The three were making their way from the hot spring to training grounds to get out of the village unnoticed. "Hey, Naruto right? Didn't I tell you to tell me about any injuries that you have taken since the exam started right?" Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, forgetting that she asked him to do that. He was more into the route they were taking. It seemed to be a route that traversed the outskirts of the village, avoiding all the major areas where people like to congregate. It was almost like she didn't want to be seen, though if it was because of him Naruto could understand though it did sting.
Not wanting to bring down the mood, Naruto responded in his usual energetic tone. "Well, the first exam was really hard ya know? It was this test that had all these super hard questions that I didn't know how to answer" he said a little down cast. Though he didn't see it, the two women raised an eyebrow at his explanation. 'Did he not know he could have cheated or did he not have a method that he could have used?' the two ladies thought as they walked. "So, I just didn't answer any question until the last one, which I passed because that scared face proctor couldn't scare me!" proclaimed Naruto. Again, both women were surprised by his statement. 'He passed an information gathering test by not backing down?' they both thought. 'Well, he certainly an interesting one. Seems like a way that Kushina may pass if she wasn't prepared for hers'' thought Tsunade, giving her more suspicions as to who his parents are.
"Then after he explained that we could have cheated," there his tone took a drop as he was told that he needed to cheat to pass. But it jumped up again as he continued his tale, "this crazy lady that had a coat over some fishnet clothing came bursting through the window saying she was the second proctor. Though I have to admit her entrance was pretty cool" he said with a nod and his arms crossed. What happened next was more of him running his mouth without thinking. "Though it's not as cool as pretty Tsunade Oba-san punching someone into the sky." This caused Tsunade to smile softly while Shizune looked on curiously at her master's response. "Anyway, she brought us to this place she called the Forest of Death" he said with a shiver. "Well, I kinda told her that the place wasn't scary. But then she threw a kunai that cut my cheek and licked the blood" he said with another shiver.
Tsunade got a flat look on her face. 'That is not a good habit. She could end up ingesting something poisonous or toxic if she does that to the wrong person just to intimidate a genin of all people' Tsunade thought with a groan. "Then after she licked my cheek some other lady with this super long tongue, like it was so long she actually used it to hand the crazy proctor her kunai with it, came up behind us with this creepy smile" he said as a chill went down his spine. This bit of news surprised both Tsunade and Shizune. 'It couldn't have been!' the two thought but waited for Naruto to finish his tale before they questioned him about this long-tongued individual. "Well after that, we got our scroll since we were supposed to get a heaven and earth scroll to pass then make it to this tower in the center of the forest. When we got a little way into the forest, we had to ugh … make a stop" he said with a slight blush as he looked away. "Well, I got captured, but it wouldn't have been an issue if he would have fought me fair and square" he said with a huff. "Well after I beat the guy and chased him off, Sauske-teme said we should get a password." Here his anger grew a bit. "Of course, the teme picked something that he knew I wouldn't remember. After that we were hit with a large wind blast that sent me flying through the forest. When I landed this giant snake ate me" he said with a shudder and a pout.
For the other two however this made their suspicions grow. 'If it was Orochimaru, he attacked this boy and his team! I can't believe he survived if it was him!' the two thought in unison. "After the thing ate me, I made it cough me up by creating so many kage bunshin until it exploded," he bragged as stood proudly before catching up to the two. "After that, I rushed off to find my team." 'Well, he can certainly be creative' Tsunade thought. "Well when I found my team, that creepy long tongued lady was wrapped around the tree rushing at Sauske." With that statement the two ladies' suspicions, and Tsunade's growing fear for someone who may be family, were confirmed. 'He is here! And yet we have yet to be confronted by an Anbu or Sarutobi-sensei? Has this village become lax?' questioned Tsunade.
"Well to save Sauske I heroically threw several kunai in front of that freaky long tongued lady which stopped her. Then for some reason Sauske wanted to give up our scroll to that freak! I mean come on! Just because some is stronger than you doesn't mean you give up! I mean we didn't give up when Kakashi-sensei got captured by Zabuza. We came up with a plan and managed to win so why would this be any different?" Tsunade could feel a headache coming from this boy's stupidity, but she figured that if her teammate was disguised, he may not have realized who he was fighting. And if she heard right, he also survived fighting Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of Kiri. 'This boy's luck is insane. Maybe I should bring him with me when I go to a casino next time' she thought as a glint appeared in her eye that didn't go unnoticed by Shizune.
