{Land of Fire, Konohagakure, Naruto's Apartment}

Line break.

The next day after Jiraiya's visit, the blonde woke up to find himself alone as usual. He got up, got dressed, and wrote off Jiraiya's visit as another one of his cruel dreams. He dragged his feet towards his bathroom and started brushing his teeth, taking a bath, changing into a white Hidden Leaf logo shirt with orange pants, and grabbing his bag for school, only to freeze when he saw his calendar and realized.

"Today is Saturday. What the heck am I doing?!"

The blonde slumped his shoulders in relief before deciding that he might as well go for a run in the village to maybe check out any passing caravans strolling through Konoha since this was the spring season, and they happened to be the only ones willing to sell to him at a fair price.

He went to get a quick bite, opened his fridge to find something to eat, and froze. New food.

"It wasn't a dream. The Toad Sage is my godfather," the boy whispered.

Joy filled his chest, but he remembered how that night ended. He slapped the man out of his chair and rushed to his room to bawl his eyes out.

In truth, he didn't mean to react that way; it was just a knee-jerk reaction. His feelings got the better of him. The man even looked sad.

He looked down to find his fists clenching. No. He was still angry. In fact, he shouldn't have held back. He should have caved that bastard's face in. Showing up so late to finally do his damn job. What kind of godfather shows up ten years after their ward's birth and tries to waltz in and claim a familial connection?!

But then again, the man knows his parents; he knows who he is.

The boy suddenly clasped his ears and shook his head, a habit he developed to rid his mind of intrusive thoughts.

'He's your godfather! That's all you've been wishing for since you learned you were an orphan! What were you thinking, scaring him away, Uzumaki?! Ugh!'

He slammed his fridge closed and decided to sleep in instead. Some extra rest couldn't hurt, right?

A knock on the door put a stop to that, and Naruto slid across his wooden floor, rushing to his door to peek through the peephole.

"Who is it?!" he called out, trying to get a good look at who it was, getting on his tiptoes.

A voice answered from the other side. "It's me... from yesterday... Jir—"

Naruto swung the door open, trying to look irritated as much as possible, but his eyes betrayed him. "What do you want?" he said in an even voice.

Jiraiya glanced at the boy before holding up his hand, which had a breakfast bento in it. "A truce? I... I only want to talk."

Naruto looked at the bento and snatched it from him before hopping onto the counter.

Jiraiya had half a mind to make a snarky remark, but one thing Naruto seemed to share with his mother was that if the offering was taken, then a chance was given. He wouldn't screw this up.

He closed the door and sat next to the boy as Naruto opened the bento and marveled at how it was prepared.

He watched as Naruto peeled off the wrapping only moments after taking the lid off and dug in: deviled eggs, tomato slices, toast with brown sugar, and shaved oranges. It was nice.

The boy ate silently, and Jiraiya tried to think of some kind of apology. But after three minutes went by, he decided that he didn't have the luxury to think and just went for it.

"Naruto. I didn't properly apologize the last time we met. I did, but it was full of excuses that made no actual sense."

Naruto simply chewed, and Jiraiya continued.

"Naruto... I'm sorry. I was and still am a selfish man, and I don't deserve your forgiveness. Leaving you alone without knowing that there was someone out there who cared for you... who wanted you safe. It was a horrible thing to do, and it is something I regret. It's my fault for not showing up, for not saying hi, or for not sending you anything, but I promise that from here on out, I will be better. I will be a better man for you and honor those who came before."

Naruto glanced at him as he cleaned himself up, planted the chopsticks back in their holder, and gave Jiraiya a look as if he was thinking of what to say. "I'll accept on one condition. You need to tell me who my parents are. You say you knew them, and it makes me curious. You are the Toad Sage, the teacher of the greatest Fourth Hokage, and the student of the Third. Why would someone as great as you want anything to do with me? It doesn't make sense."

Jiraiya understood that this was a rather daunting thing and had a feeling this would come up.

"I was waiting for you to ask. That question will be answered in a sense, but we'll need Hiruzen present."

Naruto furrowed his brows at that. "Why?"

Jiraiya stood up and stretched his back. "You are a bigger deal than you know, kid. Follow me."

Naruto blinked and looked down at his once-white shirt, now stained with ketchup, egg yolk, and bits of sugar.

"I'm going to need to change," he said dryly, and Jiraiya nodded. "Well, make sure it's a decent shirt."

Naruto rushed into his bedroom and threw on his white long-sleeved shirt with his village's symbol on the back and some new pants, the same color as before.

Naruto met Jiraiya outside his door, and they strolled down the hallway in silence. Naruto was riddled with anxious thoughts, but Jiraiya remained cool, his mind now calm that he had finally taken a step forward and gotten it out there. Now, he could move forward, but there was one last step before he could consider himself on the path to forgiveness.

Line break.

{The Hokage Tower}

They entered the building, people making way as they did so, seeing the legendary Sannin with a serious expression on his face. It made people take him seriously.

Naruto didn't like the attention and wanted to rush into the office as soon as possible, but he could only imagine how he must look to the village with this guy walking him into the Hokage's office. The looks he received on the way there were strange, and some had a look of glee. They probably thought he had gotten himself in trouble at the hands of Konoha's second-strongest shinobi.

The receptionist held her hand out to stop them. "Lord Hokage is busy right now. He's..."

