The God of Wind:

Hello everyone, Hope you're doing good. To be honest I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to post today. Last Friday my laptop died, and I lost half of two completed chapters for this story and the beginnings of my next chapter for Uchiha Chronicles. Thankfully I was able to recover Chapter 4 and edit it to post to Pat reon so I felt fine with posting here and on AO3 as well. Going to be a bit hectic trying to get back on schedule but I'll do it.

If you'd like to consider supporting my work feel free to check out my pat reon. You can find it by entering the Patr eon web address and adding /rinnetaicho, or by finding my AO3 account of the same name and using the copiable link in my bio.

Anyways, on to the story.

Arc I: Beginnings:

Chapter 2: The journey begins

-x-x-x-x-x-x- TGOW -x-x-x-x-x-x-

Six Months Earlier, Hidden Leaf Village –

That morning dawned clear and bright. The gleaming yellow sun arched high into an endless blue blanket of sky. It's gentle warmth was the first sign of the coming spring which would lead to another hot summer. The Hidden Leaf Village was a place where nature and modern life interspersed seamlessly. A single massive wall encircled the village, the only entrance a set of massive wooden gates. In the distance a single mountain towered over the village. Four massive faces were carved into the red stone. They were the silent guardians of the village, it's past leaders forever immortalized in stoic rock. Streets radiated like an interlocked web, with patches of forest and glistening streams scattered about, all leading to a compound of buildings in the shadow of the mountain.

The village was alive with movement. Men and women going to work, children being escorted to school. Along the streets shop owners were opening their stores for the day. The rattling of their protective gates going up filled the air. Above the winding streets of the village shinobi darted from rooftop to rooftop, their forehead protectors gleaming in the sun. Roof hopping–as it was called by shinobi–was the preferred method of travel for their profession. They could move at speeds not restricted by crowds amongst the flat roofs dotted with powerlines and water towers.

Right now Naruto Senju, Heir to the Senju Clan, was wishing it was the method he'd chosen. "Tch, why didn't I just roof hop? With these crowds I'm gonna be late!" Naruto groused as he spun through the crowds.

People he passed regarded the boy wearily. Only a few looked amused at the sight of a student rushing to get to school on time. The rest kept a careful and suspicious eye on him. It was an all too familiar experience. Not even worth noticing in the fervor to get to class on time.

Any other day it wouldn't have mattered. He'd have accepted a slight ding to his grade. This wasn'tany other day. Today was the day Naruto would be taking his graduation exam. If he was even a second late he wouldn't be allowed to take the exam. His grades were probably good enough to graduate anyways, but he'd worked so hard for the top spot there was no way he was going to ruin it by missing his exam.

He tore along the main road. An old man shook a fist at him as he ran past, muttering about "Reckless brats!". Naruto ignored him. 'This isn't getting me anywhere. Need to find another path.' His eyes darted around for an opening. 'There!' In between two gossiping mothers, he spotted a side-street he knew. It was always quiet this time of day and led directly to the academy. Quick as a flash he darted for it. He squeezed through the crowd one last time, then raced into the narrow road.

Buildings on either side bathed the street in cool shadows. Goosebumps lined his arms. It was quite the shock going from the warm sun to a place much more in line with the temperature of late Winter. Naruto grinned when he emerged onto the other side. He could feel the warm rays of the sun again, and even better he saw his destination! Just down the street was a massive round building painted vermillion. To the side was a two-story extension with rectangular wings ending in two circular towers. The walls were painted white, a stark contrast to the burnt orange awnings and thick electrical pipes that snaked across the walls and along the eaves.

The academy! Even better, he could tell from a clock in a nearby store that he'd managed to make up time.

He let out a sigh of relief and made the rest of his journey at a normal pace. This road was much calmer than the last. The courtyard of the academy was mostly empty when he strolled past. A familiar solitary oak tree stood guard. Only a few straggling parents lingered, chatting excitedly.

Naruto walked through the deserted halls of the academy. His feet stepped soundlessly across the gleaming wooden floors. He finally reached his destination. A set of sliding doors with a sign sticking out that read "3A" in bold black lettering.

