Ino’s POV (Forest Surrounding Hidden Leaf - Land of Fire)

  Ino had always been a social creature. She enjoyed catching up with friends, discussing the newest gossip, and fawning over boys. She knew her father had never approved; even her mother had sometimes scorned her. But it worked well for her; being charismatic was a trait of a leader, her parents would begrudgingly say. She had found less time for her more social hobbies as she continued her career. Upon forming Team Seven, she was lucky to do so occasionally. Once she had befriended her teammates, it had become even more of an oddity. The group often hung out between missions and training, sometimes just her and Naruto whenever Neji was too busy, which may never happen again after she opened her big mouth.

  Ino had come to see socializing and gossip as a way to destress. A way she could relax in her element, as it were. Now that she was much too busy and arguably hated, she missed it. It made her days longer, and she questioned her reliance on those aspects of life. She had heard from Kakashi that Naruto had been limited to the Forest of Death. Which killed her plans to talk to the blonde. Which annoyed her because she was constantly thinking about him. Ino felt terrible about how she reacted. She certainly had her own reasons, but she should've handled it more tactfully. Certainly, it does not suggest it was his fault…

  Ino normally talked to her mother or father in times like these. Her father was a licensed psychologist, and her mother would talk her through the most difficult topics with ease. She knew the value of talking through one's grief. It was a healthy way to live.

  Anko seemed to disagree.

  Ino had almost looked forward to Anko's depraved training. At the very least, it would take her mind off Naruto. But the older woman had seemed to sense her inner turmoil, at least in her words. In truth, she had seen Ino cry a couple of times. Ino had expected compassion, maybe some kind words and encouragement. Instead, the woman had said in sadistic glee.

  "Don't worry, princess! I'll work you right out of that funk!"

  She hadn't lied.

  Though as hard as the training was, Ino was more demanding on herself. She may have hurt Naruto purely because of her reliance on social status. It may be necessary to her, but was it more important than her loved ones? The fact she hesitated before saying no haunted her.

  Luckily, Ino could do nothing more than collapse at the end of the day. If she did so before she reached home, Anko would bring her to her home. Allow her to rest on the couch, feed her. All the better to work her to the bone the next day. It was a rough schedule, one the old her would never attempt. All the better; she didn't want to be someone who would hesitate to be there for people because of the thoughts of others. Not anymore, not after the look of pain Naruto had given her.

  After the first week, Team Seven focused on training while Naruto was limited. Ino figured the rest of the training would fly by. Soon enough, she would excel in the exams and work things out with Naruto. But between Anko's training and her turmoil, somehow still churning during training. The training seemed to drag on endlessly.

  Anko started each day by running Ino through various stretches, insisting such was necessary for the training. She swore after seeing the poses they would attempt that she would never do so around others. They then continued with Anko throwing kunai at her from multiple angles at different speeds—Dodge Practice, as she had lovingly dubbed it. In reality, Ino desperately tries to survive as Anko slowly turns her into her practice dummy.

  Next was her practice for her new close-range fighting style. Ino had thought she and the other Genin were masterful with kunai. But Anko had quickly shattered that little bubble she used to live in. They were helpful weapons with a lot of applications she never considered. Her unique kunai, a gift given to her recently from her father, became a deadly weapon. Its exceptional length lends itself well to her new style. With Anko's gift, Ino quickly turned herself into a mid-range fighter and a more well-rounded kunoichi. This was mildly less painful than dodge practice, but Anko was a perfectionist. Drilling her on each form, move, and counter precisely ensured she gained knowledge and mastery.

  If not working on her close game, Anko would drill her on Ninjutsu. Upon hearing of Ino's success in using only a single hand for jutsu before insisting she must be able to do so with every jutsu in her arsenal. It was long, monotonous work, most spent with explosions and failed jutsu. Though Ino did not complain. Not after the technique Anko and her had made.

  Finally, Anko would have Ino strategize against potential opponents or specific scenarios. Anko told her she may very well be one of the weaker participants, which Ino had known; truthfully, she doubted she could win it, certainly not defeat Naruto or Neji. But Anko had cheerfully replied that even the strongest could be killed once they lowered their guard. The smile on her face would've unnerved her before. Now, she merely nodded. She had her prepare game plans for each opponent, cheekily suggesting that Ino could try to seduce Naruto. Ino had attempted to punch the woman, but it seemed those extra weights on her chest didn't slow her down as much as she had hoped…

  Ino had thought Anko must surely be right. With this level of training, she would surely be too occupied to dwell on Naruto and her new status as a pariah. But every day, through training, her mind did just that. Thinking over how she would recover socially, how could she even consider such a thing when Naruto needed her? Would Naruto be welcomed as a soldier in his home? Would Naruto understand why Ino said what she said? Should she tell him why it affected her? How should she deal with her feelings for Naruto?

