Disclaimer: I own nothing from Naruto. He's someone else's toy, I just took him and left an I.O.U for the moment. Natsu, however, is a product of my wicked mind.

A/N: Sorry for the delay on this chapter. I haven't felt like writing, but I'm back now and ready to go!

Chapter 4: All The Small Things

We were finally starting chakra control and jutsu in the academy. It was kind of exciting and I was giddy for the lessons. I might have wanted to show off a bit, knowing that my control would be good with all the training I had done to get it like that. So sue me. Despite having the mind of an adult, my body was still wired to that of a kid's, my emotional responses proved that much.

Just as I expected, my control was more than good enough for the leaf exercise we did.

"Well done, Natsu-chan," my sensei praised, giving me a small smile and checking something off on his clipboard before leaving to grade another student. I smiled brightly. So it was a bit embarrassing that compliments from teachers made me light up considering my mental age but...well I'd always been a bit of a teacher's pet.

I had even gotten better in Taijutsu. I could keep up with all the academy kids in my class when we sparred. It was good progress. But my aim was barely passable still and it was obvious that despite my improvement in hand-to-hand, it'd never be my strong suit.

Knowing that, I realized that I'd have to be very careful in the future. I had big reserves considering my age and gender, and my chakra control was something I was proud of. But if I wanted to survive in this world I had to be smart.

Good chakra control made me think of becoming a medic. But I didn't want to only be support. So I had to think of something I could use for offense. Something that didn't really need physical strength, preferably something long range.

I'd think of something later, for now, I resolved to get books on the human body as soon as possible. The sooner I started, the better.

I didn't specifically want to pursue a career in Sealing because one, it was best learned from a master and the only one I knew of was Jiraya who was not even in the village to begin with, not to mention that he probably wouldn't want to teach me anyways, and two, I didn't think I'd be able to ever get good enough at sealing to use it in combat like Minato had done.

Becoming a medic/something long ranged was the best option I could see for myself.

Considering what was coming, I needed to get strong fast. I wasn't built like Sasuke or Naruto, who had been able to throw destructive jutsu after destructive jutsu or pull ridiculously devastating attacks out their ass. I didn't have a bloodline limit to give me an advantage and I wasn't as smart as Itachi, who had had backup plan after backup plan just in case and could also throw around high ranking jutsu like it was going out of style.

Hell, I wasn't even as brave as them.

I was plain ol' Natsu. All I had was knowledge of the future that might not even happen - because what I knew was useless at worst and unreliable at best - and an adult consciousness and with all the geniuses around here, it wasn't even something worth noting anymore.

In this world, if I didn't know how to use the very small advantages I had, I died. Simple as that.

Good mood gone, I frowned and turned to look out the window.

It was an annoyingly sunny day.

0o0o0o0o1o0o0o0o0o

By the end of the year, we had learned chakra control excersises, hand seals, and we were taught the Henge.

Next year would be my last. I'd be graduating then.

I was both eager and nervous. But I still had time so I tried not to worry too much.

Time was passing slow for me. I had only been in this world for nearly two years but it felt so much longer. I still felt a cold chill sometimes when I'm alone. As if someone was watching.

I wondered if Shinigami was out there, doing the watching.

When thoughts like that entered my head, I'd do my best to keep busy. No point in worrying over trivial things. There was nothing I could do about that now. The last few years I had before Naruto grew up and became a genin, officially beginning everything, was precious time I needed to use to get strong.

Which reminded me, I hadn't visited him in a while. He was almost two now, and was running the caretakers haggard now that he could walk and run easily. He was speaking in longer sentences as the days went by.

The people running the orphanage, who were civilian ladies, no longer allowed me to visit Naruto. Since he could walk, run, and talk, he was already beginning to be shunned. There was no physical abuse, and a nasty part of my mind told me, not yet.

I hadn't stopped seeing the little blond though. Since they were just civilians and I was very close to graduating, it was easy to get into the orphanage to spend some time with Naruto. Considering that they didn't even pay attention to him, I could spend a couple hours with him without them noticing.

