Chapter Three.
Naruto awoke at the break of dawn to the smell of biscuits, butter, sausage, eggs, and pancakes. When his eyes opened, he was shocked to see Tsunade in front of him with a silver plate.
"Did you…?"
"Yep. I needed you strong, awake, and full so you can handle my boot camp."
"Boot camp?" Naruto questioned.
"That's right brat. Everyday, at 5:43 when dawn breaks, you'll be undergoing hellish training from myself and Shizune. Your body will be sore, your bones will ache, you'll be gasping for breath, but it will all be worth it since you'll become the most skilled Shinobi in the world!" Tsunade explained.
"Bring it on, Tsunade-San! I've got tons of energy, and I can take anything you two can dish out! So don't go easy on me!" Naruto said with a smirk of determination.
Leaning down so that her nose touched his, the slug Sanin replied, "We'll see about that Naruto, and don't worry, me and Shizune won't."
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When Naruto arrived in class later that morning, he was covered in bruises and bumps, which caught the attention of his classmates. The normally shy Hinata ran up to him in worry.
"What happened Naruto?! Did the villagers…?"
"No Hinata," Naruto said, removing her hands from his jacket.
"I was just doing some early morning training with Tsunade-sama and Shizune-san."
"Oh yeah, I forgot they were teaching you."
"Isn't she a healer?" Ino inquired.
"Why didn't she heal you?"
"As a warning to all of you not to mess with me," the Jinchurikki answered her question, taking great satisfaction at her nervous stare and shuddering form.
"She's not taking it easy on you, is she?" Sasuke interjected with a question of his own.
"Nope, and physical training isn't the worst part. Studying is!" Naruto answered in an annoyed tone of voice, as he pulled out seven scrolls. Tsunade had given him them earlier when he left for the Academy.
/
"What?! More books?!" Naruto questioned in horror as Shizune handed him a box of scrolls.
"I thought you said the scroll you gave me yesterday contained everything I needed!"
"I lied kid." Tsuande said without a hint of remorse.
"No book contains all knowledge, especially not when it comes to medicine."
"If you can't handle simple bookwork, how can you possibly handle Shinobi duties? Maybe you should just quit," Shizune said in a taunting tone. Naruto frowned, gritted his teeth, and yelled, "I can handle anything!"
He then stormed off, and the slug Sanin remarked, "He's the cutest when he's upset."
Shizune nodded in agreement.
/
"Do you know why the village hates you Naruto? And about the law?" Shikamaru asked.
"Yes to the second, no to the first. And I only recently found out about the law."
"Iruka said the law was punishable by death, so the only way you'll find out is if you force somebody to tell you," Kiba said.
"You're right, and I know just what to do," Naruto said evily.
"I want in on it too," Sasuke said, standing up.
" Us too!" two familiar blonde and pink haired classmates of his said together enthusiastically. Ino and Sakura just had to know the secret of Naruto Uzumaki.
"Okay, here's what we'll do, come here", Naruto motioned them close with his hands. After explaining in whispers his plan to the three, he sat down and started to read. Two other classmates, both girls, came up to him and asked, "How did you meet them?"
"You mean Tsunade and Shizune ?"
"Duh!"
"Two medical Shinobi were talking about them, and I overheard them before i left. I went searching for them, but they found me when I entered a casino. Not only that, but when I stood next to her while she played a matching number machine, she won every time."
"How much did she win Naruto?" Choji asked, now interested in the conversation.
"Ten Grande," Uzumaki kun said nonchalantly.
"WHHHAAATTT?!" the class screamed while the son of the Fourth Hokage just smiled.
"Yesterday, I went to a casino and she won 15 times as much," Naruto added, and his classmates looked like they were ready to faint.
He kept reading until Iruka sensei arrived.
"Class I have two special visitors here," stepping away from the door to reveal none other than Dan's niece and the First Hokage's granddaughter..
The students gasped while Naruto just looked puzzled.
"Shizune-san, Tsuande-sama, what are you doing here?" he asked, shocking his classmates even more with his manners.
"Keeping an eye on you so Kurenai and Asuma can have a personal day," The slug sage explained. Sensing the class's coming question, she added, " They're two ninja, one Jonin and one Chunin, assigned as Naruto's bodyguards."
Naruto's classmates were shocked even more, and realized that whatever secret he had must be life-threatening.
"We're also here to tell you that you can't pull pranks anymore. You must focus on shinobi training," Shizune added.
"What?! But that's not…" Naruto paused as Tsunade cracked her knuckles, smirked and raised an eyebrow.
