Demons of Family and Destiny Re-write.

Chapter 4: New friends, new problems, and new enemies.

All throughout the Elemental Nations, a fresh morning cast it's rays over every Shinobi village.

Inside of Konoha, within one bedroom, lying amidst comfy sheets, Naruto rolled over on his. "Mmmmh…not so bright….it's nice to sleep more…" Nuzzled down, one arm pulled the sheets over his head to block the morning sunlight.

"Ototou? Are you alright? Papa has already started training outside. You said last night how you would be the first one up to meet him."

As the fresh voice sailed to his ears, the sleepy boy rubbed them, muttering. "Hmmm? Who said that? Since when do I live with any….?" Stopping short, his head began to hurt as idle, tiny, rusty gears were turning.

Naruto threw both eyes wide open, to meet the sting of bright lights surrounding a visitor, dressed in a plain shirt and black Hakama training clothes.

Sitting up in his bed, Naruto looked from her and all around the bedroom. He was in a loft-bed close to the ceiling, with n armour stand to the right of his bed, beside a dresser with small radio. The walls were cabin-logs with an orange-tint, and bare except for two posters: one with the sign of Konohagakure and another of Ramen. At the foot of a ladder connected to his bed, a look stood with her head cocked aside.

"Oh, Olvia —ahh—AAAAAHHHH!" Caught in a yawn, Naruto stretched for the ceiling while a certain girl squealed at how cute her little brother could be.

Olvia waited for him to rub both eyes before sharing fresh news: "Whiskers-chisi, Mom and crossbones-kun are downstairs. She finally let me come and wake you. We have been awake for some hours now, and any longer asleep would be wasting the morning."

"Really? Uhh, what time is it?" Crawling down the ladder, a fresh surprise came over how it was 7am already.

Inside of minutes, the pair were walking down the steps, Naruto still in his pyjamas while Olvia explained. "Papa rarely sleeps for more than 4 hours each night, and he takes a lot of naps in the day. To tell the truth, he and I once slept through a typhoon together. Kimimaro and I had to be ready for training with him at 5:30, so Mom was the second to-last person awake before you."

As they reached the kitchen, Robin was waiting by the stove yet the other boys were nowhere in-sight. "Good morning, Naruto-kun."

"Hi there Robin-san. Olvia nee-chan said breakfast was…" Turning around, Robin caught Naruto gazing out the window; watching Zoro lift some 2-dozen weights twice the 9-year-old's size through different sword-moves. Kimimaro was some meters away, in a hand-stand and balancing a massive barbell weight bar across his feet.

"Whoa! Wow, wow, Zoro-san is so strong!" Shooting for the door, the boy raced over right beside Zoro; almost right into a swing that would kill just about anybody.

"Naruto!" the man barked, chastising. "Watch first, then move. You nearly rang straight into my swing! Take seven big steps backwards."

"I'm okay, so nothing is—"

"Naruto-kun."

"What? Robin-san I want to ask Zoro-san something. I gotta know how he can lift something so heavy. Anybody that strong has gotta be powerful, ya know. Hey what's up?"

Robin chose not to wait, taking Naruto by the shoulder and steer him back to doorway, ignoring all complaints. "Kimimaro-kun. Position one training-model inside Zoro's range, then back away."

Naruto kept complaining, though they grew quiet as he tried breaking the steel-hold on his shoulders. Firm but not hurtful, Robin fixed him in-place as Olvia watched from the kitchen. Once Kimimaro had moved a wooden dummy in the centre of the yard, he backed away and Zoro picked-up on the matter.

"Naruto. Watch." Feeling when the boy gave his full attention, Zoro swung an arc; smashing the dummy to splinters. The impact clawed at everyone's ears, watching splinters fly outwards from the house.

"Naruto-kun," Robin spoke-up. "Those splinters were nearly your skin, organs, bones-fragments or drops of your brain. Never simply run out here, or anywhere, from now on. Look before for dangers, then move. Do you understand?" Looking down to her new family, she found a worrisome colour on his face, to match the frozen state Naruto stood in.

Turning him around, Robin came to a knee with both hands still on his shoulders. "You are burning with questions, and impatient to learn. I admire that and can relate very closely. Yet there are times to remain silent under the correct time to ask will come. Remember this."

Naruto felt more awake than he'd ever been shaken before. "You….admire….." Pointing a finger to his chest, Robin swallowed lightly as she rose to her feet. "Yes."

After giving her answer, another parent came close to them both. "Naruto. Do you grasp the point we're making, never run out here without thinking first, or you might get hurt and leave us to share that pain." Zoro had set his weights aside, then turned over to Robin.

"I think the bacon is starting to burn, Robin. Why not you and Naruto finish-up breakfast, then we all can settle in together.

With a nod, Robin took her new son by his hand and both passed Olvia back inside. The three blade-wielders continued their training, while Naruto shook his head and was smiling inside very quickly. Eager, he followed Robin's even request and direction then settled to watch another sparring-match between his friend and his sister.

"Do you wish to join them, Naruto-kun?" Looking up, he found Robin standing above him, her face curious yet comfortable as when they met four days earlier.

"Yeah, but I don't have a sword. Kimimaro won't let me use his, but maybe Zoro-san will let me-"

"No. I may guarantee he will not. My question was, would you like to join them, training together? You told me yesterday that you wish to grow into a strong shinobi. Correct?"

Frown with a pout, Naruto shook his head clearly. "Na-uuh. I'm already strong, Robin-san. I wanna be the Hokage, and that means more than being strong, you gotta be the BEST! Learning how to use a sword would be cool and all, but if he's not a ninja what can he teach me?"

Silence followed this question, as Robin looked away from a certain stubborn blonde and further towards her husband. "Learning and strength can be found everywhere, Naruto-kun," she answered him. "Including how to be truthful. Ero-Sensei Iruka shared your performance at the Academy with me yesterday, and the results are quite disappointing."

A deer caught in head-lights, Naruto glanced away, growing red with shame at someone bringing up the truth about him and school.

"I do believe you can be a fine ninja, and succeed in your goal to be a Hokage," Robin continued, "if you truly do want to fulfill that dream. One powerful step towards that, involves honesty with yourself. I can help you with more academic-subjects in the academy, and gladly will. If you are honest about any weakness and strength you have, instead of ignoring both."

Looking back down to her son, Naruto's reaction shared another measure of how far he'd been neglected and struggling, for who could know how long. "You….believe that…that I can….." Taking several swallows, the boy's shuffling feet betrayed what he wanted to hide.

"Uhh…I gotta use the bathroom," he muttered to escape. Robin let him go, back watched the hallway carefully before returning to prepare breakfast. Eventually the others finished their training and Zoro tapped on the bathroom door to fetch Naruto.

Quickly every was sitting at the table, passing about eggs, bacon and fruits with a small bowl of rice by their plates.

"Naruto-sama? Do you have any plans for today, or a place to visit in the village?" Kimimaro spoke up, addressing someone who'd been quite silent up 'till then.

"Uhhhhh. Um, I don't know, maybe some time at the park, or planting some flowers in the backyard will be fun," he gave with a shrug, still very unused to his new title.

"A fine idea, Naruto-kun," Robin slipped in. "I have heard the Yamanaka flower-shops, and the few we brought here from your old apartment do seem quite lonely." Looking out to the garden together, Naruto, Robin and Olvia found a couple of plants they had carried and re-planted from Naruto's former abode.

"That'll have to wait until later," Zoro snatched their attention back. Folding both arms, the father nodded towards his daughter and student. "You both still need to prepare for the Academy if you're serious about learning these ninja arts. Plus with time spent there we'll have less to use for sword-training, so I want to use what we have right now to the fullest."

"I agree," Robin chimed. "There are a handful of chores to finish following breakfast. And I'd like to speak with Naruto-kun in my study afterwards." Belong too long, everyone was done and departed for various rooms within their new routines.

Olvia nearly finished making her own bed when a knock came at the door. "Nee-chan? I heard some weird noises coming from the shower. Like somebody was hurting but happy, and wanted more of something. Do you know why?"

Inside, the girl stopped frozen, save for the rose-coloured flare bursting on her face. Not bothering to answer, she yanked Naruto inside the room and took one of her swords from the rack near her bedside. "Naruto-kun, do you want to know more about my sword?"

Successfully, the boy stayed distracted for ages, all until Olvia could hear a certain pair of foot-falls descending the stairs.

Once they were down, Naruto'd forgotten his earlier question and soon was sitting inside of Robin's study. The room was spacious, lined with dozens of empty bookshelves with one wide window facing their front-yard. Two work-desks and a couch occupied the room, with Naruto sitting down while Robin was at the larger writing desk.

"Naruto-kun, I have a few exercises from Ero-sensei here to ensure you do not fall behind in the Academy. I want you to complete them—"

"Awe, you want me to do homework?" the boy whined from his place, the idea met by folding both arms and turning his head sideways. "That's just boring and don't do any good Robin-san. I said Ninja's gotta be strong, everybody knows that, ya know."

"I might'a not said the truth about how strong I am but I know that and gotta work on my strength. That's the only way to be Hokage, believe it!"

More explanations followed, most of them growing further naïve and ignorant the more Naruto spoke. Yet Robin listen patiently to all of it until somebody ran out of breath.

"Naruto-kun. You have been rude and I am hurt."

"Huh? WHa? Why! Who hurt you!" Naruto shot to his feet, curling both hands with anger until Robin softly pointed one finger at him. "You have. It was not a physical injury. Yet stopping my words and efforts to speak was rude and hurtful. You know pain can be delivered from words, or as other ignore you."

A hammer struck over Naruto's heart, stopping him short and fast. "Naruto-kun. I am also hurt by how dishonest you have been," Robin continued. "You have been lying, to yourself and to me," stepping around her desk, Robin sat on the couch while the boy remained standing.

"You may not enjoy it, and hearing bad new can bring it's own suffering. I am your family now, and part of that means I believe you can grow into anything you wish to become," she continued speaking.

"I am sharing the truth with you now, something always more important than the image you want to carry in your head. Yet, you are still lying to me; and I cannot help you grow into a strong shinobi or grow closer as family with you unless honesty is the only thing were share to each other."

Recalling how she gave Olvia the same lesson some years ago, and her own intuition layered with experience, Robin focused on nipping a certain poisonous weed in the bud.

"You struggle in the Academy, and have suffered under several poor instructors as they have not made the effort to aid you to learn there in a proper way. I am not those people and I want to watch you succeed. Yet I cannot give that support unless we both recognize where a problem has come from and how to build around it."

"Please, tell me the truth. Of what you can do in the Academy and how you think the best way to grow into a ninja should be?"

Silence followed, as Robin watched Naruto staring at the ground. Nobody made a sound, one occupant only able to focus on his own thoughts, and the other with more patience than the world could measure.

"I…people say I'm the worst….that I'm the dead-last in my class." After his first confession, Naruto returned to silence. 2 minutes passed until more details came in his voice, followed with more until he ran out of things to say.

"I see," Robin replied. Naruto still fixed his eyes on the ground, embarrassed and feeling strange. "That can change, and we can help you to grow better."

Rising his head with a jerk, Naruto found a smile that was quickly growing more and more familiar. "Using your mind can be a strength, especially since you have shown some very special promise to be a strong ninja, Naruto-kun."

"Your father and I can help you, and Olvia has wanted to learn different ways to use chakra and further ninja arts for years. Yet it will not come easy, without effort or struggle. You need to grow further, and have already made one step towards becoming the Hokage."

"I have?" Naruto's head cocked to one side, matching a face filled with confusion. "I'm not a ninja yet until I graduate. That's the first step, ya know."

Robin chuckled softly before him. "That is the third one, Naruto-kun," she explained. "The first step is to want to desire to become the Hokage at all. You have already covered that boundary. Now the second one is seek aid find people who can train you, then map-out how to reach every step you will need to make to reach that goal."

"Zoro-san knows about that more than many, because he spent over 20 years chasing a very similar dream."

"WHOA! 20 years, that's, that's, that's a real, real long time. It's more than twice as old as I am!" Naruto's surprise was brighter than the sun. "What did he wanna be? Did he make it there?"

Nodding, Robin's mind travelled back to one memory of a certain day. With Hawkeyes Mihawk dead on the ground, while Zoro stood bloodied, beaten, yet triumphant.

"He did. Many years ago, Zoro pledged to grow into the Greatest Swordsman in the World. Something he strove to fulfill and become one of two forces that propelled him to stand among the most powerful beings alive across this planet. He succeeded, and trained extremely hard to fulfill that dream."

Outdoors, Zoro was watching both Olvia and his student exercising with strength training, when the sliding door's creak came to his ears. Turning his good eye towards it he found-"Naruto. Is there something you need?"

Naruto stood there in the centre of the yard, looking up with all the courage he could muster. "Zoro-san. I…uhhhhh…."

Zoro was patient, giving Naruto all the time he needed. After swallowing back his timidity, Naruto's face appeared to change into something resembling a smiley mask.

"I wanna train with you and nee-chan and Crossbones!" Grabbing his arm in a pose, words came fright from Naruto's head with no filter. "One day, I'm want to become the Hokage, just like how you wanted to become the Best swordsman around. Will you teach me Da…uh, Zoro-san?"

"No."

"HUUUUHHHHHHH!" Spinning around, Naruto and Zoro both looked over towards the person who answered him.

"You need to train your mind and your body together, Whisker's-kun. Complete the exercises Ero-sensei shared with me, and then you can ask Zoro to begin training." Robin ordered him, confident somebody would not dare to refute her.

All as Naruto threw both hands to his head: "Dang it! But that's all boring!"

0….0

"K-Kurenai are…..…..are you honestly serious?" Disbelieve clung to Sarutobi Asuma's words.

"Would you know me to joke about a matter like this, Asuma-san. Would any one of you?" she turned aside to look at Might Guy and his rival, fresh from a recent contest between them.

Within a tea-shop, three Jonin and a single Chunin had gathered for drinks; the sake menu, not the more serene brew. It was Kurenai's first occasion to meet with friends in the four days since she had met Naruto and the "Demons of the New World."

"People living within Konohagakure, even more powerful and dangerous than the Hokage. And they demanded permission form him to welcome Uzumaki-san into their family?" Hatake Kakashi repeated his contemporary's news in a whisper.

Kurenai nodded, tilting back the last of her vodka and humming at the sharp flavour.

"But...come on now, how could something like that even be possible?" The Green Beast of Battle tried to shake it off.

"Guy. Are you saying something against, Naruto-san?" Another surprise rippled through the group: Kakashi's words setting them on edge.

"Uh...Uh...no! No, no, no, hey Kakashi, I'd never do anything so unyouthful!" the Taijtusu master backtracked. "I-aaahhh-I was merely speaking of somebody stronger than the Hokage coming here. I mean….honestly. A person like that would have to be famous, or put the village under some kinda high alert. Kurenai-san described his wife as even more dangerous than he is. While danger and stronger aren't always the same, it's, just, hard to believe."

"No, Guy," Kurenai frowned at him, dropping the honourifics for this matter. "Roronoa-Nico Robin…..being honest, she left me with a lot to think over, especially towards her new foster-son. She did threatened the Lord Hokage, and may have caused serious harm if she wished to. I'd be worried towards the children under her care from how…cold she was."

"And you aren't? Why?" Asuma inquired, the other pair remaining quiet while Kurenai closed her eyes. A flicker in her lips betrayed a reflex, towards images of the family together in the training ground.

"Her reactions towards her family, her husband's apprentice, and especially Naruto-san himself. I never saw anything so heartfelt or elegant. I will admit, I've seen true mother's display less care to their own children."

"Lord Hokage has asked me to look-in on the family across the upcoming months, as the witness to their emigration to the village. Particularly during training-sessions between Roronoa Zoro-san and his student."

Lifting a fresh drink to her lips again, it paused when Asuma shot to his feet. Guy narrowed his eyes, as Kakashi glanced lethargically.

"Roronoa Zoro? The bounty—hunter? He's the one who adopted Naruto-san and is living here!" His cigarette nearly broke, habit alone keeping his teeth from cutting the stem as Asuma's jaw clenched together.

Kurenai and Kakashi were dropping their bills side-by-side. Glancing at each other, one had surprise, the other seemed lethargic.

"I'd like to meet these people; if you doubt Lord Hokage would mind, Kurenai-san."

Both vanished in their own shunshin, leaving Asuam and Guy behind. "What was that about? The man is a bounty-hunter and those 30,000,000 ryo on my head is still offered through the underworld."

"Be that as it may," Guy called his attention, "any louder and the whole street outside might have heard you." Glancing out through the curtains the Sarutobi found a handful of figures not moving beyond them. With a curse, somebody snatched his shoulder and steered him to face Guy straight-on.

"Asuma, nobody has seen Naruto anywhere, and saying the wrong thing can get the Hokage quite upset. How about you can I have youthful sparring together?" With a gleam in his smile, the Green-Beast took off running with Asuma tailing in his wake.

'Well…maybe I deserve this.'

0…0

Minutes later, Kurenai found her destination, with Kakashi behind her and a surprise in front.

"Hm? Iruka-san?"

A second Chunin was near the door of the Roronoa's home. Looking over his shoulder, the instructor caught the other two with surprise. "Kurenai-san. Kakashi-san. What brought the both of you here?"

"Oh, sharing and well-wishes. I have heard it builds good neighbours, but never tried my hand." Kakashi waltzed up beside the man, lazy and vague as only he could be.

"After learning of a new family moving in here, why not share a grapevine. I hear weeds are growing and shouldn't invade what little space the new flowers have to grow."

Walking up to the doorway, the Hatake found it opening before he could knock; by a girl with emerald-hair.

"Hello. Copy-nin-Kakashi, what brought you to our home?"

"Ahhhhh. Who would you be?" There was no hiding how surprised the Hatake was from someone recognizing him.

"I'm Roronoa Olvia, Hatake-san. And has my Papa's reputation or occupation led you to come here worried about the bounty on your head? Or rather, each of them? Iwa was offering the highest bid in the previous issue of their bingo-books."

