It was a rainy day.

Uzumaki Naruto, age six, generally didn't like rainy days. They were wet, miserable and seemed to amplify his own distress. The one good thing about them though, was that almost no one was around to call him demon. Outside, he was free on rainy days. They were odd that way.

However this particular rainy day, he wasn't alone. A young man wearing a cape and coat the color of midnight walked down the rainy streets of Konohagakure no Sato. The way he was moving suggested that he had the world on his shoulders, and there didn't seem to be any way of removing this burden. Seeming not to really care on where he was going or doing, the man made his way over to the playground that Naruto was currently hiding in. The man sat down on a swing, idly beginning to swing, an unconscious action, preoccupied in thought.

The constant swinging eventually lowered the man's hood. He was a fairly young man, with hair close cropped and the color of freshly fallen snow. His face however, had lines weathered into it, as if he was much older than he appeared. He possessed eyes the color of gold, at a height of six feet even.

The man continued to swing for several minutes, and Naruto began to relax under the tunnel slide again. Therefore, he was quite surprised when the man said, "Hey there."

The man continued to swing. "Don't worry little one. I won't bite. Just passing by." He said in a morose fashion. "Where are your parents? Their probably worried about you."

Surprised that this man didn't send a harsh glare or word his way, Naruto looked amazed, then somewhat sad. "I don't have any nii-san. No one wants me. Everyone in this village thinks I shouldn't live and call me demon."

The man's expression didn't change. "That's rather odd. I've fought dozens of demons in my time… you don't feel like one at all."

These words, while almost inconsequential to the man, had a powerful effect on young Naruto. His eyes began to water, and he began crying, so happy that someone acknowledged him for the first time. Still crying, he ran into and tackled the man out of his swing. The man lay dumbfounded, with the still crying boy clutched onto him.

"Hey hey, don't cry little one. You'll… get me wet." The man stated awkwardly.

Sniffing, Naruto smiled. "Gomen ne, Nii-san. I'm just happy, that's all." He let go of the traveler. "Thanks for making me feel better." And Naruto's smile, a true smile, could have warmed even the coldest of hearts. The man gave a wan smile in return and returned to the swing, not noticing that the rain was beginning to lessen. Naruto, wanting to help this man, joined him on the other.

"Ne, Nii-san, why are you so sad?" Naruto asked tentatively.

The man became morose again at this. "It's because… I've lost my friends. And every time I try to make new friends wherever I go I fail at it. I miss having friends, that's why I'm sad."

"You know Nii-san… I'll be your friend."

His eyes widening, the man looked towards the outstretched hand that little Naruto offered him. Tentatively, he grasped the hand.

"You would be my friend? Just like that? I didn't think friendship worked like that."

Naruto furrowed his brow. "I wouldn't know, but I want to be your friend, so that's that!" he pouted. "Besides I thought you've had friends before?"

"It's been a very long time since I've seen them little one. I've almost forgotten everything about friendship. However… I am glad to be your friend. Thank you." The man gave Naruto a real smile this time, and both could feel warmth from their feelings. The man shook Naruto's hand.

"I'm Muhi Tatsu. Pleased to meet you."

"Uzumaki Naruto. Same here, Tatsu-niichan!"

As the two shook warmly, neither of them seemed to notice that the rain had stopped, the sun coming out to welcome a new beginning.

Five years later…

It had been five years ever since Muhi Tatsu and Uzumaki Naruto had met each other, and this day was to symbol a new beginning. Naruto hadn't been seen in Konoha for that time at all, and it seemed as if only Sandaime Hokage knew what had happened to the boy. Whenever pressed about where the boy had gone, either from the council or various villagers, he only responded:

"Naruto is in a place where he is loved, and can gain strength in body and mind."

This cryptic answer only raised more questions, but since Naruto hadn't technically been a ninja when he had left, he couldn't be declared a missing ninja. Hyuuga Hinata seemed especially strange, as she had a knowing look in her eyes whenever the boy was mentioned, even though almost nobody noticed.

Five years had passed since then, and no Konohagakure no Sato was in for a bit of a surprise…

A boy was returning to Konoha for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime. Towards the central Hokage tower the boy strode, with an aura of both confidence and strength as he went forward with a calm smile upon his face. He was tall enough that most people would have considered him fourteen, even though many would be surprised to learn he was only eleven.

Wearing aviator sunglasses, the boy possessed long blonde hair that reached down to his shoulders, with bangs in front. Many curious onlookers swore that they were seeing Yondaime Hokage again, even though they knew that such a thing was impossible. He wore a loose leather jacket, a small black shirt, and loose jean pants. To top it off, he wore a pair of tight-fitting sandals. Most curious to those who knew him however, was that Uzumaki Naruto did NOT have his 'whiskers'.

Finally reaching the Hokage tower, Naruto walked to a pair of curious guards and raised a palm. After a few seconds, the eyes of the guards appeared to glaze over and they appeared to be in a trance. Walking in, to an onlooker, Naruto would have appeared to have disappeared.

