Chương 24: Freedom!

" 297."

" 298."

"299."

I counted my handstand push-ups as I was soaked in sweat.

" 300."

I ungratefully fell on my back as my muscles burned and my lungs desperately needed air. I panted as I laid on my back, and I heard annoyingly voice say.

" Just three hundred? You need to up your game, kid."

I flipped off the source of the voice, Anko Mitarashi. It has been three months since she became my handler, and I have, unfortunately, gotten used to her presence during that time. However, the Special Jonin quickly learned that she couldn't act as she pleased, or I would send Soushi or, better yet, Senko her way. The fox boy is easily Jonin level in terms of strength, and while the petite fox girl does not like fighting, she is scary good with Genjutsu.

The lessons I have had with Senko on Genjutsu have been very enlightening. She went over the comprehensive understanding of the mind and six senses, their connections, and the perception of individual reality. Overall, the petite fox girl has been the best teacher I have had in this world. It's not a high bar to surpass, but still.

I suddenly felt my head being lifted, then laid down on something soft but firm. I looked up to see Haruhime giving me a lap pillow as she used a towel to wipe off my sweat.

" This girl."

I thought wryly as I enjoyed her gentle care, but I could feel Anko's smug, teasing smile without looking. I ignored the Special Jonin, as reacting to her would just incite her to poke fun at me. I heard a knock on my door and looked at the time. It should be Tenten and Hinata since both the Academy and Medical Ninjutsu Extracurricular Classes are over.

I pulled myself up from the apprentice caretaker's lap and went to the door. I was right; it was Hinata and Tenten.

" Hey, Naruto-san, how are you?"

" Still getting stir crazy from being cooped up."

I answered the brunette's question and greeted the pale-eyed girl.

" Welcome back, Hinata-san."

" Thank you, Naruto-san."

Hinata returned my greeting, and the two girls came into my apartment to have me help them study Medical Ninjutsu. Despite not attending classes or being able to go to the medical library in the hospital, I wasn't behind. Honestly, the only thing I have trouble with when it comes to Medical Ninjutsu is the Mystical Healing Palm Jutsu.

Despite the extra Chakra Control training I put myself through, Jutsu is still giving me trouble for some reason. I will need to talk to Lady Tsunade and see if she has any advice. Anko greeted the girls with her usual cocky smile.

" Hey there, Visitors One and Two."

Tenten's eye twitched at the Special Jonin as she still did not bother to remember their names, but Hinata politely greeted her regardless.

" Good evening, Mitarashi-san."

The pale-eyed girl's attention switched to Haruhime, and she gave the fox girl a polite bow, which was returned by a bow from Haruhime. Tenten greeted the fox girl with a smile.

" Hey, Haru-chan, how have you been?"

" I have been well, Tenten-chan."

Haruhime smiled in return at the brunette. They somehow became friends after hanging out for one afternoon, where they went shopping together with Hinata. I didn't waste brain cells trying to understand how that works as I just chalked it up to another thing I won't understand and don't feel the need to understand. Tenten then took out a book, one on disease and poison combination, that's a seriously headache-inducing piece of Medical Literature.

" Mind, helping with this? It's on the next test."

" Lady Tsunade sure isn't holding back."

I commented as I took the book and asked.

" So, what part is giving you trouble?"

Hinata then joined the study session, and we kept on studying until it was almost sunset. I gave the girls my farewell as they left for the day, and Anko got up.

" Well, time to turn in my report on you kid."

" Yeah, yeah, just leave already. I want to sleep in peace."

I waved the Special Jonin off as she left, and Haruhime got started on dinner. Ordinarily, Senko would be doing the cooking, but she is away right now to persuade someone to teach me Sealing Jutsu. Overall, my house arrest has been painfully slow, with only training, drawing, and writing to kill time.

________________________________________

" And that's my report, Lord Fifth."

Anko finished her report to Jiraiya, and he was enjoying the Special Jonin's suggestive clothing as it fueled his imagination. The Fifth Hokage thought to himself as he tore his eyes away from the sexy Kuniochi.

