Full Summary: What if Naruto learned about the forbidden scroll before Mizuki ever told him about it? What if he managed to copy it and learn more than shadow clones? One of its forbidden jutsus ends up accidentally conjuring the ghost of Tobirama Senju. Enthralled by the dead Nidaime, Naruto asks for his help to become Hokage. Tobirama only agrees when Naruto mentions his name and his desire to defeat Sasuke Uchiha. Along the way, he discovers his relation to the Senjus and a legendary bloodline. Naruto/harem

A/N: Alright guys, I know I should be updating my Bleach fic, White, (or my DXD fic) and I'll probably catch a ton of heat for posting a new fic, but I had a stroke of inspiration recently, which made me pull this story out to post. The first 2 chapters of this story have been sitting unedited in my fanfic document folder for like two years now, and I've never gotten around to putting it together until now. Don't ask me why...I was in a mood after rewatching some of Shippuden. As far as the story itself is concerned, I thought it would be badass if Naruto was trained by Tobirama (*cough* best Hokage *cough*). He's going to adopt a lot of Tobirama's realist attitudes towards things and will be developing Senju and Uzumaki abilities. Naruto isn't going to need some fancy bullshit Doujutsu in this fic, because he's going to be overpowered as fuck without any magical eyes. If you're a fan of my fanfics, then you can already imagine where this one will go. It's a harem like most of my stories, but I'm pretty picky with them. I'll be putting in some of my favorite girls from Naruto. Samui, Haku, and Fu are the only confirmed ones currently. If there's a girl that you absolutely desire to have in the harem then give me a good reason early on before I write out the whole plot and I'll consider it. Also, there won't be any major Team 7 or village council bashing (well maybe a little…I can't help it. I promise nothing ridiculous or unwarranted though).

Chapter 1: Ghost of the Nidaime

A young ten-year-old Naruto was currently in the Hokage's office once again for another public mishap. The blonde boy held his head down in slight shame as the Hokage spoke sternly, "Naruto, I know it's difficult for you to behave, but things like this really paint a target on your back. This is the third time this month I've had to call off the village council. You can't keep doing things like this and expect there to be no consequences."

"Aww, c'mon gramps, I didn't do anything wrong!" Naruto protested.

The Hokage rose a brow as he clasped his hands together, "I'm all one for a good prank too, Naruto, but you heavily damaged the Nidaime's monument. Many see that as a sign of disrespect, and there's only so much I can shield you. I can understand your need for attention, but don't you feel that it's disrespectful to the Hokages? You say you want to be Hokage one day but acts like that are not how you become a Hokage. I doubt you know this, but you can't just become Hokage on a whim. Not only does it take the former Hokage's approval, but you also have to be appointed Hokage by the village leaders. That means earning people's respect and admiration. Damaging village monuments is not a good start..."

"C'mon, gramps! It's not like they can't just fix it anyways! Besides, I do respect the Hokages!" Naruto shot back.

"Really? Then tell me, Naruto…what is the name of Nidaime? The man whose monument you almost destroyed with your paint bomb prank?" Sarutobi tested.

"I…umm…I guess I don't know," Naruto trailed off in thought as if the revelation was deeply shocking to him.

Sarutobi sighed, "If you truly wish to become Hokage one day, then it might do you some good to study the former Hokages and learn why they were so respected. I don't care if you want to pull pranks, Naruto, but try not to upset the village leaders. Many of them are especially upset that it was the Nidaime's monument in particular."

"Pfft…like I care what those old geezers think anyway!" the blonde said aggressively.

"You're lucky it's up to me and not the council. They suggested your expulsion from the shinobi academy," Sarutobi elaborated.

Naruto's eyes widened and for the first time, he didn't know what to say. He was silent for a long moment before speaking again, "How can I learn about the former Hokages then?"

"They are taught about in the academy, but if you're truly curious to learn more on your own, then I'll allow you access to the Hokage Tower library. Just mind yourself though…some of it is off limits for everyone except high ranking Shinobi," Sarutobi elaborated.

"A library…how lame," Naruto said unhappily.

"Work hard and study, Naruto…that's the first step to becoming Hokage," the Sandaime replied.

Naruto put his hands behind his head and sighed, "Yeah yeah…so where's this library at then?"

"It's not too far from my office actually. Here, follow me," the old man spoke as he made his way for the door.

Naruto followed him for about a minute as they winded around some corridors and up a flight of additional stairs. They soon came upon a library. A Jonin was currently standing in front of a door and looked a bit alarmed when he saw the Hokage and Naruto approach.

"Hokage-sama!" the man announced respectfully as he immediately opened the door for them. The elder ninja's eyes locked onto Naruto suspiciously, but he said nothing as the blonde boy walked inside.

"Here you are, Naruto…feel free to come by here and study anytime you wish during the day. I will inform the Jonin in the tower to allow you access to the first level of the library," the Hokage explained before walking towards the exit.

Naruto stood there somewhat uncertainly as Sarutobi turned back and spoke to the Jonin guarding the door, "Naruto is allowed in here to study. I don't want any trouble, understood?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" the Jonin replied respectfully before the Hokage departed.

After he was gone, Naruto looked around the somewhat small library as he scratched his head. Reading had never really been his thing before, but Naruto was a bit curious about the former Hokages now.

Against his own childish restlessness, he decided to look around and find something interesting to read. He eventually found a book called Legacy of the Hokages and decided on it. He brought the book to an isolated table in the corner and looked over it. The book didn't look overly fancy or anything, but it did have colored portraits of the Hokages inside of it.

Naruto read the first page curiously, "Hashirama Senju…First Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. A renowned warrior and sage in his lifetime, the Shodaime was an unequaled shinobi. Legends say that he was so powerful that the ninja world referred to him as the God of Shinobi. All known accounts state he had the largest chakra pool in the ninja world and a legendary, unique ability…wood release."

'Wow, that sounds pretty cool. Though wood release doesn't sound very strong,' Naruto thought to himself.

"Wood release was renowned for its ability to drain chakra and create life. No known Senju descendants have ever developed this ability except for the Shodaime." Naruto finished reading the excerpt about the first hokage.

He skimmed through some other boring stuff before reaching the part about the second hokage, "Following the reign of his older brother Hashirama, Tobirama Senju would later become the Nidaime Hokage. The Nidaime is most famously known for his establishment of much of the village structure we see today. Tobirama Senju was a master of all five elemental natures, but was most renowned as the greatest water ninjutsu specialist to ever live. His greatest legacy however was the creation of hundreds of jutsus used far and wide in the Shinobi world. He is also credited as the second fastest shinobi in history behind the Yondaime."

'Wow, he sounds pretty cool…now I feel kind of bad about messing up his monument,' Naruto thought to himself.

"The Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, is also renowned for his mastery of all five elemental chakra natures and his genius level intellect. He led Konoha through two great shinobi wars and was a personal underling of the former Hokages. He was appointed to the position of Hokage directly by his predecessor Tobirama Senju before the latter's death. He was also among the first Shinobi to graduate from Konoha's newly formed Shinobi Academy," Naruto's eyes widened upon reading about the old man.

'I had no idea gramps was that good…I wonder if he could appoint me Hokage if I became super powerful? I don't see the villagers ever electing me unless I do something amazing.' Naruto pondered.

His eyes eagerly went to the next page as and read about the Yondaime, "A legend among Konoha, and a genius Shinobi for his time, Minato Namikaze would become the fourth Hokage. Renowned for his infamy in the third great shinobi war, he was better known by his nickname…Konoha's Yellow Flash. The Yondaime is regarded as the fastest Shinobi to ever live even surpassing the Nidaime. He was one of the most fearsome shinobi of his time due to his Flying Raijin Jutsu. The Yondaime would eventually perish at the hands of the monstrous Kyuubi."

