Soul of the Seal: The Ninja Adventures by MrDust

Anime » Naruto Rated: T, English, Adventure & Friendship, Naruto U., Kyuubi/Kurama, Words: 221k+, Favs: 1k+, Follows: 1k+, Published: Feb 23, 2008Updated: Dec 27, 2009 Reveiws: 932 Chapter 4: SOTS,1,01,03

(AN: For disclaimer, see my profile, and also, help me with my goal to have it possible for submissions to display colored text!)

SOTS-1-01-03

Soul of the Seal - Story 1 - Arc 1 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - "Say My Name!"

Naruto sat carefully on the stool, trying to keep himself still. Sitting between a pair of light adjustment stands on the top of the Hokage tower, the aging camera man standing several feet away was looking him over.

"Uh, kid, are you sure you want me to take your picture like that?" The man asked hesitantly.

"Well, duh! Why else would I go to all the trouble?" Naruto nodded, trying to get his pose right. "Why, it doesn't look that bad, does it?"

"Well, no, actually, I think it's nice work." The man admitted. "Where'd you get it done?"

"Did it myself, though a friend helped touching it up." Naruto said, while shifting his feet slightly.

"No kidding? Well, look, under different circumstances, I'd be all for your artistic talent kid. But this is for the official village ninja roster records. Are you really sure you want-" The camera man gestured.

"Yeah, absolutely! Hurry up before the paint gets smeared!" Naruto huffed. The man shrugged.

"Alright. Don't blame me later." The man got behind the camera, and aimed. "Say cheese!"

"RAMEN!" Naruto bared his teeth in a serious glare as he posed. ... (click)

"Ok, that's it." The man pulled a cartridge plate out of the camera, and placed it in a carrying case. "So then, we gotta take this over to the academy."

As Naruto helped him pack his equipment, he frowned.

"Wait, if the picture has to go to the academy, why take it here on the tower?" Naruto asked, as he picked up the two heaviest cases.

"Hey, don't ask me, I just go where I'm paid to go." The man replied as they started for the stairs. "So, kid, I don't suppose you'd be interested in being paid to do that kind of make-up work as a serious profession?"

"Nope, sorry, I'm a ninja! I doubt I'd have time to pursue any kind of artistry career. If I'm not out on missions, I'll be training." Naruto shook his head.

"Are you sure? That stunt you pulled with the Hokage mountain the other day was top quality work. If the ninja thing doesn't work out, you'd probably have no trouble setting up an art studio." The man suggested as the two started down the stairs.

"I won't ever give up being a ninja. But..." Naruto paused to consider as Kyaena offered her two cents.

"Art is inherit. You'll always have the skill, if perhaps later in life, you need something to occupy your retirement years. The Hokage does the same with his calligraphy, don't forget." She offered.

"... Ah, never mind. It's really just a hobby." Naruto shrugged.

"Suit yourself." The man said over his shoulder.

About an hour later, Naruto was in one of the spare meeting rooms of the academy, sitting in front of Sarutobi and an academy assistant clerk who looked totally bored out of his mind. Naruto, having washed himself of his earlier work, sat with a slightly sheepish grin. Sarutobi was looking at a freshly printed paper that was to be the basis for Naruto's ninja profile. A few statistics were listed, including the new test results from the re-evaluation the other day. And in the upper left corner, was the picture that had been taken just a little while ago.

The picture showed Naruto in his usual orange jacket, but that was as far as the 'usual' extended. His brilliant yellow-blonde hair, while still as spiky as ever, was not sticking out everywhere, but rather was arranged into a more evenly symmetrical pattern with his tips dyed red. Naruto's face and hands were painted red, but on his face, his whiskers were prominently highlighted with silver with slight curls at the outward ends to make them look more organic. Outlining Naruto's eyes, across his temples and around his whiskers down to under his chin, were carefully placed patterns of gold, giving him a ferociously mystic look. His red painted hands also had gold swirls painted on his palms and fingertips, with gold pentagrams on the backs.

Sarutobi puffed on his pipe in worry. While he wasn't too surprised that Naruto had done something like this, he hadn't expected it to look the way it did. He couldn't help but wonder if perhaps the incident with Mizuki had something to do with it. Though it seemed as if Naruto hadn't believed him at the time, and therefore the secret of the Kyuubi was still secret from him, as Sarutobi looked at the red face, the pronounced whiskers, the spiked hair, the darkened outlined eyes, the bared teeth... Naruto looked awfully... well... foxish... was the only word that came to mind. He only hoped it was just a coincidence.

'Although, I have to admit, Naruto has gotten quite good with a paintbrush. Maybe I should invite him to sit in on my calligraphy sessions someday.' Sarutobi thought.

"Pretty nice, huh? It took me all morning, over three hours, to get it just right. Kya-chan and I had trouble deciding whether to reverse the silver and gold, but, in the end, it worked out. A living work of art!" Naruto grinned.

"Take it over." Sarutobi said. Naruto nearly fell out of his chair.

"What!? What for!? That's a great shot!" Naruto pointed franticly.

"I can't believe it! I thought the old man would appreciate your artwork! Now, to have gone through all that trouble, and not even be able to use the look? That bites." Kyaena huffed, pawing at an ear.

"We can't accept this photo." Sarutobi puffed patiently.

"Why not!? And anyway, I already went through the trouble, and I don't feel like doing it again!" Naruto jutted his chin out.

Naruto and Sarutobi sat, glaring at each other for a moment, each wanting the other to crack first.

"Peh. If I could get out, I'm sure I could convince him quick enough." Kyaena smirked in that way that women smirk, the one that promises either unbearable ecstasies, or unspeakable agonies. Naruto derived his own interpretation from it.

'Yeah, he just needs some convincing... Some friendly coaxing!' Naruto thought sneakily. He jumped up from his chair and made a single handsign. "Transform!" A burst of smoke flared around him, to only partly disperse, revealing some, but not all, of the skin of a pig-tailed female Naruto, who blushingly made pouty lips at the old man. "Oh, pwetty pweese, Hokage-saaaammmaaaa? Keep the photo, just for me?" She cooed, blowing a kiss.

Sarutobi was no idiot, but neither was he as young as he once was. It took about three seconds for his mind to process what was in front of him, and the knowledge only he and Iruka knew about Naruto's Transformation Jutsu. Then, once that minor delay was dealt with, he promptly yelped as his bloody nose flipped him and his chair backwards onto the floor with a crash, where he lay twitching for several moments.

Naruto poofed back to himself with a surprised, and slightly disappointed, look on his face.

"Oh come on," Kyaena giggled, "You can't be that surprised, can you? Almost all old men are perverts."

'Maybe, but I thought the Old-Man was in that minority that wasn't like that.' Naruto shook his head with a sigh as Sarutobi quickly righted himself back into his seat.

"So, that's your Sexy Jutsu, is it?" Sarutobi had managed to regain his composure, except for the handkerchief he was casually dabbing at his nose with.

"What? Sexy Jutsu?" Naruto tilted his head in confusion. "Where'd you come up with that name? It's just the Transformation Jutsu."

"Yes, well, Iruka told me about it. He called it that." Sarutobi gave a slightly embarrassed cough. "And I can see why. That's a tricky use for the jutsu. Much too tricky. Please don't do it again." He said as Naruto just shrugged in response. "By the way, where is your Hitai-ate?" Sarutobi frowned as he eyed the goggles on Naruto's forehead. "It marks you as an adult shinobi of the village. You should be wearing it."

"I am." Naruto grinned as he pulled up his goggles, revealing the metal leaf symbol that had been hidden under it. "Hey, goggles are a tool, and can be useful. I'm not going to just throw them away. But, once I go to orientation, I'll keep the goggles in my pack. I just figured they could keep my Hitai-ate company until then." He chuckled.

"...In any case," Sarutobi rolled his eyes ever so slightly, "This photo is for the official ninja registration roster. It's the file that will identify you, and will hold all the records of your training and missions, which are the key to your shinobi career." He picked up the paper again. "Why in the world would you want to look like this? You can't even tell who it is!" He was attempting to scold Naruto, but blinked when he noticed the boy's face fall ever so slightly, and his eyes dimmed to match.

"Didn't it occur to you... that maybe... that was the idea?" Naruto mumbled quietly, causing Sarutobi's AND Kyaena's eyebrows to shoot up.

