Naruto 1. Chapter 1

**Hello everybody Onirudra37 here, I know other stories have been shuffled back and forth but this one is something that has been in my head for a while and in turn blocking all of my other ideas.**

** Its called Q.**

**Presented by Onirudra37, Do not own Naruto: jutsu, characters, silly plot line or over all obliviousness, so do not expect any answering to flames or reviews, this story is just here to be posted, only if you really want to do you review the reviewers will receive a public message of thanks**

Naruto sat in the back of the classroom, ignoring Iruka as he once again went over the fine line of how shinobi were supposed to conduct themselves.

Naruto did not care: some people would say he was joking and that his plans were to be a great ninja, or to be their hokage. Others would say that he did not have the skill set and would never reach that high expectation. Everyone said what they thought the blonde knew, would know, or did know but they were wrong.

Naruto was not what they said; he was himself, not some speculative choosing of how the village thought he would be. He had his own plans and choices.

Naruto sat in the back of the room, a twisted kunai in his hand, the kunai was one of his presents irks to his mood. Thanks to that Uchiha a few rows down from him, he now had another kunai that he could not use to practice targets with. 'Oh Well' He thought as he etched swirls into the wood of the desk. The people on either side of him looked at him as they heard the dull clunk of the wood being carved up again and again.

Iruka paused his lecture as he heard the thunks, and cast an eye about to find the source. He stopped as he saw the class's resident blonde trouble maker carving into his work station. A growl escaped his throat as he called the boy's name.

"Naruto!"

The boy looked up at the mention of his name, shocking Iruka for a reason he didn't know. He pushed the thought away as he prepared to reprimand the boy, only to be cut of pre-rant.

The blonde had looked up at his sensei, waiting for him to say something, but decided that it was taking too long and went back to his previous task.

Iruka blinked at the boy, he had ignored him right after acknowledging him. If the boy had any parents he would of written a letter of stern reprisal to them for his blatant disrespect. But he pushed those thoughts away and called again.

"Naruto since you have so much working knowledge of the subject why don't you come up here and tell us what this basic seal array for a scroll is designed to do."

The boy stopped what he was doing and hung his head before sighing. He then stood, then tripping and falling down after tripping over the bench much to the humor of the class. He stood up and walked down the stairs stepping his feet in a perfect line as he reached the floor and stood before Iruka.

Iruka shook his head as he saw the blonde stand before him with a bowed head. He held out the chalk and then addressed Naruto.

"Naruto you are to finish the seal array on the board and explain to the class its purpose and its practical use amongst leaf village ninja."

Naruto looked at his sensei before bowing his head again and looking at the board with a side glance before nodding, Iruka gestured to the board and the boy walked to it with his perfect steps.

"_tikk tikk tick, tik, tik, ticc, tik, tik," _Iruka was speechless along with the rest of the class as the blonde began writing and did not stop, the chalk stayed close to the board as the blonde began to write something, something that he should not have known at this level.

In a row a few stairs above Naruto a lavender eyed girl was watching him write, and felt a little joy that he was not afraid to step in front of the class, but also sad as he seemed down and distracted. What was wrong with him? Did something happen?

A few chairs higher a girl with pink hair was looking at the board in confusion, the first part was all the answer that the sensei had asked for, but the rest had no real standing on how the seal was used, what was the blonde getting at?

The row below her a onyx eyed boy watched the blonde write and soon lost interest, this was just a joke or something he had no interest in something that the blonde had probably made up in his daydreaming.

Across the row from him, a boy with pineapple hairdo was watching the blonde write out the most complex and detailed answer he had ever seen the boy give in the history of his academy days.

Naruto finished as he handed the spent piece of chalk to his sensei, and stood back allowing all the others to read the board.

'_The seal below is the basics for any seal array, from a explosive note to a storage scroll, it has it's basics from the sandaime, the yondaime and the toad sannin jiraiya. It is normal for chunnin and jounin to know it to a level that they can replicate it to a t in times that it may be needed. It is a basic array, unfortunately it has ties in darker fuinjutsu of the village, and to those who look at it in a blind eye it does look complicated, but to those who see it every time they look at themselves in the mirror it is like a grown man reciting his abc's and counting to ten, unfortunately this is all that is presented and known for those at the gennin level, it takes moderate chakra cost, small standings of know how, and a steady hand to inscribe this array.' _Below that the completed seal was set and and informational structure of what different parts were made up of the seal.

Iruka looked at Naruto to see he had taken another piece of chalk and drew a large blocky capital Q on the board before pocketing the chalk and walking back to his seat and picking up his kunai.

Iruka looked at the board than back at Naruto, the boy had just single handedly written out the entire subject that the class was to go over and wasn't even boasting his accomplishments.

"Naruto what is this on the board?" The blonde looked up at the teacher and spoke without any remorse of emotion.

"It's the answer to the question that you all asked me, and the other item is a large Q, but I am sure I don't need to tell a chunnin academy teacher that."

The bell then rang and everyone got their stuff to go home, only to look at the blonde who walked to the window and hopped to the tree just outside it before falling to the ground and running away with what very few could see to be tears in his eyes.

**XXXXXLaterXXXXX**

Naruto sat in his apartment rocking back and forth on the floor of his shower, his arms and chest covered with cuts spelling out the words: _Why, When, Where, and Who_. He watched as his blood pooled and then swirled itself down the drain as he constantly moaned and cries to himself. Why were there so many questions?

Naruto cried out as he suddenly stopped and looked to his hands and arms, as he saw them burning red and beginning to heal, he reached over to the side, and picked up the carving knife as he laid it to the newly healed flesh of his arms and began to recut the questions into them. Crying as he did so, there were so many questions.

Outside the blondes apartment the lavender eyed girl sat on the ground next to the door crying, and sobbing as she could see what was going on in the twelve year old boy's home. She felt her chest tighten as she saw him pick up the knife and begin the etching and carving process over.

The last thing she saw made her close her eyes and scream, perhaps saving the young blonde's life.

In the bathroom the blonde had finished his arms and chest again, he looked at the blade of the small knife as if it were some unknown item and then carved two large bold Q's into both side of his neck piercing through the muscle and arteries in his haste, only to feel his eyes grow heavy as he slid on to his back on the tiled floor, bleeding ridiculously quickly for such a small boy.

'So many questions, so many questions.' He heard the sound of crashing wood and destructed wood from beyond the blackness of his eyes, 'Like what is that sound?'

He felt two gnarled and beaten hands pick up his body before he heard a yell filled with power.

"**NAAARRRUUUTTTOOO Don't you dare do this to me boy, stay with me damn it!**" and that was the last thing he remembered.

**There you go done, I don't plan on making a lot of this unless I get some reviews, so it is up to everyone**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 of Q, by OniRudra37, note to reviewers, nothing made to be blackmail, I disapprove of it highly, I just feel that if no one reads, no one should write.**

**Disclaimer: Naruto:** "Where am I?"

**OniRudra: "**you are in the world that I have devised."

**Naruto: "**So where am I?" Naruto pulls out small blade.

**OniRudra: "**Careful your in limbo that comes before every story, you're here to do the disclaimer"

**Naruto:** nods, he points to the typer, "I have formally announced that OniRudra does not own me in any way", he turns to me. "What now?"

**OniRudra: **Story I guess…………

**Chapter 2, Q**

Naruto awoke to be surrounded by white, and sounds of beeping. '_Hospital_' he thought as he looked around and saw no one. He tried to move only to see large leather bands holding him down.

'_I wonder where these came from, more importantly why am I here, what do I do now?_' Naruto began to feel that tell tale tightening on his gut that he knew was the sign of his body demanding answers, but he breathed and after several minutes was able to ignore the pressure of the unanswered questions.

He looked around as he tried to figure out where in the hospital he was in, he then decided against it. He looked at the straps and then proceeded to reach for his sleeves of his hospital gown. He brought an arm to his face and bit into it, ripping the flesh away with his teeth, producing a file, then making short work of the leather bands, he noticed that they were attached to the bed and picked up a scalpel from the tray beside the bed and rolled up his sleeve, his arm showing with the pale lines that formed his earlier questions he chose a clear piece of skin and etched another question, '_Why does the pain under shadow the questions?_'

He watched as the bloody lines began to heal, he then produced pieces of black and red charcoal as he brushed the two across his skin, making the bloody script heal to black with red outlining; he then took up the scalpel, and proceeded to remark all of the older ones on his arms and chest then producing more charcoal for certain types of questions: red and black for questions on pain, blue and his skin's natural pale for questions over his chakra, and a verdant green for those over his body and mind.

Finally he went to the small bathroom that joined the room and looked at the hard Plexiglas that showed his two largest works to anyone who could see past his orange jackets white armor collar.

The two bold capital Qs looked back at him as he looked at himself in a new light, his neck was a little sore, but that was to be expected. He shook his head and felt his neck tendons pop. He looked at them again and thought of something.

'_The seal array that sensei's were going over before I showed up here could be placed around these and it would cause them to stay like this, and I would not have to redo them._' He nodded as he drew his hands to his jacket pockets hanging from the door and pulled out a small case of black blood infused ink, and drawing a needle from the neck of his coat he began to put his masterpieces to fruition.

He felt the dull pain as the needle burned his skin as the ink mixed with his blood so that it could bring about the required result, but he just bared his teeth and began with renewed vigor.

**XXLaterXX**

Sarutobi was a man with many fears, the destruction of his village and all of the people that he protected were just a few, but now he was sprinting to the room where the blonde had been checked in. He stopped outside the door to see a woman shaking her head and sobbing saying that the boy had finally lost his soul to the demon and was beginning his release.

Sarutobi felt his own heart clench, and he opened the door, seeing the twelve year old boy sitting on the floor a bowl of ink in his hand and he was drawing a swirl over the floor, finishing it as the man walked in.

"Hello Hokage-sama", the third flinched at the respectful term and tone from the boy, he had never used it before this day and he saw the boy sit up. The hokage walked up to the boy and grasped his shoulders; he pulled down the boy's collar to see one of the Qs on his neck surrounded by a very recognizable seal structure: the Gogyou Fuuin.

'_Where did he learn such a destructive and depressing jutsu, could he have known it from the time Iruka had told the class that seal jutsu were fully recorded in the library and pulled it himself while no one was watching him? Wait there is some more seal to it inside it, I need to ask him what these do, but I must tread carefully._'

"Naruto how are you my boy," the boy shrugged as he gazed at the complex drawing on the ground trying to fix the smearing in some places. "Naruto do you know what is on your neck?" The boy stopped and stood straight and nodded, not facing the man his hospital gown picked up by an odd breeze.

"Seals hokage-sama." The aged man nodded as he walked around to the front of the boy, and flinched at his face.

His mouth was covered in a rustic metal color that could only be dried blood, it looked like the boy had bitten in to his own arm to produce something from it, he looked and saw a snapped file lying in the corner of the room surrounded by the pool of blood from where he perhaps gotten the seal ink.

"Would you like to tell me what they mean?" He knew what parts of it were but hopefully this would shed some light on the situation. Naruto nodded as he drew a scroll from inside the pocket of the jacket he always wore and showed the man his detailed notes and his completed seals, while hiding the others.

"It is a seal that allows me too use the combined elements of the A class fuinjutsu: Fuuja Houin, Gogyou Fuuin, and the C class jutsu Shikoku Fuuin, by combining separate elements with my own detailed version of the seal on my stomach I have created what I call the 'Hidoi tamashii heiwa shizu chinmoku fuuin'."

The Hokage looked at the boy as if he had a question for him, then thought about it. '_That's a very complex name for something that seems just so equally complex, how did he build this seal, wait remember who his father was Sarutobi, and this is to expected._' He smiled as he took the bowl of blood from beside the boy's feet and gave him a smile.

"And what dear Naruto caused you such a great interest in seals?" The old man asked the blonde who held his head down and the old hokage never noticed a flash of memory to go by the boy's eyes.

**Memory Placement technique.**

Naruto lay on the ground curled up in a ball; he had just received the worst beating in his last six years, all because he had asked a question.

"_What exactly do seals do sir?"_

_The man behind the counter growled as he lifted the ten year old boy in to the air and yelled at him._

"_They keep defenseless villagers safe from demons and the pain that their illusions cause, nothing that you could possibly use monster, they are used to help people."_

_Naruto heard nothing else as he felt his mind unlock and cause him to begin to spout out questions beyond his recognition. He was ripped from his mental contemplation as he felt his lungs close without his knowledge only for him to see a monster fist bury itself into his face and cause him to fly back and get jumped and beaten for practically nothing._

_The villagers eventually left the boy here and showed how he came to his current predicament; beaten bruised and bleeding he had kept one thing in his mind with incredible focus, '__Seals could help me.__'_

**Cancel technique…**

Naruto looked to his closest person to be family; he shrugged as he poured chakra into the seal on the floor, and then began the pain.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!, it hurts! OH Kami! Please don't keep this happening to me please I am sorry just make the pain go away!" 'Sob, sob, sob' "Oh god it hurts so much ahhhhhhh!"

The third hokage was shocked from his skin as he had heard the blonde's seemingly random outburst till he saw the ink crawling up the boy burning and boiling the poor boy's skin till he saw it finish and the boy lay on the now bare floor as if he had just been beaten to a pulp.

The hokage leaned on a knee next to Naruto, and put a hand to his neck. Alive good he saw the boy gazing out with so much forgotten pain the he nearly cried right there in front of the blonde till he walked closer to the boy and asked him the big question:

"Naruto why did you make the seal, and why did you administer it with so much pain twice?" The blonde croaked out an answer that perhaps scared the Hokage more than any other thing he had ever heard from the boy.

"_By trading one pain for one far worse, I can ignore the second and finally find my answers, pain shows the answer to all things, the villagers told me so."_

The hokage stood and could not look at the defeated boy and his unbearable pain; he was in such a hurry that he never saw the young girl with dark blue hair. She saw the Hokage moving away with all speed and looked into the room.

She ran away a second later, dropping the vase of flowers on the ground with a crash, shocking the boy back into the state of mind he was in before the Sandaime left.

'_Why did Jiji leave, all I did was answer his questions, and who brought the flowers, who cares enough to bring me flowers, why would someone bring me flowers, they are pretty, what kind are they?'_

**XXX Three days Later XXX**

Naruto walked through the village, pushing back his hair as he put a pair of blue goggles on his forehead, he had received them anonymously many years ago, and they meant a lot to him. He knew that he was supposed to wear a headband on his head but he believed the goggles had more of a practical use besides; he could wear these to hide the pain the village pushed towards him.

Naruto was walking to the academy, intending to take the gennin exam today, he did not know why but he could focus on the exam and he found he did not have so many pieces falling randomly in his mind. He marked this as a sign that he just needed to focus more, but even when he believed he had finally blocked the multitude of the questions out he could feel more invade his mind again.

'_What is the exam going to cover, am I recovered enough for the taijutsu portion, why didn't Jiji visit me again at the hospital after the first time, who brought me the flowers?'_

Naruto stopped as his hand went to his chest, sitting in his inside jacket pocket was the head of one of the flowers from the hospital, and he needed to thank whoever it was after all, '_someone cared enough to try and bring them to me, who could it have been, who would like to be nice to me, sakura would only do something like that for sasuke, so she is out. Who could it have been after all, it has to be someone I know, and a girl too, most guys wouldn't bring another dude flowers that I know of, but more to the point WHO?'_

Naruto was cut from his ranting as he entered the school yard, he walked past all the students as he headed for the entrance, passing most of the students as he entered and headed for class.

Hinata Hyuuga was not what someone would call, a social butterfly. Where most girls would like to act all weak and defenseless, she did not act. She was perhaps the strongest kunoichi in their year, but her lack of forwardness and her massive amount of shyness were detrimental features to one such as her.

She did have one thing however; she was head over heels for one Uzumaki Naruto. Sure he wasn't the smartest in everything, or the fastest in a race, but he had charisma, an attitude that made you just want to be near him, that was until just recently, when she had been stalk…. She meant following her crush around she found that he was nothing like anyone she new:

Naruto was a tortured individual, it was as if something was on his mind all the time and he could never focus on anything with whatever else had grasped his attention. He wad been found out by her to have a lot of questions, somewhere along the line of someone wanting to know each and every little thing through personal knowledge or experience. Though lately even his normal behavior was over shadowed by some deep complex need to ask questions, and she had found out a few days ago that when he had no one to ask the questions he would ask his body in terrible and frightening ways to the young Hyuuga girl.

'_He just needs someone to be with him and show him that not everything has to have an answer, it is like mother used to say "knowing everything about life takes all the fun out of living it."' _Hinata nodded as she saw Naruto pat his chest affectionately. Confused she stepped behind a tree and activated her bloodline.

"Bya… Byau….ku….Byaukugan." and in a flash of her own chakra she found something that without a doubt made her young heart sing. She wrapped her hands around each other as she held them to her chest.

Naruto the ever questioning, and ever answer searching blonde Adonis, had one of her personally grown flower's heads in his coat pocket, along with two scrolls and a long piece of purple ribbon.

She quickly deactivated her own doujutsu as she headed for the class room, she had to be in her seat to admire her long time crush and hopefully future something, as he sat in his seat and began to twiddle his fingers in several tunes that she remembered from going to the play house with her father and younger sister.

'_Naruto-kun likes music? I never knew that, how come he never mentioned it to anyone, does anyone but me know? Should I approach him? What would I say?_'

As Hinata pondered this Naruto could hear an argument coming from behind him, he turned and looked to see a large boy arguing with a fur collared boy about trying to take his chips.

'_It seems as if nothing has changed in my absence, does anything ever do though, I wonder who started this argument, would it be worth it to try and dissolve it?_' Naruto considered this mindset till he noticed something.

The quiet girl in the row he was sitting in a few days ago, she had the most beloved and cherish able look on her face, he didn't know why but it captivated him to no ends, and before he realized it he had begun walking to his eye's object of interest.

'_What am I doing? Have I lost it, I don't want everyone to think that I am completely attention handicapped, but she just looks so pretty, I wonder what facial muscles have to pull to create that specific face, it is just so pretty._' Before Naruto could realize anything he had been thinking he was practically replacing her right arm with his proximity.

Hinata felt a presence and looked up, only to feel her face go deep red, and let out an "eep." He was right in front of her, close enough that she could reach out and touch him if she could bring the courage to try. She almost passed out right then and there as he reached out with his hand about to touch her own, only for it to be shattered.

"Hey dobe what are you doing to Hinata," Naruto turned to see the angry face of Kiba a few inches from his own and wondered if this was a bad idea, suddenly all his thoughts came back.

_'Kiba and Akamaru, what do they want? I have not done anything but walk up to her, does she not like me for some reason that I don't know? Is she Kiba's girl? How should I respond with this maybe I should just sit down and try to pretend this did not happen? Or should I protect my pride, Kiba is not the most brilliant student, but he could probably hurt me from a scuffle, and after getting out of the hospital not a good idea.'_

Naruto was about to head back to his desk when he heard the boy yell at him again and push him back, causing him to fall behind the poor girl, which he tried to apologize and block Kiba's retaliation in the same move, only to be thrown off.

'_That smell, those are from the flowers, so it was someone close to her, judging by the way she tightened her shoulders she is nervous and tense around me, she must be scared of me, am I really that scary? I don't do anything that bad, do I?_'

Naruto sat up as Kiba kicked him and he felt his cuts throb, he shot up immediately and punched the dog boy, causing him to fall over in shock. Naruto faced Hinata and reached in to his pocket and handed her the length of ribbon he had bought to tie around his scroll on theories of why questions replicated. She took it with a shaking hand only for him to be tackled from behind to the floor and for a continuous stream of blows to pour into his back from the enraged Kiba. He could feel each word that the fist connected with underneath his jacket and shirt. Suddenly he felt Kiba's hands go for his neck and he responded with how he fought with the older civilian boys.

Kiba was surprised that when he went to choke he found the blonde had rolled over and was holding his arms away, while his knee shot into his chest, causing him to let go, and Naruto to tackle him back twice the distance that Kiba had hit him, before Kiba could recover Naruto remembered one of the things he had learned to protect himself from bullies and some villagers as he sprang into action.

Hinata watched in fascination as Naruto shot one hand around Kiba's throat, followed by a foot, while using the opposite arm to grab his left arm, and his other leg locking Kiba's remaining arm. He pulled tight and Hinata was amazed. One of Naruto's pants legs had hiked up and she could see the muscle like a coiled spring, it looked much like that of the elder Hyuugas when they practiced the clans eight gates maneuvers.

Naruto felt Kiba laying there, trying to break his hold on him. '_Not a chance, now how to incapacitate? Choke out? Tiger neck pull? Or perhaps a sharp one eighty degree twist to the right, and watch him go in to a three hour muscular spasmodic knockout? Yes that will work._'

Naruto was about to finish this scuffle off when he felt two pairs of hands pull him away, as Kiba rolled on his side and sputtered like he had been forced under water.

Naruto turned and glared at the two who freed him, only to see Shino and Chouji holding him back. He knew he could have escaped and continued his busting of Kiba and he had the right moment now.

Shino and Chouji learned in that small period that Naruto was not to be trifled with, in short of a few seconds; Naruto had gotten his arm free of Shino and grabbed Chouji, pushing him away.

Shino came at him from behind, his right arm grabbing his stomach and his left arm going for his head, only for Naruto to block it and deliver a sharp elbow to the boy's stomach causing him to hunch allowing Naruto to pull him into the air with his left leg, and quickly twist locking his arm between his side and arm and slam Shino head and shoulders first into floor rendering him unable to move.

Chouji came next planning on getting him in a bear hug and keeping him there till their senseis could get here. Naruto spun and seized the boy's short arm grab, before moving to his immediate inner left and with his right foot blocking the back of his foot Chouji lost balance and was driven to the floor by the blonde's shoulder, stunning him as well.

Hinata watched as her blonde crush quickly disabled two of the strongest taijutsu users in their year with an odd grabbing and throwing style. She always wondered why Naruto was not comfortable punching and kicking like the rest of the class, it now made sense as she watched him use his stylized grappling style to take half the male class apart in seconds.

Naruto looked around as he centered his breathing, half of the class was defeated and he saw Kiba looking at him in fear before growling and charging, Naruto executed a slide tackle, and knocked Kiba to his rear where he rolled behind him, his right forearm choking Kiba while his left put his chest under tremendous pressure. He was about to tighten when he was surprised by a poof and a log appeared.

'_A log, substitution! But who did it? Was it those two? Or perhaps another boy? Maybe a transformation to make me lose my guard? That's it I will continue my hold._'

Naruto was broken from his thought process as he felt himself be grabbed and immediately tied; he looked to see Mizuki had subdued him and Iruka was checking Shino, Kiba, and Chouji who had the worst injuries.

Iruka walked and looked sternly down at the blonde, surprised as he got just a feral glare sent right back at him. Iruka could hear whispers going around the room as they talked about what just happened.

"Did you see?" "Yeah he took out Kiba, Shino, and Chouji with that weird grabbing thing." "Did you him flip shino with that one move, that shouldn't be possible." "Yeah my mother must be right, he is a monster, and did you see that smile he had when Kiba started to choke. No one I know who is sane enjoys battle that much."

Iruka looked at Naruto who was just glaring around with incredible ferocity causing several girls to shy away, including a Hyuuga. He stopped when he saw her and more importantly the ribbon she had tied to her wrist underneath her jacket sleeve.

'_Calm, the fight is over no point in this, why did the dog boy have to go for my seals on my neck, I would have ignored anything else, but why the neck? Does he know? Should I try to run? But what about the pretty girl, I don't want to lose her, do i?_'

'Well since Naruto has exhibited such ridiculously effective taijutsu, he will not need to take that portion now lets begin the exam." The classes let out whoops as he saw all of them begin to chat about their test.

_'I can still pass, but what is their besides taijutsu? Genjutsu casting? What about dispelling? Then there is ninjutsu I can do everything but the bushin, what if I have to perform all three? What do I do?'_

**XXX end of the exam XXX**

Naruto sat in one of the last three occupied chairs as he heard the Uchiha come up and perform all three and a fireball jutsu, with much applause and calls of awesome from some.

"Uzumaki lets see you take a shot." Naruto stood and walked to the center, noticing only the Nara and the pretty girl were watching him the others surrounding the Uchiha.

"Naruto, Kawarami, Henge, and bushin." Naruto nodded as he flew through the first two and saw that the others were still congratulating the Uchiha. He watched as he pooled a ridiculous amount of chakra, hoping to force the bushin to work through sheer chakra mass, then everything went up in his face, literally.

The class looked up as an explosion sent Naruto colliding with the wall with the equivalent of a cannonball and causing him to fall bruised to the floor, thankfully hitting the wall head first as to stop the scars from throbbing.

He looked up to see people laughing at him and some even making snide comments, he growled and stood running for the window as he leapt away from Iruka's call to return and to try again with less chakra. Alas he did not hear and was gone in a blur causing one with black eyes to scoff.

Hinata watched after him with a disappointed expression, he had tried so hard, and he had still not made it. She let a silent tear fall as the rest of the class laughed except for the few that felt somewhat the same.

**XXX In the trees across from the shopping district XXX**

Naruto sat in a tree, watching blood roll down his arms. He had added several new questions. '**Why would a pretty girl be interested in him? Why should he try when he was bound to fail, but he ended up scarring that one out, he couldn't believe that, he had the seals on his neck to prove it. Why did he enjoy fighting so much? Finally what did that girl mean when she said his grinning at winning a feet was a monstrous thing to do?**'

He sat there as he watched blood fall down his arms, he began to smear it as he tried wiping it off his arms, he wouldn't go through another year of this.

"I am better than this, I just need a chance to show it off, but _How?_" he said as his thumb rolled over one of that words cutting in to his skin.

"I can help with that." He turned to see his other instructor sat there with a grin. "Really?" The man nodded, "But it will be hard."

Naruto let one of his large smiles appear.

"Try Me."

A few dozen yards away a young Hyuuga watched this and silently mouthed: "_Be careful Naruto-kun._"

**In the forest later.**

*Skipping forest scene up to the point that the Hokage will announce that the scroll is safe and they could all retire.*

**Academy the next day:**

Naruto walked in to the room to gasps and calls to get out Kiba even going so far as to tell him to leave his betters be, he just ignored that all as he focused on the pretty girl who had been on his mind.

'_Just you wait Hyuuga Hinata, I will make my own answers to the questions that scar me, and I will become stronger through it. Then I will approach you_ _and you wont have to worry about how others will think of you, I will be worthy for you, but my body has a lot more to learn before I can set my sights on you, worry not though I will have you eventually. I swear on my questions and my honor, the two real things that I have.' _

Hinata watched as her crush looked at her and she could not help but feel a heated feeling go from her spine to her belly, and she blushed looking away, He responded with a dark grin and a quick ninja hop to his seat.

Then the door slams itself open.

**Wahoo there we go, chapter two, four thousand plus words.**

**Naruto's fighting style is my newest class I am taking it is Kodokan Judo.**

**Sorry about beating up Shino and Chouji. **

**Moves used against this chapter:**

**Kiba 1 – Jigoku Jime.**

**Shino – Haraimakikomi**

**Chouji – Kosotagari**

**Kiba 2 – Okuri Eri Jime**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everyone, Onirudra has returned again. Plus I bring the latest chapter of Q. So now to clear up one of the questions brought up last chapter. My Jutsu, **_**Hidoi tamashii heiwa shizu chinmoku fuuin**_**, translates roughly to English to something along "Harsh Soul's Peace, to sink in Silence Seal." **

** This one belongs to me I even have drawings as how to administer it, so yes I am a seal freak.**

** Naruto: "So your love of seals, made me burn out two sides of my throat? I still can't talk any louder than normal because of the pain."**

** "And why do you think that is, maybe your constant whining gets on people's nerves."**

** Hinata: Maybe we sh... ssho... Do t-the disclaimer?"**

_**Scuffle, Bam, smash, "Onirudra special technique: BOOT TO THE HEAD!" **_

__**Naruto: "Oww damn it you lanky bastard come here," More scuffling.**

** Hinata: "Wh- what ab-ab-about the disclaimer?"**

** "Onirudra taijutsu technique: Rolling nipple pinch!"**

** Naruto: "Shit, run!" queue running around in circles.**

** Hinata blushes then turns to the writer, "Onirudra does not own Naruto; this includes techniques, people, or banshees. Arigatou Onirudra-kun, Naruto-kun "**_**Hyuuga Style of the Main branch: Infernal palms of crushing male pride**_**." Hinata attacks and hits the unfair places.**

**Both, "OOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW," **_**sniff**_**, "we surrender hinta-hime."**

**Q, 3.**

Naruto hopped to his assigned desk that he had gotten at the beginning of this year, scratching the dirt from underneath his fingernail with a kunai. Several of the other students looked at him with unease. What if he began a killing spree, there would be no one left.

Naruto was oblivious to all this as he inspected his fingernails. He had received another anonymous gift this morning, it was around his neck. Naruto now was sporting a small pendant, in the Kanji for wisdom, and right next to it was the Kanji for question. He had been over joyed to receive it and had gone around looking for the giver so he could thank them. But he found no one as he went back to his apartment, only to find on the window sill a wooden flute thing. It was shaped like a wishbone, and he could see the holes for his fingerings wound around the split where it became two openings. He had to blow into the top of it to make it work. He also found that it did not have any complete way to hold it to reach all of the fingerings, so his hands had to be in constant motion.

"Huh, this is unusual. I wonder how someone knew that I enjoyed music, I bet even Jiji doesn't know." Naruto turned the instrument over itself all morning till he felt that it was just as its appearance was, not any different. So he decided that he would spend his morning learning it, causing him to be late for team assignment but still earlier than any one else due to him getting the wrong time and he still sat here waiting.

'_Why in the world would someone enjoy waiting? It seems like an utter waste of time, and patience. Where are the new senseis?_'

**XXX at the Hokage's office. XXX**

The jounin gathered around the crystal as the hokage centered it in on this years graduating class, what they saw wasn't that bad. Everyone thought the Shino kid from the Aburame clan would be of great value, the Uchiha was one they all wanted, the ability to mold one and teach him practically anything. Then there was the jinchuuriki.

Naruto Uzumaki failed the test all four times, only to be promoted by the estimated help on a field mission, and returning the scroll he had taken. The hokage had established that the rumors that he had learned Justus from the scroll were true, and he knew the following as of now.

The basic academy three, except for the bushin, which seemed due to him not being able to concentrate on such a low amount of chakra, showing hideous chakra control that however did not explain as to how he learned all the jutsu from the scroll yesterday.

He had now learned the Kage Bushin no Jutsu, its weapon variation techniques: shuriken, kunai, demon wind shuriken, and surprising the wire technique. He had learned two fire jutsu: Asuma's Burning Ash Accumulation, and the Kansai Bakudan no jutsu (fire bomb technique), so fire wise he was a walking explosive expert.

No lightning Jutsu apparently, the only two in the jutsu were kakashi's raikiri, and the lightning dragon assault. Fortunately the dragon assaults varied greatly in their utilization and requirements and were not listed in the forbidden scroll, and Kakashi did not teach the Raikiri to anyone, so no threat of a lightning bomb going off in the middle of the village.

Water style was surprising, he seemed to have an easy time with this one, and he had learned a decent amount after all. The water spike was not surprising, the boy had incredible amounts of raw chakra, He had also learned the Mizu Bushin, and the Mizukaisou technique (Water reflection clone technique), which was astounding the control needed was that of a jounin. The last one caused the sandaime to worry. They had used the Yamanaka to take the technique from the mind of a missing mist ninja, and Naruto learned it first and quickly. The Sendo Ame no Jutsu (Death rain skill), with Naruto's amount to make clones he could cover any battlefield he encountered if he had enough water. Finally he had learned another fire supplementary jutsu: Kokuun no Jutsu (Black Clouds technique). Sarutobi shook his, '_apparently the boy has in his mind that since he cant always run around with a equivalent of a mountain of exploding tags on his person, he will know how to make an equivalent._'

Next were earth jutsu and Naruto had also learned two, and seemed to have Sarutobi in mind when he learned them: Doryuu Heki (Mud wall technique), and the Doryuudan (Earth Dragon Projectile). The jounins found it a little odd that the boy had only taken the time to learn the two jutsu Sarutobi could pull off with tremendous skill, but they chose to ignore this.

Last was wind techniques, He had learned a few of them: Kyoushu no Tosshin (Assassin's rush), the Fuuton: Daitoppa, the Fuuton: Furyuudan no Jutsu (wind dragon technique), the Kaze Kiri no Jutsu (wind drill technique), and some conjunction techniques that he can use with the water techniques, most of them causing rain or storms.

Naruto had however been saved from learning of the fox as Sarutobi had summoned himself and ended Mizuki's life with practically no effort as he found them with the crystal. So the boy had had a very eventful night, now they saw that there was a commotion and turned to the crystal.

**XXX Academy classroom. XXX**

Naruto glanced up and saw one Sakura Haruno and Yamanka Ino, fighting to get through the door. Naruto glanced back as he finished his nails and looked up to a massive sweat drop.

They were both standing over glaring at him for not being in a different desk. '_This is my desk; I have been here since the semester began. I am not moving._'

The two girls continued to glare at him as he lowered his head and took a deep breathe, then faced them again.

