Author's Note: Sorry this is a little late, I didn't quite make it before Friday this time. Regardless, here is the next chapter! I've continued to get a lot of great reviews, and I am grateful that so many of you are enjoying this story! I wanted to mention that I am using some Japanese phrases and terms here that I get mostly from the anime and manga, and I hope any errors I make in their usage doesn't offend anyone. I also make some mention of martial arts techniques in this chapter, which come from research only. Any mistakes in that are from my inexperience with martial arts, so I hope you will be forgiving of any errors. I had to cut this chapter a little short due to it taking longer than I expected to get through a couple of scenes, so there will likely be one more chapter before I skip ahead to the Wave Arc. Naruto will start showing some of the skills he is gaining very soon! As always, please read and review, I really appreciate all your feedback. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the related IP. Original characters and story elements are mine.

Once again, Naruto found himself up before the sun heading towards the training grounds. The stillness of the pre-dawn air and the quiet tranquility of the sleeping village were a sharp counter-point to the blond ninja's excitement to begin learning his clan's taijutsu style.

He soon left the village proper, entering the forest which surrounded the various training grounds and provided privacy both for the shinobi honing their skills and the civilians who preferred that their homes and businesses not be exposed to wayward jutsu. The leaves rustled a sleepy greeting to the Uzumaki as he passed beneath their boughs, his thoughts lingering on the discoveries from the previous night.

The jutsu library had been impressive. Most of the scrolls bore the stylized white spiral of the Uzumaki crest, but a few were either unmarked or had emblems that were unfamiliar to Naruto. Even Hinata with her clan upbringing could not identify them. The realization that more than just his clan had been destroyed when the Village Hidden in the Whirling Tides fell was sobering. Naruto resolved that night to do everything possible to discover who the lost clans of Uzushio were so their names would not be forgotten. He hoped the genealogy book would hold the information he needed, or at least some clues to the identities of the other clans. There were names from outside the Uzumaki clan, but Naruto hadn't noticed if there was anything to distinguish whether they came from clans or smaller families.

The next discovery proved enough to bring the two genin out of their depressing mood. Hinata had discovered a large scroll in a jade tube, capped in gold and protected against unauthorized access by a seal with the white spiral at the center. Naruto applied a small bit of chakra, and the seal opened with a flash of light. The scroll inside contained the hijutsu of the Uzumaki clan. More than the generic ninja skills, Hinata had explained, hijutsu, also called hiden, were secret techniques specific to a group or individual, in this case the Uzumaki, and could only be performed by one who had the special chakra unique to the clan. While not quite equivalent to a bloodline limit, they were the next closest thing, much like the mental skills of the Yamanaka clan or the shadow jutsu of the Nara. Kichijōten's method in creating her infamous masks could also be considered a hijutsu, albeit a lesser one than the clan skills.

The scroll described the Uzumaki as having three distinct hiden, which all stemmed from their uniquely potent chakra. The first was called Mind's Eye of the Kagura, and was a chakra sensing jutsu of unparalleled ability. It relied on the user's Yin Release to extend their senses to several dozen kilometers. The user could track distinct targets based purely on chakra signature, and perceive fluctuations in chakra that would indicate when a genjutsu was active on the person. The second ability was also based in Yin Release, though it began to blend in the Yang Release. It was known as the Adamantine Chains and came in two varieties, the Attacking Chains and the Sealing Chains. The Attacking Chains were capable of immense power, able to pierce any known substance and lift tremendous weight with ease. The Sealing Chains could restrict a target's movement as well as chakra flow, and by using two or more chains, the Uzumaki could erect an impenetrable barrier. The third hiden of the Uzumaki was much more closely guarded, to the point where it wasn't even named in order to prevent others from discovering and exploiting it. It was derived from the chakra transfer technique, and took advantage of the Uzumaki's potent life-force and Yang Release. If someone bit an Uzumaki, they could transfer the Uzumaki's chakra and heal even life-threatening injuries. The draw-back to this hiden was it drained the Uzumaki's chakra reserves dramatically and could be lethal if used too liberally.

