A/N: I don't know if it's the internal-grump in me that makes me chuckle when someone claims boldly "You don't know what a harem is..." because they seem to be able to read my mind through a computer screen. I assure you, #Usagi Sorano, I know exactly what a harem is, and sex with multiple women does not automatically make it a harem. If that was all it took, then a great many men, mostly those with fame and a butt-ton of money, could claim having had a harem at one point or another in their lives without ever having to pay child support. The definition of a harem involves "wives and concubines" and, until he starts a steady relationship with multiple women or marries and/or starts popping out kids by the score with women he shares a home, it's not a harem. The Twins are the Kyuubi's Handmaidens, not Naruto's concubines; physical gratification is a nice bonus to be sure but not a guarantee by any stretch. Seriously, I think you horny fanfic fans think sex is the only qualification for a harem these days.

Clearly, your favorite authors spoil you terribly...

#Mattroxursoul: You've provided a lot of really good feedback and, for that, I thank you. You are correct in that Naruto's classmates weren't really meant to be a challenge for him in the original story, at least not right away. To be honest, "Duckbutt" was meant to peak, wane, then peak again so the challenges will come and go. The first story, "Nature of the Beast", was meant to provide (and admittedly too long) lead up for the real challenges meant in his life, which started to crop of near the late-middle of the first story and grow through the sequel, "Taming of the Savage Beast". Since this story combines both previous versions, there will be more meat as we move along. Promise.

I will admit that balancing character development with humor and action to keep people interested is not easy as some writers make it. However, I have faith that quality feedback like yours will help me improve the story as we move along.

Now, sorry for the delay in posting and on with the non-harem fan service!

~Siva'a-tasi~

~I I I~

Warning: Adult Conversations and Martial Geekery!

Note: Edited 8/10/2020 to include the correct lake scene.

Chapter 22: Growth and Change

~III~

It was a pleasant late afternoon up on the third floor of the Namikaze manor home and Ino was dreading her nearing deadline to return home. She spent so little time with her favorite blond as it was so quiet moments like the one she was presently enjoying were few and far between.

The beautiful venue of the Namikaze Estates didn't hurt all that much either, it being unlike her clan's smaller tract of land, most of which was used to grow their diverse supply of plants keeping her family's business open all year 'round. No, the rolling fields, lush foliage, and sculpted earth very much suited her on peaceful afternoons like today.

She could see Naruto's clones moving about the grounds on their patrol and the servants bringing in the animals for the night as she lounged against one of the support columns to the roof with her legs kicked all the way out. Ino's fingers idly stroked the blond mane of the boy laying in her lap, his eyes closed peacefully for once. Her brow furrowed in worry at the thought of him not being able to sleep well without human contact, Samui's shared tales over coffee about his nightmares wrenching at her heart.

It was her night to lounge with him and she enjoyed the setting sun from the third-floor veranda. She also liked the closeness they shared in the final hours of the day and remembered that it gave him some measure of calm.

Looking down into his unwrinkled face, she studied the angled lines of his features, the sharp jaw, and strong cheekbones. How contented he seemed now free from the horrors of the night that haunted him. Coming from a relatively stable home, the platinum blond found it difficult that such an adorable boy could possibly suffer so much before he'd even matured into a respected member of adult society.

She rested her palm against his whiskered cheeks and his head nudged it subconsciously, a smile tugging lightly at the corner of his mouth.

'It couldn't have been that bad, even with the Kyuubi... could it?'

She had to know.

Gently patting his chest, she whispered a plea for his forgiveness and flashed a quick series of seals.

"Ninpou: Shintenshin no Jutsu!" she breathed out in a hushed voice as her vision dimmed then swirled in a kaleidoscope of colors, her mind feeling a tug just before the swirling sensation stopped and she blinked. Then gravity took over and she fell into a pool of crystal-clear water shaped like a big box.

Splashing to the surface to grab a quick breath of air, she floated long enough to wonder why there was gravity here in the first place and how this gorgeous pool was in Naruto's mind.

She marveled around the square room, the tiles around the edge of the pool colored a pristine white porcelain fading to a deep blue the further down into the water you went. It was all well-lit with soft glowing blue lights embedded into the sides of the pool making everything ethereal.

The pool itself wasn't very deep but one side of it grew very shallow as it led up a ramp to dry ground.

She had enough composure to be briefly elated that she'd made it in this time without yelling at the top of her lungs; it wouldn't do to wake up her sleeping patient.

The floor beyond the pool was more marbled tiles paved up to the edge of the room where a dimly-lit tunnel meandered out of the square-shaped chamber. The walls were a lustrous cherry-colored wood, golden torch sconces evenly spaced along the wall every two meters or so, the ones on the left side emitting a rich blue flame and the ones on the right a deep red flame.

As she waded out of the pool onto the dry marble squares of slate grey lined with gold veins, she shook the water from her hair and began her excursion down the long hallway and into the unknown.

Normally she'd float wherever she needed to go in someone's mind, but the normal laws of physics seemed to apply here implying she'd have to work for her prize. With a reaffirming huff, she moved on.

Forward it was then.

The flames along the wall doubled in brightness, the sconces bursting to life as she moved along the corridor and eventually came to a large set of shoji doors made of the same rich cherry wood. She noticed something odd with the thin paper and leaned close enough to see carefully brushed patterns of watered pink tones imprinted onto the shoji panels.

The designs were breathtaking, dancing cranes and soaring dragons frolicked with prancing foxes giving chase in a garden of cherry blossom trees. The detail was exquisite and, as she stared, the brushed images began to writhe and flow from panel to panel like pink smoke. She gasped and then started in surprise as the doors parted on their own to reveal a much larger square chamber.

