Chapter 15

The months passed even more quickly after that, as Naruto really threw himself deep into an all-consuming regimen of training. He never forgot Anko though, making sure he always had time for his friends through his busy schedule. He mainly focused on Chakra control though, using every trick in the book for one reason; the clone technique. It was supposed to be the simplest jutsu in a Shinobi's arsenal, requiring literally the bare minimum of chakra to form; too little. He found that with the fox widening his chakra pathways every day, control became more and more difficult. Eventually, he struggled to lower his output to the required levels and eventually it became impossible.

He overloaded the clones he made and they came out sickly and useless. He just couldn't use that little chakra in his jutsu anymore, even with all the control exercises he went through. He sighed, knowing that all but the highest ranked Genjutsu would also be out of the realm of his learning and without working his way from basics the A-ranked ones would be impossible. Surprisingly, it was Anko who finally gave him a solution, of sorts; she was watching him train, trying again and again at producing a healthy clone.

She simply suggested that instead of using a small amount of chakra to produce one he should just mould a large amount of chakra and divide that to produce many clones at once. Naruto had stood stoically flabbergasted at the simplicity of the solution; asking if it was still Anko he was talking to. Or course, after earning himself a thrown rock to the head and a good laugh, Anko chased him around the training field. He put his hands into the correct sign, moulded the smallest amount of chakra he could before dividing it into the required amount.

Anko just watching in amazement as twenty, perfectly healthy and identical clones sprouted out of clouds of smoke, as did Naruto. He jumped in victory, finally having mastered each of the basic three jutsu he needed to pass the Genin exam. After that the rest of their academy year flew by and before any of them really realised it, it was already over. They all waited on the last day as the teacher ran through some boring speech about how proud he was and how they would go on to be the best class he had ever taught.

Finally he asked if there were any students who thought they could take the Genin test now, surprisingly only three people raised their hands, Naruto, Itachi and Shisui. Naruto turned, blinking in surprise as he looked at Anko, her arm not raised. She just smiled at him sadly, looking down at the desk as she fiddled with her hands.

"I never could quite get the henge down. I just don't think I'm ready yet." Naruto's eyes softened in understanding before hardening as the teacher asked them to come with him for their evaluation. He shot one last look at Anko as he joined Itachi and Shisui walking out of the room. She just gave him a thumbs up as he smirked, knowing that he had to do this.

Anko waited behind after class, sitting on a swing somebody had hung on a tree in the school grounds. She saw Itachi, then Shisui both emerge from the building holding their headbands. They smiled at her and waved before running off to tell their parents, happily tying their bands around their foreheads. She waited a bit longer before Naruto emerged, his face a mask of neutrality. She jumped off the railing and ran over as soon as she saw him, covering the distance in a flash.

"So did you do it?" She wasn't even sure why she doubted for a second as he smirked, a broad grin crossing his features as he pulled an arm from behind his back showing her his new forehead protector.

"Of course."

Anko grinned as she hugged him in congratulations, pulling him away from the school which earned her a confused look.

"Come on, we need to celebrate." She said excitedly. Naruto just smiled again as he allowed the girl to pull him away, but not before he tied his headband around his arm. He felt as though he had achieved the first part of his goal to surpass his father and make his parents proud.

Up on the roof of the academy two figures watched all of this, one with a beaming grin, the other with a more calculative smirk.

"Interesting crop this year, huh?"

Orochimaru turned to his teammate with a vaguely amused expression. "Are you saying that because of your godson?"

Jiraiya just smiled down at the scene of Anko pulling the slightly taller redhead away with her, a calm but happy smile on his features.

"How can I not be? Youngest to graduate the academy since the boy my student trained, Kakashi; even then it was only because of the war." Orochimaru just nodded along to his teammate, observing the young girl alongside the Namikaze.

"Yes, interesting crop, indeed."