Three Figures sat in a room deep within the Aburame Compound. Shibi the Aburame Clan Head. Might Guy, an Elite Jonin and Konoha's undisputed master at Hand to Hand combat, and Yūgao Uzuki. Another Elite Jonin and Anbu member along with being the only living student of Kushina Uzumaki, the previous Head of the Uzumaki Clan of Konoha's sister village Uzushiogakure. It was the morning after the traitor Mizuki tricked Naruto Uzumaki into stealing the Forbidden Scroll of Seals.
The three sat in silence for a few moments before Yūgao sighed, "We've really failed Naruto."
Shibi adjusted his glasses, "It has been aggravating on how little we've been able to do for young Uzumaki."
"Considering the Hokage's order to keep our distance from him there isn't much we can do," Guy growled. He'd tried focusing his frustration into pulling his rival Kakashi out of his depressed funk with challenge after challenge but it hadn't worked, "I mean Yūgao was given the Uzumaki Kenjutsu style, and I was given their Taijutsu style so we'd be able to teach young Naruto and he'd have something of his Clan."
"Shino has also told me that there has been no mention of the Uzumaki at the Academy," Shibi said once more adjusting his glasses, with a slight angered buzzing coming from him, "Perhaps the time for the gentle approach has passed."
Guy nodded, "In more ways than one. I'd hoped Tenten and Lee could help Neji see that Fate doesn't control him," Guy sighed and ran a hand down his face, "No. I just didn't want to do more, stuck in my own grief and goal of helping Kakashi…" His gaze became one of steel as he said, "No more. We MUST do something for the next generation."
"Does that mean you'll stop holding yourself back as well?" Yūgao inquired with a raised eyebrow, getting a nod from Guy.
"I will speak with Hiruzen soon," Shibi said, "I shall remind him of a few things… Yūgao, I assume you wouldn't mind being his Sensei?"
"Course not," Yūgao scoffed, "Better me than Kakashi who the Civilians would blackmail into focusing on the 'Last Uchiha'. After all, Sasuke was Rookie of the Year and the one with that title is always put with the 'Deadlast', and we already know Kakashi is the most likely Sensei to take Sasuke."
Shibi nodded, "Then it's settled. Guy, I am curious to see what you'll do with your team now that you are no longer holding back," The grin Guy gave was slightly terrifying given his normal nice guy persona.
A couple hours later while Hiruzen was working on the everlasting, unkillable evil that was paperwork when the intercom crackled to life and his secretary let him know that Shibi Aburame wished to see him. Jumping at the chance to take a small break from the bane of every kage. Shibi entered, sat in the chair before his desk and much to Hiruzen's surprise placed a seal tag on the table and activated it. From what he knew of Fuinjutsu it was a security seal so others couldn't overhear.
"Shibi, what can I do for you?" Hiruzen asked.
"Did you know that Kushia appointed me as a backup Godfather for young Naruto in case Jiraiya failed?" Shibi asked, getting a surprised look from the Hokage as Shibi pulled a scroll from his pocket, "I have with me, my copy of Kushina's Will…"
"I had that sealed!" Hiruzen growled only to flinch back when Shibi lowered his glasses to look at the Hokage. The last time Hiruzen had seen Shibi do that, Shibi had destroyed the Iwa Shinobi who'd nearly killed Shibi's fiance.
Returning his glasses to their normal position he said, "You had Konoha's copy sealed. This is my personal copy. I would have come ealier but I had a few things I needed to double check. Did you know that Kushina never made the Uzumaki Clan a Konoha Clan? They still count as an Uzushio Clan and as per the Treaty, as long as one Uzumaki is aligned with Konoha the Treaty is in full effect. This also means that Kushina and by extension her son Naruto are the de facto Ambassadors to the Uzumaki Clan, and it is illegal to seal an Ambassadors Will," As Shibi spoke Hiruzen seemed to deflate. Had he really failed young Naruto THAT much? "On top of that you ordered Yūgao, Might Guy and myself to stay away from young Naruto when you knew that Yūgao was chosen to pass down the Uzumaki Kenjutsu Style 'The Surging Serpent', while Might Guy has their Taijutsu Style, 'The Storming Dragon'."