  While it had only been three weeks, it may as well have been months for Ino. But she could not deny she could tell her improvement. Her body was lovingly petite before, but she now had gained a small amount of weight. Now, she has limited muscle. She simply had no choice but to improve with Anko around. Oddly enough, she also managed to find some level of peace. She couldn't affect her new reputation in any meaningful way, nor could she afford to care for it. Ino had changed during this training. She would try to focus more; she wanted to become someone that even Naruto could count on. She would show her village and Naruto that she was different.

  Ino would fix things now; she was done playing games.

  Kushina’s POV (Uzumaki Residence - Hidden Leaf Village)

  Kushina had never been patient. She was temperamental and unafraid to tell others what she thought. She preferred to act as if something was bothering her. Minato had always been the more considerate one, reining her in whenever she went off. It took a lot of mental discipline to be a single mother.

  Yet this was the first time she encountered a problem like this. Her own status as a jinchuriki had never been revealed. Most people in the village were unaware that there was even one. Now, her son had been exposed as one. Kushina knew this may be a problem but had yet to learn how much it would be. Naruto had been shunned and attacked; even his friends had been targeted. It took more discipline than Kushina knew she had to not smash the hateful villagers. Even more to not show the council the wrath of a mother for banishing her baby to the Forest of Death.

  Kushina watched her pot of stew bubble. Naruto and Jiraiya had nixed her idea of her camping with them. Jiraiya insisted Naruto needed to be able to focus on training and didn't need her babying him. Naruto claimed it would be embarrassing. As such, she had brought them meals to eat and whatever supplies they requested. It allowed her some access to her son. But the blonde seemed to be laser-focused on his training lately. Silently, her son worked, often until he could not even stand. It worried her, but Jiraiya would rebuff her each time she sought to console the blonde. Telling her simply to let the blonde figure it out. It hurt her to not aid him, but it did seem like the blonde preferred to mull on it himself.

  Kushina gasped as the stew bubbled over, hissing as it touched the rack of the stovetop. She quickly lowered the flame and stirred. She sighed and relaxed once it was clear she hadn't ruined the stew. It was times like this when she wished Minato was still around. His calm and logical personality had always centered her in situations like this. Worse yet, the village scorn was not her biggest concern. Ikam, apparently a relative of theirs who seemed hellbent on tormenting the remaining Uzumaki, lurked in the background. Kushina had only fought with him momentarily, but he had easily countered one of her most substantial moves. Orochimaru supposedly worked with the man and seemed to want the Leaf to pay. If those two weren't enough of a threat to her baby, a whole group of S-rank missing shinobi also pursued him.

  Kushina had to support and protect her child, but she wasn't wise or strong enough. But she had to be; she had to become better. Kushina was confident that with the aid of Naruto's friends and his natural strength, he could get through this latest problem. But it would be a moot point if he was killed by some criminal scum.

  But even more than that, she was afraid of change, the simple fact that those villagers would change her son and rid him of all his innocence and hopes towards this village. The childlike need to just need her mom or see her at times. It was not as simple as if you had friends and then you would be okay. This whole ordeal….. was changing how he viewed the world. He only desired to live an average life, yet all of them just mindlessly tortured him day by day in every way possible within the rules of the village.

  As much as she hated to admit it, she did not face those stares and whispers thrown at her baby. Minato made sure that it remained that way. It was taking a toll on Kakashi and herself; she could not know what was going on behind those reflectionary faces of his friends. His friend, Neji, was hard to read behind his stoic face. She could subtly interrogate Ino, but she was nowhere to be seen these days.

  Kushina needed strength, and she needed it quickly. She glanced at the clock and her stew. Seeing she had hours before she was due to bring the food and the stew was practically done, just needing to be kept warm, she decided upon her next move. There was only one way to garner the strength necessary to keep her son safe…

  Kushina sat on the floor in a meditative pose. Little did Naruto know she had struggled to meditate, but just like him, she had found it to be something she did often. She relaxed her muscles and slowed her breathing. Her mind cleared with practiced ease. Right as she fully relaxed, she whispered out loud. Preparing herself to face an old foe of hers.

  "Kyuubi."

  As soon as the word left her mouth, she felt her consciousness be pulled somewhere deep in her mind. She appeared standing on a large cloud. Somehow, the condensed water form held her weight. Her surroundings were a vast open sky full of clouds and a dark reddish sky. Kushina ignored this, instead gazing upon the being she came to visit.

  "This One's eyes must deceive him." The Kyuubi stated amusedly. It contrasted his position, which was wrapped in a complex web of scarlet chains carved with inscriptions of Fuinjutsu. Each limb of the beast was extended and bound. Further chains wrapped its tails in a bundle, and even the mouth of the beast was muzzled with chains. "Last time This One saw of you, I was a decree from you, what were your words…"

  "Kyuubi," Kushina stated firmly, glaring at the beast with contempt. "We need to talk."

