Just a quick author note. I suggest reading it.

This is the second to last chapter of the "Training Arc". Meaning that, after this chapter, the plot picks up dramatically in Chapter Six, and the new arc starts in Chapter Seven. With this coming up, I've decided to upload the last chapter of this arc an exact week from now. Look forward to it!

Maelstrom

Chapter Five

Revelation

The Next Day

Kushina wasn't quite sure what to make out of what she was seeing; it was humorous rather than anomalous, but, either way, it was still as strange as it was admirable. It's not everyday that you find a young boy doing such spartan exercises on a tree, after all.

Even if the exercise he was trying to do was wrong, it was an impressive imitation nonetheless; actually, imitation wasn't quite the right word. He took the Academy's Leaf Concentration Exercise and made it his bitch, appearing similar to the chakra exercise that happened to be the next stage of chakra control; although, it was most certainly more hard core than the "original".

Naruto was sweating uncontrollably - giving his blonde hair a lustrous shine that sparked an image, a memory perhaps, that made Kushina have trouble with the necessary act of breathing.

An image of an older blonde.

Maybe it had to do with the blonde hair?

Shaking her head, Kushina eyed the blonde in front of her. She knew that he's been training since he was an infant, but, seriously, it should be illegal for a kid to be this ripped so young, any woman would try to sink their teeth into him now with thoughts of how he would look later. Those thoughts made her uncomfortably hot from both anger and...Her face flushed brighter.

"Bad Kushina!"

Shaking her head from her unearthly thoughts, Kushina focused her vision back onto Naruto and to the exercise he was currently doing. His breathing was labored, signifying how taxing this exercise was being for him - which wasn't really a surprise seeing how he'd been at it for hours already.

His stamina was other worldly.

"Must be a monster in bed." Kushina blinked before glaring into the celestial world around her, "...I'm not afraid to beat myself up, dattebane! Bring it! I'll kick your ass!"

Unfortunately, you can't destroy something that isn't tangible.

Groaning in annoyance, she focused her vision on Naruto again and, no matter how hard she tried, surprise still lingered there - not for his form, but the progress he managed to make with this exercise in just a single day.

The amount of potential he had was insane.

He hung in the air from a branch high up in a tree; that wouldn't have been anything special if he was just hanging up there.

No, it was the way he was doing it.

The index and ring finger of each hand were stuck to the backside of the branch, not gripping it in anyway, simply touching it and hanging there. It would've been seen as an impossibility in any other world, but this wasn't any other world.

With chakra, anything was possible.

Even sticking to a branch with two fingers while the rest of his body dangled dangerously below him; Kushina shook her head in disbelief, how did Naruto even think of this?

Oh, it didn't stop there. Naruto went way more hard core than that; using his fingers as a medium, he lifted his body with pure physical strength to do pull-ups, struggling with every single one. After hours of this, he was starting to feel extremely weak, the miniature Boulder - about the width of Naruto's body and weighing about his weight - that was stuck to his back through his adhesive-like chakra wasn't helping matters at all.

If Naruto didn't train his body to the point of unconsciousness for the past years, he would be lying dead right now; but he did, defying all odds and using his body to increase his chakra control in the most dangerous fashion ever.

Kushina blinked; how did she not notice this earlier? She was with him all of last night...Except for that time when she fell asleep. She giggled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head similar to a familiar blonde haired troublemaker. Straining her ears, she smiled when she heard numbers coming out of his mouth in the sound of growls, it seemed that he was counting how many he was doing - straining his mental capabilities (Using your mind through physical exhaustion and hours of exercise is not easy), physical capabilities, and spiritual capabilities, all at the same time to increase them.

Ears twitching, she heard the sounds of grunts coming from more than one body. Kushina turned her head, taking in more of the field that laid around Naruto and blinked in surprise.

It seemed it wasn't just one Naruto that was doing the exercise, all three clones were doing so as well. Kushina smiled happily, a warm feeling of pride swelling up in her chest as she watched all the clones do the same activity, straining themselves beyond belief; it seems Naruto figured it out.

All the Ninjutsu in the world won't help you without Chakra Control; he seemed to figure this out and told all of his clones to work on this instead of what they were doing before.

"That means he gets a reward! A better chakra control exercise!"

Grinning to herself, Kushina spoke out, "Master! Good Morning! Good News-"

She cut herself off as Naruto - not just one Naruto, but all of the blondes - stopped working in shock, their concentration slipping and forced to stop their exercise. That wouldn't have been a problem if they weren't a couple hundred feet in the air.

Their curses fell all the way through the sky until they smashed into the ground, three poofs of smoke going into the air while a single Naruto lied their unconscious - if not from the fall then from the memories of the clones that he hadn't dismissed since he started training yesterday evening.

Kushina scratched her cheek nervously, "Whoops?"

XxMaelstromxX

It was that cloudy feeling again, a sense that everything would be alright and a warmth that embraced his body as much as it did his heart. He felt this before, smelled it before; but he couldn't bring himself to say anything or even get up.

Once again, he was just that damn comfortable.

This sensation, these feelings that were born from it; could he ever grow tired of it? His mind couldn't even process such a thought; Naruto couldn't imagine a parallel world where he'd never not love the feeling of fingers slowly running through his hair, soft hands gently running down his face in a way that could only be defined as lovingly - not that Naruto knew this; he had no experience with such a thing after all.

He sighed contently, forgetting all of the thoughts that were on his mind beforehand: his weakness, his training, his death as he smashed into the ground.

Naruto blinked, opening his eyes at a result; one of those thoughts that he listed were not like the other. Quickly shutting his eyes to please it's request of darkness and rid the light that converged upon them, he pondered his other thoughts as his eyes slowly adjusted to the light.

Wait a fucking minute.

Eyes opening in outrage, he glared at the sheepish smile of the woman whose lap he was lying on, "Kushina!" Naruto complained, "Do you know how terribly that hurt! Not just my body hitting the ground, but the experiences my clones had as they went poof!"

Grasping his body when he expected the pain to come...Only that it didn't. Blinking in surprise, he looked into Kushina's amused violet eyes, "It...Doesn't hurt? Why doesn't it hurt?"

Kushina response was immediate, "You probably experienced something similar before right?"

Furrowing his brow cutely - something that made Kushina smile, continuing her gentle ministrations with a stronger vigor - Naruto recalled something that was similar to his current situation, "The first time I came here, nearing the end...I was exhausted and my chakra reserves were weak, but when I woke up in the other dimension, I was fine…"

"Ding, Ding! That's correct!" Kushina cheered, poking his nose with her finger - an action that flustered Naruto and brought an amused smile back onto the red head's face; she would never get tired of Naruto's reactions, they were just so damn cute.

Leaning forward, Kushina continued her explanation; not noticing how Naruto's eyes widened when his face was covered by her breasts, hiding her face from his curious blue eyes, not noticing how his eyes were dragged - against his will, he might add - to her chest as they moved up and down as she inhaled and exhaled in an enticing manner. She never noticed his entranced eyes as he took in her entire form without fail, searing her smile, her face, her everything into his mind.

His heart was racing. What was this feeling.

He knew one thing for sure, though, "Kushina...Is beautiful."

Thankfully, he thought that instead of actually speaking it; he didn't know if he'd be able to deal with the embarrassment those words would invoke with him - ignoring the part of himself that wanted to see the reaction of the woman who had become his most precious person.

He flustered at the thought; was he really that easy? Two days; all it took was two days for her to find herself at the very top of his heart. Was a bit of attention, someone to talk to, all it was that made her precious to him? Could anyone have taken her place if they had spoken to him first.