'Wow…Yondaime sounds awesome!' Naruto thought with amazement as he looked at the man's picture, 'He's got blonde hair and blue eyes just like me...'

Naruto continued to read more about the Hokages and the non-confidential information about them in the book. He was truly fascinated by them all, and after two short hours, he came to an epiphany, 'All of the Hokages were geniuses! They knew so many jutsus and had special powers and reputations! Man, I need to get something like that. Even gramps Hokage sounds awesome the way they describe him here. Mastery over all five nature elements…I wonder how I can learn an elemental jutsu?'

As if fate could hear his thoughts, Naruto overheard several Jonin leaving from a staircase upstairs. Naruto immediately figured that it must have been the restricted section. He took cover when the two Jonin began to speak to each other.

"The forbidden scroll is accounted for. No tampering," one of the Jonin reported the third one in the room.

"Good…I seriously don't know why they won't just let the Anbu take care of it," the other man sighed.

The first one shook his head, "Do you trust ROOT with that scroll? You know how Danzo-sama can be. The Hokage made us swear to keep it safe from anyone except for him personally."

"What's even in that scroll anyways? I mean it has to be pretty bad to be forbidden…" the other asked.

"Who knows…but I'd wager it probably has some dangerous jutsus in it. I wouldn't trust that around anyone shady from ROOT," he replied.

Against all odds, Naruto managed to sneak around them as he decided to go upstairs to where they had just been. He cautiously maneuvered through a few light traps and eventually caught sight of a large scroll hidden at the edge of the room.

'I'm willing to be that thing's covered in traps,' Naruto thought logically for once.

After a few seconds of careful extraction, he managed to pick up the scroll and open it. It was incredibly complex looking and he didn't know how to take it all in as he stared at it for a moment.

Naruto knew the basics of hand seals and the like, but he had no way of comprehending some of the advanced things he was seeing in the scroll. Even despite being smarter than people gave him credit for, Naruto was lost.

'Man, how am I ever going to learn anything from this? What the hell is Edo Tensei?' Naruto thought bewildered.

Unsure of what to do, he decided to copy down everything he could on the scroll to a blank scroll that he was carrying from class still. He copied every symbol and character to the best of his ability, even if he had no idea what any of it was or what it meant.

Placing the scroll down for a moment, Naruto let out a sigh, 'Man this is tough. Is there anything else up here that can help me out?'

His eyes trailed around the room until they caught sight of some antique looking headband sitting in a dusty corner. It had a symbol he didn't recognize on the forehead area. It was a horizontal line with two curved symbols on each side. He couldn't quite explain what the headpiece was, but upon looking at its inside area, he saw an inscription, 'Tobirama Senju's Happuri.'

A brief examination immediately caused Naruto to realize that it was the same type of headpiece the Nidaime's monument had on his head. Though this one didn't have the Konoha symbol…it had what he assumed was the Senju Clan's emblem.

'Wow…this belonged to the Nidaime? This thing looks cool…I'm going to keep it,' Naruto thought excitedly as he put it away in his pack.

He didn't see much else in the upstairs portion of the library that caught his interest, and quickly returned to the forbidden scroll. 'Alright well, I should probably just put this thing away before someone shows up. I can always come back and see what else is on it later if I need to. Let's see how many jutsus did I get here? Kage Bunshin…man I hate clones, but I guess it's something. What's this one…Flying Raijin?! Isn't that Yondaime's technique?! Sweet I definitely want to learn that! I don't know what this Edo Tensei thing is supposed to be, but it looks like some type of summoning maybe? I guess that's a good start. Is there anything else on here even worth coming back for? Wait…what the hell is that?!' Naruto's eyes shot open in disbelief when he spotted a symbol on the scroll that matched the one on his stomach.

'Four Symbols Seal…why does it look like the markings on my body?!' Naruto thought horrified. There was no description for this jutsu, but it greatly troubled the boy. He didn't get long to look at it when he heard footsteps coming from downstairs

He was immediately drawn from his thoughts when he heard the jonin from downstairs speak, "Where are you, kid? You need to go home. Nobody's allowed in the library after dark."

Without hesitation, Naruto immediately put the scroll back as best he could, even resetting its traps. He carefully concealed his copied jutsu scroll in his own pack and snuck back downstairs. Luckily for him, the Jounin that was looking for him didn't appear to be gifted in the art of detection as the boy miraculously came around a corner downstairs and unnoticed.

"You're quieter than I expected you'd be. I almost forgot you were still here. You gotta leave kid. Nobody stays after dark…Hokage's orders," the jonin stated calmly. He looked slightly on edge due to Naruto's unusual and unprecedented stealth. He didn't once take his eyes off the boy as Naruto left the library without a word.

Even without looking, Naruto could sense the man going upstairs to check on the scroll. He quickened his pace shortly afterward, 'I'm glad I decided to copy it down instead of taking it…that guy looked like he was onto me for a minute.'

Once he was clear, Naruto immediately bolted for the forest, where he could try practicing some of the jutsus in peace. It didn't take him long to find an isolated clearing as he touched down near a tree and began to read over the first copied jutsu.

'Alright, shadow clones huh? I suck at making clones…but if it was on that scroll then maybe it's strong or something,' Naruto thought to himself as he worked out how to do it.

After a few minutes of trial and error, he let out an annoyed sigh, "Alright, here goes again…Kage Bunshin no jutsu! (Shadow clone jutsu)."

To his utter astonishment, he created almost a dozen perfect clones of himself. He looked around at them disbelievingly, "What?! How come this one was easier than regular clones?"

Naruto shook his head confused as he immediately dispelled the clones a moment later, 'That was strange. I can't believe I made more than one of them too. I wonder what's different about shadow clones? I didn't expect that to be so easy…well let's see if I can have any luck with these other two.'

He spent the next hour trying to figure out the Flying Raijin jutsu, but couldn't even begin to understand how it worked. The Flying Thunder God jutsu was frustratingly difficult to comprehend as it required one to understand seals and be adept with sensory abilities…something Naruto had very little experience with at his young age.

'So, I mark a location with a seal that I create with my chakra and then what?' he thought confused as he tried to copy the one, he had written down.

'I should come back to this. I don't have any idea where to start with this one,' Naruto thought frustrated.

He then moved onto the third technique, which was also the last one he managed to copy before putting the scroll back. 'Alright, Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei…let's see. This one doesn't make any sense. Summoning resurrection? I guess I have to draw out this summoning circle first. I wonder what it supposed to summon?'

Due to his inability to fully create a summoning circle with chakra yet, Naruto painstakingly drew out some of the design as best he could on the ground with a nearby stick. He attempted to pour forth chakra into it a moment later causing the lines to darken as if they were written in ink. Afterward, he looked at his nearby scroll for the hand signs.

'I guess I have to get them all without messing this up,' he thought to himself. Naruto memorized the hand signs as best he could while going through them at a decently steady pace. Even though he eventually got the hang of doing them, nothing would happen.

He failed for over half an hour trying to do them, but eventually he succeeded causing a reaction. To his astonishment, the lines he drew out in the dirt turned fully black and many additional seal symbols surrounded it. A bright and unholy glow briefly illuminated the circle, but then nothing happened.

Naruto looked at it confused, 'What the hell? Did it work? What's this stupid jutsu supposed to even do anyways?!'

