Arctic Snake – Chapter Two
Soaking up the heat from the early morning sun, Naruto smiled as he practiced his daily chakra control exercises. As part of his usual training routine he had to practice chakra control daily due to his ever-growing reserves. He had looked into locking the part of the seal that allowed Kurama's chakra to trickle into his own reserves, but decided against it in the end. As confident as he was in his fuuinjutsu abilities, he didn't know much about his own seal and didn't want to risk himself exploding or something by messing with it.
Plus relaxing on a small waterfall and balancing leaves all over his body using chakra was a pleasant trade-off for larger reserves.
He did this every morning before he would head home for some breakfast and head to the academy. His day usually started with a five a.m. wake up, followed by chakra control practice. Then breakfast and the academy, which usually meant naps for him. Following the academy would be physical conditioning and practicing his taijutsu forms, then some light ninjutsu practice and dinner. After dinner would usually be fuuinjutsu or some reading to relax. Every part of his day was planned, which allowed him the best mix of relaxing and training, resulting in him getting stronger day by day.
Ninjutsu had hit a bit of a standstill in the last few months, mainly because he didn't have any ninjutsu to practice. Mito and his mother didn't use much ninjutsu, as they preferred using seals or in the case of his mother; kenjutsu and her chakra chains. Although both Uzumaki women had seen their fair share of ninjutsu from Hashirama, Tobirama, and his father, neither of them had really bothered to learn the mechanics of many of the techniques they witnessed. Usually it was up to Kurama to break down the ninjutsu he had stored away and break it down so Naruto could learn it, and then Naruto having to say something along the lines of how amazing his sensei was so that Kurama would actually teach him.
He had an extensive list of water ninjutsu from both Tobirama and Hashirama, but didn't have a lot of wind ninjutsu. He actually didn't have any. His father wasn't one for elemental ninjutsu so besides training his affinity he didn't bother to learn any besides some basic techniques. Other than the Hiraishin and different variants of the Rasengan, his father didn't use a whole lot else. Sadly, his mother had never had the space-time ninjutsu explained to her so neither he nor Kurama had been able to do much in learning his father's prized technique. Though the Rasengan was easily learned once Kurama realized it was based off his own chakra based attack, the Bijuudama. The A-rank technique was pretty awesome and allowed Naruto to practice his shape manipulation to a high degree, but he didn't really like using the technique.
His preferred method of combat was water or ice ninjutsu with a mix of taijutsu. The Rasengan was cool, but he didn't like the fact it was a one-off attack used in close range. He'd much rather stick to close-mid range combat and fight up close with his Hyoton: Ice Claw jutsu while mixing in a few single handseal water jutsu from a distance to keep his opponent wary. He was looking forward to when he could finally start getting real world experience, as no matter how many times he fought his clones, it didn't provide the real thing. Only by fighting lots of opponents and different style would he finally be able to see if his combat style was effective.
Sitting up from the waterfall and shaking loose a few stray drops of water from his hair, Naruto hopped down to the ground and looked over his training ground. He had found training ground thirty-four when he started training and claimed it for his own. Luckily most people preferred the lower number training grounds because they didn't like having to travel this far out, but it worked perfectly for Naruto. It had a clearing that was good for sparring, a rocky outcrop that trained him to be aware of his footing at all times and it was surrounded by tree so he was able to practice fighting while tree hopping. It also had a small waterfall that was perfect for his wind and water manipulation training, resulting in it being the perfect training ground.
Leaving his training ground and hopping up into the trees, Naruto was a little excited for the day's events. Today was the Genin Exam, meaning he could finally start working on his actual shinobi career rather than be stuck in a classroom all day. No offense to Iruka-sensei, but daily lectures were annoying and unnecessary. He would finally be able to take missions to earn money and hopefully gain access to a medical and genjutsu teacher. Despite his money from selling his seals, he was only able to do that from time to time, as his false persona was of a travelling merchant who sold basic seals to Konoha's ninja shops once every two months. Though the lessons in budgeting his money was a good experience, he'd like to see his classmates try to plan out their finances to last every two months and still be able to pay rent for the five apartments that made up his home/workshop.
Walking through the village and going up the steps to his apartment, Naruto hopped into his shower and relaxed under the warm water. Temperature Seals were a true miracle to him and he was so glad he had developed them in an effort to provide himself with hot water again. By using two storage seals that were interconnected by a heat seal, he was able to store the cold water and funnel it through the heat seal, causing it to heat up to a nice temperature and be expelled through the releasing storage seal in his shower head. They were also great for heating up water for a cup of tea quickly.
Finishing up his shower and getting dressed in his usual shinobi clothes, Naruto grabbed a quick breakfast of eggs and toast with some orange juice and headed out for the academy. Only a few short tests and he would finally have his hitai-ate. He wondered what coloured cloth he should get and where to put it…
…
Looking over the written test in front of him, Naruto had to wonder just what the academy hoped this would do to help the shinobi-to-be in his class. How did the fact that Tobirama created the Uchiha Police help a shinobi stay alive? Every question was absolutely ridiculous and had no place in shinobi studies. If he was ever Hokage, this awful curriculum would be the first thing to go. No one way would his village teach this crap beyond the second year of the academy. Learning history was all well and good, he loved reading about the history of the nations, but these trivial facts and tidbits they were being tested on was unnecessary. He understood that knowing where you come from was important, but knowing historical facts about your own village didn't help you survive.
Finishing up the test and handing it over to Iruka-sensei and receiving a 'good job' in return from the friendly Chuunin, Naruto walked back to his desk and laid his head on its side and watched out the window. There were still a few more tests for today and he wished he could just speed through them without having to wait. Now that his written test was done, the following test would be the shuriken and kunai throwing test. The test was meant to see the students' proficiency in their throwing skills by having them use ten shuriken and ten kunai to hit static targets. How that proved they were skilled in throwing was beyond him. How exactly was your ability to hit a stationary target while standing still prove to anyone you were an accurate shinobi? He highly doubted an enemy shinobi would just stand still and allow you to line up your throws.
After the kunai/shuriken accuracy test was the sparring and taijutsu portion of the exam. Each student was to be put up against one of the instructors and would either have to win the spar, land five hits, or survive the three minute time limit to pass. He hoped he got Mizuki-sensei for his sparring partner. It would be nice to inflict some damage to the white haired Chuunin who had it out for him. Although the practice in dispelling the genjutsu Mizuki would always place over his tests were helpful, it didn't change the fact it was annoying and pissed off the redheaded boy something fierce.