"Well before he could give up our scroll, I caught it and punched him in the face. Then the freak summoned another large snake that slammed its head down on the branch we were standing on before throwing me up into another one. Well, it tried to eat me, that was when I ugh … got angry and punched the snake. I actually bruised its nose! With one punch! Kind of like you Oba-san" Naruto proclaimed. 'So, he's the boy Minato sealed the Kyuubi into. Well, I know he was selfless and Kushina was due around that time …. There is one true way to be sure but I won't know until his charka control improves. Also, that sounds like what happened when Kushina was younger. When she got angry, she drew on the Kyuubi's chakra, even if it was by accident.' Tsunade thought.
"Well after fighting with the giant snake, it attacked a frozen Sauske, like a coward! To save him I shielded him with my back while stabbing it with two kunai in the nose where I called him a 'scaredy cat' because he refused to fight. After that, the freaky tongue lady used her long tongue to wrap me up. She then used this jutsu, a five something seal, and slammed it into my stomach, then I passed out." 'If he still has the seal on it's amazing that he can even move, though knowing how stubborn Kushina was, she would force herself to continue on no matter her injuries' she thought with a fond smile. "Well after I woke up, we made our way to the tower which we barely made it to. After that we fought in the preliminaries as I guess there were to many of us for the finals."
At this Tsunade interrupted him. "Listen kid, I know that you'll probably want to tell me all about your friends, but I'm training you not them. So, tell me if you have any injuries still and if that seal is still on you." Nodding his head Naruto continued his tale. "Well even though I fought Kiba and he got some lucky hits in, I heal up pretty fast so I don't think anything is wrong" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Did you not get checked out at the hospital?" Naruto looked down at the question, which surprised the two women. "I don't like hospitals too much, I haven't … had the best time there" he told them cryptically.
'If what happened I suspect did, then the staff has certainly fallen in quality since I ran the place' Tsunade thought angrily. "As for the seal … well, I still haven't told anyone. Actually, you're the first people I've told. Not even my sensei knows" he told them, half embarrassed half sad. When Sauske was injured Kakashi-sensei immediately checked up on the teme. Even took him to the hospital after his fight. Even after his own fight he didn't ask if he was okay. Sure, he healed fast, but it would have been nice to show he cared. 'So, he passed the preliminaries despite having a seal that basically made molding chakra impossible. Well, I'll give him this, he certainly is tough and never gives up. Every time he seems to get put in a bad situation he doesn't quit. Hopefully this won't backfire for him' Tsunade thought. Shizune had her own thoughts on the matter, 'He reminds me of how Tsunade-sama describe the Shodai when he was alive. Maybe he can help heal the wounds in Tsunade-sama's heart.'
"We are here" Tsunade told the group. Naruto looked around and saw that they were next to a riverbed in the forest that was bordered by a heavily rocky bank on each side. There appeared to be some large boulders and a wide variety of plants near the trees. He turned his attention back to Tsunade. "So, before we get to your training there are going to be a few things we have to do. First you are going to tell me what it is your last sensei was having you work on. Second, I am going to give you a full medical check-up to make sure you have no lasting injuries you may not know about, and third I am going to remove that seal you have on you. Before you ask how, my grandmother was a seal mistress and taught me quite a bit. Though I am not known for it I am quite good at seals like a teammate of mine" she explained.
Naruto, while excited was also curious "Why do I need a checkup? I always heal quick" he questioned. Tsunade drew in a deep breath. "Just because you heal doesn't mean you healed correctly. For instance, if you broke your arm it could heal. But if not set properly it could be misaligned and thus make it hurt to throw a punch or even just use your arm in general." she lectured. Naruto looked confused. "Mis-a-lined?" he questioned. Tsunade's eyes narrowed before answering. "It means to not line up properly" she said as she gave a demonstration by using her pointer fingers not touching as she pushed them together. Thanks to the demonstration, Naruto understood what she was getting at. "Well how do you know that I have that problem?"
"That's why I'm giving you the check-up, to make sure that hasn't happened since you don't seem to like hospitals" Tsunade explained. Finally grasping what she was talking about he went on to explain what he was working on.
