Disclaimer: I received permission from the original author from this story, Tsukune08, to write a version of Masters of Genjutsu. This story, in other words. If he didn't give me permission, I wouldn't write the story.
Chapter 1: The Meeting
Naruto Uzumaki was standing on the bridge that Team Seven used as their meeting place, next to his teammates Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha. Their jōnin-sensei, Kakashi Hatake, had left them just after they completed their teamwork exercises.
Naruto watched Sakura approach Sasuke. Her hands were clasped together and she put on her best bashful smile. "Sasuke, do you want to go on a date with me?"
"No," Sasuke said, before walking away. Naruto's eyes narrowed. He never understood why Sasuke would turn down the beautiful Sakura's invitation for a date. Didn't he know how lucky he was? Nevertheless, he approached Sakura with a wide grin on his face.
"Sakura, wanna go –" Naruto began, only to feel pain blossom from the crown of his head.
"No, you moron!" she replied, retracting her fist. "I will never go on a date with you, so stop bothering me!" Sakura turned around and walked away from him, leaving him all alone yet again.
Naruto's grin faded as he shook his head and ignored the pain. He looked up to the sky, crestfallen. Maybe he shouldn't bother her anymore, maybe then, she'd be nicer. No, what was he thinking. If he managed to show Sakura how much cooler and better he was than Sasuke, then she'd have to go on a date with him and be his friend.
He raised a fist to the air. Nothing could stop him now... His arm dropped to his side and sighed. There was no way he could show up Sasuke if Kakashi didn't teach him any new jutsu. Kakashi was way too focused on doing teamwork exercises, and the only way he'd move on was if he was satisfied with their teamwork. He didn't want to push him, as he knew Kakashi took the idea of teamwork very seriously, but it'd been a month since they became Team Seven and they'd only made a little bit of progress.
Guess I'll just have to train by myself, just like always. Naruto could ignore many of the bad things that happened to him, but he was tired of being alone. He was always alone, always had been. At least Sasuke and Sakura spoke to him, but the only reason why they did was because they had to, not because they wanted to.
Trying over and over again to earn their trust and respect, and being met with failure and scorn was really starting to get to him, but he couldn't give up. He began to walk into the forest, heading to a clearing he had used for training for over a month. If he couldn't gain their respect with his words, then maybe he'd try winning them over with his actions instead.
Unknown to Naruto, Kakashi had been watching his genin, and he left them behind. He'd grown used to his team's inability to work together, but the pang of disappointment he felt was just as fresh as it always was.
Naruto stood in front of the Memorial Stone and imagined, like he did many times before, what his parents might be like. He hoped they had been awesome shinobi who saved princes and princesses and were treated like heroes.
He imagined his father standing tall and handsome, holding a special kunai in each of his hands, ready to enter the battlefield. His mother stood beside him, her mouth spread into a grin much like his own, her signature katana out and ready to drink the blood from her enemies' wounds.
He smiled proudly, though it was a bittersweet smile as well since he still didn't know who his parents were.
Shaking himself out of his daydream, he ran off to his new training spot, which wasn't too far away from the Memorial Stone. He made sure nobody was nearby because the last time he trained, he'd been interrupted and had to go somewhere else. The clearing he frequently visited was secluded and would give him the privacy he needed. After making sure that he hadn't been followed, he put his hands in the cross-seal for his favourite technique: the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Once he formed the clone, it began to fight him. Naruto made sure to tap the clone with light hits. He'd learned pretty quickly that a single strong strikes would make his clone disappear, so he consciously lowered the force behind his attacks to prevent that from happening. The first clone continued fighting him for nearly half an hour before it became a cloud of smoke. When it did, he formed another clone, repeating the process.
Naruto continued to fight like this until he had beaten two more clones. Each clone lasted for a shorter amount of time than the last as Naruto became less conscious of the power he was putting into his attacks. Naruto collapsed once he was done, his chest heaving in and out. Fighting himself for more than hour was really tiring.
"Damn it!" he yelled. A few birds flew from the trees as they heard his scream but many just ruffled their feathers and looked down at him, as if they were trying to understand why he was making such a noise.
Naruto inhaled and exhaled deeply while his muscles relaxed. "This sucks! I can't train anything other than taijutsu and I don't feel like I'm improving at all!" The birds that remained in the trees squawked at him. "There has to be some way I can get stronger!"
