Evolved Naruto :)

by EIxKAZU_RAONNIM

Summary:

What would've happened if Naruto had met Kurama earlier and they had worked together to become the strongest ever?

Read to find out!

Notes:

I hope you all enjoy this. This is my first piece of work; comments are welcome.
This work is inspired by Of Harrowed Hearts and several other works. It is incredibly indulgent of all my fantasies, so I hope you all enjoy them as well! :)

Chapter 1: Chapter One: The Kyuubi

Summary:

I hope you all enjoy this.
This is my first piece of work; comments are always welcome! I want to know your thoughts about it!
This work is inspired by Of Harrowed Hearts and several other works. It is an incredibly indulgent of all of my fantasies, so I hope you all enjoy them as well! :)

Notes:

I have edited this chapter and added some minor details; it shouldn't change the story at all. I just wanted to make it a little more detailed.

Thanks again!

Edited 19.08.25

Chapter One 

Naruto has his head shoved into the dirt, ending the spar with another loss. 

Everyone cheers for Sasuke, and some of them laugh at Naruto. 

“I can’t believe that idiot thought he could beat Sasuke! So stupid!” One of the boys laughed, pointing at Naruto on the ground. 

“Wow!! You are so amazing, Sasuke-kun!!” The girls squealed, rushing over to the boy and chattering over each other to get his attention. 

Shikamaru and Choji are sitting under a tree watching the interactions, and Kiba goes to help Naruto off the ground. 

“Are you alright, Naruto?” Kiba questions the blonde boy, and Naruto nods in answer, patting the dirt off his pants. 

“Yeah! I’m totally gonna beat him next time, Dattebayo!” Naruto announced, and Kiba grinned widely at his statement.

“Of course, man!” Kiba agrees, throwing his arm around his shoulders in support. Kiba steers them both over to Shikamaru and Choji to join them underneath the tree for the rest of class. 

“Are you alright, Naruto?” Choji asks as he offers the boy some of his potato chips. Naruto takes a handful with a smile of gratitude. “I’m alright, Choji! I’m just frustrated about always losing to the Teme.” Naruto grumbles while eating his chips. 

Choji nods in answer, looking over to the bustling group around the dark-haired boy. “He doesn’t show any emotion when he is winning, either. Probably makes it more frustrating for you.” 

Kiba nods in agreement to Choji’s comment. “It’s like this is nothing new to him, like he didn't even think there was going to be a different outcome. I want to make him show a new emotion on his face, one day.” 

Shikamaru opens one of his eyes at Kiba's comment. “I mean, how much emotion would you be showing after having your whole clan killed in one night?” The boys look over to the Nara, surprised he would join the conversation before humming in agreement with his statement. 

“Yeah... I mean... When you put it like that... But why does he push everyone away? Being alone won’t help him...” Naruto says under his breath.  

They all go quiet in thought, and then the class is dismissed. They all wave to each other, and Naruto moves over to the swing set outside the academy to sit and watch the other kids being picked up by their parents. 

Naruto watches them with sadness and anger building inside of him. These emotions wake up the sleeping beast inside of the boy, and the fox raises his head to look around him, at the cell he is in. He snarls at the bars of the cage and hits them with his tails in anger. 

The burning in his stomach shocks Naruto out of his thoughts.  

He presses his hands to his stomach and can feel heat through his shirt.  

Getting worried, Naruto looks around and sees some adults still there, looking at him with hatred. Naruto runs off to get somewhere without people around. He makes it to his apartment and locks his doors and windows. Naruto makes his way to the mirror and lifts his shirt to see what is happening to his stomach. 

Looking at his reflection with confusion, Naruto pokes at the black ink on his stomach. “What is this...?” He mumbles, he narrows his eyes to the reflection before looking down at his stomach again. ‘Is this just on the mirror? It wasn't this morning.’ He thinks, moving his shirt out of the way and still seeing the ink on his stomach, furrows his brow in concern. 

Naruto looks back up and finds that he is not in his room anymore. He is standing in a large room with gigantic metal bars in the middle of the room. 

“What the hell?? Where am I?” Naruto shouts, looking around warily. He looks through the bars into the shadows and jumps back in shock at the huge red eyes staring back at him. 

“Whoa! Who are you?” Naruto yells up to the eyes, and they squint menacingly down at the child. 

I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune. A deep voice answers, while a large, red fox walks out of the shadows for the child to see, his tails swishing in the background showcasing his irritation. 

Naruto stares at the fox in front of him with his mouth agape. He looks to his tails, counting them before pointing at him in indignation. “No way! Lord Fourth killed the Kyuubi 8 years ago!” 

The Kyuubi scoffs at his accusation. You pesky humans. Always think you are all-powerful. You can’t kill a bijuu; we are made up of chakra. We are near immortal! He growls at the child and turns his head away, finished with the conversation. 

Naruto looks at the fox in doubt. “If Lord Fourth didn’t kill you, what happened then? What do you mean by ‘near immortal’? How can you be near immortal?” 

Naruto moved closer to the bars, and the fox started snarling at the boy in warning. Naruto stops in line with the bars, and the Kyuubi stops growling. 

Why would I tell you anything? The Kyuubi grounds out, and Naruto tilts his head slightly at the question. 

“Why wouldn’t you? You look like you are stuck here, and it doesn’t look like you get a lot of visitors. I will listen to anything you want to say. No one else wants to talk to me.” Naruto says honestly, and he sits down to get comfortable. He looks up to meet the Kyuubi's eyes, waiting for him to answer. 

The Kyuubi watches this child for a while, and Naruto keeps eye contact the whole time. The Kyuubi sighs, sitting down in front of him. What was the question? Naruto claps in excitement. “What did Lord Fourth do on the night of the attack, if it wasn’t killing you?” 

The blonde idiot sealed me into his son, that is all the villages can do to ‘control the bijuu’. Not that it controls us at all. Just creates a Jinchuriki for the villages to use against each other. The Kyuubi answers reluctantly, and Naruto tilts his head with a confused expression on his face. 

“Sealed? Son? Jinchuriki?” Naruto asks, and the Kyuubi sighs in despair. 

What is this village teaching you children? Nothing, it seems. Yes, he sealed me into his son. What don’t you understand about this? The Kyuubi leans down to get closer to Naruto, who kneels to get closer as well. 

“The Fourth has a son? Why is no one aware of this? How do you seal something as big as you are, into a child?” Naruto questions, gesturing to the fox, who is the size of a mountain, if not bigger.  

The Kyuubi nods his head in answer. 

You have seen the storage scrolls shinobi use, right? Naruto nods. They are made with seals and are designed to hold a variety of items. Large and small. Makes travelling easier for missions. Mito Uzumaki was the first to ever seal one of the Bijuu into herself, and I have since been passed down to 2 other humans since her. The Kyuubi finishes his statement, and Naruto nods in understanding, smiling at the fox in thanks, before furrowing his brow in question again. 

“The Fourth has a son? Why doesn’t anyone know about him?” Naruto asks. 

Hmmm... How did you get here? Kyuubi asks instead. 

Naruto shrugs and pulls his shirt up to show the ink on his stomach. “I felt a burning sensation in my belly and was checking it out and saw this ink, and when I looked up, I was here.” Naruto looks to the fox for an answer. “Do you know what happened?” The Kyuubi hums in acknowledgement before saying. 

That is a seal. It is how you were able to come here at all. It's why I am here as well. The Kyuubi answers, waiting for Naruto to connect the dots. 

Naruto is thinking about the new information given to him by the Kyuubi, when his head shoots up, looking at the Kyuubi in shock. “The Fourth had a son... He sealed you into him... I have a seal on my stomach... I can talk to you, the Kyuubi...” He trails off, and the Kyuubi tilts his head at him in acknowledgement.

Naruto looks down at his shirt, where the seal is and murmurs. “Am I the Fourth's son?”  

The fox stares down at the child, who looks scared of the answer to his question, but wasn’t scared to be talking to the literal fox demon. Of course you are, boy. Who else would be? Naruto looks up to the fox in wonderment. 

“Really?? This is amazing!” Naruto exclaims with excitement, jumping up and down in celebration. The fox watches this child dancing around in joy after hearing about his father. Naruto turns back to the fox and runs up to him, beaming. “Did you know who my mother was, as well?” Naruto questions enthusiastically, sitting down next to the fox past the bars of the seal. 

Yes, I did know your mother. More intimately than your father, even. The Kyuubi watches the child in trepidation, confused about why he came so close to him. Your mother was my Jinchuriki before you. Seeing Naruto tilting his head in confusion about the new word, he sighs and goes on to explain. She had me sealed into her. That makes her a Jinchuriki, just like you are now my Jinchuriki.  

Naruto hums in consideration, then smiles at the fox once again. “Was she strong as well? She would have to be, right? She was my mother! No mother is ever weak! Shikamaru and Choji’s mothers are both terrifying women!” Naruto laughs, and the Kyuubi snorts at the boy's words. 

You are right. She was strong! She had to, to be chosen as my Jinchuriki in the first place. The Kyuubi starts, but is cut off by the boy's question. “Chosen? How do you get chosen to be Jinchuriki?” Naruto cuts in, looking to the fox for clarification.  

Your mother wasn’t originally from Konoha; she was born in Uzushiogakure. The Whirlpool country. Mito went back to the village to find someone to take over her ‘burden’. The Kyuubi rolls his eyes at that before continuing. She went to the village to observe the next generation of children to find someone suitable to hold me. The Uzumaki all have strong vitality and long lifespans, which make them the perfect host to hold the Bijuu, along with their dense chakra and sealing chains that are powerful enough to hold back a Bijuu by themselves. This is all packaged in red-headed, fiery human packages, making them all terrifying opponents for anyone, human or bijuu alike. Your mother was the best pick, and she was shipped off to Konoha to be trained as the next human sacrifice for an ungrateful village.  

Naruto looks overwhelmed with all the new information about his clan that he didn’t know existed, but as he opens his mouth to ask more questions about them, the Kyuubi interrupts him. You won't find any pure Uzumaki in Konoha. Uzushio was decimated just before the Second Shinobi War by the combined efforts of Kiri, Iwa and Kumo. They were a huge threat to all the Hidden Villages other than Konoha, as they were Konoha’s sister village through the marriage of the Senju clan head and the Uzumaki princess at the beginning. Naruto dips his head in sad acknowledgement before peering at the fox with twinkling eyes. 

“You sound like you have a high opinion of the Uzumaki, even though you hate all humanity!” Naruto quotes the fox, jokingly.

The Kyuubi grins meanly at the child. I can respect tenacity in human form that the Uzumaki were, but that doesn’t mean I like them. They and all their little clans on that island were all intriguing for all the Bijuu when they were at their height of notoriety. Naruto laughs at the fox's defence, and the Kyuubi huffs, mumbling under his breath about ‘shitty little kids’. 

We watched them create their islands and helped them learn about sealing. They were the only ones to treat us Bijuu with respect back then. Those were the good days. The Kyuubi sighed wistfully, looking at the bars of his enclosure. Naruto watches the fox with soft eyes, understanding how he feels. Being reviled and hated for the fears of others, just because they don’t understand. 

“What other clans were on the islands with the Uzumaki? Do you know if there are any survivors in Konoha?” Naruto slightly changes the subject, and the Kyuubi looks down at the child in confusion, before thinking over the answer. 

I don’t know how many more clans were added altogether, but I know there were 4 other main clans there in the beginning. Other than the Uzumaki, there were a clan of blacksmiths, the Masumune clan, a clan for poisons, the Haiga clan, a clan for taijutsu specialists, the Keijika clan, and a clan of genjutsu specialists, the Sugure clan. There were more by the time they were killed off, but I don’t know any of them. I was sealed into Mito by then already and stuck inside this village. The Kyuubi explains to the child while watching his face to make sure he is understanding the new information. 

Naruto’s head bobbles in answer to the look on the fox's face. “How come they don’t teach anything about all these amazing clans if we were sister villages?” He inquires. The Kyuubi sighs disdainfully in answer. 

They don’t like being reminded of their failures, so they are making sure no one remembers anything about them. Your Hokage is being weak-willed as always, can’t even face his mistakes head-on and learn from them. The Kyuubi says, condescendingly, and Naruto twitches with the inbuilt instinct to defend the Hokage's honour, but quickly shakes out of it.

The Kyuubi watches the curious movements in confusion.  

What? You held back something just now. What was it you were going to say? The Kyuubi questions and Naruto glances at the fox in consideration, before huffing out a breath. 

“I stopped myself from defending the Hokage! He doesn’t deserve to be defended for this wrongdoing! These clans died, and Konoha doesn’t even learn about them in the academy? We should be learning about them and making sure their legacy doesn’t die out as well! But Hokage-jiji is being a coward and not facing his mistake at all!” Naruto proclaims, pacing around the space in front of the fox. “Did we send any help to them when they were attacked?” Naruto turns to the Kyuubi for an answer. 

The Kyuubi thinks back and makes a so-so gesture with his hand. They did send help, but I’m pretty sure they either didn’t make it in time or at all. I can’t remember that time very well. Kushina, your mother, was very emotional. Naruto acknowledges the answer with a nod and continues pacing the area, fuming.  

The Kyuubi watches in amusement, lying down to get comfortable. As he is watching, he sees that the space is getting darker and more dreary in response to Naruto’s emotions. He notes this new information in the back of his mind and continues watching the boy calm himself down. 

Naruto sits down, leaning against the front leg of the Bijuu, with a heavy sigh. The fox looks down in shock that he would lean against him. Before he can say anything about it, Naruto looks around at the space around them and says, "This place is horrible! Did it get worse in here? How does that work? Do you think we would be able to change the scenery to something better?” When he finishes speaking, Naruto stares at the silent fox in the eyes, waiting for a response. 

Getting over his shock, he rolls his eyes at the question. Your emotions seem to be tied to the atmosphere and bring about changes to the space. Naruto hums in answer and looks around again. “So, it got worse because I was angry earlier?” The Kyuubi nods, and Naruto continues, “Do you think I can change the space to be something else? Like maybe the forest outside the village instead of the sewers?”  

The Kyuubi tilts his head in thought as he answers. I don’t know for sure. All my seal spaces have been different, and none of them have been made to be the ‘outside’. This space is in your mind, so I don’t find it too far-fetched to think that you have control over what it looks like. Naruto smiles at the fox at his answer before closing his eyes to think about the new space. 

The Kyuubi sits up to watch the scenery, while Naruto sits there, thinking of the forests around the village. The Kyuubi watches as the walls fade away into trees and the water transitions to water, and there are even some koi swimming in there as well. The bars of the cell turn into huge Redwood trees with the seal paper still on them, but at least an upgrade. The fox looks down and notices he isn’t in the water anymore. He is on a little islet full of green grass and flowers, such as peace lilies, blue hydrangeas, sunflowers, purple and orange daisies, and orange lilies, all layered around each other.

Naruto opens his eyes and looks around in satisfaction, before standing to join the Bijuu on the islet as well. “What do you think, Kyuubi? Good for the first time, yeah?” Naruto smiles at the fox. It’s not bad for a child who has never left his village before.  Naruto and Kyuubi both snicker at that before settling down in the flowers.  

“Hey, Kyuubi? Do you have a name?” Naruto asks suddenly, and the Kyuubi looks down at the child, playing with the flowers with wariness. Yes, I do. All Bijuu are named by the Sage of Six Paths. We are not mindless creatures, you know. The Kyuubi states defensively, and Naruto makes and holds eye contact with the fox when he says. 

“I figured you would. Can you tell me your name? It seems rude to continue calling you Kyuubi.” Naruto soothes the massive fox, and the Kyuubi leans down to see the boy's eyes more clearly.  

Naruto makes no indication of fear for the mighty Kyuubi being so close to him and waits patiently for his decision. The fox makes his choice and proudly states his name to his Jinchuriki. My name is Kurama. I am the eldest of the Bijuu. I allow you to use my name. Be in awe of the prestigious honour of being the first to be told my name!  

Naruto nods his head seriously to Kurama’s statement before holding out his hand to the fox. “It is nice to meet you, Kurama! I am Uzumaki Naruto!” Kurama looks at the extended hand and back at the child's eyes. He shakes the boy's hand with a nod in answer. 

They both settle down in the flowers once more after that significant exchange, sitting in comfortable silence.  Naruto once again breaks the silence.  

“Would you be able to tell me more about my parents? No one in the village will tell me anything about them.” Naruto asks quietly, still fiddling with the flowers, not looking up at the fox.  Kurama hums in answer and starts speaking. To start with, it wasn’t only Minato who was there on the night 8 years ago. Your mother would’ve had to be there as well, as my Jinchuriki. The seal always weakens when the Jinchuriki goes into labour. Giving birth. Kurama explains when he sees Naruto’s confused face, before continuing. 

Jinchuriki can give birth without releasing the Bijuu, i.e. Mito had two children successfully. On the night of Kushina’s, a man came and threatened your parents and took Kushina to release me to attack the village. This masked man had a Sharingan eye that was able to control the Bijuu and put me under a Genjutsu to control me to attack the village. Kurama sighed and looked down at the boy with sad eyes.  

Your mother was always going to die by that point, as having me released means death for the host. I had just been sent to attack the village when Minato sent me back into the forest again, and both of your parents were fighting against me to stop me from attacking the village. Kushina was using her sealing chains to hold me back by herself, and Minato went to get the only eligible host in the village and came back to seal me into you. Minato used a very powerful, forbidden Sealing Jutsu called the Death Reaper seal to seal half of my chakra into himself first, before using the Eight Trigrams to seal the other half into you, Naruto.   

Naruto focuses on the story Kurama is telling, riveted by the information. “Wow! They were both so amazing!” Naruto exclaims, and Kurama chuckles at the comment.  

Your parents were both tenacity incarnate for sure. They had to be, to hold off death for so long while fighting me and protecting you at the same time. Kurama states, and Naruto nods his head in agreement. 

“Did they have any last words? You were the only one around for their last moments; you would be the only one to know.” Naruto asks, and Kurama stills, thinking back to that night. I might be able to show you instead. Hold your fist out. Kurama instructs and Naruto does, tilting his head in confusion. 

Kurama meets his fist with his own and shares his memories of that night with Naruto. Naruto is shocked and frozen by the memories rushing through his head, before he starts crying at the messages his parents left for him. Kurama watches the boy sobbing and swishes his tails around the boy in comfort, allowing the child to burrow into his side while he cries his heart out for his parents. 

By the time Naruto calms down to sniffles, he feels a rumbling coming from Kurama and smiles softly at the fox's purring to comfort him. Naruto pets Kurama's flank and pushes back to look at the fox in the eye, before saying, "Thank you for showing me, Kurama.” He beams with wet cheeks before digging back into his side once more.

I have other memories of your parents that are happier than the night they died. If you want to see them? Kurama proposed, but Naruto shook his head in answer. 

“Maybe another time? Why don’t you tell me about the world from before you got trapped in a person? Maybe we will be able to recreate it one day for this space.” Naruto looks at Kurama in appreciation, and Kurama nods before starting to talk. 

While Kurama is talking, Naruto goes back to fiddling with the flowers and starts making a flower crown for the big fox. Once Naruto finished, he climbed up to Kurama’s face and showed him the crown before motioning to his head in question. Kurama flicks his ear in defeat, and Naruto cheers before carefully climbing onto the fox to put the crown on his head.  

He jumped off and appraised the fox. “You look great, Kurama!” Naruto nods his head decisively, giving the fox a thumbs up before leaning against Kurama’s flank, and Kurama scoffs at him. 

They sit in silence, just enjoying each other's company for the moment.   “Kurama... Would you be able to tell me more about my parents? Not memories but stories?” Naruto asks the fox.  

Kurama looks down at the child, answering in a soft voice.  

Yeah, I can tell you about them. I only ever saw Minato being an idiot around your mother, though, so I don't have much to say about him. Your mother is from Uzushio and was brought over to Konoha to be the next Jinchuriki after old hag Mito got too old. The first memory I have of Kushina is in the classroom, where she was being bullied by her classmates. 

“She was bullied? What for?” Naruto asks in disbelief.   

Kurama huffs, amused. Yeah, she was. For a foolish reason as well, because of the colour of her hair. You saw in the memory that she had a long mane of red hair, right? The colour of the sunset. That colour may be uncommon in Konoha, but in the Uzumaki Clan, they all had that colour hair. You have more of your father's colouring. She got called Tomato by her classmates. 

“Her hair was such a pretty colour, though! How could they bully her for that?! Crazy people!” Naruto cried out in shock, kneeling to get closer to Kurama’s eye.  

Kurama winces, shaking his head. The bullying mostly came from jealousy and the fact that she was different to the others, being a transfer. Minato was also in her class... He was popular for whatever reason. I think they called him a prodigy; all I can remember is that he was good with Fuuin-Jutsu and an orphan. When Kushina was a Genin, she had been kidnapped by Kumo shinobi because she was a Jinchuriki, and Minato was the one to find her. Kushina fell in love at that moment because she was crazy like that. 

Kurama looked down at Naruto’s reaction, and he saw him beaming, hearing about their love story.  

“Fuuin? What is that?” Naruto tapped on Kurama’s front paw in excitement. 

Fuuin-Jutsu are seals, like the storage seals and explosion tags. They were what made Uzushio so formidable. They had them down to an art and outclassed every other village 5-1. Kushina was a Seals master as well; they came to her naturally, like all other Uzumaki. Minato’s Genin Sensei is a seal master as well, so he had a teacher to help him understand them, but he picked them up quickly as well. 

“That’s cool. Do you think they teach seals at the academy? I want to know if I would be good at them as well.” Naruto questions while stroking Kurama’s paw.  Kurama watched the kid pet him incredulously as he answered. You will probably come to Fuuin very naturally. It is in your blood 2x over; we will just have to get the materials and an instruction manual to introduce you to the main parts, and I think you will leave everyone else in the dust. I don’t know if they teach seals in that academy, but even if they don’t, we can learn it anyway. It is a birthright for you. 

“We? You will help me?” Naruto asks, shocked, and Kurama nods in confirmation. “Alright! I will check with Iruka-sensei in class on Monday.” Naruto cheered before looking at Kurama in eagerness. Kurama chuckled before continuing. 

As I said, Minato’s teacher is a Seals Master, called the Toad Sage. He uses toads as his summons, and he’s a pervert who writes horrible books. There is one of his books that I want you to read because I haven’t read it, and you were named after the main character. It’s called ‘The Tale of the Gusty Shinobi’, and the toad was always going on about a child of prophecy; maybe it will shed some light on that. Minato named him your Godfather, and Kushina asked Uchiha Mikoto to be your Godmother. 

Naruto stares up at Kurama with shock and hurt in his eyes.  “Why didn’t one of them take me in after my parents died? I can remember an Uchiha lady helping me buy food at the shops, but I have never seen this ‘Toad Sage’. I had the most help from the masked shinobi who were always around when I was in the orphanage... but still...” Naruto trails off. 

Kurama rolls his eyes at the situation. Well, I don’t know why they didn’t take you in, but the Uchiha lady would’ve immediately tried to adopt you, but she doesn't seem to have been allowed to take you in for whatever reason. The Toad Sage has no such excuse, and he is an idiot. He would’ve stunted your growth anyway. It’s good to hear you still had people helping you with what seem to be severe restrictions to everyone who knew your parents. 

Naruto stared blankly at Kurama with tears flowing down his cheeks, making no move to wipe them away. “Who would make these restrictions?” 

