Chapter Two; Winding Thorns

-Academy-

A new day for another boring day at the place he was supposed to learn the stuff he already knew. Naruto arrived in his seat, nodding to his silent friend as he sat in his usual seat. Dropping his head down, he sighs hard. "Troublesome." Earning a snort from Shino, causing Yūhi to snap up and look at the bug boy, just as one of his dragon flies pokes up. Narrowed scarlet eyes as the two stared at one another. "Well played."

Shino nodded as the dragonfly flew a single circuit around the ravenette before returning to its home beneath the Abereme coat. Dropping his head back down, Naruto pondered the mystery of Kana Uzumaki. Ever since their impromptu lecture, she had been sneaking glances from the other side of the classroom. Just like the Hyuga heiress. Though both seemed to be paying closer attention to his actions ever since Yakumo pointed out his seemingly unrivaled genjutsu prowess. It was so "Troublesome."

A slap on the back of his head alerted him to the other troublesome heiress's presence. "Morning."

"Morning. Seriously. We haven't even started class, and you are already moaning about being here," Yakumo huffed. Snorting, Naruto didn't even grace her with a look. "If it were not for you, we'd already be starting on the next level of our yin chakra theory. Do not assume you have a say in the actions taken." His words caused her to flinch, recalling that now the teachers routinely check for genjutsu. He still does it though. His genjutsu is just that good after all.

"Troublesome," was heard, and Shino caught Yakumo's instinctive response to the word. He shook his head before a dragonfly flew over to the newly arrived Nara cousins. "You noticed it too, huh?" Naruto said.

"Kinda hard not to." Shuka murmurs, yawning, and glances at the Uzumaki heiress, "She's been staring for a solid minute."

"What are you guys on about?" Yakumo asks, clearly out of the loop. "Well," Naruto begins, glancing up and looking at the approaching Uchiha duo. "Sasuke, can we help you?"

Said Uchiha nods, "Yeah." Earning raised brows class wide, "My brother gave me the run down on chakra ratios and such."

"And?" Naruto asks, his brow on course for his hairline. "I was wondering how I could be tested for it. Everything I read hasn't led me to anything useful. Figured I would ask you, Knowledge Knights."

"When did that become a thing?" Shikamaru mumbles. "Lunch after the lecture," Shuka informs. "Troublesome," Yakumo checked to see who said that but couldn't tell. Sighing hard, Naruto looked at Sasuke critically. "And what pray tell, will you do with such knowledge?"

"Get stronger." Sasuke shrugs, earning a snort. Everyone looks around briefly for the culprit, but only Naruto knows it's his bug-based friend. He swears that dude gets away with so much because of that high collar. "Hmm… we'll get back to that."

Sasuke nodded and strolled off, but Izunia stared at them curiously before following her cousin down the steps. All eyes were on the Yūhi, who pretended not to notice them, sighing hard before glancing at them with a blank face. "Troublesome." Before the hand came down, he offered a brief glare to his genjutsu-wielding cohort, freezing her enough for him to return his face to his arms.

At lunch…

Naruto's group arrived under the shade of the tree to find Shenra and his loyal lapdogs, Kerri Hagane and Marin Koharu, in their usual spot. Having drained his social battery on the Uchiha earlier, Naruto really didn't have any plans on confronting the Senju prince today, but unfortunately, the gods decided that today deserved an extra serving of troublesome.

"Oi, bastard! Don't turn away from me," said Senju, earning a very long sigh from the Yūhi. "Troublesome of all troublesome," she muttered, earning a nod from the two Nara. Even the Kurama heiress stayed her hand on this one. Continuing their withdrawal from the conflict, Shenra did not take that too kindly. "I am talking to you, your waste of space."

No response from the group, and he growled, clicking his fingers. An Anbu appeared, "Stop them. I want a word." Wordlessly, the Anbu body flickered before the group, "The honorable Senju heir has requested your presence." The Yūhi looked to Yakumo, who looked to the Nara. Both were unusually angry at this clear, absurd misuse of resources.

"Mackerel, right?" Shikamaru spoke up, glaring at the Anbu who had yet to remove his gaze from the bastard son of the Senju clan, "Troublesome." Naruto looked to Shino, who pressed his glasses up his nose, causing them to glimmer. This is where the story splits. Naruto's party heads off while the Anbu sees them return to Shenra's side, escorting them. Shenra sees this too and smirks.

Everyone else, however, snickers as Naruto's group sat on a bench far closer to their fellows, which promoted several new arrivals: Sakura Haruno, the class bookworm brainiac, and Ino Yamanaka, childhood friend of Choji, Shika, and Shuka. "Hey guys! Can we join you?"

"Troublesome." Shika mumbles as he looks at the ever eager pink-haired civilian, Yakumo, glaring at Naruto, who Shikamaru and Shuka have both realized by now is socially exhausted. "Oi, Shika, play nice." Ino says, hands on hips. "We have no issues with you joining, Haruno-san, Yamanaka-san." Shino speaks up as he pulls out his lunch. "Great!" The pink-haired girl drops down beside Yakumo. "Ever since your lecture on Yin chakra, I've been reading whatever I can get my hands on about the subject."

Many raised their brows as Sakura pulled out a notebook with all their works on, which they presented at the lecture. "Admittedly, nothing I found was even remotely as comprehensive as what you presented."

"Naturally," Shino said, acting all cool as his shade adjustment caught a gleam of sunlight, at just the right angle to flash across the table. Naruto swore his normally stoic friend had far too much wit these days. "Well, yeah, those were all our combined research projects." Shuka, eating an apple, observed the pink-haired girl opposite. "You won't find them anywhere. Not even in clan libraries."

"It's that advanced?" gawked the lone civilian at the table, earning nods from the rest. "My dad told me that it would help if I paid attention to you guys as it'll help with my own techniques too," spoke up Ino, to which Shuka nodded. "Yeah. Yamanaka techniques are all Yin-based. The better your understanding—wait. Why am I the mouthpiece?" The Nara looked around to see Naruto face-planted and steaming. Shino was silently eating his lunch, stoic as ever. Looking opposite, Shikamaru was asleep. "Troublesome."

Ino eyed up her secret crush. The thick raven locks contrasted against his pale skin, and his vivid eyes gave him a dark knight look that was to die for. She secretly had a photo of that time he and the two Nara were napping together under the tree during training. Unbeknownst to her, three-quarters of the school's female population did too. The last quarter got there too late, before they were sold out. Kenta Hatake made a killing that day. Naruto and Shikamaru got a respectable twenty percent royalties each, thus knew who got them.

