Chapter 7

Previously on Work Release : "Naruto how would you like to help me deal with Mizuki and become a gennin as well?" "I'd say no thank you Hokage-san." "That's good my boy now lets … wait what did you say?" "I said no thanks Hokage-san." "NANI!?"

"No thanks ... is what I'd like to say, but I had a meeting with the Daimyo earlier this week." Saratobi had calmed down enough to hear this. "What? When? Where? Why? How?" Saratobi was truly and completely confused by this. He didn't even think Naruto knew there was a Daimyo let alone talked to the man. "I left the village after chuunin academy teacher Umino Iruka figured out my little trick with my bunshin technique." The hokage had to interrupt. "When did you learn a bunshin technique and what was this trick of yours? I hope it wasn't another prank Naruto." "It's not a big deal. I found a teacher outside of the academy who was willing to teach the demon brat."

"Naruto I know your frustrated and all, but you have to understand …" "It doesn't matter anyway when I met the Daimyo and told him of my situation he seemed surprised. He told me that a group of councilmen and your advisors regularly came to see him and that they told him I was being well taken care of. It seems he knew my parents and was giving them extra funding to make sure I was being looked after." Naruto really wanted to laugh as the man turned pale at the implacations of all this. "Oh … so you know Hokage-san, he is sending a team of investigators and accountants some time during the week to find out what happened with those funds." Now the Hokage was close to fainting, but he wasn't the hokage for nothing so he pulled it together.

"O-o-ok-ay N-Na-r-ru-to thanks f-for letting me know." "No problem he wanted me to inform you anyway, because he will also be sending along two of his guardians sons. They are coming to Konoha to become ninja and learn more about Konoha and the world of shinobi. It was his solution to a problem I shared I might have, since he practically ordered me to become one as well." Naruto had the hokages' full attention now. "What problem would that be Naruto-kun?" 'I really hope it's something I can help with as Naruto really does deserve to find a little happiness.'

"The fact that I don't trust a single person in this village to not kill me when they find an opportunity let alone expect them to have my back on missions. His solution was these two boys who have been training since they could walk and really wanted to be ninja. He said they were a little older than me and already have undergone their elemental and weapons training. They haven't unlocked their second element yet, but they have mastered one according to their fathers." "Well, that's to be expected Naruto. Most of our ninja don't even begin to learn to control an element until they make chuunin. So it's quite a feat that they already have mastered one and I'm sure they'll make a fine addition to the village." Said the old man giving Naruto his best smile.

'Hmm … so if I told him I can control seven elements and I'm working towards using two or three more he'd probably force me into Anbu or something. I better keep quite about the full extent of my abilities for now.' "I'm sorry Hokage-san, but it seems I wasn't clear. Technically they nor I will be ninjas for this village. We will wear the headband and swear loyalty to the daimyo and you, but in three years time we will quit. The contract I signed with the daimyo for my freedom runs for three years and then my two teammates will return to the capitol and I will be allowed to either reside safely in fire country or given safe passage to any other country I wish to live in. Of course there is also the chance I may stay and continue on, but I wouldn't count on it."

The Hokage was beginning to swear a bit. 'Contract? He signed a contract with the Daimyo? I can't do anything, but nod my head thanks to those stupid annoying idiots on the council.' Saratobi took a deep breath to clear his mind a little. "Fine just let me see the contract and sign it if need be." Naruto just handed it over to him and watched as he read seemingly deep in thought. After a few minutes the document was signed and he called in his secretary. "Yes Hokage-samma you called for me." The woman looked over at Naruto and sneered at him. Naruto just ignored the woman as he was used to this. It seemed no matter how many secretaries the man went through they all seemed to share one common trait… an unabashed hatred for him.

"Ah yes. I would like it if you would take this contract and make a few copies please." "As you wish Lord Hokage." Nothing was said until she was out the door and the lock clicked back in place. "In the contract I saw where the Daimyo has stated you are to be given access to jounin level material?" "Yes Hokage-san. It was what I wanted out of this deal so that my growth won't be stunted and prevent me from being strong enough to protect myself in the future. However, there is a limit to the number of techniques I can learn per month unless given permission by you." The hokage just nodded and went on to his next issue.