"What? What the hell are you talking about?" Kyaena demanded. "You said you wanted to look impressive and intimidating! Why-"

'I think it would be better to discuss this later.' Naruto cut in quickly, noting the very serious contemplative look on Sarutobi's face.

"Don't bother." Kyaena huffed. "I'll just look through your memories to find where that ridiculous thought came from." She flicked her tails in annoyance. 'How the heck did I miss that thought?' She wondered worriedly. 'I don't recall him feeling like this when we were doing the face paint earlier.'

Sarutobi was staring intently at Naruto, trying to untangle, what he believed to be, the complex statement the boy had just made.

'Would he really not want people to recognize him?' The elder ninja grimaced with worry. 'Is he really so desperate to want to leave behind his painful life in the hopes of making a new identity as a ninja only?' He glanced down at the photo again, looking at the eyes and slightly bared teeth. It was a look that said, 'Just try to hurt me, and you'll regret it.' Sarutobi tried to shake off the slight chill that tickled his bones when he though of what Naruto might actually do to a real enemy, one he was allowed to attack back. 'Could he be trying to over compensate, and is trying to send a completely different image of himself to those outside the village?' Sarutobi straightened up as he cleared his throat a little. "Naruto, perhaps we should discuss-"

The Hokage stopped mid sentence as both he and Naruto turned their sight to the door of the room a split second before it yanked open. A small dark haired boy with a strange headcap and a blue scarf that was about three feet too long jumped forward with a single shuriken in his hand.

"Old man! I challenge you!" The boy called out as he started to run forward, only to suddenly fall flat on his face with a startled yelp. He began to roll back and forth, holding his face. "Ow, ow, ow, ow!"

'Oh dear. If it's not one thing, it's another.' Sarutobi sighed as he pulled his hat down a bit over his face in embarrassment. Naruto was just staring in complete confusion, as a dark plain clothed man with sunglasses appeared in the doorway, looking slightly winded.

"Dang it! Did some kind of trap trip me?" The boy whined as he sat up, still holding his head.

"AH! Are you alright honorable grandson!?" The glasses man asked in anxiety. "And pardon my observation, but there are no traps here, it's completely flat." He said with a bit more composure as he adjusted his sunglasses.

Naruto was still looking on, with an eye twitching in complete disbelief.

'Who... in the world... is this runt?' He thought.

"Well if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black!" Kyaena snickered at her crack at him, making him growl inward slightly.

The boy had finally gotten up, and looked around to spot Naruto staring at him, even as the glasses man noticed the blonde's presence as well.

'Ah! It's him. The Kyuubi-brat. The trouble maker and worst brand of scoundrel!' The man sneered in disgust, even as the boy stomped over to stand in front of Naruto.

"So it's you! You're the one who tripped me, didn't you!?" The boy pointed angrily.

Trying to keep himself from over-reacting, Naruto slowly and deliberately reached out and picked up the dragging blue scarf, flipping the end back and forth in front of the boys face.

"THIS, is what you tripped over, kid." Naruto said with a tight voice. "Seriously, get yourself a smaller size. This just doesn't work for you."

"No, no, no!" The boy stamped his feet while still pointing accusingly. "Liar! You did it! You did! Just admit the truth you coward!"

Almost too fast to see, Naruto was instantly on his feet and grabbed the boy by the front of his scarf, lifting him right off the ground.

"You listen real good, BRAT," Naruto hissed through clenched teeth as his eyes darkened with instant anger. "I am neither a liar or a coward, and you'd better learn to be more careful when throwing those terms around in front of ninja, or someone might just be tempted to teach you a lesson!"

"Uzumaki! Take your hands off him RIGHT NOW!" The glasses man shouted. "He is the honorable grandson of our great leader Sandaime Hokage-sama!"

Naruto paused at the man's outburst, figuring the man had no reason to lie in the current situation.

'Whoa. This gaki is related to the old man?' Naruto looked at the boy again for a moment. 'I don't see any resemblance. In looks OR attitude.'

"With a generation separating them, it's not surprising." Kyaena shrugged it off casually. The boy in question was just glaring back at Naruto.

'Ha. He stopped as soon as he learned who I am.' He smirked slightly. 'He's just like Four-Eyes-sensei and all the rest. Now that he knows, he won't dare to lay a finger on me.' He puffed up his chest as best he could while hanging in mid-air. "Well what's the matter tough guy? I thought you were going to teach me a lesson! Afraid because the Sandaime Hokage is my grandpa?" He mocked. Naruto tensed.

"I DON'T CARE IF HE'S YOU'RE GRANDMOTHER!" Naruto whirled the boy around in mid air, as his hand came down to the boys belt. Or to be more accurate, the boy's underwear. A vicious yank upward produced a high-pitched squeak from the boy, but Naruto had pulled a bit too hard. There was a rip as the material gave way to the force of momentum, causing the boy to somersault once before coming down to crash headlong into the floor.

Sarutobi died on the inside from laughter at his grandchild, tilting his hat low so nobody could see.

"THA-THA-THA-!" The glasses man gasped in horrified outrage as he glared at Naruto, who was standing still, blinking in surprise at the piece of underwear that was still in his hand. 'That's it! He assaulted the honorable grandson! Now he must die!' The man started to snarl as his hand drifted to his belt.

"Stand down, Ebisu." Sarutobi whispered so only the man could hear.

"B-but, Hokage-sama, he-" Ebisu stuttered in surprise at the order. Surely the Hokage couldn't let the assault on one of his own family go unpunished, could he?

Naruto meanwhile, was a bit perplexed by the situation.

'Um, I wasn't expecting that.' He looked down at the apparently unconscious boy. 'You think he's ok?'

"Bruised head, no doubt. Bruised ego, most likely. But I don't see any blood. He'll be fine." Kyaena's nose twitched. "However, I suggest you make yourself scarce for the rest of the day from the Old-Man."

"Uh, right, so, I'll just... go take that redo photo for the files. See you later Old-Man!" Naruto waved nervously as he rapidly shuffled out of the room.

Ebisu glared as the blonde made a hasty withdraw, then turned to Sarutobi.

"Hokage-sama, how can you just let that-" Ebisu's breath caught at his leader's sudden hard glare, "-That delinquent, get away with this!?"

"And what exactly would you charge him with? Committing a wedgie without authorization?" Sarutobi sighed. "Now, if you could..." He gestured to the boy on the floor who was groaning and sitting up.

"Ah! Are you alright honorable grandson?" Ebisu asked urgently as he helped the boy to his feet.

"Hey, where'd he go?" The boy asked, looking around. 'That guy was different. He didn't care at all who I am. I want to talk to him! ... And he owes me a new pair of underwear.' He tugged at his pants slightly.

Ebisu frowned at the boy's question as he straightened his glasses.

"Now you must listen to me, honorable grandson. You must not associate with riff-raff like that, nor can you allow him to draw you into a conflict, even if he does deserve it." Ebisu lectured, despite the pointed cough from Sarutobi behind him. "He is far beneath you, so you must not stoop to his level! As your distinguished sensei, I'm never wrong about these things, which means I'm always right!" Ebisu smirked as he turned to gazed out on the village through the open wall balcony that took up one side of the room. "I'm above more mundane trainers, so you must heed my every word. Your goal is to become the next Hokage, and I can teach you the best way to do it. Indeed, stick with me and you will gain a shortcut towards becoming the Godaime Hokage. You understand don't you, honorable grandson?" Ebisu turned around, but found himself talking to thin air. "AH! Where'd he go now!?" He wailed.

"I believe he went to follow Naruto, but I have no idea where they're headed." Sarutobi offered in a completely calm and casual tone.

"What!? He went after Naruto!? This is a disaster!" Ebisu raced out of the room and down the hall.

Sarutobi sighed as he leaned forward in his chair, interlacing his hands under his nose with his elbows on the table.

'How did Konohamaru grow up to be like that? He's quite determined. That was his tenth sneak attack today alone.' He pondered to himself as he began cleaning his spent pipe. 'Although, maybe, if he hangs around Naruto for a while, he could learn a thing or two about hard work.' He paused. 'At least, so long as Naruto doesn't teach him anything... tricky.' He shook his head, trying to get the image of the naked blonde girl out of his mind.

Sarutobi began arranging his papers, casting a curious glance at the assistant next to him, who hadn't said a single word all morning. Shaking off the thought, Sarutobi was about to get up to leave, when a jounin kunoichi barged into the room. That is, she came flying in through the open wall balcony to skid to a stop in front of the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama, I need to talk to you!" She gasped, slightly out of breath. Sarutobi looked up like he wasn't surprised at all.

