Chapter 3 – Sharingan Initiation

After leaving the hospital, Naruto went straight to his apartment where he lied on the ground, wondering about the images that now plagued his mind constantly. The Hokage so kindly explained to him that what happened in the past must remain as such. But how could he? What he saw...at least what Sasuke saw was nothing short of hell on earth and the blond's mind kept playing over and over again, like some kind of twisted game.

Looking at the clock in his house, the blond sighed in dismay seeing as he had to go to the Hokage's Office in exactly two hours. He didn't want to leave the floor, though. The worse thing of this entire situation that it wasn't caused by a monster or a demon, but a human being...To this time, Naruto just couldn't understand this Uchiha Itachi for having the hearts to do something like this and doesn't even show remorse afterward?

As he got up from the floor and looked at the mirror located in his room, he focused some chakra on his eye region, before the bloody red eyes with one tome appeared. Just the sight alone made Naruto remember Itachi's eyes and frightened wasn't a word that could describe the blond...more like he was afraid for his life.

But...

What am I doing right now? Wasn't it me who kept screaming to Hokage-Jiichan that I would be the best ninja ever...wasn't I the one who wished for his seat in the future? So why can't I stop thinking about something that didn't even happen to me in the first place?

Suddenly, a new resolve bombarded his brain as he looked at the mirror once more. Whatever joke someone up there planned for him wouldn't work...these eyes were his now and no matter what happens now or in the future, it wouldn't change. The blond was so excited about this that he didn't even notice that he was standing, instead of sulking on the ground.

The blond admitted knowing next to nothing about the Sharingan Doujutsu; especially because he didn't pay that much attention at the academy, but that would certainly change. Looking at the clock, he was startled by the fact that more than an hour passed ever since he began sulking and he was late to meet the Hokage, considering how fast an academy student travels and the fact that he didn't possess large legs to compensate for his lack of speed.

===At the Hokage's Office===

Sarutobi Hiruzen was calmly passing through all those god damn mission and budget reports that needed his analysis, although the man was certain that the majority of these documents only served to pile up the work he needed to do, because it wouldn't change whether he approved or not...issues like signing a trade agreement that already happened or shinobi missions that were issued by the council, without his approval, that were already carried out. Of course, those missions were just errands that the council member chooses to delegate to Genin teams or lone Chuunin because, apparently, they have too much work, but Sarutobi knew better. Those two became lazy in old age and they thought that as members of the council, they could sit back and relax while he the Hokage got stuck with all the work.

Huh, sometimes I wonder why I keep this damn council up and running...certainly, the only thing they do (and very good a job at that) is to give bureaucratic excuses for not doing what they should be doing, aiding me in running the village...

Just as he was about to pick another report to read, before signing it, his door opened with force before Naruto appeared with his hands on top of his knees as he was trying to recover some air. Hiruzen looked at the blond panting in front of him and instantly remembered that he was indeed supposed to be here in order for the Hokage to explain what will happen to the blond and what he would be doing for one year. Nevertheless, since he wasn't expecting Kakashi to arrive on time, Naruto would have to wait a bit.

However and much to Hiruzen squeezing his eyes to see if he was dreaming, the man in question suddenly merged from the door while reading that book of his.

It's impossible, no it's got to be an illusion...it can't be...Kai! Kai! Kai!

The old man was in denial and Kakashi was actually enjoying he shocked look on the Hokage's face. He thought about being late once more and get a rise out of the old man, but then he had the idea to do just the opposite and see the man's look of pure shock.

Naruto, in the mean time, was wondering about the situation at hand. A man he never knew just entered in the office and the Hokage was showing a incredulous face, making him wonder what was wrong.

"Ah Jiichan, what's going on? You wanted to see me?

The old man wouldn't budge, though, as he looked the silver haired Jounin, much to Kakashi's hidden laughter. The Hokage was still in denial about the whole thing. Suddenly, Hiruzen cleared his throat, before focusing his attention on the blond, despite the fact that Kakashi being on time for once clearly did damage to his brain.

"Oh Naruto...right. Well, guess you're now aware of the fact that you possess one of Konoha's most famous and equally powerful doujutsu. However, because of you not being an Uchiha, you don't yet possess the skills necessary to use it accordingly. This man behind you is called Hatake Kakashi and he's one of our elite Jounins..."

Naruto turned to meet this Kakashi, but the entire time he was focusing on the book just waving his hand to the blond, greeting him. After both greeted each other, Hiruzen turned to explain once more.

