and personal attack squads known as Berserker squads or espionage and infiltration groups called Shadow squads.

It's all gone by so fast. Now they're all grown up and ready to go out into the ninja world. It was just yesterday those three were running around the village playing ninja. the purple haired teacher thought to herself, walking through the hall to the teacher's lounge. And I couldn't be more proud. Naruto, Mikishi, and Yugito. Those three are going to shake the world.

(Shopping District)

Three blurs flew through the crowd of villagers, all heading to the same destination, a small, yet extremely popular family owned restaurant in the heart of Kumo, the Rose of Kumogakure. The figures stopped quickly in succession revealing three fifteen year old academy students, two boys and one girl. The taller of the two stood at 5'7", had dark colored skin, black tattoos resembling bolts of lightning ran down his arms to his wrist and shot out from under his short spiky black hair past his eyebrows right above his green eyes. He wore a sleeveless black shirt with the kanji for lightning in gold on his back, black cargo shorts with black tape wrapped around his calves and ankles ending at the top of his sandals. The same colored tape was also wrapped around his wrists, seemingly absorbing the black tattoos into them. He had on neither of the standard weapon pouches that most ninja wore, instead using the large pockets on his shorts for storage. A red rope was tied around his shorts, acting as a belt. "Ha ha, looks like I beat you two again!"

The other boy just sighed loudly at his friend. He was 5'5", had lightly tanned skin, wild blond hair, and deep blue eyes that were resemblant of a kitsune's, a slit in the place of the pupil. His face also had three whisker marks on his cheeks, also similar to that of a kitsune. He had on a red muscle shirt under an open black pocketed vest, similar to the vests that Konoha Jonin and Chunin wear, along with black pants that had red kitsune tails rising up from the bottom of his pant legs like flames. A kunai pouch was tapped to each leg, twin trench knives hanging off each pouch. His feet were covered with black steel toed boots, both with hidden kunai sheathes along the sides. "So? It's not like that's new. You are the fastest in the class, Mikishi. Me and Yugito never stood a chance from the get go."

"Still, it's just sad. You two are both Jinchuriki and you can't keep up with someone as regular as me." Mikishi countered, shaking his head at his friend.

"Regular? Now that's rich! You and your clan has been blessed by Kami herself with perfect control over lightning, making you some of the fastest ninja ever! And you're a fucking prodigy with your bloodline!"

"Blah blah blah, all I hear are excuses Naruto. At least Yugito knows who's the best, isn't that right Neko?"

"..."

"Yugito?" Looking around them, neither could find their female friend.

"If you two are done arguing about who won, I would like to eat now." Standing next to the flaps of the shop was a girl about 5'5", with a gentle tan on her skin, long platinum blonde hair pulled into a ponytail that reached the small of her back, and lively azure eyes. She wore a black shirt with a purple chest plate and had bandages wrapped along her arms along with black half gloves, along with light purple pants that had grey clouds running along her left leg, medical wrappings cinching the pants into her sandals. Multiple pouches were tapped along her legs along with a large shuriken pouch on her hip. She stood there with a somewhat irritated look on her face. " Come on, I already got the table and Rose went to get the food ready, so let's go!" she said impatiently ushering the boys inside the store.

Upon entering, they were quickly greeted by another teenage girl with brown shoulder length hair with odd pink bangs dressed in a white shirt and brown skirt smiling warmly at them. "Hey guys, it's been a while hasn't it?"

"Hey Rose. Hope your mom is ready to start cooking up a storm!" Naruto laughed along with Mikishi.

"Oh I'm ready, gaki! The real question is are you two ready to eat it all?" a sarcastic voice came from the door to the kitchen. Coming out, draped in a dirtied apron, was a middle aged woman, her brown hair tied back with a bandanna. Expertly held in her arms were six bowls, three of fried rice and three with various ramen flavors in it. A smirk played at her lips at the two boy's hungry eyes at the food in her hands.

"Alright! Bring on the grub Bellemere!" Naruto and Mikishi cried in unison, both cracking open a pair of chopsticks. The two were nearly salivating at the aroma of the bowls placed in front of them, fried rice for Mikishi and ramen for Naruto. "Idakimasu!" In seconds, the first set of bowls were emptied and they were both devouring their second just as fast.

