Uzumaki Naruto: Dawn of the Gamer Remastered

[Legend of the Kyuubi]

"You're heading back already?" Jiraiya asked Team Eight.

"Yeah. We did our sweep and Anko-sensei's pretty sure none of Gato's thugs are around anymore," it had been three days after all since they began looking for any of Gato's thugs. Some would be smarter but even then none of them would be talented enough to avoid capture or being sensed by them. Especially when they had familiars with enhanced senses and other abilities, "Why? You guys find anything?"

The Toad Sage shook his head, "Liked to say otherwise, but it looks like you and your teammates got them all when you stormed the place. Don't want a repeat to happen so I'll be setting up some protection around this place at key points."

"Yeah, I gotta ask, Anko-sensei said you're Konoha's spymaster, right?"

"I wear many hats but yeah," was Jiraiya's answer.

"How come you didn't know about what was going on here?"

"Nami no Kuni wasn't an ally or an enemy of Konoha and too small and insignificant to pay any attention to. And arrogant as he was, you saw how well Gato was at covering his tracks. If there's a lesson to be learned here, it's not to underestimate how easy it is for people to ignore things that aren't directly affecting them. Most countries are concerned with their neighbors, trade routes, military movements, missing-nin, things that could become a threat. Nami no Kuni is a tiny island nation with no shinobi village, no military worth mentioning, and no true strategic value. Gato saw opportunity and while it does have some shipping lanes, ironically they were only truly established and improved upon by him. Say what you will about the evil magnate, he didn't get rich by being stupid. Gatō recognized Wave's potential before anyone else did. He invested in its ports, improved its shipping lanes, and established connections with markets the country had never been able to reach before."

Naruto frowned given everything he and the others experienced, "So he actually helped them?"

"At first," Jiraiya gave a nod, "It was a ruse, true, but it was how he got his foot in the door. Once Wave became dependent on his ships, warehouses, and trade connections, Gatō started buying out or crushing anyone who could threaten his control. By the time people realized what he was doing, he practically owned the country and no one could do anything. You don't always need an army to conquer a nation, Naruto. Sometimes all you need is control over something its people can't survive without. Though having a bunch of bloodthirsty immoral goons at your beck and call certainly helps."

Naruto frowned but nodded all the same, though it did make him realize something, "How long will you be here?"

"To get a decent set of eyes and to ensure no one takes advantage. Bare minimum is a week."

"A week!"

"Kid, I get you want answers but these people have been through enough already. We're lucky Nami no Kuni's just a small nation, could take much longer. You have no idea how intricate something like this can be. Gatō controlled nearly every part of this country's economy. Removing him was the easy part. Now we have to make sure everything he left behind doesn't collapse or end up in the hands of someone just as bad."

Naruto's frown deepened, "But Gatō's dead and his men are gone."

"His organization isn't," Jiraiya countered. "Gato was good at covering his tracks but I'm just as good at uncovering them. Not counting his legitimate business like his hips, warehouses, contracts, and shipping schedules; Gato likely had bribed officials, paid informants, hidden accounts and probably a dozen business partners we don't know about who'll start circling the moment they hear he's dead. Even if most of them are legitimate, they'll still see an opportunity to carve up whatever he left behind and we don't want a repeat. Setting up a proper defensive network and spy network to nip that in bud takes time. I've already started so be patient. A good ninja knows the value of patience."

Naruto grumbled and he wanted to say otherwise but knew that the man was right, "Fine. I'll see you back in Konoha. You and Jiji owe me an explanation the instant you get back!"

The man released a sigh at the reminder, "I know, kid. Here, give it to sensei. It's for his eyes only," the man fished out a scroll and handed it to his godson. The boy merely nodded and then disappeared in a burst of speed.

"Don't worry, Naruto, you'll get one," Jiraiya owed his student's son that much. The man hadn't been a big part of his life since he was born, the only gift he had ever left him, secretly, of course, was a small toad wallet from years back. Jiraiya knew of the hardships the boy would endure and had endured; more than once Jiraiya had been the cause of a few bad elements against him to 'disappear', but even then he felt it wasn't enough.

xoXOXox
​

The travel back to Konoha had been as expected: swift. Much to the surprise of Hiruzen who believed it would have taken the group considerably much longer. Once more the man had been left speechless at the potential and power of Naruto's Gamer ability. He'd been rendered even more speechless when Anko gave in her report and her account of the events that occurred. Despite his impassive look during the whole of it, it didn't take a genius to know the man hadn't been pleased.

"And that's pretty much what happened, Hokage-sama," Anko finished her mission debrief with a bit of worry.

The man in front of her had his eyes closed and was massaging his temples as though he was fighting off a migraine. The man had begun doing it half way into the debrief, and it didn't look like he was ready to stop anytime soon. Anko didn't know if the man was pissed or worried by the way he was acting, but she guessed it was better than him shouting. Even then she knew it wouldn't be her fault because of it, merely an outlet for the anger.

"Oh, man, Kakashi's really gonna get it when he gets back," of that Anko had no doubts. The grinding that man would get wouldn't be pretty either. But if it got the lazy ass back into shape and got him to start teaching his Genin properly then so be it.

Hiruzen released a deep sigh as he processed everything, "Hah...Part of me is disappointed on how this turned out, and wants to give out punishment," he said, making all members of the team, even the Jonin, gulp at the statement.

"We're screwed," were Anko, Ino and Naruto's shared thoughts. Hinata meanwhile, just kept looking down at the floor. Even Hotto was rigid and sweating buckets.

"However, given how I was aware such a mission had the potential of spiralling out of control and you were merely following my orders as commanded, completing your mission no less, too, I can only say, well done," the man smiled and watched as the ninja and ninken exhaled in relief.

---

[QUEST COMPLETED!]

A or B but definitely not C! (S-Rank)

Main Quest: Assist Team Seven in protecting Tazuna! (Achieved!)

Side Quest (1/2): Gather as much information and evidence on Gato to have him brought to justice (Partially Achieved)

Side Quest (2/2): Assist the inhabitants of Nami no Kuni! (Achieved!)

Hidden Objective (1/4): Ensure Yuki Haku's survival! (Achieved!)

Hidden Objective (2/4): Ensure Momochi Zabuza's survival! (Achieved!)

Hidden Objective (3/4): Conquer the hidden dungeon of Nami no Kuni! (Achieved!)

Hidden Objective (4/4): Discover Asagao's identity! (Achieved!)

Total Rewards

635,000 EXP x 15% = 730,250 EXP, 2,650,000 Ryo, +8 Improvement Points, 5 Automatic Level Ups, 3 Perk Points, Reputation with Nami is Exalted! Unique Quest Chain for Uzumaki Naruto, Choice of Improving One attribute by 16, or Choice of Skill Equivalent or lesser than Quest Rank, Improvement Ticket (A-Rank), New Title (Savior of Nami no Kuni)
​

---

Status Window
​

Name: Uzumaki Naruto

Job: Genin (15% EXP Gain and +15 IP per year)

Skill Rank: C

Level: 51 Next Level: 2%/100%

HP: 13,975 + 3850 = 17825

CP: 23,600 + 6875 = 30475

STR: 80

VIT: 441 + 110 = 551

END: 574 + 165 = 739

DEX: 114 + 33 = 147

INT: 62

WIS: 59

CHA: 16

LUK: ?

Improvement Points: 15 +17 = 32

Perk Points: 12 +3 = 15

Specialization

Ninkenjutsu Specialist [E-Rank]: Increases associated titles, fighting styles, perks by an additional 25% and increases associated attributes by 1

Fighting Styles

Konoha Kenjutsu-Ryu [E-Rank] (enhanced): +2 towards DEX per level (active as of level 30)

Tengu no Oroshi-Ryu [E-Rank] (enhanced): Passively increases the power, speed and effectiveness of Wind Release techniques used via Kenjutsu by 45% (active as of level 37)

Special Perks:

Gamer: Allows you to view and live your life as though it were a video game.

Kyubi no Yoko Jinchuriki: Additional +5 VIT & +7.5 END per Lv, +250 CP per Lv, +25% Power towards all skills, +50% Increase towards [HP Regen] & [CP Regen] outside of combat, Immune to E-Rank to C-Rank Poisons -25% EXP and Effectiveness towards [Chakra Control Skills], -25% Reputation gain towards [Konoha Populace] whose relationship with you is below Neutral

Unknown Blessing: Your luck is immeasurable. Don't be fooled as it can go either way at random.

Perks/Buffs:

?: Additional +5 VIT & +7.5 END per Lv, +100 HP per Lv, +25% additional EXP and Effectiveness towards [Fuinjutsu Skill], -15% EXP and Effectiveness towards [Chakra Control Skills], ?