"This is my Desk." Everyone went wide eyed as they saw the blonde sign his death warrant, then Sakura screamed.

"Baka move or I will move you!" Naruto looked at her and thought about what he and his clones had learned last night wondering if he should treat this as an offensive claim and proceed accordingly. He shook his head and was surprised as a fist connected with the back of his head sending him face first into his desk causing his nose to bleed.

Naruto glared at them before standing up, the girls taking a step back as to accommodate the increase in taken room only for the blonde to make hand signs in front of them, they watched in fascination as it ended in a sign the did not know, his fingers closed to his palm all except for his middle ones which where pointing upwards.

'_I am glad I thought of this. What other uses could hand signs have then I wonder, I also need to find a better weapon for close range, as kunai and shuriken do not a arsenal make.'_ Naruto then took a step forward and flipped both of the girls off, throwing his arms out for his fingers to dangle in their faces calling them to fall backwards.

Iruka appeared then as Naruto was in a different seat and sakura was sitting in his last seat. Kiba had his neck wrapped in bandages from the multiple chokes, from yesterday. He glared at Naruto, who responded with a hiss like a cat. The boy shot up only to have his arm seized by Shikamaru, and pulled back down the enraged dog boy.

"Alright everyone, today you are officially gennin, and you are here to take the next step in your careers: to meet your jounin sensei." The class half cheered and iruka thought he heard a train whistle but decided to ignore it.

"Alright team one: Seira Naomi, Taki Bonzes, Seiyu Shire, your jounin sensei is Gekko Hayate, team two: …"

Naruto tried to pay attention but he began to think in retrospect that; '_the skill that these teams have is abysmal; I had better grades in class. Speaking of class, who is going to be the Rookie of the Year? Probably Sasuke or maybe Shino. Kunoichi of the Year will maybe be Ino or the pretty Hyuuga……Its hinata right? I think it is anyway, I could be wrong. She is the Hyuuga clan Heiress isn't she? I can't remember anything clearly after that shuriken to the head, oh well it will come back to me, which reminds me.'_

Naruto unzipped his jacket as he reached in to the pocket pulling out the headband Iruka sensei had given him, and pulled off his goggles, tied it to his forehead. He tapped a knuckle against it and nodded, pulling the goggles down to rest on top of the headband. He tried moving his head and felt no real difference, he nodded. Iruka's voice raised its volume then,

"Team 7: Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno…"

"Noooooooooooooo!" Sakura and Naruto yelled in unison, naruto's followed by a very colorful remark on where Iruka could put this screwed up list, and Sakura saying she needed to help her Sasuke-kun.

"And Sasuke Uchiha."

"YYYYEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS! Screw you Ino pig, Sasuke-kun is mine."

"God damn it, shit, shit, shit, this frackin sucks. I got the biggest banshee and the biggest ego out of our year? Damn."

'_This entire set up needs to be scrapped and revamped, this is stupidity. Why would Jiji allow something so full of it? I need to have at least gotten a decent sensei, speaking of which, who did they say my sensei was? I hope he is capable, I don't know that many jounin only that Guy fellow that Jiji says to run from and that Asuma guy, that is Jiji's son. What am I going to do today; I have a lot to do: get a new weapon for close range, eat, sleep, try and find out who gave me the gift of the double pendant. I wonder if he is going to take long.'_

**XXX Hokage tower XXX**

"Well those are this year's students, you all know you teams, and I expect you to meet up with them in decent time. You are dismissed." The jounin began to leave, till one stopped. "Except you kakashi, I need a word about your team."

The jounin stepped back from the group and stood in front of the Hokage, he can honestly say that he expected something like this. He watched as the man stood and picked up his hat.

"Let us go kakashi, you said you wanted a closer look in to the personal life of your students, and I try to value and accommodate to the needs of my ninja." The man said as he lit his pipe.

"Hokage-sama if you don't mind me asking, who were you accommodating when you allowed the village idiot, over twelve hours with the scroll of sealing?"

The old man laughed as he shut and locked his door, "Like I said kakashi, _all_ of my ninja, even if they are not technically ninja's at the moment." The jounin sighed as he followed the man out of the tower.

**XXX Academy XXX**

"Oooh! Our sensei has been late for over two hours, he makes me so mad." Naruto shook his head as the last two people in the room looked at him.

"What he has or do you think that I can't count time, maybe you should leave me and Sasuke be or I'll…" Sakura was cut off as Naruto lifted five fingers, counting down slowly, before reaching a fist and he leaned back in his chair and pulled up his left sleeve revealing a shiny black and bronze metal wristwatch.

"Now it has been two hours." Sakura howled as Sasuke huffed and looked back out the window. Naruto just shook his head, '_Perhaps this means something, but if he continues to make us wait and put me off my plans for the day, I will have to unleash a wind jutsu on him. That reminds me I wonder why those take such little chakra, along with water, while the earth and fire techniques take perhaps twice as much. Could their be an affinity difference that causes one to become more situated around certain affinities, wait I think I got a scroll from the shinobi tool store about this somewhere._

**At Naruto's House/ apartment/ shack/ whatever you want to call it…**

Kakashi stood in the living room of perhaps his most mentally unsound student he had ever been assigned and sweat dropped. This just was so wrong. Neither of the other two had been half this disturbing, Sakura's parents had been painfully loud, and the Uchiha's home was like a well kept shrine, it was still not as creepy as this.

"As you can see Kakashi, he is nothing like you would think and let others believe, he keeps his interests closely guarded if the seals on the door were any indication." The jounin nodded weakly.

The blonde's house was a mess, but not the trash and complex standings that one would normally think of, but a mess of answers. Half destroyed scrolls, books, articles, full scale replicas, weapons, and textbooks were everywhere, he thought what had been a large stack of written items in the center of the room was actually his couch, after he discovered pillows, and a worn out blanket beneath them.

"What is he trying to learn Hokage-sama?" The Hokage looked at the jounin and Kakashi swore he could see every line in the old man's face at that moment. He picked up a scroll that had fallen from its perch and placed it back in its position.

"Naruto is looking, unknowingly, for a cure. At least I find that is the best ways to answer the question." Kakashi looked at the man, a little hesitant to ask his next question.

"A cure to what hokage-sama?" The man turned around and pointed to a stack of books; Kakashi walked over and inspected them.

He found a scroll on top that held imperceptible code… to those who had not been in anbu, which he quickly deciphered: "_I have delved deep in to the theological standings, along with the philosophical and physical manifestations, and I have yet to find my answers: to pain, miserable feelings, the reason why my body is so completely capable of taking incredible punishment, why my blood boils when it comes in to contact with water, why I cant seem to get the pretty girl out of my mind, and perhaps the real question is …………how do I escape it all?" _The jounin put the scroll down as he looked to the hokage.

"Naruto is perhaps the smartest student you will ever have; he has been since he entered his third year of the academy. He does not show it perhaps because along the line that he always has too many questions in his head to answer one at a time. But all of his questions point to him wanting to basically learn one answer to my and Ibiki's understanding, Naruto wants to… escape the human condition."

The jounin looked at him, then back around the room to a new light of this imperceptible theory, a little sad for the boy. Eventually all ninja had unanswered questions, but they just realized there was no point going out there to find and answer them, but the blonde wanted to basically escape being human, but for what?

They left the living room, peered into the kitchen… to find even more written material, and a lot of empty ramen cups, his stove had such a layer of dust he doubted it was ever used. "He used the piping for the gas line to repair his shower." That explained it. The kitchen led to the living room and a hallway.

Following the hallway, led to four rooms: a bedroom, an apparent office which door was locked with the same seals from the front door, a bathroom, an extra bedroom (how anyone was supposed to sleep on a bed completely covered in ink, scrolls, books, charts, graphs, and the largest seal arrays he had ever seen.) The bathroom was missing some floorboards, which you found if you looked at the sides of the medicine cabinets.

The cabinets were clean, well stocked, and completely accessible. '_Makes sense for someone who has completely and utterly taken care of themselves for so long to be able to work quickly and not need to look for something._' He pulled his head out of the room and walked across the hall. He didn't know why but he knocked on the bedroom door before it creaked open and the pair walked in.

It was completely stocked, floor to ceiling with pretty much everything he didn't have in the house: ninja tools, explosive notes in a box clearly labeled, '**Keep away from flames or fluctuating chakra**', clothes were hanging in the closet, consisting of two more jumpsuits, and there were several destroyed white shirts lying around in tatters.

The Sandaime crossed the room and looked at his dresser which had several sturdy ninja padlocks, specifically made to make sure people did not get in with out a specific key. He huffed and tapped the center of the locks causing each to open, Kakashi stood next to him and peered in side.

There were two folders, filled beyond their capacity with papers, drawings and lengthy information: one read _medical history, _the other was written saying _personally made seals. _Kakashi reached for one of the folders only for the Sandaime to yank his hand back, as a single blade from a demon shuriken swished across the top of the drawer. He sweat dropped, '_Maybe just a little protective, but I place that on the villagers._'

The office they desired to look at they put off after the close amputation in the boy's bedroom. After all everyone had their own little secrets. They closed Naruto's front door as they stood there breathing in all the difference in the mood of the area.

"Well that is enough for me to learn what I need to administer my test, I will see you at the debriefing Hokage-sama." The old man nodded as Kakashi began to leave. '_Kakashi you may have made a grave mistake just now, you never did try to figure out how much knowledge Naruto truly knows. But I am afraid you may learn in time._'

**Academy 15 minutes later…**

Naruto sat up in his chair; he had been focusing on trying to remember how to mold the chakra from each individual Jutsu he had learned and how to apply it to its utmost potential.

The three looked at the door as it opened, showing their tardy sensei. Naruto noticed immediately. '_He has been in my home, my chakra lingering seals must have deployed on him when he walked past my doorway, why was he in my home? What did he look for? Was he in my office? How long should I keep this information secret? Where is everyone else?_' It was true the other two were no longer here, Naruto looked to see them standing next to Kakashi in the doorway.

"Well my first impression, the blonde one is a little slow, so let's go to the roof and we will talk there." The three nodded and headed to the roof as the blonde looked to see that it was nearly sunset. He groaned and hurried to the roof.

Kakashi faced the three as he stood there, leaning against the wall. The blonde hadn't spoken and looked to be thinking and was apparently scratching away at an itch inside his jacket. The kunoichi of the group was ogling the Uchiha, and the uchiha was looking at him like he should have screamed he was his teacher who would make him powerful.

"Well okay now that we are all here, let's get the introductions out of the way. I am Hatake Kakashi, I enjoy my interests and dislike my enemies, and I have many hobbies. Girl your next," Sakura stood and presented her introduction.

"I am Haruno Sakura, I enjoy reading, and" glance at Sasuke, insert blush. "I hate Ino pig and Naruto! My hobbies include …" Kakashi zoned out as he looked at the blonde and her other teammate, the blonde seemed to register what she said, and filed it away, wait was their blood on his fingertips, '_how he hasn't done anything, just scratching his side, wait was that a knife? Also I have never seen him wear a turtleneck before the graduation, is he hiding something?_'

"Alright sunshine you are up……" he received dead looks from both of them. "Okay the blonde one," the black haired one turned to look at the blonde, only for said blonde to seize a hair on his head and yank it out, checking that indeed it was blonde began to speak.

"I am Uzumaki Naruto……… what now?" The three had to sweat drop in unison in response to his question. Kakashi shook his head. "Likes, dislikes, dreams, and hobbies…" The blonde looked at them then put his hand to his chin, looking skyward.

"ummm okay Sasuke you are up, while Naruto thinks about well… whatever it is he is thinking about." The brooder nodded as they all glanced at the blonde and (Start god awful Uchiha intro.)

'_What to say, what do I like now_? _What are my hobbies besides gaining new information, what do I dislike? What are my dreams?' _The blonde thought about this as he considered his wide variety of answers before deciding safe was best. He presented his right after the whiny bitch finished.

"Well as I said I am Uzumaki Naruto, I like uhh, lets go with my fighting style and jutsu and a young girl, she just looks so pretty when she has this little curve of her nose and eyebrows. Well my dislikes are simple: him, (points to the Uchiha) her, (points to Sakura) your lazy ass, (points to his new sensei) and well a lot of this. (He gestures out at the village with an arms, deliberately not going anywhere near the monument on the horizon.) My hobbies are finding answers, and inscribing the knowledge with my already gained answers in the safest place I know. Dreams are harder, I guess to find a way to achieve my ultimate answer, the one that will change the very nature of life itself. That's all."

They all looked at him like he was about to start flying while emitting a high pitch whistle sound. Naruto kept a steady gaze with Kakashi who sighs, "well I might as well tell you." They all perked up as they looked at the man.

"As you all know you have graduated the academy, and have been given me a as a sensei, you do not know that in order to pass the squad test you must complete a mission of your sensei's training expertise, and mine will be explained by these pieces of paper." He handed each of them a piece as he saw Naruto click his fingers, and the paper folded itself as he put it in his outside pocket.

"ok everyone, here is the part that you may not like, 66% of the classes that passed the gennin exam are sent back to the academy due to not being capable enough to pass their sensei's task. Also unfortunately for all of you, I have never passed a gennin team in all my time of being assigned one. So your chances are around 85% of failure, now knowing this, do you still want to go out against the grain and see if you can pass my test?" the silver haired man asked as he looked to the team, which was surprised as two nodded, but the blonde had not moved. '_Hmm thought he would have been first to grasp the thought_ _and put his hand up interesting._'

'_So if we fail I am basically sent back to a place I could never actually get out of skill wise as I have now learned that the bushin is mandatory for each exam, or I go forward and find my answers, and eventually the reasoning's behind my real planning. Not really much of a argument._' Naruto nodded, he would do it, after all its not like they all new what he could do, and he would be damned if he was going to be sent back without a red carpet.

"Well alright everyone I will see you tomorrow at training ground 7, at 8:00, don't be late." The jounin then disappeared in a poof of chakra.


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright back again with the best offensive plans of any of my stories so far, here we go Q…4!**

**Naruto: Why are we here in limbo again?**

**Because someone has to, and to be honest your quest for answers could take a break in between chapter… OH SHIT!**

**Naruto: Taijutsu technique: Oguruma!**

**Naruto: Okay on to the disclaimer: OniRudra do you own jutsus, characters, or places?**

**Awwck, nuuuhhhh, No only the specially made jutsus mentioned before hand and after story.**

**K, on with the chapter.**

**Q… 4.**

Naruto sat in front of the middle training log of team 7, not because he had too, no he was 3 hours e.t.a till his test with Kakashi, who apparently labeled "the bell test." Naruto was constantly going over every little trick he could that might help them pass against his sensei. He had three groups of fifty clones learning how to utilize the reach, weight, strength, offensive, and defensive capabilities of his new weapon. He shook his head as another two were dispersed by a weapon deadlock ending with two new maneuvers. '_Remember how to utilize these moves.'_

Naruto nodded as he stood and headed deep into the forest, time to practice that new Shadow Water Clone Blitz he had thought of after watching the owl anbu, and see if he could replicate and add on to it. '_I wonder how well someone could utilize clones on the fly, what if I had them disperse by using a clone jutsu themselves, and I could make them constantly change between shadow to water, Perfect.'_ Naruto grew a dark grin as he headed for the direction of the village.

'_My sensei may be a jounin, but I will show him how to go head to head with me constantly changing battle conditions. Also lets see just how qualified he is. Ha-ha'_

**At the time of the bell test…**

Naruto walked up to the posts, an egg and cheese sandwich in his hand, only to receive two equally infuriated glares and rumbling stomachs. He looked at his sandwich then at them.

"Don't glare at me you idiots, if you wanted breakfast you should have gotten your own. What the hell do I look like your mommas?" The pair blinked at the sudden insult, only for the Uchiha to huff, and Sakura to develop a tick mark.

"You baka, we weren't supposed to eat breakfast. It said so in the instructions!" Naruto looked at her and pulled out his paper and looked it over.

"Hmm 7'' come battle ready… don't eat food unless u want to puke… well I am sure that I can keep my food down, unlike you two." The banshee roared and rolled up her sleeve, bracing herself to beat down her blonde teammate. The avenger just rolled his eyes, '_stupid blonde, probably couldn't stop eating a meal if his life depended on…" _

Sasuke shot back as a kunai almost took out his left eye; the blonde still crouched down, showing a smoke colored turtleneck beneath his orange jacket. His hand in the direction that his kunai had just flown, his eyes fixed on the thief with absolutely no waver.

"I know that look, that's where some high and mighty so called prodigy lords over his teammates saying that they are completely incapable, if you are going to think along those lines, try to at least learn to either control his facial features, or look away from someone who has all thoughts and supposed reason to put a kunai in each eye Uchiha."

Sasuke glared at the blonde making a fist, he dared talk down to an Uchiha. '_Dobe is in need of a humility lesson, I will teach him to respect the mighty Uchiha clan.'_ Sasuke looked back at the knife to see it was far out of sight, the dobe had thrown it pretty hard apparently.

"Baka apologize to Sasuke-kun, his clan is the strongest in Konoha, even stronger than the jounin." Naruto snorted as he stood straight again with a grim line forming across his features. Inside however he was practically jumping, '_clone's signaling success, preparing for sensei's arrival.'_

"What clan, Sas-uke is the only one left, one person does not make a clan, and I know I have tried to bend the rule by the governing body of Konoha." The two were cut off by the blondes comment; he had tried to apply for clan status?

"Well since you all are pretty on edge how about we start the exercise," the three turned to see Kakashi walking back to them with a red tape kunai in hand. '_Shit! Did he pick that up before the clones got the signal, no if that happened then if have to preplan my counter before the test starts, no wait I can feel my clones presence, my chakra is still hidden well in the trees, I just need to give them another signal.'_

"Naruto I thought I would return you your kunai before the test started," the blonde nodded as he reached to put his kunai in his holster only for it to fall out and fall on the ground, Naruto cursing as he picked it up.

He felt a clone dispel and smile_. 'Now all I need is to utilize one of my rain/storm jutsu, but I need to use one right off the bat. Which one though? I will obviously start with a clone using the Jinkouu no jutsu (Artificial Rain Skill), then when I have enough I will use another to start the Kokuun no Jutsu (Black Rain Skill) in a select area, so that I can keep the plan for a fire offensive to one area to where Kakashi will go for that river to protect himself, that reminds me I sent a clone to learn a fire jutsu to act as a match a while ago, so I should wait for the black rain till I have that move to ignite it. The Burning Ash and the Kansai Bakuudan Jutsu are too much and will cause me to waste too much chakra to replenish the rain; I need something smaller, so I will wait to use the Black Rain when my clone sends me the information. Wait I can use the Kouryuu no Jutsu (Rain dragon technique) till I have enough time to use a fire attack or my Shadow Water Clone Blitz. Then if all else fails I will use that one S Rank technique I was able to learn before Mizuki appeared, but I will have to tone it down a lot so as to not exhaust my chakra. Why did the Hokage let me keep the scrolls of techniques that involved rain/storm? Does he want me to learn and master those specific jutsu? Enough pondering I have a plan.'_

Kakashi noticed the grin and frowned he didn't know why, but he had a bad feeling ever since the hokage hadn't mentioned those conjunction moves he knew, and he was afraid he was going to find out soon enough.

"Alright everyone, ready to begin?" The three looked around trying to figure out what he meant and then nodded. Kakashi eye smiled as he chunked a rock to the side hitting an alarm clock starting it.

"Time to begin then," He then launched forward splitting the three apart with a helicopter kick combo. He watched as Sakura and Sasuke ran off into the trees, he then turned to Naruto, or rather 7 seven of him.

'_Shadow clones? Interesting I wonder how many he had thought up; better not give him time to think.'_ Kakashi blinked as all seven charged at him he sighed, reaching into his pouch bringing out a book?

The clones stopped as they saw the book then six attacked as one made handseals. Kakashi looked up with a sweat drop; apparently he didn't see the book as a weakness against the jounin, so he proceeded to go head to head with the boys clones.

He took two out with a roundhouse, threw another into the other two and took the last one out with a haymaker. He turned to face the last one only to quickly substitute as a Fuuton: Daitoppa tore where he was standing to shreds.

Sakura and Sasuke noticed the jutsu, from their hiding spots. Both agape, then remembered what Iruka had told them.

**XXX Time flash XXX**

"Well class we thought that there was going to be a shortage of eligible students to make teams but it seems the class trouble maker has pulled another trick from his sleeve, having learned something allowing him to pass." Iruka looked to the class as he saw Shikamaru raise his hand and he nodded.

"This is really kind of troublesome but what did he learn that would allow him to pass just like that?" Iruka shook his head and smiled to the class, "You will have to wait and see for yourselves." The class groaned as Iruka kept continuing.

Sasuke remembered when he had tried to find the blonde to tell him the technique, and teach it to him but he had completely disappeared after meeting with their sensei. This angered Sasuke, he knew that the blonde didn't have the stealth to hide from him yet he was not seen by anyone the avenger asked that afternoon.

Sasuke noticed that Kakashi didn't seem to be on much of a awareness so he decided to let his kunai barrage loose on the man, only for him to disappear and the pair to move as to avoid being detected.

**XXX with Naruto XXX**

Naruto stopped as he finally judged he was far enough to be unnoticed by their target and he clasped his hands, immediately six shadow clones appeared.

"Alright initiate plan: Uzumaki battlefield." The four clones nodded as the ran off and the other two ran for the river and leapt on to it heading for the center, going down stream to where the jounin was last.

Naruto threw himself back through the tree and came face to face with an unconscious Sakura. He looked at her in confusion before checking her pulse, '_good not dead but will be out for a while, I did not bring any smelling salts. Oh well better get her to a safer position.'_ Naruto gathered up the girl as he shot through the trees towards the beginning destination of the exam and appeared next to the posts laying sakura down against the left one.

He stopped as he stood and smiled, the clones must have reached their positions. He looked up as he felt the two sentries disperse sending him the message they were in position. He nodded to himself and threw a few handsigns together in sequence.

"Katon: Haisekishou," the blonde then spouted a monstrous amount of ash in the air and watched as it gathered itself together in mostly one place and he leapt back, clicking his teeth and spitting a spark into the ash, shielding his arms as he did. '_Phase two begun, Phase one completed.'_

"**BBOOOOOMMMMMMM!**"

Kakashi looked up as he blocked sasuke's second punch and felt him touch a bell, he turned and saw him frowning, he charged forward only to watch the Uchiha's hands send his chakra out turning to the fireball, only for Kakashi to shoot backwards from it and disappear. A second later he yanked Sasuke underground, to where only his head was above the earth. He smiled down at the obviously enraged boy.

"Very good Sasuke, you are leaps and bounds above your teammates, but still not good enough to be able to go toe to toe with a jounin. Maybe you guys should regroup, and I applaud you on the fireball, it's the largest I have ever seen from someone in your age group"

They both stopped as they saw Naruto's Katon attack way up in the sky burning out in a dozen different directions. Sasuke looked at it in amazement and envy, Kakashi was surprised. '_The chakra density and the reserve needed for an attack of that size is equal to that of a special jounin, did Naruto do that alone?'_ Kakashi nodded as he disappeared and Sasuke used his special escape trick to get out of the dirt and ran off to the direction of the attack.

…………

Kakashi appeared in the clearing to see Naruto standing over Sakura, telling her how it was her own fault that she was in front of the attack. Kakashi shushined over, and pushed Naruto aside, looking down at his only female student.

Sakura lay on the ground whining feebly saying how much it hurt and how she could not feel her face that was in place was a large fire nature chakra burn. Kakashi cursed as he never noticed Naruto taking steps back almost back stepping into Sasuke who looked at the picture in shock and looked at Naruto as if he weren't exactly human.

Naruto was grinning at the boy with a large smile on his face, threatening to split it in half. He let out a chuckle as he waved and disappeared in to the trees with haste. Sasuke looked after him and didn't know why but chased after him into the trees.

Naruto ducked as Sasuke's shuriken flew over his head, he spun drawing a kunai from his pouch and slamming it into Sasuke's own as they deadlocked. Naruto looked at him with the same dark grin as Sasuke glared.

"What is wrong Sasuke-san? I thought you didn't like Sakura in general, why would you be so upset in the light that she may have to bed up in a hospital for a time. I thought you would be all for it." Sasuke just looked at him as if he was insane, '_hell maybe he was, the dobe is not exactly normal_.'

"So Sasuke I have to retreat and put my newest plan into action pretty quickly, before Kakashi finds me." Sasuke just glared at the knowledge seeker, not letting go of his deadlock. Naruto sighed and poofed away in a substitution, followed by a roar that shocked Sasuke.

"NARUTO UZUMAKI, YOU SEVERLY INJURED AND CRIPPLED YOUR TEAMMATE! TEST IS OVER, GET HERE NOW!"

Sasuke did not know what to think as he slid to his knees, Sakura crippled? Sure she was annoying, but she didn't deserve to be in such agony. The blonde had gone too far. He turned in the direction to see an unconscious Naruto a little ways away, he picked the blonde up and dragged him back to the stumps to mourn his female teammate.

……………**.**

Naruto smiled as he watched the scene through a dispersed clones memory, '_One A Rank Jutsu and everyone thinks she is dead. This would be sad if it wasn't so funny. Ha-ha.'_ He nodded to another clone, that dispersed itself and he felt the chakra go up.

'_Taju Jinkouu no jutsu, success.'_ He looked up as it began to rain.

……………**.**

Kakashi stood above his blonde student, whose arm were tied up and fastened behind him. Sakura was lying in pain a little ways away, crying how she felt so weak and how she would never be pretty for Sasuke ever again.

"Uzumaki you have gravely injured a teammate, you will be expelled from the ninja ranks for doing so, and will probably face criminal penalties. Do you understand the repercussions of your actions?" The blonde looked up at him in a complete smile, only to say,

"Sorry Kakashi-san, but guess what. SCREW YOU!" and the clone disappeared just as the rain started.

Kakashi's eye all but burst in anger as he roared and charged out into the wood, leaving Sasuke with Sakura's injured form. As soon as Kakashi could not be seen, there was a poof.

Sasuke looked at it in confusion, then in complete shock. There was Sakura unharmed; only moaning about a cut on her arm, saying it wouldn't look pretty.

'_That dobe, he fooled all of us… That means… the BELLS!_' Sasuke quickly leapt off into the forest to catch up with Kakashi, ignoring the rain pouring around him.

Naruto smirked as he felt Kakashi's chakra appear at the edge of the river. Naruto did not turn to face him, standing with almost complete certainty on the water; Shadow clones truly were a wonderful thing. He smiled as another one dispersed with a fire jutsu appearing in his head. '_Katon: Karyu Endan (Dragon Flame Bomb) huh, nice choice me, now my plan is all set, initiation of phase 3, Phase two's completion success.' _He turned and waved his arm over his head, supposedly waving to his sensei, but also sending a signal to his fire attack clones to begin, he would have plenty of chakra, and the rain barely drained anything if they used it in a tandem and a diamond formation. '_This plan is going perfectly, I guess Jiji was right when he said all that extra info would help me in making strategies. This is fun._'

Kakashi stalked to his soon to be ex student. He had completely destroyed any chance of teamwork, instead he practically killed his teammate to further his own goals, and there was no use for ninjas like that in the world. He took little notice as the rain lessened for a few seconds only to be resuming its normal pace not a minute later.

"Naruto you are going to be taken down, I will not have you as a student who completely disregards his teammates well being. Now the kid gloves come off," Naruto smiled as he began to make handsigns again and called out his technique.

"Katon: Karyu Endan!" He smiled in his head as Kakashi got out of the way only for it to go to the combined techniques of his Kansai Bakudan no Jutsu, (Mist covering technique) his Haisekishou (Burning Ash Accumulation technique) and his newly cast Kokuun no jutsu (Black rain art).

"You know most teams haven't had such a completely ignorant and overly exaggerated sensei, don't you think Sasuke, Sakura…" He then made a stop sign to Kakashi as the man spun around and saw a Sakura completely uninjured save a small deep cut across her arms he growled at Naruto who just gave him the thumbs up, the final signal, the wind jutsus were coming in three…. Two…. One….

"Kakashi if you don't mind I would like to take a quote from a very wise present reigning Kage, "Fire should never be met head on, or back first, but rather it should be dispersed before it begins to burn, on that note, try not to roast." With that Kakashi saw the Naruto's making handsigns as the fire followed the oil on top of the river to the bank, '_wait why was there mist, and ash his earlier attack was done much further away from here, wait fire… No retreat wait why cant I move_," He looked down to see two clones holding his feet in a wire trap underwater. "Oh God,"

"Katon: Blessing of Helios!" Kakashi looked to see the three different sources of fuel to ignite and send a burning cloud straight from a nightmare in front of him, only to hear two cries of "Fuuton: Daitoppa" hit the fire in a semicircle and it come spiraling at him like some great demon. Kakashi brought his hands forward in a yell: Suiton: Suijinheki (Water Encampment wall)!"

A water wall rose around Kakashi, but too slow, and too weak to block the firestorm, so Kakashi just let go of his chakra and went below the water, immediately regretting the boiling water too see Naruto no where in sight.

**Hokage Tower…**

The sandaime was doing paperwork when he felt Naruto's rain clouds come to being; he looked to the training ground and immediately grabbed his chest.

There was a tornado of fire spiraling out towards half of the forest, before it suddenly stopped and the sandaime fell to his knees. That jutsu, it looked so much like the Kyuubi's chakra coming back that he couldn't move for a minute. It was just so destructive; he noticed that the apparent rain had dulled the jutsu to the point that it was perhaps a completely babied attack compared to what it would have been. The Sandaime immediately disappeared to where the chakra source originated from.

**What was left of training ground seven…**

Kakashi dragged his burned and sore body from what was left of the slowly reflowing river, apparently Naruto had used a water technique to kill off what was left of the fire after it burned away its chakra fuel source.

'_The boy tricked me, he made me give way to an anger issue and tried to make me open to an attack, and that was one hell of an attack, but when did he plan all of it? The boy is a danger if we don't get him under control'_ Kakashi tried to move but found he hurt everywhere, and he looked up as feet landed next to him.

He turned to look to see the team appear to his side, and the blonde to sit on a scorched rock next to him, a piece of grass sticking out of his mouth. He held two bells to the masked nin's face before saying,

"Sandaime-sama have you come to pick up squad seven's play toy?" Kakashi didn't have the energy to move as he lay there in pain.

"Well I say we passed; now I need a nap. '_That even took energy away from me; damn did I do all that. Well it was designed as a last assault plan; maybe I should make less of those. Wait what if I used a wind dragon missile instead of the Daitoppa, or instead of just normal black rain I used it in conjunction with the storm dragon to add more concussive force, I just need to make sure not to make it so small, I was afraid that it wouldn't be enough. Oh well, new thing I learned from this, fire is a temperamental ally.'_

"I still never got to use the last phase of my plan, oh well………" Naruto fell forward only for the Hokage to grab him, and a clone to grab Kakashi, taking them to a hospital, leaving Naruto's teammates to make their way back to the village.

**Alright total ownage on the bell test, "Katon: Blessing of Helios" is my idea, another awesome battle plan courtesy of Onirudra37, I am done for this chapter and it was worth it.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone, Onirudra here I know I have been gone a long time but being detained by south Africans in the bad part of Puerto Rico will never end well for anyone, or any four legged animal with a full use of motor system and the ability to race its fellow creatures.**

**Well I am back and have news for all of my avid readers, Q is back to its original basis and I have the thought to put it together once again. So without further adieu on to the disclaimer:**

**So here we go Q-5 bring it!**

**Naruto: "What the fuck limbo again, dude I thought your stupid ass was dead why r you here!"**

**Onirudra: "Due to the darkness of the void or the viciousness of the truly stupid dodo I have been reborn with much greater artistic knowledge as to further my stories complexities." **

**Naruto: "Fuck me you still don't own shit do you?" **_**shakes his head, **_** "There's everyones' answers lets go."**

Naruto sat in the hokage's office as he listened to the recording of his teammates and his jounin sensei explain what had happened on the training field. It was surprisingly capable quality for a recording device it even captured the banshees incredibly irritating tone of voice. _'Wonder how much it is messing with the stabilizer to capture that perfect pitch it could cause songbirds to burst from high octaves.'_ Naruto flinched at the thought.

The Sandaime looked at the boy who seemed to be oblivious to his teams testimony against him, he had a nightmare trying to sweep this all under the rug as just a new explosive created from anbu explosive corps for demolishing enemy camps. Thankfully they had bought it.

The old man sighed as he stroked his beard as the young ninja sat there writing off his ability to cover for him as something that would help him again. The council was out for blood this time, and he couldn't save the boy. His choice was not easier but it would save the boy, or condemn him to the time it would happen.

"Naruto you need to gift me with your undivided attention, its been three days since your supposed coup, as every civilian is putting it. The ninja are not exactly at peace either so I have argued your part to the council and have their verdict, its not light." The blonde looked at him as the old man sighed._ 'Jiji has never looked so old his job is taxing him, or is it his faith in me, perhaps it may be the council he has to deal with…. Either way this news must be bad, what could it be? Prison, house arrest, community service, psych eval, execution?'_

"Naruto they have decided six months imprisonment in fire country prison, another six months of house arrest, then depending on your teams mindset on whether or not they will allow you to come back to the team." The man stopped as he noticed the blonde.

