Naruto 1. Prologue Star Crossed

**_Hello ladies and gentleman. It my pleasure to place my hat into this foray of artwork, and may my return be graced and heralded by your opinions. For the time being though, I believe a story is in order. I will mention from the beginning that I do not own anything featured in the Naruto series, but I do own any and all original characters (i.e.- Sentra, Taiyou, and Aisuhina). This is something I had gathered in my mind to be an interesting idea for a story, and I hope that your enjoyment comes to the forefront of this tale. This will have a defined pairing, so I apologize in advance to those who find this fan fiction to not be their taste. I digress though, and without further ado, "A Blackbird's Sorrow"._**

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A chilling breeze falls across the fields of a once heated battlefield. Destruction surrounded the area on all sides of this bloodied plain. Amongst the devastation and carnage, lays a man with golden locks of hair flowing freely in the wind. Not a mark showing though his lack of breathing already stating his death. As his flesh had gone pale and cold, and a smile never left his lips, his mind holding out his only shred of hope for all to see. The 4th Hokage lay dead on the battlefield where he defeated the nine-tailed fox, Kyuubi, by offering his soul and blood as a sacrifice to seal away the beast. A battle that had been witnessed by many, but one man in particular stood above the body, his eyes glowing faintly gold.

"Wouldn't stop sacrificing everything to ensure others' safety, would you?" the man asked with a saddened smile upon his visage. "It finally cost you your life to protect this village. I hope they understand the sacrifice you made for them. Your life and your son are not things to be taken into light account in these matters. Many lives were lost this day, but let us hope that they are remembered with reverence. My old friend, Arashi, may the shinigami have mercy upon you. Kami knows you deserve it." The man turns to walk away only to have his path blocked by a white haired man in red and white. He held his hand out in a gesture of stopping him.

"Sentra," the man states in a threatening manner. "What purpose does an A-ranked Missing-nin have in this place?" the man states placing himself in a lowered defensive position. His hands begin to take to making seals quickly for an entrapment jutsu. As he did this, the man calmly raised his thumb to his mouth, and bit.

"The same reason as you, Jiraiya the Pervert," he says with a small smirk. This caused a moment's hesitation on the other man's part, just the amount of time he needed. He wiped his thumb on the inside of his coat. This caused strange kanji to appear in the ground before surrounding Jiraiya and wings of reddish orange sprouted from the ground entrapping the other man. "Wings of Sealed Rebirth no Jutsu," the man stated softly. "I came to pay my respects to the deceased, Jiraiya. Being captured was not on my list of things to do," he states, still smirking as he heard the sounds of fire jutsu being blasted inside the dome of wings. His eyes widen slightly as he rolls to the side, just barely dodging an explosion in the ground. As he rolls, he begins forming hand seals, blood still coating his fingers.

Sentra finished his jutsu just in time to find gout of flame run toward his direction. He slams his hand on the ground to make a large bird appear in the path. He does a few more, only to be shredded by a hundred shuriken or so. At least it appears that way, until he explodes into thousands of feathers. As the feathers fall, the bird lets out an ear-piercing shriek. As it does, the feathers swirl in the air, until it appears a crimson blizzard of down, blinding everyone on the field. A forceful blast of wind halts the display, making an old man appear, clad in black shinobi armor. Next to him stands Jiraiya, who has a look of self-disappointment. He begins hand seals and summons a large battle armored toad; wielding 2 wicked looking scimitars, and a face in a perpetual scowl. Before them looms a large, angry, and battle hardened crimson bird. The bird screeches at them, as the white and crimson robed Sentra appears in a flash of light on the bird's head, kneeling and softly stroking its head. His golden eyes glow deeply as they look at the two men before them, a look of regret in his eyes.

"I came not to fight," Sentra says, continuing to try and calm the bird underneath him. "But I will if necessary. I came to deliver a message to the next Hokage, and this scroll to the boy when you believe he's ready." He pulls out a set of 2 scrolls, one a simple one, and the other an ornate reddish scroll tied with a gold silken cord. A summoning contract to the Fennikusu clan of summons. With that he does a set of hand seals, then places his palm against the crimson bird. Suddenly the air explodes into a million feathers, revealing Sentra's disappearance to the 2 men and leaving them with 2 falling scrolls. The 2 men caught them, realizing the complex seals placed upon both of them.

"These seals are placed on them so that only a person of a certain blood could open them," Jiraiya stated, after examining them for a moment. "This is the seal to the Phoenix Summoning contract," he says looking in awe of the scroll, as it was said to only be one of the legendary summons. He runs his fingers over it, his thoughts lost to the scroll. The other man speaking was what brought him back to reality.

"What exactly is the purpose of these scrolls?" the man asked, looking at both scrolls with a look of wariness. The one in his hand was a message he had to deliver based on faith. He had no idea the contents. Though he wasn't given a specified time in which to deliver it. Something inside of him was eating at him though. He felt worry for a moment that the scroll contained information that would change the life of the young boy in question.

"The scroll contains nothing more than information about the attack that took place today, and things that are of mild importance in the grand scheme of things," Sentra stated, seeing the concern on the man's face. "Sarutobi," he added," the boy needs to know what he is, and what his father gave him as a parting gift." Sentra smiled warmly at him. "He will need to be protected from enemies, both foreign and domestic in nature," he states giving the elder man a concerned look. "You will probably be asked to take up your previous mantle. Take it to defend that which I have asked you to. I owe the fourth a debt that I can't begin to pay but through his son. Please protect him, and show him kindness where others won't." Sentra looks towards the village. "It seems we will shortly be having guests that won't take kindly to my presence. I bid you all farewell, but know that I will return when the scrolls have been delivered."

With a screech of the bird, and a smile, Sentra takes to the air. As soon as he disappears from sight, ANBU arrive on the site weapons drawn and at the ready. As they assess the area for threats, an ANBU with a dog's mask walks forward to Sarutobi and sheathes his weapon. His stance tells that he is experienced and a hardened soldier. He bows to Sarutobi, before becoming upright. He signals to a few of the others to continue the search, while telling another pair to track the unidentified chakra source from earlier.

"Are you okay, Sarutobi-san?" the dog-masked man asks, a hint of concern in his monotone voice.

"Yes," he says fingering the scroll in his hand. The dog-masked man sees the scroll and looks shows a moment of confusion, before dismissing that thought. He then remembers something suddenly and hands Sarutobi another scroll. The man takes it and looks at it carefully. "A summons by the Council?" he asks, seeming to have a feeling of dread spread through his aged form. The sigh let out was one of despair and exhaustion. "Then let us go." With that said, Sarutobi and Jiraiya vanished in a whirl of leaves.

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Council Meeting Room

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In a room filled with flickering shadows from the dancing flames of candles surrounding the area, sits a crib where a quietly sleeping child lies in a crib. The child was unlike others, but one would be reminded of the Yondaime if they started to draw conclusions. The child's blond spiky mop of hair sitting atop a face bearing a set of 6 strange markings was a sight to behold. The strange marking looked like whiskers of some beast in the woods. The very look gave him a most feral visage. He lays facing toward a group of individuals who have varying looks from respect to disgust, love to hatred, and sadness to rage. Some in the group hold their kunai in a vice-like grip, ready to spring at a moment's chance at the boy. As one of the people closer to the boy begins to get up to move toward the boy for a fatal strike, Sarutobi and Jiraiya appear, halting his actions with their presence. 

"What is it you summoned me for?" Sarutobi asks, glaring at the man getting ready to move toward the boy threateningly. The man sinks into his chair due to fear of the man. He drops the kunai, as it clatters to the floor. "I have matters and funeral arrangements to attend to for our deceased Yondaime," he states coldly.

"We called you to reinstate your status as Hokage," one of the women states off-handedly. Shadows covered her face, but one could tell by her voice, she had something more pressing on her mind to get to.

"I will but only on the condition that the young child be my responsibility," Sarutobi states coldly, giving a demeanor that brooks no argument. The others cower a bit at his presence, trying to avoid his ire. They now knew better than to make an attempt of the boy's life lightly. The man turned toward Jiraiya before handing him the child. Sarutobi then went to sit down at the Hokage's spot.

"We also have another matter to discuss which may become a trouble in the future," Sarutobi began, sighing in exhaustion of his age. "It would seem that Sentra has taken an interest in the boy," he states, as the some of the council members gasp in shock.

A battle scarred elder man leans back in his chair and seems to contemplate the new situation before speaking up. "Why would an A-ranked Missing nin want anything to do with a child who contains the Nine-tailed beast unless for nefarious purposes. I say we train the boy against unnatural mental influence. I would daresay that I would be willing to sacrifice my time to the project," he states in a calm tone with attempts to be convincing. The rest of the council seemed to murmur in agreement. A single ANBU appears next to him and he whispers a few words to it.

Sarutobi frowned before slamming his hand on the table, jumping to his feet in the same moment. "I will not have the boy trained as your personal tool for war, Danzo. He is human, regardless of being the container of the Nine-tail, and he will not be denied a chance at life," he shouts out anger filling the room. "You people are sick to believe a child doesn't deserve at least that. You all make me sick," he says before getting up and moving to the door at the other edge of the room. From the look on some of the council members, his words rang through to some of their hearts. "This meeting is adjourned," states Sarutobi before leaving.

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_**That's all for now folks. I'll be working to update this as quickly as I can. Take care and enjoy the fiction. I will also leave you all a little info on Sentra. He is an A-rank missing Nin, except in Kumo where he is an S-ranked. He is a near master of the Phoenix summon; only lacking the chakra capacity to summon the Phoenix Boss. He has an affinity for air jutsu, but shows a definite creativity for any jutsu he happens to learn. He is a very improvised combat person. His favorite quote is, "If at first you don't succeed, improvise." So until next time folks, have fun.**_


	2. Beginnings

_Thanks for the reviews everyone. Here is the next chapter in the tale. I will note that there is a time skip to age 7. Just thought people would like to know. I figure you wouldn't like to hear how he was taught to walk, talk, and other things we all figure out how to do when we are growing. I will note as well, that I will try to keep things as Canon as possible. I thank those who have given me tips on that. I will respond to reviews through e-mails as to not show favoritism in the fiction and keep the story to where most of my words are. I will respond though to a question asked by more than 10 people. So, now that the pleasantries are over, on to the Fanfiction. _

_**(7 years Later)**_

The sun hangs high in the sky, shining brightly upon the village of Konoha. A cool breeze blows gently through the streets, giving a serene feeling to the village. Birds chirp merrily in their trees, seeming to try and add a tune to the area. One would say that this place was calm and everything seemed just right in the world. Everywhere, but the Hokage monument, which the once proud faces of the previous leaders, now defaced with strange, colorful markings. A flash of orange blurs by on the street as some men wearing the standard ninja gear chase after it. As they fade into the distance a cloth is lowered and a boy stands with a wide grin, scratching the back of his head in amusement.

"Can't believe they fell for that," the boy states as he chuckles to himself. He tucks the cloth in his pants and turns to run. He runs smack into the chest of a taller man with a large scar on the bridge of his nose. The boy laughs nervously; backing slowly away, as if he made any sudden movements the man might attack.

"What was that about falling for something?" the man asked, a scowl dawning across his features. The boy steps back further, only to trip on something and fall. "You do realize you are going to clean up that entire mess, right Naruto?" he asks, his voice going dangerously low. The boy nods nervously, still trying to back away, reaching for his belt.

"I will," states Naruto, catching the cloth in his hands, before smirking once again. "If you can catch me, Iruka," he states before throwing the cloth at him. With the momentary distraction, he begins to run again.

Naruto runs as fast as his legs can carry him, knowing that Iruka would soon be on him. He knew he was out of tricks at the moment, and all he had left was to put Iruka off the trail. He makes a few erratic turns before ending up in what appears to be a dead end alleyway. He runs up the wall before leaping off it to catch a ladder previously out of reach, and begins to climb as if the hounds are on him. Once he gets to the roof, he runs to the edge and begins to slide down a gutter to an open window of an abandoned apartment. He moves to another room in the apartment, just in time to avoid being seen by an extremely angry Iruka. Naruto tries to hold in his laughter at Iruka barely missing him. After a few more moments, Iruka runs off. When Naruto figures he is safe, he lets out a sigh of relief.

"Another successful prank and escape," Naruto states, starting to stand up. He chuckled softly to himself, before walking out from behind the wall. As gets to the window, he is roughly grabbed by a hand and pulled from the window. As Naruto follows the arm forward, he locks eyes with a very angry Iruka. "Stupid clones," Naruto muttered.

"Naruto," the scarred chuunin angrily spoke. He was gripping the boy by the front of his shirt. He raised his hand, getting ready to point at the monument. Something about the boys face though made him stop. The boy flinched, not as someone who be knocked upside his head, but someone who was about to take a full-fledged beating with the intent of ending his life. The worst part was that the boy, who always seemed happy no matter the situation, was looking like he would accept the beating. A dam inside Iruka had broken, and the man just set the boy down in the abandoned apartment, and stepped inside with him. He decided that he would go easier on the boy, but knew he should deliver a punishment. He made up his mind, saying in a calm tone, "You will clean that mess you made, starting now."

"Yes sir," Naruto sighed in relief softly. This had to be the least severe of his punishments, and he was willing to accept a fate like this. The alternative may very well kill him one day. He had nearly died at least 17 times, but he was sure he had died at least once and returned. He could never understand why until the event when he was sure he had died.

**2 years prior**

Naruto ran as fast as his legs could carry him, but the adrenaline in his system was losing its effects. He began to feel the cuts and bruises on his body and began to lag along. His pain made his thinking return to the pain and lose track of how to escape. As he turned a corner and reached the end, he found a dead end. 'How ironic,' was his thought and he turned to look at the mob sinking to his knees, in defeat. The mob began to close in a circle around him, drawing weapons and other implements of his own torture and pain. Then the world became a whirl of pain. Knives were stabbed into him, pitchforks shoved into him, and fire torched his skin to a crisp. The sad thing was that he knew most would be dead by now, but somehow the wounds on his body continued to heal at an exponential rate. 'Someone please help me,' was his last thought, before the pain made him blackout.

When Naruto awoke he found himself face down in a dank sewer. He sat up quickly, immediately looking for any sign of the mob. He noticed then that the place rumbled with a groan. Then he heard the faint humming of a girl. How he could tell it was a girl he wasn't sure, but he was positive that it was a girl. Naruto got up, and began to traverse the halls. As he walked the halls he noticed sets of metal gates, each locked, and marked with numbers. Eventually he came to a large open place that seemed to have no ceiling. What made this particular place fear worthy was the extremely large cage that seemed to hold something extremely powerful. What truly surprised Naruto was that inside the room was a teenage girl. Not something to be fearful of, seeing as the girl was in tattered clothing. She seemed to be humming a tune softly. The tune seemed calming and yet haunted, like the wind blowing gently through the trees in the dead of night. The truly amazing thing was the waters by his feet seemed to flow softly in time with the song. The song slowly came to a finale, and the girl turned to look at Naruto.

"You must be my container," the girl stated calmly, as if this was an everyday occurrence. "Not much to look at I suppose," she stated with a certain disdain. She walked over to the bars of the cage. "Leave me," she stated in a cold tone, before disappearing into the darkness within the cell. Naruto wasn't sure what to make of this, but suddenly felt tired and his eyes began to become heavy. He collapsed into unconsciousness unceremoniously. He awoke in a dumpster in the alleyway that he was beaten in. The image of the girl was ingrained in his memory though, as was the haunting sound of her voice.

Naruto sat up, but suddenly realized the absence of something one should have after a beating. Pain. It was unnerving, and somewhat comforting at the same time. He checked himself for wounds, only to find none. Something had happened to make him whole again, and that scared him more than anything else. He knew he should be dead, or at least dying. He should feel pain, or have a mark, or something to represent his suffering, but alas there was nothing. The only way he could tell it wasn't a dream or a hallucination, was the blood dried on the alleyway street that was unmistakably his. Naruto got up and ran home in terror. Something was amiss and he needed time to recover his wits and think.

**(Back in the Present)**

While Naruto had been reminiscing about the past he had also been cleaning the monument. It helped to take his mind off the chore, as it would make it go faster in his mind. All things considered the work was almost done after an hour or so. Iruka was standing guard over him, looking at him with a worried expression. He wasn't acting like the cheery ball of sunshine everyone had come to know and expect. It wasn't like him to stay silent for more than a minute, and not jump around or complain about having to do menial labor. So he decided to put back on his act once again so as not to disappoint the scarred chuunin. He finished the last stroke and huffed.

"Is that all, Iruka-sensei?" he asked, childish annoyance filling his tone. "I finished the monument, so can I please go home?"

"I suppose," he states, snapping back to teacher mode, scowling at him. "Make sure you never pull a stunt like this again, or I'll make the punishment far more severe next time. Now before you go home, I'd like to offer you a meal, seeing as you did the work without complaint. My treat, to show I can also be kind as well as strict," he states as his scowl slowly fades to a smile. "So where do you want to go?" the scarred chuunin asked, knowing already the answer.

"Ichiraku!" the boy shouts without hesitation, almost jumping in joy. "Come on," he states, already having placed the cleaning tools away and already heading in the direction of his favorite restaurant. Iruka looks at the boy for a moment confused but shrugs off the moment of silence as a fluke, and follows the boy to Ichiraku with a bit of a grin at the boy's youthful exuberance.

When the pair arrives at Ichiraku, Naruto plops down in the seat and prepares for his meal by ordering his usual of 4 bowls to start. Iruka sits down next to him and orders a single bowl of beef ramen, his expression one of joy and contemplation. As the two receive their orders, Iruka turns to see an atrocity and blur of motion as the boy eats at lightning quick speed. He stomach churns a bit at the actions of the boy as he begins to wonder how the boy can even taste the food. Something in the back of his mind nags him to ask a single question about the silence at the mountain, but he decides to ask a different question altogether.

"Naruto," Iruka says trying t get the attention of the boy. The boy looks up with noodles still trailing from his mouth. "What makes you want to be a ninja?" he asks Naruto with a curious expression. He notices the boy take a moment to finish his noodles and think on the question. He then speaks after a few moments.

"To meet new people and protect others from harm. I want to become the greatest ninja in the history of the world, and have people look up to me and respect me for my ability. I'm tired of being looked down upon. I want people to see me for who I am instead of judging by my appearance. I want to be an inspiration and change the world for the better," the boy says with a grin so wide it almost assuredly is faked. Iruka knew though that this boy was innocent enough to believe he could do just that.