"Kakashi here happens to possess experience in using the eye to its fullest capacity. As such, I just assigned him to train you in this department. You two will be leaving the village and travel to a place ten miles away from here, any questions?"

The blond was looking at the aged Hokage as if the man had two heads all of a sudden. What is this about really? Why would he have to leave the village in order to train? Doesn't Konoha have like...hundreds of available training grounds? Many questions passed inside his mind immediately and he wanted nothing more than answer from them all. Nevertheless, he reasoned that leaving the village for a while would actually be good for him to sort things out a bit and even learns what he needed to know about his new eyes.

"I have just one question, Jiichan. Just how much time will this trip take? - Naruto asked.

"One year will be more than adequate for Kakashi here to drill any valuable information there is to know about the Sharingan, including helping you improve in some areas he finds you needs room for improvement"

Both Sarutobi and Kakashi knew the boy wanted to ask more questions, but since the blond didn't verbalize them, they wouldn't pry. The blond, for instance, nodded at the assignment and turned to the Jounin in question.

"Okay then Kakashi-san, when and where do we leave?"

Kakashi smiled at his new student and closed his book, before addressing the blond.

"Meet me at the west gate in two hours, don't bother in packing anything, I got everything you're going to need sealed in a scroll in my possession"

The blond nodded, before saying his goodbye to the Hokage and leaving the room towards his apartment. Meanwhile, both Kakashi and Hiruzen were having a conversation about the blond's attitude and sudden reservation of asking whatever bugged his mind.

"Something's wrong here Hokage-sama; for what you said, he wouldn't wait five seconds before he bombarded you with questions" - Kakashi asked with clear curiosity; however the Hokage's sudden realization caused the man to sigh in dismay.

"I feared this, Kakashi. When Naruto received the eyes, unfortunately, he received Uchiha Sasuke's last vision before he was dead, meaning the blond is the sole witness of the Massacre. Because of this, whereas before he would be ecstatic at the idea of training, now he appears more reserved as in doubting my word. I don't know Kakashi if giving Naruto, an Uchiha's eyes was such a good idea, but then wouldn't be better than him being blind, isn't it?"

Kakashi could very well see that the Hokage was wondering about his choice more than he wanted an answer to his rhetorical question.

"I don't know Hokage-sama, however Naruto won't be like this forever, I mean, it was just yesterday his entire world changed and just now is he coming in terms with it. With time, I believe he'll return to his normal, albeit of course more reserved, behavior. Until then, though, he's mine to work him to the ground…once a month I'll be sending reports on his status"

"I'm sure hope you're right Kakashi, just seeing that usually cheerful demeanor getting crumbled by one of my top elite Anbu members. You may go now Kakashi and please train him to best of your ability. I'll be waiting for the monthly reports…" – Hokage said, before Kakashi bowed and left the room.

===At the west gate===

Hatake Kakashi was reading his book as he waited for his student to arrive at the west gate. Strapped on his back, was a huge scroll which carried everything Naruto would need throughout the year. Thinking about what the Hokage said, Kakashi couldn't shake the fact that Naruto's entire personality was stripped from him just because of the eye transplant, however the boy's uncharacteristically reversion demeanor was indeed disturbing to say the least. The silver haired Jounin was considering if Naruto would become just like all of the Uchihas, stuck-up, egoistical and arrogant. Taking his attention away from the book, Kakashi looked at the approaching figure as he studied the blond for a while. Nothing about the blond showed to Kakashi that he was seeing a kid approaching him. Naruto approached him with calculated footsteps, calculated breathings; in other words, the blond was walking like he was expecting something to happen if his eyes looking around were any indication.

"Ready to go Naruto, we're going to be away for one year, so say your goodbye to the village for now" – Kakashi said.

Naruto nodded before looking backwards. The village he was born in, the village he loved with all his heart…the village that stroke the worst pain of all and no such thing will wipe that fateful memory from his mind. The blond just hoped that within the year, he would learn to cope with what happened, even though it didn't happen to him directly.

"As ready as I'll ever be…Kakashi-sensei"

And so, the two travelled by foot towards the place where they would live for the entire year. The entire path was filled by trees and Kakashi could very well arrive at the location in ten minutes by hopping on trees, but the man figured Naruto didn't have the body or the stamina to choose this sort of transportation, so they kept on walking. It didn't matter, though, as Kakashi estimated close to an hour trip. The place they are heading to was a secluded cottage next to river and surrounded by a forest, in other words, perfect for Kakashi to train Naruto in every aspect of the way, baring from pure stamina exercises to, quite possibly, elemental ninjutsu if he judges the blond capable of in the future.

