A/N: Before we start, I want to address something that was discussed a lot under the last two chapters: filler content. To be clear, I'm not someone who dismisses all fillers on principle, but many of them simply don't work if I want to maintain anything close to a cohesive story. Naruto's timeline and worldbuilding are already a mess on their own, and most fillers aren't helping with that. Which is one of the reasons I am primarily working with the Naruto Manga.

That is not to say I'm not gonna use the unproblematic non-manga contents on occasion in a supplementary way like I already did (unproblematic meaning either canonical or at least not outright contradicting established canon and worldbuilding). I am, however, hesitant to make them central themes or even base entire arcs on them, at least for now.

Also, just as a quick reminder in case anyone forgot: BPI means before part I.

Tanya Hiden: A Young Woman's Goals

October 11, 9 years BPI

"Ah, that was fun!" Nuri chirped as the four of them stepped through the gates of the Hidden Leaf Village.

"Your definition of fun is kinda warped, don't you think?" Nemuru asked his teammate with an exhausted yawn.

"Bah, you wouldn't recognize fun if I bashed your teeth in with it."

"Would hardly be fun at that point."

"Depends on how much you annoy me prior to that."

"Now now, let's not lose cool in the middle of the street," Tekuno-sensei stopped their bickering with a chuckle. "Save it for the training field."

"Oh, you bet it will, sensei!" Nuri answered with a wide grin while Nemuru just rolled his eyes, knowing he had no other way out of this. But this was more or less their usual dynamic, and by now, Iruka was used to his teammates' antics.

Three years had now passed since the night the Ninetails had attacked the village. Since the night his parents had died. It was a moment he would never forget. He had still been holding his baby sister in his arms when they found their bodies under the debris. Back then, he couldn't do anything other than stare. He could feel Tanya trying to turn around with surprising strength for her small body, and he had to hold her tightly to stop her from seeing them. But somehow, he felt like she knew anyways. Tanya was a smart child, seemingly understanding her surroundings much better than other children her age. Even if she couldn't grasp the concept of death back then.

Their house had survived the attack, thanks to Lord Third being able to somewhat contain the Demon Fox's rampage to one part of the village. Their assets were frozen since without a legal guardian, Iruka needed to either be of age or become a Chūnin to claim the inheritance, but at least they still had a place they could call home.

After that, Iruka had been determined to do whatever he could to provide for his sister. They wouldn't get money from the orphanage fund forever, and while their neighbor, Miss Kita, was a nice lady who had volunteered to take care of Tanya, she was also very old and had died not long ago.

Iruka meanwhile had poured every second he was not looking after his sister into his studies and training, and eventually managed to finish the academy one year early and passed the final test together with his new team. It had taken a bit of time to warm up to the two older Genin, but by now, he considered both to be good friends of his.

First, there was Nuri, an energetic girl with shoulder-length dark-blue hair that she wore in a bob cut. Her outfit consisted of a grey shirt that left her midriff free and knee-long black pants, with the most notable feature being a shuriken the size of a dinner plate which she always wore on her back.

Nemuru on the other hand was more calm and collected. His wardrobe choices could pretty much always be boiled down to 'practicality over looks' with the only thing that stuck out being that he wore his dark brown hair in a half-sided bang that covered most of the right half of his face.

Iruka hadn't really known either of them due to graduating early, but the two turned out to be decent to be around. It wasn't like the trio had immediately become best friends or anything like that, but they functioned as a team well enough and got closer over time.

When they met their Jōnin-sensei for the first time, they did feel a bit let down. Tekuno-sensei was a tan man with shaggy brown hair and a very laid-back attitude who didn't exactly radiate confidence. But the three soon learned not to underestimate the guy. They found out (the hard way) that the guy was an expert in laying traps and manipulating the battlefield, and while he seemed to prefer ambushes over open confrontations, his Bukijutsu was nothing to scoff at. Much to Nuri's liking.