Naruto looked at the old man, _'Prison, house arrest? They finally got me a year… a year in a small cell and my crummy apartment,'_ Naruto took little notice as the old man spoke of when he would be escorted by two jounin to collect his things from his house, he was allowed to take a knapsack to the prison of personal affects the rest would be stored till his six months were up and he would be moved to a new apartment one that a detachment of the anbu selection would be picked at random to watch by weeks for the six months he would be there.

_'Fire country's prison, small amount of possessions fit in a knapsack as well, the man rambled that he was allowed to have up to four visitors a week by the daimyo's laws, why a prison first? Why not a year of house arrest, or why house arrest and not a full year of prison, what laws were in effect here, what were the parameters of his stay, he would not survive this and not expect to be casually accepted by his classmates, what force was at work here, he knew haruno would not keep her mouth shut.'_

'Naruto my boy do you understand?" The boy nodded, the hokage flinched at the look in his eyes, the same one he had when he tried to kill himself not so long ago. "Hokage-sama I will leave to be prepared for my travels." The old ninja nodded as he stepped aside and watched the boy leave, wondering if he had actually done the boy any justice at all.

… 3 hours later….

Naruto stood outside his apartment a bag on his back and a large scarred man with a bandanna wrapped around his head secure the last folder and seal it away. He turned and nodded to the blonde, who turned and marched away towards the gate as the man kept a secure grip on the boys possesions. He continued to march till he saw a small armored carriage and two prison anbu guarding it.

He took dull notice that their uniforms were different, instead of animals they both had a small flame insignia in a birdcage set in their masks both with a golden 'C' on the temples. Small rectangle holes at the bottom were covered by clothe and were unmoving as the guards stood like statues. Instead of anbu swords the had clubs hanging on their backs and two pouches that naruto had no clue as to what they held.

"This is the prisoner for transport? He is just a kid?" One of the guards said, Naruto's head snapped to him as he heard the metallic voice coming out, _'voice disguising machine, perhaps a jutsu or a natural substance I don't feel chakra fluctuating'_ The big man behind him snorted, "You both came by the western roads? That hole filled with ash was done by this gennins battle strategy." One of the two looked back at the blonde and looked at his hand as if counting his fingers, the other stepped forward and took his bag and secured it in a chakra draining trunk on the back of the carriage. Her was about to follow the two till the big one called him.

"Hey kid look behind you, some people to see you off apparently." Naruto turned and saw the old man, his two advisors who used to be his teammates. There was Kakashi on crutches, Sakura with a bandaged arm, and sasuke looking at him as if he could not quite figure out what he was.

Team 8 had come as well, Kiba looked as if he was here to giggle at him, Shino looked stoic, the hyuuga…_'Hinata, her name is hinata.'_ She looked worried about him but he shrugged it off, thinking he was misinterpreting it. Their sensei stood behind them, looking at him coldly, he shrugged and looked at the last group.

There was Iruka, the Ramen stand people, and the Hokage's grandson with his friends they looked scared but konohamaru held his ground albeit flinchingly. He shook his head and turned to the old man and his advisors who moved to speak to him first.

"Naruto I know this is hard but you must understand there are consequences to your actions, you will be marched back to this gate in six months as I hope to see you much calmer and just as healthy." The man snorted before the woman made a comment he was going to prison not a camp. Naruto nodded and was reaching to hug the old man, the guards waiting to shackle him till he left the village.

As the old man held him close he heard his whisper in his ear, "Naruto you are my grandson in everything in blood, look to the lining of the pack there is ryo sewn in, you can use it when you get back, and a small scroll is in the loaf of bread, it contains enough books to continue your search." Naruto nodded slowly wanting to cry, but his throat forever too far injured to let out that sound or anything louder than medium volume of conversation. He took of his headband and gave it to the old man who looked at him and nodded, "When you return."

Next was team 7. "I hope prison does something to fix your sick sense of humor you bastard." Sakura whispered at him. He mimed that the insult had hit his heart only for him to make a snapping biting motion at her making her jump. Sasuke "hnned" and waved him away before crossing his arms at the blonde. His teacher lumbled forward and looked down at him, frowning beneath his mask.

"Well Naruto, I can honestly say none of the teams I have had have passed to your groups level, and none of the members were shipped to prison less than a week later, your team will train with me while you r gone but then you will be doing missions after your prison sentence is up, under a jounin or highers supervision at all times. Hopefully this leave will help you gather your mind and let you meditate on your sense of acceptable and right." Naruto nodded to him and looked to the next group.

Team 8 looked at him only for Kiba to laugh saying it was the academy again, and the blonde had another _really_ long time out. Naruto's response was to hiss like a cat and kiba's sensei to grab him out of the air and drag him away as he let some choice words out at the blonde. Shino stepped forward and bowed his head, saying that he understood reactions of the academy and did not hold him ill because of it and followed after his sensei and the dog boy. Hinata looked at him and looked to the last group before blushing and playing with her index fingers, ushering them ahead.

The Ramen people shed a tear for him and said it wouldn't be the same without him and he nodded to be nice. The walked away as the younger girl cried in her fathers shoulder. The Konohamaru corps walked up and spoke saying they could not have a prisoner as a boss and he nodded tossing his goggles to konohamaru, saying he was boss now. They then ran away oblivious in the gift the had received. Howling the way young children do.

Finally Hinata came to him and walked closer but he saw her shivering, _'She must be cold or afraid, I don't think this is fair to her this does not seem right.'_ Naruto stopped her and pulled off his jacket wrapping it around her and pulled the hidden hood above and over her head, watching as she turned tomato red and started to sway only for him to catch her by her shoulders. He hugged her briefly and felt two envelopes pass into his pockets as she turned and bolted as he watched her run from him he shed a tear, going unnoticed by everyone but the hokage and his instructor. He turned and walked away to the guards, who thoroughly searched him for weapons and found none.

They then lifted him onto the top of the carriage and dropped him in, the inky blackness. The guards then seized the front and shot off after the setting sun. He steeled his gut as he looked through a gap in the wall and saw the village disappear in the blue and violet skies of the evening. He then sat down and hung his head crying as the wheels carried him swiftly away from the only home he knew.


	6. Chapter 6

**Oni: "Alright here we r sorry last chapter was so short, but this one is longer by quite a bit. So off we go, same drill I don't own anything."**

**Nar: "You put me in prison you asshole, I am gonna cut you into little bits!"**

**Onirudra looked at the furious ninja before pulling out a remote control and glancing at it, before pressing a button leaving a bound and gagged Naruto.**

**Oni: "I bet I could make you gay in this if I wanted you really have no power I am the one who types… ugh what everything is going…. Dark." Onirudra falls down as hinata stands from behind him and viciously kicks him saying not on her life.**

**Q- 5 now wait not yet sorry technical difficulties**

…**.. Now.**

Naruto walked on the blistered and warped stone stairs leading to the top of the staircase, keeping meticulous count of his steps since he had left the carriage at the foot of the mountain. _'21,202, 21203, 21204, wait what is that?'_ Naruto stopped; his escort stopping as well, all the prisoners noticed it on the climb.

Across the valley there was a scene from hell, the charred fried husks of several villages and a castle could be seen, almost unrecognizable in the blanket of snow that swallowed the mountain. Higher up he could see the debilitated ruins and arches that could once have been a grand stone temple, along with the outline of what seemed to be an iron and wooden gate that could have allowed someone to roll the entire village into it huge doors. Naruto perked an ear as he heard the deep melodious rumble from the adjoining mountain, he watched as balls of fire spat from the mountain. He flinched as it slammed into the snow and a cold wind killed the fire.

"What is that place?" One of the guards chuckled and shook his head the other spoke in that metallic voice. Naruto flinched realizing how much colder the voice seemed on this desolate mountain. He turned to the opposite mountain as the guard spoke and answered him.

"That is Mt. Harrow, home of the nine tailed beast, Kyuubi no Kitsune, the villages around there were settlements of people who came to mine the mountain or search the ruins that start there and run to the peak, is the Monastery of our blessed lady Mito, the first container. The people of this region revere her as their blessed savior because of her holding the kyuubi for most of her life if not all of it. It used to be a hub of activity round fifty years ago or so, then the people dug too far into the mountain and learned that the Kyuubi having rested there, searching for objects of power, instead they found the core and the cold winds of this region reawakened the unknowingly dormant volcano and it erupted destroying the villages and covering any entrance in to the upper reaches of the monastery, where Lady Mito's ruins are supposedly entombed, at the urging of her final wish. Many have tried to explore the region but the fauna and bandits that live there are too numerous to allow someone to really explore. It's a sad lonely place." Naruto nodded on the outside but on the inside his mind was flying.

_'So that is the Kyuubi's home, the spirit that my body plays host to, I wonder how far I could get up the mountain before I was forced to turn back. I never knew there was a container before me, maybe that monastery could answer some of the questions I have about the extent of what my body has changed to house the beast. I wonder what it's like in the monastery, or what those villages hold, or if kyuubi kept anything in the caverns it once inhabited. I will have to search.'_ The guard tapped the boy who looked back at him.

"Kid I don't know what you did but no one deserves to have to go to that place, you know this prison, when we get an inmate who is too dangerous for his own good, we drug him and drop him into one of the villages in the early hours of the morning. They never survive. Every now and again the warden sends truly bad inmates there to mine minerals for the land of fire as the beasts chakra replenishes it in a way we can't understand. If some can't serve their sentence we send them there with either three shuriken or kunai and if they can make it off the mountain we pardon them completely, but its suicide." Naruto nodded and followed one of the guards as they continued to walk the path to the top, Naruto now thinking of how he would find a way in there. _'Soon, very soon.'_

****** 4 hours later******

Naruto walked to the large iron door that closed the prison and he noticed the door bars on both sides of it, _'Well no one ever escapes it seems_' He shivered as he realized he once again had given away his jacket and his orange pants seemed to absorb every frigid gust. The guard nodded, and the other ushered him inside.

The inside of the castle had obviously been redone, as the main hall held people fastened to walls by shackles nailed to the walls. Some looked starved, others looked beaten, one looked to be ninety his feet held off the grown by his short height, and was being verbally and physically abused by a large muscled guard.

"You old man, you are always being so much trouble, no respect to guards trying to instill riots in the prisoners sabotaging patrols, you would be luckier if you just died." The old man coughed as the meaty fist of the guard slammed into his thin frame causing the man to make terrible wheezing sounds and Naruto to pull away from his escort and run to the guard.

The two tried to stop him, but he had crossed the room, picked up a flaming brand, and swung wide catching the giant man in the lower back where the ball joint of the hip rested. The man screamed as Naruto dropped the brand and seized the man's neck of his shirt and begin punching the whimpering man, drawing the attention of the prisoners and other guards, who hurried and helped their fellow. His escort tried to pull him off, but not before he seized the man's club and swings it into his shoulder leaving a meaty thud. The guards dragged him away as he tried kicking the downed man before being pulled out of range.

He was frogged marched from the main hall, to a more lavish part of the castle, and pushed into a room. He came face to face with an older man speaking to six other newly arrived prisoners. The man looked at him and stepped aside as he was thrown to the others.

"Now as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, welcome to the prison labeled most safe, secure, and has the highest rate of success; welcome to The land of fire's national seclusion rehabilitation center. Do not be fooled by our name, this is a prison. You will do work for your blessed daimyo while you r here to help pay off your transgressions to societies. There are no select privileges for the people here, except your guards. You will be woken by bell in the morning or the guards club if you feel too_ 'sleepy_' then there is breakfast, then work, then lunch, then more work, then dinner. Then you will be escorted back to your own cell and have till final bell to do as you wish. Every day after dinner you will be marched to showers. There is no hot or warm water, get used to it, it shuts down the nervous system after continued repetitions and the cold will be felt less. So no bitching, embrace it."

The man stopped walking as one guard came up and whispered in his ear and held a letter to him. He took it and tore it open with flourish, reading the scrawl. He called out without looking up.

"Uzumaki of Konoha step forward," Naruto did as the warden glanced up, shaking his head. "You have attacked a guard, and if it wasn't bad enough for you; your sentence has been changed by the council of your village, you no longer have house arrest but a full year here." Naruto felt a rising cold as it swept through him but nodded, the warden nodded and tossed a bag to him, his packed knapsack. He slung it over his shoulder as the guards gave everyone their respective bags.

"Your bags are all that are allowed in your cells, no money, no weapons; medicine will be distributed through the nuns from the monastery at the base of the mountain. They come here with filled prescriptions, guards will watch you take it, and then check your mouth to make sure it went down. No civilian clothes worn during the prison hours, you will wear what the prison seamstress gives you in your own cells walk naked for all we care, women are housed in the east and south wing, men west and North. Guards' barracks and my office is in the central tower, food will be distributed through cells at dinner and breakfast, lunch cart rides through during midday; food will be distributed by work amount. Now grab your shit and head to the woman standing by the furs at the end of the room."

The seven of them, two women, five man went by the seamstress who checked them and gave them clothe shirts, thick leather pants, and heavy fur coats; they had a choice between belts and hoods, leather boots given at the end. The woman picked hoods after searching their bags, the men belts if they didn't have one, hoods if they did. Naruto picked a hood, after taking note of what was in his pack.

They stripped next to each other, the guards searching their clothes for weapons and listing and bruises, scars, or past injured limbs shown. They were patted down for weapons. The women were groped but no one said anything to their outbursts. The men scowled as one guard kneed a man and made him double over, _'Bastards they are people they deserve some respect.'_ Then the guard reached him.

They noticed naruto's markings, one guard cursing, till he gave up trying to copy them all and just doused him in ink and pressed him up against paper, getting crude copies of his markings, Naruto flinched as all the left over ink sunk into his scar tissue and turned all his questions black. He was then hit by a low torrent jutsu and he stood freezing his body shaking, but he said nothing. The guard nodded impressed but the one behind him struck him, surprising him making him call out in pain. The one who struck him laughed, "He can speak just fine." The guard snorted and the warden told them to get dressed.

Naruto pulled on the pants, feeling the just short of tight making him comfortable. He pulled on the wool spun shirt, and the heavy fur jacket only to see it was far too big, he turned to see one of the women had been given one a little smaller and thinner fur. Naruto pulled off the fur and marched to the woman, holding out his fur coat, she smiled and traded coats with him. The other woman swayed suggestively and the men nodded their approval, then they were each led away to their cell.

*****North wing after nightfall*****

Naruto walked into his cell and was genuinely surprised, it was better than he thought. There was a cot hanging from the wall with chains, a desk across the room, a wooden stool and a small end table, there were also hooks hanging from the wall. Naruto went to work.

He opened his pack and looked at the items; he had never gotten so much useful material in one place. He did a quick inventory: he had bandages, an antiseptic, a hook needle and gut. He set those in the bottom of his end table in the far back. He had a thick brown belt, which he set aside. A needle and thick thread, he had a set of worn leather boots just like the pair given to him. He had a cake of soap. A loaf of bread and some dried foodstuffs. There were some wax candles, a pen and a packet of paper. He set the paper and pen on the desk along with the scrolls, along with everything else in its respective place. He nodded and gazed out of the window.

He had a perfect view of Mt. Harrow and all its villages and the monastery. He nodded and dragged himself into the bed. He had the scroll hidden underneath a loose stone of the windowsill, and the two papers from the Hyuuga. In his hand as he struck a match, lit a candle and began to read.

_'To Naruto-kun,_

_ I don't pretend to know what life is like for you, but I do know your life is not as evil as many think. I have seen u smile, seen you dance when you think you are alone.'_ Naruto stopped at that, she knew more than most, he didn't think anyone knew he could dance. _'I have always admired you, respected you, and even thought of being next to you. I know you enjoy music and to do puzzles, but even though I know all of these things I must admit I don't know everything. I don't know why you feel when you fight you have to pull your opponent close and overpower them with sheer energy and force. I don't know why when you ask yourself questions they bring no peace to you in the search for them. I don't know why you feel you have to hurt yourself to your questions; I don't know why you would let pain be closer to you than anyone else._

_ I worry about you, what will happen if you are not given peace. What do you see for yourself in the future, do you see love do you see a family, can you see yourself caring for you while you return care for them. I know you will be gone for a while but I want you to know you will not be forgotten. I will not forget you._

_ From,_

_ Hinata of the Hyuuga Clan.'_

Naruto laid the letter aside, he would be remembered. The pretty girl who so captivated him would know he was not there. But what could he do for her in return, what did she require? Naruto did not know,_ 'but I will protect her till I know what must be done.'_ Naruto looked at the other envelope and scrunched his shoulders, then opened it.

_'I am sorry Naruto-kun I could not be more use to you when you needed someone. But I want to give you these pictures; my mother once told me it would help me in my goal.'_

_ Hinata'_

Naruto set the letters aside and pulled out three pictures: One of the girl in a sundress kneeling amongst pretty flowers, reading to them. Another was of her sitting next to a lake holding a butterfly in her cupped hands, her face blushing a deep shade of red as she looked at the camera. The last caused his heart to quicken. He looked as she was sitting in her room, in a little red dress that left little to his imagination of her cleavage, and blushing she held a fan to cover her face.

Naruto nodded to himself and slid the pictures underneath his pillow. He then rolled over and went to sleep. A quiet warm blackness of sleep took him amongst it folds and he slept.

…*****…**

**3 months.**

Over the next few months, Naruto worked hard. He stressed his body to the point his old muscle mass was gone and in his stead was an iron body. He could lead the oxen for the prison by himself, and help the weaker and feeble complete their tasks to the best of his ability. Unknowingly to him he was slowly becoming noticed by the majority of the prison, and the prisoners began to see him as one of their own.

**4 months.**

Naruto sat propped against the food wagon; he had grown three inches in his stay here. He watched as a guard with a limp made another cruel comment to one of the old men and threw muddy snow to his face, making his food fall to the cold snow. The old man let out a tear as the guard walked away, only for a smiling blonde boy to give him his stew and to pull up the yoke of the old man along with his own and continue up the path.

**8 months.**

Naruto sat on the edge of the prison wall and watched as some guards laughed at the story of one of them who had taken advantage of one of the new female inmates. Naruto growled and tightened his grip on his spade, which he had been using to reset mortar for the new wall. He glanced at it, then down at the guard, before standing after he made sure the guard was turned to a different direction. His fellow prisoners watched as he skulked down the wall, dropping every so often as to stay out of the guards sight, till the guard was far away enough to be unnoticed from the other guards.

Naruto spun the spade around so he now held it like a dagger and watched the man turn a corner; he dropped stealthily to the snow avoiding the loud cobblestones. He hurried in a crouched walk after the guard and sprung to an alcove, keeping easy view of the black silhouette in the snow. He waited as he got close to the ledge and began to smoke.

Naruto rushed forward to the guard, and stabbed the spade into his lower back, severing the man's spine, and then kicking him off the mountain. He watched as the body plummeted to the cold depths. He turned around to see two guards running at him, while his fellow prisoners watched from the top of the walls.

He hopped back as the first swung his club in a fierce vertical strike; Naruto kicked the man in the head and watched him flop on to his back dazed. The next guard came with a side swing which he parried with his spade. He head-butted the man and seizing his shoulders, Naruto fell backwards on his back and launched the man in the same way his predecessor had left to visit the valley.

The dazed man stood now and ran at the blonde and swung sideways at him. Naruto kicked the man's wrist, making the club fall from his hand, which Naruto caught in his spare hand, bringing it sweeping down on the man's knee causing him to cry out as he fell to one knee. Naruto then drove the spade into the man's jugular and side threw him off the cliff as well.

Naruto turned to his fellow prisoners and raised his hands in triumph, the whispered about the supposed miracle that the blonde had done for them and from then on began the tales in the land of fire's prison, of its very own fierce shadow.

Over the next few months, word circulated around the prison, of an assassin amongst the populace. That if you had trouble with a guard and you did not have anything you could do all you had to do was see an old man who rested on the supply route who was guarded by a boy who carried it past his and the man's points. For an arrangement the old man would liberate you from a guard's terror by the means of having the assassin visit the guard.

The guard's tried to squash these rumors, and the old man was in a different place each time, always with that young boy who would allow him to rest as people spoke to him about their troubles. The guards eventually began to brand the prisoners, as a way of sending the message that the pain would continue if guards continued to disappear. But the prisoners wore the burns proudly, and those the assassin had helped came forward whenever a guard was found dead or gone.

**11 months.**

Naruto sat in his cell as he wrote a letter to Hinata. He had begun writing a few weeks ago and had just recently begun to receive his answers through a birdwatcher who ran the Guard's watchtower, he told her all about his self-imposed mission to help the people, their individual flights, and the system he had set up with the old man.

Naruto stopped as he heard a key in the door of his cell; he reached under his desk and seized the Iwa arrow head he had found. He saw a tall guard walk in and stand on the side of the door, only to be followed in by his friend the old man.

"Naruto my boy, I see you r burning the midnight oil. How does your heart sit today at the plights of our fellow people?" The man asked as the guard closed the door and watched the hallway.

"Master Kilvin, anger keeps a body warm in the night, and the promise of greatly deserved justice can drive one too do amazing things." The old man sighed as the boy turned around to speak to him better.

"Well-spoken my boy, I remember when I first heard of your exploits in this dismal place, you had talent for taking out people that I had not seen in years, not since I was small and learning the ways from my brother and father. Then my heart beat cold when they said they captured you and branded you." Naruto rubbed his arm as the man by the door bowed, and the old man sighed once again.

The exploits Naruto had successfully come across had taken a fierce turn in the time it had led to his capture, and they took a brand of a large black spiral and burned it into his lower back and both shoulders. His torso and arms had become heavily muscled in the time that was spent here and his questions had been filled out more fully. Naruto glanced down at them, _'I have Master Kilvin to think for answering so many of my questions, and in turn I have become an extension of his arm, to help him dish justice to this corrupt prison system. A fitting deal.'_

"Master you have a new task?" The man nodded solemnly.

"Naruto you are to go forward and take out each captain of the towers, the warden is to retire soon, and we cannot allow his successor to be picked from those corrupt souls, you will have to work all night." Naruto nodded as the man breathed a sigh of relief. He rose to his feet, Naruto moving forward to steady the old man.

"Naruto you are my son in all that matters, I want you to take this letter, and this map. When you are free go to Mount Harrow, underneath the stone steps of the Monastery you will find the weapons of my families' trade, they will help you in your life." Naruto nodded as he stepped around the man and reached for his fur coat. The old man stopped him though.

"No my boy, you will be wearing that on this trip," he pointed behind Naruto to see the man at the door holding a dark winter owl feather cowl, and snow bear pelt coat. Naruto reached for it as the candlelight went out.

****Later that evening on the top of the tower of the central castle. ****

Naruto was a black shadow in the silhouetted moon, gazing down at his target. The leader of the East tower, he was on his inspection of the castle, trying to solidify his chances of taking the warden position. Naruto looked to the tiled roof and prayed to Kami that this did not kill him. He then sprung to the roof.

He hit the roof with a crashing thud and rolled with the landing, sprinting like a man possessed. _'I have to beat the snow off the roof, if not it will alert him and draw his attention to my attack. Faster, faster.'_ Naruto shot forward even faster, and saw the edge of the roof coming up, he took a deep breath and threw himself forward, using a chimney as a springboard and jumping to the edge, catching the edge and ripping an icicle from its perch and swung launching himself to the man's position.

The Captain rubbed his arms, as he felt the bracing cold continue to swirl in the night air, he spat at the frozen earth and let his mind wander to a warm bed. A split second later something landed on him breaking both shoulders and drove a sharp point into his ear canal, piercing through the skull and killing him.

Naruto looked at his work and rolled away a second later, as all the snow tumbled of the roof on the still warm corpse. He turned and ran off into the night.

****in the furthest guard outpost. ****

Naruto watched as the West tower captain drifted peacefully off into sleep. Naruto swung in through the arrow window a second later and was right back out, the captain's neck sporting a nasty twist.

****In the female torture chambers****

Naruto looked once again and saw the South tower captain draw a blaring hot poker from a brazier. Whistling as he went to a girl no older than sixteen who was crying for him to stop. Naruto began to slowly build leverage, by moving his body back and forth to move the chandelier, then slamming a foot down ripping its iron peg from the ceiling causing it to fall, shocking the guard and the captive.

"What the…. Assassin, oh god it's you, don't kill me, please don't kill... AAAAAAAHHHHHH" The man began his screaming as Naruto seized him and slammed him into the brazier, the facial lotions to make his face shine for the presentation the next day catching fire and making him scream out loud. Naruto picked up a large forge hammer from next to an anvil and brought it down crushing the man's head like a grape.

He then turned to the young woman on the wall and ripped the lock from the rusted wall shackles, helping the woman to her feet. She looked at him and sighed.

"Who are you?" Naruto looked at the woman and she could see those deep blue eyes beneath his cowl. He shook his head and ran away into the shadows of the room.

****In the office of the Warden****

The North Tower captain stood in front of his warden, listening to the old man's rant. How he loathed this diseased old man, his retirement could not come fast enough in the guards' eyes.

"Three Captains dead in a matter of hours, at this rate we will have no new warden and I will be replaced by some diplomatic soldier, who has to run to his superiors for a damned answer to everything. This cannot happen; dammit I am going to retire if I have to make a custodian my replacement."

The Captain cleared his throat and began to speak in a honey voice. "Sir why not allow me to become warden tonight, and you can be gone from the haunted hell tonight?" The warden began to nod at himself as he thought over what the captain said. He looked up to answer the captain only to scream in horror and revulsion at what he saw.

The captain had a knife in his skull, and his own sword in his groin, using its blade and his knees to keep him held off the ground. The warden began to scream, until a piece of paper fell to the desk. He snatched it up without a thought.

'_Pick a new Warden, one of peaceful disposition, and kind heart. Or you will find that old age won't matter to your death, here are some recommendations.'_ Below was a list of names from the old man had given him. The warden nodded and began to pen a letter to his new successor, one just and righteous lieutenant who had liberated a village from pirate raids.

****Back in his cell****

Naruto walked into his cell and stopped, the old man had fallen asleep in the chair at his desk. Naruto smiled and draped his large coat over the old man till he realized there were three new items on his desk. The map, a letter of thanks from the people of the prison and the letter the old man had given him. He brushed dirt off the old man's beard only to stop.

_'Master breathing is rather long winded, wait… he isn't breathing at all.'_ Naruto threw his coat from the old man and pulled him up into his arms. He had no heartbeat. Naruto was silent as tears rolled down his face. He had just lost his only father figure.

The winds howled that night but the prisoners did not hear them they had ears only for the crying calls of a boy for his father, and a hand having lost its body…

**A month later.**

Naruto stood on the front gate of the prison, a year and he was free, he had two weeks before he was to revisit konoha and become a member of team 7 again. He nodded to himself and shouldered his pack. He steeled his gaze and set off for Mt. Harrow in the distance. He walked the steps with a surety of someone who had traversed their frozen surfaces so many times before and made good time over the dunes of snow. He stopped to drink water, and piss behind a tree. He continued on till the sun no longer hung in the sky.

Naruto made slow progress up the nearly invisible steps as he headed towards the monastery. He had passed two towns so far and six that had once been towns but the elements having far stripped them down to nothing remotely resembling establishments. He had searched through the wreckage and found some hares and flints, but little else; he skinned the hares and used the fur to insulate his boots. He continued and stopped, looking to his right.

There stood a great life sized statue of the demon Kyuubi, in all its fiery glory. It was obviously crafted of some onyx and red veined material from the mountain as a way to appease the spirit and warn people away from the great door that probably led to the beast's den. Naruto shivered at the evil look in its eyes, no creature in Kami's domain had eyes like that. He stopped and turned, six large ice pelted wolves had come up behind him. He frowned and set his pack to the ground. He then pulled the Iwa arrowhead from his belt. He crouched daring them to make the first move.

One of the wolves ran forward, but froze a few feet away and ran off as if struck soundly. Three more followed quickly, the other two backed away slowly, before being far enough that the turned and ran as well. Naruto watched them run and shouldered his pack once again.

_'They smell blood and the iron of the prison; they have taught themselves to fear these things. Noble intentions for wild creatures.' _Naruto thought as he continued past the statue, towards his goal. He stopped and after botching the hand seals nine or ten times finally made a small wisp of fire pass by his naked hands warming them.

_**'OR they sense the presence of a much stronger and destructive creature, one that they should be bowing and scraping to.'**_

Naruto stopped as he looked towards the statue and saw its eyes glow a bloody red, then go back to their original shade of black and red. He circled the statue seeing no difference. He went to inspect the door; needless to say that was a fruitless endeavor.

The door was made of great blackened iron with ebony bands, locked in the center with a stark white spiral, which glistened with a light blue hue. _'Looks so much like chakra, but it couldn't be chakra would have dissipated from so much time. I wonder if it's some sort of seal.'_

Naruto shook his head, and looked up at the white spiral and laid his pack on the ground once again. He seized a handhold in the wall and scaled it up to the spiral, and closing his eyes laid his hand upon the white lock. He felt wrong at once, the thing was draining his chakras; he soon fell from the perch he had found and plummeted to the ground, chakra still flowing from him, along with a much darker more violent red chakra that caused the stone to flare and the stone to spin and the groove behind the stone, with what could only be a very special keyhole.

Naruto stood feeling tense in his back, he looked up at the thing and glared at it angrily, _'Another question, dammit I hoped to find answers here, Fuck!' _Naruto roared and made hand signs and let a fire dragon missile slam into the door. The door absorbed the blast with no trouble but glowed red at the central point. Then he heard a call from the center.

"**I OPEN ONLY FOR THE SUPREME BEAST AND THOSE WHO HAVE INHERITED THE FAITH OF THE FIRST.**" Naruto looked at the door and felt stupid as he didn't know what to say to it, as it was an inanimate object. He just shook his head and continued back up to the mountain, thoroughly confused.

In the blonde's head a great eye opened at the sound of its home. "**So a container finally decided to find the roots of his predecessors' instead of arrogantly demanding whatever it is he wants, this young man may be interesting.**" The eye then closed as he felt them leaving the door.

Naruto soon found his way to the feet of the monastery, and marveled at the sheer brilliance of what it must have used to be, he climbed the steps and reached the door and opened it to find rubble blocking the subterranean tunnel. _'I don't have any way that would allow me to continue, I would need something that would allow me to grind all this to dust and still not affect the integrity of the walls around this.'_ Naruto frowned at this, before he stepped back outside and pulled out the map his master had given him.

"Let's see four steps to the left, two up, and six over, last step on this level." Naruto looked down and walked to one of the few remaining steps and gripped it tight, yanking it from its frosted sheathe in the ground. He looked and saw an oilcloth wrapped bundle, he grabbed it and pulled it up and unwrapped it. He saw papers, along with a purse full of large shiny gold coins, and two blades, one a hand axe with a brilliant single sided blade and leather striping and a brilliant worked metal pommel in the shape of a wolves head and a dagger that was maybe as big as a man's hand but it was straight double bladed with a gilded silver hand guard well worked leather grip, and a pommel just like the one on the axe. Naruto smiled and hung the axe from his belt, and attached the knife to his forearm underneath his coat. He then turned and headed off the mountain. It was nice, to be …. Armed…. No complete once again.

**In Konoha…**

Hinata Hyuuga sat on a log reading the last letter she had gotten from Naruto, his calligraphy always so flowing and flawless. She could feel his warmth as he wrote down his feelings about his only real father like figure passing; she shed a tear for him. She was breathless at the parts where he told about him helping liberate the prison from the tyrannical guards; she read about how he said that the hard labor had changed his body from its previous level; she developed a small nosebleed at the thought. When he said he would be in Konoha in two weeks after he ran an errand she jumped for joy, scaring Kiba, Kurenai, and Shino with the outburst. They looked at each other then went over to speak to her.

"Hey Hinata are you alright you have been sitting here reading that letter all day and honestly we would like to know what all the good news is?", Shino nodded. "Indeed", Kurenai nodded as she tried to see if she could read the letter's addressee'.

Hinata looked at them and blushed, "Oh….. it…..s ju ..just that t t Team 7 will be whole again, and the roo roo rookie ni nine will be complete again." The team groaned, this again. Kiba marched off to destroy a post and Kurenai went back to checking mission reports. Shino moved closer to hinata.

"So would I be right to assume that you have kept contact with Naruto this whole time?" Hinata nodded weakly, Shino nodded and walked off but stopped and looked to hinata once more.

"I would like to spar with him in taijutsu once again, I have been preparing to be better suited in that area with the help of you and Kiba, and I would like to see how I measure against someone who is truly gifted in the ninja arts without constant training." Hinata nodded dumbly idly wondering if that was the most she had ever heard the boy say at once.

She checked the date he said he would arrive and realized it was today, she quickly bid herself adieu and hurried towards the direction of the gate.

****With Team 7****

Kakashi dodged as Sakura threw a kunai and Sasuke executed a sliding kick causing him to be glanced by one of his hidden knife traps. He hopped higher and let out a small water dragon jutsu, washing them both away. He turned to see Sakura trying to help Sasuke up, and saw him wave her off as the inspected themselves for injuries.

_'They have come far in a year, 74 d ranks, 19 c ranks, I guess they will realize that the team will be complete soon and we will have to work on teamwork to factor in the blonde's tank like methods.' _Kakashi sighed and waved them to come to him.