  "Ah, This One does remember. You said you would never work with a beast like me. This One was nothing more than a battery for you to drain. You would ensure this one stays contained. You were a much smaller child then. Why is This One cursed to suffer in your presence once again?" The Kyuubi seemed to ignore the words and offered the best glare it could from its position.

  "I need to access more of your power." Kushina said defiantly, "I am here to take it."

  The Kyuubi laughed cruelly. "All these years, you can barely manage to wield even a fraction of my power. How do you intend to use more?"

  "The same way I did before. By force!" Kushina said, roaring as she formed hand signs. The Kyuubi merely laughed, recognizing her intent while being unfazed. Kushina did not let this stop her, though. She needed this!

  "Admentite Chains: Draining Bind!" The chains glowed brightly and seemed to tighten slightly. The Kyuubi continued laughing, though the pain could be heard in its voice. Kushina continued flowing chakra into the technique, determined to increase the limit of chakra she could take. She had done this before for her Jounin Exam, just barely managing to take the three tails worth she could currently wield. Her chains acted as a natural boost to her seal and allowed her to maintain complete control of the chakra taken. But even as she felt her impressive reserves dip towards the bottom. No chakra from the beast flowed into her besides the amount she could hold. Kushina growled as she released the technique. Her rage only grew at the continued laughter from the Kyuubi.

  "Your sealing chains are impressive, human, but they cannot truly hold one of This One's stature. Without the seal binding me here, they would never hold me long. Do you think you can force control of my full power?! To wield the full power of one of my kind, you must have the consent of us! With my utter hatred of you and the darkness all humans hold, you will never achieve this. You will fail your child just as you've done before." The Kyuubi taunted.

  Kushina growled as she willed herself to leave.

  "You will never wield my strength while you live with darkness." The Kyuubi said one last time as Kushina faded out.

  Kushina opened her eyes and threw the wooden spoon in her hand so hard it shattered against the wall. She rose to her feet and growled again before she sighed. She silently put the pot of stew in a container for travel, along with some dishes and water for the boys. Quickly, she left her home and rushed to her son's side.

  But Kushina could hear Kyuubi's last words ringing throughout her mind.

  Neji’s POV (Leaf Training Ground - Hidden Leaf Village)

  Eagle continued to be quite the teacher. Exposing his past ties to the Hyuga had somewhat made Neji respect the man. As someone who also had suffered from the Hyuga's constricting and ruthless laws, he could sympathize with wanting to leave. He found it incredible to have been banished from the Hyuga and still had reached as far as he did. Neji could see why Kakashi had set him up with him.

  In truth, Neji appreciated a new teacher who knew his style so well. He wanted to win the exams. Neji knew better than to envy Naruto, especially with his hard work. But he felt left behind.

  Naruto had defeated him fairly and convincingly. Taking his best attacks and smashing through his defense. When an S-rank criminal came, Naruto had fought him head-on while he had been quickly taken out. Gaara had focused on Naruto with an unnerving aim. Neji had moved to aid him, but it had been straightforward to Neji in the brief exchange. Gaara was on another level than them all and fully intended to kill or take Naruto. Neji would not allow him to do so, but he doubted he could stop him.

  But Neji had never been one to give up. Even in his Fate Stage (what Naruto and Ino had annoyingly dubbed it), he had trained hard and defied the laws placed on him. Mastering main house techniques and eclipsing even the heiresses in terms of skill. So he did what he often did when worried. Train himself into the ground.

  Neji had never had a choice on how to fight. It had been drilled into him even as a child. Strict forms, precise strikes, and grace were his fighting style. Mastered over the generations by the Hyuga. Neji had taken to it well, but Eagle seemed to think something else would be needed.

  "The Gentle Fist is certainly one of the best fighting styles in the world. But it does not cover the full capacity of combat."

  Such simple words not only annoy but free the genius.

  Eagle first taught him ninjutsu in depth. Eagle merely stared when Neji questioned this because the Hyuga clan shamed those who used non-Hyuga ninjutsu. Neji had attempted to stare back, activating his Byakugan once staring at the mask became too much. Though he had simply met the Byakugan of Eagle in turn. For the first time in Neji's life, he had been out-stared. Neji dutifully listened from there on. Eagle was not someone who repeated himself.

  Next, he altered his forms and strikes. The changes were untraditional and felt odd initially, but Eagle had insisted such minor changes would have a noticeable effect in combat. And much to Neji's chagrin, he found Eagle was right when he did better in their spars upon enacting such tweaks.

  Finally, he taught him some variations of the Hyuga techniques he used. By the time three weeks were up, Neji felt his old confidence return. He felt powerful and now knew he could stand as he always had.

  It was soon time to show them just what a genius could do.

