Story Title: LEARNING CURVE

Series: The Way of Shadows, The Way of Shinobi (1/3)

Warnings: Making up our own ninja lore

"Speech"

'Thought'

Chapter Six: Naruto meet Shinobi-san

Naruto liked going to go see the old man since he was one of the few people who didn't seem to hate him, nor did jiji ever look at him like the rest of the people of the village. Those dark eyes never showed the cold contemptuous look he always received wherever he went. Other than those stares and a mean word here and there they all ignored him as if he didn't exist. Even when he was in the old man's office after a glance they would ignore him. Some would give him those looks while others would just seem annoyed at him which again wasn't anything new either.

Sometimes, Naruto wasn't sure which he preferred: the isolating loneliness of being ignored or the hateful condescending stares. At least when they looked at him and spoke to him, even if it was in dismissal, anger, or even hatred they were paying attention to him. They were acknowledging that he existed even if they wished that he didn't. That was always how he was treated as far back as he could remember. Only jiji, old man Teuchi, and shinobi-san were nice to Naruto for no reason at all.

Putting on his usual smile which was only half forced he cheerfully chirped, "Hi! I'm here to see the Hokage!"

Used to this, the woman nodded indifferently and pointed to the bench telling the boy to have a seat. Naruto did so, legs swinging back and forth as he watched her. Shortly after the assistant knocked then entered the Hokage's office she was back out and motioned that Naruto could enter. The boy didn't hesitate to jump up and follow her inside the office. As soon as the office door was shut behind her he ran to the old man. "Morning, Jiji!"

Sarutobi smiled as the blond whirlwind known as Uzumaki Naruto ran to him. He gave the boy a hug then lifted him to sit on the desk. The boy's legs swung back and forth as he tilted his head to the side. "Whatcha' doin'?

Used to the brashness that the boy had unknowingly inherited from his mother, Sarutobi answered, "Paperwork." At the boy's unamused look, he chuckled. It was the standard answer and it was true. His desk had quite a bit of unfinished paperwork atop it. He was also able to sometimes trick the boy into reading and writing by telling him what he was trying to decipher was in code. It was something that Shiro had suggested to get the boy interested and put forth effort rather than deciding it was stupid when it got too hard. So far it had worked and it wasn't as if he was giving anything to Naruto that was sensitive and actually were available to all: the shinobi code of conduct as well as the founding ideals of the village.

"At the moment I am approving missions and deciding if the Academy needs more equipment." Picking up a scroll that he resisted giving a disgusted look at, he decided to see what Naruto would say about it. "Then there's this one."

"What is it?" came the naturally curious reply. The blond normally thought paperwork was boring! Wasn't that why the old man had an assistant? To do all the paperwork he didn't want to do? At least he gave Naruto interesting codes to break! And jiji said that there were even harder codes, but he couldn't give Naruto those until he could figure out the really easy ones. There was something in the old man's tone that caught his attention and made him curious. It wasn't the same tone he used when talking about other stuff.

"This is a petition for a pool to be made at the academy."

"That would be so cool, dattebayo! Please say yes!"

If he said yes, then it would be finished by the time that Naruto started at the academy! It would be awesome to have a pool to play in especially on the really hot summer days. Sarutobi laughed at the boy's enthusiasm knowing already that it would be voted down. It was an unnecessary waste of funds. However, now was a good time for impromptu workings on how the office was run. "That isn't why it made it past the petition board."

"Then how come?"

"The person who suggested it thought it would be best if everyone who wants to become a shinobi have a safe place to learn to swim."

"That sounds like a good thing?" Of course the boy didn't know why it really wasn't and Sarutobi stopped himself from sighing. Giving his patented 'instructor stare' at the blond so the boy would know that he had best pay attention.

"Do you remember the lessons we began on the Elemental Nations?"

Sighing, Naruto nodded even though he was confused about the seeming change in topic. "Kiri, Iwa, Suna, Konoha, and Kumo are the five great shinobi countries and why we have a Kage."

"Indeed. All the Elemental Nations including smaller ones have hidden villages. There are other lands that aren't land locked and are surrounded by water such as Kiri." He would leave Uzu no Kuni for a later time if Shiro didn't end up telling the boy before himself. "How would you attempt to go to a place like that?"

"A boat! That's what they're for!" Naruto scoffed in childlike superiority as if everyone knew that!

"Ah, but what if you fell overboard? Or are fighting near water and then thrown in without knowing how to swim?"

"I'd drown…" Blue eyes went wide at the realization hit before he smiled. "So does that mean we get a pool?"

'No.' Aloud to both get the boy to think this through as well as curious about how much the boy picked up, he asked, "How many children from clans are in the orphanage?"