"What's wrong with Naruto-kun?" asked Ino, sending alarms off in both Yakumo and Shuka's heads at the same time of a potentially new rival entering the race. "His social battery was run out talking to the Uchiha this morning." Shuka informed as Yakumo nodded along.

"…but, he only spoke a few words to them, no?" Sakura asks, having witnessed said interaction. Yakumo nods, "Yes. But his…" she sighs, unsure how to put it, but Shikamaru finishes, "Bullshit filter." This earns him a glare from the heiress. Shino nods, "He has trouble dealing with the truly arrogant. It drains him. It is only logical."

His words cause jaws to drop from the two newcomers, even more so when his shades seem to glimmer in the sunlight as he finished.

"Anyway," Sakura moved on from the quirkiness of that situation. "Is there any way I can join your research team? I have a few ideas I wish to present based on what I have seen before. I wish to confer with you all."

"Seriously," Shuka was genuinely surprised by that. Sure, she knew the girl was sharp in book work, but their subject of study was rather niche and only really affected their clans. She didn't think anyone outside those two subjects could glean any insight into it. She wasn't complaining, though. Abruptly, Naruto snapped up her workbook, a pen appearing in his hand, and Shino seemed to teleport to his side as the two looked over the pinkette's work. "That's intriguing." Shikamaru says, somehow teleporting next to the other two boys. "Yeah, but this..." Naruto scratches out a useless equation, correcting another. "Wait, forgot to carry the four." Shino points out. The other two nod. "Ah, but look here." Pointing to the diagram.

"See where she went wrong there. Common mistake." Shikamaru adds, scratching another diagram out and correcting it. "Wait, but that leads to..." Naruto informs, stopping Shikamaru. "No, that…" pointing at the discrepancy. "He is right." Shino nods. Naruto nods too, noticing it. "Yeah."

Sakura was nervous. She didn't think they would look over her current work during lunch. She hadn't even prepared herself for it. "Close." Shikamaru yawned, dropping the pad on Sakura's lap as he passed, all thirty-three pages edited. "We meet at Training Ground forty-four most days after school," Naruto informed with a yawn, getting up as the others followed suit. "Isn't that..."

"Forest of Death, yes," Shino responded to Ino's inquiry. "You are welcome to join us," Naruto offered as they all headed towards class. "Hey, Naruto…" Yakumo spoke as she stepped in sync with him. "Hmm…"

"Why'd you blow off the Uchiha this morning?"

"Too troublesome," Naruto responded, causing Yakumo to gain a tick mark. "Why you...?" But Naruto's glare froze her in place. "Yakumo," he said with such seriousness that even Shino seemed to grow just as stern with his body posture. A quick glance at the two Nara showed their faces hardening. "The simple fact is that Sasuke's actions have shown that he is becoming a threat. A threat I have no intention of helping. Do you understand?"

"What do you mean?" Ino spoke up with a serious look upon her own face, gaining the crimson gaze upon her teal that froze her stiff. "As a Yamanaka, you have received training on body language, yes?" Upon her nod, he continued, "Observe Sasuke. I mean, clinically observe him as if a patient, and you will understand what we see. Why we do not include him in our activities. He needs to change his mindset, or at some point, we will be facing each other in anger."

Ino gulped at the seriousness of those words, yet found herself nodding and vowing to herself not to get on Naruto's shit list. That stare was so cold and piercing. It was kinda hot though. She was unaware of the fact that many, and when I say many, you don't actually know how many I am talking about, people have fallen and will fall prey to the Yūhi siblings' penetrating stare and feel the same way.

-Training Ground Forty-Four-

Naruto and his team were escorted to their training clearing this time by Inoichi as Anko was still dealing with a rather tough nut back in T I. When he had heard that his princess was joining the research group for their after-academy training in the Forest of Death, he decided to be their chaperone to ensure their safety. They were a very important resource to his clan, especially.

Ino and Sakura were surprised at the clearing. The forest was generally very creepy on the outside, however, this clearing was amazing. Several fallen trees, clearly worn by use, a small lake not too far away. Numerous fireflies within the exposed roots, and small streams of sunlight to illuminate the area. "It's pretty," Sakura comments. Ino nods along as the regulars proceed to their locations. They see it most days. Their awe had long since been used up.

"Hey Shino, I have an idea…" Naruto looked at the Yamanaka duo. Shino's glasses gleamed with intrigue. "Ah. Yes. I too am eager for this test."

Inoichi suddenly felt nervous. He had been warned by Shikaku that Naruto's eccentricity had begun to rub off on the stoic Aburame heir, causing some interesting moments. "How high mental defenses affect potency?" Shikamaru said with a straight face, but none missed the amusement glinting in his eyes, nor did his cousin, as they were all staring at the new trio.

"Pause." The lone adult with hands in a T formation said, "You want to test a genjutsu on us?" Earning nods from the four researchers, he asked, "Is it harmful?"

"No. Why? It's only a test. It would defeat the purpose." Shino responded as numerous dragonflies were seen leaving his high collar, fading out of sight as they leave, earning a curious look from Naruto. "They evolved again." He glared at his research team. "We had an agreement."

"Forgive me, Naruto-san, it slipped my mind," Shino says, but Naruto knew that tone was covering his amusement. His response? Yūhi's stare, ten percent. Even the unflappable Aburame was not immune to it as he stiffened. His bugs, too.

Ino was about to speak up, but her dad stopped her. When she looked at him and saw him gulp as he shook his head, she suddenly recalled the stories. The Yūhi stare. Considered a bloodline in Kumo and Sand, allegedly, but so far it is considered the only thing that can stand up to the Sharingan and Byakugan on equal terms and stand a chance of winning more often than not. A cold sweat ran down her neck.

Shino broke contact first, submitting to the stare. He was not ashamed. No one would blame him either. It was damn right unfair, but again, no one could cool them out on it. For it would fall on them too. "My apologies."

Naruto nods, accepting this. "We will have to revise the parameters now." This earns a groan from the Nara. "We just got done with..."

"We have extra heads now." Naruto shrugged, and both Nara snapped to look at Sakura and Ino, who stiffened at the sudden attention, backing up as their friends closed in on them. They hit a tree root behind them, glanced back for a moment, then snapped forward. "Wait...!"

The sound of smashing glass, and everything returns to normal. The four were scribbling in their notebooks feverishly. Confused, they look around, only for Inoichi to speak from behind them. "Didn't think it was that subtle."

Both girls twirled to see the clan head smiling at them. "You didn't notice, did you?"

"Notice?" Ino muttered. Her father smirked, "You were under a masterfully crafted genjutsu."

"Huh? When?"