Room 3A was a room just like any other you would find in the academy. From the wooden benches and desks that made up its tiered rows–worn from years of use–to the teacher's podium at the front, where the instructor would lecture students from. Even the bank of windows along the wall was normal. Yes, it was a truly unremarkable room. And yet despite its utter normality, as he entered classroom 3A that day and took a whiff of the familiar scent of paper and metal that permeated the air, Naruto couldn't help but feel that the room was completely unique.

If everything went as expected, this would be one of the last times he stepped in the room for quite some time. There was a certain sense of melancholy about it. He had many fond memories of this room, and his time in the academy. From lunches spent with his best friend Shikako, to lazy spring days of the sun drifting through the window and warm the air making him sleepy. He swallowed gingerly, throat suddenly dry as sand and suspiciously stiff.

Though there wasn't much time to waste reminiscing. He quickly began looking for a seat in the already crowded classroom.

"Naruto, up here." A lazy and familiar voice called out. Naruto looked up excitedly and caught sight of a girl sitting at one of the desks in the middle row. She had dark eyes, and black hair that was pulled into a spiky ponytail. Next to her was a round-faced boy with swirl marks painted on his cheeks and bushy brown hair. He was munching on a bag of chips.

He grinned and bounded up the steps and taking a seat next to her. "Morning Shikako, Choji, how's it going?" He asked. Shikako shrugged.

"Well enough. Can't wait for this to be over. All this excitement from people is exhausting." She replied.

"Hehehe, same old Shika." Choji chuckled. "I'm doing good too Naruto, can't wait to graduate!" He said, before promptly going back to munching on chips merrily.

The classroom door slid open, and a slender girl with long, platinum blonde hair bound in a ponytail stepped in. She glanced around, and her eyes locked onto them. Without pause, she walked up the steps with a confident stride and sat in the last seat on the bench below them.

"Hey Ino." Choji greeted between bites.

Ino crossed her arms under her short purple top and shook her head in annoyance. "Jeez Choji, don't you ever stop eating?" She grumbled.

"Hey now, you know Choji has to eat a lot to perform his families jutsu." Naruto said placatingly. His response didn't seem to impress Ino much. She simply huffed.

"Whatever you say Naruto." She muttered. A mischievous gleam entered her aqua eyes. "So, planning on acing the test Mr. Rookie of the Year?"

Naruto felt his face heat up. His friends knew he wanted to be rookie of the year. He'd worked hard for it! Still, it was embarrassing to have pointed out. One good jab deserved another.

"Worried about me getting one over on your crush?" He shot back.

Ino's cheeks turned pink. She didn't give him the satisfaction of responding. Instead she shifted her attention to Shikako and began a conversation about a new shipment of flowers her family shop had received. Apparently there were some medicinal ones that Shikako's clan might be interested in adding to their collection. The Nara were famous for the potent medicines they made.

A few minutes passed with the air filled with the excited chatter of his classmates. The wooden door slid open for a second time, and Iruka-Sensei stepped through the entrance. He was a very tanned man, with spiky brown hair pulled into a ponytail and matching eyes. There was a prominent scar across the bridge of his nose. He wore the standard chunin attire of a dark blue long-sleeved shirt and matching pants under a forest green flak jacket.

Iruka walked to the front of the room and stood with his arms clasped behind his back. He smiled up at them.

"Good morning everyone. I hope you're ready for your final exam." He said in a loud, clear voice. Instantly the chatter died down and they fell into an eager silence. Once he was satisfied they were paying attention, Iruka continued. "Your final exam will be on the Clone Jutsu.. You have to successfully create at least one clone. One by one, we'll call your names and you'll come into the room next door. I'd like to wish you all good luck. Aoishi, you're up first."

With his piece said, Iruka turned and made his way out of the room. A black-haired boy stood up from the front row and quickly followed behind him.

Time trickled by. Every five minutes or so an assistant would come by and call for the next person. Luckily their class wasn't very large, being just one of several final year classes. Still for someone like himself it would be a bit of a wait. They were called alphabetically, and slowly the room began to empty. Naruto passed the time with Shikako playing shogi while Ino and Choji watched them. The air grew warmer in the classroom as the sun climbed higher. Just as the room warmed their game picked up pace as well. While his friend preferred to play slower and lay traps many moves ahead, Naruto played a chaotic style. He moved his pieces around the board rapidly with seemingly no rhyme or reason. Despite losing plenty of pieces, he was always able to wriggle out of the way of Shikako's drops. Slowly, the lazy girls brow furrowed as she became frustrated.

