Naruto: My Way

The Red Hurricane Of Konoha

By Sweet Heavens

Chapter 1: Birth Of Another Generation

Disclaimer: In tribute to the mighty Uchiha clan I am issuing a new disclaimer which is this. If I owned Naruto I would have made it so Madara didn't take the piss with the super powers. Hey I'm bored I know I'll give myself the rinnegan!-Point taken no?

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It was that time of year it seemed. The land of fire was going to have a ninja village filled with another generation of genin shinobi. He could imagine the confident genin ninja males to pretty kunoichi that would soon dive into the heart of their chosen trade. He saw the village burn brighter and its will of fire relit once more.

He watched the sun rise up into the sky which allowed the newly rebuilt village of Konoha to sparkle. Its buildings young like a sapling replaced the destruction from the Kyubbi no Kitsune's rampage nearly thirteen years ago. The wonderful pillars that made the Hokage tower were built with help from his own hands. The academy, the hospital and the orphanage all benefitted from the money he gave to them off his own back when his oldest friend and mentor passed away sealing the beast into the belly of their Jinchuuriki. The bustling shops, the ANBU headquarters hell even the sewers all took aid from the students dead, alive or nukenin that he taught the teachings of the fallen village of Uzushiogakure no Sato that he could barely remember escaping when those people came and burned it to the ground.

Sometimes he would trade the pine smell coming from the Senju created forests, the warm climate and the security this village gave him every time he looked upon it from the Hokage monument he was sitting on for the smell of the ocean, the chill from the sea and the taste of fish in the air that signified his old home. He sat on top of his mentor's head no less. The man would probably have a blast knowing his friend was using his forehead to enjoy the sights of the village. The ninja had always joked to the legend that was Namikaze Minato, Yondaime Hokage of Konoha, the Kiiroi Senko that he one day planned to go over his head and replace him as Hokage. To one day assume the title of Godaime when his aunt finally bore an heir to the clans of the Uzumaki and Namikaze clans and Minato stood down as the unique blonde swore he would always do.

But like his aunt's dreams like his goal of becoming the Hokage died the moment he saw the dead eyes of his friend, mentor and his father figure who had guided him through moving into another village, the sole survivor of a destroyed village and through being the only kid in school not born in Konoha. The man had advised and steered him on course while the man coped with the complexities of war, when the shinobi was given the title of jounin and issued his mastery in fuin jutsu and finally when they together designed the Shiki fuin that sent the monster attacking the village to its final defeat.

Only it was meant to be him as he gazed into the shimmering sun bathing his precious village with light to fight off the shadows of the day that was supposed to sacrifice his own life that fateful night to save the village.

Uzumaki Naruto, jounin shinobi aged twenty five, fuin master, powerful genjutsu wielder and holder of the rarest elemental alignment wind that was meant to be lying and rotting in his grave. His mentor was meant to be the one raising children and guiding the Godaime Hokage in their new role.

"Minato you bastard," Naruto sighed guiltily, "You were the guardian of my aunt's smile."

The town was sleepy apart from the active shinobi watching the four guardian gates, moving around the rooftops of this shining example of perseverance or returning from missions. His eyes traced ANBU patrol patterns searching for weaknesses in their grid method of searching but finding nothing was out of sorts and the people he called children weren't slacking off.

"Kakashi has trained his brats well hasn't he?"

Naruto pulled the long red hair out of his eyes to look up to see a man was standing almost looming over him like a cheerful deity. A white haired older gentleman who would loudly declare he was the biggest pervert in Konoha and allow the Godaime to smash him into another country. He still wore his horned forehead protector minus the regulation Konoha symbol replacing it for the kanji for oil that kept his wild mane of white hair out of his eyes. His red kabuki style clothing was an eyesore, nothing a ninja with any sense would wear. But he wore it just like the Yondaime; his former student had done so long ago and just like why Naruto favoured standing out.

Jiraiya, legendary sannin had earned the right from reputation, skill gained and the power at his disposal. Others did it too like Maito Gai, the young and newly promoted Tokubetsu jounin Yuuhi Kurenai and the less said about Mitarashi Anko, the snake mistress the better.

Naruto stood up using chakra to anchor his feet and adjusted the parts of the tight shinobi uniform he wore. His red shining hair long as the wild grasses of Kusa running down to his waist like a bird's nest gone awry clashed with his black skin tight muscle shirt which it was covered partly by a gunmetal grey jounin vest unzipped. It went with matching pants and feet clad in shinobi sandals with a metal strap for extra durability.

