Due to some reason Itachi was ten at this point of time while he suppose to be 5 years older than Naruto and Sasuke. He was still a freshly promoted chunin so he is not an ANBU yet. If possible I want Itachi to spend at least one year longer in Konoha, which is not going to affect original plot too much though.
08-04-13 Update: Beta-ed
3rd Legacy: Origin of Legacy
"Uchiha is always the source of trouble and you're one trouble magnet, Naruto!
To my eternal shame… it's like you and Uchiha are a match made in heaven!"
Kurama, Kyuubi no Kitsune.
Fuuinjutsu was an obscure shinobi art most shinobi did not study extensively due to the research needed to master it. It was also notorious as being one of the most dangerous branches of the shinobi arts to learn. You would think an art that didn't involve physical training – but a brush, ink and paper – was not dangerous. However, it was proved throughout the years as the most accident-prone art. Those who died learning Fuuinjutsu didn't die in the battlefield but in their own workshop. Even a small glob of ink in the wrong place could trigger a dangerous outcome. It's understandable why the Uzumaki clan was one of the few clans specialized in it; they had both the brain and vitality to survive and master the art.
The art was said to have an endless amount possibilities, which was not a stretch of the imagination considering they could contain the most powerful creatures that ever graced mother earth. However, unlike the three main Shinobi arts, ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu, fuuinjutsu was not an art you could master by forming hand seals and training your ass off. If you survived learning the art by copying what's been done before, you were nothing more than a copier and never a master. Seals were like a machine in the form of ink; thus to create a seal, practitioners had to understand each part and the correlation between them.
Mathematics, chakra theory, and calligraphy were the three basic skills one should achieve first before even thinking about picking up a brush and making their first stroke.
You have to master calligraphy not with flourish but with precision, not with a graceful stroke but a swift one. If a practitioner was a frontline seal master, one stroke could decide life and death.
Chakra was the energy that powered every seal, thus every shinobi who learned fuuinjutsu had to understand the nature of the energy. How it would move, mold, change and so on when flowing through a seal, and how chakra with a certain nature could have different results when channeled, like explode.
Mathematics was an abstract study of topics encompassing quantity, structure, space, and change. This subject was essential to the array of each component of the seal down to its very location. One had to practice step by step to reach a logical conclusion. Mathematical structures were used as models of seal mechanisms. A seal master should use mathematical reasoning to provide insight or predictions about the nature of the seal they were working on.
Naruto wandered to the academy library, marveling at how it became such a magical place the moment he thirsted for knowledge. He picked a few books of his desired subjects and a few extras, and began to read it one by one. The book was meant for children, which was obvious by how thin it was and how it only just covered basic material, but it still had a lot of information to memorize. Naruto had no delusions he could jam everything in his brain, so he resorted to taking notes to learn it thoroughly later, because he knew he was unwelcomed by the librarian.
At this blatant display of hatred, Naruto wondered when the chuunin librarian was going to snap and throw him out of the library. Not anytime soon, hopefully, because he had no legitimate excuse to do so. So Naruto ignored the stare of the fuming librarian, determined to take notes from at least two books of each subject. He stopped taking notes once he reached his target goal for the day and began to read the extra book about Ninja rank. As he skimmed through the genin section and reached the chuunin section, Naruto couldn't help but frown. There were two ways to be promoted to chuunin: the exam and in field promotion. Both routes required a chuunin to have at least a meager skill in leadership and tactics. He rolled his eyes to the fuming chunin and then back to the book. How could that guy be promoted when he wasn't even being discreet with his glare?
Then again, it was none of his business, Naruto thought as he stood up gathering the books to put them back onto shelves neatly. In the corner of his eyes he saw the chuunin stand up, looking torn between scolding and ignoring him. No doubt the chuunin thought he was trying to pull a prank or was going to damage the academy's precious books. Naruto swiftly left the library with a stack of notes in his backpack allowing the chuunin to check the library thoroughly for any signs of a prank. Which, of course, was just a figment of his imagination and paranoia.
Idiots, Naruto thought. If chuunin were supposed to be as good as the guidebook said, they shouldn't worry about a six-year-old pulling a prank right under their noses.
For two months, chuunins in charge of the academy library were terrorized not by his pranks but by his mere presence in their humble abode, Naruto narrated sarcastically in his mind as he began his routine of visiting the library after his class finished.
Two months ago he didn't even understand what sarcasm was, but that was nothing a dictionary couldn't fix. He had asked Tori to help him buy one, because he needed it to understand some big words in the fuuinjutsu manuals. He would have bought it himself if he didn't have to deal with the barely suppressed hostility of the shopkeepers, but had a bad history with bookshops after one of their staff insulted him, and he pranked them as revenge.
