Naruto CH 14

When Naruto left the Hokage's office, the first thing that came to mind is to first find something to eat. Pulling out his wallet, he saw that he only have a few hundred Ryo left from this week's allowance and it has only been 4 days since he got it. It should last him for a week and now he is down to his last meal!

He opted to take a slow walk towards Ichiraku while pondering on a solution for his money problem. The first idea that came to him is to utilize his new abilities to hunt but he encountered a snag when the thought came to mind – he doesn't know how or even where to hunt in the first place.

The only viable solution that he could work with is to find a job. A frown appeared on his face as he thought about it. Finding a job in Konoha would prove to be impossible due to the villager's treatment of him.

He needed help and he knew the perfect person to help him out.

With the idea set in mind, he ran all the way to Ichiraku Ramen to empty the last bit of his allowance for a hearty meal.

It was almost evening when Naruto left Ichiraku and made his way to the Academy to talk to the only person he knew who could help him. He made good time since he took advantage of his insane speed to get there in the shortest possible time. He made his way into the Academy compound and saw the lights inside his classroom still open. He reached the door to his classroom and knocked.

"Come in." a voice inside the classroom answered.

Naruto quickly entered the room and saw his Academy teacher grading test papers.

"Good evening Iruka-sensei. Are you busy?" it was a bit stupid to ask considering Iruka was grading papers but it was the best he could come up with.

Iruka saw Naruto standing awkwardly by the door which brought a frown to his face. This is the first time that Naruto visited him here in the Academy at this time of night.

Heck, this is the first time he knocked and being polite. Something's up.

Deciding to humor his favorite, yet noisy student, he decided to break the ice.

"Not really Naruto. What brings you here at this time? You didn't come to class for three days and I was worried?" asked Iruka, his voice laced with concern for the young blonde. He didn't say it out loud but he definitely noted the changes in Naruto's physique but he decided to let Naruto tell him about it instead of pushing him for answers.

Naruto was thinking fast on what to do. He can't tell Iruka about his bloodline but he didn't have any legitimate excuse why he was absent today and he really needed help with his new condition. So he decided to break his promise with the old man just this once since he had no options left.

"Ummm Iruka-sensei, about that. Something happened to me this morning that I need your help about. I didn't attend your classes because I was sick and what you see right now is the result." said a nervous Naruto.

Alarm bells started ringing inside Iruka's mind. Naruto was being nervous and respectful. Something was definitely wrong with his favorite blonde.

Beckoning Naruto to be silent, he stood up from his chair and walked towards the door and locked it. He then proceeded to close every window in the classroom to ensure that they have the utmost privacy for their conversation. He beckoned Naruto to sit on one of the chairs in the classroom and sat on the one beside it.

"Ok, what is this all about Naruto. You didn't get in trouble or anything did you?" Iruka asked patiently to help alleviate the boy's nervousness.

Deciding to take the plunge, Naruto told Iruka everything, starting from the fever down to the result of the doctor's checkup. At first, Iruka was confused when Naruto talked about his fever and the changes on his body when he woke up. His jaw dropped when Naruto mentioned his food consumption at Ichiraku and vowed to keep an eye out when the blonde tries to trick him for a free meal to preserve his limited paycheck. His face showed awe when Naruto mentioned his experimentation in the forest and flabbergasted about the results of the doctor's check-up.

His number one hyperactive unpredictable student has done it again. A bloodline, and a powerful one at that if properly trained.

Naruto finished his tale and told him about his problems in terms of food and money.

"Because of everything that happened, I need to either learn how to hunt in the forest to feed myself or find a job so I have enough money to buy food. I don't know anyone else to help me and you've been always there for me so I decided to ask you for help." finished Naruto with hands on his lap, his head bowed down, and desperation in his voice.

Iruka was surprised at how the prideful Naruto was being respectful and pliant. It seems that he is really in trouble judging from the seriousness of the child's voice. He decided to get something out of the way first before doing something to help the kid with his problems.

"Naruto, why didn't you ask Hokage-sama for help? From what I know, he has always been there to help you and he has the resources to help you with your problems." asked Iruka while scratching his chin.

"Ummmm I thought of that too but he already did so much for me and I don't want to be a burden anymore." Whispered Naruto but Iruka heard it clearly.

Iruka smile and nodded. For once, Naruto wasn't being selfish.

