Author's notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Edited by Izanagi-MS.

Naruto silently slipped into the house and stopped for a moment at the threshold of the living room. Like butter, the exhaustion and grief immediately melted from his face when his eyes came to gaze on his little sister. Misumi, like the little starfish she is, was spread out on the crib and releasing cute giggles as she reached to the ceiling to grab imaginary shuriken and kunai. (Already a little ninja isn't she?)

Kushina, engrossed in stirring aromatic spices in the dinner pot, heard her son's quiet footsteps, but was surprised that he didn't greet her as usual. After a moment, she tore her gaze away from the stew and looked toward the crib. A sliver of anxiety wormed its way in her mind as she saw him stand motionless by Misumi's crib. She was already about to throw herself to her son's aid, already having an idea of the type of mission he went on, when she suddenly noticed the same radiant smile slowly appear on his face.

"I see Naruto's love for his imouto is stronger than his pain." she thought with a relieved smile, then returned to cooking, leaving Naruto with Misumi. Then she was reminded of her son's life goal and smiled even wider.

"Don't worry Misumi, I'll always protect you. No matter what, your otouto will always be here." he thought with finality, gazing at Misumi's radiant smile. Tears glistened in his eyes, and his heart was squeezed by painful grief of what he'd done a night earlier. If only he knew what would happen in the years to come.

He finally tore his gaze away from his little sister and looked at his mother. He approached her without a word and hugged her from the side. Kushina, surprised by her son's gesture, set the stew aside and embraced him lovingly.

"What happened sochi-kun?" She asked with motherly concern, stroking his blond hair gently.

"I..." Naruto began, but his voice was trapped in his throat. All that came out of his mouth was a pitiful sob. The boy was afraid to tell his mother the truth. He didn't know how she would react to this confession. Would she think of him as a monster? Naruto still thought of himself a monster for taking lives that night.

"Naruto look at me." Kushina said softly. "No matter what happens your mother will always support you." Hearing those words, he snuggled even further into her arms. A long moment passed before Naruto was able to gather the courage to speak what was weighing on his heart.

"I-I killed a pe–... No, I k-killed people" he whispered in a trembling voice full of disgust.

Kushina reacted immediately upon hearing her son's confession. She pushed his hands away, which intensified the pain on his face. For a split second, she felt a sting in her heart when she saw that her gesture only deepened Naruto's suffering. However, she had to do so in order to crouch down and embrace him.

Her heart was breaking at the sight of the boy trembling with emotion.

"Grr... I'll tear Fugaku a new one, you too Minato-baka. But right now Naruto needs some attention," Kushina thought angrily, but also with concern for her son.

"Sochi, this is the nature of our profession." she announced, trying to reassure him. After a moment, she added: "I wanted to protect you from this for as long as possible. It pains me that you experienced the darkness of the shinobi world at such a young age. But remember, your actions saved countless lives. For that, your family will always support you regardless of your path, okay?"

Naruto remained in his mother's embrace even whilst the dinner she had prepared earlier began to burn. However, Kushina wasn't worried about it. She knew they could pop out to Ichiraku's; right now Naruto's condition was the most important thing.

A yellow flash suddenly made its way through the room as Minato appeared. A serious expression was painted on his face which disappeared for a split second when he saw Kushina and Naruto embracing. The joy of that sight faded when he caught a glimpse of Kushina's gaze, which promised him pain.

"I knew it would end like this..." thought Minato with regret, trying to explain to himself that it was necessary for his son's development. However, the sight of Naruto trembling with emotion made him realize his mistake. His son was innocent, and he had forced him to take someone else's life.ㅤ

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–

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The next day, Naruto woke up in his bed with no memory of how he got there. He quickly realized that it was probably his mother who put him to sleep when he lost consciousness from physical and mental exhaustion the previous day.

"In the life of a shinobi you will come to take lives on a daily basis. But you must never abandon your humanity, boy. Never let yourself be consumed by hatred and bloodlust. Remember your values even in the face of death" were his mentor's words. Emotions and thoughts were boiling in his head. After yesterday he understood that his family would love him unconditionally. However, he feared one person's reaction to his confession of taking someone's life. Izumi Uchiha, his best friend and a person unimaginably close to him.