By the time summer rolled around again, Naruto could come and go from the orphanage to other parts of the village. Since this was a military village, children were pretty much allowed to go places by themselves as soon as they could walk. When all you needed to do was shout and a couple of shinobi would be there in a flash, parents no doubt felt that it was safe for their kids.

It was pretty convenient for me, since after that I didnt really need to sneak into the orphanage as much as before.

0o0o0o0o2o0o0o0o0o

"You wish to become a medic?" Itachi asked instead of a greeting as he entered my house for our semi weekly lunch dates. He was referring to all the books I had strewn around, with covers depicting human anatomy, diseases, and even one book for herbs.

"Hello to you too," I said, turning to face him for second. I had been cooking, and I was still keeping an eye on the food as I answered his question. "And yes, I think I do."

Itachi raised an eyebrow at me but left it at that, instead eyeing the apron I was wearing distastefully. I couldn't really blame him. It was an eye watering pastel blue with yellow bunnies on it. Horrible aprons had been another little tradition in my other world when I cooked with my mom.

"Let me practice on you?" I asked when the food was done and I had served us both, taking off the bad apron and sitting down at the table with him. Itachi had missed our last lunch date because of a mission. Something to do with the fact that Kumo had invaded Fire Country. I had honestly forgotten that something like that had happened, but when the announcement came, my memory had been jolted.

Naruto's generation would all mostly be either almost two or already there. The peace treaty signing where Hinata had been kidnapped happened when she was three, and the war with Kumo had lasted about a year or so. What was happening now matched up with my knowledge from the other world.

Thankfully, Itachi was still just a genin. Which meant that until the fighting got really bad, he wouldn't be doing anything particularly dangerous, in shinobi terms of danger at least which wasn't exactly reassuring to my worried mind. And because of the skirmishes happening, I was being graduated early. Unlike Itachi that had been skipped straight to the last year, I had only skipped one, but now they were putting me in the final year because I was still considered a possible genius. I wasn't on Itachi's caliber of prodigy but I was still something with potential in their eyes, and since we were low on ninja, it was necessary to get as many competent soldiers as possible.

From his wet hair I could guess that he had only just returned this morning and cleaned up before coming over. It was little things like this that made smile because it showed that he valued our friendship as much as I did, though I did feel guilty because he looked tired.

Which is why I wanted to use him as my guinea pig. I had been practicing a lot and could now heal small cuts and ease some fatigue from the muscles. It took a lot out of me because I wasn't used to it, and the only way to remedy that was with more practice.

Itachi eyed me somewhat apprehensively (really, did he have so little faith in my abilities? I knew my limits!) and I gave him a smile. He nodded his consent.

"Fine."

We finished eating and when the dishes had been placed in the sink, we sat together in my tiny living room, across from each other. I leaned over and placed a hand over his calf and activated my Mystical Palm jutsu. I had only just gotten it to work last week after extensive (and I mean extensive, I didn't sleep more than three hours for like two weeks) practice on fish, small rodents, and birds. I gently used my chakra to soothe Itachi's over worked muscles, easing the fatigue. He had probably been delivering supplies to the outposts, the types of missions usually left to genin. It was a lot of running.

My brow was furrowed as I worked. When I was done with his right leg, I went to the left and repeated the same process. I was able to finish with it before leaning back, tired. It took a lot of chakra out of me which wasn't surprising. It was impressive that I could do this much at my age, but I had been relentless in learning it. It was an incredibly useful technique.

Itachi stood, testing the muscles. Finding that they weren't tired anymore, he looked at me, and I swear I caught the hint of a smile playing at his lips. It was gone before I could be sure.

"Thank you," he said, and I smiled brightly, beaming. There was something like praise in his voice and it made beyond happy. Itachi didn't compliment often, but his approval was worth so much more than any academy's teacher's.

The worry in my gut over his wellbeing and the fact that I might have to fight in the last few months of the war with Kumo eased. For now, I had to enjoy these moments.

0o0o0o0o3o0o0o0o0o

"Nee-chan!"

My eyebrows raised as Naruto came bursting into my apartment, nearly in tears. He launched himself at me but I caught the kid easily enough.

"Naruto? Whats wrong?" I asked, mildly concerned.