The marble tiling ended at the entryway and the entire floor was made of that same gorgeous cherry wood flowing halfway up the remaining shoji panels giving the room a comfortable weight. The square room appeared to be divided into four sections, a door in the middle of each wall and the room quartered by a raised platform in the center also made of the same deep wood, several steps leading up to a low table with a tea kettle resting on a hearth-style cookfire. She began to let her eyes wander as they drank in the opulence of this one chamber.

Most people had empty caves of space with balls of light resembling their memories. Naruto's brain was breathtaking, and she giggled involuntarily, her hand slapping to her mouth to stifle her sounds.

She needed to see it all!

The corner of the room to her left looked like someone had set up a study. Huge bookshelves contained row upon row of tomes in all shapes, sizes, and colors reaching high up the wall and fading from sight. A large wooden desk sat in the middle of this quartered section and a stand-up calligraphy station lay nearby. There were several scrolls on the desk and her curiosity got the better of her. Glancing through them she found a couple on advanced political topics and deciphering body language in negotiation. Another set of scrolls appeared to be about agriculture and architecture, very eclectic topics for someone to be studying simultaneously then she remembered what Naruto's future plans entailed and it made sense. He was preparing to step into the Uzu crown where he would be thrust into the political ring full time.

She smiled as she saw pictures of herself and Hinata centered on his desk. As she watched, another portrait of Samui appeared in between the two and she smiled softly.

Looking up from the desk, she saw nine statues arranged in the opposite entry corner, their backs to the walls behind them, which was covered with more bookshelves lined with more scrolls and tomes. Behind them was a large framed map of a small island marked Uzushio no Gakure. All of the statues were of very severe-looking men, older men with long beards and wearing flowing robes. Each bore the Uzu hitai-ate with name plaques along the bottom. Reading over a few, she realized they were all Uzumakis of one sort or another… wait, that one was a Senju and that one was a Terumi. She wondered briefly if they were famous or powerful?

Her exploration took her to each corner and each door. The door closest to the study hall led to a stone garden and Koi pond. In the middle of the garden stood a statue of Naruto, his hands held together almost as if he'd been captured, his Kitsune ears and tails on display. Despite the tranquility of the garden she turned away and found her way at the other doors, the northern one leading to the long hallway filled with even more doors and the other set of double panels by the statues led to large meadow holding a steaming pond and a dense forest just beyond.

There was so much to explore and she still hadn't found his vault of memories!

Turning from this last set of doors, her eyes focused on the rather large bed wondering who could possibly sleep here until her gaze caught the portrait hanging above it on the wall.

The painting style she wasn't familiar with, but the gorgeous woman seated on the chair caught her attention. More disturbing was the image of Naruto standing next to her in the intimate position of his hand on her shoulder. Perhaps she should hold him down until he explained to her just who this mystery woman was? She was beginning to get hot under the collar as it was clear that the two were of the same age despite the woman's very womanly endowments. How could she breathe with things that big stuck to her chest?

Her ice-blue eyes had begun their inevitable envious descent to her still growing chest when someone cleared their throat behind her and Ino froze.

"You most certainly do not belong here."

The voice was female and… intrigued? Ino slowly spun around and came face to face with a red-headed woman that appeared to be about her age, a very familiar woman at that. Glancing back at the framed painting on the wall, she recognized her right away then noticed the pupil slits in her eyes and blanched.

"K-K-Kyuubi?!"

The predatory grin from the large-busted demon did nothing to help Ino relax.

"How very right you are, Ino-chan."

Ino grew even paler. Oh, sweet Kami's granny garter belts, the Kyuubi knew her name.

Kyuubi sauntered down from the raised platform towards the young blonde and Ino's feet reflexively began to carry her backwards and away from the powerful demon. Eventually, she ran out of runway and her thighs bumped against the large mattress, to which the terrified girl immediately altered course in a circular pattern back towards the door she came in through.

"You're very fortunate on two counts." The disgustingly pretty fox demon lifted two fingers into the air and Ino gulped in response.

Ino raised an eyebrow and chuckled nervously. "Oh? How so?"

She was stalling trying to remember how to leave hoping it wasn't too obvious.

"A while back, Naruto changed his mindscape from that dreary cage I used to live in and into this," one delicately clawed hand waved around aimlessly, "…den of luxury."

Ino greatly feared those claws her eyes flickering nervously between those sharp tools of death to the amused blood-red orbs treating her like a tasty piece of venison.

"It has directly contributed to the fact that I no longer live in my fifty-foot demon fox form and devour unwanted intruders of his mindscape."

Ino came to a stop with her back up against one of the enormous pillars holding up a ceiling she couldn't see. The Kyuubi kept walking until her chest bumped up against Ino's forcing a mildly-panicked gulp from the younger female.

"You should not come here uninvited, Ino-chan." Kyuubi leaned in until she was just centimeters from Ino's face. "I'd hate to have to destroy your mind and make Naruto-kun weep for your loss."

Chest now pressing uncomfortably against Ino's, Kyuubi chomped her teeth and gave a rude surge of chakra forcing the blonde out of Naruto's head. She smiled knowing she had more than made her point and smiled even more feeling very pleased with herself for not destroying the nosy girl before sauntering off to nap on her comfy bed.

She absolutely loved that bed.

Ino's eyes shot open and her head snapped up. It took a few minutes to regain her composure before she looked down into the still peacefully resting face of her fiancé. Resolving not to do that again, her face twisted up in despair as she realized that even Kyuubi was more stacked than she was. Her hands slowly cupped her own still growing breasts and a sad look turned down the corners of her pretty mouth.

Curse those Kitsune genes.