She stopped when she saw the unusually serious expression on Jiraiya's face and put her hand down, motioning him ahead instead.

The two walked on, and she did a double take when she saw Naruto trailing behind.

Jiraiya and Naruto made it to the Hokage's office door and heard talking inside.

Jiraiya bristled at who was on the other side. "Homura," he said lowly, and Naruto was surprised by the animosity. "Who?"

Jiraiya sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "He's just a village elder. And a pain in the ass."

Naruto nodded and tried to listen in, but the rooms were structured to make eavesdropping difficult.

Jiraiya decided that whatever they were discussing could wait. "Naruto, go hide in that room right over there."

Naruto gave him a strange look. "Why?"

The old man raised his hand to knock. "These old goats are just like the villagers, but worse. You don't want them to know you're here with me. Trust me."

Naruto sighed and dragged his feet into the other room, and Jiraiya did his signature knock, making the voices inside cease.

There was a moment of silence before the Hokage bellowed for him to come in, which he did.

From there, Naruto wasn't sure what went on in the other room. Just that after a few minutes, an elderly man and woman walked out looking a bit pissed off, and soon after, Jiraiya motioned him into the room.

Naruto was confused by what had happened, but when he walked in, he froze when the old man waved him over, a smile on his face.

Naruto gave the man a soft smile and walked in, closing the door behind him.

"Take a seat, young man," Hiruzen said kindly, and Naruto nodded before sitting in a chair. "You've been having quite the morning, haven't you?" he said with a knowing smile, and Jiraiya sighed.

Naruto looked between the two with a suspicious look before his eyes narrowed. "Y-you knew he was my godfather?"

Jiraiya spoke up before Hiruzen could say anything. "The old man is half the reason I'm here. He opened my eyes and helped me realize just how bad a mistake it was for me to abandon you."

Naruto looked at the man. "Well... ok... but..."

Hiruzen interjected, "Telling you wouldn't have been a good idea since Jiraiya wasn't around to assure me of his change in attitude. Knowing there was someone out there, yet this someone never showing up, would have harbored feelings of resentment—rightful feelings, but unhealthy as well. I apologize for not telling you sooner."

Naruto looked down in thought. This had been by far the most complex series of events he'd ever dealt with. He thought dealing with an apartment, rationing food, and keeping a budget together in the face of price-changing assholes was enough for him to handle every day. But this had been an emotional rollercoaster he simply wasn't ready for. He figured the next time he'd be here would be to receive a scolding for his behavior at the academy, not... this!

"Okay. Fair enough," Naruto said in a slow and careful tone. "But from what I was told, you know... you both know who my parents are. That is the only thing I need. I need a reason to live other than for myself. I need to know why I'm here, why I exist. Were they hated or something?"

Hiruzen quickly shook his head. "No! No. They were wonderful people, more so than anybody else. They were—"

Naruto looked at the old man curiously as he paused but then continued, "Naruto, I can't tell you everything."

Naruto leaned closer and glared, but Hiruzen raised his hand to stop anything from slipping past the boy's mouth. "Before you say anything, listen to me. Your parents had enemies—dangerous enemies. I will tell you about your mother and her heritage as well. But to know who your father was, there is a condition that must be met."

Naruto stood up, eager. "W-what is this condition? Tell me!"

Hiruzen looked at Jiraiya, and they both exchanged knowing looks, the Toad Sage nodding in approval of whatever he had in mind.

He motioned the boy over and spoke. "Your father was a dangerous and powerful shinobi. If I had told you who he was, you'd surely want to follow in his footsteps. I will never stop you from doing so, trust me. However, it will inevitably lead to you making enemies as well, and I fear you won't be strong enough to handle it, especially with how you are doing in the academy lately. So, my condition is that you must reach at least Chuunin before I can divulge all there is to know about him so you can receive your heritage early rather than having to wait until you're 21."

Naruto's eyes widened at that. "Become Chuunin?" he whispered to himself, and the two men saw a spark in his eyes, one Hiruzen hadn't seen before.

"You mean, if I become Chuunin, then you'll tell me who my father is? And what of my mother? And... hang on. I have an inheritance?!"

Hiruzen nodded. "Indeed. It's waiting for you to claim when you either come of age or become strong enough to defend it. But you must meet this condition for either case to occur."

Naruto was excited now. "O-ok! Ok, I'll do it! Now tell me who my mother was!"

Hiruzen chuckled and held his hands out placatingly. "Of course, Naruto, have a seat."

The boy quickly took his seat, and Hiruzen cleared his throat.

"Your mother's name was Kushina Uzumaki, also known as the Red Hot Habanero here in Konoha, but... also referred to as the Scarlet Demon to our enemies."

Naruto blinked at that, his eyes widening in wonder. "Whoa! And how did she achieve such an awesome name?!"

Hiruzen smirked and scratched his beard, recalling those dark days. "It was during the Third World War when she got the name. She felled about 112 Chuunin and a handful of Jonin while protecting her squad mates. The last thing one would see before passing was her hair whipping in the wind as she dashed in and out of combat, slicing, disemboweling, and leaving a trail of blood wherever she went. She was a peerless swordswoman that few could match."

Naruto was a bit spooked but very intrigued. "She sounds... so strong."