He looked at the complex writings and reread some of it, 'DNA, blood? Oh that makes sense! I think summons need blood to work, right? Well here goes nothing…'

Naruto bit his thumb to draw blood and pressed it down towards the summoning circle. Once again nothing happened. Frustrated with his failure, he threw down his pack and growled in annoyance. The happuri that he had stolen from the library flew out of his pack upon doing so and landed dead center in the summoning circle.

A moment later, Naruto felt a horrible sensation wash over him as his chakra began to drain painfully. The circle then glowed again as an ethereal figure took shape within its center. A panicking sensation washed over him as Naruto felt himself being dragged closer towards the center of the circle.

He immediately tried to scratch apart the edges of the summoning circle as it slowly dragged him in. This seemed somewhat effective as he managed to break free of whatever invisible force was pulling him. Without hesitation, he immediately dove further away and turned back to look at the summoning circle.

'What was that?! That jutsu was going to kill me!' Naruto thought horrified as the revelation hit him full force.

The circle shortly vanished a moment later, but Naruto was surprised to see the ethereal figure in its center still standing there. He looked at it confused as he risked approaching again. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the figure was actually a man.

He had spiky white hair, blue armor, and three red markings on his face. The happuri that Naruto had stolen from earlier was gone now, but the man appeared to be wearing one. The blonde gawked at the glowing man as he got even closer.

The white-haired man glanced around with confusion before looking at his hands. He spoke aloud, "Is this Edo Tensei? No…I don't have a body. This is unusual."

It was finally at this point that Naruto realized the man was actually a ghost. He let out a gasp of horror, "W-what the hell?!"

The white-haired man turned his auburn red eyes upon Naruto seriously, "A boy? Are you the summoner, child?!"

"Summoner? I…I just tried to cast a jutsu. Who are you?" Naruto asked disbelievingly.

"Tobirama Senju…Nidaime Hokage and inventor of the jutsu you just attempted to do," he answered with stern stoicism.

"Nidaime?! No way…how are you here, aren't you dead? Are you a ghost or something?!" Naruto bellowed.

The stern man shook his head, "I suppose that is accurate…without a sacrifice, I don't have an actual body, but you still pulled my spirit here from what I have gathered. I don't know how…"

"I…I did?! What was that Edo Tensei jutsu supposed to do anyways?" Naruto asked shocked.

Tobirama facepalmed at Naruto as an audible sigh escaped him, "You must be joking…how did you even manage to do the jutsu if you had no clue what it was or who I am?"

"I found it on some forbidden scroll and wrote it down. I…what's it supposed to do anyway?" Naruto asked again.

The Nidaime deadpanned at Naruto, "Summoning resurrection…it's meant to bring back the dead as a zombie. You're saying you learned this jutsu from the forbidden Scroll of Seals? How did a child like you manage to acquire it? It should be under guard by elite Konoha shinobi."

"Edo Tensei…brings back the dead?" Naruto gasped as he ignored the Nidaime's question.

"Edo Tensei creates a zombie with unlimited chakra that is bound to the will of the caster. It's a forbidden jutsu that I developed when I was still alive. It requires the DNA of the person you are attempting to resurrect and a living sacrifice. Since you didn't offer a sacrifice, you only pulled my spirit here. I take it you must have had some trace DNA of mine to make it activate halfway," Tobirama clarified.

"Well I found this happuri and it fell out of my pack into the circle when I threw it. Next thing I know, the jutsu activated, and the circle tried to suck me in," Naruto elaborated.

The hokage sighed, "How would it still have trace DNA of mine? Strange…maybe some hairs were preserved. My happuri's chakra seals were specially made…I never considered this possibility."

"So if the jutsu needed a sacrifice, was it going to kill me?" Naruto asked.

"Without a sacrifice, Edo Tensei will usually siphon the life force from the summoner. I'm honestly amazed you didn't die from it. How a boy like you managed to acquire my scroll and perform an incomplete Edo Tensei is beyond me. Are you even a shinobi? I see no distinctive symbols on your attire other than those swirls…and what is with that ridiculous outfit?" Tobirama asked.

Naruto looked at the man nervously, "Well…I'm in the Konoha academy if that counts. And what's wrong with my outfit anyway?!"

"How do you expect to be a proper shinobi when your clothes make you visible from kilometers away? We're in a forest...why are you wearing orange?!" Tobirama asked shaking his head.

"I…it's not that bad! Besides, maybe I want to stick out! I'm tired of people ignoring me!" Naruto countered.

"So, you're just a brat seeking attention then? How times have changed…peace brings weakness and ignorance unfortunately." Tobirama sighed.

"Hey, who are you calling a brat?! I'm standing right here! Also, I'm not weak!" he shouted.

Tobirama stared at him with icy eyes, "You say you're in the Shinobi academy? Standards must have plummeted if that's the case. You lack the bearing of a Shinobi. Plus a boy your age should already be a genin."

"What?! But I'm only 10 though!" Naruto protested.

"I suppose they don't allow early graduations during peacetime..." Tobirama said to himself as he put a hand on his chin.

"If I'm so bad, then how did I manage to learn the shadow clone jutsu in the scroll or summon you here? I'm not a failure…I don't care what you or anyone else says!" Naruto bellowed proudly.

"I suppose it must have taken some skill to even reach the scroll, let alone learn shadow clones. What I'm curious about is how did you even have enough chakra to perform Edo Tensei? What's your name?" the man almost demanded.

"Naruto Uzumaki!" the blonde announced proudly to the ghost.

Tobirama's eyes widened slightly, "An Uzumaki? Hmmm…that would explain your chakra level and those swirls on your clothing. I knew I sensed a familiarity about you. Still…you look nothing like an Uzumaki Clan member to me."

"There's an Uzumaki Clan?!" Naruto asked with amazement.

"Yes, they're related to the Senju Clan and were our strongest allies. They originally came from Uzushiogakure and were renowned for their sealing techniques. Their members all have vast chakra pools and strong affinities for multiple elemental natures…just like Senjus. My brother Hashirama married their royal heir and all of his descendants are related to your clan," the Nidaime continued.

"I don't look like an Uzumaki? What do Uzumaki clan members look like then?! And are we seriously related to the Senju Clan?!" Naruto asked eagerly.

"Almost all of the pure-blooded ones have dark red hair. It's a distinctive feature of the clan. Though I believe Hashirama's granddaughter was blonde. Do either of your parents have red hair?" Tobirama asked.

Naruto was silent for a moment as he took in the information with both amazement and a bit of sadness. He spoke slowly, "I don't know…I'm an orphan. I've never met my parents."

"And you've never seen another Uzumaki either?" Tobirama asked for confirmation.

The young blonde nodded sadly, "Yeah…I've never had a family."

"Both of my parents and two of my brothers died in war before I was even a man. When I was your age, I had already killed, and I watched many of my clan members die. The world isn't a nice place, so don't go acting sad and expecting sympathy from me. Your moping won't change the fact that you're an orphan. Accept it for what it is and become stronger in spite of it. That is the way of a Shinobi," Tobirama remarked mercilessly when he saw Naruto's distraught emotional face.

The blonde boy didn't know how to react to Tobirama's somewhat cruel words. He held his head down and spoke angrily, "I'm not moping!"

"Good…it doesn't accomplish anything. That aside, I am curious about something Naruto Uzumaki. How did you acquire my Scroll of Seals? Do you still have it?" Tobirama broke the silence after an awkward moment.

"No, it's still in the Hokage Tower. I just copied down three jutsus from it. Kage Bunshin, Flying Raijin, and Edo Tensei," Naruto answered.

