He stared at the open book on his desk, blue eyes drinking in every detail of the picture. A splotch of blond hair and a white trench coat was all that could be seen atop a massive toad with dark red skin. Before the human/amphibian pair was a truly gigantic fox with orange-red fur and nine tails, its maw open wide in an imposing snarl. The creature appeared far too realistic, the artist capturing its hatred and viciousness in the sharp teeth and clawed paws of its frozen roar.

A shudder shook his body at the Kyūbi's image, and he fixated on the bright colors atop the toad. That the Yondaime had faced down the Nine-Tails and defeated it when even just an image of it could evoke fear years later was beyond impressive. It was epic.

"—which was when Yondaime-sama teleported the Kyūbi outside Konoha—"

"And kicked its ass, believe it!" Naruto interjected, rising from his seat with one fist pumped into the air.

"Naruto!" Iruka snapped, visibly irked at the interruption. "Sit down! And watch your language!"

The blond reluctantly took his seat amid the muffled tittering of his classmates, drowning out Iruka's voice as the teacher continued his lecture. Blue eyes returned to staring at the artist's depiction of the fight between the Kyūbi and the Yondaime. I'll be as awesome a Hokage as you one day, he thought. Just wait!

-l-l-l-

"Breathe in and hold it…good. Breathe out, slowly, then do it again. Good. Keep going…in, out."

Utakata walked around Naruto as the blond obeyed his instructions, chakra keeping them both standing atop the river's surface. "When you're ready," the brunet continued, voice soft and even, "gather your chakra in your chest, just like you do for Katon. Then breathe out, but picture your chakra as water, not fire."

Naruto opened one eye to peer at the Kiri-nin. "How will I know when I'm ready?"

"Only you'll be able to answer that, but you should take your time. There's no rush. You know the basics of using Suiton by manipulating the shape of existing water, but this will be about changing the nature of your chakra. These are the hand seals for the Mizurappa," he said, forming them with methodical slowness for the Leaf native to observe.

Naruto copied the movements, focusing on memorizing the order of the seals rather than trying to immediately activate the technique, and Utakata allowed himself a small smile at the boy's concentration. Months ago, if he'd taught the blond the same thing, there was little doubt he would have rushed into activating the Wild Water Wave without actually learning it, and Suiton couldn't be hurried. That he'd taken all the brunet's lessons to heart was reassuring.

The younger Jinchūriki's breathing was loud but even as he prepared himself to perform water-based nature manipulation. Utakata allowed the boy to focus in peace, judging his status from in front of him.

"Shouldn't yeh be doin' somethin'?"

Utakata jumped slightly, whipping around to find Rōshi leaning against a tree, arms crossed over his chest. The redhead was normally silent – or even absent – from Naruto's training with the brunet, finding the steps of learning Suiton too quiet and measured for his taste. "Shh!" he hissed, shooting a backwards glance at the blond. When he was assured that the outburst hadn't interrupted Naruto's focus, he jumped from the river and alighted beside the Iwa-nin. "Really? You're going to do this now? He needs quiet if he's going to learn this part."

Rōshi arched an eyebrow. "I ain't talkin' 'bout 'im. Yer wastin' time watchin' 'im an' not doin' nothin'."

Utakata had the grace to avert his eyes in embarrassment. After bearing witness to Rōshi's shifting outlook over he past several months, he felt ashamed for even questioning the Iwa-nin's intentions, even with the redhead's usual sarcasm. "Ah, right. Should we move to give him space?"

Rōshi scoffed. "Yer so soft. How'd yeh grow up in Kiri? Don' answer that," he said, waving a hand through the air to dismiss the answer the Mist shinobi had opened his mouth to give. "OI!" he shouted. "Utakata an' I are gonna do some trainin'! Are yeh good?"

Utakata threw another worried glance over his shoulder at Naruto, but the blond didn't appear as if he'd even heard the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki. He turned back around to find Rōshi smirking at him. "Shut up," he told the redhead, fighting to keep the amusement from his voice.

The Iwa-nin shrugged. "Don' know why yeh bother. No real fight goes without distractions. Trainin' like this'll keep 'im alive when a fight gits rough." He arched an eyebrow. "What're yeh waitin' fer? Let's see what yeh've got."

"You enjoy this far more than you should," Utakata replied, divesting himself of his kimono and hanging it over a tree branch. He took a deep breath and then released his hold over his chakra, allowing a green, mucus-like liquid to ooze from his pores.

Across from him, heat roared to life around Rōshi, forming an armor of lava that hardened into dark obsidian. "Aye, beatin' yeh up don' git old. Mebbe yeh'll learn humility afore yeh learn ter use yer goop skin with yer clothes."

"It's the Tokeru," muttered the teenager petulantly. He took an offensive stance, the thin film of his Acid Armor technique covering every inch of skin from his torso up. He charged Rōshi, swiping at the older Jinchūriki with a chop of his right arm. Acid met obsidian, and the sound of sizzling stone echoed between the pair for a moment as Utakata's technique began to dissolve the redhead's defense.

"Strong stuff," grunted Rōshi. "Guess yer not holdin' back this time, eh?"