Since he didn't have any other workouts he could do, Naruto stood up and began to walk to the waterfall to clean off the sweat and grime that had stuck on his body. The cool thing about the waterfall was that it was always warm. He had followed the river that led into the waterfall back to its source: the natural hot springs that gushed from the mountains around the Village Hidden in the Leaves. He preferred cleaning here instead of taking a freezing cold shower in his own apartment. The water heater never seemed to be working and Naruto never understood why.
The best part of it was that unlike the public training grounds, the waterfall was private. Naruto was sure that nobody knew about the waterfall's location except for him, since he'd never seen anyone use this waterfall before.
He had camped out there for two weeks during one summer vacation, an experience he thoroughly enjoyed. He did return to the village every few days for supplies but other than that, he basically lived in the forest. He didn't know it at the time, but his new training clearing was pretty close to the waterfall, a surprise he welcomed with gusto. Since he was still wary of someone following him to his secret abode, he used the skills he learned from his pranking days – move silently, but quickly – to make sure he wasn't followed, taking a different path to reach his secret waterfall.
He was at the edge of the forest next to the waterfall, but he froze in mid-step when he heard the sound of rustling leaves. A woman appeared on the banks of the small lake the waterfall emptied into. Naruto was able to regain his focus and slowly put his foot back down, quickly crouching behind a tree. Normally, he would let his instincts take control of him when faced with a new situation, but he was incredibly curious and ignored his mind screaming at him to run. Naruto continued to hide behind the tree, peering out from behind to watch what the woman was doing.
Despite the fact that her back was facing him, Naruto could tell that this woman exuded a confidence and grace that few other women possessed. Her black hair was both messy and properly maintained, almost as if she willed it to follow her demands.
He followed the hair down to the small of her back. Underneath it he could see white bandages with a pattern of what appeared to be rose thorns embroidered on it, but as he couldn't see any blood stains, he came to the conclusion that the woman was using those bandages as clothing.
Naruto's eyes continued to trail down the woman's body, finding that the bandages ended just under her posterior. Naruto was surprised to feel his body heat up after seeing how well the bandages covered the woman's shapely backside.
His eyes continued their downward journey to see some of the most toned legs he had ever laid witness to, muscles rippling as she adjusted her footing. He could see that she was someone who trained extensively to maintain those legs.
His eyes snapped up when he saw the woman look around. He wasn't able to see any part of her face, so he had no idea who the woman could be. He did notice that her right arm was covered in a red sleeve and both her hands and forearms were wrapped in tape. He really should have gone, but that same feeling returned. He had to know who this lady was.
Naruto saw the woman reach up and untie something where her forehead would be. His eyes widened when he saw that she had untied a forehead protector from her head and dropped it on a nearby rock.
Many gears were whirring in his head as he continued to examine the kunoichi, his fear and that nagging sense of compulsion rooting him to the spot. He knew immediately that she wasn't a rookie, but he couldn't help but shake the feeling this woman wasn't a chūnin, but a jōnin of the highest caliber. For some reason, when he thought of jōnin, he saw the kunoichi's dress, as if he had seen her before. His thoughts ground to a halt when he saw her unwind the bandages that were her dress.
He was completely entranced by the kunoichi as she slowly exposed her skin to the outside world, inch by tantalizing inch. His eyes darted around quickly as she laid the clothing on the rock before locking onto her rear, when he saw that she had bandages covering her private area along with her chest. She reached down and pulled her mesh shirt off along with the sleeve, which left her back completely bare (besides her bindings) and Naruto saw her muscles expand and contract as she did so. She left no area of her body unattended.
Naruto's heartbeat increased significantly as the kunoichi continued to move around. Naruto felt his cheeks heat up and his brain pulse, and he didn't know why. He looked down, tearing his eyes away from the woman for just a moment, only to see a bulge in his pants. He heard something similar happen to some of the people who lived in his area - they called it an erection, if he remembered correctly. He shook his head and turned his attention back to the woman, shoving the strange experience to the side.
When he did look back at the kunoichi and saw her slowly remove her chest bindings, he felt his heartbeat quicken even more. After removing her bindings, the kunoichi placed them where the rest of her clothing lay and reached down. Naruto, guessing what was going to happen, tried his hardest to move but he failed to do so, hypnotized by the sight of the kunoichi's creamy skin. He watched as, wrap after wrap, the kunoichi's bindings were removed.
When she had finished, Naruto was presented with a scene many men would die for: her naked ass was in full view as she bent over to pick up her forehead protector. His body was going into overdrive as his better than normal eyesight seemed to hone in on something he had only seen when looking at the results of his Sexy Jutsu. The sight was immediately engraved in his memory.