"These two never cease to amaze me with how much they eat. Where the hell do they put it all?" Rose pondered aloud, watching the two engorge themselves on the food.

"It helps to not ask and just feed them." her mother replied, coming back out with a large platter of with many bowls stacked up along with a large pot with the noodle soup in it and a skillet with still steaming rice in it, and it was just in time as they had both simultaneously finished their last bowl. "Rose, be a dear and go get Yugito some sushi, she looks pretty hungry as well." she instructed, setting down more bowls infront of the ravenous teens. By the time girl back, Mikishi and Naruto both had finished their fifteenth bowl and showed no sign of slowing down.

"Kami, you guys eat like you're starving. And to think you've always been like that." Rose sighed, giving the two an exasperated look. The two had been eating there since where they first met here not long after Naruto and Yugao had first arrived in Kumo. Bellemere was surprised that someone other than the small Raikami boy could put away such an amount of her cooking. Both were only able to stomach thirteen bowls at the time, but as they grew so did their appetites. Currently the were on number twenty but had slowed down considerably.

"Ah. Ok that was good." the blond smiled, patting his somewhat enlarged stomach. "Best batch so far Bellemere!"

"Thanks gaki but it'd be more of a compliment if you savored it instead of wolfing it down like animals."

Mikishi sighed in content, putting his now empty bowl down, "That is how we savor it Bellemere. Your cooking is just that good." A large smiled pulled at his face, "That should be a compliment in itself!"

His smile was however wiped off quickly with a well placed smack to the back of his head courtesy of the older woman. "It's not for my benefit, gaki! You're gonna kill yourselves by eating that much at one time. I don't want to see you two die anytime soon, and you sure as hell won't die in my shop that's for sure."

"She makes great food and puts you two in your place every time we come here. No reason I've always loved this place" the female jinchuriki laughed, finishing her sushi.

"Shut up, Neko. At least we don't smell like fish every day." Mikishi shot back, resting his head on the headrest behind him.

"It's not my fault! It's because of being the Nibi's host!" she shot back, throwing her chopsticks at the teen and hitting him on the forehead.

Dodging the fight that was soon to break out, Naruto quickly put the money down on the table and dragged his friends out of the stall, "Thanks for the food Bellemere, Rose-chan. Come on guys we have to get back to class before we're late."

"Those three will never change."

(The next day)

"Well, today's finally the day you've all been waiting for: Graduation." the graduates were all sitting in their classroom for the last time. All were focused on Yugao as she gave a final farewell speech, well, almost everyone. Naruto had his head resting on his fist, completely zoned out. While it looked like he was dozing off, he was actually in his subconscious, having another conversation with his tenant/sister.

(Mindscape)

A light breeze flew through grassy plains that was Naruto's mind. He had decided to change it from the drab sewer that it once was, to one more suiting to Benehime's liking; after all she was the one who had to live in there. Trees and flowers of all sizes and colors danced on the green canvass, all bringing a pleasant vibe to the mindscape. Said owner of the mind yawned loudly from his position on the ground, his head lying in his 'sister's lap.

"I know Yugao-neechan means well, but her speeches are so long and boring! Why can't we do something fun like basketball or CTF for the last day?" the blond groaned, starring up into blue nothingness.

"Just because you've heard her practice this speech over the years doesn't mean that you have to complain so much when it actually relates to you. Why do you think she's actually letting you sleep during this, her most important speech? I mean come on, she just like your sister, give her some credit." reprimanded Benehime, playfully swatting him on the head. With that the teen fell quiet, content in staring up at the sky.

"Hey, Benehime," he said after a while, catching the vixen's attention again, What to you think is going on in Konoha? That's the only place, aside from Iwa that the Raikage hasn't taken me to." He paused for a moment, sitting up and looking away from Benehime. "What ever happened to the Uchihas, to Kaka-niisan and the old man? To Sayuki-chan?"

The redhead smiled softly to herself, 'Even after all ten years he hasn't forgot about those in Konoha.' "Truthfully, I have no way of knowing, but I'm sure nothing terrible has happened. If so, the Raikage would have let us know." Naruto seemed satisfied with the answer, lying back down on her lap.

"Yeah, you're right. I just wonder what Sayuki looks like now? Probably like a goddess now!" he sighed happily, a small blush tinting his cheeks as images of what the girl would look like now.