Naruto was pulled from his thoughts on his clan hijutsu by the sound of sparring coming from the clearing ahead. As he passed through the trees, he saw a jonin wearing a green one-piece training suit with orange leg warmers and a Konoha flak vest sparring against a clone that had been transformed to be about genin height, presumably in preparation for Naruto's arrival. The transformation jutsu on the clone appeared to be mainly a stature change, since it still looked identical to the jonin, sans the flak vest. Both had black hair cut in a bowl style below their ears and slicked down until it looked more like a helmet than follicles. The most striking feature, however, was the set of the bushiest eyebrows Naruto had ever seen. As the blond stepped closer, the jonin lashed out with a blindingly fast punch, catching the clone in the chest. Instead of dispelling as Naruto expected, the clone flew back several feet and came to rest in the grass, narrowly avoiding being knocked into the pond at the edge of the field.

"Your flames of youth burn brightly, Lee-kun," the jonin boomed, "but you must continue to fan them to new heights if you want to best your eternal rival!"

Naruto's jaw dropped as the 'clone' was revealed to be another genin. Lee kipped to his feet, clenching his fist in front of his face until it quivered. Now that the sparring had stopped, Naruto could see the differences between the two ninja. The genin, Lee, had almost unnaturally round eyes, and a softer face than the older ninja, though he sported the same thick eyebrows as his sensei. He had bandages wrapped around his hands and forearms, and Naruto noticed they covered knuckles thick with bruises and lacerations, testament to long hours practicing taijutsu strikes.

"Yosh, then I will train even harder, Guy-sensei," Lee shouted back, "I will start by doing five hundred punches with each hand! And if I cannot do that, I will do one thousand kicks! And if I cannot do that, I will run around the village fifty times with a boulder on each of my legs and arms!"

The jonin, Guy, seemed unperturbed by the outlandish claims his student was making, instead responding with an outstretched thumbs up. When he smiled, the sun caught his perfectly white teeth and Naruto swore he heard a ping.

"Then go, my beloved student! Show the world what a splendid ninja you are, for this is the Springtime of Youth, and your passionate flames will never be quenched! While you train, I will begin fanning the flames of youth in our guest, and perhaps one day his fires may match your own!"

With tears streaming comically down his face, Lee sped off to the training stumps at the other end of the field to begin his punches, proclaiming youth to the heavens with every strike.

Naruto suddenly understood his sensei's final warning as he stared in stunned silence at the distant genin. He could feel the cold sweat collect at the back of his neck as he turned to face the eccentric jonin.

What have I gotten myself into now?

Guy looked down at the orange clad ninja, "You much be Uzumaki Naruto-san," his forceful voice made Naruto jump. "My Eternal Rival, Kakashi, asked me to help you learn an ancient taijutsu style from your clan. My name is Might Guy, the Sublime Blue Beast of Prey, and Konoha's most devoted student of the art of taijutsu."

It took Naruto a minute for his brain to agree to process anything other than eyebrows, but eventually he managed a weak reply, "Uh, yeah, Kakashi-sensei said you might be able to help me."

Naruto reached into his pack and withdrew the taijutsu scroll. He hesitated a moment, remembering Hinata's words from yesterday, but with a slight nod, offered it to his temporary instructor.

Guy reverently accepted the scroll, seeing the look that passed over the blond's face, "Fear not, Naruto-san, I will guard the knowledge this scroll contains with my very life, and I swear on the Flames of Youth that none shall discover your clan secrets from me," he finished with the same thumbs up pose he had given his student.

The self-proclaimed Blue Beast opened the scroll and began to examine the kata descriptions. His confident smile never wavered, and he soon looked back to Naruto, excitement shining in his eyes.

"I have never seen this style before in my life."

Naruto's face fell, "So you can't help me?"

"On the contrary! This scroll contains everything we need to learn the lost style of the Uzumaki clan, together!" Guy's exuberance was infectious, and Naruto soon found himself grinning just as broadly as his new sensei.