****Hokage Tower****

Sarutobi looked up and saw a messenger fly to him, he checked and smiled and brought forward his crystal ball, "Let's see if Naruto has become any different besides what he said in his letters."

****Main Gate****

Hinata stood at the gate trying to glimpse Naruto but saw no one slightly resembling the blonde she knew. She nearly bowled a person over in her excitement. She stopped as his pack fell from his back and she stopped.

"Oh I am so sorry, I did not mean for that to happen, it's just this is supposed to be the homecoming of someone very important to me I hoped to see him soon." She blurted out as she noticed blonde locks framing the person's face, she looked up and turned beat red.

It was her Naruto, He was taller, obviously more muscled as the way his clothes fit him. His hair longer, ponytailed in the back, with a single individual braid on the right side that framed his face. His whiskers more pronounced, from the weather he had been in. His body was covered in what looked to be bear skin, with a thick belt holding it close. She noticed he had tall leather boots like a tinker. She looked at him and she noticed he was smiling.

"Well Lady Hyuuga, it has been a long while certainly but I am back and I greatly appreciate the prolonged written contact, perhaps now you would do me the honor of, after I get situated, a night at dinner?"

Hinata looked at him, had she heard him right. _'Did Naruto really just ask me out? Oh Kami please don't be a dream please be real, please be real, oh god it is real I got a date with Naruto-kun.'_ Naruto shot forward as she fainted with a large blush and the biggest smile he had ever seen.


	7. Chapter 7

**Oni: "Okay that last chapter was longer, but it covered a lot of his growth, and will be a crucial point in his temperament in and outside of battle. For those that have not noticed, this is a different Naruto than the manga. Yes there will be the wave, chunnin exam, and Sasuke arcs, but they will not be back to back. Understand that Sakura and Sasuke have already done C class missions so far but it has not been the wave arc, the manga shows a period of them doing D ranks, I have just extended that period to cover his prison sentence. So this chapter will be the leading up to the Wave Arc. Naruto will still favor his tank like approach, as in the manga. Also his planned and executed maneuver a.k.a. the Blessing of Helios was not spur of the moment, and he had several hours to make preparations and nearly failed it at the beginning of it because of Kakashi nearly intercepting his signal. I am not marking Kakashi as a fool in this; he is a jounin and a sensei, but in the manga he did not detect sasuke's blade trap, and said that the more clones that are made the less chakra they had, making them less noticeable in my opinion. As a scorpion does not travel a trail and notice every little ant. He will take great advantage of this against future opponents; he can't expect to grapple with everyone after all."**

**Naruto: "You never mentioned a disclaimer…"**

**Oni: "… must have slipped my mind, who are you again?"**

**Naruto: "Fuck you, he doesn't own anything don't worry, he has enough work as it is." **

**Q -7.**

Naruto walked through the street towards the tower. New businesses had popped up in the year, but there was still that feeling, the one that hung like a guillotine on the chopping block, silent just before the drop. The feeling of hatred… cold, tempered hatred. It was almost palpable as he marched through the middle of the street.

_'Not so much has changed, the anger, the sorrow, the unending blame is all still here. But I am better suited for it now, my master did not leave this world without imparting some knowledge to his protégé, this village is just like an ecosystem. There are those that directly are affected by others, and those that are affected in conjunction affect the others. This in itself is a question, and an answer, two side of the same coin. Question and answer, lie and truth, sorrow and happiness, unity and anarchy. So many unsettled answers, it's almost hungering the prospect of the hunt for them.' _"Unghh," Naruto paused to look at the source of the sound. "So are you awake Lady Hinata?" He asked the moving body being piggybacked.

"Unghh… Yes I believe so I had such an interesting dream," Naruto perked at this as he arrived at the door to the Hokage's tower. "Oh? Really? Do tell Lady Hinata what did it pertain too?" He asked as he opened the door. "Naruto-kun,"

_ 'About myself, I also couldn't but notice the suffix. Interesting but not shocking he have been in contact by letters for a year.'_ "About I, interesting what did it pertain to?" He asked as he waved to a clan head who stared open-mouthed at him.

"About you, no it was about Naruto-kun," "Well that is my name, or part of it at least." "what?"

Hinata opened her eyes, noticeably unblurred due to her clan's bloodline. She could see whisker and a braided knot, next to her face. She looked around and suddenly let out an eep. She was being carried by Naruto, how all she remembered was passing out, and well… that was it.

"Umm Naruto why am I being carried?" Naruto glanced over his shoulder at the indigo haired girl. "Well you seemed to have been rendered unconscious after I proposed," _'Proposed! Proposed what, oh god what happened is this a dream?' _ "that we share a meal together, you never did answer me though." She nodded as it came back to her, then she realized how this must look.

"Hai I accept graciously, but could you put me down, I feel fine." Naruto nodded and kneeled as she disembarked, immediately missing her private personal carriage's warm. Naruto looked at her, and bowed.

"Thank you for the acceptance, I will chat with you later after I get my affairs in order, and will see to dinner." She nodded as he turned and headed to the stairs to the Hokage's office leaving her slightly lightheaded as she took to her head all that she had seen transpire before bowing to the person holding the door and walking away, cheering to herself. Several villagers smiled as they saw her good mood as she made her way back to the training ground.

Naruto opened the door as he entered the waiting room for the Hokage. He walked over to the secretary, and stopped short of her desk.

"I am here to see the Hokage, if he is not previously engaged." The secretary nodded as she looked at him somewhat scared, having thought the blonde had perished. She stood and went into his office.

The door opened and she beckoned him to enter, and once he had walked through the door. She stood there shaking, slowly trying valiantly to regain her footing and come to an understanding of what had just transpired.

**Inside the Hokage's office.**

Sarutobi looked at the young man as he entered and sat in the chair across from himself, remaining perfectly poised and collected, no trace of his energetic nature noticeable.

"Naruto my boy how are you?" The wizened ninja leader asked as he took the time to take in the blonde. He was healthy weight now; actually he seemed to be in perfect physical condition, from the leader's perspective. His hair was longer one long braid in the back and another thinner, shorter braid to the right of his face, somewhat framing him. His eyes were darker, but held a tempered coldness, that if turned to an enemy the old man could only imagine them to be unnerving. He wore a large pelt coat, with a hood pulled down around his neck. Strong leather boots covered his feet that were crossed in the blonde's lap. The Hokage nodded, sensing that the blonde had become even more self-reliant in his travels on the way back to the village.

"I am alive, lord Hokage. Good health and of sounder temperament. I have been away much longer than a year, it seems." The man nodded at the blonde, as he struck up a light for his pipe. "Your manner of speech has improved, it shows your intellect better, I approve." The young man nodded.

"My master taught me that without a voice to represent myself, a man is little more than a beast." The Hokage saw an opening and interjected. "You're Master?" The boy nodded. "Master Kilvin, though I see him more of a father than anything. He taught me speech craft, along with the ability to be more proficient with my energy and that patience is not a hindrance but a weapon to be cherished, amongst other things." Sarutobi smiled as he pulled a file from his desk.

"Seems your leave was more beneficial than one would have thought anything you think I should take note of before you are given your housing assignment, and return to ninja assignments." The boy nodded.

"I am stronger, faster, and more fluid. My taijutsu has improved, as is my familiarity with hand signs. My chakra control is lacking, as I have not used jutsus in the past year. I have learned to be proficient in my interactions with people; diplomacy has become appealing to me." Naruto took a breath and pulled a scroll from his coat. "Your books Hokage-sama." He waved the scroll away and told him to keep them, he had copies, Naruto nodded thankful, and he had written notes in most of them.

"I also have replaced my use of kunai for shuriken, and added two more weapons to my arsenal." He handed the old man his axe and dagger, who inspected them and nodded handing them back. He sat down again and the two sat there quiet set into the room before he handed the boy two pamphlets.

"Your ninja reinstatement papers, give those to your sensei, and the address for your new apartment, it's off the main highway, on top of the shinobi library, a little dark, it's more of an a loft than an apartment, but is up to date for safety and living regulations. I think you will like it." The boy smiled, and the man smiled as well. That was the smile he remembered.

"Okay Naruto as a concerned leader and friend, did your stability… increase? Are you more of your questions answered now…? Are you fit to return to duty?" The boy looked at him and nodded. The man nodded and excused himself to his paperwork.

Naruto was halfway to the door, when the Hokage beckoned him to stop. "Also here is a monetary bonus so you can be outfitted for duty." Naruto caught the purse that was tossed to him. "Oh and Naruto," The boy looked at him and he was struck with a remembrance of Minato once again. "I am glad your home my boy." The boy nodded and closed the door.

**At Naruto's loft.**

Naruto stood in his loft, having just finished talking to the head of the library. A nice man, didn't judge him on anything but his love of books. Naruto said he would invite the man for tea, and would like to chat about the library membership later on. The man had quickly agreed and was looking forward to learning more about the boy.

The loft was large; enough for a bed, some furniture, a bathroom was a little dirty. A kitchenette hadn't seen much use, but he would remedy that. He took a deep breath and smiled, it would be a nice home, the smells from the bakery next door wafted through the main window. He would be happy here. He laid down his pack and set to work.

He took the furs he collected and set them out to tan, while some others he set aside to sleep on. He unsealed the books and stacked them in one corner and opened a closet to find two more scroll. One with furniture and the other with all his writings. In short of three hours the place resembled a much more sorted place of residence with the mess of his apartment showing hints of itself here and there. It was definitely home. The fridge was stocked with food and necessities in the kitchen and the bathroom. Time to go forward in the direction of setting up his wardrobe.

Naruto took his old orange jumpsuits and burned them. His turtlenecks he checked and found they still fit, they were big when he had first got them, and he had plenty of ninja pants in assorted colors in his run to the clothing store. Some warmer shirts with thinner material for warmer climates, a belt with pouches, those were removable, so he could set them to other belts. He sat in his only recliner and took his snow bear pelt coat in his hands and took to taking it apart.

He finished his making new jackets from the pelt. He sewed black ninja silk onto each to make hoods and lined them with the snow owl's feathers to block a cold draft just in case. He then went into the bathroom and showered, cleaning the mud and grime from him as he exited and dressed himself picking up his papers to give to Kakashi.

**At Training ground 14, several hours later.**

Naruto walked through the trees towards his team, stopping suddenly. He leapt high to dodge a sliding kick and a barrage of kunai. He turned to see Sasuke standing on a tree above him. _'No change in the Uchiha's outfit it seems, except for an extra ninja pouch. Little more muscle tone, good he has slacked in his year, one can only guess at the new jutsu in his arsenal.'_ Naruto flipped backwards to dodge a fist flying by him and seeing sakura huffing. _'Significant more muscle tone, good Kakashi trained them both, never was much for jutsu probably expanded into genjutsu then.'_ Naruto glanced over his shoulder to see Kakashi standing below them both, with sakura jogging back into the clearing.

"Hello Sensei, Sakura, Sasuke." He nodded to each of them, getting huffs grunts and a wave. He watched as they all examined him as they did them. He laughed at their shock.

Kakashi was the first to take real notice of Naruto's musculature increase. But what was impressive was the change in outfit. He wore thin soled leather boots, charcoal grey ninja pants, a blue sash around his waist with a brown belt attached to waist holding numerous pouches. His black turtleneck was present. A slicked pelt jacket with a pulled down hood, lined in owl feathers. _'Looks like a member of Kurenai's tracking team, interesting he seems to increase his acuteness of his surroundings, actually a little scary. Nothing will be able to sneak up on him if he truly has improved, and a smell of assuredness, and death. He seems to have a very trying year.'_ "Hello Naruto, since you are here am I guessing correctly you are situated and clear for active duty?" He nodded and Kakashi let a small bead of sweat fall, he was somewhat worried the blonde would come to kill them all, and there is that new weapon of his.

"Hey dobe, why the axe? Going on a killing spree." The blonde chuckled as he fingered the blade and Kakashi noticed the smallest amount of blood fall from his finger. "Only on the enemies of Konoha." Sasuke nodded as he eyed the axe, it was exquisite, but definitely not something he would use. They were ninjas not woodcutters.

"Naruto why are you here?" sakura called to him. He looked at her and hopped to the ground, leaving small imprints in the soil. "Team Kakashi is once again complete I am here to render aid to teammates and sensei, and cut down any enemies of Konoha." Kakashi smiled and was happy with the blonde's answer.

"Well this is nice but it is time to train, todays goal: tag me, no weapons, Naruto no intent to kill, and please no axe." The three nodded and moved on Kakashi.

**Several hours later.**

Kakashi stood across from the three gennin. Sakura lay on her back, exhausted from her ground approach. Sasuke on one knee from his continued dropping attempts. Naruto stood and was watching the three, drawing a whetstone across his axe.

_'Naruto has not diminished, not even tired. He was leaping through the trees like Sasuke was, and sprinting faster than Sakura. He slammed into me like a cannonball after pacing my movements, allowing both teammates to tag me as he held me for that split second, but I don't feel anything but bruises from where he grabbed my torso, his grip is incredible. His axe is a part of his body; he used it to change direction as he was flying through the trees several times. The blonde was heavy too, and fast. Looks like he knew what his body was capable of, but he seems out of use for his jutsu, needs work in chakra control. Sasuke did well he would have got me if Naruto hadn't blind sighted me, Sakura too. They will not have any encumberment with working together they should get another mission soon, probably C rank, Naruto's new strength would leave any D ranks for conditioning moot, his taijutsu is better as well, seems he has adopted sweeping punches and short lunge kicks to stun attackers, so he can grapple with them, somewhat like the Akimiches. The boy is built like a boulder now.'_

"Good training Team, tomorrow we will get a c rank." Sakura cheered, Sasuke grinned, but Naruto waited till it died down to make a comment. "Sensei I have to visit my Father's grave, and I have some previous engagements to see too. If we haven't accepted a mission yet, can it wait till the end of the week?" Kakashi looked at him shocked. _'He knows who his father is! Plus he has previous engagements this merits some questions. I thought he would jump at the chance to go to work.'_ "Well that's up to your teammates Naruto you should check with them, perhaps they would like to be accounted for." Naruto turned to them.

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, but Sakura spoke up. "Naruto I thought you were an orphan, did you learn who your parents were?" Sasuke and Kakashi turned to the blonde to see what his response would be.

"No I thought that since I don't have parents, I could pick my own family. My father is a man who I met in the prison; he took care of me, and was the closest thing I had so I would like to visit his shrine. After all when one doesn't have parents, there is a gap that is always in the heart, and we take those that we can find to help fill it, else the sorrow consumes us." Sakura looked taken aback at the answer, Sasuke mouth twitched, and Kakashi hung his head.

"Naruto I am so sorry, we didn't know. Would you like company?" Now it was Naruto who was taken aback. _'I thought they would hate me but here they are trying to help console me, have I really expected so little from them? But no I should pay my respects alone, it's fitting but I will remember this.'_

He shook his head and Sasuke nodded, he would take a leaf from Naruto's book and visit his own parent's grave. Sakura nodded slowly, remembering that Naruto was never truly serious unless he talked a certain way, and this reverberated with truth just by itself. Kakashi walked and patted Naruto on the shoulder.

'Naruto is this place outside of the village?" The blonde nodded solemnly. Kakashi sighed. "Then someone would have to accompany you since you just got back in the village recently, I will go." Naruto nodded.

"Thank you Sensei it would be nice to have an extra blade with me." The three looked at him shocked at the answer. "Naruto where is this shrine?" Naruto looked at his teammates a tear falling from his face.

"It's at the base of Mt. Harrow."

"I understand if you don't want too now." Sasuke looked at the blond, and Sakura looked scared as Kakashi's mind was going a mile a minute.

_'Does this mean that his tenant has spoken to him, or…. NO! Hokage-sama would not have sent him to that prison; it is for death row convicts. Did the council expect him to survive at all? I have to be sure.'_ "Naruto I have a question." Naruto turned to his sensei. 'Where was your internment?"

"It was at the peak of Mt. Ricate." Kakashi nodded. "I will go, you will need my expertise." Naruto nodded, but then stopped. "Why?" He said as he looked at his sensei as the other two did.

"Because I owe you an apology, and I want to pay my respects to the man who made you the person you have become." _'And because I owe you an apology for not being there and for losing control, and as a way of repaying your real father.'_ He thought as he watched the sunset on the training ground, he, Sakura, and Sasuke bathed in light, as the light only reached naruto's neck and his face was clouded in shadow.

**The next day at the gate of the village.**

Naruto leaned against the gate, waiting for Kakashi. He had eaten dinner with the librarian yesterday, it was enjoyable, they talked of history, logic, jutsu, and a little about the reason for living. He was thinking as he drew his axe and drew a whetstone across his axe blade again. He was paused when he saw team eight coming up with their sensei.

He bowed to Hinata and her sensei, nodded to Shino and ignored Kiba, irking the dog boy. Their sensei spoke to him first.

"Hello Uzumaki am I to understand you have been reinstated as a ninja?" he nodded to her. Hinata turned and began to play with her fingers. Shino waved, and Kiba began to speak.

"Hey clown, what's with the new duds, trying your hand at tracking? You don't have the skill for it, were all experienced trackers." Naruto glanced at him before looking back to his axe.

"I have enough experience to know you marked territory before you came here, you leaked some on your pants, but that makes sense, after all with you being upset about that it understandable that you would forget your zipper." Kiba stopped dead and took notice and cursed as he fixed his pants. Shino looked at him shaking his head and moved to Naruto.

"Uzumaki-san I am told that you are on your way to visit the resting place of your surrogate father, is this correct?" Naruto nodded as he brought the stone against his axe again. "Is it also true that you met this man in prison and you bonded with him there?" Naruto nodded only for Kiba to cut in.

"Really your father was an old man prison bitch, wow how did you all connect, did you cuddle in the dark! Hahaha." Kurenai looked at her student in disgust, "KIBA!" But his dog was backing away from him as it saw Naruto's reaction. Shino looked back and said very uncharacteristically, "Kiba-san I would run." Kiba looked at him laughing as the rest of the team looked to Naruto.

Naruto had stopped sharpening his axe, and had the stone clenched in his hand, his fingers slowly crushing it. He slammed his axe into the gate making the whole thing quiver. He leapt at Kiba only to be intercepted by Shino and Kakashi who shushined there. Shino was visibly shaking from his effort and Kakashi wasn't much better, they were both slowly being dragged to Kiba's position. Kakashi was trying to calm his student, Shino was slowly letting his bugs envelope his back to try and push himself forward, as Hinata and Kurenai stepped back. Kurenai raised her hands for a genjutsu, casting it but finding no effect, the blonde's anger boiling away the excess chakra she was trying to use. Kakashi made a single hand sign and switched Kiba with a log.

Kiba was startled as he disappeared and saw a log in his place only for Naruto to slam into it and punch it repeatedly leaving imprints and splintering it till it snapped and turned to Kiba. "Take it back!'" He flew again only to be slammed down by Kakashi. Kiba was watching as Naruto struggled to be free pulling Kakashi this way and that.

'What's wrong Dobe, the truth brings back bad memories? Hahaha." Kakashi cursed as Naruto fought harder as Shino also tried to help restrain him. Naruto threw Kakashi off and Shino hit him accidently in the side of the neck. Naruto then went berserk, he grabbed shino in an over arm throw and threw him to the side where he corrected himself before he landed. Kiba leapt to the side as Naruto cratered the ground when a Kotetsu and Izumo came to aid Kakashi.

Naruto leapt again, as Kakashi grabbed him in a chokehold. Kotetsu and Izumo got the message and each grabbed an arm. Shino tried to stop his moving forward. Kiba's laughter had died down, but was still chuckling at the blonde.

Naruto could only hear the laughter in his head, as he brought the image of his master's body entombed in its shrine. He hated that laughter, and he heard a roar in his head and drowned it out with his own. He continued to fight off his detainers but his strength was not enough.

"Naruto calm yourself, don't do this, think of your father," Kakashi said through struggled breaths. Izumo and Kotetsu caught on and jumped in. "Yeah it was all in fun right Kiba, not a problem, just joking around." Shino cut in then. "Naruto-san he is brash, but it would hurt our team if we were to have to wait for him to recover." Naruto began to calm as Kiba cut in.

"Yeah it all good Naruto, after all you can always wear a dress and go find another random old guy from a prison." He then began laughing all over again. Naruto flinched and threw off the chunnin, and gut shot Kakashi making his grip loosen and threw Shino into him. At this Naruto was free and charged at Kiba.

Only to be met by a green wall. He slammed his hands into it, only to find them matched by even harder hands. He pushed but they gave no quarter, they pushed him back and he was surprised as he was at a match to try and get past it. Kakashi looked up when he heard no cries of pain. To see his student going toe to toe with his self-imposed arch Rival, the great beast Might Gai.

"Hello Kakashi I see you are training your student well in the way of taijutsu. He truly is an exceptional student in the way of force. He is actually quite a handful, you must get quite a good workout sparring with him, and I am relishing this little game of push immensely. If I were to beat him would this be a victory." Kakashi let out a sigh as he realized that Naruto was supposedly stopped for the time being.

"I have a better idea Gai, if you were to calm him down, and stop him from pulping the gennin behind you. I will let you train him some." Gai smiled and pushed Naruto to an even match and spoke. "Young ninja of the leaf, you have a burning flame of youth. Might I inquire to your name?"

"N.. Naruto.." The blonde huffed trying to move the green wall.

"Naruto very youthful name, you remind me of my Lee burning with so much youthfulness. I have heard that you have great love for your surrogate father is this true?" Naruto nodded and let out a deep breath pushing Gai back a step.

"Well young Naruto if you were to attack the other Gennin," "His name is Kiba, Gai" Kurenai said as she, Shino, and Hinata watched as Naruto tried to push him away.

"Ah thank you Kurenai, Naruto if you were to attack Kiba, would you be honoring your mentor's teachings." Naruto growled. "I will when I turn him into a lump of broken bones!" Gai nodded solemnly. "May I inquire as to where this man is now, your father figure?" Naruto roared and pushed Gai back another step.

"He is dead Gai," Kakashi chimed in watching the display. Kotetsu and Izumo crouched ready to seize Naruto if he got the drop on Gai.

"Ahh so you are trying to avenge his honor, since he no longer can?" "YES!" Gai nodded and pushed Naruto back a step. Naruto pushed harder and they were locked even again.

"Then youthful Naruto let me ask this. If your father was here, at this exact moment would he be trying to use the way of force, was he a violent man?" Naruto paused at this and a line from his master's teachings came to him.

_'My boy when force comes into play, it is always of a bloody and destructive path, with great repercussions. If met with another choice, peace will leave less devastation, and also it will leave you feeling calmer and more respectful of yourself afterwards, take these words to heart my son. Brash is the enemy of the mind, and while anger harnessed is a great weapon, you my son must be a student of calm with iron skin and great patience, with this mindset my teachings will make you truly unconquerable. Only the barbaric way of war will truly leave a man alone in the world, while patience will make a just and great man, now which will you be when the time comes?'_

Gai realized that Naruto wasn't pushing as hard anymore and his breathing was calming down, apparently he had gotten through to the lad. He nodded and released the boy's hands. Naruto took a step back and bringing his hand into a meditative position, let out a deep breath.

"Very good my youthful Naruto, it will be an honor to train you, when you return. Whatever those teachings your master gave you keep them close to your heart, they were obviously of great importance to you, and if you go far enough you can pass them to your own students. Find me or my Lee when you wish to train in the way of taijutsu, and increase your significant force." With that Gai walked to Kakashi and bid him good luck on his journey, as he and Naruto left the village, only to be stopped by the beast's roar to him.

"Youthful Naruto do not forget this," Naruto turned to see his axe spinning through the air towards him. He watched Kakashi duck and he grabbed the handle with the blade an inch from his jacket. He spun it around and dropped it into the loop on his belt. He nodded and the two left for road.

Kiba watched as the dobe left, still continuing his laughter only to be lifted by the man who saved him by his collar. "Young Inuzuka, Naruto loves his master like you care for your family or companion. I would not do whatever you did again, not everyone will be here for you to stop him. He was pushing me back at some points. You should go train and think over your mistakes, as your sensei will most definitely want to speak with you." Gai said as he set the boy on the ground, and carried off, happy to have gained a sparring partner for himself and Lee. Kiba turned and saw Kurenai stalking towards him.

The slap resounded through the village, causing the Hokage and his anbu to pause; he then sent them to go find his student Jiraiya.

**Outside the village, around nightfall.**

Naruto continued his march forward, his feet moving through the pace he had set with brisk efficiency. Kakashi was a little behind him, as he was not sure of their final destination. He knew where the mountain was sure, but he like most of the other ninja had no expressed desire to see it as it reminded him too much of the near destruction of the leaf village some fourteen years ago. He stayed quiet for a little longer, waiting to see if the blonde would initiate conversation on his own. When he realized the blonde was not clamoring to start conversation. He took initiative:

"So Naruto now that we are alone. Why don't we use this time to further our knowledge of each other? It could only benefit us for the future." He said as he pulled his _'Icha Icha Nightfall'_ from his pouch. Naruto was all quiet, while Kakashi sighed. _'Well I guess it was worth a shot.'_ Kakashi was pulled from this as Naruto nodded. Kakashi let a small smile spread under his mask.

"What do you want to talk about Naruto; my knowledge is at your disposal for the entirety of this trip. As when you return your new taijutsu sensei will train you till you drop." Naruto stopped as Kakashi read his book. He stopped as well and looked to the blonde.

"Sensei why don't we talk about, something that is a great weakness for me?" Kakashi smirked. "Chakra control?" Naruto scowled and started walking again. "How about your lack of survival instinct from that ridiculous fire trap you put me through?" Naruto frowned at that and calmly cut off the flow of questions that demanded he ask his opinion and for improvements. "How about your seemingly unending mental barrage of questions that keeps you up at night?" Naruto stopped dead and looked at his sensei, shocked.

"Naruto I know all about your search for your answers. I would say that in small doses it would help you, but at the same time it overwhelms you. Lord Hokage told me about your scars and the seals on your neck." Naruto's hand reached and touched his turtleneck. Kakashi looked at the boy, and then continued walking.

"Then how about I ask you a question and you ask me a question, till we are satisfied?" Naruto nodded as he caught up with him. Ok I will go first then, it was my idea." He stowed his book in his pouch.

"How is your chakra control as of now?" Naruto harrumphed at the question.

"It's abysmal for the amount of techniques I know, probably low chunnin on my best day." Kakashi nodded, and then motioned to the boy.

"What happened to your father?" Kakashi didn't answer and Naruto looked to him.

"Pass,"

Naruto reeled from that, "How's that fair?" Kakashi shrugged. Naruto scowled again at the elusive scarecrow.

"My turn," "What?" "You asked a question, I never specified how our answers had to be." Naruto let out a choice stream of curses as he scowled harder, ignoring the jounin's glee.

"Fine," Kakashi smiled and put his hand to his chin. "I want to know… what all exercises in chakra control you know."

Naruto was beginning to realize that the Cyclops was beginning to hint to something. He shook his head. "I Know the leaf balancing exercise, and the water sense exercise." Kakashi nodded as he tried to remember what he knew about the water sense exercise.

_'That is the one where one takes several ninja weapons and hangs them from strings in a strong current of water. You then have to use your chakra to form a hyperaware thin sheet of chakra around you, and swim down the current at alternating levels of speed. The slower you go, the easier it is to try to sense the paths that the weapons dance through in the current, but is tasking to try and realize how thick the layer of chakra needs to be to both detect and protect oneself from the current. The faster one goes the harder it is for one to be aware of the current and keep up the chakra layer without overdoing the output, and rendering it useless. Interesting it's a very old exercise. Wonder how he came across it.'_

"Ok Naruto, your turn." What size shoe do you wear?" Kakashi looked at him then at his sandal. He cocked his head to the side. "That's your question?" Naruto smirked.

"And that was yours," Kakashi cursed himself for falling into such an obvious word trap, the blonde was brighter than he thought, which is a little scary.

"13.5" Naruto looked at him and shrugged, giving Kakashi a tick mark. "Your next question."

"Are you beginning to regret taking this trip with me yet?" Kakashi groaned as the kid laughed, walking down the road.

**A week and a half later, at Naruto's loft.**

Kakashi was exhausted, plain and simple. The blonde never slept long, and always in shifts. It was like he was a machine. Kakashi sighed as he reminisced over the trip. He would never volunteer to go with the blonde anywhere again. He would finance missions simply so he would not have too, the blonde's questions were relentless, he only ever stopped when one of them were asleep, and he woke up once to see him questioning a crocodile why it was trying to catch the blonde in its powerful jaws, _while the blonde was sketching it head and making experimental observations about the damn things propulsion in the mud on its four legs! _ Kakashi swore then that it was not questions that drew the blonde's attentions; it was dangerous and reckless attitude to find the answer. Besides the crocodile, here were some perfect examples:

The blonde hung from the side of the cliff using the chakra control exercise, which he had learned earlier that day so he could observe the hawks native to the Land of Fire's gorges. He sketched the nest, inspected the sleeping hawk's feather coat, and even pulled its wings open to examine their placement, and make a notation of a wingspan. He measured the legs with a tape measure that he had produced from one of the pouches. He sketched the claws that made up its feet, making a crude sketch of what the imprint the legs made if they were in soft loam. Kakashi had stopped him there when he had turned his attention to the eggs, not wanting to anger the denizens of the gorge and the blonde pouted for an hour afterwards.

Another example was when they were attacked by monkeys, Naruto had politely pointed out that they were a Firent Gorillas, exclusive and recluses native to the land of fire much likes the hawks. The lead ape had been eating a bunch of assorted fruits as Naruto walked around it taking notes, and Kakashi hid behind a tree, praying the monkey wouldn't _go bananas_. Naruto finished making notes, and sat down… _to sketch the very large and content gorilla._ He finished to sketch and called gaining the large ape's attention. Confusing the mass of apes in attendance, and causing Kakashi to gain grey hairs. He then began to sign and talk to the apes, who watched him in fascination, while Kakashi noticed naruto's shadow clones were coming from the other side of the clearing and carting off its food. After they finished, Naruto bowed low, and putting his journal in a pouch took off. Kakashi was about to follow him when he made a step and heard something go squish. He looked to see naruto's clones had stacked all the food next to him with a note, _'Next time we exchange questions don't pass,' _it was signed with aQ. However that was when the ape followed the food trail and found our favorite ninja sensei with a mass of its food. It proceeded to throw everything within arm's reach at Kakashi who leapt and dodged most of the irate flying food stuffs. While Naruto watched, oddly imagining Kakashi with an accent, overalls and a large red cap on his head. The other gorillas soon found him and he got exercise dodging as well, as they made a swift retreat.

Another instance was when Naruto was sitting on a rock for the largest time, barely moving and his hand making notes off to the side. Kakashi had been curious and moved closer to investigate only to find a pit full of snow bears sleeping below him. Kakashi was fascinated by the sight and just stood by his student, watching as he observed and sketched the bears. They then left quietly as to leave the bears alone.

They reached the shrine and both paid their respects, he sensed a great increase of respect from the blonde. They then began to head back. Hopefully with less danger, sadly…. No luck. As Naruto had spent the trip going there to make observations, the trip back was him collecting samples: of stone, ore, plants, fur, scales, antlers, and a tooth from a very irate tiger, which proceeded to chase them halfway home. Then finally, after all that, all the attacks, charges, poisonous plants, angry swarms of bats, and stressful situations, Kakashi realized two things: one, he would never again complain of taking out a group of bandits compared to angry animals, and two Naruto was much more of an intellectual then he originally classified him as. He only learned to draw and sketch so he could have images to go along with notes and observations.

He looked at the blonde, who was much happier. He had rarely seen the blonde truly smile since he saw him return. During his trip he took notice, that it was only when truly away from the anger and prejudice that he could be himself. When inquired to about this, he said that his father had instilled in him a sense of happiness and contentment with oneself, despite his truly terrible habit of continuing to set questions into his skin. He could not bring himself to stop; he had developed the habit of taking soapstone and brushing the scared tissue away so he could put on new questions. Kakashi wondered about how Gai would take to this when he inspected the boy for training. He put this away for later ponderings and spoke to the blonde.

"Naruto I am glad that you allowed me to come with you, and want to thank you. I don't know when was the last time I looked at nature and didn't see it as a way to further myself, thank you." Naruto nodded to his sensei, and walked in his home.

"Don't forget to meet at the training ground tomorrow!" He heard a weak answer and carried off.

Naruto leaned against his doorstop as he pulled off his boots. He set his jacket on the coat stand. His belt lay on his side table, taking out the many things that filled the pouches. He set his journal in the book case and sealed all his samples in scrolls for that specific item. He finished and restocked the belt with a new scroll, shuriken, and the other essentials. He stepped away and set his axe on a rack on the wall, his dagger beneath it. He proceeded to pull off his turtleneck and go into a relaxed handstand, then beginning one armed lifts. He took little notice of the sun peaking over the horizon. He was home and he was relaxed that is what counted.