Kurama wraps a tail around the boys' shoulders in comfort. To make the whole village listen, there is only one person able to do that.   

He nestles into the tail wrapped around him and takes deep breaths about this revelation. “The Hokage ordered it? Why would he keep me so separate from the rest of the village?” 

Kurama sighs at the questions and answers. His thoughts will be a mystery until we ask him, but we might be able to find more information about them later. We probably won’t get a straight answer from him at the moment anyway, as you are a child.

Naruto nods, still feeling frustrated about the situation but knowing he needs to bench it for a later time. 

“You're right, Kurama. We will come back to this with more information and make him answer the questions later.” Naruto states to the fox, and Kurama hums in agreement. 

They settle down in the flowers and lean against each other, calming down from the emotional conversation they just had.  Kurama continues telling Naruto about his parents until he runs out of stories about them.  

Naruto is smiling contentedly while humming a tune from one of the brothels that plays at night. “Ne, Kurama. Let’s become the strongest ever, yeah? We need to be able to protect our precious people.” Naruto calmly declares to his new friend. 

I think we will be the strongest together. Kurama agrees softly, and Naruto smiles, pleased with that answer. You will need to train harder than anyone else, and I know just what to start you with. 

Naruto laughs and hugs the fox’s snout in excitement.  

They go on to plan a training schedule and a new eating plan for Naruto to follow. You will need to cut back on the ramen intake and learn to cook for yourself. I know you never got the chance for home cooking, but you will need a more balanced diet for the training you will be going through. You can still go to Teuchi on late nights, but not all the time. 

Naruto lets out a mock gasp in shock, holding his hand to his chest. “How could you?? Take away my ramen? How will I live like this?”  

Kurama shakes his head in exasperation, grinning at the boy. You can’t live on just ramen; you need to learn to take care of yourself properly. We will need to go shopping for ingredients and lots of equipment to learn properly. Do you know anywhere that has jutsu written down, like a library? I don’t need to use hand seals when using chakra, but you humans do. We will need to learn them together. 

“I can get us into the library for the scrolls for the jutsu, but I’m not very good at learning from reading the manuals. I don’t understand the way they explain it.” Naruto establishes for Kurama before they begin the training.  

Kurama laughs before answering. I know that. Your mother was the same way when she moved to Konoha. The Uzumaki all learn differently from others, and Konoha doesn’t teach the same way as they do. I won't be teaching you from the book; I will be reading it first and then teaching you how to do it afterwards. Don’t worry, Naruto. It shouldn’t be too hard. 

Naruto nods before settling into Kurama's side while he keeps explaining the changes, and he ends up falling asleep while Kurama is talking. 

~*~

Naruto wakes up to his alarm blaring. He sits up and turns his alarm off, moving to take a shower on autopilot.  

‘Did I have a conversation with a sentient chakra beast last night, or was that a dream? Some kind of figment of my imagination to comfort myself about not having parents? That would suck.’ Naruto thinks to himself while washing his hair. 

Wasn’t a dream, fishcake. 

Naruto jumps and squints his eyes to keep shampoo out of his eyes. “Kurama! Since when were you able to talk to me like this?”  

Kurama laughs at him and states. I could always do this, just had no reason to do it until now. 

Naruto smiles at the answer. “So, how should we start the day off? I don’t think I have any good food in the apartment right now. We would have to go shopping for food to restock. We have the whole weekend to get sorted.”  

Kurama hums in thought. How do you get money? Some type of allowance? 

Naruto nods, stepping out of the shower and drying off. “Yeah, Hokage-jiji comes by to drop it off once a month while checking on me.”  

How much do you get a month? 

“About 10,000 ryo.” Naruto answers, putting on his orange jumpsuit. “I’ve been saving up since I was in the orphanage. I believe I have a lot saved now. How much do you think we will need to spend?”  

Probably quite a bit, but that depends on how much money you have saved. We need food, cooking utensils, appliances, ninja equipment, training clothes and sealing paper to practice on. This will take a decent amount of your money. We won’t have to buy books; just check them out of the library, which is both easier and harder for you. The librarian doesn’t like us much. Maybe ask your friends for help with this after class on Monday. Kurama begins listing out the expenses to Naruto, and Naruto begins to feel faint at how skinny Gama-chan will become after this.  

Naruto goes to the kitchen and opens the fridge. He recoils from it and closes it to cut off the smell. 

Naruto stills and thinks about all his life choices that brought him to this moment, before moving to grab gloves and garbage bags to empty the fridge. He places the bags at the door so he can take them to the dumpster located beside the building on his way to the store.  

We are going to deep-clean this place as well. Do you have cleaning supplies? Kurama says while scanning the living area.  

Naruto moves to the cupboard at the front door, opening it and finding an old broom and the other items needed. “Should we do it now or after shopping?” Naruto asks as he pulls all the equipment out of the cupboard.  

Probably start now, that way you have a clean house to come back to after shopping. Kurama answers. 

Naruto goes around the apartment and picks up the rubbish, goes through his cupboard and closet and throws away anything he doesn’t use. Naruto moves into his bathroom and sorts through all his toiletries, making note of what he needs to stock up on before cleaning the shower. He takes the rubbish bags out to the dumpster and starts sweeping and wiping all the surfaces. The last thing he does is air out his bedding on his balcony.  

Naruto clapped his hands together before moving back into the apartment. He grabs one of his notebooks for classes and starts making a list of everything they will need to get and do for the next few days, with interjections from Kurama. Looking over the list, Naruto nods before moving to grab his shoes and going on his way to the shops.  

Naruto starts with the Ninja Equipment store, Masumune weapons shops, and Naruto stares at the storefront for a few minutes before asking Kurama, “Do you think...?” He trails off, and Kurama looks through the boy's eyes at the sign. Could be some survivors; you can probably ask them if you want to know for sure. Naruto nods and walks into the store, seeing a woman with a child sitting at the register together. 

Naruto smiles at them before looking around the shop with uncertainty. The younger girl comes over to help him. “Hello! I am Tenten. Do you need help with anything?” She smiles at the boy, and Naruto smiles back. “Hey! I am Naruto! Yeah, I would be grateful if you could. I need to buy the standard ninja equipment for a shinobi, storage scrolls, blank scrolls, sealing paper and brushes, please?” He asks hesitantly. 

Tenten smiles encouragingly and nods at the list. “Alright! Let’s get a basket, seems like a big order!” She giggles softly, and Naruto joins in, nodding at her. “Thank you!” 

Tenten takes the lead and grabs the shuriken, kunai, senbon, fuma shuriken and a steel tanto, then she moves excitedly to the sealing section. “I can recommend these sealing papers and brushes. I use them when I am practising my sealing skills. You get the first ink set for free with the brushes! How many scrolls will you need?” Tenten looks over to the blonde boy in question. 

“Can I get one of each different type of seal you stock and some extra storage scrolls as well? I am trying to learn all I can about them. Thank you! Who are you learning sealing from?” Naruto answers and asks the girl, smiling. She nods with a shocked expression, placing the scrolls in his basket as she walks down the shelves, Naruto following. 

“I don’t have a teacher. I am learning from the books at the library. They don’t teach past using the seals at the academy, so I have been getting all my information from there. I can suggest some books for you to use, if you like?” She asks as she leads the way back to the register.  

Naruto inclines his head in agreement. “That would be great! Do you happen to have a pen? I would like to write it down.” Tenten hands over a pen and starts listing the books that helped her start with sealing, happy to share the information. Naruto furiously notes the titles down. 

“Mum! My friend would like to buy these items! Can you give him my friend's discount?” Tenten calls out to her Mother, who smiles indulgently at her daughter. “Of course, why don’t you introduce your friend?” She smiles at the boy and motions them both closer to the counter.  

“This is Naruto! He will be learning about sealing! That makes him my best friend!” Tenten exclaims, and Naruto smiles excitedly at the woman as well. “Hello, ma’am! I am Uzumaki Naruto! It is nice to meet you!” Naruto bows to the woman, and she laughs at the two darling children, before noticing the last name of the boy.  

“You are an Uzumaki?” She asks, slightly shocked. “Yes?” Naruto tilts his head in confusion. "Give me one moment, sweetie. I need to get my wife from the back.” She holds up one finger to the boy, and he nods in agreement. Tenten looks between them before shrugging and putting through Naruto’s order.  

“Hey, Naruto. Would you like to make this a recurring order? Aside from the storage scrolls, of course! You will be able to make your own in no time!” Tenten finishes with a wink to the boy, and Naruto laughs along with her. 

“Would I be able to make it a monthly order, please? That would be great!” Naruto requests, and Tenten nods, writing down the order and the recurrence. “Alright! So the total is...” Tenten and Naruto finish the transaction, and Tenten's mothers come back, looking right at the boy in surprise. 

“Uzumaki?” The darker lady asks, and Naruto nods his head in answer. “I didn’t know there were any left over in the village. It’s good to see an Uzumaki face again.” She laughs and claps Naruto on his shoulder. Naruto holds back a flinch from the hand movement and looks at the woman in amazement. 

“I saw the name Masumune on the front of the shop and thought you could’ve been related to the Uzumaki clan, but I didn’t want to be too hopeful,” Naruto said, and the woman smiled sadly in answer.

“There aren’t too many survivors in Konoha, but there are enough for now. I’ll have to get you introduced to them, one of these days. My name is Masumune Yurika, and this is my wife, Ritsuka. You have already been introduced to Tenten, our daughter. I hope you will come around often; we will always serve the Uzumaki clan. If you ever need weapons, the door is always open.” Yurika proudly states with a laugh, and Naruto beams at the woman. 

“Thank you, Yurika-san!” Naruto bows to the woman before running off with his shopping in his scrolls. The ladies all waved the boy out of the building. 

Naruto continues his shopping and makes his way back to Ichiraku with his arms full of bags and scrolls. He places the bags and scrolls on the chair next to him as he greets Teuchi and Ayame. “Hey, Ossan and Ayame-nee! How have you been?” The pair both turn to look at the boys with bright smiles.  

“Hey, Naruto! My favourite customer! Just been prepping for the afternoon rush! How have you been?” Teuchi replies happily, and Naruto beams at the old man. “It’s been a busy morning! I had to go shopping and look at how Gama-chan turned out!” Naruto exclaims and holds up Gama-chan for them both to see how deflated he is. 

The pair share a worried look, and Ayame places a bowl of ramen on the counter in front of Naruto. “Looks like you did a fair bit of shopping! Any particular reason for it?” Ayame questions, leaning on the counter to look Naruto in the eye as he explains his thought process. 

“Well... I’m going to start training seriously and need more equipment for it, and with training comes a new diet, so I am going to need to learn how to cook as well.” Seeing the surprised looks the pair gave each other, he hurried to reassure them. “I will still be coming for ramen from you guys, but I have been told I can’t live off of ramen alone.” Naruto rolls his eyes in exasperation, and the pair laugh along with him. “Do you have any tips or advice for a beginner at cooking?" Naruto asks. 

Teuchi and Ayame smile endearingly at the boy and give him all the tips they can think of, off the top of their heads. Naruto writes them down with the books from Tenten, watching the pair hand out ramen bowls when they are finished. Naruto looks around and sees the booth is getting packed, and stands up to start making his way home, when he bumps someone standing outside the booth. 

Turning around, he starts apologising but stops at the look on the stranger's face. “Sorry for bump...” He trails off, and the man starts yelling at Naruto when he sees who was the one to run into him, cornering Naruto into the ramen store. Ayame immediately steps in front of Naruto to separate them, yelling back at the drunk man. Naruto shuffles away from the pair and makes his way out of the booth, running away from the confrontation. 

As Naruto rounds the corner, a silver-haired Jonin comes up behind the drunk civilian, grabbing his shoulder and pushing him to the ground. He keeps his hand on his shoulder, seeming to be comforting him to others outside of the establishment, but to the other ninja in the store, they can see it for the threat it is. 

“That was poorly done of you.” The man starts quietly. “You do that again, and it will be the last time.” He tightens his grip, digging his fingers into the drunk's skin. The civilian nods his head furiously and makes a run for it when the man lets go of him. The Jonin stands up and talks to Ayame and Teuchi about the situation. Ayame grabs Naruto’s shopping, which he had left behind in his hurry to get away, and places it behind the counter.   

Teuchi pats his daughter on the shoulder in consolation and nods in appreciation at the Jonin, who looks around the store and sees Raidou and Genma on the far side watching the interaction. He nods to the pair and leaves the restaurant after getting waved off by the men.  

Ayame looks in the direction Naruto ran off in concern and shakes her head, going back to help her father. 

~*~

Naruto ran off without taking notice of where he was going, crying his eyes out. By the time he stopped and looked around, Naruto found himself in the Forest of Death.  

As he is looking around, he hears a growling sound behind him, and when he turns around, a giant tiger is pouncing on top of him. As Naruto dives away from the attack, he gets scratched by the tiger's claws and slams against one of the tree trunks, shaking with fear and putting pressure on the wounds. 

Kurama, feeling the terror coming from Naruto, looks through his eyes and sees him being surrounded by three giant tigers. Naruto. What happened? You need to get away from these pests. Kurama stands up as he says this, and Naruto can’t hear him over his racing heart, shaking his head violently in denial. Kurama scratches at the ground in worry before starting to push some of his chakra through the seal towards Naruto, cloaking the boy in his acidic chakra.  

Continuously pouring chakra into the boy, the cloak begins to make a small Kyuubi form, and he snarls at the tigers. Get out of here! Kurama yells at the tigers, letting his malice out at them as well. The tigers run away, whimpering. Kurama huffs at their backs and curls up around Naruto, waiting for the boy to calm down.  

He watches as the steam drifts off the wounds on Naruto’s side, and when Naruto goes to rub the tear tracks off his face, Naruto scratches his face with the claws that were conjured with Kurama’s chakra, coming through the seal. Kurama places one of his tails on Naruto's hands and pushes them away from his face, so he stops hurting himself.  

Naruto, calm down. There is nothing here anymore. When you calm down, we will start heading back to Ichiraku for our shopping. Kurama comforts and lets Naruto lean against him, purring in his mind for reassurance. Kurama opens his eyes when he senses another presence in the area around them. He looks up in the trees and sees a purple-haired woman in a beige trench coat, crouched on a branch, watching them. 

Kurama watches the woman for a moment before looking back at the boy sitting up in his cradle. Are you okay, Naruto? Why are you so bothered by the words of a stranger? You didn't know who that man was; why should his opinion matter to you? Kurama asks the sniffling boy, ignoring the woman, who he knows isn’t going to do anything, she will continue watching the situation. Does Iruka-sensei or Teuchi-oji-san think you are a monster or whatever else these strangers call you? Naruto shakes his head, and Kurama continues. Then, who are you going to believe the opinion of?

"You're right, Kurama! None of these people's opinions should affect me more than the good opinion of my friends! You're so smart, Kurama!" Naruto nods, petting Kurama's head in thanks, standing up slowly.

“We should start back into the village. Which way do we go?” Naruto asked, checking his surroundings but not knowing where he was at all.  

Kurama nudges Naruto in the direction of the village, and they start walking. Kurama keeps the woman in his senses but ignores her completely. As they get out of the forest, Kurama slips back into the seal, and the woman stops following them as well. Naruto makes his way to Ichiraku and asks for his things, reassuring Teuchi and Ayame that he is alright, before making his way home. 

Naruto places his shopping bags and scrolls onto his couch and starts putting away the groceries and kitchen equipment stored in the kitchen. Leaving the rest of the shopping on the couch, Naruto goes to have a shower, and as he takes his clothes off, he notices how ruined his jumpsuit is from his trip into the forest. “Damn. It's a good thing I bought some clothes today, otherwise I wouldn't have anything to wear. This started as such a good day as well... haa...” Naruto sighed, putting down the jumpsuit and getting into the shower.  

This is a good thing as well, that jumpsuit would’ve made being a ninja difficult. It is such an obvious colour, why did you choose that one? Kurama asks as he cleans himself in the shower. “Iruka was the one who got it for me, and I liked the symbol on it as well. Sentimentality, I guess.” Naruto answers and steps out of the shower to dry off.  

Naruto makes his way into his room and goes to his closet for another set of clothes, picking out his pyjamas as he is not leaving the house again today. The symbol is the Uzumaki swirl, and you can put it on any clothes you want if you can sew. Can you sew? Kurama poses the question, and Naruto nods in confirmation. “Yeah, I have had to fix a lot of clothes. It was a necessary skill to learn.” Naruto murmurs as he goes to get his bedding off the balcony and places it on the floor. 

Then you can put it on any new clothes you get as well. Kurama comforts the forlorn boy. Naruto nods in answer.

Naruto moves back out into the lounge room, going through the storage scrolls for the seeds and pots for his new vegetable plants. He wants to make the grocery runs a little cheaper in any way he can. So, gardening. Naruto plants the seeds in the pots and waters them, putting them in the sun on the balcony connected to the living room, which will be changed to suit the plants better later. He puts away the clothes he bought and makes a note to buy two more cupboards for more storage. One for his bedroom for clothes, and the other for weapons storage.

Kurama seeps out of the seal again and looks to the plants as Naruto looks over the storage scrolls to try to understand what goes into the most basic of seals. Kurama gathers a little nature chakra and spreads it over the plants before moving to sit next to Naruto, to walk him through the matrices and have him practice how to write the symbols and connecting lines in his notebook. 

Naruto practices that until his stomach rumbles for more food. Naruto stands up and moves into the kitchen to start cooking. As he is cooking, Naruto reads through the tips Teuchi and Ayame left him and makes enough rice for breakfast and lunch tomorrow as well. Luckily, the rice cooker is automatic, so he just has to turn it on and let it do its thing.  

Naruto gets out fish and puts them on the grill, pulls out eggs and mixes them before trying to make a rolled omelette. They turn out slightly burnt, but Naruto is happy with them for now. Placing them on the table and flipping the fish in the grill over, Naruto pulls out a pot for the miso soup and starts heating the water while mixing in the miso paste. 

After placing the lid on the pot, Naruto takes the fish out of the grill and places it on the table as well. Naruto stir-fries some vegetables and places them on the table. Naruto grabs tofu and adds it to the miso broth, and places a side plate of pickled radish on the table as well. The rice cooker goes off, and Naruto scoops a bowl and places it with the others. Lastly, he plates up the miso soup and sits down to eat it. 

“Not too bad for a first time. I’m proud of myself.” Naruto says to Kurama, and he snorts at the comment. “This way, I also have leftovers for breakfast and snacks tomorrow.” Naruto gets up and cleans his plates and bowls before grabbing out his bento box and starting to make his lunch for tomorrow as well. Naruto makes two types of onigiri, one lightly salted, with seaweed and the other with a cheese filling. Placing them in the bento box and the rest into the fridge for breakfast, along with the miso soup. 

Naruto moves back to the couch and sorts through the ninja equipment, putting ten of each of the weapons in a pouch aside from the fuma shuriken and the tanto that he seals back into a scroll and placing notebooks and blank sealing paper into another scroll to take to the library. Naruto put all the other sealing equipment back into their own scroll. He places them all on the coffee table before going to bed for an early morning start.

We’ll have breakfast, then I will train you in the morning hours, then lunch, and we can go to the library to read some jutsu books in the afternoon. Make sure you take some notebooks and pens for note-taking. Kurama tells Naruto when he lies down on his futon, and Naruto nods in agreement, slipping into unconsciousness. 

 

Notes:

Let me know what you think!

Thank you for reading!

EIxKAZU_RAONNIM

Chapter 2: Chapter Two: Training Starts

Summary:

Naruto and Kurama start training, then get distracted by the other kids in class. Naruto and his friends all show they are willing to make this friendship work.

Chapter Two.  

 

When Naruto wakes up the next morning, he stumbles his way into the kitchen for the onigiri and miso soup from the previous night and sits at his coffee table to eat and wake up before moving back into his room to change into a new outfit, just a standard navy blue sweater and black pants. He places a pouch on his waist to carry all the scrolls with him. 

 

"Where are we going to train?" Naruto asks Kurama, and Kurama shows one of the training grounds to Naruto's mind. Naruto is on his way, making his way through the waking workers and returning ninja through the village. 

 

Making it to training ground 17, it is a hidden clearing with the wall of the village to one side and surrounding trees with a river running through the area as well. It is a perfectly hidden training from other ninja in the village. Naruto sits in the middle of the clearing, and Kurama slips out of the seal once again, settling in front of his host to begin the lesson. 

 

Chakra, in its most basic form, is the energy generated by existence. It's a part of everything in the world – the grass, rocks, the air you breathe and the Water you drink.   As Kurama is speaking, he pulls 5 different spheres of chakra, each the size of a will-o'-wisp. All different colours: Green, brown, blue, yellow and silver.  

 

Most things do not produce enough chakra to sense. Still, powerful living creatures, like sage animals or shinobi, are capable of creating it in an amount significant enough to mould. Overall, there are seven types of chakra. Nature is balanced by the first five forms: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Lightning.   Kurama circles the orbs around the boy before stilling them above his head.   They can all be drawn from different parts of the body where they rest.  

 

"Rest?" Naruto asks, and Kurama nods his head. 

 

Each of the elements that balance nature also balances living beings. They soak and dominate specific systems in the body. The chakra in these systems remains dormant until someone attempts to draw on the chakra for the first time, for the most part.   Naruto nods with understanding, remembering the argument Naruto brought up in class yesterday. "What do you mean by ' for the most part?" Naruto asks for clarification.  

 

Most shinobi are born with one of the systems open, or find one of them easier to open than the others. That is probably where everyone got the idea of there being one affinity for a person. In truth, using only one kind of element throughout your life is likely to cause the other pathways to atrophy or wither away.   

 

Naruto grimaces at that mental picture, and Kurama continues.  

 

This is why I will be opening all five pathways for you. To keep your body in harmony. Keep in mind that training all five elemental chakras means that it will take five times longer for you to master, along with all the other training you will go through. Are you sure that this is what you want?   Kurama verifies with Naruto before he starts the process properly.  

 

"This will make us stronger, right?" Naruto asks.  

 

You will be exhausted. You will constantly think there aren't enough hours in the day to learn everything. For the next couple of years, training will be your whole life.   Kurama pauses for that to sink in, and Naruto presses on with a determined grin on his face.  

 

"But?" 

 

The fox grins, full of teeth.   But it will make you stronger in ways you have never seen before. You all prepared for that?   Naruto has a sharp grin on their face. Kurama laughs warmly at his reaction.    

 

Alright! Let's start, then. Close your eyes, Fishcake and start meditating. I will be transferring the kind of chakra you will need to be looking for in your own body. When you find it, you need to draw it forward. Wake it up. You think you can do that, Kit?  

 

Naruto nods. "I'll do my best!"  

 

Let me know when you are ready.  

 

Naruto takes deep breaths, getting comfortable in his position before nodding his head.  

 

The Earth chakra is the seat of strength and is defined by its endurance and stability. It rests in the bones.   Kurama slowly pushes the chakra orb into Naruto's chest. 

 

The power permeates his body, feeling foreign as it moves through him. It is dense and heavy, rolling through him at its own pace. Naruto studies the direction it moves through him before trying to find it on his own. There is nothing initially, just a vague emptiness where there should be power. It's like there is a door shut, and he just needs to find the key. He follows the flow of the energy from before, when he feels a difference. He accompanies the energy through his bones, making sure it stays on track, until he catches the tail of the energy flow and does a second lap of the bone to make sure that it is all connected.  

