Author's Note: I will update on my profile any progress I make on upcoming chapters for any that are interested in that.

Anyway if you read that whole thing I am very grateful, I hope you enjoy the chapter! Leave a review and tell me what you think!

Chapter 8: Cruel Reality

Tsunami, Tazuna, and Inari watched with mild amusement as their favorite rambunctious blond scarfed down the breakfast that was placed down in front of him. None of it was a match for an intensely hungry, growing boy.

Tsunami let out a small giggle at her guest's actions. "You know the food isn't going anywhere, Naruto. You don't have to eat so quickly." Her motherly instincts were beginning to kick in once again. After all, the last time she saw Naruto eat that intensely he threw up.

Now finished, Naruto put down his chopsticks and put his hands behind his head with his trademark sheepish smile plastered across his face. "Sorry, it's just that the food was so good I couldn't help myself."

Tsunami smiled brightly from the compliment about her cooking. "I'm glad you enjoyed it so much." She replied sweetly.

"Naruto!" Inari chimed in energetically. "What are you going to do today? Are you planning on doing some super awesome training?"

"I'm sure he is!" Tazuna added in. "Someone who's dream is to be Hokage is probably always training, right kid?" The tone of his voice was genuine. He sounded like he supported the boy in his grandiose goal of being the Fire Shadow.

"You bet." The genin confirmed as he adjusted his headband. "I'll probably look around town to see how much it's changed first, then go train. While I love hanging out with you guys, I promised my mentor that I would continue to train while he was gone." To which Tsunami and Tazuna nodded in understanding. "I can't start slacking now, can I?"

"Of course not." Tazuna said while slapping the boy on the back affectionately. "We can't have the hero of the waves getting rusty."

Naruto laughed nervously. "Thanks, but I'm no hero, old man Tazuna." Having people refer to him in such high regard made him feel uncomfortable, but he didn't know why.

In reality, his childhood was the source of why he did not take well to high praise. Years of being told he was a monster and that he wasn't worth anything really damaged his self-worth and confidence. After all the berating and insults, he had begun to subconsciously accept all of that verbal abuse as fact. Deep down he really believed those awful things and someone telling him otherwise conflicted with the perception of himself that he has had for all of these years. The outward persona of strength and confidence he exudes is sometimes nothing more than an elaborate front that he puts on for the people around him. A Hokage needs those qualities, so he needs to show everyone that he has them.

Tazuna just smiled. "Walk around town. You'll see what I mean."

Naruto just nodded dumbly; not really fully understanding but also not sure of what else he could say. While the praise made him uncomfortable, it also felt good to know that he was liked and appreciated, even if he felt he didn't truly deserve it.

"Can I come train with you, Naruto?!" Inari piped in enthusiastically. "That would be so cool!" He wanted to train with his hero, it was as simple as that.

Naruto was about to respond but he was cut off.

"Inari." His mother began. "I know that you want to, but that stuff is too dangerous for you. You could get hurt." Her tone was firm, but not harsh. "Naruto is a strong ninja, regular people like us shouldn't get involved in stuff like that."

The child groaned in response. "But mom!" He complained. "If Naruto is there I won't get hurt. Please! Just this once?"

His pleading fell on deaf ears. "I'm sorry, but no." His mother shot down the last of his hopes.

Inari turned his puppy dog gaze to his grandfather, but after the harsh look Tazuna received from his daughter he averted the boy's gaze and awkwardly sipped his morning tea. He wasn't about to stick his neck out and get involved in this mother-son dispute. He had his good health to think about.

Before the young boy could have a chance to be angry or sad, Naruto rested a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Inari. I'm sure one day we can train together. Besides, if you were gone who would be here to protect your mom?" He said with a smile.

Inari's face lit back up and he nodded in understanding. "You're right!" He said with a toothy grin.

"Hey, it's my day off I'll be here too. What am I, chopped liver?" The older man said with his arms crossed at his chest.

The other three laughed at the expense of the old bridge builder and he just huffed in feigned annoyance.

After the laughter died down Tsunami walked over to Naruto and handed him a bento box. This caused the leaf shinobi to blink in confusion.

"I packed you lunch for when you get hungry, just make sure you're back for dinner, mister." She said affectionately.

Naruto, touched by her kindness, nodded profusely in agreement as he headed for the door. "I'll be back later guys!" He said with a big smile as he closed the front door behind him.

