BP: I have been following Naruto storyline for a while now, and I decided to write one of my own. Unfortunately, for those who have read my other fics, I hit a writer's block and I still need to write out important scenes before I can post it.

Talking to Core AI about his upcoming Naruto fanfic has inspired me to write my own Naruto fanfic as well as a break from my other stories.

I would have a different plot from his fanfic, of course.

For those Naruto fans, I hope you would give me a chance.

Warning: May have some Pokémon references. May or may not be eventual yaoi.

From an outsider's perspective, Konohagakure seems welcoming, despite being the most powerful village among the Five Great Shinobi Countries. After all, the shinobis living there weren't militaristic like Iwagakure or cold like Kumogakure. People might say that it wasn't a shinobi village, if not for well-known Hokage Monument being located there.

On October 10th, the village was covered in decorations, celebrating the sixth anniversary of the Kyuubi's defeat. It may look like a happy occasion, but many people still remembered the pain and loss that endured thanks to the Kyuubi and that the Kyuubi wasn't particularly gone. It lived on in one particular kid.

Uzumaki Naruto was an orphan of the Kyuubi attack, with spiky blonde hair, the bluest eyes anyone ever saw and having whisker marks on each cheek. He was wearing a white shirt with short sleeves with an orange swirl on the back and black pants.

His white shirt was currently covered in blood- his blood, as he was running through the streets of Konoha trying his best to avoid the villagers and shinobi in hot pursuit. He heard them shouting things, such as "Die, demon" and "Let's finish what the Yondaime started."

Naruto wondered what did he ever do to deserve such treatment and harsh life.

"Stop please, what did I ever do to any of you?" Naruto asked desperately, running as fast as he could, but thirst and fatigue from running a long time was starting to catch up.

"Oh, please. You know very well what you did. You killed my sister." A civilian replied as he threw an empty sake bottle, which shattered against Naruto's ear, making it bleed. "You defile our village with your presence, but that ends today!" As others cheered at his statement.

Naruto knew that even though he was the epitome of a high stamina, a six-year-old would never be able to outrun them forever, especially since some of them appeared to be Chūnin themselves. He then decided to run into the dark forest nearby, hoping to lose some of them among the darkness, although he knew it wouldn't last long.

He didn't know where he was going, and stumbled across a golden trophy-like container. He felt like it was calling for him and opened it to find what looked like blue liquid inside it. Naruto smiled. At least he got some water. With that thought, he lifted it and started to drink, not noticing or caring that the blue liquid was actually glowing.

As he drank, he thought of how ever since he was born, he was constantly pursued by the villagers and if caught, abused and beaten. Most store owners refused to serve him, kicking him out or sold him rotten merchandise or charged an outrageous price he couldn't afford.

Even in the orphanage was the same, that was until the Third Hokage gave Naruto a small apartment and allowance to live on his own, basically emancipating him as he had no legal guardian to speak of.

Just as he drank the last drop, he yelled out in pain as something was taking over his mind. He had no idea what it was trying to do, but he didn't like it, so he fought back. He thrashed around, trying to do anything to stop the flashes of memories going by in his brain and the pain in his head. His goggles fell to the ground in the process.

Naruto gritted his teeth, berating himself internally. What can he do about this?

'Is this it?' Naruto asked himself while squirming on the ground. 'Is this all my life has in store for me? To be abused by everyone around me just because of something beyond my control, all while…while I can't fight back?'

Deep inside the recess of his mind, an unfamiliar voice said, 'Don't fight it. Accept the pain and all will be explained.'

"A..Accept it?" Naruto repeated before taking a deep breath and relaxed. Still the pain was still present as the boy gritted his teeth to keep from yelling out.

Once the pain had subsided, Naruto took a few deep breaths to recover from the experience, just as a kunai lodged onto his shoulder.

His screams must have alerted them to his location. One of them slammed him against the tree, and before Naruto could react, they were onto him, giving him a merciless beating. He cowered, with his head hurting and feeling nauseous.

'Please stop, please stop, STOP!' Naruto shouted the last word as he fell to the ground, as they smiled and smirked at the results. However, their smiles didn't last for long.

An unseen force tore everyone apart, tearing off their limbs, their torsos, their heads. Laughs turned into screams as they were maimed. Some were even slammed repeatedly against the trees. Naruto didn't notice however, as darkness claimed him.

In a place that could be comparable to the sewers, a boy was waking up he stared at the large bars that were across from him. Naruto looked to see a piece of paper in the center that contained the word 封 on it.

"Hey, are you alright?" A voice asked him.

Naruto turned to see a young man, who had a broad shouldered and lean frame, with neck-length black hair with his fringe combed down. He had brown eyes and was wearing a casual black shirt, dark green jacket and blue jeans. He wasn't in the cage, but he was leaning casually against the cage doors.

"Who are you?" Naruto questioned.

"Oh, sorry. Name's Ashura Red Satoshi Ketchum…just call me Ash." Ash introduced himself.