"When I turned to Shino," Naruto informs from his place atop the fallen tree, "that was the Genjutsu's start point. Everything after that was a genjutsu."

"I didn't even notice," Ino muttered, and Sakura nodded. Inoichi chuckled at that. "It took me until Shino looked away to realize."

"He caught an Anbu earlier after they were giving him trouble." Yakumo comments as she does some stretches, warming up for the run they were planning. This earned a raised eyebrow from the clan leader, "Oh? And why was an Anbu bothering you?"

"Shenra Senju." The whole group, except Ino and Sakura, spoke in unison, earning a tired sigh from the Yamanaka head. "Right, should've guessed. Maybe I should."

"No point," Naruto finally finished his note-taking, glancing at the Yamanaka. "It would be too troublesome." This earned a snort from the Nara and a glare from Kurama. "Indeed," came the response from the Aburame.

"And why is that?" Inoichi asks, interested. Naruto points at his clan friends, "They already tried."

"Dad was unamused," Shino confirmed. "He caused dad to swear in front of Mom, then glared at her." Shikamaru informed, earning a surprised gasp from Inoichi. That was bad. If Shikaku was able to glare down Yoshino, then he must have been really mad. Yes, that was definitely "troublesome." The blond clan head confirmed. "Not another one," Yakumo moaned, earning smirks of amusement from the others.

-Yūhi Household-

Naruto arrived home to an empty house. Training wasn't as productive as usual; the Haruno was woefully inadequate outside the classroom, even if her theories were almost there. Sighing to himself, he headed to the kitchen and boiled the kettle. With that accomplished, he ignored the note to meet Hana at the Inazuka compound for dinner, not after last time. No matter how many times she apologizes, he makes his way to his stash.

The one beneath his bed is a decoy. The one behind the fake wall is a double decoy, and the one above the right light is a triple decoy. The fake base in his drawer was also a quintuple decoy, and the one under the mattress was another quintuple decoy. For the real one, it was above the hanging light, hidden behind a five-layer interwoven genjutsu attuned to his chakra. He used his full sensory abilities to ensure that no one witnessed his hand signs, which allowed him to retrieve two packs of instant ramen.

Four minutes later, he was found at the end of the street, dumping the evidence in their bin before returning, unseen the entire time.

Flopping onto his bed, he contemplated the question this morning. It's been bugging him. Why are the Uzumaki and Hyuga heiresses watching him so carefully? Whatever, they can't follow him anyway. His genjutsu is too good unless the Hyuga uses her bloodline.

-Academy-

Appearing in his seat, Naruto dropped his head immediately on his arms. "Rough night?" Shino's monotone voice carried. "Morning, actually."

"Sounds troublesome," Shikamaru commented as he dropped down into his seat. Naruto nodded at that. "Good morning, all!" All eyes were drawn to the pinkette, who was way too damn cheerful this early in the morning. "Troublesome," was echoed by three. The silent specter just nodded. Sakura sweat-dropped. "Was it something I said?"

"Why so loud, forehead girl? You know how early it is?" Ino appeared at her best friend's side, and the said friend glared back. "Early? It's almost..."

"Come on, Yakumo-chan…" a hated voice oozing with smugness, and laid thick with what most assumed was an attempt to be swerve. "…as an heiress, you deserve better than one of such low birth – ouf." The doorway parted and a visibly fuming Yakumo strolled in, followed by a stumbling Senju, rubbing his reddening forehead.

Naruto chuckled lowly in amusement, a soft benefit to the nearly swooning Ino and Shuka, with Sakura blushing not so faintly. Shikamaru and Shino were smirking at the sight of the Senju, suspecting what had happened. "Good grief. Some people never learn," Yakumo sighs, approaching her corner-hanging friends.

"What else do you expect from the number one pretty boy prince?" Shuka spoke lowly as the heiress of the Kurama clan took her place beside the red-eyed ravenette. "It's just so... so..."

"Troublesome." Shikamaru offered casually, earning a nod from the hazel-haired girl. "Yes, troublesome." She froze, snapping to the clearly amused smirks on the two Nara. The twinkle in the crimson gaze could not be missed by anyone.

Growling lowly for a solid minute, glaring at the trio, all until their teachers entered the classroom, "Okay, all, settle down."

-Sparring Arena-

The weekly sparring matches came up, and Naruto and his party could be found together as usual. However, this time it seemed their party had increased in size. Ino and Sakura stood with them, the former rather close to the Yūhi, though he was flanked immediately by Shino and Shikamaru. The latter was at the side of Shuka, the two talking casually about their favorite books and the like.

Shenera glared at the Yūhi almost obsessively but discreetly. The Uchiha duo was nearby, but the laid-back, silver-haired Kenta eyed up the possibility of making another kill based on the growing tension.

"Now then…" said Iruka, calling attention to himself, "…this week's sparring will be randomly selected so everyone will have a chance to showcase their…"

"I challenge..." the Senju began, but was cut off by the Uchiha, "I want to fight Naruto." Sasuke stepped into the ring boldly, eyes locked on the red-eyed Yūhi. Everyone else began murmuring, and the Hatake was already opening bets on the fight. Dude works fast.

"That's..." Iruka began, but was cut off. "Yeah! That'll be a great match-up!" Kiba cheered, earning many more cheers from the other students, except from the Senju and his friends, who had gritted teeth. Knowing his class was now worked up to not be satisfied by anything else, the chunin turned to the Yūhi, missing the handing of a hundred Ryo from the Hatake to the Inuzuka. "Naruto...?"

The boy seemed to zone back in upon his name being called, slightly confused at the eyes on him. "Huh? Did you say something?" Earning a face-fault from those who forgot who they were dealing with. Kiba handed back the hundred Ryo to a smirking Kenta. "Fight me, Yūhi."

"Oh." Naruto blinked at the Uchiha, also noting the glare of murder upon the Senju heir's face, before nodding once. "Okay."

Naruto stepped up onto the mat before the Uchiha, as Iruka explained the rules, "Now then. No elemental jutsu..." giving the Uchiha a hard look, who nodded, expecting this, "...training kunai are allowed but nothing fatal. Three strikes and the match is won. Ring outs are also immediate losses. Understood?"

"Hi, sensei," they both chorus. "Now, the seal of conflict." The chunin orders, and the two extend their fingers, grasping it. "Good luck, Sasuke-san."

"Won't need it," the Uchiha snorts as they release and return to their starting positions. "Begin!" The chunin begins the duel, and the two schoolchildren just stand there. Naruto looks casual, as if he isn't even there mentally, his eyes tracking a butterfly that caught his attention. Sasuke stands in his interceptor fist stance, a counterattack style that requires his enemy to strike first. Though, his eyes do flicker to the butterfly briefly out of curiosity.