After sparring would be a short break for lunch, then the final test would be given; the ninjutsu exam. This was the worst part of the exam to Naruto. He understood that it was up to their Jonin-sensei they received outside the academy to do the bulk of their practical training, but the academy really dropped the ball on ninjutsu training to him. How in the hell did they expect any of them, especially the civilians, to be able to survive out in the world with only three E-rank, non-elemental ninjutsu. Even if the Kawarimi and Henge were both valuable tools, the standard Illusion Clone jutsuwas an absolutely useless technique. Being able to substitute or hide yourself with a transformation were invaluable in being able to survive, but what purpose did a non-solid clone that didn't even have a shadow provide? He was just happy he had his Water Clone and Shadow Clone Jutsu to use. He couldn't imagine using anything besides solid clones.
Hearing Iruka-sensei announce that they were headed outside to start on the accuracy test, Naruto supposed he would just have to remain patient and hold in his utter exasperation over today's test. He wanted a hitai-ate dammit…
…
Fastening his new hitai-ate with a black cloth around his neck, Naruto smiled to himself from within his apartment. It wasn't often he smiled outside of when he achieved something in training, and despite how much of a joke the Genin Exam was he was still happy he had passed. The beating he gave Mizuki was a good boost to his already good mood too. Though he supposed he had his sensei to thank for training him so well.
'You're welcome kit. I know it's hard for you to accept my greatness, but it's nice to hear you're starting to learn.'
'Although I didn't mean for you to hear it, thanks anyway Kurama.'
Sighing at his tenant's huge ego, Naruto decided he would do some study in fuuinjutsu before he went to bed for the night. He was currently working on a barrier seal that was powered by the chakra of the person that was trapped inside of it. Hopefully he would be able to use it as a means of prisoner containment or as a method of wearing down opponents into chakra exhaustion. Either way, he was sure he could sell it to the Torture and Interrogation Department as a way to hold their prisoners one day.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked over the Jonin who were in his office that were applying to be sensei's this year. Compared to most years, this graduating class had a large amount of clan children, specifically clan heirs. With there being the heirs to the Hyuuga, Akamichi, Nara, Yamanaka, Inuzuka, Aburame, and Uchiha all in one class it was no surprise that he had twenty Jonin looking to become a sensei this year. No doubt most of them were looking to be able to notch being a sensei off their bucket list by teaching a three-man cell of clan children.
Although there were a few that didn't fit that idea. Kurenai Yuhi was one. A rather new Jonin who specialized in genjutsu, this was her first year applying for a team. Kurenai was a beautiful woman with long dark hair and crimson eyes, and was known as the Ice Queen of Konoha, due to her cold attitude to all the men that would hit on her. She was a very serious kunoichi, but was known to be a rather kind woman to people she liked and was likely the top genjutsu practitioner in the village. Hiruzen knew she would make a good Jonin-sensei to the new Genin that were placed under her.
Another one was his son Asuma Sarutobi. Although not having the best relationship with his son, Hiruzen could admit Asuma was a very skilled Jonin. He was clever on the battlefield and was talented in his used of trench knives mixed with his wind manipulation. He had the experience from serving as a guardian for the Daimyo, and would definitely do well as a sensei. He would have to be sure to place him with a team that would benefit from having a sensei that valued planning and teamwork.
The other noticeable jonin in the room was Kakashi Hatake. Despite being an extremely lazy man with an even bigger affinity for erotic novels, Kakashi was probably the strongest Jonin in the village. Genin at six, Chuunin at eight and Jonin at thirteen, his rank was well-earned. Coupled with the Sharingan under his hitai-ate, he was a very skilled individual. He prized teamwork above all else, but had never taken a Genin team in all his years as a Jonin. Well, he had never passed one. Hiruzen figured he was looking to teach the last Uchiha and his sensei's son who both graduated this year.
Clearing his throat and drawing all eyes to him, he looked over his list of graduates before he addressed the room.
"Thank you everyone for coming tonight. We have a new batch of graduating students this year, and this meeting is for the purpose of designing the best possible three-man cells we can." He said while looking over the sea of Jonin before him. "Now before we start, does anyone have any requests for a team? If so, please step forward and explain your reasoning."
Seeing the three Jonin he was just thinking about step forward, Hiruzen allowed a small smile to form on his face. He should have known some of his top shinobi would already have something in mind for their teams. Nodding to his son, he allowed Asuma to go first.
"I would like to request to have the new generation of Ino-Shika-Cho for my team." Said Asuma, briefly pausing to take a small inhale of his customary cigarette. "The Ino-Shika-Cho is a legendary team formation in our village's history and I see no reason to split them up now. I'll be able to teach them proper teamwork, and assuming the Nara boy is as smart as his dad, I'll be able to teach him tactics and planning too. They'll most likely work well as an information gathering and interrogation team like their parents."
"Yes that sounds like a fine plan to me." Hiruzen said to his son, before turning his gaze to the kunoichi before him. "And what about you Kurenai?"
"I would like to be able to put together a tracking and capture squad Hokage-sama. I believe that by putting Hinata Hyuuga, Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame on a team together they'll be one of the best team of trackers in the village once they're older." Kurenai stated. "With the ocular powers of the Byakugan, the nose of the Inuzuka, and the chakra draining powers of the Aburame they'll be able to find just about anyone and be able to effectively capture any target placed before them."
Hiruzen could see the merit in a team built around the three young new Genin Kurenai mentioned. They all had impressive talents on their own, but the idea of their skills all together on one team was almost terrifying in its' potential. Allowing Kurenai to step back, Hiruzen motioned for Kakashi to step forward while simultaneously ignoring his perverted giggling.
"I'd like to request Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto to be on my team. The third member doesn't really matter to me." Kakashi drawled out while keeping his eyes on his book, Icha Icha Nurses.
Hiruzen guessed it right. Unfortunately for Kakashi, he couldn't grant the Elite Jonin's request today.
"I'm sorry Kakashi, but I cannot grant your request." Hiruzen apologized, not in the least surprised when the silver-haired Jonin snapped his book closed and levelled him with a piercing glare.
"Oh, why not Hokage-sama?" Kakashi growled out, surprising those in the room for his open anger directed at the village leader.