He had visited Kurama quite often, but not intentionally at first. It just so happened when he slept, he found himself in the same sewer with the bijuu. He had tried anything he could think of to get in contact with Kurama on his own will, much to Kurama's ire, but his attempts had been in vain. It took one month for Naruto to discover how to connect with the bijuu through meditation, and it had been difficult. It got easier to do with time, and now he could even stay conscious when speaking to Kurama directly from his mind, although, Kurama ignored him most of the time he did. Naruto guessed that was because Kurama was someone who preferred to speak face to face.
Kurama was still not the most sociable bijuu, though Naruto was glad the fox could tolerate his presence at least. While he was not hospitable, Kurama was not against engaging in conversation with Naruto, and that was more than what a majority of people in Konoha had deigned to do. Much to Naruto's delight, Kurama was a fountain of knowledge, and he dared to say the bijuu was even more knowledgeable than the Sandaime. Kurama was an ancient creature after all, born from the hands of Rokudo Sennin himself.
The bijuu had also told him about the Uzumaki clan, and Naruto was very happy to know that his clan specialized in fuuinjutsu. He was saddened Uzu was no more, though. When Naruto asked how Kurama knew about the Uzumaki clan, Kurama had snorted and said, "The Sage of Sixth Path's wife was an Uzumaki." Originally, the Uzumaki clan descended from the Onmyouji line, and they became the first practitioners of fuuinjutsu after the Shinobi era began. This was why Uzumaki was said to be a distant relative of the Senju clan and the Uchihas, though it wasn't acknowledged by the sharingan wielders for some unknown reason.
With all the knowledge Kurama possessed, Naruto had to wonder why his predecessors avoided talking with the bijuu casually. "They don't know what they missed out on!" Naruto said cheerfully when Kurama told him none of his predecessors had ever bothered to listen to him, much less his story.
Naruto was very happy when Kurama didn't refuse to tell the story about the Sage of Six Paths, indulging the jinchuuriki's thirst for knowledge. Then again, after years of confinement with two jinchuuriki who tuned him out, Kurama could appreciate a good listener in Naruto. He was also a much better teacher in history to Naruto than the chuunin in the academy.
Kurama would have raised an eyebrow if he had one. "My conversation with them was never civil." In fact, he could count how many times he talked with Mito and Kushina on one paw. They never wanted to speak to him and all he had said to them were taunts in his rage. "I hated them and they kept me at bay, the feeling was mutual..."
Naruto's eyes softened at that. "I guess that means I'm special then!" He grinned from ear to ear.
Kurama rolled his eyes. "Yes, you're the dumbest, too."
Naruto guessed that was Kurama's trademark of mixed compliments and sarcasm. "Now, Kurama... we're trying to fix that, okay?"
"I suppose," Kurama grunted. "Now, where was I last night?"
"You met Kinkaku and Ginkaku and they challenged you!" Naruto informed the bijuu.
Kurama grunted again, "Ah yes, those two annoying worms..."
From his short time knowing the fox, Kurama breathed out sarcasm as naturally as Naruto walk on his two feet. Unlike what Naruto read about Kyuubi in Konoha's history book and other sources, Kyuubi was not a mindless, evil entity bent on destroying the world. But he was definitely not a personification of goodness. Kurama was an intelligent bijuu and had a scathing, sadistic personality. However, he also had a sense of fairness and sarcastic honor. The scathing and sadistic part was a bit unnerving; especially when Kurama explained what he would like to do to Madara and the Shodai for dragging him to their family feud. Thankfully, Kurama had spared him from the too gory details.
However, it seemed Kurama hated Madara at least three times more than he did the Shodaime, and considering what history said about the man, Naruto had to admit that hatred was well placed. Imagine how Kurama had felt when he took a nap in his favorite dwelling only to wake up to Madara insulting and disrespecting him. The man had ranted about how Kurama's fate was as a slave for Madara's 'blessed eyes', and then had dragged him into a fight with the Shodaime Hokage to settle a family feud. In which said feud landed Kurama in his current position.
It was the reason Kurama told Naruto to be cautious of the Uchiha, while silently lamenting about how far the fruit fell from the tree. How the stupid son of his old man procreated a clan of stuck up jerks Kurama didn't know. As far as Kurama was concerned, the descendants of the Old man's stupid son were all a source of trouble.
Naruto had also asked if Kurama knew about his parents, but the fox swiftly answered that he wouldn't tell Naruto anything he did he know. Kurama explained that it wasn't that he couldn't but that he shouldn't. In his opinion, people around Naruto would tell him when the time was right. It was neither Kurama's right nor duty to tell Naruto, especially since he didn't know why information about his parentage was kept secret. Kurama however implied it was a political reason, and as a bijuu he wouldn't get involved in it. Naruto never pried about it after that.
"And then I spat them out... I regret not chewing them..." The bijuu lamented, feeling a bit ill as he recalled the brothers had eaten his gut to survive.