  Shisui’s POV (Uchiha Training Ground - Hidden Leaf Village)

  Shisui had never intended to become a Jounin sensei. He had planned to retire after he had aided his village in stopping the Uchiha Coup. The whole affair had soured his motivation to be a shinobi. While he would never regret the choice he made. It still weighed on him heavily for so much of his family to be imprisoned with his aid, no less. But Itachi, before disappearing, had asked him to look after Sasuke.

  Itachi had been Shisui's best friend, a brother in all but blood. He would ensure that his wishes of him would be followed. But often, Shisui found himself lamenting his task. Sasuke felt very strongly about his clan and seemed to hate that they were arrested. Insisting that there must be some more profound truth about the event. Saying his father never would've betrayed their home. Shisui had spent much of Sasuke's life assuring him that was the case, but the Uchiha often seemed to doubt him.

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  Sasuke worried him; he was seemingly focused on rising up in the ranks for his promotion. He had been distant from his teammates before, but they rarely met outside of training and missions after Kabuto's disappearance. He seemed to only get angrier over time as well. Impatient to "redeem" his clan and bring them back to their former "glory."

  Shisui personally never put the clan over the village. After all, the Leaf had always been the home of the Uchiha. But over the years, the Uchiha had slowly felt slighted. They had little political powers these days, the Police Force was often undermined by Anbu, who had seniority over them, and they had never had a Uchiha as Hokage. Never mind that most of the clans haven't or that they kept themselves distant from the other non-Uchiha. Instead, they tried to take over, got caught, and paid the price. Fair to Shisui, but he had a feeling Sasuke felt differently.

  "Shisui, I'm done." Sasuke panted out, breaking his sensei from his thoughts. Shisui looked up to see the small forest of trees that littered the edge of the grounds, which had all been caught down with only charred stumps. Sasuke stood in the middle in burnt clothes, his Sharingan spinning wildly. He seemed to be a force of nature at times.

  "Well done. Are you ready?" As Shisui often did, he avoided addressing the subject. He didn't want to push Sasuke away, nor was he blind to how Sasuke would react. It's better to keep an eye on him for now.

  "Of course, I merely hope there is a challenge," Sasuke stated simply as he marched forward. Exhausted but much too proud to collapse.

  "You seem challenged enough by gravity."

  "Shut it.”

  Jiraiya’s POV (Forest of Death - Hidden Leaf Village)

  Jiraiya had never considered himself a great teacher. He had assisted Minato in becoming the man who had become infamous worldwide. But in truth, the man had only needed advice and some slight guidance. Jiraiya would never claim to be responsible for what Minato had done. Minato had been something of an enigma, quick to learn, dedicated to the craft, and with a gutsiness Jiraiya was fond of. Most of what Minato accomplished was by his own merit. Yet now that he had the chance, he seemed to just know Naruto was meant to be taught by him.

  There was something about the blonde. He held his mother's will and focused on his father's determination. He was impressive, undoubtedly, yet he was no prodigy. He was no genius but was crafty, often finding alternative solutions to problems. He was certainly interesting, but most would not find him remarkable. Jiraiya supposed Naruto reminded him of himself. He could help his godchild avoid the many mistakes he had made.

  Admittedly, the Toad Sage's prophecy influenced it somewhat, but he had never been entirely sold on destiny. However, Jiraiya pondered if the prophecy was one way to achieve peace. But truthfully, as much as he craved peace, he wasn't sure he could reach it in his lifetime. Part of him had been confident Minato would one day achieve it. After all, the man had shared his dream, but his death had convinced Jiraiya that he may never achieve his dream.

  His decision to train Naruto had been decided more as a reasonable way for Jiraiya to meet and spend time with Naruto. To honor his position as a godfather. With the needed secrecy, he could not be around. Unlike Kushina, whose relationship with Minato had been a secret, he was well known as Minato's sensei. The original idea was to keep his distance until Naruto did something worthwhile or had garnered a suitable level of experience. To justify one of the Sannins taking a keen interest in him. But Hiruzen had decided that with Naruto now known as a jinchuriki, it would be merely a matter of time before his other secret was discovered. The risk of Jiraiya's presence was worth it to ensure Naruto would have the skills and strength to face the repercussions of such a situation.

  While he had been unable to be active in Naruto's life, he occasionally kept an eye on him whenever he arrived home. He had even delivered secretive gifts to Naruto. But despite those efforts, he couldn't say he truly knew his godson. Kushina had told him plenty, so he had an idea of the man Minato's son had become. Meeting him in this circumstance reinforced the image. At first, it had been hard to believe he was Minato's child. Indeed, he looked like Minato; he had his eyes and golden hair. But personality-wise, it had reminded him more of Kushina than anything else. Only once he had returned from his last-minute errand did he see such a prominent trait of Minato. They worked their way back up with laser focus whenever they fell down.