"Ok. So let me make this clear. Your problem is mainly money because so you would need a lot of it just to feed yourself, correct?" Naruto nodded. "I have an idea to help you out but this will take a lot of effort on your part so do you still want to do it?"

Naruto nodded his head vigorously that made Iruka chuckle. Despite the changes in Naruto, he will always be his hyperactive knucklehead student.

"Ok Naruto. Here is what we are going to do…"

It's been 2 weeks since Naruto's talk with Iruka and his sensei didn't disappoint. The next day, since class was out for the weekend, Iruka took Naruto out to meet a friend of his down in the merchant district. When they got there, Naruto was introduced to Saji, owner of a weapon shop and blacksmith who is said to be one of the best weapon-makers on this side of the Elemental Country.

Iruka explained the problem to Saji regarding Naruto's financial problem without having to elaborate his bloodline, which Naruto was silently thankful of.

After a brief interview to find out the boy's willingness to do hard work for good pay, Saji was convince of the boy's determination and got him started to work immediately by showing him around the shop and what's expected of him. Iruka left happy knowing that Naruto was in good hands and he was confident that Naruto will deliver his promise to work hard. It is his 'shinobi way' after all.

Naruto was quite happy with his time in Saji's shop. It was a tight schedule since he needed to attend the academy during mornings then work in the afternoon, but he was able to squeeze it in thanks to his newfound stamina and endurance.

Saji got him started out as a delivery boy, but he eventually upgraded the boy as his assistant in the smithy when he discovered the boy's strength – its not everyday you see an 8 year old boy carrying 3 big boxes of kunais with ease…he was even skipping as the boy was carrying the heavy boxes to the next room. Sweatdropping at the sight, Saji immediately told Naruto to help him out in the smithy doing some of the laborious work since he was getting on in age.

Since then, he became Saji's unofficial apprentice in the forge; teaching him the basics of weapon creation, like taking care of the metal, how to melt them properly and get rid of the impurities, forming metals using molds, sharpening, and polishing the finished product. He wasn't allowed to do any complicated work, like swords and blades. However, he was entrusted for small projects and orders, like kunais, shurikens, and senbons. Naruto didn't know that working for a living was fun and educational.

Also, Saji was quite happy to find a determined worker in Naruto so he was more than happy to compensate the kid with a few bonuses here and there for a job well done. Well, he wasn't loosing any money since he was able to take care of ALL the orders due to the boy's hard work so the extra money he gave to Naruto was well worth it.

Naruto, on the other hand, was quite happy with his new found career. Working with Saji made sure that he has enough money for food and clothes. He was even making his own equipment for free using the extra materials lying around the shop so he no longer need to use the spare, low-quality weapons offered by the Academy.

Despite the drawback of cutting back on his training due to his afternoon shift at Saji's, Naruto noticed that his body was getting a lot of workout with all the hard work he was tasked with.

For starters, his speed was sorely tested and improved when his boss asked him to make deliveries in various parts of the village within a specific time frame and running at full speed lugging around heavy orders was definitely doing wonders on his stamina and leg strength.

He also improved his upper body working with metal and laboriously hauling weapons here and there due to his boss' bullheadedness that he is old and should NOT be carrying heavy loads so he always kept Naruto near him in case he needs something brought over. Naruto scoffed at that.

Saji also promised him that he will teach Naruto to make more complicated weapons and equipment once he ages a bit. He was just too young to get started on complicated weaponry that requires an eye for details. He did, however, let Naruto read through some of the scrolls on weapons in his workshop to prepare the boy for the future. With promise made, Naruto was looking forward to this lesson since he dreamt of making his own 'cool' weapons in the future when he graduates from the Academy.

Despite Naruto's busy schedule, he also made sure to visit the Hokage during his spare time. The old man was more than happy to accommodate the boy for conversation and some ninja stories or advice. When Naruto confessed to the old man about telling Iruka and asking for help in finding a job, the old man was happy that Iruka helped the poor boy and was even surprised that the enigmatic Saji decided to teach Naruto the craft.

He questioned Naruto heavily about his job with Saji, what the shop owner was teaching him, and his pay. In the end, the Hokage was pleased and gave him his blessings and a note to always come to him if he needs any help in the future. He was more than happy to help the boy out after all the blonde have to go through in his life.

Naruto gave him a hug that left the Hokage out of breath for a few seconds due to the boy's freakish strength.