~I I I~

Elsewhere In the Mindscape…

Naruto found out that, in his mindscape at least, he was the master of time and space. He could even make shadow clone-like copies. He could also bleed as he'd discovered during more than one sparring session.

At least he didn't lose real fingers and toes learning the art of seals under two of the greatest Fuuinjutsu masters in the elemental nations. That was some comfort as he fumbled his way under real instructors despite his quick ability to learn such a difficult art. Though they were harsh, Ieanaga and Shinjitsu were both fair no matter how frustrating they could be, especially when they finally began listening to his suggestions about a new training seal he planned to use in the underground facility...

As it was, he was working through his frustrations with his village, Team Seven, and not being able to touch either Hinata or Ino in the way he really wanted. He considered that really irritating.

Here it was, he was in one of the rooms off of the hall behind Kyuubi, the one marked with two forearms and fists crossed in an "X" on the outer door working off those aggravations with good old-fashioned sweat and pain. Inside, he'd recreated the training area that now ran beneath his home's open-aired dojo and, with the help of his newest family members, he was putting himself and his mindspace through its basic paces.

Standing in one of the off-centered circles, Naruto stood in dark blue shinobi shorts and Konoha headband. He wore nothing else other than the wraps adorning his wrists/forearms and feet/insteps.

"Again!" a voice barked out just behind him and to his left.

Naruto assumed the starting position, raising his left knee until it was parallel with the ground, his right arm bent ninety-degrees across his body and his left arm bent ninety degrees straight up and blocking his face, before stomping his left foot on the ground (cracking it) and bending his knees slightly.

"Naname no Hiji!" Naruto slid his left foot forward, twisting his upper body to the left, his right elbow arching up before slashing downward and across his body. His left fist opened palm down and snugged up firmly against his chin. When he completed the motion, he swept his right leg behind his body pivoting so that he was facing the other direction while repeating the slashing strike with the other elbow. Each motion was accompanied by the clenching of his abdomen and a hissing expulsion of air from his lungs.

"Rebaresshingu no Hiji!" Without hesitation, he reversed his arms, his left elbow retracing its path up and across his body with his right elbow in hot pursuit. His right elbow came up from his right hip and end up with his fist near his left ear and his elbow slashing diagonally across his body to about chin height, his left leg forward. He stepped again across his body and brought his left elbow up and across in the same manner, his right arm seamlessly assuming the guard.

"Kaiten Suru Hiji Dageki!" Naruto stepped backwards once and spun his body one-hundred eighty degrees, his elbow swinging up from his waist up to the height of his head and repeated the motion two more times, his body making complete revolutions with each strike. He quickly reversed his motion and swung his other elbow up in the other direction.

"Daburu no Hiji!" Naruto rolled forward leaping into the air with his arms over his head, his hands tucked in on either side of his head. When he reached his apex, he crunched his core, his knees rising up to his chest as he brought both elbows smashing down on to the imaginary head of an enemy. He landed and executed two quick reverse steps, his legs sweeping up into the bent knee defense before stomping down behind him, his left leg ending in the front guard.

"Appākattoerubō Dageki!" Stepping forward from the guard position and bending his knees slightly before flexing his legs up from the ground, Naruto twisted his body slightly and slashed his elbow straight up into the air. Lifting his lead leg, the boy spun and stepped forward with his right leg to repeat the upwards slash with his opposite elbow, waiting for the next call.

"Furontoerubō Suiryoku!" His lead leg drew in half the distance to his rear leg before he exploded forward, his taped feet sliding across the stone as his elbow shot up, his right hand cupped near his opposite ear, before his right elbow shot out in front of his body like a short spear. As his momentum came to a halt, his rear leg came in to hover near his front leg while his body rotated in the opposite direction. As his arms smoothly switched position, his body exploded back in the direction he came from to repeat the motion with his left arm.

"Shitamuki no Hiji Dageki!" Naruto raised up on one leg, his right arm raised and folded in half before jerking his elbow downward. Lifting his rear leg and pivoting in the opposite direction, he repeated the motion with the other set of appendages.

"Suihei Hiji Dageki!" Naruto took a half step forward and brought his elbow across his body, his right arm sweeping horizontally across his body while his left swung backwards as a counter pendulum. He spun in place and repeated the strike with his left arm.

"Dageki Hiji!" Naruto took a sliding step forward, his leading left arm dropping in front and across his body while his right arm came up to guard his faces. His upper body pivoted so that his imaginary opponent could see his ribs just a second before the boy's lead elbow shot out to chin height. Lifting his lead leg and pivoting backwards to his rear, the body swept his right leg forward until it was in the lead and repeated the lunging elbow strike with his right hand.

"Sumasshu-Kudari Hiji Dageki!" Naruto raised his right leg to smash it down on the ground, his right elbow raising in tandem to also smash down directly onto someone's head. Reversing his body to face the other way, he repeated the motion with his left leg and arm.

He froze in that final position, his feet in the center of the circle.

"Nokori!" Naruto relaxed as the training session on elbows came to an end.

"Good, next we work on knee strikes and sweeps. Once that's done, I want you to run through a complete set fifty times before you rest for the night." Inside, Abareruken-sensei was very pleased even if he wasn't allowed to yet state so.

Naruto barked out a sharp, "Hai!" smirking at the fact that his body was already asleep, and he wished that he could be there with it. He almost missed Kyuubi slipping away with her face and neck red as her robes.

When Ken-sensei finally faded into his statue an hour later, Naruto looked around the main chamber of his mindscape and found Kyuubi sprawled out on the circular bed, her hair and tails fanned out like a halo. She was absentmindedly twirling some of her hair around a few fingers of her left hand and humming a tune he found eerily familiar. When he sat on the edge of her bed, her eyes flicked over to his sweaty avatar and her nose wrinkled a bit. It was a tough sell since his active, youki-enhanced kitsune pheromones and body sweat created an interesting push-pull dynamic to vixen receptor glands.