 

Naruto opens his eyes and makes eye contact with Kurama, and he is watching with pride in his eyes.   It took you 10 minutes. Very impressive, Fishcake.   

 

Naruto beams back at him before settling down in position again. "Next, please!"   

 

Alright. Alright. Calm down. The next element is Water. It is the seat of understanding and is defined by its adaptability and flow. It rests in the blood.   Kurama once again slowly pushes the chakra orb into Naruto's body. 

 

Naruto feels the energy flowing through his body. It is powerful, heavy, but flowy and more challenging to grasp. He focuses on his blood, starting at the heart, but that doesn't have the same energy signature, so he moves away and tries for just above the heart. He gets a slight feeling and tries to follow it; he can feel in the space between beats and tries to grasp it, but it runs through his fingers. He takes a breath and thinks about what Kurama said. 

 

Understanding.   

 

What do I need to understand? The chakra? Water? 

 

Or understand himself? 

 

The energy pulses at the last question, as if giving a hint.   Close.  

 

'Okay, what do I understand about myself the best? I understand fighting, not because I am good at it, but because it's all I know from life. I understand Kurama because we are alike in a lot of ways.' But he never needed to try to understand those things; they came naturally to him.  

 

Maybe that is all it needs, though. Maybe to understand something, you need to let it come to you?  

 

'Let's test it.' He thinks and waits for the energy to come. Keeps himself open and waits.  

 

It's a thin stream at first. A slow running of energy is the first sign, then it's like the energy can no longer stand being confined and rushes forward all at once. It crashes through Naruto like a wall of Water, pushing through his veins until it starts to feel too painful. He breathes through the pain until the energy settles down and opens his eyes again. 

 

Kurama is watching with thinly veiled shock, but has a grin on his face.

Well done, kit. You have now unlocked the water pathway.   Naruto grins at the big fox and rapidly starts explaining his thoughts to the process. 

 

"This one was so different to the first one! Which makes sense as they are opposites, you know? But who would guess, right? It's such a weird feeling. Oh! I also felt some other energy in my heart. Do you know what that was? I thought I could get the water power from the heart, cause you know blood comes from there, you know? But it was different!" 

 

Kurama looks impassive, but Naruto can feel his shock.   You were able to sense your heart's chakra pathway?  

 

Naruto blinks at him. "That's what I said? What does it mean?" 

 

The heart is the core of the human body; it is the one place in the body that all the chakra passes through. The pathways seemed weird to you because, instead of one system of chakra, the heart has half a dozen. The paths are smaller and thinner but have thousands more branches that overlap and weave together. This is something we can come back to later. You are in the middle of opening your pathways, and we have a schedule to adhere to.   Kurama explains before motioning his hands in a calming manner. 

 

Naruto laughs sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, Kurama! It was interesting." Kurama waves off the apology with a chuckle. 

 

Alright, kit. Let's keep going. The next element is Fire. It is the seat of will and is defined by its passion and intensity. It rests in the gut and throat.   Naruto closes his eyes while Kurama is talking, and he pushes the orb of energy into Naruto's body. 

 

This energy is strange: it is warm but empty. When Kurama stops maintaining it, it dissipates quickly through his systems. He imagines the feeling the energy gave him, knowing that it was missing something. He looks for the warmth of the energy but only finds the space cold. He needs something to start the Fire, like a spark. 

 

'Willpower... What feeds the will of a person?' 

 

The answer comes to him quickly.  

 

It's a desire or purpose. 

 

What does he want to do the most? He wants to be able to protect his precious people, to ensure they don't get hurt.  

 

He grabs that desire and pulls it together in one place, feeding the Fire in his body. 

 

It flares to life in his stomach and roars up to scorch his throat until he feels like he could expel fireballs. It explodes like an exploding tag, filling his whole nervous system with heat. He tastes sulphur on his tongue, and every inhale brings the smell of a forest fire. The energy makes him want to run a marathon.  

 

When he opens his eyes this time, he has to shake his head to push off the feeling.  

 

He laughs as he looks up at Kurama. "I feel like I could run a marathon! This is crazy!" Kurama laughs at his reaction.  

 

Yes, you should feel energised. Fire chakra is an amplifier. It's responsible for pushing chakra outwards and increasing the energy that lies dormant in most chakras.   Naruto nods in understanding of the explanation. 

 

"Yeah, that makes sense! This feels amazing!" He exclaims, and Kurama nods with a grin, before motioning for him to calm down.   It's time for the next one. Are you ready?   Naruto nods, settling into the meditative state again.  

 

Wind chakra is the seat of change and is defined by its swiftness and unpredictability. It rests in the lungs.   Kurama pushes the orb in slowly and thinks, 'This one should be the easiest for the kit to learn.' 

 

Naruto feels the energy and memorises the feel, waiting for the energy to dissipate, but it doesn't. He feels the energy flow through him, twisting and twirling around him and urging him to join in. He doesn't need to question or look for an answer. He already knows the answer. Change is movement and the unexpected. Naruto likes the unexpected, likes surprises and not quite knowing what will happen next and rolling with the consequences. It's how he has always lived. 

 

The energy answers his thoughts like a hurricane, pulling everything up to dance with it. It swirls in curling breezes of chakra that leave the taste of summer wind on his tongue and the scent of summer storms.  

 

Kurama snorts and brings Naruto out of his head.   That's what I expected. Naruto smiles at the comment before asking. "Wind is my affinity, isn't it?"  

 

Yes, you have a wind nature. Which should be expected with your personality, you know.   Kurama explains, and Naruto nods in agreement.

 

Are you ready for the last one, Naruto?   Naruto nods, closing his eyes.

  

Okay. The last element is Lightning. This one is the most difficult to master; it possesses the most dangerous properties of the other elements, as well as its own nasty properties. Most people who have been said to have mastered it have only really learnt to mould it and release it; they haven't truly mastered it at all. It is powerful enough to do a great deal of damage. Rare is an individual who can channel it properly. It is as unpredictable as wind, as damaging as Fire, as adaptable as Water and as immovable as earth. On top of these attributes, it is capable of stopping life in its tracks with a touch, can stop a heart and in the right hands, can restart a heart as well.  

 

Naruto looks at Kurama's eyes while he explains and comments at the end of the explanation. "So it's the strongest nature, then?" 

 

Kurama nods.   And the most temperamental. That's why I will be giving you all the information beforehand. I let you determine the natures of the other elements while looking for the pathway opening, but this one won't let you have a second chance. One stray discharge and it will stop your heart.   

 

Naruto gulps and nods thoughtfully. "Okay... this is serious then." Kurama leans forward and pokes his head with his snout, comforting the boy.  

 

Don't worry too much. I am here to make sure that doesn't happen. I will have to forcefully shut down your lightning pathway, and it will damage the paths. I don't think I will have to do that because I believe in your ability to do this.   Naruto nods in relief, and Kurama motions for him to close his eyes. 

 

Lightning chakra is the seat of power and is defined by chaos and by serenity.   Naruto scratches his head in bewilderment before asking. "How does that work? Aren't they opposites? How can they be both?"   

 

That is what makes it so difficult – the duality of this nature. Most only understand one part of it, but not both. Without the peace, they can not control it, and without wrath, there is no power behind it. The point of the most significant power lies between the two opposites; without both, you can not obtain true power.   

 

Naruto looks down at his hands on his knees, closing one into a fist and leaving the other open, towards the sky, relaxed. He breathes and thinks about the information. Rage is easy to find – Rage at the treatment from the village, rage at himself. Peace also comes quickly – and fighting with Kiba, cloud watching with Shikamaru, or sitting with Iruka-sensei at Ichiraku. He pulls the rage and tries to mix it with the calm, and for a while, he gets nothing. Then, he feels a pang against one of his memories from not too long ago.  

 

He remembers once, some kids were bullying Choji during a break at school. He remembers feeling scared and angry at the same time, as he felt calm while he was telling the other kids off. He keeps that feeling in a tight grip before turning to Kurama. "I think I've got it." Kurama nods in acknowledgement and waits for him to close his eyes again. 

 

This chakra is known as the catalyst. It rests in the spine.   Kurama states as he slowly pushes the orb into his body. 

 

The power flickers through his body, barely long enough for him to get familiar with it. It's powerful, shows that a little goes a long way, and what he manages to grab ahold of gives him more than enough to get a sense of it. He focuses on the dormant energy at the bottom of his spine. He feels resistance from the energy and knows it will fight him the whole way, but he already knows what it wants, and he will win its allegiance. Naruto breaks the lock, and it bursts forward, raging through him.  

 

It crackles and fights, surging static in fractured patterns through his nerves, leaving them raw and sensitive. It rips through him with so much force, it tears a sob of pain from Naruto's throat, but when it finishes, he feels like a waiting storm cloud: dark and heavy with power, ready to be used. He opens his eyes to see a concerned face in front of him. 

 

"That was amazing! My body feels way more in balance now! This was the best idea! Thank you so much, Kurama!" Naruto declares to the fox, and Kurama huffs, smiling softly in response.   This is how your body should feel. In-balance. Controlled.   Naruto smiles eagerly, ready for the next training session.

 

The hardest lesson you will have to learn will be chakra control. You have the same density as Kushina and a vast pool of chakra, and I'm here to back you up. Still, it is much more unruly, as you have had me sealed into you since you were born. Luckily, you have me, who has millennia of experience to help you control it.   Kurama states for the boy, puffing out his chest in pride, and Naruto laughs affectionately at the fox. 

 

"What should we do now?" Naruto asks, staring at Kurama, and the fox stands up, moving to one of the trees in the clearing.   You will be learning to walk up this tree without using your hands. You have seen the other ninja on the roofs in the village, right? This is a way for them to climb up there.   Kurama explains, patting the tree.  

 

Naruto nods, considering the tree in front of him, before looking to Kurama for more of an explanation. "What do I have to do?"  

 

You need to push chakra into your feet, and it should make you stick to the surface and allow you to walk up. You only need a small amount of chakra for this to work. Try, and I will let you know if you need less.   Kurama explains and watches Naruto move his chakra to his feet and huffs mirthfully at his attempt. 

 

Less.   Naruto tries again, instead of pushing, pulling away 50% from his feet. 

 

Less.   Naruto repeats the process. 

 

Less.   Again. 

 

Less.   And again. 

 

Less.   And again. 

 

Perfect. Try now. Put your foot on the wall and walk up, keeping this level chakra at your feet.   Naruto nods, poking his tongue out of his mouth in concentration, placing his right foot on the tree and feeling it stick before continuing up the tree.  

 

He makes it to the top of the tree, looking back at Kurama on the ground in delight. Kurama is grinning at the boy and motions for him to come back down to him.   I want you to be able to do this process instantaneously, without thought. Start from the beginning and practice, practice, practice! Until you can do this in your sleep!   Kurama instructs the boy and watches Naruto walking up and down the tree until Kurama calls for a lunch break.  

 

Naruto climbs down from the tree, smiling in satisfaction about his achievements from this morning. "That was a productive morning, don't you think?" Naruto smiles while pulling out his bento box to start eating, sitting facing Kurama in the clearing.   It is a good foundation for the rest of the training you will need. When you get the hang of tree climbing, we will move on to Water walking, for something more difficult. Water's surface constantly changes, and you will need to learn to instinctively change to match it.   Naruto nods in understanding, while looking over to the river to the side in slight apprehension. 

 

"After this, we go to the library, correct?" Naruto clarifies as he sips on his soup, Kurama nods in answer while watching the boy eating in peace. Naruto starts packing up his bento box and making his way back through to the village with Kurama walking beside him. 

 

Do you have the list from yesterday for the book suggestions from the Masumune girl?   Kurama asks the kit, and Naruto waves around the piece of paper in response. "Do you think I should invite Tenten to the library with me? Or wait for a better time? When would be a better time, do you think? This is so stressful!" Naruto ranted nervously, and Kurama chuckled softly at the boy stressing for no reason.  

 

When we walk by the store, you can ask her to come with you. After that, the decision is up to her. Don't worry too much about it.   Kurama bumps Naruto on the side before going back into the seal, before they make it out of the forest. Naruto walks on with a soft smile on his face, hurrying to the Masumune equipment store. 

 

As he walks inside, he notices Tenten sitting at the counter watching the store. "Hey, Tenten! Do you want to come to the library with me? I could use the company." Naruto asks as he walks closer to the girl, staying out of the way of the other people in the store. 

 

Tenten looks up and beams a smile at the boy. "Sounds great! Give me a moment to get my mum! Can't leave the store unattended!" She waves to the boy, running to the back room. Naruto sighs in relief at not being rejected, and Kurama sighs at the boy good-naturedly.   See? Nothing to worry about.   Naruto hums in answer. 

 

Tenten walks back out with Ritsuka following behind, smiling at the boy. "Hey, Naruto-chan! Good to see you again. Take care of each other and make sure to be back in time for dinner, okay?" She waves in greeting to the boy before sending a look to her daughter in warning. Tenten smiles innocently and waves back to her, pulling Naruto out of the store, laughing.  

 

"Come on! I have to show you all the best sealing books!" She excitedly pulls Naruto, and he laughs out loud, catching up with the girl and racing her to the library.  

 

Making their way through the doors of the library, they are laughing and chatting about the nature of sealing used in fighting.  

 

"Ninjas in Konoha only use the seals for storage and explosion tags mainly, and don't try going any further to specialise in the complex art of sealing. It is such a loss for them because there are so many applications for seals both in and out of combat, don't you think?" Tenten asks Naruto, and the boy is nodding along in enthusiasm. 

 

"This means we can be the forerunners of the sealing mastery for Konoha? We will bring attention to how amazing seals really are!" Naruto announces and holds his fist out to Tenten for a fist bump, and Tenten gladly reciprocates. "Hell yeah, we will!" They both get shushed by the chunin in charge of the library, they apologise to her and take off, giggling over to the sealing bookshelf.

 

"Where should I start? Is there an introductory manual or something here?" Naruto whispers to Tenten, looking over the book spines, and Tenten starts pulling out a bunch of books from the shelves and taking them over to a table in the corner of the library. 

 

"There are a few options for a beginner, but these ones here," Tenten held up 2 books, handing them to Naruto and letting him read the titles of them. "They are written by an Uzumaki, and they are the true forerunners of sealing, so they obviously know what they are talking about." Tenten finishes her sentence and watches Naruto hold the books with pure reverence. She smiles sadly at him before sitting down and patting the spot next to her for Naruto to sit down. 

 

They spent the next 30 minutes reading through the books and making notes of all the new symbols and their uses, before reconvening and bringing out practice sheets and trying to write some of the symbols as they are shown in the books. The pair is so absorbed in their practice that they don't notice they are joined by Sakura and Ino at their table. They glance at each other in surprise before focusing on the poison book in front of them and quietly discussing it. 

 

Naruto finishes his last line, sighs in relief, looking up and flinching in shock at the newcomers who he didn't even notice show up. "Hello, Sakura-chan, Ino-chan. When did you both get here?" Naruto whispers to the girls, and Tenten looks up at his voice. She waves to the girl in greeting before waiting for their answer. 

 

"Not too long ago, probably 5-10 minutes ago, right?" Ino estimates, and Sakura nods in response. "What are you both working so hard on?" Sakura asks the sealing duo, and Ino leans her elbows on the table in interest, waiting eagerly for their answer. Tenten and Naruto share a glance, and Tenten shrugs her shoulders, seeing no issue with telling them. 

 

"We are practising writing out the symbols that are used in seals." Naruto answers, and Tenten pushes her book over to show what he means. Sakura pulls the book closer and looks through the pages while Ino asks more questions about it. 

 

"Why the sudden interest, Naruto? They don't really teach about them in the Academy, right?" She questions, slightly confused about the strange change. Naruto nods in acknowledgement. "It's exactly because of there being no lessons on seals at all, and the Uzumaki clan was all known as the paragons of Seals. Tenten and I are both going to become the world's best Seals Masters!" Naruto slung his arm around the girl's shoulder and gave the other two a peace sign, along with Tenten, beaming at them. 

 

The girls shared a glance with each other, not sure about this exclamation, before shrugging at each other. "Give it your best!" and "Good luck!" were the answers from the girls to the sealing duo, and Naruto beamed at the encouragement. "What book are you both reading?" Naruto inquires, and they both light up at the question. 

 

"We are reading about poisons. What type does what, and which type can be used as a medicine as well! All fascinating stuff!" As soon as they say poison, Tenten lights up as well, and Naruto looks at the three girls in confusion at the excitement. "Where do you all learn about poisons? I haven't been taught anything about them during classes." Naruto states to the amusement of the girls, they share a look before giggling.  

 

"All the girls are in the Academy for poisons that the boys aren't given. Poisons are a subtle art, and the teachers thought that the boys wouldn't appreciate it enough, so they offered it to the girls instead." Sakura explains, and the other girls nod their heads in agreement, and Naruto looks intrigued at the new information. "Would you be able to teach me about them as well? Can't have too many skills, right? And it would be good to try getting immunities to any poisons you could use in the future, right?" Naruto shrugs at their thoughtful looks at his request. 

 

Ino hums in thought before answering. "Of course, we'll help you out, Naruto! No problem!" She gives him a cheeky smile, and Naruto answers in kind. "Did you want to start collecting the ones we have already worked with in classes?" Ino asks, and Naruto nods rapidly, passing over his list paper and letting Ino start writing. In contrast, Tenten and Sakura start explaining about them, and Naruto listens intently. 

 

Ino looks over her list with a critical eye and shows it first to Sakura, then Tenten, and, after getting their approval, she hands it back to Naruto before gesturing for one moment. She gets up and goes looking for a book and comes back with their introductory book in hand, passing it over as will to the approving nods of the other girls. Naruto thanks her and places the book, and lists the side to take with him when they leave. 

 

Kurama looks over the girls sitting around and notices how small the pink ones' chakra reserve is and makes a comment to Naruto about it.   Hey, Fishcake. You know how I spoke of you having trouble with chakra control because of your large reserve of chakra this morning?   Naruto tilted his head to show he had his attention. 'Yeah?' Kurama continued.  

The pink one has a minimal reserve in comparison to you, so she should be a natural at anything that needs precision. You should suggest she learn medical ninjutsu. The leader of medical ninjutsu was Tsunade Senju, supposedly. There should be a book about her somewhere in here.   Naruto nods his head in confirmation and stands up to go look around. 

 

The girls watch the blonde in confusion and follow along after him to see what he is looking for. When they see him going into the medical section, they watch him look through the books, lost as to why he is here. They wait patiently for him to find what he is looking for. Naruto goes straight to Sakura with the book in his hands, holding it out for her. She takes it, but looks at Naruto for an explanation. 

 

Naruto smiles, proud. "You should try learning about Medical Ninjutsu. I hear it takes exact control to do it correctly and not just hurt the patients worse!" The girls blink in shock, and Sakura looks down at the book in her hands, before opening it to immediately need to know more about this. The others watch the girl with fondness before leading her back to the table to sit and continue discussing poisons and seals.  

 

The next time Sakura lifts her head from the book, she is beaming at the group around her. She quickly takes over the conversation and begins ranting about Lady Tsunade and how amazing she is. The others watch the girl with fond amusement before putting away the books they don't need and checking out the books they want. They all walk out of the library and part ways in pairs, Naruto walking Tenten back to the forge before making his way back to his apartment to figure out his next steps with Kurama. 

 

Closing the door to the apartment, Naruto goes to the lounge room to put the books on the coffee table. Kurama follows Naruto into the kitchen to watch him make dinner. "I'll make some curry for dinner. If I make a lot, there will be some for lunch tomorrow," Naruto faced the fox with a smile, and Kurama tilted his head in acknowledgement. "What flavour should we make it? Sweet? Sour? Spicy? I usually like it to be sweet, but you seem more like a spicy type." Naruto states, grabbing out the ingredients and putting the rice cooker on again. 

 

He cuts up the meat into cubes and sears them in the pot for the curry, before adding the curry sauce to cook through the meat.  I haven't had food in a while, but it should be spicy.  Kurama answers, and Naruto moves to make up a simple salad to go with the dinner. "Since you can look through my eyes, are you able to share my taste buds as well?" Naruto looks over to the fox when he asks the question to see him nod in consent.  

 

Yes, I can.   "Cool. I can make this portion spicy and make it sweet for next time." Naruto announces and plates some of the salad for now, and puts the rest into a bento for tomorrow as well. Kurama's tails swish excitedly in the background at the chance to eat something again.  

 

Since we didn't manage to look for Jutsu today, do you want to try again tomorrow with the Nara and Akamichi brat after classes?   Kurama questions, and Naruto hums in thought. "We might not be able to borrow the Jutsu scrolls as we are only academy students, and I think they are restricted to genin and up... We should be able to read some but not take any home." Naruto thought aloud, and Kurama hummed. 

 

"I'll invite them to the library at lunch and see if they want to come with me," Naruto concludes and sets dinner on the table to eat. "Are you ready, Kurama?" Naruto asks, and Kurama slips back into the seal to concentrate on the food. "Itadakimasu!" Naruto clapped his hands together and dug into the food. 

 

After finishing the food, Naruto puts the curry into his bento with a tray of rice and then places it into the fridge. With the leftover rice, he makes onigiri with pickled plums. He bakes some tuna to make tuna-mayo onigiri for breakfast and snacks throughout the day. Placing them in the fridge, Naruto makes his way back to the couch. It reads some more of the sealing book to get more options to practice in class tomorrow, writing notes on the new information.  

 

Naruto puts the books together and puts them away into one of the storage scrolls and empties another to take for the others to use before going to bed. 

 

~*~

 

Waking up, Naruto eats breakfast and goes for a run to training ground 17 and back to the apartment. Naruto takes a shower and grabs his things before making his way to the Academy. Sitting in class, Naruto tried to listen to the class, but the way Iruka-sensei explained it didn't make sense to him. Kurama is listening and making comments about all the incorrect information, and Naruto just starts listening to the fox instead.  

 

Noticing Naruto is listening, Kurama starts explaining it to him correctly, and Naruto makes notes to show to Shikamaru later. 

 

Choji notices and nudges Shikamaru, who watches Naruto in confusion as well. Shikamaru makes eye contact with Kiba and Shino across the room and tilts his head to Naruto in question. Still, they shrug, not having an answer.  

 

Shino sends one of his beetles over to Naruto to get his attention.  

 

Naruto looks down at the beetle on his hand in confusion before looking over to Shino and tilting his head in confusion. "What's up, Shino? Did you need something from me?" Naruto inquires.  

 

"What are you making notes of?" Shino questions, moving over to join Naruto at his desk, after checking to make sure Iruka-sensei is finished with the lesson. Kiba follows, letting Akamaru go to Choji for pets. "Yeah! This lesson wasn't that interesting." Kiba laughs a little, waiting for his answer.  

 

"Oh! Well... I was writing notes to try and make it easier to understand the chakra affinities, and then I started thinking... Why do people stop when they find out their affinities and then only learning that one? Like, we have the best example of people being capable of learning them all with Hokage-jiji, right?  Which means we should be able to keep training the other affinities instead of only doing the easiest one. Just because something comes easily doesn't mean it should be the only thing you learn, right?" Naruto begins with an explanation, then it devolves into a rant. "Like, don't you think that only learning one element would leave your whole body in disarray?" 

 

Choji looks contemplative at the subject and nods his head along with Naruto's rant. Shikamaru and Shino nod in agreement, while Kiba seems shocked at the in-depth explanation. 

  

"You got all of that from them explaining that there are 5 elemental affinities? That's crazy, man!"  

