A Cat and A Fox

"Is not about living forever Jacky, the trick is. Living with yourself Forever,"

Many legendary ninjas have been born in the Village hidden among the trees over the years, and the village has been home to many of them. There's the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, also known as the God of Shinobi and the Professor, and then there's everyone else. He was taught by the previous two Hokages and was an S-Rank shinobi by the age of fourteen when he was elevated to the position of Hokage.

Then there were the Sannin, also known as the Legendary Three Ninja; Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, all of whom had legendary abilities and summons. After surviving a battle with Hanzo of the Salamanders, they were lauded as legends and S-Rank ninjas across Elemental Nations.

Sakumo Hatake, also known as The White Fang of the Leaf, was a genius shinobi who was supposed to be stronger than the Sannin.

Minato Namikaze was a once-in-a-generation genius who was a disciple of Jiraiya of the Sannin and the fabled Fourth Hokage. He is also a once-in-a-generation genius. The famed Yellow Flash, as he is affectionately known.

Naruto Uzumaki, a tiny blond orphan, was coming up to the Ninja Academy when he saw Naruto Uzumaki. Hiruzen, unlike everyone else, could see the potential that lay ahead of him, a potential that no one else could see. He truly believed that people like Naruto could rise to the position of Hokage in the future and perhaps achieve the goal he had wished to achieve, but his time had passed, and all he could do now was pass the torch to the next generation and hope for the best.

Hiruzen reflected about this as he gazed out the windows at the Village, wondering what the blonde was up to just now, the actual genuine one, not the clone that was typically present in the Academy building.

The only thing that could come out of his mouth was a humourless laugh, and as he looked at Minato's image, he recalled the speech his little surrogate grandson had given many weeks earlier...

' Naruto walked into the classroom early, like he often did. He returned to his seat towards the far end of the room, which had been 'his' seat over the course of the previous three years. As he leaned his chair back, the would-be genin looked up at the ceiling with his eyes closed. It's been almost three years since I first walked into this class... and I've only made, what, two new friends? As he leaned the staff against the wall, he grinned and shook his head in amusement. The scroll containing the cinnamon buns was pulled out of a bag and sealed. He stood there and observed as the other students came into the room when Hinata walked through the door.

"N-n-n-n-n-n-na-Naru-naruto, y-y-y-you l-loo-k h-h-han-ha-." The blonde guy blinked and attempted to figure out what Hinata was saying with her stuttering. Hinata's face became hot red, and she just dashed to her seat.

Naruto just returned his gaze to Ino, who was sitting next to him on the desk. "Hey, Ino, do you want some?" says the narrator. In response to a seal put on his scroll, Naruto inquired about gaining rolls.

"Of course, Naruto," Ino practically squealed as she took a bite of the first one, and her eyes shone brightly like new stars.

It didn't take long for the blonde to devour another since she had never before tasted anything so good.

"Can you tell me who the other three are for Naruto?" As Shikamaru and Choji stepped through the door, Naruto inclined his head. The drowsy genius strolled up to Naruto's desk and took a seat in front of him. Naruto stood there watching as the youngster with the pineapple hair sank his head on the desk. The blonde student shook his head to attract the attention of his classmate, then grabbed up a roll of toilet paper. He placed it on Shikamaru's open hand before bending over and blowing directly into Shikamaru's ear with his whistle.

The spike-haired adolescent sat straight upright, his hand reaching out to his ear for support. Unfortunately, he was completely unaware that he had anything on his palm and ended up flattening the cinnamon bun on his ear. Despite himself, he couldn't help but giggle at the sight of icing and cinnamon powder streaming from Naruto's ear. From behind them, the others could be heard chuckling. Naruto placed one hand on his hip placatingly and picked up a second roll. He put it directly in front of Shikamaru's face. The youngster grabbed the bottom of Naruto's coat and used it to clean the inside of his ear. He ignored the glare Naruto sent his way and instead grabbed up his roll and chewed into it viciously.

Naruto shook his head once more before returning to his desk and sitting down. He blinked and threw a rollover to Chouji, who eagerly accepted it as a gift. When Kiba walked through the door, Naruto tossed a couple of rolls his way. Kiba had already consumed one and was about to bite into another when Naruto's voice stopped him.

