Just Compensation

by Ashmole

Naruto's life has always been messed up. But by a stroke of luck intended as misfortune Naruto is given a chance to grow and develop 2 years earlier than normal with an eccentric Sensei known for exploiting the system for all its worth. Join him as he tries to fulfil his dreams and get what he deserves while entangled in a twisted web of lies, manipulations and stolen innocence.

1. An early chance

Pre-Canon AU: This story will attempt to stick to Canon personalities as closely as possible as I understand them and the information exists. Obviously anything starting before Canon can be considered AU as we have little information. Some Canon events were modified while sticking to the Canon details as much as possible. In any case rambling out of the way, please enjoy the story.

Junior Instructor Mizuki had come up with a genius plan to be a hero and rid the village of the fox once and for all. Besides sabotaging him there was another way to get rid of him. Send him out to die unprepared. The boy was chomping at the bit to graduate anyway so what better way to get back at him than to give him what he wanted? What did it matter it would mean his death. He should be careful what he wishes for.

He grinned sharkishly.

30% of Shinobi casualties were from Genin on their first C-rank mission. That risk increased 5 fold for every year of academy time a Genin missed. These statistics were well known as the village had a vested interest in knowing these things. More data meant more empirical conclusions, more empirical conclusions. More empirical conclusions meant a more effective shinobi force. This led to less casualties, and less casualties led to less resources devoted to replenishing troops. This was taught in the academy instructor curriculum. He had served with distinction and received the "honour" of teaching a class of clan heirs. A position of prestige. Problem was in his position there was nowhere else to climb. The renown for the dubious accomplishment was short lived and now he was just another no name.

He NEEDED to get more power whether that be techniques or more social capital. But he had hit a wall. There was only one thing he could think of. Get rid of the Fox.

He would be hailed as a hero!

He basked in the glow of the imagined adulation.

He had carefully sabotaged the foxes education for many years now with the assistance or the blind eye of the other academy instructors. The demon could not read or write and bleated like a dumb animal begging for attention. Altogether he had the skills of a first year academy student. Casualties from the wartime curriculum were 70%. With only one year of instruction. Not even having that? The brat was guaranteed to die. He had also scoped out many of the Jonin Sensei for this cohort. They almost all agreed with his sentiments or hated the brat so they would not help. The demon was all set up to not come back from his first mission. He could not wait to see the demons name on the village stone. Better yet! they might not even put it on the stone at all and memorialize his death with a festival! He just needed to rig the exam...

He made atrocius hand writing and wrote an exam that barely squeaked a pass. Right when the other sensei looked away he switched the two. That was step one.

Step two the Bukijutsu exam. He timed it just right to put the demon in a genjutsu and stuff him in a closet. Making him believe he was doing the exam. Taking his place he scored the minimum for him. Getting some encouragement from Iruka. Disgusting. Stopping for lunch he let the brat out and congratulated him for passing so far. The hopeful look in his eyes were disgusting.

"Do you think I can make it Mizuki sensei?"

The animal bleated at him.

"Of course Naruto I am certain you will pass. Just practice what I taught you and remember the technique I gave you. Did you remember to practice?"

The boy had tears in his eyes as he snivelled and exclaimed.

"Of course Mizuki sensei!"

He gave a fake smile.

"Good."

Next after lunch was the taijutsu exam.

"Alright Naruto you just have to make it 60 seconds to pass."

The boy got in an atrocious stance.

"I am ready Mizuki sensei!"

"Begin!"

The demon flew at him and Mizuki put on a good show with the terrible material he was given. He dodged and let the brat get a few hits in to up his score while pummeling him in just the right places to maximize pain while keeping him in the fight. He wolfishly grinned when he nailed the demons kidneys and saw a mouth filled with blood he rapidly swallowed. Clearly projected right hook left to connect. Countered with a punch to the eye. Getting a brief shiner. Weak.

Finally as soon as the timer went off he immediately punted the creature out of the ring.

It was gratifying to see how beat up the creature was.

Finally the jutsu exam.

"Naruto perform the replacement for me."

The co-examiner was shocked at the low ball technique he gave but shrugged.

The boy rushed through the 24 hand signs of the true replacement. A liability in combat but a guaranteed success with the technique. A boon for what he wanted. He was glad he gave the boy that scroll.

Naruto switched places with the provided log securing the pass as Mizuki gladly gave the boy his headband.

"Yattaa! Believe it! I am going to be Hokage!"

Oh this was going to be sweet. Now he just had to arrange a suitable first c-rank to do the deed. Now to find out who the demon would get to make arrangements was his last thoughts before a hood was placed over his head and he knew no more sight.

He awoke in a dark room with only a light illuminating his chair and limitless blackness stretching out before him. He was tied up and his mouth gagged.

Sitting in front of him was councilman Danzo.

"No no, don't speak up on my account. I just wanted to thank you for making my work that much easier and performing an exemplary service to the village. Because of you the village weapon can be repaired before the damage is irreversible. Ahh, but you are a social climber are you not? I can help you towards your goals and the glory of the Leaf. We just need to get rid of those treasonous thoughts of yours. We know the snakes honeyed words can be rather tempting. Lets change that."

Mizuki just about pissed himself in fear. What would this legendary madman do to him? It was the whisper of nightmares what the roots under the trees did to their shinobi. A fate worse than death. But instead of torture implements the man instead... raised his bandages from his wounded eye? He noticed the Sharingan too late.

"Kotoamatsukami."

The Mizuki that once was would no longer ever be.

Next Scene:

Hiruzen Sarutobi was sipping his Sake preparing to comfort a despondent Naruto. Perhaps this learning experience would be the kick in the pants the boy needed to improve and focus on his studies. He would comfort him, give him a speech on the will of fire and take him to Ramen later.

"Jiji! Jiji!"

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. He braced for the boys tears as the secretary did not even attempt to stop the boy. But instead he about had a heart attack and spit out his drink as the by entered with leaf headband in tow.

"How?"

He could not help but utter as the small boy launched into him and he caught the too light child who chattered and bragged and boasted he would soon be coming for his hat.

How? The boy constantly was behind and the academy staff assured him it was just from Naruto slacking off. Maybe a fluke? Did he steal a headband from another student? There was some precedent from the boys pranks he was ashamed to think.

"Congratulations on finally becoming a shinobi Naruto, but the road only gets harder from here. Why don't you meet me at Ichiraku Ramen at 7? My treat."

The boys eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"Would I ever! See you then Jiji!"

The orange blur took off just as fast as he came.

"Nariko!"

He yelled after his secretary.

"Get me the academy commander and todays Examiners. On the double!"

"Yes Hokage-sama."

Rang out to him.

"That wont be necessary Hokage-sama."

The chilling voice of a former old friend he should have killed years ago echoed out.

In walked Danzo Shimura with an academy instructor in toe.

"Why am I not surprised you had something to do with this?"

He deadpanned to the man not caring for any games.

He got an extremely rare chuckle from the humourless ghoul before him.

"Old friend for once I am as surprised as you. Pleasantly so. Alas I cannot claim credit for this. Instructor Mizuki came to me about a plot by the other academy staff to arrange Naruto's death. He also provided evidence of years of sabotage. The academy is rotten old friend."

A chill went through his heart.

"Speak!"

He was in no mood for games and as the instructor finished his world was shattered. Naruto's condition was even worse than he had been told.

"You are a credit to the Village Chunin Mizuki. Or should I call you Special-Jonin Mizuki now?"

He rhetorically asked as he promoted the man in reward. The man had a shark-like grin and and pride in his eyes.

"Keep it up and at your next renewal you might be in consideration for academy commander for outstanding loyalty. Dismissed."

The now Special-Jonin saluted and dutifully left the room.

Screw it. He downed the entire bottle of Sake getting a look of disgust from his "Old Friend".

"What are we going to do? How can we fix this? Illiterate? Oh but I cannot take away his headband now! Naruto would be devastated and might never forgive me."

"You could always-"

"Shimura Danzo if you value your head never suggest your training again."

The bandaged mummy was sour and retorted.

"I was going to suggest a more competent Jonin with a proven track record."

Incredulous Hiruzen looked at the old goat across from him.

"Who?!"

The man dumped a dossier on his desk and the Hokage blanched.

"Really!? Her?"

Next Scene:

Kumiko Fujiwara was a Jonin of the Hidden-Leaf, she was turning 34 this year and nearing retirement. Considering the average lifespan of a shinobi was 32 she already exceeded the mean. She had a plan. Take one last Genin team get them all to Chunin pass on all she knew and retire with a fat pension. Then she would settle down to have one or two kids (though she was edging towards one) to pamper with her accumulated wealth and live an opulent lifestyle. She could do it too with how Konoha's shinobi compensation system worked. She loved to game the system.