Hiruzen nodded. "Up there with the White Fang of Konoha and the Sannin in terms of combat ability, yes. You haven't had a class on her yet because of the nature of her ascension to S-rank status, but if you want, you can jump ahead of your classmates and read up on her. She's actually well-known. She was just another reason to fear her clan." Hiruzen added that last part on purpose, and Jiraiya knew it.

Naruto was once again on his feet, eyes wide. "C-clan?! Like! As in Uchiha Clan and Hyuuga Clan clan?!"

Hiruzen chuckled and nodded, but this was followed by a solemn expression. "Yes. Unfortunately, they were wiped out by a coalition of shinobi villages when she was very young. It's because of them that she left her homeland. She hid in the Land of Fire because it was Uzushio's ally."

Naruto was learning so much just from his mother's side. "So, she was a refugee then."

Hiruzen nodded. "She was a rather rich refugee. She was one of the daughters of Kaito Uzumaki, another figure you should read up on. She was sought out for the wealth she and her cousins brought with them when they came to Konoha. She was essentially a clan head, but of a foreign power."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Cousins? She brought family?!"

Hiruzen realized he was moving too fast. "They were elderly, so unfortunately, they passed away before you were born."

Naruto slumped at that. "Oh..."

Hiruzen quickly reassured him, "But that doesn't mean there aren't others waiting to be discovered. Her goal was to restore her clan and bring together the lost members of her clan in Konoha. The war prevented her from doing so when she became strong enough to travel on her own, then became pregnant with you, and then the Nine-Tails attack happened. It was never to be."

Naruto's eyes changed at that. 'My mother's goal was to find more family.'

He leaned in, more focused than he had ever been in his life. "Tell me more," the boy whispered.

Hiruzen nodded. "Before I do, though, I need you to keep quiet about this, okay? Her wealth is unclaimable and was to be liquidated, but she went through a lot of hoops and loops to prevent that. Understand? There are many merchant nobles, major clans, and minor clans that want a piece of that wealth, and not just here in Konoha but throughout all of the Fire Country."

Naruto nodded. "Ok. I won't spill the beans."

Hiruzen nodded and proceeded to tell him all he could about his mother. It was a lot, but the boy never blinked or interrupted. Hiruzen found himself talking about things he hadn't wanted to recall for a long time, but he did it anyway because it was for Naruto. It was all for Naruto.

By the end, Naruto was wiping away tears, and the two older men also felt emotional as they recalled what they could about Kushina.

Jiraiya cleared his throat to lighten the somber mood. "You take after her. You are just like her and think like her as well. So don't go calling yourself dumb, because she was far from that. She was unorthodox and a rather terrifying shinobi, but she never went back on her word. Her honor was everything to her, as it should be to you. You have a lot to live up to, understood?"

Naruto nodded and gave the Sannin a hug that the older man wasn't expecting. He blinked down at him for a few moments before hugging back and patting the boy's head.

"I'll make them proud," Naruto said in a hushed tone. "I'll make all of you proud."

Hiruzen smiled at that. "I don't doubt it."

Jiraiya and the old Hokage looked at the young Uzumaki, and Hiruzen sighed. "I guess that leaves only one other thing. I plan on handing the Uzumaki fortune over in bits and pieces, but I can't do so all at once. It's unrealistic until you become Chuunin, because that is also when it will be handed over in full."

Naruto nodded, happy with that, but Hiruzen continued, "Another thing. Kushina held heirlooms in her possession that should be handed over immediately. One of which I can't because it's in the vault, but I can get away with giving you this." He pulled out a small book and slid it to Naruto. "I trust you will read this when you can and that you'll take good care of it."

Naruto opened the book, and his eyes widened at what was in it. "T-this is her diary!"

Hiruzen shook his head. "It's something else. It's a list of clan information meant for her eyes alone, as well as her thoughts on them. I am entrusting this to you."

He nodded and held onto it as though it were a precious treasure. He did this until he and Jiraiya went back home, and he locked his door to look at this thing, to learn as much as possible about her and about himself. He wouldn't be surprised if there were entries about his father as well.

Line break.

It was late into the day now, and Jiraiya was explaining to Naruto exactly what was in the book. The blonde sat on the couch listening intently. Why? Because the book contained a lot of fuinjutsu entries, kenjutsu abilities and techniques, and was altogether completely out of his depth. His mother was obviously a very intelligent woman and had her notes written down in a neat and understandable manner. It made it so much easier to read and understand than what was being taught, vaguely speaking. Yet it was simply too advanced for him.

"Fuinjutsu and kenjutsu were what the Uzumaki specialized in, but they were also bloodline carriers. This book must've been her trying to hold on to her clan's history and legacy," Jiraiya said.

Naruto nodded, but then something occurred to him. "I don't know anything about either."

Jiraiya nodded. "That's normal. I know fuinjutsu and can teach it to you in bits and pieces, but kenjutsu simply isn't my cup of tea. I mean, I know it, but I'm a bit of a brute compared to what she was."

Naruto nodded. "Ok then. Can you show me fuinjutsu?"

The Toad Sage shook his head. "Not today. It's a bit too advanced for you to swallow."

Naruto stood up. "Oh, come on! I have to be as great as my mom if I'm ever to accomplish my dream! Please teach me, teach meee!"

