Chapter 4

The next few days moved on quickly And it had become the night of the sixth day since we got the scrolls.

While having no friends would be detrimental to other children, none of them were reincarnated with a whole other life backing them.

And while Tsuyu wasn't a reincarnation, she had me, her big brother who would tear the heavens apart for her and rip apart Shinigami if it was necessary to save her.

So with me encouraging Tsuyu to study and helping with small titbits of telling her what was possible if we continued to learn and train, We had read a majority of the scrolls and we're in the process of digesting the information.

Seals were, from my point of view, a Style of Using the simple principles of putting something into another, restriction And even the shape transformation of chakra, to do the impossible.

Sealing Tailed Beasts was a practice that was, in my opinion, perfected by our father and the Uzumaki clan. And that was just one of the Uzumaki's smaller Accomplishments. They were the creators of the Reaper Death Seal Jutsu, a Jutsu that tamed the God of death and forced him into a deal.

'If only most of them weren't gone. I have plans to rebuild the clan, but it's going to be hard. The CRP (Clan Restoration Program) was made for such things, but I knew that it wouldn't go well. My children would be targeted for their terrifying potential as Shinobi, and who knows what would happen if that slippery eel Danzo got his hands on my children... And that would mean I would need to have Sex with a bunch of girls I don't know, not something I'm too keen on doing' I thought to myself.

But all hope wasn't lost.

I knew of several Uzumaki that might be able to be saved if I could meet them in more 'natural' circumstances.

An example, Karran Uzuamki, who would be a little girl around my age, and she was being forced into the role of a 'Healer' as people scared her body. Thinking about it made me mad, but I knew until I met her, there would be no helping her.

And as much as I didn't want to acknowledge that filthy technique, Edo Tensai was a 'Option' if I chose to go down that path.

But, aside form my ramblings of rebuilding Our clan.

Chakra control, had proven to be a bitch and a half to learn.

It was only yesterday that Tsuyu and I managed to get a leaf sticking to each of our foreheads.

But I knew that this was only the first step in a journey that stretched over a Million Mountains.

'Why couldn't my Chakra control be as good as my Senses?' I thought to myself, as I stretched out my senses and Focused on Tsuyu's Warm chakra as she slept.

Feeling her warmth always calmed me, it had been like that since I was sin the womb, her warmth basking over me with a bright shining Sun.

The Academy Taijutsu style, on the other hand, proved to be a triflingly easy set of techniques to learn.

I had fought my fair share of battles with my hands in my past, and I was starting to see those memories as, not a hindrance, but a small evil blessing.

Tsuyu was surprisingly fierce when it came to learning Taijutsu, she had a natural talent for it and I could tell she would one day be somewhere up at the top of this world in Taijutsu skill alone.

'Should I get her to train with Guy?... Nope, definitely not' while it would definitely prove helpful to be trained by Guy, his style was kind of rigged and had no flexibility.

I could tell just by looking at Tsuyu, as she bashed her hands into the trees that she would benefit from a more flexible style, maybe even neglecting Taijutsu and focusing on Ninjutsu or even Kenjutsu.

The Image of a Twin tailed Blond badass sword-wielding Jinchuriki who could combine Ninjutsu and Kenjutsu, was amazing.

I could almost feel the fierceness in the eyes of my minds adult version of Tsuyu.

'Heh... What a sight that would be' I thought as I closed my eyes and started to drift off to sleep.

.

. [Three months later]

.

I opened my eyes with a plan today.

I had had a dream, one where I was alone and dying, Tsuyu wasn't there to help, and I had nobody to save me.

A dream that I'm sure many ninja had had, But this had an importance to me, as it also said that, If I couldn't be saved, then Tsuyu would be alone.

So, after waking up early, and laying there with my eyes closed for a good half an hour.

I opened my eyes and made my declaration

'Today, I will make some friends'

But knowing that I couldn't just make friends with the normal village kids, As they all hated Tsuyu's and my Guts, I had planned out a few targets while I laid there with my eyes closed.

The 'Ino-Shika-Cho' Trio.

A Group of clans that have been working together for generations, and their current generation that is to enter the Academy, are prime targets to make friends out of.

I could have tried with some of the other Clan Kids, ones that wouldn't have scorn imprinted onto them.

Hinata, Kiba, Shino, All were good options.

But Kiba's personality wouldn't mesh well with Tsuyu's and my personality. Hinata was already on my list of friends to make, and Possible Waifu's, and since it was approaching the winter season, the time when Hinata would be attacked by Village kids because of her eyes, I would be out and about more often trying to come across that fateful encounter. And Shino, while a Good person and definitely on my list, I had no idea where he lived or if he ever left his Clan compound, so it would have to wait till the Academy.

But the 'Ino-Shika-Cho' trio, would most definitely not be discouraged from making friends with us.

The Yakamada Clan head, Inoichi, would see us as simple kids longing for friendship, and I was absolutely sure he was already aware of us, and knew us by name. He was also head of the Interrogation and Intelligence Division, So it would be his job to keep tabs on a lot of the villages more important residents.

The Nara Clan head, Shikaku, Was the smartest man in the village, He was a strategic master and if he was more driven, he would certainly be Hokage. And he too, would be aware of us, as Jonin Commander of the Village he would need to be aware of its two most valuable recourses. And I had little doubt that if he met me he would think of my becoming friends with Shikamaru as a way to give him a friend with a similar amount of intelligence.