The first thing he noticed about the town was the stark difference in foot traffic to the last time he was here. Before it had almost felt akin to a ghost town. Now, dozens upon dozens of people were walking around swiftly. Having come later in the evening the previous day he hadn't been aware of just how much the bridge had changed the quality of life for the people of the small nation. He noticed new houses where there used to be run-down shacks, new businesses where there used to be vacant, unused space. He smiled brightly, happy of what he and his team were able to do.

One business, in particular, caught his eye, a small bookstore. More importantly, an advertisement sign located next to the entrance of the bookstore and the large line that appeared to be going out the door.

"Get a copy of the hero of the waves new novel 'The Weight of the World' out now!"

He read it Once. Twice. Even a third time. The surreal feeling that washed over him was something he could not explain. In all the excitement about being around old friends, he had forgotten that his book was supposed to be released to the public soon. And the people from this small nation appeared to be anxiously waiting to get a copy of his work.

He felt tears forming at his eyes, but he refused to cry. This is what Tazuna must have been talking about. A happy looking customer walked out of the store with his book in hand. The cover of the book was bright orange and the spiral he wore on the back of his jumpsuit adorned the cover.

'Yep.' He thought to himself. 'I knew that that would look awesome.'

The smile he had on his face was comically big as he gave the bookstore one last look and then continued down the street.

…

He finally made it to the spot. He decided to train in a location in the forest that was very familiar to him. He placed his hands on the trunk of the tree, fingers running over the deep cuts that peppered the side of the tree. Possibly one of his most cherished memories of his Team 7 days were him and Sasuke competing to see who could get to the top of the tree first. It was one of the first times where they really connected and, quite possibly, the first time the blond thought that they could become friends.

"A lot has changed." He whispered to himself. "I wonder if you still think of me as your friend, Sasuke."

He shook his head to clear his mind. Getting sentimental would do him no good when it was training time. That would only slow him down, all of his focus needed to be on improving."

No longer filled with nostalgia, determination and intensity now in its place. "All right! Let's go!"

"We've been walking for too long. You know? Can we stop for a couple minutes? I need to take a piss!"

Two figures had been walking down a path in the forest in silence for a long time until one of them finally spoke up.

The other simply grunted in annoyance. He had finally gotten his partner to shut up a little while ago, but that, unfortunately, didn't seem to last long. How he hated being around other people. Their presence always interrupting what he enjoyed doing most; being able to be alone with his thoughts. Actually, after thinking about it, there was something he enjoyed doing even more than that.

Making money.

"Didn't I say if you opened your mouth again that I would kill you, Hidan?" His gruff voice combined with his harsh and violent words made him come off as a very aggressive and intimidating man.

The one named Hidan didn't even flinch. "C' mon, Kakuzu." He said with lazy, half-closed eyes. "I know we haven't been partners for very long, but you know as well as I do that you can't do that. So, stop with the empty threats!"

Kakuzu decided not to further engage in banter with his partner. It would only annoy him further. "If you have business to take care of then get it over with. But I'm not stopping so you'll have to catch up."

That response elicited a sneer from his partner. He ran a hand through his slicked-back grayish-white hair and let out a deep breath. "Fine." He responded with annoyance in his voice. "Just know this, Kakuzu. I'll get you to like me one of these days." He finished as he walked off the path in the direction of a tall tree so he could relieve himself.

Despite what he had said, the taller man stopped just ahead and waited for his partner to finish before they continued to their destination.

Hidan smirked slightly as he zipped his pants back up. "I thought you were gonna leave me behind. You're not such a bad guy, after all, Kakuzu."

"Shut up, or I'll kill you."

"Okay, okay. No need to get embarrassed." He teased further.

"Focus on the task at hand. If you don't take this seriously, we won't succeed." The clear-cut more serious of the two warned. "This is important. Don't screw it up."

"You're not talking about that bounty, are you." The shorter man said with a bit of irritation in his voice. "If there's one thing I don't like about you, it's your obsession with money. Money is one of the roots of all evil in this world."

"Hmph. Says the one who's virtues include slaughtering as many people as you can get your hands on." Not that Kakuzu had a problem with killing. He just didn't want to hear preaching's about what he should do from a mass murderer.

"Tch. Heathen." There was no point in arguing with someone who doesn't understand the way of Jashin.

"You should know that this isn't just about some bounty. We have more than one target, or were you not listening when I told you?"