"ANBU has never been better I suppose," Naruto agreed, pulling up a facemask to cover his mouth and nose. "It's a shame he's retiring to train Konohamaru's team. The little brat doesn't know who he's depriving to get such an honour."

"I always wondered why you didn't train him yourself," Jiraiya pondered, sitting down next to the ninja in his geta wooden shoes and opening a bottle of sake that came from seemingly nowhere. "He practically thinks you are kami-sama with the way he tells your old war stories you told him as a brat."

Naruto shrugged and wistfully stared at the navy blue sky. "I did the whole training thing twice and I didn't do too well with it."

"You trained an ANBU commander," Jiraiya said, pouring him a saucer that again seemingly came from nowhere and handed him the small cup that the younger ninja took. He pulled down his facemask to drink.

"Who tried to massacre his clan," the red head interjected, gulping it down and handing the saucer back to the man who helped put the pieces back together in the aftermath of the Kyubbi attack. "And he would have if I hadn't interfered. I was barely able to seal his sharingan before he fled in that short lived duel. I was so happy I never got round to teaching him fuin jutsu."

"Alright then," Jiraiya japed, wiggling his eyebrows, a sign he was being perverted or about to, "What about that cute little chuunin you taught that has that adorable crush on you?"

"She watched as her teammates were tortured into a mess I could have prevented if I hadn't been drawn into that battle with those Oto ninja. It was no surprise that she latched onto me like a lifeline."

"You should just let her," Jiraiya said, trying to sound sagely but failed with the glowering eyes of jealousy that a younger woman was interested in the older shinobi. He took a long slurp of his alcohol as if to appease his angry desires to have the same situation.

"The girl is nineteen and much too young to know the depths of her heart much less know anything about love just yet." He took his forehead protector out of his pocket and wrapped it around his neck, displacing some hair hiding a scar from a wound that should've killed him.

Jiraiya scoffed at his reasoning and poured Naruto another saucer. The man refilled his own saucer and drank another saucer filled of clear alcohol.

"Drink so I can pretend you're just drunk instead of stubborn."

The younger man rolled his blue eyes, downed the sweet tasting liquor in one gulp and handed the saucer back to the older man.

"How about we start talking about why you are really here?" Naruto asked, standing up and stretching his arms. His shin and armguards glittering with a polished platinum coloured metal finish crunched as they were moved around. "And who told you I would be here."

"I have news on that person," the sannin said suddenly serious. "News well whispers that he is part of a group that is after the Bijuu."

Naruto lost his relaxed mood. He pulled up his facemask to hide everything up to his nose once more and collected a ninjato he had left beside him. He pulled it from both sides and the middle slid out to reveal gleaming steel before sheathing it and tucking it into a brown belt holding his weapon pouch around his waist to keep it secure.

"So he's truly beyond redemption," Naruto said coldly. "I had high hopes for him when I took him on. I had hoped all of this crap he pulled was madness caused by the Mangekyo," Naruto added, shielding his eyes from the burning sun. If anyone could see him the jounin from way up the Hokage monument Naruto bet he would be making quite a formidable pose. He could make out in the early morning shadows shops being opened and civilians moving around to start their day. It wouldn't be long now until he had to endure his annoying nephew's bragging about becoming a genin like Naruto hadn't been one of the fastest promoted shinobi to jounin in history. "Any details you have on hand?"

The man poured himself one more saucer and sloshed it around like he was trying to divine the future before speaking. "Keep an eye out for black cloaks with red clouds. I identified Itachi wandering around with a nukenin from Kirigakure named Hoshigaki Kisame."

"The monster of the mist," Naruto identified, "I met him once when my genin team was hunting a rogue ninja from Taki on their village's behalf. He and my jounin sensei nearly killed each other when they fought."

"How is old Taira-sensei doing?"

"He died last year from complications from injuries. You were away on a mission when I buried him and I haven't seen you since. When did you get back?"

"I just got back last night. I'm sorry to hear about him. He was one of the good guys, a dying breed from the second shinobi war."

Naruto mused on the old man who was his teacher. The guy had trained him only until he was a chuunin where Minato and Kushina took him under their wings to solidify their family bonds. Naruto learned the fuin jutsu of his homeland and under Minato one of his prized jutsu among other techniques. They weren't close, didn't even keep in touch much outside of drinking in the occasional bar but all the same a fresh chunk of his heart had been cut away from the scarred organ.