  Naruto had come back, obviously somewhat crestfallen. At first, Jiraiya feared he was going through a moody, emotional phase most young adults would've defaulted on. He had prepared a routine that would make Naruto focus on his woes instead of improving himself. Naruto had gone silent. Instead, his eyes held disappointment and frustration. Naruto had asked what his training was and immediately thrown himself into it.

  From the endless sprints he made the blonde do, he could never have too much stamina. Or the painful Taijutsu spars; Jiraiya had never been the best at holding back. Luckily, Naruto could take a beating. Even hours of chakra control and mediation training were met with silent indifference.

  Jiraiya was surprised by Naruto's efficiency. Upon hearing Jiraiya's plan, he added his ideas and quickly engaged in them. All the while summoning clones throughout the days and ordering them to pursue something new, sometimes seemingly nonsensical. But would invariably manifest itself in odd ways. Jiraiya saw his impressive kenjutsu and worked with him to incorporate it into his taijutsu as opposed to him switching back and forth as he was now. Naruto had taken to this like water, quickly adapting poses and moving into his arsenal with frightening ease with the aid of his clones.

  Jiraiya had been disheartened once he learned that Naruto had become another clan's summoner. But knew there must be more to it. Frustratingly, Naruto kept silent about it. Saying the clan had sworn him to secrecy. Jiraiya had let it go; he knew better than most how complex being a summoner could be. Besides, he had some ninjutsu for Naruto to master. With the clones at his use, he learned them shockingly quickly during the three weeks.

  Finally, they worked on the technique Naruto insisted on creating. This was when Minato's influence shined the brightest. Naruto had a vision of a method that would be quite the doozy. The mechanics of what he intended to create were quite complex. The chakra control and shape manipulation alone would make most Jounin balk. But Naruto Uzumaki seemed tireless in his pursuit. He tested his idea in unique and often risky ways. He would probe at the problem from various angles when encountering a hitch. Trying out things at a speed others would need help to think at. He was no genius in the usual sense, but he was a natural in jutsu. Soon, Naruto performed the technique just as he first described. Indeed, it would work; even Jiraiya needed to figure out what kind of Genin Naruto had run into to develop something like this. But he feared for them.

  Jiraiya had been unsure; he should've pushed Naruto so hard. But Naruto held strong even at a pace he had seen Jounin struggle to maintain. Even more shocking, Jiraiya discovered two weeks later that Naruto had disappeared. He was not just going off alone; his chakra signature would vanish. The first time had terrified him; it had been late into the night, and he had been sure somehow someone had taken him. Before fully panicking, he had heard the telltale poof of a summoning jutsu. Following the sound, he discovered Naruto lying on the floor, talking to a small raccoon. Their whispers had been much too quiet for him to hear, but it was clear from Naruto's exhausted prone form and the creature poofing away shortly after. Jiraiya figured Naruto was sneaking out to his summon's land for extra training. Likely geared towards their collaboration. Jiraiya had debated confronting him about it but knew the blonde wouldn't let anything slip.

  At first, Naruto had seemed despondent; he trained hard and seemed determined but was silent. The playfulness he had heard of, the goofiness, and lightheartedness were missing. Instead, it was replaced by a grim focus. Other times, Jiraiya convinced the blonde to talk about things several times. And while Jiraiya doubted his words always reached the blonde, he seemed to slowly perk up. More than likely thinking things other silently and perhaps had found some peace while doing so.

  It was undoubtedly a bit forced, but soon the two got along well. Jokes were told, pranks pulled (Naruto more than him, but Jiraiya had always believed in returning the favor), and discussions were held, often about safe topics unrelated to his troubles. Towards the end of the training, Jiraiya felt closer to his godson. It had brought a peace within him he had not felt since Minato's death. However, time marched on regardless; soon, their training was due to end, and Naruto had just discovered a way to perform his jutsu.

  Naruto stood among several boulders he dragged into the clearing they used for training. Each one had been huge, durable, and heavy; it took Naruto hours to move. We're now reduced to a pile of rubble, each with a pile of sand on top. Such was the power of the Uzumaki's newest weapon. Mixed in with debris and dirt were shards of clay cups. Naruto looked exhausted; his left hand was covered in minor cuts. As if he had been crushing glass with his bare hand.

  "I've never seen such a wind technique, such concentrated power. It's a shame you haven't managed to do it without the cups. It's a clever workout for the exams, but it'd be better if you don't use it. Between your impressive power with Riptide and the technique I taught you, surely you have more than enough firepower." Jiraiya commented.

  "Don't get me wrong, it is certainly badass, but raw power won't be enough for the exams." Naruto countered. "This new jutsu was an idea I had for someone I'm sure I'll run into."

  "You designed this for a Genin? Do you realize they don't condone killing? I mean, you won't get in trouble…" Jiraiya rambled.