" To think that when I sent Anko to handle Naruto, she would easily be defeated by those fox summons. From what she gathered, the pretty boy is at least Jonin level, and she suspects the blonde girl is at Chunin level, but she has no idea what level the petite girl is, and that is concerning. The only reason she couldn't figure out that girl, Senko's level, is either because she is too weak to notice, which is unlikely, or she is so much stronger that she hides her strength well.

Meaning that she could be at least Elite Jonin level or even borderline Kage level. Despite no longer having the Nine Tails within him, Naruto can summon one Chunin, one Jonin, and one possible Kage level summon."

Jiraiya tapped his desk in thought at the implications of his Godson already having the Chakra Reserves needed to summon someone on Gamabunta's level, the chief of the Toads.

" Continue to keep an eye on Naruto, Special Jonin Mitarashi."

" Yes, Lord Fifth."

Anko replied to Jiraiya's order and left the Hokage's office.

" Maybe it's time to lift his punishment?"

The Fifth Hokage muttered to himself as he dug out the Crystal needed to use the Crystal Telescope Jutsu to peek in on the women of Konoha. Jiraiya soon had a lecherous grin as he spied on his favorite research material, Tsunade. The Slug Princess was relaxing in the hot springs with her apprentice, Shizune.

Tsunade felt a creeping sensation and looked around for the source, which made Jiraiya's grin widen as he said.

" Sorry, Tsunade-hime, but you aren't catching me again as I admire your gravity-defying melons."

The Slug Princess then looked immediately up at the Toad Sage through the crystal ball, which froze his heart and made him break out in a cold sweat. She looked away and continued to search for the source of the unpleasant feeling she sensed. Jiraiya sighed in relief as he said.

" Really, a woman's intuition is a terrifying thing."

The Fifth Hokage continued to admire his teammate's rack with a lecherous grin as his imagination ran wild and he wrote down his notes for his next novel.

________________________________________

Senko was sitting in a seiza position in front of a male bipedal fox with dark gray fur and piercing blue eyes who was treating her like a guest.

" Lady Senko, while Lady Tamamo-no-Mai hasn't declared that the boy can't be trained outside of the three kitsune he was assigned, she never declared he could be either."

" Kuko, while I understand your stance, it is honestly a waste not to help Naruto-kun with Sealing Jutsu with him having Uzumaki lineage. His Chakra Reserves already far outstripes even those with decades of experience, making him even more valuable to the Clan as a Summoner. We may even be able to raise into a Sage with the proper training."

Kuko, the Sealing Master of the Fox Clan, sighed at the petite fox girl before saying.

" Lady Senko, you may have taken over Lady Sora's position as Head Caretaker, but that's only because she wants a long vacation to fool around in human society after so long. Once she returns, she will take over her duties again."

Senko sighed as she lamented.

" I was hoping not to use this, but I guess you leave me no choice, Kuko."

The petite fox girl took out a letter and handed it to the Sealing Master. He took the letter with a curious expression, which changed to an annoyed one as he read the letter before muttering.

" I can't believe Sora is wasting her favor with me for this."

" It wasn't hard to convince her since I agreed to take over her duties for an extra decade."

Senko said with a sly smile, and Kuko accuses her.

" Aren't you getting a bit too attached to the human child?"

The petite fox girl just smiled in silence, and the Sealing Master raised his hands as he gave up.

" Fine! Have it your way! I'll teach the kid, but if he can't keep up with my lessons, it's not my problem."

Kuko dismissed Senko from his residence, and the petite fox girl was pleased with herself for getting Naruto, a proper teacher in Sealing Jutsu. However, she had a few more visits to make before returning to him. The Fox Clan's blacksmith for one and another possible teacher for Naruto would teach him simply because it would be interesting.

Senko smiled to herself as she worked to prepare Naruto better to pass the trials needed to be fully recognized as the Contracted Summoner of the Fox Clan. The petite fox girl won't deny to herself that she quickly grew fond of the young Ninja to be as his drive to improve was admirable, whether through training or studying. A strong body and mind can take one far in this world, especially for Shinobi.

Senko went off to see the blacksmith to see if he was interested in taking a human apprentice.