The older man shook his head. "I said no. This is Uzumaki fuinjutsu, fuinjutsu that I would need time to understand. Your clan was a grade above myself in terms of proficiency at this stuff, and it isn't my right to decipher it until you become the clan head of the Uzumaki."

Now, that was a daunting prospect. The clan head of the Uzumaki. Foreign clan or not, it was a huge responsibility for him.

"Can you teach me the basics at the very least? Please?"

Jiraiya sighed. He could do that and see where the boy went from there, so he nodded. "Ok. Fine. But not today. I'll need to whip up a custom textbook for you that will suit your needs."

Naruto hopped off the couch and started running in place. "Ok! That's good! We're getting somewhere!"

Jiraiya nodded and thought to himself. "Now, Naruto. You'll need to keep up your ninja training as well, understand?"

Naruto deflated at that but nodded regardless. "Sure, sure, fine. I can do that."

He looked back at the book, and his eyes widened. "Oh my god! There's so much stuff in here that isn't clan-related! Like recipes for food... locations of various things?"

Jiraiya perked up at that. "She was probably searching for any lost artifacts that had the Uzumaki mon on them or were of value to their clan. There was a time before the Warring States when they were extremely wealthy and owned a large portion of what is considered the Land of Fire today. This was during the Shogun Era, though."

Naruto closed the book and nodded. The boy was developing a headache because of how much he was trying to take in. "So many things to take in."

Jiraiya chuckled. "How about we take a trip tomorrow, have some lunch, and relax? I can answer any questions you may have, at any rate."

Naruto nodded, and the two spent the rest of the night talking and reading.

Line break.

The next day was spent with him getting to know his godfather more and more, and something he took notice of was how much of a pervert the man was.

Any time they had a deep conversation, the man would stop mid-sentence to drool and stare at a woman's butt or breasts, and it got on Naruto's nerves. How he didn't notice this before, he had no idea. But he understood that it was likely suppressed for Naruto's sake. He couldn't leave a bad impression on his godson.

Still, the man's antics occasionally made him laugh, like his falling out with a waitress when Jiraiya took him out to eat. It was a good day, even if the man kept glancing at women whenever he thought he was being sneaky.

However, all good things must come to an end.

"You're leaving?! But for how long?!"

Jiraiya was afraid of this part in particular. "I can't stay for long periods at a time. It would compromise the work I've put in to mislead anyone who may suspect that your parents had a child, along with a plethora of other things to keep in mind. I will show up to stick around for a few days after every month or two, and I will write. I promise."

Naruto nodded slowly and sighed. "Fine, but don't let me find out that you're lying or snubbing me to go and peek on women!"

The old man smiled and nodded. "I have too much to make up for, kiddo."

Naruto smiled and waved him goodbye as he departed.

When he entered his apartment, he held the book in his hand, tears falling from his face as his high came down from meeting the man, the book held tightly in his grasp. "I won't let you down... Mom."

Line break.

[1 year later.]

{Land of Fire, Konohagakure, the Academy}

A lot has changed since the revelation of who his parents were... well, his mom at least, and how he was related to the Uzumaki clan.

As a result, Naruto's direction as a shinobi took a turn for the better, though it was a strange turn.

Naruto was more obsessed with anything related to the Uzumaki clan and still had trouble with the academy, save for this one test.

Fuinjutsu.

Naruto passed with flying colors in both the written and practical exams for this, the most difficult subject that Iruka didn't think of nor put past his students to get a low grade on. Naruto excelled well beyond the level he should have.

It made the teachers think he was cheating, so they demanded he reproduce the same results but with different answers in front of them.

The results spoke for themselves. Naruto had the understanding of a chuunin seal specialist at just eleven years old. Iruka was astonished and curious.

Besides that, Naruto was very average in practical tests, like taijutsu, shuriken-throwing exercises, and other physical exams. His chakra control was still horrid, and his written score was extremely low. However, that's only because failing his exam bumped him down to the D-class section of students, meaning all his current written tests, though much better than before, weren't enough to raise him from his low score compared to others. He's second to last with some kid named Jin. They still call him Dead Last, regardless.

Today, though, he planned to change that. This would be the day he beat the Uchiha once and for all, with no more losses.

He had been practicing the katas he learned from that book for over a year. His movements were a little stiff and clunky at first, but the more he read about the benefits of proper body movements in swordplay, the more he realized the true beauty of the blade and its power.

Though this is taijutsu, he's sure he can apply some of that to his fighting style.

At least, that's what he thought.

Naruto found himself once again on the ground with his chest rising and falling rapidly, his legs burning in pain, and a nasty bruise forming on his cheek from where Kiba hit him. He didn't even get the opponent he wanted.

"Still getting the short end of the stick, huh, loser?" Kiba said, his voice filled with sadistic glee. "Just admit it; you aren't good at fighting."

He growled and struggled to get up, only to collapse again. "Shut it, Kiba. I gave you a good lick too!"

"Okay, you two, back it up," said Mizuki as Iruka helped Naruto to his feet.

"You did well, Naruto," said Iruka, a proud smirk on his face.

Naruto scowled and glanced at the other kids who were praising Kiba for once again clowning the class clown. 'I dug myself into a hole by acting out, and now everyone expects nothing from me and wants me to fail.'

Iruka sighed but found a way to twist those words: "Good. You never want them to see your true strengths and talents until it's too late. Trust me. They only acknowledge the end results of the fight, but Kiba had to work for that victory. Hold your head high. You've improved."

