Orange Maelstrom, a naruto fanfic

Chapter 1: Refusal

Naruto Uzumaki rushed into the Hospital, knowing that it would be the only spot he could find his wayward sensei. The jounin had disappeared as soon as the prelims had ended, coincidentally just before Naruto was going to ask Kakashi to train him for the month. The orange-haired boy was in need of training, badly, and with Neji Hyuuga, the prodigy of the Hyuuga Clan, being his opponent, he could not and would not relax during his training.

Making his way to the reception desk, he quickly got the middle-aged receptionist's attention, "Excuse me? What room is Sasuke Uchiha staying in," he asked, in a manner as polite as possible.

The woman looked up, and as she was about to respond, she quickly realized who was speaking to her and scowled, "And what do you need from him?" she asked, not holding any malice out of her voice.

Naruto glared back, "He's my teammate, and I'm willing to bet my sensei's there as well. I just need to speak with him, so can you just tell me where," he commanded.

"Careful brat, I can have you kicked out of here–"

"There will be no need for that," came a calm voice.

Naruto looked past the receptionist, spotting his masked, silver-haired sensei, "Hey, Kakashi-sensei!" he called, running up to him.

"What is it, Naruto?" questioned Naruto, not taking his eyes off of his little green book.

"Can you train me for the finals? I'm up against Neji and really need the help," he replied.

Kakashi sighed, putting away his book, "Sorry, Naruto, but I can't. I'm busy," he explained.

Naruto frowned, "Busy, with what?" he asked suspiciously.

Kakashi only looked away, giving Naruto all the answers he needed.

"Oh, I get it, so you decided to pawn me off all by myself, just so you could have the Uchiha all by yourself for a month, eh?" he questioned.

Kakashi sighed once more, "Naruto, I'm going to be completely honest with you," he started, "Sasuke is going to need all the help he can get, he's up against an opponent far stronger than him–"

"So am I," interrupted Naruto, not allowing his sensei to finish.

"Yes, but Sasuke's opponent has no qualms about killing him. And, not to mention, there's also a very slim chance you even progress," continued the copy ninja.

Naruto's indigo eyes widened, his world shattering, "So, that's what you think, huh?" Naruto said, fists trembling, "I'm just not good enough for you? Well news flash, Kakashi, you're not the first to say that. And like everyone else, I'll shove those words right back up your ass," said Naruto with gusto. Quickly, the 14-year-old genin made his way out of the Hospital, quickly becoming an orange blur as he exited his sensei's eyesight.

His sensei shook his head, 'He's overestimating himself. I just hope he learns how wrong he is before he's too late.'

…

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage, sighed. It had been quite the stressful week. With the appearance of Orochimaru, his traitorous student, finally making his move on Konohagakure no Sato during the Chuunin Exams, his job had become all the more trying. Taking a drag from his pipe, he let out a breath of smoke. Leaning back on his chair, he took a deep breath. He just needed to relax. Yes, that's what he needed. A nice, simple, relaxing day–

"You can't just barge in, Uzumaki!" screamed his secretary.

Oh well, there goes his relaxation. The door swung open, and his orange-haired, surrogate grandson appeared, anger visible on his tan face. Leaning his face on his palm, the old Hokage took another drag, "Is there something I can do for you, Naruto-kun?" he asked.

Naruto, taking several more deep breaths, took some time to calm down from his anger-high, as Iruka had dubbed the action. He sighed, and looked down at his feet. Sarutobi now knew something was up.

"What's the matter, my boy?" he asked once more.

Naruto rubbed his left arm, looking back up, he asked, "Can you train me for the finals, Jiji?" he asked.

Hiruzen, for his part, raised only a single eyebrow, "Why me? Shouldn't Kakashi be taking his time to teach you during this month?" he asked.

Naruto flinched at the mention of his teacher, "Imnotworthhistime," he said quickly.

"Repeat that for me, will you?" asked Sandaime.

"I'm, uh, apparently not worth his time…" said the boy quietly.