He missed the brief smirk on Naruto's face.

Iruka didn't and resisted the urge to face-palm or cycle his chakra. "Well, are you not going to attack?" Sasuke asked, only for Naruto to snap his gaze back to the Uchiha's. "Huh? Why would I? Your whole fighting style revolves around counter strikes, right? Making you come to me is far smarter on my part."

"Fine," the duck butt charged forward, going for a swing at the boy's face, only to phase through him, stumbling and losing his balance before catching himself with a rolling turn, skidding to a stop upon the flip round. "What?"

"Winner, Naruto Yūhi," called Iruka with a tired sigh, forcing the Uchiha to look down and see the line he was next to fade and shrink just ahead of his foot. "Wha…?"

Naruto made his way off the deck, amid the slack-jawed stares of his classmates, but the amusement of his friends was clear as day. The silence was broken by the laughter of the Inuzuka heir apparent, "Dude! That was amazing!"

"Beat him without lifting a finger." The Hatake shook his head, "Unbelievable."

"Hey, Hatake," Naruto called out, drawing the silver-haired, mask-wearing classmate to Yūhi. "Thirty percent."

"Deal," Kenta informed, earning a nod from the ravenette. "That was hardly a fair fight," Sasuke bellowed, and for the first time since class began, Shenera nodded in agreement. "You used genjutsu. How is that fair? In a taijutsu battle!"

"The rules did not prohibit him from doing so. So?" Shino responded in place of the Yūhi, "He did not break any rules."

"He is right, Sasuke," Iruka comments with a frown. "The only restriction was on elemental ninjutsu, as they are hazardous and dangerous in a friendly spar." But he didn't even fight? Shenera shouted, earning a shrug so aloof that Kenta took notes. "I won. Everything else is a mute point."

Iruka sighed, hands on his hips, with his clipboard still in hand, "Just… make the seal of reconciliation."

The other fights were far less spectacular, with the clan kids effectively bullying the civilian-born with little effort. Naruto pointed out that the matches seemed skewed, as the probability of no clan kid being put up against known stronger opponents was low. Shino noted that too but made no comment.

After Shenera beat his civilian opponent, he turned and pointed his training kunai at Naruto, "I, Shenera Senju, challenge you, Naruto Yūhi, to a taijutsu bout." Everyone gasped, and Iruka sighed deeply. This was meant to be random. A simple test of the class's progress. "Kenta, listen..."

"Let it go, Iruka," a new voice, drawing all attention to the fact that the Hokage had arrived at some point, "Lady Hokage!"

"Stand easy, Iruka. I just came to see how my little ones were doing." Tsunade smiled as she looked at Shenera then Naruto, "So, I would appreciate seeing them face off with one another."

Those beside Naruto heard his very low growl, his stiffened posture, and the solidified impassiveness of his face. "Well, in that case..." the chunin responded, knowing an order when he heard one, even though it was worded as a suggestion. He looked to Yūhi, noting his stiffness upon the Hokage's presence. "Naruto. Front and centre."

"Hi." His monotone voice alerted the class that something was up with the normally aloof Yūhi. Kenta figured it out first, and his betting corner was closed. He and Naruto weren't friends, but they had respect for one another. The hustle and the shinobi life. He now realized that the Hokage was up to something, and his cohort had no say in it. This was messed up.

Joining the smug Senju in the ring, though he tried to hide it, Naruto had a blank face and lacked his normal wistfulness upon his presence. Iruka grew nervous at that, not knowing what exactly was happening to his student. Just as the chunin raised his arm, the hokage spoke up, "Oh, and Naru-chi." All eyes fell on the Senju Matriarch upon speaking, "Please do not hold back. I am here after all. So feel free to use that sword of yours."

All eyes widened at that for two reasons: one, Naruto had apparently been holding back, and two, he had a sword. "Just don't go for kill strikes. I'm sure Shen-chan can handle it."

This is when Iruka heard the low, almost inaudible growl from the Yūhi, "Hi – Lady Hokage." The ravenette responded as he took a stance, as if ready to quick draw from above his left shoulder, bent knees, and eyes locked on the suddenly slightly nervous Senju, who had two kunai out in the Senju defensive stance.

Iruka looked between both sides. The air was silent, tense, and had died down to non-existent. The whole class was sweating from the tension. The chunin's hand raised, "Ready – begin."

The instant the chunin's hand chopped down, Naruto was seen leaning forward before shimmering out of sight. The next second, he was standing on the other side of Shenera with a sword slowly shimmering into view from the handle up. It took a moment. A long moment. A very long moment before Naruto raised to his feet from his post-slash. Shenera let out a pained scream as his calves, thighs, and biceps all received cuts, and he fell forward in pain.

This was the first time many would ever call Naruto by his moniker, whispered among the shinobi of other nations within their own minds as the shadows were not safe. The day Naruto, at least among his classmates, earned his soon-to-be famous moniker, "Phantom Blade." Kenta christened it in bewilderment and awe as the wind seemed to blow those thick raven locks over scarlet eyes that he caught a glimpse of. What Kenta saw in that brief glimpse, however, was something he never told a soul about, and in his mind, solidified his decision to befriend the outsider among the Senju clan. He knew his ally in the uncaringly cool would be on the path to greatness. A path that was no doubt going to be epic.

-Training Ground Forty-Four-

Kurenai only arrived to find the usual clearing of her little brothers' training filled with many new faces. Shino, the two Nara, and Yakumo were all expected to be there, but the Yamanaka and pink-haired girl were new. The last one she didn't know, but given how he had silvery hair, she suspected him to be a Hatake.

Though what made her worry was that her adorable little brother hadn't run to hug her like he normally did. Instead, he was meditating on a tree branch, upside down, ten meters up. Oh boy. "What happened?" Her voice caught the kids' attention, shocking the newbies who hadn't sensed her. Kenta had reached for his kunai out of reflex, the chunin noted as she approached. "Ah, Kurenai-san." Shino nodded. "Kurenai-sensei!" Yakumo chirped, running over. The two Nara were cloud watching and just offered a brief glance each.

"Who angered him?" Kurenai asks again, snapping the two new kunoichi in training to break from their ogling of the woman. "Man, all you Yūhi are unfairly attractive," Ino muttered, Sakura nodding silently at her side. "It was the Hokage," Kenta says, finally answering this new Yūhi's question. He caught the brief darkening of her eyes, but did not comment on it. It just confirmed his growing theory. "She got him to fight against Shenera Senju, no holds barred. Damn near ordered him to fight with the sword none of us knew he even had."