Ino giggled in amusement at her frustration. "It's funny seeing you actually try at this and still be losing." She teased.

Shikako merely grunted and continued the game. The first of them to be called was Choji. The wooden door slid open quietly and a slender brown-haired chunin poked her head through.

"Choji Akimichi, you're up." She said.

Naruto paused his next move, and gave his friend an encouraging smile. "Good luck Choji, not that you need it."

Shikako and Ino offered their support as well. Their friend smiled. "Thanks guys," He muttered. The chubby boy sighed, wiping his fingers of the barbecue flavored dust from his chips. He stood and began to make his way down the steps. His stride was surprisingly light for such a heavy boy.

As the door shut at Choji's back, Naruto turned back to the board. He picked up another tile and slid it across the board diagonally so it was a few spaces away from Shikako's king, perfect position to take it.

"Check." He said with a grin. Like that the battle was re-joined.

Time passed quickly after that. They lost themselves in the game. Suddenly, Ino looked up sharply when the assistant stepped in again and said, "Sakura Haruno, you're next."

Her eyes followed a thin girl who had long, luscious pink hair with a hard stare. Ino's eyes dug holes into the girls back. If it were up to her the girls red qipao dress would probably burst into flames. Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. The two had been at each other's throats for as long as he could remember. All because they both happened to like the same boy! His amusement drew the stink eye from Ino but it was easy to ignore in favor of dismantling Shikako's latest trap.

The game was finally brought to an end not with a win, but by Shikako having her name called. She scoffed and swiped a hand through her bangs.

"Oh well, I was three moves away from losing anyhow. I'll see you two outside when this is over." She muttered. The annoyance was clear on her face.

"Yeah, see you later." He agreed. His eyes tracked the back of Shikako's grey shirt until she reached the door. With a sigh, he started to pack up the shogi board. A casual tap saw the board disappear into the seal on his wristband. There was nothing else to do but chat with Ino off and on and people watch.

For the most part he didn't pay much attention to the names being called. Instead he found his eyes wandering to the Hokage Monument. He fixated on the second and fourth faces. Two men with similar angular facial features and shaggy hair remarkably similar to his own. For good reason, they were his grandfather and father respectively. 'Grandpa … Dad … I'm gonna ace this last test and take my first step to following in your footsteps.' He thought. It was a lot of pressure being related to two Hokage–three if you counted his great-uncle the First Hokage–but it wasn't something he shied away from. No, Naruto wanted to continue his families legacy. After all, the Senju were one of the two found clans of the village. It was up to him to preserve their creation.

'Tch, I don't know why you humans put so much stock in such silly things.' A deep voice rumbled in his head. Far from being alarmed, Naruto smirked.

'Oh, finally decided to wake up Kurama.' He replied. Kurama scoffed.

'I'm the Nine-Tailed Fox! Why would I bother getting up for some silly little test?' It snapped back.

Naruto smirked. It had been quite some time since he'd learned that he had the Nine-Tailed fox sealed inside of himself. Fourteen years ago, the fox had gone on a rampage through the village. A terrible day when half the village had been crushed beneath it's massive paws. Hundreds died that day, his own father among them. He'd given his life to seal the fox in Naruto. The scars of it's wrath still remained in the areas where newer buildings had replaced those that had existed since the villages founding. It wasn't uncommon for people to look at him with distrust and weariness. '

'So, what was that you were saying about silly little things?' He asked.

'I was commenting on that habit you humans have of trying to best the feats of your forebearers.' It growled. 'Why anyone would want to be like those insufferable Senju that locked me away, I'll never know. Though I suppose they're slightly better than those wretched Uchiha!' The foxes musing was cut short by the door opening again. The assistant poked his head in and called the name of the next test taker.

"Naruto Senju, you're up next." He called.

He grinned widely and stood up. Now that his time was here, Naruto couldn't contain his anticipation. His stomach fluttered with excitement.

"Good luck, see you in a bit." Ino said. He smiled and waved.

