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Welcome back. If you made it this far I thank you.
Chapter 3: Bushy Brows, Toads and Book Worms
Last time on Naruto: The Darkness Within,
Naruto and his classmates went to school. The rankings was posted and Iruka gave his class. After lunch they were set to spar. The last Two matches were Naruto Vs Sakura and Hinata Vs Sasuke. Naruto wanted to forfeit his match but Iruka wouldn't allow it. Sakura ram up and punched Naruto laying him out. Naruto however laid there unfazed. Iruka told him he had to compete and Sakura offended went to attack him. However Naruto, angered decided enough was enough and laid Sakura out winning the match. Hinata and Sasuke fought each other next. They went back and forth until Hinata eventually won using her clans special Eight Trigrams Sixty Four Palms. Her fierce determined to impress Naruto continues on to motivate her. Later that day Naruto discovers his Heritage. Naruto couldn't believe it and went to see Hiruzen Sarutobi. Hiruzen told him that it was true. Naruto left in an angry mood. Hiruzen summons Jiraiya. Naruto goes to the library with the intent to find out whatever he could. He then got some ramen and a familiar face showed up talking to him about the Nine Tails. What does this man have in store for Naruto? What will Jiraiya do with Naruto? Find out now!
We see Jiraiya finally arriving in the village entrance. Everyone greets him and he waves and smiles back. Since his exploits in the Second Shinobi War and training the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, people have idolized Jiraiya as if he were the Hokage himself. He was glad the village had finally found peace after the whole Nine Tails incident. Jiraiya has been wondering why his Sensei has summoned him back to the village. The village had seemed fine, but the summons said that the village was in the peril. Eventually, Jiraiya's walk ended when he arrived at the Hokage's tower.
"So, you summoned me Sarutobi-sensei?" Jiraiya asked.
"Yes, I have. It pertains to the village security and safety." Hiruzen stated.
"What could it be?" Jiraiya asked.
"Naruto Uzumaki. A student at the ninja academy at the moment as you know. Yet something happened to him last year and he's started training more efficiently. Currently on the unreleased rankings board he's ranked number 2 right under Hinata Hyuga. He took up Fuinjutsu and is at Level 4. In the book he found a diary entry from a journal he left behind that was meant for Naruto to receive. I have no idea how he got this page but Naruto didn't take this well. This is concerning due to how Naruto is treated by the villagers. He has no friends. Therefore no real ties to the village." Hiruzen explained.
"So, Naruto knows his heritage huh? Well then I guess I should go see the little gaki. I'll offer to train him a bit. He will grow an attachment on me and then you have nothing to worry about." Jiraiya said as he jumped out the window. He made his way to Naruto's house.
Earlier that day
Naruto woke up and took a shower. He had been waking up at six in the morning every day since he started his serious training. He would wake up and shower at six. Then he would head to the village border and go for a run. His run would last for around an hour. Afterwards he would start his meditation to rid the feeling of hatred and dread he would have because of the villagers. Today however, would be different. When he went for his morning run, he seen a Genin. They passed each other during their laps and did their own thing. After about forty-five minutes the Genin wanted to talk to Naruto.
"Hello their Youthful comrade! My name is Rock Lee! What are you training so vigorously for?" The bushy brow genin asked.
"Hello Rock Lee. I am Naruto. I'm training to get stronger so, that everyone will treat me with respect and love." Naruto said.
"That is a most youthful reason! I do not see a hitai-ate on you. Are you not a ninja?" Lee asks.
"Not yet. I graduate from the academy in a few months. I believe I am in the top three on the Rookie of the Year rankings board. However, not even two years ago I was the dead last of my class." Naruto said.
"Wow! Going from dead last to potential Rookie of the Year?! You have come far Naruto-san! You are certainly a genius of hard work. I was the dead last of my class. I wished to defeat my rival, Neji Hyuga. He is the top Genin in the village." Rock Lee said.
"Hyuga, huh? I know a Hyuga. I gave her a scroll on a style of kickboxing, with that and her juken, she defeated our class prodigy Sasuke Uchiha!" The blonde said.
"I see. Naruto-san, I challenge you to a spar. I wish to test myself against the next batch of Genins. I would like it to be a spar of nothing but taijutsu. I wish to become a splendid ninja using nothing but taijutsu!" Lee said.
Naruto looked over at Lee. He could tell Lee trains himself into the ground every time he trains. Naruto did the exact same thing every other day himself. He would push pass his limits every time. "You're on!" Naruto accepted.
They give each other the unison sign and start. Lee charges in with a punch. Naruto sees this and goes to block said punch to gage his strength. Lee punches Naruto's block and is sent flying.
'Damn, he hits hard. It would be wise to avoid further damage from him. Let's see if I am able to dodge his attacks.' Naruto thought as he assessed Lee's abilities. Naruto charged in with a kick. Lee, being the faster of the two can see where Naruto is aiming and catches his leg. He throws it down and goes for yet another punch. Naruto tries to dodge the attack, however, due to Lee's speed he is caught in the face. 'Dammit! I can't hit him or dodge his attacks.' Naruto thinks to himself. Naruto isn't used to being on the defensive side of things, not anymore anyways. After 6 months of his training, he could easily beat everyone in the class if he uses his sealing jutsus. This was just a regular sparring match only using Taijutsu. Naruto went charging in again. Lee however readily catches his fist.