"Ah, so you're back from your latest mission." He said calmly, arranging his papers again.

"Yeah, I'm back, and guess what? As I was checking in, I head something very interesting!" The kunoichi huffed, finally standing up straight. "It seems there was some trouble with an attempted traitor! A traitor who was within the academy!"

"Yes, there was an... incident, with Mizuki Touji, the night before last. It caused a bit of a disturbance, but was dealt with quite handily." Sarutobi nodded, placing his pipe in his pocket as he attached some paperclips to his papers.

"Mizuki... Mizuki... I know that name. He was one of the senseis of an advanced class right?" She made a show of pretending to think.

"Yes, that's right, along wi-" Sarutobi started to put his papers into a folder.

"And he was one of NARUTO'S senseis,right?" She interrupted, trying not to let her tone get out of hand. She may have been mad, but it was still the Hokage she was addressing. Sarutobi paused to look up at the irked woman.

"...Yes, he was. And in fact, it was Naruto who stopped him in the act of some serious crimes." Sarutobi set the folder down, sensing that the conversation was going to take a minute or two.

"Oh, I heard he did more than just stop the traitor..." She really was trying not to glare, but it was coming out on it's own anyway. "I also heard that he graduated!"

"If your going where I think you are..." Sarutobi sighed, rubbing bridge of his nose slightly.

"So, now he's graduated, and was assigned to a team for the genin evaluation... and you assigned HATAKE as the jounin sensei!?" She half asked, half demanded.

The assistant that had been sitting next to Sarutobi working on papers paused and looked up at the kunoichi's loud tone, but when she and Sarutobi glanced at him, he blanched and quickly returned to his writing.

"I only made the final decisions last night, and posted the team assignments first thing this morning." Sarutobi turned back to the woman. "And I didn't know if you'd be back from your mission by now. I made the decision I could at the time, especially considering the unique circumstances of Naruto's graduation. And as for Kakashi, he was only picked as the sensei to the teamthat Naruto was placed in." He said in a serious tone, trying to make his point of the difference.

"But you know that I've had a standing request to be the sensei assigned to Naruto's team ever since he first entered the academy!" The kunoichi argued.

"Yes, I'm aware of that. Unfortunately, events didn't quite work out this time to make that possible. You were away, Naruto graduated late, but I still had to work quickly to include him in the team assignments with the rest of his class." Sarutobi raised an eyebrow as he shrugged slightly. "Actually, it was fortunate that there was a spot still open for him to be placed in. The number of graduates worked out perfectly."

"But, but..." The jounin stammered, at a loss at the terrible situation.

"Look, I know how you feel about him, and truthfully, I'm very grateful that you're able to see him that way. But as a ninja, you know that things don't always go as planned." Sarutobi went to take a puff on his pipe, only to realize he had already put it away. He cleared his throat lightly in embarrassment at the slip. "Naruto has officially been assigned to genin team seven, and Kakashi Hatake has been assigned as sensei to the team. If you're really serious about wanting to be Naruto's sensei, if he fails the genin exam, then next year-"

"No." The kunoichi stated bluntly.

"I beg your pardon?" Sarutobi asked with a frown and raised eyebrow.

"I said no. You won't trick me into hoping that Naruto fails. No matter what the reason." She crossed her arms under her chest defiantly.

"I wasn't suggesting anything of the sort!" Sarutobi snapped slightly at such an accusation. "I know that Naruto will try his absolute hardest, but regardless, it will be up to Kakashi whether or not the team passes."

The kunoichi huffed slightly as she paced around a bit in frustration. She stopped and her frown returned full-force as a new thought occurred to her.

"Why was Kakashi even included in the jounin selection anyway? As far as I know, he's never wanted to be assigned a genin squad, since no team has ever passed his tests. Hasn't it been, like, nearly five years since he even last tested a team?" She asked in confusion.

"Ah... Yes, something like that." Sarutobi suddenly felt a bit nervous. "But just because it's been a while, it doesn't mean he can't still be included, especially after he volunteered-" Sarutobi froze when he realized what he had just let slip, and the kunoichi whirled to face him.

"Volunteered!? I know he's never done that before! Why would he-" She froze, then narrowed her eyes at the squirming old man. "Hokage-sama, who are the other two genin on Naruto's team?" She asked in much too sweet a voice.

"Uh, I don't see what that has to do with..." Sarutobi started to say, but trailed off as the kunoichi sashayed over and planted her hands on the table, causing her chest to jiggle slightly with the impact.

"Hokage-sama, who are they?" She asked again, with a large, teeth-baring grin.

"Well, as I recall, their names were Sakura Haruno, and..." The Hokage paused, then sighed with resignation as he braced himself. "... Sasuke Uchiha."

The kunoichi's eyes widened as all the color drained from her face.

"U-... U-chi-ha...?" She whispered in disbelief. "You... You put Naruto and Uchiha... on the same team?" Her eye started twitching. "With all due respect, Hokage-sama... HAVE YOU COMPLETELY LOST YOUR MIND!?" She screeched.

Sarutobi and his assistant took a moment to bring their pinkies to their ears to stop the ringing.

"I assume you're going to explain how that's a problem?" Sarutobi asked the panicked woman.

"It's bad enough that everyone knows those two haven't gotten along during their time in the academy," The kunoichi fumed, "But if that Uchiha-brat learns about how Naruto was involved, that night..." She shuddered.

"Naruto never asked anything more about what happened that night." Sarutobi seemed to ponder. "Although he was obviously a little upset at Itachi's betrayal, he seemed to be unconcerned about the incident afterwards. I sincerely doubt that the topic will come up. They seemed to have entirely different viewpoints on the matter."

"That hardly makes me feel any better." The jounin huffed. "First you put those two together, then you assign Hatake as sensei, and..." She stopped, frowning yet again. At the rate she was going, she was going to set a new personal record with this conversation. "Wait a minute. Hatake... and an Uchiha? Oh, no, don't you dare tell me-"

"There was political and practical reasons behind the decision. And he did volunteer..." Sarutobi coughed awkwardly.

"Oh sure! Of course he volunteers for an Uchiha!" She threw her hands up. "Now Iknow it's a bad idea! There's no way the team will work out with him catering to that brats every whim!"

"...Do you realize the seriousness of what you're implying?" Sarutobi asked with hard eyes.

"I'm not implying, I'm saying! He'll completely ignore the others for that spoiled little snot! If you want to pamper the Uchiha, take him off the team and let Hatake be his personalbutt-ler elsewhere! Don't let the careers of the other two be wrecked because that perverted mope can't see beyond the ghosts of his past!" The woman growled.

"And what happens if someone asks how exactly you are any different'?" Sarutobi jutted his chin slightly, making the kunoichi jerk back. She looked away for a moment, fighting her own memories.

"He trapped himself in one time of his life. I've been trying my hardest to move on with mine. I thought you knew that." She let out a slow breath. "All I want is to make sure Naruto is treated as an equal member of the team, but I won't deny that I'd also enjoy the chance to toughen up one of the next generation of kunoichi." She declared firmly.

"So you're accusing that Kakashi would favor Sasuke, while you don't want anything to do with him?" The old man raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't say that I don't want anything to do with him, I'm just saying that I wouldn't cut him any slack at all. Not for any of them." Her mouth twitched slightly with a tugging grin.

"Which brings up the matter of your preferred training methods. Not exactly appropriate for starting genin. Do you really think they could handle it?" Sarutobi crossed his arms.

"Well... I know one of them could..." She innocently eyed a ceiling fan. At the Hokage's disapproving look she shrugged. "Hey, it's not my fault that Naruto has the experience with pain that he does. The other two just need to be brought up to speed."

"Even if I were willing to concede all other points, despite your own experience and whatever efforts you would put forth to improve the genin, you wouldn't be able to assist Sasuke in the development of the sharingan, which would be neglect of a team resource." Sarutobi frowned, as if the words he had just said didn't sound right, even to himself.

"That's assuming the little princess ever even activates it, which I doubt. And even if he eventually does, he wouldn't be the first Uchiha who had to figure it out on his own." The jounin was on the verge of truly scowling.

"As the last Uchiha in the village, there is... pressure, to ensure that he does activate it, and is trained to his maximum ability." Now it was Sarutobi's turn to scowl, even as the kunoichi's face softened.