**The next day at the training ground.**

Naruto followed the sketch of the map that Kakashi had given him. After six hours of practical chakra exercises for him, while sakura did physical exercises and genjutsu practice, and Sasuke did a few fireballs and pranced around doing something slightly resembling taijutsu, Naruto had no earthly clue to his use of it. It didn't seem useful in any way, but he was certainly engrossed in it. _'Might as well just let him be, none of my concern.'_

Naruto turned a tree and stopped, he saw the man who had stopped him. He was drilling what could only be a very short shadow clone, wait they had different voices and _'oh god no what the devil is that no stop, IT BURNS!'_ Naruto fell to his knees and stared at the sky wondering what was possibly right in this situation.

'It doesn't get any better." Naruto turned and looked to see a girl in a Chinese style shirt with buns sitting, sharpening a shuriken. Next to her stood a boy in robes with his arms crossed, shaking his head. Naruto pulled himself over to them and looked at the two.

"Do they stop?" The boy shook his head, and the girl sighed. They finally stopped and turned to them. Naruto froze, "Oh god they are not going to do that to us…. Are they?" They both shook their heads and Naruto breathed easily. He watched as they approached.

"Ah Naruto-san I am guessing you are here to further your training in taijutsu." Naruto looked at him confused, then to his clone. Guy turned to him, then began to introduce his team.

"Ah yes forgive me, this is my youthful protégé Rock Lee." The boy nodded enthusiastically, and then threw his fist in the air. "Then we have our weapon user, the youthful Tenten and our last member, the veritable genius of the Hyuuga Clan's taijutsu, youthful Hyuuga Negi." Naruto looked at him.

"You are of the Hyuuga clan?" Negi nodded. Naruto stood and bowed. Negi nodded and walked off. Naruto turned to Guy. The man was doing push-ups, at a ridiculously fast pace.

"I was told if I wanted to perfect my taijutsu, you were the one to speak with." Guy nodded, smiling wide. He then pulled a scroll from his pouch and handed it to Naruto. "This is my regiment for your training, based on everything Kakashi told me this is all you need for now. Naruto took the scroll with a nod and left, not sure what to make of this unexpected occurrence.

**XXXThree days laterXXX**

Naruto sat in his loft, enjoying the general temperature. The wooden floors were warmed by the sunlight through the windows, making the spicewood scent the entire loft. He looked at the curling staircase, which led to his bedroom. The light made beautiful shafts through the air and he looked at the letter beside him again.

'_To Uzumaki,_

_ Hinata-sama takes great regret in having to cancel your dinner arrangement. We have gathered that you have made arrangements out of pocket for your dinner and we have sent an amount that we seem reasonable for your time and effort. Hinata-sama once more sends her condolences, as her team recently departed for a C rank mission for the village. Once again our condolences._

_ Hyuaimi Hyuuga, hinata's steward and proud retainer of the Hyuuga clan.'_

Naruto looked to the envelope and saw a large roll of bills. He scoffed; it had only taken half of the value of one of the coins his master had left him to pay for his dinner arrangements. He nodded and took the note to his side table beneath the window. He opened a drawer inside were his mementos from the Hyuuga heiress: the flower, the pictures, the double set flute sat in a carved holder on top of the cabinet; there were also the pictures, and the necklace he had underneath his long necked sweater. He dropped the letter in and went by the door, picking up his pack. He double checked his gear and weapons. He had his first C rank today, and his team's first one outside the village. They were going to the land of waves, further east then he had ever been. It was sure to be dangerous and fraught with peril. Naruto let out a low chuckle. His voice had never healed completely, he would never be able to yell or speak at a high decibel without excruciating pain. _'What the hell, sounds like a challenge.'_ He grinned and swung his bag to his back, stepping out his door and locking it behind him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Back again sorry about chapter 7 I had it save on one of those external saving device that I had to wait till my business partner from Guatemala came back and gave it to me; I left it at his gun shop. Anyways my bad.**

** People who think my story and grammar suck, well that's your own opinion, but I don't care I am not a professional author or writer….. Yet I am trying to get my book published the only problem is its 910 pages and I can't figure out how to finish it.**

**Time for Disclaimer:**

**Oni: "Well I am back between working, hospital visits and continuous drinking of some really just nasty ass water I am back and I don't own Naruto or any of its attachments."**

**Naruto: "You actually said the disclaimer, what am I here for?"**

**Oni: "Comedic relief, off we go."**

**Q Ch. 8,**

Naruto stood at the gate next to Sasuke, and the pink one. They both seemed to think after the short period he had been back he was once again labeled as the 'dobe'. He was wondering how the hell they thought he would aid them if they treated him like a leper, oh well finish this get back and go back to that training scroll Gai had given him. He looked around then finally spotted his sensei walking over with someone; he assumed that the man was their client.

Kakashi looked at the group, thinking about how he had just agreed to aid the council in their plan, he grimaced beneath his mask remembering what could only be one of the worst things he could do as a sensei.

_/Flashback/_

_ Kakashi stood before the council of the village looking very much like he was lost like an ant in a drainpipe. The council had just been sitting around squabbling over and over until the elders finally called for silence. The council then focused on the cycloptic jounin in front of them._

_ "Kakashi Hatake Jounin, retired anbu, son of Hatake Sakumo, sensei to Uchiha-sama we have an accurate account?" Kakashi nodded._

_ "it has come to our attention that the demon kyuubi has returned, and has been placed once again on the team as the last Uchiha and Lady Haruno's daughter. We believe in our best interest that we do our best to stunt his growth so that he does not become much more of a threat." _

_ The elders turned to the council bringing up the next topic, finally noticing Kakashi has not left the room, they stopped and looked at him in confusion._

_ "Yes Kakashi-san?" The jounin sighed and looked at the group._

_ "Esteemed council I don't believe that trying to hinder Naruto-san is a good idea, he has become stronger while away, smarter more acute, he would definitely noticed if I acted different. So I believe that I should teach them chakra control exercises that I had originally planned and then maybe we can write up a scroll of c rank techniques to distract him, and I can write a scroll of genjutsu with Kurenai to train sakura for lady Haruno's request. But esteemed council I will promise to train Sasuke to be the very epitome to his clan, I will learn his affinities and when he attains his sharingan I will teach him every jutsu he is capable."_

_ The council nodded as they let him leave and looked to the doors as the sandaime entered. "Alright council members let us begin this week's meeting."_

_/Flashback end/_

Kakashi shook his head as he introduced their client and allowed the group to speak. Sasuke hnned at the man as sakura completely ignored him after an appraising look and Naruto grabbed his bag strap and pulled it onto his back where it hung diagonally across his back with a leather flap. On the flap was five slots on the back, one was holding a scroll half the size of a standard summoning scroll, two looked like weapons pouches and the fourth was a little flap that held a length of chakra sealing rope, and the last pocket secured a long metal canister even with his waist going horizontally across his back. He bowed to the man, who then proceeded to insult him.

"You are bowing to me, what are you spineless?" Naruto shot up and grasped his axe head, slowly releasing it as Kakashi butted in, "Tazuna it would be wise not to upset the people who have been tasked with guarding you, and it promotes anger and dissension in your guard."

Sasuke walked up to Naruto and bumped into him, "Dobe you should keep your anger in check, it would suck if you failed your first mission as a member of the group, I will not accept a failed mission, understood."

Naruto glanced at the avenger and nodded, as Sasuke was walking away Naruto spoke. "Uchiha-san I do not appreciate being reminded of the obvious, and as for ordering me, you are still my rank and a gennin cannot order another unless assigned by a sensei as a commander in time where the sensei is unable. Remember that Uchiha." Naruto then took flank as they began to leave.

**Two hours along the road.**

Team seven continued to walk until they noticed a scuffle up ahead. They hurried forward to see team 8 combatting two missing ninja.

Shino was firing kikaichu at the ninjas as Kiba and akamaru combatted one, Hinata was blocking the other's assault as Kurenai lay sprawled on her knees, holding her arms. Kakashi looked and looked back at his team.

"Sakura guard Tazuna, Sasuke aid Kiba and shino, I am going to aid Kurenai, Naruto can you aid the Hyuuga?" Naruto nodded and shot towards his objective.

…**/**

Hinata flinched as the ninja hit her kunai aside, she saw the ninja flying towards her with the claw aimed at her throat, she felt her arms spasm as she dropped her kunai she had used to fend off his attacks, she noticed his other arm wasn't moving from where she jyuukened him. _'Please if anyone can help me, save me please.'_ She shut her eyes as she waited for death to fold over her.

"Clang!"

Hinata opened her eyes as she noticed something that made her heart flutter. There in front of her stood Naruto his hand splayed out, the enemy's claw stabbed into his palm, his other hand locked around the others neck. He spoke and Hinata heard his voice call to her.

"Hinata-sama I need you to avert your all powerful eyes and do not activate your byakugan, you don't want to see this." Hinata nodded and closed her eyes.

Naruto looked at the ninja and frowned, "Ninja-san for what it's worth I am sorry, but it will only hurt for a second, afterwards I cannot be held accountable." The ninja's eyes went wide as he tried to grab with his useless arm. Naruto bowed his head, "to the hereafter, your soul will rest, know your truths before kami and you will be blessed." He then squeezed and pulled, Naruto felt the man's 4th and 5th cervical vertebrae and grasping tightly pulling them out of sequence and twisting them maneuvering them to crush and puncture the vertebral, superior thyroid, and common carotid artery. The man went limp, Naruto counted to 3 and a ½ and the man fell to the ground, he was supposedly dead at two but the extra time was to make sure no extra spasms were capable of injuring anyone else.

Hinata opened her eyes and looked around to see the ninja on the ground and Naruto standing above him, he turned to her and smiled. "Lady Hinata are you alright?" Naruto let out a sigh as she nodded and he looked around noticing everyone looking at the ninja he had taken out. Hinata looked at him, blushing until she noticed a dripping sound; she then saw the bleeding from his hand. She turned red and grabbed his hand.

Naruto felt his hand be pulled from his side and looked to see hinata sitting on her knees, pulling a salve, a roll of tape, a bandage and a rag. Naruto watched as she wiped the still dully flowing blood and inspected it. _'It went straight through, the poison is made to cause pain and keeps the blood flowing. He must be in a lot of pain.' _She finished applying the salve and looked at his face, his blue eyes were darker than they used to and looked like storm clouds over the ocean, the only thing she could think that is that blue.

They were so much darker than anyone else she knew, but there were small rays of what looked like light, as if she were actually watching the storm clouds in motion. She looked and felt his chakra pooled behind his eyes and she did the same, but not activating her byakugan. Then it happened.

Hinata looked around and saw that they were on an island, not much larger than a kiddie pool with great roaring dark waters about twelve feet out, in between that and the island were crystal clear blue waters. Hinata looked back and nearly fainted.

Naruto stood in the water, the crystal clear as it brushed against his skin. She saw scrambling lines running up his legs, disappearing into a pair of dark blue shorts with light green bamboo flowing across the sides. His stomach held a large seal and more sprawling lines across his torso and his arms with those large, angry, blocky looking seals on both sides of his neck. His hair was undone and went to his shoulders, and framed either side of his face. His whisker marks were darker. He had a grim look on his face as he looked at her.

"Uhh-hh-mm N-N-Naruto-s-san w-where r we?" She said as she looked around. Naruto walked forward and she tried to kill her rising blush.

"This is my aki-salento, my mental plane where my mind is counterintuitive, and I am not forced to fight my mind for singularity and answers, how you got in here I do not know. I believed that I was untouchable in here. What did you do?" He said as he gazed at her, she started to put her fingers together and look down only to see naruto's bare feet as she looked down.

"I j-just ch-chan-channeled chakra t-to m-m-my eyes." Naruto nodded and looked to a large storm off quite a ways away. "Hinata-sama you should try to leave, if that storm gets closer, it will be unfortunate." Hinata looked and turned back to him.

"Please don't be so formal Naruto-kun please." Naruto looked at her and tilted his head to the side. "kun" Hinata turned red and nodded. "Hai I have been attracted to you since we were little, and ever since the academy I have "she mumbled the rest.

"What was that?" Hinata mumbled, as Naruto moved forward and cupped her chin, lifting her head. "Hinata please tell me, what is it you want to tell me, and if you faint in here you will leave back to everyone in the physical plane." Hinata nodded and looked into his eyes.

"I care you Naruto-kun, more than my family, more than my teammates. I want to be with you." Naruto stood stock still as he looked at her, and then turned around. Hinata looked at him, as he spoke to the ocean.

"Care is a rare thing to me Hinata-san, I thought the sandaime cared for me and Iruka but they turned away from me, I thought those feelings would evade me, until I met the man I see as my father, in the prison. My ninja training was not capable of preparing me for the prison, there were people at death's door, people who killed each other for nothing but the basics in life, my father's name was Kilvin Satori, he was employed in the samurai forces with his brother and his father in the land of iron. He was expelled from the forces to be an assassin for the different daimyos till fire country caught him. He killed his brother and his father and put him life in prison, He passed away a month before my release, and taught me how to protect the needy and kill quietly with good reasons. After he died he left me a letter that explained to me how to create this place, it was originally made so that assassins could be unaffected by their killing, I took it in a way available only to those who can circulate chakra through their frontal lobes. So only those who have chakra pathways, and can utilize it, so ninjas."

Hinata looked around and tried to figure out how someone can fully utilize something like this. She shook her head and heard lightening. She looked and saw great blast and flashes from the storm. She looked and saw Naruto look back at her.

"I will do this mission and then have an answer; will you wait for me my princess of the Hyuuga clan?" Hinata nodded a little dizzy from what he had said before nodding, and in a flash of bright blue she was gone.

…**..**

Hinata opened her eyes to see she had finished her medical on his hand and Naruto helped her up. They turned to see shino looking over the now dead ninja. He looked back to the group and said.

"He is dead, arteries are pierced and his vertebrae ripped from their placement, it was clean, but my father has taught me that it is one of the most painful ways to die." The group nodded as they gathered up their materials and they parted ways, Kurenai's team taking the unconscious ninja with them.

**At the edge of the entrance to land of waves.**

Naruto marched through the woods, pointedly ignoring his team thinking of what hinata had been telling him in the aki-salento he would be ready for when he returned. How would he accurately explain to hinata his questioning nature and the fact he was not sure of her feelings. It would be difficult, but she said she cared for him; he would have to try and understand how to proceed in the path he had chosen, he remembered that his father said to him, once during his training.

_'You will live a harder life than most Naruto, but it will be worthwhile only if you have someone who cares enough to try and walk the path with you, if you ever meet that women be sure to give her a chance.'_

Naruto nodded to himself as he saw Sasuke throw a shuriken into a bush. A scared rabbit leapt and took off, he immediately tensed. Hares were never that close to people in general, so something was up. He heard Kakashi yell a second later.

"Get down!" Sasuke leapt away, as Sakura tackled Tazuna down. Kakashi leapt upwards and he drew his axe as he parried a weapon that sent him flying backwards from the group. Naruto glared at the man as he saw his axe was no worse for the maneuver.

A man stood to the side of a large weapon, a massive single edged broadsword. His hair was dark and spiked, adding a few inches to his already 6 ft. height. His face was wrapped in bandages, from the nose down. His muscled chest stood out, with mimetic arm and leg warmers, covering his dark kiri style jounin pants. He glared at the group before focusing on Kakashi.

"Kakashi of the sharingan, the Uchiha survivor and the council member's daughter. I don't have any intelligence on the blonde with the war axe, though he must be your substitute, I know that all of you have been talked about through the missing ninja underground. The masterful Itachi Uchiha's younger brother. Then there is the ninja of a thousand jutsus, the son of the white fang, Kakashi of the sharingan. I guess I should allow the other two to speak but they will die quickly anyway, anyway let's make this simple, give me the old man, and I will only kill the two without a reputation." Naruto watched as Sasuke glared heatedly at the man as he ripped his weapon from the ground and shot towards the group.

"Zabuza Momochi, one of the seven swordsmen of the mist, and the supposed demon of the mist, team on your guard!"

Kakashi shot forward only to have to dodge a water dragon created by a mizu bushin, as he dodged to the side, two more mizu bushin shot forward to combat Kakashi, as one went for Sasuke and two for sakura Tazuna and our blonde.

Sasuke lunged forward and fired a fireball barrage at the clone, as the other leapt at sakura who did a substitution with a log and Naruto threw Tazuna over his arm as he blocked the clone with his axe. He quirked an eyebrow as he barely felt anything from the clones blow. He kicked the sword away, and shoulder tackled through the clone, dispersing him to nothing and charged the actual zabuza who seemed to be building chakra.

"Damn you Zabuza how are you making all these clones?" Kakashi thought as he raised his headband and attacked a clone only for it to substitute. He was then kicked into the water, and in a blurring second he was locked into a water prison.

Naruto was attacked by another pair of clones, he leapt back and spun through hand signs, causing two shadow clones to engage the clones of zabuza, who quickly defeated them and Naruto made even more hand signs. He called out something that made his face break out into a smile: "Sendo Ame no jutsu."

Zabuza looked up and cursed as he saw several hundred drops pouring into a large puddle, he hissed as he felt a cut across his chest and noticed that every drop was like a falling razor. He looked at the blonde who was making hand signs again. There was a very large change in the water and zabuza nearly face vaulted, he leapt up as nearly a hundred water spikes lifted, and cut all his water clones down, he cursed and sent a water dragon at the blonde, just as Kakashi leapt at him.

Naruto cursed as he readied his axe as the dragon came barreling down on him. He dodged it, and saw another dragon rise out of the back of the first, with ice forming around its teeth. Naruto took notice of this, and was immediately on the defensive only for the dragon that ran below him to twist and slam into his back, propelling him into the dragon with the sharpened ice that was the dragon's teeth. Naruto had absolutely no chance as it slammed into him and carried him into the ground with nearly tidal wave of force. He slammed into the ground as he noticed Kakashi grab zabuza with a great waterfall technique and makes him fly away like a fly swatted from the sky. Naruto could not move as he saw them taking a conversation till a hunter ninja grabbed zabuza and disappeared. Kakashi was walking towards Naruto who was quickly taking all notice of the new water style techniques and filing them away for future use, may not have the sharingan, but an eidetic memory could be greatly useful. He thought of hinata as he fell over and pondered into unconsciousness.

**At Tazuna's residence.**

Naruto awoke looking up, at the wooden rafters of what looked like a large boathouse. He sighed as he sat up and cursed, his midsection was wrapped up quite sloppily, and he guessed Kakashi did this while he was suffering light chakra exhaustion. He cursed and looked to his hand, noticing that Hinata's rap on his hand had fallen away, having become unraveled. He took the tape and began to reset it, covering his entire palm. He nodded as he moved his hand and noticed how it felt so comfortably on his hand. He nodded and looked at his coat in the corner, he winced as he saw it was completely waterlogged and had tears across from the chest. He sighed and left his jacket and his pack to the corner and headed to where he thought he would find the rest of his team.

Kakashi noticed Naruto walking up to the group and he clapped his hands. "Alright team I have taken some time before we left and put together two scrolls for everyone. Sasuke here is one scroll of blazing leaf taijutsu, originally created by your clan when they were acting as the military police, and this is another scroll that I will help instruct you over to help you better grasp them. Sakura here is a scroll of genjutsu theory and of kunoichi specific taijutsu. Naruto as you have your scroll of taijutsu from Gai I have listed an amount of water jutsu and wind jutsu, that I believe you can use. Then a large amount of general chakra exercises that the other two already know. Alright you can all choose to train together or you can split up, as we all know Zabuza is alive and the false hunter ninja is probably working with him, so we must be sure, he will probably be up and about in a week. So off we go," and with that the training commenced.

Naruto stood in front of a tree wondering how the hell he was supposed to do this. He scowled at the tree, making a passerby would probably believe it had robbed him. He turned to the scroll again "tree walking is a gennin level chakra exercise that requires very little understanding; it bases chakra off the bottom of the feet to adhere to trees and scale upwards." He looked at the tree and pooled his chakra, causing him to fly backwards into another tree, he flipped and pushed off it and anchored himself to another branch hanging upside down. He looked around, it was quiet again, he could not sense anyone, good enough time as any. He rolled up the sleeve of his shirt and produced a shaving razor from his pocket and looked around, he then proceeded to carve into his forearm, _'chakra control level 2.1, what is the next way to upgrade said level? What is the next step in my path? What do I do father?'_ He then carved the name of the girl who professed her care for him into his arm, six times looping his arm twice. He sighed as he flipped the razor closed, and put it once again back into his pocket which was actually just a slit in his pants, he had a leather holster for the blade there, with a small button flap to secure it. He looked at the trees and then felt his control slip, and he plummeted to the ground, his head slamming into the ground first followed by his back.

Naruto just lay there thinking about his training. Taijutsu was solid, adept at ninjutsu; stealth and general perception were at the level his father had told him would be needed. Genjutsu nonexistent, but he didn't see himself needing that, the seals on his neck were made to where any genjutsu entered his body they would cause pain equivalent to needing to break it. He tried to move only to curse. His axe was buried into his hip joint, no severed muscles, no bone fractures that he could tell, "No pain no gain, right master Kilvin," he said as he felt rain begins to fall. He smiled at the rain as he stood, time for him to practice one of his favorite techniques.

Kakashi walked with sakura and Sasuke back to Tazuna's house, they figured Naruto had headed back already. He sighed as he saw a large amount of storm clouds rolling in and sighed, "Looks like rain." The other two shrugged as they continued to walk in the same direction.

Naruto stood shirtless, his boots pulled off and his pants rolled up. His tape on his body pulled off, having long since healed. His hand still wrapped, more out of his confusion than anything else. He whispered out into the air, and looked to the sky.

He saw the clouds form and a slim serpentine dragon, make a lazy descent to the earth, before pulling up, and circling him, laying its head on his shoulder. He smiled as he motioned and the storm dragon made its descent back upwards and dispersed into the clouds, only after it was gone did Naruto fall to his knees and heave blood onto the ground, his chakra coils were not ready for the storm techniques, he still had much more control that he needed to practice before he could use them proficiently again. He cursed and embraced his pain, his vision beginning to swim, he brought his hands together and created Kage Bushins and 6 appeared around him in various states of readiness. He nodded to them and drew his axe. They charged just as the rain came down full tilt.

The first came forward with an overhead swing, Naruto spun and locked his arm, twisting it and breaking the elbow, before causing his axe to separate the head from the clone. He twisted as one jabbed with their knife, snap kicking it out of the clones hand, and throwing it at another who batted it away with their axe. He punched the clone in the Adam's apple and twirled behind him, grasping its arm and throwing him forward onto the ground, then dislocating its shoulder and stomping on its neck. The next two came at the side and stabbed him through with their daggers.

Both clones took a step back as they saw their original bleeding from their hit. He fell to his knees and his clones came to him, holding him up.

"Sama are you alright?" Naruto nodded as he stood, he stood tall and they all watched as his wounds healed slowly. Naruto shook his head and was once again ready to go and make another ten clones, tossing his weapons to his shirt; the clones dropped their axes and drew their daggers. Naruto nodded, escaping his mental self to his aki-salento, and dropped his hands to waist height palms facing down. Then they started again.

Two came at him again; he spun between the two daggers and his hands shot to the top, driving their nasal cartilages into their cranial cavities dispersing them both. Another came forward with a cross bridging lunge.

Naruto smacked the blade away, and slapped away the hand, striking a palm to the chest and three quick paced locking hits to the clone's midsection causing him to fly back. Another clone came forward only to be dispersed by a moon's rising arc toss. Then there were three all over him.

Naruto soon dispersed them with him using one of their knees as a lift a cross kicking the rest of them out he turned to see the last seven came all at once and Naruto shot towards the center of them and sweep kicked them all, only to see them orientate themselves with daggers coming down on them. Naruto jumped up not dodging all the daggers, two piercing his chest, then he saw a flash of light and spun into a handstand, helicopter kicking five out of existence, and grabbing the last two only to seize them by the ankles and flip, doing ground stomps on each one's throat causing them to dispel.

Naruto fell to the ground, his clones were stronger just as he was, their blows would leave bruises, their slashes cuts and stabs would leave their imprints as well, but he didn't have time to be weak, he had the strength he knew it, but he had to get used to using his chakra after such long period. He sighed as he walked and donned on his turtleneck, and walked to a tree, where he made hand seals once again and called forth a jutsu of rain, to cool his body off he looked to the south. Thinking of where Hinata may be. He nodded and made hand signs again, Shadow clones appeared again. He nodded and leapt again into training his taijutsu.

**The next day…**

Naruto stood in the clearing balancing his entire body on his thumbs, two large weights made of iron on his ankles and wrist. On his feet he balanced two logs onto his feet. He was trying a new chakra exercise, the same maneuver that was the third technique of four Kakashi had given him for chakra control. _'Chakra control at 6.9, next level to proceed?'_ Naruto huffed as he lowered himself, and then pressed himself off the ground, feeling his midsection curl and burn in pain. "Three hundred and sixty two," Naruto continued to push him up again. "Three hundred and sixty three." He lifted again, counting out loud as he slowly he continued to four hundred, before he collapsed to the ground. He nodded to himself, feeling the burn in his arms and looked to the sky. He sighed, all the training in the world would not help him forget about hinata, for some reason he was not capable of thinking of anyone else.

He stood as he looked to the side where one of his clones walked up. He nodded as the clone spoke. "Master we have finished the third exercise of the scroll, and have complete knowledge of the jutsus used in the fight between Kakashi and zabuza, however we were incapable of forming ice on the teeth it seemed that it is not a normal part of the jutsu, our apologies what do you want us to do now?"

Naruto stood there as he accepted the scroll from his clone and looked it over. "Wind Style: Divine wind complete, Wind Style: Pressure damage hmm that one they seemed to have difficulty with took a lot of chakra to use just one each clone could only do it once. And that was all the wind in the scroll. They learned the water release: great waterfall technique and the water dragon missile, from Kakashi, then the next one from the scroll. The water release: Water Drowning Technique, the last one in the scroll is Water release: Tearing Torrent. This one doesn't seem to be capable if I had not already learned the other techniques. It takes a massive amount of chakra control, more than I have at this minute. So it will have to wait. You're dismissed," Naruto said to his clone. He was about to go through his katas when he was stopped.

"Sir we have questions?" Naruto nodded and handed the clone his razor and the clone set to writing the new questions into his back. He hissed as the clone cut into a mass of burned tissue, he sighed as he wiped it away and looked to the sky, the clone nodded and utilized the Ame no jutsu and it began to rain as Naruto made hand signs as his clone dispersed. He looked up and called out: great breakthrough. And blew and caused an even wilder storm to whip up. He pooled his chakra and tried to disperse the storm. This was a chakra nature control technique; he was trying to make ability to further his ability with water and wind, as he felt most comfortable with those two natures, sure he could use fire and earth but neither of them felt as comfortable to him. He tried and could feel the two natures split and come to either side of him. He then tried to minimize them as much as possible, till he had two compressed them into two palm sized discs, which he slowly closed his hands and felt the energies disperse, he fell to the ground huffing greatly he had no idea what inspired him to do that, but he had a feeling he had just come up with an ability to make himself and his storm techniques stronger. He stood and took two steps forward, then all he knew was blackness.

**9 hours later…**

A young girl walked into the clearing, before pausing and sweat dropping. Sitting in the middle of the clearing were a pair of boxers. She frowned as she saw a shirt and a pair of pants, and boots? She continued to look around, thoroughly confused. She sighed and folded the clothes in a pile and put them by a tree ignoring her pet peeve of untaken mess. She sighed and began to pick up herbs she needed. She heard a rustle and turned.

Naruto did not know what was going on he had gone to bathe, and when he came back there was a girl folding his clothes. He scowled and walked into the clearing. The girl's head shot up and turned red. He looked around confused and saw he was only wearing a towel.

"Umm hello my name is Haku, and you are?" Naruto looked at her, and then turned to his clothes. "I am naked," this caused the girl to turn red again and looked around trying not to look at the blonde, but failed and got an eyeful after he had secured his boxers.

She could tell by his musculature he was strong, maybe as strong as Zabuza, but her master's body did not have so many scars, or burns or so many sprawling tattoos. She smiled as she saw him turn to her.

"So you are zabuza's hunter ninja huh?" Haku flinched and her hand went to a senbon pouch and readied them in her hand. Naruto chuckled and lifted something from his folded clothes and Haku went pale.

Naruto was holding a large ball, made entirely of exploding tags. She knew that there were a large amount there enough to obliterate the clearing and both of them with it. She slowly took that into account.

"Far too many explosives, you would wipe yourself out as well. Your plan is flawed." She said as she drew senbon. Naruto returned her smile and she went pale. "You are under the impression that I care about if I make it out of the blast." Haku nearly cried, how she was supposed to protect zabuza tomorrow if this blonde had absolutely no qualms about death. She roared at him and threw senbon knocking it from his hand.

Naruto jumped back as Haku appeared in front of him, slashing with a handful of senbon. He backed up again and kicked away her handful of senbon, and then seized her arm and slung her into the ground knocking her unconscious. Naruto looked at her and huffed, training helped and it is time to go back and prepare to finish the bridge by tomorrow, with all of clones he had been sending to help, and the one extra powered shadow clone that had taken his place with the team. He nodded and turned to Haku and pulled out a scroll sealing the unconscious Haku into it, made perfect sense to him; never know if they will need a bargaining chip against zabuza.

**At the house…**

Team 7 sat around the table as Tazuna told them the story of the hero of wave, Sasuke just "Hnned" Sakura looked sad, and Kakashi was reading his book, and naruto's clone sat there with his eyes closed, thinking of everything the clones had been telling him over their dispel. He had knowledge of everything the master had wanted to know as well as really boring ass knowledge of how sakura pestered Naruto about leaving her and Sasuke alone and reading over Kakashi's shoulder every once and a while. He blushed at what that truly must have taken for someone to go that far, and he wondered if that was really how relationships were supposed to be, that is not right, maybe the boss would understand that better.

He looked to the window and saw his boss approaching from the tree line, time to trade off. He was leaving to go meet him when Kakashi called to him. "Naruto I need to speak with you about tomorrow, meet me outside. Sasuke Sakura we will use the same tactic we used in the land of sprigs, understood. They both nodded, Sakura began to attach explosive tags to her kunai and Sasuke began to put extra shuriken in his pack with ninja wire.

Naruto headed out the door, with Kakashi following him, he turned and looked to teams 7 sensei. "What is it Kakashi-san?" Kakashi looked at him and frowned.

"I need to know how far you came in your training, and would like you to dispel your clone." The clone nodded, and went up in a puff of smoke, the real Naruto just reaching the porch. He nodded to his sensei.

"I have completed three of the five chakra exercises and learned all the jutsu but the last one," Kakashi nodded. "Naruto I need you to be ready for tomorrow, Gato will probably send someone to the bridge builder's residence, so sakura will stay here to immobilize them. You will go to the bridge, and I need you to do something, do you remember the maneuver you used during the bell test?" Naruto looked at him then nodded. "The blessing of Helios," Kakashi nodded, "I may need you to come up with another maneuver like that if it's possible," Naruto nodded.

"Fire again?" Kakashi paled. "No fire would do too much damage to the bridge, preferably something that the bridge can withstand." Naruto sighed as he looked to the bridges silhouette. "I will come up with something, to spare the bridge as much as possible." Kakashi nodded, and then stopped.

He had a sinking feeling; Naruto knew something about the fight to come something that would change it thoroughly. He looked to the blonde who sat on the ground, his legs crossed and his hands in the dragon seal and sat there trying to figure out a new plan, he would be ready and the fight would be short.

Kakashi nodded as he left, his team was ready, or he truly hoped so. He sighed as he patted his vest, just to make sure that there was the tracking scroll. He had a feeling he would need it. He sighed again. _'How did this happen to me, I just wanted to read my book and do simple missions. Why me.'_

**The next day at dawn…**

Naruto stood on top of the building his clones were already sent out to prep for his next greatest plan to date. He nodded as he saw the Uchiha leap to the roof. "Well dobe are all of your preparations ready, hopefully this one will actually be of some use and not a stunning failure, we haven't failed a mission yet and I don't plan too now." Naruto nodded and pulled a flower from his pocket, bringing it to his forehead and smiling. He would have his answer for hinata after this battle, she cared for him and he would protect her just for that reason. He looked to Sasuke and nodded and they headed off to the bridge.

Zabuza stood in the center of the bridge, Kubiri Houcho his beloved sword stood next to him. Haku never returned, this by itself this worried him. Haku was strong, stronger than perhaps even him and Kakashi. He didn't know what this plan really took into account without Haku, he could take any gennin and still have enough energy to take on Kakashi, but all at once he was not sure. He was stronger than most missing ninja from his village, hell he fought Kisame Hoshigake to a draw, but he was still recovering from the injuries of his last battle but he would win then find Haku that was the plan. He growled as he saw two of Kakashi's gennin appear at the edge of the bridge.

"Zabuza Momochi I am Sasuke of the Uchiha clan, and this is my teammate, you may call him idiot." Sasuke said as he stood from the missing ninja. Naruto looked at him and growled, zabuza just shrugged before looking at the blonde, who's hand rested on his axe. He ignored the Uchiha as he spoke.

"Is your name really Idiot?" Naruto shook his head, and the ninja nodded and made two clones. They charged at the gennin as Sasuke killed them both in a burst of speed, Naruto shot past them and attacked zabuza with a lunge as six shadow clones appeared and added axe swings into the assault.