Hiruzen winced. He HAD made that order. Had his grief at his wife's, Minato's and Kushina's death blinded him this much? Defeat was clear in his voice as Hiruzen asked, "Shibi… what do you think I should do?"
"Have you put together any of the new Genin teams?" Shibi asked.
Hiruzen shook his head, "I was going to do that after lunch."
"First thing to do is, don't put Naruto and Sasuke on the same team and definitely not under Kakashi," Shibi said, "Kakashi would be blackmailed by the Civilian Council to focus on Sasuke letting the other to fall behind. Kurenai is also not a good pick. Her skills with Genjutsu might be Jonin level but everything else is mid Chunin at best. There is also the fact that she sabotaged the Kurama Clan by having their Heir sealed."
"She said that young Yakumo would never be able to use her Bloodline," Hiruzen frowned, "How is that sabotage?"
"She only trained Yakumo for a week, something which my wife told me as she knew Yakumo's mother," Shibi replied, getting a shocked look from Hiruzen, "As you know young Yakumo Kurama's Bloodline creates a second personality in her mind. The Ido. My wife looked into the origin of the word, and found it comes from the studies of a psychologist from Kumo. In his studies the 'Id' is the darker aspects of the mind. The darker her life and thoughts the stronger the Ido. As such, the more positivity in her life, the weaker the Ido. Due to the Seal which can be seen as a betrayal from her Sensei and from you as you had to agree to it, there is a lot she has to be bitter about. My wife also has some knowledge of Fuinjutsu due to Kushina teaching her, and found that the seal on Yakumo is faulty and the Ido can easily influence her."
"She… she told me she tried to teach young Yakumo for a month," Hirzuen said, slumping down. That's two Clan Heirs he failed. Then straightened a fire in his eyes, "I'll recall Jiraya to check and possibly her seal, apologize to Yakumo in person and ask Inoichi to get young Yakumo therapy to help her fight the Ido. I will also confront Kurenai about this."
Shibi nodded, "Now back to Naruto. I suggest putting Naruto, Hinata and Shino on a team under Yūgao Uzuki. This would let Naruto retrieve training form his mother's remaining student, receive part of his inheritance and also assist Hinata Hyuga. The Aburame Clan have always been allies of the Uzumaki Clan as they were the ones who brought us to Konoha. Hinata also has a severe inferiority complex and Naruto and Shino can help her. Naruto's enthusiasm is quite infectious according to Shino, and Shino's stoic calm is a good balance. They also have a wide range of possible specializations. Naruto has senses as keen as an Inuzuka so could be good at tracking, the raw Chaka of the Uzumaki so Ninjutsu is a given. Due to both his parents excelling in Fuinjutsu along with being an Uzumaki you could say the Sealing Art is in his blood which along with his creative mind he could surpass both."
"He has pranked, outran and hid from the Anbu for years and in a bright orange jacket and pants. As such, if he has such high stealth skills now, what would happen if he wore colors appropriate for the area? His pranking has already laid the basics for a Trap Master, and given the Byakugan and Aburame Kikaichu you have the grounds for an infiltration and sabotaging team. You also have a capture and interrogation team in the makings. The possibilities for this combination are immense, plus Hinata and Shino have never belittled Naruto unlike almost every other member of the class."
Hiruzen stayed quiet as he thought about this. It's true that most of the class was antagonistic towards the young Uzumaki, so the Teamwork that Konoha prided itself on would be next to impossible to create. Shibi's suggestion had merit, "Why put this team under Yūgao instead of Kakashi? The blackmail issue could be countered by a direct order from me."
"Kakashi spends all his time at the Memorial Stone and is late for every mission that is not an A-Rank," Shibi replied, "He also uses the Bell Test as his Sensei did and simply expects his team to work together. The Bell Test itself is flawed. It is a case of throwing three children together who might not even like each other and expect them to put their differences aside and work together. Tell me Hiruzen, how many children have the maturity to put their feelings to the side to work with those they dislike if not completely hate?"