  "I don't intend to kill him," Naruto responded. "Besides the small run-ins I've had with him, he seemed on a different level. He beat a full team of Genin solo and did it with no damage. Worse yet, I landed one of my strongest hits on him before the exam. I've seen it slice through trees, boulders, and people. But it barely breached his sand, and I feel he can do much more with it than he's shown."

  "So the rumors regarding him are true…" Jiraiya mused out loud. "From what my informants say, he is powerful for a Genin, easily killing Chunin and being a threat to most Jounin. I assumed it was propaganda, but if you are sure, it must be a genuine article. I stand corrected; then, you can't afford to hold back. If it's not the finishing blow, then what is it?"

  "I won't go into full detail, but there's an aspect of this jutsu that should allow me to momentarily breach his defenses; once I do, I'll use our technique to put him down," Naruto explained.

  "So you intend to kill him?" Jiraiya asked with an expressionless face. He didn't want to tip Naruto into his thoughts. If he did, Jiraiya wouldn't shame him; such a thing could be unavoidable in this line of work. Significantly when, Naruto clarifies that Gaara intends to kill or capture him. But it would sadden him to see Naruto dabble openly into the murderous side of shinobi.

  "No, he won't die so easily for one… besides…" Naruto said with a troubled expression. "After all this with the village, I can see how Gaara became the way he did, especially if he suffered for years. It must be painful. Instead, I'm gonna kick his ass badly and make him see that his view of strength is flawed. Maybe once I humble him, he'll understand; maybe we'll be friends."

  "Maybe he'll kill you." Jiraiya reminded him. "Fighting without intent to kill will weaken you slightly. Your thought process is admirable, but he may kill you."

  "I won't die, and I won't allow him to suffer alone. He only respects power; I have to beat his ass into the light." Naruto replied evenly. Jiraiya was silent; the way Naruto thought often contained Minato's logic or certainty. Kushina showed in Naruto's emotional decision that it was seemingly justified with odd logic.

  "You have guts, kid; I like that," Jiraiya concluded. "Are you ready for the name then?"

  Naruto sighed. "It's not going to be something stupid, is it? I still feel like my name was fine."

  "One, your name was terrible; it's a curse you inherited from Minato. Two for helping you; I asked for naming privileges." Jiraiya countered, casually prepared for it.

  "What's so wrong with the Suction Crushing Cup of Explosion?" Naruto replied with a frown.

  "It's wrong that you even attempted to name it that; even worse, you don't understand why it's bad." The Sage replied, thinking back on Minato attempting to name the Rasengan. He supposed some things were bound to repeat themselves. "Anyway, I was thinking something more like Wind Style: Implosive Rejection!"

  "I guess…" Naruto trailed off with a frown. "Still feel like mine was pretty awesome…"

  "Boys! Time to eat! Don't make me come get you!" Kushina called out.

  Immediately forgetting the argument once the food had arrived, Naruto dashed forth. The recent stress he had gone through had undoubtedly changed him, but he still had a bit of that shine.

  Jiraiya smiled with bittersweet joy. He was proud of how far the man had come in the short time, overjoyed that they had the time, and regretful that it would end.

  It mattered little.

  He was sure Naruto Uzumaki would make a splash worthy of his blood.

  Temari / Gaara’s POV (Deserts of Land of Wind)

  Temari walked through a sandstorm with veteran ease. Most residents of the Village Hidden in the Sand could do the same, but they needed to have her level of mastery over the wind. The sand was parted around her like she was wrapped in an invisible force. Next to her walked Kankuro, who also benefited from this. Both marched more deeply into the storm with a grim determination. They needed to deliver a message to Gaara.

  While their younger sibling had always been dangerous and terrifying, Temari always did what she could to maintain their relationship. But it had been straightforward to her. Gaara was pained by her hidden fear and Kankuro's apparent fear. Temari could see, over the years, the resentment built up in Gaara. Rampages became more frequent and violent. He would disappear for days at a time. He only offered that he was training and often returned looking like he had fought a war. It became clear Gaara was changing; the truth was thrust in their face. Gaara had been killing an assassin with glee when Kankuro had asked him to kill him quickly. Kankuro had attempted to leverage the fact they were family to escape punishment. Gaara's cold response still sent chills down her spine.

  "God dammit! Stop torturing him and kill him already! You need to listen to your older brother!" Kankuro had screamed. Gaara merely shoved him back, sending the much larger sibling flying around with ease.

  "You're not my brother; we're not even of the same species." Gaara had replied, eyes looking empty except for rage. "I only spare you two since you know your place. Don't think that makes you safe."

  Just like that, he had said it, plain as day. "Don't think that makes you safe." A subtle way of reminding them they were useless. She certainly felt it as of late. She held no illusion of winning the exams, not with the powerhouse of Gaara or his apparent rival. She would surely impress; she could do nothing less. But in time, it would indeed be tested. It could be Kankuro instead of her, but either was unacceptable. She did not wish to die or lose a brother.

