MPD #1: How's it hanging dudes and/or dudettes! Hopefully cause for me it's pretty sweet. And as some of you can tell from my other story, it's me again!

MPD #2: Ehem.

#1: Oh, and of course him to.

#2: Thanks asshole.

#1: No problem. Ow.

#2: I need to find some way to get rid of your ass

#3: Do I hear fighting?

#2:Uh…uh…no, none at all. We're just having a bit of fun.

#3: Good then let #1 continue.

#2: Hm. Fine.

#1: Thanks #3. Anyways, some of you may know me from my other story, 'Ascension of the Ashikabi Shinobi' or AAS. Rest assured, I'm not abandoning that story. I'm just swamped with life and such, but am still working on it. This story is just another one I liked-

#2: Like other guy-

#3: #2!

#2: Sorry,forceofhabitwon'thappenagain!

#1:…as I was saying I kinda had another idea for a FF and so this was born. Hope you guys and gals enjoy! And remember to review or PM directly for any suggestions/complaints/ideas/etc.! Without further ado!...Oh and disclaimer sorry.

#2 and 3: Dumbass!

#1: I don't own the rights to Naruto, unfortunately. Not saying I could right it as great, but there sure as hell wouldn't be as many headaches when it came to plot holes and Naruto's ignorance. Oh well, such is life.

Prologue:

(10 years ago in Konohagakure no Sato)

If one looked close enough, they could just see the waves of joy radiating off of one paled-faced snake sannin as he strolled to the main laboratory.

'Not only was I able to acquire DNA of one Senju Hashirama, but he was able to acquire many new able-bodied test subject. Finding the DNA hadn't been easy, given he had to search the vast expanse known as the Valley of the End, but that's why he had so many lackeys. So much to do, yet only one of me' thought Orochimaru.

'Course you suffer quality when you have to rely on others. This was apparent when they brought with them multiple other samples that were either insignificant or completely unknown, and therefore dangerous, to use. After all, surprises for shinobi only equaled a hasty end.

It was quite strange though. Sure, it was good that he found the sample, great even, as now he had the chance to reproduce the mighty Mokuton (Wood release) Hashirama was oh-so famous for. However, there was gnawing thought that perhaps he should keep an eye on it, as if something was going to go wrong with it. 'Just being overprotective. Kabuto-kun can more than handle it. Besides, if he's to be my right hand, he will need to know how to proceed in experiments.' With the thought pushed out of his mind, he focused on the new batch of subjects.

'Nothing very astounding. Then again, most of them are orphans barely old enough to blow their own nose. I will say, there are two there that intrigue me. That one brown-haired child certainly has some malleable genes. What was his name again? Gamato? No. Yamabo? No. Oh well, I'll figure it out later…if he survives.' The thought was matched by an equally dark grin 'And then there was this one blonde child. He certainly was an interesting one. Only about two years old and already with chakra levels that match most genin! If it weren't for the fact that Minato didn't have a wife, I would've thought the child to be the Yondaime's son, what with his chakra levels and his hair, though nowhere near as spiky or wild, was certainly the same radioactive blonde and a little unkempt. Back on topic, if he already has that much chakra, I can't wait to see what happens when he's older. He will be quite the pawn!'

His thoughts were unceremoniously interrupted when one of his loyal chunin sprinting around the corner to the hallway leading to the holding cells.

"Orochimaru-sama! One of the experiments has started to struggle against its confinements. It's resisting all of our attempts to calm it and it's causing a massive ruckus. If you don't stop it, an Anbu patrol may notice and investigate!" said the shinobi

'Damn! Can't have that happening!' thought Orochimaru "I'll go and deal with it. You go on and tell Kabuto-kun to proceed with the experiments as scheduled. And tell him to speed up a little, in case we get any unwelcomed visitors and have to leave early."

"Hai!" And with that, the two went off, Orochimaru to the holding cells and the chunin to the labs to deliver Orochimaru's orders.

(10 minutes later with Kabuto)

"So he said to continue on without him, and to make sure to speed up in case the Anbu alert Konoha?" asked young Yakushi Kabuto.

"Hai, those were his words."

"Alright then, I shall do what Orochimaru-sama wishes." With that said Kabuto prepared to administer the DNA of Senju Hashirama into the subjects, taking out a few syringes and filling each with the same amount. He then proceeded to inject said DNA for all of the subjects present…except for one blonde-haired infant around two years of age. When he was approaching the last cradle, he didn't notice the liquid from a past experiment and so slipped on it, causing the syringe to fly out of his hands and crashing to the floor, spilling its contents.

'If Orochimaru-sama learns that I made such a rookie mistake of not inspecting my workspace, he'll certainly increase my training' he shuddered at the thought. Last time Orochimaru had increased his training, if it weren't for his bloodline, he was pretty sure he'd just be a red smear on the ground. And that was when he hesitated on his first experiment! If he learned about him not only wasting the efforts of Orochimaru, but his resources!...'I have to cover it up somehow. What to do, what to do? Wait, what if I just inject him with one of the samples also found at the Valley? It'd make sense one of them was also Hashirama's genes, since they were found at the same place. Bingo!'

With that thought in mind, Kabuto continued to take one of the samples from the Valley's team expedition, and inject the blonde with it.

Just as Kabuto was done, a massive explosion rocked the entire facility, accompanied by a few falling rocks, flickering lights, and Orochimaru bursting into the room. "Kabuto-kun, we have to go now! The Anbu were able to alert Konoha. They'll be here any minute, we have leave!"

"But Orochimaru-sama, the-!"

"We'll have to leave the experiments. It'll take too much time to transport them and evade Konoha. Now hurry, before they show up!" ordered Orochimaru, which Kabuto quickly complied and proceeded to an emergency exit built just in case something like this happened.