Utakata smirked. "You shouldn't have made fun of it. Even rock won't last long under a low pH." He grunted when the Iwa-nin planted a solid foot in his stomach and then retracted it quickly to not let the acid linger on his obsidian armor. The brunet moved closer, twisting around his opponent's elbow strike and wrapping his arms around Rōshi's neck in a stranglehold. Acid ate away at the black rock covering the redhead's neck, shoulders, and upper back, every point where the Kiri-nin's skin was in contact.

Another grunt, this time in annoyance. "Yer jutsu only works if yeh've got th' taijutsu ter back it. An' yers still sucks." A small mound of earth rose beneath the Rock shinobi's feet, elevating him above the acid-user and allowing him to leverage his weight – augmented by the obsidian armor – backwards. Utakata let out a grunt as the redhead's body pressed him into the forest floor, a breathy gasp escaping his lips as the armor's jagged edges dug into his stomach. "Yeh'll run outta breath afore I run outta armor."

"We'll…see…" choked out the brunet. More acid seeped from his pores, dissolving the earth around him and giving him enough room to wriggle out from beneath the older Jinchūriki. By the time he got to his feet, Rōshi was already up and throwing a punch at his face, and Utakata barely got his arms up in time to block it. He let out a reflexive hiss of discomfort from being hit, the blow carrying surprisingly little force. "What the hell? How are you even up right now? That armor must weigh a ton!"

"Doton: Keijūgan no Jutsu," smirked the redhead.

Utakata released a sigh of exasperation. Of course he still has tricks he hasn't used yet. He couldn't tell if his annoyance was caused by not knowing whether Rōshi still didn't trust him enough to tell him about the different strategies he used in battle, or because the gap in their abilities was still so vast. At this point, it seemed like Rōshi was even in a league above Yagura, though without access to his Bijū forms, he wondered if that was an accurate assessment.

"Nothin's perfect, not even my jutsu," Rōshi informed him, as if reading his thoughts.

"Yeah, I know, though it sure seems that way. How do I beat it then?"

Even as he asked the question, he was sure he wouldn't get an answer, the redhead still reluctant to divulge too much sensitive information. Instead, the Iwa-nin made a shooing gesture, and Utakata complied, backing up until he was directed to stop. "Try standin' like this," Rōshi instructed, dropping his armor and moving his body into what the acid-user assumed was an offensive position. He copied the movements, and when it seemed the older Jinchūriki was satisfied with his stance, he continued, "When yeh attack, make sure yeh grab me like this," he advised, showing the younger Jinchūriki the correct move.

"Like this?"

Rōshi nodded. "Aye. Then—"

"Suiton: Mizurappa!"

Utakata was blasted into a tree by a powerful jet of water, his Acid Armor – while diluted – slowly dissolving the bark. "Sorry Utakata-nii!" Naruto called out, the splashing of water alerting the Kiri-nin to the blond's approach. Golden eyes opened to find the younger Jinchūriki kneeling over him, apprehension clear in his blue irises. "I just kept waitin' for the right moment like you said, and then Rōshi-oji kinda made this move and—"

From nearby, loud above Naruto's anxious concern, Rōshi was laughing uproariously. "Aye, yeh got 'im good, kid. How'd yeh like yer own medicine, eh?"

Naruto looked to be torn between trying not smile at his prank and nerves over the Kiri-nin's reaction, and was failing horribly at the former. Utakata absorbed the Tokeru, reactivated his protective chakra layer, and blew water droplets from his bangs, allowing an amused grin to tug at his lips. "That was a good hit, Naruto. Good force and everything. Now you'll just need to practice speeding up the release." He turned his attention from the pleased Naruto to Rōshi. "I wasn't aware you knew how to have fun."

The redhead shrugged, suddenly over his bout of amusement. He looked older again, the brief laugh lines that had crossed his features disappearing into a neutral expression. "Yeh keep sayin' ter let th' kid be a kid. Don' know why yeh shouldn't reap th' rewards o' yer idea."

Sharp eyes flitted between the Yonbi and Kyūbi Jinchūriki before Utakata clambered to his feet, got his kimono, and wrapped it around himself. "Let's call it a day, Naruto. That you can use the Mizurappa is really impressive. You'll just have to remember how you felt when you did it and keep practicing."

Rōshi shot him a suspicious look. "Yer makin' it sound like yer not gonna be here ter guide 'im."

The Kiri-nin shook his head. "I'm not."

Rōshi's eyebrows furrowed deeper. Naruto let out a long whine. "How come?"

"Someone's got to continue the mission," Utakata explained. "There are more Jinchūriki out there, in danger, and you've come a long way in the months since we've met. I can't teach you anything more until you have a better grasp of your Suiton abilities, and I trust Rōshi won't do anything…drastic," he settled on. "He's still got plenty to teach you, and you can practice everything I taught you in between. You'll be okay, okay?"

"Yeah, okay…"

When the Kiri-nin turned to leave, Rōshi grabbed his elbow with an iron grip. In a low voice, the redhead asked, "D'yeh really think now's th' right time?"

"There will never be a right time. But now's as good a time as any."

"Th' kid ain't ready fer yeh ter leave."