"Where am I?" Naruto pressed.

"Well, you're in your subconscious. What is the last thing you remember?" Ash tilted his head.

"I remember…drinking a blue liquid I thought was water and the villagers screaming as they were torn apart by something I couldn't see…" Naruto recounted.

"…How much of the liquid did you drink?" Ash asked carefully.

"The entire thing. I was thirsty." Naruto admitted.

"The entire-" Ash spluttered. Inwardly, he was worried about the consequences of drinking the entire thing. "What you drank was the Ruler's Extract, which grants you immense psychic powers, and as a fail-safe, a guide that is most compactible with your personality would appear to you to help you until you master them. I must say, I am impressed you managed to drink the entire thing. A cup would have sufficed."

"And the villagers being torn apart?" Naruto frowned.

"That was just one use of telekinesis. The psychic power must have responded to your fear of them." Ash told him.

"So, I'm a monster after all…" Naruto said, only for Ash to grab him by the shoulders.

"Listen to me! You're not a monster. You simply did what you needed to do." Ash told him firmly. "Also, after tonight, are you sure your goal to be Hokage is even valid?"

"What do you mean by that?" Naruto demanded.

"I mean, you want to be Hokage so everyone would stop treating you like dirt and give you some respect or acknowledgment, right? But why would you care what a bunch of brainless morons who only see you as a monster think of you?"

That got Naruto to stop and think. He did want to become Hokage to get everyone to acknowledge him. After all, being the Hokage meant that one would be the strongest ninja in the village and that the position was one of great respect.

However, when Ash put it that way, he wondered why he even wanted their acknowledgment. What benefits did it even gain him when he pulled all those pranks? Nothing. It seemed to him that it was meaningless after all.

"I just thought it was better to be ignored or hated…" Naruto whispered, but Ash still heard him.

"Naruto, what I'm trying to say is that the only people whose opinion should matter to you are those who actually care for you and care about you." Ash advised. "Being a Hokage means to be the best, yes but there is more to it."

"And you know because…?" Naruto looked at Ash.

"I've been elected as the Prince of my Region because of my skills. Believe me, it's not as glamorous as it seems." Ash shook his head. "You should find out what you really want the most. You may see that it really isn't a title you would want to have. But if it is, then you should strive for it for the right reasons."

Naruto nodded. "Thanks for the talk, Ketchum-san."

"No, just call me Ash." Ash smiled.

Naruto paused, and asked, "By the way, do you know what's behind that?" He pointed to the cage.

"That's the reason why the village despises you." Ash answered darkly.

"How did you know that?" Naruto turned to him sharply.

"I am psychic, remember?" Ash shrugged. "I mean, yes Kurama may have attacked the village, but I feel that it might not have been by choice."

"Kurama?" Naruto was puzzled.

"…The fox has a name you know." Ash sweatdropped. "I mean, when the fox is born or created I am pretty sure the creator didn't name him the Kyuubi."

"He's right, you know. I do have a name." Suddenly, from the other side of the cage appeared a kitsune with nine long swiping tails. It has red-orange fur with black fur around its eyes that stretches to its ears and red irises with black slits for pupils. "No need to fear me, kit." He knew too well of the constant abuse.

Naruto turned to Ash, who nodded. Naruto said to Kurama, "Are you the reason why I'm being attacked by the villagers?"

"So what if I am? Are you going to blame me, hate me?" Kurama huffed.

"No, I can't hate you for things that are out of your control and I won't. I don't believe you attacked Konoha on your own." Naruto said with conviction. "You were angry at the humans who dared to use your power for their own benefit without your say, weren't you?"

Kurama paused with surprise and examined the child that was his latest host, looking for any signs of deception. When he found none, he said, "You're one weird kid, Naruto Uzumaki. You're right, I did attack Konoha but I was manipulated by a Sharingan wielder. Because he couldn't outright defeat me, your father sealed me into you."

"I thought it was the Yondaime who did it." Ash looked confused, but gasped. "That means…"

"Yes, the Yondaime was your father, kit." Kurama finished. "His name was Minato Namikaze."

"What actually happened on that night?" Ash questioned haltingly.

Kurama sighed, but explained what happened in that fateful night six years ago. From when Naruto was born, to a masked man unleashing him and controlling it to attack the village to his father sealing him into the newborn Naruto, dying in the process along with his mum.

Naruto was still frozen absorbing what happened, everything Kurama was telling them. Naruto was at a loss of words as all these was overwhelming.

"Kurama, do you think we could help Naruto?" Ash requested.

"Help? What do you mean?" Kurama scoffed.

"We need to help him control his powers so that he could protect those he loves, and you." Ash answered, walking up to the seal on the cage. "Naruto, do the honors. He doesn't deserve to be in a cage to be used as a weapon. He should be your partner, a friend."

Naruto steeled himself, and opened the cage to let Kurama out.

"Will you really be my friend?" Naruto asked the fox.