"And he'll do just that with that motivation," states the owner of the shop, placing another bowl of ramen in front of the boy. He inhaled it within seconds of it being served.

Naruto sat with the bowls of ramen he had devoured sitting in front of him. He had a different response he'd normally give of becoming Hokage, but he knew that this was truly the goal he wanted to achieve with all his heart. He wanted to change how people perceive through appearance and mannerisms alone. He wanted people to be judged by their actions and deeds, and was willing to give everything for that achievement. No one would change that destination, but the journey was what Naruto was looking forward to. The people he'd meet, the lives he'd change, and most importantly was that he would accomplish what was deemed impossible in this life. Changing the world for the better. The empty bowls in front of him would remind him things past that would aid his future. Everything in life should be treasured, even those things lost.

Iruka looked at the boy with a smile realizing the boy may well achieve what so many desperately searched within to do. This boy wasn't what others thought he was, a monster. This boy deserved the best, but was given the worst, but took it in stride. He reached across and ruffled Naruto's hair before getting up and paying for the bill.

"I'll see you at class tomorrow Naruto," Iruka states, before leaving. "See you later Teuchi and Ayame," he says, smiling at the owner and his daughter before turning to leave. Naruto waves to him as he leaves. As he does, Iruka passes a stranger who goes to sit down at the stand. A man with brown hair and golden eyes to be exact. Something about him seemed just a bit off, but not in a threatening way, just off.

After Iruka finally leaves earshot, the man turns to the boy and gives him a once over. He hadn't seen this child but he was sure this was the child of the Yondaime. No mistaking the resemblance. Sentra had finally had the opportunity to meet the child he would attempt to help as payment to Arashi. He waves to the owner's daughter before smiling at the kid.

"One fish ramen, please Miss?" he says with a warm smile and a wink. He then turns to Naruto. "Hey! Aren't you Naruto Uzumaki? The guy who claims he'll become the Hokage?" Sentra asks, looking surprised. "Kind of scrawny for a ninja," he mumbles to himself, loud enough for Naruto to hear.

"Hey!" Naruto yells pointing at the stranger before him. "Do you always go around insulting people?" he asks in a furious huff.

"Sometimes, but I can tell you'll be great. I just wanted the chance to meet the person who was managing all those pranks. I bet if you turn that skill toward being a ninja, you'll surpass many. Oh! I forgot to introduce myself. Mikal Sentra is the name, a ninja of the Jouunin class," Sentra states, making sure to ensure no one was around to hear the name. "So I'd like to make you an offer. I heard you were looking to become a powerful ninja. What if I could offer you one of the most powerful jutsu in the entire world? What would you say?" he asks with a grin as he looked into the boy's blue eyes.

"I'd ask what the cost is," Naruto says suspiciously. All he heard in return was a short chuckle. "What's so funny?" he asks in a worried curiosity.

"Nothing. Just that you were smart enough to ask that question. Not many would ask the cost, jumping on the chance like a rabid pack of Inuzuka," he states going to an all out fit of laughter. After a moment he calms looking at the boy. "The cost is the effort for you. I don't give this offer often, but all you'll need to do is learn it and have the chakra capacity to perform the technique. So what do you say?" asks Sentra, holding out his hand to Naruto to shake on it.

Naruto looks at the hand, contemplating the weight of this decision. Something told him this would change things drastically for him if he accepted. Then he hears a strangely familiar tune in his head. The one the girl was singing from behind the cage. Something about the song eased his mind and he reached out and grabbed the man's hand. "I'll take the offer," he states calmly, but firmly.

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_The first official chapter of this story is complete. I hope everyone enjoys it. I will note that Kyuubi is female in this story, and also that Naruto will not be an idiot except as a mask to other people. He is not super intelligent, but does have common sense. He is as intelligent as any average kid in the group. I will note he is very inventive and spontaneous. Thanks for all the kind reviews and I hope to see more. Also publicly Minato is known as Arashi, but in private for the people who know they call him Minato. Take care, and until next time, have fun._


	3. The Lessons We Learn

_**Hello again folks Back with a new chapter. This will contain fights this time. I appreciate all the great reviews, and hope to keep seeing them. Nevertheless, Here is the story.**_

A wind flows through the ramen stand, as Mikal stands smiling at the boy before him. He grips the boy's hand firmly and shakes it once. He then lets go and drops some money on the counter. After dropping it, he motions for Naruto to follow him. Naruto pays as well and the 2 disappear off toward a training ground. As they arrive, Mikal stands at the center of the field and motions for Naruto to stand in front of him.

"Now the first thing for me to show the technique," Mikal says looking at the boy with a smile. He then forms a set of seals and draws out his chakra. The energy coalesces with his hand and then he slams his hand into the ground. A man sized reddish-orange bird appears next to him, then looks to Mikal.

"What did you need Master Mikal?" the bird asks inquisitively, cocking its head to the side. Mikal smiles at the bird warmly, and then points toward Naruto, which the bird follows the finger's path to the boy. The bird looks Naruto up and down, as if sizing him up. "You seem different than most children. My name is Heart's Fire. Master Mikal must have a very deep interest in you to showcase one of his most powerful arts."

Naruto looks on in awe at the bird before him, a mark of confusion marring his features. Something in his mind was missing something and just seemed off about the entire thing. Then it occurred to him suddenly, and he looked to Mikal with a look of excitement that was of a man who is about to be told the winning lottery numbers. His glee could hardly be contained, and a fox-like grin spread across his features. The ability to summon an ally to fight for you was a very high level Jutsu that only Jouunin were supposedly allowed to learn. He had heard in class the 4 summons of Konoha. The Monkey, Toad, Slug, and Snake. He then thought for a second. Birds were not on the list of Konoha's summons. Then it struck him. Either this man had discovered a new summon for Konoha, or he was probably a missing ninja. Naruto began to take a step away from Mikal, a look of fear crossing his eyes. The man across from him smiled warmly.

"So I see you figured out what I am? No surprise after I summoned something not on the list of Konoha's summoning list," Mikal said with a slight chuckle. "I suppose the jig is up huh, Heart's Fire?" Mikal says looking at the bird. The bird looks at him thoughtfully for a moment before looking absolutely confused. Mikal then looks at Naruto, smiling with the warmth that an uncle would for one of his favorite nephews. "I still offer the jutsu if you're willing Naruto. I may be a missing-nin, but not all are bad people. Some are just misunderstood for their intentions. I'll let you be the judge of my character, Naruto-san," he says, smiling. He looks into Naruto's eyes, and for some reason that moment seems to freeze in time.

Naruto can't find a single hint of deception in the man's eyes. He sees a sense of caring, trust, and a hint of sorrow? The sorrow seemed to be the pain of loss, something he knew all too well. He knew it better than to ask, but his curiosity wouldn't let him let it go. After a single moment he quashed it to the corner of his mind for a later questioning. "I'll take the offer, bird-sensei. It would be a great help to me, but why would you give me such a jutsu? I would think you could find many better candidates than I."

"You'd be surprised the requirements for this jutsu. It requires an acceptance by the summons, and massive amount of chakra. They only accept those with pure intentions, and a truly honest heart. You meet those requirements without question. I have traveled many lands, and have found the land lacking a heart. People see these summons as a means to an end with power being their goal. One must see them as companions and equals who will travel the roads of life with you. This line of summons is called the "Fennikusu" or the Phoenix, as they like to be called," Mikal says with a sage-like tone but keeping his warm smile. "Heart's Fire will be judging to see if you are worthy of being a Phoenix summoner. I know with certainty that you will qualify, but formalities and all."

Heart's Fire flutters over to Naruto and looks into his eyes. Naruto feels strangely at peace as he stares into the bird's eyes. As he looked into the eyes, he could swear there was a flame dancing wildly behind its eyes. It almost seemed hypnotic, but just beyond the grasp of reaching that level. It gave him a sense of serenity that he hadn't felt in a long time. Then suddenly felt the need to sing something. A song that he knew from the faintest reaches of his memory, a memory he was sure wasn't his, but at the same time belonged to only him alone. The song in his mind seemed ancient and powerful, but not destructive or malicious. It was a peaceful calamity of things that seemed to string together, a contradiction that seemed all too proper. He felt that the song needed to be sung in his heart, but in a way for the world to hear. It was confusing and mind shattering, and if it were not for the calming effect of Heart's Fire's eyes, Naruto was sure he'd have been driven mad. Something then clicked inside both Naruto's heart and mind. A moment of clarity, and he finally understood. The way to sing was through the actions he could take. To move to the rhythm of his heart and symphony of his ideals, he'd need to dance in harmony with them. The bird then turns to Mikal and flutters back over to him.

"He's quite the find. I believe he figured it out even faster than you did, Master Mikal," the bird said with a slight chuckle to its voice. "He may summon us as he pleases. I will inform the Lord," Heart's Fire continued, disappearing afterward in a short burst of flame. The ground around where he'd left was not harmed at all by the fire it seems, as Naruto scanned the area for burn marks.

"So it would seem I have found my successor," Mikal says with a bit of a laugh. "I will need you to get something from the Hokage the next you meet, and you won't be able to use this jutsu without becoming a ninja first. Otherwise it is considered illegal, and the people around you would have more reason to hate you. I would rather they see you as I see you, but we don't have the luxury to force our views and beliefs on others. So we shall start from the beginning," Mikal says, reaching into his kunai pouch to grab a kunai. He tosses it gently to Naruto to catch.

The boy catches it and looks at it for a moment. The kunai seemed to have a few strange markings on it, which did seem to spiral all the way to the point. Naruto could tell it was sharp, but it would be ruined if used in combat. "Why hand me a kunai useless in a training session?" asked Naruto with a huff.

"Really now," Mikal says with a bit of a smile that reminded Naruto a little too much of his own. "I don't hand out useless trinkets. Everything has a purpose and a use. You need only seek out the answer as to what and how. Tell me what makes that particular kunai worthless?"

"The markings would be ruined if I struck it against something even remotely hard. The edge would need to be sharpened almost all the time to keep this level after being struck and placing dings in the blade," Naruto said as if it was obvious.

"And your conclusion of the weapon is that it can't be used for what?" he states with a look that makes Naruto wonder if the man was a little bird brained. Mikal taps a finger to his temple in thought as if confused.

"It can't be used in hand to hand combat!" Naruto yells at his new sensei. Then it clicks. "It wasn't intended to be used in direct combat, right?" Naruto asked, looking a bit sheepish.

"There you have it," Mikal says dropping the confusion completely and showing a wide grin. The man then pulls a dagger similar to it out of his pouch. "So what do you know of summoning, Naruto-san?"

"Not much," Naruto mentioned, head hanging down at his lack of knowledge. He was always considered the idiot of his class, and he was always the dead last in his class. The teachers wouldn't help him, or teach him the wrong way, except for Iruka. He then hears a chuckle from Mikal and Naruto just glares in anger at the man. "What's so funny?" asks Naruto, furious that someone would laugh at his misfortune.

"You worry too much sometimes. This is a lesson, and I won't be judging your knowledge. I just need to know where you stand so I know how to explain things," Mikal says, gripping the kunai in his hand. "Lesson one on summoning. You need a blood sacrifice. It only needs a small amount, but needs it nevertheless. That kunai was specially prepared for this reason. This kunai was prepared for a different purpose but similar to that one. That kunai's seals were made to enhance the chakra used in the summoning, thus making the higher summons available with less chakra. This kunai allows the wielder to store chakra inside it for use in a summoning jutsu, but only summonings. That will be your tool to train with, and my act of goodwill toward your training," Mikal tells Naruto, walking up to him after the explanation. He places his kunai in his pouch and places a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I want you to know something Naruto," Mikal says with a serious expression. "I am a missing-nin, and this means that I can't always be there for you, but remember this. There will always be someone there for you if you just look. Just remember to keep true to your heart, and you'll find friends that will endear themselves to you. I will return later to check your progress, but remember to study about the jutsu you are about to use. A jutsu is only as powerful as what you can use it for," Mikal states with a look of tiredness to his eyes and in the tone of his voice. He then smiles at the boy with eyes squinted, making him look mischievous. "You'll also need one other thing for the summoning, but you'll be getting that from the Hokage when you ask about it, whether he likes it or not I'm sure. For now though, you go get some rest," Mikal states, looking back toward a tree near the edge of the training ground. "It would seem I have an uninvited guest," Mikal says, doing a single hand sign, then throwing a shuriken into the branches. A woman with red eyes and untamed black hair drops to the ground, kunai drawn. "Get out of here and get some rest Naruto."

Naruto leaves the area in a hurry toward his apartment in a hurry. Mikal looks across toward the woman and smiles. "Nice work on that genjutsu. Almost got me, but you need to get up earlier in the morning to get ahead of me. So I take it your going to give me the spiel on how you're going to capture me and that this will go easier if I surrender?" Mikal asks with a slight smirk.

"I would, but I doubt that you'd surrender," she says lowering herself into an attack stance, before charging forward, "but I doubt you'd accept surrender as an option." As she reaches Mikal, she finds her target wearing a smile before parrying her weapon with a kunai of his own.

"At least you're straight forward. I like that in a woman, but too bad I'm not looking," Mikal says, pushing her away with his kunai, before forming rapid hand seals. "I don't have time to waste on you though," he says as he finishes the seals and places a finger to his lips. "Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique," he states as a large blast of fire fills the area the woman is in. He smirks as he notices a single kunai's edge placed against his throat.

"Yield," the woman says, smirking. Mikal shakes his head in response, smiling himself.

"A genjutsu specialist? Definitely an interesting choice of specializations, but you fail to realize one important thing," he states, raising a single finger. "I am an A-rank missing-nin for a reason." With that said he puffs out of existence and into hundreds of feathers. "Now I believe I should show you what genjutsu lacks a defense against," he states appearing amongst the feathers above the ground. "Phoenix Art: Rising Immolation." Mikal causes all the feathers to ignite and rise into the air, then each of them explodes. As soon as the explosions stop, Mikal seems to land on the ground and looks at the woman. She lies on the ground, burn marks all across her body and he clothes nearly scorched from her body. "You should know better than to face an A-rank missing-nin on your own. I'm pretty sure you just wanted to ensure the safety of the boy right?" Mikal says, looking down at the woman then kneeling next to her. He begins to place a hand at her stomach, but the woman feebly tries to push it away. "I'm just trying to heal some of the more severe wounds, nothing more," he states, giving her a look of worried concern. "That last blast will have caught someone's attention, and I'd rather just leave peacefully. Now may I ask what a lovely lady such as youself's name is?" he asks politely.

"Kurenai," the woman says after a brief moment of thought. "What is yours?" Kurenai asks, looking at the man's eyes. Something seemed strange about them, something missing that she almost seemed saddened by.

"My name is Sentra, master summoner of the 'Fennikusu'", Mikal states with a smile that seemed a little empty. "A pleasure to meet you Kurenai. I wish we had met on better terms, but being shinobi and all never seems to help that particular situation," he says, chuckling softly. He let's a green chakra flow around his hand like water. He then runs the hand over Kurenai's skin, the chakra fluctuating once in awhile over minor cuts, scrapes, and burns. After a few moments, the chakra dissipates, and Mikal smiles at her with a wide grin. "Guess my good nature got the better of me. You should be able to get to your hospital without much pain, so I'll see you around," he tells her, getting up and walking a few steps before stopping and turning his head back. "We'll have to do this again sometime." With that he vanishes into sunset with a shunshin.

Kurenai looks on in a sense of confusion. 'Who was that man?' she thinks to herself, slowly getting up, 'and what did he want with Naruto?' A squad of ANBU gets to the scene at around this moment, weapons drawn and scanning the area. Kurenai sighs, and walks up to the ANBU commander and taps his shoulder. "He's already gone," she says with a bit of exasperation. "I couldn't stop him in time and he proved to be more than I could handle. I need to talk with the Hokage, after I visit the hospital." The ANBU nodded and went off to get the Hokage, as well as ordering an escort for her to the hospital. Somehow Kurenai knew she was not going to like the paperwork involved with meeting this man, nor the medical forms. Then she remembered suddenly that she was the first one to throw a punch. That was just making the oncoming headache worse, so she stopped that train of thought.

* * *

**The Next Day (At the Academy)**

As everyone in the room is chatting and talking to each other adamantly about the rumor of a missing-nin entering the village. All of them except one boy with blonde hair and whisker marks. For once, the boy is unusually quiet, and this disturbs many of the adults, noticing the boy looking at a strangely marked kunai as if it held the meaning of his existence. He ran a finger cautiously over the blade, as if trying to memorize every detail. He barely noticed the world around him, but he did seem to hear a tune suddenly being hummed and he immediately looked up trying to find the source of it. He found nothing but his other classmates. Soon after Iruka walked in and slammed a thick stack of papers on the desk, immediately grabbing everyone's attention. Naruto stares blankly at the papers, until a sinking feeling began to pull at him.

'Exam Day,' he thinks to himself, beginning to sweat. He begins trying to review in his mind, only to find himself lacking the focus to do such a thing. He slams his head to the desk in exasperation.

"Hoping to dislodge the stupidity in your brain, dobe?" Sasuke taunts from beside him. "You'll need to be hit by an Akimichi at full speed in the head to stand any hope." Choji glares at the last Uchiha for the implied statement that he was fat. As he was beginning to stand, Shikamaru placed a hand on his shoulder trying to get him to calm down. Choji takes his seat once again, begrudgingly.

"If that's true, when will you realize you need to grow a pair?" asks Naruto, grinning with his head on the desk. Sasuke got riled at that and began to stand up. Iruka immediately cleared his throat to grab the attention of the class. Naruto apparently found a new way to really anger the kunoichi in the class.

"I would like everyone to come get their exam papers, and begin the test. No cheating! And wake up, Shikamaru!" Iruka states as he throws an eraser at the boys head. The boy looks up with a face of the living dead, yawns, then stares blankly at the wall in front of him. Iruka just sighs, before beginning to call out names to collect their tests. As soon as everyone is called the test begins.

The test goes on about 2 hours, before everyone turns in their tests. Naruto double-checks his paper to make sure of himself before turning it in. Naruto was pretty sure of himself, and walks out of the room to the next area, for practical skills. This was where he prided himself. Practical was where survival on the streets in Konoha had taught him everything he'd ever need or want to know about stealth, speed, weaponry, and combat effectiveness. It also seemed he learned quite a few tricks from having to make every second count.

"We will be having a sparring match against me for your exam," Iruka states, looking at each student. "You may use anything at your disposal." Iruka stands in a ready stance as Mizuki started calling names off. Eventually it came to Naruto. The blonde boy walked over to stand where he needed to and stood defiantly watching his teacher.

