Hiyah! Sorry took long to put this chapter up. I took a short leave to relax and finally got down to finish some of the unfinished plots for this chapter. Anyway, don't expect speedy updated even when I am 'partially' back in the writing gig since my work project is still taking up most of my time.

Now that's out of the way, here's chapter 12!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Shaman King.

Chapter 12: Settling Down

Masahiro grunted as he dodged one of the fox bijuu's tails and watched the ground cave under the power of its attack. He and his fellow shaman disciples were already at this for almost an hour now and they were already on their last leg. The trio knew that they couldn't hope to defeat Kurama in their best, and considering that they expended a majority of their energy getting past the predators and shikigamis on their way to the Asakura compound in the Forest of Death, there was no way they could put up so much as challenge to the most powerful tailed beast in the Elemental Nations despite being limited.

"Nii-san! To your left!" warned Kirito when he saw one of Kurama's tails lash out to hit his surrogate brother on the left flank while concentrating on his 'fangs' as he tried to divert the tail's trajectory.

Masahiro turned to his left to see the incoming attack. He gathered a bit of what was left of his Furyoku to charge his katana before whipping it out of its sheath in such speed that it came out a blur. An arc of bluish white energy intercepted the incoming tail, hoping to stop or slow it down, but it would seem that Kurama added a bit of juice to his attacking appendage that the energy attack was brutally dispersed without even slowing down. The great grandson of Mifune braced himself for impact but it wasn't necessary when a glowing ofuda appeared in front of him followed by a shout.

"Ofuda: Barrier!"Miaka all but screamed as a hexagonal barrier of pure solidified Furyoku burst forth from the floating tag that stopped the attack. However, the barrier was starting to crack from the onslaught and the young samurai knew that it wouldn't hold out any longer. Without prompt, Masahiro blurred out of sight just as the barrier broke and struck the area where he stood, causing a small explosion, a testament to the powerful force behind the attack. Masahiro appeared behind Miaka and Kirito before targeting Kurama with his observant gaze, frowning when he noticed something.

The oversouled bijuu wasn't moving from his spot in front of the clan house. In fact, from the looks of things, he was guarding the entrance as if stopping them from entering. He smirked when he realized what the bijuu was doing.

The overgrown plush toy's aim was to hinder them from completing the test and that was to enter the safety of the house, the metaphorical finish line to this ridiculous race.

Kurama was having a blast. He was enjoying the fight despite being only limited to two tails of chakra. Sure, two tails for him was enough to trounce a dozen Kages in their prime but the three shaman disciples were putting a good fight, desperation and determination empowering them despite being on their last leg. His container explained to him that life-and-death situations tend to boost a shaman's Furyoku levels and he wanted the disciples to have a major boost from this simple 'test'. He grunted when the large muscled form of Tama shoved him away with so much force that it threw him back a couple of meters, a testament to its strength. However, he was puzzled when he saw the large Oh-Oni returned to his summoner's side but he discovered the reason when he heard the wolf shaman's shout.

"Wolf Fangs!" shouted Kirito as a dozen sharp projectile flew out of his armor to attack Kurama in earnest. The oversouled fox batted a few away with his tails while using his chakra along with a powerful roar to deflect the rest.

"Is that all you got, gaki?" Kurama taunted with a grin before slamming his paw on the ground in front of him before a claw of red chakra erupted from the ground and charging its way towards a tired Kirito who expended a lot of energy from his attack and couldn't muster enough to dodge the incoming danger.

Thankfully, Masahiro already saw the attack coming since it was one of the few techniques the fox used in one of their many spars out in the wilderness. He stepped forward in a determined gait, putting Kirito and Miaka behind him and slashed at the chakra appendage, cutting it in two before it dispersed into globules of red energy floating in mid air. He turned and grabbed two before jumping out of the way as Kurama's chakra combined again to form the severed paw and smashed the ground the trio stood.

When they were at a safe distance from the grinning bijuu, Masahiro decided to clue his fellow disciples on his discovery.

"Listen. I know the purpose of this test." said Masahiro as he eyed Kurama who wasn't moving from his spot to attack them. It was quite obvious that the bijuu was waiting for them to make a move before countering.

"What do you mean, nii-san?" asked Kirito as he sent a mental command to his fangs to return to his armor. He was running out of Furyoku and he knew that he only has enough for one more attack if this continues.

"The goal is not to defeat Kurama. It would seem that Naruto-sama is using him as a test." Masahiro told them as a plan clicked into place in his mind. "The goal of this test is to get past Kurama and enter the house. I have a good feeling that the test will end when we're inside the building."

