A/N: Apologies for the wait my readers. I was kind of stuck in a slump for some time and went on a video game binge after getting a shiny new laptop, mostly SWTOR. On top of that I have been kept busy at my job, even with this whole Covid-19 business. I hope you are all safe and well. And once again, I apologize for the long delay.

Thanks very much for your patience and your reviews and feedback. Hope you enjoy all the same!

Chapter one: Prologue.

In the Hokage's office Hiruzen Sarutobi yawned as he milled through a seemingly never ending stack of paperwork. A large part of him cursing the Yondaime for dying and leaving a power vacuum that the Sandaime was forced to fill, lest someone with less noble intentions seized the Hokage mantle.

There was also another concern on his mind, Naruto Uzumaki. The son of the late Minato and his wife, Kushina. He wasn't sure who or why, but someone had deliberately leaked that young Naruto was the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, which not only instantly ostracized the boy from the general populace, but also made him become the scapegoat for their anger and hatred since the Kyuubi claimed many lives that unfortunate night.

Hiruzen did everything he could to help the boy, he assigned his most trustworthy Anbu to see to the lad's protection in case anyone attempted physical harm. No major incidents happened, though there is the occasional drunkard that crops up trying to stir up trouble.

However, if there was one thing humans were capable of, it was the universal ability to find a means to harm someone. And you don't need to do physical harm in order to hurt a person. A number of shops attempted to sell overpriced or expired goods to young Naruto, all of which were closed down.

And then there were people that would isolate the boy, and keep their children away from him. Something like that was beyond even the Sandaime's control. Even if he was the Hokage, he had no means of controlling the hearts and minds of his people.

Hiruzen tried getting Naruto placed into a foster family, but he kept getting stonewalled by Jiraiya who was Naruto's named godfather and by extension Guardian. Honestly, what had Minato been drinking to even consider someone like Jiraiya as Godfather material? Even worse, is that the Toad Sannin had absolutely zero contact with the boy.

Not even a friendly visit or a phone call. If Jiraiya wasn't going to tend to the boy's needs, he should have found someone that could. But no, he seemed intent on staying out of the boy's life, something or other about a Prophecy.

In any case, Hiruzen tried exposing Naruto to people sympathetic to his plight, a prime example being Anko Mitarashi who was in a highly similar predicament to his own, which allowed the two to bond almost immediately.

The Sandaime was also aware that Naruto seemed to be struggling in school and had failed the exam twice, though not for lack of trying since it seemed one of his biggest stumbling blocks was the Clone Jutsu. Given his heritage as an Uzumaki it stood to reason he had abnormally high levels of Chakra, which was boosted to even greater heights due to being the host of a Bijuu, the Kyuubi no less. Thus making it utterly impossible to use such a basic jutsu, even with the most advanced of Chakra control techniques.

To add onto the pile of troubles for the whiskered Uzumaki, was the fact that the teachers literally did nothing to give Naruto a fair chance. Hiruzen knew the likes of Maito Gai, and Rock Lee had conditions that prevented them from using Chakra as everyone else, but they still got a chance to prove themselves. And most often they went above and beyond the call of duty to prove it.

The Sandaime decided that Naruto also deserved a fair shake and knew the perfect Jutsu to help him. Also… he had something of Kushina's that rightfully belonged to Naruto and it seemed like as good a chance as any for him to receive it, and perhaps most importantly, this could be his chance to shed some light for the boy's situation and give him a better understanding of his circumstances… though without a doubt it would probably leave him with more questions and confusion.

A knock was heard at his door, prompting the Sandaime to call out for the visitor to enter, when the door opened it was revealed to be Naruto himself who was undoubtedly responding to his earlier summons. "Ah! Naruto my boy! Come in, come in. We have a lot to talk about today." The Sandaime spoke warmly and gestured to a nearby chair for the whiskered teen to sit in.

"What about? If you called me just to give me 'the birds and the bees' lecture, I'm just gonna Nope my way out of here. Anko and Kurenai already gave me that lecture, that was the most awkward and uncomfortable ten minutes of my whole life." Naruto spoke in a half-joking and half-serious tone. The aging Hokage had to bite his tongue a little to suppress his laughter at the thought, imagining Anko giving the full play-by-play and Kurenai trying to mediate or explain it properly.

"Erm, no. We won't be covering that particular subject. It actually pertains more to your family and your situation." The Hokage responded as he prepared his pipe and stuffed it with some tobacco as the blonde boy hopped into his seat, a look of curiosity on his face.

"My situation? You mean about the Kyuubi? And what about my family?" The boy asked as he crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes narrowing a bit as he gave the Hokage an almost soul-piercing gaze.

"In part, the Kyuubi is indeed involved. Before I tell you anything, I want you to understand something. Your parents were both exemplary ninjas, some of the finest I ever knew, and they made countless enemies during the span of their careers, both inside and outside of Konoha. I kept your parentage a secret in hopes of protecting you from those same enemies. So for the time being, what I can tell you about your parents is limited until you become more capable of protecting yourself. But I will say this, due to your situation, and not just because of the Kyuubi, you are both valuable and dangerous to a lot of people." The Sandaime explained and took a drag from his pipe.