"I am sorry Kakashi, but the village tradition has always been the Rookie of the Year with the Top Kunoichi and Dead Last. By allowing you to have Sasuke and Naruto together would ruin this setup, as well as the team being unbalanced in talent, what with both the boys being incredibly strong for their age."
Hiruzen could see the Jonin grit his teeth underneath his mask. He did feel bad for denying the request, as it was obvious to the Hokage that Kakashi was looking forward to being able to teach his sensei's son, most likely feeling a duty to teach the Yondaime's only child. It was a surprise to everyone in the room that when Kakashi was about to argue back a Cat-masked Anbu member appeared before the elderly Kage.
"Neko-san, what can I help you with?"
"My apologies for interrupting your meeting Hokage-sama, but I believe I may be able to assist with your current predicament." Neko said to her leader. "If Kakashi-senpai is okay with only having the Uchiha boy instead of both, I am more than happy to take young Naruto-kun as an apprentice."
"Oh, is that so Neko-san? And why would you be offering such a thing, may I ask? If you were to take an apprentice you would have to leave the Anbu, just so you are aware." Hiruzen was truly curious why his personal Anbu guard was offering to take on an apprentice. Apprenticeships weren't unheard of, but he was nonetheless intrigued by Neko's request.
"I guess you could call it a sense of duty if you were to classify my request as anything Hokage-sama." Ah, so that was it was it? Hiruzen should have figured as much.
Neko, or by her true name Yugao Uzuki, was once a student to the late Kushina Uzumaki. It really didn't surprise him that she knew that Naruto was her late sensei's son. The request made sense now, if only that Yugao would no doubt feel a responsibility to teach Kushina's son like Kakashi did for his own sensei. And with Yugao being a skilled kenjutsu practitioner as well as having some basic skill in medical ninjutsu, Hiruzen could see what Yugao would be able to teach Naruto. With chakra control being a large part of medical ninjutsu, Yugao would no doubt be able to help the boy with his more than likely large chakra reserves. Between the Kyuubi and his Uzumaki lineage, Hiruzen wouldn't be surprised if Naruto had more chakra than he did.
"What do you think of this Kakashi, are you okay with Neko-san taking Naruto-kun as an apprentice?" Although Hiruzen knew Kakashi wasn't particularly happy with the arrangement, there wasn't much him for to say in the situation besides 'yes'. Kakashi was the only one with able to teach Sasuke once he awakened his Sharingan, and Neko was more than talented enough to teach young Naruto.
Receiving a nod from Kakashi and saying a quick thank you to Neko before she disappeared back into the shadows of the room, Hiruzen gave his list of students a quick onceover before he started listing teams. He had an idea who would be placed with Sasuke under Kakashi, it would just be up to Kakashi to turn them into an effective team. Clearing his throat again, Hiruzen started to list the teams.
"Team One under Jonin-sensei…"
After his usual routine of chakra control training, shower and breakfast, Naruto headed out for the academy. Today he would finally have a sensei to teach him; well a human sensei that wasn't trapped inside of him, but he digressed. He would hopefully get someone who could teach him something new and would be highly skilled. As long as they knew things he didn't know and was able to teach him, he would be happy.
Walking in through the academy doors and traversing through the hallways, he arrived at his classroom and walked up to his spot in the back by the window as usual. Locking onto the chakra signatures of a few high-level shinobi outside the academy in the trees, Naruto wondered if the Jonin-sensei were already here and were looking to observe the team announcements. Briefly trying to feel out which signatures were the strongest, Naruto was snapped out of his pondering and groaned when he heard the heavy footfalls and arguing of two kunoichi getting closer to the classroom.
His guess of who was making so much noise was proven correct when the door was blasted open and a pink-haired girl and a blonde girl ran into the room with their heads pressed against each other, their eyes locked onto the other with a glare that could kill a weaker human bring.
"I'm sitting next to Sasuke-kun Ino-pig!"
"I'm sitting next to Sasuke-kun Forehead-girl!"
Naruto wondered if this was what all kunoichi were like; focusing more on dieting and boys than training and growing on stronger. He certainly hoped not, his idea of his clan matriarch would be a strong woman who could fight alongside him and give him a run for his money during a spar. He had no desire to be with anyone remotely resembling a fan girl. By the twitching eyebrow on the usual brooding face of Sasuke, Naruto figured he held Naruto's own views on kunoichi. Or he was gay, Naruto didn't really care about the duck-assed Uchiha.
"Alright everyone, quiet down and take your seats." Iruka-sensei said as he walked into the room. Naruto raised an eyebrow when he didn't feel Mizuki's chakra signature and noted that Iruka had some bandages on his face and arms. "Today you are now Genin of Konoha and I expect you all to act like it." Iruka declared with a pointed stare to everyone in the room.
"Now I will be listing the teams, and going forward the two people mentioned alongside you will be your new teammates. They will be with you during all training sessions and missions along with your Jonin-sensei, so do your best to get along with one another and do your village proud." Iruka-sensei explained with a small, proud smile on his lips.
Listening to the teams being listed so far, Naruto wondered what the hopes were for the first six teams. Every single member of the teams were civilian children who barely passed the exam, so Naruto had to wonder if they were placed on teams together in the hopes that they would all either quit or go back to the academy. The village couldn't honestly believe that a few children barely stronger than the average civilian would do well as a shinobi, could they?
"Team Seven will be Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Sai. Your Jonin-sensei will be Kakashi Hatake."
He supposed that team made sense. Putting the Rookie of the Year with the Top Kunoichi was a regular team placement. However, Naruto didn't have any idea who this 'Sai' was. There wasn't anyone in his class with that name, so maybe he was an already graduated student who needed the two slots on his team filled. Whatever, Naruto didn't really care, congrats to the pink-haired harpy for getting placed with her 'one true love' he guessed.
"Team Eight will be Hyuuga Hinata, Shino Aburame, and Kiba Inuzuka. Your Jonin-sensei will be Kurenai Yuhi."
That team made sense too. From what he knew of all the clans, which was quite a bit from his extensive reading into all the clans of Konoha, Naruto knew why they were placed together. All of those clans were well known for their tracking ability, so no doubt they were put on a team together to play off each other's strengths. A rather effective team if Naruto were to admit.
"Team Nine is still in circulation from last year, so Team Ten will be Choji Akamichi, Shikamaru Nara, and Ino Yamanaka. Your Jonin-sensei will be Asuma Sarutobi."