"Start," yelled Mizuki, as Naruto rushed forward tossing a shuriken toward Iruka. He parried it with a kunai, only to find himself partially blind due to paint blasting out of the center of the shuriken. Using the momentary distraction, Naruto launched a high kick for the jaw, only to find it blocked by Iruka's forearm. Using his forward momentum, the boy flipped over Iruka, using the forearm as a springboard. He then fires a punch straight toward Iruka's back, only to find air as Iruka had rolled forward to get out of harm's way. Naruto then twisted his body to land on his feet. He then pulls out a small orb and tosses it toward Iruka. Iruka then covers his face, only to find red smoke appearing to form a cloud around him. His eyes then began to tear up, and he had trouble seeing. His nose then began burning, and he suddenly realized what was going on. 'I'm taking his tricks too lightly,' thinks Iruka, barely dodging a punch from the boy. He suddenly finds himself on the receiving end of a kick. He hasn't any idea where it came from until he realizes something. The boy used the punch to hit the ground and swing back with the kick. He hadn't seen it because of his eyes watering. He knew Naruto was full of surprises, but this was ridiculous. Naruto was using everyday items as ninja tools. He knew that he had underestimated Naruto once again. He truly had earned his nickname of "Konoha's #1 Surprising Child". Iruka held his hand up to signify the end of the match.

Naruto stopped midswing, hopping on one foot forward to a stop. He placed a hand behind his head, scratching it with a fox grin splitting his features. He then walks back to the line, still smiling. He placed his goggles back to the top of his head. As he watched the other students, he began to notice people stare in his general direction. He just grins sheepishly. Whatever works suited him, and he just felt the need to showboat a little. Every year the examiner would say to use whatever they had at their disposal. Was it his fault for coming armed with, and prepared to take full advantage of, the information? He took out the kunai he had received from Mikal and began to study it with more intensity. With this kunai, he might achieve his goal of becoming hokage sooner, and not to mention he'd have someone to talk to and share his life with. Then he realized that it was a missing-nin that had handed him the opportunity to have a sort of family. He owed to Mikal to pass this graduation to become a ninja so that he could use the gift he was given. He couldn't wait to show Mikal he could summon the Fennikusu.

After a few more students, the teachers all have the students move back into the academy. After announcing the next test to be Ninjutsu, Naruto feels his stomach drop. Ninjutsu meant a test on all 3 academy basic jutsu. The Substitution and the Transformation Jutsu he had down pat, but it was the final he couldn't complete properly, no matter how hard he tried. The Clone jutsu was just something he hadn't the control to master. He just had to get it right once to pass, so he gathered all his confidence together and used it to shatter his doubts. He could do this. All that he needed was once and then he'd be a ninja. He'd show them all, and then they'd have to acknowledge him as a ninja.

"Naruto Uzumaki!" the teacher Mizuki shouted, snapping Naruto from his train of thought. "You're next," Mizuki stated, motioning for Naruto to follow him to the room. Naruto felt his heart sink, but he followed anyway. This was the moment of truth.

As Naruto stepped into the classroom, he saw the teachers sitting across the room at a table with stacks of papers on it. Naruto looks across the room with a determined glare at the teachers to show he wouldn't break in front of the pressure. If nothing else, he knew he thrived under pressure. Top of his game to coin a phrase, if you will.

"Alright Naruto. Show us your Substitution," Iruka stated throwing a pen toward the boy. Naruto only grinned as he switched with a chair from the room, but not just any chair. The chair Iruka was sitting on. As Iruka got up from the floor, he glared at the boy. "Nice, but enough with the pranks!" he states with a rather perturbed expression. Naruto looked a little sheepish, then walked back to his spot scratching the back of his head nervously while laughing.

"Now show me your Transformation. The hokage should suffice as the subject," Iruka states, slapping the back of Mizuki's head to stop him from giggling at the previous prank. He watched as Naruto gathered chakra, and then vanished in a plume of smoke. A figure appeared in the smoke, to reveal a slightly altered version of Sarutobi. "That still looks off, Naruto. Close enough to make the grade, but you definitely need to work on it."

"Oh really?!" Naruto says getting into a bit of a huff. He then reforms his chakra again and retransforms. As the smoke clears, a beautiful, and stark naked girl appears, blowing a kiss to Iruka. Iruka flies back from a nosebleed. "Sexy no Jutsu!" Naruto shouts, as he transforms back. "My anti-pervert jutsu!"

Mizuki looks at the boy incredulously for a moment, managing to stop the blood from flowing from his nose by thinking of Orochimaru and little boys. Then he wonders whom in their right mind makes a jutsu like that and uses it against perverts. Then he suddenly realizes this is Naruto he's talking about. He isn't in a right mind, if he has one at all. He sighs in exasperation. Apparently Iruka couldn't think of something that made is blood run still and cold fast enough. He waited until Iruka got back to his seat before chuckling softly.

"I thought I said no more pranks!" shouted Iruka, covering his nose while trying to wipe away the blood. "Alright, now onto the final test, the Clone Jutsu. Now make 3 clones, Naruto."

Naruto charged his chakra then made a handseal, and then a cloud of smoke filled the area. He reappeared a few tenuous moments later, a single deformed clone beside. Naruto's head turned slowly; time seeming to slow as he looked over at his clone. He looked on with horror and disappointment. He knew he had failed before the words ever left Iruka's mouth. Naruto just turned to walk out of the room in failure.

The gods had failed to help, and his fate was doomed from the start. This jutsu was the only one he could never seem to learn. No matter how many times he tried, this jutsu was impossible for him. Iruka had yelled something, but Naruto no longer cared. He heard an argument in the distance, but just continued to leave the room. He had failed Iruka, the old man, the Fennikusu, and Mikal. Someone who had offered him a chance to have a group of friends who wouldn't scorn him or give him glares of hatred. He walked from the room, and toward the outside. After a few empty moments, he reached the one place in the school he found comfortable, a swing that hung from the branch of a tree that was seemingly forgotten by the world. It was toward the entrance of the academy, and he often would sit here at the end of the day and watch all the children go home with their parents, who congratulated the children on a good day of school. Naruto had always wanted that feeling or even the chance at a phantom of that feeling. The chance to be a part of a family that honestly wanted him, and showed concern for him was all he asked for. He knew that if he had that, he really could ask for no more. No one showed any concern for him, except an obsession with his demise or continued suffering.

Naruto sat for what seemed like an eternity in that spot until finally he saw the parents begin to show and his former classmates run from the doors, most of the clutching the hiaite of the leaf. Their parents patted their heads and congratulated them. The kids would excitedly tell the story of their day, laughing and smiling with their parents doing much of the same. Some of the parents glared at him and said that they were glad he wasn't a ninja, and that he was a demon who deserved death.

'The usual,' Naruto thought to himself. He watched on with a morbid wanting. He continued this until he heard a voice rouse him from his depressive state. He turned to find Mizuki.

"So taking failing that hard, huh?" Mizuki states seeing the boy with tears stains flowing down his cheeks. "You know there is another way to pass," he states with a warm smile.

"Really?" Naruto stated, immediately losing all of his depression. He jumped up from the swing, and continued jumping. Mizuki smiled at the boy's exuberance.

"All you need to do is take a scroll from the Hokage's office and then learn a single jutsu from it. Simple huh?" Mizuki states, ruffling the boy's hair. 'This is too easy,' he thinks to himself, as Naruto nods his understanding.

* * *

**Later that Night at Shack within the Forest**

Naruto sits next to a shack breathing heavily with a scroll laid out before him, and another behind him. The previous appears as an overtly large scroll with markings to show its importance. The latter being an ornate reddish scroll with a golden silken cord untied, blood staining it. Naruto continues to read the scroll he holds, scratching his head in utter confusion. How was he expected to learn a version of the Clone Jutsu? Although from its description, it was a far greater version of the Clone ability. From what it said in the scroll, it was a solid form and not an illusion. There weren't many other notes, other than how to perform it. He was starting to get it, but missing the mastery due to a block. He decided to place this scroll down in favor of trying to learn a jutsu from the previous scroll. As he picked it up, a feeling of calm rushed over him. Suddenly he realized what this feeling was similar to. The feeling of wanting to sing through his actions, or in other words, the Fennikusu. He pulled open the scroll quickly, but reverently, and looked inside to see a list of people he didn't know. Then he looked at the second to last name at the bottom of the list to find Mikal Sentra. The last name was not one he recognized, but knew was a woman. Her name was Leires Syriana. After a few moments, he signed the contract as it was stated in the scroll. With a single cut of the finger, he used his thumb to sign the contract in blood and began forming the seals needed for the summoning, until he remembered something that Mikal had told him. The kunai was meant to help with summoning. It was supposed to enhance the chakra used in a summoning. He pulled out the kunai and cut his palm. The blood slowly trickled down the kunai's blade, causing the seals to glow brightly. As Naruto stood fascinated by the glowing, he felt his chakra slowly being drained. This made him panic for a moment, until it stopped after he forced it. He then felt his hands being led through the handseals as if they had always been part of his life.

"Summoning Technique!" Naruto yelled out as he slammed his palm into the ground, feeling his chakra run through the kunai, then to the ground. Suddenly a cloud of smoke is produced and Naruto coughs after inhaling some. As the smoke clears, Heart's Fire appears once again.

"I see you managed to summon me, Naruto," the bird states, a bit of surprise hinted at in his voice. "So I take it you have a task you'd like me to complete for you?" the bird asks calmly.

"No. You were summoned I guess because of me trying out the Jutsu. I'm sorry to bother you," Naruto states, scratching his head in embarrassment. He looks at the bird and swears that he is smiling, but isn't sure how he knows.

"Well I suppose I'll let this one slide. Now that I'm here though, I might as well sit and have a chat about the rules of summoning us," Heart's Fire states, and then chuckles softly when he sees the confusion on the boy's face. "Well not rules so much as guidelines."

"I don't understand. Are there bad times to summon the Phoenix?" he questions, trying to mask his confusion and failing miserably.

"There is a simple method. Allow each phoenix to explain the conditions of their summoning. Typically this is that never summon us to show off, nor because you are feeling lazy. Summon us when you need us, or when someone you wish to protect needs us. Those are our guidelines. Keep a pure heart and always do what your heart tells you. This is something I'm sure you'll follow even without us telling you, but it is something that bears mentioning," the bird answers, giving the boy a serious glare to show the importance of the matter at hand.

"I understand, but can I summon you if I need someone to give me advice?" he asks, the thought crossing his mind that he had gained no new friends. He felt disappointed at that thought, but these were important beings, like the Hokage.

"Yes you may, but please try to think for yourself first. If you truly want advice, I suggest looking to your friends and Mikal first. They will assuredly give you better answers to the questions closest to your heart. We are but summons, not your family. We will be your companions though, as we share a bond with our summoners that many other summons lack," he responds, holding out a single wing. "You are now an official summoner of the Fennikusu. Take pride in that fact. We do not accept summoners lightly, and I look forward to seeing you again, Summoner Naruto. Call on our aide, and we will faithfully travel with you through your road of life." With that said, the bird winks and disappears in a plume of feathers and flame.

Naruto stands for a while, wondering at the awe of the moment. He was now a summoner. He could now call upon the Fennikusu and this both filled him with fear and joy, but most of all questions. Why would after all this time a stranger and a criminal give him a powerful ability such as this one? He even seemed to know who he was, but that just seemed strange to him. This was all too much to take in, but then he knew there was still one last task to complete before he would be able to truly use the gift he'd been given. With that he set back to the practicing of the other skill. The one that created solid clones, never noticing the watchful eyes of a man. A man who smiled at the boy, knowing his future was to be forever changed. Whether it was good or bad, only time would tell, but at least now he had something to hold onto in the maelstrom that was his life.

* * *

Hey people. Sorry for the delay. Was having writer's block for a while, but now I've got things under control. I would like to thank everyone for the great reviews and the many people willing to bookmark this tale. I will try to get to at least 6 actual chapters before starting a new Fanfiction. It will probably be One Piece or Detective Conan/Case Closed. Also please take a look at the poll. This will probably be one my few for this story. It will not change pairings and It will change how fast Naruto grows in power and maturity. Thanks and until next time, I hope you all take care and have fun. 


	4. The Results of a Lesson

**Hey folks. I'm back with a brand new chapter. Sorry to keep you waiting. Thank you for the reviews, and without further ado, the next chapter of my story.**

* * *

A few hours after the learning of the summoning technique, Naruto stands battered and exhausted next to a perfect clone of himself. A wind passes through the forest, and the young boy speaks a silent thank you. He had exhausted all of his chakra attempting this single skill. He guessed that with a full chakra capacity that he could possibly produce at least a set of 30 without feeling the exhaustion set in. He fell back on his rear and started breathing heavily. He sent the clone to keep a look out for Mizuki, until he gained a mischievous idea. He'd surprise his teacher by showing off this skill first and then the summoning jutsu, if the Shadow Clone wasn't the right skill.

After a half hour more, Naruto felt his clone puff out of existence, and somehow got the distinct memory of a kunai piercing his skull along with a few other jumbled memories. Naruto began to grow more in panic as he began gathering the thoughts produced to him. He immediately grabbed both scrolls and ran. Mizuki had just thrown the kunai at him if the memories were correct. Although tired he knew that he should at least hide himself better. It wasn't until a moment later he ran into something and looked up to see Iruka, angered beyond anything he knew. He looked up in fear of dying and noticed Iruka reach down to grab him. As he reached down for Naruto, Naruto just gathered all of what remained of his courage, and formed a single hand seal. The seal finished, Naruto just puffed into existence behind Naruto and tripped Iruka, who wasn't expecting Naruto's clone to be real. The element of surprise upon the boy dawning, he bolted quickly. Trying desperately to manage his escape, he looked for any means of escape available to him. He then a kunai slice through his leg as he fell slowly to the ground, knowing that he no longer had any place to run. He looked back to see Mizuki walking toward him a glint of madness in his eyes.

"Demon," the man spat with a sneer of sadistic satisfaction, " you didn't honestly think you could escape me did you? I will admit that you did happen to surprise me by learning that 'Shadow Clone' technique, but what was I to expect from demon spawn such as yourself?" he asks walking up to the boy holding a kunai in his hand and reaches down and picks the boy up by his collar. "But I'll let you know, Kyuubi, that your second life ends here tonight." With a sadistic gleam in his eye, he begins to plunge the kunai into Naruto's chest. As the kunai enters, Naruto feels unconsciousness pull him down into the depths of darkness.

Naruto awakes to a dank sewer cell where he has seen once before. He reaches up to feel his chest, but there is no wound, he looks around frantically to see the huge prison cell with the 'Seal' tag attached to it. He peers carefully into the cell and once again sees the girl with flowing hair that seemed tinted a greenish red. The hair ran all the way to the small of her back, the tip seeming to sway with a melodic wind that Naruto couldn't be sure if it existed. Her figure was that of the women in the village always seemed to want. She seemed a little out of place, but she seemed to make herself fit where she stood in a regal sort of way. Naruto let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in, and that seemed to gain the attention of the girl in the cage.

"I see that you're back," the girl states, whirling around quickly, revealing a pair of lovely violet orbs. As she levels her gaze with the boy, she looks at Naruto with a sense of pity and disdain. "I am going to help this one time, boy. Do not expect me to assist you any further until you can make me believe you are worthy of me." With that she waves her hand and a reddish liquid flows from the cage, creeping and spilling toward Naruto faster than he can react. "Now be gone from my sight mortal. I need not your company," she says in a chilled tone as she walks further into the cage, the enveloping darkness engulfing her swiftly.

"Wait!" Naruto says, before he feels his body convulse, but not in pain but ecstasy. His body felt light, his senses heightened, his mind clearer, and his physical self empowered. With it a strange taste for something, but he couldn't understand what. Then it passed, somehow leaving him almost unfulfilled and tainted, as if covered in a thin layer of filth that seemed to crawl around his body. Then pain seemed to wrack his body, all emanating from his chest. The pain made Naruto aware of his surroundings, and he suddenly realized he was still in the forest with Mizuki. Then he realized that the kunai, which had been jabbed into his chest, stood broken off at the tip in Mizuki's hands.

"Demon child," Mizuki whispered in shock.

It took him a moment, but he regained his senses enough to grab another kunai and attempt a repeat performance. To no avail though, as he soon found the Naruto he struck to be nothing but a mere shadow clone. Mizuki then began searching for any signs as to the location of the boy, finding the boy was much better at stealth than he had anticipated. He knew that if this drew on any longer, that Iruka or even worse, ANBU would arrive and steal his chance to make a getaway. He knew now that the only way to draw the boy out was to get him emotionally roused.

"So the demon spawn knows some tricks. Impressive little display, but you'll never impress the villagers enough to make them accept you. You'll never become a Hokage if they have anything to say about it, Kyuubi. They've seen through your innocent child act, and now they'll come to get you. You're slated to die soon you freak of nature, and there's no trick you've got that can stop it," Mizuki says, finishing with a cold, cruel laugh. He tried to sense anything out of balance, and then seconds after felt a rise in chakra, but just enough for what one would use for a single Shadow Clone.

He smirked and threw a kunai in that direction, smirking. He knew the boy would think he missed, but he'd replace himself right behind the boy and finish this in a single stroke. What he didn't expect though was to find his kunai sailing through the air back at him. He just barely dodged, smirking triumphantly at his victory. That smirk lasted all of 3 seconds, as he had to twist midair to avoid a gout of flame. As he righted himself, he found himself on the receiving end of a hail of shuriken. He dodged only to find an explosive note trailing by a string on one of them. He jumped for cover only to find a kunai pressing into the small of his back, preventing escape. As he tried to move forward, he found a large reddish bird with a look of satisfaction and, if he was right, bloodlust in its eyes. He then realized that this was a summoned creature from its chakra signature, and decided it best to surrender. He then remembered the exploding tag and smirked. He then looked at it, and realized it was nothing more than a lighted paper with kanji on it. He had reacted on instinct and it had cost him dearly. "Should have known ANBU would get here sooner than anticipated. Well I guess it's the death penalty for having the brat steal the scroll. Well at least he'll get the penalty as well for being my accomplice."

"You lose, Traitor," the all too familiar voice of one Naruto Uzumaki came from behind a stunned Mizuki. "I may be a demon, but at least I am loyal to those I truly care for. That's something you'll never understand, Mizuki-teme."

