8: Training

Fu stretched her arms over her head, inhaling the fresh scent of the morning air in the Land of Ancestors one last time. As promised Naruto had informed her that, to her surprise, he had purchased a small piece of land that had once been a old Leaf Village training ground where he would, apparently, be moving their little home.

How he intended to do that, she didn't know, however she was sure he was about to do something insanely incredible again.

'I wouldn't dwell on it so much, Little Hornet,' Chomei said, 'For all we know, it may not be that remarkable at all.'

Fu giggled as she turned back toward the little house. 'He does have a habit of turning everything upside down.' She said to her friend. "I'll be sad to leave this place," she said out loud as the blond man came out of the house whilst adjusting his cloak.

"My seals here are stronger than most I've made, so we'll always be able to come back," Naruto assured her with a smile. He then turned back to the house himself, "Stand back a bit."

Fu skipped behind him, feeling it was the safest option given his warning. She then watched as he placed his left hand on the wooden door frame, a seal glowing on the back of his wrist. A sealing array appeared all along the walls of the home and glowed brightly for a brief moment before it disappeared in a puff of smoke. In it's place sat a medium-sized scroll that she would normally see shinobi carrying large amounts of weapons in. "...Oh..."

'What a way to pack!' Chomei chittered laughingly.

Naruto picked up the scroll with his customary crooked grin on his face. "Neat, huh?"

"Definitely less common than the average sealing scroll," Fu giggled, "But that house had electricity? How did - ?"

"More seals." He smiled, "You'd be amazed at what you can do with the right type of seal. I used a high capacity Lightning seal to produce power to the house."

"Wouldn't that run dry eventually?"

Naruto shook his head, "I designed it to draw chakra from the surrounding area, and convert it into Lightning chakra," he shrugged, "After that, it was just a matter of hooking the right wires to the tag, and voila, I don't have to pay an electric bill."

Fu giggled once more, "Very clever."

"Shall we go?" Naruto asked, "My team should be about ready now."

Fu flitted into his arms and hugged him tightly, not even caring that it made her blush up a storm of color to her cheeks. Without warning her he activated the Flying Thunder God seal again, and nearly yelped as she felt herself falling again before her feet touched the grassy ground of the training grounds. The effects of the teleportation seals were lessening with each use, for which she was grateful. Her stomach could do with a little less stress.

"Not so bad anymore, eh?" Naruto chuckled as he let go of her.

"Getting there," Fu smiled dizzily, Chomei laughing quietly. "Do you have a plan for the little ones?"

Naruto nodded, "I do, and I could use you cooking skills as an enticement, if you don't mind?"

Fu blinked in confusion, "Huh?"

(*)

It was just half passed ten in the morning when Ebisu and Konohamaru's team arrived. The sight that greeted them was Fu humming happily in her own little outdoor kitchen, complete with a wood burning grill, and Naruto sitting in a meditative position.

"What's all this about?" Ebisu demanded of the would-be Jonin.

"Part of today's training, of which you will participate, or leave." Naruto said with a tone in his voice that left no room for arguments. He rose from his position and smiled at his future team. All of them looked eager to begin the lesson, Konohamaru more than the others, but little Moegi looked ready to fly away with excitement.

"Good morning, Naruto-sensei!" The trio all but chirped.

"And a fine good morning to you," he said, even including Ebisu in his greeting. "Today, we will be working on combat and strategy."

Konohamaru beamed, "Combat training already?!"

"Alright!" Udon cheered.

Ebisu frowned, "Don't you think it's too early for - "

"No." Naruto cut him off with a grin. The blond reached into his pocket to produce two small silver bells, one of which he gave to Ebisu while he tied the other to his waist. "The object of this little exercise is to take one of these bells from either myself, or Ebisu before lunch time."

Konohamaru scoffed, "Is that all? That'll be easy!"

"Oh?" Naruto grinned a very vicious grin, "You think so?"

The young Sarutobi's confidence did not falter. "Piece of cake!"

"Well, then maybe you should let me finish with the parameters of this little challenge, huh?" Naruto smiled, "Just attacking one of us will not work. For you to actually pass this test, you will need to not only work as a team, but form a strategy all on your own to get a bell. You also need to come after both of us instead of just one of us. If you manage to get one bell, great, but that will not end the test. You have to try for both of us."

"But why?" Moegi asked, looking scared at the idea of facing the older Genin. She loved Naruto like a big brother just like Konohamaru did, but she knew he was way stronger than he appeared.

"Simple." Naruto stated, "On some missions, there are multiple targets that need to be taken down such as Rogue Shinobi, or bandits, you get the idea." He said as the trio nodded, "As for fighting us, we'll be taking it easy on you. Ebisu and I will be using Taijutsu only, no Elemental Jutsu, or special techniques. You three can throw whatever you've got at us...on second thought," he gave the three Genin a look that could curdle milk. "No Sexy Jutsu; I'm looking at you, Konohamaru."