His nose felt like it was about to gush out a large stream of blood. When he saw the kunoichi's breasts from between her legs, he felt his eyes roll into the back of his head.
When Naruto came to, he was sprawled near the tree he was hiding behind. Naruto stood up, only to witness that same kunoichi from before, her hair damp and glistening in the sun. Unlike before, she was fully clothed. He didn't move, but he did feel his previous state of arousal return with a vengeance.
He looked down and frowned at his erect penis. What the hell is going on? He didn't even know why he had fallen unconscious or why his nose was bleeding; he only saw that sort of thing happen when the old Hokage read his adult books or when a pervert was hit with the Sexy Jutsu. His eyes widened as he took that in. I am not a pervert! He raised his fist into the air, showing his enthusiasm to the world.
Unfortunately for Naruto, the kunoichi heard him. "Come out of there right now," she said. Naruto's body moved on its own again as he leaped out of the bushes and stood in front of the kunoichi, not catching the fleeting look of shock present on her face.
Naruto stared at her before he shrank from the kunoichi's anger. Hands on her hips, the kunoichi struck an imposing figure as she glared at Naruto. Her ruby red eyes added to the effect, and the concentric black rings contained within their pupils made her glare even more menacing. But Naruto was used to people glaring at him and he wouldn't back down this time, even though he knew that no one would know about this if he did.
Both Naruto and the kunoichi continued their staring contest for nearly a minute, neither one of them giving an inch. "Why are you here?" she asked, finally breaking the silence.
When he took in the kunoichi's righteous anger, combined with the cold glare and his own guilt over the situation, he begged for mercy immediately. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to take a peek at you when you were undressing! But I just always clean here and I didn't want to walk back home and I'm really, really sorry!"
The kunoichi examined him and pondered his words. And to Naruto's surprise, her eyes softened and the ends of her luscious, lipstick-covered lips turned upwards into a small smile. Hopefully, she realized he wasn't a pervert trying to watch her undress, that was definitely an accident. He didn't regret what he saw, though, but he was willing to accept the consequences of his actions.
Her eyes suddenly widened. "Don't be afraid, alright?" Naruto looked at her, trembling in his sandals, but his sense of fear subsided somewhat after hearing the kunoichi's gentle words. He took in the floral scent of the forest, which must have from the woman behind him. It smelled like a mixture of roses and lavender, which was something he was almost sure wouldn't mix but somehow managed to meld together almost perfectly, making him shiver in delight.
He took in the scent some more before he heard the kunoichi's voice cleanly cut through his plans. "Would you mind coming closer? We need to talk."
Naruto felt a shiver crawl down his spine as he saw the kunoichi staring at him. He walked over to a softer part of the ground and sat down as quickly as he could. "Alright, but who are you? How did you find this place? I thought I was the only one who knew this waterfall was here."
Though he knew she didn't mean him any harm by now, he shuddered when he thought about what women did to perverts, Sakura being the prime example.
The woman moved closer to him, sitting on her knees so that they were facing each other. "I guess it isn't surprising that you don't remember me, but I think that you've seen me before."
Naruto's eyes squinted before he pointed a seemingly accusatory finger at her, finally remembering who the kunoichi was. "You're Kiba's sensei, aren't you?"
The kunoichi smiled slightly. "That I am. My name is Kurenai Yūhi. And you must be Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto nodded fervently. "To answer your question, I stumbled across it a few days ago and I took the opportunity to start showering here. It was a good thing I did find it, since I have problems with my own shower."
Naruto nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean. My shower is always cold! This place is perfect for taking a shower, isn't it?"
Kurenai chuckled slightly, shaking her hair. Somehow, there wasn't a single strand out of place. "That it is," she said. "That brings me to what you were trying to do," she added, all mirth erased from her voice. Naruto's gaze darkened. "While I understand that you didn't expect to find me here, the fact that you –"
"I'm sorry! Please –"
Kurenai raised her hand in a placating gesture. "I know you're sorry." She paused, seeming to gather her thoughts. "Do you admit you watched me undress –" Naruto was about to defend himself yet again, but Kurenai's next words stopped him in his tracks "– even if it was unintentional?" Naruto nodded this time. "Do you know that it is a crime to peek on people while they are taking baths?"
Naruto shook his head. "No it isn't! Maybe it's a crime against public decency, but it's not an actual crime. And besides, wouldn't it be your fault if you got caught naked in public?"
