Tale of A Golden Girl

Progression

Many months went by, and Naruto would be honest with herself and admit that she hadn't been keeping track of them. But then again, what was the point in that? The place she had come from didn't even exist yet, and it was shifting to accommodate the changes she had already made. Sakumo was still alive, and Kakashi was a hard ass, but he wasn't rule obsessed.

Speaking of Kakashi, his birthday was around the corner. He'd be turning six in one week, meaning Naruto would be hitting six in one month.

Naruto spent her time training and hanging with her loser squad, (a name some of her Academy peers had taken to calling the blonde and her three troublemaking friends). The blonde wasn't clumsy in her taijutsu anymore, and she had finally mastered Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rocks Jutsu, as well as basic chakra control. Naruto had also been practising with kage bunshin, as it had been one of her signature moves, but she was trying not to be so blatantly dependent on them. So far, she could make eight without collapsing.

Kakashi sometimes taught her a bit of kenjutsu, and Naruto had a surprising aptitude for the art. Sakumo had promised he would take the time to refine Naruto's talent for kenjutsu alongside Kakashi on his days off. Magnet Release was something Naruto was planning to perfect later. The natural cursed seal markings on a Magnet Release Rasengan would be useful in immobilizing some of the people the blonde would have to hunt down when she got older. She was planning on using the rasengan only when absolutely necessary, because from what she knew, her father hadn't even finished creating it yet.

Naruto played around with her sage arm a bit throughout the months as well, and found that its chakra had the same healing abilities as her Six Paths Sage Mode.

The blonde had even had time to 'spar' with her three friends, subtly teaching them and correcting their mistakes. Obito (who could finally make a fireball), Anko (who'd discovered a love for sharp things), and Guy (who was monstrously strong) all knew the basic chakra control exercises when their peers were still learning how to throw a bullseye with shuriken and punch someone without breaking their own hand.

It was really something to watch someone who thought it was funny to bully others get their butt kicked by someone from the "loser squad". And they never got in trouble for it, because the class had mandatory sparring sessions every Monday and Friday. (Well, accept for Anko, she loved picking fights...)

Somewhere along the line, Anko, Guy, and Obito began spending more and more time in the Hatake compound, so much so their sleepovers turned into them practically living there.

Guy had taken it upon himself to officially declare Kakashi his rival, which was seconded by Obito, but he wasn't such a dork that he actually said Kakashi was his rival.

Naruto knew Guy was training with Duy in the art of the Eight Gates, and his taijutsu was showing his hard work. The Academy kids had begun calling him 'beast' behind his back, much to the blonde's amusement.

'Just wait until his days as Konoha's Sublime Green Beast come around.' She thought, blue eyes snapping open as she roused from the deep pool of meditation she'd sunk into.

The blonde looked out over the koi pond of the Hatake compound, the evening wind tousling her hair and blowing away a few scattered cherry blossom petals that had drifted atop the golden strands.

The sun was making a slow trek across the horizon, its reaching arms spilling across Konoha in an a assemble of pink, gold, and orange rays.

Naruto stretched, masked mouth opening wide in a deep yawn.

The blonde slid off her perch atop the large rock that bordered the koi pond, snickering at the sight of Anko, Guy, and Obito lying passed out, snuggled together after a long Saturday of training and bickering.