Not soon after those words, Iruka walked out of the forest a look of absolute surprise on his face. He had heard the whole conversation, but he was just stunned that Naruto knew not only a forbidden technique, but the Summoning Technique as well, and learned them in under a day. These more than qualified him to be a ninja, but capturing a chuunin as well? Naruto was not only a genius that Konoha couldn't afford to lose, but also a hero for stopping a thief from taking one of the village's most guarded secrets. Naruto had earned his respect. He walked toward Naruto and pulled out some wire to bind Mizuki.

"Looks like you were captured by nothing more than a failed academy student," Iruka explains with a chuckle. "You underestimated him, and now you see why the boy happens to defeat impossible odds. Naruto," Iruka calls to the boy. The boy looks back to Iruka." Take those scrolls back to the hokage. Then explain this incident to the hokage." He then notices an ANBU with a hawk mask drop down from the trees. "Oh good. You're here ANBU-san. I was wondering when you'd arrive. Can you make sure this boy gets to the hokage tower unmolested?" he asks, finishing up the tying of Mizuki's hands.

The ANBU nods once and motions for the boy to grab the scrolls and move forward. They leave the clearing and after a few minutes the ANBU removes his mask, revealing the face of one Mikal Sentra. He smiles with a silent pride at the boy. Naruto immediately wraps the man in a hug.

"Looks like you had a rough night," Mikal states, ruffling the boy's hair slightly. He pulls the boy from him after a few moments. He looks at the boy beaming with pride before saying, "You did exceedingly well, and I am proud of you. You will from here out be a shinobi in my eyes, even if they refuse to allow you the honor. Anyone who says otherwise is a fool for not recognizing your potential."

He places the mask back on his face and continues toward the hokage tower. Naruto was sure that he was still smiling. As Mikal headed toward the tower, he motioned for Naruto to follow him. As Naruto did, he realized that he was a ninja in the eyes of those that he wanted to make proud. Even if they didn't decide to make him an official Shinobi of Konoha, he would find a way to work as one without the title. This was his dream and the path he had chosen. He would find a way, and if there wasn't one, he'd blaze and forge his own path.

* * *

**Hokage Tower, Half hour later**

After a long extended explanation to the receptionist, they had finally made their way into Sarutobi's office. The look on his face was one of confusion and disappointment at Naruto. Naruto found himself shying behind Mikal, who placed a hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner. Naruto began to calm a bit, but having one of his precious people giving him a look of disappointment was definitely a horrible feeling that he had no wish to experience. Naruto noticed Mikal pull both the scrolls from his cloak. He tossed the 'Forbidden Scroll' to the old man, but held onto the Fennikusu contract. The old man looked at Mikal, and then suddenly a look of recognition passed his features.

"Sentra," the hokage says in a look of total surprise before he lowers himself into a defensive stance. He looks to Naruto and then back at Sentra. "I don't know what game you're playing at Sentra, but give back the boy. He doesn't need to be involved."

Mikal laughs before turning to Naruto, kneeling before him and stating, "This scroll was to be yours, Naruto. It is the thing I asked you to gather from the Hokage the other day. This was the last piece needed to summon phoenix, but I assume you already know this," Mikal states with a bit of a chuckle.

"You also need to have another scroll that the hokage is supposed to give you with this scroll. I wasn't supposed to be here, but some of my timetables were forcefully pushed forward, and I arrived back here sooner than anticipated. So I figured to check on how Sarutobi here was doing on his end of things. It seems that people here dislike you, treat you as a pariah, and are nearly killed everyday of your life. It seems Sarutobi failed, but that failure has only served to make you stronger," he states looking into Naruto's eyes with a serious expression of concern and pride. "So I believe it is time for you to know the whole truth behind yourself. Wouldn't you agree Sarutobi?" he states not even looking around to face the man being queried.

Sarutobi looked on in defeat, before pulling out a single small scroll with a simple design from his robes. This single scroll though would change this boy's life if his hunch was correct though. Something he was not looking forward to. He was sure that him withholding the truth for so long would come back to haunt him. He was hoping the villagers wouldn't treat him as the demon, but that notion failed him. With a sigh of resignation, he tossed the scroll to Sentra. Sentra caught it without turning and Sarutobi saw his head turn and smile warmly at him.

'How can that man smile when he is about to ruin an innocent child's perceptions of reality?' the aging hokage thought to himself. 'What did he write in that scroll?'

Mikal handed Naruto the scroll and opened it for him. He then looked at Naruto with a serious expression. "What you do with what is learned in this scroll is up to you, but I strongly advise you to think your actions through carefully," he whispers calmly to the boy, making sure that eye contact was never severed. He watched as Naruto opened the scroll and began to read.

_Dear Naruto,_

_I see you have reached the age that you'll be learning from the scroll attached to this one. I am the owner of the contract you now hold, Mikal Sentra. You probably know me as a missing-nin. I suppose that also leaves the question as to why I chose you as the heir to my title. This is because of a few events preceding your birth._

_I happen to be a friend/acquaintance of your father and mother. They helped me when I happened to be at a most difficult time in my life. I told them that I would repay their kindness and my debt to them. I chose to pay them with the contract of the Fennikusu and training of their child to become the next Fennikusu Summoner. I would give the title to my own child, but I have no children and my wife died while pregnant. So it is to you I give the contract and title._

_I will arrive shortly after I hear that you become a chuunin in the Konoha military. I will train you in private, and ask that the hokage release you into my tutelage. I believe I have enough leverage on the old man that I will be able to accomplish this. I believe though an explanation is in order for who your parents are and why they are no longer with you._

_You, Naruto, are the son of the legendary Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and Konoha's Tenshi, Uzumaki Kushina. These 2 are famous in Konoha for their skills and loyalty. It was most likely a sad day when the 2 of them passed on. Their reason for passing on can be summed up in one name. The Kyuubi._

_The Kyuubi is a demon of immense power and it is said that it is impossible to kill except by the 7 and 8 tailed demons working together. The creature was awoken and began a rampage toward the village of Konoha. As to the why, I'm not sure, but I'm sure you can ask the demon yourself, as you are the prison that your father placed it into. That's right. You're the container for the most powerful demon in history. You are all that stands between the most powerful demon in history, and the world. If you are surprised reading this, then they have failed to tell you this, and I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news._

_Your father died to save Konoha, and for this you should be proud. Your mother died when the hospital collapsed around her. She used her body to shield you. You should feel proud to know that the 2 of them did everything in their power to save your life. They loved you like no one else can or ever will. Know though that you are the son of people who didn't abandon you, but spent their last breaths ensuring your life would continue. I intend to treat you as the son I lost, but realize that I am no replacement for them._

_Sincerely,_

_Mikal Sentra_

_(P.S.- The Hokage's greatest weakness is in his top left hand drawer.)_

Naruto stared down at the paper, tears welling up in his eyes. He clutched the paper tightly, feeling his emotions begin to become maelstrom the further he read. How could people keep this information from him? How could they? He now knew the reason why everyone hated him, he knew the reason for his parents' deaths, and he knew he held back a power that would destroy everything in the world if let loose. Everything just overwhelmed him at once, and he felt his knees buckle and hit the floor. He was the son of a hokage, and not just that, the Yondaime. He was loved, but now he stood alone in the world, the last of his family. Then he realized something. Mikal knew his father, and was his friend. He was now the closest thing to family that Naruto would ever know. He looked at the man and then saw the lack hiaite, and realized that he couldn't stay here. He would be alone once again. He felt his emotional walls crumble, and he began to cry as if he'd never stop. As he began, he felt someone hug him tightly. He looked through blurry eyes and realized that Mikal was holding him. He just cried harder, resting his head on the man's shoulder.

The hokage stood motionless with a look of self-loathing on his face. He had lacked the courage to tell the boy. He didn't want to face what the child would do, nor did he want the only child of the Yondaime to hate him. He had avoided this for years, and planned on telling the boy when he became a chuunin or sixteen, whichever came first. But here was a man willing to face the consequences of a boy faced with a burden he never knew.

"I'm going to take the boy home," Sentra states to the Hokage, The man scoops the boy up in his arms and allowing him to cry on his shoulder. He walks toward the door and opens it. He then turns back to Sarutobi. "I will deal with his failure in the gennin exams when I return. This boy has shown that he is capable, and I'll not have him held back because of his burden and pain. Good night Sarutobi," he states, walking out with the boy in his arms.

* * *

**A few minutes later, Naruto's Apartment**

Mikal walks into the apartment realizing the door was unlocked. He had replaced the ANBU mask upon his face, and looked around the rooms to make sure no one was here with an attempt on his life or the boy's. He walked into Naruto's room, gently kicking aside the mess to get to the bed. He laid Naruto down gently on the bed and pulled over a chair, and placed the objects on it on the floor. Naruto had stopped crying, as he had cried himself to sleep. His eyes were red and puffy, his chest heaved as he took each breath. He was sorry that he had to do what he did, but he knew it was for the best.

'Better he know now, then find out later and have the power to take out his anger. At least now I can be sure I'm here for him. I have a feeling I won't be much longer for this world,' he thought to himself as he watched the child's sleeping form.

After a few moments, Mikal stood and left the room. He glanced once more over his shoulder, with an expression of sorrowful pride. He then let the door click shut, before he turned to face three people. One he knew as the hokage, another as the boy's instructor, and the final he did not recognize. Then it clicked, and he smiled at the red-eyed woman.

"Don't tell me you're here to finish what you started. I would have thought you'd have learned your lesson," the phoenix summoner states with a mischievous grin. "Unless of course you're here because you can't get me out of your head." The red-eyed Kurenai blushed the same shade as her eyes. "You know you're cute when you blush, Miss Kurenai? You'll make some guy happy when you decide to settle down. I'm sure that's not the reason you're here though," he said keeping his grin and then turning to Sarutobi. "Leave the boy be until the morning. His trials tonight shouldn't have had to happen. They did though and there is nothing we can do to change that," he says, grin fading to a calm expression. He walks over to Naruto's table and takes a seat. He gestures to the other seats, in askance of them sitting. They complied.

"First of all," the hokage states, breaking the moment of uneasy silence before it began. "Why have you returned to this village before him becoming a chuunin?"

"A few minor conflicts and a major battle took place in the land of Mist. There was a coup and one of my master's wayward students was helping. She brought to her all of the 'Swordsmen of the Mist' who promised to join her. I went to investigate the aftermath, only to find that the Swordsmen succeeded in the assassination attempt on the Mizukage, but failed the coup. They all survived and escaped to the neighboring land of Wave, and then dispersed from there. I wasn't sure of where, but it does take mention that they separated. I was sent a letter that my master's apprentice was spotted near here," he states, producing a canteen from his pouch and drinking it. Then he placed it back into a holster at his side. "So my reason for being here is to assure she doesn't make trouble and to stop her attempts at doing so. She wants revenge on me and knows I have been here with the Yondaime before. She blames the failure on my unwillingness to join her attempt at the Coup," he states looking at Sarutobi calmly.

"Now I believe I was to have a discussion with you on Naruto's graduation. Now you have 3 options from my perspective. You can have him graduate after passing a second attempt at the exams, saying there was foul play in the first. You can have him stay another year behind to take the test, but have him personally tutored by a Jouunin sensei so that his skills are improved instead of wasting away. The final option is that I can kidnap the boy and make him my apprentice sooner than I had anticipated. You can combine these anyway you want, but they still boil down to these options," Mikal states with a calm tone of voice laced with ice.

"The child will graduate, but I want to mention a small problem," the hokage states after a moment of thought. "We have already picked the teams and there is no way to change them at this point. He can't be placed on a 3-man team, thus disqualifying him for Gennin status," he states as though disappointed. He then gets a smirk. "Though you do have a point about having him wait another year with an instructor. I propose this idea. We have him take the exam again after a year, but to appease the council and my paperwork for a year, we test him tomorrow and place the gennin status on him pending a team becomes available. He can be treated as a gennin for all intensive purposes, but he'll just need to find a team to become available. After a year, the academy will have new recruits and we'll be able to place him in a cell and go from there. Now comes the question of who to place as his Jouunin Instructor. Which is why…"

"Kurenai is here," Mikal finishes, leaning back into the chair, examining the woman. "She'll do fine, and it'll be an experience for when the young lady has children," he says, seeing the blush on her face return full force. "Naruto is a handful, but bright as they come. He takes to knowledge like a fish to water, and the same can be said to making friends as long as they give him a chance. I'll of course be requesting to be teaching on the side about his new contract and some basic tricks he can use in conjunction with it."

"I don't see that as a problem except for one slight oversight," Iruka states calmly, looking down in mock thought. "You're a MISSING-NIN!!!"

"Oh yeah," Mikal says, scratching the back of his head. "Almost forgot about that. Long night," he says with a smile. He draws a deep breath, before continuing with, "I have managed to sneak by your ANBU and many others before, and what makes you think I can't do it continually?" Iruka looks back at the man unable to answer the question. He sets himself back to silence.

"Besides. No one has accused me of any crime other than that of practicing the shinobi arts and not being a part of any military force," Mikal states, getting up from the table and walking to a cabinet. He opens and pulls out a pot and pulls out some packets and places them in the pot and turns on the stove. "Hell. I didn't even break your law about mentioning what was in Naruto. I wrote it to him in a letter before the law was instated."

The hokage smiles at that and nods saying, "That you didn't. I guess you plan well in advance of everyone huh? Then you know that as a Hokage I must do what I believe is best for my village. Just one question about yourself. Why do you fell indebted to Minato?" he asks with a look of curiosity.

"He was the person who saved me from doing something absolutely terrible. Releasing the seals on the Aoi Fennikusu, and saving me from myself," he states, taking the pot and lighting the fire underneath it. His expression seemed hidden from view as he watched the flames with his back turned to the trio. The only indication of his emotion was steam from the fire, as teardrops fell in to be consumed.

* * *

**Thanks once again. Sorry for the wait, but there have been a few problems with real life. I am also still looking for a beta reader. Apply by PM if you'd like. As details go, I'd like a female, but hey, I'll settle for someone with a sense of humor. Thanks and until next time. Take care and have fun.**

_"Those with no sense of humor aren't truly alive" me to my boss at work._


	5. Life's Teachings

Hello again folks. I'm back with a new chapter. Pleasure to see all of you coming back. For those of you new to my writing, I appreciate you taking the time to read my work. For a quick reminder, I don't own Naruto. Though I thank the creator for giving me something to write this story based on.

Also, I'd like to take a bit of time to answer something many people have PMed me about. The pairings, as it seems that I wasn't exactly clear as to who is going to be involved with our intrepid hero. I will note that the main pairing is Naruto/Kyuubi. Though this is the main pairing, Naruto will have his own group of fan girls (I have no intention of making Naruto have a Sasuke following, though that would be endlessly amusing to have him chased around Konoha by a group of women who want to just be the next Mrs. Uzumaki. I will note that might be Sasuke's greatest fear. Being caught.), but the major people in this little Harem will people who he has either been saved by, or has saved. 

The first in this will be a female Haku (If you have played Guilty Gear, then you will understand that I have no intention of pulling a Bridget.). I believe that the creator only didn't make it a girl for 2 reasons. The character was going to die, and if it were a girl, it would have devastated Naruto to a level he wouldn't be able to recover from. It would have been the only person to drag Naruto from Sakura because he would have someone to relate to his pain.

The second person is Temari. She has a brother who is a Jinchuuriki and knows how Naruto feels being the outcast. Plus, he saved her brother from the depths of insanity that his demon was causing, and brought back together her family. She understands and empathizes with him, and not to mention they both seem to have brash personalities. Clashing can lead to heated moments, and both are passionate about their beliefs.

(P.S.- Gaara won't kill Naruto for dating his sister, and may even help push that particular relation along. Always a plus when the former mass murderer madman is telling the 2 of you to get together or he may lose it. Great incentive folks.)

These are the major pairings for Naruto. Now that I have taken up quite a bit more than necessary, then I will start the story. Thanks for your time, and enjoy the story.

* * *

**Unknown Location**

Naruto lies crying in the murky waters of the sewer system. He had now figured out what this place was. This was the seal that his father had placed on him. He stands letting his tears halt. If he was to understand what happened on that day, then who better to ask than someone who had lived through that day? He got up and used a dry part of his sleeve to dry his eyes. He then walks with determination to his destination, his footsteps splashing softly. As he walked he began to think of how to deal with a demon powerful enough to rock the very foundation of the world with but a swish of her tail. He now knew that the lovely girl in the cage was a disguise for the most destructive being the world would ever know. Naruto had thought her cute, but now knowing her true identity blurred whether she was cute anymore. He would now discover what exactly happened, even if his death was needed to accomplish the answer.

After a few moments, Naruto arrived in the cage room. He looked at the towering gates, seeing the white strip that simply read 'Seal'. He noticed the water in the room seemed a bit deeper, and there was a strong undercurrent to it. Something ancient, powerful, and destructive resided in the air. Naruto looked into the cage from where he stood, only to see darkness prevail in the cage, masking its contents from prying eyes. Naruto then took a deep breath in preparation, letting it out in a determined voice.

"Show yourself, Kyuubi!" Naruto yelled, beginning to walk toward the cage. Something deep in the cage stirred. It seemed roused and a bit angry. As Naruto stepped closer, he saw a pair of huge glowing eyes. Naruto showed absolute courage by not faltering.

"_**What do you want, kit**_?" the deep voice asked, rumbling the very surroundings with just its voice. "_**I take it you're here to talk about me? You're not worth my time quite yet. So leave me be. I have rest to get.**_"

"No," Naruto stated with a cold determination as he began walking toward the cell. He got a few feet from the cell before a set of claws stabbed through the barrier of the cage. Naruto was thrown back as the claws connected with him, leaving a few slash marks across his suit. He got up and dusted himself off. "_**Brave Kit. Foolish, but brave. Courage should be tempered with a want to survive. Don't do foolish things for no reason. What is it that you want?**_" the fox demon stated from behind the bars.

Naruto stood then walked toward the cage stating, "I want to know what happened at my birth. I want to know what happened that made me what I am today. Why did you attack Konoha, and why was I the one chosen to have you sealed within me?" he asks, continuing toward the cage once again. He stopped just short of the cage.

"_**An interesting set of questions kit. Do you think you're ready to know**_?" asked Kyuubi, a sadistic grin on its features. "_**I guess I'll just have to start from the beginning, but first let me transform to my human appearance. I have grown fond of that form, and it'll will make our conversation a little easier.**_" The Kyuubi's eyes slowly fade back into the darkness, and after a moment, the girl Naruto had come to know appeared from the darkness, swaying her hips seductively. He was in awe of her appearance. "First thing I'd like to get out of the way is my name. While I am known as the Kyuubi, my name is actually Erimisa."