He tossed a glance back at the glum Naruto, then returned to his low conversation with the Iwa-nin. "We've got to let him fly on his own at some point, right? Besides, he'll have you. I trust you to keep him alive until I get back."

Rōshi scoffed, though it seemed the noise lacked his old gruffness. "Tch…stupid."

Utakata grinned at him. "Watch your temper," he advised. Then he walked over to Naruto and ruffled the blond's spiky locks, earning a wobbly smile in return. "Don't worry, I'll be back. Just pay attention, and try not to piss Rōshi off too badly."

Despite his despondency, Naruto threw the brunet a smart salute. "Aye aye!"

-l-l-l-

"Yeh keep twitchin'."

Naruto flicked one eye open to peer at Rōshi, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "Sorry. It's just…it's still weird."

"So yeh've said," Rōshi grunted, though the corner of his lips lifted in a smirk. Six months ago, he and the blond would've been at the other's throat in a competition of who could irritate or be irritated by the other more. Now…well, that they could both be around each other without Utakata around to run interference was a feat the older Jinchūriki would've considered impossible in his previous life.

Who'd've thought an Iwa-nin an' th' Yondaime's kid could get along?

The blond's measured breaths drew his attention. He was sitting cross-legged on the forest floor with his eyes closed, palms resting on his knees, body uncharacteristically still. It wouldn't last long – Naruto was too fidgety to take up something resembling meditation long-term – but that he could manage the brief spurts he did was impressive. The young brat he'd met had been too impetuous to manage anything close to this.

"Don' move," he told the younger Jinchūriki. His gruff voice was almost soothing, low enough to not disrupt the silence of the surroundings. "Remember, earth is still, unyieldin'. It don' move in th' face o' nothin'." Naruto inhaled, nostrils flaring, and Rōshi continued, "Now, put yer chakra in th' dirt an' make it move."

Naruto's hands twisted through familiar seals, eyelids opening to reveal steely determination. "Doton: Doroku Gaeshi."

Rōshi could feel the ground tremble beneath him as the Kyūbi Jinchūriki activated the Earth Release: Earth Shore Return. He waited for a slab of earth to tear itself from the dirt and become the 10-foot wall it should have, but the ground only continued to rumble. "Th' earth'll fight yeh," he lectured, voice hard. It wasn't the first time he'd said those words, but repetition tended to help the boy learn. "Earth is stubborn, but yeh can control it if yer more stubborn. Yeh've been practicin' fer weeks, so dig in an' fight. Back."

A low, guttural growl tore itself from the blond's throat, a flush of exertion creeping up his neck and face. Work, damn it, work! "Doton: Doroku Gaeshi!"

The earth in front of Naruto rose slowly amidst the ground's grumbling, a two-inch-thick rectangular slab tilting away from the blond. Seconds crawled by, but when the rumbling of the earth finally stopped, a two-foot by two-foot wall stood erect before him. The young Jinchūriki's breathing evened out, its ragged edges becoming smooth and easy. "I…did it."

"Aye, that yeh did." Naruto craned his head and flashed the Iwa-nin a bright smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes. Rōshi's fist came down and lightly rapped him on the back of the head. "Don' git cocky."

Despite the reprimand, Naruto's grin remained in place. "Okay, Rōshi-oji."

Rōshi rolled his dark eyes. "Li'l brat," he muttered. "I tol' yeh ter stop callin' me that."

Naruto chose to ignore him, asking instead, "You still haven't heard from Utakata-nii?"

Another eyeroll. "Yeh don' give up, d'yeh? How d'yeh think that'd happen, hm?"

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno. You guys are pretty sneaky, ya know?"

"Yeh don' git how any o' this works, d'yeh?"

"Mm, not really."

Rōshi let out a sigh that was equal parts exasperation and tired bemusement. Yer exhaustin'. He shook his head to disguise the sour smile that flitted across his lips. If only we were all so naïve… "Aye, no word from Utakata."

"So are you finally gonna teach me Yōton now? When you showed me before you said that I just needed to know Katon and Doton."

"C'mon, oji-san, I'm ready to learn Yōton now, right? Teach me!"

An image of his niece floated before his eyes, and the redhead was forced to blink the vision away. He was left staring at Naruto's beseeching blue eyes and hopeful expression. "Aye, so I did. But yeh should prob'bly git better afore yeh try ter combine 'em," he advised dryly. "One time don' make yeh a master. Learnin' takes time."

Naruto pouted. "Maaan…"

"Th' first step's th' hardest," he offered, tone as conciliatory as he could make it. His voice still came out gruff, but the hard edge of disgust and boredom honed from too many decades of bitter solitude was smoothed down. "Yeh'll git it in time. In th' meantime, we keep movin' forward."

We keep movin' forward.

Rōshi saw Naruto's mouth move, but he didn't hear whatever words were spoken, too caught up in what he'd said to pay attention. At some point, he'd allowed himself to become attached to Utakata and Naruto, to the team and the mission that the Kiri-nin had pitched as a farfetched way of saving some Jinchūriki who would be an enemy in every other situation. Somewhere along the way, 'I' had become 'we', and training Naruto had become…important. Vital to their survival.

