This story hasn't been beta'ed, so I apologize for any mistakes. Thank you and I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. But if I had a theoretical way of traveling back in time.. the possibilities.

Childhood - Ninja Style | Part 1

This place. He remembered this orange building. Wasn't it Naruto's home?

It was early in the morning and he was walking beside Yukoha, the medic-nin, who would also now be his 'minder'. As they were on their way to his new flat. It was very disconcerting seeing in a realistic view, what had always been print or anime for him. Everything was so real and alive. People. Not to mention the air, never had he breathed such clean air before coming to this world.

"This will be your place for the time being Akiyo.", said Yukoha while looking around the neighborhood with pale eyes in an unsure way. It certainly wasn't the best real-estate area of Konoha. Dilapidated houses with a more industrial touch to them. Not to mention the garishly orange building whose stairs they started climbing. Alas, orphans weren't choosy I guess.

They came to the second-floor landing and Yukoha produced a key from somewhere and opened a battered looking door. It creaked as it opened. It wasn't as bad as he dreaded.

The door opened up to a sitting area that was connected to a kitchen, forming a mirror image L shape. It thankfully seemed to have the minimum required appliances and gas line. A passage led to a bedroom with an attached bathroom. There was also a storage room on the left side of the passage. He could work with this.

"You might need to clean this up a bit and get settled Akiyo", Yukoha said with a faint smile. "Remember you've to come for medical check-ups every weekend. So we can monitor if you're having any problems due to your" he hesitated a bit, "condition."

Akiyo just nodded his head as he continued to inspect the flat.

"Here." He put some cash on the kitchen table. "Your flat and academy costs have already been paid by the orphan fund. This allowance is only for your food, electricity and academy needs. Spend it wisely Akiyo."

He nodded, "Thank you Yukoha-san for everything."

Yukoha smiled. "It's no problem Akiyo. Come to me if you have any trouble." Those eyes, weren't they part of some famous clan? Some powerful dojutsu? Again he felt like something, some energy, around and inside Yukoha, and it was more intense around his stomach and eyes. Chakra? Was he sensing chakra? But how?

"Yukoha-san can you tell me where can I find the nearest library? And the marketplace?" He asked. Yukoha gave instructions of nearby places he could go for them and even helpfully wrote down the instruction on how to reach the academy, Konoha medical hospital from his place. Of course, a map of the village was strictly regulated due to security concerns.

After ensuring he was settled, Yukoha left.

Now left truly alone for the first time. Akiyo took a deep breath and let it out. To new beginnings huh. He better get started - first clean this place up, then get some food and maybe visit the library and see what all he could find about this world? If only he had truly followed the series in his world. Life certainly would have been easier for him!

No point getting depressed over it now. It was time to begin his quest of finding his way back home.

It was later in the evening and Akiyo was returning to his 'new home'. He had done some grocery shopping on his way back. Very thankful that they sold eggs and bread loaves here because he certainly wasn't a good cook. A skill it seemed he now had to learn, as a five year old. This world certainly wasn't big on parental guidance and child endangerment for sure.

He had spent most of his day in the civilian accessible general library, going through history books and trying to establish a timeline. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be any newspaper type of service here. But then considering he was now in a ninja dominated world, he supposed information was VERY regulated by all parties.

From what he could remember from the manga and his own reading today. It was nearly six years from the Kyuubi attack. That put him firmly in the same generation as Naruto in the timeline. Which was good, because already he had so little information about this world, if timelines were different he would have been totally lost.

He had purchased a notebook and tried to write down anything and everything he did remember about the Naruto world. For safety he wrote everything down in English in a simple cipher code of his own making, he alone would know the key to decipher it. He wouldn't be foolish enough to discount ninja intelligence divisions being able to guess and learn English if they ever came across his notebook. as saying goes - safety first.

So, the first important thing he remembered was Naruto's genin exam, and then there was something about that swordsman with an ice using girl/boy? After that, there was some kind of tournament exam? Chunin exams? He remembered that snake guy being very active during that arc. He had difficulty remembering the exact details. There was a sand jinchuriki and invasion was all the things he could recall of that arc.