"What do you say, Iruka? Some sparring once we've given the mission report?" Nuri addressed the youngest member of their team.

"Maybe later. First I'll have to check up on Tanya."

"Right, why am I even asking," his teammate chuckled. "Don't worry, I get it."

They reached the Hokage Villa shortly after and gave their report. After the death of the Fourth, the Third had come out of retirement and was now once more the one leading the village.

"Lord Third," Iruka began once Tekuno-sensei was finished. "If it is fine, may I ask you a question? In private?"

The old man raised his eyebrow but nodded. Iruka earned some sideways glances from his team, but in the end, they just shrugged.

"Alright, you where you can find us!"

After the door closed, the Hokage put his hand together and leaned back.

"Well then, Iruka. What weighs on your mind?"

The boy took a deep breath.

"Lord Third, I wish to ask for your permission to enroll my sister into the Ninja Academy."

"…why are you asking this?" the old man wondered with visible confusion. "Every child in the village has the right to attend the academy if they chose to do so. You don't need my permission for that. And I don't recall someone named Umino getting banned from the academy."

Iruka started to grow nervous under the Hokage's stare, and his lack of an immediate response seemed to give him the right suspicion.

"How old is your sister?"

"...She had her fourth birthday two months ago."

"I see. Then she may attend the academy in four years."

That was more or less the answer Iruka had expected. After all, now that the war was over, the academy had introduced a minimum age for entrance.

"Lord Third, please grant her a special permit. Tanya is very talented, she is more than ready despite her age. I heard this happened before!"

"Then she will still be very talented when she turns eight. While I agree that talent should be nurtured, there is a limit to things. And if you are referring to Kakashi Hatake, he was an exception."

"Then make another exception-"

"ENOUGH!"

Iruka flinched as the old Hokage suddenly became loud, his usual calm aura getting replaced by such a crushing presence that breathing became difficult for a second. But just as abruptly as it had appeared, the feeling vanished again.

"Those were war times, Iruka," he explained with a stern face. "We had to do things differently back then. And Kakashi - who, by the way, was a year older than your sister - was an exception even under those circumstances. But now there is peace. Such measures are no longer necessary."

Still shaking slightly, Iruka bowed.

"My apologies, Lord Third. I spoke out of line."

The Hokage's facial features softened again as he leaned forward.

"You didn't actually ask because of her talent, did you?"

"...no, Lord Third. You see, our parents died during the Ninetails' attack three years ago."

The old man closed his eyes and nodded.

"Kohari and Ikkaku, yes. Those two were formidable Shinobi, and their deaths a great loss."

"Well, Tanya is the only family I have left, and I will do everything I can for her. But likewise, I am the only one she has. The nice old lady next door helped me raise her and looked after her when I was at the academy, or now, out on missions. But she died last week. And now whenever I go on a mission, all I can do is worry about her. I asked the orphanage whether they could look after her while I was away, but they said they were way too overcrowded since the attack. If she went to the academy, I'd know that she was safe over the day."

"Okay, but you know that the academy isn't a daycare, right?"

Iruka finally got back up from his bow and looked the Hokage in the eyes.

"Lord Third, she wants this as well. Being a ninja is her dream! And despite what I just said, I wasn't lying when I called her a genius. She somehow taught herself how to read and write, and not on a child's level I might add. Her vocabulary is bigger than mine! When she pestered me to teach her some things I learned at the academy, I showed her the leaf exercise hoping it would shut her up for a while. The next time I saw her that day, she could stick the leaf to her face without any issues. I know she is too young for the academy. But even if she takes longer than the normal four years, I still think it would be better for her. She is very mature for her age, so even if the other kids are older, she would likely be able to befriend them. If she could spend her days at the academy, and walk there and back together with some friends, then I would know her to be safe. The same goes for her social development. Since she is so mature, she has no friends her own age. So please, Lord Third, grant her this exception!"

The old man grew silent, and painfully quiet moments that felt like an eternity passed before he spoke again.

"I think you should go home, Iruka."