Ah, the Ino-Shika-Cho formation. That team was practically a given. All the history books of famous Konoha teams went on about the legendary teamwork of the Ino-Shika-Cho, so it was no surprise they were all put together. Ignoring Ino's outburst about how unfair it was she wasn't put with Sasuke, Naruto realized he was the only one not put on a team. It seemed by the multiple pairs of eyes on his person, he wasn't the only one to notice this either.
"Team Eleven will be Naruto Uzumaki, apprenticed under Jonin Yugao Uzuki." Iruka finished as he rolled up the scroll with the teams on it. "Good luck to all of you on your future careers as shinobi of Konoha. I hope you all go on to do great things, and it's been a pleasure being your teacher. Your new senseis will be here shortly to pick you all up."
Watching as Iruka left the room, Naruto looked out the window in an attempt to ignore the stares he was getting, as well as the murderous gaze of Sasuke. No doubt the Uchiha was pissy about not getting his own private sensei because he was 'an Uchiha' or some other bullshit reason. Though if his sensei wasn't here soon, Naruto would argue he wasn't responsible for the inevitable Water Prison jutsuthat drowned 'The Last Uchiha'. He was used to the glares he got from civilians, but it didn't mean he was okay with it.
Hearing the door slide open, Naruto watched as random Jonin came into the room and picked up their teams. He watched as a gorgeous woman with a pair of fascinating red eyes came in and retrieved Team Eight. No doubt the dog-boy Kiba was drooling over his new beautiful sensei. Though he would admit she was a very curvy and gorgeous woman. Next to come in was a tall dark-haired man with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth who picked up Team Ten. Naruto supposed this was the Hokage's son, meaning he was probably a skilled Jonin if his father was any standard to go by.
The second to last sensei to come in, with Team Seven's still not having arrived, was a woman with straight purple hair that fell down to the middle of her back, warm brown eyes and red lips. She wore a black body suit with a grey flak jacket over her chest and a small patch of white bandages with a kunai holster on her right thigh. The sword on her lower back intrigued Naruto the most though, as sword-users were rather rare in Konoha. Besides Kumogakure and Kirigakure, none of the other nations really practiced kenjutsu.
"My name is Yugao Uzuki, would Naruto please meet me in training ground eighteen within ten minutes." The now named Yugao said before she disappeared in a swirl of leaves, indicating the use of the leaf-style variant of the Shunshin.
Getting up and heading for the door, Naruto gave a small smirk to the Uchiha, which proved effective in making the Uchiha go from glaring to trying to murder him with his eyes. Naruto chuckled while he left the academy, it really was too easy to piss off Sasuke.
…
Arriving in training ground eighteen, Naruto looked around for his sensei. He knew he wasn't late as it had only taken him six minutes in a fast-paced jog to make it the training ground. Wondering what Yugao-sensei was up to, he focused on his sensory skills and tried to locate his new sensei. Pinpointing the decent sized chakra signature, Naruto turned to the tree line just in time to see his sensei dash out of the trees with sword drawn. Leaning back so he was parallel to the ground while holding himself on one hand, Naruto ducked in time to see the flat of his sensei's sword flash past where his neck just was.
Jumping back, Naruto pulled out two kunai from the storage seal on his bandaged thigh and got into a ready stance with his left hand holding its kunai in reverse. Getting his guard up just in time to block a slash from his right, he parried it and pushed it away from him. Seeing the following strike was a crescent shaped slash coming from his left, he quickly pulled up his other kunai and blocked that strike as well. Trying to stab his attacker with his free hand, Naruto was able to create some space when Yugao-sensei jumped back.
"Good job in blocking my strikes Naruto-kun, but let's see how you do with taijutsu shall we?" Yugao-sensei said as she sheathed her sword and dashed in with hands raised, ready to strike at him.
Quickly resealing his kunai, Naruto raised his hands and flexed his fingers, letting his knuckles pop, allowing his hands to form their usual claw like appearance without the added ice. He already knew he'd be revealing some of his talents to his sensei, no need to give away everything. Leaning back and to the right to dodge a quick jab and spinning away to dodge the follow up kick, Naruto soon found himself being pressed rather handily by his new sensei. It really was completely different sparring against someone besides his clones, but he found he enjoyed the experience all the same. Dodging a kick aimed for his neck, Naruto ducked and pushed inside his sensei's guard, moving to counterattack.
Swiping his fingers at sensei's chest, Naruto pressed forward when she dodged and followed up with three successive swipes towards her arms and face. Dashing all around his sensei and flowing between quick slashes and kicks, Naruto did his best to put his sensei on the back leg. It quickly became apparent though that his sensei was as skilled as a Jonin should be when she parried every attack he threw at her while launching some of her own quite easily.
Disengaging from the close-up spar, Naruto took a deep breath to calm himself before he got back into his Fox Claw stance.
"Good work on taijutsu, a very interesting style you have there. Very… animalistic, I would say is the appropriate word." Yugao-sensei said with a thoughtful smile before she formed a few quick handseals. "Now let's see your ninjutsu! Katon: Grand Fireball Jutsu!"
Seeing the very large fireball quickly fly from his sensei's lips, Naruto did two quick handseals and raised his fingers to his mouth as he responded with his own jutsu.
"Suiton: Water Wall Jutsu!"
Forming a wall of water in front of him that evaporated the fireball and created a layer of steam between him and his sensei, Naruto sensed for his sensei just in time to feel chakra being molded from his immediate left.
"Katon: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
Using another Water Wall Jutsu to block the five smaller fireballs launched at him by his sensei, Naruto flew through some more hand seals to launch an offensive attack.
"Suiton: Wild Water Wave Jutsu!"
Launching a raging stream of water from his mouth, Naruto watched as his sensei back flipped and dashed to the left, effectively dodging his C-rank water jutsu.
"Very well done, I'm impressed with your current skill level. Very skilled indeed. I'm assuming you have a water affinity Naruto-kun?" Naruto nodded, there wasn't much point lying at this point, he had shown quite a veritable amount of ninjutsu for some out of the academy. Besides, he was having fun sparring with his sensei. "It's obvious you have a good handle on it. Makes me wonder what other talents you have hidden away, hmm?"
