Half an hour later, Hokage Office.
The Sandaime Hokage had only just sat down and hadn't even lifted his teacup when the office door was shoved open with a bang. Danzo, leaning on his cane, stalked in, face dark.
"Hiruzen."
Danzo cut straight to the point, greed glinting in his lone eye.
"Hand the Kyuubi Jinchuriki over to me."
The kindness on the Sandaime's face vanished instantly, replaced by the Hokage's authority:
"Danzo, I've told you again and again Naruto is not a weapon, he's a Shinobi of Konohagakure."
"Shinobi?"
Danzo gave a cold laugh.
"Look at how he's changed lately that calm, that deception innate killer instinct! Letting him waste time in the Ninja Academy playing house is a crime. Give him to me; within a year I'll forge him into Konohagakure's sharpest blade. It's for the greater good of protecting the village."
"Enough!" The Sandaime slammed the desk.
"Naruto's change comes from inheriting the Will of Fire! He wants to earn everyone's recognition through effort that is the path of light! As long as I remain Hokage, I will never let you drag him into Root!"
The two locked eyes; the air seemed to freeze. At last, Danzo narrowed his lone eye and turned slowly. He knew that when Hiruzen wore that expression, there was no room for negotiation.
"Hiruzen, you will regret this."
"Danzo, I am the Hokage."
Bang.
Danzo spun away, slamming the door behind him. Watching Danzo leave, the Sandaime sank back into his chair, drew a long puff on his pipe, his gaze more resolute than ever…
Evening, Training Ground Three.
Naruto arrived at the rendezvous point early. He adjusted his glasses, apparently reading quietly while actually studying the surroundings.
Swish.
A figure appeared in front of him. It was the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. He had shed the heavy Hokage cloak for a crisp combat uniform.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Naruto-kun."
The Sandaime smiled. "Ready?"
Ever since witnessing Naruto's "Will of Fire," he had decided to devote more time personally guiding the boy. It was also a warning to Danzo: keep your hands off.
"Ready!"
Naruto closed the book, excitement sparkling in his eyes. The Sandaime nodded and pulled a rectangular slip from his pouch.
"Before teaching you Ninjutsu, we need to find your Chakra nature. This is Chakra-sensing paper; channel a little Chakra into it and it reacts. Fire burns it, water wets it, wind splits it, earth crumbles it, lightning wrinkles it," the Sandaime explained.
Naruto accepted the paper carefully. This was his first formal test. He took a breath, summoned the vast Chakra within, and fed in a sliver. Without pause, the paper split down the middle, then grew damp.
"Wind and Water, is it?"
A nostalgic look flashed through the Sandaime's eyes. To him, Naruto had inherited one nature from each parent.
"Are those strong?" Naruto asked curiously.
He guessed the wind might be innate; the water probably came from Breathing Technique training.
"Wind is excellent for offense," the Sandaime answered patiently. "Wind users excel at cutting; water suits wide-area attacks and control. Both are perfect for you."
Then his tone shifted.
"But to learn Ninjutsu, your Chakra control is far too rough."
The seal on Naruto was the Hakke no Fuin Shiki. Minato had left a tiny gap in it. That gap released faint Kyuubi Chakra continuously. It let Naruto adapt subconsciously and strengthened his body. The downside: the Kyuubi's Chakra disrupted precise control. Hiruzen knew it well, so lesson one was control. He pointed to a nearby tree.
"Naruto, your Chakra volume is enormous, but like a burst dam powerful yet impossible to steer. Ninjutsu needs a precise stream. So your first exercise is tree-climbing!"
"Tree-climbing?" Naruto blinked.
"No hands, only feet."
The Sandaime walked straight up the trunk and hung from a branch as if on flat ground.
"Focus Chakra precisely into your soles to stick to the bark. Too little and you fall; too much and you shred the wood. Exact control is the basis of every advanced Jutsu."
He jumped down and handed Naruto a scroll.
"Once you can reach the top in one go, you may learn the Jutsu inside. It's a C-rank Jutsu: Fuuton: Daitoppa."
He had scrolls for every element in his pouch, but to avoid overwhelming the boy, he gave only the most basic and practical.
"Thank you, Grandpa Sandaime!"
Naruto bowed deeply, gratitude genuine. The Sandaime ruffled his hair. "Begin. I'll watch."
Naruto stepped to the tree, paused, and called the system in his mind.
[Ding!]
[Sarutobi Hiruzen's guidance detected.]
[Recommendation logged: Chakra-control training.]
[Task: 1. Master tree-climbing; 2. Learn C-rank Jutsu "Fuuton: Daitoppa"]
[Reward: C-rank treasure chest x1, Wind-nature affinity +10%]
Rewards, as expected! Naruto grinned. Guidance from the Sandaime plus system rewards double joy! He calmed himself, channeling Chakra into his soles. The body control from Breathing Technique, plus occasional small boosts from previous chests, made his first attempt look promising.
Crack! The bark exploded and he was flung away.
"Too much Chakra," the Sandaime corrected.
Crack! Second try two steps, then a slide down.
"Now too little; find the balance."
"Got it!"
Naruto sprang up, adjusted his glasses, undiscouraged. He was starting to feel it. Aizen's glasses even sped up his learning curve.
"Again!" He charged the trunk.
In the sunset, Hiruzen watched Naruto's visible progress, heart swelling with pride.
"I thought the Kyuubi's interference would take a month, yet in half an hour he's grown this much. This boy's talent may exceed even my expectations," Hiruzen mused.