"...yes, Lord Third."

Dejected, Iruka left the office. In hindsight, he should've expected this. To the Hokage, they were just one of many. Countless children had been orphaned by the Demon Fox, why should they get special treatment? Still, the C-rank missions would only increase from here on out. He couldn't just always stockpile food so Tanya didn't have to leave the house for weeks, that couldn't be good for her mental development! Maybe he could ask one of the clans for help? After all, Tanya was a prodigy, so a clan head taking a liking to her wasn't unfeasible. But that could also backfire spectacularly, ending in everything from an engagement for an arranged marriage to things he didn't even want to imagine. And he had no idea how to make a clan head listen to him in the first place. But with the orphanage not being an option, what else was there? If he managed to become a Chūnin, he might apply to become an academy instructor and work while staying at the village. Sure, it would more or less kill his shinobi career, but for the sake of his sister, he would gladly do it. His team hadn't tried this time, but maybe on the next?

"Welcome home, brother."

Lost in his thoughts, Iruka hadn't realized that he was already home. As always, Tanya had noticed him and opened the door before he could even get his key out. Her sisterly intuition in that regard was remarkable.

He found the inside to be spotless, more or less the exact opposite one would expect from a house where a four-year-old had been left alone for a week. But that was just how Tanya was.

As he took off his ninja tools, he told his sister about the mission, although there hadn't really been anything noteworthy. Still, she listened to everything he said without interrupting. Only once he was done did she speak.

"Did you speak to the Hokage?"

"Yes, but it doesn't look like he'll let you into the academy early."

"I see. Then, if you don't mind, I would like to visit the library now."

He couldn't help but grin.

"Spent a week on withdrawal, huh? Did you already have lunch?"

"Yes."

"Alright, then hop on."

He went to his knees so she could climb on his back, then jumped over the rooftops to quickly bring her to what might be her favorite place in the village. Maybe it was all the books she read that made her develop her language so well. But then again, how did she teach herself how to read if it was this way? Oh well, details. What mattered was that she was happy.

The library had recently developed into the place I spent the most time in whenever my brother was home. It was annoying that I couldn't just come here on my own, but then again, it was understandable that they wouldn't let a four-year-old walk around by herself. Well, it would be more frustrating if there were actually any books or scrolls containing information about the appliance of magic - or 'Ninjutsu', I guess - but those were reserved for registered shinobi. The only thing I could do here right now was learn about this world and the local politics. Important, sure, but not so urgent that I would lose potential progress by not coming here for a day or two.

Had things gone differently, I wouldn't have to worry about any of this. I could simply pretend to be a normal child, playing with the Hokage's son and more or less secure my future. But three years ago, out of absolutely fucking nowhere, this oversized mammal suddenly appeared on the edge of the village and wreaked havoc. I at first didn't know what was going on. I was in the middle of my nightly chakra training when suddenly my brother burst into my room and told me we had to go. Outside, I finally saw it. One swing with its massive claws effortlessly demolished entire buildings, while the beast itself seemingly shrugged off everything that was thrown at it. I could see it all while we ran away from it. The one who managed to finally save the day was the Fourth Hokage. And even the supposedly strongest ninja in the village had to sacrifice his life to slay the beast. My brother and I survived, but our parents died trying to buy time until the Hokage arrived. Of course they did, how could I have ever expected that the accursed Being X would ever allow me to have anything nice? Well. the message was clear: Being X was not pulling any punches this time around. But I wouldn't play by his rules. I would be getting my peaceful life, and if that meant becoming strong enough to beat such monsters, so be it! In theory, all I had to do was to surpass the Fourth Hokage at least slightly so I wouldn't die in the process. In reality, that plan had two problems.

Problem 1: While I was sure I could achieve a lot on my own by applying my magical knowledge from my time in the empire – things like body enhancement and a mana sense could also be done with chakra, after all – but that wouldn't be enough. I needed to learn as much as possible, and I didn't see a way to achieve that without becoming a registered ninja. The same applied to accessing the restricted material in the library.

