Naruto: The Uchiha Chronicles Re-Version

Hello, and welcome to the last chapter in Arc I: The Origin. This takes place a month after the end of last chapter, and it will cover the setup for several different plot elements.

Edit 7-25-22: Sorry for any update message, had something I wanted to add that I thought was already part of this chapter.

Arc I: The Origin:

Chapter 11: Aftermath, the Future Awaits!

-x-x-x-x-x-x- NTUC -x-x-x-x-x-x-

A cacophony of faint whistles filled the air. The sound of metal moving at a rapid pace. Naruto panted heavily, his lungs burned. Sweat trickled down his face. His arms shook from the strain of holding them up. Around him was a veritable cloud of weapons. Flashes of black and silver whipped around him as the arsenal moved at his command.

He could feel exhaustion setting in from trying to control so many things at once. It was the most he'd ever tried to do with his bloodline. Anyone who saw him right then would assume his mind was totally focused on the exercise. They'd be sorely mistaken. His mind was only half on the task. The other was focused on the same thing that it had been for the past month. Ever since Sasuki had woken from her coma.

At first he was overjoyed that she'd finally woken up. For the week she had been unconscious he'd barely eaten or slept. Everyone was worried about him. Him though? He'd only been thinking about her. To have her awake seemed like a blessing. After that had worn off, Naruto noticed a marked change in her. For the first few days she didn't really say much. She just sat in her bed and stared out the window. When it came time for her meals, he was concerned to notice that she barely touched her food. Slightly hypocritical, yes, but he was worried all the same. All he could do though was stay by her side and try to get her to talk. After about a week she started to talk more frequently, and he began to hope that maybe she would recover.

Two weeks after the Uchiha Massacre, as it came to be called, he managed to convince her to go to her parent's funeral. It was a much smaller ceremony than the large memorial service that had been held for the clan, and she had stood with tears running down her face the entire time.

A month after the incident, she was almost back to normal. But there were some key differences that, if he was quite honest, concerned him. After the event, she had become much colder, and her kindness showed itself less and less. With him she was still relatively normal, albeit not as nice and a bit grumpy. At least the few times he'd actually managed to get her to hang out at school. After school she'd just disappear. It was like she was avoiding him. Though that was better than how she was with others. With them she'd become much brusquer, and she lost her patience with people easily. Once she'd completely obliterated Kiba in their spar and continued to ruthlessly beat him even after the match was called. More concerning was the growing darkness he saw in her. Sasuki hated her brother, and he was pretty sure that she wanted revenge. He began to feel as if he was losing her to their clans Curse of Hatred.

All in all, he was left feeling helpless, and that frustrated him beyond belief. In response, he'd thrown himself into his training. He resolved that he would never let something like this happen to his friend ever again.

Most days, he spent every second that he wasn't at the academy or with Sasuki in the cave training relentlessly. He felt like that was the only thing to do. He'd pushed himself to the brink and beyond for the past few weeks. That was the only thing he could think to do. This whole ordeal had awoken a fierce protectiveness inside him. He felt a need to make sure it never happened again. A compulsion filled every fiber of his being. He always wanted to be strong, but now weakness wasn't an option. He had to be strong. To fulfill the promise he'd made to himself in that hospital room. 'I don't ever want to see that look from anyone I love ever again.'

With a fierce cry, Naruto forced the weapons around him to move even faster. Whoosh … whoosh …whoosh. The force of their movement filled the air with the sound of several humongous fans. He couldn't keep up that pace for long. His chakra coils were starting to burn from overworking them. A grunt of exertion left Naruto as he let go of his control. The cloud of blades careened towards the ground.

CLANG … CLING … CHING!

For a few seconds the cave was filled with the deafening ring of metal on metal. It echoed off the walls and bounced back. There was one last–tink–as the last kunai dropped to the ground. An almost eerie silence followed in the wake of the noise. In the back of his mind, he felt that now familiar pull. He'd gotten used to it by now. It was more an annoyance than anything, though eventually he'd have to figure out what it was.

The tap of wood on dirt reminded him of his grandfather's presence. Honestly, he'd been so caught up in his training he forgot it was being overseen. Naruto turned to see him carefully winding through the field of weapons towards him. There was slight frown on his face.