Kurama nodded. "Of course, I will take care of you and make you strong so you can protect your precious ones." Naruto jumped into Kurama's paw, as Kurama used a finger to stroke his hair.

"Alright, both of us will get started on your training tomorrow, but you should wake up right now. We still can communicate telepathically, thanks to your new powers." Ash said to him.

Naruto nodded as he soon woke up as he found himself on a hospital bed. Naruto looked to the side as he took in an old man sitting by his bedside.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," he said to the blond.

"Jiji." Naruto said curtly. After hearing Kurama's story, he wasn't sure what to feel with the Third Hokage who definitely knew why the villagers were treating him this way. The Third Hokage knew who his parents were, and whenever Naruto asked him all he said was, "There's no use asking about that. It won't bring the dead back."

On the other hand, he had helped Naruto when needed. Naruto decided to ask about this tomorrow.

Sarutobi flinched slightly at the tone, and said, "I am sorry for what happened to you. If it wasn't for those council members giving me false paperwork, I would have-" Sarutobi said to him. "I wanted to ask, Naruto-kun. What happened to the villagers?"

Naruto sighed. "I don't know. I had my eyes closed when it happened." While it wasn't entirely true, it wasn't entirely false either. He had his eyes closed when he heard the screams and only opened his eyes once to see the aftermath. "But…"

"But?" Sarutobi pressed.

"Well, when I was chased to the dark forest, I was thirsty. I drank from a golden vase and then the villagers descended on me. I heard them laugh, and then screams." Naruto admitted.

Sarutobi nodded. "I believe you, Naruto-kun." After all, he didn't feel Naruto use the Nine-tails chakra to do the deed, so it couldn't have been him. Even if it was, he pitied the boy for having to kill at such an early age. "I'll be staying here in case something happens while you're alone, so get some rest for now."

Naruto nodded as he pulled at the covers on his hospital bed.

"Jiji, may I request something?" Naruto asked him. Sarutobi turned to Naruto, confusion on his face.

"What is it, Naruto-kun?" He asked the boy.

"May I have permission train as a ninja? I want to protect myself from people and those previous to me. I can do it myself, I don't need a mentor." The mentors are both within his subconscious anyway.

Sarutobi shrugged. "I don't see why not. Alright, you can train."

"Thank you." Naruto nodded, as he went to sleep. He could work on the changes he wants tomorrow. 'I, Uzumaki Naruto, am going to soar.'

Sarutobi was surprised at this, and smiled. "He is just like his parents." However, he couldn't help but suspect something was different about Naruto. Was it related to the liquid he drank?

The next day, Naruto was released from the hospital. When he was signing out, he heard, 'That demon boy. He should have died. Damn Lord Hokage.' In his head.

'What was that?' Naruto perked up.

'You're reading minds.' Ash explained. 'It's one of the things you can do with psychic powers. I suggest after you go for your shopping spree, go to the library to read up on the potential things you can do with them. For mind reading, you pick up random thoughts here and there at first. Once you hone mind reading, you can read just about anyone's mind you wish.'

'Kid, the first step towards change is to get some new clothes.' Naruto was about to object, but Ash cut him off. 'No arguments! Your current clothes are too bright and would have easily given your position away in any stealth-based situation. Get some that are better suited for blending in.'

'Yes, Ash.' Naruto sighed.

"What are you going to do, Naruto-kun?" Sarutobi asked the boy.

"I'm going clothes shopping." Naruto muttered. 'They made me do it.'

"Would you like me to come with you?" Sarutobi offered.

Naruto blinked. "Are you sure you aren't busy, Jiji?"

"I think even Hokages deserve a break or two." Sarutobi replied. In reality, he didn't really want to face the paperwork awaiting him, but he's not about to admit that to Naruto.

Naruto glanced at the shopkeeper when they entered the clothing store, who instantly scowled at the sight of him.

"What did I say about coming here you demon, get lost before I-" The shopkeeper started, but was cut off by a voice saying, "Before you what?"

The shopkeeper turned to the left to meet the current Hokage's cold gaze. He gulped at the killer intent that the Hokage was emitting.

"B-Before I give you a really huge discount!" The shopkeeper invented hastily. "H-He is always welcome here!"

Sarutobi narrowed his eyes. "Oh, really? Well then, I am sure Naruto-kun is happy to hear your offer of this huge discount. Right, Naruto-kun?"

"That's right." Naruto gave a sunny smile. Inwardly, however, he was thinking, 'I wonder how much of a discount I can make him give me?'

Naruto's smile went cold as he maintained his cheerful demeanour, going through the store to look at different clothes. He finally selected a black shirt with meshing around the neck area that had grey sleeves and a red swirl at the back along with pants with taped shins that are similar to those worn in the ANBU.

For casual wear, he selected a simple navy-blue shirt with black pants along with a black jacket. Satutobi noted that the outfits he chose were good for camouflage.