Naruto nodded sagely. "Tori always tells me to chew my food before I swallow."
"Naruto, they didn't give me indigestion," Kurama grumbled, and Naruto raised an eyebrow at him. "Fine! They did, but that's not why I regret not chewing them! Next time I'll just have to make sure my food is dead before I swallow it."
"I'm sure you will…" Naruto said patronizingly.
Naruto started skipping his Taijutsu lessons, not because he wanted to but because he was forced to. Like any other subject at the academy, the instructor always attempted to sabotage him, but in Taijutsu it was not as subtle. They taught him the wrong way to stretch, even though his older classmates did it a different way. When he questioned them about it, they always said it was the correct way for a child his age.
What a load of bullshit, he thought.
Sparring was the worst because they always pitted him against the strongest students, and then his older classmates were given the impression that it was okay to beat him up in a spar. They were bullies and a spar was a legitimate excuse to beat someone—him—up.
His grades, though, became better because he started paying attention and taking notes. He was no genius in class, but he wasn't the dead last either. They could sabotage his learning all they wanted to now, because he didn't buy their teaching anymore. Which was why they had started to sabotage his taijutsu training three times harder. He was, at first, clueless about the scheming behind his back, but ever since he found out about his jinchuuriki status, he did not wish to indulge them as a punching bag. Let them call him a coward or lazy to their heart's content; he could now use his time for more productive purposes.
Kurama had no intentions of pampering his jinchuuriki by training him, not that the bijuu could anyway considering the difference in their natures, but much to Naruto's delight, Kurama still remembered what they taught in academy to Kushina. Apparently, the bijuu had an almost photographic memory.
Since Kurama was well… Kurama, all he said was, "Back then, they trained kids to increase their stamina and develop flexibility before teaching any taijutsu kata. That's it, go figure out the rest yourself."
That was all Naruto needed to know, because he then went to the library and took notes about increasing stamina and flexibility. He wished he could have brought the book home, but the librarian was already so high-strung by his mere presence in library, and Naruto had no intentions of testing what the chunin would do if he dared to approach the counter to check it out.
Tori was exasperated by his decision to keep skipping taijutsu classes, but nothing he said could convince Naruto. The ANBU squad had witnessed what was happening, and they had to agree that class was too counter-productive to endure for attendance's sake. Naruto asked them to keep it a secret from Sandaime with the excuse of not wanting to trouble the Hokage because he looked so busy lately. They couldn't refute that since Sandaime was in a lot of political pressure lately. If Naruto could be so considerate for their Hokage, who were they to not do the same?
Unfortunately, shinobi couldn't teach academy students without legal permission, but they could always give Naruto pointers and prevent him from accidentally injuring himself. Naruto was thankful for that, especially since Kurama had made it clear he didn't want to heal sprains caused by a mistake in stretching.
Naruto hoped this would be the end of his problem in the academy.
One week later
"And so, that concludes the battle between the Shodai Hokage and Uchiha Madara that created the vast crater that is now known as The Valley of The End." Naruto was reciting what Kurama had said about the petty family feud he'd been dragged into, omitting some gory parts and the insults. Naruto looked up from his essay, and was greeted by the dumbstruck face of his teacher and the rest of the class.
The chuunin was so pale it looked like he was going to faint. Naruto groaned inwardly. It seemed he had just flunked history class. Why did he always feel like he was walking on a tightrope in school? The chuunin was probably thinking Naruto could never write a detailed essay like that, because he hadn't lived through it. He had been so careful trying to write the essay with information that could be taken from the available history books, though he had borrowed Kurama's narrative style since the fox was such a good storyteller.
Then again, the thought of Kyuubi writing an essay about Shodaime and Madara was absurd. Why the chuunin could ever believe that for a moment was beyond him. Kurama was right, there were too many idiots in this village.
Sooner or later he would have to fake his mark in every subject… what was the point of going to school at this rate?! Naruto walked out of the school with a heavy heart, and went to the forest near the Uchiha compound. His mood brightened at the sight of a gigantic oak tree, his favorite place. Kurama had told him in a disgusted tone that the tree was a historical living monument, grown by the Shodaime as a sign of friendship for the Uchiha clan. If one looked closely at the peak of its trunk, a faint carving of the Uchiha and Senju crest could be seen.
He liked to sleep on its thick branch, under its lush leaves. The atmosphere was soothing and it always calmed his mind. It was his favorite past time to relax and reread his notes there. Naruto climbed the tree swiftly, using chakra so his limbs would stick to the surface. Naruto was still trying to improve his tree walking, but slow progress was better than nothing.
"Haah…" he heaved the sigh as he pushed himself up to his favorite branch. "School sucks," he grumbled under his breath as he pulled his notes from his backpack. He leaned against the trunk using his backpack as a replacement pillow.
