(AN: Man, sorry for the long wait on the update guys, I've had waaaay too many call outs at work so that's been keeping me occupied with plenty of overtime. But here we are, everyone, the last chapter of the Academy Arc. Hope you enjoy!)
[Rewards Claimed!]
[150 EXP, 2 INT, 2 WIS, 1 C Rank Technique Scroll, 1 Title.]
[Hidden Quest Completed!]
[Deal Damage to She Who Protects.]
[100 EXP, 1 Skill Point, 3 Attribute Points.]
[Due to intense strain, your CON has increased by 2.]
[Due to intense exercise, your STR has increased by 1.]
[Due to thinking outside the box in your fight, your INT has increased by 1.]
[Due to careful consideration, your WIS has increased by 2.]
"Nice!" Naruto grinned at the rewards as he walked through his eerily silent home. It seemed most everyone had gone to bed while he was away, so for the time being, it was just him and the moon above. The perfect time to check out his rewards.
Still, something that the woman said stuck with him, and refused to go away. So, with four of his seven attribute points, he put two in INT and two in WIS. "A Leader must be intelligent and wise." He'd save the rest for an emergency.
Now then, what was that title?
The Protector: A lone man stands before a horde of monsters, behind him a peaceful town. He walks forward, head held high and shoulders square, for he has a duty to uphold. As a Protector, you have a calling that few could ever understand, that even fewer could ever want. You are one in a million. You bleed so that others can live, and that is how it shall always be.
Gain 5 CON on Level Up
Gain1 STR every other Level Up 0/2
Gain 1 DEX every other Level Up 0/2
75% durability for protective techniques
25% Learning speed for any defensive ability.
15% Relationship gain when protecting others.
That was a lot of CON, and it was interesting to see a new level up feature. Sadly, his Spring's breeze was way better for the time being. At least for leveling up. Later on, his clones could definitely make use of The Protector, especially the learning speed. Though, if they had that equipped, could they survive an extra hit with the appropriate jutsu? Maybe he could check. What element was it? The Earth Element Skill section? They should have some shield abilities. Or maybe just a different clone. There was the Earth Clone jutsu that had higher defense and health than a Shadow Clone.
"Man, when did I become so smart—Oh right, did points work that fast?" Maybe it was just luck.
Still, that was a nice title. He'd put it in his back pocket for now.
The C Rank Technique scroll revealed itself to be a jutsu scroll, but sadly—
Water Style: Water Whip (Lvl 2 0%) Rank B-: Creates a whip that can wrap around and subdue a target. This Jutsu can change direction with a small amount of chakra. Can be used to attack chakra points and can also be used in combination with Lightning Nature Transformation.
38 Bludgeoning Damage
17 Piercing Damage
50 Chakra to use.
5 Chakra to change direction.
Chakra control: Medium(High for targeting the Chakra Network)
Which meant he wouldn't be able to use it anytime soon.
"Damn Chakra Control." That would be his very next goal, he swore it. But why couldn't he get any good Wind jutsu? He got the best boosts for those, yet nothing to use them with.
Maybe checking the Skill section later, but for now…
[Self Reflection of Beast and Man.]
It was in his apartment, but what was in there? What did it mean by Beast? "Why is it 5/5 Difficulty? Hopefully, I don't have to fight someone like that scary lady again." Sure, she seemed nice, even sounded like a hero the way she spoke. But normal people couldn't split the sky in half.
Could he do that?
"Not yet." He whispered to himself. It was simply a matter of time.
Eventually, while contemplating the night's choices, he made his way back to his apartment building and slowly climbed the stairs.
What sort of beast awaited him? What type of challenge would this one be? A quest marker hovered ominously in front of his door. So, with no small amount of conviction, he grabbed the handle and swung it open.
[Urgent Quest Unlocked!]
[Self Reflection of Beast and Man.]
[Description: Go to bed and reflect.]
[Rewards: Varied.]
[Failure:?*!?]
[Warning: clearing this quest will end your mission. You have completed 6/8. Are you sure you want to continue?]