The blonde was quiet for a few moments and then slowly nodded his head in understanding, so far he seemed to be taking it rather well… or had he already discerned at least some of what the Hokage had just told him? "I figured there was some kind of reason that you were always dodgy and evasive when I asked about my parents." Naruto spoke, earning a smile from Hiruzen. The boy was unusually perceptive for his age.

"So, what can you tell me about them? What were they like?" The whiskered teen asked, prompting the Sandaime to consider his words for a few moments qs he blew smoke from his nostrils.

"Your mother was perhaps the most powerful and terrifying Kunoichi I had ever met. She could be your best friend for life, or the worst enemy you could possibly imagine. She ran numerous black ops missions and garnered a menacing reputation. So much so that her name alone was enough to keep entire armies at bay.

She was also the top candidate at the time to become the Yondaime Hokage, one of her biggest goals and dreams was to become the first female Hokage. But that changed instantly when she learned she was pregnant with you. She quietly retired from the Shinobi life and gave up her dreams to spend her every waking moment in raising you." At the end of his explanation Naruto had a starry eyed expression with a gleaming smile.

"Wow. My mom sounds awesome. If she was gonna give up her dreams just for me… I think she would have been a good mother. So, what about my dad?" The blonde asked, his excitement almost causing him to bounce in his seat as he edged closer to the Hokage's desk.

"Your father was a Brilliant young Ninja. Calm, collected, sometimes a bit of a goofball and was perhaps the only person that could soothe your mother's explosive temperament… and survive. Although… I now question his judgment in the long run of things." The Sandaime muttered at the end with a twitching eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked, wondering if his father had done something bad in the past. Hiruzen for his part knew that the following subject would come up in this conversation with Naruto, he wasn't sure about the 'exact' manner the boy would take this information, but he guessed it would be a Negative response. Still, better he learned about it now from a trusted source than from anywhere else.

"Your father chose someone to be your godfather in spite of your mother's strong disagreement with his selection. Your father's choice was a man called Jiraiya." The Hokage answered in a slightly reluctant tone.

"Jiraiya? Where have I heard that name bef…. Wait a sec. Isn't that the name of one of the Sannin? Your students?" Naruto asked as he quickly connected the dots, earning a nod of confirmation from the aged Hokage.

"One and the same. Jiraiya is not only a Sannin, but also Konoha's spymaster. He's been traveling the Nations for some years now. However it seems he has made every effort to avoid contact with you. I think it best that you avoid him." Hiruzen explained as he took a drag from his pipe.

"I'll definitely do that." The blonde muttered bitterly, feeling a deep sense of anger and resentment towards his negligent godfather, though he knew he'd probably have to confront the man sooner or later. The whiskered teen then sighed as he rubbed his temples and asked "Is there anything else you wanna get out in the open? Or was that all?"

"There are two more things. Firstly, I am aware you have been having difficulty passing the Genin exam. On your first failure, I initially thought the fault was with you, but on your second failure, I knew there was something suspicious going on. Your biggest obstacle is the Clone jutsu, yes?" The Sandaime asked at the end while lacing his fingers together, his question prompting the boy to nod in confirmation.

"Yeah. I've been trying and trying, I've even asked Kurenai-san for Chakra control exercises to help me out. But I can't get the damn jutsu to work." The blonde explained, clearly frustrated by his repeated failures in practicing the jutsu.

"And neither of your teachers has explained to you why it has been failing?" The Sandaime asked which made the boy shake his head negatively. Hiruzen hmmed in thought as he spoke "I suspected as much. In summary, your Chakra levels are far too high to properly use certain basic level Ninjutsu, in essence, the Academy taught Clone jutsu."

"And neither Iruka or Mizuki could tell me that?" the Jinchuuriki asked with an angrily twitching eyebrow, causing the Hokage to answer "They probably knew and withheld this information to sabotage you. Iruka definitely has motivation since he lost his parents during the Kyuubi attack, however without substantial evidence my hands are tied… but there is a solution." Once he had finished speaking, the Hokage produced a jutsu scroll from his desk marked as 'Shadow Clones'

"This is an advanced variation of the Clone jutsu that creates solid copies of the user. Because of its high chakra usage it was labeled as a Forbidden jutsu. It's actually pretty useful for espionage and reconnaissance since the memories of the clones return to the user upon dispelling. Master this, and you'll have no trouble passing the Genin exam." Hiruzen explained with a broad grin, earning an excited chuckle from the boy.

Naruto reached for the scroll, eager to learn a new jutsu but then paused midway and spoke "Wait a sec… what if Iruka tries to pull a fast one on me, even if I succeed?"