"They ripped Gama-chan! They ripped him!" Naruto cried, frustrated, angry, and upset as he held up the disfigured toad stuffed toy I had gotten for him when he had been a baby. I knew exactly who they were.

I frowned. Anger swelled up inside me and I wished I could have given those kids a sound thrashing but that was out of the question. A downright evil idea popped into my mind and I felt like laughing. Naruto had been a huge prankster in the show. And a good one at that. Who was I to not encourage that skill? But first I had a toddler to comfort.

"It's alright, Naruto," I told him gently, smiling at him. The toady was beyond help but still..."We'll go get another Gama-chan soon, okay? If you come with me, you can pick him out yourself."

Naruto sniffled, but in true kid fashion, he nodded his consent without much of a fight at being able to replace his toy.

"You should never let anyone treat you that way," I began after he had stopped sniffling. In the brief flashbacks I had seen of his childhood, there were times when he had been sad at the treatment he got, but he rarely-if ever-cried. But this Naruto was just a baby still and he didn't know why pretty much everyone hated him. The adults shunned him but the kids, having been told by their parents to not associate with Naruto, were so much crueler to him. I couldn't do anything about it, but he could. And it'd be mostly harmless.

The smirk on my face as I explained to a wide eyed toddler the wonders of pranks was nasty. But I at least made sure to emphasize that pranks, when played on friends and such, should leave them laughing or a little annoyed and not angry or in tears. But if he pranked people who had been bad to him, then he could go all out.

He seemed to have taken to the idea happily enough and when he had calmed down, I took the little blonde to go looking for a replacement Gama-chan as I'd promised. He ended up picking the horribly cute froggy purse I vaguely remember that he had had in the show. What were the odds, right? But really, it was kinda cute. And if I had plans to get him a pranking kit for his birthday, well no one had to know.

Perhaps I wasn't the greatest influence on the little blond kid. Eh. Not that I cared.

0o0o0o0o4o0o0o0o0o

Whenever I got the time, I'd spend some of my free time at the bookstore. The man running the store had come to memorize my face and name by now. I think he was pretty fond of me by this point.

Not too long ago I had ordered a book for Naruto and I was there to pick it up today.

"Good morning Natsu-chan, " he greeted kindly when I came into his store. I gave him a smile, saying a good morning back.

"Do you have the book, Saitou-san?" I asked, when something orange caught my eye. I froze, only barely making out that Saitou-san was talking.

"I had to order it especially, " he was saying. "Though the author is well known, this book of his isn't. "

There it was, in all its bright colored glory; Icha Icha. Like any good Naruto fan, I had always been curious about those infamous little books. And here they were. Oh man, I needed to get one. Like now.

"What are those?" I asked Saitou-san, amused when he chuckled nervously and waved me off.

"Those types of books aren't for girls your age, Natsu-chan, " he told before bringing out the book I had ordered and handing it to me to distract me from those bright books. I let it to go for now. It's not like he'd let me buy one now.

Thanking him, I paid for my book and waved at him as I left. The book I had gotten for Naruto was the one Jiraya had written.

His very first one; Tale of The Gutsy Ninja.

I wasn't completely sure why I bought it. Maybe I wanted Naruto to have a piece of his godfather as a kid. He'd like it, I knew. The little blonde would love the fact that the main character shared his name. I dropped the book of at home.

That being done I went back to the store, and Henged into a nondescript middle aged man after making sure no one had seen me. Saitou-san was a civilian. He'd never know the difference. I entered the store and almost made a beeline for the Icha Icha.

I twitched, staring intently at the little book.

I shouldn't, really really shouldn't. But I was so so curious.

Fuck it. I snatched the book. Curiosity killed the cat, but whatever. I was an adult in mind, and besides how many people would have had this golden chance. I wanted to know why these books were so popular.

I paid for the book and went straight home. I spent the rest of the day reading and occasionally giggling at the horrible ridiculousness that was this series.

I skipped time a lot in this chapter. Sorry if anything got confusing.

Chaosrin: You must be physic, buddy. I had just written the Kumo incident in not too long before your review came in.

To all my reviewers, thank you very much! I'm glad you guys like my silly story. It makes my day reading what you guys have to say.

Preview:

I had done it.

I was graduating.

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