For once….Kakashi had no answer whatsoever. He had to be rescued by the other two walking-up.

"Well, you certainly are well-informed, Olvia-san," Iruka took over. "Apparently, he does want to meet you, and maybe talk to yout parents as well. I brought some extra materials for you and Kimimaro-san, and to see if Naruto finished those assignments from last night."

Sure enough, the instructor had a package under one arm, coaxing a diamond-bright gleam to fill Olvia's eyes.

"Ah, we are training in the backyard," she answered, trying a touch too hard to keep excitement out from her voice. "It lies directly through this hallway. I'll be happy to take the new materials for—"

"Not a chance 'Livy." Within one moment, Olvia froze, followed with a slump in defeat. She was busted and she knew it.

"You have three days left, and no excuses," her father enforced. Zoro came in the doorway, shirtless and in dark pants with each sword on his hip.

Standing beside his daughter, Zoro found each ninja wearing a face of shock. Cocking his head, the man followed their attention to the scars which mired his body. Cast on clear display for the trio, Mihawk's token and Zoro's missing eye were the centre-pieces in a rare collection. Until one opinion caught his real attention.

"Kurenai-san," he called her eyes away from all the eye-candy. "Just remember that I am married, to someone who can make your Hokage shit himself. If any of you want, I'll share the stories of these scars with you, one day. For now, I need to get back to training, especially for Naruto. Come on through and get a place in the backyard."

Olvia's gaze passed between all of the group, before covering a giggle at Kurenai's shame. Shaken from their stupor, Kakashi mentally logged away the illusionist's reaction for a future favour, and Zoro took the books from Iruka.

"Papa, a swordswoman can never grow dull. I begin at the Academy in three day. This situation should make an exception."

"No," glancing at his daughter from the corner of one eye, the swordsman knew exactly what to keep her away. "Crossbones is close to completing his own kata's. We can argue here, or both him and Naruto can shoot further than you today."

Olvia took only three seconds with her fingers twitching. "Never." Faster than a bullet, the girl was gone. Too fast to see the self-rewarding smirk on her father. 'It never fails. Between Robin and me, our girl can never say no to competition.'

Leading the guests through the house, Zoro noticed various Sakura-petals dancing in the air, surrounding nothing as they dissolved. Soon they were in the backyard, to find Robin in a deck-chair, and each of the children were further out on the lawn.

Kimimaro leveled a jian into his guard, moving forward with grace and ease, alternating parries with jabs and two thrusts; his tempo a ceaseless balance.

Olvia was closer to the doorway, bowing towards two katana held outright in her hands. While the youngest was doing squats with two boulders held up in his small arms.

"61…62…you are doing very well Naruto-kun. Keep going….63." With Robin's encouragement, Naruto lowered into another squat, his legs shaking but refusing to stop. Zoro dropped his load beside Robin on the way back to the youngest. While he took-over Robin's count, she folded the covers of a book while turning towards their company.

"Kurenai-san. Ero-sensei-san," he grinned subtly towards one Chunin, still very close to Kurenai.

"Ero-sensei?" Kakashi repeated. "Now why would you carry that nickname, Iruka-san? Did your mouth or hand wind-up somewhere they shouldn't have?"

Caught as a deer in headlights, the colour in Iruka's face sunk before a tide of crimson, too slow to stop the 'Devil's Child.' "Neither, Copy-nin. His eyes wondered ahead of his mind in front of my foster-son."

At Robin's clarification, Iruka could feel the glare from a certain genjutsu-mistress beside him, sinking to his knees and begging to live. "Hatake-san?" Robin continued, leaving the Jonin on-edge, the frost of something in her words placing an edge across his neck.

"Please join me inside the kitchen. I would sincerely despise a gust of whispers spreading the spores of weeds in this peaceful garden, for the sake of my children's nurturement."

While Robin strode past him, Kakashi was left paralyzed; for entirely different reasons. 'She…who would hear my riddle from the street from this distance? Or even craft a reply matching it?'

Both himself and Kurenai moved indoors, while Iruka looked back, puzzled, until someone approached him.

"Iruka-sensei-san?" polite to a fault, Kimimaro bowed towards the Chunin. "I have a measure of confusion over certain subjects for the Academy. Would you be willing to clarify them?"

Always eager to teach, the Umino and the Kaguya moved off, all under Zoro's watch as the swordsman noticed Naruto was really straining now.

"71…72….73-" In the middle of his 74's squat, tremble paused Naruto's legs while the stones fell from his shoulders and arms. Collapsing forward, he barely caught himself and tried shaking his screaming legs.

"Well done, Naruto." Looking up, the boy found his new father nodding at him. The approval felt beyond strange, but happy. Basking in the attention, any muscle-strain and fatigue he carried evaporated.

"Thank's Da…uh, ZOro-san! Okay, come-on let's fight together now!"

"Slow down there," Zoro held one hand up, stalling him. "We've determined what level your strength is, for now. And all the running and further exercises showed me you have more stamina than other kids I've known. Before we start sparring, flexibility is next. Power alone isn't enough if you're too rigid to move. If your muscles are too solid, they make you slower. Follow what I say, then we'll spar once you're ready."

"But I'm ready now!" With his complaint Naruto dropped both arms, almost begging. "Come on, I've gotta beat Sasuke-teme in taijutsu tomorrow! By now I'd 've already beaten up a bag dressed-up like him time after time after time! This might make me strong, but that's not everything in a fight!" Naruto complained.

"Tomorrow?" Zoro's question came thick with sarcasm. "You still have three days before getting back to the Academy. Remember?" Next, the swordsman turned back to find the sensei. "Hey there, Iruka-san. How many times have Naruto and a kid called Sasuke fought each other?"

"52 so far," Iruka answered, hints of resignation in his tone. "And Sasuke-san has won each of them."

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto shouted out, distressed. "Why'd you tell my foster-dad that! It's not cool, ya know!"

"Naruto," Zoro continued, picking-up on what was wrong. "You're the one I care about, not anyone else in that school right now. Who is this Sasuke-kid. Why do you worry about him?"

"Oh…Uhhhhhh." Blushing, Naruto bit his lip, his foster-father ignorant towards just how deeply that promise struck him. Taking a few swallows, Naruto had to breathe again before giving his answer. "Sasuke's another guy, the Mr. Cool in my class. Everybody talks about him, and says he's the best. So I gotta beat him. That's why we're training, right?"

Of anything he might have said, that was the absolute wrong decision.

"If you think this is only to beat one guy, then I'll end everything right here and now." Zoro lashed out, sending Naruto reeling backwards. "Kid. Do you want to become a ninja, and aspire to reach Hokage? Or is all of that a lie?" Zoro interrogated him.

"O…..of c-c-c-cours…y-yeah I-uh-I wanna b-be the Hokage. B-B-B-believe it!" Pausing to suck in a breath, Naurto had to get a timid stutter back under control. "Sasuke-teme is the best in the class, so I gotta beat him to go higher. He's another step to reaching Hokage, the best ninja in the village. Didn't you have to get the Best Swordsman title by beating someone?"

Zoro had to pause for a moment, his face placid and unshifting. Slowly a glare slipped in down towards his new son: imagining how thick-headed the boy might be, and apprehensive for this lesson to reach him. "You're right in the action, but not over the motivation," he answered, finally.

"If you want to be the Hokage, then that's the goal you should imagine first. Focus on that as your centre, not building up this 'Sasuke' into a stepping-stone to guarantee it."

"If someone beats you head-on over and over again, it's because they have more skill or talent than you do. And you need to train better to overcome them." Zoro scolded the boy. "You've never trained like this before, and you've never beaten this rival either. How do you win at sparring in this Academy, anyways?"

Dropping his arms, Naruto recalled loss after loss, low after low. 'Even Choji beat me easy, no matter what I do.' Shaking his head, Naruto mumbled one thing, too low to make sense of.

Searching him, the swordsman did not betray the flicker of enthusiasm growing in his mind. 'This kid's got attitude. This isn't like 'Livy or Kimimaro; they always follow my words without question, throwing their faith and conviction behind me. Naruto's stubborn, impatient and determined. Those aren't something to get rid of, but if I'm not careful he might start throwing away anything he doesn't like. Satisfaction is not an excuse for terrible skills.'

"Naruto-san," a call from Iruka cut between his student and Zoro. "If someone states that your method is wrong. Then, maybe you should look at why they are saying it rather than just getting mad. You…you do have a family now," the Chunin gently coached his student, "and I think Zoro-san does want you to succeed. Try what he says. Think about why he's telling you to do this, and maybe you will improve."

Iruka kept his eyes on his student; especially as Naruto's own grew wide, exactly as they did the day the Chunin had promised to shout at him like everyone else.

"S….sensei?" Naruto looked away in a daze, from his teacher to his foster-father.

Zoro wore a grin brighter than daylight, looking away from the teacher and back to Naruto. Choosing his next move carefully, the swordsman's piercing gaze met his charge; delivering the weight of mountains behind it.

"Ignoring your losses is a selfish and stupid choice, Naruto. And I know you aren't that kinda person. If you've never won a fight before, then ask why it doesn't work, and test one answer before charging head-first. So, you've beaten-up a stuffed bag over and over, but lose constantly to someone you've fought several times. What does that mean?"

Naruto frowned in frustration. 'Why can't he just tell me? That'll be easy and aren't Dad's supposed to do that kinda thing?'

Looking back at Zoro, he found the man uncrossing his arms.

"That kinda training can improve strength and precision[1] for a fighter, but you need more. It's your choice to listen and learn from me, Naruto. But I will help you become strong and skilled if you do. Beating Sasuke won't make you the Hokage overnight. So, follow my words and strive towards your goal, then think about him only sometimes. You understand?"

A certain knucklehead shifted left-to-right, staring at the grass and wearing a blank look over himself. Naruto was somewhere… …unknown. He just didn't know what choice to make.

"What is it?" At Zoro's question, the boy looked up from the corner of his eyes, still shuffling away.

"Well," he mumbled. "It's just, nobody ever offered help like that to me before, Zoro-san. I'm just surprised." He felt himself growing smaller and curling his lips together.

Silence passed between them. Even the onlookers struggling to remain passive, Iruka most of all. All until Zoro stepped up, kneeling down a comfy distance from Naruto.

"Well then. Do you want to grow stronger, like your sister and Kimimaro are? Or like that old man the Hokage?" The swordsman asked, deliberately giving the boy a choice.

"Uh-huh." Even with a nod, Naruto stayed passive.

"Good," with that word somehow a new sensation swept through Naruto; a warmth and strength compelling him to strive forward. Even as Zoro continued, "all of them had good teachers and sought-out help to get where they are. Whether from me, from Ero-sensei over there." Jabbing one thumb over his shoulder, both Zoro and Naruto shared a laugh. "Or somebody else they know. Now let's continue training. Follow me through these stretches, and then we'll spar."

Excited again, Naruto followed Zoro's every move as close he could reach. While Zoro needed to correct his form to press on the right muscles even further, he discovered this boy was surprisingly lieth and spry.

Across their yard, Olvia let out a focusing breath, ready for her next Iaido drill. She was on the 50th repetition, driven to not be out-done by her own rival and sweating under the pressure.

She was kneeling, with two sheathed katana in front of her. "Nitouryu-Iai."…"Rashomon-Ichi"-drawing both, two cuts were made along the same vertical line—"Nii"—rising to her feet, two horizontal cuts sliced the air—"Son"—she came to a guard stance, one blade held across the body, the other drawn back for a thrust. Sweating under internal pressure, she refused to let it reach anywhere.

Yon"—a step forward, the rear blade thrust forward, the other shifting to a second thrusting-pose, all as Olvia pivoted with her foot and torso—"Go"—her extended wrist turned, the blade travelling to align with its sheath and slid inside, the other poised for attack or defense—"Roku"—her empty right hand slide to the right sheath, the remaining sword in her left hand curving inwards with her arm extended. The blade and sheath met, then clicked together. The Kata ended.

Had Olvia moved her wrist or arm at the wrong time, the opposite limb would have been cut easily. Her foot on the last move was out of place, and on the 3rd step she moved her right hand first, leaving an opening in her guard before the other hand closed the gap.

'Not enough. Again.'

It was challenging exercise, emphasizing the absolute perfection of even step, every angle, every shift, and more. One wrong move would result in self-injury or amputation; turning the body too early before sheathing the blade, or stepping an inch too far and becoming off-balance.

Unlikely to gain the same physical-strong as her father, Olvia emphasized her precision and speed ahead of strength. Qualities that were essential to anyone practicing swordsmanship, and the primary fundamentals of Iaido, a perfectionists' art.

Olvia retreated four steps and settled to a starting pose.

Iruka watched her, sweating. The sharp blades were glinting in the sunlight, setting him on-edge for how dangerous a mistake could be. Kimimaro turned another page beside him before rising to his feet. Moving for the door, he let Nico Robin come outside with a tray. Balancing a steaming teapot and cups upon it, Kakashi and Kurenai were straight behind her.

"Robin-sama. Do you wish me to fetch your research notes, or prepare fresh coffee?" he offered, with a sweet smile from Robin. 'Crossbones-kun may even put Sanji-kun to shame.' "No thank you, Kimimaro-kun. Zoro and Naruto are about to spar, and I have several topics to discuss with Ero-sensei. Olvia-chan, come here and take some tea."

The girl catalogued her mother's request from the middle of her Roku-stage. After finishing, she stood, withdrew the blades from her hip and retreated five steps. Holding each weapon in her palms, one at a time, she bowed towards them and finished the session.

Done, she felt the rigors of the past 3 hours of sword-training seeping through her muscles and gladly joined the others. Kurenai offered her one cup, friendly and sincerely towards the girl. Kakashi stood apart from them, nursing both his tea and his thoughts.

'How did she? Robin-san picked up on both my riddle about rumours and discontent towards Naruto before we even reached her door. Her own daughter even recognized me as well. I've been out of the ANBU for around a year now, that's no-where long enough to be recognized by average people outside from other ninjas. After we spoke together, Robin-san was completely unbothered by the news of Asuma's slip-up.'

While the Jonin poured over his own discomfort, the yard was clear for Naruto and Zoro. The boy standing loose and off-balance, his stance filled with holes and bothfists already curled for a punch, while Zoro stood with a slight pivot, perfectly balanced, totally at ease.

The start came with a charge, Naruto throwing a jab with a right round-house kick behind it…to trip forward for a straight right . Zoro was bigger but didn't block anything.

"Huh? Why didn't you move but I didn't hit?" the boy asked. Zoro didn't answer, glaring down at his son.

Naruto just scowled and ran in again, his right hand and leg hit randomly, following with throwing one after another. They lacked rhythm, devoid of any power or reason and the boy would pull-back for powerful strikes that took entire seconds to throw.

'That's the third time he almost fell-over,' Zoro gauged, watching Naruto stagger after a flying front-kick.

After getting his bearings, the boy just ran in again without thinking or asking about fighting someone over twice his size. Naruto started to throw more into his attacks, with the same results. To his eyes, Zoro didn't block, deflect or dodge anything he threw; an untouchable ghost.

From the sideline, Olvia held the same image, but Kimimaro did pick-up the source. 'His knees. By shifting them, Zoro-sama evades with the most miniscule motion possible. His axis doesn't move as a consequence, appearing to some that he made no movement to start. Yet shifting out of range by centimeters.'

Naruto kept pressing-in, his frustration curling through a snarl. All until Zoro picked-up on this, caught a wild hook, and threw him a few dozen meters away.

Coming to a stop near a tree, Olvia winced but Robin was not concerned; trusting Zoro would not hurt Naruto unnecessarily.

Everyone watched Naruto pick himself up, look over at Zoro and run in again.

'He's got tenacity at least. Just like me against Kuina,' the swordsman recalled. Naruto repeated the same opening, a running jab before he started to use more attacks on Zoro's legs. Zoro resigned to block these, and exchange light punches; very, very, very light, given his strength, and only for Naruto's body.

One punch to his stomach drove the wind out of Naruto, yet he kept going. He began circling around Zoro, trying to attack him from the side or behind.

One point, he ran to a tree, jumped to its trunk, pushed off, flying at Zoro's face with a punch. 'This'll work, it's too cool not to!' Naruto's mind saw the light of victory, all until Zoro caught him with one hand, and pinned him to the tree.

Holding his son there, not too gently, Zoro took a moment to think.

'This kid has practically no centre. He's mixing different moves but there's no form to him, no fundamentals. He's announcing everything, silent or deliberate. It's like Luffy but Naruto has no special-powers to make that work either, or a sliver of the captain's instincts. Still, he does adapt and looks for different things that will work. That kind of method depends on having the endurance and ability to avoid outright defeat. This kid Sasuke probably just overwhelms him quickly because he knows what will happen and doesn't give Naruto enough time to wise-up. He's predictable.'

The pair stood there some moments, Zoro noting how Naruot kept struggling to get out; there was no quit in the boy. 'He's got a strong will to fight. There's a lot of spirit in him and enough brainpower to mix up different things. I need to get rid of these bad habits, and quickly. The best way for that is breaking-down his approach piece-by-piece. Or get the sensei to reintroduce them and from there practice until they can be used in a spar.'

"Alright Naruto, take a 10-minute breather then we'll start again."

"Naruto-kun? Come here and sit down. Take a drink." At Robin's call, the boy pulled himself up and staggered over; the short-term fatigue from Zoro's training making itself known. The swordsman stood apart from them, waiting for his disciple.

Trading-off, Kimimaro passed Naruto while drawing his spare-weapon; conscientious of the company around them.

On the patio, Naruto flopped into a chair, while one arm held out a cup. "Thank you Rob….uh, Mom." Naruto was still blushing over that word, while his foster-sister and Robin smiled. Olvia came a little closer and Naruto even leaned backwards, resting his head on her shoulder.

