This story hit me while I was reading one of these story challenges someone sent me. I'm not doing their challenge per say but I figured I'd give credit to my influence. So to the fanfic user, Greenblue22, I thank you. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. But I'm popping these stories out like Octomom did with babies. So Suck It.

Chapter 1: Prologue

"Naruto! Naruto! You get back here!" shouted a woman out the door as a boy went running out of it ahead of her. About 30 seconds later, a swirl of water began to form next to the woman. The woman turned her head back as she looked at the man now standing behind her.

The man was short, no taller than 4 foot 10 inches tall. Despite his childlike stature, he was an adult male around 30 years of age with messy green hair, pink pupil less eyes and a stitch like scar running under his left eye all the way down his cheek. He was wearing a grey, sleeveless shirt with a forehead protector attached to the front with a short-sleeved mesh armor underneath. He also wore a green poncho along with a turquoise sash around his waist, paired with a green apron over his pants. Finishing his outfit was a pair of brown boots, and on his back he carried a staff-like pole weapon with uneven sized hooks with a green flower on the larger end.

"I'm so sorry. It's a pleasure to see you here again. I'm certain you wanted to see Naruto-kun but he always takes off like that when-" started the woman before being cut off by the man.

"When I'm around. I know. He is a shrewd and skilled boy wouldn't you say." said the man as the woman nodded at him.

"Oh yes. Naruto-kun is one of a kind. I've never seen someone of his age, with such an advanced thought process. It's really impressive." said the woman as the man nodded his head with a smile.

"Yes and his potential seems limitless. But being that he doesn't want to speak to me. Then please let him know that in six weeks time, we shall take him to hone his shinobi abilities. For we need someone of his talents in the war eventually, especially with a sensory ability such as his." said the man as the woman nodded her head back.

"Of course, of course. I'll be sure to let him know. Is there anything else that you need?" questioned the woman as the man shook his head slightly.

"No no, that is all. I will be on my way. Until then, please keep him safe. He is very important to our future plans." said the man before disappearing in a swirl of water, leaving the woman alone. Two minutes later, the woman blew out a breath as she turned around to see the same boy she was yelling at before, the one she called Naruto, standing behind her.

"Naruto-kun. You can't keep running out on your Kage like that." said the woman as she looked at Naruto.

"Mother. I don't want to help him. He feels...bad." said Naruto, as the woman picked Naruto up into her arms. "Why can't I just stay here at the orphanage until someone adopts me. But that won't happen because since he wants me, no one can have me." finished Naruto a little saddened at that realization.

After kissing Naruto on the cheek, the woman spoke to him. "Don't worry Naruto. One day you'll grow strong enough to stop this war. And on that day, I'll be proud to know that I raised such a man." said the Orphanage Mother as she took a good look at Naruto. "Now you go and play with the other kids Naruto-kun while I go make some dinner."

Naruto happily nodded his head after being let down by the Orphanage mother before he scampered off to play. As Naruto was running away, the Orphanage Mother took notice of the symbol on the back of Naruto's shirt. The symbol consisted of just a simple spiral.

"Uzumaki Clan. Naruto is surely Kushina-sama's son. Kami rest her soul." said the Orphanage mother. "It's so sad to know that the Uzumaki clan got wiped out during the Third World War. I'm just glad Kushina got Naruto-kun out of there and to me before succumbing to her eventual death."

The mother then took notice of Naruto's spiky, white hair that held a red tint to it. "But that white hair is trademark of his father's, a Hozuki clan member if Kushina wasn't lying about that. If that is true, Naruto-kun just may become one of Mizu's strongest shinobi's one day. And if that's the case, I have to make sure he is on the correct side. I just...must."

(Six Weeks Later)

It was around noon as a man led Naruto down a path. That man was the same man who'd come earlier to speak with him but couldn't due to Naruto running off when he arrived. It was a long goodbye for Naruto as he was leaving his home of the orphanage for the first time, and not with parents. As they were walking, the man leading Naruto attempted to converse with the six-year-old.

"Well Naruto-kun. It's finally good to meet you." said the man as he turned his head slightly to look back at Naruto. "I've heard so much about you already. But have you heard of me? Do you know who I am?"

Naruto continued to walk with his head down and didn't seem to want to answer. The man seemed at a lost because he'd been trying to seem amicable to Naruto but just couldn't get through to him. However, that all changed when Naruto spoke up for the first time.

"You're Yagura-sama. The Yondaime Mizukage, S rank shinobi in the bingo books and jinchuriki of the Sanbi." said Naruto in a quiet, composed tone unfit for a six-year-old.