Hiruzen sighed. When said like that he could see the flaw in the test. Even with his Genin Team it was Tsunade who got Jiraya and Orochimaru to work together as the two even then had a strong dislike for the other, "I see your point. The bell test is only good if the groundwork to make a good team is already there."
"Another problem is the Ninja Academy is under the control of the Civilian Council and is far too focused on theory and the practical side suffers as a result. I would suggest making a small team to investigate if Naruto is the only one who's been sabotaged, though the fact he was and it wasn't caught means they had to teach everyone equally. We are still low on Shinobi after the Massacre and Kyuubi attack. As such any sabotage on the upcoming Genin could be seen as sabotage to Konoha itself," Hiruzen sighed and ran a hand down his face. Even more to do on his already full plate.
"Very well. I'll have Ibiki and Inoichi arrange the investigation. I assume that you've already spoken with Yūgao since you specifically mentioned her?"
"Indeed," Shibi replied.
Hiruzen nodded, "I'll make sure she gets the team. Thank you for bringing all this to my attention Shibi. Depending on how things go, I might have you take over the overhaul for the Academy."
Shibi simply gave a small nod, rose took his security seal, and left the room. He was curious to see how things would go with this small nudge.
A week later Naruto entered the academy, proudly wearing his forehead protector. Upon entering his homeroom for the last time he hid a smirk at the surprised looks from all the other new Genin. Taking a seat in the back he was surprised when a few minutes later Shino sat next to him, "I see you managed to earn your headband. Congratulations," Shino said in his normal monotone.
"Uh… Thanks Shino," Naruto said, not used to people other than Iruka-Sensei, the Ichiraku's and Hokage acknowledging him, "So who do you think our Jonin Senseis will be?"
Shino adjusted his glasses, "I am unsure. There are too many possibilities. I simply hope that whoever it is can help us reach our full potential."
"Yeah! I can't wait to become an awesome ninja, dattebayo!" Naruto cheered.
The two continued to talk ignoring Sasuke's fangirls who were somehow worse in their arguments. Doubly so when Ino and Sakura appeared, since Ino had started to claim that as a Clan Heir she'd be the obvious best choice for Sasuke who's also a Clan Heir. That just started an entirely new argument. When the door opened and Iruka entered holding a couple papers, everyone noticed he seemed a bit somber. Seeing the argument Sasuke's fangirls were in he made a single hand sign and shouted, "SHUT UP AND TAKE YOUR SEATS!" His head growing to almost comical proportions but as always his Big Head Jutsu got the job done.
"I'll keep this brief. First I want to say how proud of you all I am. I hope you all have long fulfilling lives as proud Shinobi of Konoha. Now onto the teams," Naruto noticed that teams one through five were either made of only civilian born students, or members of minor clans, "Team Six will be Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyuga and Naruto Uzumaki under Elite Jonin Yūgao Uzuki," Hinata let out a small 'eep' at being on a team with Naruto and fought hard to keep herself from passing out. Doubly so since she'd taken a seat on the row below Naruto and Shino.
"Why does Naruto-Baka get an Elite Jonin instead of Sasuke?!" Sakura screeched and was about to say more until she saw the glare Iruka was sending her.
"Sakura, you're a Genin now so act like it," Iruka growled making the pink haired kunoichi gulp, "You'll soon find that life in a classroom and life in the field are two vastly different things. Now Team Seven will be Kiba Inuzuka, Shikamaru Nara," Here Shikamaru and Choji sat up straight, "And Sasuke Uchiha under Elite Jonin Asuma Sarutobi."
"HA! Take that Naruto-Baka!" Sakura said before she could stop herself as she got up and pointed at Naruto, "You're not the only one with an Elite Jonin as your Sensei! And Sasuke-Kun's is directly related to the Hokage!"
"Sakura…" Iruka said quietly though it still caused Sakura to freeze and slowly turn to the Chunin, "As a Genin you are considered an adult. So once more, act like one!"