Robin herself had to smile broader than anytime she had with the Straw hats. 'Whenever they are together, Olvia-chan dotes on Naruto even more than I do. It's amazing how rapidly they both have grown towards one another.'

While Naruto took his juice, not fond of tea, Robin and the others heard the ring of clashing steel. The sword-duel was far more subdued than Naruto's own bout with Zoro. Kimimaro wanted to improve his own defense, shifting or parrying every strike; though he lost his handle on the weapon three times when a particularly intricate pattern made fresh openings in the Kaguya's guard. Zoro himself only had one blade drawn, and displayed a degree of finesse, power and ease that none of the ninja's ever witnessed before.

"Robin-san, may I pose one question about your husband?" Kurenai asked.

"No." Robin answered, plainly. "Neither Zoro nor myself believe in three-ways, genjutsu-chan. I may tolerate you admiring him from this distance, but never presume to see my husband's lower sword. Let alone touch it. Ever."

Kurenai was floored, her mouth dangling off it's hinges; mortified at what the older woman implied, in front of children.

Olvia shared the same reaction, while the male-ninjas flushed with steam through their ears.

"Touch his sword. Why would she want to do that?" Naruto asked, catching their attention. "I mean, sure Dad's great to watch with what he can do with them, but what's so big about Kurenai-san wanting to play around with them. Mom?"

"Oh! If she does then can I-"

"No." Sharper than whip, and with no room to argue, Robin cut-off Naruto's question. At the same time hiding just how giddy she felt at the innocent fuel Naruto lent to leave their guests mortified. Silently marking-off three points from her Mental Bucket List of Evil Acts,[5] Robin reflect, 'when he grows older, referring to this may leave Naruto-kun with a good impression of what not to speak of around company.'

Olvia smacked her forehead, all too well-aware of what her mother meant and Naruto's innocent contributions to a picture of "watching" what her father did with his "sword." Kakashi had to do the same thing, blind to how Iruka grew white with horror. Kurenai had to fight herself not to pass-out.

"Ahhh….no. I had no…none such concerns for….," she barely croaked.

"Oh?" Robin answered her. "Then I apologize. What did concern you, Kurenai-san?"

"Y….yo-his…" stopping to take one, deep breath; the Chunin composed herself and continued. "Why does your husband carry three katana's? Are there something particular about each one, or does he prefer to have a different function for each of them?"

Nodding at her, Robin smiled towards each of the Ninja's first. "No. Zoro-koi is less a classical swordsman, and far more of a martial innovator. He invented his own personal style of swordsmanship since a time he was younger than 10. Sentoryu, or Three-sword-style, involves wielding each and every blade at once."

"Although, you are correct in one regard. There are some very special qualities within each of his blades. All three are legendary weapons in their own right, with powerful feats and terrible fates linked to former masters who carried them."

"Really!" Naruto cut-in, now standing on his chair with excitement. "What's so big about them. Come on Rob—Mom! Tell us, tell us, tell us!"

Chuckling at his habits, Robin coaxed him to sit down properly, before she continued.

"Well, the one carries now against Crossbones-kun is called Wado Ichimonji. The blade was a family heirloom of Zoro-koi's own sensei. Zoro was allowed to keep it, as a reminder of the promise he made to others of his ambitions to become the Greatest Swordsman in the World."

"Another one is called the Kitetsu, or rather Kitetsu III. Anyone who carried it before Zoro-koi met a terrible fate, and even he recognizes it is a cursed sword. It came into his possession before we met one another. Following a test."

"Oh? What did he have to do, Robin-san?" At Iruka's question, the archaeologists sighed before shaking her head, amusingly. "Before we met one another, Zoro-koi threw the sword above himself and set his own arm across it's descent. Testing his own good fortune against the curse carried by the blade. Letting it take his arm or split-open his skull, were he to be so unlucky."

Once again, each of the ninja's were floored, and in a particularly terrible way. Iruka fell backwards with a shout, Kurenai herself was white, imaging the consequences and impossibly grappling over how reckless someone could be. While Kakashi: 'Would Guy ever try that, if the chance came along? Suppose I cannot allow that to happen.'

Beyond their thoughts, Robin continued. "Spiralling down on top of himself, Zoro did not flinch or back away, and the blade sailed around him, taking less than a hair."

"While his final blade…that one is truly an exceptional weapon. Legends themselves whispers of how it carries a power to cut through to the bottom of hell."

The audience felt their attention shift towards the final blade hanging on Zoro's waist; a moderately curved katana with a golden trefoil-shaped tsuba, held in a sheath of sold black lacquer with the saya and tsuka sporting light five-petaled flower motifs on both sides.

"Zoro-san previously carried two separate blades; one called Yubashiri met it's own death in a landmark battle for our crew. The other which replaced it was known as Shusui; A national treasure to the Kingdom of Wano. Zoro-koi acquired Shusui after winning a duel against it's previous wielder, who passed it over to him in reverence."

"Later, he returned the blade when a friend requested for it back on behalf of their nation. In-trade she offered him the one he carries now: the Enma.[3] A sword known to leave lesser wielders dry-husks should they use it. The most powerful of my husband's swords.[3]

At this news, the ninja's looked over at the swordsman, unsure of whether to believe such stories, while Naruto only found it cool and Olvia carried sparks of want and rivalry in her eyes. 'And one day, I will earn that sword. I swear it.'

Further conversation passed between the onlookers, until half an hour passed and Zoro and Kimimaro ended their sparring.

"Alright, Ero-sensei. Do you have to be anywhere else today?" Zoro interrogated Iruka.

"Uh, no. Today is a standard day off for my classes, so I thought to come here and help Naruto, Olvia-san and Kimimaro-san prepare for the Academy."

Zoro nodded at his answer. "Good, I need your help with Naruto as well. From how we sparred, 'terrible' is the highest praise I can give his skills."

Robin winced at Zor's bluntness, while Naruto shot forwards: "Aww, come on, I'm better than that! I'm awesome and…uh and great and I….I…" Slowly, Naruto came to a stop, caught between desperation and a growing sense of guilt.

"Naruto," Robin intervened first, walking up to him with a tiny glare at Zoro. "I recall that there are some special powers we have not explained to you, yet. Please, come inside with Oliva, Kurneia-san, and Kimimaro while Ero-sensei, Kakashi-san, Zoro-koi and myself speak out here."

"Uhhhh. Okay," ignorant to any distraction, Naruto walked indoors where a second Robin was already waiting; unseen by Kakashi and obscured once Kurenai closed the door behind them. Once they were inside, Zoro frowned at his wife.

"Sugar-coating the truth won't do any good, Robin. Plus, he's a bit simple and dense. Honesty might hurt, but keeping things simple are a good way for him to learn."

Robin turned her gaze towards him, Iruka almost backing-off while Zoro held his ground. "In principle you might be accurate, Zoro. Yet Naruto-kun has never had anyone take such investment in his personal development before and is still reluctant to grow comfortable with us. Highlighting his deficiencies is an avenue I do not wish that we pursue."

"He is enthusiastic to grow, but also extremely impatient and almost desperate for attention and approval. Not criticism. His inadequacies are innumerable, I will not deny that. Yet calling them out ahead of his more positive traits may not be healthy for our son at this time."

The weight she placed behind the word "son," lent greater stress to the matter.

Zoro frowned, not at his wife, but thoughtful. "You might bring up a good point, but that wasn't my intention. I want to see if Ero-sensei here would review different fundamentals with him while I was training with 'Livy. He does admire and feel close to you right now, with good reasons. Building that trust with this guy would go a long way too."

Next, Robin turned her full attention to Iruka, waving him towards a seat while Zoro and Kakashi remained standing. Once they were settled, she began an interrogation.

"Iruka-san," dropping the nickname entirely. "From what I have learned, Naruto-kun has some unusual struggles at the Shinobi Academy. He has been in the curriculum longer than anyone yet his interests and aptitude with academics are low. While his physical fighting skills are also among the worst in the class. Any proficiency he has with ninjutsu concepts and techniques have remained unremarkable, yet his endurance and stamina are very exceptional, and he takes a large number of failures as challenges to improve. Correct?"

Iruka nodded at Robin's assessment, pushing aside the peculiar mood of having a parent-teacher conversation about Naruto with his new mother.

"You've covered it all, Robin-sama. I've only been teaching Naruto for around a year now, and he does need a lot of help. Unfortunately, I don't have enough time to provide it and none of the other instructors are willing to work with him one-on-one."

Behind Robin, a certain grey-hound frowned alongside her towards this news.

"I have already started to emphasize academic growth to him. While I am quite surprised with his performance in Zoro's physical training, there is a certain level of insight towards Naruto-kun's intellect. His pranks show him to be more gifted than towards their first glance, Ero-sensei."

"Huh!" The instructor's complaint mixed-in with a chuckle from Kakashi. "They have been a constant problem throughout the village, not solely in the Academy! If he applied as much effort and time into the classwork his marks would improve drastically."

Listing to his tirade, Robin was wearing another smile, coaxing up a familiar, creeping-dread to swell in Zoro's gut, before he noticed whom she was looking towards.

"From certain reports Lord Hiruzen released to me, Naruto-kun's victims include large groups from the general populace or students who out-perform him at the Academy and qualified shinobi. Yourself among them," Robin recounted, resting one hand beneath her right jawline. "Even after you discover him as the perpetrator, he can evade and hide from Chunin, Jonin, and on some occasions ANBU in the aftermath. Envision all of Naruto's pranks and prank-victims, Iruka-san. You as well, Kakashi-san."

Iruka fixed Robin with a look of wonder while Kakashi largely ignored her, pulling out a certain book. "Wh-Huhhh!" before the cover could be opened, Icha-Icha Paradise was snatched out from his hand. Kakashi's surprise reached the heavens at the disembodied arms passing his precious book it over to a chair.

"There are children close by, Copy-nin-san," an icy voice of death whistled from a certain woman. "My daughter has a particular fondness for anything to read. Nobody will show this in the open…within my house…Ever." Robin spoke, very, very deliberately. Even the people inside picked-up the edge in her voice, shaking to their bones. While across the world, a certain Soul-King's nose was twitching with a sneeze…or it would if he had one to sneeze with!

"Now," Robin continued, relaxing, allowing Iruka and Kakashi space to breathe. "You both. Replace the paint within Naruto-kun's pranks with explosives. Or ink and itching-powder with lethal poison. And thumb-tacks or trip-wires with sharpened kunai or spikes, leaving someone impaled with their blood spraying out one side and trickling down the other."

The colour in in Iruka's face gradually paled, until it was bleached white. Kakashi was less obvious, and equally affected; not afraid though, but intrigued. 'Now that she describes this…even my own former-ANBU team have been caught unprepared by something with Naruto's own mark on their watch at least once.'

Robin indulged her audience more time to ponder. "If you and other shinobi in this village can be caught in pranks conceived by the worst student at the Academy; then a foreign spy infiltrating Konoha could likely assassinate or sabotage anyone here quite handily. Should the Hyuga affair and Uchiha tragedy be such examples, foreigners would likely not pass on any opportunities to lower Konohagakure's pool of manpower by assassinating students in their younger points of life."

"Or abduct members of one clan or another while they are gathered in a single location. All of whom are in the precise pool of victims Naruto-kun affects frequently enough." Robin casually described; her attitude striking to the core of both men.

"I will actively encourage him from committing too many, and he has never caused bodily harm to anybody, before. For all that aside, either the security within your village has fatal-holes, or Naruto-kun possesses phenomenal talent for infiltration, ambushes, and building traps."

Iruka's eyes widened. 'I…she's right. Naruto was even able to delay those Kusa-nin with simple traps during their encounter months ago. If he had wanted to actually hurt anyone, he might have done it easily and the consequences would have been devastating!"

Kakashi was about to share the same, before an orange-coloured hard-worker burst through a door.

"Iruka-sensei, Kimimaro's got these bone-powers and Mom can-hhhh-hummmmmff!" A delicate hand pressed over his mouth, stopping more exclamations from coming.

"Naruto-kun, I recall asking you to not announce our powers carelessly," Robin's disapproving tone rang through his ears. Turning to look up at her, the woman was very serious; coaxing the boy into a sheepish mindset, shuffling his feet in the ground. Something mumbled over her hand, and Robin dissolved it.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. Robin stayed silent for moments, then rose to lead him over to one side of yard. "Ero-sensei, join us, if you'd please." The Chunin hurried behind them, while Zoro called for Olvia and Kimimaro. Kurenai and Kakashi hung-back, after he rescued his prized Icha-Icha novel.

Robin and Iruka set to work helping Naruto through the basic taijutsu moves and stances from the Academy. One had Naruto's complete faith and trust, while the other knew what to introduce. It didn't take long for new results to show. 'Naruto…I never saw him this dedicated before. And he's learning well," Iruka silently watched.

Robin highlighted footwork and balance the most. There were some complaints, but her patience won-out over Naruto every time. He finally moved on to kicks and punches, while Olvia held three swords in a mirror of her father's signature style, pressing in for the attack.

20 minutes later both were done, and rolling on the grass, spent.

"Naruto-sama."

"Uhhhh..y-y-yeah, Kimimaro?"

"Perhaps we can visit the Yamanaka flower-shop now."

An eager nod answered him, with two extra volunteers.

"Yes, if we want to make it there today, now is better than never," Olvia noted, pulling herself to her feet.

"Ah, perhaps I might go with you. I know the shop and do appreciate flowering," Kurenai offered. In the corner of one eye, she spied a nod from Robin.

"I've got a few errands of my own to run somewhere," Zoro muttered. "Now that we have a dojo, I need to pick some new gear for you kids; then head out to bust-down another bounty and make-up for everything we spent moving-in here."

"Papa. Perhaps waiting here with Mom would be smarter. You might get lost." Olvia's snide remark coaxed a familiar glare from her father. Yet before either could say anything…

"Kakashi-san! I may require to hire your services, or failing those Kurenai-san's in the immediate future. Please, would you accompany my husband through the village should he become misplaced?"

"Oi, Robin. I. Do. Not. Get. Lost." Zoro's growl echoed through the neighborhood, even causing one couple outside their fence to shiver. Kakashi and Iruka were scrambling for some distance, all while Robin only smiled knowingly.

"My husband, I love you in many different forms. Yet, your habits for discovering short-cuts and wind-up displaced is both impossible and irreconcilable. Perhaps Kakashi-san's company may lead to the most suitable destinations, as he may be well-acquainted with them."

Under the Roronoa swordsman's curious look, Kakashi's eye danced between him and his wife before looking over one shoulder.

"Oh, I would not encourage you to refuse, Kakashi-san," Robin cut-off his reply dead in his throat. "Might Guy recently completed one sparring match with a Sarutobi Asuma. Currently, he is 5 minutes away from here, and looking for another mud-wrestling match."

Alarms flared high inside Kakashi's mind, blaring high-alerts within his ears: 'Danger! Danger! Danger!—Abort!—Escape!—' Jerking his head from one side, then over to another, a third, up, down, the man was forming hand-signs for one jutsu before something stopped him.

"Before your hasty departure, I believe you have forgotten this."

Looking back to Robin, something froze the Copy-nin where he stood. The woman dangled another Icha-Icha Paradise book in her hand, pressing in how Kakashi's pouch was lighter than it should be.

'How did…? When did she take that? How does she know about Guy?' Kakashi paused, almost ready to disappear or try and snag the woman off for ANBU interrogation. 'A civilian, and a non-ninja like her should not be difficult to capture. Even with her skills for pick-pocketing and information, thieves rarely can handle conventional fighting.'

Ignoring this, Robin continued. "Now, should you make the convenience to accompany Zoro-koi, then I am certain Might Guy would have to respect that obligation and leave you in peace. Otherwise, perhaps he would enjoy time with Zoro and select training-gear for our children to use."

"Ahkkk…gkk….uh…" Struck with unseen ice-water, Kakashi nearly fell-over, clinging to consciousness by a thread. Deep inside his mind, the Jonin was imagining a certain Uzumaki unable to walk, and wearing horrendous deep green spandex.

"He certainly will," Kurenai volunteered for him, and Kakashi did not say a thing. Quickly one group left while the Chunin-instructor made his own goodbyes and Kakashi followed Zoro in a separate direction.

Naruto, Kimimaro, Olvia and Kurenai strode along, weaving through tracks around the clan-compounds with Kurenai at the lead.

'Word has not been spreading too far about the Roronoa's and Naruto-san yet, but Asuma-kun's outburst might have built another ripple. This is the better choice.' Behind Kurenai's thoughts, an image of how Robin had found Naruto came forth.

In the previous days, the Chunin had done her own investigation, learning more of just how far people would neglect or mistreat him. The Chunin, always proud of the village and her own comprehension towards illusions, decided to give the boy a stronger chance than she had before.

"Huh! Naruto?"

"Oh, Choji! Shikamaru! Hi there, come here you've gotta meet these guys!" Before anyone could stop him, the blonde took off running towards a pair of boys walking up a road; one chubby and in light-blue coveralls, the other a grey shirt with a symbol Olvia and Kimimaro recognized.

Naruto dragged them both over, to the slender boy's complaints. "Naruto, I can come on my own, moving fast is such a drag."

"But you've gotta meet my nee-chan. Come here." Finally stopping where they were, Kurenai stood to the side while Olvia came forwards to the bewildered boys.

"I apologize for my ototou's enthusiasm. You really shouldn't just drag people left and right, Whisker's-chisi," she advised him, offset with a smile.

"Nee-chan? Naruto, I thought you didn't have any family?" Everyone could watch Naruto's mood deflate at the rotund boy's question.

"Please, do not upset him by speaking of such things aloud." Kimimaro strode forward to Naruto's side, his face an impassive picture; a ready shield for anything against the family he served.

"I am Kimimaro, the student of Roronoa Zoro-sama; the swordsman and bounty-hunter. May I have your names? Nara-san? Ackimichi-san?"

Both boys straightened slightly, gripped gently by such formality; Kurenai never failed to be amazed at his sense of propriety.