(A few minutes later with the Hokage)

The Sandaime appeared in his usual battle attire as soon as he saw the massive explosion. What with the Kyuubi's attack only a year prior, Konoha had yet to fully recover, and so Hiruzen knew that he had to always be vigilant in the case a new threat would try and take advantage of Konoha's weakened state.

An explosion with a chakra shockwave felt to the Hokage tower and left a mini-mushroom cloud would definitely fall under the "Potential Threat" category.

Once Hiruzen appeared, a squad of Anbu broke off from the main investigation to report.

"Jay, what happened here and what caused the explosion?" asked the Sandaime to an Anbu with a blue mask shaped like a bird.

Jay, which was the call sign of the squad leader of Anbu squad that was on patrol, answered, "Sandaime-sama, me and my men were had heard a large commotion coming from this spot. We went to investigate, where we were ambushed by a snake too large to be normal."

The Sandaime grimaced at that part. This gave the aging Hokage all he needed to know of who the base belonged to. After all, there were only two holders of the snake contract, and one of them was soundly asleep at her friend's, Kurenai Yuhi's, home. If that part was a shock, the next things Jay was going to say would surely give the old man a heart attack.

"We engaged the serpent, but quickly learned that it didn't come alone and was accompanied by a few others. The explosion was caused by a collaboration technique from Jackal and Hare. I-"

"Wait, a single collaboration caused that?!"

"Yes, Sandaime-sama. These were the two I mentioned earlier about the fiasco with the Clone Great Explosion." The Anbu then turned towards the two in question. They simply looked away as if they were completely innocent and nothing was wrong, though they could tell their squad leader was staring daggers at them. Shortly, Jay resumed his report."Anyways, the jutsu eliminated the resistance, however made it almost impossible to enter the compound due to the intense flames." Another glare, accompanied by nonchalant whistling, causing Jay to growl slightly "…Thick-headed bakas…"

"Ok, what did your squad and you do afterwards?"

Jay returned his attention back to the Hokage. "We stayed out of the hot zone and set up a perimeter around the flames just to make sure nothing came out. Nothing did, so we entered to scout ahead. When entered via a small trapdoor disguised by a Henge over there. Once inside, I had my team check every room for anyone or anything of importance."

"Well, did you?

Jay hesitated for half a second and continued on "We were able to find a few interesting things. While we could not find Orochimaru or any of his underlings, we were able to find many of his test subjects." Another hesitation.

"Was there anything significant about any of them?"

"There were many with deformities, I can't say for certain on any of the subjects' mental health. However, there was this one person of importance. The vessel to the Kyuubi no Kitsune, Uzumaki Naruto."

This caused a stab of sadness and look of shock to appear on the aging Hokage's face 'First the boy's forced to keep the Kyuubi at bay against his will and isn't even praised, but persecuted as if he were the demon itself. That would be enough to make any one child, no person, experience so much sorrow and loneliness. But this? Being subjugated again to partake in something he can't control, and possibly make him seem like a monster in the villagers' eyes. The worst part is, at least one of the incidents could've been stopped. If I hadn't been so blind to my own student's falling, and seen him for what he truly was instead of what I thought he was, Naruto wouldn't have to endure this. I just hope when the boy is older, he can forgive me for my failures'. It was times like this that caused Hiruzen Sarutobi, the famed Kami no Shinobi, to truly feel his age rather than the strong figurehead most of Konoha saw him as.

A slight shift brought the Sandaime out of his saddened mental state to the Anbu standing, now a little nervous in front of him. After all, how would someone feel if someone they respect so much appeared to age before your very eyes? Sure, everyone knew how the Sandaime loved the Kyuubi vessel, but to see him in such a state by a few words was uncomfortable, at the least.

'No more, at least not now. There is a time for self-berating later. I need to be strong; if not for the village, then for Naruto-kun.' With this thought, the Sandaime steeled himself for what was inside the compound of his fallen student. Jay, I want one of your squad mates to escort me through the compound, given you've already scouted it out. Tell the rest of the Anbu to return to their original tasks, but keep tell at least two squads to keep up a perimeter. I want make sure no one enters, but we shouldn't risk village security to do so."

"Hai!" and off Jay went to follow the Hokage's orders. The Sandaime went over to the door indicated by Jay, where an Anbu with a Raccoon mask was waiting for him.

"Are you ready to enter, Hokage-sama?"

"Yes, let us proceed." And so the two entered the compound to see what monstrosities lay inside.

(Inside Orochimaru's now Former Compound)

The Sandaime had given his expectations for what was inside a wide berth. He knew of his former student's ambitions and his methods on how he felt to best achieve those ambitions. However, he never expected everything he saw in there. Hell, he had lived through three Great Ninja Wars and some of the things inside were unheard of, let alone actually seen!

The first few rooms hadn't shown much. They included just a few bunk beds, dressers, lamps, and a few personal items. These areas were obviously used as the living areas for those loyal to Orochimaru. However, just as a king would with his peasants, Orochimaru's personal quarter was the last and seemed like it belonged only to him. Inside the room was a king-sized bed, a desk with crumpled papers littering the space on and around it, and small walk-in closet.

Continuing along the main hallway, one would first encounter the mess hall, structured like any other, with a few tables and a main buffet table, with the entrance to the kitchen situated in the back of the room. After the mess hall was storage, however not for the test subjects. The storage was split into three parts: the armory, medical supplies with the medical bay being inside, and lab equipment.

After storage, the hall split into two separate paths, one leading to the laboratory, where the subjects were brought for experimentation, and the other leading to the containment bay, where all test subjects and those waiting to be experimented were held. Both equally disturbing.