The jinchuuriki opened his fuuinjustsu notebook, which was the thickest one he had compiled. He had found some samples of standard seals and was in the process of breaking it down into specific components so he could study its mechanics. It was easy to take a sample of the tags from a shop when the owner was serving another customer, and since it was drawn with normal ink and not chakra ink, it wouldn't explode.
Naruto was pondering over the sample flash tag when a voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Good afternoon."
He flailed his arms out, almost losing his balance, and accidentally knocked his backpack over. He quickly grabbed it, but the contents poured over the newcomer that greeted him. Naruto watched in abject horror as his history essay homework fell right above the newcomer's head. While it was just a pile of papers, the height the pile was dropped at was enough to do damage to someone's skull.
The newcomer caught the book in midair calmly and without even looking, and Naruto breathed out a sigh of relief. He then gasped when he saw it was raining papers. He had accidentally knocked over the stack of notes he put beside him! Naruto would have come down in a heartbeat to retrieve his notes, but when the stranger bent over to pick up the papers, he revealed the Uchiha symbol on his back causing him to freeze up.
An Uchiha?!
Soon after he found out about Kyuubi, Naruto had started to pick up things he hadn't notice before. The village, or at least the Shinobi population and a minority of the civilians ostracized the Uchiha clan. It was not the outright staring or shunning they did to him, but he could tell they eyed the Uchiha clan cautiously. It was as though they thought the clan would kill them in their sleep, and it was easy to guess why; after all it was a well-known fact bijuu could only be controlled by an Uchiha, a Mokuton user, or a jinchuuriki. Which also explained why the clan avoided him like plague. In fact, he rarely saw an Uchiha walk on the same street as him.
And yet this Uchiha had approached and talked to him… was this guy crazy? No good, no good… he chanted in his mind as he sweated profusely. Why had he asked Tori and his team to leave him alone for a while? He had even promised them he wouldn't get into trouble. Then again, he had thought no one would find him here, yet this guy had walked right up to him. It took all his will power to not just bolt and get the hell away.
Naruto had nothing against the Uchiha clan personally, but Kurama's rant about how they were the harbingers of doom who wasted his old man's good gene was not helping. Kurama was also very certain that not being alert around the doujutsu bearing clan would kill him in the end. It was enough to put Naruto on edge whenever he spotted an Uchiha nearby.
Naruto was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the Uchiha was reading his history essay. The jinchuuriki blinked when he heard the sound of papers ruffling and saw that Uchiha was reading his homework. "A-ah!" he pointed at the dark haired Uchiha, "Oi! Don't read someone else's stuff without permission!"
The Uchiha looked up from his reading to eye Naruto curiously. Naruto stared right back at the Uchiha. He was older than Naruto, but still a young Uchiha with onyx eyes, black hair with bangs that framed his face, and a low-tied ponytail. There was also a distinct line under each of his eyes that made him looked slightly older than his age.
"My apologies," the Uchiha said. "I'm interested in history, especially about our village, and your essay is a very interesting read." Naruto raised an eyebrow, and after a beat the Uchiha added, "It's enlightening."
Naruto stared at the Uchiha in disbelief, and mentally asked his tenant, 'Kurama, is this guy for real? What should I do?'
'You're asking me?! How should I know? My routine when I see an Uchiha is maim, kill, or eat,' Kurama griped.
Naruto sighed. 'Advice for a human, please.'
Kurama groaned. 'How could you run into an Uchiha here anyway?'
Naruto rolled his eyes inwardly. 'This forest is near their compound, although it's in another area opposite of this place.'
'True, but still… how likely is it that an Uchiha stumbles upon you in such a big forest?' Kurama wondered with a sigh. 'Uchiha are always the source of trouble and you're one trouble magnet, Naruto. To my eternal shame… it's like you and the Uchihas are a match made in heaven!'
'Is this REALLY the time to be sarcastic Kurama?!' Naruto asked internally, gritting his teeth. Naruto smiled sheepishly at the Uchiha. "Excuse me, but could you give me my essay and notes back?" The Uchiha nodded curtly and Naruto almost sighed in relief, but held his breath when the Uchiha started walking up the tree. "Waaa! Wait! Wait!" He had thought the older boy was going to just leave his stuff on the ground and go away, not come closer.
The Uchiha ignored his plea and jumped onto the branch Naruto occupied. He crouched down and then put the essay and notes in front of Naruto in a neat stack. "Here." Naruto rubbed his throbbing cranium and then looked around the surrounding area, sniffing the air. The Uchiha's lips curved up at him. "There's no one around for at least a three mile radius, Uzumaki Naruto-kun."
Naruto took his notes and essay back hesitantly, eyes never leaving the Uchiha as he put his stuff back into his backpack. "Do I know you?" he asked.
"Ah, my apologies." Again with the apologies, what a weird Uchiha, Naruto thought. "My name is Uchiha Itachi."