AS the two walked, little to no conversation was being shared. Naruto was silent observing the path around them and Kakashi was busy half focusing on his book and on the blond next to him. Kakashi was considering the fact that at least he wouldn't have to worry about teaching the blond how to pay attention to his surroundings, since by observing his behavior, Kakashi could tell that the blond would narrow his sight in concentration at any noise caused, even if was just animals going around with their lives or something like that. Kakashi's attention was finally broken when Naruto turned to address him, Sharingan already ablaze in his once onyx black eyes.

"Kakashi-sensei, can I ask you something?" – The silver haired Jounin just nodded. "Looking around with the Sharingan eye, I've noticed that I could see people's movements before they actually begin, is this the Sharingan is all about?"

If Kakashi was shocked by the sudden question, he wasn't showing it. The truth was that while he didn't know Naruto was experimenting with the doujutsu, the blond, maybe on a subconscious level, understands the very concept of the kaleidoscope eye.

"Partially true, yes, the Sharingan has many attributes and one of them is certainly to predict one's movements before he or she actually makes them. Naruto, getting a grasp of the eye's theory will be our first target, since it's imperial that you understand everything there is to know about the weapon you now have in your eyes, but I'll give you a crash course about the Sharingan and its levels. First, is the level you're in right now with only tomoe in each eye. Within this form, you can partially predict movements as well as see the opponent's chakra array, albeit a little bit blur. Only after the second stage of the Sharingan, with composes of two tomoe in each eye, would you be able to fully visualize the opponent's chakra flux and composition. Within the second level, the Sharingan can then copy the hand signs as well as how much chakra is needed for either ninjutsu or Genjutsu. Finally, the third level, which of course, is composed of three tomoe in each eye, is when an Uchiha is complete and no technique escapes from the eye's copying ability. Also as your Sharingan develops, your speed will certainly increase simply because you'd be one step ahead of every move your opponent makes"

Naruto was listening intently to the lecture as he processed the information. Right now, he was at level one, meaning that he could predict movement to a certain aspect and be aware when a chakra based attack would come.

"It's both mine and Hokage-sama's expectation that within the end of our trip, you'll reach the second level of the Sharingan; however that doesn't mean you cannot reach the third level if we work you hard enough. We'll be focusing on stamina exercises to improve your muscles and chakra related exercises in order to maintain your Sharingan active for longer periods of time. Not to mention the usual skills a ninja should possess like weapon accuracy, stealth and agility. Also, the Sandaime gave me permission to teach you more advanced abilities like the Uchiha Taijutsu Style called Setsuju-Ryuu (Intercepting Fist) and even elemental jutsu, but the latter will only occur if I judge you worthy of such power being so young; but that's a problem for another time. For now, we'll focus on getting used with the doujutsu and train your body accordingly as well"

The blond nodded, and while very curious about what the man meant by elemental jutsus, he figured that it would be explained with time. After that, silence soon reined the conversation until both arrived at their designated place where they would spend an entire year training. Naruto took a moment to look around and was fascinated by the fact that a medium sized waterfall was a few meters away from the good looking, albeit rather simple, cottage near the lake. Not that looks matter to the blond, since any accommodation would be far better than the apartment he resides in Konoha.

Upon entering, Naruto was surprised about the cottage's decoration. It was reduced to a single couch and two beds on the far left corner. The kitchen or at least the blond considered to be a kitchen, had nothing more than a small refrigerator with a stove next to it, strapped to a small wood dining table with two wooden chairs. Kakashi for his part, never been here so he was surprised as well; nonetheless, he left his backpack and the scroll on the couch, before opening the fridge in order to see what's inside, before noticing that it was empty. However, when he placed the hand inside, he was surprised that it was cool. I didn't know that this place had any electricity at all, oh well it's not like there is a grocery store nearby to buy some food.

Closing the fridge, he looked back to see Naruto inspecting the huge scroll lying on the couch.

"I'm sure it's a great idea to see what's inside, so why don't you roll it on the ground, so that I can teach you a vital skill a ninja should have about sealing scrolls"

Then, as Kakashi picked up some sort of notebook, presumably to figure out Naruto's training for the year; the blond started unsealing the lengthy scroll splattered on the warm wooden floor. The first sealing array revealed a couple of books and some minor scrolls, before Naruto remembered that he was supposed to know everything there is to know about the Sharingan, so he moved to the next and so on. By the end of it all, he could see boxes of projectiles like shuriken and kunais, new set of clothes, training weights, a huge stack of fruits and vegetables (apparently instant ramen was too much to bring, huh?). What surprised Naruto the most, though, was the last item he unsealed. A stack of two swords, maybe wakizashis by the size of them; but Naruto could easily see that both of them were special. One carried a dark menacing yellow holster and the other one carried a bloody red holster and the blond could read one inscription in each of the swords, but before he could read, Kakashi appeared explaining to him.