"YATTA!" Naruto leapt into the air, fist clenched in victory. "When do we start, Bushier-Brows-sensei?"

Guy seemed unperturbed by the blond ninja's nickname for him, and instead turned to his other student, still striking the distant training posts, "LEE! I am in need of your assistance!"

The smaller Green Beast immediately bolted to his teacher and role model, stopping suddenly in a straight-backed salute, "Yes, Guy-sensei! I will do whatever you require!"

"Lee-kun, this is Uzumaki Naruto," Guy gestured to the blond, "we will be helping him learn the taijutsu style of his clan." He then turned to Naruto to complete the introduction, "Naruto-kun, this is Rock Lee, my precious student. He will help provide a sparring partner for you as you learn."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Naruto-san!" Lee bowed deeply at the waist. "I promise I will be the best sparring partner you could wish for!"

Naruto was taken aback by the intensity of the pair, but their enthusiasm was quickly growing on him, "Er, thanks, Bushy Brows."

"Lee-kun!" Guy barked, regaining his students' attention, "Since this style belongs to the Uzumaki clan, there will be times when I will need to instruct Naruto-kun privately. Since I am unfamiliar with the style myself, there will also be times when I will need to observe Naruto-kun's technique from the outside. In these instances, I will ask you to spar with him. Of necessity, you will be exposed to some aspects of the style as the two of you spar, but you are under strict instructions to keep silent about any secrets you may glean from your observations of the techniques. Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly clear, Guy-sensei!" Lee shouted. "I promise to be worthy of Naruto-kun's trust! For if I cannot do that, then how could I be called a splendid ninja?"

The green jonin buried his face in the crook of his elbow, vainly attempting to quell the manly tears he was shedding out of pride for his student, "Lee-kun, your flames of youth truly burn brightly, to be so willing to aid your comrade!"

"Guy-sensei!"

"Lee!"

Naruto could have sworn the two were standing only a meter or so apart. Yet he watched as somehow Lee began running towards his sensei, arms outstretched, taking several steps along the sandy beach as seagulls cried and the setting sun gleamed brightly on the surf. Teacher and student embraced as a wave crashed, sending salt spray high into the air, throwing the sun's light into a beautiful rainbow that arched over them.

As quickly as the vision appeared, it was gone, leaving Naruto flabbergasted and absently wiping the ocean spray from his face.

What was that?! Some kind of genjutsu?

Before his brain could recuperate from the impossibility he had witnessed, Guy turned to face him.

"Now, Naruto-kun," he began, holding up the Uzumaki scroll, "this taijutsu style relies heavily on footwork and mobility. The kata require that you are in constant motion, moving to your opponent's blind spots to maximize your striking potential while minimizing their opportunity to counter-attack. This is a fluid style, meant to emphasize evasion and redirection over blocking. You will continually seek to create and exploit holes in your opponent's guard so that you may connect with devastating, lightning-fast strikes. Unpredictability will be your blade, and control will be your sheath."

Naruto noticed in his periphery that Lee had produced a small notebook and pencil from somewhere and was frantically taking note of his sensei's words. Before he could dwell too long on this new oddity, his attention snapped back to the now pacing jonin.

"Footwork is indeed important for many variations of taijutsu, yet this scroll reveals that the Uzumaki practiced a style built from circular footwork, often considered more difficult to master."

"Uh, hang on Bushier Brows-sensei," Naruto raised his hand, bewildered, "what do you mean, 'circular footwork?'"

"Excellent question! Within the art of taijutsu, most styles are built on one of three conventional patterns of footwork. These patterns are linear, triangular, and circular.

"The linear styles are built on the philosophy that the fastest and most efficient way to reach the opponent is a straight line. They rely on rigid stances and rapid advance and retreat to overwhelm their adversary. The Hyuga's Gentle Fist is one such style."