"It seems he really is knowledgeable. Only six years old. I will make him into the best shinobi possible. And with his lineage, he could produce great results and eventually become my right hand man." thought Yagura as he continued walking with Naruto following close behind.

"Very good Naruto-kun. Exactly what I wanted to hear." said Yagura smiling. "Now, do you know what will happen?"

Naruto never looked up at Yagura as he spoke toward the ground once again. "Training. Then I'll be helping you in the war." said Naruto as Yagura nodded again.

"Quite the astute one you are Naruto-kun. I will be seeing to your training personally, in fact, I'm going to give you a gift if you prove yourself worthy." said Yagura, looking back at Naruto once more to see him pick up his head.

"A gift Mizukage-sama? What would that be?" said Naruto, perking up slightly to finally look Yagura in the eyes.

"Those purple eyes along with that white hair. He's got the traits of a Hozuki clan member." thought Yagura before smiling at Naruto. "Yes Naruto-kun. What do you know about the Seven Swords of the Mist?" questioned Yagura as Naruto's eyes' seemed to light up a little at Yagura mentioned a sword.

"The Seven Swords of the Mist?! The seven swords of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Some of the greatest swords ever crafted. Is my gift one of those?" questioned Naruto excitedly as Yagura shook his head slightly.

"Only if your training goes as planned, then you will get one. If not, then I'll have to find other options for you my young apprentice. But for now, we will focus on making you a shinobi. One who in four years time, I shall thrust into the world to compete in a Chunin Exams to thoroughly find out your potential against the other aspiring Chunins of your age group." said Yagura as he looked back at Naruto. "If you make Chunin, one of the swords will be yours. That is a promise from me to you. Deal?"

"Deal." said Naruto as he and Yagura entered a circular building and made an immediate turn into a dark corridor that lead to an empty room with nothing in it but one other man. The man turned around as he noticed his Kage and Naruto walking into the room.

The man smiled before bowing to Yagura. "Ahh, Yagura-sama. It is a pleasure to see you once again, I'm assuming this is Naruto-kun?" said the man as Yagura nodded his head.

"Yes Mangestsu. This is the boy with whom you and I will train. Of course, since I have other duties that will leave the bulk of the training with you but I will drop by from time to time to give out tips to my young apprentice." said Yagura as he turned to Naruto after addressing Mangetsu. "And Naruto-kun, do you know who Mangetsu is?"

Naruto nodded his head before answering. "He hails from the Hozuki clan. One of my relatives and is also a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. And if the legend is true, is the only member to have ever mastered the use of all seven swords, though Hiramekarai is his favorite and the one he uses." said Naruto, identifying said sword strapped to the back of Mangetsu.

Mangetsu had shoulder-length, light-colored hair and pointed, shark-like teeth. He was wearing an outfit which consisted of a dark, sleeveless shirt, light-coloured pants and striped leg-warmers. Striped to a utility belt around his waist were several water bottles. And strapped to his back by seemingly nothing was the twinsword, Hiramekarai. The entire sword had bandages around it, leaving only the double hilt showing in the back.

"Well I shall leave you both to it. Today is just the introduction Naruto-kun. Mangetsu will be your teacher and eventually you will meet other shinobi in our ranks to learn from them as well. Not to mention a few other kids who have just as much potential as you. Ja ne." said Yagura as he disappeared in a swirl of water, leaving Mangetsu and Naruto alone in the spacious but empty room.

Mangetsu smiled at the boy in front of him once Yagura left. "You're not the only one with knowledge Naruto-kun. You hail from the Hozuki clan, along with the Uzumaki clan. And I know for a fact that your Orphanage mother has attempted to teach you seals along with having already accessed your chakra, which is sizable for someone of your age. Not to mention your sensory ability, I don't know the distance but if I'm to understand, you won't ever be caught off guard by anyone, even your own kage." said Mangetsu as Naruto smiled back at the elder teen in front of him.

"He he he. I really don't like being around him" said Naruto as Mangetsu nodded his head.

"I understand completely Naruto-kun. I don't like this civil war against the bloodline rebels anymore than you do. I also know of a few others who despise it as well. So I'm happy to know you're on board. Your orphanage mother has told me all about it." said Mangetsu.

Naruto nodded his head as he blew out a sigh. "That's a relief. I thought I'd have to always fake interest in wanting to kill people from Kiri. I could never do that. I love this place. It is my home." said Naruto. "And anyone from it is family to me, I don't want to kill my family."