The containment bay looked like a high class prison, with a few sentry posts, cells fit for holding back a full grown elephant, and impeccable security system that wouldn't let a fly entering the area go unnoticed. The only difference being the atmosphere of the two. While a prison held a sense of chaos being kept under a strong veil of order and rigidity, this place held the almost complete opposite. There was no calm, no sense of structure, only of sadness, of anger, of sadness. The feelings were so strong, in fact, it was almost palpable; an ever present reminder of those that suffered here.

Many of the room's inhabitants had gone wild when the explosion rocked the facility, filling the room with a plethora of exotic and unexotic sounds. Upon the arrival of the Anbu, the incessant chatter instantly came down to a few halfhearted grunts or whispers. They could sense that these new arrivals were strong, and they resembled some of the men they'd seen working around the compound. And if what those men's treatment to any they deemed 'uncooperative', then they definitely did NOT want to eager the newcomers.

The laboratory was where all the various experiments, and also happened to be the area the Sandaime Hokage was walking through. He was only halfway through and was already having trouble from emptying the contents of his stomach.

In one room, there were literally organs of various sorts, jarred and stacked up on cold, metallic racks. Also littering the shelves were test tubes filled with various substances. 'Some of these tubes were obviously used by Orochimaru already, given some aren't as filled as others, but now that begs the question: What was he using those test tubes for? And if they were used on any of his subjects, what did he hope to, or worse, already accomplish?' He knew of his former student's ambitions, and he knew just to what extent he would go to make those ambitions a reality. 'Where did I go wrong?' thought the Sandaime before quickly shaking away the train of thought about to come along and focused back on the base.

The Sandaime Hokage with his Anbu escorts continued on after to the next room. The mutilated bodies and multitude of medical (and very sharp) equipments and supplies marked this room as the dissection lab. There were few things that could make people like the Anbu skittish, let alone vomit. Yet once stepping foot in the room and seeing and smelling the bodies, the escort quickly went to the nearest trashcan to void their stomachs of their dinners. Even the Sandaime adopted a slight sickly shade of green. Needless to say, this room was probably the least searched out of every room.

The very last room and current one Hiruzen was in, was the experimentation lab. This was where all the magic (or black magic for most) would find the test subjects that Orochimaru was prepping to be experimented on, as well as those that had just underwent experimentation and were kept around for a while to keep a closer eye on. As Hiruzen walked down the aisles, he couldn't help but be saddened at all of the subjects that Orochimaru had, some of which he knew.

'This one was young Sora,' he said as he saw a toddler of two years and blue hair 'a very silent child but headstrong nonetheless. And then there are the twins, Yin and Yan.' He thought, picking out two six year olds with similar faces; however Yin had snow white hair, while Yan had pitch black. Such liveliness in the two, and that went double for their pranks that they always pulled. And little Yamato, always playing ninja and vowing to be as strong as the Shodai. The Will of Fire sure does burn bright within him, especially for his age. In fact, there are only a few people I know who can match it. One of them being in this very room.' Hiruzen grimaced and made his way to the last cradle he hadn't inspected. Inside was a little baby of two years of age, with a tuft of blonde hair and three little whisker marks displayed on each cheek. 'Naruto'

"What are your orders, regarding you orders and it's…current inhabitants, Hokage-sama?" asked one of the Anbu escorts nervously. He knew of the aging Hokage's relationship to the boy. Everyone who had seen the two together knew. He would act so much like a grandfather, as if the fact they weren't related by blood didn't matter. So it made sense to be a little skittish when discussing subjects involving the young jinchuuriki, especially when it was on a matter that also involved his former student.

"I want you to take them all to the hospital. Make sure each and everyone, and I DO mean everyone, is safe and in a room. I want you to make sure no one Jonin or below hear of this. Also, store everything that could benefit Konoha and send it to me for personal scrutinization. Afterwards, destroy this facility and anything relating to it. And as of now, Orochimaru is a missing-nin with an S rank bounty on his head with an 'approach with caution' order. Lastly, I want no one to mention the Kyuubi in public, lest they be charged with the penalty of death. Understood?" receiving a nod from the Anbu, the Sandaime finished, "That is all."

"Hai, Hokage-sama," answered both Anbu before using Body Flicker to exit the facility to spread the orders. 'I just hope nothing is too wrong with Naruto, or anyone here for that matter' thought Hiruzen before Shushining back to the Hokage tower to fill out all the required paperwork this was sure to cause.

(Timeskip: 4 years later)

We find ourselves on one young Naruto Uzumaki prowling around nighttime Konoha's city streets, looking for anything to sustain him. He was now officially five today, which meant he had to be extra careful. You see every year, on this exact day, a mob would usually form and attempt to kill the "demon" that was known as Naruto.

He of course had no clue why. He was just an average orphan that never tried to purposely anger anyone. Why did most of the village seem to hate him so much? Was it something that he had done wrong? OR maybe it was something his parents did?

He didn't know them, so for all he knew they could be anyone. They could be missing-nin, they could be regular civilians, heck, they could even be great ninja like the Hokages!

'Course that was just something out of stories he sometimes overheard. No way could that happen, let alone to an orphan like him. Right?

His thoughts were put out of his mind when the familiar sound of stampeding feet, metal hitting metal, and cries of "Where is he?!" and "Kill the demon!"

'Really? It's like this every year! Why can't they ever leave me alone!' thought Naruto before running into a nearby alleyway to get away from the incoming mob. "Where is the demon spawn?!" "I thought I saw him rooting through the trash!" "Wait, there he is, he's going into that alleyway!" A with that, the mob also entered to the alleyway.

Now it may seem strange to split off into the first alleyway one sees when running then get distance and then hide. But this alleyway was one Naruto used a lot to evade any pursuers, whether it is because of a prank he pulled or just for merely living. However, today was a different. He had marked this alleyway as one of his safe havens, but only did that as a sign as to where he would put one next. This fact was unbeknownst to the child, so he feverishly tried to find his hiding spot to no avail.