"Oi, Dog Boy, that one is for Akamaru," says Naruto. When Kiba looked away from him, he stroked the back of his head with a sheepish grin and clutched the cinnamon bun behind his head. The roll was pushed down by a hairy snout that surged up. As the sounds of loud eating emanated from Shikamaru's hood, Kiba strolled up and took a seat next to him.

"So, are you guys all set to go? We are faced with difficulties today! And I certainly don't want to come up short." He gave Chouji a high-five over Shikamaru's shoulder before turning his chair around and facing Naruto.

"Is it possible for us to see you putting the Ducks in his place once more? We-" "I know you've been holding back from the first day," Kiba said as he snapped his head around to face their group.

Naruto took a few steps back and blinked. Everyone in the gathering was looking at him with hopeful expressions on their faces.

"Doesn't Kiba speak for all of you, don't you think?" The boy groaned as they nodded their heads. "That's OK, that's fine. I'm going to take him down a peg or three. It shouldn't be that difficult, particularly if he's been demonstrating his abilities to the best of his abilities." He had a nasty smirk on his face. The blonde was well aware that they didn't exactly know his full power; yet, what he demonstrated was sufficient for him to be the best in the class despite the professors, with the exception of Iruka-sensei, attempting to sabotage him on multiple occasions.

"So, who's up for placing bets on our teams?" Ino inquired as to whether or not they had begun wagering on who would be on the squad since the second year.

Shikamaru was the only one who was successful in withdrawing money. Everyone others had seen the young genius make a wager and had decided that they did not want any of it. Naruto flashed a smile.

"Guys, let's not be ridiculous. So, Shika, what do you think your chances are?"

"The trio of Ino, Shika, and Cho. Hinata, Kiba, and Shino should be grouped together, in my opinion. You?" He stood there and watched as Naruto drew out an equal sum of money.

"Given the way things have gone for me, I'd guess I'm going to be trapped with the banshee and Duckass himself." Next to Naruto's and Shikamaru's piles was a third mound of books. The sound of Kiba's voice could be heard.

"Naruto, not a chance. They wouldn't put you in a situation where you were going to murder two people. I propose that you be assigned to a squad that includes Shino and Shikamaru." Shino was in charge of collecting the money, and he indicated that he would determine who won based on his impartiality as a judge. Shikamaru's money was returned to him since no one had really bet against him.

Ino placed a bet on her and Naruto, and most likely on Shikamaru as well. Hinata had been deafeningly silent during it all, almost as if she didn't exist.

When Iruka entered the room, the group was forced to disperse to their seats. When he arrived, the class immediately fell silent, terrified that he would employ the Big Head method on them if they didn't behave. Mizuki, trailed behind Iruka by a few feet. The door at the front of the room was closed, so Iruka went to it and Mizuki stood beside it.

"Alright today are the challenges. I want each of you to go to the training yard," After he finished speaking, Iruka gave a quick blink. There was no one in the room. He turned to gaze at Mizuki, who was whirling dizzily in his seat.

"Iruka-san, I'm thinking they're a little nervous." In order to speak, the chuunin had to be standing. After that, he walked out of the classroom, leaving Iruka to glance around at all the vacant desks. They've all grown up, which is amazing. To think that after four years we could be receiving a fresh batch of Ninjas to join our ranks is incredible. I'm curious to see which of them will go on to become Genin. The spike-haired chuunin walked out of the room, his mind racing.

The Academy's Practice Fields

"All right, class, the first bout is... Kiba vs Tentronu," the announcer says. The youngster with the savage appearance jumped into the ring. A normal, unremarkable young man dressed in tans went into the arena with him as well.

"Hey, instructor, what are the rules?" says one of the students. Iruka took a deep breath and inclined his head to the side.

"There is no jutsu, and there are no partners in these bouts. We're interested in seeing your physical fighting abilities." He nodded and murmured something into the hood of his hooded sweatshirt. Akamaru sprang out and trotted up to Shino, who scooped up the dog and placed him on his head; they both turned to watch as Kiba fell into a low squat in front of them. Tentronu took the basic Academy Taijutsu posture, and some of his companions shook their heads in anticipation of what was about to happen.