Chakra Affinity (A-Rank) (Enhanced): [CP Regen] and [Elemental Resistances] Increased by 70%, Speed, Power and Effectiveness towards [Ninjutsu Skills] Increased by 70%, CP Usage towards [Ninjutsu Skills] decreased by 70%

Vigor Affinity (B-Rank): [HP Regen] and [Physical Resistance] increased by 25%, Fatigue levels decreased 25%

Titles:

Prank King (Rankless): Additional +1 DEX per Lv, +25% additional EXP and Effectiveness towards [Stealth Skill] & [Trap-Based Skills], -25% Reputation gain towards prank victims for 24 Hours

Zombie Slayer (B-Rank): +60% Power, EXP, Money against [Undead-Based Monster], +30% Increase towards Attributes against [Undead-Based Monster], +30% chance of [Double Loot Occurrence] against [Undead-Based Monster], +10% Increase towards Resistances against [Undead-Based Monster]

Ninkenjutsu Novice - Enhanced (E-Rank): +35% additional Power, Effectiveness, and EXP towards [Ninjutsu and Kenjutsu Skills] (active as of level 30)

Dungeon Master (E-Rank): +15% increase towards Attributes, EXP, Skills, and Item Drop Rate while in a dungeon; CP Cost for all skills reduced by 15% while in a dungeon; 15% chance of not suffering death penalty while in a dungeon; Conquering a dungeon for the first time results in an additional 25% increase in rewards (active as of level 30)

Savior of Nami no Kuni (Rankless): +25% increase towards EXP, and Skill Growth while within Nami no Kuni. Reputation gains with the citizens of Nami no Kuni increased by 100%. Purchasing prices reduced by 25% and selling prices increased by 25% when dealing with its citizens. Those who recognize the user as Nami no Kuni's savior are more likely to offer aid, shelter, information, and unique quests. Nami no Kuni and its people are significantly less likely to betray or act against the user.

Description: Uzumaki Naruto's background is shrouded in mystery. A young ninja with inspirations of becoming Hokage, Naruto has a long and difficult journey ahead of him before he can attain his dream. While believed to be a shoo-in for the title of Dead Last, Naruto's come around in his last year placed him in the lower-middle ranking.

---

Congratulations! You have reached level 50!

You can choose to pick another specialization (should you meet the requirements for dual specialization), or improve your current specialization by one rank (ie E-Rank becomes D-Rank)
​

"Uber Sweet!" Naruto thought as he saw the level up. Until he saw the next message.

|WARNING! WARNING!|

A severe imbalance has been detected between the user's Yin and Yang energies!

Yin Energy is primarily influenced by INT.

Yang Energy is primarily influenced by END.

Current Yin-to-Yang Ratio: 62:739

Recommended Maximum Ratio: 1:3
​

Naruto stared blankly at the numbers and then paled, "Oh, that's not good."

The crimson warning flashed once more, pretty much telling him it wasn't.

The user's Yang Energy vastly exceeds the amount of Yin Energy required to properly regulate it. As a result, the user produces chakra with exceptional physical potency but lacks the necessary spiritual balance to efficiently shape, regulate and contain it. The user's existing Chakra Control penalties have further aggravated this imbalance.

You have gained the flaw: Overwhelming Yang Imbalance

CP Cost of all chakra-dependent Skills has increased by 50%, Chakra Control Skills will accumulate Fatigue 25% faster, Chance of technique failure for delicate Chakra Control exercises has increased by 25%, Perks or Flaws that reduce exp and effectiveness of Chakra Control are increased by an additional 25%
​

Naruto nearly choked, "Fifty percent?! It's gonna charge me extra chakra because I got stronger?!" Naruto clenched his teeth while Hotto glanced up at him curiously.

Then another notification appeared.

This condition may be mitigated through one or more of the following methods:

1. Increase INT until the disparity between INT and END reaches an acceptable ratio.

2. Learn and master sufficiently advanced Chakra Control Skills.

3. Acquire a compatible Skill, Perk, Title or Ability capable of regulating the user's Yin-Yang balance.

4. Improve the user's base Chakra Control modifiers.

Alternatively, you can have a sufficiently powerful Fūinjutsu seal placed upon the user to suppress his excess Yang Energy. This will temporarily improve the Yin-to-Yang ratio but will also suppress a corresponding attribute, CP Amount, CP regeneration and other benefits produced by that energy.

WARNING!

Suppression does not correct the underlying imbalance. It merely restricts the amount of Yang Energy the user can access. If the seal is damaged, removed or overwhelmed, all penalties associated with the user's true Yin-to-Yang ratio will immediately return.

Due to the severity and unique nature of the imbalance, Basic and Intermediate Chakra Control Skills cannot completely remove this penalty.

Advanced Chakra Control Skills can reduce the additional CP Cost.

Expert Chakra Control Skills can negate the additional CP Cost for mastered techniques.

Master-level Chakra Control Skills may permanently stabilize the user's Yin-Yang ratio regardless of attribute disparity.
​

That stopped Naruto's internal rant, "So I can fix it."

It sucked but at least it could be fixed. Unfortunately, he doubted it wasn't going to be a quick process. But also made Naruto wonder, "Why didn't this happen before? My Endurance was already way higher than my Intelligence."

Previous imbalance remained partially contained by the Special Gamer Perk until user's recent explosive growth has exceeded the Gamer's current ability to compensate for and regulate the disparity.

END exceeded 10 times INT.

CP exceeded 30,000.

Existing Chakra Control penalties exceed 35%.

All conditions required for Overwhelming Yang Imbalance have been met.

New Status Window Feature has been added: Chakra Control Skill Rank

Chakra Affinity's CP Usage decreases towards ninjutsu skills had been rendered dormant
​

Naruto's eye twitched and wanted to shout. That CP usage thing had been awesome.

The Nine-Tails' penalty reduced his Chakra Control Skill growth and effectiveness by twenty-five percent. The other unidentified perk reduced both by another fifteen percent. Together, they left him with a forty-percent disadvantage before his naturally terrible control was even now his rapidly increasing Endurance had made everything worse.

"This is bullshit!"

Jinchūriki may mitigate this condition by achieving Synergy or Positive Cooperation with their Bijū.

Tailed Beasts possess flawless control over their own immense chakra and the energies composing it. A cooperative Bijū may assist its Jinchūriki in regulating chakra production, containing excess energy and supplying the precise amount of chakra required for a technique. The degree of mitigation depends upon the relationship between Jinchūriki and Bijū:

Neutral: Slightly reduces the additional CP Cost caused by Yin-Yang Imbalance at random times when and if the Bijū is willing to assist.

Liked: Moderately reduces additional CP Costs and helps prevent the user from releasing more chakra than a technique requires.

Friendly: Significantly reduces additional CP Costs and allows the Bijū to assist with regulating chakra during difficult, unfamiliar or highly demanding techniques.

Cherished: Completely negates additional CP Costs caused by Yin-Yang Imbalance. The Bijū instinctively regulates and balances the Jinchūriki's chakra, allowing both to wield their combined power with flawless efficiency.

WARNING

Chakra forcibly taken from, involuntarily leaked by or otherwise acquired without the Bijū's willing cooperation will not provide these benefits. The Bijū must consciously assist in regulating the Jinchūriki's Yin and Yang Energies.

Unique feature added to Status Window for Jinchuriki: Tailed-Beast/Jinchuriki Unity

Current Kyūbi no Yōko Relationship: Hostile
​

Naruto's expression fell flat, "Of course it is."

Not that he should be surprised. Naruto had never met the fox and given the thing had been trapped inside him for almost a decade and a half the hostility wasn't unwarranted, even if Naruto was the unwilling jailor.

"Naruto-kun? Are...are you okay?" Hinata inquired, seeing his face.

"Could be better," was his reply.

"What's that supposed to mean?" was Anko's inquiry.

"The mission gave me a ton of EXP but now the Yin-Yang energy is out of sync."

"How out of sync?"

"Ratio said it needs to be 1/3 at minimum for me not to have it. I've got 63 INT and 739 END."

"Yipes!" that wasn't good in Anko's opinion. Especially since even if Naruto invested every Improvement Points into INT, his perks would make it grow too quickly.

"Hmm, so it would do you well, to train and improve your chakra control. As of now, you're all relieved of any missions for the foreseeable future."

"Hey, wait? No more missions for a week! That's-"

"Is very generous of you, Hokage-sama. Thank you," Ino bowed to her leader while the kunai concealed by her form and Naruto's threatened to pierce the loudmouth's spine. "Well, if that's all we'll be going now. Bye!"

Hiruzen could only blink as the two blonds, followed by their teammate, teacher, and ninken, disappeared from his sight, "Maybe I should have given the team set up some more thought," being the only male on his team, the man could only imagine what Naruto was about to go through at the moment.

Oh, well. It wasn't his problem. However, Hiruzen couldn't help for feel he was forgetting something.

"Hokage-sama! There's some more paperwork for you," Mariko announced, pulling the man from his thoughts and nearly making him cry. Paperwork was his problem.

"Thank you so much, Tobirama-sensei," while the Hokage was lamenting his situation, and cursing his late teacher for the bureaucracy and the banes that came with it, Team Eight left the building and looked at the beautiful day they had. Though it was rather difficult when one had a sharp piece of metal ready to severe his spinal cord.

"Ow! Okay, fine no missions, yeesh! Ow! Can take that kunai outta my spine now?!"

"Fine" Ino nodded.

"Wait, that's it?" Naruto was surprised that she put away the kun-oh, wait, she was using the Dakatsu's Bite instead now, "Really?"