  Moments like this often made her relax from her fear, knowing that, for now, this powerful young man was on her side.

  Gaara, indeed, was something else.

  He sat in a massive cavern in the ground on a floating platform of sand. The sand he controlled shot out of the ground and into the air, making it clear the sandstorm was man-made.

  The other Gennin had yet to learn what they were in for. They were lucky Gaara was still playing games and away from home during the exams. In the desert, he would be unbeatable.

  X-X

  Gaara’s POV

  A bead of sweat flowed down Gaara's face. Such chakra and control levels were incredibly draining, even for a being like him. With a mere errant thought, he sent a building-size wave crashing into a dune. As he did so, several spears of sand shot, covering the ground in a layer of hardened sand. Even with this all being juggled, he also had sand reaching deep into the underground, gathering and grinding down the most challenging minerals to increase his inventory of sand.

  He often trained like this; he needed to be stronger than these humans. He needed power that even a Hidden Village would shy away from. He required his brethren to stand with him. Jinchuriki was a cursed creation; fusing a Tailed Beast with a human should be impossible. Yet somehow, humans had cheated that. Creating an endless line of sacrifice throughout their world. Nine humans were transformed into something else, powerful if used but hated for their differences. He supposed he hated them, but he had figured something out the humans would never consider.

  Jinchuriki were genuinely superior to their human creators. They treated them as abominations, but they were short-sighted. They looked the same, but the differences were massive from there. They could take more punishment and could heal whenever it became too much. They lived longer lives by proxy of this healing as well. They had access to absurd chakra levels, often portrayed in unique traits limited to certain users. This allowed him to manipulate sand with his mind and limited movements. How it moved on its own was a mystery. Shukaku claimed he could do such but could not do so in these instances.

  Ah, yet another advantage, the presence of the beast themselves. Shukaku had from the moment Gaara could understand speech whispered to him. It began with Shukaku attempting to have Gaara free him, but when Gaara made it clear he could not, Shukaku changed tactics. Threats at first, but as Gaara became more and more alone, Gaara lost his fear of Shukaku. Gaara attempted to befriend the beast but had been rejected for years. Eventually, Shukaku decided to at least speak to his jailor. It didn't take long for the two to bond from there. It became clear to both of them. Jinchuriki should stand united; while it was limiting in some ways, the tailed beast would always be pursued. Humans were much too weak and ignorant to stand. But together, they became more robust, they became wiser, they became something more.

  It had led to a troublesome question for Gaara. If he was superior and not the only one, why would he allow the humans to be cruel to him and his kind? Why would he let them discriminate against them and others as they always did? Why even let them rule over him? There wasn't a good reason. He supposed them vastly outnumbering and systematically trapping them was reason enough.

  His face showed no emotion, yet it was clear when nine massive pillars of sand surged absurdly quickly into the air before they smashed into the ground at tremendous speeds, causing intense cracking sounds to fill the desert. A thin wall of sand dispersed through the air, intensifying the sandstorm surrounding the redhead. In the desert, few could match Gaara's power.

  But how to free themselves? Humans, as detestable as they were, were powerful and clever. Rasa, the man who forcibly posed as his father, was the perfect example. Despite his considerable power and inherent superiority, Gaara had yet to defeat the man. Rasa could match, if not surpass, his power and did so at a speed Gaara could only dream of. Worse yet, the man was clever; he kept Gaara on edge by hiring frequent assassins. His siblings were two of the few humans he had any liking to. (Mostly due to their knowledge of his power and their attitudes. They may have been humans but were amusing in small doses.) We were often told of Gaara's likelihood of snapping. His disregard for human life. His odd views on what he was. It ensured Gaara was distant from the two. But Gaara minded little as much as he was fond of them. He had no want for a human family.

  The answer had occurred to him just last year. He needed to gather his brethren. If jinchuriki from all nations united, they would be nearly unstoppable. With their raw power, unique physiology, and counsel from the wise-tailed Beast, they would rebalance the scales of the world. They would be enough to cover the Hidden Villages. Force the world to change; a new order would undoubtedly be needed. A world fairer with the jinchuriki treated as they should be.

  When he had formed this plan, he had realized a hitch of sorts. Through immense study and breaking into several vaults that held hidden knowledge, he discovered nine jinchuriki worldwide. Each is distributed evenly throughout the world. Hashirama clearly had seen just how valuable jinchuriki could be. But one thing he had found sent chills down his spine. It was rumored that the number of tails directly correlated with the beast's power. Shukaku denied it, but even the proud beast admitted there was one beast they should be wary of. The Kyuubi, Shukaku, refused to tell him its proper name. It was the strongest, and likely, his jinchuriki would be one to be concerned about.

  Excitement had overwhelmed him once he had felt its presence. Truthfully, he had felt two others while in the Land of Iron, but they weren't as interesting as a man who carried a beast even Shukaku was wary of. Naruto Uzumaki.