"No, I was listening. I just don't see why we have to dirty our hands for something as superficial as money."

"We need money." Was his partner's simple reply.

"Words of the greedy." The usually aloof partner shot back with a bit of venom.

"Then greed runs the world." He replied with finality. Hidan crossed his arms around his chest, signaling he too was done talking to his partner.

The two of them were now sick of one another's presence and the silence Kakuzu craved returned. They continued along the path that led to their destination.

…

The quietness and solidarity that the forest provided were soon replaced by the loud voices of people. The two cloaked figures walked through the crowds of people as if they weren't even there. Their eyes transfixed straight ahead of them. While they got some odd looks for their strange clothes they were wearing, they went mostly ignored by the busy people who were either working or purchasing things in the marketplace.

After what seemed like forever, they suddenly stopped in front of a house. Hidan blinked, but he didn't say anything. He lazily glanced over at his partner.

"Seems like this is the place." Was all his partner said, which made Hidan squint in confusion.

"What makes you say that?" He asked dumbly. "Was there an address or something?"

"No." Was all he got in response.

As quick as it would take to blink, Hidan felt the air around him shift. There was something cold and sharp pressed against his neck almost hard enough to draw blood. He allowed himself a small smirk.

Behind them were two masked figures, each holding a kunai to the necks of the red and black-cloaked duo. However, despite being in an advantageous position, the trained eye could discern the slight quiver in the hands of the aggressors.

"They told me." Kakuzu finished, seemingly aware of their presence long before they arrived behind him.

"You know, Uddo." The blond genin began slowly. "You don't have to stand down here with me. You can go hide in the trees with the other ANBU." Naruto was just saying that because the ANBU member adorning the cat mask was making him uncomfortable.

"I am simply following the orders of the Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki." Was his response.

Naruto scratched the back of his head awkwardly. 'Why did Granny tell this guy to watch over me like this?' He thought to himself. It seemed strange. What made it stranger was that this ANBU's chakra felt much different from the other Konoha elite. Normally the blond can't feel chakra radiating off of someone unless they are battling, but he can sense Uddo's. 'He's not normal.'

"You can just call me Naruto." He decided to keep all of his questions to himself. Not like he would get an actual answer from an ANBU member, anyway.

Uddo simply nodded his understanding.

The blond turned back to his training. He put his hand out and began to violently rotate the chakra in his palm. Jiraiya had made him question whether or not he was a true shinobi when he told him that he relied on shadow clones too much. Because of this, the boy has made it his goal to try and turn his shadow clones into a powerful weapon instead of just a crutch he has to use in battle. Improvements in his taijutsu have gone well so far, now he needs to start working on something else.

Making a Rasengan with just one hand and no assistance from clones.

'Focus.' He thought to himself calmly. He pushed everything out of his mind and placed all of his attention onto his palm. The ball of spinning chakra began condensing down, rotating even more swiftly. The strain on his face was apparent. 'I can do it!'

'Boom!'

Unable to fully contain all of dense, spinning chakra his Rasengan suddenly exploded. The blast launched him into a nearby tree. He slid down to the ground and let out a groan of pain.

Before he could even blink, 6 ANBU landed right in front of him.

"I'm fine, guys." He grunted out as he picked himself up. He blinked, realizing something. "Hey, I thought there were 8 of you." He began counting all of the ANBU he could see on his fingers. "6. Where are the other 2?" He questioned.

"They are currently stationed at the residence you are staying at." The Lion themed ANBU answered.

"Why?" The blond asked dumbly.

"If we were all to follow you everywhere you went, if an enemy knew where you were staying, he could simply sneak onto the premises without our knowledge and launch a surprise attack when we returned."

"Ohhhh." Naruto nodded his understanding. "That makes sense. You guys sure are smart."

To which all 6 masked ninjas simply nodded.

"I just don't see why you need to be so cautious. I doubt anything is going to happ-"

'BOOM!'

The genin swung his head in the direction of the blast. His face paled at what he saw. In the distance, a large, black cloud of smoke hung over in the direction that the village was located. He didn't think, his legs just began to carry him in the direction. Taking off full speed towards the village before the ANBU could hold him back.

"Naruto!" Uddo yelled urgently as all 6 ANBU members dashed off in pursuit of the Leaf Village's greatest asset. "You can't go over there! The Hokage said-"

"I don't care what Granny Tsunade said!" He screamed behind him as he kept running. "My friends are over there!"