"I mean, whatever you two say!"
The Senju mistress then turned to Iruka Umino, asking to borrow one of his Kunai.
"If any of you mess with my boy, this will happen to you."
As soon as she finished speaking, she crushed the Kunai blade into tiny bits. Everyone sweatdropped at this, even her new charge and Iruka.
"Oh, I almost forgot, they taught me a new jutsu!" Naruto sprang up and pointed at the two female Konoha shinobi.
"Everybody follow me outside!"
As his classmates all watched in fevered anticipation, the whiskered Jinchurikki applied the necessary hand-signs. Then he shouted, "Shadow Clone justu!"
The whole school training field was full of copies of Naruto. The classes eyes bugged out, and Kiba felt one and said, "Holy crap, these are solid!"
"This jutsu is actually forbidden class," Iruka explained.
"Naruto can only do it because his enormous chakra reserves prevent him from doing a normal clone justu."
"But why does Naruto have so much chakra Iruka-sensei?" Eiko, a black-haired shinobi and Sasuke fan-girl asked.
"Sorry girl, classified," Tsunade said sternly.
Later on, while everyone was eating lunch, some in their classrooms some outside, Hinata approached Tsunade and Shizune, who were perched on a tree, and bowed in respect.
"Tsunade and Shizune-san. I'm Hinata Hyuga, and I don't hate Naruto like almost everybody else does. Thanks for finding him."
The girl's voice was timid and shy, but she wasn't stuttering.
"You're welcome Ms. Hyuga," Shizune said happily. Tsunade, meanwhile, smirked and said, "You like Naruto don't you girl?"
The former Hyuga heiress blushed brightly.
"Don't deny it I've seen you staring lovingly at him."
Hinata sighed and nodded her head.
"Yeah, I do love him. Despite being treated like a plague, he's persistent, brave, and optimistic."
"You're not the only one amazed by that Hinata-kun," Shziune opined.
"Tell him how you feel child, or some other girl may come along an snatch him up," Tsunade advised the Hyuga from the Main family.
/
After school, Naruto made a shadow clone to go with his minions, while the real him went back to the Hokage residence, making sure to tell his three classmates of the switch. Sasuke got some balloons from the store and filled them with sink water from his house. Sakura and Ino got rope from a supply store. They chose a red haired civilian as their target, with Ino and Saukura throwing two water balloons at her. As they ran away laughing, the woman screamed, "Come back here you brats!
Sakura and Ino jumped over the rope trap in the alley they left it in, while the woman ran right into it. She was strung upside down, and Naruto's clone stepped up to her.
"You got two choices lady; you either tell me why I'm despised by Konoha, or burn to death!"
At that, Sasuke leapt down from the roof and shouted while doing handsigns, "FIRE STYLE, FIRE BALL JUTSU!"
The Uchiha blew it into the sky above the lady where his two female classmate chucked water balloons at it, rendering it harmless.
He then made the same gestures while facing the women, who panicked and said, "You've got the Nine-Tails in you!"
Everyone, especially Naruto's clone, were stunned into silence. Said copy had a devastated look on his face. The woman continued.
"The fourth Hokage couldn't kill the demon, so he sealed it in a baby. That baby was you!"
Ino said, "Poor guy" while Sakura said, "Naruto," in a sympathetic tone. Knowing that he couldnt hide this from him, Sasuke dispelled the Kage bunshin with a shuriken. Back at the Hokage's house, Naruto dropped his book as what the clone saw was transferred to him. In his office, Sarutobi saw the whole scene on the street, through his crystal ball.
"The truth hurts, and I'm sure Naruto must be hurting now. At least Sasuke, Ino, and Sakura showing sympathy for him."
The conversation continued
"What should we do now?" Sakura asked.
"We give the Third a piece of our mind!" Ino angrily replied.
"If Naruto has to bear such a heavy burden, the least Mr. Sarutobi could do is tell him about it!"
"What i don't understand is why the Fourth chose Naruto. We should ask the Third that too," Sakura suggested.
"He won't tell us girls," Sasuke said dryly.
"We should ask his guardians. Shizune and Tsunade won't keep the truth to us."
"Actually they might Sasuke-kun,if they're afraid he's watching them. Remember when we took that tour of the Hokage residence? He has a crystal ball that can show him the whole of Konoha," Sakura responded.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. In any case we should tell those two and the Third that we know, and what we did. I don't know about you two, but I won't apologize!"
Both girls sternly said that they wouldn't either.
"After that we should check on him. He'll need all our support," Sasuke said somberly.