Naruto nodded and couldn't help but agree with the man's words. But he's sure it won't matter in the eyes of his peers. He was the village jester, so nothing would ever change their perception of him.

He walked back to where the kids were and stood next to Shikamaru.

"You did ok this time," spoke Shikamaru.

Naruto gave him a look, but Shikamaru ignored it. "I'm not being sarcastic. I can see what's going on. You're obviously not the same class clown from a year ago. So what changed?"

Naruto crossed his arms. "What's it to ya?"

"It's a drag to answer, but I've seen you on a daily basis. And even I can say with absolute certainty, as the only other guy here with a lick of sense, that you haven't been the same. You used to be more... explosive? I don't know. But it's not hard to see something changed."

Naruto was taken aback by the Nara's words. Shikamaru, the laziest and most nonchalant kid in their class, was paying attention to him? An interesting turn. "I had some words of encouragement from Iruka-sensei."

"Yeah, you are a terrible liar. But I'll leave it at that. I'm curious, but not that curious."

Naruto sighed at his luck. Well, he has to give it to him; he's a perceptive guy. It would help to have somebody he could actually have a civilized conversation with in the classroom, save for Shino.

The bug boy, as they call him, is probably his closest friend since they are both isolated for their own reasons. They get along.

Naruto shrugged it off and walked over to Shino to watch the rest of the matches. And, of course, the MVP was Sasuke.

He glanced at the girls, cheering for the boy to beat his opponent to a pulp, and rolled his eyes.

Shino didn't share the same sentiment, though. "They are fools. They cheer on someone to beat another so harshly for no real reason. It's barbaric."

Naruto chuckled at Shino's blunt analysis. "Yeah, well, they all like the guy, so. What can I say? Besides, Sasuke never goes that far—as far as I've seen, anyway."

After the sparring matches were over, the uninjured kids left to get some lunch, while a select few went to get checked out and were given leave to enjoy their meals at a separate time.

Once lunch was finished, they were right back in the classroom to finish the day, and when that ended, Naruto was the first out the door and into the street to get some fresh air.

Ignoring the parents coming to collect their kids, Naruto rushed home to go into his mail. Surely Jiraiya left something for him to work with.

Sure enough, he wasn't met with disappointment. Another scroll to learn from.

Naruto smirked and unraveled it, and to his surprise, it wasn't fuinjutsu. It was chakra exercises.

"Wha!? Are you kidding?! I don't need this crap?! Where's the glyphs?! The language of our very plain existence?! Where is the fuinjutsu?!"

He went through the papers and scrolls to try and find anything related to fuinjutsu, but it seemed his godfather wasn't done toying with him. There was nothing to work with!

"This is not funny!"

After a little temper tantrum, he saw a note at the very end of the scroll.

'I know what you're probably thinking right now. How could you? Where are my seals? Why have you done this? Simple. You need to focus on the fundamentals if you wanna control high-level fuinjutsu and ninjutsu. There are things I want to teach you but can't because you are lacking in the basics. You've improved, but I know you can do better with the right motivation. I've seen it. So, to motivate you, I've set a goal for you. If you can complete the three exercises in at least four months, I'll teach you ninjutsu to give you a leg up on your classmates.'

Naruto read it over and over again to make sure it said what he thought it said.

Ninjutsu. The very essence of a shinobi. He could already imagine pumping out ninjutsu to upstage Sasuke.

The boy jumped around, giggling like a schoolgirl, before going over to his table to reorganize the notes within the scroll. He had a new goal, and this time, he was excited about it. He'd be so good that it would make Sasuke look stupid. He'd prove everyone wrong. He was a future Hokage, after all! He could do this!

Line break.

[Three weeks later]

{Iruka's Residence}

A knock on his door startled the man awake, and he groggily got to his feet to see who was disturbing his nap. He'd had a long day at the academy.

To his surprise, it was Naruto of all people.

"N-Naruto? Is there something you need?"

Naruto nodded. "Can you help me with the chakra control?"

Iruka blinked at that. "Huh?!"

Naruto made his way in, and Iruka could only sputter as he did so. "I did the leaf concentration exercise and got to the point where doing so without breaking concentration wasn't that big a deal, but now I'm stumped on tree climbing! How are you supposed to climb trees without the use of your hands?! That's ridiculous!"

Iruka held his hands out. "Hang on, Naruto! What is going on?! Tree climbing?! That's an exercise you learn as a genin!"

Naruto proceeded to wave his hands about frantically. "Well, apparently, in order for someone with such large chakra reserves to get a better grasp of it, they need a more advanced exercise to control it! Or so Lord Hokage told me."

'Please buy the lie and help me!' Naruto thought to himself.

Iruka couldn't believe what he was hearing, but the more he thought about it, it made sense. He himself had below-average chakra reserves, so controlling chakra wasn't an issue for him. To see Naruto putting such effort into his training, though, was surprising.

"If that's the case, give me a minute to get into something proper, and I'll take you to training ground four."

Naruto nodded and rushed out the door while Iruka went into his room to get some ninja gear on.

'Lord Hokage?' Iruka thought to himself. 'That's weird. Lord Hokage wouldn't bother himself with a simple training exercise, would he?'

Iruka thought about it some more before shrugging. 'Then again, the two are close. And if anyone can figure out a way to further motivate Naruto, it's him.'

