AN: I got a lot of ideas for this fic by watching Gaijin Gumba's 'Which Ninja' which gave me some inspiration, so this Naruto, while he knows this worlds style of 'see who can make thing go boom the biggest' he would also be able to do the more old school methods thanks to Madara and Hashirama's tutelage. It would also fit better for the stealth skills he showed in the shows. Not to mention Naruto's a prankster, traps and trickery should have been his bread and butter, not the ancient art of casting fist. I'd recommend checking out Gaijin Gumba's videos on Youtube, they're pretty interesting and I learned a lot from em.

A Shinigami's Substitution

Chapter 2

-Naruto-

Grunting, Naruto kicked his apartment door closed, holding the injury on his arm to avoid bleeding everywhere. His apartment was already shit, it didn't need to be blood stained shit. "Another day, another performance, another mob." Going to his sink, he began washing the cut, seeing the gash from the kunai steaming as it closed shut. "At least I got a piece of decent gear." Naruto looked at the Kunai that had been thrown at him, having pocketed it during the chase since it was clearly better than the scrap metal the shops tended to sell him.

Laying on his bed, Naruto didn't even bother to work on the homework he was assigned, knowing it would just get marked down regardless of how good or bad the answer was. "Try to act dumb, they kick me around." He sighed "Try to drop the act and they freak out and attempt to kill me." Thankfully the ANBU still thought he was oblivious to their presence whenever they stopped someone from trying to kill him in the streets or his home, even if they weren't able to follow him at all times or stop the shit he went through in the academy. Slowly, he felt his eyelids growing heavy as he lay there, tired from having had to run longer than he expected to get away from the days attack. Finally, his eyes closed as he found himself falling asleep.

-Madara-

"Madara!" hearing the shouting of the idiot he was somehow friends with, Madara sighed and turned around, knowing there was no way he'd be able to meditate with the volume that Hashirama normally 'spoke' at "Madara! He's gonna be here soon!" the tree loving imbecile started shaking him excitedly at that.

"Let me go you termite ridden buffoon!" Madara snapped, swatting Hashirama on the forehead with a couple fingers as the first Hokage pouted like a scolded child.

"I don't have termites." Hashirama grumbled as they walked to the main part of the kid's mind where he should appear. For six years the two of them had been forced to watch the kids life as he matured far smarter than any child should have, combine that with impressive intelligence like his parents, and the kid was able to quickly start hiding his own potential to try and prevent further beatings. It didn't work but it was an impressive attempt and plan for one so young. The water on the ground began to ripple as Naruto ruse up, appearing in his mindscape as the Shinigami's barriers to prevent their interference finally wore away enough.

Madara stood poised and refined as he waited for the child to begin to come to, intending on giving off the impression that would convey to the shinobi in training just how much Madara Uchiha was to be treated with awe respect.

Hashirama was bouncing up and down like a giddy two-year-old waiting for a cookie.

"How in Kami's name where you chosen as the Shodaime over me?" Madara sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Because I'm not a grump." Was Hashirama's pleased response, the wood user cackling as he dodged a chop from Madara aimed at his head, bolting away from his rightfully earned punishment.

"What's with all the noise?" hearing the grumbling voice, Madara looked over from where he was strangling his best friend to see the kid sitting up.

"You're up!" Hashirama caught him off guard, shoving Madara away by the face as the twit ran over to the suddenly panicking six-year-old.

"Gah! Stranger danger!" the kid shouted and Madara would savor Hashirama's kicked puppy expression for the rest of time.

"Greetings child." Madara approached, "We have much to talk about." The kid looked about and then at between Madara and his old friend.

The kid blinked in confusion for a moment before pinching himself "Ow!" the kid shook his hand rapidly from the pain while Madara sweat dropped…yep, this kid was related to old Hashi alright, "Okay…not dreaming…why is there someone imitating the first Hokage and a guy who looks like an older Sasuke-Teme here? And where is here?"