There was no chance he'd be able to sneak out of the village at this point to get to that spiral quest. It was one in the morning, and the ANBU were always patrolling heaviest from midnight to three AM on the Wall.
So, bed. He was pretty tired. Thankfully, he could fall asleep whenever he wanted, thanks to the game. So, after stripping and putting on his pajamas, he got into his bed and shut his eyes.
[The Player has gotten into bed. Health and Chakra will recover to 100% after Six Hours.]
[Falling Asleep in… 10]
[9]
[8]
[…]
[Sleep interrupted]
When Naruto next opened his eyes, he was no longer lying in bed. Water lapped against his face, but for some reason, he felt unbelievably calm.
Drip. Drip
He was in some sort of sewer; it looked like. Dimly lit and filled with cool, shin high water, Naruto was currently floating in. Gently, he pushed himself up and glanced around. "A deadend." Naruto began to walk with a hand on the wall, taking random paths, hoping his luck would win in the end, and eventually it did.
Deep, rhythmic breathing echoed from one path that looked as if it would open into a larger room. Taking a steady breath, Naruto walked down the path and starred at a set of large, worn, red gates that held whatever was echoing throughout the sewer system.
"Are you what brought me here?" He asked softly.
The breathing stilled, and two large red slitted eyes opened in the pale light.
"Ah, sorry, were you asleep?" The creature was large, whatever it was, yet Naruto did not feel any fear as those eyes move up, and up, and up. It towered above him beyond the gate, and Naruto noticed a tag placed upon the gate with long winding swirls denoting its sealing nature.
"Are you trapped?" He asked. Should he take that tag off?
[Bloodlust detected]
Hatred and anger. It burned Naruto as a wave of the disgusting feelings swept across him.
"You dare mock me!" The creature roared, and Naruto stepped back as a clawed paw was slammed against the gate, narrowly avoiding taking an eye. "You foul human!"
"Hey!" Naruto shouted back, "I was just asking a question! I can help!"
"Help? HELP!" The beast roared, thrashing in the cage now, and Naruto's eyes widened as nine sweeping tails thudded against the walls heavily. A dull ache seeped into his mind as a headache began to form. "You dare lie to me! Offer me help!"
"Of course!" Naruto bit back an insult as the gravity of the situation revealed itself. Was that… the Kyubi? But hadn't the Fourth killed it?
"So you admit your lie."
Huh? "What? No, I offered to help!" Cranky bastard.
Its tails swept across the front of the gate, rattling the chamber and sending water flying through the air.
"Knock that off, you furry bastard!"
"Silence! You waltz into my domain, wake me from my slumber, and dare try to order me around!"
"Observe."
Name: Kurama
Title: The Kyubi
Job: Keeper of Power
Relationship: [Hated 1/100]
"Kurama…" He whispered.
"What!" the beast roared once more. "Where did you hear that name!?"
"I—uh."
"Speak! Who told you my name, monkey?!"
"No one!" Naruto shot back. "I just… know it?"
The beast glared down at him. "Do not lie to me."
"I'm not lying!" It was the system that showed him, but it definitely didn't tell him. It couldn't speak.
"How did you know?" It growled.
"First, tell me where we are. Didn't the Fourth kill you? Am I dead?"
"Come closer and I will show you."
"Definitely not falling for that trick. I get the Chunin that chase me to fall into pitfalls all the time with that." He had only gotten Iruka once. Never again.
The Kyubi's growled reverberated through the chamber.
"Just—Please. Tell me where I am." He needed to be calm. A Leader was always calm in dire situations.
Silence greeted him.
Naruto took a deep breath and looked around the room, trying to find any clues. Though the biggest one came from the System, not the area.
"Self reflections of beast and man." Were they… inside him? Was he the beast? Was that what was happening? He stared at the creature in wonderment. "Are you me?"
No, maybe not the same being. But… was that why his chakra reserves were so large?
"Is that why, System?"
"Who are you speaking to, boy?"
[Knowledge uncovered. Due to discovering this information, several question marks within your stats screen have been revealed.]