"Why do you say that?" asked Miaka. She was already standing up though she was being supported by Tama. She was weakened from using the ofudas to erect barriers to protect the two attackers. She only has five defensive ofudas left and barely enough Furyoku to activate them.

"Look at Kurama." the katana-wielding teen prompted causing the two kids to look at the bijuu. "He is not attacking and always on the defensive. If he wanted, he could bring us all down without effort considering that we are almost out of energy. He is just standing there and countering our efforts."

"Now that you mentioned it, he is only countering our moves and nothing else." Kirito mused. "So all we need to do is get past Kurama and enter the house to finish the test?"

"Yes." Masahiro nodded.

"Do you have a plan?" asked Miaka, hearing the reason for the test filled her with determination to finish it. "I don't think Kurama is kind enough to let us pass even if we ask him nicely." she added dryly.

"I do. How many of those ofudas do you have left, Miaka-chan?"

"Five." she answered, showing them the defensive tags.

"Can you modify them to create a trap barrier?" he inquired with Miaka nodding.

"That's easy but why?" she asked with some confusion. "Even with the trap barrier, I doubt it would last more than five seconds with Kurama."

"Five seconds is enough for my plan to work. I want you to modify the ofudas to produce a barrier that will trap Kurama in place." He instructed causing Miaka to nod before pulling out her calligraphy set and got to work. He turned to Kirito. "Do you have enough for one last barrage?"

"Enough for one attack, nii-san." Kirito replied.

"Good. When I give the signal, I want you to unleash all of your fangs and keep Kurama occupied. With him distracted, I want Miaka to trap him inside the barrier allowing us to escape to the house and finish the test."

"What will you be doing?" Miaka asked curiously though her eyes didn't leave the ofuda she was modifying.

"I have a speed technique that will get us past Kurama but with the amount of Furyoku I have, I only have enough for one activation." answered Masahiro, hoping upon hope that his experimental speed technique would generate enough acceleration to get them to the house and safety.

"Speed technique?" asked Kirito in confusion. "I didn't know you have one?"

"I only used it twice and it is not battle ready yet since it takes a lot of Furyoku to pull off and I can only go in a straight line. However, this will be enough to get past Kurama."

"I'm done, nii-san!" shouted Miaka with a grin, holding up five modified barrier tags. It was sloppily done but it would do for now.

"Good, on my mark, we will initiate the plan and hopefully end this idiocy of a test." said Masahiro as he planted himself in between Miaka and Kirito, a hand on their shoulder as he gathered the last of his Furyoku for his speed technique. "Ready?"

He got a nod from the two, their eyes showing unyielding determination.

"Go!"

Kurama wasn't prepared when two dozen projectiles suddenly attacked. He used his tails and paws to swat them away from him but they were faster and more powerful, meaning, Kirito overcharged them with his energy for one last attack. He didn't notice the five ofudas fly out of Miaka's outstretched hands thanks to charging them with the last of her Furyoku. They flew with expert precision as they halted around Kurama in a formation.

"Five Point Heavenly Barrier!" Miaka shouted as she channeled the last of her Furyoku to the technique. The floating ofudas started glowing before a beam of pure spirit energy flew out of them to connect with the other talismans, forming a pentagon wall with him inside it. The gaps were closed by a bright blue barrier that halted the confused bijuu in its tracks.

Masahiro saw the completion of the barrier and channeled all of his Furyoku to his legs. He grasped Miaka and Mashiro on the shoulder before whispering the activation of his speed technique.

"Shunpo." He murmured as he and his passengers disappeared while creating a sonic boom as they sped to the house at top speed.

Kurama was confused when he heard the powerful boom of the sound barrier breaking from the speed of Masahiro's mad dash. However, the boom was punctuated by a loud crash and groaning when he turned his head and peered through the hazy barrier to see Masahiro, Kirito, and Miaka inside the house groaning on the floor, leaving three man-shape holes on the walls, a testament that despite having a powerful speed technique, controlling the direction was not part of the package.

"Well, they passed the test but did it in an amusing way." said Kurama in amusement as he flicked one of his tails towards the barrier, shattering it with ease. He could have destroyed the barrier the moment it activated but he wanted to see what the brats were planning to pass the test.

They didn't disappoint.

Naruto watched the moaning trio in amusement. They were currently in a large room reserved as a medical bay in one of the back rooms in the Asakura compound. A medic-nin was called in by the Hokage and led through the path in the Forest of Death by Inu to treat the three shaman disciples.