Kurenai nodded at that, figured something like revealing that much was pissing her shy little brother off something fierce. Looking up at his calm looking face, she nodded, "Remember to record your time, this time, okay?"

She didn't await a response as she knew he had heard her, instead turning to look at the three new students, "As for you three, allow me to official introduce myself. My name is Kurenai Yūhi. Naruto's older sister and currently a chunin."

"Ino Yamanaka, heiress of the Yamanaka clan," Ino chirps, loving this woman's perfect body frame. "Sakura Haruno, ma'am. It is a pleasure." Sakura announces with a rather stiff bow at the end, earning a nod from the shinobi in active service, who looks to the new male. "Kenta. Kenta Hatake of clan Hatake. Though, we are more like a family with our lack of numbers."

"Pleasure." Kurenai responds, with a soft nod, "Now, what is everyone working on?"

The Yūhi siblings were walking home after training. Naruto hadn't said a word yet, and Kurenai's big sister sense was tingling up a storm, pushing her to ask, "Want to talk about it?"

"Not particularly," her brother snapped. He then shrugged. "It doesn't matter now, though. The whole class knows that I am far more skilled than I had previously thought."

"Deception, huh?"

"Wasted all because of them." His growl was deep and barely audible, but his sister just pulled him into a hug, the type of hug she hadn't given him in many years. "It's okay, my little Naru. No matter what happens, I will always be your older sister. We are family. Now and forever."

"You... you promise." His response was but a breath in the wind. Her response was simply to squeeze him tighter. He nodded and hugged her back.

-Hatake Dojo-

Kenta strolled into his old man sitting cross-legged with his hand resting on his old chakra saber, the Hatake family legacy and the reason for his moniker of the White Fang. The short sword was often seen coated in lightning, and the metal used in Hatake blades caused them to turn a brilliant white as opposed to the general silver of most common weapons.

"Ah, Kenta my boy," Sakumo comments, looking up at his clan's up-and-coming shinobi in training. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I wish to learn the twin sabre style," Kenta said, taking a seat. The old timer raised a brow, "You do? Why not the more traditional..."

"Grandpa, you told me once that when I find a rival, to keep my eye on them as they will constantly push me." Kenta cut his clan head off, the man's face grew serious and stern. "Today, Jiji, I believe I have just seen the birth of the leafs newest legend. I wish to be a part of said legend as the twin blade to his phantom blade."

Intrigued, Sakumo pressed for information, "Phantom Blade? Who are you referring to?" And for the first time in his recent memory, Sakumo saw the eyes of a true warrior among his clansmen in the grey, steely eyes of Kenta as he spoke the soon-to-be-recognized truth, "Naruto Yūhi of the Phantom Blade."

-Yamanaka Clan Compound-

A dirt-covered Ino strolled into the family flower shop, the public front of her clan's compound, and came face to face with her mother, Azumi Yamanaka, who looked and gasped at the sight of her daughter being covered in dirt. "Dear? What...?"

"Mom," Ino spoke with a determination her father had never heard from her, stopping her dead in her tracks. "I want to learn how to wield a sword."

"A sword?" Azumi questioned. The academy student nodded. "Today, there was a match between Naruto-kun and the Senju heir."

"I am sorry your crush…" Azumi began, and despite the rosy blush donning Ino's cheeks at that comment, "No! Mom! Listen. Naruto-kun won with a quick draw in a single second. It was so cool and dreamy and…" she abruptly cut herself off. Taking a deep breath and regaining her hardened mindset from her talk with Kurenai, "I spoke with Kurenai-sensei, and she pointed out that having a backup option is always a good idea. Naruto-kun has his sword, if his genjutsu doesn't work. Shino has taijutsu if his bugs don't work. The Nara's… well, I don't know but I am sure they have something. Or are working on it."

Her mother was nodding along, seeing the logic and silently thanking Yūhi for pointing this out so early in her daughter's career. "So, in short, just having clan techniques isn't enough anymore. I need something to fall back on."

"I understand, Ino-chan," Azumi spoke with a nod. "I guess I can dust off my old tanto and show you a few things." This surprised the young blonde. "You, you used a tanto?"

"Yeah… I did…" Azumi smiled forlornly, recalling her earlier days. "In fact, most of us Yamanaka do. Our family sword style suits it perfectly after all."

Ino gawked at that, "We have a family sword style? Why wasn't I told?"

"You never asked, dear," her mother shrugged with a teasing glint in her eyes. "Besides, most of us realize the fault you have discovered after they become genin and lose their first chunin exam. The post-exam depression normally points them to this. I suspect Shin-chan will stumble across it then."

"Then…"

"Go get changed and I will meet you out back, huh? I need to go find my weapon." Azumi strolled off, and Ino rushed off to do just that."

-Nara Ranch-

"What's on your mind, Shika?" Shikaku asks his clearly distracted son, who was absentmindedly feeding a fowl. "Just wondering, what kind of backup abilities would complement our fighting style?" This earned a raised brow from the clan head. "Something caught your attention?"

"Naruto did."

"What happened?" Shikaku asked, his gaze sharpening. "Lady Hokage showed up to the sparring today. She ordered him to go all out against her grandson. Sword and all." Shikamaru explained briefly, his eyes finally meeting his father's. "It never occurred to me before, something this obvious, a flaw in my own training. Naruto had a trump card, should his genjutsu fail him. His sword. If my shadows fail, what do I have to fall back on?"

To the young heir's surprise, his father smirked, "It seems, failing the chunin exams isn't necessary for you."

"Failing the… what are…?"

"Many of our clansmen who fail their first chunin exams will only then make that connection," Shikaku comments as he offers a carrot to the doe at his side. "Then, they go through the clan library or the shinobi one for answers to that very question."

"What do they choose to do?"

His father's shrug stopped the child of the duo. "Most choose taijutsu, letting them get close and capture targets easier. A few switch to elemental ninjutsu, falling in line with non-clan shinobi, but a chosen few have taken up weapons."

"Like the sword?"

"Sword, Spear, Bo staff, your auntie Sren the bow." Shikaku shudders. "She's damn scary with that thing."

"So, I have options," Shikamaru said, nodding at the information, which earned a chuckle from his old man. "Yes. It is rather interesting that you picked this up so early. I wonder why?" The clan head asked, seemingly an innocuous question, his back to his son, as he already knew the answer. "Naruto Yūhi of the Phantom Blade."

Turning back to his son, he cocked an eyebrow at his statement. "Phantom blade?"

"Hatake said it after witnessing the fight in class. It was quite fitting, and the whole class seemed to have universally accepted that title."