________________________________________

Soushi Miketsukami was at one of the dojos of the Fox Clan practicing his Kenjutsu with a wooden sword. He was a disciple of the Bewildering Sword Style; a Kenjutsu focused on mixing Genjutsu into swordplay to deceive with subtly and trickery to land lethal or crippling blows to defeat the opponent. It was a Kenjutsu Style suited to dueling or fighting one-on-one, not that it can't handle multiple enemies but it works best in single combat.

Soushi stopped his practice and took a moment to wipe off his sweat with a towel and thought about his charge, Naruto Uzumaki. The blonde was dedicated to his training and studies, if nothing else, but the fox boy decided to withhold any judgments until he passed the trials to become the official Contract Summoner of the Clan; otherwise any relation he would have with Naruto would be short-lived.

Soushi smiled as the reason he was in this dojo was because the blonde's constant dedication to training reminded him he was being complacent after mastering his Kenjutsu Style. After all he still felt like he couldn't defeat his teacher despite the years that moved slowly by as his boredom took hold like a good number of other younger members of the Clan.

Every member of the Fox Clan is long-lived and can easily live a few centuries, and that's not considering the Sages that have been around for over a thousand years.

" Oi, Soushi!"

The fox boy turned to see a fellow disciple of the Bewildering Sword, Akagane, a red haired fox boy with a lively aura and large build that one would not expect from a practitioner of the Bewildering Sword Style.

" Hello, Akagane, how have you been?"

" Same old, same old, different day."

The red-haired fox boy replied, looking slightly miserable and bored.

" That aside, what's this? I hear you got a contracted summoner!?"

Akagane demanded with a grievance as he grabbed Soushi by the collar of his clothes. The white-haired fox boy simply smiled as he explained.

" He's strictly a probationary summoner that has yet to pass the Clan's trials."

" What's he like?"

The red-haired fox boy asked, looking curious and a bit excited.

" Hmm... No."

" No?"

Akagane asked in confusion to Soushi's reply as the white-haired fox boy had a playful smile. The red-haired fox boy demanded with anger.

" What do you mean no!?"

" Nope."

Soushi said as he messed with his fellow disciple's he thought.

" Akagane is always too easy."

The white-haired fox boy just smiled as the red-haired fox boy shook him as he demanded.

" Tell me!"

" No."

Soushi replied with a playful smile, which rubbed Akagane the wrong way and bellowed.

" Fight me!"

" I don't feel like it."

The two fox boys continued to fight despite the noise they made which attracted everyone in the surrounding area.

________________________________________

My alarm went off and I tried to feel it out without opening my eyes. I then touched something... soft. What was this? It was warm and soft with some springiness to it with a fishnet cover on it. I opened one of my eyes to see what I was touching, and I saw Anko, with my hand on her chest. She had a smile that sent chills down my spine as it promised pain and suffering.

Well, if I am already screwed, then... I gave her chest a few more squeezes before I died in some small way in the not-so-distant future. Anko's eye twitched at me, squeezing her breast, and grabbed my pinky, then broke it.

" Motherf*cker!"

I cursed in English as I retracted my hand with a now broken pinky finger. I regret nothing. I glared at the Special Jonin as that was going a bit too far, and she smirked at me and said.

" Congratulations, your house arrest is over, kid."

" Really?"

I asked skeptically as I nursed my broken finger and recalled what I needed to do to treat it. I got out my first aid kit and got started treating my broken finger, and Anko replied.

" Yep, Hokage's orders, but you're still stuck with me as I have to keep an eye on you."

" Great."

I said sarcastically while rolling my eyes, but I was glad regardless to be able to get out of my apartment. I finished treating my broken finger and realized I couldn't summon Senko, Haruhime, or even Soushi as I haven't gotten around to figuring out one-handed hand signs as my pinky is broken. I considered having Anko literally lend me a hand but decided against it as I rather not test my luck.

For now, I need to head to get ready for class.

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Chương 25: Yeah, I Am Done With This Sh*t

In a classroom at the Shinobi Academy in Konoha, everyone was chatting before homeroom.

"What a drag."

Shikamaru complained as he yawned, as he would much rather still be in bed until the afternoon. Choji was munching on some chips next to his best friend and offered some to him.

" Would you like to try this new flavor, Shikamaru? It's pretty good."

The lazy kid took just one of the chips and asked.

" How do they rank?"

" Not in my top ten, but still pretty good."