"You're the one who should've been more specific," Ino's evil grin made Naruto shiver, and Anko proud.

"Oh, my little psycho's growing up so fast. I couldn't be more prouder."

"Sensei!"

"Oh, quit bitchin', Gaki. Blondie, as much as I love seeing you put my teachings to good use put it away," Naruto grumbled as the woman smirked, "You can torture and have your way with him some other time."

"Oi!"

"Spoilsport," the Yamanaka groused and put away her weapon, "So, what do we do now?"

"Don't know, and I honestly don't care at the moment. Is what I would say if I was a slacker like Kakashi," she cackled and making them all shiver with worry, "But seriously, though. I think we can take a break from training for the next few days."

Anko also didn't bother to tell them that because now that her seal was unlocked and the benefits of its transformation, she too had seen a huge surge in her power build up and needed time to figure out how to adjust to that increase in power. Plus, she needed to figure out how to better prepare her students in case something like Wave happened again. Her students were pretty good, but Anko wasn't dumb enough to not realize it was blind fucking luck than skill that saved their asses in their last mission. They were learning much more quickly thanks to her methods, and due to Naruto's ability, but not enough in her mind. The woman was gonna have to do some serious thinking on the matter, and on her curse seal.

The thought made her chuckle. The old Anko would have rather died than use the dark hickey her master gave her. This Anko, however, was someone who sucked it up when it came to the welfare of her team. She didn't have the luxury or desire to be influenced by moral dilemmas.

"So... we're to do whatever? That's all I needed to hear! Laters!" Ino declared before she flickered away.

"Someone's eager to blow her money," Anko commented. The woman never could understand the need for shopping sprees and clothes outside of missions. She could act the part during missions but it had a habit of making her feel uncomfortable, "Ah, well, not my problem. Enjoy your time off, kiddoes. Anko's out!"

No sooner had the words left did she disappear out of sight and leaving both Naruto and Hinata alone, "So… What do you wanna do, Hinata?" Naruto asked out of the blue.

Normally Hinata would have loved to hear that, but, unfortunately, she had family matters to see to, "Sorry, Naruto-kun. Tou-sama said I needed to see him as soon as I returned, and I need to show them the scroll I found."

"Oh, right, right. Hope everything goes well. See ya later," he waved off his remaining teammate and was left alone with his ninken, "So, what now?"

The boy had handed off the scroll Jiraiya gave him a while ago but the discussion wouldn't begin until the Toad Sage arrived. Which wouldn't be in a week or so. There a few dungeons he could go into, but Naruto decided to wait a while before he did any of that.

"Guess I can browse and see if I can find some decent chakra control related perks, or if the shop has any decent chakra control items," he could also see if Hayate or Yugao were available to train with. But didn't know where they were or if they were already busy. Then Naruto remembered something.

The Key of a Bygone Era. The item had been won once he cleared all of the training ground dungeons in Konoha but then it had a timer and then there was the mission to Wave had put a hold to him using it. Hey, he was level 51 and the minimum requirement had been becoming level 30 so now so that probably meant it would be a piece of cake. Heck, eight hours in an instant dungeon was now only an hour outside so that meant a week's worth of training in one was now worth eight weeks.

Going back to his apartment, Naruto was greeted with a horrifying sight!

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

Charred beams jutted out like broken ribs and twisted metal sagged inward or melted into unnatural shapes by intense heat. The stone foundation was cracked and blackened, or just gone, and some areas were still steaming faintly. The entire structure looked as though meteor had fallen on it, and then got set ablaze. It made Naruto's stomach dropped and made Hotto whimper beside him.

Naruto took a step forward—then stopped when he saw movement. An old man limped out from behind a collapsed support pillar, coughing into a soot‑stained sleeve, and cursing up a storm. The blond recognized the old grouch that was his landlord, the one who always complained about noise, late rent, and "damn brats." Not just him, thankfully.

"Oi! Old man what happened?"

"What does it look like, ya dumb brat? It burnt down!"

Naruto opened his mouth—closed it—then tried again. "But, but how?!"

The landlord threw his hands up, ash puffing off his sleeves, "A fire, ya idiot! How else? Fairy Dust!"

Naruto sputtered, "I meant-"

"Oh, shut it!" The landlord barked, limping closer, "Building went boom, then whoosh, then crackle, and now it's a pile of charcoal. That's what happened! Lotsa good folk got hurt and a few died, too."

Naruto froze, the old man's words hit him harder than the sight of the wreckage, "…Hurt?" Naruto asked, voice thin.

The landlord snorted, wiping soot from his brow, and angry look on his face, "Yeah, hurt! Burns, broken bones, smoke inhalation. What'd you think happens when a damn building explodes? Folks don't walk away whistlin'!"

Naruto's breath stuttered, "You said...you said some died?"

The old man's jaw tightened and he bore a sad look, "Yeah. Those closest to the explosion. Some died cause they couldn't move fast enough to get away from the flames before they were put out. Knew a few of 'em. Decent people from back when I first built this place."

"…Was this…" Naruto swallowed, voice barely audible. "…because of… y'know…?"

He didn't say it but the landlord understood immediately that Naruto was now in the know, "Not that. Ain't got nothin' to do with that. This was old business. Old war crap. Not you. Don't go thinkin' otherwise," was the man's reply. He didn't say the word as the the law was still in effect and anyone could be listening.

Naruto's shoulders sagged, tension bleeding out in a shaky exhale, "So then? Who?"

"Old ghosts," the mam muttered "From a village that ain't been on the map since before you were born. Kagero no Sato."

"Kagero no Sato? Never heard of it," then again, he wasn't the best student until recently so he couldn't exactly for sure he hadn't heard of it.

The landlord snorted, "Course you haven't. Most folks your age haven't. Hell, plenty of older shinobi barely remember it. Small ninja village that got wiped off the map decades ago. Never a major player like the rest but it had shinobi, and survivors tend to hold grudges. Kagero had a few clans that held grudges agaisnt some of ours from the Warring States Era. Made the mistake of hitting one of our convoys during the first Shinobi World War. We retaliated and no more Kagero. One of their numbers survived to try and settle the score."

"So he, what, just decided to blow up a building decades later?" that was messed up.

The landlord grunted, "From what I was told, he was one of their best. Infiltrated the Carpenter Brigade and slowly planted exploding tags almost everywhere. Probably figured he'd bring the whole place down someday in revenge. Kyūbi Attack hit him hard though and he lost his ability to use his chakra. Couldn't activate the tags he'd spent years hidin' even if he wanted to. Explosion happened because we were renovating some of the vacant rooms and one of the workers must have accidentally activated one of the tags and caused a chain reaction. A few tags didn't go off, too degraded or something, so that's how the ANBU figured out what happened. Whole Carpenter Brigade is being interrogated. Even if I wanted can't start rebuilding the complex for a few months."

Naruto swallowed, "So… where do I go?"

The landlord huffed, "Hokage-sama already set things up. Temporary housin' for everyone who lived here. You're on the list."

Naruto straightened slightly, "Why didn't Jiji tell?"

"Look like a mind reader? Ask him yerself. Here's the address for the place. It ain't fancy but its liveable, safe and yours until you find a new place or buy your own place."

"My own place?" how the hell could he...Oh!

(A Few Days Later)
​

"Come on! Hurry up!" Naruto shouted at his team. It had been a hassle to get both Ino and Anko to come along. Both had been busy at the time but Naruto's persistence won out in the end. Iruka, Yugao and Hayate being nowhere to be found so they would be informed later.

"Naruto, what's so important that you had to show … us?" Ino ended the sentence with a tone of complete surprise as she gazed upon the sight before her. She wasn't the only one.

"So? What do you think?" Naruto grinned. Ino continued to remain speechless, an act that was mimicked by her fellow kunoichi. "Awesome, ain't it?"

The house behind him—an older‑style traditional Konoha home tucked behind tall cedar trees, with wide open space, a clean stone path, a well‑maintained yard, and enough privacy to make several people jealous—did not look like something a thirteen year old orphan Genin should have.

"…Naruto," Ino said slowly, "why do you have this?"

Naruto puffed out his chest, "Because I bought it!"

"YOU WHAT?!" one voice exploded.

Naruto laughed nervously, "I bought it! Y'know—paid for it!"

Ino pointed at the house, then at Naruto, then at the house again, "Naruto, how could you possibly afford—"

Naruto gave her a look, as did Anko and Hinata and even Hotto and it slammed into her, "Oh right. Stupid OP abilities that make money stupidly fast…"

Anko snorted, "So, in other words—your entire Wave mission pay and then some is gone, right?"

Naruto coughed, "Uh… not all of it. I had other stuff saved up."

Anko raised a brow, "How much of your dough is gone, Gaki?"

Naruto looked away, "Most. Had to take out a mortgage."

The instant he said those words, the air chilled and Anko's aura darkened.

Hinate was wide eyed and Ino was openly gawking. Sure, the instant they became Genin they were legally considered adults but this was nuts in the Yamanaka's mind, "You got a mortgage?!"

"Gaki. Papers. Now."

"Huh?"