"I understand that you came up with a speed technique, Masahiro, but don't you think it would be a good idea to first master it first before using it in a life-and-death situation?" Naruto asked with some amusement as he watched the twitching teen being bandaged by the medic. The three suffered physical exhaustion on top of a few bruises and light wounds. Oh yes, the trio also suffered a cracked skull when they inadvertently rammed through the wall courtesy of Masahiro's untested technique.

Despite his amused reaction, Naruto was quite proud of his disciples. They were able to survive a challenge that would make an A-rank Jounin piss their pants in fear. Also, facing the Kyuubi in a no-holds-barred fight, despite being on the defensive, was a feat unto itself. His prediction of Masahiro discovering the reason of the final test was also a cause of pride as well since the teen was working his way to become a capable shaman, and possibly a shinobi, in the future.

In truth, the test with Kyuubi was a spur-of-the-moment decision and he was laughing his head off upon seeing the trio smash through a wall just to get to the finish line.

"We have no choice, Naruto-sama." said Masahiro before wincing when the medic placed the bandage around his bruised chest. He cracked a rib or two when he encountered one of Kurama's tails. "It was the only way to bypass…uh….your oversoul." He decided against using Kurama's name or any reference to the fox to avoid scaring the medic-nin.

"Hm, too true." Naruto conceded before chuckling in amusement. "But, keep in mind, Masahiro, that there are always multiple solutions to every problem. The challenge there is to come up with one without smashing through a wall and giving yourselves cracked skulls."

"I'll keep that in mind." Masahiro said dryly before breathing out a sigh of relief when the medic finished putting on the bandages.

"Did we pass the test?" Miaka asked tiredly though she was already on the verge of sleep. Kirito was already snoring after exhausting all his Furyoku on his last attack. Shin was also tuckered out, sleeping underneath the boy's bed.

"Passed with flying colors, Miaka-chan." Naruto answered proudly while softly ruffling the girl's hair. "Now, all three of you should rest. Take a week off. We will discuss your training afterwards, understood?"

He got two affirmative grunts and a loud snore in reply.

Naruto hummed as he finished the last of his notes on combining Kurama's chakra and Furyoku. In truth, he wasn't making a lot of progress in that aspect of his research since bijuu chakra was exponentially more powerful and potent than human energy.

His experiment involving the two opposite energies was a big failure. He tried to inject small amounts of Kurama's chakra into his shikigamis but the bijuu's energy destroyed the construct before they could even form. No matter how much he tried, infusing a bijuu's chakra into shikigamis simply overloads the construct, destroying them in the process.

However, some shamanic techniques work well with Kurama's chakra. For example, incorporating it into his Furyoku Shield makes it more durable and allows him to freely manipulate the construct that he could even attack if he so wills it. He had fun creating spectral arms from his shield and playing tag with Kirito and Shin with it.

Other than that, he couldn't come up with anything to use Kurama's chakra unless he wanted to delve into the shinobi arts. He wasn't that interested but it could be useful just in case his shamanic abilities failed him, which he doubted. In fact, he was already thinking about joining the trio's shinobi training since he needed to know the basic use of chakra in order to properly utilize Kurama's.

He closed the scroll and placed it inside his drawer before leaning back on his high-back chair. It's been two months since he returned from his journey and the Asakura compound was bustling with activity.

Miaka, Kirito, and Masahiro greedily studied the shamanic arts thanks to the library Naruto himself penned from his collective knowledge of the Asakura Family. They devoured scrolls after scrolls of shamanic knowledge though they were insightful enough to start with the basics before moving on to their respective specialties.

Speaking of which, the trio finally chose a path they wished to follow.

Miaka, with her inherent talent in barriers and exorcisms, decided to concentrate on Shamanic Seals and Incantations. Thanks to the library, she now had tons of spells at her disposal and quite a lot of ofudas ranging from exorcisms tags to powerful barrier seals. She also crafted her own tools for scrying and divination; and was being guided and molded into the art by Naruto through the various jobs he was assigned to around the village.

She wasn't an expert but she was getting there if she keeps up with her current level of determination.

Kirito focused on improving his abilities as a Battle Shaman, practicing and training with Shin almost every day on top of his lessons with Naruto to perfect his abilities and coming up with new ones. He took to exposing himself in various danger areas in the Forest of Death to increase his Furyoku levels and battle experience thanks to the rabid animals in the area.