"Come, I think it's time we talked." He said bluntly.

Naruto barely withheld a wince. His jaw clenched tightly, and he found it hard to meet his grandfather's eyes. He knew this was coming. Ever since Sasuki woke up he'd withdrawn from opening up to his grandfather. Sooner or later the man was bound intervene to make him do it. He'd just hoped for some more time to figure things out. Still, trying to avoid it would do him no good now.

He allowed Madara to guide him out of the training cave and through the lift. Neither of them spoke.

Soon enough he found himself sitting in a chair across from his grandfather on the back porch. A small table stood between them with a teapot and cups on it. Steam poured from the spout into the slightly crisp winter air. Thankfully, it was slightly warmer than usual. Around them, the trees swayed in the wind. Their dull creak was the loudest thing. The atmosphere would have been really peaceful if he weren't about to have a serious discussion.

It was his grandfather who broke the silence.

"You're worried about your friend." He said. It was a statement, not a question.

"Yeah." He mumbled. His grandfather merely quirked an eyebrow, as if to say 'go on'. Naruto hesitated. It was hard to open up after so long. 'Oh, to heck with it.' He thought.

"Everything has been so different since she woke up. I get not wanting to talk about what happened, but she's completely avoiding me." He said. That was like the opening of the floodgates. Before he knew it, all his concerns started to pour out.

All the things he'd bottled up for the past month. How his best friend seemed to have totally changed overnight. The fact she wouldn't talk to him at all. His anger at himself for not being able to do anything to help. His fear about her when she'd beaten Kiba to a bloody mess, and even continued well after he was unconscious. Once he started he couldn't stop. His grandfather just sat there and let him vent. Occasionally he'd pour another cup of tea when they got low.

When all was said and done, Naruto felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. It left him physically and emotionally exhausted. In the end it came down to one question.

"What do I do?" He said quietly. His grandfather frowned thoughtfully. The now empty teapot sat off to the side.

"That's a tough question. By the sounds of it, Sasuki is feeling a lot of anger and sadness. Both are understandable. It wouldn't surprise me if she is worried about others betraying her like her brother did. It might be a while before she's ready to trust again." Madara said.

He frowned. "Then how am I supposed to help her?" He asked. His grandfather took a few moments to consider the question.

"In the short term? Be there for her. Right now she feels completely alone. You need to remind her that she's not, that there are people she can count on and trust. Just don't force her to act happy. Let her get there on her own. More importantly, let her know you're there if she needs to vent. In short, be her friend" He said.

Naruto nodded his head slowly. That made sense. He hadn't considered how alone she felt. To have a family and then have them ripped away from you … that must be terrible. Now that he had family in his grandfather, he couldn't imagine not having him. 'Right now she feels just like I felt before I had Grandpa, but worse.' He thought. He mulled over what his grandfather said.

Let her know she's not alone, that she can count on him. Trust him. Trust … "That's it!" He shouted excitedly.

The beginnings of an idea started to form. For the first time in a while, he started to smile. Yes, he needed to show her she could trust him. The best way to do that was to show her he trusted her. He knew exactly what he had to do.

"You seem to have had a realization. Seeing as I'm not a mind reader, would you care to share?" His grandfather said dryly.

Heat flooded his cheeks. Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He still had a massive smile as he spoke.

"Sorry, I just realized what I need to do. I gotta show Sasuki she can trust me. To do that I have to show I trust her, right?" He explained.

A small smile spread across his grandfather's lips. He seemed amused by Naruto's eagerness.

"Oh, and how do you plan to do that?" He asked.

Naruto froze slightly. He felt a nervous tingle. His stomach started doing summersaults. That's right. If he was going to do this, he needed his grandfather to agree. He wasn't so sure he would.

"Well, um, I was kinda thinking I'd reveal something about myself. I, I was thinking of introducing her to you, and telling her about my parents. If that's okay." He said. The frown he got caused him to hurriedly add, "Not everything, though! Just who they are. Would that be good?" He asked desperately.

His grandfather was still frowning, but he at least seemed to be considering the idea. Finally he said, "I suppose so. Though just know, this is a massive risk to take. I won't stop you though. I know how much your friend means to you. Let's just hope this risk is worth it."