"They are called Tora and Doragon Naruto. By the holster color, you can identify which one is it. As you can see, this smaller blade is called a Wakizashi and while it's not as strong as a katana, it's faster and more open to maneuvers. To a samurai, a Katana would be preferable, since they rely on strength, but for a ninja who relies more on speed, shorter blades like these in front of you are better utilized to our purpose. Sandaime-sama did also allow me to teach you to a few Kenjutsu styles to go along with them, but that will also depend on whether I believe you're ready for it, just like elemental ninjutsu. Now, why don't you change your clothes and meet me outside for our first day of training"

The blond chose, instead, to admire the blades in front of him as Kakashi quite expected him to do. Naruto may have changed his attitude, turning into a more reserved individual, but even so, he was only nine years old and as such he was easily impressed by the look of things. Afterwards, the blond picked up his new set of clothing and went to change immediately. Naruto was surprised when he looked at himself after getting changed. The clothes looked rather simple; however it managed to fit him rather nicely. He was now wearing black Anbu Pants with blue sandals and a navy blue t-shirt, but what surprised him was that apart from his old clothes, this one was much lighter and his movements were much lighter than it was before.

Upon leaving the cottage, he spotted Kakashi in the middle of the clearing, while reading that book of his. As the blond approached, curiosity started to fill his mind as he took a closer look to the book. The name Icha Icha Paradise was somewhat familiar to the blond as he found one copy inside the Hokage's desk and while Naruto didn't read it, he certainly found strange that the majority of the male population had a copy of this book. Upon arriving, Kakashi broke the concentration from the book and looked at the blond in front of him.

"In order to keep the Sharingan activated during a fight, both your chakra and your stamina must be perfectly tuned. Being that said, until I say otherwise, you'll keep your Sharingan active all the time whether you're training your stamina or your chakra. So, we'll be starting by adding five pounds to each of your limbs as you go through some physical exercises, for now you'll run around this training field twenty times, before you'll complete fifty push-ups and sit-ups. Now, activate your Sharingan and get started" – Kakashi explained, before the blond positioned the weights and started running around the training field. The weights were nothing to come by at first, but upon the blond's tenth lap, his muscles were beginning to get rigid by the pace, nevertheless, he just kept on going with the notion that he would get stronger because of this. The Uchiha massacre did little to drive Naruto's dream away from him and his desire to become a ninja like the Sandaime and Yondaime Hokage remained. By the end of the running, the blond was panting slightly, but he started the next exercises by lying down on the ground and began the push-ups.

Kakashi was watching everything with a smile on his face at the blond's drive and determination. He knew the first time using weights was tough on anyone; simply because no one is accustomed to the sudden added body weight. However, the blond just kept the exercise going, even though it was evident to the silver haired Jounin that Naruto was feeling pain on his muscles by now. After the last sit-up, Naruto was in front of Kakashi, breathing with difficulty as it was expected.

"Good work Naruto, these three exercises will be done every morning until I see that you got used to it. In time, we'll increase the weights and the number of repetitions. Now, we'll practice your Taijutsu. The Uchiha's Intercepting Fist is an unique style and can only be used by predicting the opponent's moves, in other words, your movements would have to be made before the opponent starts his movement, any questions?" - Kakashi explained, before Naruto nodded.

"Understood, however if the style is like you said, then without the Sharingan it's pretty much useless, right? What if for some reason, I can't use the Sharingan and have to protect myself?" - Naruto asked, followed by a smile from Kakashi.

"Granted that the Uchiha created this Taijutsu style only to rely on the Sharingan, however the doujutsu isn't the only way for you to anticipate your opponent. With enough experience, shinobi's instinct proves to be a major asset in battle, meaning that your experience shows you the move before the enemy proceeds. You'll be trained in both ways, using your Sharingan and not using it. Now, I'll attack you using low speed so that you can see the attack and move to defend it. Afterwards, I'll give you a scroll about the Intercepting Fist for you to memorize the katas"

As Naruto fell into the Academy standard Taijutsu style, Kakashi immediately set himself to attacking the little blond slowly so that he could get a feel of the Sharingan in the midst of battle.