Naruto chuckled at the teasing tone and smirk he was receiving from his sensei. He didn't really think to hide his skills beyond the higher ranked water ninjutsu and his Hyoton bloodline. His teacher couldn't be expected to accurately teach him if she didn't know some of his skills after all. Though seeing her skill in kenjutsu from earlier prompted him to make a mental note in learning that too. His mother was a skilled sword-user, might as well learn that as well.
"Judging by the chakra control you showed in the ninjutsu portion of the test, I can safely assume you can dispel genjutsu?" Giving his sensei another nod, she continued on. "That's good to hear, means we can skip the third lesson on genjutsu. So that means congratulations are in order, well done on passing the Genin Exam Naruto-kun!"
Naruto wasn't sure if he heard that right. Genin Exam? He had just passed that yesterday didn't he? Hearing his sensei chuckle, he supposed he looked rather confused right about now. Better to just get answers than continue trying to figure this out on his own.
"I though the Genin Exam was yesterday? You were named my sensei because I had passed right?"
"That's partially true in a sense. You see Naruto-kun, the test you did yesterday was more of a way to weed out the students who had no chance of becoming genin." Yugao explained. "By using the academy as a way to filter out the hopeless cases, the Jonin-sensei are able to test the graduates who are more likely to have a chance at becoming Genin. We call this the True Genin Exam. All your other classmates are doing something similar with their sensei's right about now. Those who pass become Genin, those who fail either dropout or are sent back to the academy for another year."
Naruto supposed that all made sense. He had noted that a lot of his class didn't have what it takes to be shinobi, so by using this dual layered test the village was able to effectively only take the shinobi hopefuls with potential into their ranks. This also had the added benefit of keeping the other Jonin free to do missions instead of having to teach Genin that barely had enough chakra to keep up a Henge for more than two minutes.
"So what happens now, seeing as that I passed your test and all?"
"Well how about we do some quick introductions to get to know each other properly now that we've sparred a little." Yugao-sensei said a she took a seat and motioned for him to do the same. "So my name is Yugao Uzuki. I like kenjutsu, cats, and sparring with Hayate-kun. I dislike dogs and those who look down on kunoichi. My dream is to one day be the top kenjutsu user in the village. Your turn Naruto-kun."
"Well my name is Naruto, no known last name." Although it was a lie, he didn't need people asking any questions. Plus he'd been playing the ignorant game for years and had gotten rather used to being known as just Naruto, even if he was an Uzumaki-Namikaze. "I like learning new things and reading, as well as tea and hot springs. I dislike arrogant and stupid people. My ambition is to learn everything available to me. Also, I look to hopefully learning medical ninjutsu and genjutsu now that I'm an actual shinobi."
"Those are good dreams and goals Naruto-kun. I know some basic medical ninjutsu myself, so maybe once we get your control to a good level we can work on learning some medical jutsu. You'll have to learn all about the anatomy and poisons as well though. Two of my friends are actually skilled in poisons and genjutsu, so I can see if they can offer any tips."
"That would be very helpful Yugao-sensei." It truly was. He really did luck out on the sensei lottery.
"Well now that we've introduced ourselves, you're free to do whatever you want for the day. I have to report in with the other Jonin on which Genin passed, so you have the rest of the day off. Meet me back here tomorrow at eight a.m. and we'll start with training." Yugao-sensei explained as she got up from her seat on the grass and wiped the dirt off her pants. "Maybe we'll see about doing a mission depending on how the day goes."
Seeing his sensei disappear in a swirl of leaves, Naruto got up and stretched. It was odd to think he had the day off, though he supposed he could go have a soak at the hot springs. Now that he wasn't freezing all the time he loved the hot springs. It was like immersing yourself in a hot blanket.
'Hey kit, what did your new sensei say her name was?'
Although not meaning to, he couldn't hold stop from jumping in shock. He knew the fox liked to spook him like that, but he couldn't help it. Despite how long they've been in communication, he never got used to it when his tenant would just randomly open their link and talk to him.
'Hey to you too Kurama. And she said her name was Yugao Uzuki. Why do you ask?' Naruto really was curious. Other than the occasional comment about killing Sasuke because of 'those cursed eyes', Kurama didn't show any interest in humans, other than himself of course, but Naruto figured it was mainly because he didn't want his container being weak.
'I thought the name was familiar. Your new sensei was once the student of your mother kit, probably why she wanted to apprentice you. From your mother's memories, it was pretty obvious this Yugao idolized her. Means she'll want to teach you properly.'
'That's good to hear. If my mother taught her that hopefully means she really is skilled with a sword. Most likely it also means she won't be prejudiced towards me.'
'Whatever brat. Lemme go back to my nap and go do whatever you do when you're not being taught by my magnificent self.'
Sighing at the obvious dismissal from his other sensei, Naruto headed towards the village for a trip to the hot spring; he could hear the hot water calling to him…
"Team Six was a fail too Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen sighed to himself. Maybe the academy was better off not accepting civilian children into the shinobi program. All six teams made of civilians failed this year, which either showed that the academy wasn't training them properly, or that the Jonin were testing them too harshly. Seeing as it was peacetime, he was leaning toward the former. It was a common occurrence during times of peace for things to be a little more lax, but having six teams fail in a row was a little unsettling.
"Thank you very much Genma." Hiruzen said to the Tokubestu Jonin. "How about Team Seven Kakashi, how'd they do?"
"They passed Hokage-sama, but they were an absolute wreck during the bell test." Hiruzen noted how exasperated Kakashi sounded, obviously his team wasn't living up to the expectations either of them had. "Sai is a well-rounded shinobi with a unique style of ninjutsu, but he has no people skills and does a good job of aggravating his two teammates with his 'nicknames' as he calls them. Sakura is a fan girl, physically weak and a disgrace to kunoichi everywhere. She would much rather follow Sasuke and be protected by her 'knight in shining armour' than train and become strong. Sasuke is the worst of the bunch honestly. He is the most arrogant Genin I have ever met; he very much believes him being an Uchiha puts him above all others. Even when I had swiftly defeated him after he attacked me head-on, he was more enraged than humbled and blindly attacked me again."
Hiruzen groaned. That team sounded absolutely terrible. Separate their problems were manageable, but together they sounded more like a natural disaster. Waving for Kakashi to continue, Hiruzen hoped it got a little better.