Great! The prodigy of the Uchiha clan himself and no one in a three mile radius! Wonderful! He ignored Kurama's praise about Naruto becoming a master in the art of sarcasm. Naruto was too busy wondering if the Uchiha was planning to kill him. "You know who I am right?"
"I believe I just called you by your full name, Naruto-kun," Itachi informed the jinchuuriki.
Naruto's left eye twitched, and he wondered if Itachi was being sarcastic or just pointing out facts. "Right…" he drawled, and then decided to bite the bullet. "Why're you talking to me, Uchiha-san?"
Itachi eyed Naruto keenly, and Naruto averted his eyes. "Do I need a reason?" he asked back.
"Uchiha-san," Naruto called. "I am Uzumaki Naruto, and I have seen members of your clan turn on their heels whenever I was in their vicinity." He might as well tell the prodigy he was well aware of the Uchiha clan's behavior around him. "I thought you were going to do the same."
The heir of the Uchiha clan smiled at that. "… You're more perceptive than the rumors state," Itachi said after a beat, "or my clan is not as subtle as I thought."
"A mix of both actually." Why he indulged the Uchiha by continuing on with the conversation was beyond him, but it was unlikely he would get away anytime soon. "Sometimes, even ninja won't be subtle when they don't know they're being watched."
"Hn…"
"I still remember you haven't answered my question about why you didn't avoid me like the rest of your clan," Naruto informed Itachi in an annoyed tone, "and I would like an answer soon."
Itachi looked amused by Naruto's words. "Exception proves the rule… "
Naruto groaned. "Okay… seriously, what do you want, Uchiha-san?" Kurama was getting restless in his cage, screaming at his jinchuuriki to get the hell away from the bastard Uchiha. "Can I leave now?"
"Why would you want to leave?" Itachi questioned back.
This was getting nowhere; the prodigy was leading him on. "Your lack of answer makes me nervous." Screw subtlety; mind games weren't his forte.
Itachi's lips curved up into a small smile, which caught Naruto off guard. "Would you believe me if I said I'm interested in your essay?" he asked genially, much to Naruto's shock.
Naruto blinked owlishly. "My essay? What's so interesting about it?" he asked warily. "You're an active ninja, and that essay is written by an academy student."
Itachi sniffed. "It's still better than what I read in standard history books. It's very detailed, too…"
Naruto was torn between feeling flattered someone thought his writing was good, and horrified Itachi might think he was the Kyuubi. "Eh… thank you, so…" he trailed off as he fished his essay from his backpack. "You want it?" he offered as he handed the essay over. In the back of his mind Kurama was rolling in his cage, laughing that Naruto thought Itachi would leave him alone if he gave the older boy his essay.
Itachi blinked owlishly at the offer. "Can I?"
Naruto nodded, "It's already graded and I have another copy at home," he replied sincerely as Itachi accepted the neatly folded paper.
Itachi gave him a curt nod, his eyes scanning the paper curiously. "Thank you," he said as he looked up only to find Naruto had disappeared. All that was left was paper floating in front of his face. He raised an eyebrow when he read the title of it. "Mathematic application in fuuinjutsu?" Itachi looked to the side and found Naruto was running like his life depended on it.
Naruto was jumping through the branches and thick foliage, hoping the Uchiha was not going to… "Wait, Naruto-kun!"
Oh shit! Naruto's mind went haywire, and Kurama jokingly chanting 'run for your life' in the back of his mind was not helping either. Naruto moved faster, caution thrown to the wind as branches broke under his feet from the increased speed. Itachi had to take a different route than the one Naruto used because the younger destroyed it.
"You left something!" Itachi shouted. He could go faster and simply catch the younger boy, but it was obvious Naruto was terrified of him for some reason and doing so would risk him harming Naruto accidentally.
Naruto's left eye twitched violently when he heard what Itachi said. Who was going to buy that?! As soon as he reached the border of the forest he shouted, "TORI!"
The ANBU was almost knocked off of his feet, because the moment he appeared with shushin Naruto tackled him. "Oof!"
"Tori! Save me!" Okay, not the smartest thing he had ever said, but he was too terrified to think otherwise.
Tori raised an eyebrow at the Uchiha heir who shrugged nonchalantly. "Okay… Itachi-kun, what's going on here?" Itachi was a fresh chuunin that had been considered for a place on his squad, so he knew who the prodigy was.
"I just wanted to return this to him, that's all," the Uchiha heir replied honestly, pulling out a sheet of paper with neat handwriting to show the ANBU.
Tori sighed and looked at the trembling child in his arms. "I feel this is a long story Hokage-sama would like to hear."
The Sandaime rubbed his throbbing cranium as his eyes rested briefly on Itachi, who looked as stoic as ever, then to the ANBU squad he had assigned to guard Naruto, and lastly to Naruto who was hiding behind Tori's legs, clinging onto the ANBU's pants as though his life depended on it. It had been a while since Naruto had been reduced to that state. The last time was when the boy was four and had believed the orphanage matron when she'd said there was a monster under his bed.