"Neither do I Naruto-kun. But we'll have all the time in the world to discuss that. In the meantime, let's appease the wants of Mizukage-sama. He is on the wrong side but he is still the most powerful man in the country. So let's get your training started shall we?" questioned Mangetsu as Naruto nodded his head.

"What are we going to start with?" questioned Naruto as Mangetsu's smiled a very devious, shark like grin.

"Conditioning. You're going to run. A lot. But the thing is, you must do it silently. If I hear a footstep, you must do one push up per footstep I hear. Now, please run one lap around the entire room, but remember, be quiet." said Mangetsu as Naruto gulped slightly.

Naruto took off in a fast, yet cautious sprint as he ran around the room. Naruto was extra careful about not making any noise and from what he could tell, he hadn't made a peep except for his breathing, but that wasn't a footstep so it wouldn't count. Naruto eventually made it back to Mangetsu. Naruto smiled at Mangetsu with a bit of sweat beginning to form as he blew out a deep breath.

"How did I do Mangetsu-sensei?" questioned Naruto as Mangetsu handed him a bottle of water. Naruto happily accepted the water as he sipped down the water through the straw.

Mangetsu shook his head slightly as he told Naruto the grim news. "How about this, I'll change it from every footstep, to every 10 footsteps. And if we go by that, you'll have to do 22 push-ups total." said Mangetsu as Naruto's jaw dropped. "Get to pushing kid. You have 19 more laps to go, just like this. And this is only the warmup."

(1 year later)

"Good Job Naruto. That's only 8 push-ups this time. And for counting every 5 footsteps, that's pretty impressive. Not to mention that you're beginning to move faster as well." said Mangetsu as Naruto did his eight push-ups before drinking out of his water bottle. The same water bottle that was given to him by Mangetsu one year ago.

Naruto grew well in his one year of beginning the process of becoming a shinobi. He'd been given his own room in the large building and trained steadily over the past year, nothing too strenuous though to not stunt his growth. Despite the non-strenuous training schedule, Naruto blossomed well and already proved he was more advanced than any shinobi of his age.

Naruto already got down the three basic jutsu of a shinobi. Those being the Henge, which allowed the user to disguise oneself as anything they can imagine. The second jutsu was the essentially useless, Bunshin no Jutsu, which created copies of the users, though those copies are intangible and easily distinguished being that they don't interact with the environment. And the last technique Naruto learned was the infamous Kawarami no Jutsu, which allowed the user to replace their own body with that of an object the moment an attack lands to effectively dodge said attack.

Not only had Naruto learned ninjutsu, but Naruto began to learn katas for Taijutsu. Taijutsu wasn't Naruto's strongest field but he did not lack in the department. Combined with his ever-increasing speed and physical strength, Naruto was no slouch in it despite it not being his favorite of the three shinobi arts.

Genjutsu was where Naruto truly shined. Naruto's aptitude for Genjutsu was impressive even though Genjutsu was one of the more difficult arts to learn. Genjutsu was by far Naruto's favorite art, even though he hadn't learned any techniques for it. Naruto believed that even the strongest shinobis could fall victim to Genjutsu and as such, he was going to become a master at it.

Naruto didn't forget about his sealing work though. Thanks to the many books his mother passed on with him to the Orphanage, he'd been delving into them after training due to his confinement his room, having not seen the outside world for over a year. So reading was basically the only thing he could do and in doing such, he read about seals. Naruto had begun to perfect his calligraphy due to that being the first step in his mother's book that he'd have to do.

Mangetsu was proud of his young student as he watched him finish his last push-up and down another bottle of water. Mangetsu then sent Naruto around on his last lap as he thought about him.

"Naruto's progressed so well, and so fast. To think someone, only a year into training is already miles above everyone else in this facility who's been here two years longer than him. I'm just scared to know how Naruto will take his first time hunting rebels. Mizukage-sama said he wanted to personally take Naruto out to find some in a year's time. Naruto seems too gentle to want to kill anyone, let alone someone of his village. We'll see how it goes. Maybe this year, I'll find out what his elements are. Actually, today." thought Mangetsu as Naruto came speeding to a stop in front of him.

"Looks like I'll have to bump up the ante. I only heard 34 footsteps this time. So how about a push-up for every other step, meaning you'll have to do 17." said Mangetsu as Naruto nodded his head without hesitation before dropping down to do his 17 push-ups.