And within a matter of seconds, the mob had entered the alleyway and had spotted the object of their hate; their target. The mob was armed with torches, knifes, and other various objects usually harmlessly; but now, where used with intent to maim and kill. Naruto, while young, knew that given the chance that's exactly what they would to him. The alleyway was cornered though, and so Naruto did the only thing he could think of: Go to the corner and hope to phase through the wall. Needless to say, it didn't work.

"Please, just go away! I didn't do anything!" cried young Naruto

"But you did, you killed my brother, you demon bastard!"

"I don't know what your-OOF," Naruto was abruptly interrupted by a fist connected with his face, immediately causing his left eye to partially shut from the swelling. The offending fist belonging to an Uchiha chunin, "Demon's don't deserve to speak. You nearly burned the village to the ground, killed many of our people and my clansmen, you kill our beloved Hokage, and then you have the gall to walk around here as if nothing happened and that you belong. News flash kid, no one cares or wants you. You're just a reminder of what happened on that day, a reminder that today we are getting rid of! Who's with me?"

This last question was addressed to the amassed mob behind the unnamed shinobi, which was met with a resounding 'Yeah!' to show their support in ending the boy's life. The chunin who struck Naruto first proceeded to pull out a rusty kunai with a nasty serrated edge, one not very useful in combat, but would bring hell to anyone that it was used on, "Time to finish what the Yondaime started," he cried and proceeded to bring the weapon to bear on Naruto. The only thought flashing through his mind was 'Please make it quick.' The point came down and a spray of blood was followed.

Seconds passed by and he felt no pain or injury, Naruto eventually drew the courage to peep an eye open. He first looked at the ground; the first thing he noticed was the large pool of blood, none of it his. He investigated the scene below him a little more and finally noticed a severed hand with a rusty kunai, the stiffened muscles keeping it in place. It took him a while to register it was the same hand and kunai owned by the chunin that attacked him first. He also noticed the new outline of a shadow just in front of his, said shadow belonging to the masked Anbu in front of him.

He was dressed in the usual Anbu attire consisting of black long-sleeved shirt, black pants, standard Anbu armored vest, black sandals, arm and shin guards, and sporting a mask styled like a cat's. They had a shuriken and kunai holster strapped to their thighs, and a sheath on their back, the now-bloodied sword being in the Anbu's hand.

"You know that it's not right to attack those that are innocent. It's especially not right to break a law punishable by death," spoke the Anbu in a monotone voice. Before the chunin could say anything in response, the Anbu quickly drove the point through the man. He pulled the sword out to let him fall, not as it mattered much as he was dead before he hit the ground. This caused the mob to quickly disperse in a massive commotion, screaming bloody murder and tripping over one another to escape the masked Anbu's wrath.

After one minute, the alley was cleared of everyone but the Anbu, the corpse and Naruto, who was shaking like a leaf at the gruesome display before him. He had never seen someone do something as heinous as killing with such ease and nonchalance. He didn't know whether to thank the man for saving him, or try and flee as well to escape the man who seemed to easily take one's life. So he just sat there, staring at him in a mixture of ear and awe.

"You know, it's not very polite to stare," said the Anbu, which broke Naruto out of his stupor only for him to go into a panic for fear of having upset the Anbu, "It's OK, I wish you no ill will. Though if we stay out here, I'm fairly sure many will try what they just did again. We should get you back home," and with that the Anbu put his arm on Naruto's shoulder before he could react and Body Flickered the pair to Naruto's apartment.

(At Naruto's Apartment)

The pair appeared out of a swirl of leaves with the Anbu landing nimbly while Naruto, it being a new experience and not expecting it, landed on his butt with a slight case of nausea.

"You should make sure to keep a lower profile Naruto. Don't want to give those nasty villagers a chance, now would we?" came the monotonous voice of the Anbu.

"Arigotou, Anbu-san. But how do I do that? Just me being a few feet from them seems to make them angry at me. And I swear, I don't do anything. Why can't they accept me?"

"That, young Naruto, is something I can't answer right now. But I will say that it involves something that happened that you couldn't control. Do not blame yourself."

"I don't! But is there any way to make them see me for just me? To see me as Naruto instead of a demon?"

"I cannot truthfully answer you. But I will say this, there eyes are clouded by what they fear and do not know. Since they cannot see, they draw conclusions from other foolish things others think. But if their eyes were to open, they could see clearly. It takes different powers in this world to open one's eyes.

But one thing rings true: Always stay true to what you believe. Do not let others guide who you are, but let you guide others to what they should see," spoke the Anbu. His words were monotonous, and his speech lacked the seeming motivation to drive the boy forward. But one thing stuck out at Naruto, from both his speech and the Anbu, 'Eyes.'

What the Anbu couldn't hide was the fire and determination that he felt about those words. And just by glancing into the Anbu's onyx orbs, he could tell that no matter what that he believed in the words. And Naruto couldn't help but feel it too, like a light illuminating the darkest reaches of a cavern.

"You're right," Naruto muttered, "You're absolutely right." He stood for a moment, blonde bangs obscuring his face from the Anbu's. When he looked back up, the Anbu was pleased to see a new emotion flooding the boy's usually saddened eyes: determination, "I won't let others dictate who I am. I am Naruto Uzumaki. And I don't care what it takes, I'll make them see me for me. Even if I gotta kick everyone's ass who comes in my way. That's a Uzumaki guarantee, dattebayo!" exclaimed the excited boy.

"Even if they want you dead the entire way?"

"I don't care. It's like you said, I just have to get them to open their eyes. And I'll be damned before I let anything get in Naruto Uzumaki's way. Dattebayo!"