"Naruto! Are you going to get serious?" Lee asked. Rock Lee wasn't entirely sure if Naruto was using all of his strength. Naruto felt a little disrespected by this. He would have to remove his gravity seals.
"Damn, I guess I will have to take my gravity seals off." Naruto said. Naruto had put seals that control the gravity on his training weights. The weights themselves was rather light with them all being five pounds. On his wrist they were at twenty pounds apiece and his ankles had forty pounds on each ankle. With the weights on both the ankles and wrist, the combined weight was One Hundred Twenty pounds. "HAI!" Naruto exclaimed to release the pressure of the weights. Naruto jumps up and down. "Wow this is much better. I got to hand it to you Rock Lee, I haven't taken these off since putting them on 7 months ago. We will see how you do with this now!" Naruto runs and kicks Lee. Lee wasn't ready for his opponent's new speed and gets kick into a tree. The tree shatters on impact like it was glass.
'Wow Naruto-kun made it this far on his own! He doesn't have Gai-Sensei there for him like I did. What a youthful display of his will of fire!' Lee thought to himself. "Wow Naruto-kun! You're display of youthfulness has encouraged me to take it further. I will let you test yourself first!" Lee shouted.
Both boys started to attack each other. Each time they matched each other with kicks and punches. Naruto went for a quick sweep kick, but Lee jumped over! Lee grabbed Naruto by his arm for a Judo throw. Lee grabbed him and tossed him only for Naruto to land on his feet. Naruto looked at Lee and smirked. Lee looked back and smiled fiercely back. It was at this point they knew they would be rivals!
"Naruto, I commend your skills! You're worthy of becoming a leaf ninja! Now I will use what I deem my special move!" Rock lee stated. Lee got into a stance and started to scream. Naruto looked in awe as the surround force around Lee blew tree limbs and started to crack the ground. "This is the technique my Sensei taught me to protect my ninja way! OPEN THE THIRD GATE: GATE OF LIFE!" Lee shouted as now the surround force of pressurized air blew Naruto back some. Naruto stood there shocked and mesmerized by the sheer power Lee was putting out.
"How could a Genin, a year out the academy, do this?" Naruto asked himself out loud. Lee started to feel the effects of his Jutsu. Lee had to keep his chakra to a certain level to maintain this level.
"NOW PRIMARY LOT-" Lee was cut off as he charged in and collapsed. "D-d-damn." Lee said.
"ROCK LEE!? Are you okay?" Naruto rushed and asked.
"N-no. I haven't pe-perfected this technique in the Third Gate yet." Lee explained.
"These gates seem powerful, but I guess the strain of it is the consequence for using such power." Naruto figured. "Here I'll help you to the hospital." Naruto picked Lee up and carried him. Naruto walked Lee to the hospital and got stares from the rest of the village. Lee didn't comment on the stares he seen and kept going with Naruto to the hospital.
3 Hours after Lee and Naruto's spar
Naruto walks to his apartment and sees a old guy at his door. Instead of going after him to see what he's doing he waits, if he tries to break in he will get hit with a bunch of security seals. Naruto watches on with great interest. He had rigged the apartment to with seals that have a bunch of glue, feathers and then powder to go off after each other.
Jiraiya knocks at the door. "Naruto, can you open the door. I have a lot to do today so let's make this quick." He says. Naruto just watches on instead of saying something. Jiraiya getting impatient opens his door with a special seal to break and enter houses. Naruto recognized the jutsu he used as he learnt it in the third book. The moment he opens the door he is hit with Naruto's security seals. Naruto starts laughing and Jiraiya hears him. "NARUTO!" He yells out. Naruto starts to run but Jiraiya Shunshin in front of him. "Where do you think you're going Brat!" Jiraiya says.
"Oh, I heard there was a ramen sale at Teuchi-san's shop, and I was headed over there." Naruto said.
"Oh, so you wouldn't happen to be running because I got hit with this disgrace of a security seals then huh?" Jiraiya questions.
"W-what? Do I even look like that kinda guy?" Naruto asks.
"Now Naruto, can you explain why you have security seals rigged to go off like that?" Jiraiya asks.
"Oh, well it's my place and I want it to be safe." Naruto lied.
"Cut the crap kid. I can tell you're lying to me right now." The Old man said.
"It's becausethevillagershatemeandwantmedead." Naruto said each word losing volume. Naruto put his head down as he said this.
"What was that?" The Toad sage asked.
"It's because the villagers hate me!" Naruto spat out. "Why do you even care?" He asked. "Who even are you?"
"You haven't heard of me?" Jiraiya asked.
"No are you, Santa?" Naruto asked.
"No, you idiot! I am the Hermit of Mount Myoboku, the wise and immortal spirit! That's right! It is I, the Toad Mountain Sage! Jiraiya!" Jiraiya says while doing his Kabuki dance.