"Aww, my little Naru-chan's all grown up!" the redhead joked, pinching the boy's cheeks, much to his ire.

"Are you serious! Cut it out, Bene-neechan!" He yelled swatting away her hands. Before he could retaliate, a sharp pain thrust him out of him mind and back to the world of the living, leaving a still giggling princess behind.

"It's just too easy!"

(Classroom)

"Dammit Naruto! Wake up!" Mikishi yelled, cracking his fist over the sleeping teen's head. The blond quickly shot up, clutching the large bump forming on the back of his head.

"What the hell was that for 'Kishi?!"

"We need to meet up with Kirabi-sensei and you're lazy ass was slowing us up." came the Raikami's annoyed response. "Now let's get going. Yugito's probably halfway there." With a smirk both teens disappeared from the empty room, darting across the rooftops of Kumo.

'Sayuki-chan...I wonder what she's doing...'

(Konoha)

"Shinobi of Konoha that gave their lives during battles are forever inscribed on this Memorial Stone. They will all be remembered as those who carried on the Will of Fire." Kakashi read aloud, looking down on the obsidian stone, his eye and heart heavy with his many losses. "All of these shinobi gave their lives for the sake of this village and the protection of their comrades, will you three be able to do the same?" Turning back, the scarecrow scanned over his new students, one of whom was tied to a log.

"Of course I will! I'm going to be the greatest ninja ever!" the one on the log cried out. His snow white hair stood up in two spikes on the back of his head, his black eyebrows angled up above his red eyes. He also had a large scar on his chin. He wore a simplistic black ninja outfit, his headband in black tied as a belt.

'Of course you say you would, but could you actually willingly give up your life in a battle? Only then will you truly be able to become the greatest ninja ever Jin Kariya.'

The pink haired girl next to him only nodded silently after him. Her green eyes held a look of nervousness and fearfulness.

'Yes, Sakura, others will die around you in this world. There is no controlling it other than killing those who openly pose a threat to you, your comrades, or this village and her people.'

The last of the genin, a raven haired girl sat slightly away from her teammates. Her coal eyes were focused solely on the rock infront of her. Her hair fell down to her shoulders, a few bangs swept over her left eye, slightly obscuring it from view but still allowing her to see unhindered. She wore a short blue shirt that only covered her chest, leaving her midriff bare. On the back of the shirt was the red and white fan, symbolizing that she was one of the last two loyal members of the Uchiha clan. She also had on a short tan skirt, black biker shorts covering under it. She said nothing, only glancing up at the jonin for a moment.

"Alrighty then. With that out of the way, congratulations! Team 7 will begin taking missions in the morning. See you all then!" In a puff of smoke, he was gone, leaving the three alone.

"What the hell?! That bastard forgot to untie me!" Jin yelled out, flailing his legs out in frustration. His whining was silenced when a kunai sliced through the ropes binding him, causing him to fall into a heap on the ground. "Uh thanks, Sayuki-chan." he muttered slowly getting up. "Hey, um, Sayuki-chan? Do you want to-"

"Don't even ask." the raven said bluntly, ignoring the heartbroken look from Jin and walking to the Memorial Stone. "Just leave me alone, alright?"

"O-oh, ok," Jin murmured, slowly walking away from the training grounds, Sakura in tow. As soon as the two's chakras had disappeared from area, the girl broke down openly for the first time in years, collapsing to her knees. Her tears fell like rivers from her eyes onto the ground.

"N-n-naruto-kun...why...why did you leave me?" She chocked out, raising her eyes to look at the poorly etched name at the bottom of the stone, reading 'Naruto Uzumaki'. After learning why Naruto was so hated from her mother, she took it upon herself to add his name on the rock where he belonged. Every day she would visit it to tell him how her life was, almost as if he was still there next to her, very similar in practice to that of a certain scarecrow.

'Sorry Sayuki. I wish I could be able to tell you the truth so I wouldn't have to see you like this, but it can't be helped.' Kakashi thought solemnly from his perch in a tree, 'No one can know what really happened to him that day. He needs to stay dead right now, for not only his sake but for your's as well. People are looking for his kind, and if they found out about how much you feel for him they could capture you and hold you as bait.' He sighed heavily, looking up at the cloudless skies. 'It's been ten years, I wonder how you've been, Naruto.'