"They failed the first part of my test, this resulted in me tying Sakura to a stump due to her having been knocked out during the test from a D-rank genjutsu. Sasuke refused to work with anyone and Sai just seemed more amused than anything and smiled the whole time." Hiruzen noticed Kurenai's frown at Kakashi's story, no doubt angered by a girl who obviously didn't take her responsibility as a kunoichi seriously. "Afterwards I gave Sasuke and Sai a lunchbox and ordered them not to feed Sakura, then while I was gone both the boys offered to feed Sakura as they didn't want to have to fight with her on an empty stomach. I passed them for showing a small amount of teamwork in the end, but they need a lot of work to be anything decent down the road."
"I'm sure you can do wonders for your new team Kakashi, good luck though." Hiruzen chuckled out. This must have been a karmic punishment for Kakashi's tardiness and perversion. "How about you Kurenai, how'd Team Eight do?"
"Team Eight passed as well Hokage-sama." Kurenai said with a proud smile on her face. "I tested them in their ability to find me while I remained hidden in the woods with the condition of finding me within a two hour time limit or they would risk failing. Kiba immediately went to search for me on his own, but Shino was effective in keeping him from running off. Due to Shino's leading of the team, they were all able to find me after seventy-five minutes of searching and passed my test. Hinata was able to pinpoint the area where my genjutsu was with her Byakugan, and they all worked well with both the boys in finding my exact location and subduing me. They need some work on their teamwork, but they look to be an effective unit once they get used to working with one another."
That was good. After hearing of the first seven teams he was beginning to worry about this generation of shinobi. The fact that Kurenai was smiling throughout her whole explanation spelled good things for her team. Motioning Asuma to speak, he hoped the good news continued.
"Team Ten passed too Hokage-sama. Despite them growing up together their teamwork needs a lot of improvement if they're to be as effective a team as their parents." Asuma said with a small frown. "Shikamaru is the laziest boy I have ever met, but is a literal genius IQ wise. Once pushed he was able to lead his team into scoring three hits on me, which was my test. Choji is a gentle soul, but needs to learn when to use his strength because right now he's too afraid to attack anyone he considers an ally, even in a spar. Ino has a terrible attitude, a mixture of fan girl and brattiness. She believes herself to be smarter than her teammates and on more than one occasion stated she could lead better than Shikamaru, but didn't contribute much in the way of doing any actual work besides bragging. They have potential, but it's buried deep in there." Asuma finished with another slow drag of his cigarette, obviously depressed at the state of his new team.
"Like Kakashi, I'm sure you can show them the right way. I have faith you'll get them on track and turn them into the team I know they can be." Hiruzen said to his son, though inside he was wishing Kakashi and Asuma the best of luck. Fan girls were a truly terrible breed of kunoichi. "Now Yugao, how did young Naruto-kun do today?"
Listening as Yugao explained her testing of her new apprentice and the skills she had seen, Hiruzen found himself raising an eyebrow at Naruto's abilities. Although happy to hear that they boy had done so well, some of the points were rather worrying. Where did he learn his taijutsu style? How'd he learn chakra control to the level he showed, as well as the water ninjutsu he showed too? Was someone in the village teaching him without him knowing about it? He'd go ask the young redhead, but their relationship had always been rocky ever since Naruto figured out Hiruzen was keeping secrets from him. He'd just have to keep an eye on him and hope there was nothing bad happening to Minato's son, probably a good idea to check his academy records too.
"I'm glad to hear Naruto-kun did so well during your test. He's a rather surprising individual, isn't he?" Hiruzen said with a chuckle. "Alright everyone, you're free to go for the day. For those who failed your teams, better luck next time around. For those who passed, teach them well and I hope to hear great things about your teams. Have a good day."
Seeing the Jonin all disappear, whether by Shunshin or by walking out of the room, Hiruzen relaxed back in his chair and looked at the large stack of paperwork on his desk that was calling out to him. Kami really was a cruel mistress sometimes…
Naruto would freely admit to whoever asked that being a Genin was both a good and bad thing. The best part of finally being a shinobi was that he no longer had to attend the academy. No more boring lectures and no being forced to learn inane things. He now had the opportunity to learn what he wanted. Sadly there wasn't a lot of available material for new Genin. Apparently everything over C-rank was reserved for shinobi that were Chuunin and up, so no studying high ranked ninjutsu and because of the fact wind ninjutsu users were so rare there were no wind jutsu at all in the shinobi library. Luckily he still had access to books on ninjutsu and genjutsu theory so hopefully he could develop his own jutsu to make up for a lack of available material. Plus with the help of Yugao-sensei and her two kunoichi friends he was able to learn the basics of a few things in the last month of being a Genin.
His sensei had been a humongous help in learning new things, and although she would always say he knew so much for someone his age and would drop hints asking how he knew so much, he still valued when everything he learned from her. They hadn't yet started studying kenjutsu, but she was still willing to help him in taijutsu and in the basics of being a med-nin. Learning anatomy and basic healing was pretty interesting, and they'd be starting work with the Mystical Palm Jutsu pretty soon. Also, thanks to the help of the scariest woman he had ever met, Anko Mitarashi, he was also learning how to treat minor poisons.
Anko was a fun person to learn from, in that she knew a lot about the human body, mainly about how to torture and poison it, but she still knew her stuff. It didn't stop her from being an absolutely frightening kunoichi. When she had found out he had a heightened healing factor, she got the largest, toothiest grin he had ever seen and proceeded to barrage him with kunai in what she liked to call 'Anko Tag'. Her version of the popular children's game was basically the same thing, but for every kunai you got hit by you had to buy her a stick of dango.
The benefit of Anko Tag was that his dodging skills and passive awareness were trained to a high degree. Probably why his sensei allowed her fellow purple-haired friend to play Anko Tag with him. By learning to always have his sensory skills activated he was able to keep Anko from ambushing him, but that usually just caused her to blitz him with double the kunai. Luckily he was able to dodge about eighty percent of them, the other twenty percent only causing minor wounds, so unless he faced someone who had more kunai and sharp objects than Anko he had a pretty good chance of coming out of that fight unscathed.
Kurenai Yuhi was an interesting woman and Yugao-sensei's other friend. She was the resident genjutsu mistress of Konoha, and was more than happy to answer any questions he had on her chakra control exercises and also taught him a little on genjutsu. She had only shown him her Flower Petal Escape technique which made her look like she dissolved into flower petals and surround her enemy, which he had secretly modified to suit his own style, but it was a good stepping stone for learning how to use genjutsu to escape genjutsu. His version of the jutsu involved him scattering into snow and using small flurry to surround his opponent. His Snow Flurry Escape also had the added benefit of tricking his opponent's senses into thinking they were getting colder when the snow in his illusion touched them, making them believe the illusion more since it involved multiple senses.