Nothing could remove the happy smile from Naruto's face.

"It will, trust me, ya know!" He said confidently. It had to work. He couldn't possibly bear to think what would happen if it didn't.

Things didn't seem so bleak now that he had a plan. He just had to wait for the right opportunity. Right now, Sasuki wasn't ready for such a big shock. He was pulled from his musing by his grandfather clearing his throat.

"Now that we've discussed how to help your friend, there's something I need from you." He said. Naruto rose an eyebrow. What could his grandfather need? If he'd been paying closer attention he might have caught the mischievous glint in his grandfather's eyes.

"Uh, sure, what is it?" Naruto asked.

The slightly creepy grin he got set him on edge. Before he could comment, a small puff of smoke appeared in his grandfather's hand. It cleared away to reveal something he'd seen the nurses at the hospital use. A needle and syringe.

"Give me your blood." Madara demanded.

"WHAAAAAT?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x- NTUC -x-x-x-x-x-x-

His opportunity to introduce Sasuki to his grandfather didn't come for nearly two months. Just as his grandfather suggested, he'd tried to just be there for his friend. It had taken a while. The first few times he tried to spend time with her outside school she'd tried to drive him off by treating him like she did Kiba now. He didn't let it get to him. Eventually she seemed to give up on that, and grudgingly accepted his company. Not that she still wasn't slightly prickly.

"Tch, why the heck are we out here dummy? It better be worth it, I'm freezing." Sasuki said. She was bundled up in a warm crimson wool coat, with a black scarf around her neck, and her cheeks flushed pink. Her hands were tucked into her armpits for warmth.

"There's someone I want you to meet." He replied, hiding a smile beneath his own grey scarf. He led her through a familiar forest path. Though it didn't look so familiar right now.

The landscape around them was blanketed in a thick layer of fluffy white snow. Even the pathway was covered in at least a foot of snow, making it difficult to tell where the undergrowth ended, and the path began. Thankfully he had been here enough time to stay on track. Grey clouds hung above them, silently letting loose yet more snow in great big flakes. The cold was made worse by a biting wind. Naruto himself was bundled up in black and orange coat and loose-fitting pants tucked into a pair of sturdy boots. Luckily he had the ability to keep himself warm with fire chakra. Not that Sasuki knew that. She'd kill him if she knew he was holding out such a useful trick.

"Who the hell could there possibly be to meet out here?" She asked with a growl.

Despite the vitriol she constantly spewed, Naruto had taken this new Sasuki in stride. He knew she didn't mean it. Mostly. After a while it actually became kind of funny.

"Well, clearly someone I want you to meet." He answered cheekily and had to quickly duck out of the way of the retaliatory swipe Sasuki took. "Oi, not nice!"

Sasuki looked at him with narrowed obsidian eyes. There was a lot more life in them than several months ago, though it was tinged with the now familiar anger.

"I swear to god, if you're wasting my time for some stupid prank, I'll–" She ranted.

"–beat me up and make me regret it, I know." He finished with a roll of his eyes. "Besides, we're here." He said with an exaggerated sweep of his arm.

Indeed, just as they'd rounded the last bend in the path, his grandfather's house had come into view. It stood out starkly against the white background. The overhanging roof on the second story was covered in a layer of snow, with icicles hanging from the eaves. A warm light shone through the windows, a beacon in the slightly dim light made by the overcast. Snowbanks were piled against the porch that wrapped around the house.

"And you thought I was pranking you." He told her with a smug smirk.

Sasuki's cheeks got a little pinker.

"Tch, whatever. Let's get on with this." She replied.

With his smirk firmly in place, Naruto led Sasuki up to the front step and onto the front porch. He paused a moment to knock off the worse of the muck on his boots before opening the front door to the entryway paved with stones. A wave of warm air hit him. The hallway was lit with a mild electric light that bounced of the wooden walls of the house. While Sasuki hovered in the doorway uncertainly, Naruto stepped inside and kicked off his boots. He stowed them in the cubby meant for shoes, and then took off his black and orange wool coat and hung it on a rack above the cubbies. Afterwards, now in just a t-shirt and loose pants, he turned to Sasuki with a smile.

"Well, don't just stand there. Come in." He said.