"I read that as well, but you will have to be accompanied by either your sensei or me okay. It's not that I don't trust you, but there are some things better left unknown." Naruto just nodded as there were ways around that if the arrangement didn't meet his needs. "Okay moving on it states here the Daimyo expects me to give you money to buy out the apartment complex you live at and do some renovations?" "Yes. After he heard the conditions I have been forced to live with since I was four he was particularly angry as the council told him I was living in a house with adopted parents who loved me." The hokage once again pailed at the treachery displayed by the council. 'Those greedy idiots never bothered to think one simple unplanned visit by the boy would send their plans and this village into chaos thanks to their lies.'

"I'm really sorry Naruto. I really did try to make that lie a reality, but …" "It doesn't matter anymore. Anyway he expects you to buy my current landlord out at market value for the property and no more then give me adequate money and tools to do the renovations on my own." "Naruto that's an impossible task to let you do on your own." "It will be difficult, but once again I don't trust anyone here to help me so it will have to be done this way." 'Oh Naruto I'm such a fool for letting you get this way. You should be able to trust that not everyone is out to get you.' "Okay well I've already signed off on this so I will go along with this, but if you need any help please let me know." He didn't even get a nod in reply from this.

"Okay about the part that talks about your ability to defend yourself. I see there are penalties for attacks on you or your property?" "Yes. The Daimyo after hearing about some of the things that happened to me decided if law wasn't enough of a deterrent then they would pay monetarily." "I get that, but it doesn't say what happens if they can't pay." "Oh it does in fine print. If they can't pay then I get any possessions of theirs' that are equal to the amount owed. It also states they are responsible for anything of mine they damage or break in the attack." "Okay, but I expect you to remember you're a ninja now Naruto and you can't go around beating up civilians no matter what they say or do." "The Daimyo gave me permission to protect myself, but I will do my best to avoid confrontations and fights. Besides, the Daimyo also had your worry so he made me promise to not use lethal force unless it was unavoidable. I mean even the strongest warrior can be taken down by the weakest civilian if the timing is right or the numbers to great." The hokage could only nod in agreement as his words rang with a wisdom that belied his age.

"Okay Naruto just do your best okay. Finally, this last part about your inheritance. Does this mean you know about your parents?" "Yes. The Daimyo was kind enough to tell me their names and what he knew of them and their wishes for me. However, he was unable to tell me if my mother was still alive or not and if they left me anything. The hokage took a minute to prepare himself for what he knew would come next. "Your mother is alive, but I'm afraid she left some time before your first birthday and I don't know where she is. I'm also sorry to say she took almost everything and what she didn't take the council did. The only thing left for me to give you is a scroll your father left for you." Saratobi got up and went to a painting on the wall and gently removed it then set it down. There was a hidden safe and Naruto watched as the Hokage opened it before grabbing a scroll and quickly closing the safe. He re-hung the painting and then gave the scroll to Naruto as he again took his seat behind his desk. He waited a few minutes to see if Naruto was going to read it now, but all he did was drop it in a pocket.

"That leaves a request from me Hokage-san that wasn't in the agreement." "Oh what might that be?" 'He probably wants money for past attacks.' Saratobi thought with a sigh at how much all this was going to cost him and the village. "This wasn't added to the agreement, because the Daimyo wanted me to hold off until I got the right information from you, but your answer of what happened with my mother tells me I'm doing the right thing." He now had his full attention. "I no longer want to be known as Naruto Uzumaki. Instead I just want to be Naruto until such time as I find the right last name or get married in which case I will take my wife's last name." The hokage could only nod wanting to get this over with before anything else came up.

"So now that we got that out of the way and you are now a gennin of the Leaf I am giving you your first mission." He received another nod. 'I really wish the old Naruto would come back. This Naruto is very unsettling.' Finishing his thought he started up again. "You are to fake the theft of The Scroll of Sealing and meet Mizuki. You will discover his motives for this action and apprehend him. If you are unable to a team of Anbu will be waiting in hiding and help you finish the mission. When you have him and the scroll secured we will come out and take over from there. Any questions Naruto?" "Will I be using the real scroll or are you going to give me a fake to deceive Mizuki with?"

The hokage went into deep thought for a moment. 'I really should give him a fake, but giving him the real thing would show my trust in Naruto. Plus, if Mizuki detects it's fake it will put him in an even more dangerous situation.' "I believe I can trust you Naruto-kun so I will let you steal the scroll. I hope you realize the level of trust I'm putting in you now give me a few minutes and then take the scroll. One of my anbu will follow you and then more will be on their way." Naruto nodded and watched as the old man gathered up some paper and made his way to the door before he stopped and turned to face him. "I know it may not seem like it Naruto, but there are people in this village including me who care a great deal for you. Please think about that and be careful." After saying that he left and went to engage his secretary in meaningless chatter for a few minutes giving Naruto the time he needed.