"If he tries to fail you without just cause, then that would be illegal… and would give me the chance to arrest him. I'll have a trustworthy ninja on standby just in case. Now, there is one more thing. I actually have something else from you from your mother." Hiruzen spoke, and then opened a drawer in his desk and produced a small ornate box that was marked with the Kanji for 'Doom'

"Um… what's that? Part of my inheritance?" The blonde asked as he picked up the box and inspected it and gave it a quick shake to guess the contents inside.

"Yes. Most unfortunately, since Jiraiya is your legal guardian he also has control over the will of your parents. And even worse, it states you aren't able to receive it until you turn eighteen or become Chunin. This little box however was never part of the will, and your mother asked me, as a personal favor and under numerous death threats, to give this to you when I felt you needed it most." Hiruzen explained, causing the boy to look at him with a puzzled expression.

"I see… but what's inside? How do I open it?" Naruto asked with a tilt of his head. Instead of answering him directly, the Hokage reached into his desk once more and pulled out a sealed envelope and cut it open to pull out the letter inside.

Hiruzen then cleared his throat and began reading the contents "To my son, Naruto Uzumaki, if you're reading this then I'm most likely dead or have been taken captive against my will and thrown into some deep dank hole in the ground. I am so sorry that I was unable to be part of your life and would move heaven and earth to make up for it. Instead, all I can do is attempt to make certain preparations for your future.

Inside this box, lies the power to destroy the world, it was produced by an artifact known as the Holy Grail. The box is coded so that only you or I could open it. Once it's open, put your blood onto the deck and the Summons known as Servants shall obey only you. To summon them, pick the desired card and pour a little of your chakra into it. Good luck.

PS: Kill that asshole Jiraiya if he tries the 'caring godfather' act. I recommend cutting off his balls, frying them in butter and then forcing him to eat 'meatball spaghetti'."

Once Hiruzen finished reading there was an awkward silence in the air. It was broken when Naruto muttered "My mom was definitely an… interesting person." After that, Naruto placed his thumb on the lid of the box to pop it open, the box flashed briefly and then easily opened with a click.

Inside there was a deck of cards, growing curious he took them out and began to skim through them. Each one had the name of a famous mythical or historical figure inside, some of them even had the names of gods. And they all seemed to have some kind of title such as 'Carter, Berserker, Saber' and so forth.

Deciding to give it a try, he bit his thumb hard enough to draw blood and smeared it on the top and side of the deck. It glowed a golden color before returning to normal. He supposed that meant he had formed a kind of contract with the deck and pulled out one of the cards which was labeled 'Saber, Nero Claudius'

After putting some of his chakra into the card, there was a bright flash of light as the card vanished from between his fingers and standing in front of him was a woman in a crimson dress laughing in both a haughty and triumphant manner "Wahaha! I was the first to be summoned! You, Praetor, have superb tastes in Servants to summon someone as majestic as myself! I, the great Nero shall sing a ballad in your honor for this joyous occasion!"

Naruto blinked several times since he wasn't expecting such an introduction… and then he felt a sense of dread as the Servant called Nero took a deep breath and then began to sing… however it didn't even sound close to singing. It sounded more like a bag of cats screaming as they're trying to claw their way out. In the background the Sandaime had slammed his hands over his ears to drown out the noise, a begging look in his eyes as he silently pleaded for the noise to stop.

"Okay! Okay! You can stop now! The old man's lost enough of his hearing as it is!" Naruto blurted out to make the Servant cease her singing. At that, Nero fell silent and seemed taken aback, but only for a split second.

"I see. Yes! I understand! My voice may be too much for him, tis a shame that he cannot enjoy my singing. Nevertheless, I shall personally compose a ballad worthy of you in the future Praetor." She spoke in a proud voice, obviously missing the fact that she was utterly tone deaf.

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes a bit and could immediately sense the power rolling off this woman in waves. She was definitely powerful, arrogant though she may be, she could more than likely back up her ego in a fight.

"Now then Praetor, what heathens shall we trample over? Name the virulent blasphemers and I shall conquer them in your honor! They shall know the glory of… erm, my apologies but I don't believe I am familiar with your name." At that, both Naruto and the Hokage sweat-dropped a little, apparently this woman was both quite arrogant and a bit ditzy at times. She was definitely quite the character.

"Oh, right. My name is Naruto Uzumaki. Nice to meet you Nero-san." he responded with a friendly smile, he then took notice that her face was but a few bare inches from his own as her eyes scanned his face.

She smiled brightly and then spoke "Umu, so your name means maelstrom, yes? I like it! A good strong name for such a beautiful person as yourself." She spoke gleefully, her words confusing the boy a bit since he had been called many things in his life, most of them negative in nature, and this was the first time he'd been described as 'beautiful'

"Umu, those adorable whisker marks, those dazzling blue eyes, that cute rounded face, you're a vision Praetor! Yes! We are a match made by the heavens! Our conquests will be nothing short of spectacular!" She spoke proudly and struck a dramatic pose with one hand over her chest and the other stretched out as if she were gesturing towards the world. Naruto smiled a bit at the praise, but he couldn't help but wonder how the other Servants might behave, were all of them as… animated as Nero?