Guy dropped into a wide stance, turning his torso so that his front foot and shoulder aligned, facing Naruto. He crouched low, one arm extended, palm forward. The other hand held at his waist, palm up. He demonstrated a few quick advances and retreats, throwing palm and finger strikes as an example.

"Triangular footwork consists of moving toward your opponent at an angle, placing yourself in superior positions for attack and defense. The Strong Fist style that Lee and I practice utilizes this philosophy. Lee-kun, if you would demonstrate?"

The older genin quickly dropped into his taijutsu posture, torso more squared towards Naruto, with bent knees, and a slightly narrower stance. His front hand was held in front of his chin, palm facing backward, while his other hand was clenched in a fist at the small of his back. As he demonstrated his advances and retreats, he appeared to be zigzagging along the points of a diamond, randomly changing direction. The kicks he exhibited often came from the side, seeking to get around Naruto's guard.

Guy continued with his explanation, "The Uzumaki style uses circular movement patterns, espousing the ideas of balance and harmony. Similar to the triangular footwork of the Strong Fist style, circular styles move at angles with respect to the opponent, seeking to exploit blind spots and weaknesses in the adversary's form. Your goal will be to confuse your opponent with unconventional and unpredictable changes of direction. You must strengthen your legs, especially your ankles, and master your balance to excel at this style. To that end we will start with a warm-up spar, the two of you against me. Then we will move on to conditioning our legs with five hundred squats, five hundred kicks with each leg, and five hundred jumping kicks. After that, we will practice balance by standing on a log as it floats in the pond. Finally, we will cool down with a ten kilometer run!"

Naruto's heart almost stopped at the insane workout the jonin outlined, then he heard the little goblin next to him chime in with, "Guy-sensei! We should increase the repetitions to one thousand for each exercise, and finish with a twenty kilometer run! Then out flames of youth will become raging infernos of passion!"

"Well said my young student! One thousand repetitions it will be!"

Before Naruto could finish weighing the consequences of becoming a missing-nin due to murdering two of his comrades, Guy had lunged toward them, punches and kicks flying, and the spar was on. The shouts of "YOUTH!" from the Twin Green Beasts of Konoha were only matched by one from the Orange Menace.

"Kakashi-baka! I'll get you for this!"

Several hours later, Sasuke and Sakura were waiting in the field surrounding the Uzumaki shrine. The pinkette had arrived to find the object of her affection was waiting, leaning against a tree at the edge of the clearing. She had immediately launched into her plan to convince him to go on a date with her. However, all her coy looks and attempts to be cute and alluring had fallen on deaf ears and blind eyes, not even eliciting a grunt from the stoic Uchiha. An awkward silence had descended on the pair as they waited for their remaining teammate and sensei, that was eventually broken by the sound of something being dragged along the forest floor.

The source of the noise was soon revealed to be Naruto, looking like he had barely survived a brutal ambush as he dragged his flopping legs behind him. His orange tracksuit was torn and soiled with sweat and dirt, and his face was covered in bruises. With one final heave, he flipped himself onto his back, gasping for breath and muttering.

"Naruto! What happened to you?" Sakura gasped, horrified at the state her teammate was in.

"Kakashi-sensei's crazy friend and his little demon clone tried to kill me!" Naruto wheezed, "I may never walk again!"

"Stop complaining, Naruto," Sasuke snorted. "You wanted this extra training to help you learn your clan's taijutsu."

The blond ninja added his raven-haired teammate to his mental list for revenge pranks, right below the green duo responsible for his current state. Thoughts of itching powder, glitter bombs, and stink pellets danced in his head as he slowly recovered.

After a few minutes, Sakura remembered a thought that had been at the back of her mind since Naruto had found the Uzumaki genealogy. She remembered how shocked she was at the raw emotion in his voice when he mentioned his parents.

"Hey, Naruto," she started, "about the book you were reading yesterday, the one with your family names in it? Do you mind if I take a look at it?"

"Huh? Sure, Sakura-chan," Naruto reached into his pouch and withdrew the book, handing it to her. "Whatcha looking for?"