"Well, I'm set to face this guy, Neji Hyuga, who is a real jerk because he tried to kill his cousin" Naruto explained with a huff while crossing his arms. "So, the closet pervert said he was going to teach me how to walk on water, which is what I was doing until I saw that white haired pervert peaking in on the hot spring, then after that I met you." he explained. Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, "Did he tell you anything else he was going to train you in?" Naruto just shook his head. Tsunade let out a grunt of frustration. 'He is set to face a Hyuga and all he was going to get was chakra control training? I don't care if he is the Kyuubi's jinchuriki, that is just … ugh' she thought angrily. "Well good chakra control is a good foundation. In fact, a lot of my skills are based on perfect chakra control however not having anything else lined up suggests that he either didn't have much faith in you or that he thought it would take you a month to learn how" she said angrily. Naruto looked down at this. Yet another person that saw him as nothing more than the damn kitsune. "So, under me you will not only learn chakra control but, if your parents are who I suspect they are, then there is a secret technique I will teach you."
Naruto was shocked, "You know who my parents are?!" he asked in a desperate tone. Tsunade held a hand up to stop him. "I said I suspect, but I can't confirm it until your chakra control improves" she told him. "But why do I need good chakra control, I can already use a jutsu from the Scroll of Sealing!" he protested. "Just because you can use a jutsu doesn't mean you can use it effectively. If you can't mold your chakra properly then you run the risk of either overloading or underpowering a jutsu leading it to fail. If you use too much chakra, you could die as not having any chakra in your body is the equivalent of having no blood" she explained. "And in your case, it's worse." Naruto looked at her confused, for both the new word he hadn't heard before and how running out of chakra is worse for him. Seeing his confusion, she explained. "If you run out of chakra, the Kyuubi could flood your system to keep you alive, but that could lead you going on a rampage as its' chakra is dark and malicious." Naruto was surprised that she knew about the Kyuubi and the effect tis chakra can have on him. He began to quake in fear that maybe she was going to hurt him or turn him away.
Seeing his expression, Tsunade spoke, "Yes, I knew you held the Kyuubi and no I don't care. I knew someone just like you and the kitsune did not define her. She perceived and became one of the strongest kunoichi I knew, heck sometimes she could even give the Yondaime a run for his money if he wasn't using his hiraishin. She didn't even need the fuzzballs power to do so" she explained with a fond look in her eyes. Naruto was shocked. If she knew someone like him could be strong enough to rival the Yondaime then his dream of becoming Hokage was achievable then. "Really… was she really that strong?" Smiling down at him she nodded, "Yes, she was. She was also headstrong, stubborn and had the will to never give up." The more she talked about this person, the more Naruto suspected he would get along really well with this woman. With this his excitement exploding out of him "Hey! So Oba-san what are you going to teach me!?"
"Well the first thing I am going to teach you is chakra control, since that is the basis of what I use. I will also teach you how to fight without taking a hit. Since you are fighting a Hyuga, taking any kind of hit could prove fatal. And the last thing I'll teach you is physical conditioning and not just working on your speed and strength. We will be working on flexibility and proper diet." Naruto looked at her confused. "What does diet mean?"
"It means what you eat."
"What does what I eat have to do with anything?" Tsunade let out a sigh. "Proper nutrition is what improves muscle growth, makes you stronger, improves your brain condition, helps you think better and understand more, and helps you grow taller. Having a proper diet can improve a shinobi's ability to survive on a mission" she explained. "Well I don't need anything but ramen" Naruto said while nodding his head. "Listen gaki, you may love ramen, but if it is all you eat an opponent you face who has been eating a proper diet and is just as skilled as you will beat you since his body has been properly fueled. Imagine training as hard as possible only to realize that your opponent wins because he was eating better than you. That would certainly make you memorable Hokage but not a strong one." Tsunade used the same explanation she used on her brother to get him to eat properly and seeing the look on Naruto's face, it seemed to still work. Under great protest, Naruto relented.
"Well let's get started" she told him. "Take off your shirt and jacket and I'll start your examination." Following his new sensei's instructions, he removed his top and stood before her. Her hands glowed green unlike the usual blue, "Hey Oba-san, what's that?" Quirking an eyebrow, she answered him, "This, this is medical chakra something that can be achieved with excellent chakra control. Didn't they teach you this in the academy?" Naruto looked a little nervous. "Umm I may have missed that lesson" he chuckled. "Well then, I guess were going to be filling what else you missed over this training. Everything I will teach you will require you to be quite knowledgeable" she told him. Naruto began to panic. "Umm I'm not great with studying" he laughed off. Tsunade and Shizune's eyes narrowed.