When you became a Genin you were already guaranteed a small pension even if you only completed the initial 5 year contract. That contract was due to the immense amount of resources piled into students and the lost income from Jonin training Genin. The village had to get its money's worth after all. It was not enough to live off of, but a good chunk retired after this initial 5 year contract. Choosing to take other occupations in the village and join the reserve corps. It was a good income supplement. Of course… if they did not perish on field missions. The average shinobi lifespan was not an idle joke. But this was rare due to the nature of C-Ranks being low difficulty.

Every time you extended your contract a multiplier was added to that pension on top of base mission pay. Most chose to stay on, and the majority eventually became Chunin. Career Genin that did not retire were typically absorbed by the village bureaucracy and became desk Genin. A safe and necessary part of the village if a little inglamorous. It was actually due to these desk ninja many of whom had higher clearance even than her that the average shinobi lifespan was so high…

But the majority of ninja became Chunin and stayed there. Many only took one contract extension beyond the first as the associated Pension was an order of magnitude greater than a Genin's and enough to live humble but comfortable lives. They also got to keep those lives…

Joining a Corp in the village brought not only specialization and advancement but an additional multiplier to your pension. The Academy corps were the most well known Corp a ninja could join. It was safe (if teaching children to handle sharp objects and explosives could be considered safe) and every graduating class guaranteed a small increase based on the number of students that successfully became Genin. A career academy teacher with 5 contracts (initial plus 4 extensions, academy bonus capped at 20 years) would find their income among the highest in the village. A quicker and far more risky way to get that vaunted top 1% pension was to join the ANBU corps. 4 years with them would see you match that theoretical academy careerist. 6 would see you in the top .1% of pensions. The benefit capped at that point and most retired. If they made it of course. If the attrition rate for normal shinobi was bad the attrition of ANBU was worse, way worse. With a cumulative 60% casualty rate with 70% of those ending in death and dismemberment and the remaining 30% being crippled for life in some way. Only the truly crazy or truly zealous patriots stayed beyond this point. The remaining 40% who survived to the end of their contracts were the elite of the elite and were not to be trifled with.

Outside of those outliers was the Jonin corps. Where Kumiko currently sat. Accompanying the added danger and responsibility was the highest base pension. Unlike Chunin who chose to retire and keep their modest pension… and their skins. Jonin could make a significant chunk of cash running high ranking missions far outpacing any benefit the pension brought. With many retired Jonin boasting about never even needing to touch that pension using it instead for their vices. Typically, Women (or Men she did not judge), booze, or some combination of the two. Few exceptional (read crazy) individuals became Elite Jonin. A status she dreamed about not for the respect it brings, but the additional cash. Her friends in the bureaucracy told her she was under consideration due to her extensive service to the village as the foremost infiltration expert. She was ecstatic as it would be the Cherry on the cake of her career and she would immediately retire. There was no higher source of income. (She held some nervousness as in case of war retired elites were the first to be pressganged though they did not call it that.)

Except… there was a way for Jonin to take their income to the next level. Taking a Genin team. But it was a gamble. No higher missions beyond maybe a B-Rank or two for however long it took the Genin to become Chunin. Some never did and the Jonin was essentially robbed of two years of income. You see the bonus was contingent on those Genin becoming Chunin. A full Genin team being promoted would net the Jonin a full half of their base salary tacked on permanently. No multiples this time, but it benefited every other multiplier. Kumiko had passed 3 Genin teams and all except one (Tanaka bless his heart he was still her favorite despite choosing not to extend his contract) had become Chunin. Having served a full 5 years in the Espionage Corps she could retire now, and her wallet would be very fat indeed. But she was aiming higher. Call it greed. Call it a character flaw she did not care. She wanted to spend the rest of her life in luxury. Hence the last team which would put her in the top .01% of earners. Then she would immediately retire. Taking a Genin team was generally low risk which played into her decision.

She stared down at the team she would be getting. Biting her lip she was rethinking everything. A child from a minor clan and Rookie of the year Aia Ahmya, her family wielded a minor Kekei Genkai of the water release she sees. The top Shinobi of the class (a rare title as the rookie was rarely a girl) Yamato Souta, an orphan with a vanity complex if the academy notes were to be believed. (And a bastard child of the Akamichi if the rumors were to be believed.) It was the last member that had her hesitating. Naruto Uzumaki….

Now don't get her wrong she was not prejudiced due to the fox. She understood as a Jonin with at least some sealing knowledge that a kunai sealed into a scroll does not make that scroll a kunai after all. No, it was the stigma attached to the boy. She would find herself with plenty of money and nowhere to spend it as businesses would stop dealing with her. Or raise their prices. But looking down in dread at the folded note with the symbol of the roots under the tree she did not believe she had an option anymore.

Her hand shook as she opened the note and quickly memorized what was inside. Mindful of the timer these notes had as she quickly channelled chakra to her hands to protect them before the paper burned to ash right on time.

She hated being right. Lord Danzo had outlined in no uncertain terms was this team allowed to fail. By the gods she hated that man. He was her direct superior while she was a member of the Espionage and infiltration corps and was the reason she left. She shivered. She would be provided a much more detailed dossier at home which was normally highly unusual but she could see why it was warranted.

She tried to think of the bright side. Genin teams themselves had semi-informal rankings assigned to them based on who was on it. The Jonin sensei gossiped among one another about it to puzzle things out. A team with all clanless orphans would be given scraps for educational resources with maybe dispensation for one class if a student showed a particular talent. A d-rank team as it were.

Whereas a team with a Clan heir would receive many more resources sponsored by the clan in question. The other team members benefited as well to keep up appearances. This would be labeled a B or A rank team. A team with all clan heirs? A to A. It was complete nepotism but no one could complain. (And she meant it no one COULD complain)

The Village Jinchuriki? Secret son of the former Hokage and the Tomato no less? Her team would be A-Rank easy. This would not be a half salary increase, this would be triple or more.

The Tomato… Shinobi were superstitious creatures and Kumiko could be considered superstitious among the superstitious. She never broke combs, avoided crows like the plague and always killed spiders she encountered at night. But the Tomato even long after her death haunted her. She had attended the academy with her and made fun of her hair and suffered her wrath. She was an avenging demon, she was. Even beyond the demon she had held. She was an avenging Oni that Kumiko had somehow displeased in another life and haunted her nightmares even now. Perhaps if she helped her son, her spirit would leave her in peace?

It was worth a shot.

Sighing Kumiko headed into the classroom upon hearing her team number.

"Team 2, Naruto Uzumaki, Aia Ahmyah and Yamato Souta your Jonin sensei is Kumiko Fujiwara."

She gazed at the three children she would be teaching for the next however long. Naruto the blonde orange eyesore was significantly younger than the 12 year olds that usually made up Genin graduates. He had somehow eked out a pass as the dead last taking the academy test the earliest he was allowed at 10. The minimum age was raised after Itachi had decimated the shinobi population of the Uchiha and fled. That clan was now only a shadow of what it once was. Down to 35% of its former strength. The boy was very obviously malnourished, and his clothes were in ill repair. Oh yes and he was borderline feral and disruptive. She despaired at this as she would have a lot of work ahead of her. Another concern was leaving the village with him as anyone with eyes could see who the father was considering how much the mother gushed about it. His condition and wellbeing were a crime and shame the village would never be able to outlive. The gods would not allow it she was certain. (She promised herself she would pray at the shrine after this to clean herself of the sin.) But alas she could not say anything on pain of torture and death. If Konoha could do this to the son of a former Hokage they could do it to anyone. It poked a hole in her rosy outlook.

Aia Ahmyah was clean, prim and proper with unusually black hair that shimmered as if it were underwater. A facet of her bloodline. A hardened look on her makeupless face brooked no nonsense. Compared to her classmates who all wore immaculate and subtle makeup it served to highlight her from the pack. Her inner socialite remarked the girl could do with some eye shadow, violet would suit her well.

Yamato Souta on the other hand was a chubby boy who had pale blonde hair not unlike a Yamanaka and was the picture perfect Bishounen if a little heavier. She squinted, was that blush on his cheeks? Or was it natural? Were she a Granny she would be pinching his cheeks. Perhaps a trick of the light? It disturbed her she could not tell due to her experience. The self-assured happy smirk on his face almost had her rolling her eyes.

Right… She had a lot of work to do…

"Right Team 2 follow me."

The orange boy bounced off the ceiling and skidded next to her exclaiming for all to hear (and roll their eyes).

"Alright! I'm a ninja! I'm going to be Hokage one day believe it!" He squeaked all too loudly.