Naruto found the thought preposterous; the mere thought making him sick. No, Kushina was special. Their silly conversations, her words, her playfully warm personality, her everything; it was like they were opposite charges, he couldn't understand - he didn't want to understand - his unstoppable attraction to her. No one made him feel like she did, no one managed to invoke such feelings in a single sentence.

These feelings; he clenched his heart.

He never wanted them to go away...He wanted Kushina to always be with him.

Why were these thoughts running through his mind right now? Didn't he hear her voice all the time; why was he thinking this now? Was it because of that nagging thought eating away at the back of his mind or was it because he was seeing her once again; now that he thought of it, this was the second time he's seen her.

She was absolutely stunning.

He couldn't even pay attention to the explanation that he, himself, asked for; maybe that's why he received a flick to his forehead.

Narrowing her eyes and puffing her cheeks out in annoyance, she crossed her arms under her chest and pouted at him, "Really, Master? Asking me for an explanation and not even listening…"

Her reactions…

Kushina trailed off after noticing his entranced resting on her face, stopping her breath and making her heart race.

What was with that look? Why were his eyes staring at her like that?

Why did she feel so warm?

She couldn't understand it, she didn't think she'd ever would; how could this child - a boy she knew for two days - evoke such emotions within her.

But she didn't want it to stop.

Even if she felt it…That her time with her most precious Master was limited. Shaking her head mentally, she tried to put up a determined facade; it wouldn't do for her to depress Naruto.

She couldn't let him find out; it'd only hurt him. She knew from the moment she felt strangely exhausted yesterday for no apparent reason; Kushina was not his creation - even if it was well within his capabilities - she was simply a soul trapped within his chakra chains.

And those chains were slowly pushing her out.

Her chakra tried to fight it, of course; but that could only last for so long. She was already feeling the signs of strain on her body, the sudden exhaustion that appeared being one of the symptoms.

She had six months at most, possibly seven months depending on the amount of chakra she saved, but Kushina knew that her passing was inevitable.

She wasn't meant to be here.

She wasn't meant to hold Naruto in her arms like this.

She wasn't supposed to be the one to comfort him when he was crying.

She wasn't the one who was going to stand by his side as he became greater and greater.

The only thing she could do is give him the best memories of his life during this precious time - however brief it might be. Kushina would always be by his side, never leaving him for as long as she was here.

She couldn't tell him, she couldn't burden him.

But her body betrayed her.

She froze at the feeling of a hand touching her cheek, a thumb wiping away a tear that was streaming down her face. Concerned blue eyes looked up at her and, suddenly, they wouldn't stop falling.

Emotions - both from the past she couldn't recall, the present that she couldn't understand, and the future that held more strenuous feelings to come - overtook her causing her tears to become like a stream down her face.

Two days.

That was all it took for an unbreakable bond to be forged between the two; talks ran through her mind - her all night chats with Naruto who, even though he was sleepy, refused to fall to the warm embrace of slumber; instead, he talked to her sleepless soul. Warm words, getting to know each other; two days filled with nothing but the other.

Two days filled with absolute adoration for the other.

They didn't leave each other alone for a moment, learning as many things as they could from the other.

"I-I want to learn more things about you."

Kushina's tears dropped onto Naruto's face.

"I want to be able to stay by your side night by night."

Kushina's soft sobs broke the area's silence.

"I want to see you smile at me! I want to be there to say 'Good Morning' every time you wake up." Her words came out faster and faster, "I want to have more late night talks! I want to see you become a great ninja! I want to help you in every way I kind! I want to be there when you become Hokage! I want to learn everything about you!" Her tears were endless and she couldn't stop herself from saying her last words, "I don't want to disappear!"

And, suddenly, her form was enveloped by the defined arms of Naruto. Tightly holding her in his arms, letting her cry into his chest, Naruto simply whispered, "Then don't. Stay with me."

He couldn't understand what was happening, all he knew was that he had a connection - formed but two days ago; yet, it was already so strong and powerful.

Was it even possible to build a bond like this in two days? Perhaps it was because he was as emotionlessly starved as he was that it was possible.

But, nonetheless, he was attached to the woman in more ways than one; if it meant going through hell to keep her by his side then he'd do it.

This bond, these feelings - he'd do anything to keep them in his heart.

"I don't know what's troubling you, but, whatever it is, we'll deal with it together. I...Know we don't really know each other very well, but…" He scratched his cheek shyly, "Two days isn't much to get to know each other…But an entire lifetime seems great to me. Talking to you all night, making jokes; hell, even your seduction lessons! I like all of that about you! I want to learn everything about you - including your past if you ever remember it, but, even if you don't, I want to be there with you to make new memories! I want to learn how you tick, what makes you smile - absolutely everything."

Holding her tightly against him, "So...Stay with me. Don't disappear. We'll do it together. I promise."

It made no sense to either of them, but these feelings ran unrestrained through their bodies; who would've thought two days would be enough to make such a strong bond. Sometimes, though, a moment is all it takes to make an unbreakable friendship.

This was the moment for them as sudden and strange as it may be; they were happy in each other's arms.

Moments flashed by until Kushina's tears stopped; although, she still laid against Naruto's sturdy chest. Suddenly, in another rare case of insight, Naruto theorized - proving once again that he was a lot smarter than everyone thought, "...This is about how you're a soul sealed by my chakra chains, isn't it?"

The freezing of Kushina's body in his arms was all the answer he needed to confirm his thoughts, "You're afraid of what's going to happen next, aren't you?"

He felt Kushina nod her head against his chest, "Your chakra chains...I was trapped by them - specifically, by your Yin Chakra Chain - accidentally and now they're trying to push me out, finding me as an anomaly within your chakra. I'd say about six months is all I have before I disappear."

Her violet eyes widened when he heard Naruto laugh, "That's all?" Kushina looked up at him in surprise, gasping at the determination that were brimming in his eyes - his eyes consisting of a strange Yin-Yang pattern, "I was expecting to charge into the afterlife after you to drag you back! Six months is more than enough to find a way to save you!"

Naruto slammed his hand into his chest, his smile blinding, "I, Uzumaki Naruto, vow to you that I will save you! Bring you back into my dimension! Even if I have to kick the Shinigami's ass, I'll do it! That is my promise! And I never break my promises. That is my Nindo, my ninja way."

Kushina knew it was foolish, there was no way he could beat up the Shinigami - the mere thought made her want to giggle - but, nonetheless, she felt her hope rise to unimaginable levels, her heart racing as she took in his dashing figure.

Her mouth opened slightly, trying to say a word, but before she could say a word, she was lightly karate chopped on the top of her head.

"Wha…" Kushina complained cutely, rubbing her head gently.

"That was for not telling me when you found out!" Naruto huffed, "Really. You probably weren't even going to tell me today. What do you think I would've done if you suddenly left me? My head would be completely empty…" Naruto blinked, "Wait...That's make it sound like I don't think at all. I obviously do! I'm extremely smart."

Kushina giggled, a smile dancing in her eyes, "Hmm...I don't know about that."

Naruto turned his eyes back to Kushina, a complaint at his lips before he was stunned into silence. He felt soft lips against his cheek, it was only for a moment, but it was enough to turn his entire body into jelly. It felt like a thankful kiss - revealing her happiness and some other emotion he couldn't quite identity.

He stifled his gasp at the loving violet eyes that were shown to him as she pulled back, a lovely smile on her face that made him stop breathing.

"I don't know about that...But you're absolutely perfect the way you are, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's eyes widened.

"Ouh...Wah...Ne...Ghh." Strangled sounds were the only thing that managed to come out of his mouth as his face turned into the brightest red she's ever seen.