"Well that's not an issue, using your kage bunshins, we can make sure you will build good habits." Naruto's face scrunched up in confusion. Tsunade let out a sigh before she explained. "The Kage Bunshin no Jutsu was invented by my granduncle, the Nidaime. The jutsu allows the user to receive all the memories that their bunshin gain over the course of their life, though they can cause a feedback overload that could harm the user's mind if they use to many are dispelled at once or kill the person due to how much chakra they use" she explained.
Naruto's eyes widened at this revelation. "WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME ABOUT THAT?!" Tsunade looked at him with a quirked eyebrow as she began her diagnosis. "That warning should have been in the scroll when you were granted access." Naruto turned his gaze away from her. In response she narrowed her in suspicion at him. "How did you learn the move?" Naruto was hesitant to answer. Shizune tried a different approach. Setting down Tonton, Shizune placed a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder, "Naruto-kun, we can't help you if you don't talk to us. You can trust us, we won't judge you." After a moment of silence, Naruto told the two how he failed the Bunshin no Jutsu portion of the academy and that his former sensei had tricked him into stealing the Scroll of Sealing and learn a move from the scroll that he would pass a special test.
When pressed why no one helped him learn either chakra control to help him learn the Bunshin no Jutsu properly, he reluctantly told them, "I was always kicked out of class, sometimes for asking a question, other times for trying to participate. Anytime I would ask for help the teachers would say I was being a-a-a nuc-nucia…"
"A nuisance?" Shizune finished. "Yeah" Naruto confirmed sadly. By this point he had his head down while tears brimmed in his eyes. Shizune hugged him, which he returned, while Tsunade went over what she learned. 'This child is greatly malnourished. If I had to bet, the chakra of the Kyuubi must be healing that. If he is an Uzumaki, then his genealogy and the Kyuubi's chakra are 'healing' his malnutrition' thought a seething Tsunade, remembering that this was not what her grandfather wanted for children in this village. Taking a deep breath, Tsunade spoke to change the subject, though now she has a better understanding of why he doesn't understand certain words and concepts that should have been covered in the academy. "Well now you know more about the jutsu you learned from the scroll. We will be using this for everything but physical conditioning. We'll get started once I get that seal off of you. Now raise your hands up and prepare to feel some pain." Naruto was released from Shizune's hug and wiped his eyes. "Thank you."
"For what Naruto-kun?" asked Shizune. "For listening and helping." This time Tsunade hugged him. While the one he got from Shizune was nice, this one felt warm and comforting.
"Alright let's get to it" Tsunade said abruptly as she broke the hug, a light dusting of pink on her cheeks that she hid behind her fist. With a nod of his head, Naruto raised his arms above his head as the fingertips on Tsunade's hand lite up with blue flames. "FIVE-PRONGED SEAL RELEASE" she cried out as she struck the seal on his stomach that made Naruto hunch over from the strike. As Naruto recovered from the hit, Tsunade turned to her apprentice. "Shizune use a henge and go into town get some basic books on calligraphy, reading, and first year medical books. While I may not make this boy a full apprentice, 'yet', he has quite a bit he needs to catchup on if he is going to be trained by us." Shizune's eyes widened in shock "T-T-T-Tsunade-sama, are you sure you want me to help train the boy?" she asked hesitantly.
"Yes, while I will be overseeing the majority of his training, you have a different approach that he may listen to depending on the subject or if I get tired. Despite my age and who my grandparents are, I am biologically younger than my chronological age, the large amount of chakra his system has undoubtedly given the boy a lot of energy. That means we are more likely to get tired before he does" she told her apprentice. Hearing this reasoning, Shizune understood her master's way of thinking. "Tsunade-same, if it's not rude of me, but why did you agree to train the boy?" Tsunade looked at her apprentice before watching Naruto straighten up.
"Naruto try the water walking exercise again not that your chakra is flowing better!" she shouted at him. Naruto gave a yell of acknowledgment. As he stood on the side of the river, he channeled his chakra to his feet before stepping out onto the nearby river. "Call it a feeling Shizune" she answered her apprentice as they watched Naruto preform the exercise effortlessly, and if what they were told was true, he was almost able to do the exercise with his chakra flow disrupted. Now with it flowing properly he was able to do it flawlessly after using a hand sign to channel his chakra which was stunning. While it can be improved to be done on instinct, doing what he did with less than an hour's practice shows just how much potential the boy has.