Arvum

by: Hana Maki

Chapter I ~ Iterum~

"Sometimes the slightest things change the directions of our lives, the merest breath of a circumstance, a random moment that connects like a meteorite striking the earth. Lives have swiveled and changed direction on the strength of a chance remark."

― Bryce Courtenay

Blood.

Smoke.

Ash.

He could smell it everywhere, suffocating him, in the surrounding air, on the burning buildings, and on whatever was left of the structures of a once great village surrounding him. The worst of the scents leaking out of the bodies of his childhood friends, his fellow comrades, of innocent people lying battered and destroyed beyond recognition in the blood soaked mud.

The man made - no- the monster made crater he was standing in was all that was left of the battle, the war, that had ravished his beloved village. The war that had gone on for far too long, had finally been won.

But it had come at a heavy, devastating cost.

Alone.

The lone survivor.

Even his life-long companion, Kurama, had been taken alongside the other tailed beast. It would be years before any of them reformed.

Only he remained of what once was a promising future, of a generation believed to be almost indestructible, a new era of everlasting peace. What foolish, naive thoughts those had been.

As he stood there, surrounded by the bodies of lives lost, he felt cold, wet drops fall on his tear streaked face. It managed to bring him out of his daze. He couldn't remember when it had started to rain.

Looking up toward the heavens, all he saw was black clouds so thick from the smoke that he couldn't even tell if it was day or night.

It was strange, but he could swear that the rain smelled of blood and ash as well. He couldn't find the strength to leave, to find shelter from the cleansing cascade in spite of it. The bitter coldness of the water made him feel even more alive, and all the more sorrowful for it.

The rain extinguished the final flames of numerous, destructive jutsus left from the battle.

The stench of damp, burnt wood and hints of sulfur being carried in the smoke of the buildings, charred trees, and even of the citizens and shinobis of his village hit his senses, awakening them.

He begun to finally be aware of the sounds of creaking, collapsing structures losing their support beams as they had turned to ash.

The pitter-patter of the rain sprinkling down from the heavens and landing; forming puddles in the several ditches and holes left in the aftermath of the war.

Screams and cries of innocents as they echoed in obliterated landscape... battle cries of his comrades... of the enemy who had fallen to the last of their might.

The loudest of all these noises was the harsh, rasping sound that he hadn't immediately identified as his own, until he realized that it was the very resonance of his labored breathing. Of the metallic scented air being pushed in and out of his punctured lungs and nose, reminding him that he still lived while the rest had perished.

Why?

The very question reverberated within his worn being. Why couldn't he have the reprieve and solace found in death?

Why was he still painfully alive and when all the others were... dead?

Even the cursed Uchiha had been laid to rest.

Madara had taken everything in his madness, in his search for his derange conception of peace. Only this burning wasteland remained in his wake.

Naruto fell to his knees, his legs unable to sustain his weight any longer. The ashes permeated air burned his red-rimmed eyes, drying them and creating more irritation and pain. He hated it.

A gleam of a remaining kunai, stained in blood, caught the attention of deadened cerulean orbs.

The blond reached toward it and clenched it tightly in his hands, his knuckles whitening. He slowly brought it up to it his chest, dead center over his heart; the sharp tip biting into his exposed skin since his favorite orange jacket had been discarded near the end of the battle.

In his final moments of coherent thought, the young blonde shinobi wished to have been able to change the outcome. If only he and the others had known what the future had in store, this utter waste of precious life would never had come into fruition.

Yet, they had been ignorant and foolishly believed in their current strength, while the enemy had only increased theirs.

The Akatsuki, Orochimaru, Madara, Black Zetsu, and... Sasuke.

Their own agendas destroyed this land. Ideals that had been so warped and corrupted that their wish for power, vengeance, and peace had only created more pain, more suffering.

It's not fair, Naruto thought, his eyes taking a final glance of what once was his cherished home, his village, his Konoha.

He plunged the kunai deeply within his scarred chest, as his final tears fell from his eyes. The fresh pain forcing a cry from his chapped, cut lips.

It shouldn't have ended like this. If only I had down things different, none of this would have happened. I'm sorry everyone... I'll see you soon.