Sakura gulped as she sat down, as Iruka coughed into his hand, "Team Eight will be Choji Akamichi, Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka under Jonin Ensui Nara."
"Cousin Ensui?" Shikamaru said in shock, completely ignoring the fact he wasn't on a team with his best friend, "I didn't know he was taking a Genin Team," Team Ten was another team made of minor clan members and civilians.
"You all have one hour for lunch before your Sensei arrives. Take the time to get to know your teammates if you don't know them, and once again I wish you all the best of luck," Iruka then picked up the papers and left the room.
Shino tilted his head slightly before shaking it. Standing up he said, "Why don't we get some food and get to know each other a little more? I must admit I know only the basics about you two, and I'm sure you both must have questions for me as well."
"Ichiraku's?" Naruto suggested.
"What about the bakery a couple blocks away? The one near the weapon shop run by that old couple?" Hinata suggested.
Naruto frowned. He'd tried the place once and was instantly kicked out for 'making a disturbance' when he was just browsing the menu… though maybe since he was a Genin things would be different now? "I, I guess that's fine. It's no ramen though!" If Hinata and Shino noticed his small stutter they didn't comment on it.
During the walk the three spoke about themselves. Hinata spoke about her family's fighting style the Juken and a few Chakra control exercises that Naruto could try to get his massive amount of Chakra under control. Shino spoke about his hive, how they could drain Chakra and how he could communicate with them to spy on bandits and the like. Naruto spoke about his high stealth skills, the Shadow Clone Jutsu, and some of his favorite pranks. When Shino brought up his Sexy Jutsu and that as it's a distraction technique he could use that with his Shadow Clones to either overwhelm an opponent's senses, or a way for his Shadow Clones to get a surprise attack on the enemy.
"Umm… Naruto?" Hinata asked, nervously tapping the tips of her fingers together, "How did you come up with that Jutsu?"
Naruto shrugged, "I saw how many people reacted to the swimsuit magazine in bookstores or those small orange books. I figured I could use that to my advantage so I looked at those magazines whenever I had the chance to learn the form. Add some experimentation and wha-la. One special distraction technique that seems to work on everyone. Including the Hokage."
Hinata was relieved that Naruto got it just from swimsuit magazines which were a lot better then some other places he could have gotten it from. When the trio arrived at the bakery, Naruto held the door for his teammates, but upon entering the cashier barked out, "Here to cause another ruckus? Get…" Though the moment he saw that not only did Naruto have a forehead protector but both the Aburame and Hyuga Heirs were standing with the brat, he froze. Feeling sweat start to run down the back of his head at the angered look from the Hyuga and the unreadable look from the Aburame he quickly backtracked "I… I mean what can I get for you?"
Naruto was shocked at the reversal but the three made their orders. Hinata got some cinnamon rolls, Shino got some berry and honey biscuits one of which he slipped into his sleeve so his Kikaichu could eat, and Naruto got a cinnamon roll, a berry and honey biscuit a couple different kinds of cookies and a new kind of food the bakery was experimenting with called 'quiche' that originated from Takigakure at Shino's suggestion. The slice Naruto got had mushrooms, ham, and cheese. The cashier expected the Demon Brat to hate it, cause a stink and be thrown out but upon taking his first bite Naruto's eyes went wide, "This is amazing! It's not as good as ramen but it's still good!" The cashier was dumbfounded as the trio went back to their conversation while keeping their voices down.
Once the trio returned to the academy they sat off to one side and waited for their sensei to arrive. Ten minutes later the door opened and three Jonin entered, two men and a woman. All three wearing the standard Konoha Jonin attire. The first man had his black hair pulled back into a single ponytail, had large shadows under his eyes as if he was always tired and a small goatee. The next male had short black spiky hair and beard, and had an unlit cigarette in his mouth. The third was a woman with a sheathed sword on her back and waist length purple hair.
"Team Six with me," The woman said, Naruto, Shino and Hinata quickly moving down to stand before her.