She tried to forestall ripping off his remaining clothes by sitting up and motioning for him to follow her outside. She calmly opened the eastern door that led to the flowery meadows then, turning sideways and wrinkling her nose again, lifted one arm imperiously - and pointed to the steaming water.

Naruto chuckled and unwrapped his arms and shins before shucking both his shorts and boxers and striding into the lake, sighing at contact with the surprisingly warm water.

He had no reason to be ashamed. Why bother? She had seen him naked his entire life. His brief concern about streaking into the lake did however make him curious about something else and this seemed like as good a time as any to ask.

Swiping the water from his face so he could see, Naruto began sudsing up his hands as the great Kyuubi flopped down onto the nearest rocky perch and folded her legs enough to rest her elbows on her knees.

"Neh, Kyuubi-chan. Why do they act like that?"

"I know that I am supposed to be all-powerful, kit, but you're going to have to be more specific than that." She cocked her head to one side and leveled her best smirk at the sighing blond.

"Why do women act weird around me?" She wanted to giggle at the question but the serious concern on his face told her that would probably be a bad idea. Clearing her throat, she settled in to have "a talk" with the Uzu Prince.

"Look at your reflection in the water and tell me what you see."

The still-growing boy glanced down and frowned in concentration. To be honest, he saw very little difference from what he saw on a daily basis and he felt awkward critiquing his own appearance but he decided to give it a shot. What did he have to lose?

"I'm not ugly but I'm not the best looking in the village. Teme has had girls fawning over him for years and I'm sure there are better looking out there." He saw the rugged edges of his medium build and flexed at his reflection with a soft "Raaawwwrrrrrr!" Kyuubi chuckled softly.

"Well?" she prodded.

"Okay, I'm not in bad shape, better than most but I worked hard to get this." Kyuubi nodded in agreement.

"That you did but all of these changes were jump-started by my chakra when I directly infused your body with it."

This worried him for a second. "Am I going to grow a hundred feet tall, turn into a raging battle Kitsune and start levelling towns?"

She guffawed from her perch. "No! But you will be more… animalistic in certain aspects of your life, especially around your vixen but that is just how I want it."

"Hunh? Why would anyone want that?" His mind flickered to recent memories of strange women grabbing his hands and hugging limbs.

"Because, despite what you think, I'm getting you ready for the rest of your life as the Taichou, not as a shinobi. By the time you've outgrown your pesky human habits and morals, you'll be ready to get introduced to Kitsune society as a whole."

Naruto paused as he considered this. "How long do I have before that happens?"

"At least fifty or sixty years I'd guess."

Naruto blanched. "But... but... I'll be ancient then!" Kyuubi started snorting with how hard she was laughing. Once she could suck in a steady stream of air, she decided to clear up a few things.

"Posh! You'll live for another thousand years easily." (Heavy Sigh) "Don't forget to get behind your ears."

Naruto grimaced and began rubbing his soapy fingers through his hair and behind his very human ears.

"No... I meant the other pair."

With an, "Ooooooh, I get it" look on his face, Naruto exhaled slowly and his ears elongated as his four furry banners streamed out behind him and began churning the water of the lake.

"Those tails highlight my point." Naruto seemed confused. (Sigh again) "How old are you Naru-kun?"

He grimaced but responded, "Thirteen next week."

Kyuubi nodded. "And how often do Kitsune get new tails?"

"Every one hundred years starting after they successfully make the transition from their kit phase into their full Hanyou form." His answer was automatic and the Kyuubi nodded pleased that the raw information was there even if he lacked practical world experience to make use of it all.

"So, if I were to go by your tails alone, how old should you be?"

Naruto grew very pale. "Over... four hundred years old?"

"Correct!" She happily clapped her hands together. "When I made you a Kitsune, I cheated for lack of a better term. I biologically shot you past Kitsune puberty and into full adulthood, which Kitsune normally reach once they passed the two hundredth year of life. The extra two tails were an unexpected, and pleasant surprise, based on what's happened to you since then."

The blond was paying very close attention now.

"You need to be prepared for your emergence into the Kitsune world and make no mistake it will happen long before either of us are ready for you to do so." Her head tilted to the other side with a troubled sigh. "It always ends up that way so I wanted to make sure you had an edge, physically, mentally, and biologically over the Kitsune that are going to challenge you for your position because you don't already have the eight tails needed to technically qualify for the job."

Naruto looked back to the waving snakes of fur in the water behind him. Tatsua had been very clear on what Kistune prized above all else in a leader - power - and nothing gave a more adequate representation in the Kitsune mind more than the number of tails attached to a Kitsune body. It was an automatic filter that established status at a distance, almost as much as gender in the predominately female race of Hanyou.

Kyuubi's voice pulled him out of deeper retrospection.

"So yes, I cheated. I made you physically older in both your Kitsune form and your Hanyou image. Even though you have the emotional development of pre-teen, you have the mental capacity of a young adult with genius-level brains and the body to match. You're taller, stronger, faster and that image plays well to power. Perception is reality after all."

Naruto glanced down to the water's surface again and took particular note of his leaner features, the continuing erosion of his cherubic baby fat. He knew his growth spurt the last few years was unprecedented but he'd attributed that to his father who was known to be above average height, not the Kyuubi tinkering with his genes.