 

"You have a good point, though, Naruto." Choji smiles at Naruto while rubbing Akamaru's belly. Shikamaru nods and leans towards Naruto, pointing to his notebook. "Do you mind if I borrow your notes? I wanna look into this more." Naruto nods and closes his notebook when he is done writing.  

 

"Yeah, I can show them to you this afternoon if you want." All four boys nod their heads in acknowledgement.  

 

Kiba sits on the desk in front of Naruto, while Choji and Shikamaru turn around to face the desk behind them as well. Naruto fidgets with the pen in his hand, and they all wait patiently for him to ask his question.  

 

"Would you guys like to join me in the library this afternoon? I want to look through some of the jutsu scrolls, and I thought you might like to join me." Naruto looks into their eyes as he blurts out the question.  

 

"Yeah, man. What type of jutsu were you thinking of looking into?" Shikamaru probes. Naruto's eyes soften with affection before looking down at the notebook again, opening it and writing down a list of the books Kurama thinks will be good to start off with. (He writes down the tale of the gusty shinobi as well.) 

 

"So, I was thinking of getting some scrolls of the low-level elemental jutsu and some cooking books as well." Naruto lists them out loud for the group as well, and they nod in answer. "You can all pick up some other things as well. Whatever catches your eye." Naruto continues glancing at the others' reactions, and they all seem satisfied with everything he has said. 

 

"Is there a reason why you have the sudden need to learn jutsu, which aren't on the class schedule?" Shikamaru probes the blonde boy, and the others all look towards Naruto with curiosity on their faces as well. "I am going to start training properly, and I need something to start practising with, you know?" Naruto expresses his reasons, and the others nod in agreement with him. 

 

"I went to the library yesterday with Tenten, and I borrowed some books on sealing that we will be learning about together. I also spoke with Ino and Sakura about poisons and introduced Sakura to Medical Ninjutsu. It was an exciting afternoon." Naruto recounts what happened the day before, and the boys all look intrigued at the interactions.  Naruto looks around the room and waves to the pair of girls at the front of the classroom. The girls wave back and point back at him, tilting their heads in a silent request. Naruto nods his head in answer. 

 

Ino and Sakura walk over to the group leaning on the table's edge. "How did you like the Poison Book, Naruto? Did you understand everything? Which were the most interesting to you?" Ino pumps Naruto with rapid-fire questions. Naruto laughs at the excited energy and nods his head. "It was exciting to read about how many commonplace flowers can turn deadly! Your flower shop must also operate as a poison supplier as well, right?" Naruto gushes, and Ino laughs proudly and nods her head in reply. 

 

"You are right! I'm glad you noticed! If you ever need anything for your garden, don't be afraid to drop by!" Ino offers enthusiastically and nods to the others as well, just in case. Everyone laughs at the conversation before Naruto turns to Sakura, seeing her vibrating, waiting for someone to ask her the question. Naruto smiles fondly and finally asks her. "What did you think about your book, Sakura?" And off she went, ranting about Tsunade and how amazing Medical Ninjutsu is, again. 

 

The other boys watch the girl ranting in shock, but Ino and Naruto share a fond look before focusing back on the girl again. When she starts to slow down, Naruto cuts in. "Do you want to come look for other books today, too? We were going to the library this afternoon as well." Sakura got sparkles in her eyes and nodded excitedly in response. 

 

"Yeah! I need to get some introductory stuff, and maybe I will see if the hospital will take me on as a volunteer! I might be too young at the moment, though..." Sakura trailed off with a pout on her face.

 

All of the kids grab their lunches and begin eating and chatting about what they are hoping to find in the library. By the time lunch is over, they are all laughing with each other, and all their classmates are watching the interactions in confusion, wondering when they got so close. Everyone settles into their seats and listens to the lecture about the transformation jutsu and the clone jutsu from Iruka-sensei.

 

Naruto once again listens to Kurama explaining the processes. It makes notes of them as well, for others to review. Kurama promises to add this to practice as well, and Naruto happily agrees to listen to the rest of the lesson from Iruka-sensei with only minor comments from Kurama every now and then.

 

All of the kids grab their lunches and begin eating and chatting about what they are hoping to find in the library.  By the time lunch is over, they are all laughing with each other, and all their classmates are watching the interactions in confusion, wondering when they got so close.  Everyone settles into their seats and listens to the lecture about the transformation jutsu and the clone jutsu from Iruka-sensei.  

  

Naruto once again listens to Kurama explaining the processes.  It makes notes of them as well, for others to review.  Kurama promises to add this to practice as well, and Naruto happily agrees to listen to the rest of the lesson from Iruka-sensei with only minor comments from Kurama every now and then. 

 

Iruka watches the blonde boy diligently making notes, knowing that Naruto isn't truly listening to the lecture, just smiles indulgently. Iruka notes in the back of his mind that he should ask Naruto about it later, to see what he has been writing about and what has changed with the boy today, continuing with the lecture until the bell rings for the end of class.  

 

"Alright! That's the end of class! Be sure to practice, and at the end of the week, I will be testing you on your performance. You don't have to get it right. You are all still young and a ways off from graduation yet. Don't rush, and if you are confused, come and see me for tips!" Iruka calls out to the class, and all the students call out 'Yes!' running out of the class to the sound of Iruka's chuckling. 

 

Naruto, Choji, Shikamaru, Shino, Kiba, Akamaru, Sakura and Ino all collect their things, moving their way out of the room together. Naruto hands his notebook to Shikamaru for him to read it on the way to the library, and Shikamaru nods in thanks. As they make it out of the school, they run into the older classes, and Naruto looks for Tenten through the crowd. Seeing the girl, Naruto calls out to her. 

 

"Tenten!"  

 

Tenten's head shoots up, looking around for the voice, and Naruto waves his arms around to get her attention. When she sees him, she beams and runs over to the group. "Hey, Naruto! How have you been?" Naruto laughs good-naturedly while answering. "I've been good! I read through more of the book and would like to get your thoughts on some things. Would you like to join us? We are going to the library again." Naruto asks while gesturing to the group around him.  

 

Tenten waves to the group and answers. "As long as the rest of you don't mind me tagging along." Everyone answers positively, and they all make their way to the library, chatting about their lessons and special interests. Once in the library, the group scatters through the bookcases and all know to reconvene at the table where Shikamaru is stationed. Shikamaru stays at the table to read through Naruto's notebook and try to understand where Naruto got all this information from.  

Shikamaru sighs deeply, rubbing his temples, willing the headache building away. He closes his eyes, thinking back to the way Iruka-sensei explained the two jutsu today, and is still confused about the new information. Closing the notebook and leaving it on the table, Shikamaru went in search of the books that would have the descriptions of the jutsu, so he could compare the two next to each other. 

 

By the time he makes it back to the table, most of the group have made it back as well. They are all engrossed in their finds and not paying attention to anyone else. Shikamaru sits down and flips through the books, placing them next to each other for comparison. Still, they are too different for Naruto's note to make sense. Shikamaru sighs in defeat, and Naruto looks up from his own notes, hearing the disappearing sound. "What's the matter, Shika?"  

 

"How did you get this explanation for the two jutsu today? It doesn't say this anywhere. Where did you get the idea that a transformation jutsu isn't an illusion but built over the top of your body?" Shikamaru complains with a slight whine in his tone, and everybody looks up from their books at his words. Sakura and Shino tilt their heads in confusion before turning to Naruto as well. 

 

Naruto laughs sheepishly at the attention he is receiving, scratching the back of his head. 'What should I say? I didn't think they would ask about it...' Naruto thought to Kurama, and the fox huffs at Naruto's short mindedness. Tell them whatever you want. You can even tell them I told you, if you really want. These are your friends, Fishcake. Tell them what you think they will believe. Flip the page as well. I have finished this one. Kurama says, then instructs, and Naruto casually flips the page for the fox. 

 

While Naruto is in conversation with Kurama, Tenten, Sakura, and Ino notice that he seems to be spaced out again. They look to each other to see if they each noticed and nod in agreement with each other. They collectively think they should keep an eye on Naruto for this behaviour more. The others watch the interaction the girls have in confusion and look back at Naruto when no explanation is forthcoming. 

 

Naruto's eyes are clear, and he looks at the faces around him, releasing a heavy breath before speaking. "I have an explanation, but I don't want to say it here, in public. We can go to my place after this, if you really want to know." Naruto finishes, eyeing the library around them and the others all stiffen up at his words.  

 

Turn the page. Kurama says, and Naruto follows the order distractedly. 

 

The group shares glances and comes to the same conclusion; they all nod to each other determinedly and turn back to Naruto. "We'll wait until we make it to your apartment later. Are you able to tell us if the explanations are true?" Naruto looks at the group, shocked, before smiling at them softly. Naruto nodded before flipping to the next page of his book again, and everyone watched in amusement as the boy went through the book without reading the pages. "I haven't tested it out yet, but I trust my source telling me the truth."  

 

Kurama's eyes softened at the trust bestowed upon him by the child. 

 

They discussed the jutsu they were researching, but really, they were excitedly talking about how cool all the jutsu sounded and wishing the books came with pictures. Sakura and Shino were chatting about the medical books, and Sakura looked like she was on a mission to have someone learn it with her. Everyone spares a glance at the pair, sending a prayer for Shino before looking away to make sure they don't get caught up in that situation. 

 

Ino and Kiba are looking through some taijutsu forms and organising a practice session to learn them together. Tenten and Choji are each reading different things. Tenten is reading a recipe book for energy bars and getting Choji's opinion on some of them. While Choji is reading a book about increasing chakra and noting down exercises to try out, he suggests to the group when he knows how effective they are. Shikamaru is reading about chakra control exercises and promises to work on them with Sakura and Shino when he joins them to learn Medical Ninjutsu. Naruto was still flipping through all the books he brought with him. 

 

When Naruto finished with his pile of books, he looked over at the group. "Are you all ready to leave?"  They all nodded with their papers and books in hand, and they made their way out of the library, turning to follow Naruto to his apartment. Naruto walks through his door and moves to water his plants before moving into the kitchen to start making some snacks for the group. Choji and Tenten move to join him, while the others sit around the lounge.  

 

They made a stack of grilled onigiri, and Tenten set out some dango Naruto had bought, before sitting down with the group to eat. As they are eating, they look over to Naruto, waiting for his explanation. Naruto swallowed his mouthful and started speaking.  

 

"So, please keep an open mind, alright?" Naruto starts, looking at them with wary eyes. They all nod thoughtfully, and Naruto continues. "All the information written in that notebook was told to me by the Kyuubi no Kitune." The girls let out gasps while the boys inhaled sharply at the new information. They stared at Naruto, frozen before Shikamaru asked. "How were you able to talk to the Kyuubi? Wasn't it defeated by Lord Fourth?"  

 

"He." Naruto corrects before bobbing his head in a so-so motion. "Sort of, but not really? There was definitely a fight, correct, but you can't kill a Bijuu. They are a chakra construct. They will just reform in a couple of years. What the Fourth did was seal the Kyuubi into a newborn as they had done since the Shodai Hokage's era." Naruto explains, repeating what Kurama has told him and is currently telling him as well. "I happened to meet the requirements to become the new host for the Bijuu." 

 

The kids all look slightly overwhelmed by the explanation. "So, the Kyuubi is sealed inside of you?" Sakura questions, and Naruto nods in confirmation. "Is that why so many people are so mean to you?" Kiba asks exasperatedly, and Naruto nods again. "That's so stupid! It's like people can't tell the difference between a kunai and the scroll it is sealed into!" Tenten seethes, to the agreement of the others, Naruto watches them with wet eyes at the positive reaction. 

 

See? These are the people who actually know you. They won't be bothered about a situation you had no control over. You have picked good friends, Kit.   Kurama states, and Naruto nods in agreement. 

 

Notes:

Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think about it!

EIxKAZU_Raonnim :)

Edited 17.08.25

Chapter 3: Chapter Three: Group Training

Notes:

Hey, Girls, guys and theys!

I'm sorry for the repeated explanations; it needed to be done, and hopefully it isn't too annoying.
Please let me know if it doesn't make sense or flow very well!
Let me know what you think!

Enjoy!
Edited 17.08.25

Chapter Three  

 

“You are all getting off topic. The Kyuubi told you these facts? Can you talk to him? Can he talk to you? How long has he been doing this?” Shikamaru tries to refocus the conversation, and the others all nod, looking to Naruto for his answer.

 

“Yes, he can talk to me. He began explaining these things when he noticed I was listening to his complaints about the incorrect information during class. It hasn’t been long since we started talking. We started talking on Friday after the taijutsu lesson, so only this weekend.” 

 

While Naruto is waiting for the information to sink in for the group, Naruto asks Kurama. ‘Would you allow me to tell them your name?’ Kurama watches the group and sees their reaction to his existence. I wanna see their response to me coming out of the seal. Tell them about your training first, and I will appear behind you to introduce myself. Kurama smirks at his plan, and Naruto grins in answer. 

 

“The Kyuubi is helping me with training as well. We’ve only just started, so it's not very difficult at the moment, but he says that it will get harder later on.” Naruto starts explaining, and Ino looks over to the boy in confusion. “How is he helping you? Isn’t he stuck in the seal?”  

 

Naruto nods in confirmation. “He is but...” Naruto trails off as boiling, red chakra starts seeping out of his body and gathers into a whirling mass of chakra before forming a large fox shape. 

 

Everyone watches the transformation with wonder on their faces, and Kurama tilts his snout upwards before stating to the room. I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune, Kurama! There is a lot you humans don’t know about us, Bijuu! Naruto laughs at the theatrics from the fox, and the others are trying to understand what is happening in front of them. 

 

Naruto and Kurama share a look and turn back to the group at the first sign of movement. Kurama tilts his head to the left in question at the girl coming closer to him. What do you want, Masumune girl? Tenten is shocked that the kyuubi knows her name, but pushes past that to ask him questions about the seal. “How did you figure you could come out of the seal like this? What seal was used for you? It must be a complicated one! This is so exciting!” Tenten quickly rants, and Kurama looks uncomfortable with the look in her eyes. 

 

Naruto laughs and lifts his sweater to show off the seal on his stomach. The Fourth used an Eight Trigrams Seal. This is the most difficult seal ever used to seal a Bijuu. Kurama explained, and Tenten moved closer to Naruto to look over the seal. ”I thought the strongest seal ever created was the Four Symbols Seal! How did the Fourth make an Eight Trigrams?” Tenten grabbed a notebook to start making notes on the description given by Kurama. 

 

Obviously, he combined two of the Four Symbol Seals to make it. It isn’t a new seal. The Uzumaki were the ones who created it, and the Fourth's wife apparently taught him about it. Kurama explained before trailing off at the looks he was getting from the children, aside from Naruto, of course. What? Kurama questioned. 

 

The children all shared looks of disbelief before pointing at each other, trying to get someone to ask the questions burning them. Shikamaru ends up losing the rock, paper, scissors match and sighs in frustration. “There are so many questions, where do I start?” Shikamaru groans, scratching his neck before turning to Naruto. 

 

“Is this why you are starting all this preparation for training? Because of Kurama? Why the Fuuin-jutsu? Are you thinking of changing your seal?” Shikamaru starts, and Naruto looks upset at the wording before responding.  

 

“Yes, it is why I am doing the training, not because of Kurama but with Kurama. The Fuuin-jutsu is something Kurama told me my parents were masters at, and I wanted to have something to connect me to them, something physical that’s not just my existence, you know? I don’t know about changing the seal just yet. I would need to be able to understand how this seal works and be skilled enough to be able to change it as well, and not just break it or make it worse.” Tenten nods in agreement to the careful planning for the seal.  

 

“Can I help you with the seal? We can find out everything about both the Eight Trigrams and the Four Symbol Seal! This would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience!” Tenten asks, looking at Naruto and Kurama with pleading eyes. Kurama grumbles slightly, but Naruto happily agrees to the demand. “I have no problems with that! Let’s do our best!” Tenten squeals and attacks Naruto with a fierce hug. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”  

 

Everyone watches the interaction with amusement before Shikamaru clears his throat to gain their attention. “Does anyone else have any questions?” Kiba’s arm shoots up. “Naruto! You said Kurama told you about your parents? I’m so glad for you, man! Who were they? Would we know who they are?” They all turn their heads to Naruto in excitement, awaiting the answer. 

 

Naruto smiles in excitement. “Yeah! They were both powerful! My mother was the Uzumaki princess and the Jinchuriki before me; her name is Kushina Uzumaki! She had long, bright red hair. Like all the way to her ankles long! She was able to hold off Kurama for Dad to have enough time to seal him again, even after having him ripped out of her and giving birth just before. She is the most beautiful and badass woman ever!” 

 

Everyone listens in fascination when Choji makes a surprised noise. “Oh!” They all turn to look at him, and he speaks to Naruto. “Your dad was the Fourth Hokage?” Naruto eagerly agrees with the boy, and the others all shout in outrage, talking over each other. “How can no one know about this?” “Our parents would’ve known about you being the Fourth's son, but they haven’t helped you?” “Why are people letting you get treated like this?” Kurama watches their anger with glee, and Naruto looks at the group with soft eyes. 

 

Naruto claps to get their attention back. “We think there is a restriction for people who were close to my parents to stay away from me. Kurama knows that Mum had chosen a Godmother, and she would’ve tried to adopt me as soon as they died, but she was refused, obviously.” The children all quieted down at the new information, but were still unhappy about it. 

 

“Who was the appointed Godmother?" Shino asks, and Naruto smiles sadly. “It was Uchiha Mikoto, Sasuke’s mother.” All of their faces scrunch in grief, knowing what happened to the Uchiha clan just last year. 

 

Settling into a moment of silence, Ino and Kiba grab out some taijutsu books and start flipping through them. Kiba was the one to find what they were looking for, and he jumped up to show Naruto. “Naruto! Ino and I were looking through these books and came across a taijutsu form from the Uzumaki clan!” He hands the book over to Naruto, and Kurama looks at it over Naruto's shoulder. This is the basic form your mother used before she adapted it to suit her needs later on.  

 

Naruto looked to Kurama with sparkles in his eyes. “You think I could learn this form?” Kurama grinned and laughed at the boy. Yeah. We can learn this form and any other form that catches your attention. Naruto laughed joyously and jumped on the fox in a hug. “I really liked the Uzumaki style. Would I be able to practice with you, Naruto?” Ino asks the other blonde, and Naruto beams at her.  

 

“Of course, you can! Anyone else want to learn it as well?” The group shares looks and nods in assent. “Great! We will have to set up a schedule for it!” Naruto claps his hands in thought before turning to Kurama again, with pleading eyes. “Kurama? What do you think about inviting them to join us for training?” Kurama looks at Naruto, then the others also beg him with their eyes, sighing in weariness, and Kurama nods his head, already knowing he will come to regret this. 

 

Fine! They all cheer at his answer, jumping over to hug the fox, and Kurama complains weakly about snot-nosed children. They ignore his grumbling, laughing. Sakura looks out the balcony door and gasps, getting up from the dogpile. “I have to get home! The sun has gone down.” She starts grabbing her things, and everyone follows her lead, packing up. If you all want to train with us, you will need to get to training ground 17 at 0530 tomorrow morning. Do you all know where that is? Kurama asks the children, and they all shake their heads negatively in answer. 

 

Kurama sighs and turns to Naruto for a piece of paper. I’ll draw it for you. Kurama takes control of Naruto’s hands and draws a map, and gets everyone to copy it down. Make it a run to the training ground to start your training. I want you all to be able to comfortably run around the village walls multiple times by the time you all make genin. The kids look at the fox incredulously before sighing in defeat, knowing this is what they signed up for.  

 

The group stands up and starts making their way home. Ino and Sakura walking together, Kiba, Choji and Shikamaru walking together, and Shino and Tenten walking together as well. They all wave to Naruto and Kurama as they walk away. Naruto sighs in satisfaction and closes the door, moving to sit at the table again. You have some good friends, kid. Naruto smiles affectionately at Kurama, and Kurama settles gently behind the boy. When the Inuzuka brought up the Uzumaki taijutsu, it reminded me of some things Kushina left for you in her will. I don’t know where that ended up, though.  

 

Naruto leans heavily onto the fox's side and hums in thought at the problem. “Do you think it would’ve been placed with Dad’s will?” Kurama hums encouragingly and nods in approval. It’s worth a check, that’s for sure. Where do you think they would’ve stored a dead Hokage’s will? The current Hokage’s office, right? Kurama ruminates, and Naruto nods in agreement. “Yeah! Most secure place of the village, you know?” Kurama nods. 

 

Do you wanna have some fun tonight? Kurama grins wickedly at the child and gets one in return. “We will have to wait until the tower is empty for the day, which should be a few hours still.” Naruto comments, looking at the clock on the wall. Kurama nods in answer before suggesting getting proper food. “But I don’t want to cook! Can we go to Ichiraku?” Naruto pleads, and Kurama reluctantly relents. 

 

Naruto cheers, making his way out of the door, excited for the good food. 

 

~*~ 

 

Naruto settles into the tree outside of the Hokage’s office window, waiting for Kurama to give the all-clear to go inside the building. “You know Kurama. While we were in the library today, I saw a keyhole in one of the walls at the back of the room. Do you think it holds something super secret?” Naruto whispers to Kurama, who hums distractedly.  

 

All clear. You can go now. It probably holds like old reports and such. Do you want to check it out as well? Kurama asks back while Naruto jumps to the window and dives into the office. “Maybe. You think the key is in this room?” Naruto mumbles while looking around the room for any obvious places for his parents' wills. Naruto sees the portraits of the Hokage and walks closer to the blonde male, staring unblinkingly at his father. “How do people not know we’re related? I’m a carbon copy of him!” Naruto mutters under his breath. 

 

People don’t want to see it. Smear some blood on his picture. It probably has a seal on it. Kurama answers and instructs, Naruto nods, walking up the wall to the picture. Naruto bit his thumb, smearing his blood, and five scrolls popped into existence. Naruto catches them, wiping off the blood and walking back down the wall.  

 

Let’s check the desk for hidden drawers. Kurama suggests, and Naruto stows the scrolls in the pouch on his waist, moving to the desk. “How much do you think the library has on the Uzumaki, if they won't even teach about them at the academy?" Naruto asks quietly.  Anything of importance that this village would have been able to get, probably wouldn’t be in the public library for anyone to read. Which means, if you want to learn more, we need to find this key. Kurama states, and Naruto hums in answer. 

 

He moves closer and inspects the drawers and the surrounding area for a hidden compartment. He finds the mechanism hidden in the bottom drawer. He presses it, and it opens a drawer on the other side of the desk. It has a set of keys in it, and Naruto grabs them before he moves to the door out of the office.  

 

Moving into the hallway, checking both ways before making his way down the stairs. Going into the library, he moves straight to the back of the room and sorts through all of the keys until one fits. Naruto holds his breath and turns the key until it clicks. He waits for an alarm to go off, but nothing happens, and he sees a door open in front of him.  

 

Walking through the door, he looks around the room, sees loads of shelves full of books, scrolls and reports categorised by the alphabet.  We should go straight to the ‘U’ section. We should find everything we need there. Maybe ‘S’ or ‘F’, if we don’t find what we need. Kurama suggests, and Naruto nods, making a beeline to the back of the room. 

 

Looking through them, he mumbles. “Uchiha births... Uchiha massacre... Uchiha reports... Uchiha shinobi...Uzumaki reports. Found it!” Naruto fist pumps before looking through the old file for Uzumaki.  