"We're in your mind child." Madara shook his head, "And that's not someone imitating the first Hokage, that is the first Hokage, or his soul at any rate."

"His soul." Naruto frowned for a moment before his eyes narrowed, "The seal on my stomach. And if you look like Sasuke…you're Madara Uchiha, the other founder of the Village. I thought the Kyuubi was sealed in this thing."

"Wait you knew about the seal?" Hashirama blinked confused, "And the Kyuubi?"

"Noooooo." Naruto drawled sarcastically as he rolled his eyes, "I thought the complicated sealing array that appeared on my stomach whenever I used chakra was just a fancy birthmark."

Hashirama gaped at the sassy small child before turning towards Madara with a pout, "I blame you for this."

"And I'll happily take credit." Madara smirked before looking back at the kid, "And yeah, I suppose we have a great deal of information to share." So, they began to talk, explaining that the Shinigami was opposed to the idea of eating a Biju and chose to seal the souls of Hashirama and himself to deal with a coming threat in the mortal world. They had both agreed long ago to not tell Naruto right away about Madara's hand in said threat, at least till the kid trusted him more, let him process the initial bullshit first.

"You're saying I have your bloodlines?" Naruto gaped at them, which was a fair thing to focus on admittedly.

"Yes, you'll have the Sharingan as well as our elemental natures. I had Fire and lightning, Hashirama had Water and earth. There's a good chance you'll have your father's wind nature as well." Madara nodded, not even surprised at Naruto's lack of reaction to mentioning his father. The kid was a near clone of his dad whose face was visible from everywhere in the village. It was frankly insulting that nobody else had deduced it by now.

"The village is going to try and burn me at the steak when I show that." Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Oh, don't worry." Madara and Hashirama gave identical dangerous smirks, "We already thought of a plan for that. We've been able to see everything you have over the years but with our own knowledge of what we're looking at." Madara pulled the kid to his feet, "Here's our plan."

-Naruto-

"Alright class." Mizuki Sensei called out as everyone walked outside for the days sparring, "Do we have any volunteer challenges for today's first match?"

"I volunteer Sensei!" Naruto waved his arm eagerly, internally cringing at how stupid he had to act for his mask, grateful that with the plan his new mentors made he'd be able to drop it soon, the past few days having been spent getting ready for the right moment to implement their plan.

"Very well Naruto." Mizuki sighed, "Who are you challenging?"

"Kiba!" Naruto ran into the ring and waited for the brash and arrogant Inuzaka.

"Hah!" just like Naruto and his mentors expected, the animal user jumped excitedly, "An easy win for me! Be sure to watch me Hinata-Chan!" Kiba got into the ring while the rest of the class just sat back, snickering for what they expected to be an easy win for Kiba given how they all saw Naruto.

"Alright boys, begin!" Mizuki raised his hand as Kiba charged alone, having left Akamaru outside the ring. Said charge was summarily halted as Naruto pulled a metsubushi egg smoke bomb out of his sleeve, nailing Kiba right in the face with the pepper laden home-made ninja tool.

"Gack!" Kiba shouted clutching his face as he started to flounder, "My eyes!" while the arrogant bastard rolled around, Naruto quickly tossed out a bunch of natural caltrops made from dried out water chestnuts, the spikes sticking into skin. A quick kick sent his disabled opponent out of the ring and scoring Naruto's first victory of the class.

"N-Naruto wins." Mizuki gaped as the class all seemed like they were struggling to process him winning.

"Naruto, we're teaching you how to fight, not use dirty tricks or tools." Mizuki scolded, "You're fighting Sasuke this time, and only Kunai, Jutsu, and Taijutsu are permitted in this. No traps and no tools. Got it?"

"Yes sensei." Naruto sulked, irritated even if they had a contingency for this. Although Mizuki searching him for any other tools besides what was mentioned was a little overkill.

"Go Sasuke-Kun!" the teme's fan girls all cheered as the smug Uchiha sauntered into the ring, cockily twirling a Kunai around on a finger while Naruto pulled out two of his own, the blades prepped for such a fight.