When he returned he found a scroll sitting on his desk with a note attached to it and an empty office. Saratobi read it out loud. "This is for me as much as you and those who follow you in leading this village. The Daimyo thought this would solve a lot of problems. Consider this the first payment for me still being here." The Hokage unfurled the scroll and began to read as he continued a smile began to grow until it shone like the sun. 'I owe that boy more than I can ever repay him. I really hope that he will reconsider this agreement and be the hero this village needs. Now if only he could help me find a way to deal with all this paperwork.' The old man just sighed tiredly and started to go through the stack of papers on his desk once more.

It had been a few hours since Naruto left the old man's office with the Scroll of Sealing and he still had an hour before ten o'clock rolled around. He looked up at the sky to see the moon in all it's beauty as it provided the light for his clones as they went over the techniques that interested him. The scroll contained mostly sealing techniques, but he found some supplementary clone techniques and a few elementals that would take awhile to learn even with the shadow clones, but could be trump cards against stronger opponents. The Clone Great Explosion Technique, The Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique, Water Release : Great Waterfall Technique, Earth Release : Swamp of the Underworld, and the Lightning Release Armor. Naruto had no idea how Konoha got their hands on another Kage's technique. 'Maybe it was exchanged in the peace treaty over the Hyuuga incident.' Either way he figured he got his hands on a very powerful technique that if he could master would give him an edge in battle. 'I'll have to be careful though as I can't just use it any time I want or it might cause problems for me. Maybe I could modify it and use my clones to see if it'll work with other elements.'

Naruto's thoughts were interrupted though as he felt a couple of chakra sources coming towards him that were at least mid to high level chuunin. However, it worried him a bit when he noticed the second was lagging a couple of minutes behind the first one. As he pondered on who they could be he instructed his clones to go further into the forest and keep working on the techniques until they were out of energy. Remembering the level of the techniques he created fifty more clones and sent them with the others. 'Hmm perhaps I should have wrote some of those techniques down on a blank scroll as it will take awhile to master them.' Thinking it was the best course of action he created one more clone and sent it with the scroll a little ways away so it could copy the techniques and then leave the original while taking the copy to his apartment and hide it before dispersing. It was also ordered to double check the entire scroll and see if there may have been a technique or two he overlooked and copy them as well.

Just as the clone got situated in it's hiding spot and began to copy the techniques and what was said about them one of the chakra sources came out to confront Naruto, while the other hung back making Naruto even more on edge. "NARUTO UZUMAKI! What have you done!?" Naruto just looked at the man for a minute as he was breathing hard from his outburst. "Ano, but didn't Mizuki-san tell you?" The chuunin adopted a confused look and stared at the young jinchuuriki. "Tell me what?" "That I chose to do the secret second exam and steal the Forbidden Scroll while learning one jutsu from it before handing it over to him." Now alarm bells were going off in Iruka's head. 'Kami I let him use my hate to harm a mere child who's done nothing to me.' Dropping his head a little in shame Iruka quickly got over it remembering who told him Naruto stole the scroll.

"Naruto listen to me where is the scroll?" Iruka asked looking at Naruto and the surrounding area so they could take it and get to the hokage tower quickly before something bad happened. "Yes Naruto where is the scroll" Both men turned to find Mizuki looking at them with a smirk on his face. Iruka was internally panicking at the situation now that he realized what was going on and the role his 'best' friend likely picked for him to play. 'I'm either going to be the so called 'victim' of the demon brat or the unwitting hero/accomplice as Mizuki gets away with the scroll and betrays Konoha worse than this boy could ever do.' His thoughts were broken as Naruto spoke in a calm almost reassuring voice.

"It's somewhere safe Mizuki-san, but first don't you want to see that technique you asked me to learn?" Now it was Mizuki's turn to panic. 'Damn now I have to kill Iruka thanks to that fucking brat.' Then a twisted smile was displayed on his lips. 'Of course I was planning to anyway … just not this soon, but it could work out better for me. After all while I believe my old 'friend' is a fool I doubt he's a big enough fool to believe I had nothing to do with this now.' "No Naruto there isn't enough time right now, but if you hand over the scroll now I'll hand you your hitai-ate in the morning when you and the other kids come to hear about whose team your on and your sensei." Mizuki tried to give his best smile. 'Damn the little brat is making this hard.'