"Well, I-I'm—"

"Wait Choji, not yet." The smaller boy stopped the other with a hand to his shoulder; looking at the other two with care. "How do you know which clans we are from? And how did you meet Naruto?"

Between the pair, the taller boy stayed passive under the smaller one's eye.
"The symbol on your shirt is of the Nara-clan," Kimimaro declared. "I encountered one of your kinsmen two years ago. You share the same features and hair-style. The unity between the Nara, Akimichi and Yamanaka clans is legendary. Such friendships are often fostered in childhood, and your companion has the exact heavy-set features of the Akimichi."

"Towards my motivations, I assumed Naruto-sama is an Academy student alongside you both. Olvia-sama will be starting in the same class as him within days. A meeting with fellow-classmates is a prudent course to follow."

Blinks. More blinks came…while Naruto was crimson at being called "Lord" by Kimimaro. Olvia took over from there.

"Excuse me?" When the new boys looked at her, a gentle smile coaxed them to relax. "My Mom, Papa, Crossbones-kun and myself arrived in Konohagakure four days ago. After finding a group of people behaving as bullies towards Naruto-kun, we decided to make him part of our family and to live here in Konohagakure. My name is Roronoa-Nico Olvia."

Bowing towards them, the large one smiled and the other shrugged. "Hey, that's great. I'm glad you have people who live with you now, Naruto. Anyways, you're right, I am Choji of the Akimichi clan, and this is Shikamaru of the Nara clan."

Choji was grinning at the friendly pair, even pulling out a bag of barbeque chips and offered some to the others. Shikamaru shrugged and gave as little reply as he could.

Kimimaro nodded, passive. "If I might ask, we are travelling to the Yamanaka shop to purchase some flowers. Would you both prefer to join us?"

Choji accepted the offer before the sluggish Shikamaru could answer. 'Wha…and see Ino there? What a drag.'

Soon they were following the other boys, with Kurenai in a new position behind them. Throughout the walk, Olvia was asking about the Academy while Naruto talked about different things he'd done with the other two before.

"And then we just threw the leaves off and ran out the window. Hahahahahaha."

"Well, not anymore," Olvia answered, sweet and insistent. "Mom would certainly disapprove of you skipping out of class like that, and she can always find you. Anywhere."

The implication stopped Naruto short, while Olvia asked more about different subjects in the classroom, leaving Kimimaro and Kurenai silent lookouts for any more people coming up.

In no time at all they reached the Yamanaka Florists shop.

"You know, you are really are friendly, Olvia-san. Maybe we can go get snacks and cloud-watch together," Choji invited her, very happy with a new friend.

"Perhaps," she replied, grinning. "Once I start in the Academy, an opportunity may develop."

The remainder of the day passed: The Yamanaka's were pleasant enough, with some unseen reminders from a certain Yuhi. Choji and Shikamaru returned to their own homes as Olvia, Naruto and Kimimaro carried various plants and flowers back to theirs. Moving through a gate around the backyard, they found Robin ready with small shovels, beige outdoor pants and an olive-green top.

Kurenai excused herself there with a few happy goodbyes. Kakashi and Zoro returned an hour later, the latter with several dozen packages piled on his shoulders. The two men spent the rest of the day setting-up Zoro's training room, undisturbed by five different door knocks from one particular bowl-cut shinobi; gullible as ever while Robin waylaid him.

Before any of them knew it, night had come around and the kids were all asleep. Robin settled into her own study for further research while Zoro began his evening training then set himself towards whetting and oiling his blades and examining Olvia's and Kimimaro's. With a final check on Naruto, the swordsman joined his wife in bed.

0…0

Robin woke-up to greet a fresh morning in an empty bed. Sliding out to stretch, impossibly beautiful as always, at the window she found Zoro exercising in their yard with a single poll and 20 impossibly giant weights stacked along it.

Staying there, the unbothered woman took some indulgence. Watching sweat trickle over Zoro's sculptured form, his powerful muscles and impossible grace; a certain sensation tickled the archaeologist in her loins. Robin watched her husband closer, before slipping away scheming as Zoro completed his workout and moved back inside.

The swordsman strode through the house with new thoughts on his mind. 'Naruto's training is taking shape. I'll shake them up for some new extra training then stop by that Hokage's office after they leave. Some fresh bounties might be worth chasing down..'

Opening the door to the master-bedroom, one moment erased any thoughts from his mind.

Lemon.

Inside, sheets were tossed away, and different articles of Robin's pyjamas strung along the floor towards their bathroom. Steam sliding out from the room delivered a smile to Zoro's face.

Inside, Robin stood patiently, threading shampoo through her long hair while the waterfall-sprinkler lathered her luscious physique with hot water. Shifting backwards to rinse it, a familiar brick-wall met her back, her ass brushing over a familiar long, erect, tingly rod quivering with desire.

Zoro actually hissed, growing into gasps as reflexes guiding his wife's hips, stroking a pair of tight cheek around his manhood, pressing further into the niche of his groin. Taking moments to recover, he took Robin's body-wash in-hand, spilling a generous measure over his hands before they lavished themselves around her. Robin purred at the attention, but a gasp came rapidly with one tingle on her neck.

Nibbling over the skin between his wife's collar and her ear, Zoro set her legs quivering as one certain weakness broke her cool; the woman's own lower centre was already soaked from the shower, yet now a special kind of wet trickled down; even pausing her hip-thrusts around his member.

Robin barely locked a moan behind her throat, to be forced open with a gasp when Zoro stopped bathing her and instead settled his hands on her breasts. Her arms dropping from her hair, the woman leaned back in bliss, the shower rinsing her shampoo and washing it across both their frames, painting a picture for their erotic exercise.

Zoro grinned now as a fresh idea came to mind, leaning in to lick from Robin's neck to her ear, she hissed again as he whispered a request.

Grinning ferally, the woman only bent forward, her hands resting on the walls of the shower while Zoro took her body-wash in-hand again.

Kneeling, the man carefully set the bottle to ooze a measure of its contents over Robin's hips and inner-thighs, the green-coloured mixture slowly travelling down her legs, coaxing Zoro's member to twitch again.

Now he got to business, hands delicately roaming around Robin's lower body, along her irresistible hips and thighs, across her knees and calves, all the way to the ankles. Robin could feel not only his touch, but his eyes as well on some particular parts of her: the matching and juicy butt-cheeks, her tight puckered hole and the swollen pussy-lips with fluids leaking along them.

"Ahhhhhheeee!" something familiar toyed with her swollen folds and Robin nearly fell off her feet. Zoro's hands were now massaging her rear, his face buried inside to lock his mouth around her pussy. Robin mumbled, her lips quivering at this attention, before shaking him off with her hips.

Bending over to meet his face through her own legs, Robin mentioned with her face and Zoro changed from confused to excited. Shifting back, the swordsman prostrated himself on his back while Robin shimmied backwards, dangling her centre right before him; drops from her even landing on the Roronoa's 4th sword, all 9-inches, impossibly eager to burry itself inside a familiar sheath.

But that was not what they wanted. Robin only stopped when she was standing over Zoro's face, the sight alone making his face a deep red. 'You were never enough for this goddess, shitty-cook. She's all to me, and I'm all to her.'

Robin knelt down, squatting over Zoro's face before shifting forwards the crouch around him, facing a tall tool waiting for her.

Taking her hand, Robin didn't waste time and started stroking it immediately. All for it to backfire: Zoro's mouth was inches from her tight, pulsing, starving pussy and his moan came in a vibration over her so intense his wife almost lost it, millimetres from cuming that imnstant.

Almost. Looking backwards while stroking him a little faster, Robin could both hear and feel him dining on her juices. All the worse as he avoided one especially sensitive spot of her insides, where Robin knew everything would unravel the moment his tongue met it.

Competition sparking in her heart, the woman went back to her own role, one hand still stroking him while the other came around to lightly caress her husband's jewels. Playing with them lightly and growing stronger by the second, she finally used her own powers: another set of arms formed themselves from the floor, pressing together her I-cup breasts around his member while her original hand moved him to torture his tip and foreskin with her figure-tips.

The results struck within instants. Zoro actually had to stop in shock from her tit-fuck; his hips even thrusting up on their own to build a stronger rhythm.

Panting together, two familiar pressures neared the breaking-points, and both parties knew it. Robin was set to win-but she didn't.

Smack! "OOOHHHHH!" A ripple travelled through Robin's left rear cheek, her mouth falling open as she looked backwards; still pleasuring her husband but caught-up in what Zoro was doing.

The man's powerful hand spanked his wife's left ass-cheek again, right over the same spot; the ripple through her generously-blessed asset shaking all the way through her. Normally a sight Zoro loved to watch, the man attacked her pussy again while one hand came under her to pinch and prod her clitoris.

'I—oh—oh-no control-ah—uh-can't stop-gonna—'

With the sliver of presence her mind had, Robin dove her head right over Zoro's member, surrounding it with her mouth and bobbing right away. Between her tits, her hand on his package and her thick, warm, vibrating mouth.

Zoro went for the end: his tongue assaulting Robin's G-spot with full-force.

"I'm CUMMING—AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" The stream above Zoro's face became a deluge, him not much better; the same window as Robin's cry witnessed him lose it and spray over her face and breasts with his own release.

Panting the couple stayed 69 for a time to catch their breath, before Robin crawled off and back to her feet and Zoro joined her.

Lemon End.

Washing themselves properly now, the couple shared a small peck as they got dressed. One moving downstairs for breakfast while the other lingered in their room.

'Already, a full week has gone by and they all start at the Shinobi Academy today. Or in Naruto-kun's case, return to it,' Robin smiled as she moved to wake the kids.

Starting with the eldest, Robin knocked first to find Kimimaro seated for meditation, and fixing her with a certain glare. Naturally, she ignored the proof how he'd likely heard everything, moving on to the challenge of waking-up Olvia. 30 minutes later, the girl was finally somewhat awake and walking out from her bedroom to head downstairs still in her own pyjamas.

Finally Robin opened Naruto's doorway, to an unpleasant sight.

The bed was empty, with covers thrown about. Looking to her right, Robin found her foster-son sitting down against the wall. The boy had his knees curled in, hiding half his face before two folded hands.

"Naruto-kun?"

"Huh? Robin-san? What do you want?"

It took strain for Robin not the frown; the question leaving her concerned, the woman took a closer look. 'Hmmmm…'

"Today you are starting at the Academy with Olvia-chan and Kimimaro-kun." Closing the door behind her, Robin walked over slowly. "Would you mind some company? If I would sit beside you?"

Confused, the boy nodded. Sliding down beside him, Robin slid one arm around his shoulders; carefully, easy to shrug-off if he wanted to, Naruto only stared at the limb in awe. Sliding his eyes between it and her, he finally turned toward the window; looking all the more lost than he was before.

"Did an unpleasant dream bother you this evening, Naruto-kun?"

At her question, Naruto only shook his head, his tempo growing slower and slower with each second. "Uhhh. No. I just…I don't know Robin-san. I don't feel like going to the class today, but Olvia-nee-chan is gonna be there. I don't get it because her, cross-bones-kun, you and Zoro-san have all been great, letting me stay with you and all, ya know. It's been like a lot of thing's I've wanted."

"Hmmmm."

Looking up at his foster-mother, Naruto's mind was a bubble, floating unbroken on currents of a whirling cyclone. Only a brief week ago, he had been an orphan, sitting in a classroom after a sleepless night, had to run from more cruelty than usual the day before, and could count the people who actually cared about him on just one hand.

"Is it all a dream? Them as my foster-family? If it is, I don't wanna wake-up from it. And going back to class might do that." Speaking his thoughts aloud, Naruto kept staring out the window.

All until someone lifted him away; drawing into something he'd only felt once before.

'What's? This feels like back then, when I first met Robin.' Two distinct forces were locking him close against a warm, lavender-scented mass. With a third contact shifting down from his head to his shoulders.

Robin looked ahead in space while she embraced her son. "I see. You don't want to leave after staying around us for so long? Or maybe you are afraid of some incident like that one I met you under will repeat itself?"

"Huh? No, no, not that," Naruto pushed away just enough to look up at her. "Stuff like that did happen before, so I'm not scared of it. But I'm just happier right here with you and Zoro-san. Maybe that can still happen and I don't need to go to the Academy?"

Smiling a little with hope, Robin seemed to think it over before she replied. "In that matter, have you also decided to give-up on becoming a Hokage as well?"

"WHAAT! No, no, no way, uh-uh, never! I will become Hokage, especially if I keep learning from Da…" At first shaking his head fiercely, Naruto caught himself at what he called Zoro.

Nothing escaped Robin, but she decided to leave one matter to it's own pace. "Should that be true, then. The only means to become the Hokage is through the Shinobi Academy, and no longer going there would be to forfeit that dream. Something I think is part of what you are feeling right now."

"Dreams. Naruto-kun. Do you feel that you, this very moment, are inside of a dream Naruto-kun? And you may lose me, your new foster-father, your sister and Kimimaro all in a blink. Never to experience us again?"

Now the boy was hugging back, his hands quickly locking around Robin's middle. One she met eagerly.

"I am not a dream. This is real, and I would feel terrible to lose you in the precise same manner. Naruto-kun," she asked while that very boy's lips were trembling now; barely able to contain relief and awe invading his heart.

"Naruto-kun. Have you heard of an expression called 'living a dream?'"

"…..Uh-huh" he nodded up to her. "Yeah, I hear a lot of people say that when they're happy or they get something they worked really hard for, ya know."

"Yes," Robin agreed. "Yet, it can also describe someone who believes they have gained everything they have possibly wanted, after a long struggle that has past, or despite others who disliked and disbelieved them."

Naruto's head began to drop, straight back into Robin's embrace.

"Naruto-kun. Do you remember that day we met. How it was to comfort you because I could understand what you felt? How we both shared similar rejection and experience with entire groups speaking to us as 'monsters?'"

Naruto's gaze arose at her words; and met a pair of eyes that were both piercing and strained.

Robin took a deep, calming breath, steeling herself for one story she prepared: about her past.

"I understand that, Naruto-kun. For a very long time I was alone too. All the way until I was 9 years old. When I was a little girl, many people blamed me for any reason they could find. Other children would either avoid or tease me endlessly. And when I would try to stop them, they would run to their parents and lie about what had happened to inflict more trouble on me."

"I did not have close parents either. My own father died when I was a baby and my own mother left on an adventure that was important to him when I was two years old. Though my aunt and uncle took care of me; I was considered strange due to my devil-fruit powers."

"But you powers are so cool, Robin-san! How could anyone find that bad, or scary?"

Looking back towards Naruto, Robin did not smile. "Perhaps the same sort of people who believe and you are a monster. They are wrong and selfish and suppressive, yet their words and distance can truly deliver a special form of pain."

A stone dropped deep inside Naruto's stomach, shacking his inside while his throat grew dry. Still, Robin did not stop. "When we met, two days ago, after those people were so cruel. Do you recall how I spoke of knowing how you were suffering, and that I once had a live very much like yours used to be? Sweetheart?"

Using the same pet-name she used to give Olvia, before the girl out-grew it and asked for something else, Robin stroked the side of Naruto's head as he tried digesting what his foster-mother had described.

'Uh…..is that why she helped me. She really does know what that's like?' When he didn't answer her aloud, Robin continued her story.

"I would often dream to have a close friend, or someone who was happy I was around. Eventually, I did find someone," smiling again, an infectious grin made it's way to her foster-son; while another voice and smile played inside of Robin's mind.

"My first friend was an older man named Jaguar D. Saul. Saul opened up to me, and he genuinely cared about how I felt and wanted me to be happy and safe. I was living a dream by finding a friend in him. Soon after, another dream became reality when I meet my mother again. Your grandmother."

Within Robin's mind, scenes of a tearful reunion, flames, terror, loss, and confusion appeared. Quietly, she seeing and accepting each, her attention moved to 20 years later: stowing-away on the Going Merry, Luffy accepting her without question and bringing a blanket to Zoro. '"Only the weak catch cold."'

Speaking with Naruto again: "The struggle was long and difficult, +but it did come to an end. I was living a dream rather than solely dreaming it would come. And once it completely sunk-in, I could never bring myself to leave."

"Perhaps, that is how you are feeling right now, Naruto-kun?"

At her question, Naruto began to look inwards. 'This morning…it started to feel really real. They were still around and'-"-and they wanted me to stay with them. I…I thought it was a dream at the start, but it really is happening. I guess I am living a dream!"

Robin grinned at his statement; though she was not certain if his statement had been intentional or accidental. 'Even Luffy-kun rarely had a smile this heartfelt and happy.'

"Yes Naruto-kun. And we want to see you succeed in your own dream to become the Hokage as well," Robin beamed. As Naruto looked up and blushed at the realization of what he had said.

"Olvia-chan especially would be disappointed if you did not go with her to the Academy either. Since this is her first day, and Cross Bone's kun's, weare going to leave early for the Academy so you and Ero-sensei can show them around. Hurry-up, and I will put an extra package of ramen in your lunch today."

"What!" Shooting up with glee, Naruto's the picture of ecstatic! "You are the best Mom, ever! I'll get changed right now!"

Content, Robin left the room and quickly found everyone else downstairs. Olvia and Kimimaro were outside exercising while Zoro watched through one window near the stove. Robin had the table set as Naruto came downstairs. Spying the others outside, he bolted out to join them, the crisp air flushing any sleepiness away.

Indoors Robin held her coffee in-hand and started packing lunches together, with the spare Ramen package she'd promised. Minutes later breakfast on the table disappeared, Robin walked out with the new students and Zoro continued outside for meditation. All with a spare-Robin watching him very, very closely.

With a cloudless sun warming everything it touched, dense shadows over the narrow alleys gave highlights to all within the sunlight. A comfortable summer morning formed, with air growing hotter by the minute. Almost to promise a comfy day ahead for the quartet walking towards the Academy.