Naruto looked thoughtful as he chose a pair of open-toed black boots, knowing he can hide weapons in there as well. He also decided to take a pair of fingerless gloves that are fashioned in a similar style to MMA gloves. Then, he went to the counter to pay for the purchases.

'It would be good to get some steel bracers.' Naruto thought, as he paid for the purchases, which didn't amount to a lot due to the previous promised huge discount. In fact, you could say it was almost free.

He then headed to a weapon shop as he walked in with Sarutobi. Like the last store, the storekeeper could not do anything to the boy under the watchful eye of the Hokage. As Naruto rummaged through the barrels containing the swords, he gripped onto one and felt a certain sinister presence.

'Huh…this katana…' Naruto frowned.

"That katana is…" Sarutobi gasped, recognizing it. "It's the Yin-Yang Kitetsu. It's one of the legendary works of swords craft, comparable to the sword wielded by the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist."

"No way! I can't sell that!" The shopkeeper interrupted, and as the Hokage's eyes landed on him, the shopkeeper said, "No it's not because of the kid, it's just that-"

Naruto, who had unsheathed the katana, said, "It's cursed."

The Hokage blinked at the seriousness in Naruto's voice.

"You knew?" The shopkeeper gasped.

"No. I feel it." Naruto replied. 'Is this part of my psychic powers?'

"Yes, I accept the fact that it's an excellent katana, but they are all cursed. All those who have had ownership of this katana had tragic fates, mysterious deaths." The shopkeeper admitted. "You wouldn't find a single shinobi who would be willing to use this type of weapon because everyone who had used the sword is dead! I wanted to get rid of the damn thing, because of its curse…"

"That's terrible." The Hokage shook his head. "Naruto-kun, you shouldn't-"

"I like it." Naruto grinned as he pointed the sword upwards. "I'll take it, dattebayo."

"Are you stupid? If I sell it to you and you die, wouldn't it be like I killed you?" The shopkeeper exclaimed. 'Although that would be a good thing.' This thought did not go unnoticed by Naruto, but he made no comment.

"Then how about this? I will test my luck against this katana's curse." Naruto replied. "Let's see which one is stronger." With that, Naruto threw the katana up, where it started to fall towards the arm Naruto held out.

"Are you crazy? Its sharpness is the real thing! You'll lose an arm!" The shopkeeper shouted.

"Naruto-kun!" Sarutobi tried to stop Naruto, but Naruto shook his head and closed his eyes.

"Don't worry Jiji, I know what I'm doing, dattebayo." Naruto smiled as the katana fell towards his arm. Just as it reached its arm, the blunt part grazed his arm, completely missed and lodged onto the ground.

A few seconds later, when nothing happened to Naruto's arm, Naruto opened his eyes. "I'll take it."

The shopkeeper was so stunned he fell to the floor, completely at a loss of words. Even the Third Hokage was baffled at the outcome. Could it be that he would be the one to tame this kind of weapon?

Naruto seemed oblivious as he pulled out the katana from the floor. "Should I get one more katana?" He mumbled to himself.

"W-Wait!" The weapons shopkeeper stated, as he ran to the back of the room, and returned with another katana that had a black and gold sheath along with swirling colours that resembled the five elements shinobi could utilize at the tip of the hilt. "This katana is called Seishitsu Kumiawase. It is said that this katana can help the user combine two basic natures in order to create a new one, similar to a Kekkei Genkai. It's not proven yet, but that's the story. It's not much but it's the best katana I have in the store."

"Are you trying to cheat me?" Naruto gave him a look. "I don't have the money to buy a katana that grand."

"No, forget the money." The shopkeeper replied. "And I don't want any money from the weapons you buy here." For the first time, the shopkeeper inwardly gave Naruto something people should have given him: credit. For going against all odds, and beating even the one given by the cursed katana.

'Amazing.' thought Sarutobi. 'I don't think Naruto could be considered just a mere child anymore. He's practically an adult with what he had been through and the cursed sword choosing him must mean he is destined for great things. After all, they say a katana chooses its master.'

'So, what else do you think I should get?' Naruto asked his two guardians.

'Hmm…I think you should get some explosive paper tags and smoke bombs.' Kurama advised.

'Not to mention a decent amount of kunai and shuriken. I mean, sure they are basic weapons, but they can make a good throwing projectile.' Ash suggested.

'Get scrolls as well since you'll need it when you draw seals for storage purposes. It's called Fūinjutsu.' Kurama said in his head.

Naruto nodded absent-mindedly as he grabbed fifty boxes of kunai that contained a set of ten kunai each and grabbed sixty boxes of shuriken that had ten per box.

'Er…isn't that too much?' Ash asked apprehensively.

'Well, it's going to be free, and since that shopkeeper thinks I am a demon, why not take advantage of him as a bit of payback?' Naruto replied.

'He's not wrong.' Kurama admitted, as Ash chuckled in agreement.

Naruto gave a smile as he grabbed numerous explosive tags and smoke bombs as well, before ringing it up to the cashier.