A heavy thud resounded in the stale air as Naruto's body slumped forward, lodging the kunai deeper into his chest when he hit the blood caked ground.

His eyes began to glaze over as memories of past, distant days flashed in front of them. They ultimately settled on one image as his eyesight began to dim.

The framed picture of his genin team. Team Seven.

Sakura, smiling happily at the camera.

Kakashi, holding onto the top his head and the Uchiha's as his visible eye curled up smiling.

Sasuke, frowning and glaring.

I wished I could go back to when things had been so much easier. When all of them were still with me.

Rain began to pelt the earth in a tempestuous rage, as if despairing of the coming loss.

Far too soon, darkness consumed him.

The labored breathing that had dominated his senses finally stopped... forever.

The blond never noticed the burst of light coming from within the dark clouds, descending slowly toward him. He never saw the white shining essence forming over him as the light grew closer, sucking him in.

Sharp, piercing cerulean eyes snapped open before immediately shutting as a bright light blinded them. Slowly, they opened once again, getting accustomed to the illuminating light that had been far too strong for his liking.

Clutching his head in pain as he heaved himself up in a sitting position, Naruto winced even more as his whole body felt as bad as his brain, if not worse.

What just happened? All he could remember was a dark abyss and then a bright light…

Holding his head as another wave of pain hit him, Naruto realized that it was probably better for him to not recall what had happened. At least, for the moment anyways.

As the wave of pain passed, the Uzumaki finally took this time to study his surroundings.

Naruto took in the sight of rustling, green leaves and warm brown tree trunks. The flutter of life in the forest.

Where am I? Is this heaven? The blonde thought baffled at the sudden change of scenery. He could remember the ashen, desolate earth, and smoking trees. It had been so long since he had seen a healthy, vibrant tree. It brought tears to his eyes.

However, his nostalgic memories came to screeching halt as he felt within him a presence he had sorely missed. And it made itself known. Loudly.

'Brat, stop your sniveling.'

Naruto's cerulean orbs widen in stunned, joyous shock as he immediately recognized the voice, relief flooding through him. 'Kurama? Is that you?'

A snort resounded through the blond's mind. 'Yes, it is I, fleshbag.'

'But how? Weren't you suppose to reform over time? How are you in heaven?'

'Idiot, Bijuu don't go to heaven, we don't have souls. Obviously, you're not in heaven.'

'Bu-But I died! I know I did! Wait, am I in Hell?! I knew you were the devil!' Naruto snarled as he pointed an imaginary accusatory finger at the chakra beast.

Kurama's brow twitched in irritation. 'Shut up and pay attention idiot! You're not in heaven or hell. Simply put, you're not dead.'

'What?'

'I don't know how to explain this, but it seems you come from the future.'

Naruto gaped incredulously at the response. 'Future? What are you talking about?'

Kurama sighed deeply before answering in a very monotone voice, 'Naruto, you're ten years old again.'

A bemused half-chuckle was offered at this statement as the blonde looked down at his body.

He was about to give a retort on how he was in fact a seventeen year old when he realized that his torso was much smaller than he remembered. His widening gaze fell upon tan hands which were in fact much more childlike than they had been before.

As any sane and normal person would do in this situation, Naruto screamed; scaring a murder of crows who flew high into the treetops in a black cawing mass.

'What the hell?! I'm a kid again!'

'That is what I've been trying to tell you idiot.'

'How did this happen? I had killed myself. Why am I kid?'

Picking up on the blond's escalating panic, Kurama said, 'I understand why you're troubled by this, he began, but it seems that you still have a purpose to fulfill brat.'

Naruto closed his eyes at the mention of his so called 'purpose' as the images of Jiraiya, Tsunade, and everyone else flashed in his mind before they were replaced by that of his parents.

They had died too early, alongside all of his precious people, just because of the hatred that ruled the shinobi world which had created Madara and Obito. That eventually led to the destruction of his world as he knew it.

Naruto cerulean eyes dimmed in bitterness. 'Purpose? What purpose? I already failed, they're all dead,' the blond practically hissed at the fox.

'Will be dead, you mean,' Kurama corrected.

'Explain.'

'You didn't just turn into a kid, but in fact you're back in your past self,' he paused momentarily,'you traveled through time.'