Aia simply exited her seat and pushed it in leaving not a centimeter out of place. Her grim face stormy and calm all at once. Kumiko was unable to stop herself from rolling her eyes. The girl took herself far too seriously, she would enjoy breaking her of that.

Yamato simply stood up his chair creaking from the strain. The boy was heavier than he already looked. He languidly walked over munching on something he got from who knows where. He was entirely unbothered by the orange menace. And in fact, chose to egg him on.

"As Hokage you'll make Mochi free right? You'll have my vote."

The voice matched the baby face of Yamato who despite being bigger than his classmates and not just in the waist department definitely looked younger.

"I said Ramen!"

the orange boy barked back but seemed to catch himself that it was not a negative proclamation for once. Rethinking (which seemed to cause him some difficulty) he let out,

"I guess I can do Mochi too."

The younger boy looked up at the older with hope and admiration in his eyes which seemed to go over the older boy's head. Who only mussed the younger blonde's hair.

Someone in the back of the classroom coughed "Lardass" as they were leaving which made Yamato stop dead as a look she knew very well reached his visage. Huh. Point in favor of the Akamichi bastard rumour. Thankfully he seemed to possess a more level head than the typical member of the clan as he simply kept walking as they left ear shot and the team announcements continued. She brought them to the training ground they were assigned. (yes assigned) she could scarcely believe it as only the A class teams generally got their own training grounds. Generally, you had to share them with other Genin teams. Her first team had needed to share with for others to give it perspective. She was a little more excited maybe she could make this work.

Normally this would be the point of the second test and the point of no return for the Jonin. If they passed the Jonin was stuck with them. She did not have that luxury. She gazed around the clearing. Training ground 19 if she was not mistaken. A deep river with a small waterfall ran through it. It was dotted with a smattering of some of the Shodaime's most virile trees to the point she could literally feel the Mokuton chakra if she focused hard enough. Fresh as if the man himself had just made it. She could see the clearing and surrounding trees were nearly dripping with edible plants and medicinal herbs. The Mokuton Chakra for the fox boy, the water for the storm girl, and the food for the (likely) Akamichi boy. She was amazed at how bluntly tailored it was for her team and marveled at the expense that must have gone into making it. She saw the signs of recently tilled earth carefully hidden to anyone except those with the sharpest of eyes. Those herbs and trees were recently transplanted. The river seemed natural its source high up in the mountains beyond Konoha, but deeper than it should be and the waterfall was certainly not natural there was no spring under the clearing.

She marveled at the sheer expense that went into making this marvel of engineering seem so low effort and natural. The Genin would never be allowed to know having their own training ground was not normal as the information embargo was standard protocol. She shook herself out of her reverie and turned to face her students. Yamato was munching on Rice crackers while Aia stood at rigid attention. Naruto was bouncing on the balls of his feet clearly full of energy looking like he would burst at any minute.

"Alright, you passed the test and became Genin. That was the easy part. It only becomes harder from here. Are you ready?"

The girl nodded not having said a word to this point.

The older boy between bites said, "Yes sensei." Food clearly still in his mouth causing her to wrinkle her nose.

"Believe it Sensei!" The orange blur screamed.

"Alright then."

She got into a simple stance.

"Show me what you got."

She always started her Genin teams with an ass beating especially after getting an Inuzuka in her second team. They respected nothing but strength. She pushed her Genin teams to the verge of breaking but not past it. It showed her a brief overview of their strengths and weaknesses.

All three were dumbfounded for a moment with the girl breaking her silence.

"Sensei?" her voice was unsure but flowed like running water.

She flicked a kunai slicing off a strand of her hair not one inch from her ear.

"Move Genin! Before I move you!"

She began moulding fake handsigns wondering what they would do. They were shocked out of inaction with the little one screaming a battle cry. "I will beat you. Believe it!" hurtling towards her with no tact or sense. She simply grabbed him by the foot faster than he could react, lightly (for her) slamming the lightweight child into the ground before throwing him in the way of the d-ranked water ninjutsu the girl sent her way blowing him screaming into the river. She jumped as the older boy attempted to perform a textbook headhunter Jutsu on her having left a simple bunshin in his place which faded as she flipped and ripped the boy out of the ground flinging him at the girl who was preparing another water ninjutsu knocking her back and tangling them together. She gave them just enough time to untangle before she was on them. About to kick them into the woods to give them a subtle chance to recover allowing her to make sure the younger boy did not drown she felt her stomach drop as a sensation she had not felt since she was a Genin go through her as said blonde boy replaced himself with her plunging her under the water.

This nearly shocked her into inaction as the sheer amount of chakra required to replace themselves with an experienced Jonin was mind boggling. She kicked off the river bottom shooting out of the water and drying herself with a small blast of wind chakra. She saw the younger boy helping the older up when he turned to face her and let out another battle cry going through the full series of handsigns for replacement, all 24 of them not the bastardized short form. Aware of it this time she resisted and was able to prevent the technique, but it was a close thing. The boys Chakra felt like a leviathan lashing out uselessly. She humored him and met him in battle as he brawled, kicked and flipped in a dazzling and messy way with no rhyme or reason. She did not hit back merely tapping him through openings infuriating him more as his strikes became more desperate and fierce. He was flailing like a 5 year old. Yamato joined in adding his own heavy blows to the melee as he used a modified academy style. This actually made things even easier and more chaotic as they hit each other more often than not. She redirected blows meant for her and made sure they saw it. Aia slotted right in with an unfamiliar style that mimicked flowing water and she dodged around the boys and tried to redirect their blows back to Kumiko but she failed more often than not.

Remembering they were shinobi ninja tools entered the melee as she began to subtly direct them into working together as she parried every blow careful to make sure they did not stab themselves but left welts that would remind them of the lesson. She had learned what she needed in the melee and her patience finally broke. Aia finally screamed when she weaved a subtle Genjutsu making her think she cut her hair off. Wondering how she would react. Speeding through handsigns the girl summoned a water dragon made of black water with no regard for either her safety or the boys. Getting them out of the way she noticed the girl was completely winded from that exertion and looked on the verge of collapse that B?-Rank technique having emptied her reserves. Kumiko knocked her out with a chop to the back of the head and faced the boys. Yamato pale at the seemingly near miss with death and Naruto who shook with fear. She cast a subtle fear genjutsu which compounded the effect as she was certain Naruto just pissed himself from whatever the technique had drawn forth.

"Ghosts!" the boy screamed as he grabbed the older boys legs in fright.

(An entirely rational fear in their line of work she herself was afraid of the vengeful spirits. However, the boy had not killed anyone yet, he should have no fear of retribution. Odd.)

"The Gashadokuro? Here?" The older boy whispered.

(Which made her sweat drop and added another tick to the Akamichi bastard hypothesis. Of course the manifestation of Famine would frighten the boy.)

She shook her head and leisurely moved to knock the two boys out.

She had a lot to think about and some complaints to lodge at the academy.

She was lounging on the couch in her luxurious apartment staring at the official and unofficial dossiers that had been given to her. A folder each with a symbol of the bureaucracy and a blank folder that bore the imprint of roots.

The crop of Genin this year were not so nice. She was supposed to have the Rookie of the year, the top shinobi (a rare title as it only occurred when the rookie was a girl), and the 'dead last'. None of them should have graduated and her fellow Jonin complained similarly at the Dive bar that night. She would register a formal complaint against the academy for this.

She looked at the folder labeled Top secret that was much thicker than the others. Well, she would… but her team would report directly to the Hokage for missions. She received a rare gift, the ability to skip the line and chain of command. All matters pertaining to Naruto were to be discussed with the Hokage personally. For the sake of appearances his team shared that privilege. So, she could complain to the man directly at least…

Aia while very powerful and competent, able to summon a water dragon as a pre-Genin, was unstable and liable to snap if you messed with her hair. This was extremely dangerous both to herself and others. This should have been noted by the academy psych eval. She would require discipline and laying down the law. The official unofficial dossier from root was far more in depth and noted the girls insecurities and troubles with her rage. A side-effect of the Bloodline limit taken to the extremes. Her blank face was a side-effect of the emotional control forced on her by her family. The dossier included notes on the Ahmyah families minor water release bloodline. Black Water, a technique that greatly strengthened water release techniques and could imbue additional effects not otherwise possible such as poison or even a form of the boil release. The downside being that the family was unable to perform techniques from any other element. But her potential for water techniques outstripped even the most dedicated of ninja. She would be the teams ninjutsu specialist.

The other downside was the greatly increased emotional instability but the girl had it worse than any in her family since the time of the Shodaime. In the margins of the dossier the agent tasked with gaining this info noted the family privately associated this with greater strength in the technique.