"Begin!" Mizuki called out with an eager smirk as Sasuke charged, Kunai ready. Sasuke was a lot faster than Kiba, the blades of his opponent flashing in the air as he slashed and stabbed towards Naruto who worked to dodge or parry them. Seeing an opening, Naruto pushed forward, taking a few cuts to land a few slashes of his own.

"Argh!" Sasuke cursed, staggering back as he clutched at the cuts, eyes blazing angrily. There were several cuts on Naruto's opponent now even if they were shallow. Thankfully the hot sauce he had laced them with helped make it more effective. Tucking away the blades, Naruto got ready to do the next part, knowing that the cuts would slow down Sasuke enough for the next step. Side stepping Sasuke's furious slice, Naruto lashed out, using a frog jab while coating his fist with the little bit of lighting chakra he'd learned to channel so far. It wasn't much, but as the middle knuckle of his hand struck the correct nerve on Sasuke's arm, the limb went limp. "What?!" Sasuke seethed, stunned at his now limp limb, the kunai it held slipping through his fingers, giving Naruto an opening to disable the other arm too before he landed a hard blow to his opponent's face, once more securing him another victory.

"Way to go little buddy!" Hashirama cheered, laughing his ass off at the smug Uchiha son getting trounced.

"Is taking joy in my descendant's pain necessary?" Madara sighed in exasperation.

"Sasuke-Teme is a butt…so yes." Naruto thought back to his mentors, only to be shaken from his thoughts when Mizuki grabbed him by the collar and threw him from the ring.

"I told you not to use any dirty tricks!" Mizuki snapped, glaring angrily at Naruto, "Get out! I'll be speaking to the Hokage, I wouldn't expect you to be allowed back in here." Glaring back angrily, Naruto got to his feet, kicking dirt as he stomped off, muttering angrily. Yet the moment he was out of sight, a dangerous grin appeared on his face, everything was going to plan.

-Hiruzen Sarutobi-

"Move!" the Sandaime shouted angrily as he gripped Enma in his staff form, his trusted Jonin and ANBU with him as they raided Orochimaru's secret Lab. He had learned of his students crimes weeks ago but couldn't enact the raid until he had enough backup, meaning either one of the other Sanin had to return or enough Jonin had to come back from missions. Now Naruto had been missing for the past three days and his stress levels meant that whatever traitor's Orochimaru still had serving him here were not in for a pleasant time.

"Hokage-Sama!" one of his ANBU rushed back over to him, "The building seems empty. It appeared that they were tipped off and left in a rush."

"Damn it!" the aged shinobi hit the wall with the adamantine staff, shattering the stone easily.

"Hokage-Sama!" hearing Might Gai, the almost eternally happy Jonin, shouting with panic and fury, was enough to have the old man rushing to the source, finding that the Taijutsu master had ripped the door off of one of the labs that the evacuating traitors apparently hadn't gotten a chance to empty. In the room, tied down to an operating table, lay Naruto, eyes dazed as he swayed about. What really got his attention though was his once blue eyes were now bright red, each one having the first tomoe of the Sharingan, added to that all the plants in the office were swaying and reacting to the boys chakra in a way he had only seen happen with the Shodaime so many decades ago.

"He went missing after being thrown from the academy three days ago." Gai looked to be trying to contain his rage lest he make things worse for the boy, "His sensei threw him out and allowed Orochimaru to capture him! To do this!"

"I suppose we should be grateful that apparently the experiments didn't stabilize till Orochimaru left, or else he would have taken Naruto with him when he left the village." Another ANBU frowned.

"Have him brought to the Hokage tower." Sarutobi ordered, "I want my personal medic there on the double! Gai, keep an eye on him while I finish up here." Hiruzen told the Taijutsu specialist while moving to finish sweeping the lab. As Gai departed with the child, nobody noticed the small blond's face show a smirk for the briefest of moments.