"I guess I could spend it on something else then." Naruto noted, as he carried all the bags, but unknown to Sarutobi, he had the help of telekinesis to lighten the load.

'And go buy some healthy food!' Ash and Kurama's voices rang in his head. 'Instant cup noodles are not going to help your body in the long run.'

'Must I?' Naruto pleaded to them.

'Yes.' Both deadpanned. 'Otherwise you'll remain a midget forever.'

'You're lacking in nutrients.' Ash stated.

"No, I'm not, dattebayo!" Naruto said out loud.

"What was that, Naruto-kun?" Sarutobi questioned curiously. It seemed that Naruto was talking to himself.

"Oh, er…I was debating with myself whether I am malnutritional." Naruto answered sheepishly. "I'm telling myself I am not, but the inner me is telling me I am."

"I'll decide that." Sarutobi declared, narrowing his eyes. "Lift up your shirt."

Naruto grumbled, but did so. Sarutobi took one look at the emaciated body the baggy shirt covered and said, "Your inner you is right."

'Told you!' Ash gloated, as Sarutobi grabbed Naruto's arm, dragging him towards a grocery store.

"Come on, Jiji, it isn't that bad!" Naruto tried to dissuade him. "I mean, I have cup noodles, dattebayo!"

"And that's why you are going to get some healthy food. Cup noodles aren't healthy! How are you supposed to be a good shinobi with that kind of diet?" Sarutobi retorted as he pushed a stuttering Naruto into the grocery store.

Naruto walked in the store completely ignoring the looks from the customers shopping there. While before he simply pretended to ignore the looks while wondering the reason, now he knew why but simply didn't care. If these people didn't want to even give him a chance then he shouldn't and wouldn't care what they think of him.

Not that their looks lasted for long as the Hokage sent a KI that went through the entire building while they walked to various sections to get the needed products.

Under Ash's advice, he stocked up on things such as canned food, meat, vegetables, fish, pasta, and rice. He also got some bottles of water and sports drinks. Apparently, sports drinks can replenish your water content faster according to the posters that advertised them.

'You should try cooking for yourself, Naruto. I mean nothing beats a homecooked meal at times. You know exactly what is in it and can avoid unhealthy content such as MSG or artificial flavouring.' Ash told him. Before Naruto could ask him how he knew, he went on, 'My wife was an excellent chef and she mentioned it before.'

'I guess I'll have to get a recipe book.' Naruto sighed, as he went to the register and had everything paid for. As they made their way to Naruto's apartment, Naruto turned to Sarutobi and plastered on a smile.

"Thank you for coming with me, Jiji. I appreciate it." Naruto said with a thankful tone.

Sarutobi nodded with a smile, but paused when he saw Naruto looking around. Sensing no one around, Naruto pointed to the Hokage Rock. When Sarutobi followed the finger, he paled when he realized Naruto was pointing specifically to the Fourth Hokage.

"I know he is my father. Care to explain?" Naruto had a solemn look on his face.

The Hokage paled when Naruto said this. "H-How did you find out?"

Naruto explained what changes he felt after drinking the liquid, leaving Ash and Kurama out of the equation. "I started to hear voices in my head, but I realize it was thoughts of other people."

"You're quite the smart kid, if only you would stop with the pranks." Sarutobi chuckled. "Now that you know, what are you going to do? You know you can't tell anyone."

"I would try to live up to my parent's legacy. I haven't decided whether I want to be Hokage yet, but I want to try my best to be the best shinobi this village would ever see." Naruto replied.

"I have no doubt you have the potential to be a great Hokage, Naruto-kun." Sarutobi smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, but I thought…"

"Thought I couldn't handle it?" Naruto finished. "Jiji, no offense, but after all I've been through, I can't exactly say I am a child anymore. No child should have gone through what I have."

Sarutobi nodded solemnly, and said, "By the way, how do you carry all your stuff? Aren't they all heavy?" He had offered to Naruto numerous times to help carry his shopping but Naruto kept declining.

Naruto winked and let go of the bags, and Sarutobi was astonished to see them float. "Another one of the effects from the liquid I drank. I am going to train and see what else I can do."

"I look forward to the result." Sarutobi smiled as both reached the entrance of the building containing Naruto's apartment. "I apologize once more, Naruto-kun."

"It's fine, Jiji." Naruto replied. In reality, however, he really didn't know whether he would truly forgive him for this or if he could really even trust him anymore.

Sarutobi seemed to notice this, and said, "I hope I could make it up to you."

Naruto nodded at the promise, and went upstairs to his apartment, putting down his bought goods and sorting his clothes into the closet, throwing out the current clothes he wore. After all, bright clothes would practically be a target.

He then went to the kitchen to unload his groceries and stocking up the cupboards and refrigerator, before deciding to take a shower.

'Go to the library and borrow a recipe book and get a book on the Uzumaki clan.' Kurama suggested.

'But wasn't I not welcome?' Naruto replied, remembering the last time he tried to enter the library.