"I'll visit Izumi after training," thought the boy. He needed something to take his mind off the mission. Standing up, he prepared for another grueling training session with Fugaku.

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–

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"Ohayo (Good morning) Mikoto-obasan," Naruto greeted, bowing slightly with an ache. Mikoto was surprised by his visit just after training, but upon seeing Fugaku standing next to him, she realized it was something more serious.

"Ohayo Naruto-kun," she reciprocated, gazing at the boy's face. She had known him long enough to sense a subtle change in his attitude. She felt that something serious had happened in his life and Fugaku being there reaffirmed that.

"Is Izumi-chan here?" Mikoto nodded, "Izumi's probably in her room," she replied, a mixture of concern and understanding was painted in her eyes. She guessed why Naruto had come and felt that this meeting would be difficult for him.

"Argiato, obasan," Naruto nodded and moved toward the hallway leading to Izumi's room. With each step, his heart pounded harder and harder in his chest. He felt apprehensive about this conversation, but at the same time he wanted to confess the truth to his friend. The boy didn't want to keep any secrets from her.

When he reached the door of Izumi's room, he hesitated for a moment. Finally, he gathered his courage and gently knocked.

"Come in." her voice rang out from behind the door.

Naruto took a deep breath, his hands trembled as he grasped the door handle. "It's now or never." He opened the door and stood in front of Izumi.

"Zumi-chan... would you like to come to the Hokage monument with me?" – he choked out the question in a trembling voice. A mixture of fear and hope was painted in his eyes.

Izumi stared at him with concern in her eyes. Naruto was always a brimming with confidence whenever he spoke with her. To unsettle her best friend like this, she couldn't bring herself to imagine what he went through.

"What happened, Naruto-kun?" she asked softly, her voice gentle and full of care.

Naruto lowered his gaze. Without a word, she turned and entered her room, closing the door behind her.

Naruto pondered the words that would fit the current situation. However, he didn't find any before Izumi could open the door again. She soon emerged and gave him a small, reassuring smile.

Naruto nodded gratefully at her. They both headed towards the exit of the Uchiha Clan Head's house.

"We're going out, Kaa-san!" Izumi shouted loud enough for her mother to hear, but not loud enough to wake Sasuke who was probably sleeping now.

"What happened, Naruto-kun?" she asked herself for the umpteenth time on their journey to the Hokage monument, glancing at the boy. However, Izumi couldn't find the answer, and the atmosphere around him wasn't conducive to conversation.

Finally, they both reached the Hokage monument in silence. They resumed their traditional positions on the Sandaime's spiky head, feet dangling over the edge. Before them stretched a panoramic view of the village of Konoha with the last embers of the day painting the sky purple and orange.

"Thank you for coming with me," Naruto said, his voice barely audible. Izumi put her hand on his shoulder and smiled sadly.

"For you Naruto, always."

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ONE YEAR LATER

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Another sunny day in Konoha's perfect weather, we find ourselves at training ground 11 with Naruto eagerly practicing a C-rank Raiton jutsu. Going through the signs again for the umpth time, he was interrupted by an ANBU member who appeared in a whirl of leaves.

"Namikaze Naruto, Hokage-sama summons you to his office immediately," the newcomer announced, disappearing just as soon as he appeared in a shunshin.

Naruto froze, surprised by the sudden summons. Questions raced through his mind. "Why is Tou-san calling me out of the blue? What's going on?" he thought, nervously scratching his head. "There's no time to dwell. I need to notify Fugaku-sensei first."

With a quick hand sign, he mentally commanded his clone to deliver his message before departing the training ground himself, intent on speaking with his father.

As he entered the village outskirts, many villagers immediately recognized him, either giving a quick bow or smiling and waving. Even after the constant gestures, Naruto would still get flustered, never fully getting used to the attention but returning their gestures nonetheless.