===At night===

A few hours later, Naruto was sore from head to toe and he wanted nothing more than just sleep for a whole day. Kakashi followed after the blond inside the cottage as they prepared their beds in order to go to bed. After the Taijutsu program, Naruto started reading the scroll which detailed the Uchiha's Taijutsu style, but fatigue soon reached him and he couldn't read more than fifteen minutes, before his eyes were started to close without his will.

Kakashi had the intention of conversing with Naruto about his training, but when he looked at the blond, unsurprisingly; Naruto was already fast asleep, which earned a smile from Kakashi, since he knew that this would happen constantly. Kakashi admitted that one year would only serve to teach Naruto the basics and nothing more, so he intensified the training regimen in order for Naruto to be considered Genin level by the time the year ended. Suddenly, the man's senses alerted him of an intruder in the vicinity, before he left the cottage. Once outside, Kakashi was face to face with the person who initiated all this mess. Full Anbu gear and the weasel mask on his face, Uchiha Itachi was standing there as in waiting for Kakashi to leave the cottage. The strange thing, though, was that Kakashi wasn't intimidated by the last Uchiha and that was suspicious in its own terms.

"Greetings, Kakashi-sempai. Can we talk...far from here...I can't risk being exposed right now"

The silver haired Jounin acquiesced with the Anbu's request, before both vanished from sight and appeared a couple of meters far from the cottage, since Kakashi couldn't leave Naruto alone in there.

"You went beyond what was expected Itachi. Sasuke didn't deserve this fate and certainly not Naruto. It's a miracle that the transfer procedure was a success, otherwise he would be blind right now"

Kakashi's tone holds no malice against Itachi, but the facts alone carried a stronger punch on his face. Ever since the attack on the Uchiha, Itachi's consciousness was beating him like a rag doll, but he couldn't take it away anymore. He never meant to deliver this fate for his little brother, nor would he attack Naruto if he knew it was him who appeared that day.

"I carried my mission with utmost efficiency, Kakashi-sempai. The Uchiha Clan's plans for a coup would soon come into fruition and they would be using the demon sealed in Naruto-kun to destroy everything in their path. Regarding my little brother, though, my intentions were for him to despise me, to hate me so that he wouldn't come to me seeking revenge, but unfortunately, I haven't anticipated that his brain wouldn't be able to take the sudden overload of the Tsukyomi. As to Naruto, I was so engrossed on the mission that I didn't pay attention to my surroundings and when a shadow appeared by the Uchiha's courtyard, I moved by sheer instinct and the results you already know"

As Kakashi listened to it all, he noticed that Itachi's rather stoic voice was beginning to change and he sensed a great deal of regret in it. The silver haired Jounin sighed in dismay at the sudden consequences of Itachi's mission, but there was nothing more to do now...what's done is done and nothing would change.

"Unfortunately, we can't do anything to change the past Itachi. It took great courage from your part to do what was needed, but surely the brain overload you're suffering right now is huge. You need to rest a bit and recover" - Kakashi said.

The weasel masked shinobi nodded and was about to leave, before he looked at the cottage and then turned to Kakashi.

"Don't make him too dependent on the Sharingan, Kakashi. The only reason my family was killed, was because they were blinded by what the doujutsu told them. Naruto-kun has a bright future ahead of him and can very well be a force to be recognized with within a few years of hard work. Also, I've been meaning to warn Konoha about an organization out there after the nine tailed beasts and I'm afraid Naruto will be targeted in the future. I trust that you have some sort of secure communication system with Hokage-sama in order to relay the information, right? The organization's name is Akatsuki and its leader just asked me to join, which I accepted only to spy on them, I'll keep in touch Kakashi to know about him and to relay information about when the organization is after Naruto-kun" - Itachi said, with his back towards Kakashi, thus not seeing the look of surprise shown by the copy-nin.

