-Return to Konoha – December 18th, 12 years after Kyuubi Attack-
Tsunade, Shizune, Ton-Ton, York, Raza, Temari, Kankuro, Gaara, Mayuri, Naruto, Rias, Hikari, Kurama and Yosuke were walking toward the gates of Konoha. Raza had helped acquire ID cards for Naruto's alter egos, which he still believed Kurama was one of, as a show of gratitude for all the boy has done for Suna. Tsunade officially adopted the alter egos into the Senju family so that they may have a life inside Konoha and a modicum of independence from Naruto. She noticed that Naruto was happier and more himself when he gave the alters freedom from the seal, which was a relief to her and Shizune. The group approached the gates of Konoha with a variety of feelings, but it was finally time to return home for the Senjus, and they realized that.
Izumo and Kotetsu had spent the last 6.5years on gate guard duty. They don't know who they pissed off or why, but due to their tenure in the position the duty was always given to them. They had come to accept the boring position; it gave them an opportunity to get first dibs at the latest gossip and they sometimes got to see cool things. Today was one such day as they noticed a sizeable group of people walking toward the front gates at a leisurely pace.
"Rock paper scissors to see who deals with the group?" Asked Kotetsu in a sleepy voice.
Izumo yawned before responding, "Nah, with a group that big we should both help out."
Kotetsu answered Izumo's yawn with one of his own. "Aww, c'mon, they can wait in like just like anybody else."
Suddenly, Izumo put his hands over his eyebrows to shield himself from the morning sun as he squinted to get a better look at the group. "Hey, Ko, don't you recognize that shade of blonde hair?"
Kotetsu perked up, swung his feet off of the desk and squinted at the oncoming group. "You idiot, you pick out the blonde hair and not the Kage hat? Alright, look sharp, this should be the Kazekage that Lord Hokage told us to expect."
The two gate guards stiffened their posture and threw on an air of professionalism that was immediately cracked by the young blonde.
"Izu and Ko, looking so professional doesn't seem right for Konoha's laziest duo. How ya' been?" The boy chirped from 20-feet out as the group continued walking.
The duo face planted as the words of the blonde boy cut them deep and true. After rallying themselves, Izumo and Kotetsu did their best to ignore the derisive sniggers as they processed the groups entry into the city. They were stunned when Tsunade introduce Shizune, Rias, Kurama, Yosuke and Hikari as Senjus. It seemed the Senju clan was no longer on the brink of extinction.
The group made their way through the streets of Konoha as the lunch rush was about to start. Villagers and off-duty shinobi were staring, gaping or pointing at the group while gossiping with the villagers nearest them. Tsunade was a common topic of conversation, but phrases like 'why is the demon with Lady Tsunade?' or 'Did the Kazekage finally restrain the beast?' grew more common as people began recognizing the telltale whisker marks and blonde hair.
The group was struggling not to kill, in fact their collective KI was drawing the attention of ANBU patrolling the village. Naruto was holding Tsunade's hand as she snarled at the villagers. Shizune was restraining York, who was mad on behalf of his 'lil bro', as he called him. Temari was holding Naruto's other hand as a show of support and Raza had already coated Gaara's shoulders in gold dust to restrain Gaara's and the Ichibi's bloodlust.
Shukaku, having grown accustomed to his new seal and having made a contract with Gaara, was enraged by the humans that were disrespecting the only kid to have gained his and Kurama's trust. Naruto and Kurama had forced their way into the seal for a conversation with the tanuki, who was stunned when Kurama announced that Naruto was the child their father spoke of. Naruto worked with Gaara to learn to control Shukaku's impulses and the tanuki got some concessions in return. He was able to share Gaara's senses and he rather enjoyed being hailed as 'the Guardian of Suna' rather than some hideous beast. Shukaku begrudgingly admitted that he owed a lot to the blonde, so to see the villagers hating on the child that had helped him reawakened his hatred of humanity. For the first time since he was resealed, Shukaku was subconsciously pushing his chakra into Gaara.
Naruto noticed Raza struggling to contain a snarling Gaara and put the hand he freed from Temari on his brother's shoulder. "Relax, Shukaku, they aren't worth it. Thank you for getting mad on my behalf, but I have this under control." Naruto's words calmed both Gaara and Shukaku, but the sand tanuki would have words with his brother and his brother's container later about this.
Hikari was holding Kurama's hand in an effort to cheer him up. Kurama's rage was eclipsed by his sadness of the terrible memories of Naruto's previous childhood. The kid had endured so much because of him, and he harbored a strong sense of guilt for his partner's pain. Naruto had done so much for him, rarely asking for anything in return. Kurama also knew that if he did anything, it would only complicate Naruto's life further. The end result was the mix of a frown and snarl on the kitsune's face as he edged into a protective position at Naruto's side.