Zabuza smiled as he was killing shadow clones left and right, he was having a blast, this kid was strong, and he was going straight for the killing stroke, he then kicked the real one away who righted himself as he landed. Zabuza smiled as he smacked the Uchiha away with such a dismissive gesture. He was wondering what the hell was going on, He was about to kill them both when he leapt high, and Kakashi slid by him in a tackle.

Zabuza cursed as they flew through the air to hit him, and he hit them away with a swing of his sword. Sasuke skidded back and jumped next to Kakashi and readied a kunai. Naruto pulled himself up and looked at him.

_'This is ridiculous, it's like he is built of stone or something, and he swings the weapon around like it's made of paper. What the hell, I might as well be trying to throw that green suited man with one arm. Oh well might as well start that plan, hope this doesn't destroy the bridge.'_

Naruto jumped back and threw a shuriken he had borrowed from Kakashi at his sensei's back, Kakashi spun with his sharingan activated and nodded, Sasuke looked at Naruto like he had lost his mind and turned only for zabuza to slash him across the chest only for him to substitute. Zabuza smacked away Kakashi, and appeared in front of Naruto at the worst possible moment as he just finished hand seals.

"Kaze Kiri no Jutsu" zabuza slammed his weapon into the ground, as Naruto slammed his fist, now covered in a large spiraling vortex of wind, spiraling around in a great spinning drill that he drove into zabuza's sword, and it was a battle of holding it off, Naruto pushing forward, and Naruto fighting off zabuza's force. They were at a stalemate until something gave, and it was zabuza's sword. It snapped in half.

Zabuza looked at his sword in amazement, Kakashi and Sasuke stopping in shock as well. Naruto the one, whose training was the lowest, had broken the sword of one of the seven ninja swordsman of the mist. Zabuza looked at him and growled; he then took a step back and held up his hands. The ninja looked at him in confusion.

"I forfeit," The three ninja were shocked, zabuza was giving in? Naruto nodded and picked up the broken half of his sword. He held it out to zabuza who shook his head. Kakashi walked over with Sasuke and they looked at the weapon in shock.

"I can't fight with my weapon out of commission, and my partner missing, I no longer will try to kill the bridge builder." Kakashi nodded and pulled his headband over his sharingan. Naruto looked at the blade, then shrugged and took out the scroll he had sealed Haku in. He looked at the piece of the weapon Zabuza had and spoke.

"What will you do with your sword," zabuza just shrugged, putting the fractured hilt on his back. "It will heal it has a special ability, actually even the blade you have will heal into a full sword in no time." Naruto nodded and swiped his thumb across the seal and Haku's unconscious body appeared in front of them.

"Your partner she is unconscious, but alright just as well, you should take care of her." Zabuza nodded and lifted the unconscious girl into his arms. Naruto put the shard of Kubiri Houcho on his back. He turned to leave only to see a large group of mercenaries and a short business man.

"So zabuza you lost to a group of brats and a scarecrow, and your partner is useless. Your unarmed you might as well prepare to die, even you can't beat over two thousand armed mercenaries." Zabuza looked at the short man evilly, and Kakashi shrugged and turned to Naruto.

"Naruto now would be an excellent time to level the field with your plan." Naruto smirked and Zabuza looked in confusion at the group. Naruto made a clone and then smashed his hand into his face causing it to dispel and then the chaos began.

**After the clone's dispersion…**

Naruto's clones looked around and then nodded to their counterparts and then all made hand seals. Rain began to fall and two of the fifty clones dispelled. Twelve more made the signs and cast the divine wind jutsu and tornados kicked up making a ring of hurricanes around the bridge as the rest, then shot up the pillars and leapt high over the bridge.

Zabuza looked around as he saw the hurricanes appear and naruto's clones appear high into the air. He went wide eyed as he saw two of the make the seals and cast an incredibly large great waterfall technique onto the bridge, drowning over a third of the force. Zabuza looked at the blonde in fear, shock, and surprisingly a little respect. He looked at Kakashi and asked, "What is that blonde's story."

Kakashi looked at the furious tidal wave only to see that the clones above them made water dragons to attack and destroy, sweeping through the enemies taking more out by their continuous sweeps. He looked at zabuza as he saw Naruto draw his axe and leap into the fray.

_'Naruto is a jinchuuriki, and a village pariah.'_ Naruto dodged as his clones sent three wind dragon missiles through them dismembering them by the ridiculous wind pressure and knocking some towards him that he cut into pieces. _'He is tormented by questions that cause him to be scarred by his own inadequacies.'_ Naruto grabbed another mercenary and threw him into the other, he turned and bent backwards, dodging his clone's firing water release water drowning technique clearing up another twelve mercenaries. _'he has been beaten, abused, nearly murdered, and imprisoned in one of the world's most dangerous prisons, and still he fights to answer his questions.'_ Naruto shot forward and knocked a large mercenary to the ground and as he crouched on his chest fired a wind dragon missile into the larger collection of the assailants. Naruto nodded and launched himself into the air with the help of two shadow clones, in the air he took a quick count and only about two hundred people left, he yelled as he and his clones acted together. Naruto's clones utilized overpowered Fuuton: Daitoppa to make the hurricanes surrounding the bridge make a small gap, between two monster furious hurricanes of water, and Naruto got on one knee and made hand signs, this would be his last jutsu, then it would be all taijutsu and weapon fighting.

Naruto's clones lined up against the gap in front of Naruto and made a wall as they pooled chakra for their master, and then dispersed. Naruto called out in his normal tone of voice his next great battlefield jutsu combination's name.

"Suiton: Passage of Poseidon's Wrath." Naruto then expelled all his pooled chakra and drew an incredibly large amount of the torrential water and wind power into a wave of impending doom for the mercenaries. The wave split in two and made two giant water dragons with spiraling wind around their bodies, and then one swept down the gap, and at the end turned left and wiped out half of the force. The other followed after the first and turned right and cleared out the other half of the force. Naruto stood as the ninja behind him looked on.

Zabuza looked at the blonde in deep found respect; he rarely had seen anyone who had such raw amounts of chakra, and such in depth understanding of wind and water style jutsu. Haku awake in his arms as she watched the blondes power in amazement. _'He is like a Haku who has no bloodline, but enough energy to compensate and make the entire ocean his tool for battle, if he grew any more powerful he could take the title of Kage anywhere. If we were to become allies with the blonde we would never be under threat of any ninja village, and if I could teach him the sword, he could take that piece of Kubiri Houcho further than any of the seven swordsmen ever could.'_

Kakashi looked at the blonde in wonder. _'So much skill, with everything that has happened, he still is so powerful. He has nearly surpassed his father, or maybe already has. In a few years he will be unbeatable; powerful ninjutsu, incredible taijutsu, unsurpassable detection and stealth and no qualms of killing. If I had to label him as something, I would have to go with anbu. God knows in a few years he would be godlike.'_

Sasuke looked on in anger. _'How does the dobe have so much power and so much jutsu, it wouldn't allow me to copy them because the clones were out of range and my sharingan couldn't see him from the front to see hand seals. If I had that power I could kill Itachi and rebirth my clan and take Hokage position, and … (__**cutting this off here, could go on forever.)**_

Naruto looked to zabuza and drew the shard of Kubiri Houcho, and pointed to what was left of the mercenaries, the ninja nodded and zabuza placed Haku on the ground. Then they charged forward as Haku awoke and watched in wonder.

She had awoken a few minutes ago. She watched as Naruto used Zabuza's sword shard to assault and maim what was left of the enemies, watching as it was dyed in blood and started growing. Zabuza was doing the same and in no time he had a full size Kubiri Houcho in his hand. Kakashi killed them all until his kunai broke from the strain, and Sasuke was beating them off with shuriken and taijutsu.

Naruto stood in front of Gato, a full size Kubiri Houcho sitting on his shoulder as well. Zabuza stood to the business man's left, and Sasuke was helping Kakashi stack dead and unconscious bodies. Zabuza looked at the man in anger.

"Ready to die for your sins Gato?" Zabuza hefted Kubiri Houcho and let it sit even with the short man's neck, Naruto holding his even with the man's midsection. Gato used his last words towards the missing ninja.

"Zabuza we can fix this, I can pay you more just make the blonde join you and kill the bridge builder, then you will have all the money you want." Zabuza just growled and swung his sword, Naruto moving at the same time, and Sasuke turned green as Gato was cut into three large bloody pieces. Naruto sighed and took blood from the dead business man, making a storage seal on the back of his unbandaged palm, and sealed away his Kubiri Houcho. Zabuza locked his onto his back, and turned to Haku appearing in her ninja outfit. Everyone let a soft sigh, there was no idea how the hell kunoichi could always change in a split second. Zabuza just huffed and looked at the blonde, "Well kid, it seems like me and Haku owe you a debt, how about we swear fealty to you?" Naruto looked at the pair and shrugged. How the hell was he going to explain this? He looked to the southwest and smiled.

He had his answer for Hinata, and an answer for himself. To care to understand what it meant to truly want to aid and care for someone. He looked to his two new friends both missing ninja, both dangerous as all hell, and he could not be happier. He looked to his hand and had one more question. _'I wonder if zabuza will teach me how to wield Kubiri Houcho? How do I explain to Haku that I sealed her in a scroll for two days? My life is not a very easy thing, but if Hinata cares so much I will make room in my life for her as father said '"__**You will live a harder life than most Naruto, but it will be worthwhile only if you have someone who cares enough to try and walk the path with you, if you ever meet that women be sure to give her a chance."**_

**Alright Q chapter 8. Done, I like my new jutsu in this one and have been trying to find a way to put it in. Next chapter Naruto speaks to Hinata and there are some confessions, maybe and the chuunin exams start. Later yall.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 of Q, weird I have only has the last chapter up for a little while, and people reviewed it before I woke up. Huh of well time for disclaimer.**

**Oni: Well everyone time to start again Naruto how did you like your no jutsu?**

**Naruto: very nice, wait why the hell did zabuza give up?**

**Oni: It is to stop him from being used against you later, and what are you complaining about you got a Kubiri Houcho, and training from zabuza to use it. Don't complain I don't own anything.**

**Naruto: hey I still have more questions you lanky bastard!**

**Q Ch. 9 begins.**

Naruto sat on a stone in training ground 7, well what was left of it. He sighed as he was trying to figure out the events since when he got back a few days. Zabuza was added to the leaf village jounin, after giving him full pardon in fire country and all of their allies. Haku was put in as a chunnin medical ninja, and was receiving training from the hospital, and a senior medical ninja for the next eight weeks, then would be attached to a team as back up. This was fine with him but the part he did not get was, well, they moved into the apartment complex next door, and they would not leave him alone. He sighed as he looked to the village and saw zabuza staring at him from the trees.

"What do you want zabuza, I have no qualms with you." Zabuza hopped down and looked at the blonde. He sighed and sat down next to him.

"I respect you blondie, if I had to fight against that jutsu you used I would be dead now. Haku would still be sealed until you finished her off or gave her to the bounty boards for my crimes. Not to mention the fact you split my sword in half." Naruto shrugged and Zabuza reached over and smacked the kid on the back making him wince in pain, a feeling zabuza had not seen on the blonde before. He shot up and lifted the blonde from the ground by his collar.

Naruto looked down at the swordsman. Zabuza growled. "You are injured, you should receive medical attention." Naruto shook his head only for the man to slam him into the ground. Naruto let out a bit of blood at the impact. Naruto knocked his hand away only to see one of zabuza's kiri kunai slash his turtleneck in half. He fell to the ground in shock, zabuza looked at the boy.

He didn't know what to say, the blonde was rattled in brandings and scars, with a seal on his stomach probably for the tailed beast. But he did not understand, all those marks on him, _'so that is what Kakashi meant by tormented by questions. The boy is pained and beaten by his own state of mind; the only thing he can do is grow strong enough that he can get that answer he wants so badly.'_ "Alright Gaki prepare to have your ass handed to you in the form of ninja swordsman training!" Zabuza roared as Naruto swiped his palm across and blocked with Kubiri Houcho. He swung and zabuza was knocked back, _'he may be strong, his body strengthened by ninja training but he has not had the training I have had, training in protecting myself from the entire world at my throat. I will show him I am not the one to be smacked aside.'_

Zabuza smiled as he saw the blonde attacking him with his weapon's brother, he was in a slump when he got here but if the boy was like him the best way to clear his head, was to have someone try to take it from his shoulders. He laughed "C'mon blondie prepare for a beating." Naruto growled and attacked with ferocity.

Zabuza swung high and Naruto stabbed his weapon in the ground using it to propel him over the jounin, the mist ninja nearly giggled at the blonde. He reminded him so much of when he was learning to use the weapon, and he had done the same thing against his sensei, but never worked it into a tackle.

Naruto knocked zabuza away from their swords, grabbing the man's shoulders and slamming a knee into his face. Causing zabuza to take two steps back, and watch as the blonde grabbed his leg and locked it behind the jounin's back. Zabuza smirked and kicked the blonde away, causing him to make a trench in the fine ash and slam into a tree. Zabuza growled and ripped his weapon from the ground, launching an attack at the recovering blonde.

Naruto cursed as he saw the ninja on him again, he dodged over the swing. He place his hand on the flat of the blade and grabbed the hole in the end of the blade, kicking at the jounin, only to miss as he dodged, and Naruto spun into a helicopter kick landing three on the taller fighters midsection. Zabuza tossed the blonde away as he tried to kick again only for the blonde to chop the back of his hand dropping the sword again. Then he cursed as the blonde was on him.

Kakashi was walking to the training ground only to see Naruto and zabuza sparring, _'again why does zabuza believe it is his job to attack and keep the blonde from trying to find more answers and questions. Oh well might as well leave them alone.' _He shrugged and walked off, as long as neither of them tried to kill each other he should be okay, the Hokage said this was one of the better ways to occupy the blonde's time. He shrugged and left a note pinned to a tree on the exit to the training ground, he had come here to tell the blonde that he was to report to a team meeting tomorrow. But he was sure the blonde would be able to figure out when he left the area.

Naruto sat huffing trying to figure out how the hell he was supposed keep up with zabuza, sure his training was working, and his memory was locking all the maneuvers that Zabuza used against him in his memory. He growled as he blocked with his sword against zabuza's and they were once again at a stalemate. Zabuza had the speed, but in close quarters, Naruto's rigorous physical training was winning out in close quarters.

Zabuza was having the time of his life; he smacked the blonde away, and blocked his counter slash. Naruto stabbed his in the ground again, and jumped on the hilt, and stopped the jounin's swing with his axe. Zabuza looked up at the blonde and smiled. He put the weapon back on his back and walked away. Naruto looked at him, confused as all hell.

"Well brat I am hungry and Haku wanted to meet me for lunch, so later brat." He said as he walked off, stopping by a tree, and pulling a kunai taped to a note from the tree before tossing it at the blonde. He yelled at him to give him heads up.

"Hey brat!" Naruto turned, but was not ready, the kunai stabbed straight into his arm. He looked at it and pulled it from his arm, his blood flowing from the weapon. He looked at his arm and waved it to zabuza who nodded and left. Naruto pulled a wrap from his pack and bandaged his arm, throwing his ruined shirt away, and walking to his jacket where he put it on and headed to Ichiraku, dammit he was hungry too.

**In the village at the Hokage tower…**

Team 8 stood at the mission office, having just return from the c rank they had finished, clearing out a mass of rogues. They had beaten them all without any trouble, but that wasn't what they were truly thinking about. Kiba was thinking about the new family jutsu he was supposed to learn, Kurenai was planning her date with Asuma and shino, well shino was shino no one could tell what he was truly thinking.

Hinata was thinking about her somewhat confession to Naruto, and when she would be able to talk to him and try again to tell him the truth. She had been belittled for everything she had not told him, and was determined to be completely truthful the next time around. She shook her head as she looked to the door, wondering when they would be dismissed. The Hokage finally said they done and Kurenai spoke.

"Team meet me tomorrow at noon, I will have something for you." Her team nodded and turned to leave. They were gone and outside the tower a few minutes later, where Kiba waved bye and ran off with akamaru. Hinata turned to leave only for shino to follow her, shocking the dark haired girl.

"Sh Sh Shino-san d di did you need-d something." Shino looked at her, and shrugged. "I believe I can help you hinata-san, I will make sure that you and Naruto-san are uninterrupted during your talk." Hinata eyes went wide and a blush went across her face. "Th Thank you shino-kun," he smiled and they left towards where shino's insects had told him where Naruto was.

They found him shortly afterwards, sitting in a park near the east wall of the village. He was sitting on a bench looking at the sky, his normal jacket draped across the back of the bench, and his turtleneck pulled down, exposing his pale throat to the world with the seals prominently displayed to the world, unafraid and uncaring of everyone around him. Hinata looked at him and was about to turn and leave only to see shino.

"What do I do?" Shino looked at her, and sighed. "Hinata I do not pretend to have knowledge of these kinds of situations, but I believe the truth is always the best option." Hinata nodded as she looked back to the blonde, whose hands rested behind his head.

"Thank you shino-kun I w will d do my best.' He nodded and stopped, as she looked back at him. "H Ho how are y you g going to g give m me ti time?" He reached into his coat and pulled out a beehive and a sign on a post. Hinata sweat dropped. _'He carries those around with him?'_ Hinata nodded as she slowly, and shyly stalked… I mean _strategically approached the blonde. _Shino just looked and pulled up a bee keeper's mask and kicked the hive as he put the sign in the ground. _'Warning big motherfucking bees, stay away until aburame clear the area.'_

Hinata walked towards the bench and looked at Naruto from the back, seeing how angry and raw his neck looked. She tapped him on the shoulder, Naruto turned around in confusion.

Hinata stood there, looking like she was about to pass out, or faint due to all the blood loss. Naruto tilted his head to the side and moved over. "Please sit hinata-sama." She nodded and fell onto the bench next to Naruto. He looked at her, and lifted his jacket, placing it behind her head to give her a cushion between the bench and her head. She looked at him and blushed deeply, touched for his concern for her.

"I am s so sorry, b but you s said you needed to sp speak t to m me w wh when u g got b back." He nodded and looked to her, pulling his neck of his shirt back up. She looked at him as he nodded and began to speak.

"You told me when we came across those missing ninja and you appeared in Aki-salento, and I have my answer." Hinata looked at him as she brought her index fingers together and poked them together. Naruto noticed this, and smiled a little. _'I wonder why she does that. It's kind of cute; I wonder what its purpose is.'_

"I will allow you to care for me; in return I will care for you in the way that I know best. I will be your sword and spear and your armor. Hinata of the Hyuuga clan I will be your guardian, till my dying breath. I just hope that this will repay the small amount in what you say you care for me." Hinata looked at him as he was on one knee, his head bowed to the ground. He looked like a retainer ready to fight for his very life for her.

_'No this is not what I meant, I meant to tell him I love him, not that, no I don't want a servant. I want Naruto-kun.'_ Hinata looked at him and shook her head. "N Naruto-Kun that's n not WH what I m meant." "I meant f for y you t to be my f friend, n no something more."Naruto looked at her, still in his kneeling position on the ground. _'Something more? What does she mean by that? Why does she always fill me with questions?'_ Naruto lowered his head and Hinata watched his muscles tense, he then nodded and looked to her, standing.

"I will allow you to be my friend, and I will protect you either way. Because my friends are precious to me, and there is something about you." Hinata blushed deeply as he spoke, _'No do not faint, don't faint this is what you have been trying to do. You are so close, tell him, and tell him now!'_ Hinata stood and looked to the blonde who now sat on the bench.

"Naruto-kun you are p pre precious to m me as well, m more than a friend." Naruto looked at her and nodded, he had an idea of how to answer his questions and perhaps speed her around to her point.

Hinata was shocked as he stood quickly and looked down at her, raising his hand to in front of him. She looked to where she had bandaged up his hand and saw that he still wore it. She turned red as his face drew close to hers. "Hinata I am your friend already, and I will be there for you. As long as I live even as your friend I will protect you, because you care for me and Hinata," Hinata looked at him as he pressed his lips to her cheek. "I care for you too."

Hinata could not believe it and looked at him as he pulled on his coat. "I will see you later Hinata… chan it has gotten late as we talked, I am guessing we also used up all the time that shino could possibly buy us, thank him for me." She nodded as he left the park at a trot, just now realizing the sun was setting. She walked towards the approaching shino only for something to shoot through her mind, _'He called me Hinata-chan! '_ She smiled as she fell to the ground, blissfully unconscious.

Shino walked up to her and nodded to himself, how was she going to supposedly _'have a family with the blonde'_ if she could stay in his presence without fainting. Shino just shrugged, "Why do I hear wedding bells, creepy." He sighed as he helped the unconscious hinata to over his shoulder and left to take her home, cursing their new blonde friend.

**The few weeks later, at training ground 9…**

Naruto stood in a clearing, ninja shorts with orange and red streamlines down the sided, and the shorts that just passed his knees. He wore his sash and belt around his waist and his throat held an armored leather and burnished metal choker around his neck, which he had gotten from Hinata-chan, they held Hyuuga seals that placed a chilled feeling against the skin and soothed small pain, and he could securely hold it in place beneath his turtleneck. He was truly thankful to his new best friend, and had thanked her graciously, even going so far to lift her in the air and spin her around causing her to pass out with the biggest smile he had ever seen.

He jumped back as he dodged lee's leaf hurricane. Gai-sensei had said he was too the level that he could make his own style, and lee and his team had been very adamant of helping him after he explained that he was going to use it to crush Sasuke in the exams. They jumped forward into it. Now, now he was paying for it.

"Naruto if you make yourself closer to completing your style, you will indeed become a SPLENDID NINJA!" Naruto winced as Lee screamed at him; tenten fired an assault with her bo staff, Naruto having to beat them off with the back of his hands. He slid backwards as Neji approached, and tried to jyuuken him. Naruto cursed as he leapt away, he had to keep them away from him in this instance, and he was not going to beat the gentle, strong fist taijutsu and Bo jutsu all at once.

Naruto came head to head with tenten first, he called out as his palm splayed out across the ground. "Aki-Baraga" Naruto's right foot then slammed into tenten's chest, only to push the back of her neck into the curve of his sweeping left foot. Tenten did not know what happened next as she was lifted bodily from the ground and her head slammed into the ground. Naruto then proceeded to catch lee's kick to the gut and right himself from the force. He then was assaulted by Lee's taijutsu once again.

"Leaf Splendid Hurricane" Naruto leapt back to dodge the kick to his knees and the second to his stomach, but not the third to his head and the two punches to his gut. Naruto slid backward and moved lee's next kick off course. He spun to where his back was pressed against lees, and spoke again. "Aki-Faulior" naruto's elbow hit lee's kidneys, then spun with the momentum and kicked lee upwards, then kicking him again to send lee higher.

Naruto grabbed his sparring partner and spun as they flew quickly towards the ground. '_No way, Naruto has branched a move off my primary lotus; ugh this will hurt most surely.'_ Lee flexed his muscles and relaxed his body as he slammed into the ground, bouncing ragdoll like into the air, where Naruto appeared and shoulder tackled the taijutsu user into the ground. Lee just lay there as Neji engaged the furious Naruto.

Naruto realized what was going on as soon as Neji came into his vision, and he put his hands close together and proceeded to swing his arms around, in slow circles. "Aki- Hyuugai Oro" Neji saw this and was immediately worried; Naruto was his friend and a firm believer of fates control of people could be circumvented. If the blonde had made something to combat the jyuuken, then it might just work.

Naruto had been practicing this style with Hinata, he would have her attack him and he would try to block every different maneuver that the Hyuuga jyuuken listed, she had told him that at this level he had now could perhaps stop the eight trigrams sixty-four palms. He had been very exuberant at that and she had once again been lifted in the air and he had spun her around in circles again. She had fainted and he had propped her up until she woke up and he could help train with her to further her own taijutsu, so that they could show her father she was not useless.

Neji launched forward, and struck at his friend. Naruto pushed the attack aside, and slammed a palm into Neji, disrupting his sequence and sending him flying. Neji looked at him and charged again his byakugan flaring into life as it took note of the blonde's chakra coils. He dropped into the stance and attacked with an eight trigrams sixty four palms.

Naruto's face went giddy, and he attacked Neji's incoming attack with equal ferocity. He blocked every poke, he slammed his own palm into every palm that came close enough and when he counted to sixty-three palms he seized the Hyuuga genius's wrists and threw him into the air with an overarm throw. "Aki- Lione Mainet"

Neji was unready as Naruto grabbed his wrist and rabbit punched him in the stomach six times. He then executed a flowing crescent palm press against Neji and slammed him into the ground, as he was spinning down, he stopped.

"BBBBBRRRRIIIINNNNGGGGGG!" Naruto landed next to Neji as Lee and Tenten came up. He cursed and grabbed his gear sprinting towards training ground five for his next meeting with his team. As they looked in the direction he had disappeared, they heard a quiet thank you. They sighed and left to get a mission. Huffing about how the blonde never slowed down.

**With team 7….**

Naruto stood in the training ground, Sasuke across from him with his sharingan spinning two tomoe in his eyes. Naruto had been belittled far too much, and he was not going to stand for it anymore. He was a warrior, a shinobi and a master of questions, he was not his team's stepping stone and he was about to show them everything he had been hiding, everything he had learned. He would have been able to ignore them but this was enough. He could stand being belittled, but they had insulted his friend, they had insulted hinata-chan, the Uchiha would pay.

**Flashback…**

Naruto stood in the field talking to sakura and Sasuke, he was done with his training with his friends from team Gai and they had begun talking.

"Dobe, I want you to tell me everything you have learned from that fool Gai and team 8, I will need more techniques if we are to win the exam with no effort. So dobe tell me what you learned." Naruto looked at him and turned away.

"I have learned basic taijutsu from Gai's team and trained with hinata to greater set my defense for these exams; I have nothing to tell you. Learn on your own, you dirty bandit." Sasuke bristled and sakura yelled at the blonde.

"You idiot! Tell Sasuke what to expect, or I will pummel you." Sasuke nodded, remembering the crush he had on sakura during the academy and they both believed that they would play to the blonde's weakness for his teammates.

"I will not, Hinata's friendship is precious to me and I do not plan on disgracing her or my friends, that would be the same as rolling them over in their graves, and betraying their trust I will not I have honor as rare as it is amongst the ninja populace." He sighed as he did not move, irking his teammates even more.

"So you would turn away from your team, to help that failure of the Hyuuga clan. I heard her father is thinking of disowning her, seems right maybe that will strike a sense of duty towards those who actually deserve it. Now forget the Hyuuga bitch and answer my questions!" Sasuke yelled at the blonde.

Naruto glared at him as he looked to sakura who was nodding like the Uchiha was right with every word. "You dishonor my friends and my best friend in this world, I will make you pay." Naruto nodded as though this was his only option and he leapt back tossing his axe at the Uchiha's head with full force. It was caught in a single spin and tossed to the ground disrespectfully, as if though soiling Sasuke's hand.

"So now you lost your weapon, you truly are useless, I have no idea why the Hyuuga cares for a clan less loser." Naruto glared and tossed away his jacket. _'Prepare yourself Uchiha, for I WILL MAKE YOU BLEED!'_

**Flashback end…**

Naruto glared at the Uchiha, and shot forward. Sasuke dodged his incoming punch and slammed into his stomach, knocking the blonde back. Naruto took a step back and leapt to the side from the Uchiha's shuriken. He launched forward again and kicked at Sasuke.

Sasuke smirked and dodged, kicking at the blonde, who slammed his fist into the Uchiha and making him launch him back, or break his foot. Sasuke laughed and made hand seals, "Fire style great fireball jutsu!" A fireball barreled down on the blonde who made hand seals as well.

"Earth style: Mud wall." A torrent of mud poured from the blonde's mouth and made a wall, twenty feet high. It stopped the fire ball, and Naruto leapt to the top, only to see Sasuke smirking. Naruto realized he had learned one of his favorite earth techniques. He cursed as the Uchiha held his smirk still.

"So I must take your techniques from you in battle, fine I will crush you and take everything you know dobe," Sasuke launched forward, and dodged the blonde's shadow clones, dispersing them as he saw the blonde had finished hand seals again. "Water Style: Sendo Ame no jutsu." Sasuke looked at the sky as he saw rain begin to fall. He cursed as he had missed the jutsu, and dodged the blonde's attack, he drew a kunai and leapt at the blonde.

Naruto leapt off the wall as Sasuke charged him. He watched as the Uchiha fired another jutsu, consisting of several smaller fireballs. Naruto dodged them all as he saw the Uchiha laughing. "This is as much power as you hold, your so called friends must have little to no meaning to a fool like you." Naruto growled as he readied himself against the last fireball and called out one of his techniques.

"Aki- Repulsion" Sasuke cursed as the blonde kicked the fireball back at him. Sasuke leapt out of the way, and saw Naruto appear behind him. Naruto grabbed him around the waist and slammed the dark haired prick through his mud wall.

"You will pay for what you said, if I have to beat your apology out of the both of you." Naruto charged only to dodge a large amount of shuriken from the pink haired bitch. He turned to her only for Sasuke to kick him into the air, then firing a jutsu Naruto remembered that he had used on the bridge at wave.

"Water style: water drowning technique," and a large torrent of water spun at Naruto and leapt to stab the dodging blonde. Naruto saw the attack and frowned, kicking himself away from the Uchiha, he landed a ways away. Sasuke threw six shuriken at the blonde, who batted three away, while the other three lodged into him. He cursed as he coughed up blood.

"I can't use anymore jutsu; you will undoubtedly steal all of them in time, so I will use what I learned from my father." Sasuke laughed at this as he looked to the quickly angering blonde. "You plan on beating me with the skills of a dead old civilian, a man with no ninja training? Hahaha you are foolish you stupid idiot, you will not beat me that way." Naruto grinned darkly, causing the pair to grow wary.

"My father was a master assassin Uchiha, his teaching do not require hand seals for you to steal." Sasuke cursed as the blonde spoke again. "assassin's rush" Naruto appeared to Sasuke's side and began to drive strike after strike into the Uchiha knocking him to the ground and continuing to hit him as he fell to the ground, then began kicking him like a ragdoll, causing the Uchiha to dodge his next kick and grab the blonde with one of his own techniques.

"Aki-ugh" Sasuke was smacked away as Naruto hand thrust kicked into the genius's solar plexus, and grabbing him by the throat choking him. Sasuke drew a kunai and stabbed the blonde in the hand but he did not give way, he continued to draw all the Uchiha's breath only to be kicked in the back by sakura and forced to release him.

Sasuke glared at the blonde, he was using some technique to appear in close in incredible speed, and it was infuriating. He kicked the blonde away, and made hand seals again, Naruto looked up to see something that he had never wished to see barreling down on him.

Sasuke had stolen his shadow clones, and made three, causing all of them to fire grand fireball jutsus at him. He cursed as he made hand seals, and jumped aside to dodge more shuriken, he was going to stop playing NOW.

"You will apologize to me on the behalf of my friends, or I will pluck your eyes from your head." Sasuke went wide eyed and screamed as the blonde dropped into a hand stand. "Aki-Repulsion" Naruto beat away all four fireballs and Sasuke was upon him, he dodged the Uchiha's strike and kicked him again. The Uchiha blocked, and Naruto was met with a punch to the face that did not stop him and he grabbed the punch, then caught the follow up kick below his arm and pulled causing Sasuke's knee cap to dislocate, and then head-butted the Uchiha to the ground, making him cancel the chakra to his infernal eyes, and stomped on the Uchiha's chest, driving the air from his lungs. Sakura was upon him then and punched Naruto in the back of the head, knocking him forward over the Uchiha. Naruto tried to stand, only to feel the Uchiha's foot on his back. He looked back and cursed, Sasuke made hand signs, and Naruto's eyes went wide, "apologize Uchiha, or I will still continue to make you pay." Sasuke nodded and looked down to the blonde.

"I am sorry dobe, that you were not strong enough, you weak fool. Fire style: Dragon Flame jutsu." Naruto tried to move, and was able to get forward, only for the attack to hit him in the back of the head, and his own back knocking him to the ground, burning him horribly. He fell to the ground, injured greatly and in terrible agony; his hair was mostly burned away, as was the choker hinata had given him as a gift.

"Hinata-chan, my friends I am sorry." He said before he made one more hand sign and four shadow clones appeared over his now unconscious body. It was at this moment that Kakashi appeared.

"Yo… What the hell happened to him?" He said as he rushed to the blonde's unconscious body, his shadow clones dispersing as he did. He checked the blonde's pulse and found it weak.

"The fool sparred with Sasuke-kun and couldn't stand up to his Uchiha might sensei, he could not dodge the last fire jutsu that Sasuke used and was rendered unconscious after the hit. We were about to take him to the hospital, sensei." Sakura said as Sasuke nodded, looking very close to exhaustion himself. Kakashi nodded and disappeared in a leaf shushin, he had to get the blonde to the hospital. "I cannot prove anything but what they said until he awakes, hopefully he will be ready for the exams in three days. I must tell lord Hokage what has happened." Kakashi said as he hurried to the hospital. Never noticing that the blonde's axe had been returned to his belt, or a certain jounin noticing him fly by.