Line break.

{The Fourth Training Ground}

The fourth training ground was a location used by chuunin and genin alike to hone their skills. The area was usually divided into sections for different types and purposes.

Iruka guided Naruto to an open and less damaged part of the training field, the place where others would go to meditate or hone their skills in less destructive methods.

"Alright, so tell me exactly what's been giving you trouble."

Naruto opened a scroll of some kind, read it over for some time, and then nodded.

He then placed it down, singled out a tree, and ran up the tree with all his might, only for the bark to break apart when Naruto concentrated too much chakra into his foot, and he flew off the tree and into the shallow lake with a splash. "Gaaah! Darn it! The lake?!"

Iruka looked at Naruto and the tree, then back at Naruto again, astonished. 'H-he made it pretty far up there!'

Iruka cleared his throat and ushered Naruto closer. "Say, Naruto. How long have you been at this again?"

Naruto looked up for a moment after shaking the water off, then looked at Iruka again. "Since yesterday and the day before, so two days."

Iruka looked at Naruto for some time before sighing. "Interesting. How long did you spend doing the leaf exercises?"

Naruto scratched his head. "Well, the scroll said that it's good to do it every few hours out of the day, and I skimmed it the first week because I couldn't sit still. But... two weeks. Why?"

Iruka had to make a conscious effort not to look impressed and turned around to face the tree to steady himself. 'I don't know what you told him, Lord Hokage, but it's working! Naruto is actually taking the time to hone his skills instead of slacking off! It's a miracle!'

He paused to calm himself and turned back to Naruto, sitting on one of the nearby boulders. "Ok, Naruto, I want you to do the leaf exercise right now."

Naruto looked incredulous. "Huh?! Why?!"

Iruka crossed his arms. "I need to see if you've been doing it correctly. The tree climbing exercise requires that you concentrate hard. If you aren't in the right headspace, you'll never get it done."

Naruto huffed but sat down and got to work with the exercise, picking up a yellow leaf next to him and placing it on his forehead. He closed his eyes, and Iruka watched, waiting for any signs of twitching or a break in concentration.

Naruto sat like this for thirty minutes without any complaints, and Iruka found himself surprised yet at peace.

"Iruka. Someone is coming."

"What—?"

Moments later, another academy instructor appeared next to Iruka. "Hey, I was looking for you earlier. You weren't at your house."

Iruka looked up at Kota, then back at the still-meditating Naruto, and then back at Kota. 'Did Naruto sense him coming?! I don't know how many more surprises I can take from you, Naruto!'

Iruka cleared his throat and nodded. "What is it?"

Kota glanced at Naruto, noticing him sitting there. "Uh... what are you doing with the kid?"

Naruto opened his eyes and looked up at the man, clearly curious about the interruption, if not slightly annoyed. "I can't concentrate with all the talking, guys. Can I stop?"

Iruka nodded and turned back to Kota. "What is it?"

Kota sighed. "I was gonna ask if you could take my shift for Monday and Tuesday. The doctor said the baby might come earlier, and I don't want to miss it."

Iruka waved a hand. "Sure, I don't mind."

Kota grinned. "Thanks, Iruka, you're the best. I gotta run now, but I'll see you later. And good luck with Naruto."

With that, the man disappeared.

Naruto crossed his arms, looking up at the tree with renewed determination, ready to try again when Iruka stopped him.

"H-Hold on there, Naruto!"

Naruto scowled. "What now?"

Iruka turned to where Kota had just come from before walking closer to Naruto and kneeling down. "Did you... sense him coming?"

Naruto shrugged. "Yeah, why?"

Iruka was shocked. "What did you feel? Like... what did you... how do I put this?" he asked, trying to articulate his question, and Naruto smirked.

"I felt his... huh... his chakra? Something like that. But I have to be concentrating."

Iruka nodded slowly. "Naruto, you're a sensor. That's a huge deal. There aren't many people like you in the world."

Naruto's face lit up. "So, is it like a bloodline?"

Iruka shook his head. "Not exactly. It's just rare. People can sense chakra, but you can sense it well enough to make it useful in a practical setting. Sensing and pinpointing people on a battlefield is an invaluable skill."

Naruto's smile widened at the news, and Iruka decided not to distract him further. "Sorry, you needed to know. That's another thing you can practice in your free time. Now, go ahead and climb the tree."

Naruto nodded, turning back to the tree and running up it. This time, he made it much further before losing his grip and sliding down, but he didn't crash hard as before. He landed lightly, a clear sign of improvement.

Iruka watched, pride swelling in his chest. "You'll be able to master this in just a week, if not just a few days."

Naruto looked back at the tree, determination blazing in his eyes. He would get it done before Jiraiya returned. That was his goal.

Line break.

From that point on, Naruto and Iruka spent the after-school hours training on the tree climbing exercise. By the third day, Naruto could stand upside down on the tree and completed the exercise in full.

Naruto then attempted water walking, but it proved far too advanced at the moment. He needed to become more accustomed to running on solid surfaces before thinking about water.

Now, Naruto was skipping down the street toward Ichiraku Ramen, excited that Iruka had promised to treat him for his hard work.

Iruka had been worried that Naruto's progress would stall, but the boy had surprised him. Though his chakra reserves were vast, he was starting to grasp control over them. He was ahead of his classmates in this regard, even if it wasn't being tested at the academy. As a future genin, Naruto was on a promising path.