The crowds grew thicker, and the group drew more attention as they got closer to the Hokage tower. Tsunade was already regretting coming back to the village, but she knew that she needed to be here for her grandson. She stomached her contempt for the village and squeezed Naruto's hand reassuringly as they continued the trip. She would set this right, because she would sooner blow up the village than force her son to endure another childhood of this nonsense.
They were finally escorted into the Hokage's office and Hiruzen was accompanied by his two remaining advisors and ANBU operative Weasel. Naruto knew who Weasel was and flashed a smile at him, before turning his attention to the Hokage.
"Ah, welcome everyone to Konoha. Lord Kazekage, rooms have been …" Hiruzen's greeting was cut off by Raza's raised hand.
"No need for that, Lord Hokage. I have already accepted an invitation from the Senjus for my family to stay at their compound for the duration of our visit. I am simply here as a formality to let you know that we have arrived, and I have brought my two exchange students. We will depart after the new year and your exchange students are welcome to make the trip back with me." Raza replied in a monotone.
Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe as Raza spoke and exhaled a small cloud of smoke. "Very well, that will be acceptable. I will be sure to let their families know. Please enjoy your stay in Konoha. If that will be all, I have some things to discuss with the Senju family."
Tsunade caught Raza's attention and spoke to him. "It won't take long. If you don't feel like waiting in the tower, you could meet us at Ichiraku Ramen, that is where Naruto wants to go for lunch."
Raza nodded his head and flashed a smile at Tsunade. "Very well, we will meet you there. Let's go, children." Raza guided the children out of the office as an ANBU appeared to escort them to the ramen stand.
Tsunade turned her gaze on Hiruzen, Homura and Koharu. "Now, I have some things that need to be discussed with you. First, you will withdraw your pointless law about Naruto being Kyuubi's jinchuriki. It isn't working and I will not force him to hide himself from this pathetic village. Second, you will announce that he is my grandson, and you will announce his true heritage. Third, this is Yosuke, Rias, Kurama and Hikari. I have adopted them into the Senju clan, and they are under my protection. Finally, should those retards out there continue to treat my grandson in such a manner, I will not be held liable for the body count." Tsunade's words were not requests; they were demands. Her tone was hard and devoid of any affection for those she was speaking to.
Not recognizing the severity of her actions, Koharu spoke reproachfully to Tsunade. "Tsunade, you cannot order us around. We are your superiors…" The rest of Koharu's words were stuck in her throat as she was forced to the ground by Tsunade, Yosuke and Kurama's collective KI.
"Enough!" Hiruzen roared, which caused the KI to drop marginally and allow Koharu to get to her feet. "Elder Koharu, she is the Senju clan head, and you will show her respect. She has every right to demand the release of such information."
"But Hiruzen, that would compromise the security of the village…" Homura tried to back up his fellow advisor.
Tsunade's face was contorted into a mixture of rage and disgust. "Sensei, I don't know why you keep these two worthless bags of bones around. They keep Konoha stuck in the past. As for you two old farts, you will keep your wrinkled hands away from my family."
A staring match ensued between the Senju family and the two elders; it wasn't difficult to see who was winning. Hiruzen finally had enough of it and forced the elders out of his office, much to their protests. After the mood calmed down, Hiruzen addressed the Senju family.
With a sigh, Hiruzen responded. "Very well Tsunade, we will call a council meeting in two days to discuss your demands. In the meantime, please refrain from killing any villagers. At the start of the year, Naruto is to be enrolled in the graduating class at the ninja academy. What of your other adopted children?"
Tsunade scoffed before replying. "Hikari will be opening a store that will sell our Senju made products. Rias is a sealing mistress and will sell her tags through the store. Yosuke and Kurama will be our security as well as Naruto's training partners. York is just here until the new year to spend time with Shizune. I will retake my post as the head of Konoha hospital and Shizune will be my second in command. I expect you to back me on this. The Senju family will fund the bulk of reforms to the medical program, so you have no reason to complain."
"Oh, and please compile a list of applicants and helpers for the orphanage. I want to help the children by building a new orphanage on the Senju compound that will include an entry level school. Please post the job openings and conduct the initial screenings. Momma and I will take it from there." Naruto added, also more of a demand than a friendly request.
"Why would you create a new orphanage? And what qualifies you to do such a thing?" Hiruzen asked skeptically.