A lot has happened in his life over the past year. Starting from the increasingly intense training under Fugaku's demanding eye to the missions where he had to take lives. After some time he finally came to terms with this cruelty, but it never became easier.

Getting bored with his sedentary pace, he quickly took to the roofs, merging with the ongoing ninja traffic (I mean seriously, what about the property damage to the roofs and buildings from doing this?)

After a few minutes, he finally stood on the threshold of the office and froze when his gaze met with those gathered there. His whole family was present – Minato and Kushina along with Misumi, as well as Mikoto and Fugaku with little Sasuke in their arms with only Izumi being missing. Everyone smiled widely at him, even Fugaku, while Mikoto struggled to hold an impatient Sasuke as he squirmed in her arms, wanting to run to him. Misumi reacted similarly when she saw her older brother. She lost her speech for a moment, and her eyes widened with surprise before she started giggling happily.

After a moment, Naruto took his eyes off his family and looked at his father sitting behind the Hokage's desk. On the oakwood desl lay a freshly minted, olive green chunin jacket just gleaming in the sunlight of the open office. The boy frowned, unable to believe his eyes.

"A chunin jacket? Is it possible?" Naruto thought, looking from his father to the flak jacket. His mind was racing with questions. Does that mean...?

All he needed to do was look to the faces of the adults in the room as they confirmed his suscpicions.

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–

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Equipped with his new chunin jacket, Naruto sat on the monument right above the Sandaime's spiky head (shouldn't that be uncomfortable?) Ever since he learned about his sacrifice for the village and his family, he felt obligated to honor his fallen grandfather figure. From now on he would be a chunin, a shinobi with greater duties and obligations to the village, but now he could honor the Sandaime's sacrifice through his own service to Konoha.

"When everyone's returning home, it feels so peaceful and beautiful," the boy thought, gazing at the panorama of his beloved Hidden Leaf Village. "But now I'll have more responsibilities and less and less time for my family..."

Naruto's thoughts were interrupted by the crunch of footsteps on the gravel. He didn't take his eyes off the village because he knew who had come to visit him. Besides him and Shisui, only one other person knew his favorite place to get away from everything and everyone.

She joined him in looking over the quieting village.

"Naruto-kun," she began after a short silence, taking her eyes off the beautiful sunset panorama in exchange to look at her friend. "Why the sadness? Shouldn't you be happy about your promotion?"

He shook his head. "From now on I'll have less time for my loved ones," he replied tiredly, still looking at the village. Doubts about the promotion arose in his head. Seeing him start to question himself, she decided to act.

"Smile!" she announced, poking him in the arm with a mischievous smile. "Sadness doesn't suit your face." When he turned his attention to her, she added: "You're right, you'll have less time for us, but that doesn't mean you'll disappear from our lives completely. After all, you won't be constantly sent on missions lasting for several days. It's enough to plan your free time wisely and devote it to your family and friends, instead of constantly training."

Naruto sighed, then a faint smile appeared on his face as he looked into Izumi's eyes once again.

"You're right, Izumi-chan," he relented, then added in a warm tone. "What is it with you and your advice, hmm? You always know how to cheer me up."

"Because I know you better than you know yourself," the girl replied triumphently with a satisfied smirk. They both burst out laughing, looking at each other. Their laughter echoed on the cliff of the Hokage monument. It was the moments like these that Naruto would look back on and cherish, a constant reminder of what he set out to protect.

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–

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He woke up the next morning with a gnawing feeling in his stomach, something between butterflies and stomach churning after trying his father's cooking. He had a feeling that today would bring some misfortune. The sun lazily broke through the thin curtains, casting faint orange reflections on the wall. He got out of bed dressed in a black t-shirt and orange pants. Going to his desk, there lay another mysterious scroll.

After his first mission, he received such scrolls on the first day of each month. Each of them was like a gateway to a new world filled with new techniques and various exercises aimed at perfecting different areas of the shinobi arts. For a year he had not been able to discover who was giving him these scrolls, but he didn't feel the need to investigate. More important to him was the knowledge hidden in the scrolls. Knowledge that allowed him to delve into new skills.