'Ah, here's where I guide you. Let me tell you more about a technique we used called Mind Control.' Ash had a grin.

It was too easy. With Ash's guidance, he managed to get the librarian to let him borrow whatever he wanted. Ash also told him the victim won't remember him being there and if mastered, the victim wouldn't even know they are being manipulated.

Naruto noted with Mind Control his life would get significantly better. After all, he would be able to enter the library and go to stores to buy things at normal prices. The possibilities of what he could do was endless, now that he didn't care of what people thought of him. If they want to come at him with lethal force, then he will defend himself and fight back.

Naruto sat in the library to read the Uzumaki Clan entry in a book that detailed the known clans.

The Uzumaki Clan

Description

The Uzumaki Clan originated from Uzushiogakure, the shinobivillage of the Land of Whirlpools. Its ninja was renowned for their Fūinjutsu to the point that it led to its destruction in war. Those who survived the village's destruction scattered across the globe for refuge.

They share distant blood relation with the Senju clan, and kept close ties with that clan, having members marrying between clans as well, the most notable being Hashirama Senju and Mito Uzumaki. Following the founding of Konohagakure at the end of the Warring States Period, the Senju chose to symbolise their clans' friendship by adding the Uzumaki's emblem to Konoha's flak jackets.

Clan Abilities

While they have no known Kekkei Genkai, Uzumaki clan members naturally possess incredibly strong life-forces. As such, they have very long lifespans and likewise age slower. This also enables them to survive and endure much more severe injuries while likewise able to recover from injuries and exhaustion with much greater efficiency in short periods of time.

Uzumaki also have the ability to quickly heal themselves and others, through consumption of their chakra. Some even have unique sensory ability as well as the ability to suppress their chakra signature making them undetectable.

They also possess a unique form of chakra that allows them to produce adamantine chains made from their own chakra as well as being famed for their fūinjutsu. The Uzumaki's skill with fūinjutsu earned them both respect and fear throughout the ninja world.

'I don't have much to get by…' Naruto thought, sweatdropping.

'Why not try imagining what would you want the chains to do if you can develop an ability like Chain Manipulation?' Kurama suggested. 'As an Uzumaki, you likely can produce those chains, but how you want to use them is up to you. For instance, you mother was able to produce durable chains that can directly combat or physically restrain targets, which could even restrain me.'

'You?' Naruto was incredulous.

Kurama huffed but nodded. 'Yes, kit, me.'

'After all, jutsus are basically one's personal expression of chakra. How else do you think jutsus are invented? They don't come from thin air you know.' Ash shrugged.

'Ugh, there's so many things I want to do.' Naruto held his head in his hands. 'I want to start on practicing my kenjutsu, find out my nature affiliations, practice the jutsus associated with my nature affiliation, practice my psychic powers-'

'Ok, take it easy, kit.' Kurama persuaded him. 'I think I know a way to solve your problem…'

'What?' Naruto turned to him.

'It's called Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Jutsu).' Kurama answered. 'Shadow clones usually can accelerate training periods and by using hundreds of clones, training that would usually take weeks or months can be completed within a few hours.'

'Hey, that's it! That's how I should do it. I'll try this tomorrow.' Naruto said, jumping up. 'Alright, I better get home to design the training schedule…' He stopped as his stomach growled.

'Or maybe get something to eat.' Kurama snarked.

Naruto gave a wry smile as he left the library with a recipe book and some scrolls containing information about combat-based techniques such as taijutsu and kenjutsu and wondered if he should try his hand at cooking dinner.

As he walked past the ramen stand, he wondered if he should indulge. Then again, he could be kicked out just like the other shop owners do.

He was about to narrow his eyes and continue walking until Teuchi, the owner of the stand, spotted him outside and said, "Hello. Do you want to come in and eat?" His hand even beckoned him to come in.

Naruto blinked when he didn't pick up any hostility from Teuchi, but genuine concern. Nevertheless, he was wary and he hoisted himself up the stool to sit.

"So, what would it be, Naruto?" Teuchi smiled.

"Eh?" Naruto looked up at the man's smiling face.

"No need to be shy, order whatever you want!" Teuchi offered.

"I'll try the Onomichi Ramen." Naruto said quietly after looking at the menu.

"Coming right up!" The man replied jovially, as he went to prepare the ramen.

While Naruto was waiting, his eyes darkened into a calculative look as something occurred to him. The clans are usually careless when it came to throwing out their stuff. He wondered if he could search the trash cans for old supplies and perhaps even books and scrolls on secret techniques.

'That's a good idea, but what do you hope to achieve with it?' Ash asked, worry laced in his voice.

'I'm going to study the techniques and think up of counters. If I can somehow make my own version with my psychic powers, so much the better.' Naruto thought.

"Here you go, sport!" Teuchi said cheerfully, placing the large bowl in front of Naruto. Naruto looked up at the man's wide and welcoming smile, and allowed a small smile on his face. He then took up the chopsticks to eat, as he made small talk with Teuchi.