Naruto shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, I don't know, I built the orphanage in Wave. Hired all of the staff, provided all the materials, built the orphanage myself along with the help of Tazuna and I was able to save over 50-children from the fate that I was forced to endure. So, you tell me, old man, am I qualified to run an orphanage?"
Hiruzen's eyes flickered to Tsunade, who nodded with a prideful smile on her face. "Very well, we will bring it up at the council meeting. Anything else this humble servant can do for you?" Hiruzen asked sarcastically.
"Oh, can it, sensei. You deserve all of this and more. That will be all for now though." Tsunade replied.
After dealing with the nonsense, the Senju family met up with the Subakus and Mayuri at Ichiraku Ramen. Naruto was salty that Teuchi recognized Rias and Hikari before he addressed him, but he forced himself to remember that he had hidden himself in this life. Naruto had never officially met Ayame and Teuchi in this life, and it was sad holding one-sided feelings in his heart for the ramen chef and his daughter. Everyone enjoyed a couple bowls of ramen and Naruto decided to become Teuchi's favorite customer once again by downing 20 large bowls of a variety of ramen flavors. Teuchi greedily accepted the money and generous tip Tsunade left him before he said his goodbyes to the group.
For the next two weeks, the Subaku family was hosted by the Senju family. They enjoyed Christmas and New Years as a big, extended family. Kurama's gift to Naruto was sharing the one minute in heaven where Kurama got to see Tsunade naked. Naruto wasn't ready for the memory and was launched back due to a nosebleed as everyone else was opening presents. Rias smirked and kiss Naruto on the forehead, sharing all of her memories with Shizune and Tsunade and other women in the spas and hot springs. This nosebleed was far larger than the last as Naruto passed out with a goofy grin on his face. Redoing Tsunade's seal had reformed her into the prime of her youth and she looked no older than Shizune, except a whole lot hotter. Naruto would struggle with thinking that his grandma was hot for the rest of his life, but he would never take it further than that.
Raza and Tsunade had grown close over the years, and they had fallen into a plutonic and comfortable relationship with one another. He was probably the only man that could casually throw his arm over Tsunade's shoulder and pull her in close for a cuddle. The two powerful shinobi snuggled up on the couch and watched the kids open and exchange presents with smiles on their faces. Raza offered prayers to Kami to protect Korura in the afterlife, which made the goddess laugh at the irony that the woman's soul was still in Gaara's seal.
Inside Gaara's seal, Shukaku was attempting to comfort his roommate, who could see her husband cuddling up to the beautiful Senju. She knew she no longer had a place in the world, but that didn't mean her feelings could magically disappear. She would have forcibly separated the two if Gaara's sand gourd was anywhere close, but she was forced to watch through her son's eyes as the two cuddle like some proud parents. Korura leaned back into Shukaku's tail and decided to make the most of the one remaining relationship she had.
After the first week back in Konoha, Naruto's heritage was announced, and it rapidly became even less comfortable to walk through Konoha. The apologies, being called Lord Senju, the ass kissing and the residual hate from the few that still couldn't leave the past in the past. It all overwhelmed Naruto anytime he left the compound, which meant that he insisted on using the body flicker or the rooftops for travel. The Subaku siblings could easily keep up with him and they enjoyed exploring the woods of Konoha with Naruto.
Since it was their first time visiting, they were all amazed by the difference in environments. The lush woods, which seemed livelier in Naruto's presence, the warm, humid air, the overwhelming abundance of life and water were all in stark contrast to the arid deserts of Suna. Naruto showed them his favorite waterfall that was tucked away in training ground 42, which bordered the infamous Forest of Death. They trained there, ate there, studied there and swam there. It was their escape and Temari told Naruto that this would be 'their spot'.
Temari had continued to put the moves on Naruto, and nobody could really blame her. Naruto was 12 years old, 5-feet 6-inches tall, 140-pounds with a youthfully sculpted body that would make Might Guy proud. On top of that, he retained his father's good looks with a feral edge and deep, azure blue eyes. He was a great catch even before you bring his personality, strength and money into the picture. Not to mention Temari could never forget how much he had done for her family. She was making slow progress on the relationship front, but she was coming into her prime and her 'C' cup breasts were becoming deadly assets. Little did she know that Naruto actually liked her tight ass and long legs, but all guys are entitled to their secrets.
The day finally came to say goodbye to Temari, Kankuro, Raza and Shino. Naruto hadn't established a friendship with the boy yet, but he figured that since he was there, he should at least say goodbye. Naruto remember Ame was a bully and he didn't like her, so he wasn't going to miss her. He bumped fists with Kankuro before Temari pulled him into a big hug and placed an innocent kiss on his lips. Naruto gave Raza a hug as way of saying goodbye and the Subaku family left Gaara alone for the first time in his life. Of course, Naruto would make sure he wasn't alone.