"Team Seven, come here," The bearded Jonin said with Kiba and Sasuke moving down, Shikamaru leisurely walking down before his Sensei barked out, "Move it Nara!" Shikamaru picked up the pace with Ensui snorting in amusement.
"Team Eight, get down here," Ensui drawled, making most think he was the typical lazy Nara before he said with much more steel in his voice, "Now. Before I get annoyed," Sakura, Ino and Choji quickly made their way to stand before Ensui.
"Do either of you mind if we take the roof?" Yūgao asked.
"Go ahead," Asuma replied, "We'll head to our training ground."
"And we'll head to ours," Ensui said and turned and left, "Follow me," His Genin quickly followed their Sensei.
"Heh. It's not often you see a Nara put their lazy tendencies aside," Asuma chuckled before turning to his team, "Come on. We're going to Training Ground 12."
Yūgao turned to her Genin with a small smile, "As I said we're heading to the roof. Follow me," When the four got to the roof Yūgao took a seat on a small chair and motions for her students to sit on a bench before her, "Let's get right to it shall we?" I'll introduce myself and would like you to do so in a similar manner. My name is Yūgao Uzuki, the last remaining student of Kushina Uzumaki…" Here Naruto's eyes went wide at the last name, "My focus is Kenjutsu specifically The Surging Serpent which I learned from Kushina-Sensei and the Hidden Tree Crescent Style from my colleague Hayate Gekkō who is considered Konoha's top sword master. My current dream is to make the three of you the best Shinobi I possibly can. I like practicing with my sword, training with Hayate and the occasional trip to a spa. I dislike slackers, those who become Shinobi to impress others, and those who let others control their life. Now Shino, why don't you start?" Hinata shifted slightly at the mention of impressing others.
Shino adjusted his glasses, "My name is Shino Aburame, Heir of the Aburame Clan. My current focus is advancing in skill with my family's ninjutsu style that uses our Kikaichu. My current dream is to discover new types of insects, or failing that, to find new ways to use my Kikaichu. I like studying insects, fresh fruit, honey and spending time meditating in the forest. I dislike those who insult or needlessly kill insects. Parasites such as fleas, lice and the like, and those who make rash judgements or comments and do not retract those statements when proven wrong."
When Yūgao looked at Hinata, the girl gulped but managed to gather her courage, "My name is Hinata Hyuga, Heir of the Hyuga Clan. My current goal is to get better at my family's Taijutsu Style, the Gentle Fist and…" Hinata gulped and tried to talk about Naruto before shaking her head. It would take a long time before she was ready to talk about her crush but at least she wasn't stammering like she normally did, "I like cinnamon rolls, my younger sister Hanabi, pressing flowers and star gazing. I dislike how my family is split, whe… when Tradition dictates the present to the point there's no progress, and… I don't have the best opinion of Kumogakure."
When Yūgao turned to Naruto, she saw he was completely still, his shocked expression plain as day. Clapping her hands in front of his face she gave him a kind smile. Anyone would be stunned to hear the name of the woman who was most likely their mother out of the blue after all. Naruto quickly shook his head and got his normal cheer back "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, dattebayo!" Naruto cheered, "My current goal is to become good enough to become Hokage and gain everyone's respect! I like ramen, pranking those who deserve it and like Shino spending time in the forest to clear my head and come up with new prank ideas. I dislike the three minutes it takes to make 'instant' ramen, Mizuki-Teme and Sasuke-Teme."
Yūgao nodded, "Alright. Now normally there'd be a second test to prove you're worthy of the title of Genin as the academy test is to show you have the base skills. However just because that's tradition does not mean it's legally required, as such I'm going to do my best to turn you three from the rough chunks of coal I found you, and turn you into gleaming diamonds of what it means to be a Shinobi. First off…" Yūgao turned to Naruto, "I need to know this. Were you properly taught how to read and write?" Hinata and Shino's eyes widened and quickly turned to Naruto who blushed and looked away but that was all the answer Yūgao needed, "Thought so. So for the first few days we'll be training at the Aburame Compound. Shino's mother Orchid also knew your mother and is willing to teach you the basics of Fuinjutsu or as it's more commonly known the Sealing Arts. She plans to abuse your ability to make Shadow Clones to rectify that problem in one day."