The Nidaime crossed his arms, "And you only learned Shadow Clones from it? Why would you dabble with a forbidden scroll? It's forbidden for a reason."

"I want to get stronger…" Naruto answered slowly.

"Why? Power without purpose is meaningless vanity…and you're only a child," Tobirama responded sharply.

Naruto looked up with determination filling his blue eyes, "I want to become Hokage! I want to get stronger, but nobody will train me or help me. Everyone treats me badly or ignores me! They all think I'm dumb or some kind of monster. Hell, people even call me demon brat sometimes. I just want to earn people's respect."

"You want to be the Hokage? Do you even know what you're saying?! Being Hokage isn't just some glamorous position where people respect you. It's a responsibility to be the strongest Shinobi in the village and to be its last line of defense. You have no idea what it takes to shoulder that kind of responsibility. This isn't some pipe dream, boy, it's a burden that the strong must bear! You have to be willing to sacrifice everything and die for it. My brother did and so did I...that's what it takes to be Hokage!" Tobirama growled in annoyance.

The Nidaime's words hit Naruto hard as he held his head down shamefully again. Something about Tobirama's brutal honesty was really hard for him to swallow. Naruto looked up again and gritted his teeth, "Then teach me how to become stronger…nobody else will!"

Tobirama gawked at him somewhat surprised, "Teach you? In case you've forgotten, Uzumaki boy, I am a spirit. The only interaction I can have with this world is through your chakra."

"So what? You can still show me things and tell me how to do stuff right? Besides, what else are you going to do? Stay dead?" Naruto wondered.

The white haired Hokage paused for a moment as he kept his arms crossed, "I can release this incomplete Edo Tensei of yours any time I wish. Give me one good reason to train you besides you wanting to be Hokage."

"C'mon, please Nidaime?!" Naruto pleaded with frustration.

"Nidaime-sama…show the proper respect to your elders, Naruto-san," Tobirama corrected him.

The blonde shook his head, "I'm tired of being the laughing stock of the Konoha Academy! I can't stand everyone thinking I'm weak and praising that smug Uchiha bastard!"

Tobirama's eyes widened at the mention of Uchiha. He stared at Naruto intensely, "What's this about an Uchiha?"

"This guy in my class…he's from the Uchiha Clan, and everyone praises him for being so good. He always talks down to me and I'm sick of it!" Naruto explained.

The Nidaime lightened up for the first time as he raised a brow at Naruto, "That's as good a reason as any. Fine then…I will train you Naruto-san."

"Wait…you will?! Why the change of heart, Nidaime? I didn't think that was a good reason." Naruto gasped.

"You will refer to me as Nidaime-sama or I will revoke my offer," Tobirama stated sternly.

Naruto instantly bowed his head, "Forgive me, Nidaime-sama, but why are you willing to train me now?"

"I'm doing it so that you can properly rival this Uchiha boy. Members of their clan tend to act condescending unless they are regularly put in their place. It would do him some good to learn humility if he's as smug as you claim," Tobirama answered.

The blonde boy beamed with excitement, "When do we start then?! The sooner I can become stronger that Sasuke-teme, the better!"

"Since my spirit is bound to you now, I will come and go as I please. For the record, only you should be able to see me. I will train you on the condition that you obey my orders no matter what. Do you agree?" Tobirama asked seriously.

"I do!" Naruto answered immediately.

"You break this promise one time, and I will leave…understood?"

"Yes, Nidaime-sama!" Naruto replied respectfully.

"Very well, start off by filling me in on current events. Who is the Hokage right now?" Tobirama asked.

"Old man Sandaime. Hiruzen Sarutobi is his full name I think, though I don't know anyone that calls him that. Gramps took over again after Yondaime died I think," Naruto replied.

Tobirama placed a hand to his chin, "Young Hiruzen is still alive? You say he is an old man? It must have been many decades since my death then. He was one of my students."

"Hey, so if you're going to train me, then can you help me learn this Flying Raijin Jutsu?" Naruto asked.

Tobirama shook his head, "Hiraishin is one of the most advanced jutsus I ever created. You would also need some skill as a sensory ninja and competency in Fuinjutsu to even begin to understand it. I will teach it to you when you become more proficient as a shinobi."

"What does it do anyway?" Naruto asked.

"It allowed me to instantly teleport wherever I placed a seal. There is no limit to the amount of seals one could place, but it requires high chakra control and extreme focus to move oneself or objects between space-time. You essentially summon yourself or objects to your seals. It's well suited for sensory ninjas since they can detect every location and enemy on a battlefield and teleport around them," Tobirama elaborated briefly.

"So I need to be a sensory ninja to do it?" Naruto asked.

"If you ever hope to be competent enough to use it effectively, then yes. We will have to develop your own sensory skills and you must master your chakra control. After that you can learn Fuinjutsu, and then you will be able to learn Hiraishin. However, you really should start by learning basic jutsus first. Unfortunately, that's also going to have to wait for a later date," Tobirama trailed off in sentence.

"Why?! I'll learn anything you can teach me right now!" he exclaimed with reassurance.

"The problem is your chakra level. From what I can sense of you and what I know of Uzumakis, you have enormous chakra reserves. While that is a good thing, it is extremely debilitating for one's chakra control. That is without a doubt the best place to start with your training," he noted.

"Okay, so how do I improve my chakra control?" Naruto asked.

Tobirama looked at a nearby pond, "Can you walk on water yet?"

"What?! Of course I can!" he said strongly.

"I want you to start by doing pushups on the water's surface," he said calmly.

"Piece of cake," Naruto responded eagerly as he charged over towards the pond and on to its surface.

He immediately dropped into a front leaning rest position and began to do pushups on the water's surface.

"Give me 1,000 to start," Tobirama remarked with intensity as he came over the water to watch Naruto train.

The blonde had barely made it to one hundred pushups before he felt himself tiring out. Keeping himself from falling in while doing an exercise took a lot more focus than he was expecting. He stopped pushing for a moment and looked over at Tobirama seriously, "Did you just say 1,000?"

"Do it or I'll leave…remember the deal. I don't want to waste my time with a quitter." Tobirama threatened him.

Afraid of losing his new ghost sensei, Naruto kept pushing. He felt his muscles cramping as he got to around two hundred pushups and before he could react, his body plummeted into the pond.

"You owe me 798 still, Naruto-san…" Tobirama announced as Naruto shot back out of the water and stood on its surface.

He was soaked and more than little tired as he panted heavily. The blonde boy caught his breath and spoke urgently, "I…just need a break."

"Do you think your little Uchiha friend is having a break right now? You want to be better than him? Then train harder than he does. You get what you put into yourself. He will have the Sharingan if he's even halfway competent as an Uchiha…you will have no way to combat that unless you're smarter, stronger, faster, and better than he is at everything," Tobirama growled.

"You don't think this is a bit much for me? I mean we're just starting. It's impossible to do that much at my current level and…" Naruto trailed off.

"If it was easy, then everyone would do it! Do you really want to be the Hokage? Then earn it boy! Nobody in this world owes you anything! Only mediocre people believe in overtraining. Day one is the best time to break your old habits. Succeed or fail...the choice is yours." The white-haired hokage stated with aggression.

Naruto's resolve was renewed as he got back down, "I won't quit! I won't!"

"That remains to be seen…" Tobirama said distantly as Naruto continued. He fell into the pond many more times but kept getting back up and continuing.

This type of training went on for many hours into the night with Tobirama forcing Naruto to do strange exercises ranging from tree climbing, to water surface calisthenics. It was finally well past midnight before Tobirama stopped.