Naruto didn't know it but the Hokage was proud of the boy for taking matters into his own hand despite the fact that the old man was more than happy to give him money for his needs. Well, he would if the old man bothered to tell him that his allowance was from his parent's personal fund. He still has his weekly allowance though on top of his wage so the boy has a small fortune to get by if he really needed to splurge which the old man doubted.

(Timeskip: 1 year since bloodline discovery)

Naruto woke up from the blare of his alarm clock which he proceeded to silence by smashing it beyond repair with a well placed slap. Groaning due to the glare of the morning sun, Naruto got up from his comfortable bed and moved to the bathroom to get started on his morning ritual and go to the Academy.

It's been a year since his bloodline activated and it was a fruitful and happy year for Naruto. His lifestyle changed a full circle due to his emerging bloodline. He didn't realize it yet but because of his body's needs, he was forced to work that resulted in his current body.

For an almost 10 year old boy, Naruto was quite powerful for his age though he tended to downplay his strengths since the Hokage asked him to keep quiet about it. He was now 5'5 in height, making him the tallest in his age group. His body was well-muscled due to his sweaty grunt work in Saji's shop, which he chose to hide wearing loose clothing since he wanted to avoid being hounded by annoying fan girls like the Uchiha. He shuddered at the thought of getting his own. He also let his hair grow out so it was already just below his neck and made his hair more messy but he loved it that way.

The previous year has also been a big discovery for Naruto, especially when Kaito brought him to meet Tsunade to test him for any other changes in his bloodline. It seems that his body is still evolving and improving due to his bloodline activation. Tsunade concluded that Naruto will stop changing when he reaches puberty, around 16 or 18.

Another revelation is the second DNA strand that was found in Naruto's body. In-depth studies show that there was another part of Naruto's bloodline that requires activation; the ability to change his body into a wolf and vice versa.

Naruto was quite excited when he heard this and was literally bouncing around. However, his excitement was blunted when Tsunade and Kaito told him that they didn't know what the trigger was. They both theorized that it would just manifest itself through sudden change in behavior so Naruto was asked to continue monitoring his emotions if such changes would occur.

Naruto finished his shower and proceeded to don his everyday clothes consisting of a black loose shirt, dark brown cargo pants, and black heavy boots. He preferred sandals but Saji told him that boots are more practical due to his work carrying heavy objects around. A simple sandal would simply give way after a month of heavy use.

He proceeded to prepare his usual breakfast of half-a-dozen eggs, a loaf of bread, and some fruits. His appetite no longer worried him since he has plenty of money to spare because of his work at Saji's. The old man was quite free with his bonuses and until now he didn't know why he was given plenty of it. Good for him though so he didn't complain.

Cleaning up his breakfast, he proceeded to dash towards the academy at a sedate run, no need to bring out his insane speed, since he still has plenty of time left. On the way, he met a jogging Lee who was also making his way to the academy. Sprinting up a bit to catch up to the bowl-cut haired boy, he greeted him.

"How you doing Lee?" greeted Naruto, not the least bit winded after the sprint.

"Good morning Naruto-kun. A youthful day to you, my friend. Are you by chance going to the Academy?" asked Lee in his usual loud 'youthful' voice. Naruto has already gotten used to Lee's quirks when he met the lad a few months back. He was fun though if you decide to ignore the 'youth' that usually comes with his speeches.

"Yep." Naruto quipped but eventually gave Lee a determined look along with a wolfish grin. "The usual?" The challenge in his voice was quite evident.

Lee grinned at the contest that is about to happen. "Ready. One…two…three….GO!"

Both ran at their top speeds leaving a huge cloud of dust in their wake to the surprise of some villagers who was in their way. It didn't take them long to reach the Academy with their insane speed which Naruto won this time around. Both of them stopped and took in a huge gulp of air.

"That was quite a youthful run Naruto-kun. You have beaten me this time around but I SHALL WIN TOMORROW!" declared Lee with fires burning in his eyes despite the sweat running down his face due to the effort he put into the contest.

Naruto chuckled at his friend's behavior. These daily challenges were welcome for him since it did present a way to test his capabilities without anyone knowing about it.

"What's the current count?" he asked while wiping the sweat off his face with the back of his hand.

"221-220 in your favor." answered Lee enthusiastically, already walking towards his classroom.

Naruto nodded and made his way towards his classroom after bidding his friend a farewell. He arrived and found that he was the first one there. He checked the clock in the corner and saw that he was 30 minutes early. Cursing for being too early, Naruto walked to his seat at the back of the class and proceeded to take a short nap to wait for the class to start.