Suddenly, his vision started to waver and Naruto realised he was starting to leave this dimension.

Kushina bit her lip slightly, "It seems I won't be able to answer your question today, Master. But I promise to answer it later today…"

Naruto tried to make out another word. He sounded like a blubbering fish.

Kushina smiled sweetly, her words the only thing he could hear as he was sent back into reality, "Thank you."

XxMaelstromxX

"Master."

He struggled to stop himself from squealing like a love-struck girl, but he managed to stop before it came out. Naruto couldn't slow his racing heartbeat nor stop the blood that was flowing to his cheeks; the feeling of her lips against his skin returned and he felt a pleasant shudder down his spine.

"Master."

Why couldn't he forget it? It was just a simple kiss; hell, it wasn't even on his lips, but on his cheek! It was nothing more than a way to say her thanks; he's seen people do this all the time in Konoha - actually, he's things a lot dirtier than that.

It was a Shinobi Village after all; Ninja needed a way to lose themselves after a mission - entertainment districts were created for that very purpose; even Naruto knew what that entertainment entailed - he's walked past some districts plenty of times before.

But still.

The phantom touch of her lips lingered upon his cheek, he could still feel the way her soft lips caressed his face in a way that made him feel like pudding.

"Master."

The way her violet eyes stared at him in an emotion he couldn't quite identify - even after all those hours he spent with her; literally adding up to days for all the hours he spent in her dimensional void where time didn't pass there, he couldn't place the emotion that glistened within those beautiful violet orbs. Her gentle voice telling him-

"MASTER! I'm fucking talking to you, dattebane! Don't make me kick your ass!" Kushina exclaimed, her eyebrow twitching while her hair waved threatening behind her.

Naruto blinked; gentle voice his ass.

Suddenly, he was capable of pushing his feelings away...for now; twitching at what she said, Naruto exclaimed just as quickly, "What the hell, dattebayo! I'd be the one kicking your ass!"

"You wouldn't have a chance in hell!"

"Well, we're not in hell! We're on Earth!"

Kushina simply reaffirmed herself, "I'd win."

"Bullshit!"

"I'd beat you so badly that your own mother wouldn't recognize you!"

The irony of that statement was lost to both of them.

"Yeah! Well, I'd beat you so bad that your kids wouldn't be able to tell the difference between your face and a tomato! You stupid vegetable!"

"Blonde bitch!"

"CHERRY HEAD!" Naruto blinked, "Actually, I like the color of your hair.."

Suddenly, Kushina blushed and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She didn't know how to explain it - must have something to do with her lost memories - but the feelings that arose within her when someone complimented her hair made her happy.

When the blonde before her complimented her, she felt intoxicated - as strange as it may sound. What kind of woman is she anyways? Getting flustered from a comment given to her by a kid.

But she was.

"R...Really? Thank you."

"Like I said before: there's no need to thank me - I'm only being honest." Naruto replied, hands behind his head as he slowly brought himself upwards...

And, suddenly, the phantom pains from his training struck him; perhaps, the reason he didn't feel it before was due to the distraction given to him by Kushina, but, nonetheless, he felt it now and it hurt.

Naruto was no stranger to pain. It had been his one companion throughout the entirety of his life, they were like old friends. Training accidents, fist fights, the blows he had suffered at the hands of the orphanage workers when he was a defenseless child - it was easy to said that he was familiar with pain.

This pain was different; it was like a phantom, appearing and disappearing all over his body, remembering the pain he suffered again and again, experiencing every sweat that slid down his body to the chakra exhaustion that followed after the exercise.

Needless to say - it hurt.

His body collapsed onto the ground, fire making its way through his veins as his head was repeatedly smashed by a hammer. It really didn't feel good. His mind was racing through the memories of his clones, soaking up their experiences and adding it to his own; blinking in surprise, he felt the phantom pains on his hand.

"...One of my clones blew up their hands? What the fuck? I can't be that retarded...Can I?"

Naruto shook his head - instantly regretting it for the pain that followed; it was best not to answer that question. Exhaustion struck him suddenly, feeling the wariness of three clones.

His vision became blurry, black dots spun on the very edge of his vision, threatening his consciousness to the sweet embrace of darkness. Growling defiantly, Naruto glared at the sky; he would not waste an entire day being unconscious - he refused!

But it still hurt.

"Naruto-kun!" Kushina exclaimed worriedly; wishing nothing more than to be able to be out there, to help him, to comfort him.

Once again, the uselessness of her situation struck her; but, this time, she didn't get depressed. Naruto promised her, after all, and Naruto Uzumaki doesn't break his promises.

Naruto chuckled slightly through the pain, earning Kushina's undivided attention as he spoke through his gritted teeth, "It's only in times like this that you call me by my name…"

Kushina blinked; she didn't even notice.

"Even though Master has a nice ring to it," Naruto chuckled, feeling Kushina getting flustered, "I also like it when you call me by my name, Kushina-chan."

Kushina turned her head to the side, muttering shyly, "...Master no Baka."

He pouted, "Grant a pained soul one wish."

"Master is master."

She was stubborn, he'd give her that. Looks like he had to pull up the big stuff.

"Pretty please with ice cream on top."

Kushina's response was dry, "Did you actually think I'd do it just because you said it like that?"

"Oh, sorry!" Realising his mistake, Naruto corrected himself with a smirk that somehow managed to make its way through the phantom pains that were shaking his body, "With a cherry on top!"

It took her a few seconds to understand his correction.

"I'm going to kick your ass the moment I'm released from here, dattebane."

Naruto chuckled, "That's pretty red…" Giggling to himself, he edged on her annoyance, "Get it? Red sounds like rad. I'm so funny!"

"..."

"..."

"...And shove your corny jokes down your throat."

Naruto simply laughed.

A silly conversation then commenced, filled with witty remarks and laughs; it was a happy moment for the Uzumaki Duo. Fortunately, it also distracted Naruto from the mind numbing pain his body was undertaking from the phantom pain given to him by his clones.

But he never once regretted it. All this pain, all this effort, working day in and day out; he had to work harder than anyone else to reach his goal, to reach his dreams.

For that, he would endure anything.

"Say, Kushina, you've never told me why I didn't feel pain back in your...My…Our dimension. I know I didn't feel any pain when I was there before, but now I feel all of the pain induced by my training." Naruto raised a hand above him, cracking it as the phantom pains disappeared from his body, "Why exactly is that?"

"Oh yeah! I keep forgetting to tell you why!" Kushina exclaimed sheepishly before continuing, "Well it's because of the fact that they are different dimensions."

"...And?"

"And that means you have two separate bodies: one in this realm, the other in mine. Of course, it's not your body that is moving, but your soul - meaning you leave all the pain and exhaustion of your body back in the other realm while your soul remains untarnished by such injuries. That's pretty much it."

"I see." Naruto responded, rubbing his chin slightly, "And time is at a standstill in whatever dimension I leave, right?"

"Mhmm. I can't quite understand it myself, but your pocket dimension's time and the realm you are currently in are in a interchangeable lock concerning time. It's strange to me as well…" Kushina murmured to herself, her thoughts going off into a tangent.

Naruto smiled slightly, "All that sounds pretty complicated to me, but if time is at a standstill in one area, doesn't that mean I could train in the other while no time passes there?"

Kushina chuckled slightly, "Doesn't work like that, Master. Two different bodies remember? While you share the same soul, the bodies are separate from each other meaning that training your body in either dimension won't progress the other…Wait that means you won't grow up at all in my dimension since time's at a stand still...AHHH!"