Meanwhile, Sandaime Hokage was either experiencing a very stressful day or a bad case of early senility. His Grandson had tried to 'attack' him twenty times that day, Nara Shikamaru had to be taken to the hospital for a case of under-exhaustion(meaning he was so lazy that the medic-nins had to have Shikarmaru go through physical therapy.) and finally, it looked as if there were only eight Genin in the academy who had the potential to pass their sensei's tests. And he KNEW this, because Sandaime had his all-seeing crystal ball.

'Tired Oji-san? Well, I suppose that's to be expected at your age.'

Giving a start, Sandaime quickly turned towards the source of the voice with kunai in hand, years of experience taking over. Whoever spoke ducked, yelping in surprise.

"Gee that's a fine hello for someone you haven't seen in FIVE YEARS!"

Sandaime calmed down and stared with surprise at the person he had caught.

"Naruto? You've come back?" The old man let out a beaming smile. "Oh it's great to see you! I…" Sarutobi paused. "Wait, why are you here? I thought you were going away forever."

Naruto let out a tiny sigh. "Well, I kinda still want to be Hokage Oji-san. Can't do that without becoming a ninja, can I?"

"But, what about your…"

"Tatsu-sensei didn't want me to at first, but he realizes how important it is to me. He says as long as I visit him occasionally, its okay." Naruto answered. "Did I make it in time to go to the academy? I know some things, but I still need to learn how to be a ninja." He smiled sheepishly.

Sandaime gave a chuckle. "Yes, of course. The ninja academy starts tomorrow, so get ready okay?"

"Hai, Oji-san. I'll be there, dattebayo!"

Sandaime smiled, a bit of the previous stress he had felt melting away. Then something occurred to him.

"Naruto, wait just a minute. How was it that you got past my guards?"

Naruto shrugged. "It's not my fault your guards need more training to fight illusions of the mind. Or whatever you call them around here."

Naruto continued to walk out, Sandaime still trying to understand whether Naruto meant he had somehow learned amazing Genjutsu, or something he had yet to understand…

For the next year or so, Uzumaki Naruto had worked in the ninja academy to learn 'ninja stuff' as he called it. In practical exercises, he learned at a frightening pace. While most children placed in the academy learned how to use Chakra at a pace of around four months to a year depending on the child, Naruto learned how to use it within a month. When questioned on this ability, Naruto remarked that he had already had training in a similar ability, though when pressed, no answers were forthcoming. However the fact remained that Naruto was simply amazing. Naruto had learned Henge no Jutsu and Kawarimi no Jutsu in mere weeks. His Taijutsu abilities while not the strongest or fastest, were still made up of movements that wasted nothing and were incredibly efficient. Naruto also used the academy library periodically, reading books usually having to do with Konoha history and the people in said village.

That being said, Naruto did have one weakness. His Ninjutsu needed a quite a bit of work, as after two straight months of trying, he still hadn't perfected Bushin no Jutsu. After meditating on the problem, (and weirdly, he had stayed like this for an entire day without pause.) and speaking with his somewhat unhelpful teachers, (although a quick wave of the hand had solved the problem of irrational hatred he had sensed with Mizuki, and helped Iruka come to his senses regarding something, although Naruto didn't know what.) he had learned that the problem was Chakra control. It was in trying to find help with this particular problem that the normally quiet and reserved Genin made his first friend.

"Sakura-san, may I walk with you for a moment?"

Stunned out of her Sasuke-induced daydream, Haruno Sakura shook her in and glanced in surprise at the boy now speaking to her. Uzumaki Naruto rarely if ever spoke, and even then, he had never spoken to his peers. She thought he was nice, in a way. She quickly nodded to his question. Class had just let out, so they began to walk outside.

"Yes, what do you want Naruto-san?"

"Well…" Naruto fidgeted nervously. "I was wondering if you could tutor me in Chakra control. The books I have read on the subject don't explain it the same way a person would, and I would appreciate your input in the methods I have been practicing."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. The boy who was tying for number one in class with Sasuke was asking HER for help? Still, it was rather flattering.

"Maybe…" she drawled, "But I want something in return."

"Oh? What would that be?" Naruto asked somewhat nervously.

She gave him a smirk. "I want you to help me out regarding Sasuke-kun. Something that'll help me with him. You're almost as strong as he is, maybe more, so you would know how strong guys feel about things."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "So, I just want to be clear about this. You want me to help you in regards to Uchiha-san and how you feel about him?"

Sakura gave a nod.

"Alright then. Let me get a scroll…."

After about a half hour of writing out the contract, (Tatsu-sensei had told him that with contracts, one always needed to make them without a concrete meaning so that they could always work to your advantage.) Sakura signed the contract first. Then, to show his promise, Naruto signed said contract in blood after biting his thumb.

"Naruto… you didn't have to go that far…"

"Yes I did. Tatsu-sensei always says that one of the best ways to make friends is to show them that you can depend on them."

Sakura's eyes widened. "You… want to be my friend?"

Naruto gave a sad smile. "Sakura-san… I want to be a friend of everyone. I just don't know how."

Sakura gave a somewhat sad smile back. Then, she changed it to beaming and let out her hand. "I'm Haruno Sakura. Wanna be friends?"

And with that, Naruto's own smile could have melted any cold that came his way.