"Oh. So it wasn't just you ordering it." She sighed. "Stupid politics." She thought for a minute. "Alright, if it's a matter of worth that those old fossils are trying to push on you, answer me this. Which do you believe is more important, some spoiled clan gaki who expects to be placed on a pedestal and have a future handed to him, or someone who has willingly struggled through hell every day of his twelve years of life just because he has to keep the village safe from being turned into a burning crater? But still, it is yourdecision to make." She gazed imploringly at him. "You didn't let me become Naruto's guardian after Itachi bolted, so please, at least give me this assignment. Kakashi just isn't capable of handling a team, especially one including those two. I swear to make sure they work their fingers to the bone. If I don't do a satisfactory job, I'll willingly step aside, and..." She smirked, "You can punish me in any way you want."

Despite her attempted levity, Sarutobi still kept a solemn face.

"The decision is final... this time. Kakashi will command team seven." He kept his eyes on the papers in front of him.

The kunoichi stood silent for a moment with her jaw clenched, then grabbed a blank paper and pen from the assistant to begin writing something. When she was done, she folded up the paper and handed it to Sarutobi.

"Give that to Hatake." She started to walk out. "And don't come crying to me when yourmistake blows up in Naruto's face."

"BELIEVE ME!" Sarutobi shouted as he jumped to his feet. The woman paused. "The last thing I want, is to make any more mistakes regarding Naruto." The Hokage declared.

"Nice words. Too bad they're printed on red tape." The kunoichi said over her shoulder. "Now if you'll excuse me, Hokage-sama, I feel the desire to get smashed. I'm probably going to be a wreck for a while... depending how the genin tests go." She left with a dull tone and shadowed face.

Sarutobi sighed as he sat down again, rubbing his temples. He had a monumental sized headache, and he didn't like the fear that he may have brought it upon himself. Glancing to the side, he dismissed the assistant, who was very glad to finally get away. Once the man had left, Sarutobi looked at the folded note he was holding.

'Damn it all. Even I know she would have been a better choice as a sensei for Naruto. But events just didn't work out right.' He pulled a paper out from a second folder that was laying on the table that had the list of new genin teams. 'And it's all Mizuki's fault. Delaying Naruto's progress and graduation, forcing me to put him in the last open team slot like he was some kind of dead-weight.' His grip on the paper tightened, wrinkling it slightly. 'The problem is, it is a legitimate team assignment. There's no outstanding practical reason to rearrange the roster assignments. If I try to reassign Naruto, I'll have a hundred people jumping on my back for no other reason than it gives them an excuse to make things difficult for him.' Sarutobi put all his papers away for the last time, and put the folded note safely in his pocket. He looked to the door where the jounin kunoichi had walked out. 'She thinks Kakashi will show favoritism to Sasuke because of the tragedy of his own team years ago. I can't help but wonder how both of them would react if they knew who Naruto really is. Unfortunately, it will probably be sometime yet before I can reveal the truth about Naruto, if ever.' Sarutobi gathered his work and headed out of the room. 'I just hope he doesn't beat the tar out of me when he finds out what I've been keeping from him...'

As he walked out of the academy, people wondered why he had his hat pulled so low over his face.
___________________________

Naruto made his way down the street, his hands in his pockets, his brow tense as a mild frown was stuck on his face.

"I still can't believe they wasted that perfectly good picture. I mean, the idea was to look impressive for the ninja roster records, and I think you looked damned impressive. Certainly enough to make enemies fear you." Kyaena huffed, annoyed that Naruto's artistic effort had been for naught. But after a moment of silence, she addressed his current thoughts. "Relax Naru-kun, you didn't hurt the boy that badly."

'I shouldn't have hurt him at all!' He snapped, kicking a stone. 'I don't want to become a bully or anything. And if he really was Old-Man's grandson, that was inexcusable. After a year of dealing with that idiot Duck-Butt, he's starting to rub off on me. But... I just couldn't stand being called a coward. He had no idea who I am, and no idea what I've been through.' He thought miserably. It was a moment before Kyaena responded.

"But that's not really what's bothering you the most, is it?" She asked so very softly. Naruto came to a halt.

'I'll never let anyone call me a coward. But he was right about the other part. I am a liar.' He stared at his feet.

"No you're NOT." Kyaena jumped up with a small growl.

'I lie every single day.' Naruto looked around himself at the buildings and streets, but it was near lunchtime, so not may people were out and about. 'I lie every day to everyone around me. They see me as you, but they don't know truth about you. And I agree to their beliefs by acting like nothing is out of the ordinary. They think you're completely sealed away, with no ability to affect the world anymore. I lie every day to make sure they keep thinking that. I hate having to lie.' He shuffled his feet a bit as he resumed walking.

"You're not lying! You're keeping a secret, and in doing so, you're protecting both of us!" Kyaena hissed in rage. 'Damn these ungrateful humans! Even when Naru-kun is trying to help them, make them feel safe, they make him feel bad about himself!'

'Lying is lying. All I can do, is try to make it the only lie I ever tell.' He rubbed his head as every step made him feel a little worse. 'Damn. I have to find that kid and apologize. I can't believe I did that to-' He stopped when he heard footsteps behind him, then a rustle. Naruto turned around to see a kind of ball of cloth, with a pair of sandaled feet sticking out under it. 'What the...?' He blinked in surprise.

"Well, it looks like you don't have to go searching for him." Kyaena's mouth twitched, sharing Naruto's disbelief at such a pitiful attempt at camouflage.

Naruto stared for a moment before slowly turning around again, starting back off the way he was going before. Sure enough, a second later, he heard footsteps behind him. When Naruto stopped walking again, he heard another rustle and a slight thump. He turned back to see a hanging cloth that was made to look like the fence they were next to, except that it was dirty. And turned sideways. And two hands and a tuft of hair were sticking out over the top. Naruto sweat-dropped slightly as he walked over to stand in front of the 'hidden' boy, and deliberately pulled it down.

"So, I'm guessing that there's a reason you're following me?" Naruto asked with a cautious tone.

"Ha ha! So, you saw through my disguise! I see that your reputation is well-earned!" Konohamaru had a ridiculous smile on as he pointed to Naruto. "Alright! I'll be your apprentice, and you'll be my trainer!"

"Wait, what?" Naruto backed up a step.

"Yeah! You just gotta teach me how to do that Sexy Jutsu that you used on grandpa-Hokage!" Konohamaru hopped up and down in excitement, even as Naruto was trying to wave him off.

"Whoa, hold on, slow down! You've gotta be kidding me!" Naruto choked out.

"Come on, please? I really need a new trainer! Please, please, please won't you say yes Boss?" Konohamaru pleaded franticly.

"What? Boss?" Naruto tilted his head quizzically at the boy, who took it as a sign of interest.

"Yeah! That's right, you're the Boss! Boss, Boss, Boss!" The hyperactive child stamped his feet in determination. Kyaena was struggling against her giggles.

"Well, you wanted to apologize, so why not make it up to him by showing him the ropes for the rest of the day?" She suggested while holding her paws over her nose in her mirth at the humorous situation developing.

Naruto sighed as he scratched the back of his head, looking down at the person in front of him. He figured he could either spend the rest of the day training himself, or the rest of the day training the boy. Either way, someone was going to train.

'Well, as long as the time isn't wasted, I guess there's no harm in it.' He thought to himself, before focusing on his new temporary companion. "Ok, if you're really that determined, I guess I can give you some pointers... But only for the rest of today." Naruto said pointedly.

Konohamaru looked ecstatic for a split second before frowning.

"Hey, what do you mean, 'only for the rest of today'?" He whined.

"Because I only have today free. Tomorrow," Naruto paused as he lifted up his goggles to reveal his Hitai-ate, "I have my genin orientation. I'm going to be busy getting set up with my new team!" He smiled.

"WWHHHOOAAAA!" Konohamaru drop-jawed as his starry eyes gazed upon the metal plate with total envy. "THAT IS SO AWESOME!"

"Ah, yes, well, some certainly think that..." Naruto cleared his throat as he replaced his goggles. "Alright, let's head for the parks. I hope you can keep up." Naruto smirked as he suddenly leapt twenty feet up to the edge of a rooftop. He looked down at the even more stunned Konohamaru. "Well? Are you coming or not?" He asked as he turned and started off, leaving his temporary pupil scrambling to catch up, taking smaller jumps to try to reach the same levels that Naruto did.