Masahiro was similar to Kirito but he was focused more into refining his Omnyodou Ryu while coming up with different techniques incorporating his katana and Furyoku. He also found his Guardian Spirit during his many training sessions in the Forest of Death. His GS was a 10-foot tall white tiger spirit that he named Byakko. He didn't work on his oversoul yet but he already mastered combining with Byakko using Hyoi Gattai and their teamwork was flawless to say the least.

Naruto was brought out of his musings when someone entered his study.

"What can I do for you, Kenjiro?" Naruto asked his butler. Kenjiro was an old man that lived in the Red Light district, in one of the seedier corners of Konoha. It was luck that he stumbled onto the man who was surviving on begging for his meals. He sensed a bit of Furyoku in the man and further interview (over ramen at Ichirakus) to discover that he could see spirits but totally ignored them, keeping the ability to himself.

Without any hesitation, Naruto immediately took in the man and assigned him as his personal butler and caretaker of the Asakura Estate since he was too old to be trained as a disciple. After little training on his job and some shamanic knowledge crammed into his head by an ecstatic Naruto, he was the perfect butler.

"Asakura-sama, your guests have arrived." Kenjiro announced after a bow of greeting.

"How many times do I have to tell you that you can call me Naruto." Naruto said in irritation. He really didn't like the man treating him like royalty despite being a Clan Head. Kenjiro treated him like a king as thanks for elevating him from being a beggar on his last leg.

"I lost count after a thousand, Asakura-sama." Kenjiro said, the side of his lips twitching in amusement.

"I give up!" Naruto said in exasperation before standing up and walked around his desk. "Guests? I was expecting Hokage-jiji. Who else is there?" asked Naruto as he exited his study followed by Kenjiro.

"Your other guest is Ebisu and Hokage-sama brought him for the tutor position."

"Hm, never heard of him." Naruto admitted. "What do you think of him, Kenjiro?"

Another reason why Naruto took in Kenjiro as his butler and steward was because of the man's ability to read a person like an open book. He wasn't a Reishi user nor was he a telepath but he has this ability to see the person's soul, a powerful ability that would make any Kage green with envy.

"Dependable but with an ego." Kenjiro admitted that made Naruto pause for a bit before continuing his stride.

"Do explain."

"He has a kind soul, well, kind for a shinobi anyway. He is loyal to the Hokage and respects your position in the village. However, he is quite taken with his rank as an Elite Tutor. From what I could tell, he is currently tutoring the Hokage's Grandson and imposing on the boy his belief that his teachings are a shortcut to becoming Hokage." Kenjiro said with some mild amusement laced in his voice.

"Ah. One of those then." Naruto nodded. "You think he is capable of teaching my disciples?"

"He is capable. After all, he isn't an Elite Jounin for nothing. However, I advise that you tell him in advance not to shower the kids with his inane beliefs." Kenjiro said with a sniff causing Naruto to chuckle. It was quite obvious that Kenjiro was a bit protective over the younglings, treating them like his own grandkids.

"I'll keep that in mind." said Naruto as he entered the foyer to see the Hokage calmly sipping his tea while another person wearing a standard Jounin outfit and a pair of dark sunglasses standing beside him in attention. "Welcome, Hokage-jiji. I hope I didn't make you wait for long." Naruto greeted his leader and surrogate grandfather while idly noting the stiffening of the 'tutor' to how he addressed the man.

"Oh no, Naruto-kun. Kenjiro was kind enough to supply me with refreshments before he went to look for you." Hiruzen said with a smile. "I have the tutor you requested and I am confident that he can teach the trio well. Where are they anyway?" he added when he noted the lack of activity in the house. The trip, if nothing else, were quite rowdy especially when they were into one of their daily spars.

"They are currently practicing their combat skills in the forest. They should be back in an hour or so for dinner." Naruto answered casually as he took a seat in front of the Hokage with Kenjiro automatically pouring him a cup of tea. He thanked his butler and took a sip before addressing Ebisu. "So, you're the tutor for my disciples. Would you be so kind as to introduce yourself?"

The tutor nodded before speaking.

"My name is Ebisu. Elite Jounin of Konoha. I am a well-known tutor in the shinobi ranks and I am confident that I can teach your…disciples everything they need to know to become powerful shinobi in the future."

"Direct to the point. I like that." Naruto said with a smile making the Elite Jounin puff out his chest in pride. "However, let me correct you. My disciples are, first and foremost, shamans. If they chose to become a part of the village's military then they will still be addressed as shamans. I hope that is clear."

