A request to me by Douglas 654, he asked for a Naruto/Fullmetal Alchemist Crossover and I wrote this following the pairing/story direction he gave me, I hope he and you all will like the result ^ ^.

I don't think it will have long chapters this one, probably...I don't know

Please remember: I have Three challenges in my profile myself, please tell me if you take one or more of them, thank you

" You bastard" - demon talking / jutsu

"Let's finish this" - dialogue

" Can it get any worse? " - during flashback/ Thoughts

(Naruto/ Full Metal Alchemist crossover) Pairing Naru/Ten/Haku

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything else I will use nor I make a profit out of this, I am writing just for the pleasure of doing it.

Prologue Chapter: Scars of body and mind

Xian – Docks – night -

The deserted streets of the city were now getting covered by darkness as the sun was rapidly descending to let the moon take its place, as the last people were calmly returning home, a series of explosion rocketed the main street, making the inhabitants run away to let as much space as possible to the fugitive and the blue-dressed Alchemists following him.

"DAMMIT! I knew it was a bad idea to trust that fool, he just had to sell me to the Alchemists," a man cursed as he ducked in a dark alley, he had a dark complexion, fairly tall with a muscular build and his hair was shaved close on the back and sides, leaving a silver-coloured crown on top, the upper portion of his face was disfigured with a large X-shaped scar which stretched across his forehead and down over his eyes into his upper cheekbones, he momentarily stopped to scan his surroundings once back on the main road.

"STOP THIS FOOLISHNESS SCAR! there is no place for you to hide!" a man dressed with a blue coat ordered as the men behind him hurried to capture the fugitive.

"They won't have both! hold tight, I will protect you," the man said looking at the young four-year old silver-haired boy he was cradling to his chest that he had covered with his gold-coloured jacket emblazoned with a cross on the back and sleeves, the boy's distinctive red irises so identical to the man's ones looking up with fear in them.

"Where is mommy?" the boy asked scared

"She was captured by some bad men, but I will save your mother, it's a promise," the man said as his right arm lightened up along the complex tattoo covering it starting from the thin scar stretching entirely around the limb where the bicep met the shoulder and all the way down to the wrist nearly covering the whole limb in its strange markings, covering his arm in red cracking energy he punched the road, incredibly making an huge portion of it dissolve into nothingness and opening a deep hole between him and the alchemists.

"Darko...whatever happens I want you to promise me that you won't get revenge on them," the Scarred Man asked to the boy, running away from the hole without looking behind.

"But...dad!" the boy said

"NO! I already walked the path of revenge and I was forced to run my whole life, do not make my same mistake, promise me!" the man answered harshly

"I...I promise, dad," the boy said with his eyes watering up, it was the first time his father yelled at him.

"Now stay close to me, we are almost there," the man said as with a flash of light he could see the Alchemists create an emergency bridge to pass over the hole, gaining terrain as they chased both.

"YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER, SCAR!" the black haired man at the head of the group said snapping his fingers, creating a big explosion near the scarred man and making rubble rain on them

"ARGH!" the kid screamed as a glass shard opened a deep gush over his right eye from the forehead to the base of the neck, miraculously without damaging the eye itself.

"DAMN BASTARD!" Scar yelled in fury, punching a near house and demolishing part of the wall, making the whole structure fall on the Alchemist group and using the cloud of dust cover his escape

"I can't see him, Major Mustang!" one of the men said, looking around for the fugitive

"Damn! Split up! We need to catch him!" Mustang ordered with a deep frown

Hidden barrack not far away -

"SCAR! Are you okay?" a blond man asked worried watching the bleeding man enter their meeting point with shaking legs,

"No, I am not okay, Minato! They are trying to kill me and Darko!" Scar answered positioning the young boy on the near table to look out of the window, Minato moving to bandage the boy's face at the best of his abilities.

"It will leave a scar...it was the Alchemists to do this?" Minato asked

"Yeah, the very same bastards that hunted your father away from Amestris, did you do as I asked you?" he asked

"Yes, your brother's notes on the Grand Arcanum and Xin Fao's books on Alkahestry and the Lung Mei (Dragon Pulse) so that he will be able to finish his studies, I also added every book on Alchemy I could put my hands on, Kushina already departed with all that towards the Elemental Countries, the second ship is waiting for us both," the blond man answered as he finished bandaging the boy's face.

"I won't come, I need to distract them..." Scar said, taking off his shirt and biting both thumbs

"What are you doing?" Minato asked with wide eyes

"They can't put their hands on my brother's research, this thing was dangerous already when I was able to defend myself, if I die here some bastard may try to study me, no, I need the Grand Arcanum away from here, I am giving both my arms to Darko and then I'll blow myself up, to them I will have just killed myself with the boy, no-one will look for him," Scar answered drawing a circle around the crying boy using the blood coming form his fingers.

"NO DAD! What about mom? What about her!?" the boy yelled

"I will...I will meet her soon, you keep your promise and never look out for revenge, I won't have my son consume himself in that like I did," the man answered knocking the young boy down to finish his job.

"You know I can't let you do that!" Minato said grabbing Scar's arm.

"You never were a good alchemist, but you said that the ninja arts those people know were easy to you, teach that to Darko as well, I know that you turned sterile after that bastard Alchemist attacked you and your old man while running away. Treat Darko like a son and protect him, it's all I ask; Dye his hair blond like yours and he will easily pass for your son, just find a way to justify the red eyes," Scar answered completing the circle and adding inscriptions around it.

"I...I will..." Minato said as tears started filling his eyes.

"Good, I hope that continent you speak so highly about is really impossible to reach like you said, or I will escape Hell and kill you!" the Scarred Man said with cold eyes of anger

"WE FOUND YOU, SCAR! Surrender now and we won't be forced to kill you!" Mustang ordered as his men surrounded the small house.