Then there was the blonde Hokage, Tsunade from what he could recall and the whole Sasuke mess. Wait! Itachi! Doesn't he massacre his family sometime around now? Shit. He'll have to look into it. But what could he do?

Then came Shippuden storyline after the time skip. He can worry about all that later. Right now he better figure out what's going on in the village currently, the whole Itachi thing and since he was staying in the same building as Naruto. He'll inevitably come across the boy. How should he handle that? It's not every day you came across an anime character you watched on tv in your real life.

He had reached his home building by now and was climbing the stairs and just as he turned on his landing - speak of the devil or should he say demon fox?

There standing on the next stairway was a young boy with spiky blonde hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a white-green shirt and orange shorts. He looked at him with big blue eyes in surprise, and Akiyo didn't know how to react. What was he supposed to do?

"Uhh hi?"

The blonde's eyes if possible grew larger!

"I just moved in today," Akiyo muttered while pointing towards his flat door. Naruto still continued to stare at him while blinking rapidly now. "Uh, do you stay above?"

As the blonde continued to just stare at him, Akiyo raised an eyebrow. That seemed to snap Naruto out of his funk. To suddenly break into a very sunny and bright grin "Yes. I stay in the above flat. What's your name? I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"

Akiyo suddenly recalled why he never liked spending too much time with kids. Groan. Too boisterous, lack of control and just.. And I'm a kid now! I'll be surrounded by kids like this once academy starts. Sh t! It suddenly crashed on him all over again. His current situation. He opened his mouth, then thought better of saying what was on his mind. After all, he was in the presence of a KID.

"Are you alright?" Akiyo started as he suddenly found Naruto peering at him from 3 inches distance.
"Argh.." He sprung apart. "I'm fine. I'm Akiyo." He stuck out his hand. It seemed impossible but the blonde's face grew even brighter, as he vigorously shook hands with him.

A few seconds later Akiyo started feeling awkward, Naruto just looked happy and at ease while continuing to smile away at him. What next? "It's nice to meet you?"

Naruto started bouncing on his feet now, "Same here Akiyo-san! Dattebayo!"

"Just Akiyo is fine."

"You can call me Naruto then!" responded the five-six? year-old cheerfully.

He hadn't even thought about how he would handle Naruto's characters yet. And now suddenly he was in this situation. What to do? But then if they both were to be neighbors for the foreseeable future, having a cordial relationship should be helpful. Besides he was pretty sure Naruto would know the local 'gossip' better than any library book would be able to tell him. Keeping that in his mind he uttered the next few words.

"Would you like to come in?" He asked while walking across and opening his door. "We can have dinner together?" He said indicating towards his grocery bags. Naruto looked shocked for a moment and it looked like his eyes went a bit glassy. Then he seemed to snap out of it and gave him the happiest and brightest smile yet and bounded over to him with a "Yes, thank you Akiyo!"

And that's how he ended up spending the rest of the evening with one Uzumaki Naruto. Listening to him talk about anything and everything about the village, the ninja in them, the civilians and about day to day life in general while Akiyo first cooked, then they ate together and later Naruto helped him clean up after them.

It was only as he was lying down to sleep later that night did Akiyo realize. That he might have just made his first friend in this world. And then he remembered all the trouble Naruto gets into in the coming years and promptly let loose few chosen words.

He looked at his reflection, as it looked back at him while he wrapped a bandage around his ninja trouser bottoms in Naruto's apartment. It had been a few weeks since his first encounter with Naruto and today was going to be their first day at the Ninja Academy.

Naruto was running all over the place between eating breakfast and getting ready for the day. Akiyo kept staring at his reflection, as he completed his wrapping. It was still disconcerting for him to see himself as a kid. Dark hair, silver-green eyes, the average height for a kid his age, was all alright with him. It was the baby fat induced cute face which made him grimace. He missed his sharper looks of adulthood. Dattebayo! Groan, being around Naruto sometimes made using the word contagious.

"Akiyo, I've lost my ninja sandals, on no oh no oh no.."

He pointed underneath the kitchen table and Naruto gave him a sheepish look before going to put them on.

Akiyo got up and moved towards the door and left; he could hear Naruto following him in a hurry. "Do we have to leave this early Akiyo?"