The boy unrolled the latest scroll carefully as it rustled quietly in his hands. It contained a detailed theory about the Yondaime Raikage's famous technique, Raiton no Yoroi (Lightning Release Armor). Naruto's heart beat faster as he read the next sentences. This discovery exceeded all his expectations and convinced him that the person who gave him the scrolls could not be an ordinary person. Only someone who'd battled the Raikage could've developed such a theory.

His eyes then came across an additional note written in small print:

Treat it as a challenge. Create your own version of it and you will be rewarded

These words aroused even greater determination in Naruto. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he was ready to take on the challenge. He wanted to face the challenge posed by the unknown benefactor.

The boy closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating on the flow of chakra. A quiet hum resounded in his body, indicating control over a huge amount of chakra for his age. He opened them again, and his Sharingan flashed with a violet glow. His sharpened gaze eagerly reread the information, instantly memorizing the theory.

"Whoever you are, thank you for the scroll once again," the boy announced quietly, as always receiving no answer. He proceeded to store the scroll in a seal on his right hand. The storage seal created by his mentor was the only place where he could keep them safe.

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–

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Fugaku looked at him with his ever present stern face. "Naruto, there will be no training today," he announced in a serious voice. "One of the genin squads has sent a request for support with a mission. You have been chosen to provide it."

Naruto felt a rush of adrenaline. A request for support meant that the mission had encountered problems. The lives of shinobi and kunoichi now depended on his skills.

"Understood," Naruto replied, clenching his fists. "I will not disappoint you, Fugaku-sensei."

"Good... This will be a mission solely for you," Fugaku added, pulling a folded piece of paper from his pocket and tossing it to his student. It contained a copy of the distress message from the squad that was asking for support. "Because of my duties, I'm unable to accompany you, and time is of the essence. You leave immediately and are to ensure their safe return. Understood?"

"Hai, Fugaku-sensei," the boy replied, his eyes reflecting his desire to do everything he could to save the squad.

"Squad 16 encountered an rogue shinobi during their mission," Fugaku began. "A conflict ensued where the squad leader was seriously injured. Fortunately, according to the message, the genin emerged from the confrontation unharmed thanks to the sacrifice of their leader. The paper also contains a rough instruction on how to reach their temporary hideout. Due to their sudden escape, they probably won't be staying in the same location, so you'll probably have to track them down."

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–

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In the forests of the Hi no Kuni, Naruto darted from branch to branch like lightning, propelled by his chakra-augmented mind was still clouded with the details of the mission.

"An unidentified shinobi attacked them during a simple escort mission of a diplomat," Naruto pondered. "The diplomat was murdered, and the squad leader barely escaped with his life after confronting the attacker. According to the information, he's alive thanks to the Iryōjutsu one of the squad members knows, but without professional help his life is in danger. I have to hurry!"

Reaching the scene, he was unprepared for what met his vision. Before his eyes stretched a gruesome sight: not only the body of the murdered diplomat, but also the corpses of the members of squad sixteen. An adult and three teenagers lay motionless next to each other. Their pale skin was stained with blood while their bodies were mutilated with stumps and spikes impaled them in multiple locations.

The boy's Sharingan activated automatically, quickly scanning for life signs. He could feel his throat closing as hot tears emerged from his eyes, the Sharingan ingraining the gruesome scene into his memory, forever to haunt him. He wanted nothing more than to feel his mother's warm hug at that moment, but he couldn't.

Blinking away the tears, Naruto approached the nearest person, kneeling down beside them and checking for a pulse. The cold of the dead body sent a shiver through him. Questions swirled in his head, and anger mixed with despair.

"If they're dead, then who wrote the request for help? What happened here?" he choked to himself, checking the pulse of the others.

None were alive.

As Naruto examined the body of the squad leader, he suddenly got a strange feeling. The space before him rippled as if distorted by an invisible force. The silhouette of a figure slowly materialized in the darkness.