—
Kurenai and Asuma returned from their date at a hotspring to the Hokage residence. They were stunned to hear what Uzumaki, Yamanaka, and Uchiha had done to find out the first's secret.
"How's Naruto taking it pops?" Asuma asked.
"He's been in a catatonic state for an hour." Sarutobi replied.
"So approach him carefully."
Both lovers nodded and went to Naruto's room. They were heartbroken at the look on his face.
Kurenai called Naruto's name twice and shook him, but got no response. So, reluctantly, she slapped him. He blinked and looked at her.
"You're NOT a monster Naruto Uzumaki-Kun, so don't you dare even think that! You just contain one."
Softening her tone of voice, Kurenai said, "If you need us, were here, okay honey?"
Naruto hesitantly nodded, while Asuma walked up and said, "We'd have told you for not for my stubborn dad. Actually both of us should have taken you in."
Kurenai nodded at his words.
"I need to go for a run," Naruto said abruptly. Both of his bodyguards nodded, with Yuhi saying, "We'll follow you from the shadows."
As Naruto ran out of the Hokage residence, he didn't bother to say anything to the old man, livid with him over keeping such a big secret. Sarutobi was no longer his jiji.
/
Just as Shizune and Tsunade exited the hospital, Sakura, Sasuke, and Ino showed up at it's entrance.
"Oh! Tsunade -sama", Sakura said in surprise, bowing. Ino bowed as well and continued, "We were just coming to get you."
"Whats the problem you three?" Shizune politely asked.
"We know his secret," Sasuke replied bluntly. Both women present gasped and the last Uchiha explained Naruto's plan to learn the reason behind Konoha's hatred of him, and how it had been carried out.
"None of us are sorry, and we'll accept any punishment."
"Umm Hmm," Sakura and Ino agreed.
"And how do you three feel about …"
"We're not as irrational as those villagers my lady,"
"Yeah, we know the difference between a criminal and the one guarding him."
Shizune and Tsunade smiled at the two young women, then turned to Sasuke.
"What they said," the boy remarked, pointing his thumb at his classmates.
"Great news, now let's go see my boy, and the old man."
"I've got words for that geezer!" Ino snapped.
"Me too!" Sakura added.
"Oh, I almost forgot! We should ask the old man not to punish that lady, since we made her tell us," the Uchiha boy noted.
/
Naruto was still running through woods around Konoha, having jumped his way up the Hokage monument. Unbeknownst to him, a certain shy Hyuga heiress was following him. She'd been doing so since classes ended. Waiting outside the Hokage residence, Hinata noticed Naruto run out with a clearly perturbed look on his face. She wanted to ask him what was wrong, but didn't have the courage to do so.
"Hey Naruto," a familiar voice said from the Shadows. From behind a tree walked Mizuki Touji with seemingly friendly smile in his face.
"I was walking past the Hokage faces and noticed you running up them, I felt that you were emotionally unstable. What happened?"
Mizuki made his face look sympathetic as Naruto explained that he had found out about his status. Hinata had to stifle a gasp. She had always wondered why her clan and other leaf residents loathed Naruto so much, but containing the nine-tails never came to mind.
"I thought it was that. You must be feeling really miserable."
Uzumaki just turned away from the Chunin instructor, who slowly approached him.
"I've got just the thing to make you feel better," Mizuki said, putting one hand on Naruto's shoulder and another in the pocket that held his kunai.
"Look out, Naruto! " Hinata shouted, getting both males attention. Naruto's eyes widened as he realized what his teacher had almost done.
"Hinata?" Mizuki said in surprised. Then he scoffed and said, "I should have known you followed him, you always do. I'm surprised you warned him. You still have a crush on him, even after learning he's a monster?"
"Naruto-kun is not a monster!" Hinata said firmly.
"He's someone who always kept moving forward, despite not having any one to root for him. He's the strongest boy I've ever known, and I won't let you hurt him!"
Naruto looked at Hinata in shock, never having even considered her feelings for him. He just thought she was weird because of her blushing and fainting all the time in front of him. What she'd said after that affected him even more.
"Hah! I'm a Chunin, and you're just a Genin, you can't beat me!" Mizukei said in an amused tone.
"KAGE NO BUNSHIN JUTSU!"
The woods were filled with 12 dozen shadow clones of the Jinchurikki of Konoha. Hyuga and Touji gaped.
"Thanks for your kind words Hinata, I needed them. As for you Mizuki, this is for trying to stab me in the back!"
Naruto's copies descended on Mizuki and beat him to death. The chunin was unrecognizable when they finished.