"We shouldn't be late for our first day Naruto. Besides, I think the Hokage is going to be there to welcome the new students."

"Oh, Jiji! I can't wait to learn all super cool ninja Jutsu and show everybody that Uzumaki Naruto is the best ninja in the village! Dattebayo!"

"I'm sure you'll Naruto," Akiyo muttered as they continued to make their way towards the academy.

The last few weeks had been spent with Akiyo trying to understand the world he was stuck-in currently and his own new weird energy awareness ability. He had made some progress between the library & discussing things with Yukoha.

He had convinced Naruto that being fit would be advantageous for them as ninjas. So everyday morning they had decided to run in the woods, work out and even did target practice by using pebbles. Then after a shower, they would have breakfast together in one of their flats (Akiyo put his foot down when it came to ichiraku's every day), then Akiyo would leave for the library, Naruto sometimes tagged along, other times he went on his way to explore the village, trying to play with the other kids, who knows what else the gaki was up to. At evenings Akiyo would ensure he taught Naruto the basics of Kanji and their other academic requirements. It was a challenge to keep it interesting. But Akiyo didn't want Naruto to be a helpless 'dobe' as the village had let him be in the manga!

Naruto's presence had grown on Akiyo over the past month. It was good to have a friend around and to be honest behave like a kid at times with Naruto. It was one of the best ways for him to keep his depression of homesickness and emotional break downs at check. Naruto was so bright and happy go lucky kind of kid; even while facing all the cold discrimination from the villagers which Akiyo had observed. He couldn't help but feel inspired and try to be normal. At least for Naruto's sake, as he quickly found out, he was Naruto's only friend as well.

Not to mention he had a goal now. To understand what had happened to him and work towards finding a way back home. Maybe help Naruto along the way, though every time he thought about the dangers Naruto would face in the future. It terrified Akiyo. He had never faced something like mortal peril in his life. Besides his martial arts competitions and regular schoolyard bullying, Akiyo had led a very sheltered life.

"We're here!" Naruto exclaimed, before latching onto Akiyo's hand and dragging him through the front gates of the academy to where Akiyo could see the Hokage standing and greeting all the new students and parents alike.

"Yo, what's new Jiji!"

The Hokage turned towards them and smiled. "Hello, Naruto, Akiyo. Ready for your first day?"

"You bet Jiji! I'm gonna be the best ninja in Konoha! Dattebayo!"
"Good morning Hokage-sama. I hope you're doing well?" Akiyo responded respectfully. He could see the other parents, especially civilians grimacing while looking at Naruto. It really angered Akiyo that such blatant, child abuse - mental torment for sure, was being allowed to take place by everyone. Even the Hokage didn't do as much as Akiyo thought he should be doing to protect Naruto from this blatant stupidity.

"I'm well Akiyo and I heard from Yukoha that you're doing good as well." the Hokage replied while looking at Naruto with amusement.

"Hokage-sama, everyone is here and ready." a young Umino Iruka told respectfully.

"Very well", the Hokage turned to address everyone at large, "Welcome new students to your first day in the Ninja Academy. Looking at all your bright and eager young faces, fills my old and weary heart with hope, knowing that the Will of Fire lives on in each and every one of you… "

As the Hokage continued to speak and Naruto fidgeted impatiently beside him; Akiyo took a deep breath and focused hard on the chakra in him, around him and everywhere. Steady breathing and focus. The world suddenly lite up for him. Well not literally, it was difficult to describe what he was feeling. It was like he had developed a sixth sense after coming to this world. He could feel all the energies around him like a normal person can know if someone was standing behind him or staring hard at him, even while not looking, you felt the presence. Similarly, he could feel everyone around him because he could sense their chakra and some other energy that interacted with everything in this world. It was an amazing feeling!

Unfortunately, it took a lot of concentration and focus for him to feel everything nearby this way. His range was still very small, a mere few feet all around him. From what he had deduced so far, traveling through dimensions had made his body (cells?) extra sensitive to energy. And he also realized his body it seems did produce chakra. Just that as he didn't have a tenketsu-chakra system to regulate the chakra around his body, it meant he couldn't mold chakra nor could he direct chakra internally in his body.