"I also jump-started your Kitsune biology, which is chemically predisposed to seducing Kitsune and human females alike by spiking their body's natural response to a strong male. You'll need the edge when you're dealing with powerful Kitsune matriarchs, at least until you can prove that you are physically more powerful than they are. The effect your pheromone-producing glands have on the fairer human sex was, I will admit, an unforeseen bonus." He glanced up to Kyuubi's lecherous smirk and whispered a single word in response.

"Ero-Kyuubi." The large anime arrow stabbing her in the heart didn't make him feel any better about his situation.

~III~

In Konoha…

With over a month to go until the exams, Kurenai's team resumed their regular training and D-ranked mission assignments under a reduced schedule; Kurenai didn't want to wear them out beforehand and definitely accepted nothing with the potential to escalate above a C-Rank.

Wherever possible, Naruto introduced ideas to tweak their D-rank missions by imposing aggressor forces to increase the difficulty, often playing the enemy force himself (with clone augments) or providing the opportunity for his teammates to do the same. The strategic and tactical benefits for babysitting (VIP Sentry Duty) and even retrieving Tora (courier escort missions) were enormous and Kurenai didn't object to the decreased achievement rate so long as the Hokage continued to indulge them with the occasional C-rank mission supplements within Hi no Kuni's borders. Finding a book in the shinobi library discussing mid-level chakra training methods, he helped revive some of the more tedious manual labor missions once the group could link them to a specific elemental affinity.

Kurenai found her genin less likely to object to less glamorous assignments once they were explained in those circumstances and, overall, their high completion rate increased along with their enthusiasm.

One out-of-area C-rank, however, came as a special request from the Daimyo of Wave requesting Naruto's team as part of a routine procedure supporting their refurbished statehood ascension. It was to be the first of five such occurrences before the international community of recognized rulers.

The Nami Daimyo, through Fire Country's counterpart, was requesting a joint inspection team consisting of Samurai and Shinobi to evaluate their current state of military affairs after being freed from Gato. As a formal inspection, the mission was expected to take a week and each official party was requested to start the following Monday.

Surprised by the request, Team Eight set out late in the week prepared to catch up with the small populace that had made such a large impact on their lives.

As Samui's interview with Torture and Interrogation was to happen the same week Team Kurenai was to be away, Naruto left instructions, as well as pre-signed forms, noting his concurrence as Namikaze clan head, for Samui to wed should Konoha wish to immediately assign her those missions he deemed unacceptable. It was to be used only as a last resort and Naruto had to work extra hard to convince the stoic ninja that the course was best for the clan and, more importantly for Naruto's peace of mind.

His growing affections for her demanded, no, necessitated that she remained safe so he could concentrate in Wave Country. She reluctantly, very reluctantly, agreed.

Naruto left exhausted thinking she argued extra vigorously against the option - on purpose - and her very satisfied smirk refused to admit one way or the other. He'd never given soo many massages in his life. Hell, even his fingernails were tired but at least he felt she'd be okay with him beyond Konoha's fortress-like walls.

Safely on the road to Wave, Naruto turned his attention to the inspection at hand, his growing concern for Wave Country's inhabitants obliterated at the official welcoming party that greeted them once they crossed the Great Naruto Bridge (his first shock upon arrival).

At the Great Naruto Bridge, Wave Country…

Met personally by the Daimyo and the samurai contingent (his second shock), they were treated to a newly revitalized Wave economy. People were well-fed and well-dressed, the docks were filled with ships loading prized Wave Country tobacco and farming produce, and the village square was bustling with activity spurred by the ant-like workers of the dock. Smaller merchants with holds full of ice were loading the fresh catch of the day while inbound merchants unloaded stocks of ore, lumber, salt, spices, bright bolts of linen, and preserved stores of beef.

Trade, at best, is a fluid dynamic, and Wave was still finding its rhythm having once been disrupted by the greedy Gato horde. Naruto smiled and turned his eye to the bustling village, noting areas where new homes and shops were going up as they stood and watched.

Team Eight also noticed the intense interest of the samurai contingent, their lead waiting patiently (and anxiously) to engage the shinobi group even as they followed respectfully behind the young Daimyo as befitting her station.

Turning from the docks and the friendly workers waving and shouting at the returned heroes, their procession found its way into the heart of a revitalized town. Based on the warm reception, the Daimyo had informed her populace as to who the masked ninja was, much to Naruto's stunned shock, but there was nothing he could do about it really. He did find the idea of an entire nation sworn to secrecy absurd and impossible to maintain.

Naruto instead dropped the self-destructive introspection and paused with an appreciative eye at the new smithy recognizing the now less haggard face of a man he'd once seen squatting along the roadside with his family after having had everything taken from him by Gato's men. The man stood over an anvil now, sleeves rolled up to keep them free of burning cinders and open flame. The once hollow face was full of life as he pounded horseshoes and fresh tool heads into shape under the direction of a burly man garbed as a samurai retainer, the familiar hair cut a telling sign that the trainer had originally arrived with the team sent by the Fire Daimyo. Eventually, this smith would progress to the highly prized weapon skills needed to outfit this nation's new defense force, but, for now, he diligently toiled to learn the basics under a seasoned master.

Once the rest of the Daimyo's group came to a halt in front of the shop, the trainer nudged his student who, so engrossed in his trade, had not appreciably noticed their arrival. Once the Daimyo and their samurai lead appeared, the two paused to render proper respect, the trainee smith blubbering his gratitude to his ruler for her benevolence in his chosen career. As she waved away his gratitude, he stood and froze once he recognized that the hero of Wave also paused to admire his work.