**Hospital six hours later…**

Naruto opened his eyes and grimaced in pain. His skin was incredibly sensitive, he cursed as his body screamed again. He cried out in pain, the ink in his seals had boiled and done even more damage, it would be rare if he would be able to speak again anytime soon. He had still not gotten his apology from his so called teammates, and that angered him. They had gotten away with their disrespect he would make them pay in the future. He cried again as his body went with waves of pain again, it seems the smug bastard's attack had done lasting damage. He cursed as his eyes closed again, _'I have been beaten by a thief and a cheat, and my father must be so ashamed of me from his lofty position in Kami's domain. I have failed in my oath, what my friends must think when they hear of my failure. I am truly without my purpose once again.'_

He sat up as he heard the door open and saw Haku enter the room. "Naruto-san how do you feel?" Naruto shook his head, "I am fine I am leaving now, I do not trust this hospital, thank you for your healing." Haku nodded, "I must argue your leaving, and you are not healed. You must stay and receive more treatment your burns are not fully healed." Naruto swept his legs out of the bed and stood, Haku at his side in moments. She placed her hands on his bandaged torso, trying to get him to rest. "Haku leave him be." Haku paused as she looked at Zabuza in the corner.

They watched as Naruto leapt out the window heading for his home, using his own weight as a crutch to keep him standing. "That boy is a ninja with the spirit of a ferocious animal. We will not be able to do anything against him in the future. He has the will to survive anything in this world, jutsu or physical pain. We cannot stop him, we can only aid him. However Haku aid and protect him, he is in a hostile place. As his friends, we must protect him." Haku nodded as she left to do her other duties, and zabuza vanished in a flicker of shadow.

Naruto marched down the road, his bandages covering his entire head and torso, a hospital gown covering his body. No one recognized him as he appeared outside of the loft, and headed for his sanctuary. He had to reach his room, his hidden place; there is where he could heal safely. Naruto made his way up the stairs and opened his door, walking in he froze.

There in his living area he fell to the ground, coughing up blood. He grabbed the smooth floor and dragged himself to the wall, where he pushed himself up against it. Here amongst his questions and his answers he would be safe, after all if he was not safe here. He had only one place more and no way of reaching it. This was his sanctuary now, amidst the rain of his emotions, he would heal, and he would be ready to get his vengeance. Those two would pay; he swore it on his blades and his blood. He would do what needed, no what was demanded to be done.

Naruto closed his eyes, and focused. He needed to retreat into his Aki-Salento, there he could heal. He doused his eyes and frontal lobes in his chakra, and felt himself lower mentally into his state. He was safe now; he would be ready for the chunnin exams.

**Team 8…**

Team 8 stood in their training grounds listening as Shino told them what his clan member had let him in on this morning. His clan had been training a little ways away when they heard the commotion and watched the battle between their friend Uzumaki and the bastard Uchiha. They had seen everything and then informed shino, knowing that his team was friend with the blonde, and they would need to be warned of what the Uchiha was after.

"WHAT! Sasuke attacked Naruto because he would not tell him all our techniques and our training! Where is Naruto now?" Kiba roared as akamaru bared his teeth. Hinata just stood there in shock; Naruto had been attacked and beaten because of how he had protected his knowledge of them.

"Naruto was hospitalized with injuries from Sasuke, however it seems that he checked himself out and has not been seen since, your cousin's team seems to be worried about him as well, and Hinata-san I believe we must find him. Do you know where the blonde lives?" They both looked at her, and she nodded. They turned to follow her, then took off at a sprint heading to help their friend.

They moved quickly, flying through the village at all speed. They weren't going to put it past the Uchiha to try and finish him off. They arrived at the blonde's residence not soon afterwards, Kiba looked around and stopped. "I am going to make sure that we do not have any unwanted visitors." He then shot off on to the adjoining roof.

Shino looked at hinata, who seemed to be fighting herself to climb the stairs. He then proceeded to tell her the rest of what he thought she should know.

"I have not told you everything Hinata, Sasuke insulted you and infuriated Naruto to the point that he attacked with ferocity no one has seen. Sasuke proceeded to insult you continuously, and drove Naruto even further until he used techniques that were not of the ninja origin, and Sasuke was going to continue demeaning us all, until Naruto grasped him into an attack, and was about to finish with the threat of plucking out his eyes, but was hit with a fire jutsu, and now lies in who knows what condition. I know if you care for him, he has never needed you more than now. Hinata if you care for him, you must go to him now, before he goes so far as too close himself to those he swore to avenge their names, go Hinata-san, I will aid Kiba." Hinata nodded and took off running up the stairs.

_'Naruto-kun I am coming, I will help you just hold on.'_ She appeared at the door and slammed it into its sliding space in the wall looking around. What she saw made her cry out.

Naruto lay against the back wall, his body a mess of bandages, and his breathing labored. She saw him sway as she rushed to him. She was at his side and holding him up, Naruto opened his eyes and looked at hinata. He tried to lift his head and Hinata lifted it as softly as she could. He looked at her and began to cry.

"I tried to make him take it back Hinata-chan, I really did, you believe me right?" He said as wet spots appeared at the edges of where his eyes were covered in bandages. She looked at him and nodded. He cried harder, as his arm came up and went around her.

"Hinata-chan I did my best, please I care for you more than I would admit. I am sorry it was not enough, but I truly did everything I could." Hinata began to tear up as well, "Naruto-kun it is okay, and Sh rest now you will be fine, I will take care of you, don't worry, I am here Naruto-kun, I will stay by your side, I will help you do everything I can, Naruto-kun I love you." Naruto smiled beneath his bandages. He lifted his hand to her hair, and ran his fingers through, _'so soft, so beautiful, this must be the feeling that is love, it's nice and I think, I think I like it, very much.'_

"Do you see that light hinata-chan it is so beautiful, so peaceful, this must be what my father saw when he was going to pass into kami's domain, it is just so nice." Hinata quivered as she saw his hand fall and him fall to the floor. She lifted her hand and felt his pulse, it was there even if only barely. She cried as she held onto her love, he would care for her in every way she could, and guard him while he rested. This would be her team's task until the chunnin exam in a few days. She cried as his breathing stopped, and he passed out, the pain being too much for his weakened body.

…**.**

Naruto stayed in this state for a few hours, Hinata was at his side, waiting for him to awaken. Kiba and Shino appeared sometime later, surprised to see the inside of his loft. Shino went to his bookshelf, and Kiba inspected his pile of furs behind a standing screen. They came back as Naruto began to hack and cough, staining his bandages red. They all looked at him worriedly, the blonde was their friend, and had taken their secrets to the very brink of death with him. They continued to stay and stay they did until nightfall, now two days from the exam.

They were eventually relieved, it having come in the form of zabuza and Haku, and they allowed everyone to leave and watch Naruto like hawks. He did not move for the longest time until suddenly he was awoken by a curse.

…

Naruto woke to the sound of cursing; he looked and saw zabuza looking out of the window. He looked to the awoken blonde, whistling. "How do you feel kid?" Naruto shook his head as Haku came from his kitchenette with a bowl of warm water and a sponge and began to unwrap his bandages, wiping his now nearly healed shoulders with the sponge doused in a deep healing salve, there was nothing they could do about the scars but she did not have the heart to tell him the bad news.

The scars on the back of his head were, going to stay, they were covered with hair, but they were still able to be felt, by all the pain that made up them he was going to have a lasting reminder, and one that was not going to help him. He would have those scars permanently, until his body grew new skin or his demon healed them, but the demon had done so much to keep him alive up to this point and seemed it had exhausted itself healing his near death injuries. No he would stay scarred, for a very long time.

"How long till the Chunnin exams?" Zabuza and Haku shared a look, and then Haku answered. "It starts tomorrow, and you need to have everything for it tomorrow, are you sure you are up to it Naruto-sama." Naruto stood, shocking them both with the fluidity of the movement; he seemed to be just fine.

"Yes I will be ready and both of them will pay in time. Till then I will continue to protect Hinata-chan and I will need you zabuza to keep an eye on them until I am fully ready, I could vaporize them with a battlefield class jutsu, but I need to keep them alive until I become chunnin and no longer have to deal with them." Zabuza nodded as the blonde went to his pile of furs and collapsed, it seemed he still had not fully healed from his injuries, but be damned if he would be unable to fight off the fools when he awoke.

"zabuza-sama he is not quite right in the head is he?" zabuza looked at the girl laughing as he sat to watch the perimeter. "Haku-chan the real weapon's users never really are, I have learned that over time. Be damned if he isn't going to give the chunnin exams hell for everything that will come up in no time. He is a truly an amazing shinobi, and a hell of an assassin. Now we will continue to guard him and then we will go head to all head to hold off until we wake him up in the morning, and he goes to the exam." They nodded to each other and watched as the blonde slept in a much more restful state. He would be ready, he will have to be.

**At the chunnin exam building…**

Naruto arrived at the door, seeing Kakashi and his so called teammates. They looked at him in shock; they obviously did not expect him to make it. Kakashi nodded with a grin. "Well I am glad you made it back from your, hospital trip. Do you think that you are up to this?" Naruto nodded, his teammates did not think that they would be safe with what had happened. Kakashi finally noticed that the blonde's outfit had changed, once again.

Naruto has foregone his normal outfit, in exchange for a new outfit, that his father had worn when he was an active assassin. His boots still covered his feet, his pants were full length, and tiger striped. His midsection was covered in a burned green sash. Three dark marble leather belts were wrapped around his waist. His axe was sitting in a leather wrap on his right side. His chest was covered in a smoke color turtle neck. His jacket covered him; his hood fell down across his back. His face was covered in bandages from the nose to his chest, and his forehead had his headband displayed prominently on a tiger striped orange headband. He looked like he was ready to kill everyone and everything.

"Prepared Kakashi-sensei, now my teammates, _let's go."_ They both nodded warily, and they entered the building. Sasuke walking a little ahead of him, with Sakura to the left of him. Naruto was watching the both of them like an angry tiger and they were wondering if they would survive the exams.

They made their way up the stairs, coming across a pair guarding the door, and watching a boy in green pull himself off the ground. Naruto noticed Neji and tenten watching lee from a little ways away, and saw Sasuke make an announcement.

"We are only on the second floor, release that sorry genjutsu.' Sakura loudly proclaimed the Uchiha's greatness as Naruto looked at the pair like they had lost all common sense. Sasuke glared at the pair until one shot forward, and went for a kick, Sasuke meeting with a kick, only for a green blur to appear and block both kicks.

"We must not fight here we do not want to be in trouble." The pair looked at lee as his team came up. "Lee what happened to trying to conceal our abilities," Neji said as he looked at the newly arrived team 7. Lee bowed his head as the team left.

"I will catch up later; there is something I need to do." The pair nodded as he disappeared in a blur of green.

**In the antechamber…**

Team 7 was walking until they noticed the green spandex wearing one standing across from them. "Are you Sasuke of the Uchiha Clan, I wish to fight you, I am Rock Lee the strongest gennin in konoha and I wish to fight you." Sasuke looked at the green one, then turned to sakura. "This will only take a second."

"Sasuke we have to be at the exam in fifteen minutes!' The Uchiha laughed as he shot forward, "This won't take five!" Naruto grinned as he watched lee break through the Uchiha's guard and knocked him around, sending him flying back towards them.

He saw the Uchiha activate his sharingan, and leapt at lee only for the green one to launch him into the air, Naruto saw his bandages starting to become unraveled and tensed. He reached for his small pouch on the back of his belt to pull one of his limited shuriken shadow clones. He was stopped as a pinwheel pinned the end of his bandages to the wall. Causing lee to flip away and the Uchiha to fall only for sakura to slide beneath him and capture his head before it fell to the ground

Ina puff of smoke, there was Gai sensei standing on top of his turtle summon, berating lee for him about to use his special technique, which caused Sasuke to look at them like a treasure chest of jewels. Naruto sighed as he walked over to the pair.

"Lee should probably head out Gai-sensei, the exam starts soon." The pair nodded as he turned to one irate teammate, and a glowering pink haired bitch.

"What was that dobe, what technique was he using my sharingan couldn't feel any chakra flowing for that technique? What was he using?' Naruto looked at him and frowned. "Just taijutsu, that is all." Sasuke glared at him as he glowered at the blonde, as he walked away. They hurried after him, angry as all hell.

**In the room for the first exam…**

Team 7 walked in and saw the large amount of gennin hopefuls sitting amongst them, glaring at them as they came through the door. "Sasuke!" Naruto ducked out of the way as the platinum blonde a girl named Ino from their academy days latched onto the Uchiha's shoulder. Naruto looked at her like she had contracted some sort of disease. "Troublesome, so you all show up too, I thought at least that I would be able to get away from the ranting's of those two at least." Naruto turned and looked at Shikamaru and Chougi, walking up from behind Ino. Naruto took note that they both seemed better off, their training seemed to make them better off just as well. He nodded to the pair, and turned as he heard Kiba.

"Naruto's team seems like the rookie nine is back together again. Seems like this will be fun, what do you think Shino, Hinata?" Shino nodded as Sasuke looked at him in somewhat mock distaste, he could not do anything about copying their moves, and bloodlines evaded his sharingan, much to his displeasure. He looked at hinata and was stunned.

The heiress was glowering at him, like she would like nothing more than to grab his throat and jyuuken him until he could not move any longer. He did not like that and was about to show the useless bitch why he deserves respect. He marched towards here only to be frozen to the spot. _'What is this force, this power it is like Itachi, who is this powerful.'_ He turned and cursed, the force was from that stupid blonde.

Naruto was glowering at Sasuke, making the pink haired woman march up behind him and bunch up her arm and swung. She was about to hit him in the head, when his arm flicked back and grabbed her arm at the wrist. She tried to pull away, and Naruto pushed her back a step, before walking past the Uchiha and to hinata's side. He glared at the Uchiha and, the sharingan user took a step back.

"I am guessing that you three gangs are new gennin, graduated from the local academy this year huh?" the teams shook their heads no, and the man frowned. _'it seems my information is wrong, I wonder why they waited until now to try for the exams, master will want to know what held the Uchiha back for so long.'_

"Really then you all must be prepared then, my name is Kabuto, I am from the graduating class four years ago. So I think you would appreciate if I gave you a little heads up, look behind you." The rookie nine looked behind them.

They saw three very bloodthirsty people glaring at them. Shino frowned as shikamaru cursed. "Those are gennin from amagakure, those who hide in the village of the rain, they are violent and dangerous, and the village supposedly has no bloodlines, so they hate those who rely on them. Anyway you might want to be quiet. I know this stuff I have had a bit of practice."

Shikamaru looked at the group and frowned, there seemed to be a large group of people in their teens, which he attributed to battlefield experience. "This is not going to be easily accomplished." Chougi looked at him, and nodded.

"So Kabuto, is this your second exam?" sakura asked as she looked around at the assembled villages and wondered what was going on. "Not second, this is my second, twice a year going on my fourth year." Kiba laughed, "so you must really suck at this."

"So then Kabuto, do you have information on individuals, perhaps their techniques and jutsus?" Sasuke said as he tried to act aloof, but team eight and Naruto knew exactly what he was getting at. "damn thieving bastard," Naruto muttered at the idiot, Sasuke apparently did not hear him.

"Sure I do, its kind of a hobby I have I have information on all the contestants this year." Kabuto smiled as he drew cards from his pouch. "Anyone in particular you seemed interested in?" Sasuke smiled.

"Naruto Uzumaki, Rock Lee, Gaara of the sand." Kabuto frowned, "You know their names that takes all of the fun out of it. Alright first one up is Rock Lee: He is a year older than all of you, his is an exemplary student and avid user of the taijutsu form. It lists his Nin and Genjutsu as mediocre at best, but he relies on his taijutsu and that has done well form him as far as to now. His mission information is as follows; 40 d rank and 22 c rank 1 b rank, his teammates are Hyuuga Neji, and Tenten. Their instructor is Might Gai." Sasuke nodded, so the blonde knew something about that taijutsu user, he must have some technique that aids and protected him from my sharingan, he refused that he was just too fast to be noticed.

"Next is Gaara of the sand. He is near the same age as all of you; he supposedly uses an earth style of ninjutsu that takes sand into account for everything he needs. Taijutsu is unknown, genjutsu as well. His mission information is this: 32 c rank, 4 b rank and 1 a rank, his teammates are his siblings Temari of the sand, and Kankuro of the sand, his instructor is Baki. He has supposedly never been injured on a single mission, any mission. He is quite the pride of suna." The teams shivered at this, never been injured, not even a scratch.

Kabuto smiled as he noticed the shocked looks, he loved his cover, scaring gennin was soo much fun. He looked at their shocked faces; they all had different amounts of fear, all except the blonde one, as if this did not pertain to him. He frowned as he drew the last card.

"Naruto Kilvin, what I thought you said his name was Uzumaki. I guess your information is not all that good yourself." Everyone looked at him, sakura yelled loudly. "What! Dammit dobe why didn't you tell us you changed your last name, we deserve to know!" She bunched up her fist and swung hitting the blonde in the shoulder. She cursed as her hand throbbed; it was like hitting a mass of stone. Everyone just looked at him.

"Yes I changed my name, it did not seem important to waist anyone's time with updates, anyway now you all know, can we move on?" Sasuke just glared at him, sakura huffed. Team 10 was just as surprised as everyone else. Team 8 just felt empty, they had never wondered why the blonde had made so many trips to the Hokage's office in the last week before his injuries, now they knew. Hinata just lowered her head; she remembered when the blonde had told her.

**Flashback…**

Naruto and Hinata sat in a tree watching as his shadow clones did the kunai oint balancing exercise. Naruto took this moment to speak.

"Hinata I have changed my last name, it became official yesterday." She looked at him, the back of her mind, erasing fantasies of taking the Uzumaki last name. 'W wh what d did y you c ch change it t to Naruto-kun?" he looked at her and gave her a rare smile.

"I was wondering who would be the first to hear it from my mouth, very well. Uzumaki is now gone from the world, Hinata meet Naruto Kilvin, the next greatest terrain class anbu captain." Hinata looked at him, blushing at how he looked so much like he did when he was younger, that boy who would fight the world, never letting a smile fall from his face. She smiled as she looked at him, "h Hai"

**End Flashback…**

Hinata looked at the blonde who just glanced at the gennin named Kabuto, freezing the man in his tracks. "Speak your information, or I will take you out of the exam now, rules be damned." Kabuto felt a cold bead of sweat rush down his neck, and then he nodded.

"Naruto Kilvin, one year older than all of you. He has exceptional Nin, Tai, and kenjutsu. Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha are his teammates; his instructor is Kakashi Hatake, the copy ninja. His missions are as follows: 17 d, 1 c, 2 a rank. He seems to have been incarcerated for a year after he took his gennin test, due to his destructive tendencies. He seems to have instructed by one of the seven swordsmen in water jutsu and large weapon handling, as well as a training plan set up by that Rock lee's sensei. He returned to his team changed, there is something about him being mentally unstable and having some secret that only the jonin class speak about." Sasuke looked at the blonde and was about to demand what this secret was when there was a loud voice appearing at the front of the room.

"Quiet down you little guttersnipes and you from the sound village if you jump from your spot like you are planning too, you will be disqualified." They all turned to see a large man standing at the front. He stood near six feet, wearing a field training uniform and a large black trench coat. "I am Morino Ibiki, I am your proctor for the first exam file up here and draw a number then move to your seat and I will explain the rules." All the gennin filed from the front of the room, Naruto waited in line for his turn, he felt a dark sense of anger directed at him. He turned and sweat dropped.

Behind him stood a gennin trying to cut him in half with his glare, Naruto just looked at him and matched his glare. The man looked at him, and leaned forward till their faces were a few inches apart. Naruto noticed the man leaned forward and sniffed the blonde through his and the blonde's bandages.

"Which swordsman trained you; you wear the bandages of an accomplished pupil, something only the mist does. Now tell me which of the seven trained you?" Naruto looked back at the man, and nodded. "I was trained by Zabuza Momochi." The gennin nodded as he pointed to the blonde.

"So that is why I can smell the metal of the Kubiri Houcho on you, my family made the weapons of the swordsmen. I have been trained to know when I am close to them, now why do I feel Kubiri Houcho on you?" Naruto looked behind him as he saw two more people move and grab numbers.

"I fractured Kubiri Houcho in the land of wave; I wielded the broken piece and a new weapon grew from the slaughter on the bridge, zabuza told me to wield it as it is." The man nodded, Naruto then turned to leave and felt a hand on his arm.

"You have gained the respect of the demon of the mist; I can feel his aura on you. Relish this fact, for you will eventually be chased down by those who were next in line to take up the weapon, like suigetsu." Naruto nodded as he moved forward and took his number than moved to his seat looking at the man as he sat down in a seat three tables ahead and to his far left.

Naruto zoned out as his proctor explained the rules. _'Someone will come to try and take away my ability to be an apprentice of zabuza, all that training, the spars and someone is going to try and tear my skills away from me, what do I do, how do I prepare, should I tell zabuza?'_

Naruto regained all of his sense, as he noticed two things; one Hinata-chan was seated next to him looking at him as if he were all right, two there was an indentation on his newly passed out test. _'Good Luck Naruto Kilvin, be wary of mist ninja. I am Madresi Hagyo and I will take your side in the dangers to come, only focus chakra into the seal on Kubiri Houcho, I have resonated with it, so you will be able to call upon us in time. Good luck.'_ Naruto nodded to himself and tore the edge off his paper, he then proceeded to stuff it into his pocket, causing the proctors to glance at him. He then turned to his test.

He raised his hand drawing the attention of hinata and everyone else around them, therefore gaining Ibiki's attention. "Yes what is it?" Everyone looked up at the blonde who stood and lifted his paper.

"Are these really the best questions you have, I answered all these before I was seven. May I have a harder test, this is embarrassing." Then there was shock.

Hinata looked at Naruto, and then at her test. She could barely answer any of this herself, and Naruto thought this was a joke. She blushed, not only was he built like an Adonis, but he had the brain to match. _'He is so amazing, and I love him, now all I have to do is act on it.'_

Lee looked at his test as well, _'Naruto is truly a great ninja, and he exercises his mind just as well as his body. I will do my best as well. _'Neji and tenten shared a look; he was smarter than they thought, and they should have known that. They never knew to this level though.

Shikamaru looked at the questions then at the blonde, maybe he would be able to share time for a game of shogi.

The rest of the people just looked at the blonde like he was made of some radioactive material. Hinata looked at him again and blushed, looking down at her paper. Ibiki looked at the blonde with a raised eyebrow.

"Tougher test huh, alright blondie come up here, and bring your completed test with you." Naruto looked down at the test, and his hand flew across it and filled all the questions out in less than a minute. He then walked up to Ibiki, the proctors glaring at him as he walked by.

He stood in front of Ibiki, and handed him the test. The man took it and glanced over it, "all of them correct, down to the absolute smallest detail. You could have just sat there and waited for the tenth question." Naruto looked at him and blew out his nose.

"I figured the master of interrogation and torture could have some harder questions, squirrelled away somewhere. So you feel like humoring me, Gai-sensei says you are quite sharp." Ibiki cracked a grin and reached into the desk pulling out three different tests.

"Try these Webster, then we will see if you are up to my questions." Naruto frowned at the jab at his mental fortitude and took his sheets heading back to his seat. Hinata looked at him with a small smile and he returned it. He then turned to his questions.

_'Question 1: If a small anbu task force is sent into a demilitarized zone, they cannot use jutsu or genjutsu as it will alert the border guard. Their target is a guard captain to the east in a heavily armored stronghold, they must capture him and make away before day break they have seven hours and a chunnin tool list between the three of them, there must be no casualties, and no alerting of the guard in the stronghold. How must they proceed? This is it, I studied this same thing when the third Hokage made anbu babysit me when I was nine, and this is stupid crap.'_ Naruto sighed as he began to answer, in neat organized rows, showing everything that he used to answer on every question.

Ibiki watched the blonde as the proctors, called off teams many of them quitting and giving up in record time, with still 45 min left of the hour they had been given. He watched as the blonde laughed and placed one paper to the side, beginning on the next.

Sasuke looked at the blonde in anger, he knew all the answers and didn't share, was the blonde a fool, they could have been done by now. It seemed he would have to make the blonde relearn his lesson in humility. Sakura was thinking the same things.

Elsewhere in the Hokage's office they watched as the blonde pretty much just stuck it to Ibiki. Gai looked proud, Asuma surprised, Kurenai shook her head, and Kakashi giggled from his book as he glanced at the Hokage.

Sarutobi looked at Naruto in the crystal ball, a smile playing across his face, it seemed there was a good part to him being persisted by questions most of his life, unparalleled intellect. He watched as the blonde pulled the third sheet in front of him as Izumo picked up his two completed tests and took them to Ibiki.

Naruto got to the last question and was surprised, this test was not any harder than the other two, he read the last question: _'The numerous poisons utilized by rogue ninjas can be classified in five categories depending on their toxicity and damage to the human body. All the way from paralytics and noxious gasses to death in a single scratch. Given the list of the materials you have to work with, design a poison that will immobilize the target and then slowly arrest their breathing, begin. Once again simple crap, this is truly upsetting I pray none of my friends have trouble with those questions.'_

Naruto then realized they had fifteen minutes left. He sighed and handed away the last test to the proctor, and watched as Ibiki got it and growled, he looked at the blonde, and then proceeded with the tenth question.

Some quit, some stayed, and some ran from the building like their asses were on fire. Suddenly there was a boom and the window exploded. Everyone reacted differently, akamaru jumped from Kiba's jacket to the ground. Shino's bugs moved to his hands. Sasuke had a kunai in his hand below the desk, sakura had fallen backwards out of her chair. Team 10 and team Gai just looked at it, Naruto had his hand in front of hinata, placed there to act as a blocking in case a piece of glass got jumpy.

"Now is not the time to rejoice brats, the next exam is right around the corner, get your butts up and let's go!" everyone jumped up at her command, Naruto stood only for Ibiki to motion for him to stay. Hinata looked at him and he smiled to her, she nodded and left with her team. Sasuke and sakura were still sitting, until Ibiki made a motion for them to leave, they didn't move until Ibiki hit them with his refined killing intent and they left like a group of children from school for recess.

Naruto watched as Ibiki walked to him, the proctors leaving as he did. When he reached the blonde's seat, everyone was gone except them. Ibiki leveled a cool glare at the bandaged boy, who just looked at the ceiling and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Well do you have anything to say about your tests?" Naruto looked up at the beaten up old man, and just shrugged. Ibiki developed a tick mark at the lack of answers from the blonde, "You're not going to answer me are you?" Naruto looked up at him before speaking.

"I am sorry Ibiki-san, but all those tests you gave me, anyone could have answered, well anyone who has been in the same room that they hold anbu instruction lessons in, I may have been small at the time, but my memory is as sharp as a razor."

Ibiki looked at the boy before frowning. "As sharp as the razor you use to mutilate your body with questions."

**End of Chapter 9, I hope you all enjoy my new twist on the chunnin exams, hows that for original. Later Onirudra37 out like a light.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Ch. 10 of Q, I hope everyone has enjoyed up until now, and off I go. Here is your disclaimer.**

**Naruto: He owns nothing.**

**Oni: True nothing at all now story starts.**

**Ch. 10 start,**

Naruto stood shocked, he knew. So few knew about his relentless search for the answers, yet this man, who was the master of interrogation, seemed to have the blonde at a disadvantage. Naruto looked at the man warily, he felt like a mouse caught by a tiger. He was not ready for a faceoff with this man. He took a step back and averted his gaze. "yes as sharp as this razor." He then pulled the straight razor from his pocket and showed him the pure silver of its handle, and flipping it open showing the metal bathed red from his blood. Ibiki looked at it then at him.

"Everyone has a way of coping with their choice as a ninja, yours is just another different way of how some ninja do, leave Kilvin and proceed to the second exam." Naruto nodded as he stood himself up straight and leapt off to training ground 44.

Ibiki just looked at him, as the boy disappeared from his line of sight. He sighed as he looked at the blonde's test once again. _'Bishomonten help that boy.'_

**Training ground 44, the forest of death…**

Naruto dropped down just as anko was passing out consent forms, he took one from the gennin and signed it giving it to the people and handing the scroll to the exam helpers and receiving a scroll, Sasuke took it and put it in his shirt. Naruto just looked at him as he processed the information.

_'Five days here, collect another scroll from a team with our counterpart, and make it to the tower in the center. Very well.'_ Naruto nodded as he stood outside his team's gate, they watched as person assigned to their gate listened to his radio and they rushed into the forest. They hurried about a mile in and stopped, sakura huffing.

"We need a plan to capture another scroll, sakura do you have a idea?" Sasuke asked as Naruto looked around, drawing his axe and placing it into a relaxed position.

"I think we should set a trap for the other teams Sasuke-kun, something along the lines of a ninja tool barrage through the fastest direct route." Sasuke nodded as sakura smiled dreamily at him, Naruto turned to the sky once again. He frowned, drawing the attentions of his supposed teammates.

"I am going to see if I can capture another scroll and meet you both here at this spot in three hours that should give sakura time to set up your supposed trap, and Sasuke to preen him." They both glared and Sasuke charged forward, punching the blonde in his stomach, sending him rolling back into a tree.

"Learn some respect you gutless fool, Uchiha are all powerful. No one is close enough to our level to pose a threat. Now you will do as sakura and I say or I will beat you again." Naruto stood from the tree he had hit and shook off Sasuke's attack.

"I will not listen to a thieve who's happiest memory is trying to betray his fellow comrades, I will be back after I have found more scrolls." Sakura glared at him as he left the clearing, Sasuke just roared and fired a fireball after the leaving blonde.

Naruto was far out of the range of the attack, as he moved through the forest, making a shadow clone to tell the team he would meet him at the tower, he disappeared in all haste. He must find team 8, he was in a hostile zone, and he needed allies. He was rushing through the forest until he came across something that made him curse.

As he landed in a clearing, he saw two teams facing off. One from sand and one from waterfall they looked at him. Surprised that he had appeared alone probably. They smirked, the waterfall gennin making a pair of water swords in each hand and the suna gennin drawing maces and one had a large hammer.

"Well it seems like a gennin lost his team, you wouldn't happen to have a scroll on you would you?" Naruto shook his head and the one of the suna team charged at him as the rain ninja engaged the other two.

Naruto ducked the suna gennin's hammer strike and hit him in the back of the neck with his axe, scowling as it bounced off. The gennin laughed as he swung again at the blonde. "How do you like my rock armor jutsu, it makes me impervious to weapons, what will you do now gennin of konoha? Hahaha." Naruto cursed as he grabbed the man's hammer and swung him through the air, slamming him into the ground and kicking him in the face. The gennin cursed as he lost concentration and his jutsu fell apart.

"I am aware of your jutsu, your entire body resonates with earth chakra, I assumed you had some sort of armor, and it seems I was right, and have a nice nap." The gennin looked at Naruto in confusion, "what?" He never noticed a group of Naruto's shadow clones in the trees drop down.

One shot forward and struck the gennin in the neck, crushing the gennin's larynx; he fell to the ground as the other gennin had already taken care of each other. His clones looked at him as he looked to the others. "We were lucky, at the same time; we cannot leave them here like this. Search them," the clones nodded as they went through the two teams belongings.

He found an earth and two heaven scrolls, it seemed that the sand village must have grabbed one of the other teams within seconds of the exam and took their scrolls. Naruto smiled as he pocketed the scrolls, he wondered what those other two were up to. He shrugged as he took list of everything else that was on the teams.

"Let's see seventeen kunai knives, thirty two shuriken, writing materials, food rations, soldier pills, and a technique scroll. Very interesting perhaps I will gain some techniques from my visit to this god awful forest." Naruto unraveled the scroll and read the message on it.

_'Dearest Moshi-kun we are so proud of you, your father and mother each gave you a technique as a reward for participating in the chunnin exam. I myself are beside myself with joy at the fact that you, my betrothed, have found the courage to participate in this grueling test, I wait for you to come back to us. Our wedding will wait for your return. Gently as the water, severely as a flower your strength will safeguard you. I have little doubt, be safe my beloved. Ami-Chan.'_

Naruto stood there as he held the scroll; one of these dead had hoped to be happily wed at the end of the exams. He looked to the dense overgrowth far above his head. It seemed that there will be more consequences than just what the proctors had told them. "Failure here can very well mean death, I have already robbed one of their life, how many more will die by my hands before these five days are done." Naruto's clones looked at him and their heads dropped as well, they had gained the same knowledge he now had. They looked to him as he picked up two of the kunai the clones had brought him, putting the rest in his pouch, dispersing the clones of the weapons he had made for the exams. His clones looked at him, "we no longer are taking this at light, we have hostiles after us and our allies, and my friends are in danger, if you find any other teams, you are to kill them quickly, no remorse. We follow the teachings of master Kilvin." The clones nodded as Naruto spun the weapons in his hands as if they were daggers. Then he rushed off, leaving the scroll from one of their beloved to soak in the blood of its owner.

Naruto rushed through the forest quickly, he saw another team rushing through the branches above him and he leapt up, one of his clones began tree climbing just as quickly. The rear guard did not notice him as he severed his neck from its owner in a spray of crimson blood, bathing his front in the man's lifeblood.

The other two turned as they saw their ally's head fly past them. One froze as the other made hand signs. He lost his fingers to the knives before he finished, the other taking itself into his eyes and impaling his brain through the optic nerve. He fell dead as Naruto turned and tackled the one about to stab him.