She hesitated a moment longer, chewing her lip uncertainly. Finally she followed his lead. The door swung shut behind her, cutting off the cold winter air.

"Who's house is this?" She asked as she kicked off her boots and hung up her coat. Underneath she wore a long-sleeved version of her usual high-collar shirt.

"The answer is my house, young lady."

Naruto took perhaps a bit too much amusement in seeing Sasuki jump and let out a shockingly girly "eeep" as his grandfather seemed to materialize out of thin air. It was actually kind of funny when it happened to someone else.

"Sorry, he has a habit of doing that. We should really put a bell on him." He said. Sasuki didn't say anything. She still seemed slightly unnerved by his grandfather's entrance.

"Did someone say they want to practice chakra control for the next week?" Madara asked, a slightly annoyed look on his face. Naruto froze at the subtle threat.

"Oi, oi, no need to get nasty. It was just a joke." He said nervously.

The by-play seemed to shock Sasuki out of her nervousness. Finally having enough of being ignored, she asked, "Hey, just who the heck are you old man? How do you know Naruto?"

Madara rose an eyebrow at the fairly rude demand. It caused Sasuki to take an unconscious step back at his serious expression, though she didn't back off completely. Naruto was actually impressed. His grandfather was pretty intimidating when you first met him. 'Guess that new arrogance is good for something.' He mused.

After a few moments of his stern gaze, his grandfather finally relented.

"I suppose it is rude not to introduce myself. My name is Madara, I'm Naruto's grandfather." He said.

Sasuki's eyebrows shot up and her head whipped around so fast he thought she might get whiplash. Her eyes were narrowed with a look of accusation

"Grandfather, I thought you said you were an orphan?" She said suspiciously.

"Well, I am." He said with a shrug. Though seeing her look of annoyance, he elaborated, "My parents are dead, and I didn't meet Grandpa here until about a year and a half ago." He explained.

"I'm sure we can satisfy your curiosity later. For now, why don't you come to the living room and warm up. I've prepared some tea." His grandfather said.

Though she still looked suspicious, Sasuki gave a slight nod. Naruto had to withhold a sigh. That suspicion and cautiousness was fairly common when she encountered anyone new recently. Not that he could blame her. He felt a now familiar resentment towards Itachi bubble up. 'If I ever get ahold of him, I'm gonna make him pay.' He vowed. He quickly had to follow behind his grandfather and Sasuki, lest he be left behind.

His grandfather led them to the sitting room. A fire crackled merrily inside a metal fireplace along the far wall. It had a stove-pipe that traveled upwards to the ceiling, and it rested on a slab of stone. The fireplace was a new addition his grandfather had made since they were having several unusually intense snowstorms this year. In the center was low table, a steaming pot of tea and three cups already set out. While Naruto and his grandfather readily sat on two of the cushions around the low-lying table, Sasuki hesitated.

"No need to be shy young lady. Come and have a seat." His grandfather said kindly.

Sasuki stepped into the room hesitantly, almost like a scared animal tip-toeing through the forest cautiously. It wasn't exactly an unfair comparison. She made her way over to the table and took a seat adjacent to Naruto's. As soon as she was seated, Madara began to pour out tea for them. For a few moments they sat silently. It was broken by Sasuki, her need for answers apparently getting the better of her.

"So if you're his grandfather, how come I haven't met you before?" She asked Madara.

"Well, that's a bit complicated." He said. "The short answer is it's to protect the secret of Naruto's identity."

His grandfather's answer made Sasuki look at him with a scrutinizing gaze. Naruto shifted uncomfortably under her stare. "Why would you need to do that?"

Even though this was his idea, Naruto hesitated to answer. He found himself tongue-tied. It was all well and good to talk about revealing his secrets in theory, but in practice it was much harder. Especially due to the fact he was going to have to lie to her about certain parts of the truth. That was a necessary evil, though. He believed that whole-heartedly after learning about his grandfather's theory about the night he was born. How there was a group out there hunting the Tailed Beasts. It was a shocking thing to learn and had come out during one of their discussions in how to approach Sasuki.

If what his grandfather suspected was true, letting Sasuki completely in could put her in more danger. He knew how she was. If she decided to stick to being his friend after this and she knew the truth, she'd insist on being part of it. He didn't want to put her in that kind of danger. No, it was for the best she didn't know the full truth.