[Due to the Kyubi, you can only use Five Shadow Clones at a time.] (Penalty)
[Due to the Kyubi, your Chakra Maximums are 1100/5500.]
[Due to the Kyubi, you regenerate Chakra at an increased speed. Current Level 9 (73%) 3.25 Chakra a second.]
[Due to—]
"What are those… lights?" The beast asked, jarring Naruto from his thoughts.
"What?"
"Those windows before you. See through paper? Thin glass with writing?" The creature leaned its red eyes against the bars, staring in curiosity. "What trickery have you brought here?"
Naruto waved away the screens and debated on talking to the now inquisitive beast. "Uh, no tricks, Mr. Fox."
Its tails swished against its cage, and its growl echoed once more. "Mr. Fox? What do you think you are doing, boy?"
"Well, I can't call you by your name! You'll yell at me again."
"Names are sacred, boy. Using my name when I have not given you permission is arrogant. And using a foolish nickname instead of my title is just so. Just what I'd expect from a human."
Naruto frowned, but couldn't fault the beast. "Fine, Kyubi."
The beast growled for the hundredth time, "Add some deference to my title."
With a dead panned stare, Naruto muttered, "Don't push your luck."
"Now leave me to my slumber." Lying back down, the beast closed its eyes.
But his quest hadn't completed itself yet… also there was the whole supposedly dead fox that was now trying to take a nap in… somewhere.
"Oi! Where are we!?"
One eye opened, and Naruto could have sworn a strange glint appeared before it shut once more.
"In my prison, where your Hokage sealed me away."
"I thought he killed you?"
The fox tsked, but did not stir, only saying, "You fool. I am a being of unparalleled strength. Even if your kage had the strength to kill me, it would only take a few years of blissful nothingness before I reformed. Then your kind would hunt me to the ends of the earth once more."
"So I'm in your prison?" It looked more like he was in front of it.
"The way out is for that seal to be removed." A tail flicked up to the gate, and Naruto stared at the seal with a frown. Nearly missing the fox open a single eye once more, staring at him for half a second.
"I just have to remove it to leave?"
"Of course. It is merely a mental barrier to leave."
"But… where is here?" Would the fox tell him the truth? That they were somewhere inside him.
"Just take the seal off and leave me to my prison." It almost sounded pathetic.
"Nah. I think you're lying to me." He shrugged.
[Bloodlust—]
The beast jumped to its feet and roared a challenge. "You dare call me a liar—"
"Yeah, I dare!" Naruto interrupted. "That's totally a lie! If it's a seal to your prison, then why would I need to remove it to get out?!"
"If you remove it, you'll be gone from here!"
"And probably take you with me, huh!" Naruto pointed at the beast, whose words fell silent. "Go on, answer that!"
"It is… one way to leave this area." The beast grumbled.
"That's what I thought! Kurama!"
"Do not dare say my name!"
"Then don't lie to me!" Naruto snapped back. "You talk about respect! I tried to respect you, and you try and kill me!"
"I—"
"The second I took that tag off, that's what you would have done anyway, wouldn't you!" Naruto crossed his arms and brazenly glared up at the creature. "Tell me I'm wrong."
It looked away.
A million thoughts ran through Naruto's mind. Why did he attack the village? Why him? What was the hokage thinking?
But one stood out as the most important.
"Are you why the villagers hate me?" But that wouldn't be good to ask. So instead, he changed the question. "Do villagers hate me because you're inside of me?"
"Yes." Its tone was almost sad. No, not sad…
"Yeah… I guess I'd hate me too."
The beast jerked as if slapped. "What?"
Naruto looked up, smiling, "Well… I don't know much about seals, but most of them are just pieces of paper, right? So if a great big fox like you got sealed inside a kid, I guess… Well, I wouldn't be as nasty as some people. But I'm sure I'd at least be wary. Right?"
"It is their fault for being ignorant."
His smile turned into a foxy grin, and Naruto laughed a bit, "Hey now! I know for a fact that knowledge is hard. And sometimes even harder to come by!" He clapped his hands together and walked closer to the cage. Just out of reach of where he knew the Kyubi stopped before.
