`"Damn it Tsunade! I will not take that boy with me and that is final!" broke Jiraiya into Tsunade's rant midway. When he would look back on this day many years from now, he would come to realize that that sudden rush of adrenaline and youth he felt in that one split moment was something akin to fate.

"…." Too bewildered by his outburst to say anything more, she simply stared, asking for an explanation to why he couldn't follow her orders.

"And why are you not taking him with you?" She started when Jiraiya neglected to explain his outburst.

She began again.

"He is in a lot of danger as it is in the village. Akatsuki will have a harder time finding him if he's on the road with you. And besides that, you are the only one qualified to train the boy!"

"Bullshit Tsunade!" He interrupted. Again. "What he needs MOST, is experience." He paused. "Like every ninja whose ever amounted to anything excels in." He stopped to turn, facing the door and letting Tsunade stare at his back.

"You and I have seen this as proof Tsunade. You, me, and Orochimaru know this firsthand. We were all bloodline-less children. Orochimaru was the 'gifted' one, you and me got through life with hard work. And look what we all became. Look how you and I have surpassed him, and look what he has become. We have a chance here Tsunade. We have a chance to let a highly determined and highly skilled ninja become the greatest we've ever known. And he will see experience. He will know what to do to make himself great."

He started walking to the door now, at a slow and deliberate pace.

"Besides Tsunade. Akatsuki will only begin to seek him out 3 years from now, when he is 17. You know that…"

He opened to door and closed it gently, but not before saying ever so softly and clearly…

"You know all of this. Maybe you should be following the ideals of a Hokage. Not giving out a Hokage's order."

She didn't realize she had gotten up at that point. But she did remember having to sit back down. And breathe…slowly…for several minutes…

"Maybe he's right…" She thought. What Naruto needs now is not the coddling of the Hokage. He needs experience. Experience would supply him with direction in his career. Enough of it can send him to the top. Rather than guarantee mediocre success from training with Jiraiya, who would have to leave Naruto for weeks at a time to complete his own missions, she would gamble…no…she would rest easy, knowing Naruto , and only Naruto, can make himself great. Besides, the village cannot protect him from everything. Especially not the Akatsuki.

"Send in Uzumaki, Naruto please" She spoke to the intercom while pressing its button with enough strength to crack the plastic surrounding it.

She would have time to think before he got here about the specifics…

The first thing that alarmed him was the hour. It was near midnight in the dark hospital room when he sensed a disturbance in the adjacent hallway. He turned to the door to see the handle jiggle and open, revealing a dark figure in the brightly lit hallway. The light of the hallway and the darkness of his room led his pupils to wildly contract and focus on the figure, which due to his ambient light levels looked almost ethereal. The only really distinguishing mark on this shadowy blob was his immaculately white porcelain face mask. A Cat…

"Hokaga-sama requests you presence immediately" The lone figure stated. Deep was his voice, contrasting deeply with his feline mask with its playful yet feral snarl.

He frowned. Tsunade had never summoned for him formally. Only through Kakashi and Sakura. This combined with the late hour of the night and the fact that he was only about half recovered from the fights with Orochimaru and Kabuto…this was serious.

"Take me there"

"Whats this about, Ba-chan?!" Yelled Naruto after sitting down in the seat in front of the Hokage.

"Naruto. Let me begin by saying that I am sorry." Tsunade expressed with a serious attitude. "I took you for granted, figured that all your previous exploits were the result of luck. That you were, in fact, weak. It was a mis-truth, and I am sorry for believing it". She finished.

He sat bewildered. "Wha…"

"So I will now call upon my powers as a Hokage…" She cut in "…and promote you to Chunin, effective immediately."

"Chu…Chunin?! But, Tsunade! I'm not strong enough!"

"Bullshit." Tsunade said plainly, remembering some of the things Jiraya told her about. "You defeated ninja's that well surpass the Genin levels. A few weeks ago you took on and defeated Kabuto, an A class shinobi and right hand man of Orochimaru. You did it by learning a Hijutsu from Jiraiya that you learned in 3 weeks that anyone else would take at least a year to master. You, above all other Genin, are worthy of the title Chunin. And I will remind you, that this topic is not up for debate. Promotion is a privilege of a Hokage and is undisputable.

"But…I can't lead people..."

"That can be learned from experience Naruto. Which you will receive copious amounts of. Also effective immediately, you are to be hereby placed on the active duty roster, and additionally, be put on the preferred duty roster when not on a mission."

"Why?" He asked with a suspicious face. He was a little scared, truth be told, but his curiosity got the better of him.

"Because it is what is best for you." She stated simply, her seriousness never leaving her.

"Jiraya will leave you instructions before he leaves on his 3-year mission. They are detailed. On top of that, you have Kakashi ." She added in as he got up.

He turned to leave, but was stopped.

"Here!" She shouted as he turned around. He had caught his Chunin vest with practiced ease…

Looking up a little, he uttered "Thank you…Hokage-sama", turned, left, and went home.

'Fate always seems on your side, Naruto. Let us hope fate doesn't have a bad sense of humor…'.

Peeking around the bushes, Naruto spotted his wayward teachers standing in the middle of the training area. He had gotten a messenger bird message shortly after his shopping experience telling him to meet Kakashi and Jiraya at these training grounds at noon. So here he was.

For their parts, both Kakashi and Jiraiya had seemed shocked by Naruto's appearance.

Black ninja sandals connected to baggy black pants by black leather bandage wrappings. The pants themselves were of a medium baggy nature, and riddled with pockets. Twin thigh holsters appeared at his thighs, taped with the same material his shoes were wrapped to his legs with. He also sported a half cowl starting from his waist and ending mid-calve, wrapping each side up to mid thigh (The kind Hyuuga Neji wear in Shippuuden).

A plain black muscle shirt droned his upper torso, along with leather wrappings of thinner and decidedly browner color than the rest of his wrappings. They were strewn over his body. Over that he wore a Chuunin vest.

They also took to notice black sleeves on his arms, long and large enough to conceal weapons. They started at mid bicep, seeing as his shirt ended at the shoulders and proceeded to form a ruffle less turtle neck. His headband was on its proper place, but it now sported a much longer bandana holding it in place. It reached to mid back. Lastly to Naruto's new arsenal was a bright orange scarf that wrapped around his neck and covered his lower face loosely, but enough for it to act as a face mask. It also seemed to flow along the wind, indicating a silk scarf…They would always follow angle in their pull so most shinobi stayed away.

Overall, it was a huge improvement.

"Naruto…I've prepared some scrolls for you" Jiraya started, getting right to business. He had to leave immediately after this anyway… "They are sealed within this one giant scroll. Merely channel your chakra into the scroll and select the numbered scroll when it appears. Start at one." He finished. He jumped to the trees and said "Goodbye Naruto. When I am back, I expect you to make me proud." They both accepted smiles and Naruto vowed to make his master proud.

"Well Naruto…congratulations on being the first of my students to be a Chunin. As of now, we are no longer teacher and student, but comrades in arms." Kakashi rung in, truly proud to have a student of his make it. He handed Naruto a note large scroll. "This scroll contains most all of the chkra control exersizes you can ever find in any of the villages. Also, there is explanation on jutsu theory and manipulation." He said.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said sincerely.

"He seems to already be taking this seriously. I have never been this proud for a student before." He thought.

They parted ways again, but not until telling Naruto his one piece of advice, from one comrade, to another. The secrets of the Kage-Bunshin, of course, can only be divulged to Chunin class or higher…

End Chapter 1 Mission 0: Fate