Then the revelation came to him. Jiraiya had managed to skip the subject of who told the sannin where he would be hanging out away from his responsibilities. "It was Shizune-chan that told you where I was right?" Naruto drawled, "Or Genma since he is working for our busty Hokage too. You have already reported in and you were sent to find me to report in yes?"

"As usual your deduction skills are first rate but I felt we were behind on our drinking."

Naruto chuckled darkly and saluted the old man. "Inform Kakashi about this group and I will keep an eye on the kid too but I better go and report to the Godaime. Thanks for the drink." Naruto saluted him again and used the shunshin creating a flash of blinding light.

The rapid acceleration of the shunshin led him leisurely enough to the front of the Hokage tower. It was rebuilt from the wreckage of the old place. Made from the same stone apart from the new pillars providing new strength to its stability it was a proud column that represented the might of the office it represented. It was painted red with the symbol of the fire nation in gold on the front door. A small set of steps had been added with fuin jutsu developed by the previous holder of the title of Kage that could turn them and every square inch of its walls into a deadly weapon in the blink of an eye. They had even placed a block recovered from another building with the insignia of one of the mystery hiraishin markers in memory of the great man.

"One day I'll figure out how you made that jutsu work my old friend and then surpass you," Naruto said out loud as he always did a small ritual that the ninja performed from time to time in case the deceased Hokage was watching over him. So the man knew that he would never be forgotten by the grateful ninja lamenting his loss every moment of his life since Minato had perished.

It was still quiet around this area at this time of day. The night shift of shinobi that guarded this zone filled with the administration of the shinobi system that was this village's life blood didn't finish for another hour. ANBU headquarters was nearby in a small nondescript building that had its heart sixty metres below it in a massive artificial cavern. The elite black operations unit Ne led by a great man Shimura Danzo had their home nearby as well but neglected to show a public front just next to it and all the other important daily functions. Like for example the finance offices right through to the quartermaster station was all in the vicinity of the tower.

Naruto took in a deep breath and strolled into the front office manned by a pink haired woman with bright green eyes and wearing the standard chuunin uniform. She was a pretty thing, small but bright and cheerful.

"Hello Sasaki-chan," Naruto greeted with an eye smile. The woman used to his flirting grinned at him and rolled her roller swivelled chair over to a large table near the back where paperwork and her staff she was using as a paperweight while the air conditioning was on.

"Here you go Naruto-kun," she said with a wink handing him his badge giving him permission to be in this building. This girl had served with him until she had needed to get her ankle cut off at the ankle during the last shinobi war. The Hokage's research into convincing prosthetic limbs meant it was nearly impossible to tell that she only had one foot. "Looking forward to seeing little Konohamaru as a genin?"

"When he stops bragging about it," Naruto replied, "Isn't Sakura-chan in his class?"

"Don't remind me," Sasaki groaned feigning a headache. "My little sister has been crooning over the Uchiha kid they have in their graduating class. I was just glad I made sure she knew that a real ninja wants a kunoichi that can fight on her own two feet. Kaa-san passed on our clan illusions and Bōjutsu techniques to her."

Naruto knew who she was talking about. It was Little Uchiha Sasuke's year to become a man too. He had suffered his brother defection, and watching his father Fungaku be murdered by his brother before fleeing with his bloodline locked out. Poor Mikoto-chan was a shell of her former vibrant self. The marriage had never been happy with the age difference, the early pregnancy at fifteen with Itachi but Fungaku had been kind to her if they weren't in love. It had destroyed her and between his duties to family and home Naruto had helped the Uchiha kid with his anger. In a clan that prided itself on emotional control and looking so alike to Itachi that Sasuke wouldn't seek them out for aid it fell in his eyes to guide him a little. His mother had to be watched but luckily the woman opened up to him sometimes.

"So the old lady taught two awesome girls then," Naruto chirped, "Wow she's got some good genes that lady," he added watching the bright girl blush. It was fun to tease her sometimes when the mood suited it. "See you later Sasaki-chan."

"I'll be at the Garden later on with some friends!" she blurted out all embarrassed.

"I will be there Sasaki-chan if I'm not being sent on a mission," Naruto said, waving with his back to her as he approached the spiral stairs that led to the top. "This would be easier if she just let us jump through her window like in the old days," Naruto grumbled hearing the chuunin girl laugh gaily until he disappeared from her sight.