"Naruto don't …" Iruka was stopped though as Naruto held a hand up towards the man. "Well, Mizuki-san that does sound good … except for the fact I've already been a gennin of Konohagakure for the past 2 hours." Mizuki had had enough. "Listen hear you little demon shit. You will give me the scroll and then die like a good little monster okay." Mizuki's creepy smiled only emphasized what he just said. Naruto just looked at the man without any expression. "What you doing this for, because your hate seems to be a little misdirected to me." "You wanna know why? Fine I'll tell you. Twelve Years ago the Yondiame Hokage did not defeat the Kyuubi like you were told .." "Mizuki no don't tell him! It's against the law!" Naruto still stood impassively while Mizuki had a calculating look on his face as he gave his creepy smile. "It's a little late for that Iruka, besides I know you hate the little demon as much if not more than almost anyone in the village."

Iruka could only hang his head in shame at the statement, but quickly looked up leveling a glare at his former friend. "Your right … I have done some terrible things to a child who deserved none of it, but Mizuki on all our years of friendship… please… I'm begging you … don't tell him. If you stop right now I'm sure the Hokage will forgive you and maybe even let you continue to be a shinobi." Mizuki only scoffed at the man and began to reach for his windmill shuriken. "Like I would ever bow down to that old monkey. I've found a village and a kage with greater power and ambitions then that washed up old fossil." "He can't be that powerful he needs you to do his dirty work." "SHUT UP DEMON! Orochimaru-samma has promised me power, status, and wealth as long as I get the scroll for him. Now I'm tired of waiting. Tell me where the scroll is and maybe you'll leave here alive."

Naruto just gave the man a smirk. "Awww, but if I did that then I would fail my very first mission. You wouldn't want that would you Mizuki-teme?" "I wouldn't be so confident demon. Remember what I was saying before. Everyone's lied to you the demon didn't die. The Yondiame sealed it into you making you the demon! NOW DIE DEMON" Mizuki grabbed his shuriken and threw it as hard as he could at Naruto. Seeing this Iruka tried to get in front of the blonde boy and take the hit, but was tripped and fell to the ground. He heard a weird sound almost like clanging metal and when he looked up their stood Naruto a katana in his hand thrust upward and what looked to be two pieces of a sliced up windmill shuriken laying on the ground near him.

"Your really going to have to do better than that Mizuki-san if you expect to defeat me." Naruto said with a smirk has he lowered his arm. 'What the hell? When did he learn kenjutsu?' Both men thought, but Mizuki shrugged it off and threw a second shuriken only for it to receive the same fate. Iruka just moved to the side not really knowing what to do anymore. A part of him wanted to help Naruto and find a way to make up some of what he's done to him, but a small part of him still saw him as the demon that killed his family so he just settled for staying out of the way for now. 'Besides it doesn't look like the little gaki needs my help anyway. I guess he was doing more than skipping and pranking when he was using those clones.' Sighing he took his mind away from his thoughts and watched the continuing battle.

"Fine if that don't work then how about this …" Naruto watched as he saw him start to do hand seals as he started drawing in a air to his lungs before calling out. "Katon : Gokakyu no Jutsu" as a flame that turns into a giant fireball comes out of his mouth and through the ring his fingers made. Naruto smiled as he did a ninjutsu of his own without calling out 'Doton : Dochu Eigyo no Jutsu' and went underground waiting for the fireball to pass. Mizuki smiled when the fireball dissipated and the brat was no where in sight. 'Hah too easy.' Then he frowned. 'Damn now I have no way of finding the scroll before those idiots in Anbu find me.' Turning to see his friend stare at the scorched earth in shock he addressed him. "I'd like to let you live Iruka, but the truth is I've always hated you and since you're the only witness to what went on here I can't let you leave. Look on the bright side though. When everyone finds out what happened here you'll be seen as a hero who died killing the demon brat and finished what Yondiame-samma started."

Mizuki started to do more hand seals to finish the job and get out of Konoha quickly, but stopped as the ground near the scorched area shook a bit and then something yellow popped out of the ground followed by a head and then a torso and finally he was staring into the blue eyes of Uzumaki Naruto. "Sorry Mizuki-san it won't be that easy, but now I have to put an end to this as I can't show everything I've been working on yet." Mizuki tried to do the hand seals again, but Naruto flashed through his first beating him to it as he calls out "Futon : Diatoppa" as the wind around the blonde suddenly explodes out hitting Mizuki dead on and pushing him into a tree knocking him out. Moving quickly Naruto takes some ninja wire and ties Mizuki up then signals for the Anbu who quickly come down scooping Mizuki up quickly taking him to Ibiki.