A sudden sense of foreboding filled his chest. 'How do you know?'

'Before you awakened, I sensed the presence of the Shinigami. It felt like when your father split my chakra and sealed me within you, but instead of taking, it was giving,' the fox elaborated.

'Giving?' A blond brow rose in inquiry.

'As far as I can tell, when you died in the past, or should I say the future, the Shinigami took your soul and merged it with your present self. I guess you could say your soul traveled through time,' Kurama explained.

'I don't believe it. He granted my wish,' Naruto thought in awe.

'It would seem so,' Kurama replied in an almost amused tone.

A second chance to make everything alright. He couldn't waste it this time around. He would save everyone!

I did promise Ero-sennin and Nagato… And this was maybe his best hope at completing that promise.

As Naruto preened at the realization, the demon fox was quiet for a long moment, in silent contemplation until he realized he had yet to fully inform his jailer of his current situation.

'Hold on brat, there is much you have to take into account.'

'Like what?' Naruto scowled slightly, crossing his arms.

'For one, the sudden change in your gender,' Kurama said with some mirth.

'Gender?' His scowl deepened in confusion.

'You're a girl, idiot.'

'What?!' Screaming inwardly at the orange furred fox, Naruto glanced down at his chest and was horrified to find the smallest of bumps developing under his white shirt. Breasts, he had breasts.

Grabbing the two little mounds on his chest, his blue orbs widened in appalled disbelief. 'What the hell is this?!'

'Believe me now?' Kurama growled sarcastically, greatly enjoying the new developments with his container.

Naruto glared at the two prepubescent mounds before another unsettling thought came to mind. With growing dismay, cerulean orbs locked onto the red shorts he was currently wearing as he slipped his hand between his thighs and... all the blood in his face immediately drained.

Where the hell is Little Naruto?!

'We have already established what happened to Little Naruto,' Kurama sneered in amusement, completely uncaring of the blonde's emotional breakdown.

The once boy didn't reply, unconsciously blocking the fox out entirely as he -she?- tried to wrap his mind around what was happening to him.

Sighing Kurama growled again, 'I have an inkling as to why the Shinigami turned you into a female, but I'll let you come to your own conclusion.'

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, and furiously scratched the back of his head. 'That's not fair, Kurama! How am I going to explain to the old man I'm a girl?'

'Just say that your blond monkey father sealed away your gender to protect you, but the seal suddenly stopped. You're a little kid they'll believe whatever you tell them, especially since none of the mind walkers will be allowed to enter your memories because of me,' the chakra beast said with a roll of his crimson eyes, already exasperated with the whole situation.

Naruto sighed as he ran a hand through his blond hair, hair he now realized was much softer and fell down his shoulders in a elegant golden cascade; no resemblance to the spiky mess it had once been, besides the shade of blonde. Damn, he really was a girl.

A heavy, resigned sigh escaped him, or rather her.

'I guess so, but I should tell the old man about the future. If he knows he'll be able to help me fix all of this!'

'I don't think that's such a good idea, brat.'

'Why not!?' Naruto practically exploded, his nerves frazzled beyond belief.

'No one will believe that you're from the future. They'll sooner turn you over to the mindwalkers, consequences be damned, than believe you.'

Naruto reluctantly conceded to the fox's point. He should have guessed that, he supposed. Nothing was ever so easy for him.

The young blonde chose to not respond as he looked around once again. Not recognizing where he was, he asked Kurama.

'We're just outside the Village Gate. You had done another one of your pranks that led to you going outside the wall to escape your pursuers. You should head to the Hokage and inform him. The sooner your sudden change in gender is acknowledged, the sooner we can start our plans,' the orange furred fox responded.

'What plans?' A frown marred Naruto's whiskered face.

'Plans to stop the future from happening as it once did.'

Naruto couldn't quite help the small grin that tilted his feminine lips as he staggered to his feet, tugging absently at the childhood clothing that hung off his thin frame.

He hadn't felt happy in a long time, and it had been even longer since he had shown it openly, but this was it.

This could be everything he had ever wanted, and the best part was that his younger self could grow up, ascend the ranks, and become Hokage without half as much suffering as he had gone through.