"That is a noble goal, Naruto-kun. I'll be hoping for you to accomplish it," the Anbu said. He was about to perform the Shunshin when he heard Naruto cry, "Wait!"

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"I was wondering if…if…if…," he tried to say

"If?"

Taking a calming breath, Naruto continued, "…if you could teach me how to become stronger. When I get older, if I'm gonna make this people see me, than I'm going to have to recognize my strength. And if I get them to recognize me, but then someone hurts them and I can't do anything to stop it, what's the point? I don't just want to gain the recognition of those people, I want to be able to protect them too."

The Anbu stood there for a few minutes, analyzing Naruto. Naruto was first a little put off by the Anbu's calculating gaze. It was as if he was looking at Naruto as if he were a puzzle, one that he wanted to break down and see what made him tick. Eventually, Naruto pulled himself together and stood proudly in front of the Anbu, electric blue eyes meeting dark onyx.

Though Naruto couldn't see it, the Anbu cracked a small smile under his mask as he lost himself in thought, 'Maybe with his help, I can use him to help my brother and vice-versa. This boy knows sadness very well, and if I want my plan for the Uchiha's to work, it would help to have him along. I don't want Sasuke or any of the other young ones to have to go through what the Council and Danzo have planned, but maybe I could throw a wrench in it. I still have plenty of time for me to work on this plan since it won't be for a long time till they can do what they wish.'

The Anbu's reverie was broken when he remembered that the object of his thoughts was staring at him impatiently with red eyes and a…wait, red eyes?!

The Anbu instantly focused on the boy's eyes. And much to his shocked there he saw it. Red eyes with a single tomoe in each.

The boy's had the Sharingan.

'What? There was nothing about the Yondaime having an affair with an Uchiha. He was always seen around that woman from Uzu. This certainly is an interesting fact. I should inform Hokage-sama. And ask him if he knows what going on.'

The Anbu focused back onto the young boy in front of him, "I will train you. But, just to let you know, the road ahead will be difficult and dangerous. I will ask you this once: Do you wish for me to train you?" A nod was his answer, "Well then, I will become your sensei then. Of course we'll have to enroll you in the Academy first, but whenever you have time away from studies and I am not on a mission, we will train together at your clearing in the surrounding forest."

Naruto was about to ask him how he knew about that before the Anbu put a hand to stop him and said, "It's ok. Only few other Anbu and I know of it. Now, as I said, the first step is to sign up for the Academy. When that is done, I will come to your apartment the next day to get you prepped for our training. Understood?"

"Hai sensei!"

"Good."

"Wait. Before you go, shouldn't I know the name of the person training me?"

The Anbu took a few seconds to think this over before saying, "Very well," He proceeded to take off his porcelain cat-shaped mask. Underneath was a young face of only 10 years of age, with onyx black hair and eyes, with two diagonal scars under each eye, "You may call me Itachi-sensei."

(Timeskip: 3 years later)

"Wonder what Itachi-nii has in store today? He said what he was going to tell me today was pretty important. Maybe it's a cool new jutsu! Or maybe I'll get to learn some cool Anbu kenjutsu moves!" The now nine years old Naruto exclaimed.

The past few years had been a long and rough ride. He had to balance learning from the academy and meeting with his sensei/older brother figure, Itachi. What was especially difficult was Itachi's training regimen. It made him battered and bruised every time it was over; and so exhausting, he once collapsed on the spot and just slept the night in the forest.

But he always would at least end the day with a smile. He would always push himself no matter what, always remembering those words Itachi said to him all those years ago. It may have hurt, but he knew in the end it would all be worth it.

Itachi for his part also made sure that his young apprentice knew that he was doing a good job. He was a very strict teacher, but fair and made sure that Naruto always knew what to expect before doing that. For the first few years, it had been strictly a teacher-student relationship. But after spending so much time with the boy, he came to saw him as a second brother. He would always try his hardest to not only work on what Itachi said, but to push past it and try to impress him. Now more often than not, this left the young jinchuuriki looking like a complete moron while Itachi had to find some way to clean up his mess. The thought that counts, right?

But he didn't always blunder, growing in leaps in bound in ways that if not for his tenant, people would consider HIM a prodigy. This fact was made evident whenever Itachi would set up him and his younger brother, Sasuke, to just hang out. Sasuke would always ask to spar with Naruto, all of them ending with Naruto as the victor. But whenever they weren't sparring or throwing barbs, the two got along very well. Sasuke even helped Naruto on a few of his pranks, much to his father's chagrin. His mother and brother were just happy he had someone who would consider him an equal and play with him, unlike the others kid who would always worship his very presence.

Suddenly a bush on the edge of the clearing rustled, followed by a few crow craws. Naruto turned around to greet one of his few precious people, Itachi. "Hey, so what are we going to be doing today Ita..chi…-nii?" Naruto slowed down and suppressed his excitement when he noticed an odd gleam in his brother figure's eyes, "Itachi-nii, is something wrong? You look like you have something on your mind."

"I do, Naruto-kun. Unfortunately, today will be our last meeting like this. For today, I am leaving the village."

Naruto was completely shocked by the news, and was about to ask when Itachi beat him to the punch, "I know that this may seem random. But trust me, that I will explain everything in due time. Until that day, I have a few things to ask of you."

Getting a slow nod from his student Itachi continued, "First, I want you to continue training and always work on that dream of yours. I have faith in you. That brings me to my second question. Today, something big is going to happen that will revolve around me. I ask that you have faith in me until I can show you the entire truth. Ok?"

"Of course, nii-san."

"Thank you. And lastly, after this event happens, I need you to make sure that Sasuke-kun is alright. I want you to make sure that he, just like how I asked of you all those years ago, stays the same and he does not lose himself. But make sure that he never hears about our connection, I don't want to have you to have to suffer for my mistake."