Yamato actually fared the best out of her students. He mostly kept a level head and worked with what he had. While his genetics played in his favor as an orphan he only had the academy curriculum and whatever else he could scrounge in the meantime. She noted he knew some earth release techniques. She knew from her own time in the academy that the Nidaime had hidden several lower-level techniques in the academy section of the library for enterprising students to find. A scavenger hunt with varying levels of difficulty. The greater the difficulty the greater the prize. She would have to ask him what he had found and learned. But his use of the Bunshin to cover his attack with the headhunter jutsu was crafty. His problems were his entirely unserious nature. His lackadaisical attitude could get his teammates killed one day. He was also constantly snacking and while there were allowances for Akamichi due to their techniques he almost certainly did not know them making his girth a liability instead of an asset. However his blows were heavy and true with a hidden strength. He would be the teams Taijutsu specialist.

Finally, The boy of the hour Naruto Uzumaki who had so much chakra he was able to easily perform a replacement against her chakra core as an experienced Jonin. She noted that he knew the extended full replacement technique which was surprising as it was not taught in the academy which hinted at a hidden intelligence in the boy. Her praise stopped there. He was loud, brash, stupid, and reckless to the extreme. A complete liability.

An incompetant child in every sense of the word. His academy reports only seemed to confirm this as he was constantly disciplined for disruptions and was frequently absent. Many teachers wondered if he could even read and it was altogether negative. His disciplinary record was almost as thick as the top secret folder she had yet to open. The root folder was similarly very large though still a fraction of the size.

His pranks were legendary, able to perform deeds in broad daylight that belayed a hidden potential for stealth. It was well known even without needing to open the disciplinary folder. So she set that aside and opened the top secret folder.

She almost vomited and regretted it immediately. The very first file was the first of many medical reports that on cursory glance appeared to take up half of the folder. It was the incident that kicked off the busting of the orphanage abuse crimes. The pictures of the starved toddler who looked like a corpse lying in his own filth would haunt her for the rest of her days. The trend continued, not all of the boys absences were him ditching… She sped through the rest wanting the experience to be over as fast as possible. Kidnapping, torture, poisoning… She could not remember a single mob being formed to go after the boy. The Thirds law was abundantly clear with the token executions occurring after the Nine tails attack serving as an example. So, he was simply ignored on the streets with others going out of their way to go around him and alienate him.

But that never stopped the lone wolves and small groups from making their grievances known. No sexual assault thank the sage, but basically everything else had been done. The rest detailed his exploits in pranking which he was basically given a free pass to do along with details of his Anbu guard rotations, her contacts as well as contingencies for the Nine tails were detailed. Several do's and don'ts I.E what techniques she was not allowed to teach him and a hand written note from the third that she needed to run by him every technique she wanted to teach him. A black card was included which was a fabled item only rumored about as it allowed you to walk past all of the security in the Hokage tower with no issues.

Finally, the final root folder. She was afraid of what she would see in here if the official folder was so grim. It started with a detailed psychological profile much more in depth and accurate than the academy atrocity. She was greatly surprised the boy was only loud and brash and not a drooling vegetable from all the torture and psychological pain. He was feral because no-one really raised him. He had a few Anbu guards who tried but nothing consistent enough to stick. He lived in poverty and was constantly on the verge of starvation. On it went.

Defense mechanisms and neglect. Direct sabotage of his education. The sheer incompetence was astounding and she went white wondering just how many times the Nine Tails had come to being released due to it.

He did not know how to read because no one taught him properly.

The root agents noted he was taught incorrect hand signs and techniques.

Altogether other than some of the more advanced Chakra techniques he had the knowledge of a first-year academy student. He would get killed on his first mission out of the village and he was set up for failure from the get-go.

She would have a maximum of six months to fix it all before they would be expected to take missions out of the village. Her other students were considered expendable and only served to anchor the boy emotionally and serve as his companions as it was noted he was alienated from basically everyone his age.

The rest noted his food insecurity and the frequent need to supplement him with fluids when he collapsed. He was noted not to remember any of those incidents when they happened so she would have to fix that too.

She set down the dossier and brought her legs up against her chest.

She had done a great number of fucked up things for her village and in her time in the infiltration corps. This was not even in the top 50. But damn if it did not weigh heavily on her. Her other two students were basically considered emotional support animals by the village for the VIP of the team.

She had to think about what to do. Her orders were clear but that would not stop her from doing her best to do right by the other two.

The rest of the week of evaluations passed in a blink and she ironed out a plan and humorously laughed at the team's first two d-rank missions. Weed-Pulling and Fence Painting. She was glad she captured the look on their faces with her hidden infiltration camera. Even Aia looked stunned and incensed. Yamato looked like a sour grapefruit and Naruto looked on the verge of a tantrum. Every night she met with the Hokage speaking with him more than she had in the past 5 years combined. And paperwork. So. So much paperwork. She finalized a curriculum for each of her students for the next two months.

Her team due to their chakra being much higher than normal Genin meant they all actually had comparably dismal chakra control. So, for the next two months they would almost exclusively be focusing on that. Naruto needed it most of all.

Next was the extracurricular activities she normally arranged for her students. An internship with one of the corps that suited their interests or specialty. Traditionally she signed up her students for the one that shored up their weaknesses first as a taste for what the village had to offer and an introduction to the career paths they might take.

For Aia she was sending her into the village psych corps where self-awareness was cultivated in inductees under the watchful eyes of the Yamanaka. She would learn the basics of interrogation and mental health treatment. Help and Harm.

For Yamato she arranged for his induction into the village medical corps where he would learn the skills of a field medic. They would hammer home the importance of personal health and a good diet. He would also learn the consequences of carelessness.

For Naruto… There was a lot… She had weaseled out of the third permission to teach the boy the basic shadow clone technique which allowed you to split your chakra up to 12 times. He was allowed to learn it as his abundant chakra made the techniques risks null. She was however forbidden from teaching him the multi-shadow clone technique (not that she knew it she could only make 8 clones herself) as it was unknown what effect it might have on the boy's chakra system. If she was going to fix things in 6 months he would have a very busy schedule indeed. There just was not enough hours in the day otherwise.

For him he would be attending remedial lessons with his former academy teacher Iruka Umino who was noted to have developed a tolerance and dare some say fondness for the boy. 3 Clones would be focused on mastering the academy curriculum from the ground up whether the boy wanted to or not. The next 3 clones would be sent into the remedial training for the reserve corps where Genin who failed the Jonin test were sent. In truth they would all eventually be part of a Genin squad filling in for students who became Chunin or older Jonin who were nominally retired picked up a team. None were left behind. Being sent back to academy was a lie told to make students afraid. But in truth it would be a waste of resources. Instead they were put through a hellish training regime that poked and prodded their flaws training them out of the problems that caused the Jonin to reject them in the first place. Here Naruto would have his techniques in shuriken jutsu and taijutsu rectified. Finally all of the remaining clones would be working on chakra control until they popped.

She originally wanted Naruto himself to go into the bureaucrat corps considering his obsession with being Hokage. A taste of what awaited him day in and day out may have served to break his obsession. But alas the boy was illiterate, and they would not take him just yet. Instead until Iruka deemed him acceptable he would intern with the diplomat corps. He would learn to be quiet and read the room and the ability to be diplomatic was important for the Hokage in any case.

In two months' time she would revisit her plans based on her students progression.

In the meantime she had her own training to see too. She was given her own lessons to be carried out by the anbu team assigned to Naruto. The Nine Tails containment protocol. Drills, contingencies and seals would be her own life for the near future.

Naruto POV:

He was so excited, he was finally a Ninja. He would be Hokage in no time. He burst into Jiji's office at the end of the day and the man seemed to expect him like always as he jabbered the man's ear off.

"Yamato thinks I can do it and be Hokage Jiji! And Aia was so cool! She summoned this massive black water dragon and nearly got Kumiko sensei. But it was scary cause she almost got us too. Then ghosts appeared and I think I fell asleep." He finished.

The old man smiled indulgently.

"Sounds like you had an interesting first day as a Genin Naruto. Are you looking forward to your first mission tomorrow?" Hiruzen Sarutobi finished.

Naruto smiled brightly his eyes shimmering.

"Yeah! Can you tell me what it will be Jiji?! Rescuing a Princess? Fighting missing nin?"

The old man laughed.

"You'll have to wait till tomorrow to find out Naruto. Why don't we go get some Ramen to celebrate?"

Naruto giddily jumped up from the seat and bounced on his feet excited.

"Would I ever Jiji!"

So the boy and the old man left the tower and visited Ichiraku Ramen Naruto's favorite place in the whole world.

Teuchi and Ayame smiled as usual when he came in and the first bowl was free! His stomach was still a little queasy from seeing ghosts earlier but he still managed to put down 3 bowls. Ayame actually checked his temperature and even the Hokage looked concerned but Naruto just rubbed the back of his neck and said.