This time, Uzumaki Naruto would have his friends around him, supporting him, and there would be no war to take away the millions of lives that had been lost in that other timeline.

He would not fail this time! Even if he was a girl...

"So what happened?" The elder Hokage asked again wearily, a headache beginning to build in his temple.

The small blonde sitting before him sighed as she repeated what she had just said.

"I told you, after I finished pranking Mr. Kawashiro in the market, I ran off to the forest just outside the gate. I was going to hide out until the others stopped chasing me. While I was waiting, I thought it would be a good idea to practice working on my clone jutsu."

Naruto informed the elder man, retelling the story that Kurama and she had come up with. She just hoped that the old man would buy it without being too suspicious, so she continued with her fabricated tale.

"Well after a little while, I started to feel real tired, but I wasn't going to give up until I could make one good clone. I concentrated so hard that my chakra went from its normal bluish color to a really dark red one."

"Red?"

Now the Hokage was really starting to worry. Red chakra never resulted in anything good. Just recalling the malevolent crimson chakra from ten years ago brought shivers down his spine.

"Yeah, I felt so powerful, like I could anything!" Naruto exclaimed with child-like exuberance.

The Hokage quirked an eyebrow at the declaration. "I see... what happened next?"

Naruto scratched the back of her head while gathering her thoughts. "Well, you see... that's where it gets a little weird." the young girl continued to say, "My body felt really hot all of a sudden and then I passed out. When I woke up, I was like this. Totally freaked me out, old man!"

A wary chuckle passed Hiruzen's aged lips as he imagined the child's reaction to the abrupt change in gender before his thoughts darkened.

Such changes to the body could only have a few explanations, but since Naruto was the container of the Nine-Tailed Fox most of those were narrowed down to the Bijuu which never fared well. He decided to remove any further doubt and check the seal himself before doing anything else.

The elder beckoned the girl closer. "Naruto, come here and lift up your shirt. I want to see your stomach."

Already knowing where this was heading, the blonde did as asked without any questions.

"Okay, now channel some of your chakra. Not the red one though, just your regular chakra," Hiruzen clarified, not wanting any chance of a seal mishap to alert his shinobi.

When the inked seal appeared at the influx of chakra in the center of her abdomen, the Sandaime breathed a sigh of relief.

'Well, the seal seems slightly changed, but it's stable and still working as it did before. I'll have to ask Jiraiya to come and have a look at it. Everything seems to point to the seal in this circumstance.'

After telling her to lower her shirt back down, Hiruzen took the time to examine the blonde child's new feminine features and was pleasantly surprised to find that Naruto made a much cuter girl than he did a boy.

He pitied Iruka.

The poor Chuunin would have gray hair just stressing over the girl when she grew older. There was no doubt in the Sandaime's mind that this girl version of Naruto would grow up to be just as beautiful, if not more so than her mother, Kushina, had been. The poor man would be beating back the boy's with sticks and kunai's.

"You're handling this quite well, Naruto. Another person in your position would have started to have a panic attack," the Hokage commented as he realized the unusual calmness in the child.

Naruto grinned brightly as Kurama snickered internally thinking about the hour long breakdown the blond had when he first discovered the loss of Little Naruto.

"Yeah, well it kinda reminds me of my Sexy Jutsu. No big deal, I'll still be a great a Hokage whether I am a boy or a girl!"

Sarutobi smiled fondly at the boy-erm, girl, who was able to quickly bounce back from this whole ordeal.

After a long drawn out sigh, the Sandaime said, "I want you to have a check up with a medic. Just to make sure everything is okay and there will be no more surprises, alright?"

"Sure thing old man lead the way!"

The duo reached one of the many offices held within the hospital and entered without so much as a knock. The doctor, who was filling out a some paperwork behind his desk, saw his sudden visitors and immediately stood up before bowing in respect to his leader.

"Hokage-sama, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" The man then also noticed the little blonde peeking from behind the elder and gave a welcoming, friendly smile. "Oh, why hello there little miss. There's no need to be so shy. My name's Doctor Seiji. What may your name be?"

Feeling encouraged by the man's amiability, Naruto stepped out from behind Hiruzen, but didn't say a word. There was no need to after all.