"A very light first day of training, but it should give you insight into what is to come. Rest, Naruto-san…we will resume your training tomorrow," Tobirama said calmly as a sore and exhausted Naruto struggled to stand up.

"There's something I wanted to ask you, Nidaime-sama…" Naruto spoke up after catching his breath.

"What?" the white-haired man asked.

Naruto paused as he unzipped his jacket and lifted up his shirt. He pointed at the seal on his stomach, "What is this symbol on my body? I saw it in your scroll…it was called the Four Symbols Seal I think."

Tobirama's eyes widened with disbelief, "That's the same seal Mito Uzumaki had…"

"Who?" Naruto asked confused.

"My brother's wife, Mito Uzumaki was a jinchuuriki. That seal on your stomach is an Uzumaki technique used for sealing away a powerful creature. If you have the Uzumaki one, then I wouldn't doubt if it was a Bijuu sealed within your body," Tobirama answered.

"A Bijuu? What's a bijuu?" Naruto asked bewildered.

"It's a tailed beast…From what I recall, the Uzumaki Clan was given the Kyuubi for safe keeping. Mito was its host and I believe one of her great grandchildren was chosen to become the next host. You must have been the next host after that one if my timeline is correct," Tobirama trailed off in sentence.

Naruto was a bit shocked by this news as he spoke fearfully, "What does that mean then?!"

"It means you're a jinchuuriki…" Tobirama answered bluntly.

"Is that why all the villagers hate me?! I have that monster fox sealed in my body?!" Naruto thought petrified by the thought.

"The Kyuubi is not exactly a monster, but it is a very dangerous and hateful creature. Madara Uchiha used it to attack Konoha a long time ago. The fact that you are its jinchuuriki is an even greater reason for me to train you. The nine tails must not be allowed into enemy hands. You becoming strong is a high priority for the village's safety," Tobirama noted.

"Everyone in Konoha hates the nine tails though! It killed so many people…y-you're saying it's inside of me?! How?!" Naruto said with an emotional tone.

"In my lifetime, knowledge of the Kyuubi was only exclusive to the Senju, Uzumaki, and Uchiha Clans. How would common villagers know about it?" Tobirama asked curiously.

"The Kyuubi attacked the village ten years ago on October 10th…it nearly destroyed the village, but the Yondaime stopped it somehow," the boy tried to clarify.

Tobirama sighed, "So he sealed it inside of you I take it? That would imply he had knowledge on the Uzumaki Fuinjutsu…he certainly had a connection to them. Interesting…I knew I sensed something strange about your chakra. I will gather the rest of this information on my own. Go home, Naruto-san. We will train again tomorrow."

"Wait, where will you be? How can I find you?" Naruto asked.

"I'll find you…" Tobirama replied before disappearing.

After he was gone, Naruto figured he had no other option left but to go home to his shabby, run-down apartment. His mind couldn't get the news of him being a jinchuuriki out of his head. He felt himself sink into a deep depression as he looked around at his broken down, empty home.

'So that's why I have to live like this…that's why they hate me?' Naruto thought sadly.

Despite his racing mind, he was too exhausted to remain conscious for very long. Upon reaching his bed, Naruto immediately plummeted onto it and was asleep within seconds.

Naruto's Mindscape

The young jinchuuriki awoke in a damp, dark sewer by the looks of it. He jerked upright with a panicked expression as he immediately assumed that he had been kidnapped. The energetic blonde cautiously searched around for a few minutes as he tried to remain quiet. He eventually decided to follow a path that led him deeper into the sewer.

To his astonishment, it did not smell bad, but the gloomy lighting was a bit unsettling as he drew nearer and nearer to an ominous and dark presence. Naruto's neck hairs stood on edge as he entered a massive chamber that had iron bars on the opposite end of the room.

On the iron cage, he saw a massive paper seal with the kanji for "Seal" written on it. Naruto cocked his head in confusion as he slowly approached the cage. As he got closer, he saw a pair of red slit eyes appear from the darkness in the cage.

Naruto stopped in his tracks as he stared into the eyes. He didn't know what to say to the creature on the other end of the iron bars or even if it was sentient enough to understand him. After a brief and very intimidating silence, the creature spoke, "So…you're finally aware of me now?"

The young boy was more than a little shocked by the beast speaking to him and tried to muster up the courage to respond, "W-who are you?"

Upon asking this question, Naruto saw the creature's silhouette come closer to the iron bars as its body shape came into view. It was a giant fox by the looks of it. Naruto immediately figured out what it was a moment later, "Y-you're the Kyuubi?"

"Yes, and you are my jinchuuriki as you have just recently learned. I must say that I'm more than a little surprised by your recent actions. Initially, I assumed you were a clueless failure, but your ambition and success in learning from the forbidden Scroll of Seals was an interesting turn of events," Kyuubi replied calmly.

"You saw that?!" Naruto gasped.

"I see everything that you do…though I tend to ignore the mundane activities of your life. However, you caught my interest with your behavior tonight," the giant fox replied.

The boy looked up at it with disbelief, "So where am I then?"

"This is your inner mind and body where I am sealed. I brought you here tonight so that I could explain a few things to you," Kyuubi began.

Naruto looked at the fox uncertainly, "Yeah? Like what? Why are you sealed inside of me anyways? Why did you attack Konoha 10 years ago?"

"I am sealed within you because the Yondaime Hokage wasn't able to stop me. As for why I attacked Konoha…that is a matter you do not have the mental capacity to understand," Kyuubi answered.

"But…you killed a bunch of people! Why?!" Naruto protested.

Kyuubi growled threateningly as red chakra began to flood out of the cage, "I don't have the patience or the desire to explain myself to some brat like you. What's done is done, and now I am a prisoner within your body."

"Nidaime-sama said that you were sealed in some people before me. Who? Do you know anything about my clan?" Naruto decided to test his luck and ask.

The fox sighed, "Your clan's members are the only ones with bodies strong enough to contain my full power. My first host was Mito Uzumaki…then there was Kushina Uzumaki…and now there's you…Naruto Uzumaki."

"What can you tell me about your previous jinchuuriki? What does it mean to be one?" Naruto asked.

"Being a jinchuuriki is a curse for any human. You are seen as dangerous monsters that could transform into the bijuu you contain at any moment. This is actually true for a weak-willed jinchuuriki. I would almost pity your existence if I wasn't trapped inside of you," Kyuubi answered unhappily.

Naruto stared at the fox for a moment and frowned, "I guess this is just as bad for you as it is for me then? Maybe worse…"

"I'm surprised you would even consider my opinion on the matter considering I'm just the monster that attacked Konoha," the fox replied dryly.

"Can you please tell me why you did it? I'm willing to hear you out," Naruto asked persuasively.

Kyuubi looked annoyed at his question, "Spare me the feigned empathy…you couldn't possibly understand me or my motivations. You're just a child."

"I know what it's like for people to see you as something you're not. I'm giving you a chance to explain yourself to me, fox," Naruto shot back.

After a long pause, the nine tails sighed, "A man with an orange mask unsealed me from my previous host Kushina Uzumaki. He put me under the effect of the Sharingan and under his direct control. The Yondaime managed to break his hold over me, but once I had regained my mind, I went on a rampage. I loathe your village and its continued abuse of my power! I sought to wipe out the village because its inhabitants have consistently tried to enslave me."

"What? An Uchiha managed to control you with their Sharingan?!" Naruto gasped.