"Well before we go off on any 'conquests' first thing I have to do is pass the Genin exam that's coming up. And I need to practice this jutsu since I don't wanna repeat another year." Naruto spoke more to himself as he pocketed the scroll for the Shadow Clone jutsu, he certainly didn't want to waste any time in mastering it since the Sandaime had likely offered him his big break.

"I don't really understand, but fear not! For you have the support of the great Nero! No matter what trials may lie ahead, no matter the enemy, I shall cut through them all!" She spoke and then a sword materialized in her hand as if to emphasize her point. She definitely wasn't lacking in confidence and she certainly seemed reliable, though he doubted she'd be of much help in the Genin exam.

"I appreciate the offer, but this is probably something I should handle on my own, still I could use a sparring partner if you want to help out in my training." The whiskered teen offered since he never had many opportunities or opponents to throw fists with for training, and Nero seemed pretty strong to say the least.

"Umu, leave it to me Praetor! We shall make glorious music and art upon the battlefield! I, the great Nero, shall personally oversee your training." She replied, and with that said and done, both blondes departed leaving the Sandaime to his own devices. The aging Hokage felt a certain amount of weight being lifted off his shoulders since he felt relieved to have provided some aid to the boy, which seemed to be enhanced by the fact that the young Uzumaki quickly bonded with this Nero. He could only wish the boy good luck, because if there was any real truth to being a ninja… it's that things always get harder and more difficult.

A week later.

"Umu, I see. So in order to join your village's military, you must first pass an exam provided by your school, yes? However, you failed twice because of your own latent power and the negligence of your teachers?" Nero asked as she followed her master towards his classroom because she wished to observe this exam for herself, and if anyone dared harm her master, she'd cut them up.

For the past week they had trained in a place called the Forest of Death that was filled with all manner of dangerous flora and fauna, many of which were quite gigantic in nature and highly aggressive. It was no wonder her master insisted they train there, it was quite the ideal environment for survival and combat training. Funny enough, he hadn't ever banished her back into card form for some reason, unless he desired to stay in her company around the clock? What an interesting and accommodating master she was now contracted to. She was definitely going to enjoy being in his service.

"That about sums it up, yeah. You can watch if you want to, just don't go causing any trouble or picking fights without my okay. Since you're my summons whatever damage you do would likely be blamed on me." He spoke in a cautious tone, not wanting to give Iruka any ammo to use against him.

"Worry not Praetor! The great Nero never fails or disappoints!" She spoke reassuringly, and smiled a bit when her master had a relieved look on his face. When they had entered his classroom, pretty much all of the students were already in their seats and casually chatting away until the exams could begin.

Upon entry, Nero stated "These children are to be warriors? How disappointing. Though I suppose it would be too much to expect there to be any that could match the glory of my Praetor." At her words, most, if not all the students looked in the General direction of both blondes, with most of the boys instantly charmed by Nero's gorgeous form… while most of the girls glared at her rather… unique dress.

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" Screeched the form of a certain pinkette who marched up to the Servant and glared daggers at her… more specifically towards her chest region.

"How rude! Do you not know the great artiste Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, The Fifth Emperor of the Roman Empire? Then again, how could an uneducated plebian such as yourself know of me? Now that I look upon you… what are you? Are you male or female? Or are you some byproduct of an unholy union between a human and monkey?" Nero spoke in a condescending tone, her words making the Haruno's face to turn a deep crimson color.

So much to the point several angry and throbbing tic-marks formed on her forehead that seemed ready to explode. Naruto for his part was trying to contain his laughter, while he did tell Nero to stay out of trouble… this was just too hilarious.

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU BITCH!" Sakura screeched and lunged at the blonde Servant but was held back by both Ino and Hinata as the pinkette flailed and kicked wildly to try and free herself and began to scream incoherently in her rage.

"What a rude and ill-mannered creature. How can you stand to breathe the same air as this rabble? Still, there are a few present that may have some value." Nero muttered as she eyed the forms of both Ino and Hinata, finding them quite pleasing to the eye.

Ignoring her question Naruto decided to take his seat and try to ignore the curious looks he was receiving from his classmates, and he could tell they were all wanting to ask him the same question.

Unsurprisingly, Kiba was the first to ask "Hey dobe! Who's the cutie with ya?"

Before the Jinchuuriki could even answer, his Servant had beaten him to the punch and spoke boastfully "Did you not hear me uncouth swine? I am the great Nero Claudius! Young Naruto is now my benefactor! Be grateful for the honor of basking in my presence!"

At that, the dog boy's interest instantly plummeted since this girl was way too loud and boisterous for his liking. He preferred easy and meek girls like Hinata that wouldn't give him any trouble. But still… what did she mean by 'benefactor'?

Before anyone could ask further the forms of both Mizuki and his partner Iruka Umino entered inside and took notice at the red faced Sakura who now seemed to have burnt out her energy since she was now slumped over and panting on the floor with the two clan Heiresses standing over her, and standing next to the villages favorite scapegoat was an unknown blonde woman.