The two boys raced across the village, Naruto making an effort to make sure it was an effort for the boy, whose name he still didn't know, to follow his path. Taking several detours of an indirect nature, and circling the market twice, by the time they reached the shady coolness of the park, poor Konohamaru was gasping for breath. He stumbled over and fell to his hands and knees in front of Naruto, who was calmly sitting cross-legged on top of a boulder with his arms folded.

"Wh-... Wha-... What was... the point of that?" Konohamaru panted. Naruto frowned.

"First question: Are you in the academy or not?" He asked with complete seriousness.

"Of course I am!" Konohamaru huffed, still trying to catch his breath as he sat down. "In fact I-"

"Stand up. Stay on your feet." Naruto interrupted.

"What!? Hey, I'm tired here!" The younger boy grumphed.

"If you're so exhausted after such a little jog as that, you're obviously not training anywhere near enough. That is, not if you intend to become a ninja." Naruto scolded mildly. 'Man, this is soooooo weird. Is this how Iruka-sensei feels when talking to the class?' He thought privately.

"I'm sure it'll only get weirder!" Kyaena laughed uproarishly, her tails slapping down repeatedly.

'Gee, thanks for the show of support.' Naruto thought sarcastically as he watched the ninja-wannabe in front of him stagger back to his feet. "Ok, since you evidently still have somewhat small chakra reserves, how-"

"Hey! Who're you calling small!?" Konohamaru objected. Naruto dragged a hand over his face as Kyaena lost it, rolling around as she proceeded to laugh her guts out.

"Your CHAKRA. I said your chakra reserves seem a bit on the small side." Naruto groaned. "You'll have to work on strengthening it. But on the upside, it should mean your chakra control will be easier to handle. How are you at that?" He pressed.

"Well, Four-Eyes-sensei hasn't really told me much beyond what the academy classes teach..." Konohamaru fidgeted slightly.

"In other words, you've had nearly zero practice." Naruto shook his head in disbelief. "Well, I can write down some exercises for you to do on your own later. But for now, please tell me you've at least startedpracticing the Transformation Jutsu? If not, this will have been a colossal waste of time." Naruto glared pointedly.

"Yeah, of course!" Konohamaru puffed out his chest.

"...Well then, show me how far along you are, and I take it from there." Naruto motioned for the boy to proceed.

"Uh, ok, but what should I transform into?" The youngling scratched the back of his head in confusion.

"Anyone. Just show me how much control you have. Trust me, the tricky part comes after that." Naruto smirked mischievously. "You see, it took me several months to get the hang of... well, I guess 'Sexy Jutsu' will have to do for a name after all. It may just be the Transformation Jutsu, but it takes lots of practice changing into all kinds of things to become comfortable with it. And the part that makes the Sexy Jutsu work, is the understanding of how you would be as a girl."

"Whoa. You're starting to sound more and more like the senseis at the academy." Konohamaru gaped wide-eyed.

"I'll try not to take that personally." Naruto snorted as Kyaena's sides were getting sore from all the laughing. "Ok, do one transformation, then I'll start explaining how to work out your own version of it."

"Alright Boss! Here I go! Transform!" Konohamaru shouted with a poof of smoke.

Ebisu had been searching the village for some time. But not having any immediate success finding his ward, Ebisu had rushed to the top of the mountain for a better observation point.

'That filthy Uzumaki... What could he be doing to honorable grandson? It could only be something truly evil!' He thought viciously as he scanned the streets and roofs of Konoha. 'I am an elite jounin! As one of a long line of senseis that have shaped and guided potential candidates for the illustrious position of the future Hokage, I cannot allow such a disaster to occur on my watch! I will crush any insect that dares cling to my student... even if it is a jinchuuriki!' He snarled to himself.

Spotting a hint of orange between some trees at the edge of his view, he rushed off in search of his quarry.

Naruto dropped some change into the vending machine to get himself a drink. As he pulled the fruit juice can out, he looked over his shoulder at his temporary student, who was sipping a lemonade himself.

'By Arceus! Who the heck is this kid?' Naruto thought as he walked back over to the log that the younger boy was sitting on. 'It took me months to become accustomed to the radical body shifting of the Transformation Jutsu, yet this gaki has made almost as much progress in just a couple hours!' He ranted as he sat down and popped open his can.

"I have no idea. But if he's really related to the Old-Man, well, it could be that innate skill runs in his blood. Or... It could be that you're just really that good as a sensei!" Kyaena purred thoughtfully.

'Somehow, I doubt that.' Naruto sighed. He turned to look at his company. "So, hey, if you don't mind my asking, what was going on with you and the Old-Man earlier? You seemed a bit... irked, at him."

The other boy paused with his drink, his head dipping down slightly in depression.

"My grandfather named me Konohamaru. After the ancient name of the village. He said it would bring me luck." He muttered. "You'd think that it would be easy to remember. But no one, not a single person in the whole village, ever calls me by my name. Because when they look at me, they don't see me. All they see is the honorable grandson of Hokage-sama." Konohamaru kicked a stone. Naruto's brow creased in concern at what he was hearing as he continued. "They don't see who I am, just who I'm related to. It's like I'm invisible, hidden away in grandpa's shadow, and I'm so sick of it. That's why... I want to become Hokage now, so people will know who I am!" Konohamaru balled up his fists on his knees in frustration. Naruto was struggling to keep his face neutral.

'I don't believe this. He has our problem, only in reverse!' Naruto realized. 'I bet if he had painted the mountain instead of me, they'd throw him a parade!'

"You know, demons never have this problem. You make your own name with your own deeds, or others will walk all over you. This is ridiculous. I can't believe the Hokage wouldn't try to help his own flesh and blood to work for his own life." Kyaena shook her head in disappointment.

Naruto pondered his next move.

"Even if you became Hokage today, and even if everyone came to know who you are, tell me, would there be anything for them to respect?" Naruto asked at last.

"Eh, what?" Konohamaru looked up with slight surprise, having been startled from his moopiness.

"What's the point of having a title if you haven't done anything to earn it? All that will do is let everyone know just how much of a nobody you are!" Naruto scoffed.

"WHAT!?" Konohamaru jumped up to glare angrily at the blonde, who gave back a hard stare of his own.

"Why do you think everyone respects your grandfather so much? It's not because of who he is, or his name, but because of what he's done. Because he's worked hard to gain the skill and experience necessary to hold the position of 'greatest ninja in the village'. You'll have to work your way up to get that." Naruto's serious face turned to a devilish smirk. "And of course, if you're going to prove you're the best... you'll have to get past me first before you get anywhere!"

Konohamaru could only blink with stunned silence at the challenge set before him.

"Ok, now I'm sure you'd make a great sensei. You obviously got through to him with that statement." Kyaena purred in approval.

'We'll see.' Naruto commented as he watched Konohamaru think.
___________________________

Sarutobi stood on the top of the tower, gazing up at the mountain side. To one face in particular.

He had been standing in the one spot for a while. He had been thinking more and more about decisions he had made over the years, as well as more recent ones. Some had been easy. Some had been hard. Some seemed like the best option at the time. Some... he truly regretted. And the worst part, it seemed that those regretful decisions seemed to be growing in number. He knew he wasn't getting any younger, which only made things tougher.

'I really need to get serious in my efforts to find a suitable successor.' Sarutobi sighed to himself. He was contemplating refilling his pipe that was in his mouth when he sensed a figure approaching him from behind.

"Hokage-sama! I've been looking for you." A still slightly bandaged Iruka approached his grand leader.

"For what reason?" Sarutobi didn't even bother turning.

"I just wanted to make sure, did Naruto submit his registry photo?" Iruka took a respectful place behind the Hokage.

"Yes. Submitted, and re-submitted." Sarutobi rubbed his nose slightly.

"What? Re-submitted? What was wrong with the first one?" Iruka tilted his head slightly in confusion.

"... This is Naruto we're talking about." Sarutobi coughed slightly to cover his surprise at such a ridiculous question. Iruka sweat-dropped.

"Right, what was I thinking." Iruka sighed, shaking his head. "I could have sworn I asked him to be presentable."

"I'm sure you did." Sarutobi chuckled. "But did you ever specify what you wanted him presented as?" Iruka double-sweat-dropped.