Naruto and Mangetsu had grown close over the past year, to the point that Mangetsu felt that Naruto was his younger brother, especially considering that he was 11 years older than the young Hozuki clan member. Mangetsu actually had his own younger brother named Suigetsu, who was born just last year making them nearly 17 years apart. But that was besides the point, Mangetsu had already connected with Naruto and readily identified him as his otouto (little brother) since Naruto had taken to calling him his nii-san (brother).

Naruto finished his push-ups as he took a deep sip from his water bottle. Mangetsu told Naruto that being a Hozuki clan member meant always being hydrated and Naruto made sure that he always replenished the water he lost as soon as possible.

"So nii-san. What are we going to do today? More chakra control? Shuriken and kunai training?" questioned Naruto as Mangetsu shook his head slightly.

"No no Naruto-kun. Today, we'll work on something special. What can you tell me about nature transformation?" questioned Mangetsu.

Naruto paused for a second before he figured it out. "It's a higher form of chakra control. It's the molding of one's chakra into a form of nature, or element. And there are five basic elements. Those being Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Lightning. Each chakra nature has its strengths and weaknesses and are the building blocks of all elemental ninjutsu...Are we learning my elements today?!" started Naruto before questioning Mangetsu excitedly at the last part.

Mangetsu pulled out a bowl of water as he nodded at Naruto. "Correct you are my main man. This here is a bowl of water, but not any type of water, this is water made of chakra reactive substances." said Mangetsu as he placed the bowl on the ground before putting one of Naruto's hands wrist deep into the water. "Now the water will react in five ways. It will either turn muddy, signalling a doton (earth release) affinity, swirl around, signalling a suiton (water release) affinity, steam, signalling a katon (fire release) affinity, become colder, signalling a futon (wind release) affinity, or spark, signalling a raiton (lightning release) affinity."

Naruto nodded his head. "So basically I just channel chakra into the bowl and my element is based on how the water reacts to it." said Naruto as Mangetsu nodded his head. "Here goes."

Naruto pushed some chakra through his submerged hand as the water began to swirl around the bowl at a rapid pace. Mangetsu smiled seeing Naruto with an affinity for water even though he knew Naruto would have to have it based on his Hozuki clan background. Mangetsu wasn't ready for the large bolt of lightning to come flying out of the bowl and strike the ceiling, leaving a huge mark in it.

"Woah!" said Naruto and Mangetsu simultaneously.

Naruto was the first to get over his shock though. "Does that mean I have water and lightning?" questioned Naruto as Mangetsu nodded his head. "YATTA!" shouted Naruto as he began to run around, making 'swooshing' water noises along with sounds that sounded like sparks from lightning. As this was happening, Mangetsu was having an internal debate about what just happened.

"That lightning just now was...was white. I've never seen white lightning before. What could that mean? If it had anything to do with that enormous bolt of lightning that stemmed about just now, it seems stronger than regular lightning. You never cease to amaze Naruto-kun." thought Mangetsu as he scooped up the bowl of water.

Mangetsu then walked back over to see Naruto still prancing about, mimicking the sounds of his two chakra natures as if he was fighting enemies. Eventually Mangetsu got Naruto to calm down before he decided to show Naruto his training regiment for the next year.

"Well that's certainly a surprise. But none the less impressive. I don't have a lightning affinity per say but I'm sure I'll be able to find you help in that department. I do have a water affinity and as such will begin to teach you how to hone it." said Mangetsu as his body began to turn into water. "Hozuki clan style."

Naruto smiled a huge grin as he couldn't wait to learn about his elemental affinities.

(1 year later)

Naruto woke up this morning feeling conflicted. On one side, he was happy that he was finally going to leave the building and see his village once more. On the other side, he was leaving to potentially hunt down another human being and attempt to kill them. But nonetheless, he still treated it like any other day. Naruto got out of bed, showered, and brushed his teeth. Laying on Naruto's bed were the clothes he was given to wear for today. After getting dressed, Naruto looked into the mirror to see his attire.

Naruto was wearing a simple black, short-sleeved shirt with cow patterned camo pants that ran into white shinobi sandals. Naruto also had on cow patterned camo arm warmers that reached from his wrist to the middle of his forearm. The Uzumaki clan crest was on the back of his shirt in a red spiral. Naruto's white hair still held its slight red tint but he now had two bangs framing his face slightly while his violet eyes shone as bright as ever, maybe brighter. The reason his eyes were shining so bright was due to the forehead protector held within his hands.