"Hinata, you're wonderful!" Kurenai's voice said as she and Asuma appeared put of nowhere.
"Kurenai-sensei and Asuma-sensei?! What are you two…"
"We're his bodyguards Hinata-san," Asuma explained.
"Both of us were going to save him before you chose to act. I'm happy to see that you're not irrational like most of the other villagers."
"Thank you sir."
Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand and asked her, "Is what Mizuki said true, Hinata? Do you really like me in that way?"
The Hyuga girl blushed brightly and promptly fainted into her classmate's arms.
"I'll take that as a yes" Naruto said to no one in particular, while the two older ninja in love just laughed.
/
Hiruzen Sarutobi had been watching the scene in the forest through his crystal ball and was immensely pleased at both Hinata's speech and Naruto's recovery. He wondered if the two would become a couple.
"ANBU!"
At his words, three masked ninja, one rabbit, one Tanuki (raccoon-dog), one frog appeared in front of him. He explained the situation and ordered them to pick up Mizuki's body.
"What about Uzumaki, Hyuga, Yuhi, and your son sir?" Racoon asked.
"Interrogate them, and DON'T hurt Naruto."
"As you wish, my lord," Frog said in a distinctly female voice.
When Sasuke, Sakura, Ino, Tsunade and Shizune arrived at the Hokage residence, before they could tear into the leader of the Leaf, he blurted out where Naruto was and what had happened. Their faces were a mixture of shock, rage, and happiness due to the outcome.
"Where's Naruto now?" Shizune inquired.
"ANBU is questioning him, his classmate, and his bodyguards at their HQ," he answered.
"Don't worry Tsunade, I warned them not to harm him, and Kurenai and Asuma won't let that anything happen either."
"Those two aren't strong enough to overpower ANBU, and I don't trust the latter!" Tsunade exclaimed before zooming away. Shizune did the same.
"How could you not tell Naruto such an important thing about himself, Mr. Sarutobi?" Ino asked in a demanding tone.
"What I want to know is why the Fourth Hokage chose him as the vessel of the Kyuubi no Kitsune," Sakura added.
"I was worried about the effect on Naruto's mental state, that's why I didn't tell him. As for your question Ino, answering it would only further endanger Naruto."
"His mental state is already affected by years of hate and isolation old man. And you're not winning any points with Naruto or us by continuing to withold information. Some of the worst things imaginable have been done with the best of intentions," Sasuke said angrily.
"I don't think Naruto will be talking to you anytime soon," Ino added.
"After the fox was sealed in Naruto, you should have sent him to live with Tsunade-sama. Away from these stupid people!"
With that, all three academy students left.
"Oh, I almost forgot sir," Sasuke said.
"We forced that woman to tell us why Naruto was hated, so please don't…"
"Say no more Sasuke. She won't be punished, and neither will you three," Sarutobi assured the last Uchiha.
"But if you attack a civilian again, or if you tell anyone Naruto's secret, you will be, severely."
"Understood sir," all three students responded.
/
Kurenai and Asuma had refused to leave Hinata and Naruto alone with Anbu interrogators, so all four were interviewed in the same room, though separately. Ibiki Morino and his colleagues tried to convince the couple that they weren't like the other villagers and wouldn't harm the Jinchruikki, and that Yuhi and Sarutobi could trust them, only to be told that as his bodyguards, they must and would not take their eyes off him. After the questioning was over, all present were given water. Naruto had said, "Thank you Ibiki."
"Ahem," Kurenai-sensei said with a stern look on her face directed at him.
"I mean, Thank you very much Mr. Morino."
"You're welcome kid. Alright, everything's been recorded. You all can either leave or relax until lady Tsunade comes to find you."
"I'm sure the kids are tired. We'll stay here," Asuma said, getting no disagreement from any of his comrades.
"I'll find an empty cell for them to sleep in follow me."
When Shizune and Tsunade finally arrived at the headquarters, Ibiki opened the door greeted them with a bow.
"Follow me Shizune-san and Tsunade-sama."
The sadistic interrogator led them down the halls, to the jail wing, and to a wooden door with a barred window that a familira cigar smoking ninja and a red-eyed kunoichi watched over like gargoyles.
"They're both inside asleep milady" Kurenai explained. Both medical ninja nodded and entered the room, with Shizune shaking the girl awake and Tsunade shaking the boy.
"Tsunade/Shizune."
"Come on brat, let's go home."
"Thanks for your inspiring speech to Naruto, Hinata."
"I-It w-was nothing Miss Shizune," Hinata stuttered.
End of Third Chapter.