As for Naruto, he couldn't be happier. He was one step closer to becoming an official ninja and proving himself to the village.

"Heh, I can't wait to show off to Sakura. She'll see that I'm not a loser! She'll be so impressed she won't know what hit her!"

"That's good to hear. I look forward to seeing how that plays out," Iruka said as they entered the stand. But Iruka was startled to see a man with long white hair already sitting at the booth.

Naruto's eyes widened, and he gasped before rushing the man, startling the Toad Sage as he was knocked off his seat. But Jiraiya, recognizing who it was, opened his eyes just in time to catch Naruto. "You're back!" Naruto shouted, wrapping his arms around his godfather.

"Easy there, Naruto. Don't choke the life out of me."

Iruka stood frozen in shock. The legendary Jiraiya of the Sannin was here, being hugged by his student, and they seemed to know each other well.

"Wait," Iruka said, looking down at Jiraiya, the man's identity unmistakable. "Lord Jiraiya? Do you know Naruto?"

Naruto's eyes widened, and he looked over his shoulder at Iruka, eyes wide and mouth agape.

Jiraiya groaned at Naruto's lack of tact. "God dammit, Naruto," he muttered before looking up at Iruka. "Yep. It's a long story, but let's eat first."

After their food was prepared, they sat at the stand, and Jiraiya began to explain, doing most of the talking. Iruka listened in silence, unable to touch his meal due to the revelations.

Jiraiya didn't reveal Naruto's parentage but mentioned that he was close to his parents, close enough to watch over Naruto from a distance.

"So the one who gave you the scrolls was Jiraiya?" Iruka asked.

Naruto nodded, and Iruka chuckled. "I don't know what to say. I thought you were full of surprises before, but this is incredible. Oh! You should tell him about your training results."

Naruto nodded eagerly and recounted everything to Jiraiya, who was left astonished, particularly at the sensory discovery. It seemed Naruto had inherited both Minato's and Kushina's sensory abilities, adding to the list of things to guide him through.

"Well, it looks like you've had a busy month. I suppose with your progress, I owe you that promise. Tomorrow, I'll tutor you personally, and we'll see what you're working with."

Naruto cheered and looked down at his empty bowl, then up at Jiraiya.

The older man sighed, raising his hand for another bowl for the boy, and Naruto dug in with gusto.

The three continued their conversation, Iruka sharing news about the academy and village, while Naruto detailed the antics and personalities of his classmates, with Iruka chiming in when needed.

Afterward, Iruka said his goodbyes and headed home, while Jiraiya escorted Naruto back to his apartment.

Jiraiya spent some time helping clean up the place, giving Naruto tips on maintaining a cleaner living space. There was much to instill in the young boy, but they had time.

Line break.

[The next day.]

{Third Training Ground}

Naruto sat cross-legged in front of Jiraiya, watching as the older man sifted through his belongings, the anticipation almost making him bounce in place.

Finally, Jiraiya pulled out a small piece of paper. "Here, you'll start with this."

Naruto took it, eyebrows knitting in confusion. "It's just a blank piece of paper."

Jiraiya nodded. "Channel chakra through it."

Naruto focused, and the paper reacted almost immediately: one side turned to shreds, another corner shriveled and became wet, a third corner burned, and the last corner sparked slightly.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock, and Jiraiya stood there, equally stunned. "F-four chakra natures off the bat?! That's more than your father, kid!"

Naruto's face lit up. "I have four chakra natures?!"

Jiraiya nodded, putting a hand on Naruto's shoulder to calm him as the boy started to buzz with excitement. "Relax and listen. From what I see, your primary nature is wind—it reacted the most. Water is your secondary. Fire and lightning are there too."

Naruto nodded, pausing to think. "Is that super rare too?"

Jiraiya nodded again, smiling. "Yes. Anyone can learn a new chakra nature with time, but having an innate affinity speeds up the process. Think of it as a muscle you train until using it becomes second nature. Your chakra network is already aligned to these affinities, which is impressive."

Naruto beamed. "So, my chakra is naturally molded for these affinities. That's awesome. If I wanted to be like Jiji-san, I'd just need to learn Earth release, right?"

Jiraiya grinned, proud that Naruto was catching on so quickly. "Exactly. For now, we'll focus on wind, your strongest affinity. The other natures can wait until you make genin."

Naruto stood up, fists clenched in determination. "I'm ready for anything!"

Line break.

[5 hours later]

Obviously, both parties bit off more than they could chew. Sure, Naruto is a prodigy, but he's of a different breed than Minato.

Minato didn't need stimulation to get ninjutsu down, just as Naruto doesn't need it for fuinjutsu.

The boy was exhausted, and though he was kicking up wind, it wasn't to the effect they wanted. He was working on a simple D-rank technique, yet he couldn't seem to understand it.

Jiraiya helped Naruto out of the training ground, carrying him piggyback, and began carrying him home. "I don't understand. This should be so easy."

Jiraiya shook his head. "Actually, it shouldn't. You're an academy student, Naruto. Even a chuunin would struggle on the first day, so relax."

He felt the boy shake his head against his shoulder. "Sasuke is also—"

"Don't ever compare yourself to anyone, Naruto; never," Jiraiya interjected. "Sasuke had resources early on and was expected to learn whatever he was learning. You were not. You've come far, so don't insult yourself. You're above that."