As Naruto saw her appear, he noticed how the girl looked. Her long green hair seemed to cascade down over her shoulders, stopping about mid back. Her eyes seemed the purest green he had ever seen. Her body was a lithe and supple form, almost as depictions of goddesses, not a flaw marring her near perfect features. She wore a red dress, with a slit running up either side showing off her pale creamy skin, and the dress seemed to sway with each swing of her hips. The front seemed to have an intricate design of a fox and raven clashing embroidered in silver and obsidian. At first Naruto saw her full lips move, and immediately crashed back to reality, realizing that she was speaking.

"It seems my beauty has captivated you," she says with a seductive smirk. She realized the boy didn't know what the feelings he had were, but it didn't mean she couldn't have her fun. "Well nevertheless you came to me for answers and I'll give you what I can. To answer your first question, I attacked Konoha trying to get at a person who disturbed my slumber. They felt that they could control me, and I felt a need to end their existence in a swift manner. A sad occurrence that your village happened to harbor my target. I make no apologies for my actions though. Your Hokage happened to do battle with me, and caught me by surprise with that seal of his. I hadn't expected such resistance, or that someone would have the gall to seal me into a child. You humans never cease to amaze me, but I digress. There are other things to discuss that are of greater importance I suppose. Your being the container of myself. You are all that stands between that pathetic fool and me. I will state my apologies for your treatment though. I would have expected them to exonerate your existence as a hero and a legend in the making, but instead they spit upon you as if you were the murderer of their hopes and dreams." Erimisa growls at the thought, seeming angry.

"Those fools should pay dearly for what they have done to you, but you continue to forgive their actions as if they were a mere misunderstanding. You show them mercy beyond what they are deserving of, and for that you have my respect if nothing else. I do not hate you for keeping me imprisoned, but I do wish you would at the very least strike back at them."

"At least you're honest," Naruto states with a sad smile. "I don't want to sink to the level they have, Erimisa-san," Naruto states, looking down. "To strike them back would make me no better than them. I shouldn't taint my hands by taking revenge. The fact of the matter is that I am nothing more than a reminder of the past to them. I may act the fool a lot of the time, but seeing as you have lived with me my entire life, you know that I am far from a fool. I should hate you beyond anything and blame you for everything, but you had nothing to do with how the villagers act. You can cause them no harm, and have been shown many times that I am not you. Yet they still try to blame me for things that have long since past." Naruto falls down into a sitting position. 

"I am alone in the world, except for the old man, Ichiraku, Ayame, and Master Mikal. I just wish I wasn't so alone. It seems that no one understands the day-to-day pain I suffer. They've led happy lives and now I'm stuck with no one to understand my suffering. I put on the happy façade so that others will be happy, even if it is at my expense. Guess the only person who knows all about my life is you, Erimisa," he states as he looks at the woman, smiling warmly. "Do you know why I want to be a hokage, Erimisa-san? To prove my worth. To show that my existence is more than trash. Life dealt me a real shitty hand to start, but it's all how you play the cards that determine whether that shitty hand will be worth something. I want to hold my head high at the end of my life. To look back and realize that I did all that I wanted and have no regrets," Naruto said looking into the dark ceiling above, as if it held an answer that would solve his life's problems.

Erimisa looked at the young boy. He was an enigma in and of himself. One that was not easily cracked unless one knew what to look for. She herself hadn't quite figured out the young blonde, but something about him was all the more entrancing. He was innocent of any crimes, but bore the weight of the world on his shoulders. She knew what he had dealt with in life, and had watched from a distance. He was a merciful person who would do whatever it took to make others happy, if only for a fleeting moment. He would help his greatest enemy, knowing full well that the enemy would try to kill him. He was a saint in the truest sense of the word. His vision of a ninja was a person who defended their ideals and loved ones with their lives. He was idealistic, but in his mind, he was willing to sacrifice his life to become greater than the trash people viewed him as. She then came to a decision. She wouldn't leave the boy to the wolves of the world. If no one else would be with him, then she would. Her life was tied to his, and what better way to make up for her past sins than to care for one such as Naruto. Who knows? Maybe she could get the boy to change this dreary little hovel sometime.

"Hey Kit," Erimisa stated, getting the blonde boy's attention. "I'll tell you what. I'll make a deal with you. I'll share an ear with you, if you'll grant me your company. I'd rather not be alone in this dank cell, and I admit begrudgingly, you do happen to be a ray of sunshine. I miss the outside world so much, and knowing I'll never return there is a bit depressing. At least you could share your experiences with me." The woman smiles at Naruto warmly, and notices that at least a little cheer has returned to that face. At least the boy wasn't faking for once.

"Thanks Erimisa," Naruto says, standing a moment after stating his gratitude. He began to walk toward the cage and up to the bars. As he got to the bars, Erimisa expected him to stop, but he walked right on through. She began to back away, unsure of the seal's reaction. Fear seemed to creep into the eyes of millennial old demon. Uncertainty began to overpower her one unshakable confidence as the boy stepped toward her. He stopped directly before her, before wrapping his arms around her waist in a soft hug. "You don't how much it means to me to have someone who'll listen." Erimisa felt wet spots stain the front of her dress, and she slowly and hesitantly wrapped her arms around Naruto in the same gesture. Something in her told her she was doing something good and noble, while another logical part told her not to form an attachment to such a frail creature. She suppressed the latter in favor of the former. Listening to the latter had been what imprisoned her here in the first place. She just enjoyed the moment of bliss and peace of aiding the life of another.

* * *

**The Next Morning**

The sun crept slowly across the room of one loud-mouthed orange clad ninja. As it began to blanket the room, a loud noise was bleated out of an alarm clock next to the said ninja's head. Naruto raised his fist into the air, only to feel the alarm clock explode into fragments. Naruto immediately bolted upright and began his frantic search for the source of said explosion. As he looked around, he noticed one Mikal Sentra with an extended arm and closed eyes. He seemed to be grumbling something about hating mornings. Naruto sweat dropped, before holding his head in pain. He had a mild headache. Then he remembered the events from the previous night. He smiled as a single tear fell down his cheek. There were people who cared now. There was now someone who knew his pain and accepted him. Albeit she was the cause of his suffering, she also knew it best and could share his understanding.

Naruto slowly got out of his bed and began to walk toward his dresser to gather clothes for a shower. As he did, Mikal seemed to stir from his slumber. Naruto smiled as he noticed that the man looked to have slept here without ever leaving or changing his clothes. He chuckled as he saw the man looked like warmed over death. As Naruto finished gathering his materials, he turned to realize he was facing Mikal, who had a look of concern in his eyes, but a smile on his lips.

"Looks like we'll be starting your training as a ninja today. The old man decided to make you a ninja after all," he states with a sense of brotherly pride. "I'll explain everything to you after you finish your shower. I'll inform the hokage so he doesn't feel the need to over explain anything. Old men just love to babble on and on about the same thing over and over. I'm starting to sound like one myself. Get your tail in gear already," he states looking at Naruto impatiently. Naruto rushed out of the room excited.

After a few minutes, he walked out of the bathroom fully dressed in his orange jumpsuit. Mikal winced at the sight of it, before Naruto glared at him for it. Mikal held up his hands in defense of his opinion, before he chuckled softly at the boy. He got up then walked to the kitchen, pulling out a scroll and slicing open his thumb. He bled on the scroll and food began to pop out quickly, along with a few other cooking supplies.

"I suppose the first thing we're going to do with my training you is to break ramen as your only source of nutrition, if you can even call it nutrition," Mikal states as he begins to cut up the food and begins preparing for the meal. "Get over here, Naruto. Cooking can teach you a few things about life and combat. You can learn from everything around you by just paying attention and understanding how things work. A ninja's training is his life, and life is his teacher," Mikal states sagely.

Naruto wanders over to Mikal slowly watching him work on the meal. He saw the speed at which he cut the vegetables, and then came to a conclusion that the man had a fast and accurate stroke with the blade. He noticed his hand shoot out to grab another item, and immediately begin his slicing of the offending object. After he finished chopping, he threw the knife into a chopping board near the wall, embedding it, without even glancing back at it!

"Now imagine for a moment Naruto that the knife I was just using was a kunai or even a dagger. How many times could I have struck the enemy with that speed and accuracy? The fact that I threw the knife accurately without looking for the target is also a form of throwing I'll be teaching you. Cooking is also an important aspect of ninja training. Cooking is akin to alchemy and chemistry. Things used in the making of poisons, food pills, various explosives, and medicine," the man stated as he began to separate the various sliced objects into piles for the different stages of the food. "Proper nutrition is also important for healing injuries faster and increasing your overall physical condition. All these minor things I teach you are simply for you to understand that anything that happens to you in life is a form of training, mental, physical, and emotional," Mikal says wearing a smile of pride. "What I'm saying is that even though you're a ninja, it shouldn't stop you from living the life you wish to lead."

Naruto looks at Mikal, and nods his head in understanding. Naruto was surprised that Mikal had explained everything eloquently and simply. It was as if he had been taught the same thing, and was now passing on the knowledge. Suddenly it dawned on him that he never knew whom trained Mikal, or anything about the man other than things he would normally show in combat.

"Mikal," Naruto began," Who was your sensei?"

Mikal smiled before he replied, "An old man who is no longer in this world. He died of old age. I was 13 at the time, and his other apprentice was 7. He was a man full of wisdom and advice, and I took for granted the fact that I thought he'd be around for quite a while longer. His name was Jothan Oakina. There was something that he taught me that will stay with me for the rest of my days. If you believe you can't, then you truly can't, but if you put your heart into it and believe you can, then you will eventually. Remember this Naruto. There will always be people who tell you you can't succeed, but I want you to prove them all wrong. Show them you can do what you set your heart to." Mikal looks at the boy with a smile and a single tear of joy and pride. He then reaches a hand down to the boy's head and ruffles his hair. "But let's finish breakfast and then we'll head to the tower to talk to the hokage about your new training regimen. You won't be able to join a team for a while, but I'll make sure that you receive proper training to be equal to your peers. Now go set the table and see what you can learn from the actions, and see how you can apply that to your training," Mikal spoke softly to the boy, thinking of what to train the first combat skills of the boy. He looked at the boy, then thought of the first exercise. If he were lucky, he'd be able to minimize the wearing of that orange jumpsuit.

**A Few Hours Later, At the Hokage Tower**

As Mikal and Naruto approach the tower, Mikal looks around from behind his ANBU mask at the surrounding area. He noticed the glares of the villagers around them, and scowled at them. Naruto didn't deserve the hatred he received and if he had any say in it, he would have taken the boy away. They didn't deserve the kind of mercy the boy would end up showing them. He looked down to Naruto and realized the boy didn't seem to be as affected by the glares as he usually was. Mikal smiled, and continued into the tower to the receptionist's desk. The young woman smiled softly.

"The hokage has been expecting you, please step in," the woman said in polite tone. The 2 nodded and headed in, Mikal shutting the door behind him.

He looked around the room to find all of the people from the previous night here, plus a few faces he recognized from his own personal files in Konoha. One Morino Ibiki of the interrogation unit, along with his sadistic apprentice Anko. There was Copycat Kakashi, along with the Hokage's nephew Asuma. There was also one Maito Guy, who seemed to be smiling brightly at Naruto. This was definitely shaping up to be a very bad encounter for him if they were all here to fight. He then noticed off to the side one Hyuga Hiashi. This was definitely not going to be pleasant if it was a fight they wanted. He noticed they were all sitting and began to stand. The new faces each reached for a kunai.

"Don't get up on my account!" he states placing his hands in front of him in a placating gesture. It was also so his hands were closer together to form the seals necessary for any jutsu the situation required. His mind ran through all the scenarios in his head, until the Hokage interrupted him from his thoughts.

"Everyone calm down," he states in a cool, collected voice of authority. The people all began to sit back down, wary of Sentra. "Now I called you all here to discuss the boy's fate in the matter of his training. He is to be trained by each of the men and women present in the room, until prepared to be entered into a team, or he proves that he can pass the qualifications for Chuunin. At that point, he will be placed as a special chuunin and assigned that team until a team becomes available to join for the exams," Sarutobi says looking at each them as he speaks to emphasize the point. "Now we will begin to determine the training schedule for Naruto. Naruto will be joining in on missions with each of the Jouunin sensei teams for experience in the field and to learn to work with others. Sentra will train the boy when he is able, and will be able to take residence with the boy," Sarutobi states, looking to the people spoken of for objections. When he found none, he continued.

"Also Sentra. You will join Ibiki and Anko after these meetings for a debriefing on Konoha law, and to have you explain your abilities that may prove detrimental to Konoha society. They will also be supervising your raising of the boy. He will be meeting with them regularly to check treatment and to have advanced warning of foul play if there is to be any," the aged man speaks, ensuring that this point is driven home. He wasn't about to let harm come to the boy. People had worked too hard to keep him alive to this point.

"Hyuga Hiashi," he then states, turning to look at the man. "You will be training both of these two in the politics of Konoha, as we don't want political problems on top of the various ones we will have for harboring an A-class criminal and a Jinchuuriki. Also, I'd like to add something else to your orders. I want you to train the boy in chakra control. Naruto's chakra is immense and he needs to fine-tune that power with a control unattainable by any but a Hyuga. You needn't teach him anything but control, but I leave what you use to teach him that control in your power," he states with a smile. The Hyuga nods, then turns to size the boy up, coming up with a way for the boy to harness all the potential residing in his body. He had a few theories, but he decided he'd test them when the boy arrived at the compound.

"Now for the last order in this meeting. Maito Guy, I would like to see you oversee the boy's taijutsu training, as from what I've heard, it needs serious improvement. See what you can do with this. I will also charging you with teaching him what you see fit to, but I will not have another one of you running around spouting off impossible tasks to any but you and your protégé," the aged man stated, cringing at the expected results.

"YOSH. I WILL BEGIN TO FAN THE FLAMES OF THIS BOY'S YOUTH! HE SHALL BE A MASTER OF HIS OWN PERSONAL STYLE WHEN I'M THROUGH!" Guy yelled, loud enough for the next elemental country over to overhear, whether they wanted to or not. He smiled and gave his patented nice guy pose. Naruto and Mikal cringed.

"That will be all for now. You are all dismissed," the hokage stated.

As Anko neared Mikal, she snapped her teeth at him seductively. Kurenai abruptly smacked her in the back of the head, and the genjutsu mistress blushed at Mikal's look of gratitude. Mikal was then confronted by Ibiki, who gave him a once over before leaving. A few of the other Jouunin decided to use the flashy exit of the window, or a shushin. Mikal just shook his head in exasperation. He then looked toward the hokage, who seemed to be intently examining him and Naruto.

Naruto looked from the old man to Mikal, wondering which would be the first to break the silence. He didn't like the waiting so he decided to break it himself.

"Mikal-sensei. Shouldn't you go get your visit over with so we can go home and you can finish teaching me the lessons you were giving me this morning?" Naruto asked impatiently. He wanted Mikal to continue their lessons, and also wanted to visit with Erimisa-san to tell her what was going on. This was definitely a swift turn of events from where he was before.

"He's right. I'll get going and take care of what is necessary. I'd rather get this over with quickly. I'll meet you at Ichiraku's after I finish, and then we'll go for a little walk to discuss the schedule we'll need to incorporate into your daily life," Mikal stated, before pulling out a bag. "Take this, it should cover your ramen costs, and spend no more on ramen than half that bag. Remember the lesson from this morning. Try to apply that lesson while you travel to Ichiraku's," Mikal stated ruffling the boy's spiky blonde hair. Naruto nodded as he left the room.

As Naruto left the room he could here talking going on in the room, but decided not to listen in. It would be rude. He decided he go to Ichiraku's and see how the pair was doing. The events of the night before had to have reached the streets by now, and he wanted to know what the Ichiraku pair had to say about him being a ninja now.

After a few moments, Naruto arrived at the ramen stand and took up his usual seat. The ramen duo took walked over to take his order after a few moments of dealing with other problems. They walked toward the boy with a pad and pen, ready to take his tremendous order.

"One bowl of miso ramen, please," the boy stated. The duo's jaws dropped, and they shook their heads try and dispel the illusion of what they had just heard. Naruto only order a single bowl of miso ramen? Immediately, Teuchi grabbed the boy by the front of his shirt and glared at him threateningly.

"Who are you and what have you done with our best customer?" he states in a voice filled with rage. He shook Naruto for good measure to emphasize the point.

"But I am Naruto. The one and only prankster and outcast of Konoha," he says with his patented fox grin. Teuchi paused for a moment at that smile and set him down on the stool. "Why wouldn't you believe it was me?" Naruto asks with absolute confusion.

"Naruto," Ayame says before her father has a chance to speak, "you never order only one bowl of ramen. That's why we were worried."

"Well I was told by my new sensei that I needed to eat better, and he limits my eating of ramen. He told me that he'd still let me eat it, just in amounts that are good for me," he states with a bit of a disappointed smile. "Speaking of my new sensei," Naruto states with a wide grin, pointing at his hiaite, "I am finally a ninja!" 

The duo smiles at him, before saying in unison, "Congratulations!" Then Ayame added, "We always knew you'd pass someday. This bowl is on me. I'll also look into adding a few things to the menu, so we don't lose our favorite customer," she states with a smile.

"I appreciate it," Naruto says with a definite grin. "For now though, I think I'll enjoy my bowl." As Naruto picked up his chopsticks and said a prayer, he remembered his sensei's lesson about learning from everything he did, and turning it toward his training. "Ayame-neesan, is it possible for me to help you cook sometime? I'd like to learn how my favorite food is made. My sensei says that I should train by using everyday things as training exercises."

One again the jaws dropped. Well, they didn't call him unpredictable for no reason. The Duo just nodded numbly. It was the strangest request they had heard from any patron. They watched as Naruto smiled warmly, and began to eat slowly, savoring each bite. This was also a new change that took them by surprise. After he finished, he took the chopsticks and began twirling them on his fingers, waiting patiently for something to happen. He made small talk with the duo while he waited, wanting learn about everything he could. It would seem that event happened when a man walked in.

"Mikal!" Naruto says excitedly. He waves at him and grins like a madman. Mikal smiles back at him, and takes a seat next to him. Naruto looks toward the man he has come to regard as a friend. "So what did they have say?" Naruto asked anxiously.