"All right, Hajime, you're in charge!" Kiba jumped forward as Iruka's hand slipped to the ground. Kiba's leap was blocked by Tentronu's swinging arm, and his other arm was ready to strike as he charged forward. In agony, his eyes widened as Kiba's pointed nails lanced into the skin of his arm, cutting him. Despite the discomfort, he continued hitting and disregarding the agony. Kiba's right leg sprang up and crashed into the other boy's fist before his foot lashed out and slammed into Tentronu's stomach. Tentronu was knocked unconscious. Tentronu's arm was bloodied from the nails that remained in it after the youngster was thrown to the ground. He smashed into a tree outside the ring. Kiba landed on the ground and massaged the back of his head with a smug expression on his face.

"Wait a minute... did I go a little too far?" Iruka gave a long shake of his head and blinked. To show Lord Hokage how easy the Academy Taijutsu style can be defeated, I must first demonstrate my own abilities. I mean, that was just humiliating. In the meanwhile, Kiba returned to his group of pals, where Shino gave Akamaru back to him.

It seemed like the following several battles were just a blur, with the Clan Heirs handily winning their matches, albeit none were nearly as brutal as Kiba's. Chouji's came dangerously close to winning the match, as his opponent almost threw up when the Akamichi lad tripped him and leaped up to perform a body slam on his opponent. After everything was said and done, there was only one Clan Heir remaining who needed to be battled, and only one other pupil who hadn't fought yet.

"All right, now it's time for the last match. Will Sasuke and the others..." Iruka took a moment to go through the list he was holding in his hands. "Uh... will Sasuke and Naruto enter the ring?" says Iruka.

The two youngsters took their places in the ring. Naruto's group of buddies were quietly crossing their fingers as they sat in the stands, eagerly watching the action.

Sasuke was able to effortlessly transition into the Uchiha Clan position. As Naruto took a few steps on the opposite side of the ring, his icy black eyes were fixed on him, his metal staff clutched in one hand.

"A HEY TO YOU, IRUKA-SENSEI! A WEAPON HAS BEEN USED BY THE DOBE!" When the shriek reached Naruto's ears, he scratched the bridge of his nose. Iruka reacted before he had a chance to say anything.

"Sakura-san. As long as the weapon is not thrown, it is entirely safe to use it. Please keep quiet for the time being so that we can get started." The girl made a low grumble beneath her breath before remaining silent.

"Hajime!" When Iruka's hand came down, everyone tensed up, anticipating a replay of the frenzied start to the contests earlier in the day. Instead, neither boy made a move as Naruto and Sasuke locked gazes with one another.

"It's not too late to give up Dobe," says Sasuke. The youngster with the ebony eyes spoke in hushed tones. The attention of the crowd was drawn to Naruto to see how he would react to this. He leaned down and burst out laughing, much to their amazement. This was a surprising answer to Sasuke's insult, and he took a step back in surprise. Is the Dobe laughing at my expense? His pupils constricted as a wave of wrath washed over him. He sprinted forward, hoping to come to a halt just beyond of Naruto's reach and cause him to overextend in an attempt to strike him.

Naruto was clutching a staff, which was a mistake for the Uchiha, who had completely forgotten about it. After taking several steps back, the metal sprang forward and banged against his chest, knocking him a few steps back. He raised one hand and started stroking the affected area, a tiny wince in his throat. Naruto had not stopped giggling during the whole ordeal. While Sasuke was recuperating, the blonde-haired kid was able to keep his laughing under control for the first time.

"Duckass, you're absolutely correct. It is not too late for you to give up on your dreams." Naruto sat up straight and pulled his trench coat off his shoulders.

Almost half of the metal's total length was pushed into the ground.

Naruto climbed up onto the platform and looked down at Sasuke. "This, Sasuke, is how much above you I am in terms of rank. It's not anything I would normally draw attention to, but..." His gaze drifted across to his companions, and he shrugged his shoulders.

"I was asked to make an exception since someone had requested it." As the Uchiha hissed and ran forward, his fists lashed into Naruto's legs, striking him in the ribs.

"Uchiha, please show me what you've got. Iruka-sensei. Can the Uchiha and I go all out and have you evaluate us on our performance in the other areas from this fight?" The two lads turned to face Iruka, who smiled and nodded. When Naruto turned around to gaze at Sasuke, he was hit by a fireball that was rushing towards him.

Naruto quickly dodged it.

When Naruto's hand flew out and seized the staff on his left, Sasuke blinked in surprise. He prepared himself expecting his opponent to utilize it, and as Naruto hurled it out of the ring, he cocked his head in confusion as he looked about. Suddenly, Naruto drew a little black scroll from his pocket and nipped his thumb over the seal with the bleeding pad, preventing him from opening his lips in mockery. Naruto smirked as he grabbed the sword that had come from the void.