Naruto walked up the quiet stairs with his hands in his pockets listening to the hustle and bustle of the Hokage building at work. With each kunai proof window he passed his adopted home was nearly awake the further out of the shinobi zone he was capable of seeing. He passed nobody on the way to the top with nothing in it but a small waiting room with a few chairs and the suspiciously normal looking front door sealed to the teeth with fuin jutsu to resist damn near anything that Naruto had designed and patented. Sitting in a small alcove typing into a small and battered computer was the secretary; a frumpy civilian with a stern expression took one gaze at his badge and pressed the buzzer under her desk to let him in.

It was a crowded office this morning and this early too. In fact the small office was jam packed with shinobi all of which represented the villages finest and brightest. The Hokage sat behind her desk. Senju Tsunade was the third of her clan to claim control of this village preceded by the legendary Shodaime and Nidaime Hokage shinobi. She was in her elder years but her powerful genjutsu hid the strains of age and with Naruto's aid that diamond on her forehead was the most powerful healing technique in the entire world. She was a typical blonde which was so exotic just like her predecessor with her blonde locks and unusual womanly bust that didn't fit this region. She sat behind her gigantic desk in that big old green coat with the kanji for "gamble" on the back examining papers so intently she hadn't noticed his arrival with all the chatter from the other shinobi until a familiar former teammate politely coughed.

Katou Shizune was his age and a skilled healer who made up part of team Taira so long ago it felt now making the young man shudder from feeling his age. She was more typical of what a woman generally was in the fire nation with black hair bobbed to frame her face. She was slender and hid all her womanly parts under her black kimono that also helped to conceal the senbon launcher hidden under her sleeve. The woman now ran the hospital on her Hokage's behalf as the director as well as gaining the dreaded title of "minion". Her minions were worked hard. A bit too much that had Naruto rejecting a job with her directly. Izumo and Kotetsu hadn't been quite the same bright and bushy tailed ANBU since they started work with the slave driver of a Hokage.

"I take it that old fart didn't tell you why he was sent after you until after you two had a drink," Tsunade said in her unusual form of a greeting, "I suppose better late than never."

"Good morning to you too Hokage-sama," Naruto said walking into the scrum of people. "How may I serve you today?"

"Cut the crap kid before I decided you are coming onto me and I kick your ass."

"I would never dream of doing that," he japed and eye smiled at the Hokage's shaken head of amusement.

"I want your opinion on the team choices this year."

Naruto stepped up to her desk, the trained killers in his way parted for him to move unimpeded where he picked up the smell of sake and chose not to comment on it and instead to read the document on the desk. They were shinobi profiles, new ones all blank except for school scores. Several others had been marked with a red stamp "Sorted" listing team's one through six and their chosen jounin.

The unselected ones all of them were clan related for once. No annoying civilians to place with an educated guess at best. The veteran already knew some of them from their siblings like Uchiha Sasuke rookie of the year, Sakura-chan the first girl to Konohamaru, the brat who barely scraped middle ground (earning some teasing later on) to more casual acquaintances and enquires like Nara Shikaku's boy was graduating near the bottom and of course the feral combination of Inuzuka Kiba and Akamaru.

All the combinations possible with just nine of them were just interesting. It was easy why they had asked for a second opinion before deciding. They were tracking teams, hunter squads and other such wonderful potential. It was harder than normal to put them into niches with all the talent flying around in this year's batch. The choosing of the sensei to teach them all were also not so easy to pin down. No wonder the Hokage who didn't have the time like Sandaime and Yondaime possessed during their reigns to get to know the kids at the academy and attend the graduation ceremonies was impossible had to call him in to help.

Naruto had many theories from shadow clone abuse to some secret jutsu that magically completed all the paper work but neither of them had deemed him worthy to know the power to slay paperwork. And neither of them were alive long enough to inform the Godaime as she drudged through the paper hell.

"I think I have it figured out," Naruto stated, putting the paper down.

"Okay then please proceed then," Tsunade deferred. The shinobi grinned at the trust his trusted Hokage who deserved to inherit his friend's will of fire showed him. His reputation for students was iffy with the S ranked traitor he taught and the team that nearly died apart from one who was a model chuunin.

"I want you, you, you, and you gone. Well for for this year anyway bad luck and better luck next time." Tsunade nodded to the group of jounin shot down with a pointed finger with dejected expressions on their faces that were made to leave the room. "And you and," Naruto checked two papers statistics closely before pointing at a young woman with green hair. "And you too sweetheart." The girl's smiling face dropped a little before bowing and leaving the room.

