To Be A Master

1. The Trainer's First Test

Summary: Shadow Clones wasn't the only thing Naruto came away with when he took the forbidden scroll. See what happens when he finds three Pokemon as well.

Need to Know: Naruto's happy go lucky side is actually a mask. The truth is that he is actually a lot calmer, smarter, and more strategically oriented than he let's most people know. The only person who actually knows this is the Third.

Story Begins: Forest Outside of Hidden Leaf Village

Naruto wiped his brow, finally done learning the shadow clone jutsu, glad that the Third had decided to go along with Naruto's idea and use this opportunity to catch a traitor. And if all went as planned, Naruto would be an official Gennin afterwards. The fact that the third had suggested taking a look at the first three things in the scroll just added icing to the cake in his opinion.

Naruto had always been terrible at the clone jutsu. Finally finding one that he could not only do but seemed to excel at really made his day. Add the facts that not only were they solid and could perform jutsu but also that the owner got the memories from them when they dispelled, and you had one happy camper.

'All right, let's see what we've got next.' Naruto thought as he sat down and looked at the scroll again. Seeing a storage seal next, he paused wondering what could be so bad that it would be sealed inside the forbidden scroll. The Third had recommended taking a look though so Naruto shrugged and pumped chakra into the seal.

The seal flared before three small balls that were red on top and white on bottom with hinges on one side and a button on the other as well as a weird red rectangular device popped out. A note appeared as well. Deciding to play things safe on this one, Naruto reached over to the note and read:

If you are reading this, then you have accepted the challenge that I could not meet. The three balls that have left the seal contain creatures called Pokemon. I found these three along with the device, which I have learned is called a Pokedex, in some ruins in the mountains of the Land of Fire. From what we and the archeologists that were with my team have uncovered, they are the last of their kind in this world. They are said to have powers that are similar and in many ways stronger than those of shinobi. However, none of us could summon them. All of us failed the test given to us to summon them. Perhaps you will have better luck. Simply place your hands on the Pokedex and it will test you. Good luck. Minato Namikaze.

Naruto's eyebrow had raised as he read about the creatures in the note, but his eyes shot wide open at the name at the end.

'Holy, not even the Fourth could pass the test. Still, I might as well try. The Old Man obviously thought I had a chance to pass this test whatever it is, and it can't hurt to try right?'

With that thought, Naruto placed his hand on the Pokedex. All of a sudden, Naruto's life flashed before his eyes as he relived everything in a little less than a minute making him dizzy from the vision of his life going by at a blur. The Pokedex then beeped causing Naruto to drop it. When the Pokedex hit the ground, it flipped open and a voice came from it.

"You have endured many hardships and still came out strong. You have passed my test and earned the right to be called Trainer."

Right after the Pokedex spoke, the three Pokeballs glowed a golden color before they expanded into hand sized orbs and opened on their hinges releasing a red beam of light from each ball. The beams turned towards the ground and changed shapes once they hit. When they did, the red light faded away leaving three small creatures that had not been seen in the world for a long time.

The first one was standing on all four legs and was a light bluish green with a green bulb on its back. The next one looked like a orange lizard that stood on its hind legs with a flame on its tail. The third one looked like a blue turtle with a yellow and brown shell that also stood on its hind legs. As soon as they were visible, the Pokedex began talking again.

"Bulbasaur. Pokemon Type: Seed. For some time after its birth, it grows by gaining nourishment from the seed on its back."

"Charmander. Pokemon Type: Lizard. The fire on the tip of its tail is a measure of its life. If healthy, its tail burns brightly."

"Squirtle Pokemon Type: Tiny Turtle. It shelters itself inside its shell, then strikes back with spouts of water at every opportunity

As the Pokedex spoke, a picture of each said Pokemon was visible on its screen. As this was going on, the Pokemon were looking around.

The bulbasaur cocked its head and said "Bulba, bulbasaur, saur?"

The squirtle looked around some more before saying "Squir, squirtle."

The charmander spotted Naruto and its eyes widened before it pointed at him and said "Charmander! Char Charmander!"

Naruto rose an eyebrow as all three Pokemon were now looking at him. "Okay, why are you guys just saying your names?" he asked trying to figure out these weird creatures. It was actually the Pokedex that answered.

"Pokemon are incapable of human speech. They rely on a language that is based off of the species' name and uses accents on certain parts of the word to form different meanings."

Naruto got a wtf look on his face before he shook it away and simply decided that that little info belonged with the rest of the insane stuff that was currently going on. Looking at the three who were still looking curiously at the blond, he looked back at the Pokedex and asked it if it had anymore information on them.

Two Hours Later

Naruto was looking at the third entry in the forbidden scroll when his watch went off. Naruto took a quick glance at it and shut the alarm off before he rolled the scroll close and put it on his back. He then recalled his new Pokemon who had been laying underneath some trees as Naruto read the scroll.

'I'll have to try the exploding clone jutsu some other time. Now all I have to do is wait for Mizuki to come and I can bust his rear end with the shadow clone jutsu. I had wondered why the Old Man didn't have ANBU come with me. Old geezer must have known that I would be able to use it so well.'

Naruto was brought out of his thoughts when someone landed in front of him and said "There you are Naruto! Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you're in?"

Naruto's eyes widened as he recognized his teacher Iruka.

'Oh crap, no one else was supposed to be here.' He thought before he said "Iruka-sensei you need to leave, now."

Iruka was about to berate his student when the words said student had said and the tone of voice he used finally took root in his mind.