Naruto shot up onto his feet, ignoring the echo of pain that flickered in his legs from such a sudden moment; he exclaimed quickly, concern dancing in his eyes, "Kushina! Are you alright? What's wrong? What happened."

"I get it! The realm I'm in and the realm you're in! It all makes sense, dattebane! Yin and Yang!" Kushina shook her head, slapping her forehead in disbelief, "How did I not think of that earlier? I'm stuck in the Yin chain meaning the spiritual side of chakra...The spirit of chakra - in other words the mental soul of a body!"

Naruto simply blinked in confusion, "Whaa?"

Although, surprisingly enough, Naruto understood one thing - something that he shoved into the back of his mind to think of later.

It'd prove useful in the future - he was sure of it!

"Sorry, sorry; it's not really that important. It's just that your soul is traveling to your Yin Chain's Dimension which is why your soul is traveling through it rather than your physical body. In the other dimension: you won't be able to grow up or get stronger and transfer your experience through physical training, but you can transfer your mental and spiritual training!"

"...That means I can train...My understanding of the world…?" Naruto asked curiously, not quite understand the point she was trying to make.

"No! After you get your feed back from your clone, you can just come into this dimension and sort through your memories since you literally have all the time in the world! The pain from the experience would be lessened greatly when you return and you'll be able to continue training in a faster pace!"

Naruto blinked; holy shit! That was a lot better than actually going through all that pain over and over again; if he could lessen the pain and adapt his brain again and again like this, his training rate would sky rocket!

"That's so badass!" Then the blonde shook his head in annoyance, "Never mind that! You're missing a crucial point there, Kushina-chan!"

Kushina blinked, "What do you mean?"

Naruto sighed, "Y'know for how smart you are, you can be awfully air headed at times."

Kushina's eyebrow twitched, deadpanning, "I don't want to hear that coming from you!"

"Don't you get it?" An excited grin grew on Naruto's face, "The reason why you're trapped in my Yin Chakra Chain is because you're made out of pure mental energy right now - the soul of your body!" Showing sudden insight that took Kushina by surprise, Naruto proved her wrong, "It's not 'two bodies' that my soul is transferring between, but just a Yin Manifestation of my chakra in that dimension! You know what that sounds like right?"

Kushina blinked before catching on, "No way…"

"Yup!" Grinning, Naruto exclaimed, "There's only a single difference between the two of us - Yang Chakra. All we need to do to bring you out of your chains is to fill in the Yang Chakrayou're currently missing! You're pure Yin right now, but if we manage to give you some Yang Chakra then that means you'll be able to get out of those chains!"

Kushina shook her head in dismay, "That's a lot easier said than done. Plus that'd require a body and Yang Chakra that matched my own Yin Chakra."

Naruto's warmth filled laughter set her soul to ease, bringing a smile to her face, "Just let me worry about that! I swore, didn't I? I swore that I'd get you out of there, dattebayo! At least now we know what to do to get you out of there!"

"...You're sweet, Master."

Silence reigned through the training field for a few moments before Naruto shook his head - destroying the phantom pains of both the kiss and his training - and hopped onto his feet with a grin on his face, "Time for the Tree Climbing Exercise again! I should probably add more weight this time though...It'll make it harder faster."

"I know something else that will make it harder faster." Kushina's seductive voice ran through his head; combined with the phantom touch of her kiss returning to his mind, it was fruitless to put up a resistance.

Needless to say, Naruto blushed, "I hate these seduction lessons! I wonder if she's actually doing this for me rather than her own amusement."

He heard her giggle.

"Yup...Definitely for her shits and giggles."

Naruto deadpanned, "Can't hear you. I'm training."

"Oh! About that! You're doing it wrong! The Tree Walking Excerixe isn't supposed to be done with your hands, but your feet!"

"...Eh?"

XxMaelstromxX

One Week Later

Naruto learned many things about the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu over this week; mainly, it hurt like a bitch when you dispelled it. He shook his head in discomfort, remembering some rather distasteful memories of last week; it took Naruto an entire day to lose the headache induced from the clones that dispersed last week; of course, that could be said it was due to the unexpected experience gain.

That was definitely the case for when he was annoyed by his progress and decided to step up the amount of clones he could make to five instead of three.

Needless to say, Kushina was pissed. He spent three days (That's how long it took to go through the information that would no doubt be destroying his body when he came back) in the celestial void with her and she was giving him the silent treatment.

He absolutely loathed the silence.

Fortunately, Kushina did too. Unfortunately, he was forced to grovel for her forgiveness.

In those three days, Naruto learned fear. He actually contemplated the thought that she was the Kyuubi after her beautiful red locks eerily swayed in the air behind her, resembling the Nine Tails of a Kitsune.

Absolutely fucking terrifying.

But, eventually, she forgave him and they hung out and talked. Kushina was unsurprisingly smart and he, reluctantly, began to take a few lessons about the World and its History...And everything else they talked about in the academy, just more advanced.

He supposed it was interesting and useful; although, he certainly enjoyed the Fuinjutsu lessons a lot more. Of course, he couldn't actually make anything right now; no, he needed to learn calligraphy under her guiding hands.

Without the finest touch, Fuinjutsu would never bend to you. Unfortunately, Naruto had terrible handwriting; luckily, he had a timeless void to fix that.

Shaking his head mentally, Naruto avoided a fist; he was going off tangent. While he began to cover the academy's curriculum, fixed his handwriting, went through his memories, and worked on his Chakra Chains - which, surprisingly enough, he could work on in his strange dimension - Naruto physically trained, working on his Chakra Control and Ninjutsu, but mostly on his Chakra Control and the exercise: Tree Walking.

Naruto had to admit; the Tree Walking Exercise was so cool! So much better than the leaf concentration exercise and his rock climbing one he made up; seriously, he must've looked so badass just walking up the trees.

The moment he saw Kushina in the Yin Dimension, he gave her a huge hug - something that flustered Kushina - in thanks.

It took a few days, but Naruto managed to learn the tree climbing exercise and hell did it show! Everything that he attempted to use on the first day became so much easier; his Onmyoton was a thousand times easier to utilize - that isn't to say he could get it out in seconds, but he was definitely making progress - and his ability to draw out pure Yin and Yang Chakra was so much easier!

Needless to say, he couldn't be happier that he learned how to control his chakra. His Ninjutsu and Chakra progress was amazing!

Everything else? Not so much.

And you could tell by what was happening right now, but let's back up a few minutes…

XxMaelstromxX

"YOSH! NARUTO-KUN!"

Naruto blinked; groaning out loud as he tilted his head to the left, taking in the time on his clock. He had to close his eyes a fair bit before he managed to contemplate the time on his clock.

4:30 A.M.

Naruto muttered in exhaustion, "Probably just the wind…"

And he fell back onto his pillow, soft snores coming out of his mouth.

"NARUTO-KUN!"

It's just the wind.

"Ignite your flames of youth with us!"

Naruto brought his chest up, eyes narrowing in confusion; okay, that sounded terrifyingly familiar, but whose voice was it?

"Naruto-kun," The voice exclaimed. "Let us be the winds to each other and blow our flames of youth."

Naruto's eyebrow twitched; did he not realize how disturbing that sounded? Grabbing a kunai, Naruto confirmed himself; the freak had to die.

"I shall not leave until my youthful flames are blown!"

Naruto groaned; he was really glad no one lived near him due to his status as the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki. He didn't know if he could handle the rumors that these yells would fabricate. He got up and headed towards the door in a sleepy haze surrounded by annoyance.

As soon as the voice continued his youthful screams, Naruto was cursing up a storm in the kitchen after making it out of his bedroom, until he was interrupted by a sleepy female voice. "Naruto-kun, shut up before I kill you!"