"NEVER!" Scar answered as a small explosion went off in front of the door destroying the windows.

"This will be my last warning! Come out!" Mustang ordered again

"It's done, once I will have transferred my arms I want you to run and never look behind, protect Darko! No matter what, give him the happiness he deserves, I promised that to his mother before she died and now I am entrusting YOU with his safety!" Scar hissed as he moved in front of the still unconscious boy.

"Will it work?" Minato asked, catching the sunglasses the man threw him.

"Give those to Darko so he'll have something to remember me other than the jacket...I just hope this will work, I studied my brother's notes in the event I was forced to do this, I don't like the idea of doing this to my son, but like this he will be able to defend himself," Scar answered

"I have some explosive notes with me, I'll destroy everything once you are done" Minato said still with tears falling from his eyes

"Good, I'll probably die once done, destroy my body and leave nothing behind, not even a trace," Scar said

"I will" the blond man answered sniffing, watching him activating the transmutation circle that ripped off his arms in a flash of light, making the markings of both transfer on Darko's arms that developed the same circular scars between biceps and shoulders like his father used to have.

Meanwhile – outside -

"Damn! He is trying something! Enter and stop him!" Mustang ordered as the whole construction erupted in a ball of fire, the back-lash so strong to launch everyone back, no-one noticed the yellow flash that moved away at blinding speed an instant before the explosion.

"The bastard blew himself up, look if you see the boy at least! That kid had no guilt in being the son of a criminal!" Roy ordered worried

"...Nothing, I see some blood and burned flesh, but it's too damaged to say if those are Scar or the boy's remnants" one of the Alchemists said with a sad voice

"Damned bastard! He killed his own son...a monster through the end, it was not our fault if the woman died but the boy I wanted to save at least," Mustang cursed, signalling the men to follow him back to their HQ

Few miles out in the sea – an hour later -

A red-haired woman was scanning the vast sea in hope to see the second ship that would help both her husband and his friend reach safety in the hidden lands of the Elemental Countries, she had stopped the boat once away from the coast and was now waiting patiently for the others to catch up.

"MINATO!" Kushina yelled elated at seeing the man's ship join hers, both started moving again once near enough.

"Kushina...he...he is dead...he left the kid to us..." the man said sobbing

"It's all okay, we will watch over him, we will protect him as if he was ours," the woman said jumping on his boat to hug him

"My mum is dead too?" Darko asked with a whisper

"I am sorry," Minato said hugging the boy as tight as he could

"I know that it's not the same, but I can be your new mum if you want," Kushina said adding herself to the hug

"I...I..." the boy said sobbing heavily

"It's all okay, I am here, I am not leaving," Kushina whispered kissing his forehead

"M-M-Mommy?" the boy tried saying

"Yes, I am here," the woman answered with an happy smile, finally hearing the word she always wanted to hear

"Just in case I planned to change your name, is it okay for you?" Minato asked

"I won't forget my parents!" Darko said in anger

"I won't force you, it will just stop people from knowing who you are," the blond man said

"Okay..." the boy answered nodding

"Good, to everyone you will be Naruto, is it all right?" the man asked

"Okay, dad" he answered.

"Let's go home now," Kushina said taking the boy's hand in hers

Two years later – Konoha – Night – Minato's home -

Minato and Kushina were just returning from a week-long mission out of Konoha, their adopted boy had grew quite a bit in the short time he was with them, at the beginning it had been difficult to justify his existence but telling to the others that they had hidden both pregnancy and birth due to the seal holding the Kyuubi getting weaker in that period helped making the lie believable, the Biju's inside Kushina also somehow justified the boy's red eyes, even if someone tried saying he had been 'Poisoned by the demon' all the same, those had to be pried off from Kushina's hands to stop her from killing them.

No-one commented on the slightly dark complexion since Minato justified it with a photo of his father showing the same dark complexion the blond man had instead not inherited.

Now the boy was patiently waiting for his parents to return while a friend of Kushina was watching over him with her five year old daughter.

"I see that someone is still studying! You should go to sleep, it's getting late," A tall bun-haired woman said smiling tenderly at the boy, she entered the living room with a wide smile

"Uh-hu! Just five minutes, please! I won't let a bad man take away my family again! I need to get strong fast so to protect them!" the boy answered with a determined expression

"Don't overdo yourself, Ten-chan will get angry if you do," the woman said, patting his head affectionately.

"PAI-TEN!" Minato yelled in horror, dragging a tired Kushina with him, explosions echoed outside while the terrain trembled.

"MINATO! KUSHINA! What happened?" the bun-haired woman asked scared

"A man with a mask ambushed us and he somehow ripped the Kyuubi out of Kushina, I need to stop him and the Biju, please guard over her!" the blond man said in panic

"I'll do my best, what do you plan to do?" Pai-ten asked moving the woman to help her to lie down

"Fight that masked man...and seal the Fox inside me" Minato answered

"No! Seal the beast in me, I am already weak, the strain will kill me but at least I'll take the Biju with me!" Kushina said weakly, trying to get up from the couch

"Never! It was already a miracle if you survived the extraction, I won't have Naruto lose the two of us! If I seal it in me you will still live!" Minato answered

"...Seal that thing in me then," the boy said

"WHAT?!" the three adults yelled with wide eyes

"The sealing will kill you, right? At least let me have a mum, I don't want to lose both parents again!" the blond boy yelled with tears in his eyes

"N-Naruto..." Minato said, shocked

"Dad asked me to never look out for revenge, I have lied, I WILL kill that man with the mask for hurting you!" the kid answered

"My baby..." Kushina said taking the boy in a tight hug, crying in despair as the explosion grew in number

"I have to go...I...I'll come to take you once the seal is ready," Minato said with a grave tone of voice