"Mangekyo Sharingan…and yes. It has happened to me twice now. The first time was when Madara Uchiha used me to fight Hashirama Senju in the Valley of the End. I escaped their battle, but the first hokage eventually caught me and sealed me into his wife. Before she died, Mito Uzumaki had me sealed into her Great granddaughter Kushina Uzumaki," the Kyuubi elaborated.

"So then, you're innocent?" Naruto asked almost disbelievingly.

Kyuubi scoffed at him, "Hardly…I would have destroyed Konoha had the Yondaime not stopped me."

"I suppose I couldn't blame you. I would hate to be used as a tool like that and forced into a cage. You're not evil…you were just angry. You just wanted to be free," Naruto said sadly.

The fox looked at him somewhat shocked, "Really? You truly believe I was justified? That surprises me greatly that you even have the ability to see my point of view."

"Honestly, the more I hear, the more I understand. You sound a lot like me," Naruto trailed off sadly.

"Like you?! How am I like you?! Don't insult me!" Kyuubi growled with annoyance.

"You're lonely and sad too…there's only so much of that a person can take before they get angry at the world. Honestly, I feel that way about the village sometimes…about the way they hate me for no reason. Is that what you had to deal with all the time before getting sealed away?" Naruto spoke softly.

The fox calmed down a moment later and looked away, "You presume much to think I share such feeble emotions with you. I don't care for such things. I'm not some pathetic human."

"Surely you must have cared about someone or something once, right?" Naruto asked.

Kyuubi looked away somewhat sadly much to Naruto's surprise. The fox didn't respond to him as the boy stared blankly.

"I don't know what it means to be a jinchuuriki, and I'm sorry you have to be imprisoned inside of me, Kyuubi…but thanks for talking to me. You might laugh at this, but maybe we can be friends?" Naruto suggested hopefully.

"You would be friends with the bijuu that tried to kill everyone in your village? Are you slow in the head?" Kyuubi scoffed.

"I don't really have anyone else…so yeah I would," Naruto replied.

The fox scoffed at him, "Don't go assuming such childish things. I will be civil you, but I will not humor such pathetic aspirations."

"Well we're both stuck with each other, so what could it hurt right? Besides, you don't seem evil to me…plus Nidaime-sama said you weren't evil either. Maybe it is childish, but I could use a friend…even if he is a giant, angry fox." Naruto countered.

"You're being serious right now?! I'm the reason your village hates you…has that escaped your mind?" Kyuubi asked disbelievingly.

"So what? Do you hate me?" Naruto countered.

The nine tails growled, "No, but I don't like you either."

"Well that's a start at least," the young boy said optimistically.

His genuine desire to befriend the fox was very unusual to the bijuu. Kyuubi seemed less hostile from Naruto's lack of hate and sighed, "We'll see how this goes…at least you're already more tolerable than my last two jinchuuriki were. I wasn't expecting that…"

"So what happens now? Why did you want to talk with me here, anyway?" Naruto changed the subject after an awkward silence.

"Listen, Naruto Uzumaki…I am willing to be more proactive in helping you develop your power under one condition," Kyuubi said seriously.

Naruto perked up, "What condition?"

"You help me kill the Uchiha that enslaved me with his Sharingan 10 years ago," Kyuubi said seriously.

Naruto seemed a bit put off at the notion of killing someone, but recently hardened by Tobirama's words, Naruto nodded, "I will, Kyuubi. You have my word."

"Then it's a deal. Also, now that we've met, I opened a psychic link between us. I will be able to speak with you while you're awake…so don't act alarmed if you start hearing my voice in your head," Kyuubi explained almost eagerly.

"I guess I'll see you around then, Kyuubi…" Naruto said somewhat uncertainly.

"Train hard under the Senju Hokage. He is an expert at defeating Uchihas and will prove to be an excellent trainer for you. I will help you out as well in due time. Now, get some sleep, Naruto…" the fox spoke one last time before Naruto's vision went black and he felt himself drift back to sleep.

Konoha Shinobi Academy, the next day

After waking up the next day, Naruto hurried to class. He had overslept and was about to be late. Fate seemed to be working against him today as he made it to class after Iruka. Bolting into the classroom, he quickly caught his breath.

"Naruto, you're late!" Iruka announced scornfully as the energetic blonde approached.

"Sorry Iruka-sensei, I overslept…" Naruto tried to explain.

"Overslept? That's the work ethic of a great shinobi isn't it class?" Mizuki asked the rest of the class causing a number of them to laugh or agree with the chunin.

"That loser wants to be Hokage and he can't even make it to class on time, hahaha!" Kiba erupted into laughter.

Iruka eyed Naruto somewhat curiously. The blonde boy appeared far less hyperactive than he was used to seeing and more than a little worn out. He spoke slowly, "Are you alright, Naruto?"

"I'm fine, sensei…I just had a long night. It won't happen again," he said as respectfully as he could before moving to his seat. The blonde didn't even react to any of his classmates' comments or jokes. It was as if they weren't even there to him.

Iruka and some of the other students were more than a little shocked by Naruto's shift in attitude. Iruka quickly pushed his curiosity aside as he addressed the class, "Alright class, well now that we're all here-"

Naruto didn't hear the rest of Iruka's words when he spotted Tobirama's spirit standing next to him in the classroom. He looked over with shock, 'What the hell is he doing here?'

"Pay attention to your studies, Naruto-san…while it is basic, the fundamentals and history they teach here is important. I will test your knowledge on the subject material later. Should you fail, I will punish you with more physical training. As my father once told me: 'You're going to be smart or you're going to be tough. Preferably you'll be both,'" Tobirama's ghost spoke to Naruto.

His voice sounded almost echoic, but a quick look around the room confirmed to Naruto that nobody else could see Tobirama.

Horrified at the prospect of "extra" training from the man, Naruto focused intensely on Iruka as he paid attention to everything being taught. This continued for the entire day with mostly academic studies. He paid no attention to his classmates as he fully enveloped himself in the study material.

After class was finally over, Naruto was the last one outside of the school. He spotted a crowd of his female classmates ogling Sasuke Uchiha like classic school girls. He sent a sharp glare Sasuke's way which seemed to draw the Uchiha's gaze.

Some of the fangirls quickly became aware of Naruto's presence due to Sasuke's attention on him. A certain pink-haired girl yelled loudly, "Why are you glaring at Sasuke-kun like that, Naruto?!"

The Uchiha immediately turned to leave when it became apparent that he was looking. Many fangirls attempted to pursue him, but he quickly left them in the dust as he bolted away.

After his departure, Naruto heard Tobirama's voice, "That boy is the splitting image of Izuna Uchiha…if I didn't know any better, I'd swear they were the same person. He's your Uchiha rival I take it?"

"Yeah…" Naruto answered bluntly.

"He looks arrogant...but also driven. He has the face of a boy that has seen trauma," Tobirama stated.

Naruto shrugged, "Yeah, well I heard his clan was wiped out by his older brother who went rogue...it still doesn't excuse his condescending attitude though."

"The Uchiha Clan was wiped out?" Tobirama asked shocked.

The blonde boy nodded, "Well, everyone except Sasuke I think."

"Hmph...and by one of their own too? I'm not surprised. Their clan is stained with evil and power-hungry kinslayers. They were never truly content with their lot in Konoha," Tobirama sighed.

"Do you dislike the Uchiha Clan, Nidaime-sama? You sure sound like you don't." Naruto wondered as he examined his ghost-sensei's bitter face.