"The mortgage papers," Anko said, tapping her foot. "If you actually signed something, I wanna see how deep a hole you dug yourself."

Naruto quickly went inside his newly acquired home and after a few moments came back outside and and handed it over. Ino leaned in immediately while Hinata hovered politely behind her as Anko flipped through the pages with the speed and intensity of someone who had absolutely expected to find untold fuckery.

"Huh."

"What's the 'huh' mean? Is it bad? Terrible? Is he going to be paying this off even when he's dead?" Ino inquired all in the same breathe.

"Thanks for the vote of confident, Ino," Naruto muttered internally.

Anko surprisingly shook her head, "No. Actually, this is pretty reasonable."

Naruto lit up like a Rinne Festival tree, "See?! I told you!"

Anko held up a page, "The interest rate is low. And the monthly payments can be covered with a couple decent missions a month. Maybe even less with your money‑printing abilities. All in all, I can see it being paid off in ten maybe fifteen years?"

Naruto grinned smugly and it made Ino groan, "Of course he gets a good deal. Of course he gets a mortgage that doesn't ruin his life. Why am I even surprised anymore?"

Hinata smiled softly, "I'm glad it's manageable, Naruto‑kun. Congratulations on your new home."

Anko slapped the papers back into Naruto's hands, "Alright, Gaki. I'm not gonna yell at you. You didn't screw yourself over. Somehow."

Naruto puffed out his chest, "I'm responsible!" both Anko and Ino snorted.

"Wouldn't go that far, Gaki," Anko jabbed a thumb at the house, "Still can't believe you bought this and didn't get robbed or bankrupt yourself."

"Well, it's not the only reason," Naruto admitted, bringing up a pop up window. It was easier to explain.

Current Base Ranking: C

The following base benefits are currently active.

Safe Zone: While no hostile entity is present within the property, HP, CP and Stamina regeneration are increased by 25%.

Rested: While sleeping within the Base, you only require six hours of sleep instead of eight to be fully rested and recovery from certain negative debuffs. Sleeping for six hours also grants the Well Rested buff for the following twelve hours. Well Rested increases HP and CP regeneration by 15%, reduces Fatigue accumulation by 10% and increases Skill EXP gained through training by 10%.

Home Field: The owner gains a 10% increase towards all Attributes while within the base.

Protected Recovery: HP, CP, Fatigue and non-permanent negative conditions recovery increases to 25% while resting within the Base.

Base Awareness: While within the base, the owner will be notified when an unidentified, unregistered or hostile individual enters the property that matches or is lower than their own skill rank

Increasing the base ranking will improve the benefits and add more benefits.
​

"What do you think about it now?"

"Got any extra rooms?" Anko asked him.

Naruto blinked but otherwise answered, "Yeah?"

It was the wrong thing to say, "Dibs on the bigger one."

"What?!" Naruto exclaimed. "You can't call dibs on a room in my house!"

"Just did," Anko walked past him toward the front entrance. "Besides, somebody responsible needs to make sure you don't burn the place down."

"You just said I was responsible!"

"No, you said you were responsible. I just thought you were lucky you didn't screw yourself over."

"Wait! If she gets a room, I want one too!"

Naruto stared at his blond teammate, "You already have a place! In a freakin' clan compound!"

"I want my independence," Ino retorted.

"Then knock off the shopping sprees and save for your own place. Moving into mine can't defeats the purpose."

"I'm not moving in," she called over her shoulder. "I'm claiming a room for when I stay over."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"Nope! Moving in means bringing all my clothes."

Anko stopped in the doorway and glanced back at her, "You'd need a second house for that."

"I do not own that many clothes," the commented had Anko, Hinata, Naruto and even Hottomaru staring at her with dubious looks. Ino could only grumble as she crossed her arms

Hinata by contrast smiled softly, "I think having somewhere outside the compound could be nice."

Naruto looked at the Hyūga heiress like she'd grown a second head, "You want a room too?"

"Pretty sure I know which one she'd like," Anko told Ino and the blonde lightly chuckled in agreement.

Hinata blinked and blushed rapidly. "Ano- Ah- that is - I-I didn't mean that I expected one."

"You're getting one," Ino decided for the Hyuga.

"Ino-chan!"

"If Anko-sensei and I get rooms, you get one too. Those are the rules."

Naruto grumbled, knowing it was a losing battle. Sure he had no problem with them staying but them just claiming a room he didn't even offer was just plain rude.

"Uh, Gaki? How do you open this?" Anko asked as the entrance to the home stayed closed.

Which was why Naruto was glad he prepared in advance, anticipating the potential scenario and a smug grin spread across his face, "You can't."

Anko slowly turned toward him, "Come again?"

"The house won't let you in."

Ino stared at the ordinary-looking entrance, "Your house can decide that?"

"It's my Base now," Naruto reminded her, "It won't let just anybody walk inside."

He approached the door and placed his hand against it. A notification immediately appeared.

Base Entrance Identified.

Current Access Restriction: Owner Only

Unregistered individuals cannot enter the Base without the Owner's permission.

This restriction applies only to individuals whose Skill Rank matches or falls below the Base Ranking.
​

Anko's eyes narrowed, "So I could force my way in."

"You could try," Naruto admitted, a bit nervous now as he overlooked that bit, "But I wouldn't recommend it, Anko-sensei."

Another warning appeared.

WARNING!

Attempting to forcibly enter the Base without authorization may cause the individual to be temporarily classified as Hostile.

Hostile individuals cannot receive Base Benefits and will activate all available defensive measures.
​

Anko removed her hand from the door.

"Good security," she decided.

"So, Hinata, you wanna see inside now?" Naruto asked the only one who didn't try to force her way

Hinata blinked before offering him a grateful smile, "I would like that, Naruto-kun."

Uzumaki Naruto has granted you base access privileges.

This privilege will remain so long as the base owner allows it.

Accept?

(Y/N)
​

Hinata pressed on the 'yes' and once a popup showed her as registered to the base, a soft click sound was heard by all to indicate such.

"Ladies first," Naruto opened the door for her and the girl blushed but walked in all the same.

Ino stared after the Hyuga who entered the home without issue, "Ladies first? What are we then?"

"Trespassers," Naruto answered without missing a beat. The comment made Hinata stumble a bit while Anko barked out a laugh and Ino gaped at him.

"Gotta admit, well played, Gaki."

"Thank you."

"Too bad you won't let me in. You'd have gotten yourself a sexy kunoichi who sleeps nude as a roommate. Plenty of straight guys your age would kill for that."

Naruto went scarlet to the point his whole face and body lit up like someone had slapped a Fire Release Technique directly onto him. Even his ears turned red. Hotto tilted his head, confused at what was going on. Ino cackled at the sight while Hinata gained an impassive face.

"Relax, Gaki," she said, waving a hand. "I'm just messin' with you. Mostly."

"Mostly?"

Anko just grinned wider, absolutely delighted with herself, "What? I'm just sayin' facts. You buy a private house with no neighbors, lots of space, and privacy? That's prime real estate for a kunoichi who doesn't like clothes. Oh, well, you snooze you lose. You'd have enjoy the view of the girls. They can get pretty bouncy."

Thud!

Naruto couldn't take it any longer as his adolescent brain sparked vivid images before he pulled a Hinata by collapsing straight down into the property grass. Only difference was the blood trailing down his nose.

"Too easy," Ino smiled at the sight.

(A Few Days Later)
​

"Fucking hell!" a curse sung out in the clearing. The intensity carried with it scaring the local wildlife. Anko was far from happy at the moment. Once more she attempted to use a technique, molding the proper chakra ratio needed, only for it to fall flat and stop.

"God damn!" the woman continued to fume, her anger flaring and her seal pulsing lightly as a result. While grateful for the return of her power, Anko lamented the cost that came with it. Her body reacted too quickly for her to properly comprehend what was happening, and much of her techniques were lacking in finesse and control. In short, Mitarashi Anko felt out of synch with herself and the woman did not like it one little bit. Nearly a week had passed since her team's return, and, by that time, Anko believed she would have gotten a hold on everything by now.

"Shit! It's gonna take me a month or two before I'm back in the game. Shit-fuck!" in a little over two months time the Chunin Exams would begin. Anko had been hoping to use that time to train and take her team on a few missions. Even with Konoha having the home field advantage, the Chunin Exams were no walk in the park. They were designed to test a ninja both mentally and physically. The exams were done to promote peace and competition between others as a substitute for war, and to show off the village's current stock of ninja, too.

But Anko knew better than to assume it would be a fair game. The other villages would be sending their very best, and some would send their ace Genin, too. Some of them being trained to kill with little hesitation compared to others. It was more or less done to scope out the competition, and eliminate those that would be seen as a potential threat down the line. Anko had fully intended to prepare her team for that time. Even if they were the best Genin team of their graduation lot it meant nothing without the proper training and skills. As she was now, she would not be able to do much in training them.

"There's only one thing I can do. Hope they're up for it," as she was leaving the training ground the woman also hoped that her leader would allow her to go through with the plan, too. Otherwise, they would not be prepared for what was the come.

(A Few Moments Later)
​

"You are certain of this, Anko?" Hiruzen asked the woman.