The pleasantly plump kid replied as he continued to eat. Shikamaru tried the chip, and after tasting it, he said.

" Not bad."

Choji decided to make a conversation to help pass the time and keep his friend awake so the Chunin Instructor wouldn't throw a piece of chalk at Shikamaru to wake him up.

" Have you heard anything about the Yellow Habanero? He hasn't been to class for over three months."

" What do you expect? He is under house arrest, after all, lucky guy. I would love to not be able to leave my house."

Choji smiled as he pointed out a massive demerit to his friend's wish.

" Then you would be stuck with your mom all the time."

"Never mind."

The lazy kid said, quickly changing his tune as he was sure his mom wouldn't let him laze around the house if he did get house arrest and probably nag him to death. The door to the classroom opened, and a familiar face came in. It was Naruto Uzumaki.

" Ah, he's back."

Shikamaru said with realization but not really caring about the blonde's return to class. Naruto looked around and walked past everyone to take a seat next to Hinata, making happy but also shy with a blush. The blonde greeted the pale-eyed girl.

"Hey, Hinata-san, my house arrest is finally over."

" Congratulations, Uzumaki-san."

She replied quietly while feeling happy to sit beside the boy she admired. Naruto thought to himself.

" She still uses my family name instead of my given name. I wonder if she is ever going to build up the nerve to simply call me, Naruto. Whatever, what happens, happens."

The blonde just looked ahead as he waited for class to start, but he received an unexpected visitor.

" Hey, Yellow Habanero, your back? What exactly did you do to get locked up at your home for three months?"

Kiba Inuzuka asked aloud with a curious expression, and most of the class perked up their ears to hear the reason for Naruto's house arrest. The blonde answered curtly.

" I beat someone up almost to the point of death is the official reason."

" Oh? Who?"

Kiba asked, which was met with another curt answer.

" I don't know, just some civilian that picked a fight with me for some reason. I don't know."

Naruto wasn't interested in talking as he didn't look at the dog lover as he answered. The blonde yawned as he would rather go back to sleep. Hinata then noticed his bandaged hand and asked with concern.

" Uzumaki-san, what happened to your hand?"

" Anko."

Naruto answered with a frown as he nursed his broken pinky finger, and Hinata also frowned. Kiba then asked while looking at the injury.

" Who's Anko, and why would she break your finger?"

The blonde just ignored the dog lover, which rubbed the Inuzuka the wrong way.

" Hey, I asked you a question!"

" Sorry, you say something?"

Naruto asked as he really did tune out Kiba until he raised his voice. The dog lover repeated his question with annoyance apparent on his face.

" I said, who's Anko?"

" A very dangerous Kuniochi that is my assigned handler to make sure I don't cause more trouble."

Naruto answered with a tired tone before getting a jump scare.

" Ah, that's such a sweet thing to say, kid."

Anko appeared out of thin air with a mischievous smile as she petted the blonde's hair. Naruto hated the feeling of having his hair messed with and threatened.

" Don't make me summon, Soushi."

The Special Jonin's smile widened as she asked while she kept on petting the blonde.

"How do you intend to do that with a broken finger?"

Naruto casually took out his Kunai and cut his thumb before performing the seals for the Summoning Jutsu with one hand, much to Anko's amusement as she thinks he can't pull it off with one hand. One-handed Hand Signs is a rare high-level skill that takes extreme familiarity with a Jutsu to pull it off. However, the blonde was determined enough to at least try.

" Summoning Jutsu!"

Naruto thought as a puff of smoke appeared. Anko arched an eyebrow, feeling a bit impressed that the blonde might have pulled off the Jutsu. The smoke cleared and revealed a small, pure white fox with sapphire blue eyes.

" Yip?"

The fox looked confused at being summoned and looked around. Naruto sighed as he figured he wouldn't successfully summon Soushi or, better yet, Senko to handle Anko. The blonde quickly apologized to the fox as he did feel slightly guilty at summoning it unexpectedly.

" Sorry about that. I was trying to summon Senko or Soushi to help me with this woman."

Naruto gestured at the smug-looking Anko with his thumb. The small white fox tilted its head at the blonde before approaching to sniff him for some reason.

" Um, can I help you?"