"It seems my jailer is also a fool."
Naruto stuck his hand out. "Call me Naruto! Naruto Uzumaki!"
With a snort, the beast turned, "As if I would stoop so low as to greet you."
"Well then, Kyubi, it's great to meet you! I guess I'm your warden, but there's no need for us to not get along." The Fourth… why had he chosen him?
"My warden?" The beast questioned with a huff.
Why him? Of all the children in Konoha… why the orphan? Because no one would miss him? Or had his parents simply given up the monster? "Or whatever you want me to be!"
"I want you to be nothing. I wish to be free, nothing more."
"Tell me the truth, Mr. Kyubi. If I released you now, what would you do? Would you attack the village?"
Naruto didn't know that a fox could scowl like that. "For this humiliation? Of course I would."
"Then I can't let you be free."
"Then you are of no use to me."
"At least… not yet."
The beast's eyes turned to him.
"Maybe one day we'll be able to work something out." Naruto smiled brightly at the fox before sticking a pose. "For the time being, though, how about we stay on good terms?"
The fox was silent, and Naruto allowed it to fill the room, only letting the sound of water dripping to settle around his ears.
One minute passed, then five, and then Naruto lost count, but at one point he had plopped down onto the ground, and falling into a rhythmic breathing.
[Ding! New Skill acquired—]
Groggily, Naruto opened his eyes, not sure how long he had been out, but a hot breath had fallen over him, and he saw a large red slitted eye staring through the bars at him.
He stood from the water as the eye drew away, and he couldn't help but grin as a thought formed. "You asked about it earlier, right?"
"Do not patronize me, child." The creature sulked in its cage.
This was a creature that took on the whole village. Its power must be immense, especially if it gave him a whopping five thousand points, though he wasn't sure how to access that power yet. Still, it gave him plenty of benefits, no matter the reasons so…
"What happened the night you attacked the Village?" He asked. "I'll tell you about the screens if you tell me what happened that night."
"You dare…"
"Maybe."
"You wouldn't believe me even if I tried." The fox growled.
"Who knows? But what I do know is that if you don't tell me, then I'll never know."
Maybe that was too many knows.
"No knows." He muttered.
"You are an odd child."
"So I've heard." Naruto had been getting that feeling all night.
The fox took his time, simply staring until finally speaking a few minutes later. "That night, I was ripped away from my… dwelling, and forcibly summoned into the middle of your village."
Naruto gasped. "How did that happen?"
"A man calling himself Madara applied a temporary summoning contract to me, casting a genjutsu upon myself, which caused me to rampage."
"Madara?" Naruto frowned at the floor. The name sounded familiar. "But why did he do that?"
"Revenge?" The fox huffed. "Who knows what mad men want? He summoned me and then went on to challenge your Fourth. I do not remember much after that, but when I came to, I was being sealed away by your leader. I tried to stop being sealed into you."
Naruto could guess what stop meant. "Do you think that guy will come back? For you?" Was he in danger now? Well, he always had been.
"With the contract being removed, either the Fourth reversed it, or he killed the man. Either way, I doubt you have much to worry about. Seeing as he went directly for the man, I assume killing the Fourth was his plan all along. If he wanted me again, he would have come sooner, before you could defend yourself. So either the bastard is dead by the hand of your Fourth, or he no longer cares."
"Maybe he's bidding his time? Licking his wounds?" Naruto said with a shrug.
Silence.
"Hello?"
"You believe me?" It asked softly.
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Hn." The fox huffed and laid back down. "Tell me about those screens some other time. Someone is at your door."
"My door?"
Naruto blinked, and suddenly realized he was in his bed, alarm blaring loudly beside him as sunlight bled through his curtains.
Groggily, he rolled over and swung his legs over the side, glancing at his clock.
9:25 AM.
Crap, he was late for class.
He ignored his notifications and sleepily walked out of the room. Opening it, an irritated Iruka stood, arms folded, and an expecting look on his face.
"Morning." Naruto said with a yawn.