It was just Naruto and Iruka now in the clearing. Iruka was slightly in shock about that happened since the test began. He didn't know what to think about himself after reviewing all the hateful things he had done under the guise of revenging his family. Then he looked to the boy he once hated and watched as he went behind a tree and retrieved the Scroll of Sealing. 'How can he be such a good kid in spite of the many evil deeds done to him by people like me and that council. If he ever did seek revenge it would rightfully be his to seek.' He stopped his thoughts when he noticed Naruto was leaving without so much as a glance towards him so he called out to him. "Uhhh … Naruto … Could you wait a moment as I would like to talk to you." Naruto stopped and turned to look at his former instructor.

Iruka sighed as he realized Naruto wasn't going to say anything. "I would like to say I'm sorry …" Before he could get any further though Naruto interrupted him. "I thank you for your apology, but it is wasted on me. I do not forgive you or anyone in this village … including the Hokage for what has been done to me. However, I do not seek revenge. I just want to be left alone." "Why?" "Why what?" "Why don't you seek revenge? Surely if any of us were in your position we would have a long time ago." "Well, that is one thing I'm proud of and that's not being like any of you. Hate only begets more hate and violence only brings more violence. I am by no means a pacifist as I will kill when it is necessary, but I will not bloody my hands for this village. Anyways I got to go give this back and get ready for team assignments tomorrow so I'll see you then." Naruto turned to leave, but was stopped once again as the chuunin ran up to the young blond. "How about as a further means of apology you allow me to buy you dinner?" "No thanks. I only eat with those I trust." Naruto didn't even wait to see the look of shame followed by one of shock on the chuunin's face as he shushined to the tower.

Naruto shushined right to the front of the tower. He quickly made his way through and up to the hokage's office. He managed to avoid most of the people who tried to keep him away from the hokage and only had to deal with one annoyance. Finally making his way up to the door he just ignored the secretary and knocked on the door. Hearing "Enter" Naruto opened the door and made his way inside. The Hokage looked up from his paper and smiled. "Naruto, glad to see you are alive and unharmed. I take it things went well then?" "Yes. I didn't learn everything, but I'm sure Ibiki or his assistant will get it out of him." The hokage took note of the tone he used for Anko and sighed. 'I guess he's serious about having nothing to do with her … to bad she would have been perfect to oversee his team and it would have helped her as well.'

"I'm sure they will. Ibiki is quite talented and well known for his style of interrogation." "I've heard. Anyway I did learn why he wanted the scroll." At this the hokage perked up a bit. "Oh why's that?" "He said Orochimaru promised him things and then he said some disparaging things about the village and you. He also said that Orochimaru was recruiting him to join his village though he didn't name it." "This is serious information indeed Naruto. I want to congratulate you on a job well done and hand you your pay personally." The hokage gave Naruto an envelope with 200,000 ryu. "This will be documented as a solo B rank as your pay reflects. I would make it S rank, but I don't think Mizuki is worthy of that distinction." Naruto just nodded and pocketed the money.

"Okay now I want you to know the landlord issue has already been dealt with and the money for the renovations will be given to you when you are ready." Naruto just nodded again. "There is one last thing Naruto. The council some how …" At this he looked around at the hidden Anbu wondering who it was, but thought better of it. 'No it was most likely that damn secretary. No matter how many I fire they all seem to be plants of that damnable council.' "Anyway they some how found out about your time away and have called a meeting that will commence in a few minutes. I would like you to accompany me." At this both men shared a grin that promised a lot of pain and possibly death to someone. "Sure if you let me carry out the Daimyo's second order on that scroll I left you." Saratobi continued to smile. "Sorry Naruto, but that is something I've been waiting to do for decades now." "Fine, but I get the others if you deem it necessary." "I'm sure something can be arranged Naruto-kun. Now let's go … we don't want to keep them waiting do we?" "After you Hokage-san." Both just smiled at was about to happen. 'Hmm … I think I'll use this to reveal a bit of myself and show those bastards just who they've been messing with.' Naruto had to stifle the evil cackle that threatened to come out as they continued to make their way towards council chambers.