"NO! You can't do that!" Kushina yelled in horror

"Like that he will at least have a mother growing up, I can't let him watch as he lose his family a second time!" the blond man answered, disappearing from the room with a yellow flash

"Come, Naruto! Let's hurry and help your mum, we'll need all the medicines we can find," Pai-ten said with determination

"I'll see in mum's Alkahestry books if I can find some recipe!" the boy said, running up the stairs towards his room

"Pai-ten...come closer" Kushina asked with a tired voice

"What?" the woman said nearing her

"I won't make it...the Biju being ripped out of me should have killed me instantly, it's only thanks to my Uzumaki blood if I could survive this long..." the red haired woman said

"What do you mean?" the other asked with watering eyes

"I need you to do a last thing for me..." Kushina asked, her eyes growing half-lidded

"Everything! I'll do everything!" Pai-ten answered grabbing Kushina's hand with all her strength

"Once this is over, I want you to seal away every scroll in this house, everything...no-one has to put their hands on our knowledge or the Alchemy texts Naruto-kun posses, take everything and take care of him...please..." the woman begged crying

"I'll do it!" Pai-ten answered nodding, not even trying to hide her tears

"There is...a last thing I need you to do..." Kushina asked

"What is it?"

"A way for me to remain with my son..." she answered

"How?" Pai-ten asked

With Minato – Fight against the Kyuubi – thirty minutes later -

"I am surprised, you managed to break my control over my little pet," the masked man said with a mocking tone

"Pity that this won't stop the Fox from destroying the village," he then said chuckling

"Gamabunta is doing his best at keeping the Biju occupied, in the meantime we are all alone here so let's keep this fight going!" Minato answered, glaring at the man in hate

"Unfortunately I can't, you see, my main goal was to destroy the village and kill you, and look! I am going to obtain both all the same! Now you'll have to seal the Kyuubi somewhere and we both know that in the time you'll need to do that the village will be destroyed or even just weakened so much that it would be only a matter of time before it falls into anarchy," the man replied

"And about killing me?" Minato asked

"Oh! For that I don't have to worry, I know that the Kyuubi will do the dirty work for me, in your current state, the beast will kill you pretty easily, have a nice night, my dear Yondaime, because after this I know there won't be a Konoha village anymore, HAHAHAHAHA!" the masked man said as his body disappeared into a vortex

"Minato! I can't hold this bastard any more! Hurry up!" The Huge Boss Summon said as he was swatted away with a whip-like attack of the Huge Fox' tails

"I am sorry, Scar...I won't be able to protect your son for long...please forgive me" Minato said disappearing in a yellow flash to retrieve the boy.

Minato's home -

"Where is Naruto?" Minato asked upon arriving in the living room

"I am here," the boy said reaching him

"I am coming too," Kushina said walking towards them with shaking legs

"Why?" Minato asked with wide eyes

"Listen...I want you to seal me inside Naruto along the Kyuubi," the woman said

"WHAT?!" the blond man yelled in horror

"I already have the seals on my body, I won't live long, Minato...like this...I will be able to stay with him in a way," Kushina said sobbing

"I..I can't!"

"Please," she pleaded hugging him

"Mum..." the boy said with a sad tone

"L-Let's go," Minato said with a trembling voice, grabbing both to reach the Fox

"I'll start right away, Kushina!" Pai-ten said with a determined voice

"Good, I trust you..." the woman answered as the three disappeared again from the house.

With the Fox and the Toad Boss -

"ARGH! That's it! I am going to turn you into a scarf for my wife!" Gamabunta yelled enraged as he charged the huge Fox.

"GRAAAAAAH!" the Beast roared, charging an immense sphere of energy in its wide mouth

"STOP!" Kushina yelled as chains erupted from her back, pulling the beast down and blocking its movement.

"I'll start right away," Minato said drawing the sealing circle around Naruto and on the boy's belly, the kid sitting in wait with closed eyes

"I will get him, dad, I'll kill that monster!" the boy said

"Don't let hate or revenge consume you, Naruto, you will have your occasion if somehow the two of you will meet again by chance, just don't hunt him down, promise me," Minato asked

"I don't know if I can't make again this promise, dad," Naruto answered

"You'll have to do it instead...please, do it for me and Kushina," the blond man pleaded

"...Sigh! I'll do that dad, but if for some reason he comes here I'll kill him myself," the boy answered sighing

"This won't bring us back, Naruto,"

"I know, but I won't forgive him, he will pay for this,"

"For the moment let's just focus on the sealing, we need to not get distracted," Minato said patting the boy's head with a sad expression

"Isn't the gaki too old for this sealing?" Gamabunta asked with a grunt, he was pinning down the Kyuubi's arms to stop it from escaping.

"He is...as old as I was when the Fox was sealed in me...hurry up, I can't hold it any longer! it will get free!" Kushina answered panting.

"I am ready, I used a little bit of Alchemy knowledge to add few fail-saves and be sure the Kyuubi won't try anything nor reject your spirit...are you sure you want to do this, Kushina?" Minato asked

"Just shut up...and do it' ttebane!" the woman yelled

"I always loved when you used that verbal tick, I will miss that a lot," the blond man said with a last smile as he ran through hand-seals

"Demon God Consuming Seal: Fujin!" he then yelled as the world turned completely white for him.

The Gate – time unknown -

"Where am I? KUSHINA! NARUTO! WHERE ARE YOU!?" Minato asked looking around the infinite whiteness he was in

"They are okay, human, you instead are before me and the Gate, people call me with many names, but you can use Truth for now," A featureless version of Minato replied using the man's own voice, a giant Gate covered in inscriptions appearing in front of Minato.