-The First Day of School-
Naruto, Mayuri and Gaara walked side by side in front of Tsunade and Shizune as they entered through the academy's gates. It was only the second semester of the last year, so there was no grand ceremony or anything. They went to the headmaster's office, got their course materials and a note for Iruka and headed to class. Tsunade walked Naruto all the way to the door before she turned him around and wrapped him in a big hug.
"Be careful, brat. Don't do anything stupid. Enjoy your friends this time around and I will see you when you get home. Shizune will pick you up." Tsunade whispered in his ear as she attempted to crush him in a hug.
"Don't worry, momma. I will be fine. Have a good day at the hospital. I don't know if you know, but I love you more than anything in the world." Naruto whispered back.
Tears began falling from Tsunade's eyes as she gave one last squeeze before releasing Naruto. As she stood back up, she smiled and met his eyes, "I love you too, brat."
Gaara watched the scene with a sense of longing while Mayuri put a supportive hand on his shoulder. Korura felt it inside his seal, but she didn't want to reveal herself to her son yet. It would be difficult for him to know that she was trapped in the seal along with Shukaku. She flooded him with a sense of warmth and motherly love, which Tsunade gave him outside by ruffling his hair. "You keep him out of trouble for me, Gaara. I don't know if you'll accept this, but I love you too kiddo."
Gaara was blown away by the affection he could feel from Tsunade. Korura was pouting inside the seal that the busty blonde stole her moment. Shukaku was cackling before Korura formed a giant sand ball and threw it at the tanuki's face. This led to a sandball fight in the mindscape, which would escalate into mental representations of the desert be reformed into an unrecognizable landscape. By the end of it, Korura and Shukaku vented all of their feelings and collapsed in a heap with their backs in the sands.
Gaara, Mayuri and Naruto entered the classroom with Naruto leading the way. His black tank top showing through his orange biker jacket with the Senju and Uzumaki crests on each arm, his black headband to keep his unruly hair out of his face and his tan cargo shorts made him look cool. Gaara was in his standard Suna attire, but he had sealed his sand gourd into his right wrist with the help of Naruto. The whole class fell silent as the two new boys and Suna kunoichi entered.
Naruto walked up to Iruka with a Gigawatt smile on his face and handed him a note from the Hokage and headmaster. Iruka stood from his seat and handed the note to Mizuki.
"Okay, class, it seems the students from Sunagakore, and our last missing student have finally arrived. Why don't you three introduce yourselves?" Iruka said with a smile on his face.
"Sure thing, Scarface. My name is Naruto Senju-Uzumaki, I am the grandson of Tsunade Senju and the son of the Fourth Hokage. I like training, coming up with new seals and running my businesses that make the world a better place. In case you haven't heard, I am the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi. If you ever wonder why adults tell you not to hang out with me or if they say I am evil, that is why. I leave it to you to make your own opinions." Naruto excitedly introduced himself to the class.
A stunned silence met his proclamation and hung over the class for thirty seconds, before Gaara just decided to get his introduction out of the way. "I am Gaara Subaku, I am also a jinchuriki of the Ichibi no Shukaku. I like the desert, training, my family and the Senju family. I look forward to learning with you."
The instructors paled while the rest of the class was confused. Finally, a familiar pink-haired banshee stood up and broke the silence as she spoke in an outdoor voice. "Sensei, what are jinchuriki and why do these two say that they have demons in them?"
Iruka paled and Mizuki remained silent, so Naruto took the lead. "Look, I will give you a brief history lesson. Jinchuriki means 'human sacrifice' and it is how humans have mistreated the biju by robbing them of their free will and sealing them into shinobi for the sake of power. The biju don't really appreciate it at all, so they get cranky and rampage when they break out.
As for the Kyuubi, it was first sealed into Mito Uzumaki-Senju, the wife of the First Hokage, and my great grandmother. The second jinchuriki was my mother, Kushina Uzumaki, wife of the Fourth Hokage. I am the third jinchuriki, son of Kushina Uzumaki and the Fourth Hokage. I cannot tell you much about that night due to security risks, but I will share what I can.
An unknown enemy attacked the place where I was born and killed everyone there except my mother and the 4th. He saved me from the intruder, but my mother was taken. The enemy extracted the Kyuubi and forced it to attack our village. The Hokage will probably be mad at me for sharing this information, but there you have it. With all of that said, I will turn the class back over to Iruka."