Thus making it impossible for him to be able to do any kind of ninjutsu. Too bad.

But still for a normal human being, being able to sense all the energy around him was an amazing development and he was a student of science, that meant - experiments!

He had first started trying to understand where was his body generating chakra. He realized that it was everywhere. His entire body, maybe in the cellular level generated chakra. And he could control when to expel that chakra from his body. And with little more meditation and focus training, he found out that he could exert some control over the chakra he released from his body and through it the environment energies around him. Though it was not at all easy to do it.

Trying to control 360 deg all the chakra which was released from every pore of his body in all directions. He just didn't have the focus for it currently. So he concentrated on the chakra being released around one region. Like one of his hands, which he excitedly discovered he could control more, the small amount of chakra releasing just from his hand. But what could he do with the chakra he could control?

He didn't know if he could turn it into ninjutsu? As he didn't think he could just transform the chakra nature into anything. Then what? Genjutsu was his hypothesis at the moment. But for that, he needed to understand the chakra theory better. Just how was ninjutsu possible? What happened with the chakra to make them work? So many questions. Hence he was looking forward to finally getting access to teachers and the academy library to learn more about chakra theory and use.

As obviously there was very little about it in the civilian library. And you weren't allowed inside the ninja library until you became a genin. He was looking forward to his first day at the academy.

He heard clapping suddenly, guess the Hokage is done with his welcome speech. The chunin teachers suddenly came forward and started directing them to their classroom. He turned towards Naruto and gave him a smile which Naruto returned brightly.

Oh yes, they both were excited, alright!

Iruka-sensei was giving a 'welcome to Ninja academy' speech and then it seemed he would explain the syllabus. They were sitting in the back left corner of the class, Akiyo had chosen to sit here besides a pineapple hairstyle kid, must be a Nara, if he recalled correctly. They all were supposed to have a genius-level of IQ and not to mention had a decent reputation as a clan. Akiyo wanted to be in good terms with the Nara clan in the future. Especially Shikamaru, once he would join the academy (He had forgotten how young Naruto had been when he was enrolled in the academy compared to his peers). He knew he would need some genius-level aptitude people to help him out if he wanted to figure out a way to get back home.

Naruto yawned and started fidgeting, "This is boring." He whispered. Akiyo shrugged, he couldn't really help it. Naruto started making a paper ball, ah pranks, wasn't he famous for them? Now should he let him go ahead with it or not? Hmm decision decision.

He tapped his pencil and wrote on his notebook - try to think of a way to throw it while pinning the blame on someone else or it would be even better if Iruka-sensei couldn't figure out who did it. Ramen this weekend if you can execute it by Friday. Naruto read it and looked towards Akiyo with a fire burning in his eyes. Challenge accepted it seems. That would keep him busy for the rest of the week.

He turned around to find the dark eyes of the Nara boy looking at him with amusement. He raised an eyebrow and the Nara kid let out a sigh, "bothersome". Before slumping to look like he was asleep. Akiyo rolled his eyes.

Time to pay attention to the lecture.

It would seem the syllabus was a mix of civilian and ninja studies. The morning half would be dedicated to subjects like - Science, Anatomy & Chakra theory, Elemental nations history, Mathematics, and Civilian & Shinobi laws. Then, post-lunch they will have a mandatory physical fitness class for an hour. After which they would be taught chakra control and hand signs (pretty useless for him). The last class of the day would be alternating everyday between learning academy taijutsu katas and weapons practice.

He was looking forward to the chakra theory classes the most, he desperately needed to find out if he could do something with his unique energy sensing and chakra manipulation abilities. After all, if he was going to stay friends with Naruto, his life may just depend on it.

It had been a few weeks and now Akiyo had started to settle into a routine with his life. Every morning he and Naruto would go on a run and work on their endurance and speed. Come back and get ready for the academy. After that, at the evenings they would sometimes play in the park near the academy with other children, though Naruto was mostly ignored by all. Akiyo sometimes stayed in the academy library to read up and understand about chakra.

Every night Akiyo made sure that Naruto had understood what was taught during the day in the academy. Force it on Naruto if he tried to avoid; it was not a very popular idea with the blonde boy. But Akiyo supposed he was so elated that someone was pushing him to study like he had seen parents do to other kids, that he was putting up with it and making an effort just due to the novelty of the experience.