The medic could then clearly see the whisker marks that adorned the little girl's face, and a shocked gasp escaped him.

"Na-Naruto? What- I mean...?" Seiji's warm brown eyes were wide as an owl's as he glanced in confusion between the grimacing Hokage and frowning child.

Taking pity of the poor man, Hiruzen addressed the stunned doctor.

"Good afternoon, Seiji. As you can tell, something strange happened to young Naruto here. I would like you to give her a thorough check up to make sure nothing else is amiss," he added the last part with extra emphasis, indicating that this was possibly a matter concerning the Bijuu.

Seiji quirked an eyebrow at the underlying tone of the Sandaime, but nodded anyway. He then turned his attention to the fidgeting blonde and asked her to take a seat on the bed on the opposite of the room. Naruto easily complied with a small smile.

"Now Naruto, please tell me everything leading up to and after this change happened."

So the young Jinchuuriki did as such. She trusted the old man to ask someone of his utmost confidence to help with this situation. He hadn't let her down yet, after all.

After the explanation of her sudden womanhood, Seiji asked Naruto to lay down before proceeding to make a few hand seals, which resulted in his hands being covered in a familiar sheen of green medical chakra that Naruto was all too accustomed to. His hands hovered over her body, taking a tad longer on her stomach, before resuming in his examination.

Several minutes later, Seiji was done and carefully noted all of his findings on a piece of paper attached to his clipboard. This continued for a couple more minutes before Hiruzen was finally frustrated with the lack of information.

"So, Seiji, is there anything else to take note of with our young friend here?" He asked while placing a calming hand on top of the little blonde's head.

A gesture Naruto greatly appreciated, seeing as she hadn't seen the elder Hokage in over four years based on her previous timeline. She was proud of the fact she hadn't become a sobbing mess when she first saw him sitting on his desk, complaining the day away about his paperwork.

"Hmm... Well there is nothing wrong exactly with Naruto, Hokage-sama. In fact, she's very healthy," Seiji answered while absentmindedly putting the tip of his pen in his mouth, a habit he had developed when he got too deep in thought.

"So, there is nothing bad regarding this change?" Hiruzen reiterated again, making sure the man knew to what he was referring too.

"No, actually while I was examining Naruto, it seemed that the chakra was reacting more harmoniously than before. It has actually increased the output of her chakra coils, increasing her chakra reserves. They're almost at a Kage level, which at her current age should be physically impossible!" The doctor informed the village leader with clear awe in his tone.

This stunned Hiruzen. Naruto had already chakra reserves normally displayed in Kages!

"Please elaborate further," the elder demanded, but seeing the hesitant look Seiji shot the wide eyed child, he understood the implication, "Naruto, would you please wait outside in the hall for me?"

"Um- Okay, sure thing."

The young Jinchuuriki hid a frown at being kept apart from such an important conversation as she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her, but she remembered she had skills and knowledge from a timeline years away. Enhancing her hearing with some chakra would be a piece of cake.

Once Naruto had closed the door firmly, Hiruzen leveled a serious gaze at the medic.

Understanding the unspoken command, Seiji began to speak about his findings, "From the diagnostics I performed, Naruto's body didn't show any signs of distress or foreign chakra besides that of the Bijuu."

"What does this mean exactly?"

"In plain words, as a medic, I didn't find any signs that pointed that at some point in time, Naruto was anything, but a girl. He, or she, has every female organ working perfectly fine. Her hormone levels were just where they need to be in a female in accordance to her current age. If I hadn't known Naruto was boy before hand, I would swear that you had brought me his female twin. I've never seen anything like this."

Seiji's eyes flashed momentarily as he said the final thing he discovered.

"And whatever caused this change, it's permanent."

The Hokage harshly swallowed this information, before bringing up another point with the doctor.

"I know you're well versed on my predecessors seal, so was there anything different about it?"

The doctor nodded. "Actually yes, but from the notes Jiraiya-sama left me with after I was assigned as Naruto's personal doctor, the seal is functioning as it normally does. The Kyuubi is safely contained

Seiji paused as if thinking over something before continuing to say, "I have one theory in regards to this whole situation, but I'd rather hear your opinion on the matter."