D-rank missions were probably the worst part of being a shinobi though. Yugao-sensei had been upfront with him and basically said they were a rite of passage for new Genin, but he figured they were more like hazing. She had told him how there was no real reason for shinobi to do babysitting and grocery carrying missions, but he had to do them anyway. She had also said that once he got forty D-ranks done they would look into doing a basic C-rank mission. It was that promise that kept him from blowing up when people would scowl at him when he showed up for D-ranks, like somehow it was his fault a jinchuuriki got assigned to carrying their groceries. The idea of seeing the world outside the village was a good deterrent from slaughtering some old lady who didn't want him painting her fence. Yugao-sensei usually had a few choice words for some of the more vocal people who didn't want him doing their missions though.
…
Yugao sat down beside her two friends in the dango bar and smiled to them. Now that she was no longer in the Anbu she had more time to spend with her friends, so they had all started getting dango together, at Anko's insistence, so they could chat about their students or anything else. Usually Anko would complain at her increased spending on kunai because 'Naru-chan kept dodging all my throws'.
"So how are you both doing today?"
"Hey Yugao-chan!" Anko said in her usual exuberance. "Me and Nai-chan are doing great, how about you?"
"I'm doing fine." She replied as she grabbed a stick of dango and ate it. "I'm thinking it's about time for me and Naruto to get a C-rank mission."
Yugao saw the surprise on Kurenai's face. Though not unheard of, it wasn't very common for new Genin to take C-ranks. Usually they would start once they had at least four months of experience.
"Are you sure Yugao?" Kurenai asked hesitantly. "We all know how talented and strong Naruto is, but do you think it wise to start C-ranks so early?"
"Don't worry too much Kurenai, Naruto will be fine. I still think he's holding back, so I'm hoping a mission will get him to show more of his skills." Yugao knew her apprentice was strong, definitely stronger than he let on, but she just wanted to know how strong he really was. "Plus I heard Kakashi-senpai took his team on one last week, though that was because that Uchiha brat on his team demanded one in front of the Hokage. Naruto is definitely more prepared than Team Seven was."
"That kid either has huge balls or rocks for brains," Anko whistled loudly, "but either way he's still stupid. A few weeks in and he's already demanding things. Hopefully his attitude doesn't get him killed… or maybe it will, who cares?"
"Anko!"
"Oh c'mon Nai-chan. The kid has got issues, everyone knows but no one wants to say anything." Anko said while she simultaneously ate three dango all at once. "Once he pops out some Uchiha babies he'll realize it's just the Uchiha name the villagers love about him, not his talents or whatever people say when they kiss his ass."
Yugao knew Anko was right. Sasuke Uchiha had a terrible arrogance problem that wasn't about to go away anytime soon, at least it wouldn't until the villagers stop treating him like Kami incarnate. Diving back into the conversation, which was now about Kurenai's genin team, Yugao thanked her old sensei for giving birth to such an easygoing apprentice. Naruto truly was the perfect student.
…
"So Naruto-kun, you've completed forty D-rank missions. You know what that means right?" He could hear the teasing tone to his sensei's voice, as she had took great amusement in seeing him trudge through the chores assigned him to every day, but right now he couldn't care less.
Relaxing in training ground eighteen across from his sensei, Naruto had a satisfied smile on his face. He had just completed his fortieth mission, a rather annoying mission he had done a few times already. Catching Tora was always a 'Yugao Favourite'. Apparently it was a favourite among the other Jonin-sensei too as a way to haze… err, train their new Genin, but Naruto and Yugao treated it as a test of his tracking and capture skills. Because the Daimyo's wife's cat had been escaping genin team for years, Tora had developed pretty good hiding and evasion skills. It was a good way to put his tracking training to use, and he also currently had the fastest record of catching Tora. It had been a long day and rather than using tracking skills he just used his sensor abilities and found and returned the cat within ten minutes. He still found it amusing when the Chuunin working the mission desk saw the cat so soon and dropped his jaw in disbelief.
"Yes Yugao-sensei. Now that we have forty missions done we can take a C-rank mission right?" Naruto hoped she didn't go back on her word, this promised C-rank was the only thing keeping him sane.
"Correct Naruto-kun." Yugao-sensei said with a chuckle. He figured he looked pretty eager right now, but damn did he want a C-rank. "Well come on and we'll go see Hokage-sama about getting us an escort or delivery mission."
Nodding to his sensei, they both stood up and disappeared in twin versions of the leaf-variant Shunshin. Reappearing in front of the Hokage Tower, Naruto followed after his sensei while they walked through the large building. The Hokage Tower, besides being the office of the Hokage, had a few other operations inside it as well. It also housed the mission room, where shinobi could pick up missions any time of the day. The village archives and shinobi registry were in the tower as well. It was basically the information center of the village, but only those ranked Tokubestu Jonin and up could access most of what was stored in it.
Arriving in the mission hall to receive his mission, he was surprised to see the Hokage and Iruka-sensei sitting behind the long table at the end of the room. Though not unusual for the Hokage to be running the desk, it was surprising to see him reading a letter that seemed to have been delivered by what looked like a pug wearing a Konoha hitai-ate. That was all sorts of odd.
"Yugao Uzuki and Naruto reporting for a C-rank mission, Hokage-sama." Yugao said, drawing the attention of the Hokage.
"Ah yes, Yugao and Naruto-kun. Perfect timing." The Hokage said, motioning them to come closer to the table and handing the letter in his hand to his sensei. "I've just received word from Kakashi and his team in the Land of Waves requesting backup on their mission. Apparently their C-rank escort mission turned into an A-rank mission when Zabuza Momochi showed up to kill their client. Kakashi is currently out of commission due to chakra exhaustion, but thankfully Zabuza is recuperating from his own wounds as well. They suspect Zabuza to be working with someone pretending to be a Kiri hunter-nin as well." The Hokage explained to both Naruto and his sensei.
"What would you ask of us Hokage-sama?" His sensei said in what Naruto liked to call her 'professional voice'.