"One hundred percent. I wouldn't be recommending it otherwise, Hokage-sama," by the look in Anko's eye the man knew she was not pulling his leg.

"But why now of all times, and why that area of all places? Certainly, there must be others better suited?" he could understand the reasons behind it and while they were ninja they were still children. Gifted – in a matter of speaking – and better prepared than most their age but children still.

"Hokage-sama, this is to better prepare them for the future. We both know the Chunin Exams are just around the corner. I want them ready for whatever's going to be thrown at them," Hiruzen couldn't deny the logic. Even though the intent of the exams was to promote peace and unity, accidents or designs happened nonetheless during the exams. It was also another way to showcase which village had the better stock of ninja both mentally and physically.

This meant better prestige, better clients, more missions, and more money. Essentially, the Chunin Exams were used to help bolster the economy of a village, and the country they represented. As such it was not uncommon for some villages to play dirty and send in their aces, or hold back teams a year and give them rigorous training that made them stand out. Essentially it was done to dominate the events and make the competition look bad by comparison. Konoha didn't do such things, despite Danzo and a few wanting to do so otherwise. A few, such as Gai, however, did hold their teams back an exam due to lack of proper skill and experience.

"And you're worried that not doing this will put them at risk?" he asked her. If she felt they weren't ready then there was always next year. But given their progress and record, it would be more beneficial if they participated and demonstrated their skill against the opposition.

"Maybe, maybe not. I'd rather be safe than sorry and regret not doing all I could for the squirts. My powers are out of synch so I can't train them properly or push them without accidentally injuring them beyond their means," the thought of any one of them getting killed or badly hurt because she didn't do enough was unsettling. Hiruzen found it ironic how Anko of all people would take the position of Jonin instructor so seriously compared to others. Naruto really did have a way of getting people to open up to him if given the chance. "Plus I want em to kick ass, too. Bragging rights and all."

Hiruzen chuckled. The man didn't doubt it was also a reason. Having been a former teacher as well he knew it all too well. By the end of their first exam, the man had bragging rights coming up the wazoo due to how well Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru performed. They had literally dominated the exams and put many to shame. All three were very gifted and Hiruzen had pounded everything they knew into their heads. Jiraiya's especially thick one, too.

"I still don't understand how others believed he was the Dead Last. If anything he was average in academics, especially compared to his teammates, but well above in everything else," the tradition of placing the Dead Last with the Kunoichi of the Year and Rookie of the Year hadn't come into practice until a few years after his team graduated the academy. Though due to his habits and the way his teammates conducted themselves it was no wonder many believed Jiraiya had been the Dead Last.

"Hokage-sama?"

"Ah! Sorry, Anko, I was lost in thought. You've given me quite a bit to consider and I'll need some time to think it over. I'll let you know my answer as soon as I can," Anko nodded albeit reluctantly. It wasn't a refusal but it wasn't an approval either so it could go either way, "In the meantime, enjoy your time off. I have another meeting to see to."

Anko honestly wished she could. Even she didn't want to worry about her team and tried to unwind, the woman couldn't help but think about their well-being, "Ugh, I need a drink," she groaned and hoped to clear her head. Or at least get hammered enough to forget her troubles. "Hey, Gaki."

Seeing his teacher, but also noticing the mood she was in, Naruto gave a small greeting before he continued on. Even then he wondered why she went to see the Old Man. The Kyubi jinchuriki was cut off from his thoughts as a voice called out.

"Enter," Hiruzen ordered as he sensed the boy's presence. Hiruzen was no sensor but due to the amount of time spent with him the elderly man was very familiar with Naruto's signature "Thank you for seeing me, Naruto-kun."

"Isn't that the other way around, Jiji?" Hiruzen had the decency to cough. It was true after all, "Where's the Pervert?"

"God damn it, Anko!" a voice suddenly cursed the boy's teacher. Naruto was caught off guard by the noise that came out of nowhere. Seconds later he saw Jiraiya's form and his face scrunched up with displeasure. The man was lowly muttering something about disrespectful brats and their pupils. "Where's your mutt?"

"Holding down the fort back home. So, spill already," Naruto forwent the niceties. He had been patient long enough.

Hiruzen remained impassive and had it been anyone else other than a select few he would have reprimanded him or her. But the elderly village leader knew that Naruto was pissed, had a right to be, and had a right to know, too. Hiruzen didn't regret it, though. Naruto was slowly coming into his own but for his own safety, the man didn't regret the lie if it meant keeping Kushina and Minato's legacy alive.

"To begin, a small history lesson is in order. During the years of the Era of Warring States, numerous shinobi clans existed. Many of which perished while others flourished and became well known far and wide. The two most powerful, the Uchiha and Senju Clans, founded Konoha along with their ally clans and those affiliated with them," Naruto looked like he wanted to interrupt what was believed to be useless information but a stern look from the Toad Sage told him to stay quiet.

"What many don't know today is that a third clan assisted in Konoha's creation: the Uzumaki Clan of Uzu no Kuni. Your mother's clan," the man elaborated.

"Ha! So you did know about my mother!" an angry Naruto accused the man. "I knew it! I fucking knew it! I asked you tons of times and you lied about it, but I just freakin knew it! I fuckin knew it!"

"And the lie was for good reason, brat!" Jiraiya butted in. "When you were born Sarutobi-sensei made a tough call and had all knowledge of them sealed away. It wasn't exactly what you'd call an easy decision. The Uzumaki Clan were a clan of unrivaled seal masters and were the envy of many others. And by many, I mean a shit ton of people. Even today the chances of finding someone more skilled than one of them in seals are slim to none. If people knew you were related to your mother you'd have been killed like the rest of your clan," the official story in Konoha was that Naruto was only given Kushina's name to honor the fallen kunoichi. Only a few that weren't close to her knew Kushina had been pregnant after all. The rest that were in knowhow were either her closest friends or the higher ups. Most of them were now dead, however.

"Huh?" though anger was still surging through him, the declaration left Naruto confused. "What do you mean?"

"It's exactly like it sounds, kid. The Uzumaki Clan is gone. Kaput! Their fame in seals and their relationship with the Senju Clan and Konoha made em a lot of enemies. They were wiped in the Second World War; barring the few survivors like your mom. Uzu was an isolated and small country, but their natural defenses and the seals the clan used made it very difficult to reach. In the end, though they brought down a ton of the opposition, it still wasn't enough," Jiraiya still remembered the incident like it was yesterday.

"Why the hell did their relationship with the Senju clan play a role?" seals Naruto could understand, as his Gamer ability allowed him to know that seals could do certain things ordinary ninja skills couldn't. The most advanced ones apparently could warp time and space and even change uninhabitable terrains into habitable ones. However, Naruto was nowhere that level of skill.

"Because the Senju and Uzumaki were cousin clans. Don't know all the details but apparently, the two come from the same ancestor. Members of both clans are known for their vitality and large chakra reserves, too. Some of history's most powerful ninja came from the Senju Clan. Senju Hashirama, my former master, was the most powerful ninja of his time. Years after his death no ninja has ever surpassed his might. The Uzumaki didn't have any ninja on the same level but they were regarding as one of the clans with the closest potential due to their relationship. The enemy feared that the Uzumaki would someday reach that potential and acted pre-emptively out of fear. And when they learned they had just come out of a civil war, they jumped on the opportunity. Ironically, the Senju Clan also perished during the Second War and when it was over, I did some additional searching whenever I could. But as far as most of the world was concerned, Kushina was the only Uzumaki left," a fate she shared with her cousin, Tsunade.

"Understand this, Naruto, Uzu and Konoha were allies and we tried to help Uzu as best we could," Naruto saw the sincere but pained look in the man's face and his tone of voice never waivered to indicate he was lying. At least it showed him that Konoha didn't abandon his clan in their time of need.

"However, we were facing our own problems as well. Uzu was isolated and not easy to get to so I assumed they would be safe. By the time I learned of the civil war, and Konoha was in a good enough position to do anything, it was, to our shame, too late. Once we arrived everything was destroyed or beyond saving. What remained of the opposing ninja villages had been forced to retreat when they saw us," Hiruzen still remembered the rage he felt that day as he and his men slaughtered those that tried to give their fleeing comrades ample time to escape.

"Ultimately, the oppositions heavy losses forced them to withdraw from the war. War is costly and the amount of fighters lost during other battles and the Uzu Invasion left them with little choice. The only thing we could do for the clan members was give them a proper burial and make certain none of their teachings fell into the wrong hands," what he and his men had retrieved had been minimal at best. Much of which were common and the odd unknown sealing techniques that were intergraded in Konoha's defenses. Hiruzen had no doubt in his mind the more valuable Uzumaki possessions were either destroyed or specially sealed somewhere only an Uzumaki would be able to have access to.

"Your mother was a child during that time and visiting Mito-sama. She was an old family member of Kushina that lived in Konoha. When the war ended and with no place left to go she had no choice but to stay. When Mito-sama passed away we kept a close eye on her until she became old and strong enough to look after herself. She earned a fairly decent reputation during the Third World War. It earned herself a few admirers in the process and many enemies, too. We never found out who your father was when she became pregnant. She died protecting you from the Kyubi during that fateful night. She used her own body to shield you from harm even though she'd just given birth. She loved you that much," Hiruzen couldn't help as a few tears forced themselves out of his eyes.