"Ummm." Naruto tilted his head as his face scrunched up in thought. It wasn't something he'd ever thought about before. "None?"

"And how many are from shinobi families?" There was a distinction and he wanted to know if Naruto knew of it. By the expression on his face, it was clear the boy didn't and thought they were the same thing. "Shinobi families are those that haven't reached clan status. There might just be a few members that have been shinobi rather than generations. Clans also tend to either have a kekkei genkai or hiden ninjutusu."

"Huh?"

"It's an ability that is passed down from parent to child."

"Why didn't you just say that in the first place, dattebayo?"

Sarutobi refused to acknowledge the amusement he could feel radiating from a certain corner of his office.

"Anyway, what does that have to do with the pool?"

"Because it wasn't a clan or even a shinobi family that sent in this petition."

"So?"

"Of those children from the orphanage that apply to the academy, how many actually got in?"

"Hmmm." Naruto thought about Asuka failing twice and Jun failing once before going. There were others too who didn't get in at all.

"How many of them graduated?" Sarutobi pressed.

"I dunno. Most of them don't come back to the orphanage."

"Civilians can enter the academy if they have the right mindset. Most do not." Holding up the scroll again he continued. "This is proof. We have plenty of places for children to learn to swim. We do not need to build a pool to attach to the academy."

Naruto pouted, arms crossed while Sarutobi gave a laugh. Relaxing into his chair he decided to see how the boy had been since the last time they had seen each other. If it meant that he could take a break from his seemingly never ending pile of paperwork…it was a bonus. He was sure that he hadn't seen the actual top of his desk in weeks. At least it was a far cry from how it was after the war and then the Kyuubi attack. "How have you been, Naruto-kun?"

"Good. Old man Teuchi has a new ramen recipe!" The boy seemed to forget about his disappointment as soon as he mentioned the owner of Ichiraku. If there was one thing that always worked to distract Naruto it was to mention ramen. The boy had an unhealthy addiction to the salty broth. He would worry but for the food he knew Naruto received from the orphanage. He worried that once the boy started to live on his own he would spend his money on nothing but ramen.

"Really?"

Naruto nodded as his complaint about not having a pool by the time he got to go to the academy was forgotten in favor of his favorite topic. "Ayame-chan says they want me to be the first to try it!"

"You'll have to let me know if it's any good."

"Of course it'll be good!" Naruto was scandalized at the very thought of his precious ramen being anything but the best food in the world. "Ichiraku's the best!"

The Sandaime smiled at the childish exclamation then turned serious even if he kept his expression one of aloof amusement. It was time to ask the boy what he asked all the other children when they applied for the academy. "Is that your dream, Naruto-kun? To be a ramen taste tester?"

Blue eyes went wide in consideration as if he'd never thought of that. For the briefest second his expression turned contemplative before he shook his head and lit up with a huge grin adorning his face. Proudly he stated, "To be Hokage, believe it!"

For a moment, Sarutobi was reminded of the boy's parents. "Why do you want to be Hokage?"

Without hesitation the blond didn't even stop to think as he replied, "When I become Hokage, everyone will have to see me then! They'll have to respect me."

He had thought as much and sighed. It seemed not even the small amounts of attention he was able to spare the boy hadn't been enough. Or had it been how the ninjas reacted when they were in the office at the same time as Naruto caused him to believe the only way to gain acceptance was to be Hokage? Whichever it was, Naruto still craved for people to acknowledge his presence. "Is that all?"

"Whaddaya mean?" Naruto felt betrayed and offended at the Sandaime seeming to dismiss his dream like that.

"He means you'll never become Hokage if that's why you want the title."

Naruto's head whipped around and stared at the ANBU who now stood by a corner. He frowned as he recognized the voice. It was usually taunting him though as he was hit by fake kunai. He was an ANBU? He'd never seen one with a black porcelain mask instead of white. Granted, most people never saw an ANBU mask in their life unless they were in ANBU, a prisoner or victim of the ANBU, or such. Naruto however saw them sometimes when he couldn't sleep and would stare out the windows of the orphanage. All the ones he saw bore white masks. And this one was wearing a fox mask with intense purple eyes stared out of the eye slits at him.

"Being Hokage means you are the best shinobi for Konohagakure. Being the best does not always mean you have the most jutsu or are physically stronger. It means you know when to fight and when to run. You have to be willing to sacrifice your life for strangers as well as everyone in this village, including those who hate and despise you. The village and its people are your first priority. Your life is no longer your own.