'I guess this is sort of how Gramps felt when it came to keeping secrets from me.' It gave him a new sympathy for what it must have been like for the Hokage. Thankfully, his grandfather took the question for him.

"Naruto's parents were both very powerful ninja. Especially his father, my son. They have many enemies. Due to the fragile state of the village following the Nine-Tails attack, and now as well," Madara paused as Sasuki flinched violently at the reminder of what happened to the Uchiha. "–it's important that it doesn't get out. Less scrupulous people might use it as an opportunity to attack the Leaf while we're weakened. Hence why the Third Hokage gave Naruto his mother's last name." He explained.

Naruto was slightly worried about Sasuki as her eyes fell to the ground. He could see the glint of a tear sliding down her pale cheek.

"Uh, hey, are you alri–" He started to ask, but she quickly cut him off.

"I'm fine." She said gruffly. He pretended to ignore it as she subtly wiped her eyes while taking a sip of tea. Once she composed herself, Sasuki looked up and pinned him with a scrutinizing gaze. "So who exactly was your dad? He must've been a big-shot if he really had that many enemies." She said.

He licked his lips. His mouth was surprisingly dry, possibly from nervousness. Finally, he answered.

"His name, his name was Minato Namikaze. The Fourth Hokage." He said. Her response managed to wipe out all his nerves. It was a rare sight to see Sasuki gaping like a fish, even before the change in her personality. He couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up. Once she managed to pull herself together, she shot him a dirty look. That just made him laugh harder, which caused her to blush slightly.

"Tch, idiot." She muttered.

Naruto's laughter died down eventually, his stomach slightly sore from his mirth. He was left with a happy smile on his face. It had been a while since he was this happy hanging out with Sasuki. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but he could have sworn there was a glint of amusement in her eyes too. That's why her next question caught him off guard.

"Why are you telling me this all of a sudden?" She asked abruptly. There was a subtle quiver in her voice. An undercurrent of vulnerability he wasn't used to hearing.

He hesitated in answering and took a few moments to form his response correctly. "The truth is, I've been really worried about you after it happened." He said. "I don't know how you feel, but I do know how much you loved your family. Especially your mother. You're the first friend I've ever had Sasuki. I don't really open up to others much. I guess you could say this is me trying to share more with you, so you know you're not alone. I'll always be there for you, whether to talk, or just listen."

Part of him wanted to look away, unable to handle it if she negatively responded A nervous flutter filled his stomach. There was no going back after this. As nervous as he was, the silence seemed to stretch for an eternity. Sasuki wasn't looking directly at him, her gaze fixed on the fire. Finally, she spoke. Her voice was so quiet it was almost impossible to hear. "… Thank you."

She opened her mouth, as if to say more, but then her eyes darted in his grandfather's direction and then back. Perhaps she didn't want to say whatever it is in front of him. Sharp as ever, his grandfather picked up on her unease.

"Why don't I go and get lunch ready?" Madara asked. He didn't wait for either of them to reply, and instead stood up and began to leave the room. He paused at the doorway to say, "It shouldn't be too long. I already have some dishes keeping warm in the oven."

An awkward silence was left in his wake. It lasted several seconds, before Sasuki finally managed to look at him hesitantly.

"Thanks for being my friend. I know I'm not pleasant to be around these days. It's just … every time I close my eyes, I see him killing them again. Especially mom. It makes me so angry." She said, her voice shook from barely restrained emotions. "I just can't get it out of my head …"

That seemed to be her limit. She burst into tears and seemed to curl inwards on herself. Great heaving sobs escaped her. At first he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. Hesitantly, as though approaching a wounded animal, he leaned over and pulled her into a hug. He could feel as her body shook from the force of her crying. Occasionally she'd gasp for air.

Naruto wasn't quite sure how long they sat there. He decided to just let her vent the emotions she seemed to have been bottling up. After what seemed an eternity, Sasuki finally stilled. The sobs died down, and he could even feel the tears stop falling on his shoulder–by now a mess of dampness from her tears, and less pleasantly, her snot. Not that he cared particularly much. Sure it was gross, but he was more concerned with his friend. Eventually, she extracted herself from the hug awkwardly and took her seat again. He pretended to be oblivious while she cleaned herself up.