And the Akimichi Clan head, Choza, was a nice man, and he would not think any different of Tsuyu and I being Choji's friends than Inoichi would.

So After breakfast, I told Tsuyu that I was going to do some solo exploring, she wasn't very happy, to be left alone. But once I promised that I would bring her back something nice, and suggested that if she stayed to read and practice, she could get better at chakra control than me, She was very happy to stay inside.

So I left and went straight to the large park where I knew that the Ino-Shika-Cho trio played along with some other kids.

I knew as I had seen them while Tsuyu and I were on our way to a forested area inside the village to train.

So, I climbed a large tree located in the Park, nearly falling several times, and decided to do some waiting up there until I saw them.

[A few Hours Later...]

As the Three of the Children arrived, Chaperoned by who I could only assume was Shikamaru's Mother. I assumed this because of her dark hair, her similar appearance to Shikamaru and that the woman kissed him on the head and waved him and his friends off as she went to sit at a bench.

But before I could move to climb down the tree, I found myself facing a strange feeling.

Fear.

I wasn't scared of them, they were children after all.

But scared of the plan failing, and not having friends.

'Guess this child body comes with child emotions' I thought a is took a deep breath and steeled myself. As I climbed down the tree, I made my way over to the sand pit where the three were sitting at he side lines and talking.

"Watcha talking about?" I asked as I came up behind Choji.

Ino, who seemed to be the fire behind this little group even as children, was the first to speak up.

"We're waiting for some others, then were going to play Tag, Why?" she asked.

I just shrugged "I was bored, and you all seem to be interesting enough, I thought if I asked I could play with you guys"

Shikamaru looked at me with a quizzical look, "why not the try playing with the other kids here" he said with a small gesture towards the rest of the park which was indeed filled with children.

"I've tired before, but nobody seems to like me, not even the adults want me around their stores" I said honestly.

Choji, who was curious about Shikamaru's and mine conversation, looked up from eating a pack of chips, and spoke up, "Why is that?"

I sat down next to Chojim who moved to widen the small circle of the three of them "I'm not too sure, But even if I have my sister, it gets lonely from time to time"

"You have a sister?" asked Ino, who suddenly seemed a lot more interested in the conversation.

"Yeah, She's at the Orphanage where we live, she decided to stay in today"

"Your both orphans?" Shikamaru asked.

I nodded.

"I'm so sorry to hear that" Ino said, choji nodding.

I gave a wry smile with a slightly sad expression on my face, "It's not that bad, I mean, I still have Tsuyu, and she has me"

Shikamaru and Ino seemed to be in deep thought, and Choji seemed just sad

"But enough about all that! Do you think I can play with you guys, My names Naruto Uzumaki by the way. What's yours?" I said trying to lighten the mood.

"My names Ino Yamanaka"

"Shikamaru Nara"

"I'm Choji Akimichi"

With a small nod, I tried to spark some small talk, asking them about themselves. Occasionally they would ask stuff about me and sometimes about Tsuyu.

Time seemed to pass, and when the other kids who were supposed to show up did, that's when things went downhill.

Shikamaru was the first to notice the looks I was getting from the other Kids, when he asked one of the other kids, a short dark haired boy, he scowled, "He's cursed. Everybody says so, I don't even know why he's here"

I pretended not to hear the words, but Ino seemed to have, and jumped on the topic.

"You should say such mean things about people, Haru" she scolded.

"Well why is he even here?" the same boy asked.

"I was bored. Didn't think my being here would be a problem" I said.

"Well it is" one of the other kids, who seemed to be a year or two older, spoke.

Ino gave both 'Haru' and the older kid a mean glare.

"Well fine then, If you won't don't want him to play with us, then we don't want any of you to play with us" she said In a tiny fury.

After a few odd looks between the kid, the older kid, just huffed and just started storming off, along with the others, who followed like Sheep.

After everything was said and done, I just sighed, "*Sigh* Sorry about all that. I didn't mean to cause any trouble"

"Don't worry about it" Ino said, "They're just being jerks"

Chilli nodded "wouldn't be the first time they've been like that"

Shikamaru nodded, "Besides it was the right thing to do... But I want to ask, why did they say you were cursed?" he asked, which sparked Ino and Choji's interest in the same topic.

"I'm not sure, but it's something me and my sister are used to hearing. People seem to think that me and Tsuyu are cursed for some reason, nobody ever gives us a straight answer" I answered.

Shikamaru sighed, whispering something under his breath, the hushed words sounding vaguely like his trademark 'Troublesome'.

After a few more minutes of us talking, Shikamaru's mother came along, saying it was about time that they went home, But then she noticed me.

"Oh, and who might you be?" his mother asked.

"Naruto Uzumaki, a pleasure to meet you" I said.

Shikamaru's mother, stalled for a second, a thoughtful look on her face that disappeared almost as soon as it arrived.

"Well Naruto, it's nice to meet you as well. Thank you for playing with my Shika, he isn't very social so it's amazing to see him coming out of his shell to meet new people" she said.

Shikamaru huffed a little, and after some laughs, The older Nara women said goodbye and left with the children, but not before inviting me over for dinner.

This brought up the fact of me being an Orphan and about my sister, which didn't seem to deter her, only saying "The more the merrier", and that she'll talk to Her husband about making it a get-together with everybody.

Choji and Ino seemed excited, Shika less so.

Probably at the though of having to entertain people for the evening.

So after telling me to come around to the Clan compound on the coming Sunday for dinner and to bring my sister, They all left.