The man wasn't the only one in the room to show such emotion. Jiraiya was a veteran who last many friends during the war, but every time he heard this it always got to him. It brought forth so many memories about the woman he eventually saw as a daughter and the man who was like the son he never had. Naruto's face was clouded but the small pool that gathered beneath him made it obvious he was shedding more than his fair share. While the Gamer's Mind prevented the psychological trauma potentially associated with emotions, Naruto still felt the emotion nonetheless.

"Fuck. This sucks!" for years Naruto wondered if his parents lived him, or abandoned him like yesterday's trash. Now that he knew his mother loved him to the point of sacrificing her life, Naruto didn't really know how to process it. He was angry, sad, and happy all at the same time.

"I hear ya, kid. I hear ya," Jiraiya could understand the boy's pain.

Naruto continued to let off some steam and let the tears flow for a number of minutes. Sometime afterward, Naruto took some deep breaths before he asked, "What did she look like?"

Rather than describe her, Jiraiya took out a scroll and with a puff he handed Naruto a photo album. "Your mom's the red head. She was quite the spitfire when she was your age. You two are a lot alike actually. Pranks, ramen, fighting; you even have her attack first and think later attitude along with her desire to become Hokage. All you lack is the Uzumaki Clan's hair. Common trait in the clan was red hair."

"Sounds like you knew my mom pretty well," a curious Naruto noticed.

"Kushina got me good with a few of her pranks over the years. Pretty damn creative ones, too," not to mention humiliating as hell, "I took an interest in her when I noticed she was practicing seals. I'll tell ya, I never met a kid more fascinated or gifted in the art of seals than her. Even Minato wasn't as good," Hiruzen and Jiraiya knew Minato was the only one that came close to her level but gifted as he was in the obscure field, the boy's skill in Fuinjutsu didn't come close to Kushina's own. Minato's gift was more in Space-Time ninjutsu and speed. Hiruzen stifled a chuckle as he recalled the many times Kushina scolded Jiraiya and his student like a schoolyard teacher whenever they made errors.

"I actually learned a few things about seals from her as a result. If it weren't for her, I'd have plateaued long ago. Too few masters in seals are around these days, unfortunately. Damn shame. Many would have benefited from her teachings… assuming they didn't piss her off and could handle her methods," the man chuckled and Naruto smiled a bit. "I don't doubt she'd have done the same for you, kid."

Naruto nodded at the man and flipped the page in the photo album, "Team Kickass?" the boy read the writing above an old photo.

Here Hiruzen chuckled, "Your mother's name for her old Genin Team. I believe she said the name Team Fourteen sounded too bland and lame. Especially since they were the first all kunoichi team in years."

"These are her teammates? Are they still around?!" the boy hoped.

A sigh escaped Hiruzen's mouth and Naruto saw a sad look cross his withered face, "Regrettably, all of them are no longer with us. She may have told her teammates but both passed away some years ago. Even if they were told, I know neither one would have mentioned a word of it to anyone. This went double for her teacher. I would know because she was my wife."

"Your wife taught my mom?" Naruto couldn't believe it.

"She did. And much like your mother, my beloved Biwako died on that fateful night as well," Naruto felt bad for asking and looked back down at the picture.

Biwako was in the background with her arms crossed, a serious look adorned her features but she had the makings of a light smile. His mother was grinning and holding up the victory sign. To her right was a young blue haired and shy girl who looked like she wanted to get away from the camera. On her left was an onyx haired girl who looked slightly annoyed but beheld an arrogant smirk that was all too familiar to him.

"Hey. This girl wouldn't be from the Uchiha Clan, would she?" Naruto asked.

"Good eye, kid. That you see there is Uchiha Mikoto, and the wallflower is Hyuga Hikari. Along with your mother all three of em would grow up to be the some of the strongest kunoichi of their generation. Turned into some real beauties, too," the man giggled but dodged series of kunai and shuriken.

"No perverted thinking about my mom, Ero-sennin!" kami only knew what the man was thinking.

"Definitely your mother's kid," Jiraiya pointed out. Especially with the hair trigger anger.

"You said they were close, right?"

"Very. Even after they married and began to have families of their own they remained close. Mikoto is none other than Sasuke-kun's mother, while Hikari is Hinata's," Naruto's eyes widened at that. Upon looking more closely he couldn't deny the uncanny resemblance. Hinata was almost a splitting image of her mom, minus the long hair, and it was a no brainer knowing where Sasuke got his smirk.

"Did mom leave anything behind?"

"Not much. Kushina was initially only meant to be here for a short period of time. Much of Konoha was destroyed when she passed away and her home was one of the many that were left in ruins. All we managed to find were some of her notes here and there. The rest were destroyed beyond salvaging," here Hiruzen pulled out a deep blue scroll with the Uzumaki Clan symbol. "There isn't much but this is all she had. No will was found, but then again it could have been destroyed. But as her only child everything she had goes to you."

Common procedure in a ninja village was locating next of kin and giving them what was left. When no kin was made available, money and artifacts were put into storage in the village treasury for a period of time. Sometimes it was done in case the last kin was too young to know about their lineage and given to them once they matured. However, if none were discovered or showed up after ten years then it permanently became a part of the village.

But Jiraiya had informed the man that he would rectify it. The amount of money he had due to his past missions, along with being Konoha's Spymaster, and his Icha Icha books, was quite extensive. Jiraiya wasn't nearly as wealthy as any of the Great Five Daimyos, but he was easily as wealthy, if not more so, than some of the minor ones.

"Thanks, Jiji," Naruto held the scroll close to his chest, as if he feared it being taken away from him. With what he needed done, Naruto asked of he could be excused.

"You may. But before you go, Naruto-kun. I would like you to keep this knowledge to yourself. Strong as you are at the moment there are others that are many times more powerful than you. Some would not hesitate to come after you if they knew you were Kushina's son," by this he meant by reputation of the woman herself and her Uzumaki lineage.

"But!" Naruto received a stern look from the man. Naruto's anger towards the man was burning once more. "Fine. But when can I tell others?"

Thinking about it, Hiruzen became pensive before he answered, "In almost three months time the Chunin Exams will take place. If you manage to perform well and demonstrate the necessary qualities of becoming a Chunin … I will grant you permission to talk about it," truthfully the man preferred if the boy made Jonin before telling him. Others would think twice when facing a Jonin compared to a Chunin. However, Hiruzen had made himself promise that he would tell the boy everything when he became a Chunin.

[QUEST ALERT!]

The Chunin Exams! - Challenge Rating (TBD)

Main Quest: Pass the First Half of the Chunin Exams!

Main Quest 2: Info unavailable until you pass the First Half

Main Quest 3: Info unavailable until you pass the Second Half

Side Quest: Be promoted to Chunin Rank

Hidden Objective (1/5): ?

Hidden Objective (2/5): ?

Hidden Objective (3/5): ?

Hidden Objective (4/5): ?

Hidden Objective (5/5): ?

Potential Additional Rewards (Quest Above Skill Level)

Choice of Improving One attribute by [amount depends on Individual's Skill Rank and Quest's Rank], or Choice of Skill Equivalent or lesser than Quest Rank

Potential Rewards

Main Quest 1 Reward: 15,000 EXP,

Main Quest 2 Reward: Information locked

Main Quest 3 Reward: Information locked

Side Quest Reward: Obtain the Rank

Hidden Objective(1/5) Reward: ?

Hidden Objective (2/5) Reward: ?

Hidden Objective (3/5) Reward: ?

Hidden Objective (4/5) Reward: ?

Hidden Objective (5/5) Reward: ?

Failure: Potential chance of Death or Permanent Crippling Injury Status Effect to you or team members, Unable to speak about your family ties, Must wait six months before retaking test

(YES/NO)
​

The Gamer didn't think twice about his decision and eagerly accepted the quest. Afterwards, Naruto thanked both men and left the room. The boy had some things to do after all.

"All in all, that went pretty well. Don't ya think?" Jiraiya looked at his former teacher. Truthfully he though Naruto's outburst would have been worse. The boy was much more collected than his mother was at that age.

"Oh, right! Theresh one more ting!" Hiruzen resisted the urge to face palm as he saw the slightly intoxicated Jonin of Team 8. A drunk Anko was worse than a sober Anko; Drunk Anko led to many more headaches in his opinion.

"How the hell is she drunk? She's only been gone for twelve minutes!" Jiraiya could help but wonder.

(A Few Days Later)
​

"Well, it was fun while it lasted," Naruto sulked. The irony wasn't lost on him considering he wanted to do more missions and training beforehand. The boy realized he probably should have made the most of it while it lasted. He had tried his best to find decent perks and skills to improve his chakra control but they were either too expensive or he didn't meet the necessary requirements at the moment.

"What you'd guys do?"