It shocked him to his core and, humbled as he was, he fell on the ground kneeling before Naruto, much to the latter's embarrassment and his mentor's surprise (as he had no idea who Naruto was). As the blond was helping the man to his feet, his trainer's eyebrow quirked in confusion when the smith's wife and children, one boy and one girl, noticed the whiskered shinobi and darted forward to bow and scrape, now making the young Genin thoroughly flustered. It took intervention from the Daimyo to calm down the group and, once the pandemonium ebbed, Naruto was able to ask the question which originally crossed his mind when he'd first stopped, which was whether or not the smithies would let him pass the time with them at the forge.

With a quick look to Tseguro behind the Daimyo, Kobuyashi Anbiru agreed, given as Akibara Chikao had frozen in nervousness at Naruto's request, repeatedly stating that his meager anvil was unfit for the village's hero. Waving away the admission stating that any opportunity to learn seeks only to improve the skill of the student, and Naruto very much considered himself still a blacksmithing student, the eager blond stepped up to the forge while cinching up his sleeves while taking a spare hammer in hand.

Chikao beamed.

As the teacher began to describe what he was conveying to the now increasingly nervous Chikao (whose eyes were now taking an extreme interest in the cleanliness of his meager shop), Naruto began to ask penetrating questions from concerning metallurgic mixes and solutions to controlling aerial contaminants during the curing process in an open-air smithy.

It quickly became evident to Anbiru, and to Tseguro taking note from behind the amused Daimyo, that Naruto was not a complete novice to the trade and their conversation immediately dipped to a technical level that quickly bypassed Chikao's fledgling knowledge base. Keeping an eye on Chikao, Naruto would pause to explain the purpose of his questions and why it was important as to maintaining the ore's purity during the curing process so the tool being made didn't degrade and corrode through contamination. Anbiru-san simply nodded, as the extra information was critical to this stage of development, one he'd set aside for later while focusing on forging mechanics, assuming they'd redo the end product again and again once his student's basic skill allowed the inclusion of another variable. Naruto clearly needed no such consideration.

So, as the tour took an unplanned break, someone finding a chair for the Daimyo to perch upon, Naruto slipped into an instructor-slash-student mode and unsealed a block of high-grade iron from his personal stores to fashion a new harvesting sickle as it was on Chikao's list of tools to craft for the day.

By now the crowd had grown to half the village. With word of Team Eight's arrival, many wished to see the multi-talented hero working side by side with their village's brand-new blacksmith.

Chikao's wife was a blushing mess and she quickly darted inside to prepare fresh tea for her special guests. Once the Daimyo, her aide, Lord Tseguro, and the visiting dignitaries were all taken care of, she sent her children to fill a fresh pail of water from the pump so that the working men of the forge could cool themselves. Her hands fluttering in worry, she froze like a frightened deer when Hinata calmly grabbed her hands and began speaking in calming tones to the smithy's wife assuring the woman that Naruto was uncomfortable with overly big displays and that a calming motherly person is more likely what he'd respond best to. Getting the woman to take deep, cleansing breaths, Hinata was able to bring her hysteria down to a workable level.

Kurenai was proud of her genin's ability to read the mood. She also had an outstanding bedside manner.

True to Naruto's generally unreserved and oblivious nature, his cinched sleeves did little to evaporate the great heat built-up working at a forge, so the young shinobi, much to Hinata's delight and the delight of every other hot-blooded female within visual range, shed his fancy outer garments per his usual crafting routine, exposing his much thicker build while swinging the hammer in time with Anbiru's tutelage, his muscles heaving, constricting, then rippling in time with the heavy-hammered strikes.

The three flowed into an easy rotation discussing techniques and workflow while switching out time on the anvil and forge, Naruto even displaying an impressive measure of Katon usage in purging the impurities from the curing vat through the churning white-hot metal in the tempering stage for the blade. The younger crowd "oohed" with every bright burst of flame, but it was all completely lost on the lightly panting female audience who just wanted to enjoy the show.

Under his constant and demanding Uzumaki physical development program (and with Kyuubi's anatomical tinkering making him taller and older looking), Naruto's body had begun to thicken noticeably across the shoulders, chest, and arms while keeping an incredibly-tight core. He looked like a blacksmith.

According to several younger girls in the crowd, Naruto's tribal tattoos and seals (the Whirlpool seals along his shoulders and chest) gave him a "bad-boy" image they found VERY appealing, a few making the mistake of wondering aloud if he were single within earshot of Hinata and Tatsua.

In an hour's time, Naruto handed off the finished blade of high-quality steel, shared repeated bows with Chikao, gripped forearms with Anbiru (with a quiet agreement to share more techniques over warm sake), doused his overheated body with a few ladles of water from the cooling bucket (many women drooled here), then grabbed his clothes as he turned to exit the open front of the shop.

He paused when he saw the flushed faces of the young women watching water droplets roll off his upper body. Even Tatsua in chibi fox form was staring (head perked up from Hinata's neck, eyes wide). Many of the women in the crowd, including the Daimyo herself, were sporting nosebleeds, the Daimyo attempting to hide hers behind a kerchief subtly passed by her aide who had one to her own nose.

Naruto used a low-power Fuuton jutsu to produce a localized whirlwind and dry off his body before quickly about-facing and donning his clothing. With a gentle cough to restart a few minds, the group continued without further delay.

Hinata, much to her displeasure, noticed that the Daimyo hovered noticeably closer to the young shinobi for the rest of the tour.

Kyuubi, inside her gilded cage, began to regret her decision to give him the advanced body of an older Kitsune having given him the physical traits of an older teen. The thirteen-year-old looked closer sixteen and that would be a continuing problem if they wanted to defend his virtue from hungry womenfolk… only so they could claim it later themselves.