'What the hell was that? What a stupid dance and introduction.' Naruto thinks to himself. "Oh, so you're my father's teacher. Where were you my whole life?" Naruto asks harshly.
'Dammit. Leave it to Minato to do reveal who he is to Naruto with him still being dead like this. Great now he's gonna hate me once he finds out I'm his godfather. I think I'll leave that part out for now.' Jiraiya thinks to himself. "I... I had to keep out the leaf. After Minato died, I couldn't be here. I consumed all my time with my spy network and writing books." Jiraiya said.
"So, did you know if I was still alive?" Naruto asks.
'Dammit Sensei. What the hell did you lie to me for?' Jiraiya thought. "Umm well you see, I kind of sort of figured you may have died that night as well." Jiraiya said.
"So, you, the greatest spy master in the world, didn't know I was alive?" Naruto asks sarcastically.
"When you put it like that, I look dumb. Listen how about this, me and you meet up at the bath houses tomorrow at let's say 3pm. I'll start to train you. I mean you have like what 4 months before you graduate. So, I'll whip you up and make you Chunin level before that." Jiraiya offers.
"This won't make us good in my book. But I will take the Opportunity to bond with my father's Sensei." Naruto said.
"That's the spirit. Remember meet me at the bath houses at 3pm and please refrain from making noise when you arrive. Your goal is to be a ninja." Jiraiya said. Naruto nodded. "Well, I'll see you later kid." Jiraiya said as he left.
About 3 hours Later
Naruto goes to the training grounds. He goes to practice his clone jutsu. He knows it's a requirement to graduate and would have to make a clone. He always struggled with the clone jutsu. Every time he does the clone jutsu, it is a failure.
"Clone Jutsu!" Naruto calls out. A poof of smoke comes around a very lifeless looking clone. "Ah man that's so freaking pathetic! Why can't I get this! I've been at this for hours!" Naruto frustratedly screams.
"Hey what are you working on that has you so angry?" A new voice calls out to Naruto.
"Hey, who are you?" Naruto asks.
"My name is Kabuto Yakushi! I've been a genin for about 4 years." Kabuto says.
"Oh okay! I am Naruto formerly Uzumaki, currently Namikaze. I'm currently training to master this darn clone jutsu but I can't seem to do it." Naruto tells Kabuto.
"Namikaze? Like the Fourth Hokage?" Kabuto asked.
"Yes. I am his son. I just found out." Naruto said.
"I do see a resemblance. So, what are you doing again?" Kabuto asked.
"I'm trying to perform the basic clone jutsu. Everytime I do it, it comes out like this." Naruto said as he pointed at the ugly clone.
"Hmm do you mind demonstrating your clone jutsu again?" Kabuto asks. Naruto nods and proceeds to do it again. Kabuto sees the pitiful copy of Naruto and laughs. Naruto glares at him. "Sorry, sorry. Anyways you can't ever do a simple clone jutsu. You simply have too much chakra to do it."
Naruto looked at him in utter disbelief. "Wait I can't do it? How am I supposed to pass the academy?" Naruto desperately asked.
Kabuto looks at Naruto understandingly. "Well, I guess I can tell you a secret. So about a year ago there was a boy with no talent for genjutsu or ninjutsu. He passed the clone example easily." Kabuto stated.
"Well how did he pass if he couldn't do gen or ninjutsu?" Naruto asks.
"Well, he trained in nothing but taijutsu. He became so fast that he learnt a technique only known to the first major taijutsu master of Konoha, Might Dai. He was so fast he left an after image. He was so fast that two of him appeared in front of academy instructor. Or at least that's what my sources say. His name was something like Brock Lee or something like that." Kabuto said.
"Hmm, okay and I think you mean Rock Lee. I met him this morning. I'll see if he can teach me that technique. And thank you Kabuto. I'll owe you one in the future." Naruto said. He walked off to his apartment after his conversation.
'Oh, you have no idea what you just given me Naruto. Owing me one is essentially owing Orochimaru-sama a favor, and when Orochimaru-sama claims this favor you will regret it. And you just so happen to be the Namikaze brat that he was talking about. This is great!' Kabuto thought to himself. Kabuto laughed as he too walked off.
As you see I'm trying to incorporate characters much earlier into the story than before. That was one thing I hated in the original as multiple characters just pop up, like Kabuto for insistence bro popped up in the Chunin exams and was a whole spy and even worse Danzo definitely knowing about him. Oh, and what about Danzo? He didn't show up until shippuden. We definitely deserved more scenes showing Danzo and Hiruzen together alive. So, expect that in the near future. Graduation from the academy is approaching within the next two chapters. Also, who would you like to see as Godaime Hokage? Danzō, Tsunade, or someone else? Getting from Naruto Part 1 to Shippuden would be the tricky part if anyone like Danzō is in charge but I'll figure it out. Remember feel free to comment about the story. Whether that's constructive criticism, ships, how you would advance the story, or plot holes I may have left. See you in the next one!