"Otou-san believed I should take it easy so I relaxed," Hinata informed. It had been strange seeing her father react the way he did when he was informed the mission had turned into an S-rank one. The look he bore had not been one Hinata was used to seeing. It had been one of relief, anger, confusion and, dare she say it, pride all in one. Though bringing back a lost Hyuga Clan scroll, one that had been authenticated, very likely played a role in it. The looks and praise she had been given by her clan was one she had not seen before.

Except one, unfortunately.

"Can't complain. So, what do ya think?" Ino asked the team.

"Think of what?" Naruto didn't know where she was going with this.

"My shoes. Duh?" the blonde stuck her legs out to show them. "Nice, huh?"

"Uh, sure," Naruto honestly had no idea how to respond. Shoes were shoes in his opinion. "You think they're practical though? I mean, they don't really look like they're made for combat," sure they were above the knees and not bad looking but that was about it.

"Really?"

On instinct, Naruto blocked the first strike that was inches from striking him. The second strike was forced him block with his metal protected glove. But the whisker-marked boy felt a large tingle in his limb and heard the sound of a clang. As though metal had struck metal.

"Still think they're not combat appropriate?" Ino smirked. Her shoes more or less remained the same but now had metal-like plates on them. From all the sides of the sole Naruto saw a thin blade that took on the form of a spade.

"Whoa!" was all he could say.

"Whoa, is right. Mom knew someone from the old days that now specializes in making kunoichi gear: lethal and fashionable. People wouldn't think much of em, underestimate those who wore these beauties and then soon regret it once they had a better look at what they could do," Ino explained.

"Oh, yeah. I know that place. Stuff they make ain't as good as Tetsu's but they come damn close. And they have stuff all kunoichi should have when it comes to certain aspects," by that Anko meant enhancing sex appeal and making infiltration missions easier. The woman had gone there quite a few times to prepare for certain missions. "Even if they're pricy as hell, the stuff's worth the money."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Ino had spent nearly two-thirds of her mission money on the bloody things due to the specs and other fees. That was with her using the chakra metal to help reduce the price. They were nice and all, but the amount of clothes she could have bought with that amount of money would have been large. Especially when it came to the top designer ones.

"Right, enough about fashion. Hope you guys enjoyed your time off cuz now we'll be taking it up a notch. And by that I mean I'm gonna be pushing you brats till you puke till you drop," the thought was as unappealing as it was disgusting.

"Really? Awesome!" an ecstatic Naruto cheered. His team members were less than enthusiastic. Had she not been used to him, Ino would have wondered what kind of person wanted to be pushed to the point of hurling?

"What is it, Anko-sensei?" Hinata noticed her teacher's look.

"I'll be frank with you brats. My powers are out of whack at the moment and I need a tune up," Naruto and Ino scoffed at how lightly the comment was.

All of the knew that due to her sudden and unexpected large boost in level and power, Anko's skills had gone up a notch. As of now her skill ranking was unknown along with her attributes being covered up by question marks, which meant her level up had gone well beyond what Naruto's Observe skill allowed him to see. Normally this would be good and all but with Anko's control over her skills taking a noticeable nosedive. Right now her techniques were either too weak or overpowered. The last time she used the Dokkaso no Justu (Poison Lust Claw Technique) it nearly ended up felling a giant tree in one go in Naruto's backyard. However, the empowered acidic properties ended up causing it to fall a few moments later and turned the stump into liquid goo.

"So, I managed to get Hokage-sama to take the team off the active roster for the next little while. Which means no missions," Anko ignored Naruto's whining. "The Chunin exams are right around the corner and it's my job is to make sure you four are up for the task,"

"Isn't that three months away?" that should be plenty of time in Naruto's opinion.

"The Chunin Exams are notoriously know for being a hectic time. The start date has an odd habit of suddenly changing last minute so it could even only be a month from now," Anko explained.

"How are you gonna do that if you can't exactly train us?" Ino asked her.

"Simple. For the next month or two you'll be doing a combination of intense survival training and technique refinement. I spoke with your clan heads and managed to get their permission to carry it out," not that it had been an easy venture. Two of her wards were children of the clan heads after all. "If any days are remaining after we're done we'll be using them to relax and prepare. Any questions?"

Ino was the first to asked, "Why survival and refinement training, Anko-sensei?"

"Easy. But first, what's the difference between a master and a beginner?" the question was unexpected but the group answered as best they could.

"More experience, and being wiser?" was Naruto's reply.

"True to the first, not always to the second," Anko knew plenty of older ninja that were lacking in the wisdom department.

"More techniques?" Ino stated.

"Not always but close enough to where I'm going," she conceded that a master generally had more techniques, "Now the difference between beginners and masters are this: beginners can know had to use a technique but a master not only has complete control over it but knows how to use it in several effective ways. You've all got a large amount of techniques and abilities but I'm pretty sure you've yet to increase them at a decent level? Or even master them, right?"

All three Genin looked bashful, even Hottomaru looked bashful.

"That's the big difference between a master and a beginner. Knowing a bunch of skills is good and all but if you can't use them properly then you're better off not knowing them," having the odd technique here or there such as a minor medical technique that didn't really fit your style was the exception. Anko didn't know a lot of techniques compared to Kakashi and the Sandaime, but she knew enough. And the woman had mastered all of them to the point she could perform them with little thought.

Ino could understand where Anko was going with this and merely nodded her head, "Okay, cool, I get that. But why are we learning about survival training?" with Naruto's ability it was kind of redundant.

"Because the Gaki's not always gonna be here to fall back on. When a ninja's promoted to Chunin the team usually splits ups when enough experience is gained," there was the odd cases like the Ino-Shika-Cho where the team stayed together but even then they didn't perform every mission together. It was also done in case they were promoted to Jonin down the line.

"Where we going?" Hinata asked.

"Initially I was gonna have you use the Forest of Death but Hokage-sama thought it would be unwise," Anko forwent telling them about the political shit storm that would occur if it was found out a team used it before the exams started. Ninja didn't play fair but even then there was a line that shouldn't be crossed a times. Anko also was not a paperwork person and avoided politics as much as she possibly could, "Which is why we're gonna using one of your dungeons, gaki. Whatcha got for us?"

"Didn't you just say-"

"Yes, yes. I'm aware of the irony of using your ability in order to not become dependent on it. Shut the hell up!" the woman didn't like that crap being pointed out. Ino and Naruto merely smirked while Hinata giggled. Hotto scratched his ears.

"Well, I have one that I recently acquired."

"What's it called?"

"The Dungeon of the Iron Code."

"Iron Code?" Ino inquired, unable to recall.

"I thought I'd be good because it's a massive open world and you can choose a class that will impact your abilities

"Not looking for you to get a walk in the park here

"It also makes certain perks and skills inert so we have to be more frugal. Something 'bout skills that didn't exist back or some crap," Naruto added.

"Ooh, that will do it. Especially in the Iron Code Era," Anko nodded.

"You've heard of it?"

Anko muttered things about hurting Iruka before she answered, "Course I heard of it. One! The parent is absolute. Their will must be obeyed. Two! The master is absolute. You give your life to keep them safe. You bring them back at any cost. Three! Fear is absolute. There is no shame in losing one battle. But you must take revenge by any means necessary!"

"Sounds kinda harsh," Ino muttered.

"Well in those days life wasn't what you would call a walk in the park. The Iron Code was the basic mentally of those who lived during the Era of Warring States and why it was also dubbed the Era of the Iron Code."

"Era of-YOU WANT US TO TRAIN THERE?!" Ino exclaimed.

"Will you be with us, Anko-sensei?

"Can't. Much as I'd like to spend time there and have all the time in the world to train my ass off for almost a year and a half or two without missions, I've got other responsibilities besides torturing you three.'

"Arf!"

"Four," Anko corrected, "So you're on your own on this one. You have a day to pack your shit and prepare yourselves. Bring only the essentials, kiddies. Cuz if this dungeon is anything like I think it is, you're gonna learn real fast how easy you have it compared to what shinobi used to deal with," when Ino made to object, Anko quickly stopped her, "No you can't request a team transfer."

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" safe to say, Ino pounced on Naruto with the intent of ending his life.

He just had to recommend such a dungeon.

---

Status Window
​

Name: Hottomaru

Job: Ninken

Skill Rank: -C

Chakra Control Skill Rank: -C

Level: 24 to 41 Next Level: 1%/100%

HP: 1775 + 425 = 2200

CP: 1225

STR: 48

VIT: 70 + 17 = 87

END: 50 + 17 = 67

DEX: 48

INT: 20

WIS: 29

CHA: 33

LUK: 28

Improvement Points: 37

Perk Points: 5

Specialization

N/A

Fighting Style

N/A

Perks

Ninja Dog: Human Lifespan, Ability to Mold Chakra, Potential to speak human language

Komainu Lineage (Guard Dog): +1 VIT, Lv, +15% Effectiveness & EXP towards [Biting-based Skills] & [Detection-based Skills], +20% Effectiveness, Power, and EXP towards [Fire-Based Skills]

Akita Lineage (Tracking Dog): +1 DEX per Lv, +15% Effectiveness and EXP towards [Tracking Skills] +15% Effectiveness and EXP towards [Stealth-Based Skills], +10% towards Movement Speed during and outside combat

Keen-Senses: +15% Effectiveness & EXP towards [Detection Skill], Ignores Henge, Strong and pungent odours can result in debuffs

Titles

Zombie Slayer (C-Rank): +40% Power, EXP, Money against [Undead-Based Monster], +20% Increase towards Attributes against [Undead-Based Monster], +20% chance of [Double Loot Occurrence] against [Undead-Based Monster]

Savior of Nami no Kuni (Rankless): +25% increase towards EXP, and Skill Growth while within Nami no Kuni. Reputation gains with the citizens of Nami no Kuni increased by 100%. Purchasing prices reduced by 25% and selling prices increased by 25% when dealing with its citizens. Those who recognize the user as Nami no Kuni's savior are more likely to offer aid, shelter, information, and unique quests. Nami no Kuni and its people are significantly less likely to betray or act against the user.