Training the blond made him nostalgic for the rare moments he'd shared with his niece, before he'd been dissuaded by the Tsuchikage to give up their time together. It hadn't been worth it then to give up his solitude for just a few instances of genuine affection and amusement, to risk either her future or his, and yet here he was in the same situation again, but this time the decision had been made for him by two strangers he owed nothing to.

Except this time, it felt like the right one had been made.

Mebbe it's a sign.

He cast his gaze skyward, seeking answers from a deity that had done nothing but forsake him for almost 50 years.

No guidance was forthcoming, and Rōshi grunted at the expected (lack of) response. Yeh got ter make yer own decisions…an' fix yer mistakes.

Maybe part of the reason he was training Naruto was to make up for abandoning his niece when she'd asked for his help. It sounded like the kind of psycho-babble Utakata would spout, but the redhead had been around the bubble-user long enough to know that there may have been a ring of truth to the sentiment. And if he was making up for the mistakes of his past, there was one other he needed to address, a far, far bigger one.

"I got ter go."

"Huh?"

"I got ter help Utakata."

"But Utakata-nii said you should keep training me."

"I know!" Rōshi snapped. At Naruto's hurt expression, he took a deep breath and then repeated more calmly, "I know." He looked to the west, expression stony; one hand fiddled with the stone in his pocket, the leash that kept him tethered to the Hidden Rock. "But I need ter take care o' somethin', an' I need ter leave ter do it."

Hesitantly, before he could rethink it, he placed one strong hand on the boy's head and ruffled his blond locks. "Yeh'll be okay on yer own. Yeh've been doin' it fer a long time, a li'l longer won't hurt yeh."

"…Don't like bein' alone," Naruto mumbled.

"Utakata'll be back," Rōshi reassured. "I'll be back. Jus' keep practicin', eh? Mebbe when I come back, yeh'll be ready ter learn Yōton proper."

Naruto nodded, though he still looked downcast. "Alright. Good luck, Rōshi-oji."

Aye, I'll need it.

-l-l-l-

Konoha was quiet.

Most of the time, when Naruto walked through the village, vendors hawked their wares, citizens crowded the streets, and the blond could barely move more than 10 feet without being forced to duck his head to avoid the scowl of some person. He'd gotten used to relegating the hustle and bustle of everyday life to background noise, especially as his training with Utakata and Rōshi had taken off, but there had always been a static, buzzy quality to it, nothing like the stillness currently enveloping him.

Now, with them gone and no noise to speak of, a loneliness he hadn't felt in months crept back into his bones and weighed him down, turning his walk into a trudge.

The two older Jinchūriki had taken him under their wings and given him the attention he'd desperately craved from people Rōshi would say weren't worth his time. And after months of ignoring the people who had steadfastly hated him, he was forced to admit that the Iwa-nin had a point; why did it matter what the villagers thought of him when he wasn't a part of their lives?

But then he reminded himself that he wanted to be in their lives, sought to be the Hokage, their protector, and just pretending that they didn't matter wasn't going to lead him to his goal. He needed Konoha's citizens to acknowledge him – his strength, his ability, his simple presence – if he wanted to be their leader.

He'd eventually stopped bringing that goal up to his companions for fear that they might eventually decide he was no longer worth their time. Rōshi tended to scoff at his dream, his creased brow a reminder of his eternal skepticism. And Utakata, when he wasn't fast enough to school his features, just looked sad, as if Naruto's declaration was a painful memory despite only knowing each other for a short while.

He looked like that a lot, now that Naruto thought about it, especially when asked about Yagura and how he'd gotten to be the Mizukage.

The morning he'd arrived at their training area after the teenaged Jinchūriki had left, a pit had settled in his stomach. It was the fear that, despite what Utakata had said, it had been the blond's fault that someone who'd finally been willing to give him attention was gone, that someone who'd taken him seriously no longer considered him worthy. But Rōshi had still been there, and if the redhead had seemed just a little more annoyed than usual, it wasn't anything Naruto had really considered uncharacteristic. Months of training together hadn't erased the Iwa-nin's tendencies to be a grumpy old man.

As the days had stretched with no sign from the brunet, the idea that Utakata might not return – either by his own volition or due to other circumstances – festered, with only Rōshi's unyielding drive to continue the blond's training keeping his focus. And, fortunate or not, that was the only thing the Iwa-nin allowed his attention to fixate on; any questions he'd had about the Rokubi Jinchūriki's whereabouts were ignored and answered with grueling physical training.

That it had only taken three times to stop asking was an achievement all its own.

But the silence of the two older Jinchūriki was suspicious. Not enough to question their motives, especially since they were too tight-lipped to say anything, but enough to know that there was something they weren't telling him.

What's going on? Why won't Utakata-nii and Rōshi-oji let me help?

He huffed in annoyance, a deep scowl settling over his features. He was part of the team, and he wanted to help, but the Iwa- and Mist-nin wouldn't let him, too intent on training him to make him aware of their plan. Did they think he was too weak to be of assistance?

His fists clenched in anger. I'm gonna be the next Hokage, damn it! I'll be the strongest there is!

"Remember, you need to stay calm. Go with the flow."