We apologize, but my staff is a little awkward to utilize for my jutsu at the moment." That made Sasuke frown, and he moved his hand to a bag on his hip, where he put his hand down. A trio of shuriken were retrieved from his pocket, and he flashed them through a sequence of hand-seals.

"Kaiton: Hosenka no Jutsu!" says Sasuke. A trio of miniature fireballs erupt from his lips, and the shuriken is thrown exactly behind each one, completing the attack.

As for Naruto, he flashed through his own set of hand-seals as a distraction. When he heard Sasuke say, he couldn't help but smile. No, some genius hasn't even realized that yelling the name of his jutsu is really a genin move. Let's see how he responds to this proposal. Fuuton: Kamaitachi no Jutsu (Kamaitachi no Jutsu). After lashing his weapon to the ground, the blade-like shape of the wood unleashed a path of wind behind him.

When the wind strike defeated the equal-ranked fire attack, Iruka and Mizuki's eyes widened as they realized what had happened. It was imperative that Naruto respond swiftly in order to deflect the shuriken that had been concealed beneath the flames. He dipped into his own bag and brought out a trio of shuriken that belonged to him. Okay, now it's my chance Naruto hurled the weapons in unison and stood back to watch as Sasuke evaded them. In the blink of an eye, he had focused his will into the technique, sending the shuriken looping through the air and flying back towards him and the unsuspecting youngster.

Sakura had been watching the weapons from the sidelines, her attention drawn to them by the gleam they emitted. She realized what Sasuke had missed, and she was about to issue a warning when a large hand clamped over her mouth and forced her to stop speaking. Chouji's eyes were on her as she gazed up at him.

"Now, Haruno, please don't talk." In front of her face, he waggled a finger, and he kept his hand over his lips.

Earlier in the match, Sasuke had cocked his head and shrugged his shoulders. As Blonde stood there, inviting an attack, he obliged by drawing a cluster of kunai from his satchel. Naruto produced a pair of hand seals and then returned to his empty stare. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu/ Kawarimi no Jutsu is a kind of jutsu developed by Kage Bunshin. He shimmered for a brief period before settling, causing the Uchiha to blink as he threw the kunai, to which he responded with a smirk as Naruto kicked a stone in the direction of his face.

After then, the shuriken struck. Sasuke shouted as the metal prongs sunk their teeth into his skin, one in his shoulder and the other two thudding into the back of his thighs. Suddenly, he felt something pressing on his temple as he dropped to the ground and began to fight to his feet.

"Slam. You're no longer alive." When he raised his eyes, he noticed Naruto standing there.

"WHAT? HOW! YOU WERE CRUSHED BY THOSE KUNAI, AS WE SAW!" Naruto snorted as he raised his eyes to Sakura.

"It was a Kage Bunshin that you all saw being struck. Let's face it, your beloved Uchiha was defeated."

Iruka smiled and nodded. "However, you both come out on top in the trials that you set for yourself. How did Naruto's wind jutsu neutralize Sasuke's fire jutsu, I'm wondering." Naruto had a grin on his face.

"It's because Duckass made it weak." Naruto slipped the truncheon back into the seal scroll and extended his hand to the Uchiha in order to assist him in getting to his feet. When Sasuke smacked his hand away, Naruto just sighed, there was no point.

Taking a step behind the other, the blonde-haired kid pulled his shuriken out of the Uchiha's back before sealing them into a separate scroll. That means I'll have to clean them up before I can put them back with the others. He strolled up to his companions and gave them a thoughtful look.

"Well?" Shikamaru smirked as he smacked him on the back of the neck.

"This is quite troublesome!" Similar praises were received from the other participants.

To pass the other exam, you had to toss Kunai at a target; there were thirty targets and you had thirty kunai to throw. If you manage to hit three of them, you have completed the task.

For the blonde, the other exams passed him by in a haze, with his attention drawn solely to the fact that the had done nothing about Fuinjutsu. As the professors went about their grading, the class was escorted back inside. Mizuki was the one who graded the second half of the group, whereas Iruka was the one who graded the first half.

As soon as the tasks were done, Naruto was declared victorious, but the blonde was lost in contemplation. The Hokage had come to the school today to observe how the next generation would fare in the challenges, if you can call them that.