Despite his vast increase in speed, the ANBU that were chasing him were still probably faster than him. That he knew. He had to be able to slow them down somehow, so they didn't stop him from going.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He summoned 30 clones, each of which immediately turned back to engage the pursuers. The Black Ops team, shocked that their assignment would resort to such a thing, had no choice but to engage the horde of clones.

Hearing a couple clones being dispelled Naruto gritted his teeth and increased his speed further. 'That should hold them off long enough for me to get there. They won't be far behind, so they should be able to join me for a fight too.'

'If there is a fight, at all?'

His mind was racing. What could have happened? 'Maybe just a gas leak.' He tried to reassure himself.

No.

Whatever this was, it gave the blond a pit in his stomach. Something very bad had just happened, he knew it. Going there was going to be incredibly dangerous. Everything was screaming at him to tell him to stop, but he couldn't. He wouldn't.

He was getting closer. His heart rate increasing with every passing second. After the initial explosion, he hadn't heard anything afterward. However, as he grew closer, he began to hear something else. Initially, it was too faint to completely make out what the sound was, but now it was unmistakable.

It was screaming.

Having finally reached the town he swiftly scaled the rooftops and leaped from building to building. Now that he was in the town he could tell more accurately where the cloud of black smoke had come from. His heart sank.

'No…'

He saw it. Tazuna's house, the one he stayed at during his first real mission outside of the village, the house who belonged to some of the first people who treated him like a member of the family, had the front side of it blown off. Pieces of debris littered the area and several of the houses around it had been set on fire.

He landed, having been so focused on the house he hadn't notice the two figures standing outside of it. His eyes narrowed and a wave of anger he hadn't felt in a very long time welled up inside him. He immediately recognized those cloaks.

Akatsuki.

The Akatsuki duo turned around, eyeing the new arrival with curiosity.

"Like a moth to a flame." The masked one said with a voice that gave the blond chills up and down his spine.

Naruto's eyes widened in horror. The one who spoke was cradling something in his arms. He stumbled back a few steps and fell down. This couldn't be happening. He had to be imagining this. This was a horrible, unspeakable dream, right? It had to be.

Kakuzu was holding Tazuna's severed head.

The bounty hunter glanced down at his prize and smirked beneath his mask. "Did you know him?" He asked already knowing the answer. "When we came down here to get you, I wasn't expecting my two prizes to be in the same place. A bounty and a Jinchuriki."

"That Zetsu has his eyes everywhere, doesn't he?" Hidan said with a little annoyance in his voice. "What if he saw me peeing?!"

Naruto didn't hear anything that either of them said. It felt as though the air was forcibly pushed out of his lungs. He was suffocating, yet he couldn't draw in any air. He tried with all of his might to refocus his gaze. The other two. Where were the other two? Could he still save them? Were they still alive? Please let them be still alive!

The shorter of the S-Ranked duo seemed to pick up on the blonds thoughts.

"Did you know the other two as well?" His voice. He sounded like he was enjoying all of this.

Naruto heard him, but his mouth wasn't responding to what his brain was telling him. Not out of fear, but despair. He didn't want to hear what the man was going to say next.

"We were going to leave them alone; they weren't our targets." Hidan began with a shrug. "But that kid. He charged at us spewing some nonsense about being a hero and trying to protect his family!" He chuckled, but then his eyes hardened. "If the brat hadn't stabbed me, he and his mother would still be alive."

Inside the Jinchuriki, the Nine-Tailed Fox was lying down in his cage. With one eye open, he was watching everything that was transpiring outside. He had been mildly interested in what was happening, even contemplating giving the runt a piece of his chakra. However, after hearing the man with grey hair talk, he shut his eye closed; now seemingly uninterested in the whole situation.

Naruto just sat there. He expected a boiling rage to overtake him, but nothing had come. The tears that were once streaming down his face had stopped. The searing hot pain in his chest had disappeared. His body was numb. He didn't feel anything. All of his will had been stripped away from him. He just sat on the ground, seemingly resigning himself to his hunters.

'If I were to die, would this feeling go away?' He thought to himself.

After having to already overcome so much pain, sadness and terror in his life the boy may have finally had enough. He was tired.

The two Akatsuki, initially expecting a fight, seemed to have understood and began making their way to their target. Just when they were a few feet away several figures dropped in and surrounded them.