Hiruzen inclined his head politely at the man. "Please, speak your mind."

"Well, it appears that this was the first time Naruto ever channeled the Kyuubi's chakra. This may be a bit farfetched, but Yondaime-sama may have sealed away the child's true gender as a means to protect her. The usage of the fox's chakra could have broken the seal placed on the child, reverting Naruto back to her original gender."

On the other side of the door, Naruto was listening in to the two adults and sighed in relief at the sudden turn the conversation had taken. Knowing, the old man and Doc Seiji, they'll probably believe Seiji's theory once pervy sage confirms the change in the seal.

Naruto snorted in amusement 'I still can't believe the old man believed me.'

'It was the change in the original seal that probably abated whatever suspicion he might have had. It's both a blessing and curse that I'm sealed within you. If you do anything strange, they're more likely to pass it off as some sort of interference from me than your own actions.'

'True.' The blonde laughed softly aloud. She glanced around the hall, relieved to find it was empty. It wouldn't do for people to think she was insane standing there by herself laughing in the middle of an vacant hall.

Just as she was about to turn her attention back to the conversation inside the room, she caught sight of a large mirror hanging on the adjacent wall. I wonder what I look like...

Not one to let her curiosities remain unanswered, she approached it and was surprised to see the figure staring back at her.

It was shocking, to behold her new body and face. Naruto could not help being amazed at how her features changed every time she made different facial expression.

Though it was her own face, she could tell that she was the prettiest little girl she'd ever seen.

'Don't flatter yourself, brat. You're still an ugly monkey in my eyes.' Kurama scoffed.

Naruto was about to retort with an insult of her own when she heard the Hokage speak again.

"Yes, that is a very sound theory. Truthfully after hearing all this, I'm starting to believe that Minato may have done just that. It sounds like something he would do." Hiruzen mumbled the last part before squaring his shoulders and spoke more seriously.

"I thank you for your time Seiji. I trust that you will keep all of this confidential, and I want whatever notes you have on this delivered to me. It's not that I don't trust you, but if this information reaches the wrong hands, it could quickly become a problem."

Seiji nodded and started to organize all the paperwork. "I understand Hokage-sama. I will have everything safely sealed away and in your hands as soon as possible."

"Thank you. Have a good day, Seiji."

"Likewise, Hokage-sama."

Closing the doctors door, Hiruzen let out sigh. He had been doing that a lot today, he noted with bemusement.

His brown orbs settled on the blonde girl standing across the hall watching him with blue eyes likened to an ocean.

A small smile made its way across his lips as he started to walk away toward the Tower. "Come, Naruto. There is much to do."

Quickly falling into step with him, she asked with a slight tilt of her head. "What do we have to do old man?"

Hiruzen continued the short trek to the Hokage Tower in silence, pondering over the question.

When he reached the doors that lead to his office he turned toward the girl that had remained silent on the walk and said, "It seems that this change of yours is permanent. While I was okay with you living alone as a boy, now as a girl you face more dangers and I can't with a clear conscious leave you alone as you are now."

Settling in on a chair in front of the elder man's desk, Naruto frowned at the statement. "What are you saying old man?"

"I want you to live with someone of your trust. Whoever you believe will be able to understand your change and still treat you no different."

Naruto nodded in understanding. "So like Iruka-sensei?"

The elder Sarutobi shook his head before saying sternly, "Ideally that would be who I would approve of, but as a young girl living with an unmarried man it will cause problems."

Grasping what the man was saying, Naruto had to agree. She figured it would be a little awkward if she lived with Iruka. "Ah, right. So who then?"

"What about any of your classmates you trust? Preferably those with parents as shinobi."

Naruto closed her eyes in thought, going over all her old friends and how their relationships were at this point in time.

There was only one person that came to mind that fit those requirements.

Shikamaru.

They may not have been the closest of friends as kids, but over time they grew closer. There was no one she trusted more than the lazy Nara. It helped that even as a kid he always had the same mentality and outlook his older self had. That guy never changed.

After getting Kurama's approval on the choice, Naruto opened her eyes and said, "Okay, how about Shikamaru Nara?"