"No, I suppose not." Iruka paused for a moment before continuing in a more serious tone. "You know, I tried to give Naruto a lecture last night, at Ichiraku's. But... it... didn't go the way I hoped. I tried to warn him about how hard and dangerous a ninja's life is-"

"Oh dear. He didn't loose his temper did he?" Sarutobi interrupted in concern.

"Well... I'm still not entirely sure what happened. But he showed me, um, evidence," Iruka cleared his throat nervously, "That the village has been far more... harsh, on him than I ever thought. And yet, he's still so determined to prove his worth to them. He wants to earn everyone's respect, and thinks that becoming a genin is a step in the direction to that end."

Sarutobi was silent for several moments after Iruka stopped speaking as he continued to gaze up at the mountain side.

"I'm afraid that what Naruto seeks... may never come within his reach. People have never been able to change that easily, especially in regards to such a tragic matter. Something that is even harder to overcome than any mundane problem." Sarutobi said solemnly.

"What do you mean?" Iruka asked with serious interest.

"... You are aware that the Kyuubi no Kitsune is sealed within Naruto. Not everyone knows this of course, only those of us that were adults at the time of the disaster twelve years ago know the truth. But even then I had to decree that no one could speak of those events, lest they face the harshest of punishments." Sarutobi couldn't help but wince at the unpleasant memory. It seemed as if far too much had happened all too quickly in only a single night...

"... It was very fortunate that Naruto didn't believe that traitor Mizuki when he tried to reveal it..." Iruka commented.

"Indeed. I wish I could ask Naruto what was going through his mind at the time, but of course I can't without raising unwanted questions." Sarutobi shook his head. "Mizuki was a complete fool. He knew the penalty for breaking the decree, and to even attempt to tell it directly to Naruto... He won't be seeing the light of day for a long time." He paused for a moment to fill and light his pipe. "The children have been spared the knowledge. As long it remains secret from the younger generation, Naruto may have a chance at some degree of acceptance. That was the wish of the Yondaime Hokage." Sarutobi sighed as Iruka stood wide-eyed. "Before he sacrificed himself to save us, he asked that when Naruto grew up, that he be regarded as a hero." Sarutobi let out a long puff on his pipe.

"A hero?" Iruka paled at the information. "But no one... I mean... The village... What's happened to Naruto..."

"To achieve the seemingly impossible, to defeat the power of an ancient demon, the Yondaime had to sacrifice himself to seal the fox into a newborn infant, whose umbilical cord had just been cut. Only with such an extreme sacrifice of two lives could the fox be defeated, as it had never been done before. By containing the spirit of the demon within his body, Naruto saved the village from destruction. That's why he's a hero." Sarutobi's head dipped slightly before he continued. "I hate always having to wonder how many more like Mizuki there are. People who look at Naruto with hatred. The people who fear that the fox will one day take over his body. And the worst... The people who actually think that Naruto is the fox, taken human form. Their treatment of Naruto has been so contemptuous and hostile, that sadly, their behavior has come to be emulated by some of their children, even though they have no idea of the truth. And all this was in the beginning. It became even worse after an event five or so years ago, an event that transformed the villagers hate and contempt for Naruto... into fear." Sarutobi's brow creased at his own words.

"You mean, the incident with the Uchiha?" Iruka asked in a whisper. "I still remember the rumors that spread at that time. Before what really happened got out, people thought it was..." He gulped, "...the demon. They were afraid it was getting free. They were afraid they might all be killed. Even after the people learned that wasn't the case, they were still afraid of the possibility. They became afraid of Naruto." Iruka shuddered slightly.

"Do you know what the ancients said about such things, Iruka?" Sarutobi asked, never once having turned around. "When the people hate so intently that they would deny someone's very existence, then look at that person, their eyes turn cold. Colder than an ice storm in the deepest winter. Naruto has seen these kind of eyes all his life. He's aware of them, as I have seen him looking back at others who watch him when he so much as walks down a street."

The two ninja stood in silence for a few moments before it became too uncomfortable for Iruka.

"Well, if you'll excuse me Hokage-sama, I guess I should be going..." Iruka started to turn before stopping. "Oh, just one more thing."

"Yes? What is it?" Sarutobi asked.

"Um... Just out of curiosity, do you happen to have a copy of that first registry photo that Naruto submitted? I'm a little curious..." Iruka shrugged.

"Yes. Here." Sarutobi reached into his robes to pull out a medium sized sheet paper.

"May I?" Iruka asked politely as he walked over and took the paper.

Sarutobi turned to watch as Iruka turned over the paper to look at Naruto's photo. Iruka stared at it for a full five seconds before his eyes glassed over, he went deathly white, and fainted on the spot. Sarutobi looked down at the unconscious chunin as he puffed on his pipe.

'Hmm. Perhaps I was a little quick to make Naruto take another photo. That was certainly a... impressionable reaction. It helps in a ninja's life to have a certain intimidation factor. All it would take is a change of wardrobe, and I bet Naruto could build quite the reputation for himself in not too long a time.' Sarutobi mused as he nudged his subordinate with his foot.
____________________________

Naruto had been watching Konohamaru think for a few minutes when he heard rustles in the trees behind him. He went stiff when he felt the familiar hostility settle over him.

"Company." Kyaena growled.

'Damn. Not now...' Naruto hissed.

"I've found you!" Called a voice from above.

'... What, no sneak attack?' Naruto wondered as he and Konohamaru turned to see who had shown up.

Up on a tree branch stood a black-dressed man with sunglasses. Naruto vaguely recalled that it was the same man that he had seen at the academy earlier.

'That filthy wretch. Naruto... The Kyuubi no Kitsune...' Ebisu sneered down at the pair. Naruto flinched under his icy stare.

'Oh great, that's all we need. Another stupid Tail-Hunter.' Naruto scowled back up at the man.

Tail-Hunter. It was a term Naruto and Kyaena had thought up a few years back. Naruto didn't really like harboring resentment towards the villagers, but there were always a few that just seemed to really rub him the wrong way. They thought of the term based off the implication that those people would love to hunt down Naruto to kill him, thereby killing Kyaena, then take her tails as trophies... if it were possible. It was never pleasant to think about it, but it happened anyway. No way around it.

Ebisu leapt down from the tree and approached the two boys.

"Honorable grandson, it's time that you should return home." He announced with a confident tone as he adjusted his glasses. Konohamaru jumped up instantly.

"No way! I'm learning how to beat my grandpa so I can get the title of Hokage! Don't get in my way!" The exceptionally loud boy shouted.

"Sounds like he doesn't want to go with you." Naruto commented

"Silence Uzumaki! I will not have you corrupting my student with your nonsense!" Ebisu snapped.

"Shut up! He's a better teacher than you are!" Konohamaru yelled, causing both Ebisu and Naruto to give a start. "At least I can understand his directions! He doesn't talk like a text book!"

"See? I told you that you'd make a good sensei." Kyaena smirked.

'Huh. Well imagine that.' Naruto kept his eyes on Ebisu who began to walk towards them.

"No no honorable grandson, you must not listen to him. He can not teach you the things you need to know. To be Hokage, one must understand virtue, justice, ceremony, wisdom, loyalty, faithfulness, prudence and be skilled in a thousand jutsu! You don't even know one jutsu!" Ebisu rambled on, but Konohamaru had heard enough.

"Transform!" With a poof of smoke, where there was once a small dark haired boy, now stood a taller, older, nakeder, gorgeous dark haired girl. "How's THIS for a jutsu?" The girl called sweetly while posing.

Ebisu froze as his jaw dropped down, and he gave two full head-to-toe-to-head shivers. But he was still standing.

'Interesting. Did that look like a restrained reaction to you?' Naruto eyed Ebisu curiously.

"Could be. I think he would need an extra push to get the full effect." Kyaena agreed as Konohamaru poofed back to himself.

"What? Why didn't that work?" He whined.

"WH-WH-WHAT KIND OF DISGRACEFUL JUTSU WAS THAT!?" Ebisu howled in outrage, despite a slight redness to his cheeks. "Such things are not fit for the eyes of a gentleman! I would never fall for such outrageous vulgarity! I am far above such things!" He declared, making Naruto's eye twitch. Ebisu reached over and grabbed at Konohamaru's scarf, trying to pull the boy away. "Honorable grandson you must stop this at once! That Uzumaki brat is turning you into a delinquent! Do you want to be seen as an imbecile!? Only with MY teachings will you gain the fast shortcut to becoming Hokage!" Ebisu pulled on the scarf in his hand. Naruto's eye twitched.