Naruto felt maybe he could like Teuchi. After all, Naruto didn't feel a single hostility towards him for being the holder of Kurama. He treated him as a person, which was what he used to want from the villagers.

"Thanks for the meal." Naruto placed some money on the counter.

"Come again, Naruto!" Teuchi waved. Naruto nodded, making a mental note to visit that place as often as he can…although with the promise of a healthy diet, he might eat only a few bowls instead of multiple like he probably could.

Later that night, a shadow moved towards the bins across the alleyway where most clan members would throw out their trash. He untied the strings, being careful to be silent. Shifting aside a few old newspapers and food cans he spotted something that instantly confirmed his earlier suspicions.

'As I thought. The clans are too careless.' Naruto inwardly smirked as he found plenty of scrolls and books. After grabbing the items and stuffing them in his messenger bag, he did one more scan before rushing off down the alley, making sure to stay in the shadows.

The next day, Naruto went down to the training grounds, scrolls in hand. Much to his pleasure, the scrolls contained secret techniques specific to the clans. Apparently, it never occurred to them that someone would be willing to search through the trash, and it had happened with him before when he was starving and was willing to eat anything.

'First thing we should do is to test your chakra nature.' Ash told him. 'Remember the five chakra natures?'

'Yes. Fire, Lightning, Water, Wind and Earth.' Naruto recited.

'That's right.' Ash said approvingly. 'Take this.' He handed Naruto some sort of square paper in his subconscious.

'This paper is made from a special type of tree that is grown and fed with chakra. When this Chakra Induction Paper is exposed to even the slightest hint of chakra, it reacts according to the chakra's latent element.' Kurama explained. 'For Fire, the paper will ignite and turn to ash, for Wind, the paper will split in two, for Lightning, the paper will wrinkle, for Earth, the paper will turn to dirt and crumble away and for Water, the paper will become wet or damp.'

Naruto took one and closed his eyes. All of a sudden, the paper split in two, became soggy and burnt to ash at the same time.

'Huh, you have three elemental natures.' Ash observed.

'Do you think I can use that Seishitsu Kumiawase to combine my chakra nature to become a kekkei genkai?' Naruto asked.

'Perhaps. But first off, to help you do this faster, I am going to teach you the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. It's an upgrade from the Bunshin no Jutsu.' Kurama said. 'Do the required hand seals that I will project to your head and try it out.'

Naruto closed his eyes and, in his mind, saw the required hand seal for his first jutsu. Naruto did the hand seal as he tried it out.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." Naruto mumbled as smoke appeared around him. Soon, at least forty clones appeared as Naruto blinked.

'Nice job.' Ash appeared next to him.

"Whoa!" Naruto turned to him. "What did you do?"

"Oh, this? I just used Psionic Image Projection on myself. I pulled myself from my mind and made myself 'real' in a sense." Ash replied. "It's part of psychic powers. You'll learn it soon enough."

Naruto nodded as he turned to the group, knowing he can use this to his advantage. He walked to each clone and assigned them a different task, ranging from practicing a type of psychic ability to the basics of kenjutsu and even having them practice taijutsu after reading a book on it.

"You're crazy prepared." Ash noted. "And as for you…I am going to make sure your stamina, base speed and base strength are up to my standards. I want you to run 100 laps around the training area without stopping and I want it done in...half an hour."

"That's crazy, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed out loud.

"Am I? Maybe you need some motivation, then." Ash gave a smirk, and all of a sudden, Naruto could see what looked like a blue and yellow sarcophagus-like creature with red, menacing eyes and four ebony hands that appear to be shadows on the training ground. White, sharp fangs created a taunting smile and flamboyant patterns veil the coffin.

"I would get going if I were you, this creature seals nearby humans in their bodies and turn them into mummies." Ash tried not to openly laugh, but was failing.

Naruto wasted no time in talking and ran as fast as he could away from the unknown creature, not wishing to be a mummy. The clones stared at him, wondering what he was running away from, for they saw nothing.

"Slave…driver…" Naruto panted as he climbed out of the river. He had been running for half an hour straight now at full speed. After running the promised 100 laps, Ash made him wear perceived weights on his legs thanks to his psychic powers and run again from some scary creature straight out of a nightmare.

It was so bad that when the clones saw him, they were thankful Naruto didn't assign them to that. In fact, Naruto actually tripped and fell into the river at one point and had to swim up, which was made more difficult with the 'weights' on his legs.

"Oh, you're in the river. Good." Ash said. "Now I want you to do 1,000 push-ups. On the river."

Naruto groaned as he knew if he screwed up on the chakra control, he'll fall into the river again.

'Then don't fall.' Kurama muttered, as he got into position and did the push-ups.

"There's no easy way when it comes to being the best." Ash nodded with conviction. "My wife was a slave driver as well. She's even worse than I am."

The blonde made it to 326 push-ups before his muscles gave out. Keeping himself from falling while doing the exercise proved to be difficult.