"So… it's all a misunderstanding?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked as he quirked an eyebrow at the Uchiha scion.
"Yes, Hokage-same." Then he turned to the still hidden Naruto and showed the boy the paper he found. "And I believe this is yours, Naruto-kun."
Naruto eyed the paper longingly, then looked at Tori and the Sandaime. "Uh…"
Sandaime sighed. "Itachi-kun, can you tell me the more detailed version? Because stumbling upon Naruto-kun and having a brief chat with him when he suddenly runs away doesn't explain much…" he said in exasperation. Well, he had asked for a brief report.
Itachi stiffened then shifted a little. "Hokage-sama, I'm afraid it's not my story to tell if you want the details of our conversation…"
Sandaime Hokage narrowed his eyes at Itachi then at Naruto. It seemed both of them wanted to keep the conversation a secret. "Very well…" He pushed a small amount of chakra into a hidden seal near the window. "Anything said here will not leave this room."
Naruto stared at the seal that glowed briefly a moment ago. So that's how privacy seals worked! "Naruto-kun," The young jinchuuriki jumped when the Uchiha called him, "do you mind if we tell Hokage-sama what happened?" he asked.
The young jinchuuriki flinched, wondering why Itachi even bothered to ask. He couldn't decide if the conversation was a harmless topic or not, so decided to give in and avoid suspicion. He had kept too many secrets from Sandaime-jiichan anyway. "I don't mind…" He'd calmed down with the presence of familiar people around him. It was just he'd never been alone with a potentially hostile stranger (that he knew of), which was why he'd panicked.
Itachi smiled at that. "For starters, I did stumble upon Naruto who was sitting on a branch of a gigantic oak tree in the forest."
Sandaime raised an eyebrow, "Gigantic Oak tree in the North forest? There's such a tree?" Konoha, just like her namesake, was full of lush forests, and though a majority of gigantic trees grew in training ground 44, some were scattered all over Konoha. Most of the tree species were Pine, Cedar and Yew but never an Oak. Shodaime grew trees about as often as breathing, so no one ever bothered to keep track of them all.
Naruto nodded as he stepped forward. "Yūjō no Ki, you know… the tree Shodaime gave to the Uchiha clan as a gift."
A spell of silence hung in the air as all eyes stared at Naruto. Even the stoic Uchiha Itachi stared at him with no small amount of incredulity. It was Sandaime who broke the silence. "There's such a tree?"
"Eh?" Naruto had a very bad feeling he had just dropped a bomb with his trivia. Neither Kurama nor Naruto knew that said tree had been forgotten about in the Nidaime's era after the relationship between the two clans became sour once again, which was why not even Sandaime knew about the tree.
"Never mind," Sandaime sighed. "So what were you talking about?"
Itachi turned his focus back to the Hokage then answered. "Naruto-kun's history essay," he said as he put the folded paper on the Hokage's desk. "It's very good, and he was kind enough to give it to me."
Naruto shifted on his feet when Sandaime unfolded the paper and began to read his essay. "It's very good as you said, Itachi-kun."
Good enough to impress the Uchiha scion, Sandaime noted amusedly. Itachi had always been a highly perceptive child wise beyond his years and spent much of his time researching the history of the village from the writings their ancestors left behind. While the essay was good and interesting to read, Sandaime was convinced that it wasn't the content that made Itachi interested but the disturbingly detailed narrative style it was in. While everything written in the essay could be found in history books, the way Naruto narrated it made it feel like he was watching the event with his own eyes, or at least heard it from someone who experienced the battle firsthand.
"That didn't explain why Naruto-kun ran away from you and gave you his essay," the Hokage continued, eyeing the prodigy as he searched for a sign of dishonesty.
Itachi shrugged. "I think it served as a diversion for his escape." Naruto cringed at how obvious he'd been. Itachi, on the other hand, was resigned about telling the Hokage the truth. "Why he ran… That's probably because he is aware of how my clan avoids him and was pretty unnerved when I approached him."
Naruto flinched at the attention that centered on him. "Uhm well… I know I'm not well-liked, but only Uchihas turn on their heels whenever they see me." He fidgeted. "And he…" he looked pointedly at Itachi, "approached me… and he even talked to me civilly so… I was getting cautious and nervous."
Sandaime and the ANBU members cringed inwardly at Naruto's innocent confession. All this time they'd been under the impression Naruto was very trusting and friendly to anyone who gave him even a shred of attention, yet it seemed they had been wrong.