Robin led the way. She made quite a sight in a purple sleeveless shirt with a wide collar, the inside coloured yellow with black circular designs, a light fitted white coat overtop, matching denims which stretched down to her calves, and walking in black pumps.

Naruto was right by her side, the jacket from his orange track-suite worn open to show a white shirt with a red-thread design of the Konoha symbol. Yet Robin had insisted he wear dark pants she'd found while shopping together.

At her mother's opposite side, Olvia was in a loose white shirt with a dark-purple hakama, and her usual boots instead of shinobi sandals; her swords were tucked into a black sash around her waist, and a regular duffle-bag hung over her shoulder.

Kimimaro hung back, clad in black pants and boots, a white collared shirt with sleeves above his elbows and a purple haramaki with his own jian tucked in. The boy was often glancing past his shoulder and watching for more dangers ahead; a sentinel for the family.

Robin herself was eager to begin her research at the village library after dropping them off. Still she was not in a rush, especially as Naruto edged a little closer to her. "Whisker-chisii!" Olvie called back to him. "What can you tell me about the Academy classes, aside from how you see them as boring?"

"But they are, Olvia-nee-chan! All we do is sit down in a classroom while Iruka-sensei talks on and on and on and on about things. First, it's about how chakra is inside everyone and how it can be used in different ways; but none of that is cool or strong. The taijutsu spars are a lot more fun. And then there's shurikenjutsu-practice and learning some jutsu like the henge-jutsu or the kawarimi-no-jutsu. And-" Naruto continued to drawl on.

As he spoke, Olvia frowned into the air; Robin reading her pout as she'd only reached the end of a certain book-ban that morning.

"I doubt Lady Robin agrees with your opinions over academics to be unamusing, Lord Naruto." Kimimaro was beside them now, with the Academy in view up ahead.

What's 'unobtusing,' Kimimaro?" Naruto asked. Both of the ladies giggled at Naruto's mispronunciation, when someone came up to greet them.

"Ah, Robin-sama! I'm glad to see that you're here!" Iruka strode over to them with a second Chunin beside him; a portly fellow grinning to them all, and Kimimaro especially.

Nodding carefully, Robin turned back to her own charges. "Crossbones-kun? Olvia? Naruto-kun? I'm going to head for the library to start my research on the Rikudo Sennin. And I will be back with your father at the end of the day."

Her daughter and KImimaro nodded, but Naruto's eyes were blank. A moment passed, and he trembled ever so slightly. Robin knelt in front of him, placing a hand on his shoulder while the other gently gripped his opposite hand and moved it to her outstretched arm.

"You…you promise, M…Mom?" his eye wide, hope-filled, pleading for an answer. He felt a gentle hand caress his face, joined by the same smile that he'd found when they first met. "I promise, Naruto-kun." Her voice filled with gentle conviction.

The grin that answered those words could split a mountain in half.

"Excellent," Iruka's company announced. The bigger man walked up to Kimimaro. "Hello there. I'm Daikoku, the instructor for the class Lord Hokage decided you could join. Nice to meet you."

Extending one hand to his new student, Kimimaro glanced over to Robin and Iruka before he shook it. A powerful-grip accented with callouses drove surprise into the instructor. Swallowing it back, Daikoku looked over the group. "Why don't you three follow me and Naruto, and we'll show you everything inside. Iruka can perhaps wrap things up with your mom, then join us. How's that sound?"

"Alright! Come on, let's get started!" Olvia declared, pulling her brother forwards to the front door. Kimimaro took a moment to correct Daikoku over his situation with the Roronoa's before following her.

Robin was watching them depart with Iruka right beside her. 'I think…no…I know that I have never seen Naruto smile like that before.' Turning to Robin, a grin creeped from the corners of his mouth. "Robin-sama." Meeting her eyes, the man gave his own heartfelt response. "Thank you. For answering Naruto's wish. I'd actually thought you might want to observe the classes today too?"

Robin herself declined and made a few discussions with Iruka. Meanwhile, Naruto and Daikoku proceeded through the Academy, with Olvia and Kimimaro listening intently as they glanced around. From the Kunai-practice hall to outdoor tracks and a sparring ring; both were still surprised at how the Hokage himself nestled his own office in the upper levels of the same building.

"Oh yes, Lord Hokage would even come and supervise different classes or tutor them directly, back in my time here.[4]" Daikoku nodded. "That rarely happens now, but he's still here watching over all the students. Now, we only have a short time before the classes start and there's still more to see."

"Yeah, believe it! Come-on nee-chan, Crossbones-kun!" Naruto seized both their hands and ran off with them, leaving Daikoku to glance about with confusion. 'Crossbones-kun? What sort of nickname would that be?

While they continued, Iruka met-up with the group and explained his plan to introduce both new students to their classmates. In no-time more people trickled into the school and the day began in earnest.

Kimimaro and Olvia both stayed in the instructor's office while Naruto went off to his own classroom with the "ero-sensei." Olvia herself shared that nickname aloud infront of Daikoku and Naruto explained why, to the latter instructor's amusement and pity. Iruka grumbled as he led Naruto away with Daikoku staying with the fresh students.

Another Chunin came into the same room soon after, before huffing towards them. "Hmmm. Daikoku. Whom may these two be and which classes have they been assigned to?"

The other instructor shook his head at the kunoichi's attitude, "Suzume-san, you could always ask them as well instead of behaving so prissily all the time. Something tells me they might want to share their names, although she has been assigned to Iruka's class while he is with me."

Before the other instructor could reply past a very tight set of pursed lips, the girl was on her feet with a slight bow. "Suzume…sensei? I am Roronoa Olvia. Good morning."

"While I am called Kimimaro," the boy replied as he mirrored the girl. Both looked up towards the instructor before she simply pushed her glass back in-place.

"Well, ensure to behave yourselves as proper shinobi. Also, I dare-say, Olvia-san, your choice in clothing is hardly befitting that of a Kunoichi who may desire to develop infiltration skills and subversion. Particularly as sharp-weapons are rarely ever aloud inside these walls."

Daikoku took-over from there, pulling out one form allowing his student and Iruka's to carry their weapons; a condition which Zoro had adamantly demanded from the Hokage before the latter accepted, with conditions.

As Suzume walked off, Iruka returned without Naruto and suggested time was ready to introduce them.

"My student still have a little while before all of them will get there. Go on ahead Iruka, then Kimimaro-san and I will get going."

Following her teacher, Olvia made her way to the classroom where Naruto was facing-down another set of students. "What made you come back here, germ?" Hibachi sneered right at him, surrounded by his gang with a select couple of others beside him.

"Why did you come back, Naruto? This class was so much quieter and orderly when you didn't last week," Ino sniffed towards him.

Naruto tried to reply but another bully, Unagi, beat him to it. "We thought you'd been expelled, but too bad they didn't. I heard about the fight in the playground and the trouble you got in, little coward."

"Hey, I'm not a coward, believe it!" The Uzumaki growled back. "I know that you are since nobody said anything until after Iruka-ero-sensei left the room, then you all ganged-on me. And if you don't sit down, you'll be in big trouble."

"Ero-sensei?" several heads turned at that.

"Naruto (humph). Why would you call (humph-mumph) Iruka-sensei a name like that (chrunk-chrunk)?" Choji called over to ask him, Shikamaru right beside him. Naruto turned over and shrugged.

"That's what my Mom calls him, after he kept eyeing her up, or…" the boy scratched his head with one hand. "She said Iruka-sensei was 'undressing her with his eyes,' one time. Oh, yeah!"

Spinning around, Naruto thrust one finger out towards the crowd whom confronted him. "I wasn't here for a week since—"

"Alright everyone, quiet down. And move back to your seats," Iruka's voice came in through the classroom while he walked in through the door. Barely feet away from his desk, Naruto leapt infront of him with both-hands raised together.

"Everybody watch! Transform!" In a second, Naruto's image replace itself with a very naked teen girl, surrounded with clouds covering her unspeakables. Iruka barely had a moment to register how buxom she was, as Naruto took a few cues from a certain well-endowed woman he'd spent entire days around.

A full second later, the Instructor flew back over himself, propelled by pressure erupting from his nose. The second he hit the floor, Naruto undid the jutsu. "See! Ero-sensei! Just like Mom said and—"

"Naru…to…otou…to…" From the doorway, a glaring Olvia deliberately strode into the classroom. Naruto's good-mood fell like a stone; 'Uh…why does she have those eyes like when I said girl's can't be strong?'

The same girl snagged him by the collar and held him right up to her face. Olvai was shaking, until she spoke, "Tonight…you are telling Papa and Mom…all about this." Coming in a low, harsh whisper, she left fear raining down Naruto's face. "With how…and where….you got such an idea from. Never. Do. It Again."

"But Olvia-nee-chan! That's just my sexy-jutsu, and the classroom wanted to know why we call Iruka-sensei, Ero-sensei. I just showed them."

"NEE-CHAN!" A wave and surprised slammed into their pair; from almost the entire class as a certain Nara grumbled.

"Would everybody just stay quiet so I can nap," he asked. Now with all with the attention on him, Shikamaru just muttered, "Whatda drag. Naruto wasn't here for a week because some people adopted him. Choji and I met him with this girl a few days ago, she's his new sister. Hi there, Olvia-san."

Olvia smiled over at the Nara and shared a wave with Choji. Minutes later Iruka was back on his feet, tissues up his nose and one eye twitching at Naruto. 'At least now I can share this with Robin-san and hopefully stop him from using it.'

"Okay everyone. Today a new student is joining our class, Roronoa Nico Olvia. Now Olvia, why not you tell everyone a little bit about yourself?

Standing tall before everyone, Olvia grinning with anticipation, relief, and excitement to join a regular class for the first time in her life.[5] She gracefully cast her eyes around the group assembled, noting but not reacting as some glared back and others smiled politely.

"I am eleven years old," Olvia started. "I was born on a pirate ship overseas that my parents were serving on alongside their crewmates. Three years ago, my Papa and Mom came to the Elemental Nations with me. We travelled all over, and I have been to several different Ninja villages before last week, when we arrived here in Konohagakure. My mom is an archaeologist researching the history of this continent and we were only planning to stay here for a few months."

Looking towards Naruto, sitting right beside an empty seat, the siblings smiled to one another as Olvia tried to continue…but someone else took over.

"But I met her Mom last week and she's really, really nice and cool!" Naruto took over, looking around the classroom. "After I met them they decided to come and live here and I'm now their foster-son. That's why I wasn't here last week. Olvia-chan wants to learn to be a ninja too, so she's starting in our class today!"

"Naruto!" Iruka called over. "I thought we had agreed to let Olvia talk about herself right now?"

"Oh, it's no bother, Iruka-ero-sensei," at this nickname, both brother and sister barely hid their giggles at Iruka's blush. "Naruto-otouto told the truth. I am excited to start learning how to use chakra, although I actually wish to grow into a swordswoman. I enjoy learning, reading books, practicing with my swords, and time with my family."

"I hate those who think that they can just control and discriminate against others, however. So, if anyone here is a bully in any way, they may live a little longer by steering clear of me." A promise sharper than a blade and her tone echoing her father, some people in the classroom gulped at Olvia's advice.

Until a hand from someone who did not raised into the air.

"Yes, Pineapple-kun?" Shikamaru blinked, before a few giggled came to his nickname. "It's a drag, but Olvia-san, some idea's been crawling in my head since we met. Aren't you a little too old to be joining us in this class? We're just junior academy students, but you're both older and know more about fighting than we do you, if Naruto told the truth. Shouldn't you be in an advanced academy class, not here with us?"

Under Iruka's, and many other's surprise at such a question coming from Shikamaru, Olvia answered. "I have been training with my papa for many years, Pineapple-kun. However, he is not a shinobi, nor does he use ninja-arts. I have never used chakra, jutsu, or have any practice with shinobi tools. That is why I was placed in this classroom. Although, I am quite curious to learn how they work and if any are compatible with my fighting style"

"If you don't have any shinobi training then what has your dad been training you in?" asked a feral boy with a puppy curled on his head.

"Simple, Puppy-san. My papa is a master swordsman so I'm pretty skilled with how to use a katana. Additionally, we came from overseas where no one uses the same combat-arts as ninja's or the Land of Iron," explained Olvia.

"What sort of techniques do you utilize then, Oliva-san? Why do I ask, because it would be foolish and illogical to dismiss them over something as shallow as appearances." Olvia was growing more impressed with her new classmates at this new inquiry. Facing another boy with dark sunglasses and a few bugs around his desk. "You are quite smart and practical, Buggy-san."

0…..0

From Olvia's nickname, a certain red-nosed clown elsewhere in the world began to twitch.

"Huh? Why do I have an un-flashily feeling somebody deserves my name more than I do?"

0….0

Back inside of Konohagakure, Olvia continued.

"My family and others from outside of the Elemental Nations simply learned how to fight without any of the hand signs or chakra-fueled techniques. There is an old saying, "speed kills." In-turn, my Mom and Papa's methods have greater lethality and are less-telegraphed since they do not require dozens of seconds to pass before executing a move. Plus, we can fight for hours or entire days without worrying about chakra-exhaustion."

"If you like swords so much, why doesn't your family move to the Land of Iron so you can become a samurai instead" a girl asked this time, a certain platinum blonde.

"Oh, we did travel there for a time. Many samurai challenge Papa as well, before he cut them to pieces and wallowing in seppuku." Olvia chuckled thinking back on the real events, while those who grasped the concept were sweating. "Yet, we decided to live here in Konohagakure instead. Especially so my otouto can fulfill his aspiration to gain the Hokage's title."

"Guhahahahaha! Oh, another idiot for the classroom," one student declared. "Everybody here hates Naruto, and he's the worst person in the whole Academy. You're as stupid as he is to think he'll ever become Hokage."

"Hibachi, do not speak of your classmates like that!" Iruka scolded him while Naruto jumped to his feet but Olvia remained unbothered.

The boy barely cared, sneering down at Olvia. "You'd be doing us all a favour to pack-up and take him away. Nobody would care, and he'd get a taste of the real world, for once."

It took Iruka a moment for Iruka to silence him and others, while Naruto hunched over. Until Olvia was standing beside him and looking straight at Hibachi.

"I doubt that extremely, Frog-mouth-chin." Answering with sweetly-sickeningly glance to the bully. "Naruto-otouto has the same chances to aspire to reach Hokage as anyone else here does. Yet, he also appears to be the only one with real drive to accomplish that. Something that brings him closer to it than any within this room, especially one who only bullies others as you do. A cowardly waste of space."

Iruka jumped at this, "Alright, enough. Olvia-san. Please, take a seat beside Naruto so we can begin the lessons."

Elsewhere across the school, Kimimaro stood inside the hallway as Daikoku made an announcement.

"Now, we have a fresh, new student joining this group today. He just moved into Konohagakure last week and I'm glad to have him mix in with us. Please, give our new student a warm, friendly welcome as he introduces himself."

Taking the cue, Kimimaro opened the doorway and strode inside. Turning to face the desks, he noted all the different people seated as they followed his every step. 'Few people here have any traits or symbols to imply they are from a particular clan. Apparently this class holds a majority of civilian-students. Except for him.'

His eyes lingering on one with the tell-tale eyes of a Hyuga, both boys met one another's gaze; measuring the level of strength the other might be likely to carry.

Kimimaro broke-off, drawing himself up before the group.

"I am Kaguya Kimimaro. Nice to meet you all," bowing formally. Some returned the gesture while others leaned off, disinterested, and some from the female populace giggled and blushed.

Silence followed, until Daikoku broke it. "Why not tell everyone a little about yourself, Kimomaro. Like your background, your interests and what you aspire to accomplish with your life."

"Very well," the Kaguya nodded. "I was born in Mizu no Kuni to a shinobi clan, 12 years ago. I lived with my clan for a time, yet a particular event left the majority of them deceased. Until three years ago I lived an aimless life, when a passing family asked that I accompany them; Roronoa Zoro, Roronoa-Nico Robin, and their daughter Roronoa Nico Olvia."

"They gave my life purpose again, and I pledged my service and life to aid and safeguard each of them. We followed a nomadic life, wondering throughout the Elemental Nations until one week ago. Zoro-sama and Robin-sama decided to stay in Konohagakure and I enrolled here as to aspire to become a shinobi."

"Excuse me. That makes little sense. Should you have come from a clan, should the ninja's of that area not taken you in?"

"Lee, I thought I asked you yesterday not to shout-aloud like that." The sensei's voice came more like a chuckle than a scolding. Kimimaro glanced towards the voice, finding a boy decked in a short-sleeved kimono-shirt with black hair styled in a long braid.[6]

"Perhaps, in another location I may have been," Kimimaro replied towards the questioner. "You have me at a loss for your name."

"AHH!" On his feet inside a second, the boy bowed low directly towards his new classmate "I am known as Rock Lee! First, welcome to our village, and this classroom inside the Academy."

"Ha, what're you doing now, dork-Lee?" one of the students called over. Kimimaro ignored it, focusing on the questioner.

"To answer the matter you have addressed, the Hidden village in Mizu no Kuni is Kirigakure. The Blood-mist village. Daikoku-sensei? Are the student here aware of the opinions and mandate of the Yondaime Mizukage in Kirigakure?"

Daikoku scrambled at bit at this, looking over the rest of the class then scratched his head. "No, I don't they aren't and thanks for asking. Maybe I should take over from here."

Without waiting for an answer, Daikoku stepped up to the centre of the classroom. "Ahhhh, well, Lee and everybody else. Here in Konohagkure many clans do have different powers passed on through their genes, from parents to child. We respect and welcome many of them, but Kirigakure is a different matter. A short time ago a few clans that possess kekkei-genkai rebelled against the Kage there, the Mizukage. They were put-down but people began to discriminate against others who had those powers, and it spread to encompass anyone born with a kekkei-genkai."

"Kimimaro-san here has a very rare one, and…"

"You should not feel any reservations towards the truth," the Kaguya took over. Looking around he saw some faces giving questions towards himself and their sensei. Their ignorance and innocence all to clear.