Naruto yelled back. "It's not even me! Some weirdo wants to blow my flames of youth!"

A sleepy mumble answered him, and Naruto sweatdropped. Who knew that the courtly Kushina-sama - straining the title in his thoughts - was emphatically not an early riser? Repeated tries to wake her up yielded only various versions of 'Go away' and assorted death threats; Naruto groaned, it seems he'd be facing this alone.

Naruto mumbled in annoyance, "You're the one who's going to be pissed if my flames of Youth tried to get blown…"

A cute snore was his answer. He struggled to stop his lips from turning upwards. Shaking his head, he made it to his door, a kunai swirling on his index finger. Didn't matter if he was a kid or not, he still had ninja training - as terrible as it may be - and he wasn't silly enough to open a door without a weapon.

Especially in a place where everyone hates him except for a select few.

Twirling the kunai one last time, he held it behind his back in a manner that wouldn't be considered suspicious. Finished with that, Naruto gripped the doorknob and slowly turned, facing the one chanting 'youth' moments before it opened to reveal a green monstrosity.

Naruto blinked, "...Lee?"

Then memories struck him; glancing at the calendar beside the door, he realised it was Monday. Opening his mouth slightly, he remembered his agreement with Guy-sensei; they would help him in his Taijutsu until he had a sensei assigned to him. It seems they finally got back from their mission - Naruto withheld a smile at the thought of going on adventures and saving princesses.

Rock Lee sent him a thumbs up and a stunning grin, blinding him like the sun, "Yes! It is I - Rock Lee! Fellow lover of hard work and YOUTH!"

Still, Naruto's eyes narrowed unnoticeably by the Genin before him and asked in a tone that was simply curious, friendly - easily hiding the shrewd meaning behind those words and the sharpness that laid in his eyes, "How did you know where I lived?"

Rock Lee simply smiled, "Guy-sensei told me!"

Naruto gripped the Kunai a bit harder, behind the door so Lee wouldn't notice; even his face didn't tense, Naruto appeared completely relaxed as if it was disconnected from his racing thoughts, "How did Guy-sensei know?"

Rock Lee didn't seem to have a problem answering all of his questions; in fact, it was on the other side of the spectrum, he loved the feeling of helping his junior of Hard Work, "Guy-sensei told me he found a youthful bystander and asked him moments before sending me to fetch you."

Naruto's eyes hardened, once again it was unknown to Lee as the blonde's mind raced, "At 4:30 he asked a civilian? Who would be up at 4:30? Most shops open at around six and the owners usually get up at five to get ready and set up shop." This knowledge he gained through experience; no one could deny that this pranks weren't extraordinary, after all, "No one would just be wandering around at this time…" Eyes glancing warily at Rock Lee who remained unaware of Naruto's racing emotions, "...Meaning Guy-sensei was aware of where I lived before hand. The only reason he would know that is if he was told before - meaning, Guy-sensei knows I'm the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki." Naruto groaned mentally, "I really wish I listened to what the Old Man said before about who knew and crap besides the civilians, but I guess it's pretty obvious that a Jonin would know who I am and where I live." Naruto's gaze lightened and his grip around the kunai loosened, "Besides he still offered to help me train. He seems like a good person to me!"

Finally, Naruto grinned back, "Anyways, you guys always get up this early for training? You must be pretty strong then!"

Lee grinned back, "Of course! Guy-sensei gets up bright and early to warm our flames of youth! Unfortunately, my teammates won't be joining us since this is considered "Personal Training" and not "Team Training" which happens to start at seven!" He sighed - something extremely strange to see from Naruto's perspective, "If only they could be a bit more youthful like you and I, Naruto-kun."

Naruto nodded understandably, all traces of tiredness disappearing, "I getcha! Just give me a few minutes to get ready and I'll be out in a flash!"

"YOSH! I shall do 500 push-ups before you come back! And if I can't do that then I wi-"

Naruto shut the door before he could hear the rest.

XxMaelstromxX

"Young Naruto-kun!" A exuberant voice exclaimed as soon as Rock Lee and himself landed in their training field, "I am glad you've made it! Your youth is much brighter than I originally expected; even my youthful students have chosen to unyouthfully skip our early morning training!"

"...Or it might have to do with the fact that you're screaming about youth right when they wake up." Of course, Naruto kept that to himself and asked instead, "Who are your other students?"

Instead of Guy, Lee answered him, "Hyuuga Neji, a prodigy like no other, rookie of the year, and genius of the Gentle Fist; he is my rival that I have sworn to defeat ever since I - the dead last - was in the academy!" Lee exclaimed, bouncing on the tips of his feet, "YOSH! I'm all fired up now. Let us fan our flames of YOUTH!"

Naruto grinned at Lee; what could he say, he really liked the guy - they were strangely similar. Fellow dead lasts, no natural talent, has a rival that is called a prodigy, and they were both hard workers! He definitely knew how that felt. Following in Lee's footsteps, he bounced on his toes and spoke, "Same! I'm excited to see how strong you are!"

They heard Might Guy chuckle beside them, "You two...So caught up in your youthful flames that you've forgotten about your other teammate! Tenten, female top student of the academy, and best weapon-using Genin in the village!"

Naruto eyes twinkled, "Your team sounds really strong! A Hyuuga Prodigy, top female student in the academy, and…" Naruto's eyes turned to Lee with a grin, "And you...You must be pretty powerful as well!"

Lee smiled bashfully, "Indeed I am! But I am not strong enough to even come near Neji! I must work harder!"

Before Naruto could respond, Guy spoke in Naruto's direction, "How about you find out for yourself?"

Titling his head sideways, Naruto questioned, "What do you mean?"

Guy grinned, "You and Lee will have a most youthful spar! I need to see your Taijutsu with my own eyes to see what I can do for you!"

Naruto nodded in understanding, a ferocious grin on his face as he turned to Lee, "I'm excited!" Blood rushed through his body as he thought about the fight; it was an intoxicating feeling - the set up before a fight. Now knowing how strong or powerful or fast a person is, but getting ready to fight nonetheless. It's exactly how a real fight would feel; minus the blood lust and killing intent, of course.

And Naruto loved every second of it; what could he say? He loved to fight. And it seems he wasn't the only one.

He grinned as Rock Lee sent him a matching grin, "Yosh! Naruto-kun, I will show you what my hard work has transformed me into!"

Placing a hand in front of him as if he was trying to tell him to 'bring it' and a hand behind his back, he got into his fighting stance.

Naruto grinned and went his own stance - fists held up at the sides of his face and guarding his sides - before speaking, "Looking forward to it, Lee!"

Guy watched Naruto closely from the sidelines, his eyes narrowed as he took in every single part of his form, "It seems what I've heard before is true: the academy refused to teach Naruto Taijutsu. His stance is that of a brawler; there's so many openings in there that it's almost ridiculous...But," Guy grinned at the determination in those blue eyes, "He knows all this yet he still wants to take on a Genin known for his Taijutsu and wants to get stronger. Whoever gets this youthful child as their student will most certainly be lucky!"

Guy stood in between them, "Ready…" He'd have to watch this match carefully; take in young Naruto's every single move, speed, and power, to point him in the right direction. Bringing his hand down, Guy exclaimed, "Begin!"

Then Naruto blurred.

Guy blinked, Lee blinked; the moment the word left Guy's mouth, Naruto took off in a burst of speed that was comparable to Lee's own sealed state. Suddenly Naruto covered the distance that were between the two, his arm brought up and swinging for a punch. Immediately, Lee put up a guard, awaiting the impact...That didn't come.