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Jiji… Listen, I don't want to start anything, just, I need someone to train me, and you were the only person I could think of who might help me," responded the orange-haired teen.

Hiruzen, as much as he wanted to, could not train him, "I apologize, Naruto-kun but I cannot train you," he said, but as he saw Naruto begin to protest, he put his hand up, "I cannot, in good faith, show favoritism to a genin. That would make me no better than Kakashi, no?" he explained.

Naruto looked away, shamefully, "Yeah, I guess…" he said. Turning away, he began to turn away to the door.

"But," continued Sarutobi, making Naruto turn back, a faint hope in his eyes, "that does not mean I cannot give you some pointers."

Naruto instantly lit up, "Really? Ya mean it, Jiji?!" he asked excitedly.

"Yes, my boy," he said.

"So, what should I do?" asked the genin.

Hiruzen only held up a finger, signaling to Naruto to give him a minute. Taking a sheet of paper from his desk, Hiruzen grabbed ahold of his pen, and began to write down the pointers he would give Naruto over the month break. The pen tapping the paper went on for nearly 3 minutes, and as thankful as Naruto was, he was beginning to get impatient. As the Uzumaki was about to burst, the writing finally ceased.

As he was handed the sheet of paper, Naruto decided to read through it, in case he would have any question afterward:

'Month Break Regime: Chakra Control, Taijutsu, Elemental Manipulation, Ninjutsu: Offensive/Defensive, Kenjutsu, Fuinjutsu, Strategy, Survival Training.'

Naruto, quickly finishing up what was written on the paper, looked up once more, "Uh, Jiji, I appreciate all this, but, isn't this a lot to do in a single month?" he asked, questioning if he could really do it, "And what's this 'elemental manipulation' thingy?"

Sarutobi just chuckled, "Yes Naruto, it does seem like quite a lot. But I'm quite sure you'll be able to study everything on that paper all at once."

"Huh? What makes you say that?" asked the orange-haired shinobi.

"Simple, you are able to train like nobody else," began Sandaime, "You see, Naruto-kun, the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu has a special power. Created by Tobirama Senju, Nidaime Hokage, as well as my sensei, originally created the jutsu as a means of recon. A physical copy that can use chakra, and when dispelled, transfers all memories back to the original, muscle memory included. Because of your extremely large chakra reserves, Naruto-kun, you will be able to take full advantage of this jutsu. The only thing you must do on your own is physical strength, that being something the clones cannot transfer back."

Naruto's eyes widened, "Wow, so, I can get like, a year's worth of training done in a month?1" he questioned.

The Hokage nodded, "In theory, yes."

Naruto laughed, "HAHA! I'll be winning this exam in no time!"

"Naruto-kun," said Hiruzen, calming down the hyperactive ninja, "Be humble. And to answer your second question, elemental manipulation is the manipulation of your chakra's element. This is what is needed to perform all those 'flashy jutsu' you harp about," he explained, "There are 5 basic elements, those being: Fire, Earth, Water, Wind, and Lightning."

"Oh, ok. How do I find out which one I have?" responded the Uzumaki, once more asking a question.

"Using this," said Sarutobi, as he held out a small piece of paper, urging the orange-haired genin to take it.

"Hm? What's this?" asked Naruto.

"Chakra paper. If you channel your chakra into it, the paper will absorb it and reveal your chakra nature, in other words, the element you're most entwined with. Fire burns, earth crumbles, water soaks, wind cuts, and lightning crinkles," explained the aged Hokage.

"Uhm, so I just do this," said Naruto, as he pumped a small amount of chakra into the sheet of paper. As soon as the action was performed, the paper split in two, one side burning to ashes, the other crumbling to small pecks of dirt, "Uhm. I think its broken," said Naruto, noticing three things had happened at once.

