Naruto: The Darkness Within

Chapter 2: Underneath the Underneath

1 Year Later

Naruto has trained vigorously in the past year. Naruto has learned quite a few things about the village's system. Danzo Shimura has seen Naruto once every three months to see how he's progressing. They have very small talks and then Danzo gives him another Fuinjutsu scroll before leaving each time. During those small talks he learnt that Danzo also wished to be Hokage. Danzo had informed Naruto that he could never be the Hokage without the backing of either the clan heads or the council. He had also told Naruto when the time is right he will be the Sixth Hokage after he becomes the Fifth. Naruto didn't really like the idea of having to wait that long to become Hokage because he really wanted to prove he was somebody to this village. When expressing this Danzo laughed and told him that's a naive dream.

Flashback

"Ha! Naruto that's a very naive dream. I figured after all the time we had spent you wouldn't be so naive anymore. A true shinobi doesn't do what he does to be recognized. He does it to protect the village. Did you know outside of you, the clan heads and the council, I'm hardly known for my exploits? There are very little people who truly know what I do for the leaf and in time Naruto I will need your help." Danzo told him.

"Lord Danzo, while I agree with your points, being recognized isn't bad either. The enemy nations would do well to remember not to mess with the village if the Kage of said village was powerful indeed." Naruto retorted.

"Well boy, I guess in a sense you're correct. However, let this be a reminder that you cannot move forward in life with such naivety. If you do you will only damn yourself, your comrades and more importantly the Leaf Village. Any how I will be returning to my quarters. Here is another fuinjutsu scroll. I expect you to have mastered it when I see you before graduation." Danzo said as he handed Naruto the scroll.

Flashback end

Naruto understood what he was getting at with the naivety stuff. What he didn't truly understand was why Danzo went out of his way to help him. He definitely had a motive, but what was it? He also heard from the Third Hokage himself that while he loves his former teammates like family he doesn't trust them not one but. He had told Naruto that Danzo was a very tricky man to deal with and if he ever had to deal with him to agree to do whatever he asks until he knows his motives. It almost seemed as if Hiruzen had known that Danzo was interacting with the boy.

However, due to being around such prominent figures, Naruto's overall grades increased. He went from dead last to the middle of the class. With only a few months left Naruto is making leaps and bounds. Naruto has increased his overall strength, stamina, knowledge and skill in fuinjutsu. However he overheard the Anbu who he had met last year, now Jonin of the Leaf, telling his failing genin team that they must look underneath the underneath. Naruto was shocked that there was another genin exam. Naruto wonders what the Jonin even meant by his statement. He asked the Hokage what underneath the underneath truly meant. When asked such a question Sarutobi chuckled. The Sandaime told Naruto that in the ninja world is full of secrets and different meanings behind a lot of motives. Naruto decided that 'Look underneath the underneath' meant that you must've view things surface level but go deeper than that. No one would've guessed Naruto's potential for the ninja arts would be as great as they are now due to his antics a few years ago. So Naruto learning about deception being the best weapon a shinobi could have decided to keep his sealing prowess under wraps. His classmates are wondering what happened. Gone was the bright and ugly orange jump suit and the loud mouth that wore it, in its place Naruto was wearing a black long sleeve net style shirt with a black short sleeve over it, black combat cargo pants with orange stitching, and black sandals. He even got rid of the stupid Goggles and let his Hair grow instead. The girls in his class thought he was trying to be like Sasuke, but Naruto had told them why would he want to be like that teme. Some of his classmates thought it was weird how Naruto changed so much in such little time. The one who hated it most was Sasuke Uchiha. The Uchiha felt as if it were disrespectful that Naruto got some special treatment with the Hokage. He had seen Naruto's increase in power and became jealous. Naruto's sparring record started to get better too. So far he has beaten everyone in the class except for Hinata, Sakura and Sasuke. Sasuke never lost to him but he mostly drew with Naruto too. Even more apparently Naruto had even helped the Hyuga girl with her taijutsu too. She had beaten Sasuke in a spar and he over heard her thank Naruto for helping her. Sasuke was even madder. How could Naruto improve his and the useless Huga's strength so easily. However Naruto didnt do what he did to make her stronger to beat Sasuke. Instead he did it to help her prove her clan wrong about her. He had seen her upset a long while ago. When he asked her what was wrong, she had told him her father is disappointed in her ability to use the Juken effectively. He gave her the scroll and told her to practice it in secret until she mastered it. When she did, boy did she get strong. Sasuke kept on thinking when did Naruto's change occur.