Instead, Naruto blurred behind Lee and swung his leg at his form in a roundhouse kick. Rock Lee's eyes didn't even blink at the sudden increase in speed; rather, a grin formed on his face at facing an opponent of a similar speed. In a flash, Lee's arm was raised by the side of his face and guarded against the blow that would've sent him flying.

Guy's eyes narrowed, "It's not just speed…"

Lee's eyes widened at the strength that was placed in the kick and gritted his teeth as he was sent a few meters backwards.

Rock Lee glanced at Naruto who was bouncing on his toes after smashing his roundhouse into his guard, "He's also very strong as well…"

Rock Lee grinned, "Very impressive, Naruto-kun! I haven't met a Genin who was capable of moving at my speed!" Moving into an offensive stance, Lee glanced at Naruto seriously, "YOSH! I'm all fired up now!"

And the battle ensued with a frenzy.

Lee blurred towards him at a speed that resembled his own, but Naruto didn't worry; rather, he met his charge with his own. Making the first move, Naruto threw his fist forward in a stereotypical punch that Lee easily bobbed around and entered the blonde's admittedly pathetic guard.

Before Naruto could even blink, a foot shot out towards his neck at a speed that would be seen as a blur to any normal opponent; unfortunately for Lee, Naruto wasn't just anyone. Catching sight of the foot heading towards his neck, Naruto dipped his back backwards - almost appearing as if he didn't have a spine when he bent until he was in a 90 degree angle.

Then Naruto showed Lee the difference between a Taijutsu user and a brawler. Instead of moving away to gain some space and avoid a follow up attack, Naruto moved to attack once again. Bringing his head back up like a slingshot, his head sped towards Lee's own, not expecting the axe kick that slammed the blonde's face into the ground with a sickening thud.

Lee winced; he didn't expect Naruto to come forward, but, then again, he never fought a Ninja with no Taijutsu style before. The green wearing beast, thinking it was over, bent to check up on Naruto - apparently thinking he was unconscious.

Unfortunately for Lee, he didn't know how much resilience Naruto actually had. This was shown by the surprise on his face when Naruto lifted himself up with his hands and spun, sweeping Lee's feet from the ground. A foxy grin on Naruto's face, he stopped spinning and, using the same foot he used to sweep Lee's face, lifted himself from the ground and sent his heel flying towards Lee's exposed chest.

The second thing that Lee noted was different between Taijutsu users and brawlers were the sheer predictability of all of their moves. Easily reading what Naruto was about to do, he placed his foot upon the attacking leg, and raised his other leg upwards in yet another crescent kick (A.N. A kick that is sent flying high for anyone who doesn't know) that smashed into Naruto's chin on the way up - sending him flying into the air and onto the ground.

Of course, Naruto didn't stay down for a split second before he was blurring back at Lee again. Letting out a ferocious round of kicks and punches, appearing almost like a wild beast, Naruto tried his hardest to land a blow on Lee...But he didn't.

No, Lee dodged every single blow, swaying in and out of his attacks like he was seeing the future.

Naruto gritted his teeth, "Stop!"

A snap kick towards Lee's lower knee. Avoided.

"Fucking!"

A barrage of punches followed. Parried.

"JIGGLING!"

An axe kicked sliced through the air and towards Lee head; it seems even Lee didn't want to test the amount of power in his legs by blocking it and avoided it instead. A wise choice seeing how when Naruto's heel met the ground, it cracked before caving in and forming a small crater.

Lee blinked, "I do not believe I am jiggling, Naruto-kun."

Naruto simply glared daggers at him. The blonde haired Jinchuuriki wasn't wrong though, Lee was so fluid with his clean dodges that it appeared like he was made out of liquid.

It also helped that all of Naruto's moves were so predictable.

Naruto gritted his teeth, "He's just like Sasuke and Hanabi...Just a thousand times worse. I've known this before, but I always seem to see it everywhere; this is the difference between a brawler and a Taijutsu user."

Naruto growled before engaging Lee once more in a ferocious dance of violence.

It was only a few minutes into the battle, but it was clear to tell it was very one sided. Naruto gritted his teeth in annoyance as he blocked yet another kick at his face. Knocking it away, Naruto sent a snap kick towards Lee's midsection only to find him standing upon that very leg.

Naruto twitched; the bastard thinks he's so fucking cool.

The blonde kicked off his remaining foot and smashed it towards Lee's chest who - judging by his surprised face - didn't expect it; of course, that didn't mean Naruto hit him.

Nope. He hit a guard. Again.

At least he felt the satisfaction of seeing Lee blown away by the power of his kick. Spinning with his previous attack, Naruto landed back onto the ground before blurring towards Lee again.

"At least I can match Lee with my speed - which is surprising since no one in the academy could match my speed. That's insane. He also seems to be weary of the power in my attacks seeing how he dodges more of my risqué moves rather than taking the chance of countering me. Besides that, his Taijutsu is awesome. I can't see any weaknesses at all; the only time I can actually see an opening is when...He...Hits me."

Grinning, Naruto had an idea.

Rock Lee was impressed; Naruto's physical abilities were insane. For a mere academy graduate to be able to match his speed - even if is his sealed state - was beyond impressive. His physical strength was astounding as well; Rock Lee wasn't interested in seeing if his guard could hold up against his more dangerous moves - axe kicks and hammer punches - and dodged them instead. He was curious though; he couldn't help but wonder who would win in a power struggle?

He thought all of this as he casually parried and dodged all of the blonde's ferocious blows.

Of course, that's where his praise ended. The ferociousness, speed, and power in his attacks didn't meant anything if he couldn't hit him - which he would be able to if his moves weren't so straightforward and predictable. Naruto's speed was certainly great enough to hit him if he had an actual Taijutsu style, which, unfortunately for the blonde, he did not. All of his attacks were predictable in every sense, it made Lee frown. Even the Academy style with his speed and power would've made Lee a bit more careful than he was being right now with his careless actions, but Naruto wasn't using the academy style.

He wasn't using any style. Just instinct. Which helped a hell of a lot with his dodging skills.

Lee went to prove this as he parried a kick sent off by the blond and threw him off balance; Lee didn't stop there of course. Suddenly, his arms shot forward as green whips, intending to slam into his body, but beyond all belief - Naruto dodged them all.

With only one leg on the ground, he used an impressive amount of strength to drop and raise himself like he was dancing before hopping back onto both legs. Still, Lee didn't stop there.

He went on an onslaught that Naruto could barely see.

However, his instinct did.

Swaying in and out of Lee's blows, Naruto stepped in closer and closer as he danced through them. It was in times like these that Lee saw a style in the blonde; his moves so graceful, so perfect without any wasted moment, he dodged every single blow.

And then ruined it by throwing an obvious punch.

Lee had to resist the urge to growl; if he followed that move with a snap kick then Lee would've been hit.

But he didn't. Lee easily parried his punch with his own, his fist following the path to his opponent's chin while his arm knocked the blonde's arm off course.

Lee heard the sound of a gunshot as his attack made contact. Once again, Lee thought it was over; unfortunately for him, he was proved wrong once again when Naruto - instead of being sent flying - flowed with the force sent into him and pivoted with his feet, sending his fist that tried to attack Lee moments ago into a circular arc. Spinning in a circle, the punch flowed around and was sent flying at Lee on the other side of his face.

Lee couldn't guard against this attack as the punch was sent towards him in double the speed and strength that it gained from Lee's own attack. His eyes widened as it smashed into his cheek and, with the sound of gunshot, Lee was sent flying across the field and smashed through the tree that stopped his flight.