"Why I am here?" the man asked

"You are here because you broke the rules I had set for any Alchemical attempt, you want to bind your wife's soul inside the boy, that's Human Transmutation, and I don't like when people play God...but there is a solution for all this, what are you ready to give me in exchange for that happening?" Truth answered with an amused tone

"You want something in exchange? are my soul and body enough for that?" Minato asked without hesitation, surprising Truth

"Are you sure? I may be happy even just with both arms and legs and few organs if you want," the entity said mockingly

"I am paying for my wife and son's lives, I am ready to give up everything I am and own for them to be happy and safe, if I could, I would give you more but I wish to at least remember my time with them," he answered smiling

"I see..." Truth answered uncertain

"Actually, his soul belongs to me, it's the price for summoning me and seal both Fox and woman inside the boy," a giant figure with purple skin and white hair said appearing in the room

"Interesting, it seems that both of us have rights on your soul" Truth said

"Can you take half of my soul each? I fear that I don't have much to offer to both otherwise," Minato asked

"Tear a soul in half? Like that you will be condemned to always mourn the loss of your half, feeling pain and sorrow unimaginable for all the eternity," the Shinigami said surprised

"YOU FOOL! A soul is priceless, not something that can be played with like that!" Truth said with an angry snarl

"I may have a solution to this, come here you, I need you to be present as well," the Death God said, making a second man appear in the area with a gesture of his demonic hand

"I told you to watch over Darko! What the Hell were you thinking to do this!" Scar yelled punching the blond man's face once he reached him

"It was the only solution I could come up with!" Minato said, trying to justify his actions

"Do that with YOUR son then, not mine! he is innocent!" the other answered

"Enough! What were you planning, Death God?"Truth asked to the Shinigami

"One of them will be the 'payment' for the Alchemical half of the seal, the other will pay for the rest," the Death God said

"WHAT?!" Truth yelled

"A soul for a soul, equivalent exchange for the two of us, you believe in that stuff, don't you?" the Death God answered

"Tch! Fine to me...I'll be the one to pay for the Alchemical part, I offer my soul, my memories of Darko, my wife and my life and the memories my son has of me excluding his memories about his biological mother and his alchemical knowledge and power, if you want you can ERASE every trace of my existence from my son's memory, just leave him alone, he has every right to have an happy life, even if without me," the scarred man said with a determined voice

"Scar..." Minato said

"Like that he won't try to get revenge on the Alchemists back in Amestris since he won't remember me dying because of them,"

"Interesting, you gave your son part of the Grand Arcanum, am I right?" Truth asked

"Yes, but it was not something I planned to do,"

"What do you offer to have that being COMPLETELY his?" the entity asked

"Nothing, I don't want him with that 'thing' on his body, I won't turn him into a living Philosopher Stone!" Scar answered in anger

"Huhuhuhu! That's a pity, it would have served him well, I accept the payment, you can seal both Fox and woman in the boy's body," Truth said as the huge Gate opened, making a sea of black hands grab Scar to drag him inside.

"Be happy, Minato! This will actually stop me from killing you for forcing this on my Darko!" Scar said as the hands dragged him inside the Gate that then closed on him.

"Very well, just because I am not as heartless as Truth, I'll make you an offer," The Shinigami said, ignoring Truth sticking out its ethereal tongue at him.

"What kind of offer?" Minato asked

"I'll have Kushina's soul be inside the boy's body as you wished, but I'll need to boy to have the Grand Arcanum being completely on his body," the Shinigami said

"Why?" the blond asked in surprise

"Oooh! I see what game you are playing, the Fox has a soul with powers akin to 'Regeneration' since it can return to life after the vessel's death, with that the Philosopher Stone inside the Alchemical array will be self-restoring, basically endless, you want to use the woman's soul to fill the Void the Biju's soul will leave inside the seal once it is turned into the Stone and have her hold all the power the Biju possessed...and what makes you think that I will let you do that?" Truth asked crossing its arms

"The human will give in exchange his body to you, I only need the soul," the Shinigami answered

"A body for a body? That is what you are suggesting?"

"Yes, like that it won't be used for that damned Edo Tensei and you will be able to mock Minato with it all you want, that if you stop any attempt at using it for an Homunculus" the Death God said

"As if I will let that happen, with Edward was different, FINE! Let's do this your way!" Truth said as the Gate opened again, this time the dark hands only teared Minato's body to pieces while the soul remained in the Shinigami's hand.

"For further payment I took the first ten years of your life in the form of memories AND every memory concerning your father and family, I only left those concerning Kushina and the boy, be happy with that, it's not everyday that I am so generous," Truth said as the soul of Minato went devoured by the Shinigami

"Thank...you..." the spirit said with a grateful smile

"Tell me the truth, the whole 'I need the Grand Arcanum to complete the sealing' was just a lie, isn't it?" Truth asked

"What can I say, I find Alchemy interesting and I want to see what the boy will be able to do with that particular brand on his skin," the Shinigami said smirking

"So I'll have to give back the body and memories to Minato?" the entity asked annoyed

"Only the memories if you want, I am okay with you taking the body as long as I won't see something out of your precious Gate go around using it as a dress," the Death God answered

"Fine, fine he can remember...but what about Kushina's body? what do you want to do with that?" Truth asked

"Oh! that's simple, I'll Seal her completely inside the boy, like that with the Stone he will be able to momentarily summon her as an Homunculus, a little something to help him survive the loss of his second family," the Shinigami answered smirking

"WHAT!? You can't do that! Where is the Equivalent Exchange in that?" Truth yelled enraged

"Your Equivalent Exchange? it's right here!" the Death God said giving the other the bird and disappearing with a mad laugh

"DAMN YOU! You can't do this! I am the one that gets to fuck with people lives and head! not youuuu!" Truth yelled with a long dramatic whine, making even the Gate sweat-drop

"It's so unfair, bastard," the entity muttered with a little sob escaping its mouth.