Naruto, Gaara and Mayuri walked to the back of the class and sat down next to Hinata Hyuga. Every eye in the class watched the trio casually take their seats with incredulous looks on their faces. Naruto took time to wave to Samui and Omoi, having recognized them from his memories, which earned him a wave in return. The pair of Kumo ninjas were far more used to jinchuriki than the people of Konoha since Konoha had always kept their jinchuriki a secret.
As the trio sat down, the trance that had fallen over the room broke, and questions were shouted, and loud conversations filled the room. Iruka used his big head jutsu to quiet the class down and attempt to regain some form or order. He fixed a stern gaze at Naruto and addressed him.
"Naruto Senju, it is not appropriate to reveal village secrets to a class of children that are yet to become ninjas." Iruka became enraged at the boy's casual shrug, so he continued. "I will be telling the Hokage about this."
Naruto shrugged nonchalantly and rolled his eyes. "Feel free to do what you need to do, sensei. The old man won't do anything about it because they were all my secrets to reveal. I just wanted to be honest with my classmates and potential future friends. Honesty is the best policy, after all."
Iruka was eventually able to move past the incident and began reviewing what the class had learned the previous semester. Samui, Omoi, Naruto, Gaara and Mayuri were extremely bored since this information should have been covered much earlier in the academy. Iruka, wanting payback for earlier, threw a piece of chalk at the sleeping Naruto. The boy casually caught the projectile and tossed it back to Iruka. He raised his head, yawned and addressed his new sensei.
"Is there something I can do for you, Iruka-Sensei?" Naruto asked tiredly.
"Yes, you can stay awake and pay attention." Iruka shot back.
"Why do I need to pay attention? This is all information I knew by the time I was five. Plus, it is kind of embarrassing for Konoha that each of the exchange students seems to be well past this point as well."
Iruka didn't know what to do with the boy. He wanted to kick him out of his class for being disruptive, but he feared the wrath of Senju Tsunade. Instead, an idea came into his mind, and he smirked at the child. "Very well, Mr. Know it All, if you are so smart, why don't you come up and explain chakra theory to the class?"
Naruto yawned and shot the sarcastic look right back at Iruka. "You want me to do your job for you?" This comment got giggles from the rest of the class and steam from Iruka's ears. "Okay, sensei, don't get your panties in a bunch. I will do it."
Naruto rose from his seat and walked toward the front of the classroom. He took the chalk from Iruka and drew the chakra circulatory system on the board. He highlighted the three chakra cores and drew an advanced chakra diagram.
"Okay, I guess we should recap what we know. Chakra is the mixture of physical and spiritual energy that flows through our bodies in this chakra circulatory pathway. All humans have chakra, but only ninjas and samurai are trained to access and direct it. It is important to know that what we commonly refer to as physical chakra is actually yang natured chakra. Yang chakra is generated by strengthening the body, muscles and organs. Yin chakra, or spiritual chakra, is centered out of the brain and it is composed and strengthened by knowledge, meditation and experience.
The three-control center in the chakra system, the brain, the heart and the core, all take in and mix our unique forms of chakra to form what is known as our 'chakra signature'. Trained shinobi can recognize one another by their chakra signature, and it is traceable in any external jutsu you perform. The brain is the primary control center for genjutsu, and it has a far higher concentration of yin chakra than any other part of the body. The core, positioned under your navel, is responsible for most reinforcement or body enhancement jutsu, and it has the highest concentration of yang chakra. The heart has the steadiest mixture of the two and is what most shinobi use to perform jutsu."
Naruto stopped there to see a stunned class and Iruka with his mouth open. Seeing as Iruka didn't tell him to stop, Naruto continued his lecture.
"Now, there are many factors that affect your chakra and the control you have over it. First, your chakra reserves, which is the total sum of chakra you have in your body. The higher your reserves, the lower your control, typically. Empty your reserves and you go into chakra exhaustion or chakra shock. Both can be deadly if not treated properly.
Second, is chakra flow. This is the rate at which chakra circulates through your centers and coils. It is affected by the size of your reserves, the size of your chakra coils, the nature of your chakra and your emotional state. The faster your chakra flow, the harder it is to shape and control. It also makes it harder to change its nature. Take me, for instance. I have three times as much chakra as the Hokage. My coils are large for my age, but severely undersized for such reserves. Therefore, my chakra flow is significantly faster, even with chakra control training, than anyone in this class except Gaara.
Third, you have your chakra coils, called tenketsu. These coils grow over time as we mature, and they can also be developed through consistent use of your chakra. The size of your tenketsu determines how much power you can call upon at any given time. The bigger your tenketsu, the more powerful your jutsu. The bigger your tenketsu, the slower and calmer your chakra flow becomes. This allows for shaping of jutsu and it also lets you strengthen them, which is why a 'C' rank ninjutsu from a genin is so inferior to that of a Sanin.