"I'm sorry I ran away, Uchiha-san," Naruto said as he gave Itachi a low bow. "I'm just not used to strangers…" At least, not since he'd found out about Kurama and his status. "I didn't mean to be rude…"
Itachi shook his head. "You don't have to apologize, being vigilant and cautious are good traits for Shinobi." Naruto preened under the compliment. No matter what Kurama said about Uchihas, Itachi sounded sincere. "And I believe I should return this."
"But before that," Hokage interrupted their exchange, partially relieved the misunderstanding was solved. "Can I see that paper?"
Naruto blanched, but there was nothing he could do. He gave Itachi a reluctant nod to hand the paper over to Sandaime. Busted.
Sandaime's eyes widened when he saw what was written on the paper; it was basic research on Fuuinjutsu, but very elaborate and intelligible. "Hoo, you're learning fuuinjutsu, Naruto-kun?" He was definitely his parent's child, a budding fuuinjutsu prodigy.
Naruto nodded wordlessly. "Can I see your other notes?"
Much to everyones shock, Naruto backed away like a frightened rabbit and hugged his backpack protectively. "Naruto-kun?" Tori said worriedly. He couldn't recall Naruto being so possessive over something aside from ramen.
Sarutobi Hiruzen chukled softly, he had almost forgotten how protective and private the practitioner of the obscure art could be of their research, and how much they hated someone to take a peek at their notes. Jiraiya had almost punched him in the jaw when he insisted on peering over his disciple's shoulder when he wrote his notes out of curiosity. If the stories about what Minato and Kushina did to anyone who dared to take a peek on their notes without permission were true… Sandaime mentally noted to warn Naruto's future teammates about proper conduct of privacy for fuuinjutsu practitioner.
Kurama groaned in his cage as he watched his jinchuuriki's behavior. The Uzumaki always acted like mama bears protecting their cubs when it came to their research. It was an Uzumaki thing, though anyone who was taught by Uzumaki also acted like Jiraiya and Minato. Naruto was only just about to finish his research on basic study, and already he was this protective. Kurama didn't even want to know what Naruto would do if someone dared to look at his personal seal research without permission in the future. Maybe the only mistakes old man Rokudo ever did was procreating Uchiha-Senju and marrying that Uzumaki woman.
"Naruto-kun, I will return your notes… and I will be careful with it," Sandaime promised.
Naruto looked hesitant for a moment, then he gingerly approached Sandaime's desk and tiptoed to put his notes on it. "Here, jii-chan."
"Thank you, Naruto-kun." Sandaime smiled at the child as he carefully flipped the pages. "Hoo… impressive. You're a budding prodigy in fuuinjutsu, Naruto-kun."
Naruto preened under the praise. "Really?!" He beamed, giving a mental nod to Kurama when the fox reminded him to stay vigilant.
"You have grown to be such a knowledgeable child, Naruto… "
"Heh heh… I read a lot," Naruto admitted not so modestly.
"Ah yes…" Sandaime nodded sagely as he gave Naruto his notes back. "And you even know about Yūjō no Ki; something I didn't even know about. Where did you read it?"
Naruto froze in his tracks. 'Kurama, why doesn't jii-chan know about that tree?'
The fox snorted, 'probably because peace between the Uchihas and Senjus didn't last long, so the tree, of course… was forgotten…'
'Then what should I say? I can't tell them you told me!' Naruto lamented, but Kurama didn't answer, so he was left to his own devices. Naruto smiled as he recalled what he found on the same day he climbed the tree for the first time. "Heh heh heh…" He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "I'm just guessing actually." Sandaime raised an eyebrow. "Eh, on the top of the tree there's a carving of the Senju and Uchiha crest. Above it is Konoha's crest with the word Yūjō written. And since the tree is sooooo big, much bigger than a normal tree… so I thought only the Shodaime could grow it out!" Even if the Hokage sent his ninjas out to check, the story would fit since there was such a carving.
"Hoo…" The Sandaime nodded sagely. It seemed he was over thinking Naruto's resourcefulness. "Well done, Naruto-kun. You've found a precious monument… a legacy from our Shodaime." He mentally noted to issue a D rank to build a nice shiny signage and put sacred rope around the tree.
Naruto smiled sheepishly. "Thanks, jii-chan!" he said as he checked his notes, and then rechecked to make sure it was placed properly, blissfully unaware of the sad look on the Sandaime's face. It seemed Naruto didn't trust him.
Then again, it was pretty normal for those who descended from the Uzumaki line. Sandaime sighed wearily, "Naruto-kun, while it's fine to learn new things, it's frowned upon that you neglect your other subjects in school." Naruto shifted guiltily on his feet. "You've skipped all your taijutsu classes, and your marks, which became better last month, have dropped again…" Sandaime said wearily. "What can you say in your defense?"
"Uhm… I…" Much to Naruto's relief, Tori stepped foreward.
"Hokage-sama, may I voice my opinion?" He asked cordially.
Sandaime nodded, "I'm all ears, Tori."