Hinata spent the rest of their visit defending Naruto from Wave women looking to give him personal tours of various town improvements and tucked-away scenic venues. Tatsua parked herself in his lap and pointedly refused to move any time they were seated outside and a pretty village face wandered too near. Naruto grinned sheepishly and apologized for his poor behavior, which many (mostly female) citizens waved off as him merely blessing the efforts of their village. They, the villagers could only benefit.

Naruto found it disconcerting as he was not a religious figure and wanted nothing to do with being a public figurehead, odd given his once burning desire to become Hokage. He turned down many dinner invitations (respectfully) and a few blatant betrothals.

This didn't stop Naruto from spending many nights (after official business wrapped up) in discussion with the two blacksmiths discussing best practices and weapons, especially once Anbiru took an interest in Naruto's tanto, which was as keen as any blade the experienced samurai had seen and of exceptional quality, as so proclaimed by the older man. The praise forced a blush from the blonde shinobi, one that grew with his embarrassment once the samurai asked if he knew the name of the craftsman that made the blade only to gawk once Naruto hitched a thumb at himself. The conversation quickly turned to curing medium, folding techniques, and ore purity.

Naruto was able to meet Anbiru on a highly technical level despite the limited breadth of his crafting experience. He liked to explore multiple ways to craft the same object and sheepishly admitted to remaking the dagger-like blade eight times before he made one suitable in balance and feel. When pressed as to why he hadn't crafted a sword, Naruto admitted his reluctance to experiment knowing that he had growing to do still and not wanting to have to relearn or remake a particular blade once he'd outgrown it.

That conversation naturally led to a discussion of different types of blades, their histories, and the needed methods of crafting and tempering the various types. This ultimately led to the kodachi, a blade often confused incorrectly with the wakizashi, or shorter companion blade to the samurai's katana, and the benefits of having something longer than his tanto's daggerlike edge to channel his chakra through. Once his interest was piqued, Naruto spent several nights alongside the duo as they had originally set up Chikao's smithy to craft new blades for samurai being trained to protect the Island country's liege. As an added bonus, Anbiru-san just happened to have the blueprint and a "spare" mold for the kodachi.

He was hooked and the blacksmith would later receive his very enthusiastic endorsement as part of the inspection.

His inner craftsman pulled him into their makeshift cabal, Naruto sharing his elemental forging techniques while Anbiru trained him in the making of four new blades, the kodachi becoming his next favorite project as it was traditionally a blade of fixed length, irrespective of the user's height and arm reach. It was a sword he could practice with before learning how to craft the more tailored daishö sword sets. The three became quick friends, often spending hours laughing and joking about misadventures long into the night only to realize later the audiences that gathered to laugh along with them. The people of Wave fell in love with their hero, and his more human side, all over again.

Hinata and Tatsua were never far away on those nights and often enjoyed watching the blond jinchuuriki in a relaxed and natural state, something rarely seen in Konoha.

With a couple of trial attempts under his belt, Naruto resolved to craft a companion to his dagger once he returned home, vowing to return to Wave and train again under Anbiru's seasoned hammer. Anbiru even gave him copies of the blueprints for the four types of swords he shown the shinobi how to make.

With Kurenai's supervision, Team Eight spent the great majority of their time in Wave sequestered with the Daimyo working through the logistics required to establish a school for the shinobi arts as well as the requirements for an initial training curriculum, one the group would bring back to Konoha in order to get their draft syllabus reviewed by a certain instructor they trusted. The two women were trying secretly to keep him from the forge at night but had little success.

It was hard denying him the simple pleasure of good male company when so many others back home were trying to kill him. But all good things must eventually end.

Naruto eventually left ahead of the many offers of marriage after the female population heard he had not yet been married. Apparently, being betrothed more than a year in the future did not count, in the eyes of many a desperate lady out to capture the heart of the village hero, and many of the returning noblewomen considered him fair game for pilfering, much to Hinata's, Kurenai's, and Tatsua's on-going annoyance.

Hinata was quick to remind him that his many bare-chested nights with sweat glistening off of his body and heaving muscles by the light of the forge did not help keep the village's women away from him.

It always disturbed him at the incredible level of detail Hinata would use to describe him at the forge and how she and Kurenai always seemed to develop nosebleeds to a point he worried about cranial aneurysms. Naruto, oblivious as ever, just liked the craftwork stating that he could never work the forge clothed because he overheated far too quickly.

Nonetheless, their mission was heralded as a success, Naruto building close ties to the samurai contingent, even garnering tips on how to improve his kenjutsu skills along with his reinforcement training, which closely mirrored the samurai's chakra-fueled kendo arts. More importantly, Naruto was able during his private conversations with the Daimyo to secure several agreements supporting his ultimate relocation to Whirlpool and the beginnings of a strong alliance with Wave.

Team Eight left with greater confidence that Wave would survive on its current course, better able to fend off another greedy attack like Gato's invasion, and Naruto left more confident in his plan to leave Konoha behind.

It sadly would not last. They all, even Shino, noticed how soon his cheerful mode abandoned him and how much more severe his personality became the closer he got to Konoha.

Before they knew it, they were back in Konoha proper leaving Naruto's group of Wave fangirls behind and preparing to arrive at the academy the following Monday to start preparations for the Chunin exams.

Naruto's Kitsune spent the weekend making him "rest up" by not letting him leave the bedroom, ensuring that he took all meals there to maximize his rest. While Naruto didn't mind being snuggled up with beautiful (and very naked) women, he wished they would let him truly rest as they so loudly insisted he needed to.

Combining both the over-attentive care of his vixen and the very diligent training methods of his Uzumaki advisors, Naruto wasn't quite sure if he was going to make it to the Chunin Exams...

In the Underground Training Facility…

Naruto was being ridiculed and he thought it was overkill.