This led to problem 2: In order to access all restricted knowledge and techniques, I would need to become a Jōnin or Anbu. But those were the ones who got sent on the most dangerous missions, so in the end, I would have to choose between either risking my life on a daily basis or not being prepared once Being X sent the next kaiju my way. I couldn't have it both ways.

Unless I reached the highest rank a ninja could achieve: the Hokage. The one person in the village who had access to everything, including the stuff that was restricted even from the Jōnin, while at the same time never fighting any battles unless the village was attacked directly. I had never really seen myself as a politician, but it was definitely better than living on the battlefield. Also, I wouldn't have to lead the entire country, that was the duty of the feudal lord. I would only be responsible for the Hidden Leaf and its shinobi. How hard could it be to govern one village?

Nonetheless, it was frustrating that I couldn't work towards that goal right now for no other reason than sheer hypocrisy. If you are training child soldiers already, what difference do a few years make?

Since my small body didn't allow me to reach the tables while sitting, I had to stand on the chairs to properly read. Slightly humiliating, but manageable as long as people didn't bother me. A couple of hours had passed like this when he arrived. From the outside, he looked like just some plain old man with an unkempt brown beard that had mostly faded into gray, walking hunched over while stabilizing himself with a cane. But I could feel immense amounts of chakra in him, much more than my parents had.

He picked up a book, and then, to my surprise, approached me.

"Excuse me, would you mind if I join you?"

The library wasn't exactly crowded, but I guess he was one of those people who preferred company, even when simply reading. Not that I complained. This guy was, without a doubt, a ninja with a lot of experience. Depending on how old he was exactly, he might've fought in all three great wars. If I managed to impress him, I might be able to leech off of some of his knowledge. I couldn't pass on this chance!

"Feel free, Sir. My name is Tanya Umino, it is nice to meet you."

He laughed.

"Oh, no need to be so formal. I am just an old man. You can call me Hiro."

So not a clan ninja, then. I at least couldn't recall anyone with that name fitting his age to be mentioned in any of the genealogies I read. Maybe that made him more willing to share some of his knowledge?

"I believe a basic amount of respect for my elders is just common sense. Especially accomplished shinobi such as yourself, Mister Hiro."

The old man cocked his head.

"Hoh? And what makes you think I am an 'accomplished shinobi'?"

"Well, first of all, I can feel a lot of chakra in you. Much more than my parents had, and both of them were Jōnin. But that isn't exactly a profession in which one reaches your age unless they have exceptional skills. And I know the village wouldn't waste someone with great abilities. So while there are other explanations, my guess would be that you are a retired Jōnin, if not Anbu."

He looked at me with clear surprise in his eyes. Perfect, I had managed to get his attention, even if it was just with something simple like a chakra sense. Considering how basic of a skill the mana sense was back in my previous life, it was probably one of the first things shinobi learned here as well. Clan children likely could do it before even entering the academy, so to truly catch his interest, I'd need to do a bit more. But first, following the common courtesy of conversation, I should wait for his answer.

"You are not wrong," he finally said. "I was indeed a Jōnin at one point in my life. I take it that you plan to pursue this life as well?"

"I do. Unfortunately, I am not yet allowed to enter the academy."

A greying eyebrow was raised at my statement.

"Is it truly that unfortunate? I'm sure you have the potential to become a great ninja, but it is not like you lose anything from waiting a few years."

As I guessed, that alone was not enough to impress him. Now he is testing my resolve.

"And what if the next fox doesn't wait a few years?"

His eyes opened slightly further.

"There is only one Ninetails," he finally said. Shoot, I fluked this one. He didn't know about Being X, he wasn't aware that that bastard would just conjure up the next one if I didn't act according to his oh-so 'great plan'. From what I heard people talk about, I concluded that there existed other creatures similar to the fox, but it would be pointless to say that now. It would give the wrong image. It would be better to spout some of the 'values' the village love to propagate.

