Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Naruto was alone in a clearing. He decided to try learning the technique in the scroll he had borrowed from the Hokage’s office.
The scroll was orange with white linings. What kind of technique did it contain? He unrolled it and saw a finger print in the middle. He placed his thumb on it, but nothing happened. He wondered for a few seconds and thought that maybe it would respond to blood, as in some comics. He bit his thumb and placed it back on the finger print.
Suddenly, his blood was sucked into the scroll, forming intricate patterns. When it stopped moving, the blood had taken the shape of a fox head made of ancient characters. A hot smoke cloud formed and when it dissipated, a fox cub was standing on its’ four legs, observing Naruto.
“Good night, young one,” saluted a child’s voice in an old man’s fashion. “Why did thee summon this one?”
“Huh? Uh… Hi? I wanted to see what kind of technique was in this scroll… I’d like to become Hokage so that people acknowledge me, so I need a powerful technique to become the strongest shinobi in Konoha as soon as possible, y’know…?”
“Dear Kaiyô, this child has no manners,” retorted the cub. “A Hokage needs to be strong and well educated. What is thy name, young summoner?”
“Uh… I’m Naruto Uzumaki! Future Hokage! And you? What’s yer name?”
“This one is too young to have a name yet,” replied the little fox. “Do thee wish to become the fox summoner, Naruto Uzumaki?”
“Yes! What can foxes do?” asked the boy.
“We of the fox clan are cunning, playful and we use fire and spiritual techniques to trick people’s mind.”
“Sounds great! Where do I sign?” exclaimed Naruto, excited.
“Thee have already offered thy blood. Find and catch this one in the next hour and thee will be allowed to become the new fox summoner. Are thee ready?”
“Alright! Let’s go!”
The cub disappeared and Naruto was left dumbfounded in the clearing.
‘How did he do that?’ he wondered.
Naruto spent thirty minutes looking for the cub around his starting point, found a track and followed it, only to be disappointed when it led to a dead end. There were other false tracks, but he ended up finding the right one.
He tried to jump on the cub to grab him, but he fell face first on the forest floor, the little fox perched on his head. He tried to catch it but it dodged his hands with great ease. The boy ended up in all kind of embarrassing positions to try and catch the cub, but he finally managed to trap it with a rope trap under a leaf coverage.
“Caught you!” he exclaimed in an aha! moment.
“Of course, this one took pity on thy poor skills and fell into your trap on purpose,” replied the cub on a haughty tone.
“That’s what losers always say!” retorted Naruto.
“Will you untie me or shall this one cut the rope herself?”
“Wait, what?! You’re a female?!” realized Naruto.
“Obviously, but it seems thee have not learnt much about this one’s species,” replied the little fox.
“Well, I’ll have all the time to learn more about foxes, so let’s get down to business!” the boy exclaimed, throwing a kunai to cut the rope.
The cub fell but landed smoothly on her four legs and looked at him in a solemn way.
“Naruto Uzumaki, thee have been deemed…worthy…of becoming the new fox summoner. Thy duties will be to visit the fox clan’s territory at least once in a year, to summon us at least once every month, to bring us fine offerings and to learn about our clan. Thee shall look for a successor to pass the contract onto if thee happened to pass onto the next life. Thy successor must be at least ten years younger than thee in order to avoid changing summoners every few years.”
“Alright! I accept your deal!”
The cub sighed.
“Since this one passed this agreement with thee, she will be thy intermediate with the fox clan until thee are educated enough to meet the rest of the clan,” declared the cub. “Get ready for months of strict education.”
Naruto felt like he was doomed. Strict education and him did not match well…
AST
Iruka found Naruto in a clearing not far from shinobi training grounds. He scolded him for doing something so dumb and reckless as stealing a scroll from the Hokage’s office. The boy had a smug expression plastered on his face.
“Iruka! I’ve done it! I can summon foxes now!” he replied.
“Didn’t you listen to anything I said?” sighed the teacher.
“It’s not like I betrayed the village! I just did what Mizuki told me to do to become a shinobi with the secret test…”
“What secret test?” Iruka grabbed the boy by the shoulders.
“He told me about the patrols’ schedule and the scroll’s location. I had to find it and learn a technique from it to become a ninja!”
Iruka was dumbfounded. He did not expect Mizuki to use Naruto to steal a scroll from the Hokage. This was treason.
A slow applause resounded from behind Iruka.
“Congratulations, Naruto, you did it.”
“Mizuki?” realized Iruka. “What kind of sick game are you playing on Naruto?”
Mizuki summoned a mask in his hand and placed it on his face. It was a lizard mask, one of the Hokage’s ANBU guards.
“I did my job, Iruka. I didn’t expect you to be here, but we’ve known each other for so long that it doesn’t matter if you know about me. Anyway, Naruto, as to the Hokage’s orders, here is your headband. Serve Konoha well, little prankster. And listen to your summons, they will make up for your…less than stellar academy track record…”
Naruto was exhilarated to receive his headband and become an official shinobi.
“I’ll become the greatest shinobi to ever ninja!” he exclaimed.
“Good. Farewell, Naruto,” replied Mizuki.
“Bye!” waved the boy.
“We need to talk later, Mizuki,” declared Iruka.
“Sure, sounds like a bad omen. Are you my girlfriend now?” replied Mizuki cheekily.
Iruka sighed and waved him off.
“I’ll buy you ramen to celebrate,” offered the teacher to the brat.
“Ow yeah!” exclaimed the boy.
Naruto summoned his companion.
“Hey! We’re invited to ramen to celebrate my promotion!” he told the cub.
“I only invited you!” shouted Iruka.
“This one does not eat broth dishes,” replied the little fox. “Thy reaction will be remembered, though.”
Iruka felt dread come out of this statement.
“Sorry, I just… I have a very limited budget for outings… I did not wish to insult you or your clan…” he tried to save his ass.
“Then a meat offering would mend our relations,” replied the cub, turning away to look at Naruto. “And thee shall never summon without offering someone in exchange. This one has a lot to teach you about a proper summoner’s etiquette. We will see each other tomorrow.”
The cub poofed out of this plane of existence, leaving the two humans alone in the clearing.
“Well, let’s go eat ramen!” reminded Naruto.
Iruka sighed once more. This was his life, now.