  He hadn't expected someone who would look him in the eye boldly and even attempt to harm him. Naruto knew Gaara was a predator and tried to fight him off. The clash had been short; Gaara didn't want to fight. He had just been interested in seeing what he could do. The slash Naruto had unleashed had been on a level he hadn't expected. Caught off guard, he could only react somewhat, raising a quick shield of sand. The attack shockingly cut through his sand with ease. It even cut through his sturdy armor. Sure, it would never truly harm him; his sand could usually easily repel such an attack. But it had been enough for him to be interested. If he could gain him as an ally, all the better for his goal.

  Naruto Uzumaki had not been amused. He had rejected him, seeming unable to see his point of view. Unlike him, he had been untarnished, so he had thought him foolish. He was sure now he understood what they were subjected to. In time, Gaara would show him just what a jinchuriki could do, the difference between them and humans. He couldn't wait to fight a being on his level. Battle and killing were among his few pleasures, after all.

  Gaara would win, of course. Naruto stood no chance against him truly; no mere Genin could. When he won, he hoped Naruto would see the light. Naruto would be a valuable ally. But he could not afford to have the nine tails against him. So, he would introduce him to a different one if he could not show him the light.

  As his mind settled, the sand slowly did as well. His platform slowly drifted to the ground as well. As suddenly as the sandstorm had appeared, it dispersed. Revealing a fully sand-coated Temari and Kankuro, both he could tell were annoyed, but he knew they would offer no complaint. They would fear his reaction.

  Soon, Naruto Uzumaki and he would clash. But what was needed was….more.

  Omake (Kinda)

  So, instead of doing an omake this time, I explored some of my ideas for this story that didn't make it in. As this story is (technically) not my first one, I had many loose ideas I'd been kicking around over the years. I'll often write and check through those notes just to see what other crazy ideas I can try to fit into them. As such, it could be interesting to list them and briefly explain why they were omitted. Be ready, too; some of these ideas were really something stupid. The setup will be like this:

  Idea: Example.

  Reason Rejected: The example sucked.

  Word?

  Cool, let's see what goodies (or baddies) we have here then.

  Idea: The central pairing would be Tenten and Naruto.

  Reason Rejected: (Sorry if you were hoping for this.) So I always liked Tenten, notice I said I "liked". Like many characters, Tenten only got a little screen time. Unlike the others, however, she was introduced as a bit relaxed before being absolutely mauled by Temari with ease. To be clear, Temari was defeated (technically, anyway) by Shikamaru, which means Tenten comes across as an absolute chump. It would be fine if she ever got any kind of love, but she never really does. She gets access to neat weapons but still needs to do more with them. As well as never getting any kind of backstory. So, for a little bit, I considered writing her as our main heroine. The problem is her canon personality is small but likable enough, but she needs to be more compatible with Naruto. It would feel slightly forced, unbelievable, and somewhat OOC for both. Now I realize it's not impossible, but I wasn't confident I could do it justice.

  Idea: Naruto would kill Mizuki in a clash in the first arc.

  Reason Rejected: I had initially considered this but rejected the idea for several reasons. One, there was no good reason to kill him off. While I don't plan to do Cat Mizuki (what I call the buffed Mizuki from the filler arc), I did want to do something different with him. Furthermore, his death didn't elevate the story and even added a lot of drama before we even got into teams or committed to the story.

  Idea: Orochimaru would take over Sasuke entirely from the story's start.

  Reason Rejected: This was one of the ideas I really debated adding. I've seen it done a couple times, and each was done relatively well. But imagining Orochimaru sneaking around in the background as Sasuke and Naruto pursued his journey was tempting and may make for a good story eventually. But I ended up rejecting it due to wanting to do more with Sasuke's character. As much as I dislike what canon did to him, he is undeniably a great character. Or has the potential to be anyway.

  Idea: Minato survived instead of Kushina.

  Reason Rejected: It's funny how much pushback Kushina being alive had gotten. Especially early on, it made it abundantly clear that the idea before that Minato survived and Kushina died would've been even more hated. (Though people do love some Yellow Flash, so who knows.) I rejected this because I couldn't think of a compelling use of Minato. But Kushina? Well, I have plans…

  Idea: Naruto would be a puppeteer.

  Reason Rejected: This one was one of my bad ideas. So, shortly after having the idea, I realized this was stupid for three reasons. There were already a couple of stories on such, and it would feel like I stole their idea. Two, I struggled to figure out how to make the fights enjoyable with the limits of puppet ninjutsu (though some people have done so well). And three, I wanted to keep Naruto similar to canon, with only my tweaks. Puppeteering would take a certain kind of person. Usually, not someone described as Hyperactive, unpredictable, or knuckleheaded.

  AN

  Remastered: Thanks for reading, hope it was enjoyable, and Peace~!