Akiyo himself had made some progress with his goals. The theoretical and civilian side of his education was a breeze for Akiyo, it was just basic stuff for someone of his 'mental' age. It was the ninja studies which was all new for him and was an interesting experience.

He realized that even though right now he was keeping up with his classmates; in the future it might get difficult for him, once they started augmenting their bodies with chakra. As he wouldn't be able to do it, due to not having a chakra network in his body to enhance himself via a chakra system.

He had had a discussion about it with Yukoha-san during his medical check-ups and they had theorized that since his body did generate and have chakra everywhere but just that he couldn't direct it. Maybe training with weights would help his body grow stronger and make the chakra in his muscles work to augment them over time.

But of course, as a growing kid, it was not advised for him to use training weights just yet. But that's how the discussion had led towards the topic of using gravity seals and fuinjutsu. It had taken the combined efforts of him, Yukoha-san and Naruto to get the Hokage to agree to create a basic gravity seal for Akiyo. Smelling an opportunity, Akiyo had requested the Hokage for permission, if it would be possible for him to learn fuinjutsu? And seeing as how that was a necessary and important subject which was on a declining trend, the Hokage had allowed him to study it in a supervised manner.

That led to Akiyo going every Saturday to Konoha hospital not just for his check-ups but also for studying fuinjutsu basics from scrolls and books while in Yukoha-san's office. It also led to Akiyo picking up medical tips and helping out with small jobs in the hospital itself. It was a useful experience for him, as he wanted to learn more medical jutsu and techniques to understand what changes had happened to him during his dimensional jump.

He was also practicing in their one-hour chakra control classes to try and exert some control over parts of his chakra after he dispelled them outwards. And see what he could do with it. It was very slow going progress at the moment.

Sundays were a day off. Which was why you could find Naruto and Akiyo sitting on top of the Hokage mountain with a picnic basket and relaxing right now.

"Ano Akiyo" Naruto started hesitantly, "Is it true that you can't be a ninja? Please tell me it's a lie!"

Akiyo looked up and towards a worried-looking Naruto, "Who said that?"

"Yui and Sara were talking about it in the academy."

Akiyo sighed, "Naruto, you heard about my condition when helping me get fuinjutsu permission from Hokage-sama right?"

"You don't have chakra… system?" asked Naruto with a scrunched up look.
"Yes, I don't have chakra pathways, that means I can't perform ninjutsu like everyone else."
Naruto looked horrified.
"That means it's true and you cannot be a ninja!" Naruto exclaimed and to Akiyo's shock, there were tears in Naruto's eyes "I wanted us to be Ninjas together Akiyo. The best of Konoha. Naruto and Akiyo. Two orphans who went on to become Hokage and a legendary ninja!"

"And that dream will come true Naruto. Ninjutsu isn't the only thing that makes a Ninja. I can do other things and I still have chakra. I just don't know how to use it yet in a different way. But I'll find a way to use it! I won't give up and I won't quit. That…" Akiyo decided to take a page out of Naruto's own book."That is my ninja way. My nindo. Believe it!"

He looked at Naruto with determination. No way was he going to give up on his dream to one day being able to return home. And along the way hopefully, help Naruto with his own challenges till he was here.

Naruto looked at him with a slightly awed look on his face, he wiped away his tears and a look of absolute determination filled his features. "Then I'll help you with it Akiyo nii-san! And we'll together be the best ninjas ever. It's a promise of a lifetime. Dattebayo!"

By the end, Naruto was smiling brightly again with excitement filling his face as Akiyo returned his smile with his own. They both stood there with Konoha as their background and all four Hokages below them to bear witness to the beginning of a remarkable journey between two friends, brothers… Shinobis.

A silhouette of a similar dream shared between two legendary ninjas, made at this very same location could be seen if anyone had looked there in that moment.

"Uh.. Akiyo?"

"Hmm"

"How do we become super cool ninjas?"

"By being geniuses of hard work Naruto.. By being geniuses of hard work."

A/N: Reviews and suggestions are welcome. Thank you again; Peace & Prosper.