The whole experience wasn't a total catastrophe. Ienaga, as the elder and Fūinjutsu grandmaster, spent the next week training Naruto in the creation of a special seal that would allow him to transfer a mental imprint from each of the respective Elders onto a shadow clone. While the clone would be limited in the distance that it could travel from the host, unlike Naruto's normal shadow clones, it would allow, for a short duration, the elders to take physical form to guide Naruto's training.

Since the physical aspects of his mindscape experiences did not transfer to the waking world, the elders would brook no chance in the boy laying off his training schedule and would take matters into their own hands to beat him into shape. While their cohabitation of a shadow clone would greatly shorten the clone's lifespan, it would provide enough time to accomplish daily training goals. It would do as a matter of course without draining the avatar's chakra.

It took three days for Naruto to master the transfer process and, on the bright and early four o'clock morning of the very next day, Naruto looked into the eyes of his taijutsu instructor with an overriding sense of dread. It was time to put up or shut up. His instructor promised to break him before the end of their first real week of training and the demonic man did his dead-level best to do so after laying down a few rules.

First, Naruto was not allowed to use shadow clones for training unless doing so under his instructor's guidance. He could meet all other mental or menial labor obligations (except for missions with his team) with clones, if he so desired. Naruto's real body belonged to Abareruken-sensei.

Second, no ninjutsu, genjutsu, shoddy kenjutsu, weapons, or chakra enhancement was to be used. He'd use the blood, sweat, and tears of his body and nothing else.

Third, no more junk food except for one meal on his cheat day, and, as Abareruken-sensei shared the same body, he would know if Naruto cheated. His diet wasn't horrible, but it wasn't exactly monitored either and his unnaturally short stature was a direct result of that. Water, unspoiled milk, or green tea were his only official means of liquid refreshment. Period. That included his cheat days.

Fourth, he was not allowed to share the Uzumaki fighting style with anyone other than his immediate family, that meant wives and children, not girlfriends. If he broke that rule, Ken-sensei promised to destroy his martial skills the first chance he had. He was that serious and Naruto gulped loudly full of appropriate terror.

Fifth, Due to the fourth rule, Naruto would need to keep up his mediocre skills in the academy and Kitsune styles of combat. He was to use the Uzumaki style, once he'd reasonably mastered it, only as a last resort. As he would not be practicing either of those styles with Ken-san, as he simply did not know them, therefore, he'd have to find another time to work that in. Abareruken-sensei would allow the first hour only of their morning warm-up sessions, so Naruto would have to work in his own training rotation. He got an hour for the "mediocre arts of his village," no more.

Sixth, Naruto would not be allowed to even think about using the Uzumaki Taijutsu form until his body was sufficiently conditioned. That meant Naruto would not be allowed to throw his first unsupervised punch until the stated six months had ended and he passed a skills evaluation. Then and only then would they see if he was worthy.

Ken-sensei conveniently neglected to mention the time spent in the mindscape counted for that instruction.

Finally, Ken-san would either add or subtract rules as he saw fit. It was up to the Uzumaki Prince to alter his impression and prove that he was ready to move on.

It was after receiving these guidelines and repeating them back until he knew them by heart, that Naruto's training hell would begin. He'd have to work in his on-going sealing project in the few hours of downtime Naruto could scrounge up on his own.

~III~

A/N: Behind the Scenes - A Study of Danzō Shimura (the Mark of a Proper Story Villain)

Since I was recently accused of inviting unnecessary angst over the inclusion of Danzō Shimura as a "baddie," I figured it appropriate to share my thoughts on my version of the "Shinobi no Yami."

To do this, we need to first discard the fact that he's an evil SPEC OPS bastard from canon. We also need to throw out the fact that Hiruzen, in canon no less, knew/suspected that his old teammate kept his Root organization up and running but couldn't prove it sufficiently to oust and execute the slimy worm. Let's also toss out that Danzō's work (behind the scenes) actually helped Konoha and allowed it to continue so long as the man didn't cross "certain lines." Let's, while we're throwing things out the window, throw out the fact that Danzō - in canon no less - tried to assassinate the Sandaime, failed, but didn't get executed because of 1) the hassle it would raise, and 2) the Sandaime forgave Danzō for the act provided the sneaky "bastage" dedicated his life to protecting the village. Let's also throw out the subsequent attempt made by Danzō to steal Kakashi's Sharingan where he's confronted by Hiruzen (who would have to be an absolute idiot not to realize that Danzō was using Root agents to do all this abducting.

Have we thrown enough stuff out yet? How is that for Canon Angst?

Now that we've thrown out all the angst in Kishimoto's original story, let's address why I kept Shimura-san as part of my story. Those of you that read the first posting of NotSB know how Shimura-san ends up but you might not know what purpose he serves/served.

Yes, he's the "easy villain" you can point to but my Danzō is Hiruzen's Sasuke Uchiha of the Hokage's generation. He's also a highly skilled wetwork/spy uber ninja that's had "decades" to perfect his art. He wouldn't still be around in a very cutthroat business if Hiruzen had concrete proof (of any sort) on him so I changed some of those historical events.

No, I didn't change his affiliation with Orochimaru as that's vital to key story elements. Some of his motivations are the same, however, my Danzō has different motivations driving him, therefore, he has different objectives.

No, I didn't change most of his history with Hiruzen as that's vital to timeline and story development. Danzō is a driving force behind Konoha's growth as a village.

He is, unfortunately, a large reason behind a lot of the early turmoil in this story because he's a competent villain good enough not to be caught red-handed. You don't make it five generations in an unforgiving business without picking up a few useful skills so he's not overly worried about Hiruzen kicking down his door and dragging him off to the headman's ax.

~III~