"Space-time ninjutsu?" Naruto thought, throwing a kunai at the phenomenon. It simply phased through, no indication of it causing any damage, but it didn't emerge from behind the figure. It was lost in the portal.

"Do you really want this confrontation, boy?" a rough voice of the newcomer resounded. The man was hiding in the shadow of a black cloak, face concealed by an odd swirl mask with ripple patterns and black streaks, a hole available for just his left eye. His black, spiky hair was exposed.

Gauging his opponent's chakra, Naruto realized that a fight with him was doomed. He nimbly backflipped to create distance while his assailant stared at him with curiosity.

"Can I retreat?" he wondered, lips in a fine line. He immediately dismissed it, realizing that the opponent could easily match his speed.

"Don't be afraid" the mysterious man announced, noticing the boy flinch when he felt the murderous killing intent emanating from him. "I have long desired to meet you without interference."

"Does that mean he's sparing me?" The murderous desire emanating from the man told him otherwise as his instincts told him to flee.

"Who are you?" the boy asked quietly, still choking on words.

The stranger's eye flashed red as 3 tomoe spun as his dojutsu came to life.

"Sharingan?!" Naruto cried in his mind. The mystery man watched his reaction with satisfaction.

"I am Uchiha Madara" the man announced with power in his voice, titling himself with the name of the legendary Uchiha.

"I-impossible" the boy uttered with difficulty, his face showing a mixture of fear and disbelief. "Uchiha Madara has been d-dead for years…" he managed to stammer out.

As if he were insulted, Naruto felt an even greater pressure emanating from the opponent. The aura of death became thicker, and the man's murderous desire seemed to choke him.

"Am I not here?" Madara asked with a steely voice, his words piercing Naruto like blades. The man intensified his murderous aura and added: "I assure you boy, Madara Uchiha stands before you. The same one who spread terror decades ago."

"What..." Naruto tried to formulate a question, but the words got stuck in his throat. The fear of the man was so strong that the boy fell to his knees, clutching his chest in an attempt to catch his breath.

"I wanted to meet the child who awakened a bastardized version of the Uchiha clan's kekkai genkai" - the man announced, approaching the boy with slow steps. With each step, the aura of death around him thickened, and Naruto felt its weight on his shoulders, receiving various visions of himself being brutally impaled with wooden spikes.

He didn't notice as Madara stood right in front him. "Even after all this, you are still weak. So much investment, and you still do not meet my expectations."

"Investment... what is he talking about?" the boy thought, still struggling to catch his breath. He looked at the man who claimed to be the legendary Uchiha, his mind filled with chaos.

"You've disappointed me, boy..." Madara said, his voice piercing Naruto like an icy dagger. "Maybe you need another push, hmm?" satisfied by the boy's surprise. "Maybe the death of your imouto will help you reach your true potential? Or perhaps the death of your Uchiha friend, Izumi?".

At the mention of his sister, Naruto's blood boiled. And when he heard Izumi's name, he was filled with rage. Anger and despair broke through the barrier of fear as the boy lunged at his opponent without hesitation. In an instant, he drew his tanto from behind his back, streaming lightning chakra down its length.

He quickly slashed at the man, but his opponent didn't even bother evading, his attack merely passing through the Uchiha's figure as if it didn't exist.

As soon as the blade exited his astral form, he grabbed the boy by the neck, disarming his tanto carelessly and lifting him to eye level. The boy squirmed helplessly, trying to launch himself off the man's chest with his legs, but that only resulted in him being throttled in the stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs. He recoiled in pain, only to be punched again.

"Yes, realize the difference between you and me" he announced with a sinister joy in his voice. "Remember boy, I can take away everything you love at any moment, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

With those words, he unceremoniously dumped Naruto's figure on the ground. The boy writhed in pain, his body shaking like a leaf. Madara looked at him once more before disappearing.

As he departed, Naruto slowly sank into the abyss of unconsciousness, left vulnerable to the wilderness. The pain and mental exhaustion was too strong for his young mind to bear. It was hard to tell which was worse: the agony of seeing his dead comrades and the threats Madara made against Misumi and Izumi, or the physical trauma of his blows.