"How would Shadow Clones help with that?" Naruto asked, scratching his head in confusion.
"Alright. Let's go through a hypothetical scenario," Yūgao said, "Let's say we're infiltrating an enemy stronghold, and we come across a door. You send a Shadow Clone in as a scout, you trip a trap and a kunai launcher activates and kills the clone. You would know how far in your clone was, what triggered the trap, and what kind of trap it was. So if you use that when training Chakra control then even if you use only a single clone you are literally cutting the training time in half."
Naruto's eyes lit up at the potential of the Jutsu he learned. As his mind was whirling with possibilities Shino inquired, "If the Jutsu is that useful why is this my first time hearing about it?"
"Because it's considered a Kinjutsu for two reasons," Yūgao explained, "First reason is normally only a Jonin has enough Chakra to use it and continue fighting as it takes your Chakra and evenly distributes it between you and the clones. So a single clone would have half your Chakra, two clones would each have a third and so on. The second reason is not everyone can handle the memory transfer and in a fight that can be dangerous. I plan to get you and Hinata able to make at least one clone, and then have the clones do simple exercises like various Taijutsu kata or Chakra control exercises. When they burst you two will be meditating and we'll slowly work up to combat exercises with them."
"I made almost a hundred when I fought Mizuki-Teme," Naruto said once more confused, "How was I able to do that if the Jutsu split my chakra? And how come I wasn't affected when they burst?"
"As I said some people can't handle it. If you can handle almost a hundred bursting at once then that shows you have a good affinity with the technique. You are also a member of the Uzumaki Clan of Uzushiogakure," Yūgao explained and raised a hand to prevent Naruto from speaking, "Yes. You have a clan, and the fact the Academy said nothing about them is a problem for another time and for other people. Your mother Kushina Uzumaki was one of the few survivors of Uzu when a combined army of Iwa, Kumo and Mizu invaded them at the start of the Third Shinobi War due to being in Konoha at the time. You are also the last known member of the Uzumaki Clan's Main Line," All the Genin's eyes went wide as that meant Naruto was Clan Heir by default, "Learning about the Uzumaki will be one of the things I teach you three. What's important is the Uzumaki Clan have dense and powerful Chakra compared to others with the Main Line's Chakra being even denser and more powerful. As such low level Jutsu such as the basic Bushin would be difficult if not impossible for you to do when making only a couple. As such the more Chakra intense clones such as the Elemental and Shadow Clones were the Uzumaki's go-to Clones."
A slight buzzing could be heard from Shino, "If that's the case then why did none of the teachers at the Academy…" The buzzing became louder as Shino's face darkened, "Sabotage… they were sabotaging Naruto…"
Yūgao's face turned grim as she nodded, "Yes. However, you don't need to worry about that…" Her face turned dark, "Trust me. That will be taken care of," Her expression quickly went back to her calm expression, "Now let's head over to the Aburame Compound shall we?"
Author's Notes:
I've been toying with ideas of writing a Naruto story for a while. So a few things to go over. First: Some Jutsu's will use their Japanese names, and some will use their translated names. This is partly due to some Justs just having better names in Japanese in my opinion. Rasengan being a great example as its translated name is 'Spiralling Sphere'. It gets the point across but sounds so basic.
Second: I'll also only use honorifics if I feel it's necessary. 'Sensei' and 'Sama' being examples of ones I'll use.
As for Might Guy. In the anime he was shown to have the Tortoise clan as summons even if he rarely used it, plus according to the Wiki he taught Tenten how to use most of her tools showing he's at least proficient in them. I've always thought he chose to hold back to try and help Kakashi so if that's the case and he's already an Elite Jonin then what would he be like if he stopped holding back and used his full range of skills? I'm still going to try to keep his normal self in mind but we'll have a much more serious Guy in this story.
Also the reason Asuma didn't lead his team to Training Ground 7 is because that's where the Memorial Stone is, and Asuma doesn't want to put up with Kakashi's BS.