"No, no, no! Just leave me alone! Go away!" Konohamaru fumed as he struggled to pull in the opposite direction.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto's shout caused the two feuding individuals to pause and look over in time to see dozens of Naruto's come into being spread across the field. Konohamaru's eyes looked like they were about to pop.

"WHHOOOAAA! This is... WOW! Incredible!" He gaped, looking back and forth to all the Naruto's who were glaring at Ebisu.

"You dare to call yourself a sensei?" Asked one.

"Though you have no regard for your students opinions?" Said another.

"And now you're lying about training him!?" Growled a third.

"THAT'S DESPICABLE!" They all shouted in unison.

Ebisu sneered as he let go of Konohamaru, and walked out into the midst of the Naruto's.

"Ha! I'm not impressed. I'm a jounin, an elite ninja! I'm not some lightweight paper pusher like Mizuki!" He adjusted his glasses. "Oh yes, I heard all about your little night run! And for someone who was so worthless as to be dumped by your own teacher, you have no right to lecture me! Now, watch closely honorable grandson, and see how a real ninja defeats an upstart!" He took an anticapritory pose.

Konohamaru looked back and forth between Naruto(s) and Ebisu, before settling on the blondes.

"Come on boss..." He muttered.

Sarutobi, having seen to Iruka earlier, sat in his scrying room, watching the events transpire in his crystal ball.

'Naruto may have been fortunate against Mizuki, but this might be a little out of his league.' Sarutobi frowned around his pipe. 'Ebisu had better be smart enough not to hurt him too badly, especially in front of Konohamaru. I'll have to speak to him later about his attitude... That is, if Tetsuko leaves anything left of him.'

Ebisu stood waiting in the middle of his opponents.

"Well? Ready?" He jibed.

"Transform!" The thirty or so Naruto's called out as the field was covered in smoke. As the smoke cleared, Ebisu couldn't believe his eyes.

The field was now filled with thirty or so Konohamaru's.

Ebisu was too stunned to realize that they were all running around erratically, so he didn't notice where the real Konohamaru got lost in the commotion. Suddenly the group of boys came to a halt surrounding the dumbfounded jounin.

"Well, what are you waiting for Four-Eyes-sensei? I thought you were going to teach Naruto a lesson!" One of the Konohamaru's shouted.

"But it seems you're getting cold feet!" Shouted another.

"Of course he is! If he mistakenly hits the real me, he's going to be in BIG trouble!" Jeered a third.

Ebisu was in an absolute panic and was sweating bullets.

'Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap! This can't be happening!' He rapidly scanned all the identical boys around him, desperately looking for any giveaway sign of which was the real Konohamaru. 'Even if there are thirty Naruto's, if I hit the real honorable grandson by accident, there's no telling what Hokage-sama would do to me!' Ebisu cautiously cleared his throat once. "Um, n-now then... honorable grandson... You should... Um... Oh!" Ebisu suddenly reached into his pocket and pulled out some change. "Why don't you get yourself a drink from the vending machines over there?" He asked hopefully.

"Naruto already got me a drink!" All the Konohamaru's chorused.

"You know, he's looking a bit stressed out!" One said.

"Maybe he could think better if he had a drink!" Another added.

"Nah, we just need to take some pressure off him!" Suggested a third.

"Ok then, Transform!" They all shouted as Ebisu was again surrounded with smoke.

This time, as the smoke dissipated, Ebisu found himself confronting a swarm of naked blonde girls who all began grabbing at him. Whatever they were saying was lost on Ebisu as he choked, shuddered, then was thrown out of their reach by the rocket that was his bloody nose.

As the unresponsive man lay twitching on the ground, another, and last, burst of smoke rose and cleared to reveal a smirking Naruto alongside an awe-struck Konohamaru.

"And that," Naruto turned to his companion, "Is called the stun-and-strike!" He smiled.

"AWESOME!" Konohamaru cheered.

"Naruto Uzumaki!" Kyaena hissed in disaproval. "Don't you dare get any perverted ideas with that! If you think I'm going to let you flaunt some kind of personal Harem Jutsu, forget it! Honestly, that transformation was originally meant to help you understand human females, so you should consider yourself lucky I allow you to use it that way at all! But to go and EXPAND on it, after all my lectures about perverts, to think that you-"

Naruto winced slighty at his furry partner's ongoing rant.

Sarutobi sat stunned as he considered what he had just seen in his crystal.

'Naruto certainly has a gift for deceptive transformations. It will be interesting to see that skill applied to his ninja career. And to combine his Sexy Jutsu with the Shadow Clone Jutsu... I don't know if I'd even survive that one.' He reached over and picked up his handkerchief to dab at his bloody nose.

Naruto looked down at his handiwork, and nodded to himself. Leaving the still unresponsive Ebisu tied-up to a tree, he walked back over to Konohamaru who seemed to be upset.

"Aw man! I couldn't even trick Four-Eyes-sensei! I want to be Hokage so badly, but I keep messing up! Why can't I do it!?" Konohamaru stamped his foot on the ground in frustration.

"Because you're too impatient. And after hearing what that... sensei, of yours said, now I understand why." Naruto said as he stood in front of his temporary tutee.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Konohamaru tilted his head curiously. Naruto sighed as he crossed his arms.

"Look, I know what your going through. In the beginning, I want to skip right to the top too. But like I was saying earlier, if you don't earn that position, it won't mean anything. You have to prove to everyone that they can trust and believe in you. Being Hokage means you have to be the greatest ninja, and person, in the village." Naruto looked down at his feet as he kicked at the grass. "I'm not that much older than you, but I've already been through so much already. It's been one hardship and struggle after another. I was nearly alone for most of my life, save for one person who believed in me. For the longest time, she was the only one who believed in me. And to get to the point that I was able to find others who were willing to look at me without hatred or pity, I had already been forced to face those who were bound and determined to get in my way and make me fail." Naruto reached down and opened his holster on his leg, pulling out his most trusted weapon. Giving it a single spin, he held it out. "Here. Look at this."

"What? It's just a kunai." Konohamaru shrugged.

"Look again. Doesn't it seem strange?" Naruto asked patiently. After a second, Konohamaru's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Hey, why is the metal red?" He asked as he leaned a little closer to look at the hand held blade.

"This is the first kunai I ever got. I wasn't even quite five when I got this, and I've kept it ever since. I know that in itself may not sound all that special, but you should know, that when I first got it, it was a normal kunai, with a normal color." Naruto paused to let Konohamaru absorb that fact. "You see, I train every day I can, in every way I can, as hard as I can. Some might even say I'm too hard on myself, border lining on brutal. And I've used this kunai all through it. But of course, everyone messes up on occasion, and I've had more than my share of accidents. The reason the metal of this kunai is red..." Naruto paused again as Konohamaru's eyes widened. "... Is because it has been stained with my own blood so many times."

Konohamaru took a step back as he gave a nervous gulp.

"Th-th-... That's scary..." He muttered.

"Being a ninja is hard. Painful. Sometimes, even lonely. But if being a ninja is something you're serious about, be serious about it!" Naruto pointed to Ebisu. "If he wants you to recite shinobi rules of conduct, do push-ups while you do so! If he wants you to run laps around a field, take some shuriken and practice your aim while you run! Make whatever you do into more than it is! If you never push yourself, you'll never improve!" Naruto trained a serious look on his riveted audience. "And yes, there will be people, however few, that will try to tell you that you're no good. That you'll never achieve anything. They'll make you feel horrible about yourself, and some days you might even doubt why you should bother with all this hard work. But no matter what happens, no matter what they say that might make you consider trying to find some easy way to the top, you absolutely have to remember one critical truth." Naruto stared down his junior.

"Oh yeah? What truth is that?" Konohamaru demanded to know.

"There-are-NO-shortcuts!" Naruto shouted out to the world so loudly, a group of birds were startled out of the nearby trees with loud rustling as they took to the air. "Could you look at yourself in the mirror if you knew you didn't try your hardest? Do you think the village would respect a Hokage who just settled for 'easy'? Either you commit yourself to this... or don't insult real ninja by wasting peoples time." Naruto slammed his kunai back into it's holster as he waited for Konohamaru's reaction.

"Ok, if you're trying to make up for your slip before, you've done it." Kyaena purred as she also waited for Konohamaru's response.