"A genin. I can't believe that I'm officially a shinobi of Kirigakure now. I'm one step closer to ending Yagura's reign and this war." thought Naruto as he tied the forehead protector around his forehead. Naruto smiled before a knock was heard at his door. Naruto turned around to open the door as he saw Yagura standing there looking at him.

"Naruto-kun, my boy. It is good to see you. My how you've grown these past 2 years." said Yagura admiring Naruto's growth and new appearance. "What are you now, 4 ft 4 inches tall. Almost as big as me."

Naruto nodded at Yagura as he stepped out into the hallway before shutting his door behind him. Yagura noticed Naruto wasn't in the talking mood and could understand why, today could have his first kill. He was probably feeling severe anxiety about the situation. However Naruto could careless about killing someone, as long as it was the right someone. The bloodline users of Mizu weren't the right people in Naruto's eyes.

"Well let's get to it shall we. There's been a spotting of several bloodline shinobi 10 miles from here. We'll head there to find the targets and end them. It'll be only me and you since Mangetsu is busy with certain teammates of his." said Yagura as Naruto looked up at him.

"Because Zabuza tried to kill you?" questioned Naruto as Yagura laughed slightly.

"I can't believe I forgot how smart you are." said Yagura as he placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Let's go take out these bloodline scum."

Naruto and Yagura began to walk to the door that Naruto hadn't been through since when he first got there. As Naruto opened the door, he saw a sight that brought joy to his heart.

"Outside. Kirigakure. It's just as beautiful as when I left it." thought Naruto as he admired his village.

Kirigakure is a shinobi village in the Land of Water. The architecture of Kirigakure is several cylindrical buildings, with the Mizukage's office being the widest and largest. Most of the taller buildings have trees on them. And befitting its name, a thick mist surrounds the village, with several mountains in the background, making it difficult to find by foreigners.

"Well Naruto-kun. Let's get to it." said Yagura as he leaped on top of a building. Right behind him, Naruto landed on the building as he smiled at the viewpoint of the village from this new angle. He could see so much more of his village from this height. "Let's hop to it Naruto-kun."

It was a rather quiet trip to the place where Yagura's shinobi notified him of the potential bloodline shinobis. Once there, Yagura landed on a tree overlooking the small collection of houses in the area.

"Naruto-kun. How many people do you feel in the area?" questioned Yagura as Naruto placed his hands in the ram seal. Naruto closed his eyes as he focused on his sensory ability.

"Kagura Shingan (Mind's Eye of the Kagura)" thought Naruto as he pinpointed every chakra source in the area. Naruto began to distingiush the chakra sources individually as he separated the animals from the human beings. It took Naruto about 3 minutes to finish sensing as he opened his eyes.

"There are 13 people in the area. 4 of them have high chakra reserves while 6 of them are relatively small, possibly just civilian." said Naruto as Yagura nodded his head.

"Good. Point me toward the 4 with the high chakra reserves. We won't worry about the 6 small ones." said Yagura as Naruto located the 4 big chakra sources and pointed them out. Yagura nodded his head before he handed Naruto some instructions.

"I will handle the four big chakra sources. You check the other 3 that you didn't label as either high or small. We will meet back here once finished. If you run into trouble, alert me and I'll be back to help you." said Yagura as Naruto nodded his head. Seeing Naruto nod, Yagura took off in a sprint toward the first target. Once there, Yagura sprung up behind him.

Without even asking if the guy was a bloodline shinobi or not, Yagura viciously elbowed the man in the back.

"Sangosho (Coral Palm)" said Yagura as the man got sent careening out into the woods. Once in the woods, coral began to spring up on his back and began to cover his entire body, killing him once it covered his face. The man's screams were heard loudly as he alerted the rest of the people in the immediate area. The three shinobi with huge reserves surrounded Yagura as he smiled at them.

Yagura's body began to get covered in a deep red cloak, signifying his transformation into his Bijuu, the Sanbi. "I will end you all without prejudice. This village has had enough of you freaks." said Yagura as he and the three began to fight.

(Other side)

On the opposite end of the village, Naruto was busy tending to the other 3 people he'd found in the village. Naruto reached them and upon doing so, noticed that they were children. Naruto told them about the situation and they immediately fled the scene. Naruto was on his way to the last one when he had to dodge a fist immediately.

Naruto moved his head to the left as a fist came flying by his head. The arm retracted itself as another one came flying toward Naruto's face. The punch nearly connected with Naruto's head but he managed to back flip out-of-the-way just in time.

"Wait wait. I'm just trying to help you." said Naruto, speaking to the girl in front of him.