"Kirigakure practices blood-line purges now. Ones such as I, or the Hyuga in this classroom, are executed by the Mizukage's mandate. Otherwise the ninja spread propaganda to the general populace of how such beings are demons and should be killed."

Several in the class, Lee among them, didn't know what to do with that. Daikoku's own head spun-around before shouting started; denials, horror and shock echoing from all corners of the class. Eventailly the sensei forced to confirm Kimimaro's story as the truth and needed t oclam things down. After digesting the horrifying lesson, another student raised her hand.

"Um…Kimimaro-san. Why are you carrying a sword?" A girl had asked, wearing a qipao-style blouse and her hair styled into twin buns atop her head.

"May I know yoru name, kunoichi-san?" the swordsman replied. The girl in-question blushed at the title, yet did not look away. "I'm actually not a full kunoichi yet, not without a headband," she tapped her forehead, lightly. "And my name is Tenten."

"Zoro-sama is a swordsman, one who earned the title the Greatest Swordsman in the World." Kimimaro explained with pride, the weight behind his words blanketing the classroom. "While I travelled with them, Zoro-sama made me his student by the blade. I am learning swordsmanship to continue his legacy and serve the Roronoa-family even greater. He spoke with the Hokage and allowed me to keep my blade on-hand even here within the Academy."

"I have pledge my life Zoro-sama and wish to spend it in servitude towards his family to reply the blessing they gave me. To fulfill that destiny, learning how the be a shinobi will increase my ability to serve them and the village where they call home. That is the ambition I carry my life towards."

Several different reactions came to every pieces of this news; 95% confusion while one person felt their anger flare; 'he speaks of pride under the yok of service to another? And that destiny can be chosen?'

"Alright!" Daikoku took over from there. "Any further questions can wait until you all have some free time. Kimimaro, choose your own seat and I can begin discussing group-formations, followed by chakra-exercises."

"As you wish, Daikoku-sensei." Moving his head, Kimimaro felt a gaze on him but did not return it. Walking up, the other boy who questioned him offered a seat the Kaguya accepted, simply.

"Welcome to our classroom and our village, Kaguya-san."

"Thank you, Lee-san."

Unseen to everybody else, one ear beneath Daikoku's desk and another eye in the ceiling dissipated into petals.

For reasons a watcher would never find, Roronoa-Nico Robin nodded her head. Sitting inside a library, the woman raised a pen to her notepad as her mind compiled further notes from a large tome open at the desk.

Pilled around her were several others; histories and details spanning the length and breadth of what information Konohagakure held on the past of all the Shinobi World. Others were already in a separate pile inside her bag: beginner's manuals and fundamentals on fuinjutsu.

Her worked continued for some hours before finishing the book and shifting to another one; a compendium on the founding of Konohakagure.

'Even the librarian here failed to recognize the name of the Uzumaki clan when I first inquired with her. Perhaps a few lectures on them, and other clans from separate shinobi villages at the Academy would remedy that problem, and ensure such rich history is not forgotten or neglected. Particularly the fall of Uzushigakure and…'

"Kushina Uzumaki's abduction," Robin whispered.

'I suppose sharing the files and information from Kumogakure's records with Hokage-sama might go a very long way. Zoro-koi did a marvelous job distracting Raikage Tantrum-chan by locking horns with Ero-Rapper-chan. I managed to learn of several events in the decade's old files during their duel, undetected. Yet, Naruto-kun does lack the tell-tale traits of the Uzumaki clan.'

'The crucial matter must be to determine if my son is related to them, or not.'

0…..0

The day continued within the Academy, until lunchtime arrived. Dismissed from the classrooms for fresh air, Naruto and Olvia moved outside to look for somebody.

"Crossbones-kun!" Naruto shouted and waved over to Kimimaro, running up to him near a circular running field. "Hey, hey, hey did you like the classes and learn something good?"

"I have. Although the classroom has not introduced anything I was not aware of before meeting Zoro-sama and Robin-sama. What of you and Olvia-sama?"

"Kimimaro," the girl smiled in resignation. "You do not have any need to speak of me like that. We are equals here, students."

"Perhaps," the boy nodded without a bother. "My sense of debt to you, Zoro-sama and Robin-sama will never change; and I still desire to convey that, Olvia-sama. Naruto-sama. Service to you all is a fate I chose long ago and wish to continue."

Shaking her head while Naruto wore a face of confusion, none of the them noticed another boy nearby snarling at Kimimaro's words. 'How may you know of fate, or submit to servitude by choice. Coward.'

"Huh? Crossbones-kun? Why do you call Kimimiaro-san that, Naruto?" Choji asked, while Shikamaru groaned.

"Hey there Choji, Shikamaru." Naruto waved over at the other boys, one of them slouching around over beside his friend.

"Choji, why can't we just kick-back and watch the clouds?"

"Shikamaru, that's not nice when Olvia-chan and Kimimaro-san are new here."

The lazy-ash only let out a groan, walking over to them before curling down on his back to watch the skies. Olvia chuckled while Kimimaro looked between the pair with surprise.

Each of the five stuck together throughout the break until they returned to the different classrooms. Inside Naruto and Olvia's the atmosphere was buzzing: Iruka had announced sparring practice was next and many wanted to see what the new girl could do against one of them. While they filled outside, Olvia looked around at different people while Naruto's eyes could see pictures of himself standing over Uchiha Sasuke in victory.

'I've already started to get a lot better with Dad, Crossbones-kun and Olvia-nee-chan. If I beat the teme today before he knows that they're making me stronger it be a huge surprise!'

"I'm fighting with-…" Naruto cried out, before suddenly stopping.

"Yes, Naruto? Do you wanna fight with Sasuke again?" Iruka asked him.

"Ummmm," Naruto was quiet, while the rest of the class were confused. Even his opponent mildly curious at the absence of a loud boast cut-off so suddenly.

For Naruto, certain advice buzzed into his head:

'"It's your choice to listen and learn from me, kid. But, I will help you become strong and skilled if you do. Beating Sasuke won't make you the Hokage overnight. So, follow my words and strive towards your goal, then think about him only sometimes. Understand?"'

Further advice from Robin the night before joined with Zoro's voice. '"Rushing to beat someone before you're actually ready to face them is almost guaranteed to end in your own defeat. But if you have to fight someone that skilled, only do it to save a person you care about or for a cause you truly believe in," "You need absolute commitment in every fight you start. Even the smallest flicker of doubt will guarantee they will DEFEAT you."' The impact of having people so driven and determined to help him improve and succeed…

With a sigh of defeat, Naruto looked over at Kiba. "Kiba! Do you want to spar today?"

Everyone was taken aback, while Olvia smiled. 'Good job Naruto-ototou. You remembered Mom and Papa's lessons and are following them well.'

Meanwhile, another woman smiled in approval as she dispelled an ear hidden within the Academy field.

"Hhh, you and me Naruto? Yeah, alright. Let's go for it!" The feral boy grinned.

Soon, Naruto and Kiba stood in a ring, one ready to deliver a surprise and the other eager for an easy win.

'Heh! Now I can get everyone cheering for me instead of all the attention they give Naruto.[7]' Kiba smirked. "HeY, Akamaru. Go stand with the others. I can handle this clown, no problem!"

"Raw-yup!" the puppy yipped, as he jumped off the boy's head and ran over to the crowd.

"Hey, who are you calling in a clown! I'm not the one with red make-up on his face!" Naruto cried out. A few in the crowd giggled while Kiba's forehead curled in a frown. A quiet snarl came from his mouth as the boy crouched over, ready the pounce.

"Don't mock my clan's marks! Just for that, I'm gonna beat you into the ground with just one hit!"

Naruto smirked. "Not gonna happen! My new M…uh, Robin-san and Zoro-san have been helping me train!" at those words, Naruto froze for a moment, and a bright smile crossed his face. "And there's no way I'm gonna let them down!" he shouted, punctuating every word.

Iruka felt the pressure building and recited the rules of a formal Shinobi confrontation.

After deliberate moves to signal their fight, both Naruto and Kiba settled into a tense crouch waiting for the word….

"Hajime!"

At the drop, both boys sprang forward, clashing in the middle of the circle. Rather than a shapeless brawl, Kiba's movement were primal and dynamic. Darting in to strike at Naruto before dashing to the side and move in again. Though young, Kiba's hit-and-dash style took the image of a wolf clearly, battering Naruto with each round.

Naruto himself kept moving too, lessening the blows by not standing in-place for their impact full-force. Undeliberate though it was, it worked as he searched for a different way to attack back. While unrefined, his moves were more balanced and deliberate than they used to be. Kiba still out-paced him, though, ramping up the pressure until Naruto was scrambling to avoid more hits.

'Sasuke and Olvia-nee-chan hit harder. I've just gotta hit back more! Dad said I can outlast some people, so I'll just stay in and keep hitting 'til Kiba goes down!'

Naruto tried to use a round-house kick against Kiba but was too slow to connect. Kiba cut-off the attack at the knee and gave a sharp hook to Naruto's face. Another one followed, but a strong fist hit Kiba in his gut before it could connect. Winded for a moment, Naruto threw another with a follow-up to Kiba's face.

Kiba backed-off quickly and moved to his left to come at Naruto again, but as he rushed in for a swipe, two rapid punches met his face. Naruto stepped forward and gave another punch that hit Kiba in the temple.

'"If a move doesn't work, don't repeat it so quickly. Try a different one and if it connects with an opponent, stick with it."'

Applying the lesson Zoro had taught him yesterday, Naruto punches kept coming in at Kiba: compact and short, they struck before the Inuzuka's wider movement could hit in return. The fight began to swing a certain way: Kiba's dashing movements and swipes kept meeting Naruto's punches. Until he swept low and Naruto nearly lost his footing.

Instead of hitting back, Naruto hopped away and set himself in as Kiba made another pass, the two resetting their pace and Kiba started getting knocked again. Soon Kiba was gritting his teeth, shifting his focus to reply those punches in-kind: the spar devolved into a slugging match.

Both boys wanted to win: Kiba for his ego and his familial pride, Naruto driven by the wish to make his new family proud to have him. While both were throwing punches with all the strength they had, neither were using their legs or hips to put some real power into such hits.

A couple bloody noses and black-eyes began to form, yet more and more hits traded between them: punches to the face accented by wild kicks and body-blows that hurt but didn't stop either aspiring ninja.

The fight continued for another thirty seconds, before Kiba started to back-off and Naruto pushed on. One straight kick to the chest and the Inuzuka lost his balance, throwing up a cloud of dirt as his back met on the ground.

Naruto dove and straddled Kiba to continue throwing punches to his face.

"Stop!" Iruka's voice cut through the fight.

"Kiba is down. The match goes to Naruto."

The class was stunned. "Hey, come-on! The loser must've cheated to beat Kiba! Last week he couldn't even beat fat Choji at all!" one of the students shouted, Hibachi.

"Hey, I'm not fat!" The Akimichi growled.

"How did Naruto cheat, Frog-mouth-san?" Olvia spoke-up. "If we are training to be shinobi, then would fighting unfairly not be part of our job?"

Angry now, and even more foolish, Hibachi marched up to Olvia and glared up at the taller girl; a picture of how unwise the boy truly was: "If you actually think Naruto is strong you are the most stupid person alive. Over the break, we watched you both, Unagi and me. He said you were a harlot, and your parents must be pity-filled idiots to want someone like Naruto—"

"Enough!" Immediately, two arms separated the pair; Iruka stood in the center glaring down at his student. Surprised, Hibachi backed off but Iruka followed him until the boy tripped and fell on his butt. "You and Unagi spoke of a fellow student like that?" Glaring at the other bully, now trying to hide in the crowd, Iruka let out a breath before taking Hibachi by his arm.

"Words like that are far from acceptable, Hibachi. Unagi. Neither of you are sparring today and I do not wish to hear another word from either of you at all. You're both staying after school for the remainder of this week."

Olvia herself looked on, until someone else came up beside her. "E-e-excuse me. O-olvia-san?"

"Hmm?" Turning aside, another girl had come up to her: petite, pretty and with a timid face, the girl spoke just loud enough to be heard. "A-a-are y-you al-al-r-rright? I c-c-cannot im-imagine calling s-somebody a…." Behind the stutters, Olvia easily picked-out her message.

"I appreciate your concern, but it's no skin off my back," Olvia replied. "I know myself and don't place any value on his words. Still, it might be a good thing Crossbones-kun is absent or frog-mouth-san might have his tongue cut out."

The girl's face shot up, shaking at such a picture. "Are you a Hyuga?" Olvia continued. "I met one of your clansmen one. It was four months and 5 days ago, before my family came to Konohagakrue for the first time. Will you, share your name?"

"Uh….H-Hinata. I-I am H-Hyuga Hinata."

"Kiba, Naruto. Make the seal of reconciliation." Back inside the ring, Naruto and Kiba were back on their feet after watching the events from the ring. "I wonder what that means. A herlot," Naruto muttered. "Beat's me," Kiba replied with a shrug. "Maybe Mom or Hana might know."

"Who's Hana?"

"My big sister," Kiba answered the question. "Hh, they can be pretty good to have around, can't they Naruto? Nice fight, but I'm gonna get you next time!"

Looking between Kiba and his foster-sister, Naruto agreed. Both boys made the seal reconciliation and hobbled off to the group.

"Does anyone else want to volunteer?" the instructor announced.

"I do!" Sasuke Uchiha stepped forward, causing many of the girls to squeal in excitement.

"Olvia-san. I challenge you to a spar, with your swords," the prodigy declared.

The girl raised an eyebrow and nodded. "I agree, if you should have enough kunai. Although Ero-sensei may not approve."

"Absolutely not!" Iruka proclaimed. "Combat like that will not start for another year, where the rest of the class will begin to learn how to use kunai for such close-quarters fighting. If you want to spar with Olvia-san, Sasuke-san. It will have to be unarmed."

One student glared, irked, while the other was pouting. "I apologize, Avenger-san. But I would request to spar with you unarmed, in this case."

Sasuke wore his surprise on his face.

"My Papa has been training me as a swordswoman. But, my Mom taught me some other methods to fight without using swords," Olvia explained. "I rarely can practice them on any fresh partners, and Naruto-ototou has spoke that you are the best student among us. After Papa frightened him into being honest."

Many eyes looked between all three, while Naruto curled his arms in a pout. "I didn't have to say that nee-chan. And Da-…um…D…." after mumbling, Naruto swallowed a bit; feeling so many people watching as he tried to say one, certain word.

"Naruto." His sister walked over, smiling with what understanding she could share. "It's okay."

Sharing a small moment, another girl looked over then started to walk over, very slowly to Naruto. Olvia didn't see, turning back to her sparring partner.

"Avenger-san. My techniques to fight without swords aren't like any type of moves which other ninja's use, and might give you a few surprises. If you do not fear losing."

Above the class, the air grew heavy with tension. Sasuke frowned over towards Olvia, never shifting his gaze while moving into the sparring ring. Olvia left her swords with Naruto to guard, after gaining a clear promise not to draw any out or play around with them.

Soon one Uchiha and one Roronoa began their stare-down, Olvia raising her fingers according to the explanation Iruka gave to Naruto and Kiba. Sasuke did not return the gesture.

Iruka raised his arm…

"Hajime!"

At once: Sasuke rushed in, and Olvia relaxed her form. When he punched, she weaved around it, graceful as a dandelion in the breeze. A slight duck to her right evaded Sasuke follow-though without moving her feet.

The boy had expected Olvia to move backwards, like his other opponents had. Instead, Sasuke nearly collided with her. Off-balance, she gently pushed him backwards, sending Sasuke to scramble, else he would fall. In that window, Olvia dashed forward. Her hands caught then trapped Sasuke's right arm, twisting it behind his back. Twirling around him, her steps were fluid and graceful. Next, the girl planted her leg between his off-balance ones and turned to the side.

With ease, Sasuke found his world spinning, then covered with dust and a thud to his back.

Dazed, Sasuke shook his head and spun around with a leg-sweep. Olvia hopped lightly, then stepped back, guessing his next move. Sure enough, Sasuke sprung into a crouch and sprang forward, driving his fist in an upper-cut; to meet only air and a vice.

Olvia seized his wrist first, then his elbow, forcing the limb to bend. Stepping around the boy getting on his feet, his arm sailed over until it was behind his back. She was still moving, releasing the elbow to trade hands holding his wrist, and snatched the other one Sauske left at his hip.

Sasuke was confused and surprised. No one else at the Academy or his clan, while they were alive, fought like this. With one arm bent high over his shoulder and the other curled in behind his back, Olvia kept his wrists trapped and was pulling them ever closer; straining his shoulder-joints. Sasuke's mind scrambled for a way to counter, but short of jumping high none came to him.

Bending his knees, Olvia frowned. Airborne, Sasuke found more pressure on his wrists; not less. Turning sideways, he found the ground coming up fast; meeting it with his hip and face this time. Olvia was crouching, right overtop with Sasuke pinned beneath her and waited for Iruka to call the match.

The Chunin was surprised. So much so he did not react for several seconds.

"Yeah, go Olvia nee-chan! Hahahahaha, she totally threw Sasuke in the dirt, ya know. And everybody saw it!" Naruto's cries shook his instructor back to his sense.

"Uhhh. Yes! Winner-Olvia-san!" Iruka called, quickly followed by a rousing cheer from the girl's blonde surrogate-brother.

The girl gently released Sasuke and moved aside. When he turned over, the boy glared up towards her for a moment. Olvia offered him her hand, something Sasuke ignored to pull himself back up. "Again! I want to fight you again, Olvia-san!"

The girl smiled, nodding before she walked backwards to the starting-place.

In the next bout, Sasuke exercised caution. Yet Olvia saw his arm raised and dropped into a crouch. Seizing his arm again, then pivoting her body, she dropped her hips to be lower than his. Throwing Sasuke over her shoulder casually, for another win.