"I'd like you and your apprentice to head to the Land of Waves and provide backup for Kakashi and his team. You're to be in charge until Kakashi is fully recovered and able to lead again. You have one hour to prepare then you're to be on your way. Pakkun, feel free to let Kakashi know Team Eleven is on their way to provide backup." Making a note of everything the Hokage had said and seeing the pug poof away into smoke, Naruto looked to his sensei for more instructions.
"Prepare for a two week mission and meet me at the southern gates in forty minutes. We'll do a bag check there before we head out."
Nodding to his sensei, Naruto disappeared in a Shunshin towards his home. Despite not getting the C-rank mission he wanted, an A-rank support mission with missing-nin involved was more than a satisfactory substitute.
The trip to the Land of Waves had been done mostly in silence, the quiet only being broken when his sensei would explain Team Seven's mission and what their role would be when they got to the home of their client, the bridge builder Tazuna. It seemed Team Seven's mission had been a simple escort and protection for Tazuna, who had actually lied about the dangers surrounding him due to a man named Gato. Apparently Tazuna was building a bridge in an effort to save his country from poverty by connecting them to the mainland to reopen their ability trade. This Gato character, who had effectively taken over the country, didn't like that so he employed the services of the Demon Brothers and Zabuza Momochi.
According to the letter from this Kakashi person his sensei knew, Team Seven had defeated the two Chuunin missing-nin called the Demon Brothers and had proceeded on with the mission even after they were told of the dangers and lies about the actual mission. Naruto thought that was stupid. If client's could just lie and still get their missions performed, what's to stop everyone from requesting C-ranks so they could save money.
Following the confrontation with the Demon Brothers, Team Seven continued on and eventually ran into Zabuza and gotten into a fight with him as well. The fight ended when the fake hunter-nin had put Zabuza into a death-like state and disappeared with the body. Kakashi had gotten chakra exhaustion from the fight and was meant to be out for a few days to recover. His sensei had told him their role during the stay in Wave Country was to protect the client along with Team Seven and provide backup where needed. She made sure to let him know this wasn't their mission, they were just backup.
Hopping from tree to tree, Naruto pondered that for a bit. As long as the Uchiha and Haruno didn't get all in his face about him being 'backup' he would be okay.
…
Looking down at the sleeping face of one Kakashi Hatake, Naruto wondered if this man was really a Jonin. The fact he was spooning an Icha Icha book caused a sweat drop to roll down the side of his head. His sensei had assured him the man was strong, and Kurama mentioned something about his father training him, but Naruto couldn't really see it. What kind of person did this Kakashi guy have to be to spoon an erotic novel?
They had talked with him when he was awake earlier, and they decided the best course of action was for Naruto to protect Tazuna while the man worked on the bridge, allowing Yugao to help Kakashi recover. This would let Kakashi be able to train up his team a little for the inevitable fight with Zabuza and his helper. Naruto figured the plan was okay, but he would rather not have his sensei around Team Seven. He doubted they had gotten much better in the last month, and he was sure his sensei would probably dislike Sasuke and Sakura just as much as he does.
Averting his eyes from the weird masked shinobi on the bed, Naruto silently left the room and walked downstairs. Sitting down at the table, Naruto watched as Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, continued to make dinner. Tsunami was a rather pretty woman with long hair, that when angled just right appeared to change between black and blue. She was rather polite, saying how grateful she was for all the Konoha shinobi to come and help them in their time of need. Naruto wasn't really here to be a hero, but if that's what she wanted to believe than all the power to her.
"So second best, what are you doing here?"
Hearing the voice of Sasuke and that stupid nickname, Naruto looked up with a blank look on his face. Sasuke really wasn't very creative if he couldn't come up with anything besides 'second best'.
"Hello to you too Uchiha, and me and my sensei are here to provide backup for you and your team. Your sensei and the Hokage decided it was best to have some extra people around when Zabuza came back."
"Hn, like we need your help. I'm more than enough to take down Zabuza's help."
"Sure you are Sasuke. Hey, remind me how many spars you won against me at the Academy, I seem to have forgotten?" Seeing Sasuke walk away with another grunt, he was happy he no longer had to deal with the arrogant brat.
'You could always rip his eyes out.'
Naruto sighed, Kurama always suggested ripping Sasuke's eyes out.
'No Kurama, I'm not ripping his eyes out. He hasn't given me reason to yet."
That didn't mean he hadn't considered it though...
Laying his head on the kitchen table and watching Tsunami cook, Naruto decided to get comfortable. Between being trapped in a house with his two least favourite Genin and having to protect the drunk old man in the other room all week, he figured he should at least be able to relax a bit before Zabuza attacked again. Who knows, maybe he would be lucky enough to fight someone.
A/N
Yay, already a new chapter! This story just writes itself for me. Really enjoying fanfiction writing!
Went with some popular suggestions and gave Naruto an apprenticeship. Yugao Uzuki has retired from Anbu in order to teach her sensei's son. As you can see, she's a pretty awesome sensei, and one of the only people Naruto likes besides Kurama.
Naruto is now in the land of waves and is gearing up to meet and fight Haku and Zabuza. I'm dancing around the idea of making Naruto wield Kubikiribocho instead of Kusanagi. I like the chokuto version of the Kusanagi that Sasuke had later on more than the katana/sword that Orochi uses anyways. Plus with Naruto's taijutsu style he's more of a 'in your face and make you bleed' type fighter, so I think a huge cleaver would fit his style rather well. Coupled with him learning Silent Killing and the Hidden Mist jutsu, he would probably do well with Kubikiri. Plus Samehada is used in my other story, so lemme know what you think.
I'm liking the suggestions about either Temari or Kurotsuchi being Naruto's love interest. Right now I'm leaning towards Kurotsuchi. I'd like to imagine them meeting on a mission somewhere and getting into a huge lava/ice fight. I've toyed around with the fight a bit and I'm liking it. Temari was a cool option too, I could see her falling for him if I make Gaara and Naruto fight like in canon. I think I'll have Naruto be gaining the Snake Contract to help with that before that happens so he backup during the fight though.
I also liked the suggestion about Naruto supporting a person who wants to be a Kage, so Kuro-chan (my new name for Kurotsuchi) is currently my favourite right now. So if you want Temari or anyone else give me a good reason and argue your case. Or if you like Naru/Kuro, give me some fluffy moments you might like to see.
See you next time,
InsanityFic