Tobirama crossed his arms, "That is a difficult question to answer, Naruto-san. My clan was at war with the Uchihas for most of my early life. They killed my parents and both of my younger brothers. I never forgave the ones that survived the war. That being said, I do not bear ill will towards the Uchihas born in later generations. They do not deserve to carry the sins of their forefathers. They are all innocent in my eyes. I have always tried to be accommodating towards them and I appointed them as the Konoha Police force because it was a position well suited for them. Admittedly, I kept them out of village politics, but that was out of practicality and not spite. In hindsight it was probably a mistake. Before he died, Hashirama told me that I should marry an Uchiha to truly solidify peace between our clans. I had actually considered it, but I died before that could happen. To answer your question, I don't hate the Uchihas, but I never trusted them. They have always justified my suspicions with all of the atrocious things they've done. A shame really...it was Hashirama's dream that they could one day truly integrate into the village. Perhaps they could have had I brought our clan lines together. That is actually one of my biggest regrets as Hokage."

"Wow..." was all Naruto could say in response. Even despite his young age, he could somewhat understand Tobirama's feelings on the matter. He didn't get to linger on his thoughts for long as Tobirama began walking a moment later.

"There is no point in dwelling on this anymore. We have work to do. Follow me, Naruto-san. There's a special training location that I want to show you." Tobirama stated as Naruto headed into the forest to train.

Deep in the Forest

"Just how far out do we have to go?" Naruto asked as Tobirama stopped in a distant clearing. He had led Naruto along a strange and somewhat hidden path behind a number of unusual landmarks and through a thick network of trees.

"We're a considerable distance away from the village. This should be a safe enough place to train your abilities without catching any attention. I noticed quite a few Anbu watching you while you were in the village. They won't usually take this route if you go through this way, and you will be undetectable in this part of the forest," Tobirama explained.

"Where is this place anyway?" Naruto wondered.

"This place is called the Senju Grove…to be honest I'm amazed it's still hidden. It looks untouched…that's good," Tobirama stated as he looked around the area.

"Senju grove? I've never heard of this place. Why is it all the way out here?" Naruto asked.

Tobirama turned to face him, "This place is where my brothers and I used to train as children. I often sparred with Itama, Kawarama, and Hashirama here. This grove is protected by natural energy…it's very sacred. My brother called this place the Grove of Sages…though our clan knew it simply as the Senju Grove. You will be undetectable here from most things…including Hiruzen's scrying orb."

"Old man Sandaime's scrying orb?" Naruto tilted his head confused.

The Nidaime shook his head, "Nevermind…just know that nobody will find you here so long as you follow the exact path that I showed you. When my Brother and I founded Konoha and established its infrastructure, we never listed this place anywhere. It's one of our clan's best kept and few remaining secrets."

"Cool! So I can come here anytime I want?!" Naruto asked eagerly.

"Yes, but I would advise you to not linger here for more than a day or so at a time. I learned a decent bit about you while you were asleep. Since you are a jinchuuriki, Hiruzen takes special interest in watching over your progress. You want to keep up appearances as it were by going home each night…" Tobirama elaborated.

"Huh?" Naruto looked confused.

Tobirama faced the blonde boy with a stern expression, "What I'm saying is nobody can be allowed to know about this place or your training…"

"What!? But why!? I want to get stronger, so I can beat Sasuke-teme and show old man Sandaime that I'm Hokage material!" Naruto protested.

"Listen, Naruto-san…a Shinobi's greatest weapon is not Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, or Genjutsu. It isn't some special weapon or bloodline either. Your greatest weapon is the art of surprise. Speaking from experience, I find that it is best to strike with your full power after you have fooled your enemy into believing they are victorious. They lower their guard when they think they've won…when they think you are weaker than them. That is when a foe is most vulnerable. This training isn't for your ego boosting! This isn't so you can show off for a bunch of airhead school girls! It's so that you can have the weapons and the ability to use appropriate force when necessary. I don't recommend building a reputation until after you have developed your skills…otherwise you'll only become a target and lose your element of surprise," Tobirama lectured sternly.

"So you're saying I shouldn't use anything that you teach me?!" Naruto asked shocked.

The Nidaime crossed his arms, "Precisely, Naruto-san...at least not yet. You're actually in a great position doing this. Your classmates and teachers all assume you're a weak, incompetent fool. If you maintain some of that façade and secretly enhance your power, then you will gain an advantage over everyone. When the time comes, you can reveal your power, but for now you must respect the art of subtlety and stealth…of discipline and humility. You need those things too."

"Well how exactly am I supposed to sneak away to this place if old man Sandaime is able to watch me then?" Naruto wondered.

Tobirama's lip slightly twitched upward. It was probably the closest thing to a smile Naruto was ever going to see. The Nidaime spoke slowly, "You will leave a shadow clone in Konoha to throw off your spies. Nobody is aware that you have this ability…so it will be perfect for the situation."

"A shadow clone? But how will that work? What if someone touches it and realizes it isn't me?" Naruto asked.

Tobirama facepalmed as an audible sigh escaped him, "A shadow clone is a physical clone of oneself. When one creates a shadow clone, it takes a portion of his chakra and is typically divided among all shadow clones created. Each time a shadow clone is dispelled, you will gain the memories and experiences of the shadow clone. You will also gain its exhaustion, which can be dangerous for someone with low chakra reserves. I don't see that being a problem for you however."

"That makes sense I guess…so what happens if I train with a bunch of shadow clones doing the same thing then?" Naruto wondered.

"Training with shadow clones is a dangerous thing to attempt, but you have enough chakra to do it without killing yourself. It will expedite the training process and help you learn jutsus far quicker than normal," Tobirama explained.

Naruto nodded eagerly, "So then what about the clone I leave in Konoha? How will that work?"

"I would put extra chakra into your decoy shadow clone just so that it doesn't dispel from any light damage. Due to the nature of training at the Shinobi academy, I doubt you will be able to substitute a clone for your school hours anytime soon. Nevertheless, the clone can cover most of your free time when you're away. I wouldn't recommend leaving it overnight as it could dissipate when you sleep. We'll work on the schedule later, but that's how we'll keep your training a secret," the Nidaime continued.

"So you want me to pretend like I'm dumb at the academy then?" Naruto asked.

Tobirama shook his head, "No, don't continue being a fool. I expect a perfect graduation from you in three years. I'm just telling you to keep your head down and don't show off or pick fights. Keep your head down and grind."

"Ughh…so I have to bear with Sasuke-teme telling me I'm a loser and a failure for three more years!?" Naruto groaned.

Tobirama nodded, "Downplay yourself there, but don't be incompetent…just try to convince them that you're middle of the pack material."

"Alright, alright…if you insist," Naruto agreed.

"Good…" the white-haired man said with approval.

"Nidaime-sama, when do I get to learn elemental jutsus? I read something about certain shinobi having elemental affinities. Is there a way I can learn mine?" Naruto asked curiously.

Tobirama nodded, "Yes in fact, there is. Elemental affinities are typically shared by members of a clan…though specific individuals can excel at multiple affinities or even all of them on rare occasions. Young Hiruzen was one such person. It is one of the reasons I decided to train him."

"Alright, so how do I learn mine then?" Naruto asked anxiously.

The hokage made a gesture with his hand, "Hold your palm out like this and close your eyes."

Naruto did as he was told and outstretched his hand, "Okay, now what?"

"Even though I do not have a physical form, I am one of the best sensory ninjas to ever live. Channel forth any amount of chakra that you can into your hands. I will be able to detect its nature from there," Tobirama instructed.

Following his instruction, Naruto tried to focus chakra into his hand. Though he couldn't feel anything, Naruto noticed Tobirama's face change slightly.