"During peacetime you'll have to be a negotiator. You'll have to speak with representatives from other countries as well as those from your own. You will be approving or declining missions for the shinobi under you. Deciding the lives of every man, woman, and child in the village. You are responsible for everyone's lives in the village. You mislabel a mission or send an unprepared shinobi into a situation that he or she is incapable of; it could mean their lives and the lives they are protecting. Their deaths would be on your hands."

Those eyes bore into him as the ANBU took a step closer. "During war time you have to be a strategist. You have to make battle plans, evacuation plans, defense plans, back up to those plans and backups to those. It's a lot of planning and thinking that if you forget to include just one tiny you've gone from saving your people to sending them to their deaths. That is what it means to be Hokage. If you want to be Hokage just so people will acknowledge you, you will never become Hokage."

Naruto frowned as he glared petulantly at the ANBU. The man had used lots of big words that he didn't understand, but he got the gist of it. Turning to the Hokage he demanded, "Is that true jiji?"

He was shocked to see his jiji's eyes become sad and haunted. He seemed so much older at that moment.

"Yes, it's true." Though Sarutobi wished Shiro had been a bit gentler telling this to the boy." Anything that happens concerning this village is decided upon by the Hokage." Ultimately it was up to the Hokage but there were times when the Daimyo would put his foot down and Sarutobi had to obey. Naruto would learn about the power structure more in full when he was in the academy.

Naruto put on his thinking face that was usually reserved for when he was trying to decide which flavor of ramen he was going to have at Ichiraku's. "Like what you said about the academy?"

"That's right."

"But..." But he still wanted the village to see him and accept him like Teuchi, Ayame, and the old man. He had thought that shinobi-san had accepted him too, but now he wasn't so sure as he listened to him.

Sighing the ANBU strode over until he was standing closer, looking the boy in the eye. "You want approval and acceptance, right?"

Naruto nodded.

"Look, Naruto-kun, from what the Hokage told me, you already have three people who accept and care for you. Am I right?"

Naruto nodded again, his brow furrowed as he tried to follow along.

"You may not think that's enough, but it's quality not quantity that matters. You may someday get the whole village to love you. But know this; there will always be people who won't. You might not have done anything to warrant their hatred and dislike, but it doesn't matter. There are people I don't like and probably never will. There isn't any reason, I just don't."

Sarutobi sat quietly watching the two as he reached for his pipe. The duo weren't paying him any attention as they continued to stare at one another both serious.

"You have people who love you, and you should cherish that. Become as strong as you can so you can protect them. Ignore all the negative stares at you. If you still want to prove yourself to them, then you'll have to earn it. True respect is earned, not given. Understand?"

"Kinda." Naruto tried to digest everything that was said. The man ruffled his hair affectionately. "Don't worry, you'll get it."

"Ne, Shinobi-san, who are you? Really?" Naruto had been very curious about that ever since the man had first started following him and then pelting him with kunai.

"This, Naruto-kun," Sarutobi spoke around his pipe as he gestured at the ANBU. "will be your sensei."

Naruto's eyes widened as he gazed between the adults. Excitement bubbled up and unable to contain it, he was bouncing. "You mean it, dattebayo?" This wasn't a joke was it? He was seriously going to have an ANBU as a sensei? And it was going to be shinobi-san!

The man nodded and the small boy launched himself off the desk and into Sarutobi's arms. "Thanks jiji!"

Sarutobi smiled but his eyes when they gazed over the blond head to the ANBU clearly stated, 'You break this child and I'll break you slowly before I kill you.'

The ANBU just smiled under his mask as he took in the scene. "I am also going to be your guardian."

"Wha!" Naruto turned to look at the ANBU. "No more orphanage?"

"No, no more orphanage. You'll be living with me."

"Really?" The blond was expecting at any moment he'd wake up in his bed having dreamed this whole day. "This isn't a joke, is it?"

"No, it is sincere."

"All right!" His fist pumped the air, eyes bright, and a huge grin on his face.

"Why don't you go to the orphanage and pack? I'll pick you up after I talk to the Hokage."

Naruto excitedly scrambled out of the office and ran to do as he was told for once. Sarutobi chuckled at the blond's energy then sighed locking gazes with Shiro. "Are you absolutely certain about your course of actions?"

"Yes. He needs to learn what being a shinobi really means. I'll try and let him keep his innocence and ideals as long as I can. He'll learn how to defend himself and have discipline at the very least."

"You'll still enroll him at the academy?" The Sandaime wanted confirmation.

A nod. "As long as you allow me to tell him about whom and what he is when I determine he is ready."

"I can concede to that."