 

Reading through the most recent report, he hums in thought. “They don’t have anything my mother wouldn’t have had on her for sealing when she came here. No one has found the repository on the island. Uzushio is rejecting anyone who comes near. No one can get to the island because the weather is forcing everyone back. How fun. Seems like Uzushio has sealed itself off from the rest of the world.”  

 

I’m not surprised that they had a failsafe to protect their legacy. They were powerful; they would’ve wanted to make sure no one with bad intentions stole anything. No one can enter, and they can’t leave either, with the weather indiscriminately killing everything, which makes this a good thing for us. Kurama says to Naruto, and Naruto tilts his head in question. 

 

We know where there is a lot of information about sealing from the world's leading sealers. We just need to find a way to get there. Kurama answers, and Naruto nods. “How would we get through the seal to get to the island?”  

 

Just a guess, but I think it will allow you through just for having Uzumaki blood or from her clans. They wouldn’t be able to block that with the seal, or it would be counterproductive to protecting their things. The only way to find out, though, is to go there. Naruto nods and moves to the right slightly to check something. 

 

He picks up the file on the Uchiha massacre and looks through the information in the file. He sees the last report about the killings and reads the notes written on it.  

 

Root issued.  

Mission complete.  

Mission Assignment: Single survivor.  

Mission Assignment: Uchiha Itachi. Status: Missing Nin. Control Prerogative: Failed.  

 

“What the hell?” Naruto mutters, and Kurama hums, reading the findings. Smells fishy.  

 

“Damn right it does! This sounds like a scheme to kill off one of the founding clans. How was this allowed?” Naruto grounds out of gritted teeth and keeps reading through the other notes, noticing Hokage-jiji's handwriting at the bottom of the page. 

 

This is the last time. Danzo has crossed the line. Root is to be disbanded, effective immediately. Under no condition will he be allowed to operate without my direct supervision, not after this. I will make sure the boy is protected, it was Itachi’s last request.  

The funerals were attended to, as you asked, but I thought you should know. Their eyes are missing.  

 

“I don’t think this makes it better...” Naruto trails off. 

 

Probably not. It sounds like this Danzo person still got away with the murder of a founding clan and the theft of their eyes as well. Naruto nods in agreement. “I am taking this with me as well. I want to look into this more. Maybe find out more about this ‘Danzo’ person. He seems like he needs to be watched.” Kurama nods in agreement. 

 

Naruto closes the file and seals it into a scroll along with a map to where Uzushio is from Konoha. Naruto stands up and stretches his arms above his head, cracking his joints.“Let’s get out of here.” He whispers and leaves the room, checking both ways and going to the Hokage office to replace the keys in their drawer. He jumps out of the office and makes his way home. 

 

~*~ 

 

Naruto gets home and takes his scrolls into his bedroom with him. He places them on his futon and grabs his pyjamas to change into, settling into bed when finished.  

 

He picks up the scroll with his parents' wills and unrolls it to see what they left him. He picks up the envelope with an orange spiral on the cover, opens it, and finds a letter inside. Naruto begins reading. 

 

“Naruto, my baby. If you are reading this, I have died. I hope Minato is still there to take care of you in my stead and love you enough for both of us. If he doesn’t, I will just have to come back from the pure lands and kill him, you know?” Naruto and Kurama laugh at that before sobering to read further. 

 

“I have named Mikoto Uchiha as your Godmother, so hopefully, you are still in contact with her as well. You and little Sasuke are going to be great friends, just like we are. I do not doubt that. I have written everything I can remember about Uzu... I was going to teach you everything about it, and we were going to be the most obnoxious Uzumaki that Konoha has ever seen! It would have been amazing! It's too bad. I leave everything I own to my one and only son, Uzumaki Naruto, and no one else is allowed to hold onto them. I love you so much, baby. You are my world and my light in the darkness. Take care of yourself. I love you.”  Naruto is crying by the end of the letter, and it takes him 5 minutes to be able to calm down enough to put the letter down and pick up his father's scroll. 

 

Naruto grabs the other envelopes with a yellow lightning bolt on them. One is addressed to him and the other to someone named Kakashi. Naruto puts the other letter down with the other scrolls and opens his letter as well. 

 

“Naruto, my son. If you are reading this, I have died. I hope Kushina is still there to take care of you in my stead and love you enough for the both of us. I have no doubt she would be able to do it. She is too strong a woman.” Naruto laughs at the differences between the messages from his parents. 

 

“I have named Jiriya as your Godfather, so hopefully you are still in contact with him. I know he’s a little flighty, but he can be relied on when it really counts, you know?” Kurama scoffs at this comment, muttering something along the lines of ‘Yeah, right! Relying on someone who hasn’t shown his face in 7 years.' I have written everything that I ever wanted to teach you about. Still, it looks like I will have to rely on Kushina, Jiriya and Kakashi to teach you instead. It's too bad, but I know they will be able to teach you everything you need to succeed. I leave everything I own, everything in my name, to my one and only son, Uzumaki Naruto and no one else is allowed to hold onto them. I love you so much, my boy. You are my world and my light in the darkness. Take care of yourself. I love you.” Naruto started crying again and placed down the letter next to the other one and fell into the mindscape with Kurama.  

 

He rushes over to Kurama and burrows into his chest, needing comfort. Kurama wraps himself around him and rumbles in response to the cries from the boy. By the time Naruto stops crying, he is already nodding off to sleep.  

 

Kurama pushes them both out of the mindscape and nudges Naruto to lie down in his futon with his nose. He grabs all of the items off the futon and places them in the closet for safekeeping. Kurama steps onto the futon and circles around the child for comfort, keeping watch over him. 

 

~*~

 

Naruto wakes up huddled in the warmth of fur, to a snout sniffing at his face. Naruto, you gotta get up. We have training to get ready for. Kurama says gently to the sleepy child. Naruto stretches out his body, and Kurama slinks back into the seal. Naruto lifts his head to look over at the alarm to see it is currently 5 in the morning, before groaning at how little sleep he got last night.  

 

You should stretch before showering and breakfast. This is the first of many more mornings like this. Let's start strong. Kurama directs his kit. Naruto nods, moving through the positions as Kurama instructs. 

 

Finishing his stretches and shower, Naruto moves into the kitchen to start preparing breakfast for the group when they come back to shower again after training. He makes toast for himself, a small breakfast before training. Walking back into his room, he goes straight to his closet to grab all the items they grabbed last night. 

 

“Which should I take with me?” Naruto questioned Kurama.  

 

You can take it all with you if you are concerned about leaving it here. Hopefully, Kushina left something about barriers in her books, so that we can secure the apartment. Kurama states that, before complaining about the decision to leave children to live alone in an apartment, one should consider the alternatives. 

 

Naruto smiles and packs it all back into their scrolls, then those scrolls into another scroll as well. He places the scroll into the pouch on his waist for easy access. He stands up, checking the balcony door is locked before moving into the lounge to check the window is closed and the stove turned off. 

 

He waters his plants before grabbing the Taijutsu books and a water bottle and walking out the door to head to the training ground. Naruto settles down in the clearing in the training grounds, and Kurama slips out of the seal again, sitting in front of him. “What should we do while waiting for everyone to get here?” Naruto questions, looking at Kurama’s face. 

 

Do you want to talk through the letters from last night or practice tree walking instead? Kurama suggests softly. Naruto whines a little before standing up.  

 

“We can do both at the same time, can’t we?” Kurama laughs and stands up with him, following him to a tree. 

 

Where do you want to start? We’ve already spoken about the Godfather.  

 

Naruto hums while moving chakra through his body to his feet. Less. He decreases the amount by the same amount of times as he did yesterday, before speaking. “I don’t need to go through that one again, no. Do you know who Kakashi is? He was in Dad’s letter, and he made it seem like we should know each other.” He walks up the tree and stands on a branch, looking down at Kurama. 

 

Kakashi was the last survivor of Minato’s genin team. He joined Kushina’s Anbu guard when she got pregnant. I’m pretty sure he wore the dog mask. Kurama explains, before pointing at the ground with one of his tails.  

 

Again. Remember, I want you to be able to do the transition instantly. Naruto nods, jumping to the ground to repeat the process. 

 

“So he knew both of my parents. Wait... did you say dog mask?” He turns to face the fox in sudden realisation.  Yeah...? Have you seen it before? Kurama asked curiously. 

 

Naruto nods. “Yeah... He was on my Anbu guard. I remember seeing him at the orphanage a few times.” He slowly walks up and down the tree in understanding. “Well! At least we know everyone didn’t just decide to ignore my existence when my parents died. He was protecting me all along.” Naruto smiles in pleasure, and Kurama huffs at his reaction. 

 

You have such a low bar of self-importance. We’ll work on it. It seems like, along with keeping your parentage a secret, people were forbidden from taking you in as well. Kurama concludes, and Naruto looks over in confusion. “What do you mean?” 

 

Well, these are two examples we have of someone with connections to your parents not being allowed to help or take you in. Kushina and Mikoto were very close friends. Mikoto would have wanted to adopt you into her family in honour of Kushina, and Kakashi was close enough to be semi-adopted by your parents; he definitely would have wanted to keep the last reminder of their existences close to him. Thus, they were rejected by a higher power and then forbidden to have contact with you afterwards. Kurama rants and Naruto listens with rapt attention. 

 

“Who would...” Naruto’s eyes darken in realisation, and Kurama nods in sympathy. “The Hokage would be able to do that... but why would he...distance me like this?” Naruto questions quietly. Kurama shakes his head despondently. We will never know until we ask him, or if he wrote down the order somewhere. Naruto nods, and Kurama looks over the clearing. 

 

Inuzuka and Aburame brat are incoming. Kurama states, and Naruto jumps down from the tree to see the boys run into the clearing. The boys immediately sit down to heave in lungfuls of air. 

 

“Good morning! How was the run?” Naruto bounds over to the trio on the ground and kneels next to them. “Do you need some water?” They shake their heads in denial, reaching for their bottles and taking sips from them, Kiba letting Akamaru have some as well. Naruto watches them with concern, but calms down when they relax in their positions.  

 

“You expect us to run like this every morning? Are you trying to kill us?” Kiba complains, lying back on the ground.  

 

“I don’t expect you to do this every morning...” Kiba brightens until Naruto continues speaking. “We will be increasing the distance when we get used to this short run. I want us to be able to run around the whole village before we make Genin comfortably.” Naruto grins unrepentantly when Kiba’s face falls. 

 

Kurama laughs uproariously in the background, and Naruto's smile softens at the fox’s reaction.  

 

Sakura shows up next, almost falling over herself. “Come on, Sakura! You can make it here! Just a little further, then you can sit down!” Naruto cheers for the girl, and she looks over to the boy and inhales a deep breath, picking up speed to make it to the clearing.  

 

She starts falling forward too far from the group, and none of the boys can react fast enough to catch her. Only Kurama gets to her in time, and Sakura lands against his side.  

 

The others rush over to her to check on her.  

 

“Oh, Sage! Sakura, are you okay? I mean, of course you aren’t! Lie down on your back and turn your head to the side. Take slow and deep breaths. Inhale. 1.2.3.4 Exhale. 1.2.3.4.5 and repeat. That’s it. Good job. Once you get your breathing in check, you can have some water, make sure to drink it slowly.” The boys watch Naruto expertly deal with Sakura, who is hyperventilating in admiration. 

 

Naruto grabs Sakura’s water and helps her sit up and drink, leaning her against Kurama's side. “You feel better, now?” She nods with a sigh of relief. “Yeah, thanks, Naruto. You saved me.”  

 

Naruto shakes his head in denial. "It only feels like that in the moment. Don’t worry too much. This is why we are training, remember? To get better. We all need to start from somewhere. It will get easier, and we will all be there to encourage you whenever you need it.” Sakura looks up at the boy in appreciation and nods firmly in answer. 

 

Naruto helps her stand up and leads the trio through the sequence of stretches he did this morning, while waiting for the others to turn up.  

 

Ino and Shikamaru are the next to arrive, and following them are Tenten and Choji. They all sit down to catch their breath and watch them go through stretches, Naruto leading them. When they catch their breath, they join in the stretching as well. 

 

“Remember these stretches. These will be the ones we will be doing at the start and end of each day.” Naruto announces, and they all sit in front of Kurama, who was watching the interactions. Alright. Has everyone read the notes on chakra pathways Naruto wrote yesterday?  Everyone other than Shikamaru shakes their head in denial, and Kurama nods.  

 

Alright. I will explain it to you. This is for all of you. Listen and think about it. Keep the information in mind when it comes to your turn as well. Kurama looks at all of them in the eye before he begins explaining. 

 

Chakra, in its most basic form, is the energy generated by existence. It's a part of everything – the grass, rocks, the air you breathe and the Water you drink. As he is speaking, he pulls five different spheres of chakra, the size of a will-o'-wisp. One of each colour: Green, brown, blue, yellow and silver.  

 

Most things do not produce enough chakra to sense. Still, powerful living creatures, like sage animals or shinobi, are capable of creating it in an amount significant enough to mould. Overall, there are seven types of chakra. Nature is balanced by the first five forms: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Lightning. Kurama circles the orbs around the group before settling them in front of him.  They can all be drawn from different parts of the body where they rest.  

 

Each of the elements that balance nature also balances living beings. They soak and dominate specific systems in the body. The chakra in these systems remains dormant until someone attempts to draw on the chakra for the first time, for the most part. Everyone nods with understanding, remembering the rant Naruto brought up in class yesterday.  

 

Most shinobi are born with one of the systems open, or find one of them easier to open than the others. Probably where people got the idea of there being one affinity for a person from. In truth, using only one kind of element throughout your life is likely to cause the other pathways to wither away.  

 

The kids grimace at the thought, and Kurama continues.  

 

This is why I will be opening all five pathways for you kids. To keep your body in harmony. Keep in mind that training all five elemental chakras means that it will take five times longer for you to learn, along with all the other training you will go through. Are you sure that this is what you want?  Kurama verifies with the kids before starting the process.  

 

“This will make us stronger, right?” Sakura asks.  

 

You will be exhausted. You will constantly think there aren't enough hours in the day to learn everything. For the next couple of years, training will be your whole life. Kurama pauses, and Shikamaru presses, knowing there is more to it. “But?” 

 

The fox grins, full of teeth. But it will make you all stronger in ways you have never seen before. You all prepared for that? They all have answering sharp grins on their faces. Kurama laughs warmly.  

 

Alright! Let’s start. The quicker we get through this, the faster we can move on to more fun things. Sit down, close your eyes, and start meditating. I will be transferring the kind of chakra you will need to be looking for in your own body. When you find it, you need to draw it forward. Wake it up. You think you can do that, kids?  

 

Who wants to go first? They all look at Naruto, and he nods his head in assent. “I have already done this. This is for you all to catch up.” The group gets a serious expression and sits down, ready for anything. “Would it be alright to do it at the same time?” Choji asks, and Kurama grins at their looks and nods in agreement. 

 

Yes, that is fine. I will explain the different affinities, what they mean and where they rest in the body for you now.  

Earth is the first element; it is the seat of strength and is defined by its endurance and stability. It rests in the bones.  

The next element is Water, which is the seat of understanding and is defined by its adaptability and flow. It rests in the blood.  

The next element is Fire. It is the seat of will and is defined by its passion and intensity. It rests in the gut and throat.  

Wind chakra is the seat of change and is defined by its swiftness and unpredictability. It rests in the lungs.  

The last element is the most dangerous. I will slow down the process to work with you all one-on-one for it, as it will need my full attention to ensure everything goes smoothly.  

The last element is Lightning. This one is the most difficult to master; it possesses the most dangerous properties of the other elements, as well as its nasty property. Lightning chakra is the seat of power and is defined by chaos and by serenity. This chakra is known as the catalyst. It rests in the spine. Kurama takes in a deep breath after the long rant and looks over the children. 

 

 

Are you all ready for this? Kurama checks in with them, making sure they want to go through with this. They all nod their heads in agreement, and Kurama motions for them to start meditating. Alright. Close your eyes. We will now begin. Kurama splits the earth orb of chakra between the seven children, restating the information for them as a reminder, and waits for them to finish. 

 

 

Kurama glances at Naruto and calls out to the boy. Naruto. You should get started on the Uzumaki taijutsu while we are waiting. Naruto nods, grabbing the book and reading through the instructions. When Kurama looks back at the children, he sees that Sakura and Choji have already finished with the earth. Okay. You both have Earth affinities. It makes for solid bodies and foundations. Well done. Next is Water. Kurama splits the orb between the pair and waits again for the others to finish. 

 

Shikamaru, Shino and Tenten are the next to finish, and Kurama explains the next one again, just as Ino and Kiba opened their eyes. Kurama splits the orb between the group of them and waits again, checking on Naruto, telling him to widen his stance more and getting an affirmative in response. This process continues until they are all finished. 

 

Well done, everyone! You are now finally at the starting line! Are you ready for Hell? Kurama cackles at their scared faces, and Naruto cheers for his friend's achievement. “Congratulations, you guys! We can now say, we have all done something only one other person has done! Isn’t that so cool?!” The group all smiles excitedly at Naruto’s words before turning to Kurama for his next instruction. 

 

Kurama watches this new attitude from the kids before directing them all to the trees. Naruto will be showing you what to work on next. Naruto. Kurama gestures to Naruto, and the others watch in intrigue as Naruto walks up the side of the tree. Alright. Who didn’t understand just from watching? Kurama asks, and Choji, Kiba, and Tenten raise their hands. Come here. I’ll explain it. The rest of you, give it a go.  

 

They walk away from the group, and Kurama explains it, letting them try once before giving them more guidance. Naruto watched the others on their trees and was in awe of how fast they all managed to get it right. “Kurama brought up water walking yesterday, when I was practising this. Since you finished this task so fast, do you want to try it with me?” Naruto asked the others, and they all looked over to him in excitement. 

 

They run over to the river and start practising to match the changes in the surface of the water. Sakura is the one who manages to walk over the river first, with Shikamaru following close behind. The pair comes back over to try to explain the process to the other three. Kurama looks over and laughs at Naruto falling into the water. The trio in the trees looks over at the laughter and finds a soaking Naruto, pouting at the group laughing at him, reaching for the hand Ino is holding out to him.  

 

They chuckle at the situation while walking down the tree to join the fox on the ground, and they all walk over to the river to join them. Kurama explains the difference between the trees and the river surface before walking along with them slowly, making sure to stabilise them before they fall too far. They make it to the rest of the group, and Kurama instructs them to roam around the river, playing some tag. Playing tag will distract your mind from the surface, and make sure you all get comfortable running on the water. Shino is the tagger. Go!  

 

They all scatter slowly across the river, and Shino takes off after Ino. Kurama watches the game, sitting still on the water, seeing them all get comfortable running around. Kurama immediately makes a dive at one of the kids running past him. Choji yells in surprise, giggling at the scare, and Kurama laughs as well. I will be joining as well. Make sure to get away from us both in any way you can think of. Let’s go, Masumune girl! Kurama shouts, and Tenten cheers in victory. 

 

“Let’s go, Kurama!” Tenten makes a run for Shikamaru, who looks at her with a bored expression. Shikamaru stops channelling chakra to his feet and falls through the water to get away from Tenten, who seems shocked at the strategy. She huffs at the boy before going after Naruto next. Kurama chuckles at Shikamaru's innovative thinking. Good idea, Nara boy! Really using your head there! Kurama calls, and Shikamaru smirks at the fox in amusement.  

 

Kurama chases Sakura and Ino, who run away squealing. Tenten manages to catch Naruto, who is still slightly uncomfortable running around. Naruto and Kurama make eye contact and immediately grin at each other. We will now have to catch all of you. If you get caught, move off the river and watch the rest of the game. Kurama announces, and the others look around the river for new strategies. The pair immediately goes on the prowl for the others.  

 

Kurama catches Ino first by distracting her with a splash from one direction and tagging her from the other direction. She walks off the river with a playful pout on her face, and Kurama laughs giddily at the playful hunting he hasn’t done in many years. Kurama looks over at the river for his next victim and watches Naruto chasing Kiba and Akamaru. The fox laughs at the ninken abandoning his partner before the dog can get tagged as well, running off. Kiba yells after the dog in betrayal before making his way over to join Ino. 

 

Naruto chuckles at the theatrics before honing in on Shino and starting to chase the bug boy. Shino immediately takes off, and his bugs move to block Naruto from following. Naruto yelps at the interception before changing his course to Sakura instead. Kurama follows Shikamaru, trying to surprise the boy. But when he tries to use the same distraction, Shikamaru catches his shadow. Kurama is impressed that he is already able to use his clan's technique, but can see that it is a new growth as he is already straining from the brief seconds he has held Kurama in place. 

 

Pushing through the slight deterrent and jumping onto the exhausted Nara. That was very well done! You are rewarded with a break! Shikamaru smiles slightly, and Kurama carries the boy off the river and sets him next to the others. Ino and Kiba squish the boy between them and check on him. Shikamaru reassures them that he is just tired and needs rest. They nod in acquiescence and let him lie down to sleep until the game is finished. Kurama turns around and sees Naruto catch Choji by tripping over the surface of the water. 

 

The pair laugh about the funny circumstances, Naruto standing up and helping Choji up, patting him on the back, and Choji chuckles on his way to the riverside. As he reaches the trio off the side, he goes for his snacks and places one bag of chips next to Shikamaru for when he wakes up. Choji snacks while watching the rest of the game, offering the other two some snacks. They nod in thanks, grabbing a handful each.  

 

Kurama goes after Akamaru, who makes a lot of sharp turns, making it hard for his bigger form to keep up. Kurama shrinks in size and jumps on top of the ninken, growing in size to scruff the dog, grinning in victory. Akamaru curls up in defeat and hangs sadly from the fox’s mouth, while Kurama carries him over to Kiba. Kiba laughs at his partner's predicament and grabs the ninken from Kurama’s mouth, nodding his thanks. Kurama grins at the kids and turns back to the game. 

 

Naruto is going after Shino once again and takes inspiration from Kurama’s tag of Ino. When Shino’s bugs come towards him again, he splashes them with water and takes them out of action for now. When Shino turns back in shocked concern for his bugs, Naruto tags him and they both go to check on Shino’s bugs to make sure Naruto didn’t hurt any of them. Kurama shakes his head at the interaction between them, turning to look for Sakura.  

 

Kurama chases the girl around the river for a while, trying to distract her from Kurama crowding her back to Naruto. When Naruto has finished helping Shino, he looks over the river to check who is left and sees Tenten at the far end watching the Kurama and Sakura chase. Naruto sees Sakura running straight for him and runs straight back at her, slightly to the left of her running line. Kurama notices what he is doing and begins calling out to Sakura to have her look back at him, instead of in front of her.  

 

By the time she looked back front, Naruto was two steps away, and Sakura couldn’t react fast enough to change direction. She gets tagged and slumps down on the water in defeat. Kurama chuckles and nudges her towards the riverside with his nose. Sakura walks over quickly to get out of the way. Naruto and Kurama both turn in unison towards Tenten, and she giggles uneasily at the attention.  

 

Tenten is quickly caught by Kurama, with their undivided attention going into catching her. They all gather on the riverside and look for the sun's position to figure out the time. They have an hour until class starts, and they all get ready to go home to get prepared for class. Kurama slinks back into the seal to rest, completely satisfied with the morning. They wake up Shikamaru, and he instantly attacks the chips, nodding in appreciation to Choji. They make their way back to the village, chatting with each other about training. 