"Training was really difficult today. I'll be alright tomorrow."

After some fussing they accepted his word and he went home for the night. His dingy apartment was crushing reminder of his loneliness. But he forced himself to smile. He had a Genin team! A teacher and friends! People who would not and could not ignore him.

After brushing his teeth, the days ordeal caught up with him and he passed out on his bed.

He dreamed of what caused his fear of ghosts to begin with. He would never know if it had simply been his imagination but some of his earliest memories were of spirits appearing to him and screaming at him incomprehensibly. He begged and asked why but they never answered just screamed at him calling him a Demon and a Monster. The specter's tormented almost all of his earliest memories. Then one day they simply stopped, and all of the pain went away for a while. Then after waking up in the Hospital Jiji had taken him from the orphanage and set him up with this place. It was a lot cleaner back then.

He had once told Jiji all about the ghosts but he just brushed him off and told him they were not real and to ignore it. He tried a few more times but the man always got a sour look on his face so Naruto learned to drop it and that Jiji either could not or would not help him with everything. After awhile he had been able to bury those feelings but now they were back with a vengeance. His dreams were far from restful as the vengeful dead screamed obscenities at him.

They were on their way to get their first mission.

Naruto was so excited that not even the previous night was enough to bring him down. That morning Kumiko sensei had them running laps and doing chakra exercises gauging their endurance and abilities. She had also pulled him aside to ask him who taught him the full Replacement technique. He was proud to admit with the few Kanji he knew he found an old scroll with picture diagrams that outlined the steps. The first time he used it, it was effortless. Nothing like the short form taught at the academy which felt rough and dirty. Every time he used it the short form felt easier to use too. She praised him and Naruto was grateful she had not brought up his failings. His inability to read was a huge sore point for Naruto. No one ever taught him and whenever he tried to learn the teacher would only scream at him. So he was forced to attempt to learn himself which did not work.

But that was alright. He would be Hokage even if he never learned how to read he didn't need those dirty books anyway. He tried to re-assure himself, but the dark corner of his heart whispered that he was a failure and he should strike back against those who wronged him. The hunger in his belly only ever made that stronger. So he just decided to never think and the darkness stayed quiet.

They entered Jiji's office where he smiled at them and his teammates sprung to rigid attention and bowed which Naruto found funny.

"Hi Hokage-Jiji you have a mission for us?! Bandits tell me its Bandits!"

Kumiko still stiffened at the boys impropriety despite being briefed on the allowances made for him but held her tongue. Her other students had no such compunctions.

Aia gonked his head causing Naruto to rub it in pain.

"You idiot! You don't talk to the Hokage that way show some respect!"

Yamato simply nodded in agreement a slight look of fear on his baby face.

Hiruzen Sarutobi merely chuckled as Naruto wailed.

"Owie owie owie. Why'd you have to hit me so hard Aia?" exaggerated tears streaking down his face.

The Hokage spoke up.

"Now, now. I like that Naruto is so forward with me he is allowed to. However as for your missions…"

A serious look came upon his face as an aura of authority appeared that caused even Naruto to stand at attention. With gravity he proffered a scroll to Kumiko Sensei as they hung on every word.

"Your mission… Is to weed the outer Yamanaka gardens so they may begin planting new medicinal herbs for the Hospital."

No one moved for a moment as all three Genin processed what the man said. None of the three noticing that Sensei had positioned herself opposite them and was fingering a small device.

The dam broke and they all gave a simultaneous, "What!?" Their faces contorting in displeasure before being briefly blinded by a flash of light as the decorum around the village leader was completely forgotten.

The third Hokage burst into laughter.

"Jiji that's so lame!"

Though they dared not voice it his teammates fully agreed. The secretary was incensed at their attitude and spoke up.

The dam broke and they all gave a simultaneous, "What!?" Their faces contorting in displeasure before being briefly blinded by a flash of light as the decorum around the village leader was completely forgotten.

The Hokage raised his hand to silence the desk ninja who held his tongue.

Still smirking he said.

"I look forward to hearing how it went when you get back."

As they exited Naruto thought he overheard the man saying to Sensei.

"I expect a copy by the end of the week." As they both chuckled.

Later that day, messy and filthy all of them they pulled into the office where they turned in the completed mission scroll. He handed over pay slips to all of them causing Naruto's eyes to widen. This was almost a quarter of his monthly orphans stipend. It would help a great deal and he would be doing more than one of these a week. The hungry and desperate part of him leaped into his own throat right then. Sensei must have seen him as after they were dismissed for the day she pulled him aside.

"Naruto follow me there is something I need to teach you about."

"Yes Sensei." Naruto said dutifully and absentmindedly, his mind on his stomach as it chose that moment to growl.

She simply softly smiled despite Naruto's embarrassed look.

"The village takes care of its orphans Naruto. Genin in the program keep the Orphan stipend in addition to your base Genin Salary until you become a Chunin or turn 14 whichever comes first."

His face darkened at the first part of her statement but he was saddened and confused at the second. He had not received his stipend for two months now as the Chunin in charge said he did not get it now that he was a Ninja. These last two months since graduation had been extremely rough as the Genin salary was only 60% of the orphan stipend. You were supposed to make your money with missions he was told.

She noticed this and stopped and turned to face him fully.

"Naruto, I want you to be honest with me. Have you received it this month?"

Naruto thought about lying desperately not wanting to cause more trouble so people don't hate him more after all Jiji always said they never knew any better.

He dared not speak and knew she would catch him in a lie so he shook his head no.

"We'll take care of it." She simply said, the soft smile never leaving her face.

But her eyes…

Naruto shuddered as they kept walking. The village lively as dusk apporoached.

They came up to an unassuming building with a faded sign Naruto could not read.

"Naruto this is the village commissary, and I expect you to become very familiar with it. Every ninja from Genin to Kage is entitled to shop here for subsidized equipment and groceries. Yamato already knows about it so why don't we show you around."

Naruto stopped dead. Suddenly very afraid as he was basically chased out of any shop he ever went into. But she put her arm around his shoulder and guided him in so he had no chance to resist.

It started with a clean hallway with a booth on one side. Further down was a set of double doors. In the booth was a bored looking young man with a Chunin vest hanging off the back of his chair in his early 20's. His eyes lit up when he saw Kumiko.

"Sato this is Naruto one of my new students, Naruto this is Sato one of my first students. He is a member of the logistics corps. He will be your primary contact when you come here. If you encounter any problems let either he or I know ok?"

She pulled out some requisition forms and handed them over.

"We need to get him kitted out ok? Standard uniform and full equipment regiment ok? Also I would like to sign him up for the food assistance program."

The man nodded filing the forms without needing to look.

"You got it Sensei. You lucked out kid Kumiko sensei is one of the villages greatest misers and gold diggers she'll have the system wrapped around your little finger in no time."

A tick mark appeared on her forehead.

"Your lucky you have glass between you and me and the replacement costs aren't worth it Sato."

She ground out. Causing the young man to Chuckle and rub the back of his head.

"Just kidding you know I love you Sensei."

She huffed.

"You better be Sato."

Winking at Naruto he directed them through the double doors.

"Mari will help you with the fitting. Naruto the first food shipment will be at your house when you get home. Don't worry about the cost. The village covers it."

Naruto was in shock and only said thank you after Sensei pinched him but there was a desperation in his eyes that made the young man uncomfortable.

Walking through the double doors the warehouse shop, which is basically what it was was like a department store. Cordoned off by area of rank and discipline. And the prices…

Previously he needed to save for three months just to afford his current pair of used shinobi sandals. And there a brand new pair was offered for what would normally be 5 bowls of Ramen. He choked and Sensei had to catch him as he began breaking down there and then. Getting some odd looks by a few of the sparse shinobi browsing the shelves. Though a few of the older ones looked at him with pity.

Kumiko was decidedly mortified and angry. Not at Naruto but that something so basic would bring him to tears…

Casting a subtle genjutsu she hid his tears to outside observers though the older ninja knew what she did and nodded in approval. Some either from compassion or the longheld belief that Ninja should not be seen crying.

She brought him over to the Genin area of the shop where a younger Chunin was cleaning the shelves and she took notice of them. She smiled brightly.

"How may I help you?"

Kumiko took the lead as Naruto tried not to hyperventilate. This was really happening.

"He needs the full kit, everything."

The girl looked at him suddenly as a piece of meat shocking him out of his disbelief and making him sweatdrop from discomfort.

"Everything huh? Kid what's your favorite color?"

"Orange!" Naruto blurted out without thinking.

"Orange huh?" she pondered mussing his hair and walking all around him.

"Any other colors?"

Naruto thought for a moment and said "Blue."