Utakata's soothing voice ran through his head, and he automatically took a deep breath. His inhale was cleansing, and if he closed his eyes, he could almost feel the water of the river they trained in moving around him, a tranquil presence. Think…think…

Utakata and Rōshi had dedicated months to him, it didn't make sense for them to leave him without good reason. And the redhead had said they would both return, so he would just have to be patient.

Naruto released another huff, though this one was more despondent. Patience was not exactly one of his strengths, especially without either of the older Jinchūriki there to keep him focused.

But Rōshi had given him a mission: persevere. Continue training. Work on the skills he and Utakata had spent arduous months beating into him, literally and figuratively.

Alright, he decided, fists clenched at his sides, gotta keep working.

He glanced up, looking around to see if anyone was around to witness his renewed dedication. The streets were still empty. I wonder where everyone is? Then he shrugged. Oh well.

His attention wandered to the village's exterior, the treetops bunched together in an indeterminate mass. Without Rōshi and Utakata, it didn't feel right to return to the spot he normally met them for training, even if that was his intention while they were gone. But Konoha's reach was far, and there were plenty of places to undertake the mission Rōshi had left him.

With no set destination in mind, Naruto meandered away from the Hidden Leaf's dusty streets and towards its green jungle. The trees appeared to loom overhead with serene grace, silent sentinels protecting the young Jinchūriki. A feeling of security settled over him, the slouch in his shoulders straightening, the assurance in his step growing more pronounced as he walked.

It was strange to find comfort and strength in the silence, especially since he'd never particularly cared for being alone, but maybe the months of training with Rōshi and Utakata among nature had been transformative. Though he didn't always agree with how the Iwa-nin saw things, he still understood why the redhead thought the way he did.

Loneliness was a feeling all Jinchūriki understood, or so Utakata liked to say.

Naruto shook his head to rid himself of the negative feelings. None of that, he told himself, Rōshi's rusty drawl echoing his thoughts. Focus on your breathing, and this time it was Utakata's voice accompanying his internal one.

His lips quirked of their own accord. Imagining the two older Jinchūriki being around, guiding him through their usual motions, helped offset the loneliness. With that thought in mind, he settled himself to his task, feeling energy ebb and flow throughout his body with each breath. He pushed his chakra into the earth on each exhale, feeling the unyielding nature of the dirt beneath him and finding an anchor to keep him tethered to his training.

He'd found out that learning Doton wasn't all that different from learning Suiton. Both elements were easier to manipulate from an existing source, and they both came easier to him when his mind was clear. Calm, Utakata liked to preach. Yet, despite that, they were also very different; water was in constant motion, always moving along the path of least resistance, whereas the earth was inert. Stubborn, Rōshi would grunt. Wielding either required focus, but different types: one a gentle, persistent hand to guide along a new path, the other a stubborn determination to force it to his will.

Kinda like Utakata-nii and Rōshi-oji.

The thought of the old Iwa-nin gave him the final push he needed to activate his jutsu, fingers twisting through seals. "Doton: Doroku Gaeshi!"

The earth before him grumbled, the outline of a four-foot by four-foot block of hardened dirt breaking free. Sweat beaded his brow as he felt the Earth Shore Return resist him, not ready to budge from its resting place. "Move…you…stupid…wall…" he bit out through gritted teeth, pushing more chakra into the technique and willing it to rise.

The technique responded to his will, rising slowly but steadily until it stood erected before him. Naruto let out a long exhale and placed his hands on his knees, more tired by the mental exertion than the physical one. His breathing evened out within seconds, and he straightened, admiring his success with a grin. "Heh, you're missing out, Rōshi-oji."

His personal congratulation only served to emphasize once more how alone he was, the earthen wall reminding him of his red-haired tutor. Rōshi was stubborn and unmoving, a lot like the earth, but also quick-tempered and prone to outbursts, like a flame erupting from a spark. His mastery of Yōton made sense in that way, a perfect blend of the elements which matched his personality. Utakata was the same, just with water.

He wondered what that said about him, someone who could use all the elements. Rōshi and Utakata were both cool in their own ways, but the blond didn't want to turn out like them. They both seemed…stuck. Like they'd just accepted whatever had happened to them and grown more bitter and sad with each passing day.

And for Rōshi, that was a lot of days.

But Naruto saw adversity as an opportunity for growth, to be better than he was, to grow stronger than the him of yesterday. That was how he would become the Hokage – by looking forward, not back.

A high-pitched chirping from the nearby trees pulled the blond from his thoughts. He'd gotten used to the sounds of nature over the months of training with the two older Jinchūriki, and nothing he'd heard sounded like the noise echoing through the treetops.

The chirping faded away just as he figured out the direction it was coming from, and he took off at a sprint towards its source. As the foliage around him blurred into indistinct browns and greens, the sounds of battle – as familiar to him now as getting beaten by Rōshi – reached his ears, a cacophony of crashes and yells.

A bright burst of blue-white light from between the trees forced the blond to squint, the shrill chirping sound from before erupting into a fever pitch. Naruto raced forward, stumbling to a halt with blue eyes wide as Uchiha Sasuke – left hand covered in a blinding aura – propelled himself towards a boy with a tan tail and a clawed hand as large as his body covering his right arm. What is that?!