"What the hell happened in here?" Iruka asked out of curiosity. Trying to get a better understanding of what happened prior to his entrance.

"This new girl roasted Sakura." Ino spoke and pointed to the woman in the white and crimson dress.

"And you are Ms..?" The scarred Chunin asked as he tilted his head. At his question the Servant puffed out her cheeks, seemingly offended by his question.

"Is everyone in this backwater village a fool? For the last time, I! AM! NERO! CLAUDIUS! Kneel before me swine!" She yelled angrily but was stopped when Naruto grabbed her wrist.

"Calm it down Nero-chan, it isn't fair to be angry over someone's innocent ignorance, regardless if they're a fool or not." The whiskered teen spoke in a soothing tone which seemed to have the desired effect as his Servant took a deep breath and crossed her arms beneath her bust.

"I suppose that is true, I have been gone from this realm for some time. Umu, you heathens had best by grateful that my Praetor is so kind and understanding." She spoke and then gestured towards the entire class for emphasis, in the background Iruka had a twitching eyebrow as he directed his attention to the Jinchuuriki in the room.

"Naruto, what is this woman's connection to you?" The Chunin narrowed his eyes suspiciously, wondering what the Kyuubi container was playing at by bringing this stranger here. She seemed to be a rather loud woman who was quite full of herself… it actually reminded him of a certain dango lover.

"Well, the short answer is that she's a Summons." Naruto answered bluntly, earning a collective murmur from the class since they'd never heard of a summons that involved human beings before. And… how the hell did the Dead-last get a hold of a summoning contract anyway?

"I see. However, I must ask that you send her away, her presence is disrupting the classroom and by extension the exams." Iruka stated impatiently as he tapped his pen against his clipboard to further his point, and Naruto had to admit… he did make a valid statement.

"Oi, Nero. How about you explore the village for a while and… on second thought." The blonde boy muttered and then gestured for his Servant to lean closer, when she did so, he put a hand to her ear and began to whisper something to her.

When he finished and pulled back Nero saluted and spoke "Understood Praetor! I shall find this lost soul and bestow upon him the wonders of the arts! I, the great Nero, shall bless this man with melodious song!" With her piece spoken she marched off to parts unknown to carry out her mission. Leaving a very confused class behind, though at least now she was finally gone for the time being.

Iruka cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention and prepared to give the standard speech that was used for each and every year during the Exams… that is until a loud 'boom' was heard as the classroom door exploded in a shower of splinters and chunks of wood. "Ohayo! The sexy, deadly, and currently most badass motherfucking Kunoichi Mitarashi Anko-sama has arrived!" Shouted the form of a certain Dango lover as she barged into the classroom with a gleaming grin on her face.

There was a deafening silence in the room, it was now so quiet one could probably drop a pin and hear it hit the floor. The first to break the silence was none other than Naruto who spoke "Hey Anko-sama! Good to see you! what brings you here today?" Everyone wondered why he so casually used the 'Sama' honorific on the crazed Kunoichi, and just how was he so familiar with her? However, no one could find their voice to ask such questions.

"Me? Two reasons. Firstly, I'm here to watch my favorite foxy-kun graduate and maybe kick some ass. Secondly, I'm here for a… performance evaluation. Oi, unimportant Chunin get on with your jobs already you lazy asswipes. Just pretend I'm not even here and go about your cozy jobs like normal." Anko spoke harshly towards the Chunin since she had no respect for Chunin who take on easy and risk-free jobs like teaching at the Academy.

Quietly grumbling to themselves, the Chunin skipped over the usual introductory speech and just handed out the exam papers like normal, apparently wanting to get this day over with as quickly as possible due to a quickly forming headache. The written exam went without any incident since it was the usual history related questions and whatnot. Nothing really noteworthy. Although Naruto couldn't help but notice that Anko was watching the Chunin with a sharp gaze, almost as though she were waiting for them to make even the slightest mistake.

The Academy teachers themselves seemed aware of her gaze as they shifted uncomfortably in their seats and kept glancing at her awkwardly. Once the written portion was finished, next came the all-important jutsu part of the exam. One by one, the students were called up to perform the needed jutsu techniques.

The Substitution, the Transformation, and the Clone jutsu. The three basic techniques that were believed to be the building blocks for any aspiring ninjas career. As expected, a large number of the lazier Civilian background students and of course Fangirls failed in utter misery while those from clans or Shinobi families fared quite well. Then at last, Naruto's own name was called, prompting him to get up from his seat as he walked towards the front of the classroom.

He had been trapped in this class for far too long, and this time, for sure, without a doubt, he was going to pass this exam and finally get out from under Iruka's thumb. And if he was stupid enough to deny him… well… that'd be a major bonus.