"Why aren't you in class?"
Straight to the point, as always. "I slept through my alarm, had a really long night." Which was truthful.
"Naruto…"
"I'm serious. You can even ask the old man." He thumbed toward his bedroom. "My alarm's even still going off."
Shaking his head, Iruka told him, "I'll be sure to check with Hokage-sama, Naruto. Will you be coming to class now?"
After everything that happened yesterday, or was it earlier this morning? "Well, sensei, I—"
"Naruto Uzumaki." A third voice came from the shadows, causing Naruto and Iruka to jump.
"Who the hell—" the boy cursed up a storm.
"The Hokage has summoned you." An ANBU stepped from the shadows by the stairs.
"That definitely isn't natural lighting." Naruto thought to himself. Heck there was a light right above that spot.
"Well, there goes his schooling." His teacher muttered. "I suppose I'll let you off the hook this once, Naruto. But be sure to study. The Early Graduation Exam is soon. I know you plan on taking it, so make sure you're at your best."
"I think I'll skip it this time." He thought. He wasn't ready for the real world yet, that much was for sure. Until he could at least beat that one kid's speed… "I wonder if the old man would put that obstacle course back up if I asked."
Biding the ANBU a good day, Iruka left, though not before shooting Naruto a suspicious look.
"Can I get dressed first?"
"You have five minutes."
Naruto rolled his neck as he stood outside the Hokage's office, only one thought running through his mind. How to get stronger.
It had only been a little while since he had first gotten this new power, and he had already grown in leaps and bounds. But what else could he do? Learning a better Taijutsu style would help. Even though his speed was faster than Sasuke, the boy was still his equal while sparring due to their differences in style. Same with Lee. Even holding back the boy was so much better than him. Plus, he was graduating soon, which meant that Mentor of his Gai would be able to teach him even more.
Jutsu's were also an important step in getting stronger. Not just Elemental ones, but more varied techniques in general. Just scrolling through the skill list revealed how much knowledge there was, things he hadn't even known about. Like Yin and Yang releases.
Perks were another aspect he needed to pay better attention to. There were some that completely changed his body. Like the Curse of the Kagura, which would let him use bone weapons. He could get the Sharingan too, though that cost a whopping ten points! The Uzumaki bloodline one had also been interesting back when he first saw it while sparring with Sasuke, but… there were so many to choose from, and who knew when he'd get a new point? His EXP caps per level were jumping higher and higher, while quests were giving the same amount, if not lesser, EXP.
So what to do… Should he focus on getting skill points? Leveling his stats? His Jutsu?
He definitely needed to get his Chakra Control upgraded, which he currently had his Clones working on. Soon enough, he'd be able to get to that tree walking jutsu Kakashi had given him.
It was only a matter of time.
Speaking of time.
"Come in."
It was time for a chat with the old man.
"You didn't get much sleep, did you, old man?" Naruto grinned at his Jiji the second he walked in and saw the man trying in vain to hide the dark marks around his aging eyes.
"No, sadly I did not. Especially once I heard that we had a few intruders last night."
"Intruders? Really?" That was news to him.
"In the Forest of Death?"
Had there been? Naruto just looked at the man in confusion.
"You were held captive by one?" The man seemed concerned now.
"Held captive—" Naruto blinked and smacked his forehead, "Oh right. I forgot about that. The Snake Lady and those monkeys. Man, I forgot about those masked dudes."
The old man sighed and placed his head in his hands, praying loudly.
"You ok, Jiji?"
After a moment, he picked up his head and smiled slightly. "Of course, my dear boy. You're not hurt, are you?"
"Hurt? Nah, nothing can stop me!" The System made sure he was back to one hundred after sleeping. Of course, by the time he got home he had healed all of his wounds… Was it weird that he didn't care about being skewered by that damned chained beetle? Or that the lady had shattered his ribs so easily? Nah, it wasn't weird. His Gamer Mind simply helped him… that was all… he wasn't crazy, was he?
"That's good to hear, Naruto. But would you mind seeing a doctor anyhow? Just to ease my worries. Judging by the timeline, I know we met after your little rendezvous, but you did seem a little… less like your usual self."