Hearing all this was quite a bit for Naruto to handle and left him with many question. 'Why was Itachi leaving the village? And why should I look after Sasuke-kun? Does it involve him somehow?' No matter how much Naruto thought about it, he could never come to a conclusion that would make sense. In the end, he just decided to have faith in his nii-san's choices, "Of course Itachi-nii. I trust what you are doing. And I'll make sure I can do what you ask of me, 100%. That's an Uzumaki promise!"

Naruto's declaration of his trust in Itachi brought a sad smile to his lips, 'I wish I could stay, but it seems my destiny is away from here. Grow strong and prove what you can do. I'll be sure to be watching.' "Thank you Naruto-kun. You have certainly made my task easier. And as a gift, I wish for you to have this." He pulled out a sheathed sword, one Naruto instantly knew as his favorite sword, "Keep at as a reminder of me and of your dreams." He placed the sword into Naruto's outstretched hands.

Naruto examined the familiar sheath, with the Uchiha clan symbol and a cross guard shaped like a burning flame. He had seen this word enough when they trained to already knew how it looked, and knew how much it meant to him. This sword was said to have been passed down from the Uchiha, generation after generation, and to have been forged by the strongest of metals and heated by the flames of Amateratsu. It was said to have been lost, but Itachi had discovered the in the lost Uchiha hideout. He never showed it to the others for some reason, but Naruto had never asked why.

And now Itachi was just giving it to him! Him, the village pariah, the demon child, the walking mistake. 'No, not walking mistake. Naruto Uzumaki. That's what I am. That's who I am, that's who I will always be. I'm a proud ninja of the Konohagakure, jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune…' he stopped his train of thought to look at the man that made him who he was today, 'and proud student of Uchiha Itachi.'

He rushed forward to the teen in front of him, engulfing him in a massive hug. The tears he had been trying to hold in since his mentioning of leaving flowing freely. But instead of tears of sadness, he was crying from the bond the two shared, "Th-tha-thank y-y-yo-you, I-Itachi. For everything…I-I'll miss you."

"I will miss you too Naruto-kun," said Itachi, who just stood there and allowed Naruto to cry into him while patting his head in comfort.

Eventually, Naruto's sobs subsided and he relinquished his hold on Itachi. He took a few steps back, closed his eyes, and a few calming breaths to steady himself. "Goodbye for now, Naruto-kun," he heard whispered right before he opened his eyes to see no one left in front of him or in the clearing.

"See ya later, nii-san. I'll make you proud."

(Present day in Konohagakure)

BE- "Ha, beat ya again clock. Uzumaki-1,430 you-1"

Today was a big day. Today was the day the Academy Genin test was to take place. This test would decided whether or not the students currently in Konoha's Academy were ready and deemed worthy enough to be integrated as a ninja and called Genin.

"Oh yeah, today is gonna be the day," said one spiky, blonde haired jinchuuriki of Konohagakure and village pariah, Naruto Uzumaki. Ever since he was taught by Itachi, he had made sure that he seemed completely average so that he didn't draw attention to himself and potentially be forced to reveal his secret sensei.

But he was about to become a ninja. He was about to become an adult, at least in the village's eyes. So he could circumnavigate many of the legal actions and loopholes Konoha's infamous Council could make. He now was going to be under the Hokage's rule. So if they made a single move on his person without his consent, they would get put right back in their places, ass first.

The exam had been on Naruto's mind for the last week. And now it was time. Brimming with energy, he leaped out of bed and rummaged through his small closet to find what to wear, looking through the clothes he had chosen for how felt like looking.

"Hmm, something for catching someone's eye? No, not enough. Something that's functional? Ugh, heck no. Don't do green. Something that screams 'Badass'? Oh heck yea." Naruto selected a pair of black form-fitting pants with knee guards bearing the Uzumaki crest and a kunai and shuriken holster attached to each thigh, a black short-sleeved under shirt, a necklace bearing six tomoe he got from Itachi long ago, a utility belt bearing his sword and a few scrolls, and lastly a long white cloak with black flames on the bottom and a kanji that meant 'fire'.

"Oh ya. I'm ready! Nothing's gonna get in my way," He was interrupted by a large rumble coming from his stomach, "Uh, but maybe I should make sure I eat before I go out. Can't be awesome on an empty stomach." Naruto quickly went to his kitchen to fix himself a light breakfast.

"Hm, I should be at the top of my game. So for now, I won't have ramen. I'll save that for when I pass." With that in mind, Naruto poured himself a bowl of cereal covered in banana slices. He shoveled the contents of the bowl down his mouth, ending with a content sigh. He glanced over at the clock to see how much time he had to get to the Academy before the day started.

"Hm, still have quite a bit of time. So I guess there's no need to Body Flicker over there. Walking is just too boring and would take too long. Seems I have to roof jump. Better go faster than usual. I'm not a ninja yet so I can't be taking too many risks." With that thought in mind, Naruto made a beeline to the window before opening it and jumping out to the nearest roof, putting enough chakra into his legs to make him a blur to any normal person and hard to spot even to jonin.

He arrived on a tree right outside the Academy a few minutes before the first class of the day would start. There were still a few stragglers left, so he decided to wait to be the last. He wanted to see the look on everyone's face whenever he appeared looking completely different from the usual orange jumpsuit wearing, blue goggled, complete "dead least" boy he appeared to everyone.

To pass the time, Naruto unsealed one of his scrolls and pulled out a book titled 'Fuinjustu Level 2: The Application of Seals by Namikaze Minato'. He had recently looked into the use of fuinjutsu, and he had to say, he really liked it and had taken quite a shine to it. Whereas areas of the shinobi like ninjutsus and genjutsu were limited by things like handseals, fuinjutsu was not. It was only limited by the imagination of the sealer, since the number of usable kanji was near infinite and all you need was the right combination to do almost anything.