Night eventually blanketed the forest in darkness, but a figure moved through the blackness unhindered. It emerged from the brush to reveal a wolf with silvery fur and eyes that shone like emeralds. The wolf sniffed cautiously, following the trail of blood and death until it eventually reached the bodies of the fallen shinobi of squad sixteen.

He stopped at each one, sniffing them disinterestedly. When he reached Naruto though, his heart beat faster. The boy was still alive, though his breathing was shallow and his face deathly pale.

The wolf didn't hesitate. Grabbing Naruto's jacket with his teeth, he got under the boy before positioning him precariously on his back before departing for his den. He knew that Naruto would be safe there. Under the cover of night, the wolf ran through the forest, carrying the defenseless boy on his back. Normally his kind didn't involve themselves with the shinobi world, but there was something special about this boy, something instinctual that madeThe creature wanted to save Naruto, feeling instinctively that he was someone special.

When they reached the wolf's hidden cave, the intelligent animal laid the boy down on soft moss. Then he brought him water from a nearby stream and watched over him until morning.

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–

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When Naruto awoke, he felt weak as his aching muscles slowly made themselves known. Next to him sat the wolf who opted to stare curiously. In their gaze, Naruto saw concern and kindness. The wolf nodded when it saw that the boy had woken up from sleep.

"What happened?" Naruto asked, leaning on his elbows on the moss bed. He didn't expect an answer from the wolf, but he received one nonetheless.

"I found you among the dead bodies on one of your human paths" the creature answered. It waited for his reaction to its words, but Naruto just nodded without surprise.

"Aren't you surprised that I can talk, boy?"

"My father can summon talking toads, so meeting a wolf with the ability to speak doesn't surprise me at all, silver wolf" the boy replied as he managed to recall the events before he lost consciousness. Realizing he was left defenseless after his encounter, the boy added with a slight grimace and bow: "Thank you for your care. If I can, might I know your name? I would like to know who my savior is."

"Isn't it custom amongst you humans to introduce yourselves before asking," the wolf lazily replied, opting to lick his paw. After hearing this, the boy winced having tried to grab the back of his neck out of embarrassment, but was instantly reminded of his aching muscles

"I apologize for my manners... My name is Naruto, Naruto Namikaze," the boy replied kindly.

"Nice to meet you, Naruto-san. I am Gin," the wolf introduced.

"Was I unconscious for long, Gin-san?" the boy asked with regret in his voice. He failed his mission, the most he could do now was return the bodies of his fallen comrades, that is if they weren't picked apart by the wilderness and scavengers.

"Assuming you didn't lie on the path for too long, you were only unconscious for a whole day," the wolf replied, now opting to scratch behind his ear using his hind leg.

"Hmmm... Thank you again for your help. If there is anything I can do in return, I will gladly do it," the boy announced with a serious expression that did not resemble a seven-year-old.

"You don't have to thank me. I assume we'll both benefit from this situation," Gin replied for the first time looking seriously. Seeing the boy's surprise, he added: "I saw your fight, boy. You may have been outclassed this time, but I saw your courage and how you stood up for your pack when it was threatened. There's something special about you boy. I believe you will only get stronger with time, and I would like you by the wolf's side as that happens."

"Now what do you say ningen (human), how would you like to be our summoner?"

"Huh?" Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. The wolf's words greatly surprised him. To be offered a summoning was rare, few shinobi held their own summons, the most notable being Hanzo the Salamander and the Legendary Sanin."

Seeing the shock on the boy's face, Gin misinterpreted his reaction. "You would spit on this honor?" he asked with anger in his voice. "Is there something wrong with wolves, you hairless monkey?" he growled.

Naruto shook his head vigorously. "No, that's not it, Gin-san!" he protested. "It's a great honor for me, but it's just… I'm not sure if I'm worthy of it."