Naruto grinned, "It worked, dattebayo! First hit against you today!" His blues eyes suddenly gained a worried tint and he swore, "Oh shit! Lee are you alright?"

He was about to race over to help him when Lee threw the tree off his body with surprising strength and grinned, "Yosh! Naruto-kun, that was a most impressive move! I will reward you with moving even faster."

Naruto gulped; faster? There was a speed faster than he was already moving?

Lee's hands moved towards his orange leg warmers, fingers hooking around the loop, but, before he could start taking it off, Guy spoke, "That is quite alright, Lee! The spar is over! I have seen more than enough to talk to Naruto-kun in the youthful activity of training!"

Lee looked a bit disappointed before grinning, "That is quite alright, Guy-sensei! Was our spar as youthful as I thought it was?"

Naruto simply watched them laugh and talk before moving forward. Lee was no fucking joke. He was insanely strong and he wasn't even going all out! Naruto bit his lip; where exactly did it leave him? But, even with those thoughts, Naruto couldn't stop himself from grinning, "All these strong people...Ill surpass them all!"

Naruto jogged over to the green duo and was immediately addressed by Guy who grinned at him, "Naruto-kun! That was an excellent performance! I never imagined that you were so youthfully fast and powerful - and you're only an academy graduate! Truly youthful!"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly; he wasn't really used to being praised for anything, "Thanks, Guy-sensei!"

"That last move was also very interesting; risqué, but seemingly worth it since you managed to strike Lee." Guy continued, "How did you think of that?"

"I couldn't find any openings against Lee - probably because I was never taught a Taijutsu style - but whenever I was actually hit, I always saw a tiny opening. I just took my chances on that." Naruto responded simply, smiling at Lee who was grinning from a, as he said, 'Youthful Bout.'

"I see!" Suddenly, Might Guy lost the joyful look in his eyes and became more serious, "I'm sure you already know this, but your Taijutsu is nonexistent."

Naruto sighed; he already knew this, but it still hurt whenever someone said it, "Yeah, I guess I was never…" Blue eyes glanced at Lee and he corrected himself, "I guess I just never got what my teachers were trying to teach me!"

Naruto stressed certain words for Lee, unwilling to let him know what he was containing. Fortunately, Guy-sensei got it and, apparently, didn't like it by the dark flash that went by his eyes and his mutter, "Such unyouthful teachers."

"Yup."

"Anyways! While your physical abilities are outstanding, your Taijutsu is nonexistent which makes you easy to pick apart for any Taijutsu user with a tiny bit of experience. I'm sure you've seen this in a few of your academy spars. While your speed probably overwhelmed most opponents, there were others who were capable of beating you."

Naruto simply nodded.

Guy sighed, "Unfortunately, there's nothing I can really teach you during these few weeks. I can't take the place of your sensei by teaching you my style either."

Naruto's eyes fell to the ground, despondent, "That's that I guess…How frustrating. I know it's not because of the Kyuubi that he doesn't want to teach me, it's because he really can't take the place of my sensei." Naruto groaned, "This sucks."

"But I can, however, help you increase your physical abilities."

That had Naruto look up like an excited puppy.

Guy continued, "Even if all the speed and strength in the world won't help you against Taijutsu users, some will be overwhelmed by the speed and strength. Rookies or fellow Genin, probably. Of course, that won't work once you fight any more experienced fighter or anyone who's decently fast. Basically, experienced Genin would destroy you even with all that speed."

Naruto's excitement didn't dull one bit, if he could get faster and stronger, who the hell was he to say no? This was awesome!

Guy seemed to see this and laughed boisterously at the blonde haired boy, "Such a strong amount of youth! Whoever gets you as a student, young Naruto-kun, will certainly be lucky!"

Lee smiled at Naruto, "Guy-sensei is about to hand you some of his Youth! My flames are stoked! YOSH! I shall do 1000 single finger push ups!"

Naruto simply sweat dropped before his eyes were dragged to Guy when he went through hand seals that Naruto did his best to remember.

He thought to himself over and over again, "Boar. Dog. Bird. Monkey. Ram."

And watched as he slammed his hand into the ground and exclaimed, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Suddenly a cloud of smoke enveloped the training area causing Naruto to throw his arms in front of him to protect himself from the sudden onslaught. Opening his eyes warily when the smoke was dispersed by the wind, Naruto eyes widened and he pointed at the creature that Guy was standing next to, "A turtle!"

It indeed was a turtle. A very large turtle. His shell was red with a yellow underside and swirls on the top with markings around his eyes which were also yellow. He wore a standard Konoha forehead protector around his neck, and an orange bandage on his right front leg.

Naruto watched, mouth dropping open as the turtle opened his mouth and spoke, "I'm a tortoise."

Naruto simply pointed dumbly, "It...Spoke."

"I'm not a 'it' kid. I'm a 'he'." The turtle turned to Guy who was laughing youthfully, "Who's the idiot?"

Naruto's eyebrow twitched; who the hell did this bastard think he was? Naruto crossed his arms, "Yeah, Guy-sensei. Who's the turtle."

Naruto never knew turtles could growl.

"This, my youthful friend, is Naruto-kun. He's a student of hard work." Guy spoke before turning to the tortoise, "This, Naruto-kun, is one of my most valuable friends, Ningame-kun. He's my summon."

Naruto's eyes brightened, instantly losing his annoyance at the tortoise's attitude, "A summon!" Naruto exclaimed, "That's so cool! Ningame-san looks so cool!"

If Ningame wasn't red, Naruto would've seen him blush at the compliment. Unfortunately, it didn't go away as Naruto came closer and admired his shell and design, "Wow! Your shell is so cool, Ningame-san!"

Ningame brightened at the mention of his shell, "It's every tortoise's pride!"

"I can see why! It's so badass!"

"Isn't it!"

"The orange matches it well as well!"

"I think so too. People seem to think orange is a bad color, but they're idiots!"

"That's what I'm saying! I use-"

And they went off tangent.

Minutes later, they returned to the original topic as Guy coughed into his hand to interrupt them, "Anyways, Ningame-kun! Can I have those Gravity Seals I left with you?"

"Ho?" Ningame answered, "So that's why you called me here? I'm assuming it's for the kid since Lee-kun can't use them and your other student's bodies aren't strong enough."

Guy nodded with a grin, "Mhmm! Lee doesn't need them with the weights and his inability to use chakra, Neji-kun and Tenten-kun aren't capable of using them with their bodies, but Naruto-kun here has the perfect body for them and the chakra required to use them."

The tortoise looked over at Naruto who simply raised an eyebrow, "Gravity Seals? The hell is that? Fuinjutsu?"

The tortoise suddenly nodded, "Yeah. The kid has the body for it!" Ningame suddenly slammed his foot on the ground and two small bands came out of his shell. "He'll make good usage of it. And he's a fan of orange. He's a good kid!"

"You're pretty awesome yourself, Ningame!" Naruto responded with a grin that was matched with the tortoise's own.

"Well, if that's all, I'll see you guys around. Good luck training, Naruto and Lee. Ja ne." The tortoise suddenly vanished in a poof and Naruto immediately turned to Guy.

"Ne, ne, Guy-sensei! What's a summon?" Naruto immediately questioned, his interest piqued wondering if he, himself, could do it.

Guy laughed, "Impressed that much by the youthful, Ningame?" Seeing Naruto's enthusiastic nod, Guy continued, "Well, basically, after landing a contract with an animal, you can summon them to you for a battle like comrades. You can also train with them or simply talk with them. Anything at all."

"Train with them?"

Naruto's mind suddenly thought of something brilliant and made up his mind, "Say, Guy-sensei, where can I get one of these Contracts?"