It left three jounin in the room. All of them mixed in their various skills and profession. They were the ones he dubbed suitable for the teams he had in mind.

The first choice for him had been without a shadow of doubt the stern but fair Hatake Kakashi, the legendary shinobi who was the youngest ANBU captain then later on commander in history until Uchiha Itachi stole his crown for youngest captain aged thirteen. He was a guy who generally obeyed the shinobi laws to the point but had wiggle room thanks to his buddy, Uchiha Obito the man who currently ruled the Uchiha clan. He was dressed in the standard jounin uniform apart from the face mask that Naruto had copied as tribute to his rival and later friend. Both had learned from the Yondaime but for to Naruto's eternal annoyance the man's gravity defying neat grey hair was a secret he would never share to his wild haired counterpart.

This man had made the list for so many reasons it would take all day to recount them. He was new to training anyone not already up to a high standard but he would run Konohamaru ragged and understood the need to regularly report to the Hokage discreetly about the condition of the seal.

His counterpart was a young woman, one of his oldest friends and recently promoted named Yuuhi Kurenai, a woman two years shy of his current age with the most gorgeous red eyes in the world. Her silk like black hair was a source of jealousy among the kunoichi population and she was smoking to the point you looked for smoke to see if she was on fire. She defied the convention of new Tokubetsu jounin by wearing her strange dress that seemed to be strips of cloth that she kept hidden with her old chuunin vest. On her back was a very sharp ninjato, a present from him to keep her safe.

She had coveted the teacher position for years but couldn't face teaching brats that could drop out on her. It was the only reason Naruto needed to know that this woman would be keeping the other two candidates on their toes.

And lastly was his third teammate from his genin days Shiranui Genma. Just like Shizune he was the same age as Naruto and deceptive in his power. The blue bandana wearing senbon chewing Tokubetsu jounin was frankly the best taijutsu master Naruto had ever met outside of older legends such as Maito Gai. He wore the same uniform as Kakashi with his brown hair in two streaks held by his bandana coming down to reach his neck. He was epitome of cool and women loved him.

Although surprised Genma applied for a sensei position it went with the team choices in mind. Especially with one team in mind that went against his usual thinking processes even though the concept worked Genma was the only one that would be capable of keeping the kunoichi in mind for it in line with his charms. The loudmouth who's long suffering father would lament at the bar about how hyperactive and boy crazy she was would suit a pretty face ordering her around.

"Alright then," Naruto started, leaning against the desk. "Team seven will consist of Uchiha Sasuke, Sarutobi Konohamaru and Haruno Sakura. They will be taught by Hatake Kakashi. The two guys are rivals but good ones so they will benefit from the competition and Haruno Sakura takes after her sister and is extremely intelligent. With their brawn and her brains and skill they'll set the ninja world on fire. Good luck Kakashi."

The stern ninja stepped forward to take the files and smiled at his long time rival. "I'm glad it's you making the call Naruto."

"Whatever," Naruto said indifferently, "I know all of them personally and luckily the scores nearly match with the standard regulations for these sorts of things. Have fun."

"I'll be off to get ready for them," Kakashi declared, vanishing in a puff of smoke.

"Okay then next team eight will be led by Yuuhi Kurenai." He smiled at the excited way she was holding herself. Her dream was about to come true. "You will be taking Hyuuga Hinata, Aburame Shino and Inuzuka Kiba. They will form a tracking squad with the additional addendum of being a support and rescue squad. I chose them to be together apart from their obvious potential for tracking targets with their various unusual bloodlines and abilities simply because of Kiba. I know him. He's boisterous, a team player once I beat that into him watching his sister as a kid train with our team." He stopped to remember those goofballs that were the girl's partners. It was truly a shame both of them had been relegated to the mental asylum for life. "And I may not know the Aburame boy or the Hyuuga woman but in my opinion the two clans have got sticks stuck up their asses and their higher than normal death toll for new genin from those clans in the first year cannot be a coincidence. I'm hoping Kiba will smack them around into being less damn stoic. Have fun and see you at the Garden later tonight."

"Will do and thank you," she said in thanks, "I better go and get prepared too Hokage-sama." Unlike Kakashi she took the time to bow before she puffed into smoke.

"So it's just me then?" Genma joked.

"I can't believe he chose you to be a sensei!" Shizune mocked in a nice way. She was reading a clipboard filled with medical jargon that made Naruto's head spin. "And you for picking him."