"Mostly questions involving my history, and a few regarding my training of you," Mikal states, drawing a deep breath. He throws a single senbon behind, causing a poof of smoke to appear where he threw it. "I thought I told you I wasn't interested," he states with an annoyed tone. He was immediately glomped by a very devious looking Anko.

"But why not?" asks Anko, seductive not being quite the proper word for her attitude. She squeezed him a bit tighter causing Mikal to explode in a burst of feathers. "Damn it. He got away again. I could have sworn that was the real him this time! I mean seriously! How many times is this man going to try and elude my charms?" Anko asked, pouting at the feathers. Suddenly her arm was behind her back and she felt the back of her knee pushed forward as she kneeled.

"I'll tell you what I told Miss Kurenai," Mikal stated from behind her. "I am sorry, but I haven't an interest in women at the moment. It is sad, as you are cute, but sadly I will not be enjoying the company of the opposite gender for quite a time yet." Mikal then turned to Naruto before stating, "Please head to our training grounds after paying for the meal. We're going to start your training in a particular set of jutsus you'll find most interesting and useful." He smiles at Naruto as he begins to leave. After Mikal was sure the boy was finally out of range, he let Anko go. She just glared at him. He smiles at her before waving at her, saying, "Don't hold it against me that I can't be a conquest of yours. Though I am quite sure you would make it quite the experience. Until next we meet, Snake Princess." With that said, she blushes and rolls back her hand to clock him. Feathers suddenly surround her again, and she catches one. 'I will get you eventually, you damn bird,' she thinks, as a maniacal grin shows on her features.

**Later, At Training Grounds 14**

Naruto arrived at the training ground he used to learn the summoning technique. He sat down on the grass, and looked out at the rest of the grounds. He realized that this place seemed a bit barren in comparison to other areas of Konoha. He takes out his kunai and begins to twirl it on his finger, taking a slash at the air every few seconds at random intervals. After a few more moments, Mikal arrives and walks over to Naruto, motioning for him to stand. He does and Mikal looks at a training post.

"Our first jutsu you will learn is one that uses another form of your shadow clones," he states, before taking out a shuriken. He twirled it around before tossing it at the training post. He formed the seal for the shadow clone, before saying softly, "Shadow Shuriken Jutsu." The effect was immediate as the single shuriken multiplied into a barrage. They all homed in perfectly on their target. "This skill will be invaluable when you are running low on ammo, when you need to hit multiple targets, or when you need to make a person have to move from a particular spot. I'm sure you'll find many more uses for it, but those are the major functions," Mikal states, watching a grin grow on the boy's face before he jumped up ready to try it out. "Hold on there. Let me show you the full set before you decide to jump the gun." Naruto nodded eagerly.

"Good. Now for the next jutsu," Mikal states before drawing out a set of kunai. He tosses them into the air, and then forms another set of hand seals slamming a hand into the ground. "Wind Wings Jutsu," Mikal shouted. Naruto watched as the touched the wall and flew skyward once more. "Now for the next one," the summoner states, already forming the next set of seals. The last seal was formed as the kunai were now at eye level to Mikal. Mikal then shouted, "Wind Blast Jutsu." There was a stunning hurricane force wind that swirled around Mikal, before launching them with astounding force in the direction most direct from their position. He then formed another small set of handseals, before each kunai glowed. "Flashing Thunder Jutsu," Mikal stated softly, as a blinding light and a deafening crack of thunder filled the area. When Naruto's sight returned, he found the kunai embedded in various locations.

"I'll be having you work on these basic jutsu while we go over a few other things. These are basic jutsu, save the 'Shadow Shuriken'. The uses you've seen here are only a few that these could be used for depending on the situation. 'Wind Wings' is a defensive that works well on any medium or smaller object. 'Wind Blast' happens to be a fairly good way of launching several objects in different directions at the same time. Also it serves as a fairly good close combat jutsu and a way to put some space between you and an opponent. Keep in mind the short range. 'Flashing Thunder' is a technique that temporarily stuns and disorients anyone in the area. This technique can be used to add a flash bomb's effect to your attacks, but you'll need more control of your chakra to make the best use of it," Mikal states before smiling at Naruto. The boy seemed to be soaking in everything, standing in awe at the use of his skills. "Experience with these techniques will no doubt unlock uses for them that maybe even I don't know. We each live through a separate set of experiences, but it is by sharing with each other those experiences that we learn to become stronger. You can't be everywhere at once, even if you can use the 'Shadow Clone' to be in multiple places. Talk to people to learn of their experiences and trials. You could very well find some key to breaking any glass ceiling you may face."

Mikal then walks over to Naruto, and begins running him through the hand seals, and the motions needed for each technique. He makes sure to correct any mistakes, and congratulate him on his successes. Mikal looked at the boy thinking, 'You're going to show them all what they scorned, and I hope they all choke on the shame.'

* * *

Well folks. That's my newest chapter. Sorry for the delay. My muse was being fickle, as well as my computer. Life has been hectic, and I apologize for not getting to this sooner. I will note after next chapter, I will be writing a new fanfic. I'm currently debating between Love Hina, One Piece, or a project that one of my friends thought was a bit amusing to try. That was putting a version of the T.A.R.D.I.S. for anime dimensions with an interesting Timelord. I'm not sure which section to place it under, so I may just have to separate it into 5 chapter adventures in each anime I know. Feel free to PM me with any preference you would rather me write. Until next time, have fun and take care of yourselves. I am also going to reply to those of you who sent me PMs about being my beta.

(P.S.- I weep when I see Maito Guy, but I weep even harder to know he has a clone. I twitch when I see anything written in all caps anymore. I think Bruce Lee is rolling over in his grave about those 2.) 


	6. Class Begins

_**Welcome back readers. This will be my last chapter before I work on some of my other projects. I would hate to burn out my muse on this story, reducing the quality. My muse happens to be a friend of mine who beats it into my head that I should write. Said friend also wants me to publish some of my own personal collection. Yes, I do write my own stories, not just Fanfiction. I have decided on working simultaneously on my One Piece fanfic, and my 'The Wanderer: Anime Walker' series. So I apologize if the updates to this story come a bit slower. I'll start trying to use the Japanese names for Jutsu, but someone please pm me a good translator. Also I'm debating whether to give Naruto the rasengan, as if I do, I'll be doing a few things that may seems a bit too powerful with it. If you've seen Shippuden's Sasuke using the Chidori, it will be a similar functionality and the application of it and the steps in different fashions. I created this chapter listening to the band called Lostprophets**_

* * *

After picking up the basics of each of the jutsu he was taught (each taking between an hour or a few hours), Mikal smiled and told Naruto that he was now going to train him in their use. Naruto looked confused, until he picked up a few pebbles and directed Naruto to the center of the clearing. When he got to the center, Mikal tossed the stones into the air and let them fall toward Naruto. Naruto immediately saw the exercise and rapidly started the hand signs for his defense.

"Fuuton: Kaze Tsubasa," Naruto shouted, the wind from the jutsu sending them back skyward. Naruto immediately took a small hop back and started a new set of seals. He waved his hand in front of him and a burst of gusted out, Naruto speaking all the while, "Fuuton: Kaze Bakuha."

As the stones flew at the Jouunin, he smiled and flicked a stone that knocked the others off course. Mikal smiled warmly at Naruto seeing his ability to combine the taught jutsu for purposes of an attack. He began to clap after a moment, walking toward him with a grin before clapping him on the shoulder.

"Looks to me as if you understand the capabilities of those 2, so I'll assume that you understand the applications of the other 2. Use them wisely and I'll begin your training on others. You'll be learning more about the Fennikusu while with me, and trust me, there is much to learn," Mikal states shoving Naruto gently off the field. "Now we need to get heading home. But I thought I'd try a new training method for your stealth. You need to get home without me tagging you. I'll take off first and you'll need to get home using only stealth and no jutsu. Good luck," he states with a smirk of a grin. "By the way. There is a penalty for each time you're tagged."

Naruto looks confused for a moment about the smile but sets off. He began to stick to shadows, keeping as silent as possible. After a minute or 2, he feels someone tap his shoulder. He turns to see Mikal looking at him with a smile. "50 push ups tomorrow morning, in addition to regular exercises." Naruto's face dropped. This was going to be tough. He could swear he heard the light tinkling of a girl's laughter. He frowned and began to try and figure out what he had done wrong. He then decided he wasn't being quiet enough. So he tossed a shuriken at Mikal to distract him, and when he saw his focus waver, he used a burst of speed to vanish once more into a vacant building. He continued the run using a few things around him to distract the attention of Mikal, and make it a safe distance from him. He stopped to take a breath, only to be tagged again.

Same scenario each time he tried to escape until he reached 250 push-ups when he got into his home. He couldn't see why Mikal had managed to get him no matter what tricks he tried. Then he realized what it was. Mikal saw him due to the fact he was trying to hide in shadows with an orange jumpsuit. It was like he was trying to hide in a spotlight. Then he got a clever idea. To hide where everyone could plainly see you. He had a new idea to try the next time this exercise was done. He then noticed Mikal place a plate in front of him. It contained some mixed vegetables, shredded chicken, and rice.

"So what did we learn from today's lesson?" Mikal asks, grabbing a plate of his own. Naruto looked contemplative, then responded as Mikal sat and took his first bite.

"I learned that creativity is one of my strong points, that wearing bright colors is not the best idea when using stealth, and that even failures can be learned from," Naruto stated with a foxy grin. He then began to dig into his plate, noting briefly the proud smile on his sensei's face. He felt a bit of pride in making Mikal happy. His acknowledgement meant the world to him, and Mikal never seemed to expect something he couldn't achieve.

The two sat up for another few hours, playing various games to pass the time and help Naruto train his mind and people reading skills. Naruto sat and asked Mikal about stories of his being a ninja, which he shared gladly, weaving tales of far-off lands and of grandiose people who ranged from paupers to princes. The 2 got laughs and enjoyed the other's company, before Naruto began to get tired, and fell asleep during one of Mikal's stories about facing down a ninja from some obscure village.

Mikal smiled as he noticed the boy sleeping soundly and sweetly. He walked over to the couch and picked him up gently, and took him to his bed. He tucked him in, before walking back into the kitchen and grabbing a bottle of sake from one of the cabinets. He walked over to a table and poured himself a cup. He stared intently into the reflective surface, as he reflected back upon his past. He had enjoyed telling Naruto stories like he would have for his children, had he not been robbed of that experience. He was now being given a second chance at living as the father he had been denied the opportunity of. He began to lift the cup to his lips, as a knock was heard at the door. 'A soft, feminine knock at that,' Mikal thought to himself. He placed the cup back upon the table, and stood, dusting off his coat, which he hadn't removed as of yet. He walked to the door and opened it to reveal one Yuuhi Kurenai.

"Yuuhi-san," he said softly. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company at this hour of the evening?" Mikal smiles softly at her, still barring her path into the apartment.

"I heard you were staying with Naruto and I thought I'd pay a visit to apologize for attacking you," she states with a smile. "I didn't want to start off on a bad foot with you, seeing as we might work together someday." Kurenai blushed slightly at the smile she was getting from Mikal. "May I enter please?" she asks softly.

"Please do," Mikal states, stepping aside so that Kurenai could enter unimpeded. He walked over to the couch first, gesturing for her to take a seat, as he then went to enter the kitchen. "I was about to enjoy a drink before you came," he states, holding up a hand to silence the beginning of her protests and apologies. "You didn't interrupt and I always enjoy company while I drink. Bad memories tend to stay away when you have someone to help you forget them." He comes back and places a cup in front of her. He pours her a cup and holds up his own. "To the success of our students," he states with a sweet smile. Kurenai blushes at the smile, and lifts her own cup, a clink as the 2 cups met.

"May their successes be ours as well," she states, as they both down their cups. "As I said, I apologize for my assault on you. I was trying to do the right thing, but I see I was mistaken. Thank you for the healing as well," she states, unconsciously rubbing the skin where she was injured.

"It's alright," he states before pouring each of them a glass once more. "You were doing what you believed was right. Don't blame yourself for doing what you believe was right. If I were in your position, I'd probably have done the same thing. You're pretty good for a kunoichi of your age. You should take pride in that fact." Mikal smiles at her after that statement, making the kunoichi in front of him turn twinge redder. "So what do you say we have a bit of fun, Yuuhi-san?" Mikal asks, a deck of cards appearing in his hands seemingly from nowhere. Kurenai looked a bit surprised, but smiled. "I'll even make it more fun for you. If you win a hand, you can ask me a question, and I'll answer it to the best of my abilities," Mikal says with a grin. Kurenai looked greedily at the deck until a thought seemed to cross her mind.

"What if I lose?" she asks, sounding uncertain.

"You take another cup of sake," he states with a smile. "Don't worry. I'm no pervert, so your modesty and dignity are quite safe. I assure you I will do nothing, or you may strike me as you wish, until you feel you are justified and avenged." He then held up the shuffled deck. "So are you game?" he asks, a trickster grin upon his features.

"I'm in," Kurenai says after a moment of hesitation.

* * *

**In Naruto's Mindscape**

Naruto awoke to the sounds of dripping water, and the soft, angelic humming of a girl. The melody seemed to lull him into a sense of peace and tranquility, his curiosity wondering who could sing so beautifully. He raised his head from the dank waters, realizing with a clearer mind that he was in his mindscape. So only one person could hum this way that he knew. He turned to see Erimisa humming softly with her eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to the presence of the world. Naruto sat quietly listening to her, entranced by the melody, wanting to hear its conclusion. After a few moments, the song slowly faded. He watched Erimisa turn to him and smile before opening her eyes to reveal her scarlet irises.

"Hello Naruto," she says, her voice still holding a melodic tone. "How was your day?" she asked, cocking her head to the side in curiosity. It made her hair flow to the side making her look more cherubic and beautiful in ways.

"It was fun, Erim-chan," he states with a smile and getting up to walk over to her cage. Knowing this time that no harm would come to either of them, Naruto walked up to her and gave her a warm hug, before sitting next to her. Naruto then began to recount the events of the day to her, with Erimisa listening intently to Naruto, adding her comments and laughing every once in awhile. Naruto couldn't help but be entranced by her smile and laugh. Something about them made him feel warmer inside and feel closer to her. He'd be happy knowing that he could keep that smile on her face. There was just something that he felt he was missing that she somehow fulfilled in him.

After the telling of the stories, Erimisa smiled and looked at him. "Thank you Naruto," Erimisa stated, smiling at Naruto. "You're kindness is a pleasure to have. I only wish I could help you more, but I have nothing left to give to you. I am locked here for the remainder of your days. I am sorry that I can't be of more use. All I have left to give you have already access to. My chakra is slowly being drained from me by the seal, and given to you, my knowledge is of the demon realm and is of no use here, and I know no jutsu that is of worth to you," she states, looking at a sleepy Naruto.

Naruto yawns widely before laying his head in her lap. "Your company and … smile… are more… than," Naruto gets out before drifting off. Erimisa smiles serenely, before kissing Naruto's forehead.

"Thank you," she states, watching Naruto slowly fade away from the recesses of the chamber. "You don't know how much that means to me."

* * *

**Back in Naruto's Living Room**

Kurenai sways slightly before placing her cards on the table. She had been losing, and she hadn't gotten much information out of the mysterious man before her. He always kept that ever-present grin, which seemed unbreakable. It was near impossible to get anything from his expressions. He seemed to have no tells, no give away, not even a change in his eyes. He didn't seem to be using chakra either to manipulate anything. He was undecipherable, and it was beginning to get to her. She wanted to ask one question, but seemed to never get the chance, and at this rate she wasn't even sure if she'd remember the answer, or even how the question went. She had to win a hand soon if she had any chance of getting an answer.

She had managed now to get a decent hand she was sure was a winner. She saw no signs he had lost. Not even a sign he had changed that darn expression. He laid his cards on the table and all she could really see was a blurry outline. He heard him say something, but she felt the edges of unconsciousness begin to creep up on her. The hour was late and she was more than tipsy. She looked closer at the cards, and realized she had won. His expression hadn't changed, but she felt victorious and stood to throw a fist in the air. As she got up, all of her blood rushed and she collapsed toward the floor. She felt arms wrap around her and a warmth near her body. She looked up and saw the concerned eyes of Mikal staring into hers compassionately. She smiled before pulling her head up and trying to kiss him. He placed a finger on her lips stopping her motion. She looked at him confused, before feeling herself lifted gently and being carried. The warmth of his body lulled her to sleep softly.

Mikal smiled gently as he laid Kurenai to sleep in his bed, tucking her in gently. He then walked over to his easy chair before plopping down there, propping his head up on his hand. He looked at the sleeping form of Kurenai, sighing. He could tell what she wanted, but he wasn't ready to quite give up her memory. Even if a beautiful kind woman wanted to share her heart with him, he just didn't think he was ready to mend his broken memories just yet. He watched the woman sleep, until he drifted off himself.

* * *

**The Next Morning, Mikal's Room**

The sun began to shine into the room, illuminating the form of one Yuuhi Kurenai. As the sunlight encroached upon her eyes, they fluttered softly until revealing a set of crimson rubies. She slowly stretched softly trying to regain her bearings. She suddenly became aware that she was no longer in her own apartment. She then frantically checked her body, only to realize she was still clothed. She then began to look around the room, seeing Sentra sleeping in an easy chair, his head propped on one of his hands. Then the memories of the night before came rushing to mind. She smiled softly, getting quietly out of bed and beginning to walk toward the man. She leaned down, getting ready to try and kiss him again.

"Isn't it supposed to be the other way around in the stories, Yuuhi-san?" the man states not even opening his eyes to look at her. "The prince kisses the princess to awaken her?" he asks, giving his trademark smile. Kurenai looked at the man surprised, before regaining her wits.

"Was never really one for fairy tales," she states, moving closer. She then noticed his eyes open, and saw something that startled her. It was only for a brief moment, but she was sure it was there. A sadness that seemed all consuming. It made her flinch for a moment, thinking it was directed at her actions.

"But I do, Yuuhi-san," he states softly, before placing a palm on her stomach, pushing her back. "And I am not the prince you're looking for," he states with a saddening solemn tone. "Princes save their loves and live happily ever after. I have lost the ability to be happy with a woman for the time being, and I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to share that kind of happiness ever again. So please," he states softly," don't hurt your heart on my account, or miss the chance of love waiting for me." With that said he walks from the room, shutting the door softly behind him.

Kurenai stands confused and slightly hurt at the rejection. Something inside her tells her that he wasn't trying to hurt her, but it hurt nevertheless. She sits on the bed trying to collect herself, unsure of what to do, or what to think. She sits there for a while lost in her thoughts. A call for breakfast rouses her from the labyrinth of emotions and thoughts that lay within and before her.