Ebisu stiffened at the slight rebuke. Despite being uneducated in the shamanic arts, he could feel the power rolling off the Asakura clan head as if it was water. He was currently using every bit of his willpower to stop himself from shuddering. He stiffly nodded.

"Good. I might not know about your…capabilities as a tutor but if Hokage-jiji recommended you then I will trust his judgment." said Naruto before his eyes took an unholy glint. "However, I don't want you sprouting nonsense in front of my disciples about your so-called 'shortcuts'. For in this family, power stems from hard work and determination. There is no shortcut. Are we clear, Ebisu-san?"

Hearing the hidden warning and threat in the Clan Head's tone, he nodded in fear.

"Clear."

"Then we will get along just fine." Naruto smiled. "So what are you planning to teach my disciples?"

"I plan to teach them history before moving on to the shinobi arts." Ebisu started that made Naruto frown.

"Scrap that plan. History can be easily learned through books in the library. I can easily procure information through Hokage-jiji so I suggest that you proceed in teaching them the shinobi arts. Now, what is your curriculum for that?"

"I'm sorry to disagree with you, Asakura-sama, but history is important to every shinobi."

"True. History is important but it can be learned through reading in their spare time. You can quiz them if you wish but that is the extent of your dabbling in the subject." Naruto said sternly much to the amusement of the silent Hokage. "The curriculum?"

Ebiuse sighed and gave in.

"Fine. If you want me to proceed directly to the shinobi arts then I will start with unlocking their chakra and follow that with chakra control. I will also teach them the basic Academy taijutsu and the three Academy ninjutsus to jumpstart their education."

"Good, very good. Your title as an Elite Tutor is well-deserved." Naruto praised, stroking Ebisu's ego. He took another sip of his cooling tea before continuing. "Now, as for the timetable, is it possible for you to teach them all those within the span of a year?"

"A year?" Ebisu said with some surprise. "Private tutoring in the shinobi arts takes 3 years, Asakura-sama."

"That is true if you are tutoring underage and green-behind-the-ears brats. However, my disciples are quite mature thanks to their shamanic training. I doubt any of your other students can boast of surviving half a day in the Forest of Death fighting the local denizens just to train their skills." Naruto said with some amusement.

"B-but…" Ebisu started in disbelief but was cut off by the Hokage.

"Trust me, Ebisu, Naruto's disciples are quite mature for their age and very powerful disciples in the shamnic arts."

"Are you sure, Hokage-sama?" Ebisu asked his leader.

"Very sure. Do you remember the path we took to come here?"

Ebisu shuddered, seeing the various predators of the Forest of Death's S-class Sector and the shikigamis standing guard was enough to unnerve him.

"Yes."

"They survived that trial three months ago and even fought a powerful…entity just to pass Naruto's test. So yes, they are quite skilled in their own right."

"I'll take your word for it, Hokage-sama." Said Ebisu with a gulp. The Hokage nodded, happy that he drove his point home, while Naruto decided to continue.

"Now that's settled, let's proceed with the payment. I think you are already informed that this will be classed as a 1 year A-rank mission, payable monthly?" Naruto asked the stunned man.

"Y-yes. That is quite generous of you, Asakura-sama." stammered Ebisu. Tutoring was classed as a C-rank mission at best and paid at the end of the mission, which is usually three years. To be paid an A-rank bounty monthly was definitely a generous offer that he couldn't pass up.

"Generosity has nothing to do with it." Naruto said bluntly. "You are passing knowledge and training of to my disciples so you will be paid handsomely for this." He gestured towards his butler. " Kenjiro? The items if you would."

"Hai, Asakura-sama." said Kenjiro before going to the side table picking up a box. He returned and placed the item on the table in front of Naruto. He opened the box to reveal a bracelet made of jade.

"This is an item that will get you safely past the protection I erected along the path you used to come here. Make sure that you wear it before entering the gate. This will mark you as a friendly, ensuring that my shikigamis will protect you from the denizens of the forest while you are my disciple's tutors." said Naruto as he took the jade bracelet from the box and handed it to a shaking Ebisu who immediately wore it on his wrist with relief. "Keep in mind that the protection on the bracelet ensures your safety. But if you bring someone with you then let's just say that my shikigami will do more than teach them a lesson." Naruto said ominously.

"Does Hokage-sama have the same protection?"

"No since I already added his spiritual signature to the barriers I placed. He can use the path safely without fear." Naruto said with some amusement. "I think you noticed that he cloaked you with his chakra when you came here?"