Guy never understood how much he changed Naruto's already messed up destiny into something that even the author doesn't completely understand.

But that's how plots are made.

Guy laughed, "Contracts are hard to come by, Naruto-kun. Unless you come from a clan - which almost always has a summoning companion - then it'll be hard for you to find one. I, myself, don't come from a clan, I was lucky to find one myself."

Seeing Naruto's eager eyes, Guy continued, "During a battle, I defeated," The green beast didn't say 'kill', he didn't want to destroy Naruto's conception of Ninja so soon, "A man who was capable of summoning turtles. The turtles decided that I was a worthy ninja and asked me to sign the contract, which I did and I've had youthful companions ever since!"

Naruto nodded, "So a summoning contract can be gained through battle?"

"Although, it's not likely. It was simply chance that the ninja I was fighting knew how to summon." Guy corrected Naruto's misconception of gaining a contract, hiding a laugh at Naruto's annoyed expression.

"Man! Clans get all the good stuff." Naruto groaned into his hands, "But life's never been fair so why start now?"

Guy nodded, impressed with the blonde's words as he easily picked himself back up. Deciding to tell him more information, he spoke, "You can also gain a contract through the summoning scrolls the village possesses." Seeing Naruto tilt his head in confusion, Guy sweat dropped. He was just a Genin; of course, he wouldn't know this, "Each village possesses a few Summoning Scrolls. Clanless ninjas can put their names down for a chance to gain a summon, but the chances are low. They only accept Ninja with a lot of potential or someone who is already great. Basically, there's an incredibly small chance of getting a Summoning Contract for a clanless Ninja."

Naruto simply sighed, but Guy wasn't finished, "Also if someone owns a scroll - if the summon gives the human their scroll to keep - then anyone the human approves of can let them sign their name down on the contract!"

Naruto grinned; at least, that was a bit easier than the other ways! Who knows, maybe Jiji would let him sign his contract with the monkeys! Enma was always nice to him when he was a kid and that's not even mentioning how badass he is!

"Also, if I remember correctly, Jiraiya-sama of the Sannin managed to gain his contract by simply using the summoning technique without actually having a contract." Guy murmured to himself, Naruto's keen ears easily picking up the words.

Naruto blinked, "If you can just use the summoning Jutsu like that why do you need a contract?"

Guy simply shook his head, "Many youthful people have tried before, but Jiraiya-sama was the only one to succeed. It's assumed that you need to have a personality, traits, or dreams that matches the summon to actually do it though…"

Naruto smiled; he was definitely trying that after this. If some old man could do it then he'd be able to do it no doubt!

Guy shook his head and grinned, "Anyways, we're going off track right now! These," Guy showed him the small dark blue wrist bands with Fuinjutsu written over it in a small, condensed circle, "Are known as Gravity Seals! Like they imply - through the youthful art of Fuinjutsu - they increase the level of gravity on the user and only the user! It doesn't affect anything else, you could stomp on the ground with the gravity seals at maximum and it would only be at your normal strength, not normal strength + weight of increased gravity."

Naruto eyes widened as a wind burst through the clearing and made his bangs flow from side to side in a mystical fashion, but his eyes were completely focused on those seals.

"They have 50 levels - each level increasing the level of gravity by double of the last amount and always making it twice as hard as the last level. Of course, it won't allow you to change the level without your body matching the requirements. You'll have to try it twice to make it change and, in that case, you'll die, crushed by the overwhelming force of gravity. Fortunately, it tells you when your body is able of not being crushed into paste...Although, smashing into the ground and not being able to move wasn't very pleasant either."

"Isn't 50 levels...A bit much? I doubt anyone can do all 50 levels if they double with every increase. I weigh 115 lbs right now. So I'd be sitting at 230 with one increase - which isn't very hard since I do that every morning - but with a third increase it'd be 460…" Naruto shuddered, "That'd be hellish."

Guy simply laughed, "It definitely is strange, almost like it wasn't made for normal bodies! That's why you never increase the weight until the seals tell you to!"

"And how do they do that?"

Guy simply shook his head with a mystified expression playing on his face, "I'll never understand Fuinjutsu, how it understands the body like it has an actual brain is insane. I'll show you soon. It won't go on any one who doesn't have the right body. It's strangely picky."

Guy placed the wristbands in his hands and Naruto stared at the seals. He could make out a few of the scribbles thanks to Kushina's lessons - vitality, body, gravity - but couldn't make out much more. Cerulean blue eyes turned to Guy as he continued to speak, "It turns on and off by saying a code that I'll tell you once you turn it on."

Naruto eagerly placed the dark colored wrist bands onto his wrists and grinned up at Guy who told him the phrases that would activate, deactivate, and level up the gravity seals.

Placing his hands in the Ram Seal, Naruto exclaimed, "Fuin: Activate!"

The blonde haired boy watched as his chakra was consumed by the seals on his wrists and waited in anticipation; suddenly, the black seals turned into a blood red before the gravity around Naruto suddenly increased.

Grunting as he was forced to bend his back, he slowly lifted his head back up. Eventually, he raised himself to his proper position and grinned, "That wasn't so bad! It's only double my weight right now! I squat with boulders heavier than my own weight all the time! I guess this won't be awful after all! If they just wait until I feel like I'm in my normal gravity then this will be a piece of cake...Although, it's definitely going to be a bitch getting used to it when it goes heavier."

Suddenly the red glow of the seals turned green. Blinking, Naruto turned to Guy who had a Cheshire Cat grin on his face, "That is the leveling color! It's telling you to double your weight again."

Naruto simply shrugged, how bad could it be? Terrible last words, Naruto.

"Fuin: Level!"

Then the seal turned red.

And then he smashed into the ground.

Naruto groaned, "Okay...That fucking hurt."

Guy simply laughed boisterously as Naruto tried to push himself up, only to fail again and again, "I wonder how Naruto-kun will feel if he knows Lee's weights are so much heavier than what he's feeling right now...But surprises are good."

Guy questioned, "You alright, young Naruto-kun?"

"Just peachy."

It took a few minutes, but Naruto managed to get into a sitting position; sitting breathless against a tree, he grinned at Guy who had a wistful smile on his face, "I received this seal from a beautiful young woman. You probably don't know this, but those seals are extremely hard to come by - they can only be made by Fuinjutsu Masters!"

Naruto looked up from where he was sitting - straining his body all the while, "Really? Then that means…"

Guy nodded with a melancholic look in his eyes, "When I was a Genin a woman I looked up to created and gave these wristbands to me; telling me that'd I'd be able to make good usage of them…"

The blonde haired Jinchuuriki looked at the seals hesitatingly, "Are you sure...You want to give this to me?"

Guy laughed and dropped a hand on the blonde's head before ruffling his hair, "Of course. I think I know how she felt back then...I see the potential in you like she saw the potential in me. I'm sure she'd want you to have it anyways…"

"She was your mother after all." Guy added mentally, keeping it to himself; Hiruzen had forbid him and anyone who knew of Kushina's son from telling him about his parents.

But that didn't stop him from grinning fondly at the boy before him.

XxMaelstromxX

Well that's the end of that chapter!

Honestly, I had this done for months. I'm not exactly sure why I didn't post it. I didn't really review it for grammar mistakes so forgive the hundreds that are probably within. Speaking of which, if anyone would like to beta this story, I'd be incredibly grateful. Leave me a PM!

Not much to say here. Still don't know the pairing so don't freak out about the slight fluff in this chapter - it was mostly for the information Naruto gained.

I think the next chapter will contain a time-skip; although, I don't know when that will be out. More reviews will end up with a faster update.

See you all next time.