"He works for the team I have in mind," Naruto explained, "But I hope he doesn't teach them that senbon trick. I don't need another generation of team senbon jokes thank you."

"Why is it always about the senbon?" Genma moaned.

"Ahem," Tsunade the ever patient and wonderful kunoichi with stone shattering fists interrupted. Shizune went bright red and hid behind her clip board.

"Oh right team ten will consist of Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino and Akimitchi Chouji under your leadership Genma. They will be the second generation of the infamous cho-ino-shi team their fathers created and mastered. I don't normally like to copy other people but it works and with your aid they'll be brilliant as an interrogation squad. Oh and I suspect you'll get the most out of the Yamanaka girl. Inoichi-san has warned me she still falls for pretty boys."

"I need a drink," the cool jounin groaned, "If that is all then Hokage-sama?"

"This meeting is adjourned. Be sure like the others to report to the academy nine sharp. And be sober."

"I'm out of here. See you Shizune-chan, Naruto. I better go find a tea shop or something. You are buying the first round!" He wagged his finger at the red head before theatrically sighing and doing something quite original for a ninja. He used the door to exit.

"Is there anything else Hokage-sama?" Naruto asked. He had put his hands into his jounin vest pocket and taken out a pair of fingerless gloves.

"No thanks just come back here around ten tomorrow morning," Tsunade thanked graciously, "But well there is one thing."

"I am at your disposal lady Hokage-sama," Naruto said bowing. The woman appreciated a good joke and Shizune was still off balance. It was easy to unsettle her when there wasn't two hundred Iwa hunter Nins charging right at them.

"Hurry up and make Shizune an honest woman." She managed to say this leaning her head on her arms with a totally serious look on her face. It was truly a poker face that didn't belong on the legendary sucker's face with her terrible luck with gambling.

Shizune nearly fainted. Her legs gave way but she was able to right herself in time. Naruto and Tsunade started laughing at the top of their lungs. Naruto took his cue and with a cheery wave vanished in a flash of light via shunshin.

Naruto arrived on the top of a flat rooftop just outside the Hokage tower. All around him all the civilians were up and moving around the village now. The markets were open; the dayshift ANBU teams in plain sight were patrolling the town searching for intruders or saboteurs. The normal traffic of chuunin delivering sensitive messages, genin teams making their weekly wages with D rank missions waiting for their C ranks were all moving about.

It was so alive, so teeming with activity it filled his heart with glee. After the Kyubbi reconstruction period life was returning to Minato's town. The Yondaime Hokage would have been proud of his citizens and his successor for this jewel in the forest that everyone together had polished to shine brighter than the mountains temples of Kumogakure no Sato or the river valley that Kirigakure no Sato boasted for natural beauty. This man made miracle where most would have given up proved their reputation in the world as the greatest shinobi village of the big five.

Naruto searched the path of the sun and estimated the time. The wind felt good from up here but alas the red headed jounin had places to be and people to see.

"That brat would never shut up if I skipped his graduation," Naruto grumbled. Being displaced from one of his favourite vantage points was not cool. But his aunt was a scary woman when provoked. "Even if I know what team he starts with."

Naruto navigated through the rooftops of Konoha, skilfully sticking to rooftops, walls and performing feats of unimaginably skilled agility with his perfectly honed chakras to take the swiftest path to his destination out near the legendary forests were chained off. His destination was in sight after he cleared the tall buildings of the town centre.

The shinobi academy had been moved from its old home near the main Iwa quarried stone walls of Konoha's defence perimeter. It now sat safe and snugly in a well defended woodland with a forest armed with explosive seals that no sane Konoha ninja would go into. It had taken Jiraiya, his aunt Kushina, her fuin unit and Naruto with three shadow clones a week to plan the devious array of traps that were so random even the designers forgot where all of them were. There was in theory a route through it but since nobody could recall where they had been painting those high wield regenerative explosives with invisible fuin ink nobody tried to cross it yet. The school itself was a four storey building with three graduating classes in the spring semester; summer and winter that helped keep the numbers of shinobi up nicely to around say ninety new recruits a year.

It had been built with defence in mind. The training grounds were large but they were also in the sky shielded with a barrier jutsu powered by fuin mounted on the chain link fence from Naruto's homeland that alerted the ANBU of a break in. The doors were reinforced steel and the windows made from the same kunai proof windows the Hokage's office used.