For the next two months, Sakura helped Naruto with his Chakra control, and he actually managed to help her improve somewhat as well. He had come across several methods of not only improving control, but also increasing one's Chakra reserves and ways of manipulating one's Chakra. The control methods mainly consisted of the infamous 'tree-climbing' and 'water-walking' methods that were popular amongst Genin to Chuunin level Shinobi within Konoha. They both had spent just about a week perfecting the tree climbing, two to master the water-walk, mainly because Sakura had used the method to build up her Chakra reserves.

After this, Sakura's Sasuke-obsession, while still strong, had somewhat dwindled. She had confessed to Naruto that she felt somewhat inadequate having not come from ninja clans like nearly everyone of her classmates, and wished that she could have her own 'style'. After hearing this, Naruto asked a question that in a way, rocked her world.

"If your control is so good… why don't you just use Chakra itself for a style?"

After hearing this, Sakura spent a sleepless night thinking of what Naruto had meant. While taking a bath in the furoba, Sakura began to notice how the water shaped and reshaped itself constantly, rearranging itself into different sizes and lengths. It was then that she felt a sharp jolt of surprise, an epiphany finally coming to her.

Running out to one of the many spare training areas, Haruno Sakura, the ever studious and smart kunoichi, had skipped a day of class she had become so excited. After a few hours, one could see her begin to concentrate and Chakra began to slowly extend out of her palm. Eyes closed, she formed the Chakra into a long, slim, pointed shape. She then drew back her hand and with a yell, thrust the Chakra into a nearby log. A loud 'WHUMP' sounded, and the Chakra dispelled. A drop of sweat came down from Sakura's forehead and she glanced at the log. A small but long hole extended all the way through the hard log. Sakura gave a loud squeal of pleasure.

"YATTA! Chakra Spear, success!"

And so Sakura became indebted (in mind at least) to Naruto, and knew she had finally found someone she could depend on. (1) She had found her niche, and she had him to thank. After the hug she had surprised him with, pouncing onto his back, and thanking him profusely, he simply smiled.

"I may have steered you in the right direction, but you did the work, the thinking, and how to shape the Chakra. You had the talent Sakura-san. You should thank yourself."

With this, Sakura just hugged him even more tightly, and a Naruto turning blue hurriedly tried to find some way of breathing without offending his friend.

Finally, the day had come. After two months of training and aiding the other, Naruto and Sakura had become firm friends. However, Sakura still was crushing on Sasuke, thinking that it might be even easier to gain his 'love' due to her increased ability. She had begun working on variants of the 'Chakra weapons' technique, and was feeling more confident in her abilities. As she became more and more amazed at what she was beginning to accomplish, she explained her surprise to her friend. Naruto had just smiled.

"It's no surprise to me that you've come into your own Sakura-san. Your name has always implied that you would blossom into a beautiful flower."

For some reason, this made Sakura not only blush, but her heart began to beat just a tiny bit faster.

But back to the matter at hand. Naruto was preparing to make good on his end of their deal, and even Sakura, with her extensive knowledge of how energy like Chakra worked, was stumped. Naruto was in a classic meditation position, sitting with his legs crossed and his hands on his knees with his eyes closed. He pressed his palms together, and a powerful white aura began to emerge from him. The aura grew in intensity, twisting and writhing in power and Naruto slowly stood up, gradually moving towards Sakura.

"Sakura-san, please close your eyes."

After two months of working with him, Sakura had learned to trust her friend and complied. Ever so slowly, the faint whisps of white energy that had continually wafted into the air before began to dissipate. Extending his palms forward, one could see the energy had surrounded Naruto's palms in a sort of ethereal, golden glow. Before he finished, Naruto whispered almost imperceptibly:

"Forgive me Sakura-san. You may think at first that this is a curse, but believe me, it's a blessing."

Naruto then finished and brought his palms to Sakura's forehead. The glow began to trail down her body, and she began to feel somewhat warm. As the glow completed going it's way all across Sakura's body, she let out a gasp and passed out.

My first Naruto story. Please read and review, and check the author notes for some things you may be wondering about.

While Sakura doesn't seem like she was depressed or anything in the academy, we never see her with any really close friends. That and by the time she begins to go for Sasuke, she breaks her friendship with Ino. My point of view is that she was actually somewhat lonely due to that, and if she had had a good friend, she would have been more properly motivated. And no, I don't think her rivalry with Ino regarding Sasuke counted, because neither of them focused on being stronger, just on shallow things really. I know she's kind of OOC, but Naruto is too. And he's out of character for a reason you'll see eventually.

For those of you wondering if this is going to be another fic in which Naruto becomes overpowered, or his teacher is, don't worry. For a good comparison think of it this way. This Naruto is actually great at Genjutsu, but his fighting style doesn't revolve around pounding the crap out of everything. It's more ninja-like. Also, his Taijutsu forms are good, but in a straight fight between someone like him and Lee, Lee would win due to speed and strength. This Naruto is very smart and clever, but in terms of power, he's nowhere near even Kakashi, let alone Orochimaru or Akatsuki. He may come up with interesting ways of fighting, but he's no powerhouse.

Again, please R+R.