Next comes chakra density, which affects chakra flow and reserves. Chakra density is the amount of power condensed into a single unit of chakra. One unit of your chakra is weaker than a jonin, which is weaker than a Kage. Us jinchuriki have insane chakra density because so much chakra is wrapped up in our childish bodies. You may be jealous of that, but it makes it significantly harder to control our chakra. If you are ever curious, you could ask Hinata there to describe your chakra for you.
Lastly comes a topic that these teachers will tell you is advanced, to which I call bullshit. Chakra nature describes the untampered, base nature of your chakra in its unaltered state. Most of you will have one chakra nature at this point, unless you have a bloodline that fuses two chakra natures. There are five base chakra natures: Earth, water, fire, wind and lightning… yes, Sakura?"
The pinkie stood and asked a question. "What about things like medical jutsu, genjutsu and elemental bloodlines? I think there is ice, lava and a couple others."
Naruto nodded. "Well, as my Momma said, medical jutsu is not a chakra nature. It is a conversion of chakra to a heavily concentrated Yang form that promotes healing from the injured party's own body. Genjutsu actually has elemental components, but it is concentrated Yin chakra that makes it work. As for the bloodlines, they are natural fusions of two of the base elements. Take for instance, the Mokuton bloodline. It is said to have been a fusion of earth and water, but I believe that it requires natural energy to make it work."
A boy in a high-collared blue, short-sleeved shirt scoffed. "Oh yeah, and what would you know?" This boy had an inferiority/superiority complex that was incredibly complicated and totally unwelcome. The screeches of fan girls followed the derisive statement, which reminded Naruto of past childhood memories.
Naruto shivered as the memories ran through him, but he shook them off and returned Sasuke's smirk. "Well, Uchiha, I work on chakra theory with Tsunade Senju. I have access to Hashirama Senju's scrolls. I am the most advanced seal master in the Elemental Nations since the fall of Uzushiogakore. Take your pick, I don't have time for a dick measuring contest with you … although, spoiler, I win." Naruto's smirk was feral as he stared down the childish form of the man that took everything from him in his previous life. Naruto was unconsciously emitting so much KI that students in the front row were fainting and Iruka was sweating.
"Okay, that is enough. Thank you for an interesting lesson, Naruto. You may return to your seat." Iruka mustered his sternest tone and used it on Naruto. Much to his chagrin, the blonde just shrugged it off and returned to his seat.
While that lesson was far more advanced than anything that the academy course covered, Iruka admitted that he actually learned a thing or two as well. He continued the class until lunch time without much incident, he just let the blonde sleep through his class to avoid causing another scene. He noticed that the foreign shinobi were indeed bored, which he took personally because he was proud of his role as a teacher. He would have to talk to the Hokage about that fact and possibly increase the difficulty of the curriculum.
At lunch, Naruto and Gaara went out to the training ground and took a place by the big tree that was in the center of the field area. Naturally, Shikamaru grumbled about troublesome blondes taking his spot. Naruto gave his old friend a Gigawatt smile as he invited Shikamaru to join them. An unseen side effect of proposing foreign exchange students was robbing Shikamaru of his childhood friend, Chouji. Naruto could tell that Shikamaru was taking the loss hard, so he decided to open with an offer he knew Shikamaru would never be able to decline.
"Yo, sorry we took your spot. Feel free to join us. I am Naruto and this is Gaara." Naruto kept the opening simple and childlike.
Shikamaru, with his hands in his pockets and perpetually tired look on his face, answered the vibrant blonde. "Sure, you troublesome blonde. I am Shikamaru, nice to meet you both. So, you are both jinchuriki, eh? What's that like?"
Gaara responded in his usual monotone. "Well, after Naruto helped me, it hasn't been too bad. It means you need to do far more chakra control than anyone else our age. Other than that, you share your mind with a biju, who each have quite unique personalities."
"Yeah, my biju saved my life multiple times as a child. I understand why people fear him but let me put it in terms you may understand. When you seal a kunai into a scroll, does the scroll become the kunai? Is the scroll's only purpose to hold the kunai, or can it hold other items as well?" Naruto added.
Shikamaru laid flat on his back and looked at the sky. "When you put it like that, the scroll and kunai are two separate entities temporarily bound by the sealing formula."
"Yup, and we are separate from our biju and while they are a part of our lives, they don't define us." Naruto added happily, before his face fell. "So, will that group of girls ever come over here or will they just gawk at us from a distance?"
"Those troublesome girls are more likely to point, shriek and gossip than ever come over here." Shikamaru said, gazing at the clouds.