* * *

**In the Kitchen, Minutes Before**

"Morning Mikal," Naruto says, watching him come from his room. Naruto had awoken earlier and began preparing breakfast, using the cooking as training as Mikal had taught him.

Mikal smiled over at him, watching him have fun, tossing things around the kitchen, and bouncing from counter to counter, a constant ball of energy. Mikal walked toward the edge of the kitchen observing Naruto. He seemed in a much better mood this morning. His cheerful mood seemed contagious as always. He then remembered Kurenai in the other room.

"Naruto," he states looking at the ball of energy pause, "make sure to make enough for a guest. Yuuhi-san came over last night, and we should be good hosts by making her a meal before she has to leave for her day."

Naruto just smiled and nodded before going on his merry way. Mikal smiled and gave pointes every once in awhile to help. Naruto took the advice, but often times surprised Mikal by adding his own little twists. After finishing, Naruto set the table by tossing plates and silverware into place, and then slid the glasses into place, standing at the opposite end of the table. He missed a few times, but Mikal saved the glasses and tossed them to Naruto to try again until he got it right. After that Naruto called that breakfast was ready.

Kurenai walked out of the room still dressed in her clothes, her hair a bit of a mess. This of course didn't hinder her looks at all, giving her an almost wild, feral look. She sat at the table, and looked at the plate of food in front of her. She had half expected ramen, but was surprised to see a complete breakfast in front of her. Not a single noodle in sight, and that fact almost seemed to frighten her. She suspected that Sentra had made breakfast, but Naruto was the one serving it, so she was unsure.

"Who made this breakfast?" she asked quietly and gently. She saw Mikal point at a proud looking Naruto. Kurenai smiled at Naruto, before stating," It looks delicious."

They all said a few words, before beginning to eat. Conversations began around the table, talking about what they planned to do for the day. Kurenai found that the 2 of them planned to go to Hiashi's for their political training, and Naruto's chakra control exercises. Then it was off to see Guy about taijutsu training, and Mikal would go to report into Morino and deal with getting schedules and missions set up for him. He would also be getting mission assignments for Naruto set up so that he could participate in being a gennin and get team training experience for the Chuunin exams. It seemed as though Naruto would be having a busy, but interesting, life at the very least. Kurenai also discovered that Naruto had knowledge of quite a few jutsu that were above par for a gennin, such as Kuchiyose, Kage Bunshin, and Kage Shuriken to name a few. He seemed quite inventive and always tried to invent new ways of doing things to surprise his foes. This was evident when pranks came up in the conversation. When they called Naruto 'The Most Surprising Ninja' they were not kidding. The kid had talent that even the Yondaime might be jealous of.

This peaceful conversation continued for a while until everyone was finished eating and Kurenai needed to go meet her team for training. Naruto and Mikal waved goodbye to her, before cleaning up and getting ready to head out to the Hyuuga compound. It was not an encounter either was looking forward to. Both knew the Hyuuga man had a stick shoved so far that he should've been spitting splinters. Naruto sighed before grabbing his training pack. He then smiled at Mikal, before racing out the door. Mikal knew he wanted to practice his stealth training again, and Mikal was happy to oblige.

* * *

**An Hour Later at the Hyuuga Compound**

After reaching the compound, Mikal congratulated Naruto on the improvement of his stealth. He had managed to turn the orange atrocity to his advantage by using bits of his other jumpsuits as decoys. Mikal applauded him, but he had still caught him a few times. Naruto seemed to take each as a challenge to improve, just as he had hoped. Naruto was someone who enjoyed praise and improvement. He had taken to his training methods like a fish to water. He was now using everything as a training session, and finding ways to make even mundane things more fun. Mikal beamed with pride for the boy as he was coming along nicely. Mikal tried to think of a reward for his efforts that he'd enjoy and came up with a good one. He'd introduce it after the schedule was more set and prepared. Until then, it was time to take some political lessons, not that he felt he needed them. He knew how to behave in the social arena. He had to if he was to take all those bodyguard and sabotage missions he had gone on.

"Welcome, Sentra-san and Uzumaki-san," the guard at the gate announced. "Hiashi-sama is expecting you." The guard motioned to follow him, and both complied.

The 2 noticed the immaculate surroundings, noting the tranquility in the area. This place had gardens straight out of the samurai and monk stories. This place was the epitome of Zen focus. Water flowed in streams, a light breeze flowing through the area, and the sounds of tranquility flowing through the air made this place perfect for meditation and serenity. They even noticed a few people doing just that. Naruto noticed that some were practicing a martial art that seemed to have a seemingly rock-like appearance, having no discernable area that was indefensible. It seemed that their strikes seemed to color the air in front of their strikes blue. A strange martial art indeed.

They finally arrived at the meeting room, where Hiashi sat in a meditative state. He opened his eyes when the 2 seated themselves at the table. He looked at the 2 of them with his pupil less eyes. He then pulled a set of scrolls from under the table and placed one in front of each of them.

"You will be learning from these scrolls the etiquette of the Konoha prefecture. There will be no room for error and you will be tested upon your knowledge at the end of next month. I expect the results to be favorable," he states in a cold tone of voice, which brook no argument. Hiashi then turned to Sentra. "I will assume that you will be reporting to Ibiki-san for your daily meeting? While you are occupied with them," Hiashi stated formally, before turning to look at Naruto," I will be training Uzumaki-san in the arts of chakra control. The guard at the door will escort you from the grounds. Uzumaki-san will be escorted to Maito-san after the lessons and training for his taijutsu training by Neji-san," he states, looking toward a side room. "If there is no further questions, the guard will escort you, Sentra-san," Hiashi states with a curt nod to the guard.

Mikal shakes his head no, and gets up to leave. He then turns to Naruto. "Take care Naruto, and I know you'll make me proud," Mikal states before leaving.

Naruto nods then turns to look at Hiashi. Hiashi glares at Naruto, before standing. "Follow me, Uzumaki-san," Hiashi states, walking away and through a door. He waits on the other side for Naruto to follow. Naruto gets up and proceeds to follow Hiashi.

After following for a few moments they arrive at a garden, where Naruto sees people all seeming to be meditating. After closer inspection, he realizes that everyone has a leaf attached to his or her forehead. Naruto bit back a chuckle at how silly they looked. Hiashi looked at the boy sternly, quashing all sense of humor.

"We will begin your training by finding the quantity of chakra you possess. Focus your chakra please and then release," Hiashi stated in monotone. He watched Naruto with an emotionless stare. It was unnerving in Naruto's mind. He then began to form the ram seal, and focused on bringing forth his chakra, which resulted in a gust of wind beginning to pick up. Suddenly the gust became a gale, knocking away small objects and even blowing some of the leaves from the meditating students foreheads. Hiashi looked surprised for a brief flicker of a moment, before returning the hardness to his features. He had never seen a gennin capable of summoning this much chakra, but he had also never heard of a gennin performing Jouunin level skills, yet one stood before him. With this much chakra, control was a must but difficult to even hope to achieve. He began thinking through exercises, and came to the conclusion of tree walking being the best solution to this problem.

"Naruto, that is enough," Hiashi stated calmly. Naruto's gale died off, and he looked to Hiashi expectantly. "We are going to teach you how to climb trees."

Naruto looked confused before he opened his mouth. Before he could speak though, he was smacked in the back of the head. "Do not interrupt." Hiashi stated before continuing. "I shall demonstrate for you the art of tree walking, he said walking over to a tree and sticking to it as he walked up it as easily as if it were ground beneath his feet. After defying gravity for a while, he walked down the tree and then looked to Naruto, whose jaw was nearly on the floor. Hiashi calmly placed a finger under his chin and shut his mouth. "Do you understand what I just did?" he asked Naruto coolly.

"Defied every law of gravity I've ever known," Naruto stated after regaining composure.

"I applied chakra to my feet and bonded it with the tree. This takes precise control and concentration. You will be performing this until you can stick to the tree for 5 minutes," Hiashi states, before leaving him in the care of a branch member.

Naruto looked at the tree with determination and rolled up the sleeves of his orange jumpsuit. He then walked up to the tree, and placed his foot on it, before the bark exploded. The branch member with a cane then whacked him on the back of the head. Naruto glared at the man, but then realized this must be a way of trying to make him get it better. He treated it as a pain tolerance exercise, and found he was soon getting immune to the hits as well as learning to work under duress. He'd get this and then he'd make everyone proud. That'd show that stick in the mud.

* * *

**Hours Later, Hyuuga Compound**

Hiashi walked outside to see Naruto had improved and was at least managing to walk up the tree for at least a minute. He also noted the welts on the boy, and more than a few bruises. Hiashi had to admire the child's spirit if nothing else. He seemed determined to succeed at his appointed task. He also noticed after a few seconds that he asked the Branch member to start hitting him. Hiashi found this to be strange until he realized the reason. It was to improve his concentration under stress. It was an interesting way of learning, if not quite painful. The boy was if nothing else, living up to his name of 'Most Surprising Ninja'. Hiashi knew to expect much of this boy. Maybe even to surpass the Yondaime himself. He motioned for Neji who was behind him to follow. As he approached, Naruto just turned to look in his direction. He dropped from the tree, and dusted himself off. He bowed before Hiashi. Although it was a bit off, he seemed to try for formality. Hiashi was surprised at least and impressed at best.

"He read the scroll while he was on his breaks, Hiashi-sama," the branch member stated. "He claimed he was here to learn and he didn't want to waste a moment."

Hiashi was once again impressed. This boy seemed to throw himself into his studies with a fervor that many of the best Hyuuga lacked. He lived by a code that Maito-san believed with all his heart. Hard work over Genius. This boy seemed to be an epitome of it, falling short of only Maito-san's protégé. The boy would probably prove to be nothing short of a walking wonder of the world.

"Neji-san here will be taking you to meet with Maito-san, Uzumaki-san," Hiashi stated, gesturing to the boy beside him. "We will see you at in 2 days to resume your control exercises. Be sure to continue reading your scroll on etiquette, and I'll be sure to provide you with more scrolls on politics upon your next visit," Hiashi states emotionlessly, before turning on his heal and leaving them.

Naruto bowed to Neji, before following him out. They said nothing until they were outside the gate. Neji then turned to look at Naruto before stating, "You are Uzumaki Naruto, the boy who defeated a chuunin the night of exams, correct? I heard that you beat him by summoning a creature. What creature was that?" Neji asked in monotone.

"My summoning contract is with the Fennikusu, which I was given by my sensei, Master Mikal," Naruto states with pride.

"Fate seems to favor you, Uzumaki-san," Neji states, but then notices Naruto look sad for a brief moment that if he hadn't had years of reading people, he wouldn't have noticed. It was replaced with happiness not even a second later. "But it will avail you not. Fate will show her cruel hand in the end and you will suffer her fickle ways. Do not forget this. Fate favors no one, and will dictate your life. I thought that'd I warn you of this before you became to acquainted with a good life. Think of this as a friendly warning."

"Well Fate will have a hell of a time trying to pry my happiness from me. I've faced worse and lived, and I intend to continue being happy no matter what anyone, even Kami, says," Naruto stated with a sense of pride and determination.

"You are a fool then Uzumaki," Neji states, before smiling, "but at least you are willing to fight against the inevitable. May your ignorance last forever, Uzumaki-san." With that, Neji turned and continued walking.

Naruto felt insulted at Neji's arrogance and pompous attitude. He acted like the world was against him, and he was the only one fighting for what he believed. He wanted to seriously punch the kid, but decided against it. Mikal would have been disappointed, and Naruto didn't believe he could live with that. He'd find away to get the boy's head out of his arse if it killed him. No way he'd have another Sasuke running around.

* * *

_**Sorry about the long time for the update. I'll try harder from here on out. I just moved so I apologize. Internet has been strange so I apologize. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter will wrap up training and begin missions for Naruto, and towards the end will begin Wave. Should be interesting to see how Naruto's new set of skills changes the events in Wave. Until next time, have fun and take care.**_

_**Life is a one-time event that seems to be like a high school dance. Some people off to the side, and others having the time of their lives on the dance floor.**_


	7. Training the Child

I'm back once again ladies and gentlemen. Sorry for the wait, and there is no excuse, but I'll continue the story now. Enjoy everyone.

* * *

_**Chapter 7**_

_**Defying Convention**_

The pair of boys continued on down the streets of Konoha. One walking in a stern militaristic fashion, the other juggling a set of 6 kunai. Neji had a look of mild irritation in his eyes, every time he looked at his blond haired companion. He wondered what in the name of the Makai the boy was doing. It seemed completely pointless, and for a man like him who believed in no wasted moment or energy, it was aggravating to say the least. He wouldn't show that on the outside, but that didn't prevent his fuming on the inside. He would be glad when he could be rid of the irritating idiot. He then spotted the training grounds and almost released a sigh of relief.

"We're here, Uzumaki-san," Neji states in his usual voided voice. He gestures to the field holding a group of three people sitting around waiting for something or someone. Neji moved to a tree near the edge of the grounds and as the rest of the team seemed to come to life around the area.

Naruto snatches each of the kunai out of the air, placing each back in his kunai pouch. He then takes a closer look at each of the people on the training grounds. He found there to be Gai and what looked to be a miniature version of himself, minus the vest. It was just a slight bit disturbing to Naruto, but he dismissed it for the time being. Besides those two took being a menace to sanity farther than he did with some of his pranks. He even noticed that both seemed to share the identical expressions of joyed surprise at his presence. He then turned to see a girl with her hair tied up into two circular buns that made her look like a form of teddy bear. She gazed back at him in examination as well with chocolate eyes. She wore a pink sleeveless chinese style shirt, with a red trim at the arms and neck. She held herself with an air of confidence, which Naruto enjoyed. Confidence often meant that the person wouldn't hesitate in a fight, which definitely made a good training partner.

Naruto just smiled at the group and inclined his head in a respectful gesture, before saying," A pleasure to meet you all. My name is Uzumaki Naruto." He gave his trademark fox grin afterwards.

"Your flames of youth shine brightly today, Naruto-san," the mini Gai yelled in his enthusiasm. He gave Naruto a thumbs and smiled wide at him. Naruto just waved back nervously at him, edging closer to the girl. "My name is Rock Lee, 'The Beautiful Azure Beast of Konoha'."

"Is he always like this?" Naruto asks the girl, getting a sigh in reply, and a nod in the affirmative.

"My name is Tenten and yes. These guys are always like this. It's sad really that I feel like the only sane member of Team Gai," she states before placing a palm on her forehead in exasperation at Lee's antics.

"I see," Naruto states before turning to look at Gai. "So what will I be training in today, Gai-sensei?" Naruto had a look of anxiousness in his features that was barely contained. He was looking forward to getting home to spend sometime with Erim, as he had a lot to tell her.

"Today will be a skills evaluation to see where you stand in the areas of physical combat, and where your flames burn brightest," Gai stated with his usual loud flair. He placed a hand on Lee's shoulder before stating," We'll test your basic hand to hand first. You may only use basic hand-to-hand combat in this first test, then we'll test your weapon skills with Tenten."

Naruto just grinned and walked to the center of the field and fell into a relaxed state, making sure not to tense any muscle at all. He watches as Lee walks to the center , and takes his stance of placing an arm behind his back and places an open hand forward motioning for Naruto to attack. Naruto obliges by zigzagging a bit before throwing a high kick toward Lee's head, which is summarily parried by the open hand. Lee then falls low and throws a swift sweep. Naruto sees it and hops over it, throwing a downward punch toward Lee's head while trying to twist his body to place his weight into the strike. Lee answers with a push off of his centered foot, pulling into a bicycle kick. The kick lands squarely into Naruto's jaw, making him fly into a back flip. Naruto tries to shift his weight to compensate and land on is feet, only to find a straight punch to the kidney, forcing him to fly away. Naruto goes flying and skids across the ground. Naruto kips up and takes a deep breath before running in again, and finds the need to block a swift open palm to the chest by placing a forearm in the path. He feels the force of the blow jar him, before he throws a low kick aimed at the back of Lee's knee. He then finds said leg missing and in the center of chest in a straight leg kick. Naruto being more prepared this time, loosens himself for the blow, and back handsprings away, throwing a kick during the movement to his partner's jaw. Lee back steps, giving Naruto some breathing room. As his feet touch the ground, he springs forward to press the attack, finding Lee to respond by sidestepping and open palm striking Naruto's back, forcing him to the ground face first. Naruto knew that he just couldn't keep up with Lee's speed so he decided on a new tactic as he rolled away from an axe kick by Lee to his prone form. He rolled away and back onto his feet, before smiling at Lee.

"Let's see if you can handle this," Naruto states as he runs forward, throwing a punch to Lee's stomach.

Lee blocks only to see that the punch was a feint and sees the kick aimed at his lower legs. He then hops over the sweep only to find a back roundhouse kick to the ribs. Stabilizing midair, Lee finds Naruto already on top him again, throwing a straight punch toward his chest. The attack hits, but something seems off as the punch is too light to break his block or hurt him. He then finds a rising knee to his stomach, taking the air from him. Lee flies back and lands on his back. He tries to fill his lungs with air only to find a punch to gut making more air leave him. Lee then throws a kick out to force Naruto back. As Naruto jumps back, Lee catches a much needed breath.

"Very good, Naruto-san," Lee states getting up and falling back into his stance. "I am apologize for not taking you more seriously. Your flames of youth burn brightly in you today. Let us continue," he states, before charging forward to meet Naruto once more.

The exchanges go back and forth, Lee gaining the advantage most of the time. Though if one looked closely at the exchanges, they could see Naruto learning quickly from his mistakes, and capitalizing on Lee's style's flaws. Naruto seemed to be able to catch where boy's openings were, and moved in forcing Lee to adapt to Naruto and push himself a step further. Naruto also never seem to lose that confident smile, and seemed to get back up from whatever Lee threw his way. Then again, when faced with pain everyday from your childhood assassination attempts and daily beatings to within an inch of your life, pain would seem like an afterthought to everything wouldn't it? Naruto proved to be a constantly surprising and endlessly adapting foe, which Lee loved. The boy was like the ultimate sparring partner, never making the same mistakes twice. After a good 15 minutes of straight fighting, Gai cleared his throat, and both boys stopped and looked at him.

"Well it seems you learn quickly and innovate new attack patterns almost instantly. An impressive student indeed, but we must now move on to weapons. I do have to spend time training my team as well, or their flames will sputter out," Gai stated, motioning Tenten over. Naruto and Tenten sweat dropped in sync with each other.