Real World -

"It's done, Naruto, promise me you'll be happy...don't let hate consume you, be happy," Minato said as his body and Kushina's started dissolving

"I will try, dad" The boy said before unconsciousness took its tool on him too while a long series of markings moved from his arms to cover his whole body.

Pai-ten would find the boy merely minutes before the ANBU squad accompanying Hiruzen, hiding the boy away from prying eyes to cover the markings on his body and legs with bandages but leaving out the arms and face.

Ten Years Later – Naruto Age: 16 – Shinobi Academy – Team assignation day -

It had been ten years since that night, Hiruzen Sarutobi was forced to take back the mantle as Third Hokage and had a field day convincing people that the Kyuubi had NOT being sealed inside Naruto but in fact destroyed, even if he himself didn't know that inside the seal now resided Kushina while the once feared Biju was just an immense crystal hanging from the huge tree in the center of the endless forest that was the manifestation of the boy's mind, giving him both massive chakra reserves and an HUGE Philosopher Stone to use in case of emergency; for all the parties involved Minato had simply 'invented' a new method to kill a biju that had its cost with the total destruction of the user's body.

The apparent non-being a Jinchuuriki had softened people enough to let Naruto keep his inheritance and being adopted by Pai-ten Higurashi, the wife of the local Weapon blacksmith, even if the boy had to wait one extra year to join the Academy since someone, let's say Danzo, wanted the boy tested in case he was mentally fit for being a shinobi after the ordeal (and more importantly in case he had gained the Kyuubi's power from the new technique), the test went smoothly with Naruto appearing 'normal', but the long probation period forced the now back into being silver-haired boy to start an year later with his adoptive mother's daughter.

Even if people teased the two about him and Tenten being 'More' than brother and sister, thing that both never confirmed nor denied.

Now there he was, the spitting image of his biological father he could not remember, with the same silver hair shaved close on the back and sides leaving a silver-colored crown on top and with a long scar running from the forehead to the base of the neck while passing over his right eye without damaging it and that somehow will never heal as to mock him, both eyes were hidden behind the sunglasses he had received as a last heirloom of Scar; the young man had never understood why he decided to keep his hair like that or why he needed to keep those lenses always with him, but he felt somehow good while wearing them, just like with the golden jacket Pai-ten gave him after adjusting its size.

He was now waiting his sensei to give him a Team with Tenten sitting near him, both wearing a plain form-fitting chinese-style blouse and black pants, a pink blouse for the bun-haired girl and a dark brown one for the boy, the gold-coloured jacket resting on the back of his seat.

"I am saddened to say that this will be my final day as your teacher, from today on you will start your real path towards being proper shinobi of our village, make me proud," the new teacher, a man named Iruka that had just recently joined the Academy staff, said giving a little bow to the whole class, unable to stop a little sigh from escaping him.

"Okay! Let's start with the various Teams! I'll call your names and then the name of your Jounin Sensei, please pay attention and go sit near your Teammates once I call you," the scarred sensei said, clearing his throat and taking the paper with the list.

"What do you think? Will we be in the same Team?" Tenten asked

"After mum threatened Sarutobi-san of castration? It's a good possibility," Naruto answered nodding

"Especially since I am the only one able to keep you out of trouble and in check," she added

"That is still to be demonstrated," he said

"I don't think you will be together, Tenten is the best one between the kunoichi group and Neji is the Rookie of the year, you instead are barely few points under him" a girl in front of them said

"Team 9: Tenten Higurashi, Naruto Higurashi and Neji Hyuuga, your sensei is Maito Gai," Iruka called out

"Apparently you were wrong, and I am one point under Neji, not a few," the boy said smirking, his smile leaving when a spandex-wearing man entered the class demolishing the wall with a flying kick and a scream of "Dynamic Entry!"

"Oh good! a weirdo, just what we needed," the boy said surprised

"OKAY! I am Maito Gai, the Green Beast of Konoha, I'll be the sensei of Team 9!" the man said giving a thumbs up smiling, his teeth pinging by themselves

"YOSH! I am Rock Lee! Apprentice of Maito Gai and I will help Team 9 in discovering their Youth!" a mini-me of Gai said striking a similar pose, his teeth too pinging

"Is that normal? The apprentice thing I mean," Naruto asked

"Yes, it's a special occasion since due to a malformation Rock Lee has just enough chakra to live and so is incapable of using ninja techniques, he is by the way a young master in Taijutsu and so more than capable to hold his own in battle, unfortunately his situation makes him unable to fully follow the Academy and have a Team, but Gai-san took him as his apprentice to circumnavigate the problem," Iruka answered

"Yes! I couldn't let such a youthful boy go without guidance!" Gai answered with dramatic tears

"Thank you, Gai-sensei!" the boy answered crying as well

"LEE!" the man yelled

"GAI-SENSEI!" the boy answered

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!" the two yelled again hugging, a poster with a rising sun appearing behind the two out of thin air.

"CAN I HAVE ANOTHER SENSEI?" Naruto, Tenten and Neji yelled at the same time.

"No, I am sorry but you'll have to accept them as they are" Iruka answered, feeling pity for the three Gennin that will have to put up with the...peculiar duo of sensei and apprentice.

Konoha – Training Ground 9 – One hour later -

"Alright! Let's know each other better shall we? What a better way to start our path as a Team than a youthful introduction?" Gai said watching as his three students and apprentice sat in front of him.

