Chapter 7: night falls after sunset

-Hokage's office: Tsunade-

"Ok, Sarutobi." She declared curtly. "I hate that Academy class."

"Tsunade?"

"I hate it so much." She slumped down on a chair before running a hand through her hair. Tsunade could feel disapproving eyes of onlookers boring into her skull. So what if she was so informal it was bordering on insubordination?

She wanted to ask Sarutobi about how Naruto knew foreign phrases but she had a feeling that he didn't know. 

Instead, a plan slowly started to form in her mind. "But I've picked a few girls that I might take." 

Key word was 'might'.

"Oh, so you've finally came to your senses." Sarutobi gave a small smile and Tsunade didn't even feel a smidge of guilt at giving a white lie.

"I haven't figured out who yet- they're all horrible." Tsunade sighed. "Especially this one little blonde rascal who went rampant with pranks." She side eyed Sarutobi and watched as his expression turned slightly annoyed and exasperate.

"That's just Naruto. A fine work, isn't he? I thought that he would start acting a bit more mature after some years in the Academy but..."

"Oh-hoh? You know the name of some random kid?"

Sarutobi hummed in agreement. "Naruto is a very lively boy, I've talked to him a few times." 

So Tsunade was not supposed to be privy to his Jinchuuriki status.

Perfect.

"Oh well, he disrupted the class and is clearly not suitable for the shinobi lifestyle, are you really going to promote him in the next exams?" The words burnt at her tongue but she just cast a bored look at Sarutobi. Talking ill of Naruto's skill would make his apprenticeship be most unexpected. "They should all quit, to be honest, but he's just the worst."

"Now, Tsunade, that boy may be young and immature, but there's a Jonin Sensei for a reason. I believe Naruto will grow up sooner or later and become an excellent shinobi." The old man puffed out smoke. "Is that all?"

Tsunade pretended to give a long suffering sigh, "Once I have chosen my disciple and get them to sign a permission slip, may I leave on a training trip?"

"So soon?"

"I'm planning on leaving as soon as they're filled in on the terms and ready."

"It's very hasty..."

"The Council didn't say I needed to run the hospital so I'm dedicating myself to creating another competent Med-Nin like Shizune."

"Hmm," Sarutobi stroked his chin. "And for how long will this be?"

"I want at least three years." Well, she was sure that Naruto didn't want to be back any time soon.

"Three years?" He repeated with a narrowing of his eyes. "That's an awfully long time-"

"Academy student rank, remember?" Tsunade rolled her eyes. "I can't be bothered waiting around for whenever the Genin exams will be. Three years is the bare minimum if I'm going to make them a decent shinobi. If there's an emergency blah blah I'll be back to act as your meat shield, ok?"

"Now, look here Tsunade-"

"Sarutobi." She pressed her lips together. "This is my Slug Contract and my legacy here. Give me at least that many years."

With a sigh, Sarutobi waved his hand. "Fine. I'll see to your disciple becoming an upstanding shinobi. Rank at low-level Chuunin. At least."

Tsunade gave a smile before she turned to leave.

Once she was out of the building, her polite smile stretched into a satisfied smirk. Tsunade couldn't believe Sarutobi was that desperate to have not asked for her potential apprentices' identity. Maybe he would in the near future, but Tsunade was planning on hightailing out of Konoha with Shizune and Naruto ASAP.

The next time Naruto will meet with that stinking class and these stinking shinobi, he'll be strong. Stronger than ever.

(Tsunade'll show them- Naruto'll show them all. What it means to be Senju Tsunade's disciple.

As long as she was around, Naruto will never be mocked by his ex-classmates, ex-peers ever again.)

-Meanwhile: Mizuki-

He dropped down to crouch beside the boy. 

"Oh, hey Naruto-kun." He said with a small smile. His face switched to a sad expression as he took in the boy's expression. "Are you alright?"

The Kyuubi boy looked at him with distrust and wariness, "Mizuki-sensei? ...Yeah, I'm good."