Gaara responded in a flatter than usual tone, "To borrow your line, that sounds troublesome."
This earned Gaara a round of laughter from the boys, but it was clear that Naruto's thoughts were elsewhere. He looked around the field and saw that Sasuke was still an isolated jackass, Kiba ran around with Akamaru, Mayuri joined the rest of the girls in the class to gossip and then he saw Samui and Omoi heading toward their group. As the two closed the distance, Naruto threw a friendly wave and smile their way. Samui remained cool and collected, but Omoi happily returned the wave while sucking on a lollipop.
"Sup?" Naruto chirped.
"Good day to you, Lord Senju." Samui replied.
Naruto frantically waved his hands in front of him while holding his chopsticks. "Ah, ah, ah, none of that. It is just Naruto, I despise formalities. It was Samui and Omoi, right?"
Samui gave Naruto a simple smile. She was 13, soon to be 14, which made her nearly two years older than the kids at the Konoha academy. This was due to Kumo's academy program accepting students at 9-years old and the program was one year longer. Samui could tell that the boy was powerful, and he radiated a cool vibe, but she couldn't tell if she would be able to complete the mission the Raikage gave her.
"Very well, Naruto, you were correct. I am Samui and this is Omoi, and we are from Kumo. Is it true that you are the son of the Yellow Flash and the Red Death?" Samui replied in her same cool tone.
Naruto cocked an eyebrow at her, "And if it were true?" He could sense some ulterior motives, nothing evil, but Naruto suspected Samui had an added mission for her time in Konoha. He would play it cautiously, but he wanted to befriend Kumo this go-around.
"Then that would be cool. Do you practice kenjutsu like your mother did?" Samui asked with the first hint of emotion. Naruto thought that the sparkle in her eyes made her look far more beautiful than her normal impassive expression.
"Yeah, I actually do. You are free to come to the Senju compound for some kenjutsu spars after school. My brother Yosuke would enjoy that, and it gets boring fighting someone you know repeatedly." Naruto offered, and he noticed that both Kumo shinobi were excited by the prospect.
Omoi popped his sucker out of his mouth, "That would be awesome, Naruto. We will definitely take you up on that. I was worried we would get rusty since Konoha doesn't have many sword users."
"Sure thing, so where did they put you guys up for the semester?" Naruto decided to go for a change in topic.
"They put us in the long-term rooms at the Green Leaf hotel. The rooms are nice, but it gets lonely." Omoi informed him.
Before Naruto could continue, Ino led a group of girls over to the growing group under the tree. The natural leader and overly confident girl spoke up as the self-appointed representative of the group.
"So, Naruto Senju, huh? Why were you out of Konoha for so long, if you don't mind me asking." Ino started, immediately directing attention to Naruto.
Naruto returned her look impassively before replying. "As I told you, I am the Kyuubi jinchuriki. Our generation just found that out, it wasn't the same story for the adults. Tell me, Ms. Ino, would you willingly subject yourself to scorn, hatred, beatings and assassination attempts when you were a defenseless child?"
Ino looked taken aback, the question was quite shocking to the sheltered clan heiress. She had never seen the dark side of Konoha, and it was the same thing for each of the other girls in the little clique. "N-n-no, I-I-I d-don't think I would."
Naruto stood up and invaded Ino's personal space to whisper in her ear. "I know that the Yamanaka specialize in their knowledge of the mind. It was bad enough that I developed MPD, please don't tell anybody. Let your dad know that I wish to schedule some sessions with him as well, please."
Ino was embarrassed at first, but when Naruto shared that information with her, she was shocked and slightly terrified. Her clan took patient confidentiality as sacred, and she wasn't inclined to share this information with her friends. He told her in confidence and Ino immediately realized the severity of what he shared with her. Ino couldn't respond before a certain girl with pink hair made everyone cover their ears.
"Get away from Ino-pig! I don't care if you are a Senju, you will never be as cool as Sasuke!" Sakura screeched while pushing Naruto away from Ino.
Before responding to Sakura, Naruto winked at Ino playfully, as if the information he shared with her was no big deal. Then Naruto turned cold azure eyes on Sakura. "I am sorry, I believe your name was Sakura. I would appreciate it if you lowered your voice. It seems like you failed to notice how many people cover their ears when you yell like that."
Sakura blushed, embarrassed by a complete stranger. He self-defense mechanism kicked in and she raised a fist to punch Naruto, who caught the blow with one hand looking completely bored. Ino put her hands on Sakura's shoulders and guided her away, but not before she shot an apologetic look at Naruto. The rest of the sheep, I mean girls, followed Ino and Sakura away from the boys.