The gennin had no idea what was going on, they were tree hopping and all of the sudden one of her teammate's head had flew past them, and as they turned back she had seen some blonde dressed in tiger stripes and fur fly past her, and kill her other teammate. She had reacted without hesitation and attacked.

Naruto held off the female gennin's lunge and overpowered her, driving her back, causing her to fall to her knees on the tree's massive branch on which they battled. Naruto held her there, knocking away her other kunai as she tried to stab him with it. Naruto grabbed her wrist and twisted, breaking it as she cried out. Naruto grabbed her throat and slammed her into the tree. She tried to bat him away with her broken wrist, but Naruto just sliced her arm off at the elbow. She cried out as she fell to the ground.

"P Please stop, I quit I forfeit please, I just want to leave. Please just let me go." Naruto looked down at the woman, and focused all of his not unnoticeable killing intent upon her. The woman cried as she raised her kunai, and put it against her neck. She was crying as Naruto's dead cold blue azure eyes barred down on her. She was shivering as the kunai point rested against the canal of her throat. She screamed out into the forest as the blade plunged through her neck, gurgling cutting off her cries of death.

Teams throughout the forest turned to the direction that the scream had echoed from. Several teams looked on in fear. It had only been half a day and the teams had already suffered casualties as it was. Team 10 looked on. Ino had been frightened from the scream, and Chougi looked at the sky, and shikamaru came back as he finished setting the trap. They all nodded and hid in wait.

**Three days later… **

Team Gai watched as Sasuke was crushing the gennin from sound, Lee shook his head as Neji's byakugan scanned the area. "Tenten, Lee Naruto is not here, we are not going to aid the team unless Naruto is here." The pair nodded as they watched the Uchiha's dark chakra recede, and they leapt off to try and locate their now missing friend.

Team 8 stood in a grove, finally having found a team that had fallen in their trap. They were overjoyed that their long standing plan had come into fruition. They had encountered Naruto a day ago, well a shadow clone anyway. They remembered as he had found them, they had set camp for the night.

**Flashback…**

Kiba sat as his tent was completed, and looked to see shino lighting a fire, and Hinata sat preparing fish that he and akamaru had caught. He sighed; shino's insects would give them an alert if any hostile parties came across them. They finally had a break, and they desperately needed one, Hinata's chakra was drained by her use of the byakugan, and shino was nearly unconscious from lack of sleep. Kiba nodded to himself as Hinata called them, telling them the food was prepared. They both came close just as a blur landed in the middle of the three.

Shino attacked with a kunai, as well as Kiba. They noticed who the blonde was as he blocked both of their kunai with an axe. Naruto stood there, waiting for them to lower their respective weapons. As they did he spoke, "I finally found all of you, Master will be pleased that I have finally located you and you all seem safe. Thank god." The clone fell to his knees, and dispelled, shocking the three, slowly coming to the realization that it was a shadow clone. Naruto had been looking to aid them in the forest even going so far as to send clones to locate them. Their friend was watching over them. They nodded and sat to eat.

**Flashback end…**

Naruto stood on the bank of the river looking down at the butchered remains of what was left from the gennin of grass village; they were mangled far beyond recognition. He had dropped on them as one was relieving himself in the water, Naruto had made a water dragon from the man's piss and the rivers water, and had it bite off the gennin's groin. The boy had screamed and Naruto had thrown a barrage of shuriken into the gennin's face wounding him. The next died as Naruto's clone appeared and broke his neck. The last turned as Naruto hit him in the face with his air drill technique, causing his head to explode in a gory mess of blood and cartilage. Naruto turned back to the gennin with a destroyed manhood and impaled his axe into the man's stomach, ripping it upwards in a torrent of blood. Naruto's outfit poured in blood once again, he did not care. He was now the possessor of nine of the scrolls, and he needed no more time. He turned and leapt back into the woods, heading to where his clone had been shadowing team 7's remaining members. It was time to end this grueling trial.

Sasuke stood in the clearing next to the tower, Kabuto and sakura flanking him wondering where the hell the blonde was. They could not continue on without him. Sakura cursed as Kabuto looked to him.

"It seems that my team is here, and it would be best that I continue to my team they will be angry if I do not." Sasuke nodded as Kabuto headed off, his team waving to him from their spot not too far from them. Sakura looked at Sasuke as he clutched his now throbbing shoulder from where that bastard Orochimaru had bitten him. He cursed as he stood, and turned to the trees.

Naruto landed across from them, making nearly no sound as he walked across the clearing, his body dripping blood. Sakura made retching sounds at the sight as Sasuke smirked. "Well dobe looks like you just got dragged by your worthless ass, I am guessing you realized by your injuries that you should have stayed with us, hell sakura probably could have protected you better than you did for yourself." Naruto glared at them and smirked.

"None of this blood is mine Uchiha; I have had _very _happy hunting." Sasuke stood shocked as Sakura retched into the bushes. Naruto reached into his pouch and showed the pair what his hunting had brought to him. 7 heaven scrolls and two earths sat in his hands.

The pair just looked at the blonde, one in anger and the other in fear. "How the hell did you get all of those dobe, you expect me to believe that you killed twenty seven ninja! For an Uchiha it was a minimum task, but for a clan less loser like you it should have been impossible." "Yeah!" Naruto just looked at them as he walked past them into the tower them following him.

"Not twenty seven, I killed forty two, but many of them had already had their scrolls taken, so it was useless after I had killed them." They both glared at him as he pulled one of each scroll and unraveled them on the floor below them. In a puff of smoke, Iruka appeared.

"Congratulations team 7 you are the last team to show up, I am glad you found your scroll, especially you Naruto." Naruto shrugged as he looked to the door behind Iruka. They all just looked at him as they stood waiting for an answer, "Alright good luck everyone." Naruto nodded as they walked forward through the door.

They walked through the hallway, and the doors at the end of the hall. It opened into an enormous room, with stairways to balconies on either side. They filed through, Sasuke bumping Naruto out of the way as he lined up with the rest of them, sakura pushing him aside as well, making Naruto file into the last spot of the line, he checked and saw that his friends had made it here just as well. Good he had been worried for them.

Team 8 noticed him first off, and he saw them sigh. Then they noticed his outfit and were immediately worried, team 10 looked at him as they noticed team 7's arrival and half of them turned slightly green. Team 8 looked like they were about to move to aid him but he shook his head as Sasuke and sakura looked back at his blood drenched clothes. They turned and took into account their senseis standing across from them, each of them looking on in different mindsets.

Kakashi's eye narrowed as he watched Sasuke grip his neck. Sakura looked back at him and was fawning over him. He wondered why Naruto looked like he had walked through a storm of blood. Kakashi frowned as he looked to the other teams. _'Looks like the chunnin exams have not gotten any easier with time.'_

Asuma was glad to see his team made it and let out a breath, lucky for him maybe his father would let up on his training methods for now on. He sighed as he drew a cigarette and lit it as he watched the others, the blonde did not seem to be shaken despite the fact he looked to have been doused in blood, and he would have to warn his team if they fought him.

Kurenai looked at her team and their closest friend; they all seemed to be here. A little worse for the wear but intact none the less, she sighed as she looked at the way her team acted around team 7, She could even see hinata's hands in the form of the preparation for a jyuuken attack. It looks like this may be a bloody battle yet.

Gai looked on in pride at his team all being here, and his pupil from Kakashi was here as well. He noticed the blonde's state as well and wondered what could possibly have happened in the forest.

Zabuza stood next to anko and the Hokage; he was acting as the third's escort for this, as Ibiki had been called away. He noticed the blonde, and he smiled. The way the blonde looked, bathed in blood, and reminded him of a younger version of him. The bandages were well worn, the blonde had earned them in the forest it seemed, he could not wait to spar with this new Naruto, this Naruto who let the blood of his enemies wear proudly on his clothes.

"Alright congratulations to all of you passing the second exam, unfortunately there are a few too many for the third so we will have to hold a preliminary exam." All the gennin just glared at him, "Why the hell do you want a preliminary, which makes little to no sense we just busted our asses fighting in that forest!" The teams nodded, Naruto just turned and looked at the loud suna girl's buttocks. "Your ass seems fine, stop complaining, the Hokage is just doing what he thinks is best, now be silent while the village speaks." The suna team glared at him as they looked at the blonde who was covered in blood. The red headed one looked at him impassively, and then turned back to the Hokage.

"Thank you now we will have you all participate in one on one matches, good luck, I now pass it on to the proctor of the preliminaries." The Hokage jumped back on the raised platform as the rest of his ninja went up to balconies to watch the fights.

"Alright I am Gekko Hayate, I am your proctor. You will each compete in one on one matches, before I explain rules, I will ask that everyone who is unready leave now." Gekko stood as eight individuals came forward.

One of Madresi's team quit, so did the team left over from grass, the waterfall team quit as well, then the team that he had named Kabuto came forward and announced his inability to fight. Naruto looked and counted who was left. _'team Gai, the suna team, Team 8, 10 and my own, along with Madresi and one of his team plus the team from mist, and the sound ninja, twenty three, someone will have to fight twice.'_

"Alright, we have an odd number does anyone feel that they can battle two opponents, please step forward," Naruto immediately walked to the front and raised his hand. The Hokage nodded, and Gekko made a motion to the side.

"Alright turn your attentions to the large board behind you, and watch for the first fight." The contestants looked to the board and saw the board finish, and show the first fight.

"Would Sasuke Uchiha and Malaga Tou come forward and everyone else please move to the viewing area." The teams broke from formation and headed to the stairs Naruto falling back to team 8. Kiba looked to him, "How are you doing Naruto you seem like you have been beaten pretty bad, are you sure that you will be able to fight." Naruto nodded, as shino looked to the assembled groups, Hinata walked close to him.

She whispered to him using the moving mass to keep their conversation quiet. "Naruto-kun are y you a al alright?" He nodded as he watched Sasuke stand off against an incredibly tall man stand across from him. "I will be fine Hinata-chan, now watch the fights you all may very well end up fighting one of them." She nodded as she cast a side long glance at the blonde, who had removed his bloody coat and tossed it behind him.

They watched as Sasuke charged the gennin who tripped backwards losing his footing, Sasuke launched him into the air with a rising kick and used something he called the lion's barrage to knock the gennin to the ground and render him unconscious.

"Winner Sasuke Uchiha." He was about to drop as Kakashi appeared and vanished away with the Uchiha. The proctor nodded, and announced the next fight. They watched as the board stopped on Shino and Zaku from the sound team.

..Same fight as in manga..

Shino came forward and sat down next to his teammates, huffing from the exhaustion and pain from being hit by the air attack. He watched as Naruto crouched next to him, the fight between Kankuro and another gennin, it ending with the puppet user breaking the mist gennin's neck.

"Shino I need you to relax your muscles," he nodded as Naruto made hand seals and began to run a glowing green hand over the pained friend's chest. Hinata and Kiba watched in amazement, as Sakura glared at the blonde for helping another team, Zabuza smiled. It seems Haku had taught Naruto the Mystic palms technique to aid his already impressive repoitore, _'Haku probably just told the blonde that it was the fastest way to furthering his chakra control, the boy got played like a fiddle, Dumbass.'_

He finished and shino let out a sigh, he felt much better, they glanced up and saw the next match. "Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka, please proceed to the fighting area." They watched as Lee made loud noises to encourage sakura as they both charged forward, yelling at each other about their love for the Uchiha prick, only for Ino to catch sakura in a clan jutsu and make her give up. Naruto laughed at this drawing sakura's attention.

"You and the Uchiha call me a useless ninja and it seems that you did not even try to do anything, haruno next time you insult me, you had better watch yourself." Sakura glared at him as he just returned it right back.

"Next match, will be Naruto Kilvin verses Madresi Hagyo, please head down here for your match." Naruto nodded as he leapt from the balcony, landing the same time as his opponent did. He watched as the man pulled two scrolls from his pouch. Gekko looked at the pair and waved his hand down, "Begin!"

Naruto charged as Madresi let one of his scrolls activate, letting out a torrent of water, flooding the ground and washing the blonde back. Naruto stood as he saw the other put the scroll on the ground, and unravel it causing eleven sealing marks appear on the scroll. Naruto drew his axe as the man hit the center and Naruto's eyes shot open.

Madresi was holding a shuriken three times his size. Naruto frowned as the gennin threw the overly large shuriken, making hand seals as soon as it left his hands. "Water style: water dragon Jutsu." Naruto cursed as he leapt over the shuriken and was slammed into the wall, in an enormous cloud of dust.

Madresi glared as the dust cleared, Naruto was pressed against the wall, his legs holding the water dragon's mouth open, and his axe blocking one of the dragon's teeth. Madresi saw this and smiled, Naruto was huffing as the dragon was still fighting off of him.

Zabuza watched and looked at the blonde's opponent, so he was a member of the weapons makers of kiri, meaning he knew the endless water dragon. He wondered how many of the dragons the gennin could make.

Naruto pushed the dragon away, only for it to slam into the wall with more force making him curse. He needed more room; his axe was starting to strain. He looked at his axe and cried out, the blade snapped at that moment. The dragon slammed back into him in a tremendous force.

Madresi looked at the crater, not sure what to make of the sound the blonde had made before he was slammed into the wall with force. _'What could make an apprentice of the swordsmen cry out like that, was that weapon precious to him?'_ Madresi cursed as he saw the dragon be blasted back. He cursed as he saw the blonde standing on the water, glaring at him. He began to make hand seals as another water dragon appeared and the two attacked him.

"Wind style: Great breakthrough." Both of the dragons were blasted away into nothing but droplets as Naruto drew blood from his clothes and swiped it across the back of his hand, causing Kubiri Houcho to appear in his hands. Madresi face took on a look of unammountable pleasure, as the other spectators broke out in chatter.

"So he uses wind style, he is good and kind of cute, Kankuro see what you can find out." He nodded as he headed off to gain information. Sakura looked on in shock as she saw Naruto draw out Kubiri Houcho. She screamed at the blonde, "Naruto you baka, you were supposed to give that weapon to Sasuke, he said he wanted it!" Team 10 just looked at her like she had lost her mind; she lost her fight and still thought she could give her teammates orders.

Hinata let tears fall from her eyes as she saw Naruto's heirloom from his father break into pieces. She saw as he looked back, at the broken weapon tears falling from his eyes. She felt for the blonde, he was in so much anguish.

Naruto looked at the blade then back at Madresi, he growled deeply as he ripped the weapons across the ground, taking the time to notice, his opponent now had a mace and a giant sickle. Naruto charged.

He front flipped over the first dragon's head, slicing its head off as he sprinted down the monster's back. He cart wheeled out of the way of the second, and leapt high off the dragon's back, coming down with an overhead swing, crashing into Madresi's block.

"Amazing, so fluid and you move so quickly with Houcho-dono. You truly are a masterful enough swordsman to be zabuza-sama's apprentice. You will test me unlike no other!" Naruto just stood on top of the mist gennin; his weapon bore against him, Madresi cursed and threw the blonde off, just as his weapons split in half from Kubiri's sharp edge.

"I do not give a damn about how you perceive me, but you told me you are a master weapon smith. So tell me where do you get off destroying one of my most precious belongings, you will pay." Madresi hit his attack away and in a puff of smoke he was holding another weapon, a pair of Chinese broadswords as he charged the blonde.

Naruto attacked with ferocity, knocking himself and Madresi back with all force he and the mist ninja were using. They kept coming back at each other, intent to beat the other written on their faces. Madresi swung high; Naruto ducked and blocked his momentum from the other sword. He kicked out, Madresi blocking with a sword, and was blocking the attack, only for his weapon to break under Naruto's immense force. Madresi jumped back and sealed away the weapon, cursing as he was now on his last leg. He swiped and everyone went wide eyed.

Madresi held a sword the size of Naruto's, a chain hanging from the hilt. In between lengths of the chain there were axe heads, and on the end of the chain there was a spear head. He grasped the weapon and swung at Naruto. Naruto beat away the attacks, and came up from his duck. He was inside Madresi's guard a second later and kicked him away; as he was in the air he fired a water dragon at him.

Naruto dodged the dragon, and hit Madresi square in the face, knocking the gennin to the ground; he came down and landed with his sword buried in the ground, besides the gennin's neck. Madresi looked on at the blonde who was pushing his weapon closer and closer to his throat.

"You broke my master's weapon; you destroyed one of the only mementos of my father, I WILL KILL YOU!" Naruto roared as his seals on his neck pulsed in great pains from his yell and ripped the weapon from the ground, bringing it down with all force. "NARUTO-KUN DON"T DO IT!" Hinata screamed as he slammed the weapon in the ground, and a cloud of dust obscured him from sight, all they heard was gurgling from the cloud.

_'He killed him! His opponent was beaten as soon as he broke Naruto's weapon and he was about to give up. He killed him anyway.'_ Team 10, the sand team, and sakura thought.

Team 8 and Team Gai just looked at Naruto in sympathy, the blonde had actually lost his rational mind in that second, and this was the force he could summon when fueled by rage. Hinata looked at the cloud, her hands clasped together, as she waited for the dust to clear.

The cloud dispersed only to see Naruto on his knees, his weapon buried to the hilt in the ground. Madresi lay shocked as the weapon had chopped off half of his cerulean hair. He looked at the dead eyes of the blonde as Gekko called out in Naruto's favor. Madresi just watched as he saw the blonde walk over to his weapon that lay shattered on the ground. He just looked down at it, tears falling on the ground. His father's weapon, his heirloom was gone; he just fell to his knees and stared at the dark matte finished pieces lying on the ground.

Naruto picked up the pieces as he heard his opponent come up behind him. "Naruto-sama I am deeply sorry, I will repair it for you, my way of apology for you." Naruto looked at him as he saw Madresi pick up the pieces and look them over with a critical eye. He looked back at the blonde.

"I can repair it and make it stronger, but I will need some things to make it back to the way it was." Naruto nodded as he looked to the weapon, then back. "Fix it, and I will give you what you need after this exam, find me after that." Madresi nodded as they went their separate ways, Naruto allowing him to take the pieces to get a feel for repairing them. He needed to have it back, it was part of him.

Naruto walked up to his spot and stood on the balcony. He was going to have to think on how he would repair and think about whatever his next match was over. He needed to center himself; Naruto crouched down on the ground, on top of his coat and tried to find himself deep into his Aki-Salento. He needed to go and find his center, which is the way he thought of how he could help himself.

His friends looked at him, and sighed the next match was the sand gennin and tenten, they turned back as hinata sat on her legs next to him, stroking his hand. Naruto let a sad sigh release and hinata just continued to try and relax her love interest. Kiba looked back at them, as shino narrowly just sat there in a deeply upsetting posture.

The next pair of names appeared on the board were shikamaru and the sound girl Kin, (_Same as the storyline.) _Naruto awoke from his Aki-salento, and saw his name was on their again. He looked at his opponent and heard Kiba curse. "Naruto Kilvin versus Kiba Inuzuka, please proceed to the sparring area." Naruto just looked at Kiba and Kiba gulped loudly. Hinata just turned pale as shino tried to get out of the way of the next greatest battle. Naruto and Kiba walked dead even as they stood across from the field.

"Ready begin?" Naruto looked at Kiba and drew a kunai from his pouch; Kiba nodded and threw a soldier pill to his ninja hound akamaru. Naruto watched as he turned red and two Kiba's appeared. Naruto took dull note that Kiba has used his clan's special technique, man beast clone. Naruto just drew a handful of shuriken and watched as Kiba leapt forward.

"Gatsuuga!" Naruto watched as Kiba and akamaru launched at him in two spinning cyclones of pain. Naruto just frowned, and shot an arm out. "Aki-Renmasida." Everyone exclaimed as they saw Naruto bat away both of the cyclones with a deflection from his forearm. Akamaru flew off to the side, crashing into the ground and turning back into his dog form, unconscious on the ground from the knockback, Kiba flying away and rushing to akamaru's side.

"Akamaru boy are you alright?" Naruto watched as he walked over and looked down at the unconscious dog. "He should be fine Kiba, but at the same time you should get him to safety. That is if you wish to continue." Kiba looked at the blonde and nodded, "Proctor I forfeit." Kurenai looked at Kiba in shock, but Gekko nodded.

"Winner Naruto Kilvin," Naruto picked up akamaru, as he ran his mystic palm over the dog, he turned to Kiba. "Your dog is asleep now, and I think we should just take a relief from the fighting." Kiba nodded as he looked around, Naruto passing the dog into his arms. Kiba sighed as they both left upward for the next match.

Naruto walked over to the balcony and smiled to team 8. He then collapsed in exhaustion; he had been up for over 5 days straight. Team 8 just looked at him as he lay there, he would have no idea the danger his hime would be in in the next match. (_Rest of the matches will be the same as in the manga.)_

**Two days later at Naruto's loft…**

Naruto opened his eyes, looking up at the rising sun's light spraying across the bright wood of his ceiling. He sat up and held his head, he was throbbing all over, and he needed to be sure not to force his body to stay at that level of alertness for 120 hrs, straight anymore. He sighed as his alarm clock blared to life. He cast a side long glare, then punched it, sending the poor upsetting visage of the alarm clock flying through window and off into the rising sun. He swung his feet out of bed, and looked to the screen that separated his bedroom from the rest of the loft, and there stood zabuza.

"What did that poor alarm clock do to you?" Naruto glared at the man as he shook his head, reaching for the bottle of water beside his bedside table, only for the water to turn into a tiny water dragon and splash him in the face. He turned to the smirking ex-mist jonin and reached beneath his pillow. The jonin leapt away as Naruto unfurled a demon wind shuriken, and launched it at the ninja. _'Was the big ass shuriken really necessary?'_ He jumped again as Naruto, appeared with a stack of plates, making zabuza tilt his head to the side. He went pale as the blonde began to throw them at zabuza like lethal shuriken.

Zabuza ducked, he dodged he weaved, hell he even had to bat a few away. He had no idea the blonde had so much tableware, and where the hell had he been keeping them. He jumped out of the way as a larger serving platter, and the gennin closed the gap and punched the giant man out of his living area window, off into the horizon as well.

"Stay the fuck out of my house sensei, or next time I will throw heavier shit then dishes." He saw the mist ninja take off through the rooftops as he shook his head; he seemed to have his strength back but he had to practice his jutsus, he needed to be better with them, he was still so uncomfortable that he relied on his hand to hand, and his weapon skills, only relying on ninjutsu when he thought he needed to. He needed to go practice, he was in the third exam, he had won both his fights, he looked to the stand in the corner, noticing that the sheathed dagger sat there, his axe still being repaired by Madresi. He nodded as he went to change out of his sleep clothes, his mind going over what he needed to do to prepare for his match in a month's time. He shook his head, "Well ninjutsu, taijutsu, kenjutsu, and practice with my ninja tool's aim. If I don't get any better, Tenten will kill me, as will Lee if I neglect taijutsu, and zabuza will beat me into a watery grave if he neglected Kubiri Houcho or his water style ninjutsu, but I have a month. So no hurry, I guess after five days killing and butchering I sure as rain am not going to dive headfirst into training. Now what to do to relax today." Naruto said as he put on a pair of white canvas shorts, and a black short sleeve, with three buttons on the collar. He sighed as he walked over to his closet, thinking back to something he had when he was younger; he opened his closet and pushed away a large stack of random shit; papers, answers, broken weapons, and different samples of everything in general. He pushed them aside, and found what he was looking for, a dark look creeping over his face. "Oh happy day, Hahahahahahaha." He said as he cackled darkly.

Outside on the roof Haku shared a look with zabuza, they both felt uneasy as his evil laugh carried out through the building, they had no idea what was going on, and they did not like it. They both watched as the blonde left his loft with an burlap sack, bulged to the brim with something. They both looked and watched as the blonde headed towards training ground, they snuck off after him, neither noticing that the ground was being indented by the weight of the bag.

**Training ground 17…**

Naruto stood in the middle of training ground 17, the bag standing next to him as he looked around. No people around, good that meant no casualties. He smirked as he undid the drawstring and kicked the bag over, moving its contents in a straight line over the ground; he finished and brought his hands together, making a small army of clones.

They looked around, then noticed what their master had set up and one screamed shrilly, then booked it for the trees, only to be dispersed as a ball went through its head, indenting itself into the tree. They all turned back to the blonde.

"Boys it is time again, our favorite game, Welcome to elemental clone dodge ball." Several of the clones looked to each other and then reached for their backs where their hip pouches sat normally, realizing that they had no weapons. They looked at each other, until a pair reacted with incredible speed, one clone grabbed another. They both slammed one another with their foreheads and dispersed. Naruto looked at the others, and hefted another ball from its indention in the ground.

"Well that was upsetting, three got away. I think I feel hurt; my clones don't want to play with me." He sniffed and wiped away a tear, putting on a show for his small group of observers. One of the clones pointed at him, "What are the rules this time, are you going to blindfold us to train our senses for dodging again?" Naruto smirked.

"No you are all free to do whatever you believe to avoid me, however many of you are left at two o'clock, I will make that number times three to try and tag me before the end of the day. You can catch any of my balls that I throw, and I will make two more clones to add to your numbers, however after two if I catch one of the balls you all throw, I get too throw one of my demon wind shuriken at you. Sound like fun?" His observers saw this and were shocked; this was a hell of a way to play on his day off.

Zabuza and Haku watched from the trees, "Well, well, it looks like the kid has some very interesting training methods, even harder than what I used to train you, eh Haku?" Haku nodded as she saw the blonde throw the ball in the air, and catches it in his outstretched palm, they both noticed the flexing in his arm as he caught it. "Zabuza-sama it weighs more than he makes it look." The mist jonin nodded as he watched the blonde turn to count all his clones.

Kakashi stood behind a tree, leaning against it. He was wondering if the blonde would track him down for training, but it seemed he had absolutely no interest in asking the scarecrow. Kakashi did not know how to feel about this, well he could always allow zabuza take over his training for the exam. He nodded as he turned to the ninjas in the tree to his right.

"Zabuza," The mist ninja turned to the copy ninja with an evil look, causing the copy ninja to sweat drop. "What do you want you damn dirty monkey can't you see I am watching my apprentice?" Kakashi nodded, and then waved his hand out irking the giant water user further, his other apprentice just focused on the blonde, or well the parts of the blonde covered in shorts, but no one needed to know that.

"I need you to train your other apprentice for the chunnin exam finals, so how about, we could even make a little wager?" This drew the swordsman's attention, as he hopped down and Kakashi made animated hand gestures to him, Haku just looked at the pair and frowned, "I am surrounded by man-children." The kunoichi said as she looked to the blonde's last spectator.

It was the Hyuuga girl, she seemed to be somewhat healed from her injuries, from that match with her cousin. Haku had been appointed as the girl's chief medic in the hospital, and had taken care of her the best she could, and had hit it off with the shy kunoichi. They had talked of their friend Naruto, but only to find that she had a massive crush on the blonde, one that blew Haku's out of the water, not that the ice user was going to give up to her, and had made a challenge. See who Naruto noticed in a romantic sense first, without being overly exuberant, or overbearing. The girl had been furious in her agreement, and Haku could find the girl around him more than half the time. It was fun for her, it gave her something to do in her time off.

Hinata watched as Naruto drew out their plan for the clones, dispersing several who tried to escape. She had never seen him wear anything that did not cover his neck, but his arms were practically coils of steel. His shoulders and upper body were looking like they were built along the same lines as the nutjob who always attacked her Naruto-kun with the giant sword. She shivered as Naruto lashed his arms out and flexed them, causing them to pop and stretch. She turned red, and fainted as she imagined those arms wrapping around her and … well far too much for the little girl to bring to mind. She just lay in the shade, unconscious and blushing, unaware the area was about to be demolished like a war zone.

"Alright everyone, these are not the same rubber ones we used to use, they are general ninja medicine balls, their weight increases by the amount of chakra the person holding them has, and it is to strengthen my arms." The clones nodded as Naruto picked up three balls; he cradled two in the crook of one arm, and tossed the other one in his hand, making the clones scatter.

One clone tried to duck into the bushes, but was taken out by a ball to the head. One stopped and laughed at the dispersed clone, only for another to whiz in like a heat sinking missile and nails the clone in the groin, causing him to cry out in a wail of pain as it dispersed. Two held their own groins as they saw the clone go, only for the real Naruto to launch a pair of medicine balls, and crush both the clones' larynx, and they were gone in a poof as well.

Two Naruto clones lay in the clearing, one on his knees, holding the exhausted clone that lay on the ground, his head tilted to the side. The exhausted one looked to his double and spoke, "Come closer my friend," The other clone came closer as he leaned his ear to his double. "I am not going to make it, you must survive, and you must carry on for all of us." The other clone just looked at him and nodded tearfully, suddenly a ball came forward and dispersed the exhausted clone, as the other faced the sky and called out. "Noooo" Haku and Zabuza laughed at the clone's melodramatic response, only for Naruto to come from the trees and punch the clone in the back of the head with a medicine ball. He shook his head, and leapt back as three tried to sneak past him in a blur of speed.

Naruto looked at the clones still in the field and sighed, "Alright change of plans, you all can attack me as well." The clones cheered as they dog piled up on the blonde, only for Naruto to take them out with a barrage of balls taking them out. Naruto smiled as he took another out with a ball to the ear. He laughed as he heard something that pissed him off.

"Earth Style: Doryuudan." Naruto cursed as a dragon head made of mud came flying at him, he wound his arm back, and stomped his front leg forward, his entire weight launching the ball forward with the force of a cannon ball, destroying the mud dragon and the clone who cast it. The clones looked at the blonde in fear, as he picked up five more little spheres of red death. They took to tree jumping, as one made the hand seals and cast the Hidden mist jutsu. Naruto smiled and paused.

"There are 8 points of painful dispersion: The groin, the larynx, the ears, the nose, the kidneys, and the back of the head. Which one wants to be owned by red rubber death first?" The clones stopped as one turned to his comrades.

"What do we do, we can't keep up with the dodging if we can't see him… Gawk!" The clone dispersed as he saw a red ball slam into his nose. The others looked at him in fear, ignorant of the giggling from the trees.

Haku was giggling, Zabuza glared in the mist for the blonde. He had taught the blonde the eight kill moves as part of his swordsman initiation, not to be used as a joke on his clones. The jonin glared as he continued to look for the blonde as Haku laughed. "E-Ei-Eight p-po-poi-points o-of p-pai-painful-l d-dis-dispersion, he he he zabuza-sama he is so funny, dispersion He He!" Zabuza glared at her as he looked for the blonde.

"Blondie when I find you, you are going to pay for that insult!" Haku ducked at that moment as a red ball slammed into zabuza's gut. He dropped to his knees; "M-mom-mommy" Haku burst into giggles again, as she swept her hand out, and caught one red ball from hitting zabuza in the face. He cursed as he took the ball from Haku, and tossed it in the air.

Haku figured out what was happening and got out of range; Zabuza ripped his sword from his back and swung the flat at the little medicine ball, sending it barreling into the group of clones in a twirling vortex of fury and force, taking out a medium sized huddle of his clones and dispersing his mist. Zabuza roared in victory, only for a ball to scream forward out of the mist and slam into the grown man's groin, causing him to howl and fall from his perch in the tree.

The man falling from the tree shocked the Naruto clones from running around in hectic circles, and complex aerial dodging maneuvers. They looked around in confusion, and this was their doom, when they stopped moving, red death came from above, in the form of melon sized medicine balls, taking out all of the clones.

**Five minutes before two o'clock…**

Naruto walked out of the mist with one ball, his last shadow clone hiding behind the tree in front of him, shaking so bad that he was rattling the tree. Naruto turned the corner only to frown in embarrassment.

The clone had not been shaking the tree, he had been shaking the ground next to it so bad that it shook the tree in his fear; Naruto raised his hand to hold the brow of his nose in his hand. He sighed as he threw the last ball in the air then jumped into a spinning back kick and sent the ball into the clone's face dispersing him in an extremely painful manner.

_'It's two now, and all the clones are out, should have made more. Gave me an excellent full practice of the hidden mist and my earth style jutsu and it answers my question if a 95 lb. medicine ball can go through a foot and a half of mud wall. All taken into account, this was a very well placed way to blow off steam and train, though I thought I heard someone say they were going to get me, and then a call of mommy, odd. Oh well time for lunch.'_

Naruto left the training ground as he headed for the village, the mist dissipated to see a laughing Haku holding her side from where her laughing had given her stitches, and an irate zabuza swinging his weapon around, having had to dodge and block so many balls in the last three hours, that he had started to see them coming from everywhere and nowhere. He yelled as he felled a tree in his hallucination. Haku could do nothing as she just watched her master bounce around like a psychotic lunatic, felling trees left and right.

Naruto looked at the pair, the laughing Haku, and the hallucinating Zabuza. What the hell was going on here? He shook his head; he walked away from the training ground, perhaps since he was going to hold off on his training, he could go complete some missions. He could use the extra money; he definitely needed to bring some in. He nodded as he left his weird friends, he would never understand those two. He walked away, wondering if the Hokage would allow that, if he wrote it off as training.

**Chapter end, how do you like that, elemental clone dodge ball? All hail the nightmare of medicine ball death Bwahahahaha… See you all later.**


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