"Hmm…you actually have trace amounts of all of them. That's surprising even for an Uzumaki," Tobirama noted.

Naruto's eyes lit up, "Really?! So I have an affinity for all of them like you and grandpa Hokage?!"

"Yes and no…your chakra nature is very diverse in its formation and development. To be honest it reminds me of my brother Hashirama's chakra. Your chakra is more like that of a Senju's than an Uzumaki's. You're definitely a descendant of both the Senju Clan and the Uzumaki Clan," Tobirama stated factually.

The jinchuuriki gave Tobirama a lost look, "Umm, so does that mean I can learn any elemental jutsu?"

"With enough hard work, you could learn any jutsu anyway…though your body's natural affinity for it will make learning them easier and your jutsus much more powerful. Both of your parents must have been good at wind chakra because that is your strongest affinity by a considerable margin. Uzumakis are typically strongest in water and wind, so that isn't surprising. After wind, you have an equally strong affinity for earth and water…I find it interesting how balanced they are. Hashirama's was the same way. Lightning and Fire are your weakest affinities," Tobirama noted.

Naruto cocked his head confused, "Does that mean I can't learn them?"

"I never said that, Naruto-san. Let me finish explaining. While Lightning and fire are much fainter in your chakra nature alignments, you still possess an affinity for them too. One of your parents must have had an affinity for lightning and fire, because they're both far above average in your chakra nature compared to regular shinobi. Your non Uzumaki parent might be where you inherited that. Granted I imagine those two will be more difficult for you to learn than the other three elements. Fire jutus were always my most difficult jutsus to learn as well since I was so highly attuned to water," Tobirama elaborated further.

"Alright, so when do I get to learn that stuff?" the blonde boy asked eagerly.

"I'll teach you basic elemental jutsus after you've perfected your chakra control. Ninjutsu is advanced, and a boy your age should master the basics before attempting something more complex. The quicker you learn, the sooner I will be able to teach you more advanced things…let that be an incentive to master everything quickly if you will," Tobirama spoke coolly as he paced around.

"Okay, well let's get started then!" Naruto announced with excitement.

"Before we begin, I want you to have something. Do you see the shrine over there?" Tobirama pointed towards a wooden building that looked covered in foliage and practically decayed at this point. Its stonework pathway was crumbling, but Naruto could still see that this long-abandoned shrine was miraculously intact.

Naruto turned towards the building and began to walk towards it alongside Tobirama. The Nidaime looked down at the boy a moment later, "I upkept this place during my life…and kept keepsakes of my dead clan members here. This shrine is a homage to their memories. Go inside."

Doing as he was told, the blonde passed into the crumbling building. He looked around at it and saw altars with names engraved on each of them. Some had trinkets and most of them had armor. Tobirama guided Naruto towards the very end, where he saw a chest.

It appeared to be made of wood and stone and was engraved with the Senju Clan symbol. Naruto read the inscription on it curiously, 'Itama Senju…'

Tobirama spoke stoically, "Open it."

Upon sliding the stone lid off the chest, Naruto was amazed to see a variety of well-preserved items within it. Among them included a full set of black shinobi attire, a sword, and a traditional armor that looked similar to Tobirama's. This armor was green instead of blue however, which seemed to match the other ones he saw in the shrine.

"Everything in that chest now belongs to you," Tobirama stated as Naruto looked over a number of extra pieces of wargear.

While he was amazed by it, Naruto turned towards Tobirama confused, "Wait…this chest says Itama Senju. Isn't Itama your brother's name?"

"I'm surprised you remembered that. You have surprisingly good attention to detail despite your brash attitude. Yes, Itama was one of my younger brothers. He died when he was 10 years old…which is your current age. His attire will be more appropriate for you to wear, though I would not recommend donning the armor…at least not yet. Senju armor is very iconic, and it will draw unwanted attention to you. For your training here you should wear it, but leave the armor when you go home," the white-haired man replied.

Naruto's eyes widened with disbelief, "Why do you want me to wear your brother's stuff?!"

"After we established Konoha, I gathered up all the remains of dead Senju Clan members and I kept them all here as a shrine to their memory. Sadly, the decades since my death has seen this place collapse into decay. A price to pay for its secrecy I suppose. My brother's wargear serves no purpose rotting here. It is appropriately fitted to your current size and should also double as a reminder for what it means to be a Shinobi. Many others died for this peace you now live in, but you must protect it because there will always be another war to fight…and only through superior strength and cunning can you maintain any kind of lasting peace," Tobirama lectured.

Naruto nodded understandingly, "Thank you Nidaime-sama…I'll take good care of this stuff."

"Get changed and meet me outside as soon as possible. I want to see these shadow clones of yours," Tobirama ordered as he left the shrine.

The jinchuuriki wasted no time doing as he was told and put on the black shinobi attire. He wasn't as experienced on how to equip the armor but decided that could wait for another time.

As he bolted outside, he ran up to his ghost sensei. Tobirama's arms were crossed as he spoke, "Show me your shadow clones."

The boy nodded as he formed the cross seal with his hands, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! (shadow clone jutsu)"

Tobirama watched with an unfazed reaction as a dozen clones of Naruto appeared all around him. He nodded his head in slight approval, "Good…each one of these clones is going to focus on a different exercise for your chakra control. Send one of them to Konoha to decoy the Anbu that are looking for you."

After careful explanation, Tobirama was able to show Naruto how to pool more chakra into specific clones. He sent one out of the forest and back to Konoha in order to draw away the recent suspicions of him. After that clone was gone, Tobirama had each of Naruto's remaining clones focusing on different chakra control exercises all around the grove. As the clones trained on chakra control, the real Naruto was instructed in the art of Kenjutsu by Tobirama.

Naruto's new sword wasn't special by any means, and it had no engravings. The only significance it had was the blade was once wielded by Tobirama's younger brother.

His training continued long into the night until it was well past dark. Exhausted beyond belief after all of his shadow clones dissipated, Naruto collapsed on the ground panting heavily.

He stared up at the stars with a hopeful expression on his face. He spoke aloud with genuine and true joy in his voice, "Finally, something to look forward to…"

"Go home and rest, Naruto-san…" Tobirama said distantly as the blonde managed to get up.

Naruto bowed his head respectfully, "See you tomorrow, Nidaime-sama!"

"You can call me Tobirama-sensei…we do share the same blood after all." the Nidaime replied.

"Really?!" Naruto said surprised.

The hokage nodded, "You are my student, so yes…keep up the good work, Naruto, and remember that the only easy day was yesterday."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Alright, folks, so that's a wrap for chapter 1 of this story. Alright, so before we get too far into the fic, I want to clarify some things. First of all, I know it was never confirmed that Mito and Kushina were directly related, but in this story, they are…which makes Naruto a descendant of Hashirama. A fun fact for you guys about Naruto's chakra nature is he inherited lightning fire and wind from Minato. Kushina gave him Wind, Water, and Earth. Like I said in the opening A/N, Naruto is going to be ridiculously strong in this story. I left a shit ton of clues about the future powers he will be learning. Also, since Tobirama wants him to maintain a middle of the pack appearance in the academy, Naruto will likely end up on a different team as well.

As far as the plot itself is concerned...I know it might seem a bit ridiculous for a 10 year old to learn advanced jutsus and sneak past jonin all that, but c'mon...Itachi was in Anbu at like 13 or something. Plus Naruto canonically was able to steal the scroll, so it's not that much of a stretch. I just wanted to point that out before anyone mentioned it. All that aside, hopefully, you like it so far.