"May as well, I am Naruto Higurashi, former Namikaze and infamous "Scarred Flash" of Konoha, at least according to Iwa; I like Ramen, forging weapons and studying my Clan's brand of Rentanjutsu and Renkinjutsu (Alkahestry and Alchemy respectively), I hate everyone and everything that may put my family in danger," Naruto answered

"I am Tenten Higurashi, I like weapons, especially the ones Naru-kun forges for me, and help my family in our weapon shop, I dream to become the strongest Kunoichi of the world so to show that even women can be tough" Tenten answered

"I am Hyuuga Neji, I like to train and my dream is to show to the Main Family who really is the prodigy of the Clan," Neji answered

"Really, don't overdo yourself with the smiles, eh?" Naruto said sarcastically

"Please refrain from commenting on my words, I won't hesitate to show you who is the best between us," Neji answered scoffing

"Now, now! There is no need for that, my students!" Gai said in a placating manner

"Naruto-san, why Iwa calls you 'Scarred Flash'?" Lee asked curious

"Do you see those markings on my arms?" Naruto answered showing his right arm

"Yes?" the spandex-wearing boy answered

"Alchemy follows three steps: Comprehension, which is understanding the inherent structure and properties of the atomic or molecular makeup of a particular material to be transmuted, including the flow and balance of potential and kinetic energy within, Deconstruction, that is the act of using energy to break down the physical structure of the identified material into a more malleable state so to be easily reshaped into a new form, and Reconstruction, that concludes the act by continuing the flow of energy so to reform the material into a new shape; with my right arm I can 'Stop' at the Deconstruction step of the Alchemical Transmutation," Naruto answered, looking as Gai, Lee and Neji were having troubles understanding thanks to their dumbstruck expression.

"It means that if he touches you, even if barely, he can turn you into a stain in the wall by 'De-constructing' your body," Tenten explained

"The name they gave me comes from the flash of light that covers my arm when I do this," the boy explained, touching a training post and reducing it to dust while the right arm got covered in cracking energy.

"A pair of shinobi from Iwa that still held a grudge against Minato-sama tried to ambush us, one of them make the mistake of grabbing me as hostage, while my father distracted the other Naruto touched the one holding me, he simply exploded as if he had swallowed an explosive note," Tenten said simply

"Yikes!" Rock Lee said turning momentarily green in the face

"The survivor ran away, after that Onoki-san, the Tsukikage, asked for my head on a plate, it took a while to explain that killing me won't bring back their dead, but still they now hold me at arms-length just like they used to do with my father Minato," Naruto said

"Good...more or less, we'll have a little spar between you and me, I want to see where to look for further training, in Neji's case I will tell my result to Hiashi-san that will take action in the Hyuuga Juken style," Gai said nodding, a little unnerved by the boy's ability.

"I'll help!" Rock Lee said smiling wide

"Not this time, Lee! Tenten, you first!" Gai said taking a fighting stance

"Hai, sensei!" Tenten said nodding and moving in front of him

"Attack me with intent of harm, I want you to give your best," the man said as the girl attacked

"What are you doing?" Neji asked curious, watching Naruto draw a circle on the terrain

"Creating a Transmutation Circle, I can do without, but it's good to remember how to do it," the boy answered

"Good, Tenten! I can see good promises, but well need to work on your speed and agility," Gai said with a pleased smile as he dodged a kick from the girl before grabbing her hand as she tried to punch him.

"Thank you, sensei!" The girl said grinning

"Let's stop now. Naruto, it's your turn now!" the man said nodding

"Coming!" the silver-haired boy said clapping his hands together before moving his hands on the Transmutation Circle, in a cracking flash of light an horde of stone-made hands moved towards the surprised Sensei to punch him.

"WHOA!" Gai yelled jumping back to evade the surprise attack,

"I am here!" the boy said as the hands moved away to let him attack the man himself

"What the..." the Taijutsu master said surprised as the boy moved to wear a pair of gloves that then turned black with the same cracking energy covering it

"Carbon-covered gloves, turned from carbon fiber to diamond!" Naruto said resuming his attack with the hardened gloves

"How?" Gai asked curious, noticing the fluid movements of the boy as he attacked as he focused more on fists than on kicks.

"Carbon is at the base of both graphite and diamonds, I gave away the carbon fiber covering my gloves to have in exchange the same quantity of diamond to take its place, that's Equivalent Exchange at its best, the Base of all Alchemy!" Naruto explained

"Good, Your style seems similar to the boxing style but a bit more fluid in both dodging and movements, we'll work on some speed and agility for you too, but I would add some attacks using your legs as well," Gai commented, the two stopping momentarily.

"Thank you, sensei!" Naruto said with a little bow of his head

"YAH!" Gai yelled, grabbing the surprised silver-haired boy to launch him far away

"It's not over yet!" Naruto said clapping his hands and touching the terrain under a near tree making the plant shot forward like a spear.

"AH!" the Taijutsu Master said dodging the tree-spear and breaking it in half with a strong kick

"Not bad," the boy commented attacking again

"He is good with alchemy, it seems like such an easy art though," Neji said

"It's not, in order to use it well one has to know how any object is composed, from the point of view of their elements and their mass, he can't use a one-kilogram rock to obtain a two-kilograms spear, to obtain something he has to offer something else of the same value in exchange," Tenten answered, she didn't add the fact that the girl's father, a retired shinobi, taught to the boy the Kage Bushin jutsu so he could speed-up his training and studying making him already that good in half the time.

"And those markings?" Lee asked

"I only know he calls it Grand Arcanum, I don't know what it does," the girl said as a rain of rock-made arrows flew towards them

"DODGE!" Lee yelled as they jumped away

"Let's stop now, Naruto-kun, I saw enough," Gai said with an huge smile

"As you wish, sensei," the boy said panting a little

"I was surprised to see you use two elements, both Earth and the legendary Wood Element, I am impressed,"

"I am a Wind User, Sensei, but when using Alchemy I am not 'bound' to any particular element, as long as it has a physical body as a starting point I can use it, water, ice, steel, iron, gold or even diamond and plastic, I can use practically everything here to attack you if I want. That or just use alchemical deconstruction on your arm with my right hand," Naruto explained

"It may take a while for me to learn that, I fear," Gai said sheepishly

"I am your student for that reason, I'll learn from you and maybe you'll learn something from me," the boy said smiling

"THAT'S SO YOUTHFUL! COME HERE, MY STUDENT! LET'S EMBRACE OUR YOUTH TOGETHER!" A crying Gai said in ecstasy, opening his arms wide to Naruto

"THAT'S TRUE GAI-SENSEI!" Rock Lee said crying too

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

SLAM! As the two were about to hug an huge cube of iron erupted from around them trapping both inside

"You won't get out until you stop with that non-sense!" Naruto yelled in rage

"Let me guess, he used iron particles in the terrain for that?" Neji asked

"Yes, it should help them understand," Tenten said

"That was unyouthful!" Gai said from inside before tearing the cube to pieces with his punches

"But it stopped you two," Naruto countered

"That was still not a nice thing to do," Lee said whining.