Gin narrowed his eyes, looking at the boy with a scrutinizing gaze. "Naruto" he began slowly, "I am one of the elders of the wolf clan from the Crimson Forest. I see potential in you. However, remember that I am only giving you a chance. Only the leader of the pack, Genshi, will decide if you are worthy."

The wolf paused for a moment, then continued: "If you win his approval and prove your worth, you will gain powerful allies. We wolves, on the other hand, will gain a summoner and thanks to you we will be able to show the world that we exist again."

Gin trotted slowly towards Naruto, his voice taking on a gentle tone. "I know you've been through a lot, ningen. Your eyes speak volumes and that's why I want to give you this chance. Prove me right."

Gin raised his front right paw into the air and concentrated chakra into it. Then he hit the ground with it and a column of smoke erupted from the impact. As the smoke cleared, Naruto saw a massive scroll in front of him. The scroll was almost empty, with the only symbol of a wolf's paw in the lower right corner.

"Sign this scroll with blood," Gin announced. "Then I will show you how to use the summoning technique. You will summon your companion from the wolf pack, who will accompany you to the end."

Seeing his head tilt to the side in confusion, Gin decided to clarify.

"The wolf you summon will be your soulmate from the pack. You will share many memories. However, remember that during the trial period you will not be able to summon any other wolf until the leader of the pack, Genshi, accepts you. Do you understand?"

Naruto nodded, confirming that he understood the elder wolf's words.

Seeing his acknowledgement, he continued: "The signs and order for the summoning technique are Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram. The more chakra you use, the more powerful the summon that will heed your call."

The boy nodded again, soaking in the details. Ignoring his aching muscles, he pulled a kunai from his pouch and nicked his finger. A drop of blood flowed from his wound which he dotted onto his fingertips before signing his name in the scroll, becoming the first human to ever be a summoner of the wolves.

Then, running through the seals and calling on whatever chakra he had left, Naruto slammed his hand on the ground as smoke once again erupted from the cave.

Boar Dog Bird Monkey Ram

Kuchiyose no Jutsu!

After the smoke cleared, Naruto and Gin saw a small wolf cub.

She had light silver fur with black stripes that ran down her back and down her legs before pooling at her paws. Black fur also stretch down her snout and circled around her ears. Blue eyes like a clear sky looked at them with a bit of fear for being called so suddenly.

"The daughter of the pack leader?" Gin thought with slight surprise. "That's interesting. I'll have to explain this situation to Genshi-sama."

The little wolf cub looked around with curiosity. She had never been to the shinobi world before. At the sight of Gin, she calmed down and trotted toward him with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

"Gin-sama, what's going on?" she asked in an innocent voice.

"I'm preparing a new summoner for the Crimson Forest. And as it turns out, you're his first summon," Gin announced with a smile, watching her surprise.

"Huh? You mean I was summoned first by him?" the wolf cub asked with joy in her voice, not hiding her happiness. She had long wanted to experience the shinobi world, but her father kept forbidding her. Genshi always claimed that she was too young.

"Yes, that's true," Gin confirmed with a seriousness, though he couldn't hide his amazement at the sight of the puppy wagging its tail.

"What's your name?" she turned to Naruto with a twinkle in her eyes, her tail still wagging.

"I thought it was customary for others to introduce themself?" he responded playfully while giving a knowing glance to Gin. The elder wolf only snorted while muttering something about brats and manners.

At that, the wolf cub looked down abashed with her ears flat to her head. "My name's Tsukinami, daughter of the Crimson Forest wolf pack leader," she started off shyly before finishing off proudly as she puffed her chest out.

"Well then Tsukinami-san, my name is Naruto Namikaze, strongest chunin of my age and son of the Yondaime Hokage, the fastest man alive and leader of the strongest village in the world" he replied smugly as if one-upping her with his intro.

"Maybe the strongest village in your human world, but not amongst the summons" she replied in a disgruntled tone. That quickly changed as she was reminded of her joy of having a summoner. "I look forward to tearing our enemies apart Naruto-san! Now, do you prefer decapitation or disembowelment?" she asked with a head tilt.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Naruto thought to himself, face paling and eyes turning commedically white.