She nodded again.

"Stand on this pedestal."

Naruto did so as she took out a measuring tape and began measuring him all over.

"What are you doing?" He blushed as she brought the measuring tape up through his groin.

She looked at him incomprehensibly.

"Measuring you to get clothes that fit? Its important for a Shinobi. Getting clothes that you grow into is dangerous as they can get in the way. You'll be here getting measured lots of times."

This was news to Naruto as the place that usually sold him his jumpsuits just eyed him and threw them at him. He had never been measured to his knowledge.

"In any case wait over there by the changing room I will be right back."

Kumiko excused herself briefly saying she was going into the ninja tools section to get his kit and to follow Mari's instructions.

He looked around in amazement at the shelves and tables lined with gear. This was larger than any shop he had ever been into. It was not long until Mari returned with a push cart filled with clothing and shinobi shoes and mesh armor.

"Alright get into the changing rooms and undressed and I will pass you things to try on. Come out and let me see if you think they fit well huh? Place them on the table next to the curtain if they don't."

Naruto followed her instructions and sat naked in the changing room when she passed over the first item. One that made him blush scarlet but also made him feel happy inside.

They were a pack of orange briefs with Kunai and Shuriken patterns.

"Had to go back to the academy section for these as you are still too small for this section and this section does not have the colors you wanted. These were the only things that were orange." She also passed over orange undershirts and socks.

Naruto put them on and thankfully she did not want him to come out like that. They were some of the most comfy things he had ever put on and he hugged himself to make sure he was not dreaming. They were not rough like his jumpsuit and were a soft cotton. Underwear was an expense Naruto could ill-afford so this was a novel experience for him.

Next was the mesh armor which was designed to resist slashing blades and prevent shuriken from going too deeply and was extremely light weight. It also fit perfectly. Naruto let her know As she gave a thumbs up over the curtain.

Next she passed over a pair of cornflower blue shinobi pants.

"These are the smallest size in this section if they don't fit we will need to get them custom tailored which will take a week. Is that ok?"

"Yes Mari-san." Naruto answered."

She continued as Naruto put them on.

"Reason being is that unlike the undergarments, Ninja clothing has to be rated a certain level of durability and the academy section is generally made from normal fabrics. These are a special silk weave that is standard issue throughout Konoha provided by the Aburame clan."

These also fit perfectly as Naruto opened the curtain and let her see.

She whistled, "looking good little man. Can you squat down for me?"

He did so as she led him through a series of movements that made sure it fit properly. He had never felt so unincumbered before. Now don't get him wrong, he loved his orange jumpsuit it kept him warm when it was cold and most importantly it was orange. But he had never felt so comfortable in his life before.

She handed him the final part of the ensemble the jacket which looked like what Chunin wore under their vests it was also cornflower blue. Putting it on it was a little loose but she waved him off as she put him on another pedestal pinning the jacket in certain places and mumbling to herself. She had him perform a similar series of movements before she was satisfied.

"All the rest are the same size. This only needs to be briefly tailored. Try on the shinobi shoes."

Provided were both open and close toed shinobi sandals and boots. The standard Konoha blue. When he put them on he felt like a new person and she had him look in a mirror. She fixed his hair and headband and Naruto was amazed. He looked almost entirely different from before. The colors still made him pop in a crowd but the only trace of orange was the shirt that peaked through his unzipped jacket and his toeless shinobi socks.

She squealed causing Naruto to sweatdrop.

"Alright you can keep everything else on give me the jacket. You can pick up the scroll with your order when you leave or in about 30 minutes. Just needs some adjustments and attachments."

Naruto reluctantly emptied his jumpsuit into his new pockets before the lady took it and walked over to Sensei. Orange shirt over mesh armor.

She was talking to the quarter master animatedly as they laughed. She handed over brand new shinobi pouches and a scroll with his new weapons. Before they walked over to the grocery section where Naruto saw prices that almost made him sniffle again. But he held it in. She told him to point out whatever he wanted she would cover it this time.

After Naruto prodded her asking her if she was sure as he poked the veggies. It was not that he hated them, just that he was only ever given rancid and rotten ones so he had no idea what they tasted like. Kumiko was supremely surprised by the 10 year old willingly going near vegetables but watched to see what he picked. He pretty much picked a little of everything and got rice, eggs, soba, and a series of meats he would otherwise never have been able to afford before. He also looked longingly at the desert section but held himself back as Sensei was paying and Iruka Sensei had always lectured him about sweets. Though he rarely if ever got to try them. Seeing this she rolled her eyes and plopped a few sweets such as mochi in the cart. Filling in the blanks she also put in cooking oil and condiments and spices and cooking equipment. While she had said she would pay in reality the village was picking up the tab after Kumiko had confronted (respectfully) the Hokage on Naruto's appalling conditions. He had simply told her to handle it dismissively.

The attendant sealed their purchases in scrolls and took back the cart. While they were wandering towards the exit they passed the accessory section where Naruto stopped dead seeing two things catch his eye. A pair of fingerless orange gloves on clearance and an orange scarf.

Seeing he had stopped Kumiko remarked.

"If you want something go get it. As its not standard issue you will have to pay though."

Naruto nodded seeing the prices his mission pay was more than enough. He grabbed all of the small pairs of gloves and two scarves and felt happy he was not being forced to give up orange. Genin had no uniform according to Iruka. (If you joined a corp as an apprentice that changed though.) Only the Hitaiate was mandatory in a Genin's uniform. They walked out front where Mari was waiting as she gave him a scroll with his new clothes she gave him the jacket from earlier which fit perfectly and had an addition that was once present on his jumpsuit. The white spiral with the tassels sat in its customary spot on his shoulder. (When he went home and checked all of them had it.) It felt nice to have a part of his old ensemble and he was touched she had decided to be so thoughtful. After waving goodbye they went back to Sato and presented the invoice and Sato complimented Naruto as well causing him to blush. Naruto then handed over his mission payslip to cover his accessory purchase.

The man made a note on the slip subtracting the amount and handed it back. Naruto had spent half to cover this purchase. He was not worried as they had a mission tomorrow as well. Then Sensei walked him home as it was dark. She bid him goodnight as Naruto went into his small apartment. On the kitchen counter was a box of food and milk in addition to what he had gotten with sensei. An invoice he could not read well sat next to the box. But what he could read indicated the next shipment would be delivered in two weeks.

Unpacking everything he marveled and sat in shock. Clothes that fit, proper underwear and socks as well as non-dingy shoes. An unheard of luxury. After putting all the food away and replacing his beaten and battered cooking equipment his shelves and fridge were full for the first time ever. Sitting on his beaten up sofa he he brought his knees to his chest and cried. He had more than he ever had before.

He ate a simple dinner of fish and rice with stir fried vegetables and went to sleep without hunger (That was not mostly liquid from Ramen) for the first time in his life.

Showing up for practice the next day and a full stomach in the morning Naruto was happier than he had ever been in his life. Aia smirked at his appearance.

"Well someone found their ability to see other colors."

Naruto blushed as Yamato praised him.

"Looking good little dude."

Practice that day was going over their shurikenjutsu and chakra control again. Naruto fared a lot better in the former with good kunai than the latter. The leaves used for the exercise bursting into flame in his hands. Thankfully his new gloves were fireproof.

Then they had their mission for the day and last one for the week. Painting a fence.

Naruto did not bother hiding his disappointment. But the pay was nice and when he went to deposit. (The bank one of the few places Naruto was not kicked out of by direct order of Jiji.) He noticed several more zeros on his otherwise pitiful sum. Sensei had come through on the orphan stipend as well. He was so happy he took out a little cash to celebrate at Ichiraku. He had known Sensei for 3 days and already she had done more for him than Jiji ever had…

He jolted wondering where that dark thought had come from and tried not to allow that thought to continue with varying degrees of success. But he would take a kunai for her already no questions asked.

At Ichiraku's he saw Iruka talking to Teuchi-jiji. And Ayame was rolling some fresh noodles.

When Iruka turned to look at him he did a double take.

"Naruto is that you? Come on sit down and let me have a look at you. Have you been staying out of trouble? I missed you in class the last week. I'd just been getting ready to go find you. Don't feel bad about not passing the first time."

Naruto sat at the counter Teuchi already having put his favorite in front of him. A little hurt at his teachers doubt.

"Don't you see the headband Iruka sensei? I graduated two months ago. Mizuki sensei gave me this."

The man looked surprised and troubled at that. Looking like he wanted to interject and say Naruto was not ready for it. But he held his tongue he would speak to the Hokage about it later. Instead, he let Naruto chatter on. The blue and orange outfit suited him and looked adorable in Irukas opinion. He absently wrapped the scarf around his neck one more time while the boy was chattering and fixed his messy hair. By all counts he should still be sitting safe and attending the academy, but it was ultimately not his call and he did not want to alienate Naruto.