 

“So, what were your affinities? I was going through the taijutsu forms, so I wasn’t paying attention.” Naruto immediately asks before stating. “Mine is Wind,” Sakura answers first, along with Choji. “I have Earth affinity.” “Same,” Shikamaru answers next, after swallowing his mouthful. “I have a Water affinity.” Shino nods in agreement with Shikamaru. Ino smiles happily at Naruto. “I have a Wind affinity as well.” Tenten nods in excitement. “Me too!” Kiba is the last to speak. “I have a Lightning affinity.” Akamaru barks in excitement. 

 

“That’s cool! All we are missing is the fire affinity!” Naruto exclaims, and they all nod in agreement. As they come out of the forest into the edge of the village, they part ways and make their way home to get ready for the day, waving to each other. 

Notes:

Thank you for reading!

Let me know what you think!

EIxKAZU_RAONNIM

Chapter 4: Chapter Four: Parents Will's

Summary:

Continuing from the end of the last chapter. We get some insight into the jonin's relationships, and more friends are added to the mix.

Notes:

Let me know if you find any mistakes!

Thank you for reading!

I made minor edits to the last couple of chapters, so it hopefully flows better.

Chapter Four  

 

Making his way through the halls of the Academy, Naruto turns into the classroom and waves to Iruka-sensei before making his way to the desk at the back of the room. Sakura is already sitting there, reading an introduction to Medical Ninjutsu book. Naruto slides into the seat next to her and pulls out the scroll from his parents' will, pulling out the books from his Mother’s seal. Sakura looks up from her book with a smile. “Hey, Naruto! What have you got there?”  

 

Naruto smiles at her and focuses on the books in front of him, after putting the scroll back in his bag. “Hey, Sakura! I’m not sure yet. This will be the first time I look through them.” Naruto leans closer to the girl and whispers, “They were my Mum’s, and left in her will. Kurama and I went to get them last night.” Sakura looks shocked, then angry, and in the end, her expression settles into excitement. “What do you think she left you?” Sakura asks, and Naruto shrugs. 

 

“In her letter, she said she left everything to become an obnoxious Uzumaki. So it could be anything.” The pair laughs at the comment, and Sakura lets Naruto begin reading the books, returning to her book while the others all come into the class. Kiba and Akamaru run straight for the pair with Ino following in her excitement as well. The last three of the group walk in much more slowly and sit at the desk in front of the others. Kiba sits at the desk in line with Naruto, while Ino gets the seat next to Naruto.  

 

“Hey guys! Naruto, do you have the Uzumaki taijutsu forms book? I want to look through them before practising them this afternoon.” Ino questions and Naruto hands his bag over to the girl without looking up from his book. Ino looks through the bag and holds up the book in victory when she finds it. Shino pulls out a book for Morse code, and Choji and Shikamaru squish him between them to learn it with him. Kiba watches the door for Hinata to come in. His face brightens when she comes in, and Kiba motions for her to join him. 

 

“Hey Hinata! How have you been?” Hinata smiles softly at the boy and answers his questions. Kiba gets an idea after listening to the shy girl talk and turns to the group behind him, gesturing for one moment to Hinata, who smiles indulgently at him. “Hey, guys? Can we invite Hinata to the training as well?” They all look over to the pair before looking to Naruto, who looks in deep thought; he is obviously talking to Kurama. They all wait patiently for his decision, Hinata watching the group in confusion.  

 

When Naruto’s eyes clear, his pupil has a red ring around it, showing Kurama is watching as well. Naruto nods his head in acceptance, and Kiba cheers at his answer, turning to explain what he meant to Hinata in excitement. Hinata tilts her head in obvious intrigue, before her eyebrows furrow in concern. “I will have to ask Neji-nii for permission before I can go, but I would like to join if you will have me?” Hinata informs with a blush on her cheeks, and Kiba and Shikamaru frown at the wording from the girl. 

 

“No problem, Hinata! Invite Neji to lunch, and we will explain our training plans. He might even want to join us as well!” Sakura exclaims in excitement, with Ino and Naruto nodding in agreement as well. Hinata smiles shyly at the trio, nodding softly at them. Choji writes down what they have already done, with some minor alterations like keeping Kurama off the sheet and putting what they will be working towards.  

 

Choji shows it to Shikamaru, then Naruto/Kurama and gets their approval before handing it to Kiba to show and explain to Hinata. “You can show this to Neji and see what he thinks about it!” Kiba says, and Hinata nods in agreement, looking over the page with shock at the itinerary before her pale eyes light up in excitement. Kiba shares a glance with the others at her expression and gets a thumbs up from them all. The group all turned back to their books and conversation, waiting for the class to start. 

 

Iruka watches them setting up plans and integrating their classmates in said plans with a proud smile on their face, before noticing Sasuke in the doorway, also watching the interaction with a blank face, but his eyes hold pain in them. Iruka watches as the boy walks over to an empty desk and sits by himself with worry on his face. Naruto looks up at that moment and catches Iruka’s worried expression and who it is directed at, the blonde gets up and steps carefully over Ino to walk over to Iruka.  

 

“Sensei? Is there something wrong?” Naruto asks quietly, and Iruka jolts at the boy talking to him. Iruka looked over to the boy, seeing him watching Sasuke as well. Iruka sighs at getting caught by the boy and answers him softly. “I’m worried about Sasuke... He’s always so alone, and he doesn’t want to allow himself the comfort of friends. It’s a concerning hole he is digging himself into.” Iruka explains, and Naruto nods his head silently in thought.  

 

“I’ll deal with it, Iruka-sensei! No need to worry! I have a plan.” Naruto reassures the older man, and Iruka looks at his eyes, seeing his determination. Iruka nods in satisfaction, knowing it will be fixed with this remarkable boy on the case. “Thank you, Naruto.” The blonde smiles blindingly and turns to go back to his desk, but Iruka stops him. “Naruto.” Naruto turns with a confused look on his face. 

 

Iruka smiles warmly at Naruto and says, “If you ever need help with anything, know you can come to me at any time, alright?” Naruto beams at his teacher with a nod of his head. He walks back to his desk with a skip in his step. The group watches him come back smiling fondly, and Iruka stands up to start the lesson. 

 

~*~ 

 

By the time lunch comes around, the whole class is bouncing in their seats, ready to go outside and play. Their group is watching the clock and waiting for the bell to go off, Hinata looking prepared to make a run for it to catch her cousin. Iruka chuckles at their excitement and lets them out slightly early, Hinata going off to the door with Shino following to grab Tenten as well. 

 

Making it to the older classes' door, they see the class walking out. Hinata makes a beeline for Neji, and Shino goes over to Tenten to explain the situation. Tenten happily follows the boy to the Hyuuga’s. Neji has his standard blank face and nods to Hinata’s question, following the girl and looking over to the others, following in appraisal that the others ignore for now.  

 

When they make it into the classroom, Neji immediately demands of the group sitting at the back of the room. “What are you trying to get Lady Hinata to do?” The Hyuuga is moving further into the room until he sees Iruka-sensei still in the room, bowing in apology. Iruka waves the apology off while Hinata moves to be slightly in front of Neji, so she is a barrier between the group and him.  

 

“We have invited Hinata to join our training sessions, and she went to get you for permission to attend,” Shino explains calmly, watching Hinata’s eyes light up at the invitation to hang out with them. She looks over at Neji for permission, and he sighs, asking more questions as the pair moves closer to the group. Hinata claps in excitement at being able to go and rushes over to the group and sits next to Shino and Kiba. 

 

“Who is in this group for training, and what does the schedule look like for this?” Neji inquires and looks over the large group in front of him. Naruto holds out the itinerary for Neji to look over. “You made this?” Neji indicates to Naruto, suspiciously. 

 

Naruto wilts a little under the scrutiny of the older Hyuuga’s pale eyes. 

 

Shikamaru cuts in, derisively. “Naruto made the schedule for all of us. We didn’t have to invite you, don’t be rude.” He glares at the older boy, and Neji glares back in response. Giving up on the confrontation, Neji looks back at the list with hidden admiration.  

 

Naruto tilts his head at the feelings coming off the boy. “Would you like to join us in training Neji?” Naruto turns quickly to Hinata to appease. Naruto continues looking at Neji, who is searching his face for something, but Naruto doesn't know what, so he just waits for the boy to speak. Neji is thoughtful about it before nodding hesitantly in response.  

 

Hinata beams at her cousin in response to his acceptance, before looking at the group in question. “Where are we doing? I don’t know where Training Ground 17 is.” She asks quietly, and everyone looks over to give her all their attention.  

 

Sakura hums and asks the group a question. “Does anyone have the map to the training ground?” Naruto flips to a new page and draws the map for the Hyuuga pair. “You might not need it as we will be going together after school today, but just in case.” He rips the page out and hands it to Hinata. The girl nods in acknowledgement and shows the page to Neji.  

 

“How did you find this training ground? It seems very secluded.” Hinata questions, and as they grab out their lunches to start eating, Naruto answers. “I got shown it yesterday morning. It was nice and private, so I made it into my personal training ground. No one has come by since we started training there.” They all hum in acceptance, and as they are all chatting, they don't notice that Sasuke is watching their whole interaction. 

 

Sasuke is bewildered at the suddenly close-knit group and their training announcements. The boy has been keeping an eye on the interactions since yesterday. He has a growing curiosity about the new system the group has taken. It was very sudden, and all seemed to centre around Naruto. It left everyone who noticed feeling out of the loop and trailing behind in the wake of the rapid changes. Sasuke clenched his fists under the desk, unsure whether he felt annoyed or simply left behind. ‘Why was everyone suddenly drawn to Naruto?' He wondered if he should ask to join, but the words stuck in his throat. 

 

Naruto notices Sasuke turning back to his lunch and smiles in victory. Amidst the laughter and exchanges of the others, Shikamaru leans over to Naruto, “You keep smiling at Sasuke, what are you planning?” Naruto grins deviously back at the boy. “I am planning how to get Sasuke to join us, while making it seem like his idea instead of forcing him.” Shikamaru's eyes widen incredulously before dropping his head in defeat. 

 

“You two and your obsession with each other are unrivalled, huh?” Shikamaru sighs at the confused look on Naruto’s face, knowing he wouldn’t understand for a while. “Don’t worry about it, Naru. Do you need any help with the plan?” Shikamaru asks instead, and Naruto shakes his head in denial. “I’ve got this!” Naruto announces as he finishes off his lunch, and the others all look towards him at the loud exclamation.  

 

“Is there anything you guys want to add to the training schedule?” Naruto asks as he pulls his notebook closer to him to begin writing their suggestions. Ideas for improving their training and teamwork begin to swirl, conversations flowing from one to the next—each teammate offering their perspective while Naruto scribbles in his notebook, collecting suggestions and refining their strategies. 

 

The classroom doors open, spilling the students into the classroom. Tenten and Neji both get up to go back to their classroom with a promise to meet out the front of the school to make the trip together. They wave on the way out, under the questioning looks of the other students. Iruka starts the lesson and takes them outside to walk them through the Academy taijutsu style.  

 

Sasuke immediately shows that he already has it memorised to the amazement of the other kids in the class. Sakura, who has memorised the form as well, helps lead their group through the process, and they all start sparing with each other to practice using the form in active combat. Hinata manages to beat most of the group as she has more experience in one-on-one fights than the rest of them.  

 

Mizuki pairs Naruto and Sasuke to fight against each other with a malicious smirk on his face. The boys stand across from each other and make the Seal of Confrontation to their opponent before rushing at each other.  

 

Kurama watches the fight through Naruto’s eyes and memorises the way the Uchiha fights to simulate it against the kids to practise with, while using their own taijutsu forms against it. Naruto loses, but only because he was still getting used to the fighting style.   We will be practising this later; you all need to know more than one technique. You can adapt all the different types to make one especially created for yourselves. Kurama tells Naruto, who nods in agreement as he makes the Seal of Reconciliation with Sasuke and moves back to the group. 

 

Naruto lets the others know about the drill added to the schedule, Shikamaru makes a note of the addition, and the others nod in acknowledgement of the news. Iruka calls an end to the lesson and wishes everyone a good afternoon. Naruto keeps an eye on Iruka as he says, “I’ll meet you at the front of the school. I need to ask Iruka-sensei something.” He runs off to the sound of their agreement.  

 

Naruto approaches Iruka-sensei. “Sensei! Will we be doing anything about seals during classes?”  

 

Iruka looks up at the boy to answer. “We will be going through how to use the storage scrolls and explosive tags, but we won't be going through how to draw them.” Naruto's face drops at the answer, and Iruka asks him a question in return. “Why did you want to know about seals?”  

 

“Well, I had read that the Uzumaki were good with seals, and I wanted to know if we would ever learn more about them.” Naruto answers, and Iruka hums in thought. 

 

“I should be able to get you some books about sealing for you to study outside of class. I will bring them to class tomorrow for you.” Iruka states, and Naruto brightens up at the suggestion. 

 

“That would be amazing! Thank you so much, Iruka-sensei.” Naruto rushes to hug the teacher and hurries out the door with a wave over his shoulder. Iruka laughs at the excited boy, picking up all the paperwork from his desk. As Iruka makes his way out of his classroom, he finds a silver-haired jonin leaning against the wall across from his classroom. Iruka makes eye contact with the man, sighs and turns around to lock the door.  

 

Iruka starts towards the exit of the school, and the jonin follows behind, grabbing the paperwork out of Iruka’s hands and carrying it for him even though they both know he doesn’t need to. Iruka rolls his eyes at the man, and the jonin just fakes a smile, not saying anything. Iruka goes straight to his apartment and leads the way inside, going straight to the kitchen table to take off all of his weapons, leaving Kakashi to place the paperwork on the coffee table, standing on guard in front of the table waiting. 

 

Iruka turns to look at the man and sighs at his stance. “Kakashi, what’s the matter?” Kakashi doesn’t turn to look at the younger man but flicks his eye to him to show he heard him. “Maa, Iruka. Why would anything be wrong?” Kakashi forces cheer into his voice even though he doesn’t need to.  

 

“Why else would you be here?” Iruka says as he rounds to stand in front of the man.  

 

Kakashi tilts his head down to the man, and Iruka pulls him gently into a hug. Kakashi sighs into the hug but doesn’t return the favour, not that Iruka expected him to.  

 

“I heard about what happened at Ichiraku. You did a good job. No one will reproach you for that little bit of protection.” Iruka says gently, and Kakashi inhales sharply, knowing Iruka would never lie to him about these circumstances. 

 

“I would’ve killed that man, if Genma and Raido weren’t there...” Kakashi confesses quietly, and Iruka laughs. “I don’t think Genma would’ve stopped you. Raido though...” Kakashi breathes a laugh, and Iruka lets go of the man now that he seems calmer. 

 

“As you obviously saw, Naruto was perfectly fine in class. He has started some type of training and gotten a lot of the clan heirs involved.” Iruka reports to the man, even though he would’ve seen it all today.  

 

Kakashi and Iruka both sit down on the couch in comfortable silence, when there is a knock on the window and in tumbles Izumo and Kotetsu, fighting all the way. Anko jumps over the pair squabbling on the floor and sits on the ground next to Iruka’s feet.  

 

Ibiki, Hayate and Aoba come through the door while Genma, Raido and Iwashi slink through the window, ignoring the still-fighting pair of chunin. Kakashi stands up and lets Hayate sit on the couch, getting a nod in thanks. Kotetsu and Izumo make for the kitchen for snacks, while the others crowd around the coffee table chatting. 

 

“Hey, Kakashi! Wanna know something fun?” Anko yells over the others' conversation, and they all go quiet, waiting for the jonin to speak. “Maa, maa. If this is about testing your poisons, Izumo and Kotetsu are right over there...” Kakashi drawls at the woman, and they all laugh at the affronted sounds coming from the kitchen. “Nah, nah. Nothing about that. Although I do have something to test.” Anko hums with a delighted expression on her face, looking at the chunin. Shaking her head, she turns back to Kakashi.

 

“Anyway, Kakashi. After the incident at Ichiraku, Naruto had run into the Forest of Death, and I found him just as the tigers did.” As the man tenses, Anko holds up a hand with a serious expression on her face, putting off any rash movements from the men around her. “I was going to help him, but Naruto didn't need me.”  

 

They all had shocked expressions on their faces at her words, but Iruka was the one who voiced the question. “Naruto dealt with it himself? Or did he run away?” The other men all nodded in agreement at the question, and Anko shook her head in denial. “Nope! The Kyuubi scared the tigers away and protected the boy until he calmed down.” Anko proclaimed with a slight grin on her face. 

 

Everyone blew up in an explosion of expletives, yelling over each other about the new situation. Kakashi whistles sharply for them to stop and asks Anko his question when they are quiet. “Why are you only just bringing this to our attention?” Anko looks to the man holding onto his self-control with a thread and swallows before giving her reasons.  

 

“Because I have got all the confirmation I need to know that the Kyuubi won’t be hurting the village unless they Naruto first. He knew I was there. He made eye contact with me but kept Naruto his priority, totally ignoring me. Plus, I believe Naruto deserves to have some secrets of his own, since we have all kept so much from him already.” They all stop short before they start going on a new rant, knowing she is correct, but they aren’t happy about it. 

 

“We also know the Kyuubi isn’t running free or taken over the boy either,” Ibiki states and the others nod in agreement. “If he were, either Anko would be dead or the village would be under attack. Since neither of those things has happened, Naruto must’ve managed to control the Kyuubi.” The Head of T&I continues to state, and they all calm down.  

 

Iruka begins to laugh, and everyone looks at the chunin in concern, thinking he has lost his mind. Iruka waves off the concern and says his thoughts. “Rather than control the Kyuubi, Naruto would be the one person I would expect to be able to befriend them.” As he finishes speaking, he looks at all their faces and bursts out laughing again. Kakashi looks to the roof, hoping for some type of guidance, and Genma joins in on the laughter along with Iruka. 

 

Aoba calls out, “You wanna put money on that, Iruka?” and Iruka nods enthusiastically. “I’ll put my next month's paycheck on it. Anyone wanna go against me?” They all shake their heads in denial, knowing Iruka knows this boy the most out of all of them. “Too bad...” Iruka pouts, and they all laugh at his face. 

 

“Hey, do any of you have any fuinjutsu books? Naruto is trying to learn them, and I promised him some.” Iruka asks the ninja in his house, and they all look at him in surprise again. “Naruto wants to learn Fuuin?” Genma asks softly, and Raido presses a hand to his back in comfort. “Do you think he knows about his parents?”Hayate asks, and the others grow solemn at the reminder. 

 

Iruka shakes his head. “He said he read somewhere that the Uzumaki were good at it and wanted to learn more about it.” They nod and look to Kakashi, Ibiki and Genma for an answer. “I should have some things from Kushina and Minato lying around somewhere...” Kakashi trails off as he squints in thought, and Genma nods in agreement. “Same here. When do you need them?”  

 

“By the end of the day tomorrow. Ibiki?” Iruka answers before turning to Ibiki. “I can probably find some stuff at the T&I department. It might take me a bit longer, though. Fuuin isn’t very popular.” Ibiki answers, scratching his chin and shrugging. “That’s fine, whatever you can find. Just come by the class and I’ll give them to Naruto when you find them.” Iruka reassures, and they move on to more fun conversation, like gossip.  

 

~*~ 

 

By the time the kids make it to the training ground, Naruto has explained his plans for Sasuke and that they can all go to Iruka for help if they need it, any time. The group is appreciative of a teacher willing to help them, non-conditionally. Everyone but the newbies and Naruto go off to start warming up, so Naruto can explain about Kurama. 

 

The Hyuuga are shocked, but when Kurama comes out of the seal, they see the relaxed approach of the other kids and calm down. Kurama begins explaining, opening all the chakra pathways and sitting them down to go through the process once again, while explaining to the other kids that they will be working on the Henge Jutsu. While Kurama deals with the Hyuuga, Shikamaru and Naruto explain Kurama's description of the jutsu, and they all practise turning into each other. 

 

When the Hyuuga have finished, the trio joins in with performing the henge as well. When Kurama is satisfied with the end products, it moves on to the Bunshin jutsu. When they can all create a stable clone aside from Naruto, who just has too much chakra. Don’t worry, Naruto. This situation was expected, as you have too much chakra. Look through your Mother’s notebook; she should’ve written the solution to the problem for you.  

 

Naruto nods and pulls out the notebook and flips through the pages until she talks about Kage Bunshin. Naruto takes the notes to Kurama and gets him to read. Kurama nods and explains the signs used, and makes Naruto practise them without chakra before trying properly. The others take note of the instructions for future reference. 

 

You Nara can manipulate shadows, right? Kurama asks Shikamaru, and he sighs, already knowing what he wants to say. “I’ll check the clan archives about it.” Kurama laughs at his dispassionate response, nodding. Kurama motions for Naruto to try using the jutsu once he seems comfortable going through the signs. Naruto nods and calls out. “Kage Bunshin no jutsu!” One hundred clones of Naruto appeared in the clearing. Everyone looks around in amazement, Sakura and Kiba circling one of the clones each, while Neji is using the byakugan to try and find the real Naruto. 

 

“I did it, dattebayo!” Naruto calls out, and they all laugh at his exuberance. Kurama shakes his head fondly before turning to explain the difference between the clone and shadow clone jutsu.  

 

The Shadow is a forbidden jutsu that the Second Hokage created and sealed when he realised how much chakra it uses for even one of them. Naruto is able to use them precisely because he has so much chakra, even without me supplementing him. The Shadow clone is more solid than the normal clone, and when you pop one... Kurama pops one of the clones, and Naruto flinches at the influx of memories rushing into his head. “Whoa! That is awesome!” Naruto exclaims, and the others look at the boy in confusion. 

 

You get back the memories of the clone when they get destroyed. Kurama finishes, and they all ohhed as they understood. “That is pretty cool,” Choji says, and Kiba nods in agreement. Kurama looks over at the kids and, getting annoyed at the clones, he pops them all with a wind attack. Anyway, Shadow clones take half of your chakra every time you create one, so the maximum that a normal jonin can make is five to ten. Still, as you saw, Uzumaki were chakra monsters. Kurama side eyes the blonde boy, complaining about a headache and the other laugh at the dig at Naruto, Naruto pouting at this. 

 

Shadow clones can halve the amount of time spent training, but I only want you to use them when you are sure you are able to go through the training at half power. Kurama warns the group before walking them through the signs for the Shadow clone as well. Give it a try. If it gets dangerous, I will tell you to stop. The kids all nod and concentrate, shouting. “Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!” They are all able to make one clone and collapse to the ground instantly, exhausted. Kurama pops all their clones, and they sigh in relief.  

 

See what I mean? You will have to train to increase your chakra reserve before you can use them reliably. Kurama instructs, and they all stand up, grumbling about not being able to use cool jutsu. Kurama chuckles and motions them to begin their running to the Hokage monument, then you can get dinner. Hyuuga’s. Are you able to tree walk yet? Kurama asks, and Neji nods, while Hinata shakes her head. 

 

Kurama motions for her to follow him. He begins explaining the process, and she has a few tries on the tree before being comfortable with the process and joining the others. “Kurama, are you able to follow us in a Henge?” Ino asks, and Kurama tilts his head in thought. Hmm... You bring a great point, Yamanaka girl. I should be able to... Kurama poofs into smoke, and all that is left there is a cat-sized Kurama with only one tail. How is it? Kurama asks as he jumps on Naruto’s shoulder. 