"Naruto is a special case, so don't worry about it. For someone who grew up accustomed to the village's hatred and with the images of the Uchiha Massacre on his head, there is little that could drive him away from his dream of protecting the village he so cares about. I understand your concern and you have my word that I'll drill this thought into his mind if I have to. Nevertheless, I shall warn Hokage-sama of this organization via my summons, there's no one more reliable than them. I will have to increase the blond's training, then. If some organization will be after him in the future, he needs to be prepared for it, must appreciated Itachi, until next time we meet"

Itachi nodded, before leaving in a shunshin, as Kakashi arrived inside the cottage once more. Seeing as Naruto was still sleeping, Kakashi decided to follow him, thus lying on his bed and closing his eyes for tomorrow. Nevertheless, the sudden knowledge of a powerful organization out there which is after Naruto, even if indirectly, surely poses a significant threat to the blond's well-being. Also the fact that Itachi would be on its members, somehow Kakashi knew that the member's level would be similar or maybe even higher than the Uchiha Prodigy. No doubt, Sandaime needed to hear this…

===the next day===

After Naruto finished the warming exercises, which were still hard by the way, the blond was being trained in target practice by Kakashi as well as some other skills like stealth and agility. Kakashi was surprised that even though the blond's throwing skills wasn't still top notch, he managed to hit the target 8 out 10 shurikens and 7 out of 10 kunais.

The most surprising was that the Sharingan wasn't active. Kakashi wondered why Naruto's skills with projectiles weren't listed in his file, but he paid it no mind.

"Naruto, very good. With a few tips and the Sharingan, you'll be able to hit every target with ease. So, let's try again, only this time try to loosen up your wrist a bit. The movement has to be swift and precise, so by applying too much force to the throw and the projectile won't maintain a straight path like you intended"

Naruto nodded and did as he was told, activating the Sharingan and focusing on the target in front. This time, although he improved, getting 9 out of 10 shurikens and 8 out of 10 kunais, Kakashi just knew Naruto could hit them all on target with enough practice.

"We'll keep doing this for a while and then we'll move on to moving targets, okay?" - Explained Kakashi.

Kakashi didn't explain to him, but by keeping the Sharingan active throughout the entire ordeal did wonders to his chakra control and in no time, Naruto would be able to learn the first exercise a Genin must do, which was the tree walking exercise.

After the projectiles training, Naruto moved on to agility practice which consisted of dodging wooden shurikens thrown by Kakashi. By focusing chakra to his legs, Naruto learned that he could increase his speed and evade the projectiles, but that did little to escape from Kakashi's precise projectiles, but the fact that some of them missed, Kakashi was satisfied with the improvement.

"Naruto, pay attention at the shurikens in order to learn their trajectory! You can't hope to evade them if you don't know where they would hit"

The blond was beginning to consider Kakashi a slave driver, but no once did he complain at the training. He was feeling his muscles pulsing in slight pain, although it was less painful than the first time, Naruto's movements were still restricted by the weight attached to his limbs. He looked forward and saw that three shurikens flew towards the position he would land and he smirked once the Sharingan detailed their trajectory. Landing one of his feet on the ground, he focused some chakra and managed to change directions, before the shurikens flew past him and hit the tree instead, much to Kakashi's smile.

"Good job, now what will you do once I increase the number of projectiles, say 10 for instance?"

Kakashi didn't even wait for a response as he appeared with five in each hand before throwing all of them at Naruto. At first, panic reached the blond from not knowing what to do against the attack, but then he realized that by doing this, he'd never get this exercise done, so he focused on the image the Sharingan displayed, before calculating each shurikens' designated target. His mind alerted him to the fact that all projectiles aimed for a specific part of his body. With a swift move, Naruto rolled to the left, before he saw the shuriken passed through him, without posing any danger.

However, the blond was ill-prepared when Kakashi appeared behind him and placed deadly kunai just inches from his jugular.

"Good job once more, however this is one lesson you have to carry with you every day. You must pay attention to your surroundings at all times. Shurikens are sometimes used for distraction and the opponent could only wait until you dodge them, before attacking when you're occupied. I'll be doing this from time to time to see how your perception of danger is tuned. Now, let's get some lunch, I'm starving; how about you?"

The silver haired Jounin smiled at the blond's stomach suddenly voicing his opinion and the fact that Naruto blushed in embarrassment only proved to increase the man's laughter, much to the blond's chagrin, as he muttered some curse words.

During lunch time, Kakashi thought about talking to Naruto, outside of training to get a feel of the blond's thoughts right now. He was surprised, though, that Naruto was using this time out of the village in order to ease his thoughts on the manner. Naruto talked about everything that happened since that fateful day and opened up to Kakashi that the memory was quite overwhelming to swallow, but he also felt confident that with time, he would learn how to cope, a thought shared by Kakashi who in turn assured the blond that he would help in any way he could and that Naruto could always talk to him about it.

"Thank you Kakashi-sensei, but I believe just the time outside the village will be enough to sort things out. So what's left on the agenda for today?"

Kakashi smiled at his student's endless determination. Surely, this year will be very interesting.