"Just a thought I had about how we might be able to find out your parents' names."

"Woah, seriously?!" Naruto jumped up, legs miraculously healed. "What's your idea?"

"Give me a minute to look, first"

After a few tense moments of watching his female teammate flip back and forth through the pages, the excited blond was about to press for details again when Sakura let out an 'Aha!' and turned the book around so he could see where she was now pointing.

Naruto looked at the page, but could only see several names with that same death date of twenty-three years ago, "What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"All of the entries have birth and death dates, right?" Sakura began, "Well, why are there so many listed with the same death date?"

"That was probably when Uzushiogakura was destroyed," Naruto responded, still confused.

"That's what I thought, too, but what seems odd about that?"

Naruto considered this for a moment, but he still couldn't see Sakura's point. It was Sasuke who was able to catch on first.

"If the Uzumaki clan was destroyed on that date, and this record was in Konoha, stored in a shrine most of the village thought was destroyed, who updated the records?"

"Exactly!" Sakura beamed, "If we find any names of Uzumaki who died after that date, then there's a good chance that they could be your parents, Naruto!"

Blue eyes widened in understanding as he grabbed the book and began frantically reading through it. Sakura stood next to him, scanning the pages as well. Even Sasuke was intrigued enough to join in the search. After a few moments, Sakura jabbed her finger down on the page, preventing Naruto from turning it.

"Here! This date is fifteen years ago! Uzumaki Yashiro"

Sasuke shook his head, "It can't be him, he died long before Naruto was born."

"Oh, you're right," the kunoichi blushed at her oversight.

After several more minutes of searching, the three had found several other entries that had either no death date listed, or a date that was after the fall of Uzushio.

Senju Tsunade, no date listed.

Uzumaki Sonaga, eighteen years ago.

Uzumaki Yutaka, no date listed.

Uzumaki Katsuki, no date listed.

Uzumaki Iseyu, twenty-two years ago.

Uzumaki Kushina, no date listed.

"It has to be one of the entries with no death date," Sasuke remarked, "the others are too long ago to be Naruto's parents."

"Right, but we can rule out Tsunade-sama, since we know she is still alive and obviously got the Senju clan name from her father," Sakura added. "She was put in this book with her brother Nawaki because they were the grandchildren of Uzumaki Mito-sama."

"So that leaves three," whispered Naruto, "Yutaka, Katsuki, and Kushina. But why don't they have a date listed?"

Sakura thought for a moment, "Didn't Hokage-sama mention that there were a few Uzumaki living in the village after Uzushio was destroyed, but that they all died fighting the Kyubi? They must have been the ones updating the book, but when they fell, no one was left to record the final entries."

Sasuke and Sakura fell silent, noticing their blond teammate's hands shaking as he clutched the book. His blue eyes stared, unblinking at the names of his relatives. Yutaka was the son of Yuusei and Reina. Katsuki was the daughter of Akihiro and Amaya. Kushina was the daughter of Akimitsu and Nika. He inhaled sharply and suddenly.

"Sakura," Naruto whispered without looking up, "do you have a pen?"

Wordlessly, the pink kunoichi pulled the requested object from her equipment pouch and handed it to her teammate.

Naruto took the pen, and reverently wrote in the book the death dates for his three clansmen. 10 October, 65.

"There is someone left to complete the record. There is someone left to remember," Naruto continued writing as he spoke, voice still a whisper. "These will not be the final entries."

The spark that had ignited within Naruto the day he found the Uzumaki shrine, that had grown to a flame when he vowed to bring his clan back, was becoming an unquenchable fire with each scratch of the pen. He had noticed something his teammates had not yet mentioned. Uzumaki Yutaka had a wife and two sons. All had died at Uzushio. Uzumaki Katsuki was fourty-four when she fought the Kyubi. He finished writing and returned the pen to Sakura. Then, he held up the book, showing a new entry:

Uzumaki Naruto

Born: 10 October, 65

Birthplace: Konohagakure no Sato

Son of Uzumaki Kushina.