The pair met in midair, momentum carrying them past each other to land on separate tree branches over 50 feet apart. At the same time the strange boy's clawed arm detached from his body, Sasuke collapsed forward, the blue-white light around his hand disappearing with the high-pitched chirping.

Another claw formed along the other boy's left arm, and he dove for Sasuke with a maniacal laugh.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"

The tan claw spread around the boy as a protective sphere, the Great Fireball Technique breaking apart at the contact. More of the tan substance – it shifted so fluidly, like water, but looked more like dirt – appeared, forming another claw that grabbed the nearest tree bough and allowed the boy to swing around and over, landing in a crouch. His head turned over and glared down, part of his face distorted animalistically with the tan material. Naruto felt a shiver course through him. Shit.

"Naruto?! What are you doing here?"

He turned at the voice, staring up into the treetops. "Sakura-chan?"

"Uchiha…Sasuke!"

"Sakura-chan, get Sasuke outta here! Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"

Again the fireball was blocked by the tan material, and the same powerlessness Naruto had felt fighting Rōshi the first couple times, when the redhead had let him try his best because he knew it would never be enough, flooded his body. The strange boy kept moving towards his former classmates, and the blond reached out with one hand to forestall the threat in some way.

The claw reaching for his former classmates exploded, spraying small tan particles everywhere. Sand, Naruto realized as it settled in his hair and on his clothes, peppering his skin as wide blue eyes remained fixated on the boy plummeting to the ground. It's sand.

"Naruto, what's going on?!"

"Sakura-chan, just leave! I'll take care of this guy!"

The words spilled from his mouth without thought, but the second they left, he felt his resolve firm itself. This was what being a Hokage was about! I'll protect Sakura-chan and Sasuke…even though I don't know what I did… After all, he'd just sort of gestured toward the claw before it blew up… He stared at his hands in confusion. Maybe 'cause sand is like dirt? So I used Doton?

"NARUTO, WATCH OUT!"

He looked up at Sakura's voice, finding a flurry of sand shuriken coming at him. Reflexively, he brought his arms up in a cross to shield his face from the worst of the damage, but after several seconds, opened his eyes to discover that the projectiles targeting his body had veered off-course and hit the ground at his feet. Eh?

The situation was uncomfortably familiar, and he realized with a jolt that his first fight with Rōshi had gone much the same way, albeit with lava instead of sand. Is he…?

"You…" growled the boy, "how are you doing this?"

I don't know! His eyes darted upwards, finding Sakura frozen in place beside Sasuke.

"Mother, why are you—yes, of course I'll kill him. I'll kill all of them for you…"

The boy's hands were gripping his head, eyes closed in some internal pain, and he was muttering to a person Naruto couldn't see. "Uhh…"

Then bloodshot teal eyes snapped open, a scream echoing from the sand-user's mouth. More sand coalesced around him, forming an appearance more animalistic than human. A single tail – as long and thick around as a small person – coiled around him, blue vein-like markings decorating a tan body comprised entirely of sand. New claws formed along his arms and hands, ending in sharp black tips. He looks kinda like a raccoon. But evil.

"DIE! Fūton: Mugen Sajin – Daitoppa!"

Naruto flipped through seals and slammed his palms on the ground. "Doton: Doroku Gaeshi!"

The earth in front of him broke free from the ground, creating a massive wall that protected him and his former classmates from the assault of wind and sand. Wow, it's huge! He stared at his hands in amazement. Did I do that? His hands curled into fists. I'm really getting stronger.

It was almost a relief to be able to acknowledge it. In training, Rōshi (and to a lesser extent, Utakata) tended to just keep pushing without ever really letting him sit back and admire his progress. Even then, working with the two Jinchūriki was slow; Rōshi didn't pull his punches, but Naruto also wasn't afraid of their fights.

But faced with this boy who seemed to want to kill him, the blond could feel his blood pounding in his ears, adrenaline coursing through his veins. And that made him feel…energized. Like everything he'd learned was snapping into place. The exertion he'd felt when trying to use the Earth Shore Return before was gone.

From his periphery, he could see Sakura in the same spot, still staring at him in shock. "GO!" he yelled. "Get outta—!"

The sound of breaking earth interrupted him, and he turned just in time to see the boy rocketing towards him through his crumbling Earth Shore Return. Naruto yelped as the full force of his opponent's clawed fist slammed into him, sending him careening into a thick tree trunk. Something in his left arm snapped upon impact.

"AHHHHH!"

The claw reached out again, extending from the demonic shinobi and wrapping around his body to hold him against the tree. Pain lanced along his broken arm as the sand constraining him tightened, and he found he could only gasp in a mixture of agony and breathlessness. Not…strong…enough…

The boy drew close, an animalistic nightmare easily twice as large as him. Naruto closed his eyes, willing himself to find calm, to find a way out of this situation he'd gotten into. No…not calm, he decided. Stubborn.

"I don't know how you did what you did," growled the boy, "but it doesn't matter. Once I kill you, I will find Uchiha Sasuke and kill him."

Sand is just earth, and earth will move if I tell it to. Let me go.

Sand coiled around his legs, pulled him from the tree, and cocooned his body.

I did it before. I'm not gonna die here. Let me go! I'm Uzumaki Naruto—

"Sabaku Kyū!"

