Chapter 11

Which would suit him perfectly.

With this plan...he wouldn't meet his friends...

Not until much later at any rate.

As it was he was staying as far away from Sasuke and Sakura as possible. Avoiding anything that might change them! He wanted them...as close to what they were as he could get...

So he wouldn't meet them, any of them. But...he had to do this.

The kind of freedom the Hunter Nin enjoyedwas exactly what he needed to contact all the other Jinchuuriki, get a bead on Akatsuki and kill Tobi!

This was the plan...now he just had to make it happ-

"Alright kids settle down." The teacher marched in, an older man with a salt and pepper hair and beard that kinda reminded him of Asuma-sensei's, only it went around his mouth too. "Some of you may notice we've gotten a new student, I'd like you all to give a warm welcome to Naruto-san here. He'll be with us for the next few years we hope."

'Just one buddy.'

The blond smiled, waving at a bunch of faces he didn't recognize. "Nice ta meet 'cha."

"Alright class I'll be passing you your class schedules, and programs. Each of you, for the next class must have read and at least be able to discuss the general theory behind the basic arts of Shinobi combat-"

As Naruto took his paper, droning out the teacher he read over the subjects, reassigning his own time period for mastering and learning these assignments.

-0-

"The Sharingan you say?" Sarutobi mused, not even looking up from his file, the stench of tobaco wafting up from his pipe to permeate the room.

"Or the Mokudon." The kunoichi replied. "He looked into the book last week, and since then his interest in both bloodlines has only increased. There aren't many public works on it, given how few ever faced either abilities and survived but he's digging them up, like he's looking for something specific."

"I wonder what that boy's getting himself up to...why would a four year old be so interested in the abilities of our late founders..."

"I don't know. Though for now, his interest seems to be little more than a passing fancy. I just thought you should know Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi nodded. "Good. Keep me appraised of anything more you find odd. The more information we have, the easier it may be for Inoichi to treat him should it ever be necessary.

"Understood sir."

The young woman turned, leaving Sarutobi to his files for the time being.

-0-

By the time the academy was over, Naruto was anxious to get back to his apartment in order to start the long road of getting his body back into some kind of shape. He'd gotten tired from running up and down stairs.

Stairs!

True, for his four year old self these stairs were about the equivalent to some tall sets of bleachers or something that he really had to lift his leg to get up over it but still...

Freaking stairs.

He needed to get back into shape and quick!

He moved to step out the door when he felt something tugging at his collar, holding him back from leaving, surprised he paused, turning to look over his shoulder to see young Shizune holding onto him.

"Where do you think You're going Naru-chan?"

Uhhh...home?" Why was she glaring at him?

"Nooooo...its your first day, that means you have to go get the school ID's. I knew you'd forget. That's why I came down here!"

"Yeah can I do that tomorrow? I'm kinda tired Shizune-nee."

"You should really get it today." She begrudged. "That thing's important and tells everyone you're a member of the academy to be allowed on school grounds. Without it some of the guards might not let you in if they think you're trying to spy on Konoha teaching methods."

He struggled not to snicker. Is that what they all thought when they were kids?

Yeah...heh...it kinda had been...

Spying on the academy.

Any spy that came back with the "important" Konoha academy teaching curriculum would probably get stabbed for incompetence. It was a tab on all prospective Shinobi so that strategists and mathematicians like Shika could properly determine Konoha's potential military growth based on statistical analysis.

Along with the academy passing average. If numbers weren't up to snuff, or if the gennin were coming out below standards those ID's and school records would be the first piece of evidence to be gathered really.

"I promise I'll get it tomorrow Nee-chan."

"Alright" she sighed before she reached around and coiled her arm over his shoulder to ruffle his hair. Come on, lets get something to eat then I'll walk you home.

He didn't want to waste time. He wanted to get the ball rolling and the faster he did that the better.

But...You never really know when the last "Next time" or "Rain-check" really will be the last one...

He'd learned that one the hard way.

He smiled, the warm display as pleasant as ever as he looked at this younger little stranger.

"Sounds great."

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