Naruto fell silent after that, and Jiraiya could feel his guilt and regret. He sighed, knowing it would be a long few weeks. But when Naruto gets this down, he'll simply snowball. And when that happens, he'll be unstoppable.

"I'll drop you off and get some sweets or something. You deserve it. You are putting in the work like I asked of you, and it's showing."

Naruto gave a soft smile and nodded.

Line break.

[Two months later.]

{The academy}

Needless to say, Jiraiya's assessment of Naruto was indeed correct. Naruto learned the Wind Pulse Jutsu after a couple of days of trial and error and the Wind Cyclone Jutsu in the span of two weeks, Jiraiya having been absent the first half of the week he was learning it.

Ninjutsu, fuinjutsu understanding and application, and chakra control to mold it together. The hard part was over, and Naruto finally saw the results on the academy board.

Though his written exams were only improving bit by bit, with time spent trying to improve his shuriken-throwing skills and practicing some taijutsu exercises gifted to him by Jiraiya, Naruto was steadily rising from being the dead last to simply being the class clown. It was better than nothing.

No one knew what he knew, and Jiraiya told him to keep it that way for his safety, of course. The old man didn't want anyone in Naruto's way while he was gone.

That part was truly frustrating. He couldn't show off his skills the way he wanted to. However, it wasn't practical—not in the sense that what he'd learned would help his grade.

Ninjutsu wasn't to be tested because no one was supposed to know it, and while his wall-walking was impressive, it would come in handy later, not now.

That left Naruto with hand-to-hand combat, book smarts, and the basic three academy jutsu. All of which he used to be terrible at. Now, he was just painfully average, just below Kiba.

Naruto scowled. 'Speak of the devil.'

Kiba came over with Akamaru on his shoulder and peered over Naruto's shoulder. "What the hell?! How did we get the same score?!"

Naruto smirked. "I guess we're tied for rock bottom, aye, Kiba?" Naruto teased, elbowing the boy.

Kiba growled and gripped Naruto's collar. "Don't compare me to a loser! Unlike you, I'm a man who will become Hokage someday!"

Naruto shook his head. "Nah, I'll be the next Hokage, you mutt. You'll be lucky to be anything beyond my personal shoe shiner."

Kiba roared at that. "You're asking for it, short stack!"

Iruka intervened, slapping them both on the back of the head with their final test papers. "Take these and stop making a scene!"

Both boys grumbled and took a look at their final scores, and Naruto gasped. "I GOT A B+! LET'S GO! WHO'S THE DEAD LAST NOW! HAHAHAHA—Ack!"

Iruka whacked Naruto, and the class kept laughing at his antics. But the smile on Iruka's face said it all. He was proud of how far Naruto had come. There was still a whole year ahead before he became a genin, so there was more work to be done.

Ino and Sakura ignored the boys' antics and sat at their desks, proud of their marks. Sasuke's smirk spoke of his superiority, as if anyone should be impressed by a 98%.

Hinata stared at her 100% stoically and flinched at the noise the blonde was making. This caused her two annoying female classmates to giggle at her reaction to the boy, so she moved her long hair out of her face and sighed.

Choji and Shikamaru stood behind Naruto to read over his score and looked impressed. Choji gave the boy a thumbs-up, and Shikamaru smirked in amusement.

Shino just nodded at Naruto's accomplishment and went on his way to meet his parents outside.

It wasn't long before the class was given leave, and they rushed out to show their parents their results. Some were excited for their parents' reactions, others unbothered, and for those who failed their exams, they were dreading it.

As for Naruto, he simply took his things and went on his way with no family to greet him.

At least, that's what they all thought.

The sneers, the leers, the whispers—they didn't bother Naruto. Not anymore.

He had told Kiba that he was going to be Hokage, but Naruto didn't believe in that as much anymore. He didn't know what it truly meant to be Hokage. He just wanted attention, and at first, he wanted it from these people. But now, there were only a select few he felt the need to impress.

That person was waiting for him at their meet-up spot. Ichiraku's.

Naruto smiled at the sight of Jiraiya, Teuchi, and his daughter, Ayame, all waiting for him.

He rushed over to show them his results, and they all spent the day celebrating Naruto's growth.

The day was over before he knew it, and as he walked home, he held his mother's book close, wondering if she was watching, if his dad was watching, if they were proud of what he was becoming. He couldn't help but wonder.

Line break.

End chapter.

{A/N}

So, part of this chapter should have been in the first, but it was rushed because I thought I had school the very next day. I didn't, so I made this one the length I originally wanted for the first chapter.

I have an idea of what I want for this story, but suggestions are very much welcome.

As for pairings, I'm not worried about it until after the Chuunin Exams because I will not stop writing when the exams come. It's one thing that has annoyed me about fics like this one.

I am open to pairing suggestions since I'm on the fence about a harem or not, but this is my first fanfic, and I wanted to focus on getting the brunt of the story out before stressing about pairing up Naruto.

Again, feel free to leave a review. I really need feedback since this is my first fanfic, and I'm still trying to figure out how to use the site.

One last thing. I'll try to post once or twice a week if possible. I won't make my chapters shorter than 5k if possible. I like delivering.

Thanks for reading.