"Okay, students, after this little interruption I think it's time to start our training, for the next month we will focus on both your bodies and your Teamwork, then we will start taking some easy missions, but I must warn you, they are D-rank, meaning that we will do 'easy jobs' provided mostly by the civilians of Konoha, but this will teach you how taking missions works without putting your lives in danger, but we will transform each mission into a training exercise to make them more interesting," Gai said

"In six months there will be the Chuunin Exams in Suna, but we won't take part," Lee said

"Why not? too little time to train us for that?" Naruto asked curious

"Yes and no, in six months I know I may be able to train you four at a level good enough to pass the preliminaries and maybe even "win", but I prefer to wait for the next ones in three years, like that I will have enough time to train you properly and even be able to "tailoring" a secondary training regimen based on your own style, attitude and power, not everyone can be trained the same way as another," Gai answered

"It will also give us more time to strengthen our Teamwork, that is what we in Konoha consider our greatest trait and it's what Gai-sensei will spend great time teaching us," Lee added

"You want to see us act with the same coordination than the Ino-Shika-Cho trio in short," Tenten said

"Exactly! Now, here are your tights! With these you will be even more youthful, just like me and Lee!" Gai said with a wide smile, showing three green spandex tights to the young gennin with a prideful voice

"Naru-kun?" Tenten asked calmly

"With pleasure," The boy answered grabbing them, turning the three horrid things to ashes in a flash of red light

"I think I may even like having you as a Teammate, Naruto-san," Neji said with a pleased nod.

"We will work on that unyouthful attitude as well, Naruto-kun," Gai said sighing

"It will be hard, Gai-sensei," Rock Lee said, equally saddened at the loss of the tights.

Few Days Later – Uchiha Clan Compound -

A lonely kid was looking at the various sealed houses that once contained his Clan, one or two ANBU were patrolling the area and adding more seals to the doors to stop people from entering, sighing sadly at the view he left the little house he was inhabiting, walking until he left the compound behind him, wandering through the village without a thought about where to go to pass the time.

"It's been years already...I was what, twelve? thirteen?" a voice muttered from behind him

"Uh?" the kid said turning, watching a boy several years his senior sitting on some boxes in front of the local blacksmith's weapon shop.

"You were eight when it happened, not even an Academy student, I remember I had just started the Academy myself after an year of probation since the Hokage wanted to be sure I was not too shocked after the Kyuubi attack," he kept saying, a distant look in his eyes

"You...you saw Him?" the Uchiha kid asked, fixating his eyes on the other

"We had a planned for a nice dinner outside to party for my sister's birthday, we were just walking towards the restaurant when I remember seeing a shadow move silently from a rooftop to the other, it was then that the Alarm Bell started ringing...my father had took our hands and had us hurry back home, I remember watching the man's face...he was Itachi Uchiha, is he your brother?" Naruto said

"Yes..." the boy said

"You want revenge, am I right?" the silver-haired boy asked

"Yes!"

"Not like that, you can't have revenge with that attitude," the Gennin said, shaking his head

"What do you mean?"

"You are letting your desire for revenge consume you...revenge can be a driving force up to a certain point, then it becomes a weight; I was just like you, I too promised myself that I would have kiledl the masked man that used the Kyuubi to attack us, but I won't focus only on that...not anymore," he answered

"You were there? The Fox didn't attack us on its own free-will?" the boy asked

"No, it was used, just like a summon, I saw the Yondaime destroy it and die in the process along my mother, I will kill that bastard, but I will wait for him to find me and get stronger in the meantime," Naruto answered

"You...you are Minato-san's son! The one that then was adopted by the Blacksmith!"

"Yes, I am...and yet you won't see me hunt down that man just yet," he said

"Why?"

"I am not strong enough now, but one day I will and when he will try again, and I somehow know he WILL, I will be here waiting,"

"I...I don't know if I can wait like you..." the boy said looking down

"Why not? Itachi is still young and he is not so weak to die for nothing, focus on living your life and get stronger following YOUR pace, when you are ready you will find your path crossing Itachi's again, not a minute sooner and not a minute later, if you live only for Revenge then you will have nothing, in the end you will remain alone," Naruto answered

"I AM ALONE!" the Uchiha kid yelled in rage

"And what am I? A ghost?" the other answered with a smirk

"What do you mean?"

"Put it like this, IF you promise me to stop being a brooding mess I will help you in my spare time, do you have the Sharingan already?" he asked

"Not yet..." the boy answered looking down, feeling almost ashamed for it

"Oh well! It just mean we will need to focus on other things while we wait for those 'lazy eyes' of yours to wake up, mostly speed and agility perhaps," the other mused out aloud

"You...want to help me? Just like that?"

"You want to play 'Lonely Emo Avenger', may as well stop you before it's too late, at least you will be able to enjoy life a little while training," Naruto answered

"My family is dead! how can I enjoy life?!" the boy said angrily

"My family is dead too, don't forget, the difference between us is that I am treasuring the few memories I have of them, had I drown in revenge and destroyed myself I would have made them sad, I think your mother too would like to see you not being so focused on your own pain,"

"What should I do then?"