===One month later===

What at first started slow just for Kakashi to get a grip of Naruto's skills, one month later, the blonds' skills skyrocketed. With the Sharingan, Naruto managed to learn the Taijutsu style with utmost efficiency as his speed nearly doubled since they started the training. His physical work out doubled as well with the blond now carrying 10 pounds per limb and doing twice the workout. Right now, Kakashi was testing Naruto in a Taijutsu match where he would increase the pace to a Genin level fight. He was surprised how much the blond improved since the start. Right now, they were fighting with a kunai in hand as Kakashi saw that Naruto was quite adapt to using small blades in a fight. Suddenly, they met each other on the air as the weapons clashed with one another, resonating a much peculiar sound. Both Naruto and Kakashi landed on the ground, before doing back-flips. Instantly, both of them picked shurikens and threw at each other, before meeting in the middle.

There was a reason Kakashi and Naruto were moving alike and that was because this is the exact nature of the Intercepting Fist; to act before the opponent have the chance to. The fight lasted for half an hour before Naruto dropped on the ground panting in exhaustion. He was able to maintain the Sharingan for a longer period of time, but still wasn't enough.

"Don't worry Naruto, as the doujutsu evolves, you'll be more accustomed with it, meaning you won't spend too much chakra keeping it active. Now, take five and I'll teach you a new chakra control exercise" - Kakashi said.

The silver haired Jounin smiled at the blond in front of him as he imagined how much he grew from one month. His muscles were certainly more defined and his stamina increased, meaning he could maintain a Taijutsu fight against a Jounin level shinobi while at the same time focusing chakra on his eyes. Kakashi was certain that the blond wouldn't have much of a problem with the tree walking exercise, since maintaining the Sharingan active is the same principle.

"Kakashi-sensei, I was wondering about something..." - Naruto said, gathering his sensei's attention. "During our fight, for a minute of two, the Sharingan showed me your moves before you performed them. But that wouldn't happen after it went to the second level, right?"

Kakashi pondered for a while to give the answer for Naruto. He didn't know if Naruto was on the verge of evolving his Sharingan or the fact that he was pumping more chakra to his eyes than necessary, thus giving him a better vision. Nevertheless, he figured that both situations would end up evolving his Sharingan, so he showed a smile to the blond.

"If what you said is true, Naruto; then your Sharingan has entered in the process of evolution. You did read a part of the book I gave you that detailed the exact time of the sharingan's evolution. In your case, you'll begin to see the effects of the second level doujutsu, until it finally evolves. Congratulations..." - Kakashi said with a smile on his face as he saw Naruto smiling as well. "With the second level Sharingan, you'll be able to move on to the ninjutsu and Genjutsu portion of this training, now the exercise I'm about to teach you is called tree climbing exercise"

"..."

The look of pure confusion appeared in the blond's face and he questioned if there was someone at his age not able to climb trees. Kakashi saw his doubt and explained.

"I know what you'll say as others already asked before. You won't learn how to simply climb trees, but rather climb without the use of your hand. Like this..."

Kakashi focused chakra on his feet and began walking up the tree on his side, much to Naruto's surprised demeanor. After he dropped to the ground, he turned to Naruto once more to explain.

"You can do this by focusing chakra to your feet in order to stick your feet at the tree's hard structure. Use a kunai to mark your progress, okay. Oh and one more thing, you won't be using the Sharingan for this"

"Why not?" - Naruto asked.

"Remember what I taught you Naruto, the Sharingan is nothing but a tool at your disposal, you cannot become too dependent on it to the point where you can't do anything without it. Now, get moving!"

The little blond nodded now without question and deactivated the sharingan. Since they started this training, Kakashi would repeat the sentence 'look underneath the underneath' as it was his mantra. He explained that in order to develop a shinobi's mind, one must always look beyond appearances, ask questions when needed and seek answers when possible. The sharingan is nothing but a tool, he said. To Naruto, this concept wasn't foreign at all, but maybe there was something there his sensei wanted him to figure out. Kakashi had enough experience under his belt to know that in theory the sharingan is obviously an Uchiha's tool to overcome the opponent, but when practice is involved, it wouldn't be that simple. Perhaps something happens in the future that Naruto needs to watch out for. So far, nothing of the sort happened, but if Kakashi said so, then is need for the blond's concern.