Six further rounds ensued, with Sasuke continuously beaten by this style of fighting. One that he had never seen before, try as he might to out-muscle or out-pace his way to a win. No matter what he changed, Olvia planted him on the ground with at least one limb locked between her arms or legs. Again. Again. And Again.

The class were stunned, and some tried to argue for her to stop. The girls cried that Olvia should start throwing punches and kicks like they were taught, but Iruka refused. Using the spar an as example, he explained how someone fighting in an unfamiliar way can have a decisive advantage over an opponent with more limited experience.

Naruto started throwing insults to Sasuke until Olvai herself stopped him. "Gloating over somebody else's misfortune is disgusting, Naruto." Emulating her mother yet with the words Zoro once gave her, Olvia's demeanour silenced him and many, many others. After challenging her brother to fight her instead, Naruto hung his head and mumbled a tiny apology to Sasuke.

The same Sasuke, though irked by his defeats, brushed it off and agreed with their sensei's lesson, conceding defeat.

A few contests followed but all of them proved to be boring.

Kimimaro's class was much the same, albeit without any sparring-practice between them.

All too soon the end of the day arrived and parents started gathering outside the Academy to wait for their children; and whisper about an unfamiliar pair.

"Who're they," a woman whispered to her friend. "I don't know. Perhaps they moved here recently?"

"They don't look like shinobi-san that we see around the village. She looks far too young to be a mother, and the man especially would terrify every child inside the school. All those scars…he can't be a parent, can he?"

More whispers fluttered through the breeze, while some bolder than others walked up to Zoro and Robin.

"Hey there. Mind if I ask what's brought you both here to the Academy?" Turning around, Robin met a feral lady with earrings, a fang-like grin and a pair of tattoo's on her face. A large dog accompanied her, almost matching Zoro with one missing eye.

"Hello there, Inuzuka Tsume." Nodding towards her, Robin grinned at throwing their company for a loop.

"We're waiting for our kids," the man replied, drawing the attention of others shinobi, who noticed three prominent swords on his hip. "Nothing else. And don't get shaken by my wife, she knows practically everybody long before they ever meet her."

"Fufufufufufufu, please don't give so much away, Zoro—"

"Hey!" Cutting her off, Zoro glared passed them both right towards another civilian. "Get your eyes off from my wife, especially the parts you were staring at, or I might cut one out."

"Which parts?" Tsume was growling now, while the man in Zoro's crosshairs began conspicuously looking right up towards the sky.

"Heh. Can you blame the man, Roronoa-san? Honestly, it's like she wants people to stare at her," another man walked up; a veteran with his own scars and flanked by two close friends.

"Watch what you say, Shukaku-san," Tsume leered towards him, "I might pass that comment on to your wife." Suddenly, the Nara was sweating, looking to his friends but they stood at a safe distance.

"Sorry Shukaku, but you really should know better. Especially as the smart one out of us," Akimichi Choza advised him.

"So, you're terrified of you wife?" many eyes turned to Zoro at his comment, the swordsman meeting them without shame. "Good, you might actually live to enjoy a ripe old age. If I didn't call-out anyone who eyed-up Robin, her response would leave them dead. If they were lucky."

The ninja's each stared at him, before sharing a laugh.

"Hahahaha! Robin, is that your name, lady?" The Archaeologist nodded through her own chuckles as Tsume grinned towards her.

"You got lucky to snag this one for yourself. The man has guts, and a good head to go with them. I always thought some guys have one or the other, but never both until today," she jabbed her thumb at the old Ino-Shika-Cho.

"So, you're Roronoa Zoro? The bounty-hunter?" Inoichi grinned at his fellow-parent. "I met your kids in my clan's flower-shop some days ago. They made some nice choices."

Soon the parents started talking together, chatting over minutes until the bell rang and children began coming out in waves. Some on the sidelines stuck around to watch the very-noticeable couple, who in-turn picked-out their own charges quickly.

"Huh? Whoa, who's that real big guy with all the scars?" One shout from Kiba carried up to the building's second story; one kid after another got hooked into starring at Zoro, although a few others were blinking at the woman beside him.

"Hm? Um, who is that woman beside him and my dad? His little sister, maybe? What do you think Sakura?" Ino turned to look at her best friend, a pinkette with a bright red ribbon. The girl cocked her head, until Robin's eyes came staring straight towards her and Ino. Zoro did the same, before throwing his head back in a guttural laugh.

"RHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA—Guu-huh-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Taking several seconds to get a grip, the World's Greatest Swordsman turned and smiled at the one woman more dangerous than he was. "Onna, I think you may get me into trouble one day when I wind-up wrinkled and grey."

His wife smiled right towards him, sharing a peck on his cheek. "You remind me everyday of how good a choice I made for my husband." Inochi, Shukakau, Choza and Tsume had their jaws on the ground, until Ino and Sakura reached them.

"Daddy? Your mouth looks like a bird might fly inside it. And why are you staring at this woman?" Gesturing towards Robin, Inoichi palmed his face, laughing.

"Pardon me, Ino-san?" Looking up, both Ino and Sakura cocked their heads at a smiling Roronoa-Nico Robin. The woman carefully crouched over and whispered to their ears, sending both girls stumbling over themselves into the dirt.

"Ino, falling over is such a drag." "Uh, Pa, who's this man with green hair and looks all strong?" Shikamaru and Choji walked up beside their dad's, Kiba hot on their heels with Akamaru.

"Ahhhh, it'll be a big drag to explain, Shikamaru," one Dad answered while Choza stepped over to his son.

"Choji, these are some new people who came to live here. Roronoa Zoro, and Roronoa-Nico Robin," he heartily told his son.

"Roronoa? Wait, you're Naruto and Olvia's Dad!" Choji pointed right at the man, his call loud enough for everybody in the yard to hear.

Whispers, hushed as quiet as possible were building, spiced with glares or denials.

"Mom, Papa," Olvia's voice cut through the crowds. Out from the door she walked up to them with several books under one arm, and two boys beside her carrying a half-dozen extras, each. The trio's youngest stopped moving, standing there caught with awe. Robin made a wild guess, recalling herself at a certain Galley La swimming pool; completely conscious of everyone around her, the woman walked straight up to Naruto and smiled down.

"I promised I would be here." That was all she said, then offered her foster son her hand. Naruto had to swallow several times, then took ut and held extremely tight. The pair walked over, with Kimimaro remaining close-by while Ino and Sakrua finally got back on their feet.

"She's your Mom? But how does that work? She looks half as old as mine is?" Ino's loud thoughts rippled through the group, and almost killed her father. Inoichi went limp, horrified. While his teammates gave what comfort they could, Tsume glared from Inoichi to Ino; while Kiba wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Hey, Naruto. Don't forget I'm gonna win next time," he promised. The Uzumaki paid him back with a grin, leading to them share their sparring match with their Mom's.

Inoichi had to walk his daughter and Sakura home, something he was deeply grateful to do and put-off meeting his wife. Shikaku and Choza waved goodbye with their sons and the others departed together.

Robin was in the lead while Zoro hung back, a rearguard watching for a signal from Robin; the woman's ears tracing the rumors behind them.

"How could the Hokage allow this?"

"Nobody can deserve to be near that abomination, far less if they have children themselves."

"We should complain to Lord Third immediately, at the very least. That's the…"

"SHhhhh, don't forget the law. I will bet this is the final time any of the four will be out alive. He'll murder them when the moon is high again."

Robin's ears disappeared, focusing on their path ahead to see her family home safe. In no time they were there: training, research and dinner followed in the Roronoa Household. Their evening was peaceful, and the precise opposite for the Hokage.

Across the village rumors flew like wild-fire. Clan-heads assembled their kin and reminded each of the Hokage's orders to the lengths they could reach; still Hiruzen failed to find much solace while he gazed through a crystal-ball:

"They must be used some illusion or spell like our own ninja's use. Whom could ever love that spawn, let alone live under the same roof as it?"

"I knew they were no good! Tomorrow we must demand those two children beside them be removed from such a dangerous place."

"Vermin belong in the streets. Does the Hokage care nothing for Lord Fourth's murder to let the one who killed him live in comfort?"

"The next moment he is alone a kunai through his larynx will—" The Hokage didn't hear any more, dispatching one ANBU to intercept the citizen immediately.

Rarely did the Hat weigh down the Professor Hiruzen Sarutobi more than for those few moments. Pulling himself up, the man looked elsewhere, on Iruka:

"And then Iruka-sensei got mad at me for just saying what was on my mind." "Hibachi, that is a lie. Tell one more and you may not be in my class much longer." Watching Iruka speak-up for Naruto against a certain student's parents was better than nothing.

"I might need to speak to the Roronoa's sooner than I would prefer to," The Sandaime resigned himself.

0…..0

The next days preceded the same for each student as their first, with more and more people drifting closer towards them in good ways and bad ones. Olvia quickly surpassed each and every female student in the classroom, becoming the object of their jealousy; a growing position built-on her defeating their "precious Sasuke," and far too shallow for her to bother with at all. Naruto was happier than ever, especially with Choji, Shikamaru and Kiba spending more time with him, all the way until Olvia blocked them from cutting class.

Kimimaro picked-up on the curriculum very quickly and moved on to sparring by his second day. Electing to watch for a while, he frowned in disgust over the quality what many classmates displayed: 'Both of these have lost seven times a piece by now had they paired with me. Now an eighth time for her.' One boy and a girl were sloppy until the former stumbled over his own leg and fell.

The next match caught the Kaguya's attention: "Hyuga Neji vs. Daitan. Hajime!" The boy charged in the second Daikoku's hand dropped, while the Hyuga looked on apathetic. Kimimaro could predict the results easily, and seconds later Daitan was on the ground with a palm inches from his face.

"Winner: Neji. Well done. Now, who would like to volunteer next?"

"I would, Daikoku-sensei. And request for Kimimaro-san to join me for a sparring match," Rock Lee stood ready, one hand raised and set.

"I do not recall you asking me beforehand, Lee-san."

"AAAH. Forgive me. Shall you spar with me so we both may grow stronger? Kimimaro-san."

"Hahaha, do you love eating dirt that much, dork-Lee. You can't beat anybody, and the new-guy should know it." At their classmate's ridicule, Kimimaro moved over towards the ring.

"The results of battle can never be guaranteed. Every enemy has the opportunity to defeat you, and you the same for them," the Kaguya declared, drawing everyone's attention.

"Distance may measure whom is more likely to win, but merely by challenging me with the belief he can has granted Rock Lee a greater measure to achieve that than you carry."

Silence followed, as Kimimaro strode to his place and raised one hand. Lee scrambled over and mirrored him before both hands were raised and waiting to fight. One student sneered, while others looked between both fights.

"Kimimaro against Rock Lee. Hajime!"

"GUAAAAAAHHHH!" Rock charged forward, his fist and legs ready, momentum carrying forward to his attack. 'I shall triumph toda—'

Four seconds. Two seconds were all the winner needed: sailing around a leaping-kick Kimimaro tripped his partner, sending him head-over-heels to land upright and sitting, then locked him in a rear-naked choke. Lee tried to pull out yet the fall had emptied his lungs. Timing his hold to catch before they could be filled, Kimimaro ended the spar all inside of 4 seconds.

Kimimaro released him before the boy could black-out, and Lee was left gasping while the class recoiled in awe.

"Winner: Kimimaro," even their sensei was shocked by such a move. Immediately, the Kaguya gently helped his partner to recover: "Attempt to wait, Lee-san. Let your opponent reach you first and strike when they extend; a point where they are vulnerable. Personally, I believe you did far better than others here in our class would have against me."

"Hhhm. Your skills had no place in these results," somebody in the crowd declared. Everyone looked over towards him: white, contempt-filled eyes in a stern face, with his brow hidden under bandages.

"The results were decided before this match began. The importance here lies in victory or defeat. Fate decided you would triumph, and no amount of faith could change that. Please do not encourage that fool with more delusions."

Rock Lee looked between them, as Kimimaro merely looked on, passive. "Zoro-sama, Robin-sama, and my lifetime would not agree with that outlook, Hyuga-san. Rock Lee did have a chance to defeat me. No battle may ever be called pre-determined, nor shaped by the hand of fate. Individuals each have the power to take destiny into their own hands and shape their own fates throughout their lifetimes. Only the weak and the cowardly give the excuse you have just spoken; or those whom have never know loss or suffering before."

Across the yard, Neji's face morphed from apathy into anger; glaring straight at the other boy and curling his hands into fists. "What did you speak of me as?"

"I spoke nothing about you, Hyuga-san," the opposite being replied. "Only of your perspectives and those of my master's. Within existence, each and every viewpoint or perspective fill the world with their own sets of right and wrong. Courage and Recklessness. Will and fear. Your words merely apply to you, but they do not encompass the universe."

"Rock Lee believed he could win against me, and he can aspire to become a shinobi. I do not share the same ideas which he carries. From my own perspective, different from others, I too acknowledge he can defeat me and become a ninja in his own right. You may disbelieve that. So be it."

The other boy continued glaring, until he scoffed in return. "I am certain you will learn one day, as I did. When every person enters this world a destiny is selected for them. Such a thing way never be changed and any whom defy it will always remain trapped. As you are in servitude to another whom has no ties to you."

"Trapped? I have been trapped an imprisoned before, Hyuga-san." Surprise covered many faces in the class. All of them towards Kimimaro. "My own kin imprisoned me, only to me let out from a cage when they would enter a battle. After all of my clan were felled, a fate worse than bondage ensued. The Roronoa family saved me from that abysmal life, and I pledged to always serve and protect them. That is the destiny I choose, and I entered this academy so I may apply my strength and skills further towards that goal."

His speech complete, Kimimaro offered his hand to Lee; they linked fingers in the seal of reconciliation and returned to the rest of the class. A few more bouts followed, but Lee barely saw any as he watched Neji trying to burn Kimimaro from the face of the earth while one hand covered his hidden brow.

0…0

Days evolved into weeks, all the way until a month passed since the Roronoa's arrived in Konohagakure. Roronoa-Nico Robin became a frequent sight in the library or elsewhere around the village, either on her own or with her husband as company. Somehow nobody bothered the Roronoa's while they were out and about, though mostly because they did not bother to interact with anybody beyond a very small pool. The family either stayed home or frequented different training grounds within the village and chose their destinations outside of different homes carefully.

Zoro could scare off almost everyone and was never seen outside his home without his wife. A trend nobody could guess towards. Robin would frequently go out on her own and was approached by some malicious people, yet every time she would disappear immediately; even the ANBU Hiruzen had assigned to follow her and Zoro across the village would scramble to find her again at least once per day. If a flare of sympathy crossed the "Devil's-Child."

Naruto, Olvia and Kimimaro were never on their own; accompanied by somebody all the time or finding more people to meet. Especially on two occasions near the shinobi Academy:

"Kiba! Who're you chatting with?"

"Huh? Hey there Hana." The Inuzuka was close to the academy with Zoro, Olvia and Naruto and Kimimaro when their visitor arrived; a girl taller than Olvia with a gentle face and three young hounds.

"Hey, who are you?" "Naruto!" Naruto's question earned him a bark from Zoro. "Remember what Robin and I taught you. Greet somebody new with respect, not a shout," Zoro reminded his foster-son.

"Hehehe, it's no problem. My little brother hasn't been bothering you, has he?" The girl replied.

"Not in any way," Kimimaro answered. "Kiba-san was asking to join us so he could have a fresh sparring match with Naruto-sama. The pair have accumulated a score of 4 against 5 thus far."

"Who might you be? His sister, or a cousin?" Zoro questioned her.

"Oh, I'm Inuzuka Hana, Kiba's big sister. And if I'm correct, are you Roronoa Zoro?" bowing as she answered, Naruto picked up on something.

"Oh yeah, Kiba was talking about you a bit," Naruto spoke up. "Hey, we're going training together right now. If you both came with us, Kiba and I can train and maybe youyou're your dogs can spar with Cross-bones-kun and Olvia-nee-chan." The got three people very excited, while the latest arrival glanced over her shoulder.

"I, actually have to practice some medical procedures soon. I won't turn down a match with someone else, but I'm also a Genin already so that might leave it a little unfair to somebody who's still only at the student-level."

Zoro nodded, but disagreed. "I don't see much trouble, and truth be told I was hoping to find someone willing to spar with my student and my daughter. Finading a new opponent would challenge them both. And we do go pretty intense. Having a medic on-hand might keep your Mom's off my case to boot. Why not grab your books and meet us in training ground 20?"

Surprised at the offer, Kiba and Olvia both pleaded until Hana gave-in. Some hours later the girl got some very hands-on experience patching up her brother, Naruto and even their dogs from a couple of sword-cuts. Olvia herself apologized profusely for the cut, berating herself for not controlling her blade properly under the strain of Hana's four-pronged assault.

Neither Inuzuka held a grudge over it and even the dogs acknowledged they got a little too reckless; adding some extra friends for the Roronoa's.

Shortly after, Zoro himself departed the village to resume bounty-hunting, accompanied by Kurenai Yuhi as a C-rank mission on Robin's request; adamant how otherwise Zoro might get lost and start a war. During his time away, Robin oversaw their children at all times of the day and night. Including a particular one with a frustrated Naruto.

"Uggghghhhhhr!"

Robin smirked, looking up from the kitchen counter to find Naruto faced-down at the dinner table. The blonde had been struggling with a history report for the Academy over the past two hours, while hearing his sister and friend training in the dojo. It was torture.

"Fufufufufufu. Naruto-kun, I doubt looking that closely at your homework will make any progress in-time for training after dinner." Rolling his head, the boy glared at his foster-mother's teasing.

"Rob…Mom. This isn't due for another week, ya know! I can work on it more over the weekend, come on, I wanna train with Olvia-nee-chan! Zoro….uh….Dad and you told me its important to recognize your strengths and build on them as much as you can, and not try and copy someone else! I'm stronger at fighting than this rotten homework, believe it!"