Naruto had to use the front gate like everyone to avoid an incident. Inside the main door was opened and bellowing inside was a group of children about to become adults. Naruto smiled at the genesis of a new group of shinobi and strolled on in where waiting was the anxious parents of those children.

"Why if it isn't Naruto," a familiar red head gasped clutching her heart. She approached him fondly that was a warning sign before adopting an upset expression and swung her fist that Naruto on instinct dodged.

"The Hokage asked me for something geez," Naruto pleaded. "I had to pick three of the teams."

Namikaze Kushina as she chose to be called still was weathered but still very beautiful. She had long tomato red hair, slim slender figure and wore a white dress underneath something that resembled black plain dungarees. His aunt wasn't very tall not really befitting the head of the newly established fuin research squad but had a temper that dwarfed the greatest of mountains and made literally Kages quell in fear.

"As long as you were actually working then," Kushina said with a false huff. He eye smiled at his beloved aunt and followed her to a large cluster of people chatting away to each other.

"Hello," Naruto greeted. He was swiftly absorbed by the mass of bodies. Kushina started chatting to her gal pals while the veteran male did guy stuff with the men folk.

"Well if it isn't the guy who made Shiranui-san a teacher," joked a man wearing purple, showing off blonde hair and he was trying badly to grow a moustache. Naruto wondered how long Inoichi's wife was going to let him get away with that.

"Words certainly get around fast," Naruto commentated. "Did you mind walk the jounin assigned or something?"

"Saw him going in and I saw my old buddy Kimiko-san getting rejected to teach again and she told me you chose the last three teams."

"That was the green haired chick right?" Naruto asked carefully, trying to remember that list of people but there had been a lot of names.

"Yeah she's thinking of dying it before the next choices in the winter."

"If it works I suppose it's a good idea," a large rotund man said. He was in black with heavy brown samurai based chest armour on top with a matching staff. He had a head of hair like his aunt only it looked like an untrimmed hedge. Naruto wondered how long Chouza Akimitchi's wife was going to let him away with that.

"She just didn't match the personality profile I had in mind for team eight. I could have picked team seven but I was under orders to make sure Kono was with Hatake."

"Because he was not you," exclaimed a voice from behind him patting him on the shoulder. She was a feral woman, a tomboy much like her kids and Rin-chan, Kakashi's old teammate. She had wild brown hair but it matched her animal like ferocity in her expressions and the brown tattoo marks like claws on her cheeks just under her eyes. Inuzuka Tsume was like the other somewhat older guys talking to him with one exception, Nara Shikaku who was sitting quite happily under a nearby tree dozing while his wife scowled at him. She was a believer in wearing the standard issued uniform and her talking mutt Kuromaru with the eye patch was standing right beside her.

"Why does everyone wonder why I don't teach anymore?" Naruto said passing it off as humour. But it was reassuring that so many of the elite of this village respected him, a foreigner seen as one of their own.

"You taught my daughter to be a fine chuunin," Tsume boasted, "She might even be trying for jounin this year. She wouldn't have bothered mastering her earth chakra or learning genjutsu without you. She loves that veterinary practice you helped her out with."

"You are adequate," the mutt supplied gruffly.

Naruto grinned weakly. She and her mutt had brought up that subject again. The red haired ninja looked for help from the pack orientated woman who wanted her daughter married off but nobody was being a taker until unfortunately (fortunately if you thought in a certain way) the subject of the conversation enthusiastically walked up to say a few words.

Inuzuka Hana was nineteen years old and was part of team Naruto from way back. The girl had been a joy to teach as she absorbed any teachings he provided both in the ninja arts and how one lived their lives constantly improving even defying her clan teachings. The girl had three canines called the three Haimaru brothers trailing after her that thankfully couldn't speak yet. She wore just her chuunin vest with a sleeveless white shirt underneath along with some pants holding her kunai holster and kept her hair in a tidy ponytail with two strands running down each side of her face. They were parallel with her own tattoo marks that covered almost all of each cheek that suited her cherub face and brown eyes.

"Shishou," Hana said with a flash of fangs. He truly appreciated his luck that one of his students had become a productive member of society but the girl harboured affection beyond the bond between student and teacher and Naruto was not sure how to take it. It was an open secret he was the proverbial eternal bachelor and it was more of a real secret that her aunt and the red headed male were on/off lovers. "How are you today sir?"

"I am fine Hana," Naruto said politely, "Your mother tells me you will be attempting to at last join me in the ranks of the jounin."