Hiruzen thought over all he knew of the young Nara heir and couldn't find any fault with the choice. Besides the boy had a very interesting mother that would do wonders for Naruto now that he was a girl.

Giving a sharp nod, the Sandaime agreed. "Yes, he will do. Cat!"

A white masked figure appeared suddenly in the room at the command. "Hokage-sama."

"Bring me Shikaku Nara, his wife and his son."

"Yes, sir." With a rush of wind and leaves, the ANBU was nowhere in sight.

With the masked operative gone, Naruto voiced another concern of hers after hearing the condition the Hokage was putting on her. "So I'll be living with Shikamaru now? What about the academy?"

Bracing himself for the coming argument, Hiruzen stated with trepidation, "Now, I know how much you like going to the academy with your friends, but right now I think it would be best that you don't attend classes."

"What! Does that mean I won't get to be a ninja? But I have to become Hokage!" Naruto raged, appalled at the man.

"No, that's not what I meant. What I was trying to say is that while you won't go to the classes, Iruka or Shikamaru will bring to you the assignments and deliver them to your teachers. I will personally find you a tutor to teach you the shinobi arts such as Taijutsu or Ninjutsu that can't be taught solely in books or scrolls. Does that sound alright to you?"

At that she relented. "Well I guess... But what about the final exam?"

Hiruzen sighed in relief at the girls compliance."On that day, I will allow you to attend the class in person, but until then I don't want you to be out and about in the village."

The girls face fell with concern. "Will it really be that dangerous for me, Old Man?" Naruto said with wide eyes.

Hiruzen grimaced at the fearful look in the little girl's deep oceanic eyes. "I'm afraid so, my dear. Only as a shinobi under my command can I take certain measures that will enable you to move freely within the village. Until then, please keep a low profile."

"I understand. Thank you Hokage-sama."

"Think nothing of it, it's my duty as Konoha's Fire Shadow to protect and encourage the growth of all its leaves and saplings." The man smiled kindly at the girl, relieved to see she was so understanding of the situation.

A knock sounded on the door, and three very baffled Nara's shuffled through the entryway, curious to know why their leader had called them.

"Ah, Shikaku, Yoshino and young Shikamaru, please come in."

The three bowed respectfully, "Hokage-sama".

"Now this may seem very sudden, but I have something to request of you..."

"So you're really a girl?" Shikamaru ventured to say as he and his parents took a certain blonde home with them.

"Yup!"

The Nara heir sighed at the cheery reply. "Man, what a drag... once everyone finds out about this it'll be so dramatic and bothersome."

Naruto laughed brightly at the expected response from the boy. "Oh, cheer up Shikamaru. Besides I can't go into the village until I take the Genin exam, so you got like three years of peace and quiet until then."

The dark haired boy raised a brow at the information, "How come?"

"The old man said it would be too dangerous for me to go into the village as a girl, whereas when I was disguised as a boy I avoided certain attention apparently."

Shikamaru frowned at what that 'certain attention' implied. Very troublesome.

Glancing over at the smiling blonde bouncing alongside him, the young Nara heir knew that his days of peace and tranquility had ended the second his parents agreed to shelter Naruto in their home.

He had seen the excited gleam his mother had at the request, and all but jumped at the opportunity to have another girl in the household. Probably to have her boundless energy combat the lackadaisical attitude of her husband and son.

Man, what a drag... Shikamaru sighed. An action copied by his father as the pair of Nara men watched in growing misery as their matriarch practically drag the little blonde girl, who now lived with them, toward their clan compound.

Life as they had once known it had changed.

Troublesome indeed.

This idea would not leave me alone until I wrote it down!

I know I shouldn't start another story... but I can't help myself!

I will not abandon any of my Naruto stories, regardless of how long it takes me to update! I shall finish them!

Please be patient with me and my updates!

Well, now that I got that out of the way...

A few things I should mention of the bat!

In this world, Kakashi's 23 instead of 26. I made the graduation age 13, so the age difference between them is only ten years. Which in my opinion is easier to work with than a thirteen year age difference.

If there are any questions, please PM. I don't normally respond to review questions unless it's through a message.

Well, until next time dear reader. Don't forget to review and follow!