—and I'm gonna be the next Hokage, BELIEVE IT!

The sand surrounding him exploded outward, and his attacker was propelled back by the shockwave. Naruto landed on the ground with a hiss, broken arm hanging uselessly at his side. He could hear his kunai and shuriken clinking against each other for several seconds, as if quivering in anticipation, and his right hand went to his weapon pouch to silence the metal there. Deft fingers slipped inside and wrapped around the handle of a kunai, pulling it out and holding it defensively in front of him.

His opponent was gripping his head with both claws, shaking it back and forth and muttering to himself. Naruto took a moment to glance up at where Sakura had been standing and found her and Sasuke gone. With a sigh of relief, he turned back to his opponent, wondering how he could beat him. Can I beat him? He didn't want to run away, but given his arm and the other boy's increasingly worrisome bloodlust, he wasn't sure he had any other options.

"—I want to—yes, just to please you, Mother—let me—yes, Mother, of course you can kill the Kyūbi—"

Naruto froze in his retreat, turning around to face the sand-covered creature. "What was that?"

The sand around the boy's hands sloughed away to reveal human fingers which came together in the sign of the Ram. "Tanuki Neiri no Jutsu!"

The Konoha native watched with wide-eyed horror as layers upon layers of sand poured forth from his opponent's body, pulling away from the raccoon-like shell surrounding him to reveal a boy his age with pale skin and hair the color of dried blood. The redhead rose under the mountain of sand, breaking through Konoha's lush canopy amidst a shrill cackle.

By the time he was done growing, Naruto's neck was craned almost vertically upward, mouth agape. A truly massive tanuki towered overhead, easily several hundred feet tall sitting on its haunches, its stout body formed from sand and marked by a design of black scribbles and dots in a seemingly random pattern. From his position on the ground, Naruto could only see dark patches where its eyes were supposed to be, though his own eyes were drawn to the single tail that arched over the creature's head, as long as its body.

That's…that's a Bijū…

Despite how often Rōshi and Utakata mentioned that they were Jinchūriki and that they each housed one of the Tailed Beasts, it had never really occurred to him what that meant. After all, the Kyūbi had been bested by the Yondaime, and the only evidence the blond had seen of it prior to meeting his two teachers had been a single drawing in a history book. But Naruto had always been so focused on the Fourth Hokage in that story that the scale of what he'd been up against had never registered.

I've got that thing inside me? His good hand moved to rest on his stomach. No, worse…that's the Ichibi, and I've got the Kyūbi.

As if to prove his point, the tanuki's head moved, and Naruto found himself frozen by the yellow pinpricks of its eyes. "Yahoo! C'mon, Kyūbi, let's play! It's time I showed you who the strongest really is. Fūton: Renkūdan!"

The Ichibi inhaled before pounding one sandy paw into its stomach, spitting out a ball of compressed air that impacted the surrounding area. Howling winds tore up a half-mile radius of forest, sending fully grown trees flying like toothpicks amidst a storm of green leaves. Naruto shielded his face with his good arm, finding stability with his back against a sturdy tree trunk, wind and debris slicing through his clothes and into exposed skin. How do I fight this thing?!

That he was even considering fighting the massive tanuki was insane on its own. Every instinct in his body screamed to run away, the mere presence of the One-Tail causing his body to vibrate in fear. Against such overwhelming might, what chance did he stand?

He shook his head to rid himself of that fear. Being abandoned by Utakata and Rōshi on their quest for more Jinchūriki made him feel…useless. Like his months of training hadn't accomplished anything, and he was just sitting around, waiting for them to return. But Naruto wasn't patient enough to just sit on his hands, and a Jinchūriki appearing in Konoha was just too perfect. It didn't matter that he was scared, he would befriend the Jinchūriki and prove to his two teachers that he could help in their mission.

Besides, he'd read the story of the Yondaime and the Kyūbi hundreds of times. If the Hokage could beat the Nine-Tails, then a Hokage-to-be could do the same against the One-Tail. It was the ultimate test of his future potential.

Another Drilling Air Bullet blasted through the forest, and this time, Naruto leaped out of its path. The One-Tail released another squeal of maniacal glee, and the blond took to the trees, circling around the massive creature to try to get out of its line of sight. His fire ninjutsu hadn't been effective even before the Ichibi had formed, which meant that it probably wouldn't work any better now. He extended his good arm towards the Tailed Beast, trying to pull the sand from its body and manipulate it like he'd done earlier, but after several seconds of nothing happening, he dropped the limb with a curse.

Utakata-nii was right. I can't control it without training. The Kyūbi does.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are! Fūton: Renkūdan!"

More of the surrounding forest was ripped from its roots and thrown around in a maelstrom of winds that motivated Naruto to push forward, circling the tanuki's stocky body. He eyed the Ichibi's namesake, arched over its head. That's how to get close.

The One-Tail's shrill cackling continued as the blond moved ever closer, Konoha's lush greenery torn asunder around him as the sand demon alternated between celebrating its freedom and screaming for the Kyūbi. Naruto thanked the gods that the Bijū seemed more distracted by blindly firing at its surroundings than actually taking the time to search for him, using his good fortune to creep close enough to leap from a tree to the massive sandy tail. His feet sunk into the sand upon landing, giving him some purchase, though he windmilled his good arm for balance. Made it!