Plus, the subjected seemed to click relatively easy with Naruto. It was if fuinjutsu was in his blood. But he doubted it, he was just an orphan with the unfortunate, or fortunate depending on who you asked, luck of carrying a near infinite chakra supply in his gut.

Naruto continued to read from his book until the last minute before class started. He put the book back into its storage scroll, dropped down from the tree, and made his way to his class.

"Alright kids, I see that most of you are here already so-," Iruka Umino, the chunin instructor for the last year of the Academy, started before he realized no one was paying attention.

He tried again, this time with a little more of an edge in his voice, "Now listen class I have to-" still no one heard. If most of the students hadn't been so engrossed in their current activities, they could've heard the distinct sound of grinding teeth.

Most of the girls were fawning over the boy near the window, Sasuke Uchiha, who decided to pay attention to his teacher then deal with his fan club. The girls sitting closest to him, and the ones drooling over him the most were Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura. The only not partaking in said fawning was a girl named Hinata Hyuuga, who was situated near the back.

Some of the boys were sending angered glares at the object of most of the class's affection, which was received by a punch to the face to anyone who was noticed by the fangirls. Shikamaru Nara was, as usual, asleep with his head on his desk in the middle row, with one of his friends Choji Akamichi gorging on a bag of chips.

Kiba Inuzuka, was seated next to Hinata and was one of the boys sending heated glares at Sasuke. Lastly, Shino Aburame was seated in back near the corner. Shino, Hinata, and Sasuke were the only ones who seemed to be paying attention to his words. 'Ok, they wanna play hard ball? I'll give them hardball' he thought as he prepared on of his original jutsus.

The infamous, Big Head jutsu.

"EVERYONE SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO WHAT I HAVE TO TELL YOU INCONSIDERATE BRATS!" and just like that, all movement and talking was silenced, and focus put on their Chunin instructor, "Thank you, now as I was about to say, today-" He was interrupted again when someone entered in through the door shouting, "Hey Iruka-sensei!"

"Naruto!" Iruka shouted, prepping his jutsu to use again when he noticed Naruto's change in attire, "You're…late…again. Uh, not saying there's anything wrong with what you usually wear, but how and why are you wearing that," while gesturing to Naruto's clothes.

"Oh these, I got them a while ago and never found the right use for 'em. Then I thought 'What better day then the day I get to officially become a ninja'," declared Naruto. He motioned to go pick a seat when he suddenly realized the eyes of every person in the room being glued to him.

Naruto grew a little self-conscious under their scrutinization, "Ehehe, is there something on my face?"

Everyone deadpanned, and oddly enough, Sasuke answered his question by saying, "You say that you had those clothes, which look pretty close to the Yondaime's, for a while and you just so happened to stumble upon them when you are going to try to be a ninja? I think there's a little more to it than that, dobe."

"Maybe there is, maybe there isn't. Fact of the matter is I don't feel like telling and you're a hundred years too late to make me, teme. Or do I have to show you again." Naruto finished with a cheery fox-like, yet very sadistic smile that even a certain purple-haired kunoichi would be impressed with, complete with closed eyes and stretched whisker marks. That smile sent shivers down the Uchiha's spine.

That smile was a smile Sasuke had seen on Naruto enough times to tell that he was planning or thinking of, and Kami knows what it was. But whatever it was, Sasuke always tried to keep a good distance between the two.

Like about the entire length of the Uchiha compound distance.

Even then that was just assurance that he wouldn't be in the full blast zone of what he had schemed.

Sasuke, not wanting to look scared of the spiky-haired blonde in front of classmates, just went back to staring out the window and tried to ignore the feeling of his smile, "Hm. Whatever."

'Thought so," thought Naruto. He then went to go to his usual seat, the back of the room in the last seat closest to the corner. The seat with the darkest lighting, but best view of all of the comings and goings of the room. He sat down and looked up to the front of the room only to see the still gob smacked face of Iruka Umino. Feeling a little sheepish under his intense stare, Naruto decided to get the room back on track, "Uh, sorry I was late Iruka-sensei. My alarm clock wasn't working and so I slept in a little too late. But I think you were about to say something before I came in."

Snapping out of his stupor at the object of his attention's voice, Iruka continued, "Oh right. As I was saying, today is going to be a big day for some of you. Today, we test to see who among you all is ready to earn the title of Shinobi. I just want to say that, pass or fail, you all are an exceptional bunch. I am glad to have met you and expect great things from you. If you do pass this test, then you will start your first step in the ninja ranks. Remember though that you are just Genin, the lowest rank, so listen to your instructors and seniors well and learn from them. Through this and having the courage to get stronger is how you'll advance. Now good luck." With his speech done with, he gestured to the exit of the classroom, "Everyone to the outside training fields to start the exam." Everyone left as quickly as they could, pumped to prove that they were ready to be ninja.

(The Academy Training Grounds)

The first part of the test consisted of the kunai and shuriken test. A table was set up with an assortment of throwing weapons, ranging from the usual kunai and shuriken, to things such as throwing knifes and senbon. There were a total of 10 targets opposite of the table. The objective of the test was to accurately hit at least 3 bulls-eyes on at least 6 targets. This tested one's accuracy and strength of a person's throw with various ranged weapons. Ninja used a variety of battle in the field, kunai and shuriken the most common. However they weren't the only ranged weapons one had in their arsenal, and so the academy set up the test to give a fair shot to any person that had a penchant for more exotic weapon choices.