"I know, I meant that as a metaphor," I lied. "There will always be threats. I want to be able to protect my loved ones and this village I call home. I know I am young, but I already managed to learn some basics. I am ready. If I wait, and something were to happen in that time, I would never forgive myself."

Still standing on my chair, I pushed my book aside, straightened my posture, and made a bow.

"Of course, I understand that the rules are there for a reason, and I would never question that Lord Hokage only has the best intentions for the people of the village. If there is no way for me to become a shinobi early, then I have to accept that. But I would like to at least prepare. Unfortunately, I can not do that on my own. Therefore, Mister Hiro, if you could share some of your undoubtedly vast knowledge and experience with me, something I could do until the academy accepts me, I would be eternally grateful. I would, of course, gladly return the favor, if there is anything I can help you with."

I at first kept my position, so I didn't see his facial reaction. All I knew was that he went quiet for a while, undoubtedly contemplating whether or not I was worth his time.

"I assume you are already able to mold chakra?" he finally asked.

"Yes."

"Can you do the leaf exercise?"

"Yes."

"Can you move chakra through your body and concentrate it on certain points other than your forehead?"

"Yes."

"Strengthen your body?"

"Yes." Just to a basic level since despite everything, chakra worked a bit differently than mana, but he didn't ask that. I noted that he also didn't ask whether I knew about the Keirakukei or the Tenketsu, likely because he considered them so fundamental that it was common knowledge to him. If I mentioned that, it would've probably sounded to him like I bragged about knowing that the sky was blue. Good thing I didn't, that could've been an immediate disqualifier.

"Humm… maybe I can show you something."

I finally stood up straight again.

"My deepest thanks. I promise I won't forget this."

Hiro shook his head.

"No need, it's not like I'll really train you. I'm just an old man talking a bit."

Ah, I get it. He can't train me officially since I am too young.

"Now, take a good look."

He stood up and walked to a wall. And then he kept walking vertically up to the ceiling. His clothes were clearly still affected by gravity, meaning he simply stuck to the wall.

Impressive core strength. If his age affects him so little, the cane is probably just an act.

"I assume the principle is the same as with the leaf exercise?" I mused while he got back down.

"Fundamentally yes, though more in the way a tiger and a little house cat are the same species. It is much more complicated. You must gather the exact right amount of chakra in your soles, too little and you fall, too much and you get pushed away. And you need to do that while walking. Better train with something soft under you," he added with a chuckle. "It's not easy, but if you can do it by the time you enter the academy, that will probably help you quite a bit."

Not easy? Well, it depended on how perfect the chakra flow needed to be, but the concept seemed the same as the flight spell. With that one, I had to change speed and altitude by adjusting the mana flow, so having the chakra flow be constant would basically be the same as hovering. In other words, I just needed to figure out the right amount, the rest would be trivial. Did he honestly expect me to need four years to get this right?

No wait, I get it! This is another basic technique, just like the chakra sense! He is basically saying 'If you can't even do this, then there is no point in me training you'.

"Now, I was a bit of a bad role model here, the library is the wrong place for this," he said and put his book back on the shelf. "I have to go now. Thank you for keeping this old man company."

With a nod, he left. Had never even opened his book. Had that just been an alibi to talk to me? But nothing about me really stood out at first glance. Maybe he had originally just wanted to pass the time a bit?

Hiruzen exited the library and went back to his office, dropping his transformation jutsu on his way up the stairs. What had started as simple curiosity had ended vastly different than he had imagined.

A few hours earlier

After Iruka had left, Hiruzen raised his hand. Immediately, one of his Anbu knelt before him. He wore a bear mask and was a sensor type.

"Have a look at that sister of his."

The Anbu nodded and vanished. After two hours, he returned.

"What did you find out?"

"The girl is currently at the library. Her brother brought her there and will pick her up later. She is currently reading 'The Five-Armed Scales'."