Description: A two old ninja dog with Komainu blood in his veins. While possessing great potential like his cousin Akamaru, Hottomaru like most Komainu pups require a good amount of discipline and can be difficult to train but are fiercely loyal and protective of their owners and partners.

---

Name: Hyuga Hinata

Job: Genin (15% EXP Gain and +15 IP per year)

Skill Rank: C-

Chakra Control Skill Rank: B

Level: 27 - 43 Next Level: 9%/100%

HP: 1800

CP: 2125 + 800 = 2915

STR: 31

VIT: 72

END: 85 + 32 = 117

DEX: 59

INT: 85 + 32 = 117

WIS: 80 + 32 = 112

CHA: 20

LUK: 16

Improvement Points: 48

Perk Points: 5

Specialization

None

Fighting Styles

Juken [D-Rank]: +1 Towards END per Level (active as of level 20)

Special Perks

Gamer's Teammate: So long as you are on the same team as the Gamer, you gain the same benefits. (This perk can be taken away if the Gamer wills it!)

Byakugan: +1 WIS per Lv, +20% EXP & Effectiveness towards [Medical Ninjutsu], [Detection Skills], +20% increase towards [Critical Hit Chance], Allows the use of the [Byakugan Skill]

Perks

Main Family Lineage: +1 INT & +1 END per Lv, +15% Effectiveness towards [Hyuga Clan Skills], +15% Reputation gain with Konoha and Konoha Allies, +15% EXP and Effectiveness towards [Bartering] with Konoha and Allies, +15% EXP, Power, Speed and Effectiveness towards [Taijutsu Skills]

Titles

Taijutsu Practitioner (D-Rank): +20% EXP, Power & Effectiveness towards [Taijutsu Skills]

Medical Practitioner (D-Rank): +1 WIS & +1 INT per level, +20% EXP, Power, and Effectiveness towards [Medical-Based Skills and Items] and [Herbalism Skills]

Zombie Slayer (D-Rank): +20% Power, EXP, Money against [Undead-Based Monster], +10% Increase towards Attributes against [Undead-Based Monster], +10% chance of [Double Loot Occurrence] against [Undead-Based Monster]

Savior of Nami no Kuni (Rankless): +25% increase towards EXP, and Skill Growth while within Nami no Kuni. Reputation gains with the citizens of Nami no Kuni increased by 100%. Purchasing prices reduced by 25% and selling prices increased by 25% when dealing with its citizens. Those who recognize the user as Nami no Kuni's savior are more likely to offer aid, shelter, information, and unique quests. Nami no Kuni and its people are significantly less likely to betray or act against the user.

Flaws/Debuffs

Diffidence [E-Rank]: -10% towards Attributes, -10% EXP, Power, Speed and Effectiveness towards Skills, Benefits of Titles and Perks reduced, Flaw will become permanent upon reaching MAX level

Description: Hinata is a very kind but very shy young girl who comes from one of Konoha's four noble clans. Despite being trained in the art of the Gentle Fist at a young age, a renown and deadly taijutsu, Hinata's skill is lacking for reasons currently unknown. While not one of the best students in the academy Hinata was still one of the more intelligent students. While most of the girls in her class are infatuated with Sasuke, Hinata is attracted to someone else. Her love for cinnamon rolls is said to rival Uzumaki Naruto's love for ramen. As a result of being on Team Eight, Hinata has slowly but surely become more confident.

---

Status Window
​

Name: Yamanaka Ino

Job: Genin (15% EXP Gain and +15 IP per year)

Skill Rank: C-

Chakra Control Skill Rank: C

Level: 25 - 40 Next Level: 89%/100%

HP: 1450

CP: 1575

STR: 36

VIT: 58

END: 63

DEX: 92 + 45 = 137

INT: 61

WIS: 64 + 15 = 79

CHA: 102 + 45 = 147

LUK: 25

Improvement Points: 44

Perk Points: 3

Specialization

None

Fighting Styles

Rankyaku [C-Rank]: +2 Towards DEX per Level (active as of level 21)

Special Perk

Gamer's Teammate: So long as you are on the same team as the Gamer, you gain the same benefits. (This perk can be taken away if the Gamer wills it!)

Yamanaka Lineage (Heiress): +2 CHA per Lv, +25% Effectiveness towards [Yamanaka Clan Skills], +25% Reputation gain with Konoha and Konoha Allies, +25% EXP and Effectiveness towards [Bartering] with Konoha and Allies, +15% EXP, Power, Speed and Effectiveness towards [Lightning-Based Skills and Items], +25% towards [Mental-Based Tolerance], +5% EXP increase from quests

Perks

Natural Grace: Lv 2: +1 DEX per Lv, +30% Effectiveness towards [Movement Speed] and [Evasion], +30% Effectiveness towards [Speed-Based Skills], +30% Effectiveness towards [Acrobatic Fighting Styles]

Titles

Botanist (C-Rank): +1 WIS, 40% EXP & Effectiveness towards [Detection Skill: Locate Flora], +40% EXP & Effectiveness towards [Herbalism Skill], +20% Power and Effectiveness towards Skills when fighting [Flora-Based Monsters], +20% chance of [Double Loot Occurrence] when picking [Flora-Based] items

Future Femme Fatale: +1 CHA, +20% EXP and Effectiveness towards [Seduction Skills] and [Bartering Skills], +10% Power & Chance towards [Critical Hits]

Zombie Slayer (D-Rank): +20% Power, EXP, Money against [Undead-Based Monster], +10% Increase towards Attributes against [Undead-Based Monster], +10% chance of [Double Loot Occurrence] against [Undead-Based Monster]

Savior of Nami no Kuni (Rankless): +25% increase towards EXP, and Skill Growth while within Nami no Kuni. Reputation gains with the citizens of Nami no Kuni increased by 100%. Purchasing prices reduced by 25% and selling prices increased by 25% when dealing with its citizens. Those who recognize the user as Nami no Kuni's savior are more likely to offer aid, shelter, information, and unique quests. Nami no Kuni and its people are significantly less likely to betray or act against the user.

Description: Though not as intelligent as her rival, Sakura, Ino was still one of the top students at the academy. Ino is talented in her clan's teachings but due to her attitude and infatuation with Sasuke she isn't as far or as proficient as she should be. Ino is notorious for her gossip and fashion sense, very little happened in the academy that she doesn't know about. As a result of being on Team Eight, and Anko literally beating the fangirl out of her, Ino's priorities have improved, though several old habits remain.

---

Hatenshūjin (Breaking Point Kick Blades) – Very Rare Quality

Item Type: Footwear

Description: Crafted by an artisan who specialized in chakra‑responsive equipment for high‑speed kunoichi, the Breaking Point Kick Blades are stiletto-like footwear designed specifically for close‑quarters fighters who rely on precision, agility, and devastating leg‑based techniques. Reinforced with flexible alloy plates and woven with chakra‑conductive fibers, these boots allow the wearer to strike with the force of a hammer while moving with the grace of a dancer and even use the heel's pin points as deadly piercing weapons. Though made with dense chakra metal, the artisan's skill allows the user to move quickly as though they were ordinary shoes.

Bonus Stats/Perks:

- Increases kicking‑based taijutsu by 25%.

- Chakra‑infused kicks cost 10% less CP

- Movement speed increased by 15% when using speed techniques that enhance legs

- 15% increase in Physical Resistance when blocking with legs

- Heel‑point strikes have a 10% chance to inflict a temporary crippling debuff, reducing enemy mobility for five seconds.

Equipment Abilities

- Haten Funsai (Break Point Shattering): Piercing attacks made with the heel deal an additional 20% damage and has a 5% chance of ignoring enemy physical resistance.

- Hadoshu (Rippling Pulse Kick): Kicks have a 15% chance to generate a shockwave on impact, sending the target flying a number of feet equal to 10 to 25% of your DEX attribute

- Renzoku Dankyaku (Severing Serial Kicks): A series of continuous kicks that unleash rapid, slicing strikes, overwhelming the target through relentless, precision‑focused leg attacks. The kicks aren't powerful individually, but the movement and sheer number of blows unleashed last as long as the user maintains momentum and chakra, the true benefit in the technique comes from infusing the shoes with chakra flow, oils, poisons, or other debilitating concoctions to increase the chances of them being affected as each kick landed increases the chance of the debuff.

Latest chapter is up here and two more are coming out in the next two weeks there as well.