"Kumiko Sensei was amazing, first she fought us all at once and Aia was amazing hurling water everywhere. Yamato even knows a few earth release techniques too."

Then he detailed his visit to the Commissary the day before which troubled Iruka even more. Kumiko Fujiwara was a surviving Jonin from Minato Namikaze's cohort and she was infamous for her ability to exploit the system. She was a renowned gold-digger and while he was glad Naruto had that in his corner he was also afraid she would pass on her bad habits. Sweet innocent Naruto being a penny-pinching miser made him shudder. But she was taking better care of Naruto than he could. He simply did not have the resources otherwise he would have taken the boy in already. It had taken him two years to warm up to the boy but Iruka had himself only been a teenager and was only just now in a financially stable place. He worried the boy would be unable to handle real missions. From speaking to a former classmate of his who was a member of her first team she tended to keep her students safe and avoided unnecessary risk. Not taking her students for c-ranks until 6 months in. So that was a relief at least.

He chattered with and enjoyed Naruto's company and was surprised when the boy paid for his own tab. The proud look on his face made Iruka's own pride in the boy soar.

Iruka was summoned to the Hokage's office not long after he left the stand. He winced as more and more he was being called in as a stand-in at the missions office the Hokage asking for him by name. The extra-income was nice but sometimes Iruka would like sone time for himself. But he would do his duty.

Stepping into the mans office he was let in with no fuss. The perks of being renowned for loyalty and competence he supposed. He knocked and was met with a simple.

"Come."

Walking in the Hokage was teething his pipe, a gentle pillar of smoke emitting from it. He was staring at his orb gazing at Naruto which surprised Iruka. Huh, so this was not about the mission desk then.

On the table was a steaming pot of fresh Jasmine tea which mingled with the tabaco smoke for an interesting aroma. The Hokage poured both himself and Iruka a cup as Iruka sat across from the man and they stayed in a comfortable silence for a moment as the took the customary sip to break the ice. Iruka patiently waiting for his leader to speak.

"I never expected him to pass."

Iruka's head jerked back as if struck that the man either was far more prolific in his spying. Or he could read Iruka like a book. Probably both.

"However, I will not look a gift horse in the mouth. He was languishing in the academy and he held too many deficits that could not be fixed in such an environment. Did you know that Naruto was illiterate?" The Hokage asked rhetorically.

This floored Iruka whose face bore this out causing the leader to nod.

"I thought not. This was hidden well and Naruto either pretended he could read out of shame or was ignorant about the expectations. There has been active sabotage of the boy and quite a few are under suspicion. Some of your colleagues have a lot to answer for and I damn them for making me be grateful to Danzo of all people for arranging its exposure."

Iruka had no idea why the man was telling him this. Was he simply checking if Iruka was part of it and remained loyal? He knew that security around Naruto was generally super tight. So while it burned he understood no risks could be taken.

"Why are you telling me this Hokage-sama?" He took a sip of his tea to calm his nerves.

The older man took a drag from his pipe.

"I need your help Iruka to help rectify it. You will receive an ongoing mission for the next 6 months or until Naruto is deemed adequate. The mission. Make Naruto Uzumaki literate and catch him up on the academy curriculum. Do you accept?"

Iruka balked. That was way too much in such a short amount of time. Even with intensive study it would take a year of round the clock tutoring just to cover the basics.

"But how Hokage-sama?"

The man clearly expected this question as he passed over a scroll with a technique.

The shadow clone.

Iruka was shocked this technique was known to kill shinobi simply from using it if one was not careful with the chakra splitting.

"Permission has been granted for both you and Naruto to learn the shadow clone technique. Its limitations are in the scroll. Three clones if you can produce them will work with Naruto clones from dawn till dusk as it were to get him up to speed. The technique will be part of your compensation package and you will be credited a long-term B-rank mission due to the technique risk. I know you care for the boy Iruka do you accept?"

The man was twisting his arm and pushing his buttons. Beyond Naruto the technique would simplify his life massively allowing him to grade papers much faster giving him much coveted free-time. A long-term B-rank mission would be about 4 years salary. With no effective risk of mutilation or dismemberment most shinobi would chomp at the bit at that. And he honestly did care about Naruto. So what else could he answer but…

"Yes Hokage-sama."

The man beamed which did not reach his eyes.

"Excellent. You begin next week from Monday. I trust you can learn the technique and your own limitations in the meantime. It was a pleasure speaking with you."

Iruka took the dismissal for what it was and left. Thoughts racing.

How could he have missed Naruto being illiterate for so long? Was he a bad teacher? He thought over his actions. No. He had simply been blinded. At first by his prejudice tempered only by professionalism. Then later by his fond exasperation for the boy and dismissal of his pranks and class disruptions as simply being like him. Finally, he himself only recently transitioned from a practical teacher to a theory teacher. So he had only seen a few examples of the boys atrocious writing. He had simply chalked it up to the boy not caring.

He was wrong.

He had a lot of lesson plans to condense and write up. Naruto needed to pass the Kanji Kentei afterall.

"You are forbidden to teach this to anyone without permission Naruto."

Naruto blinked at the sudden non-sequitur.

Sensei had taken him aside that Friday the last day of the week. She was still testing them and getting a feel for them she had said. The real training would begin the next week.

"Naruto, I am going to be very honest with you. You are extremely behind your teammates. Such that we're this any other situation I would have sent you back to the academy."

Naruto blinked incomprehensible before his stomach jumped into his throat and the tears came unbidden. No… He couldn't be sent back to the academy he was finally safe he was finally not hungry anymore. He could finally afford to live. He couldn't lose it now!

He began hyperventilating.

Kumiko closed her eyes in regret that came out completely wrong. It was true but she wasn't finished. She gently clapped her hands on his shoulders in an act that broke him out of his state and continued before he could grovel.

"But I see potential in you Naruto which is why I decided to keep you. Any deficits we can fix."

She half lied.

A look of confused hope entered the boys eyes.

"You were able to perform replacement with a Jonin Naruto. That should not be possible. I also hear from your former academy teacher that your henge is solid can you show me?"

Naruto nodded desperate for her approval and transformed into Iruka sensei.

He folded his hands behind his back nervously. Sensei eyeing him up like a piece of meat touching him all over feeling that parts were real in a way that would have the real Iruka horribly embarrassed. Naruto only felt the parts that corresponded to his real body as the henge was a facsimile and offered no sensation. He did not even know to be embarrassed.

"Iruka was right. Who taught you henge Naruto? "

Naruto answered.

"Mizuki Sensei"

She gave a non-commital grunt. Before leveling with the boy.

"Naruto… We can bring up to speed with your classmates but it will be a lot of work. More than most humans are even capable of. Are you prepared?"

She asked already knowing his answer.

Naruto would do anything not to get sent back to the academy. Do anything to not lose his access to fresh food and clothing. He could only nod vigorously.

"We have 6 months before I generally take my teams out for c-rank missions. So as not to hold back your teammates we have to get you up to speed before then."

In truth if they needed to wait longer for Naruto they would. This team existed for the boy, they were all considered expendable compared to the village super-weapon. But she would never utter that aloud and officially at least it was not the case.

Naruto had a look of determination on his face.

"I won't let you or anyone on the team down Sensei. That's a promise believe it!"

For only a brief moment she saw both of his parents behind him. The verbal tic causing unpleasant memories to come to the surface.

"That's good to hear Naruto. To that end I am going to be teaching you a clone technique."

The pit in Naruto's stomach dropped again as his face went blue. He was not good at the clone technique no matter how hard he tried.

She either did not notice or misinterpreted because she demonstrated.

"Shadow-clone jutsu!"

Three more sensei's appeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto was going smacked as he poked one in the stomach getting a light smack on the head for his trouble.

"That's so cool sensei!"

His previous worries forgotten at the thought of learning such a cool technique.

But first came the boring part. She explained that this was the restricted version of the technique for safety reasons. Even the restricted one counted as a Kinjutsu if he taught it to someone without permission and they killed themselves he would be legally liable. The basic technique could create a maximum of 12 clones. Splitting his Chakra evenly between them and himself. (Also mentioned was that a master of the technique could decide how much Chakra a clone got.) This technique was generally classified as an infiltration or espionage technique as the memories transferred. This did not seem like a big deal to Naruto until she explained that was how he was going to make up the time. By literally being in more than one place at once. Then the gears in Naruto's head turned and he realized the enormous implications. The sheer number of pranks he could pull…

A very devious look came upon Naruto's face as a sense of foreboding came upon Kumiko. What were they unleashing upon the village?

In any case…

Follow after me.