"All right Naruto. Please perform the Transformation technique. Try changing into the Sandaime." Iruka spoke in a monotone voice and unsurprisingly yawned a bit in boredom. The whiskered teen shrugged his shoulders and performed the required Jutsu changing into a perfect likeness of the Hokage, prompting the scarred Chunin to nod in acceptance. After that, he requested for the Jinchuuriki to perform the Substitution jutsu, and Naruto did so effortlessly when he replaced himself with a nearby chair.

And next, came the moment of truth as Iruka asked the boy to perform the clone jutsu. With a confident smirk, the blonde performed the needed hand-sign and shouted "Shadow clone Jutsu!" at that, ten perfect clones of himself appeared in puffs of smoke, all of which grinning triumphantly.

The two Chunin gaped a bit with the scarred one shouting "Where the hell did you learn a forbidden technique like that?" Iruka cast a suspicious glance over towards Anko, knowing they were quite close, but she only shook her head in denial since she had nothing to do with it.

"If you've got a problem with me learning the jutsu, take it up with the Hokage. Now don't leave me in suspense here, let me hear you say the magic words." Naruto spoke, deflecting the Chunin's question and held a hand to his ear to better hear the scarred man's response, knowing that regardless of his answer, the Jinchuuriki was still going to win anyway.

"Naruto, you fail." Was the blunt response of the Academy teacher earning a collective 'HUH?' from the entirety of the classroom wondering why he would do something so unreasonable. "Hey! Wait a second! Naruto just made some clones for you like you asked, so why the hell are you failing him?" Ino shouted as she slammed her hands on her desk. Of all the people here, Naruto certainly wasn't expecting her to stick up for him.

"Yeah, the hell's your problem Umino? I don't remember any rules forbidding using different clone variations." Shikamaru piped in, giving the Chunin the stink eye with his longtime buddy also glaring at the teacher.

As the class atmosphere quickly turned hostile Mizuki looked at his partner like he had grown a second head, knowing full well that his partner had made the worst choice imaginable, it was bad enough he had failed an Academy student without any good reason, hell performing a high ranking jutsu should have awarded Naruto the highest marks with honors. But he had also done it in front of the number two of the T&I division. He had just committed suicide.

The silver haired Chunin couldn't help but glare a bit angrily at the demon brat since he was planning to use him as the scapegoat for his heist. But still, it was only a minor inconvenience. He was sure there was another student that was far more gullible and easy to manipulate that he could use. The temperature in the room seemed to go down as Anko approached the teacher's desk with a sickly sweet smile on her face.

Without a word, she punched Iruka square in the throat, closing off his windpipe, on reflex, his hands went to his throat as he gasped for air and in one quick motion Anko had slapped a pair of chakra sealing handcuffs on him. "Iruka Umino, you're under arrest for failing in your duties as an Academy teacher, and on suspicions of abuse of authority and student negligence. You have the right to run your mouth and dig yourself into a deeper grave and blah, blah, blah, you get the idea. Basically, you're now my bitch and I get to cut you open till you confess."

The snake user then turned towards Mizuki with an expectant look, making him swallow nervously and mutter that Naruto had passed and then began to explain that team assignments would be tomorrow. Satisfied, Anko blew a kiss towards the boy and dragged Iruka away to likely be tortured and interrogated. Once she had gone, a number of students congratulated Naruto for finally passing… or maybe they were scared that he was friends with someone from the T&I division. At any rate, he was just happy that his days at the Academy were finally coming to an end. He would need to pay the old man a visit and thank him for his help.

A little later. Hokage office.

"... and so this will be your team." Hiruzen spoke and gave the three dossiers for the newest incarnation of Team Seven to Kakashi Hatake, student of the late Yondaime and member of the previous carnation. Truthfully, the Sandaime felt nervous about allowing Kakashi to be the team's Sensei. Not that he doubted the Copy Ninja's capabilities as a Ninja since the man was a highly competent Shinobi, especially when he gets serious.

But as far as teaching Genin went… Kakashi didn't have much of a track record since he had failed all previous teams assigned to him. Still, Kakashi was the only one in Konoha that could teach Sasuke how to properly use his Sharingan once it awakened, and he was trusted enough by Minato to watch over Kushina when she was pregnant with Naruto. Still… could Kakashi be counted on to remain impartial or at the least be fair given his history with both the Uchiha clan and the Yondaime's family?

Then again, Hiruzen wasn't exactly impartial himself so he wasn't one to talk. But he still hoped that the Copy ninja wouldn't give undue special treatment. "So, Sasuke Uchiha, last known Uchiha that hasn't gone rogue and golden boy of the Academy. Sakura Haruno, top Kunoichi, hardcore Sasuke fangirl and daughter of the most crooked Civilian Council member in village history. And finally, Naruto Uzumaki, son of the late Yondaime, and the Red Death, Sandaime Kyuubi Jinchuuriki and a complete wild card. As far as teams go, I can tell this one is a powder keg waiting to explode." The masked Jonin surmised with a tired sigh.

As far as summaries went, that was about as accurate as you could get. "Correct. Though for Sasuke's case, I recommend keeping a close eye out for any signs of 'Madara syndrome'." The Sandaime ordered, prompting the Jonin to nod in understanding.