"What do you mean?" He asked before both heard the sound of metal flying through the air.

"Look out!" Iruka shouted while he pushed Naruto out of the way and got pinned to the nearby shed by multiple kunai in the process.

Hearing the sound of laughter, Naruto looked along the kunai flight path and saw Mizuki on a tree branch.

'There he is.' Naruto thought with narrowed eyes.

"I must say Iruka, I'm impressed. I didn't expect you to find him before I did." Mizuki said as he smirked at how helpless Iruka looked before turning to Naruto and said "Naruto, give me the scroll, and I'll pass you."

"No Naruto, don't do it! Mizuki is just trying to trick you!" Iruka shouted from his position.

'No duh.' Naruto thought. But before he could say anything, Mizuki laughed and said "I'm not trying to trick him Iruka. No more than the rest of the village is anyway."

Iruka's eyes widened as Naruto's narrowed before he said "What do you mean?"

Mizuki gave a mad looking grin and said "Do you want to know why the village hates you Naruto?"

Iruka began struggling and shouted out "No Mizuki, you mustn't! It's forbidden!"

Mizuki smirked and said "The reason why the village hates you is a secret that the Third Hokage made twelve years ago on the night the Kyubi attacked. A secret punishable by death if the adults of this village told their children. You see, the Fourth didn't kill the Kyubi, he sealed it into a baby whose umbilical cord had just been cut. (Naruto's eyes widened slightly before narrowing again.) That's right Naruto! You were that baby! You're the Kyubi, the Nine Tailed Fox. Which is why you'll never be recognized and never become Hokage!"

Mizuki began laughing again. Iruka was about to say something but he never got the chance.

"Is that it?"

Both Chunnin looked at Naruto who had a raised eyebrow looking at Mizuki like he was an idiot. Mizuki was wondering why Naruto wasn't an emotional wreck while Iruka was trying to figure out how his favorite student could be so calm while facing a Chunnin.

Naruto shook his head and said "I knew you were a traitor Mizuki, but I didn't think you were an idiot as well." Pulling out one of the Pokeballs from his pocket, he held it up and said "I am no more the Kyubi than this Pokeball is a bulbasaur."

Mizuki and Iruka looked confused at this and Mizuki said "I have no idea what you are talking about you demon brat and I don't care! Once I kill you, I'll be seen as a hero!"

Naruto smirked and said "Not likely. You know what, I was going to simply use the shadow clone jutsu that I learned from the scroll to bring you down for the Old Man, but I think I'll let one of my new Pokemon have a shot at you."

Naruto pushed the button on the Pokeball on his hand. The ball enlarged itself causing the two Chunnin's eyes wide. Naruto then threw the ball and said "Go, bulbasaur!" The ball hit the ground and released the grass Pokemon.

Iruka and Mizuki stared at the Pokemon before Mizuki laughed and said "Hah! What the hell is that thing? What in the world can that thing do? You know what? I think I'll just kill it as well as you!"

Mizuki took a demon shuriken off of his back and began twirling it before throwing it earning a shout from Iruka telling Naruto to get out of the way.

Thinking fast, Naruto called out "Bulbasaur! Razor Leaf!"

The grass Pokemon gave out a shout as it launched it's attack. Two leaves shot out of its bulb and intercepted the shuriken before cutting straight through it making the two Chunnins' eyes widen again. The leaves kept going and Mizuki was forced to jump from his perch to the ground in order to avoid them. As he did, the three pieces of the shuriken their path's altered slightly by the passage of the leaves, passed by either side and above Naruto before slamming into the ground behind him.

Neither Mizuki or Iruka had time to notice this though since as soon as Mizuki hit the ground Naruto called out "Leech Seed!" Bulbasaur leaned forward and pointed its bulb towards Mizuki before firing a seed out of it. Mizuki was unable to dodge in time and the bulb hit him before vines came out and wrapped around him. The vines then began glowing red and Mizuki began screaming before dropping unconscious ten seconds later. The vines then retracted and the seed dropped off of the traitor's body. Bulbasaur walked over to the seed that had dropped off of the traitor and touched the seed with its foot. To everyone's surprise including Naruto's, the seed glowed before being absorbed.

Naruto rose an eyebrow and thought 'Didn't expect that.' before he said "Great job bulbasaur." Said Pokemon smirked and nodded before walking back to Naruto who held up the Pokeball and said "Bulbasaur, return." The Pokeball opened a little before a red beam of light hit bulbasaur and drew it back into the ball. As soon as the ball closed again, Naruto put it back into his pocket and turned around and ran over to Iruka and began taking out the kunai.

As he was doing this, Iruka said "Naruto, what was that thing?"

Naruto looked up from the last kunai that he had just taken out from Iruka's pant leg and said "A Pokemon."

"A what?" Iruka said trying to figure out what that word even meant.

"It's something I found in the forbidden scroll that the Old Man told me to look at while I waited to catch Mizuki."

Iruka let those words sink into his mind before his eyes widened and he said "The Hokage told you to steal the scroll?"

Naruto stood up from his crouching position and nodded. Seeing his favorite teacher's look of confusion and shock he said "Come on, I'd rather explain this only once." He turned and walked over to Mizuki and picked him up in a fireman's lift and began walking back to the village to give his report to the Hokage.

Iruka shook himself before taking off after his student. As he did, what Naruto had said a short time ago finally registered. Turning to Naruto he said "Naruto, did you say earlier that you learned the Shadow Clone jutsu?"

Naruto nodded and Iruka simply shook his head deciding to save his questions until they talked to the Hokage.