 

The girls coo over the cute form, and Akamaru barks at Kurama. You're right, Red Dog. I should conceal my chakra as well. Kurama covers himself in the Nature chakra, and the children can’t even feel the kyuubi’s chakra at all. “That’s so cool! How did you do that?” Kiba asks Kurama, grabbing him off of Naruto’s shoulder to hold. I used the nature chakra to blend in with the surroundings to the same level as any other cat. Now put me down and start running. Kurama demands, and Kiba gently places him on the ground, starting his jog with the others laughing at his reaction, following. 

 

Akamaru stays beside Kurama for the whole run through the village, watching the kids get used to jumping over the buildings and turning the run into a race, laughing and shoving each other. 

 

As they pass Iruka's apartment, Naruto goes to the window and knocks on it with Kurama on his shoulder. The knock shocks the other party in the room, and they all flinch, looking to the window in confusion. Naruto waves before jumping away and continuing his run, not giving any of them enough time to react. All of the adults share a surprised look before shrugging and going back to their conversation.  

 

Naruto catches up to the group, and Kurama begins to see them all slowing down, but powering through their exhaustion. They finally make it to the top of the monument and, after the gruelling vertical climb, flop on the ground to catch their breath. “That is such a long run!” Kiba gasps out, and the others all make murmurs in agreement, not having the energy to speak. Gotta get used to it. The distance is only going to get further. Kurama states before looking over the edge of the cliff. I could make you do this instead. Kurama points over the edge with his paw, and the others look at him, confused. 

 

The crawl over to the edge and look over and see a man in green spandex climbing the cliffside one-handed. “Wow... that’s crazy! How is he doing that without a chakra to stick?” Ino asks incredulously, and the others look at her in confusion, before swiftly turning their head to the man again in shock. 

 

“No chakra? Wow! He is crazy strong!” Sakura and Tenten say in excitement, and they all sit back from the edge to wait for the man to make it to the top to speak with him. When the man makes it to the top, they all clap for him, and he gives them all a bright grin and a thumbs-up in response. “What are all you Leaves of Youth doing up here at this time?”  

 

All of the kids crowd around the man, talking over each other in their excitement. 

 

“You are so amazing!” 

 

“How did you manage to do that with no chakra?” 

 

“You’re so strong!” 

 

“How do you train to be able to do that?” 

 

The man laughs at their excitement, and they quiet down so he can answer them. “I used the Power of Youth!! You will be able to do this if you follow this schedule! Thank you for the compliments, Young Leaves!” The man pulls out a paper from one of the many pockets of his jonin vest, and Sakura grabs the page, looking it over before handing it to Naruto for the pair to read. 

 

“We can add these to the existing schedule. Thank you, Bushy-Brow-sensei.” Naruto says and bows to the man, with the others following his lead. The jonin laughs uproariously and pats them all on the head. “You never answered my question, though. Why are you kids up here at this time?” The jonin asks with a serious face. 

 

“We have just finished training with a run to the top of the monument and were resting.” Tenten answers, and the jonin nods in understanding. “Truly, the Power of Youth burns bright in all of you! If you ever need help, just call for Mighto Gai, and I will come running!” Gai poses once again with a thumbs up and a grin, and the kids nod with smiles on their faces.  

 

“Thank you so much, Gai-san!” They call out while bowing to the man once again, and Gai waves them off. “Make sure to get home safe and have a full, hearty meal!” Gai tells them as he runs off. The kids share looks of disbelief and make for Naruto’s place. 

 

When they arrive at Naruto’s apartment, Naruto begins cooking some curry for everyone. At the same time, they figure out who takes the first shower. They decided the girls would go first and would put their clothes in the washing machine and dryer, and they could borrow some clothes while they wait. Choji and Shino go over to help Naruto with the food preparation, while Shikamaru and Kurama nap on the couch, with Kurama lying on Shikamaru’s stomach.  

 

Once finished with the food, they move to clean the space, set out their plates, and wash their hands. The boys sit around the table, eating in a comfortable silence and cleaning their plates when they finish. The girls come out of Naruto’s room and move to sit at the table to eat, and the boys go to shower. 

 

Once they are all clean and fed, Sakura grabs the book on Tsunade and the introduction to Medical Ninjutsu. Sakura calls out to Kurama, and he ambles over to sit next to her.  

 

Yes, Genesis? Sakura startles at the word. “What did you call me? Genesis? What does that mean?” Kurama sighs and settles into place in her lap to explain.  You are the firstborn of your family to be able to use chakra, right? That makes you a genesis.  

 

Sakura ohh’s in understanding, before asking her question. “You were the reason that Naruto suggested the Medical ninjutsu, right?” Kurama nods his head. “Can you tell me more about it?” Kurama hums in thought. 

 

Well, Naruto told you that since you have smaller reserves, you have better chakra control than, say, someone like Naruto, who not only has me in his body, but also already has enough chakra to overwhelm most chunin now. Medical nin-jutsu is something that Naruto would never be able to learn without spending most of his life on chakra control practice due to the sheer amount of chakra he has. It's just a no-brainer that that’s not an option for him, and he likes flashy attacks more as well. Sakura hums in thought before asking another question. 

 

“Do you know of a way for me to learn this as well as fight? I don’t want to be relegated to the sidelines for my whole career. I want to protect my friends from right next to them. I know Tsunade was able to do it, but...” Sakura trails off, hopelessly, and Kurama watches the small girl next to him before he looks over at the other children around the room, who are acting like they aren’t listening to their conversation.  

 

Alright! Kurama stands up, poofs back into his natural form and brings all the attention to him. He motions with his head to sit around the coffee table. You all want to know how to get strong and protect everyone you care about? Is there a way to do it at all? Kurama looks them all in the eye, and they nod in response.  

 

The answer to that is, of course, you can! You can be anything you want to be! Ain’t no rule books or restrictions! It will just take time and more blood, sweat, tears and effort than you think you can give to manage it! It will be hard, you will want to give up, throw in the towel and curse the gods while doing it. But you will remind yourself why you are doing it and push yourself even harder than you already have, because you know that all the hard work will be worth it!  

 

The kids all share shocked glances before turning back to the fox.  

 

They didn’t build the village in a day! This will take time, but you can and will conquer all the goals you set for yourself. I will push you when you can't push yourself because I know you can do it. This is day one for you all, and the journey starts now! You can be anything you want to be. No one else has managed to do it? You be the first to achieve it! Don’t give up at the first hurdle! Kurama looks at them each in the eyes before turning to face Sakura one-on-one.  

 

She straightens her back in response to the stare. You want to fight while healing? You make it happen! You need help with it? Look around the room. They will all help you with it. It still isn’t working? You come to me, and we can brainstorm the wildest ideas you can think of and put them into practice. This is what it means to be a Shinobi, but most importantly... This is what it means to be a team. You look out for one another all the time, on and off missions.   You will beat fate into submission and make what you want of it.

 

Everyone is stunned silent, staring at the fox in shock, before they all have quiet tears running down their faces in response to the speech. No one says anything about it, and Kurama quietly huffs at them.  

 

Once they have calmed down, Kiba and Naruto go to get the water jugs and cups for everyone, and the rest pick up some books to begin reading. Naruto hugs the grumpy fox in thanks and sits down next to him. Naruto starts going through the training they will be starting tomorrow morning.

 

“If we make this into a routine, would you all like to leave some clothes here to change into?” Naruto asks as he writes down the schedule for tomorrow. 

 

Everyone agrees, and Naruto nods in approval. “Perfect! Is there anything you all want to add?” Naruto passes the page around, and they all shake their heads in denial. “Naruto, you still haven’t gone through everything from your parents' wills, right?” Sakura asks, and everyone looks at Naruto in shock. Naruto scratches the back of his head sheepishly. “We’ve had a busy day! I was distracted. We can do it now.” Naruto quickly gets up and grabs his bag, sitting back down at the coffee table. 

 

“Would you like us to leave? It could be personal.” Shino asks softly, watching Naruto grab out all his scrolls. “No problem! I already read the wills themselves, I just have to go through all the jutsu and other things.” Naruto quickly reassures and places the scrolls on the table, pushing the bag away. 

 

Naruto reaches for his Mother's scroll with her books first, opening it and pulling out the books. He places them on the table and lets the others grab them and read through them. “These are my Mum’s notebooks. I already started reading them today in class, but didn’t get very far.” The ones reading all hum in acknowledgement. 

 

“Okay! These are for sealing, that one is for cooking, and these are for taijutsu forms. She wanted you to be well prepared, for sure.” Shikamaru states for Naruto’s notice, Naruto nods in acknowledgement. Naruto had opened the equipment scroll from his Mother, and had his hands full with a few already filled fuuin pages; for barriers, exploding tags, flash bombs, glitter bombs and smoke bombs, as well as large storage scrolls.

 

Naruto finds his Mother kept blank sealing paper and scrolls, along with the type of brushes she used as well. The brushes have the store's brand on them, so now he knows Tenten Mother’s knew of his Mum. 

 

“These three are her diaries...” Shino trails off, staring at them softly. Everyone watches while Naruto sorts the books into their piles and seals them separately back into the scroll. Naruto reaches for his Father's scroll next. He releases the books from the scroll, and they sort them as well.  

 

“These are also on his seals and some journal entries,” Tenten announces, and Neji adds. “These are for his jutsu.” Naruto nods his acknowledgment, and Ino adds to the information. “These seem to be for someone named Kakashi? I don’t know who that is.”  

 

Everyone looks to her at her words before looking over to Naruto. Naruto looks at the books in Ino's hands and nods slowly. “He was in Dad’s Genin team and is in my Anbu guard as well. I have a letter for him, so I’ll wait to give it to him when he is on my night guard next. Hopefully, he will take them. Thank you, Ino.” Naruto says gently, piling the books with the letter and sealing them into their scroll. 

 

Naruto unseals the last scroll, and specialised kunai and a scroll pop out. Everyone grabs something to look at.  

 

“This scroll stores a lot of 3-pronged kunai, with a seal on the bottom. Obviously from your Father.” Shikamaru states, and when Naruto looks at him in confusion, he explains. “Minato was known as the Yellow Flash. I’m pretty sure these are why. I don’t know how they worked, though.” Shikamaru shrugs apologetically. 

 

Kurama jumps over to poke the kunai and starts explaining. Your Father used the Niidaimes Flying Raijin seal to basically teleport to wherever his seals were placed. Anyone on his teams would have the kunai given to them, and he could put them anywhere he wanted to make movement easier.   Naruto looks at the kunai, picking one up and checking the seal.  

 

“Do you think he left how he did it in one of his jutsu books?” Naruto asks Kurama, and everyone is waiting for the answer.  I have no reason to believe he wouldn't have. This will probably take you a while to comprehend, though. We should probably wait until you understand more about seals before we start, alright, Naruto?  

 

Naruto nods while still staring at the kunai. “When I understand this, I will be giving everyone a seal to carry on their person. Is everyone alright with that?” Naruto looks at the others with caution, but everyone smiles at the question, nodding in confirmation.  

 

“Of course, man!” Kiba exclaims. 

 

“No problems at all!” Choji replies. 

 

Everyone nods excitedly back at him.  

 

Naruto turns to Tenten. “Would you like to help with it?” Naruto smiles at the excitement radiating off the girl. Tenten nods her head so fast that she almost becomes a bobblehead. 

 

Naruto smiles, keeping the single kunai and sealing the others back in the scroll. “I have got a family tree for you, Naruto," Neji says, and Sakura continues. "It goes back pretty far on your Mother's side, but your Father's side only has his adopted parents."

 

The group moves closer to the pair to look at the scroll. Naruto looks to his Dad's side first. It just has his Father’s name, with the couple who had adopted him. The parents don’t have the Namikaze last name and have deceased under their names, so he won't be able to get more information on him that way.  

 

Naruto hums at that and closes the scroll, looking at the scroll Neji is holding out to him. His Mother's goes much further back, but the name he notices is Uzumaki Mito from a fair few generations back and Tsunade two generations back. “I am related to Mito-sama? Kurama, you didn’t tell me that!”  

 

Kurama looks at the family tree over his shoulder, humming in thought. Well, it makes sense that you are related. Most Jinchuriki are chosen to be closely related to either the Hokage family or the last Jinchuriki. That way, they have a reason to be loyal to the village and will be strong enough to be able to hold a Bijuu back. You were the perfect mix of both reasons. You knew your Mother was the Uzumaki princess as well.  They all hum in agreement, even if they have their reservations about the logic. 

 

“Is there anything you find interesting in here? You can read them when you come by for breaks. I would like to keep them in the apartment if that is alright with you all.” Naruto asks, and they all look at the boy with shock. Naruto looks at their faces in confusion. 

 

“Why are you shocked? I don’t have any family to share it with in the village. If I ever found anything about the Uzumaki clan, I was going to share it with you guys. That was always the plan.” Naruto says it so steadfastly that they all flush slightly in appreciation.  

 

They thanked the boy profusely for the immense honour, and Shikamaru opened the last scroll, which was just a standard storage scroll. What comes out of the scroll surprises the Nara, but not by much. “Naruto, what have you got these for?” Shikamaru asks, and everyone watches the realisation show on Naruto’s face when he sees what the boy has picked up to read. 

 

“Well... You know how I had to get into the Hokage’s office for the wills, right?” They all nod, and Naruto sighs in answer. “When we were in the library, I had seen a keyhole in the far wall, and if there was a locked room there, and nothing about the Uzumaki clan was in the public library. Kurama and I decided to have a little snoop around for more information.” Naruto shrugs nonchalantly under the intense gaze of his friends. 

 

Shikamaru sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Yes, I understand that, but... Why do you have the report for the Uchiha Massacre?” Everyone else gasps and looks at Naruto in question. “What do you think? Did you read it? It’s sending out all sorts of red flags!” Naruto stands in his frustration, and Sakura reaches for the file, Shikamaru letting her as he watches Naruto pace his lounge room.  

 

The others read over Sakura’s shoulders and grow increasingly concerned about what they read.  

 

“Naruto.”  

 

They all looked to Shikamaru, who called to the blonde boy. Naruto stops pacing and faces the Nara. “Yes, Shika?” Shikamaru keeps eye contact with the boy as he asks. “Do you need help?” Naruto looks back at the boy with determined eyes. “Yes, I would.” Naruto nods, and Shikamaru nods his head in acceptance, looking back at the others.  

 

Sakura places the file back on the table and stands up to walk closer to Naruto. “Of course, we will help you. No matter what.” Sakura holds her fist to his chest. “We’re a team, remember?” Naruto smiles softly at the girl and sees the others nodding in agreement. Shikamaru picks up the file and holds up one of the empty storage scrolls in question to Naruto. The blonde nods in answer, and Shikamaru seals the file and places the scroll in his bag to take with him. 

 

Taking that as a sign, everyone gets up to go home. The boys change back into their clothes, and the clothes are left as a spare. Naruto walks them all to the door and waves them goodnight. "Don't forget to meditate before sleeping!" Naruto calls to their back, and they look back, nodding in answer. Naruto closes the door, tidies his lounge room and moves into his room to get ready for bed.

 

Naruto looks at his closet, makes a note to get a set of drawers for the others' clothes to fit and lies down to sleep. Kurama curls up on Naruto's stomach, watching over him.

Notes:

Thank you for reading!

Let me know what you think!

EIxKAZU_RAONNIM

Chapter 5: Chapter Five: Sasuke

Summary:

Naruto and friends enact plan: get Sasuke to join their training, with bumps in the road but mostly major success!

Notes:

Hopefully, this chapter makes sense and flows well.

Thank you for reading!

Thank you so much for all the Kudos! I wasn't expecting this to get readers so fast!

Chapter Five  

Sasuke's eyes shoot open in fright, and he jumps up into a sitting position, looking around the room nervously for any sign of Itachi. Seeing nothing around him other than the ghosts of his dead clan, he rubs his eyes in exhaustion.  

 

Knowing that he won’t be getting any more sleep, he gets dressed and leaves the house to take a walk to calm down. As Sasuke is walking down the street, he watches his feet until he gets out of the clan grounds.  

 

Sasuke wanders around the asleep and peaceful shopping district and catches sight of a person turning the corner at the end of the street. Sasuke rushes to catch up to the person, but when he turns the corner, there is no one there at all. Hearing a scuffing noise behind him, Sasuke turns around quickly to see a tall man with gravity-defying silver hair staring at him. 

 

“What are you doing out at this time, Uchiha-san?” The man asks with a neutral tone of voice, and Sasuke straightens back up in response. “Why are you?” Sasuke fires back defensively, and the man shrugs his shoulders placidly. “Going for a walk to get away from demons, I suppose.” The man begins to walk away, and Sasuke watches him, stuck in his place. 

 

“Do you want to join?” The man asks as he looks over his shoulder at the boy, and Sasuke hesitates for just a moment before following him. They walk in silence while they approach a large stone just outside of training ground 3, Sasuke recognising it as the Memorial stone for the Shinobi who were killed in the line of duty and whose bodies they couldn’t recover. Sasuke doesn’t come here very often, as all the Uchiha are buried in the clan compound, and they are the only funerals he has been to. 

 

Sasuke watches the man stand in front of the stone with a familiarity that speaks of frequent visits as he zeroes in on names that are grouped. “Do you come here a lot?” Sasuke asks, not really expecting an answer. This man is a stranger and a ninja. He has a right to his privacy without having to answer a kid's questions. The man hums in acknowledgement and nods his head in affirmation. “Most days." He answers, and Sasuke nods back to him.  

 

“Were they important to you?” As the question leaves his mouth, Sasuke almost wants to swallow the words back immediately at how insensitive it sounds, but the man only laughs slightly at the question. “They meant everything to me.” The man responds, and Sasuke doesn’t learn his lesson, it seems. “What happened to them?” Sasuke asks, and the man sighs mournfully, and Sasuke flinches at the sound.  

 

“A mistake I made in arrogance. I chose the wrong path. The path I believed to be right, and by the time I realised differently, it was too late.” He brushes his hand over a name, and Sasuke looks away politely, to give the moment the privacy it deserves. “They died to save my life, and being the fool I was, I didn’t realise what I lost until it was too late.” 

 

After that last comment, the pair stays silent. The man walks Sasuke back to the Uchiha compound and disappears with a jaunty wave goodbye, and Sasuke walks back to his house to get ready for the day to come, lost in thought. 

 

Kakashi makes his way to his apartment and searches for the sealing notebooks from Kushina and Minato. He finds the box shoved into the back of his cupboard, out of sight, out of mind, you know. He pulls the box down and sits on his bed to look through it. Kakashi hesitates just before he opens it, wondering if he genuinely wants to open this Pandora’s box.  

 

Kakashi sighs at himself before opening the box and immediately sees Obito’s orange goggles at the top of the box. ‘You were the first to die, how is yours at the top of the box, Obito?’ Kakashi thinks as he picks up the goggles and pats the dust off them, before placing them on the bed next to him. Next in the box are Rin’s medical notes, and they quickly join the goggles, as does his dad’s tanto sword.  

 

Finally, at the bottom of the box are all the books and scrolls from Kushina, Minato, and Minato’s Kunai as well. The scrolls from Kushina are for Kakashi, so they stay in the box with the kunai, but he grabs out all the books and places them on the opposite side of his body on the bed. Putting the other items back into the box and getting up to put the box back in the cupboard, he sits down to read through the books to see what is in them. 

 

“Naruto is going to love all the little comments in the margins of these...” Kakashi mutters before grabbing a pen to write out a little note for the boy on the first page of the book on top of the pile. ‘I hope you learn a lot and enjoy. (:’ with a henohenomohegi character drawn underneath it. Kakashi picks up the other books and heads to the academy. 

 

~*~ 

 

Genma wakes up for the morning and heads straight for his office in the apartment he has with Raido. He searches through his desk for all the notes he has from Kushina and his most creative traps, before he starts drawing up all he knows about the Hiraishin seal for Naruto to have a look at, making a comment in the notes about this seal only working with three people doing it.  

 

“He should be able to figure out how to use it, being the son of Minato and Kushina,” Genma mutters to himself, and Raido leans against the door of the office behind him, watching his partner. “Did you get everything, Gen?” Raido asks, and Genma nods as he answers quietly. “Yeah... I just have to finish writing this down...” Raido comes over to help organise the other books while Genma finishes writing. 

 

The pair leave the apartment together and get to the classroom just as Ibiki and Kakashi get there as well. The trio climbs through the window and piles all their books onto Iruka’s desk while Raido waits on the ground for them to come back. They all disappear just as Iruka unlocks the classroom door and walks inside. Iruka looks over his desk, seeing the books and sighing at the socially inept ninja that are his friends, who don’t want to be around children. 

 

Iruka picks up the books and sees the note Ibiki left with a warning for the seals he found. ‘These are dangerous; make sure to work with them carefully. - Ibiki Morino’ Iruka looks through the two books and makes a baffled noise at the seals. “These are going to an eight-year-old... How are these suitable for them?” Iruka grumbles but places all of the books onto the desk that Naruto sat at yesterday, anyway. “Oh well... I’ll make sure to caution him about them as well at lunch,” Iruka says as he sits down to prepare for his lessons. 

 

As the time for the start of class gets closer, the first to arrive is Sasuke, and he sits down quietly at a desk close to a window. Iruka greets him and receives a nod back in response. They both hear a great deal of noise coming from the hallway, and in walks Naruto’s group, waving to Neji and Tenten, who move to their class, chatting animatedly with each other.

 

Naruto’s group all head straight for their desk at the back of the class, and Naruto tilts his head at the pile of books on his desk, while Kurama jumps onto the desk and sits staring at them. 

 

Naruto flips through the books, while the rest of the group waits for his reaction to them. When he realises they are all sealing books, his head shoots up to look at Iruka-sensei. Iruka nods at him, and Naruto beams back in excitement before turning to the others to tell them what they are. They all smile at the boy, and they each grab a book to read through with Naruto. Hinata and Choji each show Naruto their books, each with a note for him.  

 

Naruto places his book down on the desk and grabs both the books from them and reads the notes for him. He puts the book from this Ibiki person in his bag to read later and sees the note from Kakashi, and smiles softly when he sees it's a notebook from his Mother. Sakura passes over her book as well, noticing it was also written by his Mother and given to this Genma person. Reading the message his Mum left on the front for Genma made him laugh out loud, ignoring all the looks he got for being loud.  

 

‘Use these to annoy the stuffy civilian council when they start to bother Mina-chan, you know.’  

 

Sakura laughs along with him and hands the book to the others, and they all giggle at the mental image of a faceless ninja terrorising civilians. They go back to reading the books, but after not understanding them, they place them back in front of Naruto and grab out their books to read. Kurama is snoozing on Naruto’s shoulders while all of this is happening. 

 

Putting away his new notebooks, Naruto begins writing down his plans to get Sasuke to join them and hands them out to the others for their approval. Ino reads through the ‘plan’ and laughs softly at how simple it is, although they are dealing with a kid, so it is likely to work for them.  

 

Naruto has written down; 

• Get him to notice that we are training together.   
• Leave out a training schedule for him to see. 
• Show off new techniques during lessons. 
• Spar with him to show how much we have improved. 
• If that doesn’t work, probably just ask him to join us. 

 

Ino gives Naruto a thumbs-up to the other blonde before passing the note over to Shikamaru. Ino begins writing up the training menu and writing a note to Sakura and Hinata to tell them her plan, and also gets their agreement. Sakura writes back a note that she will leave a map to the training ground as well, and Hinata giggles at the deviousness. At the happy sound, Kurama jumps off Naruto and goes over to see what the girls are planning.  