"Aw, come on!" The boy whined.

"An excellent restriction," Ebisu said whilst pushing up his glasses, "And I will agree to the Taijutsu only on our part. Will there be a penalty should they fail?"

"There will," Naruto nodded and gestured to where Fu was cooking, "As you can see, Fu has graciously agreed to cook a meal for all of us." Fu turned and gave them a wave, "I say all of us, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you three will be eating." The trio, whose mouths had been watering then entire time since they's smelled the food, gaped at the blond, "You see, you need to pass my training to earn your meals. Now, let's discuss how you can win your supper."

"First off, obviously, you have to get a bell from one of us, that right there is an automatic win for your team, of course, but as I said, you'll need to work together to do that," He said, holding up two fingers, "The second way is to impress either myself, or Ebisu with whatever your strategy is. Now that doesn't mean you have to come up with something elaborate to win, sometimes a simple plan can lead to victory."

"Is there a third way?" Udon sniffled.

"There is, but I'll keep that one to myself in order to make sure you follow my instructions for the parameters of this exercise." He stepped over to Ebisu, "Now I've laid teleportation seals all over this area, to which Ebisu and I will each be at one and stay there until you find and engage us. You won't know where we are until you happen upon us."

"But if you teleport, how can we track you?" Moegi asked.

Ebisu chimed in, "I believe that you will have to figure that out on your own, Moegi."

"Bingo, you have exactly three hours to complete the exercise starting right...NOW!"

Naruto and Ebisu disappeared in a flash leaving the three Genin on their own while Fu giggled at the looks on their faces. "Better get going."

"HUUUUUUH?!" Shouted the three youngsters before they blundered off into the woods in search of their sensei.

(*)

"Here's the payment for killing Hidan," Tsunade said as she handed over an envelope of cash, "Sorry it took so long to get it to you."

Jiraiya shook his head, "I only wish I could've gotten Kakuzu, too." Jiraiya sighed, "Anyway, do you have the scrolls I asked for?"

Tsunade reached into her desk and pulled out a large scroll, "I trust that you'll take extra care of these." She said in small tone of warning, "It is a family heirloom, after all."

"Of course," Jiraiya picked up the scroll with something akin to reverence, "The Senju's fabled Wood Style Ninjutsu is nothing to make little of, but I must agree that little Moegi's gift needs to be cultivated. If she's truly able to control Wood Style like our friend in the Anbu ranks, then the village may see the makings of a second Hashirama."

Tsunade shook her head, "Don't put that sort of weight on her shoulders, Jiraiya, she's just a child." She sat back slightly, "And one that is on a short leash. When I told her parents of the development, I thought they'd be thrilled, but I was so dead wrong that I wanted to take the girl away from them!"

Jiraiya was more than a little surprised to hear this. "They were displeased?"

"Greatly." Tsunade nodded, "They were hoping that she'd flunk out of Academy so they could put her in a trade school to become a shop keeper or a merchant, not a kunoichi."

Jiraiya sighed tiredly, "Save me from the ignorance of civilians!" He frowned, "We'll have to keep an eye on them in case they decide to mistreat the girl."

"They won't do that," the Godaime shook her head, "While they didn't want her to be a Shinobi, they still care a great deal for the child, and hope that with time, she'll give up this career."

The Toad Sage scoffed, "Fat chance of that happening. Naruto intends to train her in Senjutsu as soon as he feels she's ready!"

This made the woman smile widely, "Oh, that's wonderful! There're so few Sages left in the world today that I feel like they're going extinct."

"Myself, Naruto, and Orochimaru are the last." Jiraiya shook his head at the thought of his former comrade. "About that little incident with Sasuke."

"What about it?" Tsunade asked.

"Naruto intends to kill him," Jiraiya stated, "Him, and Orochimaru."

"Does he now?" The blonde glared, "I won't cry over a dead traitor, but Sasuke is...a touchy subject with the village, as you well know."

Jiraiya smirked at her, "Only Orochimaru's death will be permanent." He said, turning to leave.

"What do you mean by that?" Tsunade demanded, "Hey! Answer me dammit!"

(*)

"What do you think we can expect out of your student when we face him, Kakashi?" Gai asked as he and his fellow Jonin stood outside of Naruto's preferred training ground. "While his entry in the Bingo Books seems sinister, and his attitude changed from when he was a child, do you believe him to be the same unpredictable boy that defeated Neji in the Chunin Exams?"

Kakashi nodded, "Unpredictable, yes, but is he the same knucklehead?" He shook his head sadly, "No, I don't think he is." He looked at Gai seriously, "I've seen the look in his eyes before. He may not show it often, but he is broken deep inside."