"I noticed that." Ebisu admitted. This was the first time he was cloaked by the Sandaime Hokage's potent and he didn't know why that was.

"He was temporarily giving you his spiritual signature through his chakra so you were safe. Leave or enter this place without the bracelet then you will be having the time of your life." Naruto said with a cold chuckle that scared the shit out of the Elite Jounin.

"Understood, Asakura-sama."

"Perfect. You will start tomorrow. Training will commence in the afternoon. Come here for lunch every day so you can bond with my disciples. Training will end when dinner arrives. You will also join us then and leave afterwards unless you plan to continue teaching the brats. I hope this is satisfactory?"

"It is and thank you for this opportunity, Asakura-sama." said Ebisu with a bow of respect towards the shaman.

"You're welcome. Now that's over and done with, you can leave since I still have some things to discuss with the Hokage." Naruto said in dismissal causing the Jounin to nod and leave the room in a puff of smoke and leave, a trademark Konoha Shunshin.

"What do you want to talk to me about, Naruto-kun?" asked the Hokage when he felt Ebisu's chakra signature disappear from the grounds of the Asakura compound.

"I'm planning to join Ebisu's lessons since I want to train in using Kurama's chakra." Naruto told his surrogate grandfather who was giving him a long look.

"What is the reason for using your tenant's chakra? As far as I'm concerned, you're already powerful enough without it." the Hokage queried before thanking Kenjiro who poured him another round of tea.

"The reason is quite simple, jiji. I plan to experiment in combining Kurama's chakra and Furyoku. I already experimented with it a few times and its applications are mediocre at best. If I want to succeed in this experiment then I need to learn how to channel chakra properly."

"What experiments did you do?" asked the Hokage. The word sparked a sour memory involving his wayward student, Orochimaru, who turned traitor after being discovered of using humans to experiment with bloodlines.

"Well, I experimented in combining Kurama's chakra with my shikigamis but that is a total failure since the bijuu's energy is too potent. The end result destroyed the shikigamis before they could form. I'm not sure how it would affect more powerful shikigamis but using his chakra for my guards and Leaf Shikigamis destroyed them upon contact." Naruto admitted before gathering his thoughts. "However, I found out that using Kurama's chakra with my Furyoku constructs improved its overall performance and gave it a few tweaks in terms of abilities."

"Oh? Do tell."

"Take my Furyoku Shield for example." said Naruto as he activated the technique. His body was covered by an aura of transparent energy. "Now if you add Kurama's chakra to the mix." The aura took a reddish hue before a part of the construct extended to form a spectral hand. "As you can see, adding Kurama's chakra to my Furyoku Shield gives me the ability to manipulate its shape, keeping the solidity while making it malleable to form shapes."

"Interesting. Any side-effects in using his chakra?" Sarutobi asked curiously, impressed by the power he felt from the technique.

"Aside from the fact that Kurama's chakra is too potent for me to channel other than small amounts without going berserk? Nothing as of yet. Kurama already warned me that too much of his chakra in my system will cause me to go into a berserk-like state that I can do without. As it stands, the amount of his chakra I am using now is the most I can do without succumbing to the berserker mindset."

"I see. Unlike normal human chakra, a bijuu's chakra is too corrosive to one's mentality. Such is the case, if you want to use it properly then you need to properly control the chakra, thus, the chakra control training. Are you sure you want to expose Ebisu to the bijuu's chakra?"

"No, I don't plan to. I will attend the lessons via my viewing orb. I can listen to the lessons in my warded study. I'll leave the actual training when he is not around."

"If that is the case then I approve." Sarutobi said with a nod. "I'll have Inu bring you some scrolls on chakra control exercises, as well as the diary of Uzumaki Mito. I'm sure that there should be something there about using Kurama's chakra since she was his first container."

"I didn't know such a diary exists." Naruto said with some surprise. "I thank you for that, jiji. When can you deliver the diary?"

"I can have Inu deliver it tonight if you're in a hurry." the Hokage offered.

"Tonight then. I can't wait to read it." Naruto said with a grin. "Now, are you going to stay for dinner?"

"What's on the menu?" the aged leader ask in interest.

"I'm not sure but it is Masahiro's turn to cook so I guess it would be a common staple of Tetsu no Kuni."

"Ah, I'll be staying then. It's been quite a while since I tasted some delicacy from Iron Country." said Sarutobi with a smile which Naruto shared as they moved on to common topics as they waited for the kids to return.

End of Chapter 12