"I miss her so much." Sasuki whispered. He didn't need her to elaborate on who she meant.

"Me too. Unlike a lot of the adults, she was always nice to me." He replied.

That earned him an odd look from his friend. It took him a few seconds to realize why. Oh crap. He didn't mean to tell her about the Nine-Tails. His brain ran in overtime trying to come up with an excuse. Thankfully his grandfather came to his rescue again.

"Probably because she was friends with your mother, Kushina." He said.

They turned to see him in the doorway, a large tray in his arms filled to the brim with plates of food. It took a few seconds for his words to sink in.

"Wait, our mother's knew each other?" Sasuki asked. She looked just as surprised as he felt. Madara nodded.

"Yes. From what I've heard, she was one of the few to know Kushina was pregnant. I suspect if Naruto's parents wouldn't have died, you two would have grown up together. It probably didn't take her much to connect the dots. Of course, since the Third Hokage made it clear Naruto's heritage was to be the utmost secret, she wouldn't have said anything." He explained.

Naruto had a lot of things click into place in his mind. Things he'd noticed, but never understood. Like the way Mikoto seemed to act when she saw him. Those looks she'd give him were because she was remembering his mother. A stab of fresh pain went through his heart. He'd been saddened about her dying already, but now he felt it all the more keenly. It was like something was taken from him he didn't even know he had.

"Now, let's dig in. This food won't eat itself. We can talk more after eating." His grandfather said as he sat the tray down on the table, careful to avoid knocking over the teapot.

As usual, the food his grandfather made was good. While they ate, they talked about how the Academy was going. Sasuki seemed particularly eager to talk to his grandfather about training when she learned Naruto got most of his training from him. That inevitably led to Madara inviting her to train with them sometime. After a few hours, Sasuki had to leave. Apparently she needed to finish a couple of the assignments Iruka-Sensei had given them. Naruto escorted her back to the apartment the Hokage had given her after the massacre. She paused at the door to say goodbye.

"Well, this is it. I'll see you in class on Monday." He said.

"Ugh, don't remind me. It's annoying dealing with everyone there. None of those idiots takes training seriously. If I have to listen to any of those other girls complain about dieting again, I just might snap." Sasuki replied, her voice dripping with disdain for their classmates.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, not really sure how to respond. "I guess. Well, see ya around."

Sasuki nodded, the smirk on her face the closest thing he'd seen to a smile from her in months. Her ponytail disappeared behind the door as it clicked shut, leaving him alone in the darkening walk-way.

"Better get going." He muttered to himself.

The sky got progressively darker as he walked trudged back home. Around him, the snow started to fall faster. His mind began to wander as he walked. Today had gone a lot better than expected. He'd actually seen a glimpse of the Sasuki he was used to. Though that also brought a frown to his face. It'd also shown him that–for now at least–this more arrogant and dismissive Sasuki wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

'That's fine. She's still my friend, no matter what.' He thought. The events of a few hours prior were still fresh on his mind. Sasuki crying into his shoulder. It reignited that flame inside him, his vow to protect her no matter what. His jaw clenched at the thought. 'I have to get stronger.'

His grandfather was waiting for him when he got home. He sat at the table in the sitting room, staring into the fire. Naruto felt sort of detached as he walked across the tatami just stood there. He was silent for a few moments.

Crrkrack, Pop!

The sound of the wood crackling in the flames seemed deafening in the silent room, only made louder by the way the snow seemed to have muffled all the noise outside.

"… I need to get stronger. A lot stronger. I want to up my training." He finally said.

It wasn't a question, but a demand. Oddly enough, it was almost like his grandfather had been waiting for him to say that.

"I'm not surprised. You'll get your wish tomorrow. Why don't you go wash up. I'll be making dinner shortly. After that I want you to go to bed early. We'll be starting at eight o'clock." Madara said.

He nodded, though he felt a spike of curiosity went through him as he turned to leave. "What will we be doing?" He asked.

His grandfather chuckled, the deep timbre of his mirth carried through the room.

"It's time you finally learned to use your Magnet Style properly." He said mysteriously.