Sarutobi, getting over his slight moment of shock, shook his head in slight amusement, "No, Naruto-kun, the paper is perfectly fine. Though rare, it is not unheard of for someone to have three affinities. In fact, most Jounin can use three elements effectively, though usually only have one or two primary affinities. You, my boy, are special," he said, giving the Uzumaki a small smile.

Naruto smiled proudly, "Hehe, thanks Jiji! Guess I'm just that cool!" he said, making his way to the exit.

"Naruto-kun, one more thing before you go… I implore you to train everything on that paper, even strategy which will take some brain power, and the stranger techniques such as Fuinjutsu and Kenjutsu, I believe you will find interesting. And please, for me, lose the orange!" said Sandaime, getting exasperated at the end.

Naruto pouted at the final words of his grandfather figure, "Aww, but Jiji, how am I supposed to show everyone what my favorite color is?!" he questioned.

Sarutobi pointed at the top of his head, "Your hair, Naruto-kun, nobody is going to question your favorite color, trust me," he said with a chuckle.

Naruto sighed, "Fine, but only 'cus you helped me!" said the genin, "They'll be gone by the finals!"

…

Naruto stood in front of the Konoha Archives. It was a tall building, filled to the brim with jutsu of all magnitude, as well as information on other techniques. Naruto believed he would probably find what he was looking for here. While he wasn't the brightest, Naruto knew that his taijutsu wasn't the best, and his chakra control was even worse. Not to mention Naruto didn't have a clue about anything else on the regime the Hokage had given him. Making his way up the stairs, Naruto gulped audibly. Libraries were scary to look at on their own, and the thought of studying only made Naruto more frightened than he already was. Making his way inside, Naruto saw the reception desk, and while other places, such as the hospital, had civilian receptionists, the Archives seemed to be all shinobi-run. Walking up, he rang the bell to get the shinobi's attention.

"Hmm? What can I do for you, kid?" asked the what seemed to be a Chuunin. He never really saw any genin, but he believed he remembered overhearing a few Jounin talk about the boy in front of him having made it to the Chuunin Exams.

"I'd like to search through the archives, just want to look at some techniques, y'know?" said Naruto, responding to the tired looking shinobi.

"Sure, let me see your ID," said the Chuunin.

Naruto, reaching for his back pouch, quickly found his ID, and handing it to the Chuunin, continued, "Also, am I allowed to check out different scrolls? Just to know if I can take them or not."

Handing back Naruto's ID, the Chuunin nodded, "Yeah, but you have a timeframe of one month before the scrolls need to be put back where they belong. Don't do that and you'll be fined. It goes up however long you keep them over the time limit. Also, since your only a genin, you're only allowed to use the first floor. The second floor is reserved for Chuunin and Jounin only. If you get caught, you'll be temporarily barred entrance for 6 months, on your second offense, it'll be 1 year, and on your third strike, well, you get the picture," explained the Chuunin.

Naruto nodded, understanding the rules, "Right, thanks!" he said, making his way past the Chuunin, who seemed to be dozing of again.

Naruto made his way to the shelves, and sighed. The columns were lined up alphabetically, which would make it much easier to find the scrolls he would need for his training.

…

Naruto yawned. His hunt for scrolls had taken him nearly the entire day, and he was almost kicked out because the scroll on elemental manipulation had taken forever to find. Apparently it was not common for Genin to learn elemental ninjutsu, 'Baah! What do they know?' he asked.

Naruto, instead of simply struggling carrying all the scrolls, had made 2 clones, each carrying 3 scrolls, while he carried an orange book, and which looked suspiciously like the same one Kakashi read. However, instead, it was titled: Fuinjutsu for Dummies: How Not to Blow Yourself Up and it was written by some guy named Jiraiya, whoever the hell that was. He also had one other scroll, which was on Taijutsu, called, The Wonders of the Body: The Youth of Taijutsu. One guess to who wrote it.

Turning to his clones, his asked, "Once more, what scrolls did I choose out?"