 

When he reads their notes, he huffs a laugh and nods in approval. The girls beam at the cat, and Sakura pats his head in appreciation, Kurama leaning into the touch. Sakura finishes with the map and goes back to reading how to do a diagnostic jutsu and turns to Shikamaru, asking quietly for the human body diagram. Shikamaru calmly hands it over without looking up from his book on Nara shadow techniques, which he got from his Father last night.  

 

Sakura hums in thanks and looks over the diagram and practises the jutsu on herself until she is satisfied with it. She immediately turns to Ino and asks to practise on her as well. Ino happily agrees to it and holds out her hand to the pink-haired girl. Shikamaru turns to watch the process when he hears Sakura's request and asks Sakura questions about the technique as well. 

 

Iruka-sensei ends the lesson just as the lunch bell rings, and the other kids all run out of the classroom, leaving Naruto’s group and Sasuke still in the room. Neji and Tenten join the group, carrying their bags. The group all pulls out their lunches and begins eating, while Naruto and Tenten start an energetic conversation about the new books Naruto just got. Tenten immediately grabs one of the books, and it happens to be the one from Ibiki, and Iruka walks over to the group.  

 

“Naruto, you obviously saw the message to be careful with these seals, right?” Iruka gets a nod in response and continues. “I would like to repeat that you need to be careful with them. Ibiki-san is from the T&I unit.” Ino looks to Iruka in shock that he would let a kid have anything from the T&I unit before turning back to Tenten and Naruto and nodding in agreement with his words. Iruka sees they are taking his words seriously and nods, going back to his desk.  

 

Sakura, Ino and Hinata go off with their papers to enact their plan, and as they hoped, Sasuke followed them. They begin animatedly talking about their training plans very loudly for Sasuke to hear from outside the bathroom. When they come out of the toilets and are putting away their hankies, they drop their papers on the ground as they pass Sasuke. As they turn the corner, they take a glance back to see the boy picking up the papers and looking them over. 

 

As they make it back to the class, they give the rest of the group a thumbs-up to show the plan worked, and the rest of them cheer slightly at the completion of the next step. They watch the Uchiha walk in, sitting down and reading the pages they left him.

 

They watch the Uchiha walk in, sitting down and reading the pages they left him.  Shino and Neji ask Sakura and Shikamaru questions about the diagnostic jutsu, and they happily answer the questions. Meanwhile, the others all talk about the training from this morning, watching Akamaru jumping on Kurama and starting a fight on the table. Naruto lets Tenten take the notebook she is reading with her, and the older pair head off to class when lunch finishes. 

 

~*~ 

 

Sasuke doesn’t listen to the rest of the class and continuously re-reads the pieces of paper in front of him. He moves on autopilot to get home, and when he comes out of his thoughts, he immediately heads to the training ground to find out if the schedule is the truth. Sasuke checks the map and heads to the training ground.  

 

When he makes it there, he is left dumbfounded at what he finds in front of him. His classmates are all shooting Great Fireballs over the river, and Naruto’s fireball is bigger than any he has ever seen. Akamaru is fighting a cat in the trees and losing considerably. When the group has finished blowing fire, those with smaller chakra reserves sit down, and the others attempt the Water Bullet jutsu to varying degrees of success.  

 

Sasuke would have thought those sitting down were resting, but he sees they are actually meditating to increase their chakra reserves. Sasuke is already stumped by what he sees when he notices that Naruto is moving onto a new jutsu. Naruto begins using an earth jutsu to make spikes out of the ground before moving towards a tree and walking up and down the length of the tree continuously.  

 

Sasuke slowly walks out of the bushes he was hiding in, and everyone turns to face the perplexed boy coming closer to them. Naruto stops walking up the tree and moves to join the group with Akamaru and Kurama. The group waits for the confused boy to talk first, watching him with patient expressions.  

 

“What... How did you... When did you all... What is happening?” The overwhelmed boy fumbles over all the questions he wants to ask, looking over to Naruto, who has the strong cat on his shoulders again. “Naruto?” Sasuke presses the boy for any type of answer, and everyone waits for Naruto to answer. “Well, Sasuke... That didn’t take as long as I thought it would.” Naruto states, looking over to the group with a frustrated face.  

 

“Now, I owe Shino melon. How did you know that he would show up so soon?” Naruto pouts at the glasses-wearing boy who looks proud of himself. “I knew he was frustrated and would want to know what was going on as soon as possible,” Shino says, and everyone laughs a little before turning back to Sasuke, who looks annoyed at being ignored.  

 

“Sasuke, before you get your shorts in a twist, we only started training together on Monday morning. It’s barely been three days since we started.” Naruto cut off any complaints that could’ve come from the boy, and Sasuke looked even more shocked. “How did you all learn how to do those jutsu in three days? That’s not possible!” Sasuke's voice rises by the end of his sentence, and everyone is watching the usually calm boy lose control of his emotions for once. 

 

“Sasuke, you need to calm down,” Shikamaru says to the boy, and Sasuke shoots the boy a glare at his words before taking a deep breath in to try and rein in his haywire emotions. Shikamaru watches and nods when he seems moderately calmer. “You have seen first-hand that we were able to do it, and you have seen the training schedule we have, to be able to make all the progress possible,” Shikamaru states the facts, and Sasuke’s face reddens at being caught out. 

 

“But how were you able to use more than one elemental jutsu?” Sasuke asks, and they look to Naruto/Kurama and see Kurama nod in consent, and they all then turn to Shikamaru, knowing he has the notes that Naruto made that first day. Shikamaru sighs and goes to grab the notes from his bag to show to Sasuke, before sitting down to lean against Choji’s side again. 

 

Sasuke reads the notes about opening all the pathways and balancing the body, before turning to Naruto for confirmation. Naruto nods and answers the silent question to the amazement of the others, who are confused about how Naruto was able to understand the question from just looking at Sasuke’s face. “Yes, all the notes are true, and we have all undergone the same process to open all the pathways. We all want to invite you to join us in training as well. If we didn’t want you to join, you wouldn’t have ever found this training ground.” 

 

Sasuke recoils in shock before becoming deep in thought, sitting down, clutching the notes in his hands. He doesn’t notice the cat instructing the others to begin sparing with each other instead, while waiting for Sasuke to make his decision. Kurama watches the sparing from beside the Uchiha boy to keep an eye on him. 

 

‘Itachi said to become strong enough to beat him, I need to live in hatred, but these guys have all become stronger than I have while I trained in hatred, by training together with no hatred. Have I not needed to follow the misguided teachings of the man who killed his clan? Have I been doing this all backwards?’ Sasuke muses, and panic begins to build up inside the boy at his thoughts, and Naruto turns away from watching Neji vs Shikamaru to look at Sasuke, feeling the rising panic in the boy.  

 

Kurama is already looking at the boy as well, and Naruto runs over to kneel in front of Sasuke, getting everyone's attention on him as well. The others stay away from the trio to give them space and watch the ongoing situation. Naruto, looking at Sasuke, sees him starting to hyperventilate and begins calmly speaking to the boy. “Sasuke, I need you to listen to my voice.” Seeing no response, Naruto sends a concerned look to Kurama before turning back to Sasuke. 

 

“I need you to try and match your breathing to my count. Can you do that, Sasuke?” Naruto asks, before beginning a count. “Breath in through your mouth for four counts, hold it, then let it out for six counts. Then you repeat. In for four, hold, then out for six counts.” Naruto keeps repeating this count until he sees the boy follow the instructions.  

 

“Alright. That’s good. Keep going, Sasuke. Can I grab your hand?” Naruto asks and waits for his nod in response before grabbing his hand. Naruto motions for Kurama to come closer to him before speaking to Sasuke again. “Sasuke, you are doing well. Can I put a cat in your lap? You can pat him to your count for the breaths.” Naruto says as he rubs the back of Sasuke’s hand. Naruto gets another nod in answer and places Kurama in his lap, and moves Sasuke’s hand on top of Kurama’s back.  

 

Sasuke slowly comes back to himself to feel fur underneath his hands and hears Naruto’s voice talking to him calmly. He opens his eyes and makes eye contact with blue and red ringed eyes. He blinks at them and sees them crinkle into a smile. “Welcome back. Are you feeling better?” Naruto asks, and Sasuke nods, looking down to see that he is petting a bright orange cat. “That is Kurama. My pet.” Kurama’s tail whips at the word pet but otherwise doesn’t move.  

 

Sasuke nods again and quietly thanks the blonde boy. Naruto waves off the thanks with, “Don’t worry! It wasn’t the first one I dealt with, and probably won't be the last either.” Sasuke looks at the boy in confusion, but doesn’t get any more information from him. “What happened? You were thinking pretty hard about something before the panic attack hit.” Naruto changes the subject back to Sasuke, and he sees the way the walls come back up at the question. 

 

“Nothing to do with you, Dobe.” Sasuke fires back at the blonde boy, who hardly reacts to the venom thrown at him, but the Kurama jumps out of his lap instantly. Standing between the boys and hissing in warning to the Uchiha, Sasuke looks to the cat in shock at the reaction. Looking up, he sees the others glaring at the boy as well for his words to Naruto, but Naruto is the only one not reacting.  

 

Naruto strokes Kurama to calm him down before pushing him to the others to distract the fox. Kurama walks away, but not without another glare at the Uchiha, who looks suitably nervous in response. Naruto also waves the others back to their training and turns back to Sasuke with a smile on his face. The pair just sit there in silence, watching as the others resume their sparring.  

 

“Do you want to talk about it? Or do you want to have a spar?” Naruto asks, and Sasuke's answer is to stand up and face the blonde in fighting position. Naruto stands up, turning to the boy as well and motioning for him to start. 

 

Sasuke immediately starts by throwing a Fireball jutsu at Naruto, who defends by spitting water at it with the Water Bullet Jutsu and running through the steam the collision creates, rushing the Uchiha.  

 

Sasuke is suddenly on the defensive from Naruto’s flowy fighting style, which he has never seen before.  

 

Naruto jumps back and throws three shuriken at the boy, forcing him back and firing his own Fireball jutsu at him as well. Sasuke dives under the attack and charges Naruto when he lands on the ground.  

 

Naruto kicks Sasuke back and uses the Hiding Like a Mole Jutsu to burrow under the ground. Sasuke begins running around and uses the Hidden Mist Jutsu to be hidden from view when Naruto pops out of the ground. Sasuke doesn’t know about Naruto’s sensing abilities and feels his ankle being grabbed before he is pulled into the ground.  

 

Naruto jumps out of the ground and uses the Great Breakthrough Jutsu to blow away the mist and stare at the buried head of the grumpy boy.

 

“How was that? Feeling better?” Naruto asks as he walks closer to Sasuke. Sasuke nods in defeat, and Naruto helps the boy out of the ground by moulding chakra to his hands and pressing down on the ground to make a gap for Sasuke to climb out.  

 

Sasuke brushes off the dirt and soot from their fight and looks at Naruto appraisingly, and looks to the others, who have stopped fighting once again to watch their fight. Sasuke, turning to face Naruto head-on, asks him. “Can I join your training? It seems like a rewarding method to get stronger, and I would like your help to become strong enough to beat Itachi.” Sasuke states and doesn’t notice the looks exchanged by the group behind him, but Naruto doesn’t bring attention to them, focusing only on Sasuke. 

 

“Of course, you can join our training! No problem!” Naruto proclaims, and the others cheer at the addition of the newest member. Sasuke is shocked at such a positive response from the group and looks at the other in confusion. 

 

Naruto moves to sit down with Sasuke by the river, and Kurama sends the kids to do tree walking or meditation before joining the pair of boys as well. Naruto pulls the cat into his lap, and Kurama lies down, watching the Uchiha boy suspiciously. Sasuke ignores the cat, focusing on Naruto, waiting for the boy to begin talking. 

 

“Alright! Do you want the whole story?” Naruto asks, and Sasuke nods in affirmation. Naruto goes on to explain the whole situation to Sasuke, and he gets a disbelieving expression until the cat speaks from Naruto’s lap. Sasuke watches as the cat transforms back into the kyuubi and stares down at the boy, uninterested and unimpressed with the Uchiha. Naruto swats at Kurama, and he settles around the blonde instead, making it evident that he will protect the boy from anyone. 

 

Sasuke gulps at seeing the kyuubi just out in the open, before turning back to Naruto. “How do I open all of my pathways?” He asks, and Naruto points to Kurama in answer. “Kurama helps you.” Naruto stands up and leaves the two of them alone to go through the process, joining the others with their exercises. Kurama and Sasuke stare at each other for 10 minutes before Kurama begins explaining. 

 

By the time they are finished, it is time for the run to the stone faces, and Sasuke follows the group, after getting a crash course on tree walking to make sure he can follow along properly. He gets a handle on the process quickly, and they are off on their run with Kurama following behind.  

 

~*~  

 

In the apartment, after getting some ramen for dinner and washing up, they all sit around the coffee table. They are all explaining to Sasuke what they have been doing, what they expect to be able to do and what they hope to do as well. Sakura, Shino, Shikamaru and Neji will all be going to Iruka-sensei to get introduced to someone from the hospital to start shadowing them around the hospital. Naruto and Tenten are learning about sealing. Kiba, Hinata, Ino and Choji are researching taijutsu forms to add to their practice later on. 

 

Sasuke looks a little overwhelmed by the new information. Still, it is all absorbing, and he begins suggesting that he will teach the Uchiha style and that they should learn to use a weapon other than the standard kunai, shuriken and senbon. They all look interested in the proposed advice, and Tenten recommends that everyone go to her store for weapon choices. They all agree with her happily and start to notice Sasuke falling asleep in his seat.  

 

Naruto signals to be quiet and gestures to his room. He stands up and leads them all into the room and shuts the door quietly, with Kurama out there to watch the boy. “Can we keep the Uchiha research a secret for now? Just until we have enough evidence for it?” Naruto asks, and the group nods after some shared glances. “Great! I’m going to let Sasuke sleep here. If anyone else wants to, you are more than welcome to stay.” Naruto announces before going back out to put a blanket over the sleeping boy leaning on the couch.  

 

Sakura and Ino are staying over, and the others make their way home, waving goodbye to Naruto on their way out. Naruto lets the girls have his room and grabs another blanket to sleep on the couch. He waters his plants before drifting off to sleep, comforted by the sounds of breathing in his apartment.  

 

~*~ 

 

Waking up to a sore back is not a surprise, but opening his eyes to an unfamiliar room is definitely. Sasuke jumps up and looks around the room widely before seeing Naruto on the couch next to him, sleeping peacefully. Sasuke calms down and takes a deep breath, moving to the bathroom to splash his face with cold water to force himself to wake up properly.  

 

Sasuke leans on the sink, focusing on his reflection and noticing his face has more colour in it than it did yesterday. ‘Getting a proper night's sleep will do that, I guess.’ Sasuke thinks sardonically and shakes his head at his thoughts, moving back into the lounge room to wait for Naruto to wake up. When he looks to the couch again, he sees deep red eyes watching him walk back into the room. 

 

“Good morning, Kurama.” Sasuke greets the fox? Nods back in hello, just as he jumps off Naruto’s stomach, and Naruto gets the breath knocked out of him. Naruto shoots up and heaves a deep breath back in his lungs, while glaring at Kurama, who watches the boy, amused. “Not... Funny... Kurama...” He says in between breaths, and Kurama chuckles at the boy. “You needed to wake up; it was the fastest way.” Kurama calmly states back and points to Sasuke, who is watching the interaction with hidden amusement in his eyes. 

 

“Morning, Sasuke. Do you want breakfast?” Naruto asks the boy casually, and Sasuke nods, following the boy into the kitchen. Naruto grabs the whole carton of eggs and the little sausages to begin cooking before asking Sasuke. “Can you put the rice cooker on? Enough for four, please? Ino and Sakura are here, as well. You can snack on the cherry tomatoes if you like, while you wait.” Sasuke nods, following the directions and leaning against the counter, watching Naruto, and continuously eating the tomatoes.  

 

Ino and Sakura come out of the bedroom, rubbing the sand out of their eyes and hair still in a mess from their sleep. They mumble a greeting to the boys and go straight to the couch to doze, while petting Kurama, who is lying curled up on the middle cushion. As the girls wake up, Sasuke places some bowls of rice on the coffee table in front of them, along with plates with an omelette and little sausages. Naruto came out with a plate of toast and placed it on the table as well.  

 

Naruto and Sasuke both grab their food as well, moving to join the already eating girls who were finally awake enough for conversation. Sasuke has a bowl of tomatoes on the side of his food, and Sakura manages to steal a couple for her and Ino, ignoring Sasuke's annoyed scowl. Naruto laughs at them and scoffs down his food, and moves to get dressed for training.  

 

“Sasuke, you are going to need to bring some clothes here. Especially if you are going to sleep overnight. Which will probably happen quite often, training is gruelling and will keep getting harder from here on out,” Ino states to the Uchiha, and Sakura nods and stands up to clean her plates and bowls. Naruto comes out of his room with his brush in hand and motions for Ino to turn around.  

 

Ino complies with the demand and turns her back to the boy, who begins brushing out her hair while she finishes eating. Sasuke nods to Ino's statement and watches the proceedings as Naruto finishes tying her hair into her signature high tail and letting Ino stand up. Sakura quickly takes her place and lets Naruto brush out her hair as well. Naruto plaits her hair and pats her shoulders when he is finished.  

 

“What do you think? Keeps it out of your face but isn’t too much pressure on your scalp, right?” Naruto asks, and Sakura nods in agreement. “Thank you, Naruto. You’ve gotten better at the plait.” Sakura compliments, and Naruto grins back at the girl.  

 

Naruto looks at the group in the room and asks, “Are you all ready for training?” The girls nod, and Sasuke moves to wash his plates and bowls. Once finished, he goes to the bathroom to clean himself up before joining the other three, making their way out of the house. “We start with a run to the stone heads and back to the training ground as a warm-up for morning practice. However, I don’t need to explain this to you. You have our training schedule. Follow along.” Naruto starts explaining, but catches himself not needing to, at the annoyed expression on Sasuke's face. He takes off, and the others are quick to follow. 

 

Making it to the training ground, Naruto sees the others already there, going through the stretches and meditation. They happily join in and wait for Kurama to call them to start their sparring. Sasuke finds he doesn’t win as many of the fights as he thought he would. After the spars, they start the chakra control exercises of tree walking and doing their kata’s on the water to finish the morning session.  

 

They make their way back to Naruto’s apartment to clean up and eat some snacks, Sasuke stopping to get a few sets of clothes on the way. They all begin to make their way to school and sit together at their desks, to Iruka’s great delight at seeing Sasuke truly interact with his peers.

 

Sasuke and Naruto talk through some of the jutsu Naruto used in their fight, and Naruto says, “All the others have learnt the same jutsu, they just don’t have as much chakra as I do. So, their priority is to up their stamina and chakra reserves to be able to practise more.” And Sasuke nods in acknowledgement of the comments. 

 

Seeing Naruto with his nose stuck in his books again, Sasuke turns to watch Shino and Shikamaru talking via Morse code and tries to understand the conversation without asking. “Shino,” Sasuke calls out to the pair of boys, and they both turn to him, cutting their conversation off. “Yes?” Shino answers.  

 

“Sorry for interrupting, but do you have any blowing beetles or fireflies in your collection?” Sasuke questions, and Shino tilts his head in thought, as a small swarm of beetles comes out from under his jacket sleeves in answer.

 

“Do they know how to do Morse code with their lights as well?” Sasuke asks, and Shino shakes his head in denial. “That would be another way to gather intel, right? All of your insects can understand human language, right? They would be able to relay it a lot easier, even if you aren’t around to translate for them, right?” Shino nods in acknowledgement and turns back to Shikamaru to continue the coding practice.  

 

Sasuke, seeing that the conversation has come to an end, begins to meditate instead.

 

Sakura walks to Iruka-sensei while waiting for the class to start. “Say, Iruka-sensei. Would you happen to know anyone in the hospital looking for a shadow? There are a few of us who would like to learn more about Medical Ninjutsu and would like to volunteer at the hospital to get experience.” Sakura smiles at her teacher with a sickly sweet smile on her face, and Iruka knows he can’t refuse; he nods his head.  

 

“I’ll ask around and see what I can find out. Give me a few days, alright? Who is learning with you, Sakura?” Iruka asks, and Sakura beams at his response. “It is me, Shikamaru, Shino and Neji from the older class! Thank you so much, Iruka-sensei! You're the best!”

 

Sakura gives the man a tight hug and runs back to the group. “He will get back to us in a few days with more information!” Sakura announces, and Shikamaru and Shino nod calmly at the girl and tune into the lesson Iruka-sensei starts as Sakura sits down. 

 

~*~

 

When lunch comes around again and Neji and Tenten have joined them, Naruto suggests something to Tenten. "You should show Sasuke the trapping seals from the book we got from Genma. We will need to get some supplies to use them to their utmost potential, but give Sasuke a crash course on them, alright?" Tenten salutes the boy and turns to face Sasuke to begin the discussion.

 

Naruto tries to draw out some of the basic storage seals and explosion tags on some of the blank Fuuin pages, as shown in his Mother's notebooks. He hands everyone a copy of the storage paper and lets them attempt to seal their books into it.

 

They all cheer at the success, and Naruto tries to draw up a weapons-only storage seal next. Choji hands out protein bars to everyone, saying, "I've tried a new recipe, what do you think?" They all take a bite and groan in appreciation of the sweet taste. "It's excellent!" Hinata exclaims, and the others nod in agreement, making Choji turn red in pride. "That's good! I need to find a savoury option, but it shouldn't take too long now." Choji announces, and they all nod, finishing off their snacks.

 

"Do any of you know how to increase one's lung capacity?" Choji adds on, and the others all look to the boy in confusion. Sakura's confused expression changes to a determined one, and she flips furiously through her Human Body books to find a solution. "I will find a way for you, Choji! Don't worry." She proclaims, and Choji nods in acceptance.

 

Neji and Hinata are talking over a Hyuuga Kata guide, while Ino and Kiba watch them ping-pong ideas off each other, lightning quick, in amazement. All they asked was whether someone outside of the Hyuuga clan could learn their fighting style, and Hinata said yes, but Neji disagreed, sparking a heated debate between the cousins.

 

The conclusion they come to is that others can, but it won't be as effective without a Byakugan. Which was the expected answer. Shino steals Sasuke from Tenten and asks, "How much training have you done with Genjutsu, Sasuke?" Sasuke gets a frustrated look on his face when he answers.

 

"Not as much as you'd think, coming from a clan that specialises in it, you know?" Shino nods in acknowledgement and suggests, "We should find some books on it to learn about it together. I want to try getting an insect that can spread one out, you know?" And Sasuke agrees to the request.

 

"Does anyone need to visit the library? Shino and I need to find some books on Genjutsu. Would any of you like to come with us?" Sasuke asks the group, and Ino and Sakura's hands shoot up in response. "I need a new book for the lungs," Sakura exclaims, and Ino follows suit. "I want to find a book with a list of weapons so we can look through them before picking one, you know?"

 

They all nod and get ready for the rest of class, Neji and Tenten leaving the classroom with excitement in their eyes and a spring in their step. Naruto and all his friends tune into Iruka-sensei's lesson for the afternoon.

 

 

Notes:

Thank you for reading!

Let me know what you think!

EIxKAZU_RAONNIM

Notes:

Thank you for reading! This has been a fun experience and I am excited to continue writing this story!