Had he?
"Sure, old man. Are we going to the hospital?"
"No, no, I'll send for my personal physician to come in. He's just downstairs. I was hoping you would agree. Though, speaking of the Hospital, it has been brought to my attention that you brought a quite injured Sasuke in last night, some time after our talk. One of the nurses was quite vocal. Though from what young Sasuke said, you merely helped him, nothing more."
"Eh, well…" What the hell was he supposed to say?
"Do you know what last night was, for Sasuke?"
"Only something to do with his brother."
The man sighed, and his eyes grew tired. "It's not the nicest thing, Naruto. A few years ago—"
"Imma stop you right there, old man." Naruto interrupted to the hiss of an ANBU. "If the teme doesn't want to tell me, then I shouldn't know. I'll wait for the emo bastard to tell me himself."
A smile twitched on the Hokage's lips. "That is very mature of you, my boy."
"Well you know me, I'm the most mature person ever!" Naruto said with a thumbs up.
He heard a familiar snort from the edge of the shadows and saw Neko's mask, barely peaking through. Sending her a cheeky wave, Naruto continued. "But seriously. If Sasuke wanted me to know, he'd tell me."
"I must say, you've surprised me, Naruto."
The boy could only join his grandfather in smiling. It was a large weight off his shoulders to know the old man wasn't angry with him.
"Now then, I do have some more questions about last night. First, how did you get into the Forest of Death? I know recently you discovered the Shadow Clone Jutsu at a nearby one. But Anko has confirmed with her summons that the gate she entered was being monitored."
"Just got lucky, Jiji." He shrugged. Naruto didn't want to lie to the old man, but he also didn't want anything happening to the Dungeon.
The Hokage didn't believe him for a second. His eyes told Naruto that much. But still he pressed on. "Enma tells me you came to visit me, snuck past my ANBU, and then had a deep conversation with him about the purpose of being a Shinobi."
Was that what the monkey king told the old man? "Something like that. I was just looking for advice. The same advice I asked from you, really."
"Well, whatever you two spoke about, he was thoroughly impressed. He told me of his offer to you."
"I don't know if I'm worthy enough for that kind of contract." More than one gasp filled the room. It seemed the old man hadn't told his watchers about the Summon Contract. And his words were really just a half truth, honestly Naruto was mostly worried about losing his options. Level 50 was a long way away, so if he locked himself into one summons, then who knew what would happen?
"Well, he gave me a package to gift you. Inside are a few techniques from the Monkey clan. As well as a weapon, you may find useful to combine with the techniques."
Was this the reward from that quest? Speaking of rewards, he needed to check out his notifications.
A knock at the doors interrupted their conversation.
"Ah, Naruto one moment. Come in!"
A Jonin walked in, one Naruto didn't recognize.
"I have an urgent report for you, Lord Third. Your ears only."
"Could you please step out for a moment, Naruto? We'll continue this conversation in a moment."
"Gotcha!" That was perfect timing. Stepping out, Naruto let the door slam shut behind him, and threw himself into a chair furthest from the secretary.
"Now then, what do we have?"
[Urgent Quest Complete!]
[Self Reflection of Beast and Man Completed]
[Rewards: 5 Relationship with Kurama, The Nine-Tailed Fox, 55 EXP, 2 WIS, 1 INT]
[Find Your Something Completed.]
[Rewards: 1 EXP, 1 Title.]
"A title?"
The Dreamer: So long as hope is in your heart, then anything is possible. Never let go of that spark, for greatness is derived from even the smallest of lights. For your friends, your family, for your home, you will continue to dream.
Gain 2 WIS on Level Up
25% Relationship Gain to Comrades
15% Relationship Gain to Neutral People
10% Relationship Gain to Enemies
That was nice. He could use the Relationship gain while doing quests and events that didn't involve fighting. Though the WIS was—
[Did you find your Something now?]
He grinned at the screen. "I think so. I think… I think I'll be fine now. Thank you."