They each quickly went through a series of hand seals.

"Earth Style: Mobile Core!"

The earth around the two Akatsuki members rumbled and then dropped them deep down underground. They looked up towards the surface, seemingly uninterested in whatever even happens. They didn't even try to evade.

"Water Style: Water Bullet!"

"Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!"

"Lightning Style: Shock Wave!"

An explosion rocked the once peaceful town as the Jutsu made contact with their target. Using that as his signal, one of the remaining two ANBU that didn't engage the criminals swiftly leaped into action. Uddo picked up Naruto and took off in the direction of the bridge, followed closely behind by his remaining comrade.

Ignoring the sounds of battle, their only mission was to ensure the safety of the Jinchuriki. Even with 6 members of the Leaf's most elite force of ninja, it was very probable that they didn't stand a chance against this foe. The most tactical option would be to retreat and get to safety.

"How long do you think they can hold them off?" Lion asked Uddo.

"If they are just as strong as someone like Itachi, I would say not long. Hopefully, I'm wrong." He answered, glancing at the lifeless boy in his arms. His eyes were open, but they were dead and glazed over as if they weren't focused on anything.

After crossing the bridge that carried the namesake of the boy they were protecting, they immediately began to head North.

"This all seems too much of a coincidence." Lion said as he looked behind them to ensure they were still not being followed.

"I agree. I believe their distraction in the Land of Hot Water was just a ruse to get the boy separated from Master Jiraiya." He concluded. "Once they knew they wouldn't have to battle a Sannin, they jumped at the chance to take him."

"How could they know where we were going to be?" Lion asked in exasperation, emotion normally unbecoming of ANBU.

"Let's just say a little birdy told us."

Their eyes widened behind their mask as a voice came from above them. They darted in opposite directions as the Akatsuki that held the long red scythe on his back slashed down at them with it.

"Don't be a fool, Hidan." Kakuzu berated his partner while still holding his bounty trophy. "They're holding the boy. We need him alive."

"Oh, c' mon, Kakuzu." Hidan retorted with a sadistic smile. "If they couldn't dodge that then they deserved to die."

"It doesn't appear that we're going to be able to get away," Cat said as he placed the boy on the ground and got into a defensive stance.

"It appears that way." Lion added.

"Give us the kid and we'll make sure your deaths are quick and painless." Hidan threatened. "We don't want this to get messy. I've gotten enough of other peoples blood on my clothes as it is."

Cat ran through a series of hand signs.

"Wood Style: Domed Wall Jutsu!"

A dome of wood shot out of the ground and covered the unmoving blond. 'Hopefully, that protects him from any attacks.' The wood-style user thought to himself.

"Hm?" Kakuzu wondered aloud. "From what I've heard Wood Style has been extinct since the death of the First Hokage. Who are you?"

Cat said nothing as his right arm slowly formed into what appeared to be a wooden mallet. He launched himself at the two Akatsuki.

"Guess time for talking is over, then?" Kakuzu said humorlessly.

"He's mine, Kakuzu!" Hidan yelled as he swung his long scythe at the attacker. The attack hit its mark…

'Poof' Only for him to turn into a log.

"Fire Style: Dancing Flames Jutsu!"

Both partners looked up only to see a wide stream of fire coming down on their heads. Lion had used the distraction to launch a Jutsu from above.

"Water Style: Water Wall!" The water rose up and met the fire, creating a large amount of steam that hampered everyone's visibility. Kakuzu leaped up onto a tree branch while his partner just stood there. Waiting.

As if on cue Lion busted through the fog with a kunai in hand.

"Wood Style: Bind!"

Before Hidan could even react to the oncoming assault, Uddo bound up his torso and legs with branch-like strands that shot out of his arms. "You're mine!" Lion yelled as he plunged the sharp blade into the chest of the shorter Akatsuki.

Despite blood running down the grey-haired man's face, his facial expression didn't change. Except for when it twisted into a cruel smirk. He grabbed both of the hands of his assailant and pulled him close to him. "I hope you're ready for this because I know I am." Twisted smirk adorning his face.

"Fire Style: Searing Migraine," Kakuzu said calmly after running through a series of hand seals. He pulled his mask down below his lips and an enormous stream of fire spewed out of his mouth.

Aimed right at his partner.

"Oh no!" Uddo yelled as he ran through seals of his own.

"Wood Style: Domed Wall!"