Shikaku would have snorted, but based on Yūhi's skill set, he gave the title serious thought. Sure, giving it by his fellow classmates might seem childish, but the Hatake are a serious clan when it comes to two things: swordsmanship and lightning attacks. "Naruto Yūhi of the Phantom Blade, huh? Phantom Blade of the Leaf. I can see it."

-Uzumaki household-

Kushina Uzumaki watched from the door frame as her daughter went through her sword kata with fluidity ever since she got back from school. Normally, she would be working on either calligraphy or elemental chakra theory, but today, she seems obsessed with perfecting the Uzumaki swirling sword style. "Kana-chan, what's come over you? Did something happen at school?"

"Hi, Ka-san. Tsunade-oba had Shenera-kun fight against Naruto-ni." Kana responded, not breaking from her kata. Kushina stiffened at the third name mentioned, a dark look upon her face. "Ho? I hope Shenera-chan did not go too far overboard..."

"Shen-kun lost in an instant," Kana reported, finally stopping and turning to her mother, who looked surprised at that. "He did?"

"Hi – Ni-sama was ordered to go all out by Tsunade-Oba. One second, he was standing next, he drew his sword, and slashed three times, appearing to only slash once." Reported Kana. Kushina was further surprised that the kid could even grasp a quick draw technique of that level. "Then, Kenta, the Hatake, gave him the name 'Phantom Blade' which everyone was using after that. His blade did appear to come from nowhere after all. No one even saw it till after he struck." The student rambled as Kushina frowned.

Sure, as a fellow sword user, she could appreciate a good kenjutsu fight, but if she recalls, Shen-chan has no experience fighting against a sword user. From the way it seems, Tsunade knew Naruto was armed and was purposely not using it. So why get the two to fight like that? A sword always beats a kunai, so then why?

Her eyes widened as they landed on her daughter, who was training harder than before without prompting. It was obvious. Grinning, she realized that the prank had been deciphered. "Well played, Su-chan. Well played."

Kushina was not wrong. The future Rookie Fifteen would go on to be one of the greatest generations the Leaf has ever seen. Under the leadership of the Fifth and Sixth Hokages, these nine would end their careers with more accolades, awards, and legends than any previous generation, and for many after them. They secured the dominance of the Leaf for over a hundred years.

-Uchiha Compound-

Sasuke and Izunia entered the office of Fugaku Uchiha, who glanced up at his two charges with a firm nod, "Report."

"Hi – today there was a spar between the Senju and Yūhi." Sasuke started. His father's nod urged him to continue. "The Senju was soundly defeated. Without effort, the Yūhi used a hidden sword that he had with him the entire time."

"You're assessment, Izunia?" Fugaku looked to the aforementioned girl, who stiffened. "The Yūhi is far stronger than previously believed by a factor of at least three. It also appeared that his true skill lies within his use of a blade, not his mastery of illusions."

The clan head nods, leaning back as his fist is grasped by his other hand while he ponders this new information. "If I may...?" Izunia speaks up again, and upon his nod, she continues, "The Hatake has also bestowed him with a moniker. A moniker that I feel is rather fitting, considering what we know of the Yūhi."

Smirking, the clan head leaned forward on his desk, for he was rather fond of these monikers. He himself had been given the nickname Wicked Eye Fugaku. "Oh, may I hear it?"

"Naruto Yūhi of the Phantom Blade," Izunia reported. The older man nodded, grinning, "Phantom Blade of the Leaf. Yes. A fine name indeed." He didn't comment on his niece's red-tinted cheeks at his words, smirking internally, "So, I suspect you both want to step up your training? Assuming you don't wish to fall behind?"

"Hi!" They both reported earning a nod from the clan patriarch. "Very well. Any ideas?"

"Kenjutsu." They both report earning a raised brow from the man, "Oh?" Seeing their nods of confirmation, he chuckles, looking up behind them, "Did you hear that, Miko-chan? We have two future kenjutsu legends in the making."

Both students turned around as the door opened to show Sasuke's mother, and clan matriarch, Mikoto Uchiha, smiling broadly. "So I hear. I guess we should find out what kind of swords fit you both, neh?"

"Mother, you are…?" Sasuke muttered, looking between both his parents. His father spoke up, "I am a Ninjutsu/Genjutsu user, Sasuke. Your mother is a Kenjutsu/Ninjutsu specialist with a side of Genjutsu. Best in the clan in kenjutsu." Fugaku smirked, "Thank your Uzumaki aunt for that."

Mikoto almost squealed at the prospect of training her baby boy and daughter in everything but blood. "This is going to be grand. I'll be sure to whip you into shape so that not even the sword-crazed Hatake can touch you."

"I want to beat the Yūhi first though," Sasuke comments, only for Izunia to glare at him. "You're just mad he beat you without lifting a finger." Earning a glare back, "He cheated."

"Is this true, Sasuke?" asked Fugaku with all seriousness, causing his son to stiffen but nod. "He used a very subtle multiple-layered genjutsu that none of the students noticed." Itachi suddenly appeared from the side, donning his Anbu gear. "It was masterful in its application, and I doubt that even their teachers noticed it despite knowing of his habit to utilize the art."

"Perhaps I should take him on as a student," Fugaku said, leaning back in his seat. "It has been a while since I taught you. Perhaps the Phantom Blade can be sharper with the Wicked Eye of the Uchiha."

Itachi paused at that, about to recommend himself. However, that sounded like a far better option, as he still had a few years left on his ANBU duties. His father may come off as pretentious at times, but his skills in genjutsu are the real deal and the basis of his own skill in the art. He had to try with all his might not to shudder at the very thought of the Yūhi's genjutsu prowess after his dad had his way with him. "It is worth at least an inquiry to ask."

"We'll see." Fugaku comments as he looks to the kids, "As for you two, training with your mother after the academy from now on. Weekends will be with either me, Itachi, Shishui, or Izumi."

"Hi!" They both respond and Fugaku would smirk at that, yes. This upcoming generation of leaf shinobi will be feared and two of his own will rise with them. With the Yūhi as a student, the wicked eyes will become a symbol of the leaf that none dared whisper aloud.

-Hokage Tower-

"I hope you understand me now, Cat." Tsunade leaned back, addressing her Anbu operative standing before her, both having just watched the numerous clan heirs via the crystal ball. "This may hurt Naru-chi's love for me in the short term, but I suspect his growth will soon become explosive and lead the next generation to greater heights than mine ever dreamed possible."

The Anbu remained stiff, feeling rather guilty for what she had done to her little brother figure, but orders were orders. "Hi – lady Hokage."