The rest of the day passed without incident, but the night was interesting for Naruto. After returning to the Senju compound with Shizune and completing some rigorous afternoon training with Gaara and Yosuke, Naruto had an unexpected visitor. He was informed by Hikari, who was flittering around the compound after a day of manning their newly opened store. When she told Naruto that Hizashi Hyuga was there to visit him, he thanked her and told her to go let Tsunade know. The vibrant girl skipped off to find Tsunade, once again reminding Naruto of the innocence he had lost due to his previous life.
Naruto walked to the front gates of the Senju compound and welcomed Hizashi in. Tsunade appeared as the two were walking toward the main house and joined in the small talk. They made their way through the house and into the designated meeting room before Naruto set up a privacy barrier. He sat down next to Tsunade and put on his professional mode.
Hizashi had been eagerly awaiting the Senjus return to Konoha. He heard that they were hosting the Subakus and knew that it would be rude to impose. Thus, he had waited patiently for his opportunity to meet his benefactors that may be able to help him. He had used the last years to acquire everything he could on the Caged Bird Seal, and he wanted to get the counter seal as soon as possible.
He opened with a bow to the Senju duo. "Lady Tsunade and Lord Senju, thank you for agreeing to see me and for looking out for the Hyuga clan. I do not know how I can repay you, but I look forward to working with you."
Both Senjus recoiled at the formality, but it was Tsunade that spoke first. "Please, Hizashi, we are old friends. No need for formality when we are alone. So, to what do we owe the pleasure of your company tonight?"
Hizashi relaxed a bit before responding. "Since Naruto has given me the counter seal to the prisoner seal, I have been trying to remain patient, but things are getting worse within the Hyuga clan. I am worried that Neji or I will be discovered soon."
"Why do you say that Hizashi? What has clued them in?" Naruto asked.
Hizashi sighed, "Well, there have been a few attempts by the elders to use the seal on me. I do my best to fake the effects, but it is tough to act like you are nearly dying. Luckily, Hiashi has protected Neji, but it is only a matter of time until one of those bastards attempts to activate his seal."
"Okay, Hizashi, the urgency of the situation is noted." Tsunade started.
"Were you able to acquire the source material for the seal?" Naruto added.
Hizashi nodded and pulled some scrolls out of his robes. "This is what I have been able to gather so far. How long would it take you to create the counter seal?"
A strained look passed over Naruto's face. "Removing the seal isn't too hard on its own. It is doing it without side effects that will take time. If I said three to six months, would that be acceptable? And when I am ready, I would need somebody to test it on."
Hizashi grimaced at the response, it was longer than he was hoping to hear. "We don't have much of a choice. When the time is right and you believe you have the solution, you can test it on me."
Naruto nodded with a stern look on his face. "I will get it done, Hizashi. Anything else to report?"
"Only whispers of Danzo's death and the reintegration of Root. I have heard that the Yamanaka are working overtime trying to undo the damage caused by Danzo's training methods. Also, the Uchiha clan has been making overt efforts to regain the favor of the villagers, and they seem to have no opposition since Danzo died." Hizashi reported, which earned smiles from Tsunade and Naruto. "It was your doing, wasn't it?"
Tsunade shrugged, "The brat has friends in high places. When the time is right, those friends will help liberate the Hyuga."
Hizashi bowed deeply to the Senju duo. "Thank you so much for all you have done. I will continue to keep my ears open."
Around the same time, at the Yamanaka compound, Ino was eating dinner with her father. She had told Inoichi about Naruto's announcement to the class, and he confirmed that the information was accurate. It took Inoichi a while to explain what he knew from a psychological perspective about jinchuriki, which caused Ino to cry.
"Daddy, Naruto told me that he suffers from MPD. Were the villagers really that mean to him?" Ino asked with teary eyes.
Inoichi sighed before nodding sadly. "Yes, princess. From what I know of his early life, he had it pretty rough. Luckily, he was able to get out of the village and find Tsunade before it got too bad."
"But Daddy! He has MPD, the books say that it requires significant psychological trauma to cause that." Ino shouted.
"Relax, princess. There is nothing we can do about that now except help him. Did he tell you anything else?" Inoichi replied in a resigned tone.
"He said that he would appreciate some sessions with you. We were around other people, so we didn't really have that much time to talk. All the girls were gossiping about how cute he was and about how he had a monster inside of him."
"Okay, I will reach out to Tsunade. Listen, princess, I know I don't need to tell you this, but tell nobody about what he shared with you. It seems like he wants to trust you and he told you this in confidence."
"Yes daddy." Ino replied obediently.