By the end of this test, almost one fifth of the potential candidates had been eliminated. Most people had hit at least 4 bulls-eyes on 7 targets. The ones to get a near perfect score were Sakura Haruno, Hinata Hyuuga, Ino Yamanaka, and Shikamaru Nara, and a few others. Sasuke Uchiha and, to the shock of many, Naruto Uzumaki were the only people to get perfect scores on the test.

After this test, then came the taijutsu sparring. The kids left were directed to a small dojo with a few benches for any onlookers. The teachers of the exam had already set up several tournament brackets for all the students participating. The winners of the selective brackets were then set up for a few final evaluations of the candidates' skill.

After the first round of brackets were finished, there was almost half of the class shaved away at this point. Overall, the people that advanced showed much promise in taijutsu, giving everyone who got there a pass for this exam. About three fourths of the people who didn't make it into the final bracket still were able to get passes based on skill. In total, one half of the original candidates had been left.

The third and final test was the jutsu test, the make or break to show if you were truly a ninja. A ninja without the power to properly mold and use chakra wasn't much of a ninja, at least in most cases. There were a few oddballs, of course, but most ninja relied on ninjutsu. For this test, one had to perform the Substitution, the Transformation and the Clone Technique. But, there had been a change made the Hokage in the last five years which allowed someone to perform any D-rank or below jutsu in place if another. The reason he did this was due to a drop in the number of ninja candidates that year, and so loosened the restrictions without truly decreasing Konoha's nin efficiency.

Some people couldn't do one or two or even all of the jutsus for varying reasons, such as too large reserves, too small reserves, or any other factors. The Hokage acknowledged this and so adjusted accordingly.

During the test, one half of the hopefuls from the second exam had failed. This left approximately one third of the original class that were allowed to be officially ninja. Everybody, for the most part, was able to do all three of the jutsus. With the exception of two people, those being Naruto Uzumaki and another girl named Sora Tasagowa.

Sora Tasagowa was a girl with brown hair that reached her hips in a ponytail, with small bangs just above her eyes. She had relatively small features, ones that never really stood out, except her steel gray eyes that seemed to be looking past you instead of at you. Her body was slender, but firm build built from training. She stood just at the same height of Naruto, who stood at 5' 3". She had a very reclusive nature but was very brash to almost everyone that approached her except for people she seemed to know or admire, which was a very short list. To most, she wasn't much.

Sora, much like Naruto, was an orphan. Her father was a well-respected Jonin, but had died before she was born due to an ambush by Iwa nin in the last great ninja war. He gave his life to save the rest of his squad. Her mother had died from a combination of an unknown illness and childbirth. She couldn't take the shock, and fight off the infection; so she drifted off into eternal slumber. Fortunately, Sora had already been taken out. Sora had been sent to an orphanage, and had been living there her entire life. She had been adopted a few times by families, but they always ended the same way: them sending her back and calling her a destructive monster.

They said she was always causing something or other to go wrong, especially when it came to her training. Sora would always defend herself by claiming she wouldn't do it intentionally, that it just happened. Regardless of that, she was just too much of a flight risk for them.

The caretaker at Sora's orphanage had always held pity for Sora's situation, and so made sure she was always there for her as she had no one. It was through her that Sora found out about her parents. Her caretaker would always tell her stories of her dad's heroics. So Sora decided that she would become a great ninja, just like her father. But there were a few complications.

You see, ever since Sora had joined the Academy and tried to use chakra, she found that hers was very erratic. Almost every time she would try a jutsu, the results were not what one would expect, to say the least.

Take the Substitution for example, a simple D-rank jutsu that requires little control and even less chakra to perform. All you do is use your chakra to switch positions between you and another object, usually a log. It's a simple jutsu any academy student should learn, and a jutsu that has saved more than enough ninjas' life.

Whenever Sora would perform this jutsu, she couldn't control what she was going to replace herself with. She could replace herself with something mundane as a rock, or, once, even a person. Although that incident caused massive chakra exhaustion due to the effort it took to transfer two whole chakra entities.

Today wasn't going to be her day. And today definitely wasn't going to be Naruto's.

Sora's luck was due to just having a bad run with her chakra.

Naruto's was just cause Murphy loved him.

"Alright Sora," said the proctor for the stage Iruka, "you know the drill. Just any three jutsus, however the required academy jutsus are always preferred."

Sora responded with a curt nod before settling into a widened stance, closing her eyes and bringing her hands in front of her to execute the jutsu she planned. "Plant Release-

"Wait, plant release?! What in Kami's name?' "Wait, Sora, what is-"

"Thorn Barrage!" Before Iruka could stop to question Sora on what the jutsu was and where she got it from, she had already executed the technique. Suddenly, a flowered plant burst to life from the ground, standing at 5'. It then proceeded to unleash a barrage of thorns attached to its stem in all directions. Sora and Iruka had just enough time to duck behind some cover and hit the deck before the wave of thorns it.

The thorns proceeded to tear massive holes around the classroom, all varying from tiny holes no smaller then the width of a pencil to ones large enough to fit a kid's hand through.

And just as quickly as it started, the massive clamor and destruction made by the jutsu was ceased, due to the chakra being used in the technique having been used up. Both Sora and Iruka shakily rose to their feet to survey the damage. It had done quite a number to the room, leaving papers everywhere, some chairs overturned, and basically making almost everything in the room into a pincushion.

Even the blonde-haired child walking through the door.

"Naruto!"

#1: Aaaand, cut! That's chapter one done!

#2: Dick move to leave it there man. Dick…move.

#1: You gotta leave 'em wanting more! So anyways, that was the first chapter. Let me know what you guys think, and if you like it, check out maybe my other FF. Warning, I'm new and try to update ASAP but still want to give the general level of content and so updates will take a while. But rest assured they're there.

#3: You try your best.

#2: Like that's ever good eno-OW! Ok, I get it, no ribbing on screen.

#3: Thank you.