"The handsigns are..."

It was the weekend. Kumiko Sensei dismissed them from the team meeting with instructions to meet her in front of the administration building. (Hokage Tower) At 8 am on Monday and there weekends were free until further notice.

All week Naruto had been busy from Dawn till Dusk distracting him from his loneliness. Aia and Yamato were nice enough though Aia was a little more violent than he would like…. Like Sakura who would beat him whenever he asked her out.

He rubbed his head in remembrance. Yamato on the other hand was a lot more gentle but very touchy feely which Naruto did not know how to feel about. On the one hand it was nice and Naruto was grateful for the attention. On the other he did not really know the boy beyond a vague memory from that horrible orphanage.

They both held some distance towards him both because he was younger and not in their class. Or at least that's what he believed.

He and a few clones were brainstorming what to do with their sudden free time. Previously he would spend the weekends pranking and foraging for food to fill his belly on his nonexistent budget. But now…

He gazed at his now full pantry.

He only knew how to make a few basic things but vegetable stir fries were easy. Fresh food was a luxury to him. He could not comprehend the younger students complaining about eating them. There were so many interesting flavors he had never tasted before without feeling sick and tasting decay.

He could do a prank he guessed…

Wait… Sakura! He was a Genin now that would be sure to impress her over that bastard Sasuke.

He directed two of the 12 clones littering the apartment to go find Sakura and ask her to the park. He stopped them and asked one to give her flowers she would like those right? One split off to go to her usual haunts with Ino while the other went to the Yamanaka flower shop. He had never been kicked out of there so it would be worth a shot. And if they hit him he would not actually get hurt which was a win for Naruto. Sensei had said this technique was perfect for scouting.

If she said yes he would go but what about the rest of his clones? He was still getting used to the sensation of Memories of experiences he never had should he just dismissed them? No… They were nice company and kept him from considering that he was really alone.

He could always find Shikamaru and Choji? He always used to hang out with them especially when they skipped class together. Though he had not spoken to them in awhile and they were not very close. Well… He could always try at least.

He opened the door to the Yamanaka flower shop. The front to a much larger complex of greenhouses that required various levels of clearance to even get near. At the counter pressing flowers looking bored out of her skull was Ino Yamanaka who brightened when the chimes sounded.

"Welcome to the Yamanaka Flower shop!... Oh it's you. Finally dropped out huh well the shinobi life is not for everyone."

Insulted. Naruto simply pointed his thumb back at his headband.

For a moment she looked scandalized before getting a really mean look on her face.

"You know pretending to be a ninja is a very serious crime I can report you for it. You know what I will. There is no way a dead last like you could become a ninja before Sasuke. Daaad!"

She finished yelling with Naruto growing both more angry and afraid by the second. Angry that even with the proof his hard work did not matter and afraid even if irrationally so because her father was until recently head of TI .

The man stumbled through the back door thinking his daughter had a problem only to see the 9 tails container looking angry and on the verge of tears. He could not make heads or tails of his daughters rant but put a stop to it when he thought he saw a trace of red in the boys eyes putting a hand on his daughters shoulder interrupting her.

"What seems to be the problem here?"

He added after a moment.

"Are you here to purchase something?"

He said with a smile.

Ino looked incensed.

"Daad! Naruto is pretending to be a shinobi again you told me that's a crime."

She looked back at Naruto with a self satisfied smirk. Causing Naruto's face to darken again.

Inoichi had already been briefed about it. All Ninja in the command structure were, for contingency plans made shortly after the boy was born. He was also one of 3 people in the village cleared to enter the boys mind in case the worst occurred. The risk of entering the seal accidentally otherwise too great. There had been a small assembly the weekend the boy graduated were those who needed to know were informed.

This was awkward. On the one hand if he did not play along his daughter would be very angry with him for who knows how long. Even if she was in the wrong.

On the other hand unlike Chouza he did not want to alienate the boy. He was allowed to get away with far too much and he did not want his family targeted with pranks. The greenhouses were far too valuable. The boy had the Hokage wrapped around his finger as much as someone could. He could probably get away with murder and the village could cover it up even if the boy before him would never do such a thing. As a psych ninja he knew the boy was just desperately lonely and wanted attention. Striking back out of anger but the response tempered by the thirds advice/manipulation.

His daughter would get over it.

"Actually Ino, Naruto just graduated he is a ninja. I think it would be best if you apologized."

She looked about to explode but the serious look Inoichi gave her put a stop to that.

He only gave that look when she was about to screw up massively.

So she ground out.

"Sorry Naruto."

This mollified the boy.

"Now how can I help you?"

He asked the container. Might as well get some business out of it.

Naruto immediately brightened highlighting his ability to bounce back from things.

"I have not seen someone for awhile and I wanted to see if they wanted to hang out. I thought flowers would be a good gift."

"Sakura?"

Ino asked rhetorically. Angry or not she knew the boy annoyed forehead a great deal. And who knew? Maybe if she could put the girl on Naruto she could have Sasuke all to herself. (Ignoring the rest of the fan club.)

"Then you would want to give her Irises, they show you are thinking about someone and value them."

Inoichi almost experienced whiplash from the sudden about face. And nearly groaned. Ino had recently fallen out with that lovely Sakura girl over a boy of all things.

She made the best bouquet she could and even gave the boy a discount. Already scheming he could see.

As long as there were no more incidents, he needed a drink. But he waited until she completed the purchase and the boy had left before doing the same leaving his daughter to mind the shop and her juvenile subterfuge.

Getting ready he tied his cornflower blue jacket around his waist and let his Hitaiate down around his neck he put on his green goggles not caring that it clashed horribly with his otherwise complementary colors.

It was too hot today.

Exiting his apartment and searching he found Choji and Shikamaru at their usual hangout. A hill close to the Nara forest with a perfect view of the village and uninterrupted cloud viewing. As expected, both Choji and Shikamaru were there. Shikamaru dozing and Choji just happily eating laying close to the boy, Choji noticed Naruto approaching and waved him over. Friendly as always which Naruto greatly appreciated. You would never hear Naruto calling the boy fat. And not because of the beating you would receive but because the boy had more than once shared food with Naruto something no one else their age did.

Choji gently nudged Shikamaru who waved him off.

Getting closer Choji squinted and smiled when he noticed the Hitaiate.

Plopping himself down next to them Shikamaru lazily opened an eye to glance at him only to do a double take instead.

"Congratulations Naruto I am happy you passed."

Choji congratulated him.

Shikamaru however was far more blunt.

"This isn't a prank right Naruto?"

While this normally stung to be doubted by a person he considered a friend Kumiko sensei had outlined all of his flaws in extreme detail. (And what they were going to do to fix it which went a long way to soothe Naruto's heart.) So most of him did not take it to heart. Most.

Naruto shook his head no.

Shikamaru sat up and gave him a rare interested and appraising look. Before he smiled softly a rare sight indeed.

"Congratulations Naruto, I was wondering why I had not seen you around the academy the last two weeks. I was a little worried you had dropped out or gotten sick."

That was news to Naruto which made him incredibly happy. Shikamaru was NEVER worried.

So, he slotted back into place extolling them what happened that week. They both visibly deflated when he told them what d-rank missions entailed. Shikamaru flopped back onto the grass gazing up at the clouds.

"What a drag. I have enough chores at home my mom yells at me about and now I'll have to do it as a career. Maybe its not too late to drop out and become a vagrant."

Choji laughed. His giggle infectious and charming to Naruto as it always had been.

"But Shikamaru then you would have to deal with your Mom even more than usual."

This thought had not occurred to the genius who only groaned again.

"What a drag."

He got up to show them.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

He called summoning forth a clone that waved back at them.

Choji waved back.

"Awesome you finally got the clone Jutsu down so that's how you graduated."

Naruto let actions speak louder than words as his clone walked up to the still waving Choji and gave him a high five. Stunning the bigger boy.

Naruto explained the rest as Choji and Shikamaru also caught him up on their lives. Then they just hung out. Naruto simply happy to be in the presence of people who accepted him. And that's how he whiled away his weekend simply existing with the other two boys. Not even the unpleasant memory of Sakura rejecting him outright, crushing the flowers he bought her and denying that he graduated at all could put a damper on his spirits. He winced when the clones were violently dispelled.

Whatever. He would try again later.

He leaned his head back using Choji's belly as a pillow and smiled. Life had its ups and downs but he was far better off as a ninja than not and he could not wait for what the future had in store.

AN: This story was partially inspired by the First Try story series on this site. You should give it read. Still working on the next chapter of to go again and again. Next time Kumiko introduces the shinobi corps and figures out what to do with her Genin team and Naruto learns how to deal with having a support system as she begins to impart wisdom upon them.