Sarutobi felt incredibly older than he had just a short while ago. Standing, the man went to the window, hands clasped behind his back. Shiro would have been shocked if it were any other man but 'The professor'. For a shinobi to turn their back on another one indicated either disrespect or the highest trust. The ANBU wasn't so full of himself to think that he'd gotten the Sandaime's complete trust nor was he so insecure to believe the man was considering him weak. No, the Hokage was slightly turned to keep Shiro in his peripheral vision. That alone showed the man that he was trusted to a certain degree if his allowing Shiro to finally take the boy in and guide him hadn't already done that.

"What will you tell Danzou? He will try and find out who I am. He will not be satisfied with an unknown getting involved with Konoha's jinchuuriki." Dodging Danzou was going to be hard enough without waving a red flag under the man's nose. While Shiro had likely been a curiosity when he'd first come, the man had seemed to have lost interest. This action might regain it and he still did not need the man knowing who he truly was or where he had come from or for what purpose.

"He will know that I've appointed a guardian over him and that he shall be receiving training. Just as he'd wanted." Just not under Danzou himself.

There was an unidentifiable look in those purple eyes before the ANBU left via the window.

Shiro was relieved he had been able to convince the Sandaime to let him get Naruto out of the orphanage and train him a bit before entering the academy. He knew that the Hokage would have to tell his two ex-teammates who were now his advisers. Hopefully they would recognize how important this was and not cause trouble. Pausing in a crouch before leaping to the next roof, the man doubted it. They as well as the Sandaime should have known or at least realized that Naruto would be a mischief maker. Even though the boy wasn't the kyuubi, he still held the spirit of the fox. Kitsune were tricksters, mischief makers. They also lured unsuspecting male travelers so naturally the boy would come up with that technique. Yet none recognized that the boy was clever in his own way even if he was dense to most things.

Perching on the roof of the orphanage, Shiro tried to wrap his head around the fact that he was now Naruto's legal guardian. It had been so surreal observing the boy from afar, then up close. It was just too weird seeing him as a small boy. It had been instinctual to ruffle the boy's hair back in the Hokage's office. Not only had Shiro left behind a pregnant wife, but a toddler son as well.

After ten minutes, where he just observed, Shiro jumped down and collected the blond. Naruto didn't have much. No orphan did. The boy had a few sets of clothes, pajamas, and a night cap. The Matron though not hostile wasn't broken up to see the blond go. The blond on the other hand was like a miniature sun, he was so energized and beaming, happy to be leaving. The Matron didn't stop Naruto packing having gotten a missive while the boy was visiting the Hokage. However she didn't see the person who picked Naruto up. The ANBU snickered seeing the blond all bubbly while the Matron looked impatient.

Waiting seeing the woman go to a different room, Shiro showed up next to the window. Naruto hurried over, curious why he didn't come in. As if knowing what he was thinking the man stated, "ANBU are not to be seen. Usually. Got everything? Good. Hop on."

"Wha?"

"It'll be faster."

Naruto climbed onto the man's back and let out a whoop as the ANBU jumped onto the roof. They sped across the village's roofs until the man took to the trees as there weren't any nearby roofs. He continued to carry the boy across the grounds before hopping up to perch on a windowsill. Opening the window he climbed in, mindful of the boy on his back. Once inside he set Naruto onto his feet. "This is your new home."

"How come we didn't use the door then?" The blond asked, pointing to said door.

"Locks are only there to give people a sense of security."

"Huh?"

"Alright, here's your first lesson. Pay attention. If someone really wanted in, a lock is not going to stop them. However," the man pulled out a scroll, bit his thumb and smeared it across a seal. Naruto gaped wide eyed at all the equipment that came out. "a couple of really well placed but painful traps will deter them."

Naruto was then shown how to set traps as well as false traps. When asked why set a false trap, Shiro answered, "A person seeing a trap that looks like it was meant to be hidden will get overconfident. The person will think that you aren't skilled at trap making and that all of them will be out in the open. The second trap, the real trap will get them." He waited to see if Naruto grasped what he was saying.

"That's another lesson for you to take to heart. Overconfidence can get you hurt, even killed. Never underestimate someone. Underestimating your opponent and overconfidence in your own skills has been the death of many shinobi."

Sitting back on his heels, Shiro held out some nin-wire and caltrops he waited until the blond had taken them when he stated, "Now, if you can set a double trap, I'll tell you a bit about your mother."

Naruto's head shot up with a mixture of disbelief, hope, and suspicion on his young face. "You knew my mother?"

Shiro considered how best to phrase his reply. Eventually he stated, "I've met her. I know about her from others who knew her and from my meeting with her. And I'll tell you everything I know about her."

Smiling softly at the blond's hopeful pleading look, he ruffled the boy's hair. "Build me that double trap, ne?"

-To Be Continued-