Naruto felt the corner of his mouth twitch, thoroughly bemused. In that moment, he decided to take a page out of Sasuki's book. "Tch, melodramatic old man."

As he walked away, he just barely caught his grandfather whisper something to himself. It left him with more questions.

"It looks like it's finally time, Kazehana."

-x-x-x-x-x-x- NTUC -x-x-x-x-x-x-

The next morning dawned bright and clear. An azure sky stretched far beyond the tree-line. Above the early morning sun shone high into the sky, causing the white landscape to gleam with a blinding light.

BEEEP … BEEEP … BEEEP!

Naruto groaned at the blaring of his alarm clock. Without really thinking about it, he reached over and pushed the button to get it to stop. His eyes blinked open groggily, only for him to instantly squeeze them shut at the brightness that peaked through the curtains. He took his time blinking the red spots out of them. That's when the memories of the previous night hit him.

His head whipped towards his alarm clock, which read '7:00'. Naruto let out a relieved sigh. Good, he had plenty of time.

"Better get too it." He muttered.

He through the covers off and jumped out of bed. It didn't take very long to get showered and dressed. Soon enough he found himself at the breakfast table. Unlike when they ate in the sitting room, the table in the dining room was higher and they had actual chairs to sit in. Madara wasn't a fan of sitting on the ground so early in the morning.

Oddly enough, there was already a steaming plate of rice and fish waiting for him, a bowl of miso soup right next to them. Next to it was a note in his grandfather's handwriting.

Naruto,

I've gone ahead to make the preparations for our training.

Meet me in the training area when you're done eating.

Grandpa

P.S. Don't forget to put the dishes in the sink.

Naruto felt his eyebrow twitch at the last line. "You forget one time and all of a sudden he's constantly reminding you." He grumbled.

He shoved his slight annoyance to the back of his mind, though, and quickly got to scarfing down his meal. When he was done he was halfway tempted to leave the dishes sitting on the counter next to the sink just to be petty. 'Eh, better not give the old coot any reason to complain.'

Now with a full stomach, Naruto was ready for this mysterious training. During the short walk down to the basement and into the lift, he couldn't help but wonder what it entailed. His grandfather's words from the night before were confusing. What did he mean by learning to 'finally use his Magnet Style properly'? Was something wrong with the way he'd been using it?

His musings were so distracting, he almost didn't notice when the lift shuddered to a stop. He quickly shook his head. Most likely he'd learn what Madara meant momentarily. He just had to be patient.

As he stepped into the immense cavern, Naruto was greeted by a recent change. The ceiling had been painted to mimic the sky almost perfectly. It was a suggestion he'd made to his grandfather, to brighten the atmosphere. Speaking of his grandfather, he wasn't anywhere in sight. Naruto strained his eyes to try and find him, yet the more he looked, the more confused he got. Where was he?

"Grandpa, are you here?" He shouted into the cave.

The noise of his shout reverberated off the walls in a seemingly endless loop. No response. Hesitantly, Naruto decided to try sensing his grandfather. He wasn't very good at it yet.

With his eyes closed, Naruto reached out with his chakra. He felt several smaller specs of chakra immediately, most likely rodents. Thankfully, it was only a few seconds later that he picked up his grandfather's signature. It was unmistakable, a massive overwhelming aura of power, though somehow not oppressive. He always found himself taken aback by the potency of his grandfather's chakra.

Oddly enough it seemed to be coming … from one of the wall's? What the heck. Confused, Naruto decided to activate his sharingan to decern what was going on.

Instantly his vision sharpened. By now he was familiar with seeing everything in crystal clear detail, even better than the sharpest hawk. With it he was easily able to pick up the gap in the wall that was barely visible. It was hidden in such a way you wouldn't notice it at first.

"Huh, maybe another room?" He said.

With his curiosity sated, Naruto was content to wait for his grandfather to appear. It didn't take very long. A few minutes after he'd arrived, the distinct tap … tap … tap of his grandfather's cane reached his ears. Moments later Madara slipped from behind the opening. A pleasant smile stretched across his grandfather's face when he caught sight of Naruto. There was a long, thin package wrapped in black cloth cradled in his left arm. He couldn't help but wonder what it was. And where his grandfather had been.