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. It was one thing that she could already read, but a scholarly retrospect about Hashirama Senju's views and politics regarding the five great nations wasn't exactly the type of book a child would choose.

"The way she moves makes it appear as though she already has fighting experience. But the most notable thing about her is her chakra. She has way too much."

"Too much? To what degree?"

"Not Uzumaki-levels if that is what you think of, Lord Third," Bear clarified. "It's just too much for a four-year-old. It's about the same as a top-ranked academy graduate. But that is not what truly stands out. Sometimes, there are people who simply have naturally high chakra reserves. But for those people, the chakra is wild and untamed. Hers is refined. Controlled. It feels almost cultivated."

"Her brother mentioned that she can already mold chakra a bit. Could that explain it?"

"No. She would've needed to train her chakra every single day since the moment she was born to achieve it in this way."

"I see. Thank you, you are dismissed."

The bear-masked Anbu vanished, leaving Hiruzen with his thoughts. Tanya Umino… maybe he should take a look himself.

But whatever he had expected to find, this wasn't it. That she was a prodigy and incredibly mature for her age was clear as day. But above that, the girl was a natural-born sensor! And she said he had more chakra than her parents. Her parents, who had died three years ago! It didn't feel like she was lying about it, but that would mean she had already consciously felt chakra when she was just a year old!

He sat down at his desk and raised his hand with a slightly different gesture than before. This time, an Anbu with a hawk mask appeared.

"I want Tanya Umino to be guarded! Stay hidden, but have at least one Anbu look after her at any time!"

"Yes, Lord Third."

The situation had changed drastically. Sensor types were rare and highly sought after, and natural-born sensors were even more valuable. And unlike clan children, she had no one influential to back her up. If one of the more questionable forces that unfortunately existed in the village caught wind of her abilities, she was in serious danger. He needed to take measures for her protection.

He once again remembered her wish to enter the academy. It would add a minimal amount of protection to her since she would then be part of the system and slightly less vulnerable. But still, he didn't like the thought. He had codified the age limit into law for a reason.

The girl was certainly determined, that was for sure. The loss of her parents to the fox had left her with deep mental scars that had robbed her of her childish innocence. Her sensor abilities might've made her feel and understand their deaths much clearer than for a normal child, and now, she desperately wanted to prevent another loss like that.

Skill-wise, she was definitely ready. But the war was over. They didn't need another Kakashi Hatake. Although, there was also the case of Itachi Uchiha… no that was different.

Was it? Or was he just telling that to himself?

No, he shouldn't be too hasty about this. For now, having her guarded would suffice. There was also a reason why he chose to show Tanya walking on the wall of all things; while it was considered a basic ability for all shinobi, the chakra- and body control necessary for it combined with the moving of one's body required a level of skill that far exceeded what was taught at the academy. That was why Genin were usually only trained in it post-graduation. Even clan children who already knew some ninjutsu struggled with it at first. It was a bit mean to show her this while skipping all the numerous steps on the way to it. But he hoped that after trying and failing often enough, she would realize that despite her talent, it was too early for her. Overambition was dangerous, after all, especially when born from a trauma like hers.

When dusk fell and he was about to retreat for the night, the Hawk-masked Anbu returned to his office.

"Lord Third, Wolf will take over the night guard. Do you wish a report?"

"Did something noteworthy happen?"

"She spent more time reading at the library until her brother picked her up. They went out for dinner before going home. There, she tried to walk on the wall of her bedroom for about an hour."

"She gave up after just an hour?" That didn't exactly fit the image she had presented of herself earlier.

"No," Hawk clarified. "After an hour, she could do it."

A/N: I couldn't find any information for Iruka between his parent's death and the start of the series, so his two Teammates are OCs. Both are based on two of the nameless Chūnin-NPCs you can see walking around in the Ultimate Ninja Storm games who looked like they could be around Iruka's age. They are primarily there to make the world feel a bit more alive and likely won't become very important, maybe some side scenes and a few cameos.