Nothing more than fighting and throwing kunai at dummies was accomplished. Naruto was puzzled as to where the Fuinjtsu Challenge had gone. Why they hadn't been taught how to walk on trees, yet...

"Can I ask you a question, Iruka-sensei?". The shocked look on Iruka's face didn't mask his curiosity, and he indicated for Naruto to continue as planned.

"We took part in challenges including combat, history, and weapon throwing. What's the deal with Fuinjtsu?" Naruto inquired, practically grilling him, with a calculating expression on his face.

Iruka shifted his weight slightly in response to the inquiry, as he was uncomfortable with the attention of his pupil.

"Fuinjtsu Exams had been withdrawn from the Academy System seven years ago," Iruka said, expressing his displeasure with the decision but acknowledging that he was unable to reverse it.

After seeing the Blonde's eyes narrowed slightly and his stare becoming ice, Iruka saw the room had become frigid, and that Naruto had given the Hokage an unblinking side glance that he didn't bother to disguise.

"Are you telling me that you withdrew the Fuinjtsu Art from the Academy System?" Naruto said with venom, his gaze now directed at the Hokage rather than at his instructor. "Is that correct?"

Hiruzen opened his lips to say something, but his words were cut short as Naruto's strength extended farther across the class..

"Can you tell me, Iruka-sensei, what the purpose of Fuinjtsu is?" Naruto inquired, a sneer in his tone of speech.

"It is used to seal things," Iruka said, despite his own lack of understanding in the Art of Fuinjtsu, having not yet reached Level II proficiency.

"To put it another way, it is the most straightforward way to describe it. Fuinjtsu is used for a variety of tasks, including transporting items across a field, fastening items, and applying a seal of blood to ensure that something is secure. Fuinjtsu may be used to make barrier seals, healing seals, and paper bombs, for example. It is easier and safer to transfer supplies during a battle by sealing the supplies"Naruto stated, his voice becoming louder and higher with each syllable he spit out while gazing at the audience in front of him.

Everyone had come to a complete halt. "Mito Uzumaki became the Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi, thanks to the use of Fuinjtsu. How is a village supposed to survive if Fuinjtsu is not taught in Academy?" During his speech, Naruto paused to emphasize that the Detection Barrier that surrounds the Village was formed using Fuinjtsu but the blonde didn't mention it since it wasn't public knowledge and the hokage might ask how he knew about it. Naruto continued.

"The Fourth Hokage was a Level 10 Fuinjtsu Master; the only one remaining in Konoha is Jiraiya, The Sannin. He's still alive, but he's becoming old. Who will we have in his place once he passes away, or do you think he'll live forever? What will we do if Kyuubi strikes again, and how do you plan to seal him without the use of Fuinjtsu,"Naruto ended his tirade since he realized there was little purpose in continuing.

Hiruzen recalled that day well; the news had spread like wildfire, and the civilian council had moved quickly to demand that Naruto be punished; even Koharu had expressed concern; nevertheless, much to Hiruzen's astonishment, Danzo had said nothing negative about Naruto. However, it's possible that he was only acting in character.

Hiruzen, on the other hand, was perplexed as to how Naruto had discovered that Mito Uzumaki had been a Jinchuuriki.

Naruto - After 2 weeks

Despite the fact that it was difficult, Naruto managed to keep himself under control by tying three tails behind his back, as Kurama had warned him would be the case, but the mere thought of why he was doing this caused him to stand up on all four limbs again, his blood-red eyes watching as small trees grew all around him, but not just the trees, the wind was flying all around him but not directly against his body, but more like it was caressing his skin.

An exact replica of his body was slowly formed in front of him, and this was quickly followed by four additional wood clones.

Due to the fact that the original was under Kurama's chakra cloak, the wood clones began creating their own chakra cloak with three tails almost immediately after being created. However, unlike the Shadow Clones, the wood clones did not vanish into thin air.

"Let's Do This Kurama," Naruto replied, a grin on his face, taking care not to utilize his Sharingan.

Hokage Tower

A unusual group of people had gathered in Hiruzen Sarutobi's office; on one side of his desk stood none other than The Raikage and a girl with long blonde hair; with just one look at her, Hiruzen Sarutobi could tell she was maybe 2-3 years older than Naruto.

"It's a pleasure to have you here, Raikage-Dono," says the Hokage.