"Where did you just come from?" He asked curiously when his grandfather made it within earshot.

"Ah, that. That's leads into a room for working on projects, such as forging." His grandfather answered. "Now, I told you yesterday today we would take the first step towards you truly controlling your Magnet Style. I'm sure you're curious what I meant, correct?"

Naruto nodded quickly. He'd spent the rest of the previous night trying to think what his grandfather could have meant.

"The answer is simple. Until this point, you've just been using random weapons. From the very beginning, I intended to give you something that was left for you, or well, technically your father." Madara said. Naruto rose an eyebrow as roots extended from his grandfather's cane and anchored it to the ground. With his now freed left hand, Madara gripped the cloth of the package cradled in his left arm and pulled on one of the ends.

The cloth slowly came unwound. As it fell away, Naruto could see flash of lavender amongst the folds of black cloth. Slowly, a familiar hilt revealed itself, followed by a gleaming bronze guard in the shape of a four-segment window. Soon a snow white sheath emerged. His grandmother's sword. He'd seen it countless times mounted on the wall above her picture. His eyes snapped up to meet his grandfather's gaze, the confusion written all over his face.

"Grandma's sword? Why?" He asked.

As far as he knew, it was just a keepsake. Something of his grandmother's his grandfather cherished.

"As you know, this sword belonged to your grandmother. It was her favorite weapon, forged by the artisan smiths in the Land of Iron. On it's own it is a valuable weapon, but there's more to this than meets the eye." Madara said, his voice thick with emotion. Naruto was surprised to see his grandfather's eyes glimmer slightly, as if holding back unshed tears. "Before she died, your grandmother poured the last of her chakra into this blade, including her manifested will. It was meant to help your father when I found him, but now it will help you."

His grandfather held the sword out, offering it too him. Hesitantly, Naruto reached out to grasp it. It was surprisingly light. As soon as it touched his hands he let out a gasp. He felt an instant connection form. Some of his chakra was seemingly drawn into the sword, causing it to flash pink. In that moment Naruto felt something odd. It wasn't quite words, but more of an impression. Warmth, love, protectiveness. Happiness. He knew this feeling.

"This feeling, it's that same one I've felt when training!" He exclaimed.

When he looked to his grandfather for an explanation, Madara didn't seem surprised.

"Indeed. The part of your grandmother that's in the blade has been calling to you ever since you started practicing with your Magnet Style." He confirmed.

Naruto gripped the sword tightly and cradled it to his chest. This was the last remaining part of his grandmother. A woman he'd never met, yet it was because of her sacrifice his father ever lived to meet his mother. Just like his parents sacrificed themselves for him. This was a tangible link to her, one that he'd cherish.

"I'm not exactly sure what the sword can do, except that it will help you achieve even greater feats of Magnet style. Though recently I felt the urge to make some modifications. I suspect it was your grandmother's will driving me. I'm sure we'll have some idea before the day is done." His grandfather said.

He nodded absentmindedly. Naruto was still adjusting to the subtle presence he felt from the blade. It wasn't really a consciousness, or even emotions as anyone would understand them. Yet, for some reason a name appeared in his mind. It came from the sword.

"Senbonzakura, it's name is Senbonzakura." He said firmly. As soon as he said the name, the sword gleamed with pink again. It was almost blinding, and he could feel another burst of … happiness. He couldn't help the grin that stretched his face.

Naruto didn't know it at the time, receiving that sword was a turning point for him. It would go on to shape the rest of his career as a shinobi. Though in the moment nothing so serious was on his mind. He just couldn't wait to test it out!

-x-x-x-x-x-x- NTUC -x-x-x-x-x-x-

There you go, Arc I done. So, obviously I've adjusted the origins of Senbonzakura in this version. I've made it more consistent with the existing mechanics in Naruto. Regarding Naruto himself, I'm sure some are curious about the shift in his personality. Basically, as he's gotten stronger, I've been having him show more confidence. His sarcasm has also gone up since he began to deal with the new version of Sasuki.

Anyways, see ya in the next chapter. There will be a slight change in that chapter, and then maybe one for the bell test. But other than that any changes going forwards will be mostly superficial.

Until Next Time,

RinneTaicho, Signing Off!