===In Konoha===

One month passed since Naruto left with Kakashi and Sarutobi was satisfied with the first report. Kakashi was now focusing on building Taijutsu and stamina, also focusing on his weapon throwing skills and agility as well. His Sharingan wasn't yet evolved to the second stage, but Kakashi was confident that Naruto could reach in another month or two. Hiruzen was reluctant to allow Kakashi to teach Kenjutsu to Naruto, but he was certain that the man had his reasons to think of such skills and the Hokage trusted Kakashi to do the right thing.

Regarding the boy's training, Sarutobi couldn't be more pleased. Regarding about his reputation, though, was a different matter entirely. The population already knew that the blond was present at the Uchiha Massacre and they were demanding answers to the probable cause of the Kyuubi being behind all this, even though it was clear to the Hokage and the Anbu that Naruto was only wandering around before he was hit in the face by Itachi's fire attack. Hiruzen could very well relay this information to the population, but it wouldn't take long until they realize Naruto isn't blind and figure out the truth.

Another fact that clearly bothered Hiruzen, was this new organization Akatsuki which is after the tailed beasts, like the one residing inside Naruto. Certainly, precautions must be made in order to assure Naruto's survival, however without much information to rely on; there was no way he could make a proper assessment. Certainly, he would need someone who could dig the information through the entire elemental nations and the man just knew said person.

Huh, it seems I'll get to see my old student once more, I wonder how that old pervert is doing?

===With Naruto and Kakashi===

It was already night time and Kakashi was reading his book while observing Naruto trying consecutive times to climb the entire tree only for his feet to slip from its hold and Naruto uses the momentum to flip and land on his feet on the ground. The blond already managed to reach half of the tree, but for some reason, he was adamant about going all the way, even though his chakra was starting to deplete. Naruto for his part was panting on the ground severely. He kept trying a few more, but he couldn't anymore and he dropped unconscious on the ground, earning a sigh in dismay from his sensei. Immediately picking the blond on his arms, Kakashi proceeded towards the cottage, before placing Naruto on his bed.

===Inside Naruto's mindscape===

Directly after being unconscious, the blond started dreaming about something. He suddenly woke up below a different roof as he listened to the calming noise of a river. Getting up from his bed, Naruto walked towards the door, before opening it revealing a rather spacious garden with the river in the middle. It was strange to the blond how familiar he felt as he walked throughout the deck towards the kitchen. Upon entry, the blond saw what appeared to be a gorgeous black haired woman doing the dishes while singing. The blond found that the voice was incredibly enticing and comforting, thus remaining there to listen. The woman, though, stopped and turned to see the blond.

"Good morning Sasuke-kun, did you sleep well?"

Naruto was surprised at the greeting, but, somehow, he greeted this person as if he was Uchiha Sasuke. But what surprised him the most was Sasuke's response.

"I have Okaasan, what's for breakfast?"

Naruto or Sasuke pushed the chair and took a sit by the table as he saw Sasuke's mother place some pancakes in front of him with a bottle of orange juice.

"Eat up Sasuke-kun or you'll be late for the academy"

The blond was confused. He knew this was a dream...how could he not? In here he was Sasuke, after all. So why didn't he wake up? The blond never knew his mother, so a strange feeling hit him out of a sudden and he wondered if this what it feels like to be loved by a mother. Suddenly, the image fast-forwarded and Naruto saw himself on the door leaving before Sasuke's mother appeared, giving him a peck on the cheek, before giving Sasuke's lunch.

"Good luck at the academy today Sasuke-kun, I want to hear about it when you come back"

Naruto could very well feel his skin getting warmer, which indicated a heavy blush on Sasuke's face, but he couldn't help but smile at his mom for how much love she provides for him.

"Sure do Okaasan; I'll make you proud of me"

Being only a kid, Sasuke shot his arms to the sky in order to prove to his mother that he really meant what he said and would do everything to please the lovely lady. However, what the woman said, Naruto was feeling his heart getting warmer and he couldn't help but smile at Sasuke's memory.

"I'm already proud of you Sasuke-kun more than you imagine"

The dream fast-forwarded once more until Naruto saw it once more...images of what happened on that fateful night, but instead of everyone getting killed by Itachi's hands, the only image that now stood before Naruto was that of Sasuke's mother dead by his father's side. The blond suddenly jerked open his eyes and noticed that he was back at the cottage, which meant he might have passed out and Kakashi-sensei brought him here. Looking to the side, he saw the man in question sound asleep, before he looked at the ceiling once more. The dreams were beginning to improve, but no matter what happened, it always ended with images of the Uchiha Massacre much to the blond's chagrin and constant curse. It didn't matter, though, as in time, he would find a way to cope with what happened.