"Didn't think that would happen to such a happy kid like him," Asuma sighed, "Even when Dad died he bounced back, and he practically raised the poor kid."

"Yes, but keep in mind that Naruto only kills when absolutely necessary. Recall his mission to Crescent Moon. He only killed as a last resort then." Gai reminded him.

"And our mission to the Land of Snow," Kakashi nodded, "That was actually Naruto's first kill."

Asuma took a long drag from his cigarette, "Shikamaru had a story to tell about some mystical stone they encountered when they went after that stupid ferret."

Kakashi sighed, "And he's only just now breaking because, if the reports are correct, he slaughtered an entire village of innocent people, Iwa or not." He frowned, "We will need to be careful of him. There's no telling when Jiraiya's taught him. He is a Sage after all, and he trained Minato-sensei in the same arts. There's nothing to have stopped him from having taught those same skills to Naruto."

"Then it will be a most Youthful battle, indeed, if we are to do battle with a Sage!"

A loud yell sounded from within the training grounds, sending birds flying from the trees. Kakshi chuckled, "Sounds like he's putting those poor kids through hell."

(*)

Fu winced as she heard the ruckus the training was causing, 'I wonder if I should be worried he'll be too harsh with them?'

'Oh, surely not, my little glow worm.' Chomei said, 'After all, he seems to care for them deeply, the young one with the scarf especially. And then there's that little grub that uses Wood Style.'

Fu nodded in understanding as she kept up her cooking, 'I know, I know, but you know how I feel about children.' She sighed, smiling slightly, 'The little girl's adorable.'

'Careful, now, Lady Bug,' Chomei chortled, 'You may yet have a larvae of your own, you know? Naruto would be a fine mate if you attracted his attention.'

Fu's smile turned into a thousand degree blush, 'Chomei, really! I don't think he'll - '

'He smelled heavily of other women, little hornet.' Chomei said with a little harshness in her voice, 'Not true mates, mind you, but fleeting flights of passion, perhaps to drown out his nightmares. Kurama wouldn't allow him to become drunk, this I know because that old flea bag despises alcohol.'

Fu stopped her ministrations for a moment, thinking of Naruto in the arms of another. She frowned when the woman she pictured him with turned out to be that pink-haired teammate of his. 'I shouldn't think like that. She seemed nice enough.'

'Perhaps,' Chomei sighed, 'But there's no denying your attraction to him, is there?'

Fu chose to return to her cooking instead of answering the giant Beetle lest she burn the food.

Meanwhile, Naruto was trying his hardest not to laugh. Team Konohamaru was not doing well at all.

Ebisu had been the obvious choice as a first target, but the seasoned Jonin had easily beaten them back as Naruto knew that he would. 'Still, they're strategy was a good one.' He thought fleetingly as the three Genin moved closer to his position.

At the beginning of the test, he had hidden a clone nearby as Ebisu engaged them. They had surrounded him at first in a typical manner that normally would have worked if they had been up against anyone of lesser skill than a Jonin. Konohamaru had been the front line fighter considering he had his clan's teachings under his belt. Udon had been the one to try to set up traps in order to snare Ebisu so that they could steal his bell. Moegi had been the long range fighter, using shuriken and kunai to attack before moving to another spot.

Ebisu had not gone easy on them.

Udon's traps had been turned against them when the Jonin had thrown Konohamaru into them and snared him in wires and ropes. He easily dodged Moegi's thrown weapons, and pinned her against a try with his own while Udon been bonked on the head after he made a blind charge for the bell.

Naruto, once again in meditation, could easily sense the trio moving around him. With Ebisu, they hadn't taken care to make their presence less obvious to the man, but with Naruto they were much more careful. Even though Ebisu had beaten them, they viewed Naruto to be the bigger threat.

Each one of them was working together to carefully set their traps before taking position around him.

"DO IT NOW!"

At Konohamaru's shout steel was flung through the air as the unleashed a barrage of blades in his direction. Naruto smirked and flattened himself against the ground at an impossible thinness that came from his time training with the Toads. It was technically a Taijutsu move for evasion, well within the parameters he'd set.

As the blades passed him over Naruto reinflated himself and let loose with his own kunai. Konohamaru and the others were already on the move as they circled around him to try and find their opening.

To his surpise, Udon was the one to rush in brandishing a kunai. Naruto responded with his own to block it, but found out a moment later that it was merely a feint as the boy smashed a smoke bomb on the ground at his feet. Naruto grinned at the tactic as he sensed Moegi coming up behind him silently and felt her reaching for his bell.