Madara syndrome, so named after the infamous village co-founder and rogue nin in history, was supposedly a mental illness commonly found in Uchiha males with an active Sharingan. While the severity wildly varied from case to case, The most extreme symptoms often included, but weren't limited to, an all-consuming desire for power, a distinct lack of empathy or regard for human life, and most prevalently self-destructive and rash behavior.

"And another thing, I expect you to set a good example for your students. If I hear from Naruto about your excessive lateness, I'll dock your pay. Or if I hear that you're failing in your duties as a fair teacher, I shall have your Sharingan eye removed and destroyed. Any questions?" The Hokage asked in a serious tone, making the Jonin sweat a bit since his eye was a treasured memento from his fallen teammate.

"No, Hokage-sama. I get the message." Kakashi answered, trying to keep his voice level as he subconsciously touched the area around his transplanted eye. Once their exchange was over, Neko appeared next to the Hokage and whispered something in his ear before vanishing again.

"Something happen?" Kakashi asked, being a former Anbu captain, he knew all too well what it meant when an Anbu had to deliver news to the Hokage in person. And most often it wasn't the best news. "Nothing worth troubling yourself over. Just a ninja, or should I say, former Ninja that has fallen from grace and has been put into custody. Also, I shall be expecting company shortly. We'll speak more after you test your team."

The silver haired Jonin nodded curtly and proceeded to leave the office, when he opened the door, the form of a certain whiskered teen was standing there with a loosely closed fist that was raised up as if he were about to knock. "Sorry, excuse me." Kakashi quickly blurted out, not expecting to see the son of his sensei so soon. The boy shrugged and stepped out of the Jonin's path, letting him pass by. When he entered the office, Hiruzen couldn't help but take notice of the headband tied around his left arm.

"So you finally passed. Congratulations Naruto-kun. I just received word of Iruka's arrest as well." The Hokage greeted the boy warmly and gestured for him to take a seat.

Naruto lazily plopped himself into the chair and replied "Yeah. I'm still having a hard time believing he was stupid enough to try that. I guess people blinded by anger and hate tend to do stupid shit. Anyways, I came by because I wanted to thank you for your help, maybe we can have a celebratory meal at Ichiraku's sometime?"

Hiruzen chuckled a bit, though it would be nice to get out of the office and enjoy a hot meal at the best ramen stand in Konoha. Naruto certainly deserved it since he worked so hard in learning the Shadow Clone jutsu. Before he could give his answer, the sound of footsteps rushing towards them could be heard as a kid with a long blue scarf appeared with some shuriken between his fingers. "I'm gonna defeat you old man!" The kid shouted… and then tripped on his own scarf and face-planted into the floor.

One of the shuriken landed at Naruto's feet, when he picked it up he found them to be made of plastic. Little more than a toy really. Was this kid serious about trying to defeat the Hokage? "Hey, what's your beef with the old man? Who are you anyway?" Naruto asked as he picked the kid up by the scarf and then brought him to eye level.

"Hey! Put me down ya jerk! It was you that tripped me, wasn't it?!" The kid shouted rather rudely, prompting the whiskered teen to let go and let the kid drop down to the floor with a thud. "Ow! What'd you do that for?"

"You asked me to put you down. And I didn't trip you. You did that to yourself with that oversized scarf." The Jinchuuriki muttered as he scratched the back of his head.

"Erm, Naruto. Meet my grandson, Konohamaru." Hiruzen spoke in embarrassment, feeling a bit ashamed that his grandson wasn't exactly making a good impression at the moment.

"That so? Well whatever, you might wanna teach him a few manners. Anyways, thanks again old timer. I gotta pick up Nero." Naruto replied and gave a small wave before departing, all the while the scarf wearing kid couldn't help but take notice that the blonde was way different than any other person in the village. As soon as someone learned he was the Hokage's grandson they would start sucking up to him. He kinda hoped to see that guy again soon and maybe learn a trick or two from him… he actually seemed kinda cool.

Meanwhile.

"... FoR toGETher Weeeee sHaLL go FAr! FoR mY PraEToR is A riSINg STaR!" Nero sang gleefully, though it was extremely off-key. Her master had informed her of a certain family that were in dire need of an artiste to share with them her singing voice. When she had first arrived, the couple initially tried to make her leave, so she took matters into her own hands by tying up the couple, gagging them and then began to perform for them.

They were moved to tears by her voice and gave numerous muffled cries of joy whenever she went for the high note. In fact, the man with pink hair and mutton chops was bouncing around in his seat as she sang her master's praises while his wife seemed to be trying to say something through her gag. Though Nero only translated it as compliments and praise.

She was interrupted by a doorbell ringing, which rudely interrupted her concentration and performance. The fallen Emperor sighed in slight frustration and checked through the doors peephole to see who it was… and then instantly perked up upon seeing it was her master come to collect her. She instantly opened the door and happily greeted him "Praetor! You are just in time! I was just in the 57th verse of the ballad I am composing for you. Would you care to listen as I perform for these lost souls you so kindly pointed out to me?"