As he walked down the stairs, Naruto's eyes drifted to a boy sitting off against the window on the opposite side of the room.. He had pale skin and spiky black hair that stood up in the back. His face was half-hidden by a blue high-collared shirt. Cold black eyes regarding everything as if they were beneath him. 'Speaking of the Uchiha.' Naruto thought with a scowl. He wasn't very fond of Sasuke. It wasn't like he hated the guy. Naruto just couldn't stand the way he looked down on everyone. Though for some reason many of the girls–even Ino–had a crush on the broody loner. He didn't get it. Everything about the boy was thoroughly dislikeable. From his arrogance to his stupid hair. Still … Sasuke was the only person that could challenge Naruto in class. It hardened his resolve. Their clans had been rivals for centuries. No way could he allow himself to lose out to Sasuke.

The door slid shut behind him with a wooden clack, and Naruto walked into the empty hall. For the time of day, the academy was very quiet. Usually you'd hear some sort of noise from teachers giving lectures. That was due to all the tests being taken. It only took him a few steps to reach the next room, 3B. It's door was already open.

3B was much smaller, consisting of just a flat tatami floor and a large oak desk with stacks of headbands laid on top. They came in several different colors with gleaming metal plates engraved with the swirling leaf symbol.

Iruka sat behind the desk. He was joined by Suzume-Sensei, a mousy woman who looked a bit more like a librarian than a kunoichi, what with her oval glasses that caught the light, and pink kimono with baggy pants. They were restrictive, not exactly the best for a shinobi. Still, considering she was a teacher it was understandable. Plus she had always been pleasant and patient with him the rare few times she'd stepped in for Iruka.

"Hello Naruto, Suzume-Sensei and I will be judging you performance. Perform the Clone Jutsu whenever you're ready." Iruka said with a smile. Suzume gave him her own nervous smile. Naruto returned their smiles and took his place at the center of the room.

He took a moment. There was no reason to rush. His eyes closed, and he took a single breath in and out as he reached within himself to sense his chakra. Many described their chakra as a warm pool, for Naruto it was more like a vast lake. It was hard to control, but he'd spent years refining it. He formed the ram seal with his hands and willed the chakra to travel from his stomach and through the pathways into his hands. With every ounce of control and imagination he had, he focused on forming two clones.

Poof!

Naruto grinned. Even before opening his eyes he knew they were there. Two perfectly formed copies appeared next to him. From his shaggy blond hair with long bangs, to the fair skin that clashed with three dull red marks like whiskers on either cheek. The only hint that they weren't real was the lack of shadows from the afternoon sun pouring through the windows.

"So, is that a pass?" He asked cheekily.

Iruka shook his head in amusement. "Yes, that's a pass. Full marks I'd say. Do you agree Suzume?" He asked, turning politely to his quiet companion. Suzume gave her assent with The scarred man turned to Naruto with a bright smile. "Come pick out a headband." He said.

With a confident stride Naruto walked forward and perused the headbands. There were mostly dark colors. Finally, he landed on one of the ones with a pitch-black cloth. It was surprisingly heavy when he picked it up. He could hardly contain his excitement when he tied it tightly about his forehead. His shaggy blond bangs fell on either side of the cloth to frame his face.

"Congratulations Naruto, I know you worked hard for that. Now go celebrate with your friends. Shikako told me to tell you they were waiting." Iruka told him.

Naruto grinned. They'd agreed to go out to celebrate at their usual place, Yakiniku Q. The meats there were delicious, and the best part was grilling them yourself. His mouth watered just thinking about it. He tried not to run as he left the room. After all, he was a shinobi now. Some decorum was expected. Though not too much. Certainly it wouldn't apply to his celebration. 'I can't wait, the food there is almost as good as Ichiraku!'

His mind focused on food in the short term, Naruto left the academy eager for the journey he was about to embark on. Surely it would be filled with many twists and turns, but he'd enjoy the ride.

-x-x-x-x-x-x- TGOW -x-x-x-x-x-x-

Hope you enjoyed that. Look for Chapter 3 around the 14th. Feel free to leave a like, follow, or review. It's always good to get an idea of what you readers think. Even criticism helps as long as it's constructive.

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Well, until next time,

RinneTaicho, Signing Off!