"I was just taking a jog around the Hashirama forest, Iruka-san doesn't usually end early, does he?" Mizuki gave the boy an encouraging smile. "I heard once you become Genin, you can leave with Tsunade-hime, that's amazing!"

A small grin danced across the boy's face and Mizuki inwardly smirked. 

"Yeah, I know right! I'll beat the Genin exam and become stronger and stronger, just you belie-"

"But how are you going to pass?" Mizuki tried to make the sentence less harsh by widening his eyes and raising his brows a bit, mouth turning into an 'o' shape. "I can tell you, Naruto-kun, that you fully deserve the Genin rank but your Bunshins won't be able to pass. I'm so sorry."

He watched as the emotions slowly started to war in the boy's eyes, watching as the light completely crumbled before- 

"And there's another reason too." Mizuki lowered his face with a mock expression of despondence. "You know that everyone hates you, right? No one's listening to me when I tell the other Senseis that you're strong enough to graduate. I had heard of the incident in class, I'm sure you must want to graduate as soon as possible, don't you?"

"No- well, I mean..."

"Don't worry, Naruto-kun. I have a solution. I will let you become Genin." He dangled hope over the fox's stupid face. Mizuki was going to make Naruto beg for it. 

"W- What? Really?"

"Yes, it's a separate test and you could do it individually, so like, right now. You'll get an instant promotion to Genin." Mizuki pasted on a cheeky smile, "It's a secret one for real shinobi. It'll be more challenging but it'll guarantee you your apprenticeship with Tsunade-hime"

Mizuki figured that Naruto would be desperate to never see his class again, it was just a perfect chance for him to obtain the scroll. Orochimaru-sama will definitely remember him for this!

"What is it? What is it?" 

Mizuki pretended to give him a hesitant look. "Are you sure you're up to it, Naruto-kun? It might be too hard for you..." 

There was a flicker of suspicion before it was visibly pushed aside by desperation and stubbornness.

Hah! What a predictable brat.

"Yes, yes I am-ttebayo, tell me, tell me! Please, please, please!"

When he placed a finger on his chin, a pondering look on his face, he felt a vicious rip of satisfaction. 

Checkmate.

"Fine then. So here's the plan, Naruto-kun..."

-Half an hour later: Tsunade-

The next thing she remembered after talking to Sarutobi was the hustle of ANBU and shinobi. 

And now she was wandering in the shadows of the Hashirama forest. Why would Naruto...?

As she made a hand seal, chakra poking around, Tsunade slowly located the boy who was-

Practicing Kage Bunshin? Her eyes widened minutely. Naruto actually stole the forbidden scroll!

She cloaked her presence, hiding into the shadows as she noticed the incoming presence.

A small rat Chuunin scurried into the clearing, a smug look on his face. "Well, well, Naruto-kun, you're amazing! You actually managed to do it! What a..." A sleazy grin stretched across his face, his demeanour changing like a flip had been switched, "...Useful little freak."

What?

"Pass it here, Naruto... kun." The rat Chuunin's lips curled as he jutted a hand against one hip, the other beckoning the blonde boy closer. "Now be a good little mongrel and give it here."

Oh no way. Oh no no no fucking way.

"Mizuki... sensei?" Naruto paused at the hostile tone, his character quieting down as his mind slowly sorted through the chaotic scene. "What are you... talking about?"

A traitor. Why was such a shitty shinobi able to infiltrate Konoha? How much were the shinobi here slacking off? 

"I'm saying..." Eyebrows raised in a mocking way, Mizuki smiled arrogantly down at the boy, "I lied to you-"

Shit. Tsunade hesitated, should she intercept? Maybe she should first repor-

 "-Kyuubi boy." Mizuki gave a victorious smile as the boy froze, completely motionless.

That son of a bitch.

"...Wha- what?" Naruto blanched, a few beats of silence passing before he whispered, "Kyuu... bi?"