Naruto shrugged afterwards and walked to the center of the field in preparation for the target practice. He took a deep breath and moved quickly to strike at all the targets with thrown weapons. He only exhaled when he had finally finished the exercise. After exhaling, he then turned to Gai to gauge his reaction. His expression was a smile, but it seemed he was a little disappointed. Years of watching people had given him an understanding that the eyes conveyed emotion regardless of a person's intention. Naruto just sighed and waited to hear the review of his ability.

"You are good at hitting your targets, but you lack the speed necessary to make an effective throw," the taijutsu master stated, before gesturing to Tenten. "She'll be helping with that aspect. Now that I've seen your level of youth, I'll be making you a training regimen, as well as trying to discover a style that suits your flames of youth!" he states with a shout, causing Naruto to flinch. "But for now we'll just settle on improving your aim and speed with thrown weapons."

With that said, Naruto spent the rest of the afternoon practicing to improve his speed in throwing. He noticed the girl was a expert on the subject of weapons, and gave him tips on where to throw, when to release, and body positioning. She also pointed out a few tips for training on his own, with random objects so that he couldn't be considered unarmed at any point. After all, a ninja is at their best when prepared for any outcome. Tenten was a veritable encyclopedia on the aspect of weapons, but was definitely lacking in the other arts of being a shinobi. She had minimal skill with ninjutsu, mild at best with genjutsu, and near no hand to hand. She was a specialist of the highest caliber, only being outshone by her two teammates, who both excelled at hand-to-hand and had no skill elsewhere. They seem to believe in the brute force aspect of shinobi life, and that was a bit disappointing. One couldn't truly appreciate the full life of the shinobi if they focused on just a single aspect. He knew that a truly great shinobi showed his interest in becoming proficient in all aspects of their chosen career and profession.

"That will be all for today Naruto, and I hope that we will see your flames of youth continue to burn brighter," Gai stated, before dismissing them. Naruto couldn't understand what this man's obsession with youth was. Maybe he was just a kid at heart and wanted others to show the exuberance of being children again. Maybe he was denied a childhood too. Naruto could sympathize if that was the case.

Naruto walked away from the training grounds and headed toward his home, hoping to be able to visit Erim once more. She was always pleasant to talk to, and would always give her opinion and spend time with him. It wasn't like she had much else to do, and he truly felt that her solitude in that cage must drive her up the walls. He would have lost his sanity a long time ago if he were in her position. At least he got attention, even if it was negative and painful. He didn't want to treat a friend to a pain worse than death in his mind. As he walked and thought to himself, he noticed a shadow move from the corner of his eye, and tensed for a brief moment thinking it was some sort of attacker.

"I know you're there, so you can come out now," Naruto stated, sighing in exasperation. An attempt on his life was the last thing he wanted to end his day with, but somethings couldn't be changed or avoided. No matter how much you wished. What came from the shadows was the last thing he expected though. A blue haired girl, wearing a heavy overcoat and bangs shadowing her eyes was what he was greeted with.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," the girl shyly said, head low in show of shame.

'Probably wasn't expecting to be caught. She seems to be afraid of something, but not me,' Naruto thinks to himself, before relaxing. "What do you want?" he asks in a sigh of exasperation. He was just hoping to get home without any incidents.

"I'm just walking home, and didn't want to be noticed," the girl demurely stated. "I'm sorry if I troubled you," she added shyly.

"That's okay, but why are you hanging your head? Shouldn't you look at people when you speak them?" Naruto questioned as politely as he could.

The girl lifts her head, revealing the white eyes of the byakugan, before replying, "I'm sorry." The girl looked pretty enough in Naruto's eyes, so he couldn't understand why a girl was so under confident. Maybe she was scared of the demon he held?

"If that's all, do you want an escort home?" Naruto asked holding out a hand. "I don't think the Hyuuga would like for you to be out on your own. Too many risks involved. My name's Naruto. What's yours?"

"Hinata," she replies in a voice soft enough to almost be mistaken for the breeze. She shuffled her feet a little, before blushing at her statement. "I would appreciate the escort, Naruto-kun." She hesitantly takes Naruto's hand, before allowing him to lead her.

"My pleasure," Naruto stated, leading her in the direction of the compound.

**Hokage Tower**

He was tired after all the questioning and crazy antics of Anko trying to get him to open up and talk to her. Being polite only seemed to egg her on and make her attempt harder. Mikal was tired of having to dodge attempts to pin him with various pointy objects, and his chakra was running a bit low due to the escapes. It took Ibiki threatening to expel her from the chambers before she finally calmed down. He had learned a great deal about Konoha behavioral policies, as well as certain customs. He never liked rules as they cut into style and placed restrictions where there shouldn't be any. Funny how people govern themselves with all these rules, but they fly right out the window when desperation strikes. He just plopped down into a comfortable chair in the hokage's office, waiting for Sarutobi to show so he could report. This was why he was a wanderer and wanted to answer to no village, as this was all to cumbersome to his own development. He sighed and noticed a knock at the door. The door began to open when he noticed Kurenai walk in.

"Well hello, Kurenai-san," Mikal stated, watching Kurenai step in. He let out a sigh of relief that it was a sane person, rather than Anko. "So what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" He noticed Kurenai blush a bit, before walking to another chair in the room and taking a seat.

"I was here to discuss my team's mission that took place today. I was going to request time off to train them for a little while. One of my students needs some more confidence in her abilities. She is quite capable, but has a very low self-esteem. I'm trying to break her of it, but it seems to be ingrained deep in her mind," Kurenai stated, fiddling with her dress. "The others have no confidence problems, even going so far as to say one of them is overconfident."

"I can see where that would be a bit of problem," Mikal states, before placing a hand under his chin to signify him thinking. He stays like that for a moment, before glancing to the side at Kurenai. "Maybe Naruto and I can be of assistance. I needed to expose Naruto to different styles so that he can create new ideas and maybe even have new friends. At the very least he'll have some more sparring partners."

"That sounds okay, but how does that help me?" she asks, confusion alighting her features. "Isn't Naruto overconfident himself?"

Mikal shook his head before replying," No he isn't. He may act tough, but look past it and you'll see he's a boy starved of basic attention. He wants to be recognized and his idols were all hokages who showed no lack of faith in their abilities. He wants others to succeed as much as himself, because to him that allows others to see him as something other than what the villagers see him as. He wants nothing more than to give others hope for a better life." He smiles at the last statement. "Most people wish for a better life than they have, but we often forget what we have in the first place. Naruto can't take anything for granted as he has given his entire being to everything he does, earning him the meager scraps he now has. Hard work and perseverance is all he has ever known, and he would want it no other way."

"So you mean to tell me he has had to scrape the bottom of the barrel his whole life?" she asks, shocked at this new information. "How can anyone be as bright as him and live that life?"

"Funny thing about hope," Mikal states, leaning his head on his hand," is that no matter how much you think you've destroyed it, it will continue on. We can see the light of hope in the darkest of times, because we want to know happiness. Happiness is only fleeting because we expect hope to disappear, and never learn to make our lives better ourselves. We must take the initiative to make things better. Naruto has the ability to instill that drive in others. This is why the Fennikusu chose him as the next summoner for them. He is a very special child and was shunned by others. He has the ability to hate, but chooses the righteous path of forgiveness instead. Some may say it makes him weaker, but they are fools. He will end up with allies and friends that will try to live up to his expectations of them. He expects the best of everyone, but he'll have to learn that not everyone is savable, and that you can't help those who won't help themselves."

Kurenai looks at Mikal, surprised at the words he was speaking. She didn't take Mikal to be so insightful. Wise she knew, but apparently he was also very aware of the strengths and flaws of those around him.

"Maybe we can talk to the hokage about having you join us for training tomorrow," Kurenai states before lacing her fingers together in front of her in her lap. She smiles warmly at him before they both hear the door open once more to reveal Sarutobi with a haggard face.

"Bad meeting with the council?" Mikal asked the elder man. Sarutobi sighs in exhaustion as he sits down behind his desk, glaring heatedly at the paperwork laying there. "I'll take that as a yes. So what do the hot air bags have to say?" Mikal asks jokingly, smiling warmly.

"They want you to have Sasuke be your apprentice instead of Naruto, and have him sign the fennikusu contract. Danzou was quite adamant that now that you reside in Konoha, that your skills are now our resources. He wants the contract confiscated from you as payment for your crimes," the old man replied as if he was aging rapidly at each word. He knew he wouldn't like the response, and he wasn't going to be disappointed if the look on Mikal's face meant anything.

"Tell them to shove a kunai where the sun don't shine and twist," Mikal spits venomously, "then maybe I'll think about it. As for the Uchiha brat, not a chance in hell. I am repaying a debt to an old friend, so the Uchiha can find another mentor. I don't babysit spoiled children. I train people willing to work for greatness. Naruto is my apprentice and will remain as such until I name him successor to the Fennikusu Sage title." Mikal looks Sarutobi in the eyes making sure to get his point across. "There will be no negotiation in this matter. The Fennikusu will only accept a summoner of pure heart and intentions. Nothing less will satisfy them. Most of the moves I will teach Naruto are based around the abilities and powers of the Fennikusu themselves, so without a contract they will be pointless. Besides, we both know what the Uchiha brat will do with his power. The Fennikusu would never stand for revenge against anyone, unless it was dealing with their summoners."

"I realize that, and I told the council that it was your decision as to matters dealing with your contract and the child you want as your apprentice," Sarutobi replies, rubbing his temples. He was getting a headache , quickly becoming a migraine. The council was trying to force a former A-rank criminal to hand over what made him an A-rank in the first place. That was pure lunacy, but he had to at least appease the council in some way, or he'd never hear the end of it. He knew he was too old for this job, and that time was running short for him. He'd have named a successor by now, if there were any worthwhile candidates that weren't either not suited for the position or in the back pocket of the council. "I do have to at least make sure you meet Sasuke and make a judgment then. Would you be willing to do that at least, so that I can appease the council? I know it's asking for a lot, but for my own peace and sanity, could you?" the elder man pleads.

Mikal looks at the aged hokage for a moment before replying," I'll do that, but not until later this week. I have something I need to take care of for Naruto, and Kurenai has asked that I assist her team in training. I'd like to at least offer her the same hospitality that she has shown me over my stay here."

"Granted, and thank you," Sarutobi says in gratitude.

"You owe me for this," Mikal states, getting up and walking to the door. "So keep that in mind." With that he walks out.

**At The Hyuuga Compound**

At the compound's front entrance, Naruto stood with Hinata at the gates. Hinata was blushing the whole way there, but was slowly starting to speak more. She still stuttered a lot, but at least she was talking. Naruto was more than happy to fill in the gaps of silence though. He had noticed her blush, but just took it as being shy around others. So he did what he does best, talk and try to find something she comfortable with. It seemed the topic she liked hearing about most was himself, and the least liked was her family. He figured with a cousin like Neji, who would like talking about their family. He was beginning to see why the Hyuuga had the sticks so far up their...

"W-w-we're h-h-here Naruto-kun," Hinata interrupted, stopping his thoughts. "Th-Thank you f-for m-making sure I g-got h-home."

"No problem, Hinata-chan," Naruto grinned, placing a hand behind his head in embarrassment. He didn't receive any real thanks for anything he did. Everyone usually hated him even for trying. "I really didn't mind. Thanks for allowing me the pleasure of helping you. Well I need to get back to my own place, so maybe I'll see you sometime in the near future. It's not often I run into someone who's willing to talk to me, let alone help them. May I make a suggestion though?"

"W-what would t-that be, N-Naruto-kun?" she asks in hesitance.

"You should be more sure of yourself," he begins, placing a hand on her shoulder. This causes her to look into his sapphire eyes. "There is no reason to be afraid to talk to people. If you hesitate, you lose opportunities to improve yourself further. Failure shouldn't be feared, but learned from to improve. Failure is not the end of everything, but a chance for a new beginning. The only time something is a complete failure is when you give up. So never give up Hinata. You seem to good a person to be a failure."

Hinata feels something she hadn't felt in a long time begin to well up in her. An inkling of confidence and self worth. It was small, but there nevertheless. She nodded her head in understanding, before a smile graced her lips. It had been a while since she had smiled. She had almost forgotten how to truly be happy.

"Well, I'm going to head on home now. Like I said before, I hope we meet again in the near future," Naruto adds, before turning to leave. As he walks away, he throws one last glance of his shoulder at Hinata, noticing she was still smiling and waving at him now. 'Maybe life won't be so bad now that I've made a few friends,' he thought to himself. He then continued his trek home.

**Naruto's Apartment,** _Several Minutes Later_

Naruto walked into his apartment, and saw Mikal sitting at the table, carefully reading papers placed in a manila folder. He had a steaming cup of what seemed to be tea sitting in front of him. From the expression on Mikal's face, he wasn't enjoying all too much what he was reading. The expression on his face seemed to be that of disgust. He was muttering something about 'spoiled children' and 'fan girls'. He wasn't sure as to what he meant by that. He had a feeling he probably would be finding out why his new mentor was disgusted soon enough. He just decided to head to the kitchen and make himself a cup of tea as well. He'd probably need it. After he entered the kitchen, he heard the folder being placed on the table.

"So how did training go?" Mikal asked, picking up his mug and taking a sip. "I take it you exercised caution at the estates?"

"Yes, but I think I surprised them a bit. They seemed a little shocked at the amount of chakra I have," Naruto replied, taking his cup to the table and taking a seat across from his mentor.

"Not surprising. I was even startled by it at first. It is impressive, and with even a moderate amount of control, you'd be a force to be reckoned with," he answered, taking a sip of his tea. "So how did your training with Gai go?"

"He says I need a decent amount of work in hand to hand and throw weapons, but that I am a quick learner. He says he is going to come up with a training regimen for me, but until then I am to do exercises to strength my body," Naruto says with a smile. "I'm also making sure to try and find ways to train in everything I do. It actually is sort of like a game to me now. So far I've only lost it a few times. I can't find something physical to do each time."

"Then may I suggest mental exercises?" Mikal replied, placing an elbow on the table and resting his chin there. "Such as carrying a book with you, gathering information about your surroundings, or even perhaps creating scenarios in your head and then attempting to solve them in the best way possible? These are all good methods to train in, and they won't cause others to look at you as strangely," he answered, smiling warmly. "Anything else important happen today?" he added on.

"Yes. I took a Hyuuga by the name of Hinata home. She wasn't like the other Hyuuga I've met thus far. She seems kind and shy, too much so in my opinion. She wore a ninja headband around her neck, so I guess she was a ninja," Naruto stated, taking a sip of his tea. "I hope I meet her again. She was kind to me, unlike the villagers."

"Well it seems you're in luck, Naruto," Mikal replies with a wide grin. "You'll be training with her team tomorrow, and I'll be teaching you a new set of ninjutsu to use. One will be your first involving the Fennikusu. So get your rest and be ready for training tomorrow."

Naruto grinned, before downing the last his cup, stating, "You bet. I can't wait to see Heart's Fire again." With that he escapes to his room, hoping to talk with Erim.

After making sure that Naruto had left, Mikal's smile fades before he focuses a bit of chakra and forms the seals for a summoning. A small gold colored bird appears upon the table, looking at Mikal in a curious fashion. Mikal places a finger to his lips to make sure his companion used their mental communication. He pulled out a stick of cinnamon and handed it to the bird, who happily took it in his beak.

'Did you get the information I need?' he asked, taking a moment to look over at Naruto's door. After making sure he wasn't going to come out, he turned back to the bird.

'_**Yes**_,' the bird replied.

It used its talons to scratch a seal into the grains of the table. Mikal made a small cut and swiped the blood across the seal, and a scroll appeared from it. He picks up the scroll and opens it to read it. The report it seems upsets him slightly as he finished it. He placed it on the table and leans back in his chair. He closed his eyes for a few moments before opening them again and looking at the small bird on the table.

'_So she's now part of the 'Seven Swordsmen of the Mist?_' he asks, finding it hard to believe. '_The coup was successful then. This isn't good. The purges may be over, but I fear they just traded tyrants. She'll use all her resources to hunt me down, so I'll need to move again soon. At least be away from Naruto. You think you can keep an eye on him for me, while I sort out something to help prevent this from spilling to here?_' Mikal asks.

'_**It would be a pleasure, Master Sentra,**_' the bird replies, bowing slightly.

'_I appreciate it. I need you to do me one more favor before I leave here. Get the scroll on the Phoenix style of martial arts. He'll need to be taught it, so make sure that Maito Gai gets the scroll. He'll teach him the necessary risks and benefits to it. Try to make sure Heart's Fire remains informed as to my actions. He seems to be Naruto's favorite thus far,_' he states, before downing the rest of his tea.

'_**Do you think he'll be able to master the Phoenix style?**_' the small bird asks. '_**It is a style that requires the ability to focus and read others. It also is a defensive style based on studying the styles of others while under the pressure of assault.**_'

'_He'll do well. He's faced a lot in his short life, so this is just another obstacle to him. He'll treat it as such and like all hurdles he meets, he'll obliterate it,_' Mikal states with a smile.

"_**Very well,**_' the small bird states, '_**I'll prepare the arrangements for what you have asked. May you be successful Master Sentra.**_'

'_You as well, Elder Furuishin,_' he tells him in reply, before vanishing in a poof of smoke.

Mikal stares at the ceiling as he thinks about the evens to come, before muttering, "Are you that obsessed with me Aisuhina? You would overcome a village just to get me?"

* * *

Sorry to keep you all waiting for this chapter. My computer turned on me and forced me to rewrite this chapter several times. I'm trying to do the best I can given my resources. I would also like to thank the author pudgypudge for putting me back on track. Thanks. I hope you all have enjoyed this chapter. I will note that the Wave arc will be quite different as you all heard that the Seven Swordsmen are still together, thus making Zabuza not able to be hired by Gato. Just to let you know as well, as many have asked, I am not making an OC to replace Naruto on Team 7. I will be using Sai as he will be a plot point to Team 7's involvement in the story. Sakura will remain a fan girl until one incident happens. Hinata is still in the air as to whether she will be in the pairing for Naruto. I know that will probably make some of you unhappy with me, and I apologize in advance to them. Also I will note now that those who want an image of what Kyuubi is based on in my story, look at Erim from Lufia 2 and Robin from One Piece. Cross them and you get my version of Kyuubi. Sorry as well that she didn't play as big a role in this chapter, but she will be a major part of next chapter, as Naruto meets Kurenai's team, then his would be team. So until next chapter, please have fun and take care.


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