"Start smiling more for one, then try to have some friends, I'll have you introduce me to some kids from your class and force you to talk to them if I have to, I won't let the 'Broody Avenger' I have in front of me cut himself out of the Village,"

"I am not broody!" the boy yelled, blushing a little

"Yes you are," Naruto answered laughing

"Okay, MAYBE I am a little broody," the boy admitted

"Just a little?"

"...Yes?" he tried answering

"If you say so, so? What's your name?"

"My name? You don't know me?" the boy asked, surprised

"I should instead? I know you are a young kid who had lost his family, that's all it matter to me. Nice to meet you, I am Naruto Namikaze Higurashi" Naruto said presenting his hand

"Sasuke...just Sasuke, nice to meet you, Naruto-san," the boy said, shaking the other's hand with a smile on his face

"Good, 'Just Sasuke', now go home, tomorrow you will introduce me to your class and then I will help you," Naruto said smiling

"You will help me train?" Sasuke asked curious

"I will help you becoming a better boy, IF you are good I'll teach you some cool tricks only I know," Naruto answered smirking

"Then prepare yourself, I'll have you teach me everything you know!" the boy answered with a smug smile

"I doubt it," the other answered, flicking him on the nose

"Agk!" Sasuke muttered in pain

"Never let your guard down, first lesson!"

"I'll show you!" Sasuke said marching towards his home with a determined expression

"Remember! No smiling no training!" Naruto called out aloud

"OKAY-OKAY! I get it!" Sasuke answered annoyed, but secretly smiling

"So THIS is what you were doing," Tenten said coming out from the shop too look out for Naruto

"He remembered me how I was after Minato-tousan's death," he answered

"Yeah, Mum and Dad had a to work hard to finally snap you out of your funk, it took them months," she answered

"He will be an hard one, he had years of time to steam in his own pain," Naruto answered sighing

"It means that I'll have to help you with him then, he is in the same class of Hinata-chan, right?" Tenten said

"Yes, may as well help Neji to forgive his cousin for what happened during that kidnapping attempt," the boy commented

"Luckily you stopped him before Hizashi-sama could intervene, at least Kumo had not an excuse to ask for a Hyuuga as payment," Tenten said

"For once the Alchemical Rebound was useful, when he stepped on my Transmutation Circle he unknowingly protected me with his body from the explosion...he even was considered an hero for that," Naruto said

"Yeah, I had problems not to laugh when A tried to pass his kidnapping attempt like "an heroic sacrifice his emissary did to save two young kids from a unchecked trap", Luckily both the Raikage and Hokage-sama managed to chalk it up like that," Tenten said

"And yet Hizashi was punished for not acting sooner," The boy said sighing

"Main Family's idiocy, Naru-kun, never forget, it could have been worse though," She answered

"Yeah, let's go, the sooner I finish bringing those things inside the better," the boy said taking a crate himself

"I'll help you,"

While the two were slowly helping their parents to bring the new stock inside, a masked man with silver hair kept watching them from a near rooftop.

"Sensei...your son is just as incredible as you were, both he and Sasuke have a similar tragedy to link them and yet act so differently, maybe this will help both? It doesn't matter, I'll be there whenever they will need me, I owe you and Obito that much," the man said giving an eye-smile to the sky before returning home.

He had to prepare himself to take a new Gennin Team, hopefully this won't fail like the others, he was starting to lose hope after the fifth managed to almost kill each other during his Test.

Here is the Prologue! Little action and short chapter I know, but I wanted to try having a little exposition about Naruto's powers and what happened in general before actually "starting" the story.

By the way, YES, Naruto posses an "Endless" Philosopher Stone inside the Yondaime Seal/Grand Arcanum BUT! As I will explain in the next chapter it doesn't mean he will use it every time, he has limitations for it which is: it can be used only Three times a day before giving it a 24 hours period of "rest" to regenerate, if it breaks he has to wait NINE days for it to reform (A day for each 'Tail' the Kyuubi had when still Alive).

To Help people understand the Timeline of this story since I tried to fuse Canon time with my timeline:

- Naruto was born SIX years before the Kyuubi attack

- Tenten was born FIVE years before the Kyuubi attack

The "Normal Cast" (Kiba, Sasuke, Sakura, Shino and so on) were born TWO years before the Kyuubi attack

The Uchiha Massacre happened when Sasuke was 8 (two years before he could start the Academy)

Academy starts when one is TEN years old (Naruto started at ELEVEN due to the year of probation)

Naruto is 13 while Tenten, Neji and Lee are 12 when the "Normal Cast" start the first year of Academy (at 10 years of age)

At FIFTEEN years of age a Gennin Team is formed (Naruto is 16 when he is put into one)

The Chuunin Exams are held every THREE years.

During the "Canon" Chuunin Exam Naruto is 19, Tenten is 18 and the "Normal Cast" is 15.

Naruto, Tenten and Neji (And Lee) skipped an Exam when they were 15 so to use those extra three years for training, ending in the same one as the "Normal Cast" and the Invasion as a result.

Naruto is FOUR years older than the "Normal cast" (and six years older than his Canon counterpart since he normally was BORN during the attack, and in a sense the cause of it, sadly)

Tenten, Neji and Lee are THREE years older than the "Normal Cast"

Both in Naruto's case than in Sasuke's the Exam is held few months after the Team is formed, with the difference that the Uchiha boy actually is enrolled in the Exam instead of waiting like in Naruto's case.

Yes, I'll actually have TWO time-skip in this story (probably, I am still not sure)

Feel free to ask for help in understanding, it's my first time starting the story with Naruto already "old" when the Fox attack so I MIGHT make some mistake with the timeline, but I promise I will try to be as clear as possible.