"Naruto-san!" He jerked his head up to stare at Neko as she stood in the doorway. "Lord Third will see you again."
He slid from his chair, muttering a quick, "Thank you." To the system, and walking back into the office.
"Sorry for the wait, Naruto. Here is the gift Enma left for you.," He took the package offered by a nearby ANBU. "Now then, is there anything you'd like to tell me, Naruto?"
Translation: I know something's going on. Tell me now if you'd like. I'll be disappointed if you don't, but we all have our secrets, so long as it isn't dangerous.
His answer was simple, "Nah. I think I've got it now, Jiji."
"Are you sure, Naruto?"
"Of course!" He didn't need to hesitate. "I'm gonna be Hokage some day, old man. It's time I start working toward that goal, don't you think?"
"Then so be it." The man smiled warmly. "I've excused you from the Academy today, but starting on Monday, you'll be back to it, understood?"
"Aye, aye, captain."
"Then go, and become stronger, Naruto."
"I'll do my best. For this village and its people." He had turned, but still threw his fist into the air as he walked to the door.
The man's eyes widened. It was almost like he had seen a ghost." Minato…" The name was whispered, and Naruto had barely heard it but—
"Huh?"
"Nothing, Naruto." The man sounded choked up. "Go then, for the Village."
Naruto spun, grinning brightly. He had heard that name, the name of the Fourth. While the man may have sealed this demon into his gut… he was still Naruto's hero. And to be compared to his hero, well…
On his way out, a thought suddenly occurred to Naruto. "Hey, Jiji. There was an old obstacle course on top of the Monument, right?"
The man blinked in confusion. "There was, I'm surprised you know about it, my boy."
"I saw the sign, and the people on the back, but… are there any other lists for it? Not just the top few?"
"No. Only the top scores were ever counted. It was a long process, and you had to be approved in order to get permission. A Chunin also had to be present, so it could be quite challenging to find the time."
"Right." So that meant he'd probably never find that kid's name.
"Was that all, Naruto?"
"Yeah, yeah thanks Jiji. See you later!" Naruto smiled and waved out the door. "I hope he's still out there, somewhere. I gotta thank him for helping me find my reason. One day, I swear. And in your stead, I'll protect the people you wanted to as well. Wherever you are, I hope you're happy."
*
As the sun rose high into the sky, Minato Namikaze stood at the top of the Hokage monument, the world's largest smile on his face. It had to be, for he was currently the happiest boy in the world. Just one week before graduation, he had finally done it; he had surpassed all expectations and beat all the doubters. "Even my own."
Lord Third was even there himself, giving a speech to him and him alone as a man hand inscribed the new sign of the top three for the Monument's obstacle course.
"Naruto… wherever you are, I hope you get to see this one day." He had never found the blond again, and even Lord Third had feigned ignorance of him. But Minato knew the boy was still out there, somewhere. He had been the first person to believe in him, to believe that an orphan could become Hokage. "And I swear, I won't let you down."
"I must say, Minato, there was no small amount of doubt in my mind that my record would ever be beaten by an Academy Student, least of all by someone two years younger than I. But I am quite proud that it happened, and by one so young."
"Thank you, Lord Third."
"And by over a full second at that!"
Minato smiled, Naruto had told him to shoot for a 8.53, but he had surpassed that. He only wished the boy could be there to see it. "I wonder what he's doing now. I hope that he's alright." He stared at his new record with pride.
7.99
"Beat that… Naruto."
(AN: Ah man, it's been a while, but that is the end of the Academy Arc. Next Chapter we'll get to graduation week and start with some Genin things. Let's see how much stronger Naruto has gotten in the meantime. See you all next week, and I look forward to any reviews! Take care and enjoy your day!)
Name: Naruto Uzumaki
Title: Spring's Breeze
Job: Academy Student
EXP: 671/800
Level: 9
Health: 49/49
Chakra: 1100(5500)/1100(5500)
STR: 24
CON: 27
DEX: 38
INT: 23
WIS: 25
LUK: ?
Attribute Points: 3
Skill Points: 2
Perk Points: 2