"Much as I would enjoy the show, we have other things to take care of. Come on now, we'll be having a big day soon. Team assignments are tomorrow. And I wanna get some rest, maybe drop by the ninja tool shop and get a holster for the deck." Naruto replied earning a nod from his Servant.

"Fare thee well my audience! You were kind and gracious hosts, but now I must depart! May we meet again as I continue to spread the glory of my master to the world!" Once Nero had finished her goodbye to the Haruno's both she and her master left… still leaving the two tied to their chairs.

A few minutes later, Sakura returned with a tired sigh, entering into their home without even realizing the door had been left open. "I'm home! And you won't believe the day I had. There was some prissy bitch hanging off…" Sakura initially complained and then paused when she saw her parents tied to their chairs, both of whom were making muffled shouts.

Sakura blinked several times and muttered "If this is some kind of weird kink you're trying out, leave me out of it and take it to the bedroom. Why do parents have to be so weird?" The pinkette asked herself as she went to hide away in her room, to stare at her shrine of her precious Sasuke-kun to ease her mind, leaving behind her parents who were still helpless and unable to get free.

Kizashi swore that the second he found out who this 'Praetor' was, he would see them living on the streets and selling their own ass for their daily bread. Elsewhere, a certain blonde sneezed.

Later, Naruto's apartment complex.

"What in the hell is this place? Some kind of abandoned whore house?" Nero shouted in dismay as she entered Naruto's apartment with a sneer, finding the place less than pleasing to the eye, especially since this was her first time here since they had camped in the Forest of Death. Her master couldn't help but understand her grief since there were certain stains and smells in the place he couldn't clean out, no matter what manner of cleaning product he used.

"This wasn't exactly my first choice for living conditions. But it's the only place I have where the landlord didn't kick me out… largely because the guy that owned this place died after having an erection for more than four hours after taking some little blue pills." Naruto spoke in a half joking and half serious tone.

"NONONONONO! Absolutely not! I refuse to allow you to live in squalor and filth like a pig! Never! Come Praetor! We shall find more suitable lodgings! Umu!" With that, she grabbed him by the collar and yanked him off his feet, sprinting off in a random direction at full speed, leaving behind a dust cloud in her wake.

"Hey! Do you even know where you're going or what you're looking for?" Naruto questioned prompting his Servant to come to a screeching halt as she stopped in the middle of the street, realizing that her master made a good point.

"Umu, I wasn't really thinking Praetor. But still, I can't stand the fact you're living in such a disgusting hole in the wall." She grumbled and then released him from her grip and adopted a thinking pose, hoping some kind of plan may come to her. Her master appreciated her concern and took a moment to scan their surroundings in order to get his bearings.

"I'm not a big fan of it either, but I had to make do with what I could because of the stipend I was living off of. Had to keep a careful budget and all that. But now that I'm a ninja, I can start doing jobs to earn more money and start saving for a better place." He spoke and then took notice of a very familiar symbol on a nearby wall.

"Huh. It seems like we're in the Uchiha district." He noted and clasped his hands behind his head. His Servant seemed to snap out of her thoughts as she looked around the area and stated "It looks abandoned. Where are all the people?"

"Dead. You probably didn't see him, but the kid with the duck butt haircut in my class? Sasuke? This area used to be the home of his clan, the Uchihas. They helped Co-found Konoha and were the Military police force of the village, a bunch of real bigshots around here. A few years back, one of the top dogs, Sasuke's elder brother Itachi went and killed everyone here but Sasuke himself. Since then, old duckbutt has been treating everyone around him like shit and seriously obsessed with killing his brother to avenge his clan. Pretty tragic." Naruto explained with a sigh as he randomly kicked a pebble with his foot.

"Umu, I see. It seems like such a waste to leave an entire portion of your village uninhabited like this." Nero spoke as she crossed her arms beneath her bust, prompting her master to nod in agreement.

"No kidding. Supposedly, it's being kept empty because it rightfully belongs to Sasuke since he's the only Uchiha left in Konoha and he's supposed to revive his clan or whatever. Sounds like bullshit to me. I mean, I can't ever think of a time Sasuke has shown genuine interest in any girls, and he has some cuties practically throw themselves at his feet daily, and he doesn't give so much as a simple greeting. But in any case, we shouldn't hang around here for too long. I wanna get some sleep for tomorrow, we can crash at Anko and Kurenai's place for the night It's pretty close by anyway." Naruto spoke with a tired yawn.

His servant nodded her head as they departed towards their next destination but asked "Will it be all right to appear unannounced?"

The whiskered teen answered "Yeah. It'll be fine. They don't mind at all, plus I think you'll like them." As they walked down the road, they were completely oblivious that events had been sent in motion that would rock the very foundations of the world. For the first stages of the Prophecy surrounding young Naruto had begun.

End chapter one.