To answer him, Robin shook her hide to hide her own amusement. 'Using our own example for his own benefit. He is using his head more, but not entirely in the correct way. The true waste would be to stop his academic growth since he has begun to think so much more.'

Even so, her foster-son was not wrong about his own strengths. Naruto's growth in the more physical parts of Ninja training had pushed him out of the "dead-last" spot in the classroom. Under Zoro's watchful eye and forceful discipline, he was quickly becoming a more adept fighter. Complimented even further by Robin and her husband's successful efforts in feeding him a more balanced and healthy diet. Naruto's body was growing to be much more well-nourished than before, at the expense of his regular Ramen feasts.

"It can be important to increase your strengths, Naruto-kun," Robin replied. "But, you also need to focus on topics you lack such immediate talent with. Your father and I have defeated many people who neglected to compensate for their weaknesses, or outright ignored them. No training until you have advanced this report to my satisfaction."

With a grumbling Naruto staring longingly at the dojo, Robin created a Hana-clone to continue making a seafood pasta with soba noodles for dinner, while she joined Naruto at the table.

"Now. I recall your essay is about the innovations Niidaime-sama made during his lifetime, and how important they were to the Shinobi World. You have plenty of information in front of you after going to the library with Olvia. So, what is the source of your headache?"

"There's just so much to write about, ya know! He did this much," throwing both hands into the air as wide as he could reach to show it. Next, Naruto folded them in the glare at the paper and notes spread over the table.

"I wanna train right now, not sit here being bored with writing! I mean, sure, his jutsu were awesome, and yeah he helped his older brother a lot before becoming Hokage himself. But why can't I just make a list of what he created in the village instead of writing paragraphs! Iruka-sensei knows all of this already, and the length I have to write is the max. for this project! Everyone else's are going to be a lot smaller than this, ya know!"

"True. But, you need to learn and appreciate history to the fullest. Otherwise you repeat mistakes and lessons that others have already learned, and never surpass their accomplishments in life. Or you don't understand the origins and developments of the world around you."

"You know, I never ordered you to fill out the entire maximum for the project. I only expect you to do it, because I know you can reach that level."

Naruto's frown changed into a pout. A very adorable pout cute enough to make Robin giggle.

"Mom. 'I expect you to' is the same as 'do it or there will be big trouble.' Shikamaru told me that, ya know! Plus, if I don't write that much than you will be disappointed, and Olvia-nee-chan will have another one up on me!"

After the first two weeks with his new family, a highly competitive rivalry grew between himself and Olvia. Kimimaro rarely joined, but the girl had proven to be better than Naruto at virtually everything, even at pulling pranks after a particularly amusing one against Ino and Sakura that involved their opposing colour-schemes. Naruto and Olvia never kept-score or gloated though; it was the amusement of the competition and thrill of a win that made it so much fun.

Robin and Zoro both enjoyed to watch, even her right this minute. "Indeed. I'm impressed that you took my advice to beat Olvia at her own game in response to her pink-and-purple prank. Are you certain you do not want my help to get a better essay than she is writing?"

"No Way," Naruto answered before whisper in a hush: "She'd never let me forget that you gave me an edge. If you helped me, then I won't accept it as a win, believe it! I just wish that all of the writing wasn't so boring all the time!"

"Fufufufufufufu!" Robin laughed as a certain stubborn captain came to mind. 'Not accepting the easy way because he wants to earn it himself. Now, where have I heard that before?' The number of things that can give Robin and Zoro pause is quite miniscule. Yet the most persistent one of late was many quirks Naruto shared with Monkey D. Luffy.

"Well then, you will need to finish they report in three days if you want me to take a look over before submitting it. Why don't you work on writing two sections of the paper at once?"

"Huh!?"

"You find all of the jutsu that the Niidaime Hokage invented interesting. Start writing about how he founded the Academy and the ANBU. Then, when you have written two paragraphs, go to the section on his jutsu to become excited again," Robin explained.

Naruto understood. Although that did not stop him from giving a loud sigh at having to write two things at once. Still, he gave it a shot.

An hour later, he added enough on paper for some extra training dinner. Robin and Olvia both pulled out their books and settled with a pot of tea while Kimimaro joined Naruto inside the dojo for drills.

The room was 12 m. by 12 m., with hard wooden planks as the floor. The space was divided between two distinct areas: a centre square 7 m. by 7 m., with an outer space bordering the centre covered with soft mats. The outer space held various training equipment and weights: a Salmon-ladder, stacking-benches, weight racks, three heavy bags, a training dummy, a pair of gymnastic rings hanging from the ceiling, wall hangers supporting training swords, a towel rack, and pull-up bars.

The younger boy exercised while the older one watched carefully, noting his progress and correcting any mistakes for two hours before they turned in for the night.

All within sight of Sarutobi Hiruzen's crystal ball-jutsu. Leaning back, the man sighed. Glancing over towards Danzo Shimura across his desk.

"We absolutely must know how powerful he is, Hokage. Now more than ever, with the Jinchuuriki's care entrusted to them. I especially want to meet this Robin-san in-person."

Glancing down, the Shinobi of Darkness scrutinized a book in his hand. "'The Merry, the Sunny, and the Straw Hat: A Grand Traversing of Chaotic Seas.' Should a tenth of what has been described here be authentic, especially the Devil-fruits they recorded, fantastical though it may be, their veracity might be found."

"I agree," The Hokage nodded, hiding his aggravation from recalling how this man had accosted him over Naruto's adoption day before.

'It seems Danzo will stay in his place, for now. Though I absolutely shall not permit him to interact with Naruto, nor Kimimaro, in any form.' The man lightly complained.

"Given the standings of the clan-heads and myself within the village hierarchy, having them fight with Zoro-san could gravely upset the political stability more than their arrival already has. While having Zoro-san or his wife be matched against any summoning-creature would likely be too excessive or leave them debilitated. I have sent a Monkey to Jiraya requesting that he return to the village at once."

"Then, we can measure how skilled these former pirates are."

0….0

The next morning was a day-off, so the four decided to stroll around the village together and enjoy some time outside the house. They approached a simple park, mostly empty so early in the day yet discovered a familiar acquaintance.

"Tokuma-san. Good morning." At Robin's call, the familiar Hyuga straightened into a bow. He was joined with three others, another young woman dressed in a uniform and apron with two young girls were near a swing-set.

"Hello there, Roronoa-san. You seem to be in good health, and those with you as well."

While Olvia and Kimimaro returned his sentiments, Naruto cocked his head towards the other two in the opposite quartet. "Oh hey! Hi there Hinata." By the swing-set his classmate was lightly pushing a smaller girl. Until Naruto's shout led her to miss one catch and get hit.

"Hinata-sama!" As the other Hyuga approached her, the woman spun about with scorn. "How dare you cause them to be hurt!" she spat at Naruto. Vemon in her words sent Naruto staggering back from her, until both were cut from each other's sight. Kimimaro materialized between them, glaring to the woman. "I would request you check your words. An accident occurred here, and such behaviour as yours is unacceptable."

Tokuma swallowed, glancing to Robin. "Natsu-san, Kimimaro-san, please. This was merely an accident, and Hinata-sama has not been hurt."

Sure enough, the Uzumaki, the Hyuga and the Kaguya looked over to find Hinata had not landed on the ground.

"Nee-sama? Hurt?" the other girl leapt from her seat on swings, whirling about to find a fresh surprise. Hinata herself looked about, her body held up by one dozen gentle hands sprouting up from the earth beneath her. Even Natsu noticed, her Byakugan flaring up while Tokuma reached his kinswoman. Precisely when Robin spoke up.

"Watch yourself and your words. Minding them can avoid creating fresh enemies, Hyuga Natsu." Poised, simple and deadly, Robin glided forwards ahead of her own children and frowned straight at the younger woman. "Naruto-kun. Please apologize to Hinata-san. Then take a mindful step of where and how you call out to different people."

"Uh, okay Robin…uh, Mom." While her son followed his instructions, Olvia followed him and Robin never took her eyes off Natsu or Tokuma. Neither moved while the latter Hyuga tried to pacify both parties. "Thank you for aiding Hinata-sama, Robin-san. I consent with you, this was only an accident and nobody is hurt. Also, Natsu-san did act a little out of line."

"How can you agree with them, Tokuma-kun!" The woman cried out towards him. "That boy is a ji—"

"U-umm. N-na-Natsu-san?" From a tug on her apron, Natsu found Hinata staring up towards her with the other girl very close. "S-she is co-correct. I'm not hurt an-and i-it was m-my fault." Next, Hinata turned around and bowed towards their company.

"I am s-sorry. R-Rowi-um-Rorokowa-eep!"

"Roronoa." A short distance away, Olvia lent the girls a hand, standing beside her foster-brother. "Our name can be hard to say, Hinata-san."

"How do you know Nee-sama?"

"Hanabi-sama," Natsu gently snapped. "I have instructed you not to address strangers without permission. Please, remain quiet." Kimimaro took a step forward at her response, but Tokuma arrived their first.

"You may be wrong, Natsu-san." Not waiting for her response, the man drew himself up before their visitors. "Please, forgive us," he asked them.

"Hanabi-sama. Your older sister is classmates with them at the Shinobi Academy. That is how they are acquainted with each other. Perhaps you should introduce yourself to them and their mother, Roronoa-Nico Robin-san."

Looking between them both, Hanabi watched her old sister take the lead, walking tentatively towards the oldest woman before her sister followed.

"G-G-good m-morning, Ro-ro-noa-san. I am Hyuga Hinata, and this is my younger sister, Hyuga Hanabi-chan."

Hinata drew herself up, and coached Hanabi to do the same. "In-introduce yours-self, Hanabi-chan."

With all the dignity a four-year old could muster, the adorable girl copied her sister. "My name is Hyuga Hanabi. The daughter of Hyuga Hiashi, the head of the noble Hyuga clan. And younger sister of Hinata-nee-sama," she squeaked

Only at their words, Robin finally took her eyes away from Natsu and smiled warmly towards both girls, coaxing each to relax. "Good morning, Hyuga-sama. You both appear rather lucky, to have such diligent caretakers as the daughters of your clan leader."

"Clan leader. Are their Mom and Dad important, Olvia-nee-chan?" Naruto whispered to his sister. Lightly smacking her head, Olvia explained it to him while Hanabi studied Robin carefully.

"Are you a neenja, Robin-san? How did so many arms come out and catch older sister?" At the 4-year old's question, Robin smiled as several sakura-petals surrounded the grass. Further arms came out from the ground to wave. Natsu out cried in surprise, while Hinata and Hanabi admired them.

"I am not a shinobi, yet I do have certain powers of my own."

"Yeah, and they're real cool! Just be carefully not to-ahhhh-Huhhahahah-huh-Ghuh- MOM! STOP IT! Please-HAHAHAHA-STOP TICKLING ME!" Sure enough, as Naruto spoke up some extra arms gently came out from his waist and tickled the boy ceaselessly. Rolling around on the ground, Hinata, Olvia and Hanabi giggled as they watched. Leaving the more hostile Hyuga at a loss.

"Perhaps we should rescue my ototou, Hanabi-sama?" Olvia whispered to her friend.

"Oh, y-yes please, and q-quickly." Hinata answered, jogging towards Naruto as the others watched. Once she approached him the limbs released Naruto and he smiled up at Hinata, precisely as the girl realised she was a little close to him. Olvia, Kimimaro and Hanabi came up soon, rescuing Hinata from fainting. Robin smiled as she watched, before turned back to the other supervisors.

"I imagine you are here before the two begin their training for the Hyuga-clan? Perhaps they might enjoy a few games together rather than apart?"

"Yeah, come on, let's all play neenja!" At the youngest one's innocent request, Naruto and Olvia agreed while Hinata was left blushing. Tokuma gave his consent before Natsu could speak-up and most of the kids took off. Kimimaro following close as he coaxed Hinata to catch-up.

"Tokuma-san," Natsu hissed to him. "Perhaps we should return to the clan. I am not certain Hiashi-sama would approve of this. What are you thinking, and how do you know them and it?"

Tokuma himself frowned at her words, recalling the manner of another fellow-ninja the day he met the Roronoa's; and his own self-reflection over Naruto since then.

"He is not harmful to anyone, Natsu-san. And do not forget Lord Hokage's degree. Nor Hiashi-sama's instructions regarding the Roronoa family. It will not last long, as you are correct. Hinata-sama's morning training will start soon. See about that boy for yourself. He is not what others claim him to be."

Tokuma left her next, catching up with Robin as she moved to stay closer to the younger company.

Hinata and Hanabi didn't notice, and actually started to enjoy their unexpected fun. Running around playing ninja for a while, the sisters continued winning before Naruto and Hanabi thought about something different. Both sets of siblings moved over to a see-saw, Hanabi curious over how it worked and Naruto never trying one before. Hinata and Olvia both joined them. The older girl felt a little embarrassed but watching Naruto enjoy it rapidly dissolved her shame.

Robin watched them all closely, while Natsu walked up without Tokuma. Training her eyes on the target of her fears, the woman quickly had to consciously remind herself of the vessel's hidden seal; her innate disgust and distrust growing weaker and weaker as he smiled.

"Hey Kimimaro. Can you come push us on the swings?" At Naruto's own call, Kimimaro was at his side within seconds. The Uzumaki and this time Hinata both sat on the swings and were soon shouting their glee at flying through the air; higher and higher.

Olvia did the same with Hanabi, until Hinata glanced towards Robin and asked to stop. Leaving the swing, she stood still, swallowed, then tentatively walked over toward the tallest lady present. "R-Robin s-san?"

"Yes, Hinata-sama?" She gently replied, kneeling down to the child's level.

Softly, the Hyuga twiddled both her fingers together, stealing small glances over towards Naruto, Natsu and Olvia. "I…I-I want t-to th-thank you. N-Naruto-kun. H-he l-looks so…so h-happy now. N-now th-that your f-family a-adopted h-him."

"Hinata-sama. Why are—" Natsu's responses quickly stopped, out of Hinata's sight while Robin smiled toward her.

"You are welcome. And I would like to thank you. My son has been alone, for a very long time until we came to this village. Yet I know you admire and respect him."

"Eeep!" Immediately, Hinata stumbled back, jerking her head sideways. Yet, somehow Robin coaxed her to relax again: "Olvia has told me of others in her class. You are as polite and respectful as she described. I even admire how you show more dedication to growing into a ninja than any other girls in your classroom. That is certainly a trait to admire, and a credit to your clan that others should try and emulate."

"You care deeply about other people and are supremely kind. Those traits are very rare, and I respect them, greatly."

Showered with praise, the Hyuga-heiress could barely speak. Hanabi wound-up rescuing her sister by calling over for a different game. Leaving the children as they were, Robin settled herself on the ground and drew a book out from her bag. Finally letting a particular hand over Hyuga Natsu's mouth to disappear; one she bloomed to keep interruptions stifled.

Robin didn't spare a glance, while Tokuma watched carefully from a distance. Missing the most dangerous threats only a short few meters away.

Within the treeline, a greedy and fanatical eye traced over to two boys on the playground, fuming. Danzo Shimura was spying the targets of his hunger.

'What a pointless waste of time. These pursuits are wasting the talent of vital assets for the village. Hiruzen, why are you such a fool to not begin developing the Shikotsumayaku immediately? I misjudged you, worse still since you refuse to have the Junchuuriki molded into the weapon all of his kind are created to be.'

'Both of them shall be mine, and backing from their guardians may very well tip the scales sufficiently to expunge the Third Hokage's delusional teachings and legacy that have weakened this village long enough.'

'I must become Hokage for the sake of the Leaf and the entire Ninja World. And Orochimaru will desire to learn of these two, quickly.'

Elsewhere across the same playground, another spy watched Uzumaki Naruto from a place even the Shinobi of Darkness could not spot. A mysterious plant, one half of itself black and the other pale white. 'This new family isn't leaving. Pain-sama will need an update, alongside Tobi-sama. To think we encountered them mere months ago; perhaps killing them would have been the wiser choice.'

Meanwhile, a second voice inside the same mind took over. 'OOOOO, ooooo, the irony is nauseous. We could have killed them and instead they left poor Kakuzu so close to death. He begged us to pursue them and was correct all along. Now I doubt he will disagree at all.'

End.

[1]-Real-world heavy-bags do not solely improve a combat-sport athlete's strength, but also their precision. If a bag spins after being hit, then most of the momentum from the strike was sent past the bag. The most effective blows should deliver their full-force straight into the target, causing it to swing around.

[2]-Credit drawn from SwordOfTheGods. It's wonderfully terrible how children saying the wrong thing at the right time create such amazing memories.

[3]-One Piece Manga, Chapter 954.

In Wano country, Kozuki Hiyori asked Zoro to leave Shusui in Wano and offered this sword to replace it. Enma was wielded by Kozuki Oden during the days of Gol D. Roger; the former used it to even injure Kaido with a gash across the his throat while Kaido was a dragon. Tenguyama Hitetsu directly described Emna as sharp enough to "cut through to the bottom of hell."

Problem=Enma draws out the Busohosku/Armament Haki of whomever every wields it, to the risk of draining all their Haki and leaving that person a dry husk. Only Kozuki Oden, someone skilled enough to fight Kaido and Whitebeard separately, was known to master the blade…until Zoro came along.

[4]-Naruto Shippuden, episode 483: Jiraya and Kakashi. In the latter's childhood-story, he sparred with Hiruzen himself inside the Academy after the White-fang's death.

[5]-Until this point in her life, Olvia would have been homeschooled by Robin. Which innately and obviously measures to entire leagues better than the education Shinobi were taught when Naruto was a kid.

[6]-They're students. Rock Lee is not a Genin, with no chance to become a miniature-copy of Might Guy; nor does he have such an idol to follow, yet.

[7]-Naruto, episode 44. Flashbacks in the Chunin Exam Preliminaries. In Kiba's eyes, everyone in the class would get excited about Naruto's shenanigans and make him more popular than Kiba was.