Sighing, the clone to his left responded, "For Chakra Control, you have, Chakra Control: The Basics which was written by Nidaime. For Elemental Manipulation, you have, Elemental Affinities: The Basics, also written by Nidaime. And for Ninjutsu, you got, Ninjutsu: Endless Possibilities, by the old man himself."

The clone to his right continued, "For Survival training, you chose An Idiot's Guide to Not Dying written by Anko Mitarashi, I don't know what you were thinking there. For Strategy you chose, How to Strategize During Battle, which was written by Shikaku Nara, and for Kenjutsu, you chose Kenjutsu: A World of Pain, by some lady named Kushina, no last name."

Naruto nodded, "Yep, that sounds like them. Hey, by the way, what am I supposed to wear for the exams? I'm not gonna have time to buy new clothes," he said.

The clones sighed, why were the listening to him again? Oh right, he was the original.

"Boss, Kage Bunshin," said one of the clones.

"Oh, right," said the original, blushing in embarrassment, "Meh, I'll do it later," he finished, as he finally made it back to his apartment. Taking the key out of his pocket, he fumbled before he finally swung the door open. The original Naruto threw the book on Fuinjutsu onto his couch, and the two clones dropped the scrolls on the floor.

"Man, I'm beat," said Naruto. Looking to his clones, he asked, "Will you dispel if I go to sleep?" he asked.

Clone 1 responded, "Nah, I don't think so, why?" he asked.

"Good," replied Naruto, before summoning 5 more clones, "Each of you, start going over the scrolls tonight. I don't think you'll get through it all, in fact I highly doubt it, but just get through and practice as much as you can tonight and then dispel, and I'll decide what to do tomorrow. For now, I'm gonna catch up on some sleep. The Forest of Death really messed me up, I still feel awful. I'm never going back in there," said the original, before retiring to his room.

…

Naruto squinted, his eyes being blinded by the sun shining through his window. Groaning, he made his way out of bed, almost tripping over himself in the process. He made his way to his living room, he frowned as he saw the mess of scrolls on the floor. That's when all the memories came back to him. All the knowledge they had gained, approximately 6 hours worth of 7 different subjects, made its way into his head. He whined as he felt a splitting headache begin to happen.

He slowly made his way to the kitchen, attempting to get over the headache, and opened the cupboard, grabbing a cup ramen. Placing the deluxe food into the microwave, he painfully sifted through the memories that appeared to him.

'So that's what Fuinjutsu does… Ooh! That slicing attack was pretty cool… how the hell does Uber brows move with that weight?! Strategy… meh… So a ninjutsu and elemental jutsu's power depends on the amount of chakra put into it, and how well said chakra is controlled… Water waling for chakra control… hmm… and the best thing for survival is to throw yourself into a dangerous situation, what the hell?!'

As Naruto finished going through the memories presented to him, he sighed. He had his work cut out for him. He looked around his apartment. The messy, small room he called home would not work. At least, not for the month. He would need a lot of shadow clones, and while an open field would be preferably where he would camp out, he knew a place that would suit his training far better. Looking down at his clothing, he grimaced. He would need to get rid of it. He would not be in that forest for a month in orange.

'Sheesh, Jiji was right. There hair is enough,' thought Naruto.

He made his way to his bedroom, and then to his closet, looking through the clothes in his possession. A lot of it was orange. He stared at his closet, 'was I really this bad,' thought the orange-haired teen.

He looked in the back of his closet, and thankfully, he found at least one peace of clothing that would do him justice. They were black cargo pants, and while not made of the best material, would last him until he could buy actual shinobi gear. He reached back, putting his foot inside, and feeling a cloth texture under it. Grabbing his pants, he then looked down, spotting a blue long sleeved turtle neck with the red swirl on the back.

'This will work as well,' thought the jinchuuriki.

As he stripped, when attempting to pull on his black cargos, he fell back, hitting his head on the shelf behind him. He shut his eyes, rubbing the back of his head from the quick but sharp pain. He heard an item drop, and as he opened his eyes, he raised an eyebrow. In front of him lay a fox mask, and from what he could tell, it was from one of the festivals Konoha had hosted in the past. It was white, and had red marking around its eyes, ears, and snout. It had 4 red whisker markings. He hadn't ever remember buying it. Picking it up, he shrugged.