He grabbed her hand in an iron grip that made her shriek. "Nice try!" He snarled and flung her into an airborne Konohamaru. The pair recovered quickly and immediately went on the attack with Udon right behind them. Naruto grinned as he began blocking blow after blow from his Genin. 'They're doing perfectly fine.' He smiled as the blond smacked Udon aside and hit Konohamaru with a palm heel thrust that sent the boy into the bushes.

He then got the shock of a lifetime when he moved toward the two recovering boys, and felt his feet literally rooted to the ground. He looked down and found his feet wrapped in thick tree roots. He smiled ferally as he turned on Moegi while the girl had her hands clasped together and sweat beaded her brow and face.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Konohamaru shouted as he charged back into the fray with a familiar blue orb forming in his hands with the aid of his clone. Behind the charging Sarutobi was Udon, determined to get the bell from him in the follow up. "Sorry, Big Bro! RASENGAN!"

Naruto reached out with both hands to catch the boy before the Jutsu could hit and tore his feet free of the roots with brute force alone as he side stepped Udon's desperate grab for his bell. He whirled around with Konohamaru and his clone in hand before throwing one at Udon while he sent the other crashing into Moegi.

The clone that had hit Udon dispersed as the boy hit the ground while Konohamaru and Moegi lay on the ground panting and bruised up from the fight.

Naruto looked up at the sun, "Time's up." He made a hand sign, and teleported them back to the clearing where Fu was waiting with Ebisu.

Fu almost panicked when the blond appeared out of no where, but was more shocked at the state of the three Genin. "Naruto! You said you wouldn't be too rough with them!

"I wasn't," he shrugged, "I was being gentle."

"That was gentle?" Udon moaned.

"Least I didn't get pinned to a tree this time." Moegi whined.

"My head hurts!" Konohamaru complained.

Naruto chuckled walked up to Ebisu,"Opinions?"

"Ghastly." He frowned, "They didn't take me seriously at all and ended up defeated in a matter of seconds."

"To be fair, you are a Jonin, and I'm a lot stronger than the average Genin," the blond said, "As far as tactics went, they did fairly well when it came to their teamwork, and drive to succeed." He placed his hands on his hips, "But no bell from either one of us."

"That means no food," Moegi cried, "I even tangled Naruto-sensei's feet with roots!

Ebisu looked surprised, "Did she?" He asked of the blond.

"She did," Naruto smiled, "I don't know if it was a fluke, or if she was consciously doing it, but she managed to catch me for a moment or two."

"But we still failed," Konohamaru pouted.

Fu sighed sadly, "Naruto, couldn't they - ?"

"Now now, a failed mission means no payment," Naruto chastised her, grinning, "But, I haven't said anything about this being a failed exercise, have I?"

Udon sat up, "You mean we passed?!"

"You failed to get a bell, that's true," Naruto pointed out, "But even though you didn't take Ebisu seriously, which led to your defeat, you didn't give up, and went after me, even though you knew I was just as dangerous as he turned out to be, if not more." He said, "Plus there is the fact that not only did Konohamaru perform the Shadow Clone Jutsu, but the Rasengan as well - "

"When did he learn that?!" Ebisu demanded.

" - But Moegi also used her Kekkei Genkai without prior training," the blond went on with a scowl in the man's direction, "And let's not forget that Udon here kept up the charge in an attempt to get the bell from me when Konohamaru was trying to hit with the Rasengan. I am thoroughly impressed!"

The three Genin looked beyond elated, "That means we get lunch!"

"YEAH!

"ALRIGHT!"

"Wait a minute," Ebisu said, halting their celebration, "You said that there was a third way to pass this exercise, Uzumaki. What was that?"

Naruto grinned, "Showing up."

"Huh?" Was the collective question from all of them, even Fu.

Naruto smiled, "A shinobi's greatest weapons are their minds and deceit." He said, "I deceived you into thinking that if you didn't get a bell or impress me, you wouldn't get Fu's home cooked meal, thus it made all of you fight harder after your disaster of a fight against Ebisu. I was still going to let you eat, either way, but told you that you wouldn't to make you give it your all."

"..." The three Genin just stared at the blond, fuming. "Sensei...you're mean." Moegi pouted.

Fu giggled at that statement, and decided to give a little bit of grief to Naruto. "Don't worry," she said, "To make up for it, you can all split Naruto's share of dessert."

Naruto looked at her with a wide-eyed expression, "Hey now -!"

But the kids were already rushing to the table. Ebisu joined shortly with a smile on his face as the blond pouted himself. Fu's face twisted as she tried to keep herself from laughing, "Don't worry," she patted him on the shoulder, "I made plenty."

Naruto raised his brow at her, "Now who's being mean?"

"Payback for teasing me so much?" Fu smirked right back at him

Naruto snorted, "Cute." He chuckled, "Very cute."

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