She flushed brightly and everyone old enough to have forgotten it was like to single and unchained to the one woman had that indulgent smile old people gave youngsters in the throes of love. Naruto was not amused.

"I have a while to go before I rival you shishou but I can make more money with the jounin ranked missions and improve the equipment at the vets faster." The girl had hidden her face with her hair and those damn looks from the adults officially told him he was getting no help here.

"I am positive you will make me proud," Naruto said hoping to avoid a silence but cursing at the wrong choice of words. The girl's eyes shot up almost glittering and right now he was confused in his own feelings towards the girl. He needed a miracle, anything at all would have done. Right now Iwa invading would be preferable to letting these people who thought the girl's crush was cute and encouraging it less than subtly. Even that bastard who was meant to be sleeping Shikaku, Mr Scar face himself was smirking. He was always too damn smart for his own good.

"I will do my very best shishou," Hana promised with her full heart. The girl was sweet and really nice. He was friends with her hounds, a sign he found out all too late of a woman fancying the man they welcomed into their close knit lives. But her age, what she represented to him was a barrier and for god sake she was his student.

It burned too close to his first crush on his first ever teacher back home in Uzushiogakure. They didn't have an academy only a series of apprentices that had masters until they were dubbed capable of fighting alone. They had limited resources but their ingenuity, longevity preserving their brightest minds for longer had allowed them to become a village admired and feared in their own right.

"I wonder where you are now Guren-sensei," he muttered to himself. She had vanished holding back the enemy when they had escaped from the village and didn't return.

Suddenly the bell rang and what shot out were the twelve year old graduating genin teams. Naruto thanked the god that was listening in for the bailout as Tsume and Hana could have heard what he had been mumbling under his breath.

The red head ignored the faceless nobodies he didn't give two hells about writing some of them right away as body bag material unless they somehow passed their real genin exams. Naruto watched them go to their civilian parents and surprisingly one of them was from a noted clan he had dismissed right away. The ones he had come to see about seemed to be manning the rear.

His eyes caught sight of the Hyuuga and she seemed far less stick up the ass than anticipated and almost seemed rather shy. Her file had listed her as the heir of their clan. Hell does freeze over sometimes it seemed. Her Aburame teammate was the stereotypical glasses and heavy coat to hide his versatile bugs he kept under that thick jacket. But the one he had true interest in caught his eyes and punched the air. His proud mother dashed forward to congratulate him while the sister hung back.

"Well done my boy!" roared his mother. Kiba in his grey coat Naruto had bought him for his last birthday wore his forehead proudly on his forehead. "I knew you could do it!"

"I am simply that awesome!" Kiba boasted.

"It's time to go home and show this off to your auntie Rin. She'll see all that practice with the bunshin was worth it brat." Naruto didn't mean to but he looked away guiltily from the young woman when her aunt was mentioned.

"I better go too sensei," Hana stated, following after her mother. She turned round as if to say something before giving up and moving away.

The ninja decided to throw her a bone. "I will be at the Garden tonight. Are you coming?"

"Yes sir," Hana said brightly smiling before jogging off at top speed.

"Not a single word," Naruto said instantly used to pre-emptive words at this group of sentimental people.

"Oi old man!" roared his nephew of sorts.

"Show Uzumaki-san respect Konohamaru-kun or I'll have to punish you!"

"When can I get away from you two?"

The group approaching was the new team seven. There was dark haired Sasuke acting all emo and irritating. He was in his blue high collared shirt with grey shorts. A sharp chokutō was strapped to his back that his aunt Mika had given him last year. Taking up the rear was Haruno Sakura, a pink haired blossom wearing a cheongsam that was an attempt to distract opposition. It was just like what her sister wore but in blue instead of the light pink she was sporting now. She had her staff twirling around elegantly trying to hit the annoyingly agile monkey like movements of his nephew.

"God he is embarrassing me," Naruto grunted. "Hold on." Naruto used an extreme burst of speed arrived between the two catching the pole with one hand while the other snatched the hand of his surprised brother.

"Let me go oji-san!" the boy complained. He had brown spiky hair, his forehead protector was resting on his bicep meaning he was going to get it scratched a lot and was wearing this skin tight jump suit in brown. This was the charge of his aunt, Namikaze Kushina who was rushing over to hug the Jinchuuriki of the Kyubbi no kitsune. It was no secret and the applauding gaze of the other adults in appreciation that their guardian of the beast had passed his exam.

This was a truly wonderful place to live in.

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