Then the sand around his limbs began to shift. Shit!

He looked up to see the Ichibi's head craned as far back as it could, its jagged mouth smirking at him from over its shoulder. "Heeheehee, you can't sneak up on me! My body, my domain!"

Naruto dropped his good hand so it hung by his lame one, forming messy seals and focusing on the chakra in his belly. "Suiton: Mizurappa!"

Water spewed from his mouth in a strong spray aimed down, washing away the sand that was creeping up around his ankles. Yes!

He took advantage of his freedom, leaping from the tail and landing on the tanuki's rump. Immediately, more sand moved to capture him, twirling around his legs in snake-like fashion. Within seconds, it was up to his waist, his lame hand unreachable beneath silica. Oi, stupid fox! If you want to live, you better give me your power!

Good hand on the sand around his legs, chakra focused on the particulates there, the sand holding him in place sloughed away. "KYŪBI!" howled the Ichibi. "You can't control everything!"

Spires of sand rose up around the blond and then spiked towards him. Naruto tried to deflect the sand away with the Kyūbi's ability, but it continued unimpeded, and he dove away at the last second, earning a gash along his thigh despite his effort. Come on, you giant bastard, help me more than that!

No response was forthcoming, not that he expected any. Temporarily free of any obstacles, he ran towards the tanuki's head, pace hindered by his new injury. A large wall of sand rose up before him, and when Naruto veered to the right, more sand formed to block his path. He expelled another Wild Water Wave at the surrounding silica, and while the inside layer clumped together and sloughed away from the rest, more took its place. He raised a hand to again try to control it, but the sand didn't even slow.

Katon doesn't work, Doton doesn't work, even Suiton won't work anymore. Stupid Kyūbi only helps when it's convenient! I need something stronger…

He only had one other trick, and despite practicing in secret (after Rōshi had shown him once to make up for Utakata's departure), he still hadn't gotten it to work. But he was pissed. And stubborn. And out of options.

Chakra born from his anger coursed through his right arm. His left arm – broken and unmoving – gathered even more. He maneuvered his hands together just as he had for the Wild Water Wave, focusing on his anger and stubbornness, remembering every lesson Rōshi had taught him, the liquid heat that had nearly barbecued him upon their first meeting, the words the red-haired Jinchūriki had yelled at him—

"Yōton: Yōnami!"

White-hot lava spewed from his lips in mimicry of the Mizurappa. It melted a hole in the wall of sand before him, and he darted through the opening with a cry of victory. A yowl of rage sounded out from high above, nearly drowning out the victory his blood was thundering in his ears. Keep going, stay focused, make it to the top, he chanted to himself. He didn't know what he'd find there, but since the sand that made up the Ichibi's body had formed beneath the red-haired shinobi, it made sense that his body would be at the head.

"I'll kill you, Kyūbi!"

Not if I have anything to say about it! Using his uninjured leg, Naruto used a little extra chakra to jump into the air and avoid the claws of sand that reached out from the tanuki's back. He performed a front-flip, spitting out a second Lava Release: Lava Wave at the sand threatening his life. The force of the expulsion blasted him backwards through a cloud of unformed silica until he impacted something hard with a grunt.

Naruto craned his neck from one side to the other to get his bearings, noting the triangular ears on either side. I made it to the head! He almost felt like laughing, but there was no time to sit and ponder his fortune; staying still risked death, and judging by its screams, the Ichibi was as motivated as ever to kill him.

"I feel you up there, Kyūbi! You won't escape me! Sabaku Sōtaisō Fūin!"

Sand swirled around the blond, binding his arms to his sides and his legs together before he could react. The strange black markings that decorated the One-Tail's body crawled along the outside of the cocoon that encased the Leaf Jinchūriki. Kyūbi! Naruto called, his mental voice tremoring with terror. Help me!

Again there was no response, but this time, Naruto felt like he was shouting into an endless void. There was an emptiness inside that he hadn't felt throughout the fight, especially during the moments when he'd controlled sand, and that flooded him with an intense dread. He'd been relying on the fox's powers, on an ability he didn't fully understand, to help win the fight against the Ichibi, because it was important to Utakata to bring the Jinchūriki to their side, but now it seemed Rōshi had been right when he'd said Naruto wasn't ready.

The sand around him constricted, jostling the broken bones in his arm and forcing a protracted yell from his throat. He was in a prison up to his neck, one that kept getting tighter, squeezing the air from his lungs and keeping his body in constant agony. I…I'm dying… His vision swam. Sorry, Utakata-nii…Rōshi-oji…

A flash of red and white blurred across his sight, and then a high-pitched shriek of fury made it to his ears before he blacked out, the pressure on his body slowly dissipating.

-l-l-l-

Author's Note: I guess there's been some confusion about the timeline here, so it should be noted that this chapter corresponds with the Chūnin Exams. The first part, when Utakata decides to leave, would take place during the written exam, and the month that he's gone and before Rōshi leaves is the time lapse between the second and third stages. Rōshi leaves shortly before the invasion begins. In total, Naruto has been trained for approximately 6 months.