Naruto asked as he felt confused by the fox's action. The small white fox yipped before nodding its head in a very human-like manner. The fox then leaped to smack Anko's hand with its paw before growling at the Special Jonin, and a pale green flame erupted from its mouth that shot toward Anko, which she easily dodged.

" Of course, it can use Jutsu."

The Special Jonin muttered to herself, and Naruto smiled as he said.

" Good fox."

The blonde raised his hand at the fox to pet it if it allowed him to. The fox smelled his hand and lowered its head to be petted. Naruto rubbed the fox's head with his fingers and then asked.

" Do you have a name?"

The fox yipped in reply and produced green flames with its mouth again to form a character on the desk.

" Kon."

Seeing this character, Naruto asked.

" Kon as in blue or shade of blue?"

The fox yipped in confirmation as the green flames disappeared without leaving any burn marks. Naruto smiled as he greeted Kon formally.

" Nice to meet you, Kon."

" Yip!"

The fox enthusiastically replied before jumping off the desk and into the blonde's lap and curling up to nap. Naruto wryly smiled as he said.

" I guess you're staying a while."

Hinata eyed the fox and thought that she wanted to pet it as well.

" Cute."

Kiba processed everything that just happened and demanded.

" Oi, Yellow Habanero, what in the heck is going on!? And where did this fox come from? Who's that lady there and-!"

Iruka Umino then came into the classroom and he opened the door. He went to his podium in front of the class and ordered.

" Alright, everyone, to your seats!"

Everyone quietly obeyed as they sat down, and the Chunin Instructor only acknowledged Naruto's return with a brief glance at him before focusing on Anko.

" Anko, I would appreciate it if you didn't disrupt my class."

" Yeah, yeah, Iruka, don't get your panties in a twist. I'm just here to keep an eye on our resident troublemaker. Hokage's orders."

The Special Jonin replied as she gestured to the blonde with a fox in his lap.

" Yes, I am aware Lord Fifth feels that Uzumaki-san needs extra eyes to keep him in check. He notified me yesterday."

This got most of the class gossiping amongst themselves.

" Did you hear?"

" Yeah, what did he do?"

" He says he beat someone to death, but that can't be all."

" Are we in danger? Mom and Dad always told me to avoid him."

" My parents told me the same, and they were glad that he was no longer attending class with me."

As most of the other students speculate amongst themselves, Naruto just ignored them as he didn't care. He wished he could have a Shadow Clone in his place, but with his broken pinky, every attempt at the Jutsu came out wrong or didn't work at all. Iruka clapped to get everyone's attention.

" Alright, class, just ignore our guest and focus on class. Let's do a quick review on Chakra Theory."

Most of the class groaned at tackling the most boring subject off the bat. Naruto just kept silent as he looked bored with class while petting the fox in his lap. Of course, he couldn't do that in peace.

" Umino-sensei! Naruto brought a pet to school!"

One of the kids called out, and Iruka looked at Naruto at hearing that and asked with suspicion.

" Is that true, Uzumaki-san?"

The blonde calmly answered.

" Kon is a Summoning Beast I am contracted with, and he is sticking around out of curiosity."

" You have a Summon Contract!?"

The Chunin Instructor exclaimed in shock as Summoning Contracts are highly valuable regardless of Shinobi Rank as they always offer additional strength. The Sanin and Third Hokage are prime examples, as they all have Summoning Contracts that they use to enhance their strength. Anko, another example of having and using a Summon Contract, was added.

" Yeah, this ballsy kid gambled with a Reverse Summon during his house arrest and got a probationary contract with some foxes."

Iruka thought to himself.

" Reverse Summoning!? Generally, no one takes such a risk as it's easier and safer to make a contract with a Chakra Beast you either raise or come across. Not all established Summoning Clans are friendly. I heard enough horror stories about Ryuchi Cave to know this to be true, but the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails having contracted foxes is worrying."

The Chunin Instructor started to imagine the worst case scenario where Naruto hurt or even killed someone with his summons and came to a realization.

" No wonder Lord Fifth assigned Anko to keep an eye on Naruto Uzumaki."

He thought to himself before warning Naruto with calm weariness.

" Uzumaki-san, I ask that you refrain from using your Summons in the Academy."