Tsunade smiled softly at that, "Go, take the night off. I happen to know a certain other Anbu who will be finishing any minute now. I promise you that your involvement will remain a closely guarded secret."

Bowing, the masked Anbu cat left via body flicker, allowing the current Kage to sigh. He spun to look out the window and said, "Sensei, you know you don't have to hide like that?"

"Ah, but Tsunade-chan…" Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped out from the shadows, "That was quite a performance you put on. Your grandson being bested by another? No one would suspect the clan outsider to be so…"

"Sensei," the warning in the glare sent his way from his female student's eyes did not go unnoticed by the third generation Kage. "Forgive me, Tsunade-hime. You know full well that I hold no ill will towards young Naruto."

Tsunade sighs again; she does understand that. Her own clan is still rather split about her late son's affair with the Yūhi. Though the Yūhi family has been accepting of him wholeheartedly. She dared not break up the last two for a possible future of hardship among the Senju. "I love all my grandchildren equally. I just hope Shenera wises up after his crushing defeat against Naru-chi, and that chip on his shoulder is cut away by that triple cut."

The old man chuckled at that, nodding along as he placed his pipe in his mouth, not lighting it, as his student's wrath is as well known as her gambling habits. "Ah, the ignorance of youth."

"Indeed," Tsunade finally stood up. "Well, I better get home. I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow."

-Academy-

Naruto literally materialized at his seat, startling Kenta, who was standing on the rear wall, awaiting his arrival. Though Shino didn't even twitch, "Dude. Don't do that." This earned a snort from the bug boy, causing the Hatake to take a double take, "Was that...?"

"Don't bother," Naruto waved off the Hatake who had slipped in beside the ravenette. "No one would believe you."

"Indeed." Shino with his gleaming glasses trick again, earning a sweatdrop from the Hatake, "Has he always been…"

"Yes," Naruto mumbled lowly, "but again, no one will believe you."

"Damn." The silver-masked student looked at the ever-stoic Abureme. "Well played."

Shino nodded to confirm that. Naruto could feel the level of smugness coming from his bug-wielding friend was reaching dangerous levels. "Careful, Shino. You get any more smug, the Uchiha might catch you."

That gave the boy pause for a moment, allowing Kenta to get a word in, "Plus, my hand might slip and the fan girls may get their hands on a certain picture..." Slipping out said article for Naruto, Shino, and a recently arrived Shikamaru to observe briefly. The picture was gone, but the stares from the other boys on the now pacified Shino were penetrating. "Well played."

"What's this about?" asked Shuka, who had joined the pack, gesturing to the Hatake who had joined their corner now. "Dunno," Naruto shrugged. "He just slipped in after me."

"Dude. After that performance, I am not sitting out of this group. You Knowledge Knights are going places I want to ride to. I may not be yin-aligned like the rest of you, but as a fellow student, I am not going anywhere."

"Troublesome." The two Nara muttered, though Naruto gave him a side eye. "Good luck explaining that to Wallflower," he added, earning snorts from the Nara and an agitated buzz from the Abereme.

"Hey guys!" Sakura arrived and sat opposite the Hatake, "Haruno." Shuka nodded in greeting. The only one to do so, but she knew it wasn't out of malice or anything like that. It was just that Naruto and Shikamaru would think it's too much effort, and Shino. Is Shino. She can't read him yet. "So, you going to continue to train with us?" The only awake Nara asked, to which the pink-haired civilian nodded, "Yes, I don't have any shinobi relatives, so you all are a big help."

"Troublesome." The two males mumbled from their arms, "Kurenai-sensei was really helpful too. I am studying the material she suggested." Sakura began and missed the twitch of Naruto's ear, "As my chakra control is great, the basic genjutsu are easy to do but my lack of reserves are my limiting factor."

"Haruno-san," Naruto's red eyes were piercing as always, as her green ones met them. "If you want to increase your reserves, you need to expend them. Each time they 'run dry,' they return with more than before. Secondly, physical workouts balanced with your knowledge base will also increase the pools available."

"I see. Thank you for…"

"Though, I recommend maintaining a low-level genjutsu like a partial change on your pink hair. See if you can maintain it as a different color each day, or a shade darker each day until someone notices. Though, that's pretty advanced." Naruto continues before lowering his head. "It's just a thought."

Kenta snorts at that, covering for Shino, "Damn, you love your genjutsu."

"Naturally. You've seen its uses, right?" Naruto replied without lifting his head, "Oh, and Kenta…?"

"Yeah?" The silver-haired kid asks, looking to his friend, who simply points at the door. "Heads up." And immediately, Yakumo walks into the classroom. As she looks to her seat, seeing Kenta, her eyes narrow dangerously. For some reason, Kenta hears boss music, and Naruto scooting away from him doesn't bode well either. "Kenta Hatake, right?" The heiress whispers, yet it carries. It carries all the way across the classroom, which falls silent upon said whisper.

Kenta was nervous. Scratch that, he was terrified. All she did was whisper, and it felt like death was about to reach around his neck and drag him to hell. Unable to take this, he got up and slipped beside Sakura, and immediately, death left him. The hazel-eyed heiress smiled, "Thank you for saving my place." Spoken so sweetly, all the boys felt a pang of fear. Except for Naruto, who had been immune to that bullshit for years now. "Troublesome." He muttered, earning a glare from his fellow genjutsu practitioner.

"Sorry, I'm…" Ino stumbled in, only then noticing their teachers hadn't arrived, and pumped her fist. "Made it."

"Just sit down already, imoto," Shin said from the front row, exasperated by her antics. She chuckled nervously, "Sorry." Moving up to the end, she paused on seeing the Hatake there, who waved at her. "Yo."

"Why… I thought…? Never mind." Taking the last seat at the bench, just in time as Iruka entered the class with a few Jonin trailing after him, which naturally calmed the class abruptly. "Good morning, class."

"Good morning, Sensei," the class responded, even Naruto and the Nara clan were fully focused on the front for once, their normal banter absent. "Today, in response to yesterday's impressive performance…" Iruka began, though many eyes fell on the red-eyed Yūhi. "…the Hokage has decided to see if anyone wanted to try learning additional weapon skills."

The class perked up at that. "As such," gesturing to the gathered Jonin, "we have gathered a selection of special instructors to test you in anything you wish to try out. I will let them introduce themselves."

The first stepped forward, a bearded chain smoker, with a cocky grin. "Names Saratobi Asuma, Jonin and currently a fire guardian of the daimyo. I use trench knives." He pulled said knives from his waist holsters, glowing faintly with what Naruto knew to be wind chakra.

Next, a woman of shorter build stepped forward, with the same bluish-black hair as Asuma but far longer, held in a short ponytail. "Saratobi Pipa, traditional bo-staff wielder."