Ash pulled him out of the river and said, "Continue."

Instead of complaining like he would have before drinking the extract, Naruto pushed himself, eventually reaching 1,000 push-ups. Naruto realized the trick was to think of something else, take your mind away from the push-ups.

After the push-ups, Ash made him work on sit-ups, and even made him work on evasion skills by throwing kunais at him. Unfortunately, due to Ash's throws being enhanced with psychic powers, the kunai resembled a flechette storm or bullet hell.

"It hurts, dattebayo!" Naruto complained as he took out a first-aid kit he prepared and bandaged up his wounds he got from the kunais.

"Don't worry. I can teach you how to block them later." Ash snickered, clearly enjoying this. "On a serious note. Maybe you should learn healing techniques. I mean, the doctors and nurses in the hospital are not exactly partial to you."

Naruto looked up from where he was resting and sighed. "Yeah, you're right. Maybe I could even develop a passive jutsu, where the more damage I take, the stronger and faster I get."

Ash smiled. Naruto was always trying to think one step ahead now and making sure to close all weaknesses. "But it's still better to use it as a last resort rather than a crutch. It may not always work especially against stronger and faster opponents."

Naruto closed his eyes thoughtfully, and nodded. Ash was surprised when Naruto got up, and said, "Again."

Naruto lifted up his head, eyes narrowed and ready for Ash to throw the kunai again. However, Ash had other plans. He even started to throw giant shuriken at him, forcing Naruto to duck and jump as well. He backflipped in mid-air in order to dodge the next one aiming for his head.

As time went on, Naruto felt that the perception of the shuriken slowed, so it looked like it was in slow motion. Naruto also used the momentum to spin and dodge the following kunai that was aimed at his heart, and tilted his head to dodge the next one.

"Very good! You're learning. Dodge with as little moves as possible." Ash clapped his hands. "What did you feel when you dodged them?"

"I felt that the perception is slowed and I predicted it coming." Naruto answered.

"Yep. Knowing your opponent's next moves by seeing slightly ahead into the future would be a useful weapon. It would give you more time to react to your opponents' attacks." Ash explained. "You see, Naruto, psychic powers can potentially give you a vast amount of abilities. How you want to use it is up to you because it's only limited to the imagination. If you never test the limits of what you can do, you'll never truly grow."

"I know, but I do want to master the ones I already have first before moving on to others." Naruto replied.

"Your Kage Bunshin gives you a huge advantage. I am pretty sure you can master Telekinesis, Mind Reading and Mind Control by today." Ash nodded.

"I am going to devote every free time to training and studying. I need to become stronger to protect the ones I hold to my heart…or will hold to my heart." Naruto muttered, determination in his eyes. "I'll gladly put my life on the line for those people."

'You know with that attitude you'll go places, kit.' Kurama said in his head.

Ash smiled. He hoped that Naruto would never change. After all, those psychic powers that he gained didn't come without a price. Naruto may not know it yet, but he would never be the same again after drinking that liquid.

Ash inwardly prayed that Naruto wouldn't have to know about the price he had to pay in order to gain the powers the extract granted and what Ash was actually more than just a guide to control his psychic powers.

BP: (Please read below and hear me out)

Ok, it's a little short, because it's essentially a prologue and how one action can change many things. Yes, the character Ash Ketchum is from Pokémon and his portrayal is how I portrayed him in my PAL Series.

I chose him as Naruto's "guide" mainly because to me, he is like Naruto personality wise in canon and as the Chosen One in his world.

With his ability befriend any Pokémon combined with his pure heart, he probably could tame Kurama as well with his charm and charisma. However, Ash is more than just a guide, which you would later find out.

I gave Naruto psychic powers because it's one of the most versatile superpowers in my opinion. The mind is a powerful thing after all. Whether he would actually gain kekkei genkai through his weapon remains to be seen. I mean the weapon's story is just a story. So it may or may not be true.

The main reason why I didn't put this as a crossover is because there are no Pokémon, Ash is not an actual living character, and thirdly, whatever Pokémon (or creatures as they call in Naruto world) is all in Naruto's imagination or illusions only.

The thing is, I feel that Naruto should have taken advantage of Kage Bunshin the moment he learnt it, which is why he likely will learn things faster in this fic. Why he didn't do so until Naruto Shippuden is a mystery to me.

Question: Should I make Naruto female? As in his gender may be referred to as male here but it could be a secret from the readers as well. If you want Naruto as female, let me know in PM.

As for pairings, I want to pair Naruto with a boy. Don't get me wrong, I do love pairings such as NaruHina, but most other stories I paired the protagonist with a girl, and it's repetitive. Which category still depends.

For example, if you want me to pair Naruto with someone his/her own age, I'd pick Shikamaru. If someone a little older, I'd pick Itachi or maybe Shisui. If I were to pick someone a lot older, maybe Tobirama Senju?

I am not sure of pairings yet, so if you have any suggestions, let me know.

Do review, favourite and follow!