Naruto quietly scoffed as he did not dignify that sentence with a response as he continued to pet the small fox in his lap. Anko smirked behind the blonde and thought.

" Poor, Iruka, stuck with this brazen, stubborn kid with a temper that matches his nickname. Well, I'm just here to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't hurt anyone; otherwise, he's Iruka's problem during class."

The class continued, and Naruto was bored out of his mind as time seemed to tick away ever so slowly.

________________________________________

" I wonder if I can pull off early graduation?"

I thought to myself as I was bored out of my mind hearing Iruka go on and on about the f*cking Will of Fire. I pet Kon to distract myself and enjoyed the fox's soft, plush fur. I wonder how I summoned the little guy. I mean, my probationary contract should be limited to Senko, Haruhime, and Soushi. I will need to ask them when I get the chance.

I ignored the stares directed at me from my classmates as I could hear them whispering among themselves. I couldn't make out exactly what they were saying, but I honestly didn't care what a bunch of kids said about me as I caught my nickname a few times. I briefly debated sneaking out of class as I would rather spend my time training outside as it had been a while since I got to enjoy some fresh air.

I started looking for escape routes as Iruka droned on. The doors are easy but obvious. I might be able to open a window under the excuse that it's stuffy in the room. My exit point is either of these two. I need a distraction.

" Kon, mind doing something for me?"

" Yip?"

The small white fox looked up at me while tilting its head. I whispered what I wanted the fox to do. After explaining my plan, the fox got out of my lap and went down to Iruka as he had his back turned while making notes on the chalkboard.

" The Will of Fire, while originally devised by the First Hokage and it, didn't gain traction until after the First Shinobi World War with the Third Hokage at the helm. Lord Third took a vested interest in the Academy and sought to expand the curriculum beyond pure Ninja skills that it was originally founded on by the Second Hokage. Due to this, the Will of Fire-."

Iruka was didn't finish his lecture as he felt something pawing at his calf, and he looked down to see Kon. The Chunin Instructor turned to look at me and said.

" Uzumaki-san, please keep your summon under control. We're in the middle of class!"

I shrugged as I replied.

" I'm still new to this Summoning business, and this is the first time I have summoned Kon, Umino-sensei. I think he wants something from you."

I pointed out as Kon worked on distracting Iruka, and the Chunin Instructor looked down on the fox and asked patiently.

" Yes, what do you want?"

Kon opened its mouth and shot green flames at Iruka, and I thought.

" Not what I had in mind for a distraction, but I'll take it."

The Chunin Instructor was too surprised by the attack and didn't dodge as he was engulfed by the green flames. He stopped, dropped, and rolled, trying to put out the flames. Unfortunately for him, their illusions. Now, to make my escape.

I ran to the door and slipped out before Iruka figured out he wasn't on fire. I heard the familiar voice of Anko say.

" Pretty ballsy of you trying to get out of class."

" Are you going to stop me?

I asked while feeling guarded but kept on running regardless.

" Heck, no! Going through the Academy once was enough for me, and if you want to skip, then skip! Better you skip than have to go through the lessons in the Academy again!"

Okay, so she isn't going to stop me, good. As I ran out, I heard Iruka bellow with fury.

" NARUTO UZUMAKI, GET BACK HERE!"

Yeah, no. I am done attending classes. I'm not learning anything I haven't already studied for. I slipped into another classroom and exited from the window there.

" Naruto!?"

I saw Tenten calling out to me as I made my escape. I guess this was her classroom. I gave her a quick wave as I slipped out through the window in her class. The Chunin Instructor didn't stop me as he was stunned by my unexpected appearance. I leaped out the window and exited the Academy grounds before slipping into town. Unfortunately, I can't use the Transformation Jutsu with my busted pinky, so I need to give Iruka the run around to throw him off.

I leaped from building to building, diving through alleys, slipping through the crowded streets, and anything else I could think of to throw off the Chunin Instructor. Anko commented with a playful tone.

"You're really determined not to get caught and dragged back to class, aren't you?"

I didn't retort as I started double backing to reach the west gate, which was furthest from the Academy, since I left the impression I was heading to the east gate instead. Now, should I change course part of the way to the south gate to help throw any pursuer or not?

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