"Gecko Hayate," the sickly-looking Special Jonin Naruto recognized as Yugao's boyfriend, stepped up. "Leaf swordsmen."

"You all know me already. Mizuki Tojo. Heavy shuriken." The white-haired chunin comments with a shrug, his fuma shuriken seen on his back. "These are the main ones used by leaf shinobi, but if you have questions about others, these four can answer them for you. So now, we'll head outside and get started on the lesson."

"Hi Sensei!" was the excited cheer, but Iruka still heard the "Troublesome," over it all from his three laziest, and the tickmark on the Kurama heiress's head.

-Sparring Arena-

Naruto, Kenta, and Shino were leaning against the school building, all having selected weapons already. All watched on impassively as their classmates went from teacher to teacher, unnoticed thanks to Naruto's subtly laid genjutsu, aided by Shino. "So, you picked up a weapon then?" Naruto asks lowly, and Kenta nods, "Yeah. Spoke to my grandpa after school yesterday. Going twin sabre."

"Twin Fang, huh? Nice," Naruto commented, earning a grin from beneath the mask. "Phantom Blade of the Leaf," he looked to his raven-haired friend. "I will be the Twin Fang of the Leaf, right alongside you."

"Dragonfly scout," Naruto said, looking at Shino, who still managed that gleaming trick with his glasses, despite being in the shade. "Acceptable."

"Then, I'll be the Poison Ivy or something?" Ino suddenly appeared beside them. The boys didn't acknowledge her seemingly obvious presence till now. "Well, we don't assign our own monikers." Kenta shrugged. "Have you chosen a weapon yet?"

Ino nodded with her arms crossed, leaning against the wall, matching her male friends, foot against it and all. "Yeah. My clan has a style I am learning now. Apparently, until one realizes the shortcomings, they don't even mention it."

Kenta chuckled at that. "Sounds about right."

Naruto observes that some of the teachers were looking around, seemingly searching for something, and finds himself smirking. "Seems they noticed."

Kenta chuckled, and Ino grinned, "For Jonin, they sure took their time." Naruto looked at Shino, "Another test of your Dragons, and it is a success. This is truly an amazing achievement."

Shino nodded. "Indeed."

"Head's up, seems the Hyuuga heiress is pointing near us." Kenta chuckled, "Not at us though," Ino observed, "Interesting." Naruto murmured, "Perhaps she can't see us directly, just that the area has a genjutsu over it."

"Most intriguing. Requires testing." Shino adds, earning a nod from the Yūhi as the Jonin and Iruka approach the area. "Alright, drop the genjutsu, Naruto. We know you are here."

"Only with help," Ino's voice as the illusion shimmers out. The group is on the edge of the building, catching the Jonin by surprise, though they also noticed the small dragonflies returning to the Abereme. "Yo lizard man," Naruto says with a half-hearted wave. "Kiddo," Hayate responds, a slight nod accompanying it, "I heard about your display yesterday. Glad you haven't gotten rusty."

Naruto offered a fluid shrug. "Nii-san would kill me if that were the case." Earning a chuckle from the special Jonin, "You guys know each other, Hayate?" Asuma asks, eyeing up the Yūhi. "Dating his sister, so we've met," Hayate responds with a very familiar shrug.

"Why are you guys sitting this out?" Pressed Iruka, eyeing them all sternly. "Well," Kenta looked at the other three, who all shrugged, "We all already have our weapons picked out."

"Oh? Naruto I get, but you three?" Iruka raised a brow. Upon their nods, he asked further questions, "Then..."

Ino raised her hand to stop him. "I only started training mine yesterday. I have the basic stances down, but that is it,"

"Same," Kenta informs next, Shino nodding along. Iruka sighed at that. He couldn't really blame them, but they must have been spurred into action like most after Naruto's display yesterday. "Why not have Hayate and Naruto have a spar, no?" Asuma pressed, earning a Yūhi glare from the student that caused him to pause. "That would be…" Iruka began, but stopped upon seeing Hayate shake his head. "Not happening."

"Why not?" Iruka asked, looking at his fellow shinobi. "Simple. I like having a girlfriend. If I piss off her little brother..." Hayate trailed off, and the others looked at him incredulously. "Seriously?"

The Jonin nodded, "Serious, besides. He has a training session with her later. He'll need the energy." His smirk caused Yūhi to pale further, "You didn't...?"

"I did," Hayate smirked harder. "You are a traitor. I trusted you." Naruto cried out, "I am sorry, little brother,"

"You aren't, though, are you?"

"Nope." Hayate chuckled, using a cough to smother it, earning a Yuhi glare at a whopping thirty percent that he coughed repeatedly at to avoid. Damn bloodline. "You understand this means war." Naruto's tone was icy, the Jonin still couldn't meet the gaze, "Good luck on your anniversary."

Hayate paled. The other men all gulped at the very clear threat. "Hey, kiddo..." the Jonin dared to look back, but that glare froze him in place. "Too late."

A/N: I decided to revisit this, though it took much longer to write than my other pieces. Originally, this was intended as a time skip, leaping over the entire academy life. Instead, I chose to complete the process of lining up Naruto's possible teammates. I introduced some new aspects, such as a genjutsu-using Sakura, a blade-wielding Ino, and a balanced Uchiha clan.

Tsunade is as shrewed as her sensei, being his star student and all, as well as dabbling into the Hatake clan a bit, making sure Kenta is not Kakashi. Dudes all about making money, being a shinobi but looking cool doing it. Quickly becoming my favourite OC though alongside this witty Shino wielding genjutsu using dragon flies.

2nd A/N: I have since updated this and hopefully fixed most mistakes, though the apps AI and auto correct seem to have it out for Kurenai's name replacing it with 'Kuren' instead for whatever reason. Naruto Yūhi is often replaced by his cannon one, and its really getting annoying.

As for this stories future, as previously stated, had orginally intended to skip the academy, but after careful considerations, I will shorten it a bit to allow you to see the beginnings of the future 'Rookie Fifteen.' Not Twelve as they will become a team together. Most the Konoha Twelve will be apart of it but not all. I have OC's in the Hatake, and minor characters in the Kurama filling in, and i am seriously considering having Fugaku train Naruto's genjutsu skills as his Jonin sensei.

Originally it was going to be Yogao of Hayete, if anyone read the original version, they may recall that, but looking at it now i dont think their could be anyone more suited. He did train Itachi in the art, no matter how breiafly, and imaging future encounters when the his foes are like, "Fuck! Its the Phantom Blade! Student of Wicked Eye!" or some such would be an epic flex.