The ANBU cleared his throat. "From my observations, Naruto-kun is not suited to the current curriculum of our academy," He stated sternly, and the boy stared openly at the bird masked ANBU. "Most of the classes are counterproductive to Naruto-kun's development, and the instructors are not…" The ANBU trailed off, looking for a fitting word. "Proficient… in dealing with a student like him."
The Hokage flinched inwardly at the subtle way his ANBU phrased the predicament. "Then please explain to me what kind of student Naruto-kun is, and how we should provide him with a 'suitable' tutelage."
Tori grinned under his mask. "Naruto-kun is a very talented child, and if we keep him in the academy, it would just curb his potential…" Then after a beat he added, "Naruto-kun has shown a remarkable aptitude for fuuinjutsu, a field of study that unfortunately… is not provided in the academy. And we all know what an invaluable asset a fuuinjutsu practitioner is…"
Sandaime nodded sagely in agreement, the main defense mechanism of Konoha was the legacy of Uzumaki Mito, and she was the best practitioner in her generation. Jiraiya, Minato and Kushina were seal masters and the key players in previous wars, with the first traveling to maintain their spy network and the latters passed away, Konoha was down to mid-level practitioners who maintained Konoha's barrier and the defense mechanism Mito-sama left them. It was hard to nurture a talented seal master due to the high risk in learning and difficulties.
"Naruto-kun's potential as a fuuinjutsu practitioner should be utilized… It's an asset Konoha can't afford to lose," Tori stated with conviction. "That alone should give him some privilege to further his studies in seals and other Shinobi arts."
The old Hokage held back a grin. Someone deserved a promotion for exploiting a loophole so as to give Naruto his education. Konoha had given many privileges to prodigies, though most of the time it was early graduation, like the one granted to Itachi, so the prodigy could gain field experience sooner. However, in Naruto's case, he was known as a prodigy in only certain field.
"I see… Naruto-kun." The boy perked up at the Hokage, elated he was once again included in the conversation. "You will spend the rest of this year in academy. And no more skipping classes…" Naruto cringed at Sandaime's warning. "I will talk with the academy's instructors about your circumstances…" If everything went smoothly, no instructor would refuse to help Naruto anymore. In fact, they would be eager to help, or at least neutral. "By the end of the year, I would like to see progress in the shinobi arts, especially fuuinjutsu."
Naruto nodded again, "Hai."
"Especially fuuinjutsu," the Sandaime repeated. "If you continue to make the same progress I have seen from your notes, you will be granted the privilege of an apprenticeship."
Naruto gaped at that. "Apprenticeship? What about the academy?"
The Hokage smiled at that. "You won't be required to attend it anymore… " Which would make the instructors happy that they didn't have to deal with Naruto anymore. "You will be considered graduated, but you won't be granted genin status until your master deems you genin level in the shinobi arts overall," the Sandaime finished his explanation, and as soon as the last world left his mouth, Naruto tackled him in a bear hug.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Naruto chanted happily then he kissed the Sandaime's cheeks fervently. "I love you, Hokage-jiichan! You're the best!"
Sandaime chuckled softly as he ruffled Naruto's spiky hair. "Yes, I am… but remember, it's you who has to work hard to earn these privileges."
Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, Jii-chan! I'll work hard!" he said as he released his hug, jumping backwards to land in front of the Hokage's desk. Naruto stood suddenly and bowed to the Sandaime with respect. "Hokage-sama, I thank you for giving me this opportunity. I promise to dedicate myself to fuuinjutsu and other Shinobi arts, so that I will not betray your expectations."
Sandaime looked at Naruto in surprise, startled to see such a mature, eloquent speech coming from a six-year-old kid. Even Tori looked surprised and proud under his mask, while Itachi observed his fellow prodigy attentively.
The old kage shook his head with an amused smiled on his face. It seemed they had underestimated Naruto a bit too much. "I'm looking forward to it, Naruto-kun…"
And that wrap up the third chapter nicely, hopefully you like it and will review for me!
Naruto in this fic is 2 years earlier than Rookie 9 to enter academy, which is the only explanation I can think of that feasible to make him graduate together with students his age in canon. So at this point he already in his second year of academy, since he entered at 5.
Naruto at this point of time is secretive and cautious after he find out about his status, while maybe you would think the feeling of betrayed by HOkage is not eye-opener enough to make such a fast and drastic change... This is a kid we're talking about, one who ostracized for his whole life to boot. I just think kids in his situation will not trust easily anymore, and start to think anyone might be out to get him. He also come to depend on Kurama a lot and trusting the fox' judgement when it comes to surviving the society. It's not like he agree with Kurama in everything per se, but both of them have come to an agreement of 'better be careful than sorry' way of thinking.
Please note you can't expect fast update to go on forever... it's just easier to write early chapters for now :) But I promise I won't abandoned my story, the update will be slower but not neglected. Review shall serve as motivation!