The girl had long auburn hair tied into a long pony-tail with vibrant, green eyes. She was wearing a sleeveless kimono-style blouse that was blue and held closed with a grey obi over a short-sleeved mesh shirt with a pair of dark grey shorts and grey shinobi sandals. Her fingernails and toenails were blue to match her blouse.

She looked only a year older than Naruto but was just shorter than him at 4 foot 2 inches tall. Her vibrant green eyes bore into Naruto's violet as she looked at him suspiciously.

"You're wearing a Kiri headband. That means you're trying to kill us bloodline users. So how am I supposed to believe you." said the girl as she came at Naruto with several kicks and punches. Naruto was dodging the punches and kicks with difficulty, needing to block most of them due to the speed and ferocity of the girl's assault. Naruto eventually back pedaled out of the girl's reach as she stopped pressing forward at Naruto.

Naruto blew out a breath as he barely got out of there with minimal damage. "I hate this war. I want to stop it as well. I'm just too young to do anything about it yet. I promise. But that's why I let the first two get away. I was trying to do the same with you but you won't stop attacking me." said Naruto as the girl looked at him with curiosity as he seemed truthful.

However the girl didn't believe Naruto and went through several hand seals.

"Dog, Boar, Tiger, Ox, Rat, Bird." thought the girl going through those hand seals in succession. She then placed a hand by her mouth, which bloated a little as she prepped her technique.

"Yoton: Yokai no Jutsu (Lava Style: Melting Apparition Technique)" thought the girl as she released a huge amount of molten hot lava from her mouth. The lava released into a thin sheet above Naruto and it began to fall down to the earth above him.

"The way the lava came out was to stop any chance of jumping up to avoid it. I could go backwards to get away but then again I'd probably be caught. Guess there's no use." thought Naruto as he ran through five hand seals, ending in the tiger seal. Naruto's chest puffed up as he prepared his counter.

"Suiton: Suijinheki (Water Style: Water Encampment Wall)" thought Naruto as he spewed out a tremendous amount of water that stopped the lava dead in its tracks, while also cooling it down rapidly, hardening it into rock.

The girl looked impressed that Naruto stopped her technique but didn't prepare to stop there. However, as she was running through her hand seals for her next technique, she stopped due to Naruto appearing before her.

"I didn't even hear him approach." thought the girl as Naruto tackled her and sent her to the ground.

"Get Down!" shouted Naruto as he and the girl fell to the ground due to Naruto's efforts. Once on the ground, a huge beam of energy flew past the spot exactly where she was standing. Once the threat passed, Naruto helped the girl up as he looked out to see Yagura about to finish off the last of the shinobi he was taking care of.

Naruto looked back into the girl's eyes as he spoke with more urgency. "Please. Get out of here. I don't want to see you get hurt." said Naruto as the girl looked at him for a second.

"It seems he really is serious about this..." thought the girl before turning around and jumping into the woods. Before fully out of sight, the girl turned around to talk with Naruto once more.

"Mei. Mei Terumi. My name is Mei Terumi." said Mei as Naruto smiled at her.

"Naruto Hozuki. It was a pleasure meeting you. I hope to see you in the future. And maybe in a future that is free of Yagura." said Naruto as Mei smiled back him.

"Naruto. I'll remember you." thought Mei as she took off and disappeared through the woods.

Naruto stared at the spot he saw Mei last for several minutes before Yagura showed up, unscathed from his battle with the three shinobi.

"Seems we took out a group of lava release users. Did you kill anyone Naruto-kun? You don't look hurt but you seem like you've been in a battle." said Yagura as he looked at Naruto sternly. "Did one of them get by you?"

Naruto shook his head no. "Ran into a tiger. I fought it off and it took off into the woods. It seems those three were all tigers. I'm assuming the group kept them as pets." said Naruto as Yagura seemed skeptical at first but nonetheless nodded his head.

"That's fine Naruto. Let's get back. Even though you didn't get a chance to battle anyone. I'm sure you would have been ready. Come on, we have a long run ahead of us." said Yagura as Naruto nodded his head before following behind his Kage.

"Mei Terumi." thought Naruto as an image of the auburn haired girl appeared in his head once more.

Bam. First Chapter done of this story.

Author Note: Naruto is older than the rookie 12. Same age as Itachi. Mei is a year older than Naruto.

There may be more age changes but not many if so.

Once again, I'd like to thank Greenblue22 for the influence to make this story.

Review peepulation...or at least send me a Pm. I crave feedback.

-Hamp Out