The boy in question stood looking up at Naruto, his face a little red from the overload of information that had come crashing down on him. To him, it was like he had just crammed a month of real lessons into just one afternoon. All of Naruto's words kept echoing in his head, including...

If you're going to prove you're the best... you'll have to get past me first before you get anywhere!

Konohamaru turned away from Naruto with a huff.

"Ha! Who do you think you are, lecturing me like that!? You're not so hot, are you?" He turned his nose up, but Naruto only smirked at his reaction. "Well, forget it! I won't be your apprentice any longer! In fact, from this day on, we're eternal rivals! Got it?" Konohamaru tried to glare at Naruto, but it turned into a chuckling smile.

"Well, isn't that just fine. This was a one-day thing anyway, because tomorrow, I get assigned into my genin team. However..." Naruto let a huge foxy smile free. "I accept your challenge to be my rival. But keep in mind that you have a lot of catching up to do. You'll have to train as hard as you can if you intend to compete with me for the title of Hokage!" Naruto glanced up at the setting light of the sky. "Well, I've got to get going now. But don't think you can slack off! Because I might just check up on you from time to time! You got that, Konohamaru?" He smirked one last time as he waved and headed off.

Konohamaru gave a happy salute to his now former sensei, before turning to go untie his existing sensei.

In the trees, Tetsuko finished up the notes she had been writing in her personal scroll.

'Boy, Naruto-kun is on a roll. I guess he wanted to get the most out of his day before getting put into active duty. He's just one fantastic surprise after another.' She put her scroll away and watched as Konohamaru picked up Ebisu. 'Mr. Four-Eyes there wanted to attack Naruto-kun. Maybe I should give him a little scare later tonight to dissuade him from future attempts, especially if Naruto-kun has taken interest in the honerabl- I mean, Konohamaru-san.' She smirked to herself under her mask as she leapt away silently.

Sarutobi leaned back in his chair with a smile on his face.

'Thank you Naruto. For helping Konohamaru discover the true path of the ninja. ... ... But why did you have to teach him the Sexy Jutsu?' He shook his head in exasperation. 'Well, I guess Naruto had to pass his pranking torch to someone.'

He reached for a folder on his desk to get back to his paperwork, since it seemed as if the chaos was over for the day.
____________________________

Having gotten dinner, washed and changed, Naruto stood in his room in his apartment, arranging his cloths and equipment for tomorrow.

"I think you're over doing it." Kyaena commented. Naruto checked over his equipment selection.

'No, I'm just trying to be prepared, considering I have no idea what the genin exam will be. But I'm fairly sure it won't be a written exam.' He said as he zipped up his stuffed backpack.

"A little nervous, are we?" Kyaena tried to sound playful, but was actually nervous herself. 'If they fail him this time, after what he's just gone through... It'll be terrible for him.'

'I don't know. I guess. Only about the jounin sensei, though. I'm trying to think how they would test teamwork for the squad.' Naruto kicked his slippers off as he climbed in bed.

"It'll probably depend on what your squad's skill composition is, which will be determined by who your teammates are." She explained.

'Yeah, makes sense.' Naruto agreed. Several moments passed before he gave a chuckle. 'It's a shame Konohamaru isn't in the graduation class.'

"You like him, don't you?" Kyaena smiled.

'Weeeelllll... He does seem to have a certain, shall I say... foxy spirit, about him?' Naruto shook his head to the empty room. 'I mean, come on. To be able to handle transforming so easily so quickly? That kid has to be part chameleon or something.'

"First you call him a fox, then a chameleon? Make up your mind. Is he a mammal or an amphibian?" Kyaena snorted.

'Reptile. Chameleons are reptiles. Nice try though.' Naruto chuckled.

"Heh, yes, that's correct." She snickered. "Don't think that I'm going to let up on you just because you've graduated the academy. Every day is a day to learn and to train until..." Kyaena prompted.

'...Until I'm stronger than I was yesterday. Until my hands can move the mountains and my feet can walk on the sky. Until my eyes can see the spirit and my heart can... can...' Naruto trailed off from his self-enforced dogma as he nibbled at his lip.

"...Until your heart can rest without fear." Kyaena slowly finished for him.

'... I'm sorry. I just can't ever seem to say it, and believe it.' Naruto whispered shamefully.

"It will come true someday. One way or another." Kyaena growled ever so slightly, then instantly switched to smiles again. "But I've got to admit, it would sure be funny to see what you and Konohamaru could do to the nerves of a sensei. If he were your teammate, I'd never be bored again." She giggled.

'Yep, the kid's got talent, that's for sure. I really will want to check on him once in a while.' Naruto smiled to himself. 'To think, even if it was only for an afternoon, someone looking up to me.'

"Somehow, I doubt he stopped when you parted ways. Just don't give him any reason to stop." Kyaena purred with approval, despite her attempted scolding tone.

Naruto turned off his light as he pulled his sheet up over himself.

'Just so we're clear on this, I am not, nor will I ever be, a pervert. I only use that jutsu againstperverts. You know that.' He sighed as he started to drift off. 'You know, I don't get nearly enough opportunities to say this... but I think... that today... was a good day.'

A few minutes after Naruto was asleep, Kyaena finally curled up herself.

'Why do I have the horrible feeling that it will be a long time before he says that again?' She frowned to herself.

Konohamaru was in bed, just barely on the edge of sleep... when he sat up straight with a jolt.

"HEY! Naruto still owes me a pair of underwear!" He fumed.

END OF CHAPTER

Author's Notes:

Ok, so this chapter wasn't quite as long as the previous ones, but it's because I left out a few scenes that wouldn't have worked in this story. I leaned a bit more towards magna than anime in this chapter.

Konohamaru has always struck me as a major 'potential' character. I've always wanted to see more of him, and honestly, you could probably make a mini spin-off series just about his team with Moegi and Udon. And Ebisu, of course... (cough)

Even in cannon, it strikes me as strange that Konohamaru would take such an instant interest in Naruto, especially after their rough first meeting. But seeing as how my version of Naruto couldn't bring himself to actually HIT him, I had to come up with something else that would leave an... impression. Fear the power of the wedgie.

In cannon, Naruto makes a big deal about how Sasuke was the first to acknowledge him. That is obviously incorrect, since it is clearly Konohamaru who shows Naruto respect first (in his own very young way). So as far as I'm concerned, Naruto and Konohamaru meeting was one of the most important events in the early series. I'm hoping to be able to include Konohamaru more in my story, even if it has to be only short appearances.

Concerning Ebisu, I didn't really want to have to cut out the Harem Jutsu, but I knew it would have to go just the tiniest bit differently. And having Kyaena chew him out over it seemed funny to me. And I'll leave what Tetsuko does to him to your imagination.

Naruto's registration photo was obviously a open opportunity. I knew I had to have Naruto do something, but the question was, what? I'm not sure where they got the idea for that kabuki look in cannon, but I knew that considering Kyaena's influence, Naruto's inspiration would turn out different. So I went for the fox look. There wasn't a whole lot of choice. But I like the mental picture anyway.

This chapter is the first that I uses the underlined flashback flash. Since I try to avoid using underlines whenever possible in the main writing, I decided that it would help to identify one-shot flashbacks of events or things that were said, without having to do an entire (FLASHBACK - END FLASHBACK) thing. I don't think I'll have to use it that often in these early chapters, but I could be wrong. I hope that they work out in making the story easier to read, and easier to write.

At the date that I post this chapter, be aware that I have made very small changes to all the previous chapters. I will undoubtedly continue to modify chapters over time as I think of details that I missed the first time around. At the moment, as I said, they're small changes, but I do it to make sure that I'll have consistent 'attitude' throughout the story.

To answer the next batch of reviews:

Most of them were general approval, so thank you. But I would like to apologize to people who were hoping for a different team group for Naruto. There are plenty of stories out there that have Naruto getting different teammates, and even more that have Naruto leaving the village to hook up with even stranger groups. I planned this story as a challenge to myself to see how different Naruto's interaction with team seven would be if he had the Kyuubi's cooperation from the start. If I were to remove Naruto from Sakura and Sasuke, or remove them from him as it were, there's no guarantee that those two would end up any different. By putting them with Naruto, or putting him with them as it were, then changing Naruto, there's a chance they would change. Not much of a chance, but at least a small chance. A very small chance. I think. Maybe.

So, that being said, it will be the standard team seven, and next chapter is where it all starts!... ... Or ends, depending on your point of view.

Thank you for your time.

This chapter edited:

5-17-2013