He covered himself in his own protective dome of wood. The blast touched down and singed the outside of the wood wall, but did not break through. Unfortunately for his comrade, he was not so lucky. His horrible screams made the wood-style user grimace darkly. He had to pull himself together. He was the only one left.

'He aimed an attack right at his partner, why?' He didn't understand. 'Was it because he was going to die anyway from the wound in his chest?'

The dome receded and he readied the Tanto that had previously been strapped to his back. The red scythe slashed its way through the smoke that the fire had left. Behind it was the crazed face of the man he was sure had been killed. Uddo was just able to parry the strike as he retreated desperately.

'What the hell is going on here?' He thought in shock. 'How is he still alive?!'

Hidan pressed forward while slashing causing the ANBU to continue backing up. Desperately forming his hand into a mallet, he wildly swatted the scythe out of the madman's hands.

Hidan, mildly surprised, stumbled forward walking right into the Tanto which pierced through his chest. Uddo twisted the blade in his chest in an attempt to ensure the kill.

"Don't resist." The ANBU warned. "Tell your friend to back off, or I'll finish you." Instead of looking fearful, the mortally wounded man began to laugh. Cackle, even. Uddo was at a loss. Even though the man had a blade through his chest, he could still laugh? "What's so funny?" He wasn't sure if he even wanted to know the answer. His eyes were crazed. Uddo felt as though he could see the devil himself inside of them.

Hidan, just like before, grabbed both of his assailant's arms and pulled him close. "You're supposed to be an elite ninja from the Hidden Leaf? Pathetic! You fell for the same trick again!"

Eyes wide, the ANBU looked up into the trees. The man that completed the Akatsuki duo was already running through hand seals.

Mind racing, the leaf shinobi tried to think of something to get him out of this predicament. His situation was grim, there was little he could do with his arms tied up. As a last resort he reared back and used that momentum to throw a devastating headbutt at his opponent... only for him to meet it with equal force.

"It's over."

His ANBU mask shattered from the impact revealing his terrified face. There was nothing else he could do now. He resigned himself, closing his eyes and bracing for impact.

...

Only it never came. He opened his eyes and noticed that Hidan had a similar face of confusion.

"So you guys thought you could steal my student right from under my nose, did you?" A different voice came from above.

Both men on the forest floor looked up at the sound of the voice and their reactions were vastly different.

"Master Jiraiya!"

The Sannin was gripping Kakuzu's hand to keep him from executing the jutsu. Although the enemy's faced was covered by a mask, you could tell that he wasn't expecting the Toad Sage to show up.

"You guys made a big mistake." The Sage's eyes were hard and unforgiving. The normally laid-back ninja was boiling over with rage. "You made me angry."

Author's Note: Yeah... I'm sure there's going to be a lot to unpack here. While I hope this chapter has a mostly positive reception, I will understand if it makes some people angry. Just know that I always intended for this chapter to go this way.

Being that it is the most controversial chapter so far I hope that I get a lot of reviews telling me what you all think. I am insanely interested.

I've always liked Naruto's friends in the Land of Waves, but after the opening arc in the series you pretty much never hear from them again. Yes, I know they show up Post-Pain, but I don't count that. To be fair, civilians with no abilities aren't going to be very useful in a story about Ninjas so I understand why we didn't see much of them. From this chapter alone their characters will impact this story much more than they did in canon.

If anyone was able to figure out Uddo was, in fact, Yamato/Tenzo let me know! Uddo is Japanese for wood, so I guess you could say it was an Easter egg. Applaud me for my genius!

If people have questions of concerns in the comments I will start to try and answer them (with the persons respective username attached) at the end of each chapter starting now.

Flying Raijin: I understand your concerns, the training is not going to be one-dimensional like that. I don't plan to stop an aspect of training and move onto a different one each time. The new training sessions will simply be added into the rotation with a little more emphasis on the newer things. As for the Fuinjutsu, we've seen it used for other things such as barrier seals and contract seals. Neither of which actually seals anything anyway. If you want to get technical I could argue that it seals away physical matter that is then condensed and increases the weight of whatever it is put on.

ThatOneRandomDude: I expected some people would be bored by the pacing, but this is ultimately a story that starts at the beginning of the training time skip. Except I never planned on skipping the time skip so a lot of time will be spent there watching Naruto's development. So there's a lot of development and departure from canon that needs to happen before any action starts.