'Gotta look badass somehow,' thought the genin before smirking, 'New mask, new me,' he finished, putting it on to hide his face. Making his way back to his living room, he stuffed all 7 scrolls and books into his shinobi bag. He ran out the door and to his balcony, leaping off the building. He hopped over buildings and streets, not glancing down at the bustling roads once. The people that saw him would later claim the fox spirit had come back to haunt them.

Naruto felt the wind through his air, a sense of freedom filling him. This month belonged to him, he could choose what he wanted to become, and the outcome was based on what he would do. He decided he liked that feeling. He wanted more of it.

He quickly left the city, dashing through the training grounds. The surrounding greenery only a blur as a leapt through the trees. His destination was nearing. He could see the tall, mutated trees that dwarfed the ones he was currently running through. He made his way out of the brush, and stopped, a small clearing only separating the grounds behind him and his current abode. Looking his future training ground, he became slightly nervous. It was just yesterday he had decided to never come here again.

'But the scroll said that it was best- no! Maybe I thought about too quickly- shut up idiot! You made your mind, now get in there!" Naruto raged to himself.

He took a step forward, then two, and he didn't stop. He hopped over the fence, no care for the rules that he could broken, nor the consequences that may await him.

"Forest of Death, prepare to become my bitch!"

2 days later

"Yo, Old Man!" came a voice from Sarutobi's right. He sat on his window sill, wearing a green short shirt kimono and green pants to match. Atop his robes he wore a red haori, and on his feet instead of standard ninja sandals were wooden clogs. Wrapped around his long, shaggy white hair was a horned Hitai-Ate with the Kanji for oil.

"Ahh, Jiraiya, you've finally returned," responded the old Hokage.

The man now identified as Jiraiya smiled, "That I have, sensei," he said, but his fave quickly shifted into a serious frown, "What do we know about the invasion?"

Hiruzen took a drag from his pipe, "Unfortunately, not much, but from what Orochimaru told Anko-chan, it is most likely going to take place on the day of the finals."

"Damn that snake," said the Kabuki looking man, "You should've killed him when you had the chance, sensei."

"Don't remind me, my boy," said Sarutobi shamefully, pulling down his hat, "It is one of my most grievous mistakes, one that I will pay for dearly. That I can promise you," he finished mysteriously.

Jiraiya frowned at the implications of that statement, but quickly changed back to his goofy self, "So, where's the brat? I've been looking for an entire day and can't find him!" he said, exasperated.

"I couldn't tell you," said the aged Hokage, "When Naruto does not want to be found, he will not be found. Even the likes of my crystal ball cannot help us."

"Seriously? How the hell am I supposed to train him then?!" questioned the white-haired shinobi, "I was gonna have him sign the Toad Contract."

"I wouldn't worry Jiraiya, I believe he can handle the matter himself," replied Sarutobi, "For now, gather as much intel you can on the invasion, and get back to me when you have a sufficient amount. As for the summoning contract, I'm sure he'll gladly take it after the exams."

Jiraiya, "Hmph. Fine Daaaad," he finished, before disappearing into a cloud of smoke.

…

Naruto panted. He lay on the ground, exhausted. The sunlight that broke its way through the canopy of the giant trees made its way through the eyeholes of his mask. His pants were torn at the bottom, and his once long-sleeved shirt had become a tanktop. A blade rested in his right hand, covered in dried blood.

'It's done,' he thought, 'My training's finally over!'

He sat up, removing the mask and smirked, his now eye-length orange air blowing in the wind.

"Tomorrow, I conquer!"

FIN

Author's Note

OoH! What's gonna happen now?! What amazing powers did our favorite fishcake learn?! What in the world is going to happen to Konoha during the exams? Find out soon on chapter 2, coming to a fanfic near you!