Kurenai sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Good point, though this type of harassment should be a crime. In any case, since you weren't trying to peek at me deliberately…" Naruto smiled sheepishly. "And you accepted responsibility for your actions, I will not tell anyone about this. The last thing I need is for word to spread around about what just happened."
"Thank you," Naruto said.
"It was nothing. In fact, it was my fault for not noticing you in the first place. The fact that you could hide yourself from me for so long was very impressive."
Naruto grabbed his pants and balled his fists around the fabric. He lowered his head in genuine surprise, and shame. "Why are you being so nice to me? You know who I am. Nearly everyone hates me and the ones who don't hate me don't care about me at all."
"I don't see what the villagers see. All I see is someone in need of a friend, and if you don't mind, I'd like to be that friend."
Naruto's grip on his pants tightened. He tilted his head upwards, facing Kurenai once again. Unlike all the others, Kurenai gave him a chance to explain himself, she didn't dismiss him and wasn't rude without good reason. She was the one who wanted to be friends with him.
"I'd like that, a lot."
She smiled. "Then it looks like we're friends."
Naruto raised his hands in the air. "Yes! Thank you, Kurenai-sensei!"
He blushed in embarrassment. Why did he have to be so lame? Kurenai couldn't help herself and laughed softly. Naruto was about to sulk, but when he saw Kurenai's smile, a smile of his own slowly began to break across his face. For only the second time in his life, someone was willing to accept him, and it made him so happy.
"Just one more thing," she said suddenly. Naruto cocked his head to the side in confusion. "If I take a shower here, please do not peek at me." Naruto nodded his head emphatically. "Good. Since it's getting so late, I have to get home. Maybe we can meet again sometime."
As she got up and turned to leave, Naruto stood up as well. "Kurenai-sensei... please let me walk you home!"
Kurenai turned back, eyebrow raised. "That's very kind of you, but you don't have to worry about me."
"It's no problem." All he wanted was to repay Kurenai for her kindness any way he could. "Besides, a gentleman should always walk a lady home, right? Especially since we just became friends."
She smiled lightly. "In that case, what are we waiting for? Let's go, Mr. Gentleman."
He got up and fell into step with her, leaving the clearing behind them.
Naruto approached the edge of the training grounds as darkness settled across the Hidden Leaf Village. He had been walking alongside Kurenai in comfortable silence and they were getting close to Kurenai's apartment.
"How did you find that waterfall in the first place?" Kurenai asked him, out of the blue.
Naruto grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. "I found it during summer break. I was camping nearby and found it. Did you know that it's connected to the village's hot springs?"
She chuckled. "I didn't know. That explains why it's always so warm."
"And I found a nice place to train nearby, so I've thought of the area as my personal hideout."
A curious look crossed her face. "I see."
Naruto mentioning his training brought his thoughts back to his utter lack of progress, and it made him wonder about Kurenai's 'credentials', so to speak. "You're a jōnin, right, Kurenai-sensei?"
"Yes, Naruto, I am," she replied in a relaxed tone.
Naruto smiled, more to himself. "Do you think..." he started, but trailed off. They'd just become friends and he was already trying to ask her for stuff.
Kurenai gave him an encouraging smile. "If you have something to say, don't be afraid to say it."
Naruto took a deep breath. "Do you think you could teach me a few things?"
Kurenai's stride faltered, but she managed to recover quickly. "Your sensei is Kakashi Hatake, right?" Naruto nodded. "He's a more experienced shinobi than I am, so he can teach you anything I could and more."
Naruto diverted his gaze. "You're right. Sorry for troubling you." A strained smile appeared on his face.
A tense silence fell over the two after that. It persisted for the rest of their journey.
Kurenai eventually stopped. "And here we are. Thank you for accompanying me, Naruto."
Naruto looked at the apartment complex and smiled widely at Kurenai. "You're welcome! I'll see you soon." He stopped for a second, looking for the right words. "And... thanks." He turned around and ran home. Kurenai stood there, looking back at him for a bit before she sighed and entered her apartment complex.
Naruto was elated, his joy giving him more energy. He wondered how he had managed to make friends with someone like Kurenai so easily but he brushed off the negativity those kinds of thoughts could bring, excited that he had another person he could call friend.
As he passed the village's main plaza, he slowed down. Even so, his smile could not be beat as he continued his trek back home. He looked around at the red-light district of the Hidden Leaf Village where his apartment was located. Apparently, he was supposed to get an apartment in the Market District, but he didn't believe that for a second.
Because he had forgotten to clean himself, he stripped down once he got home and jumped into his cold shower, ignoring the freezing water all the while. After he finished, he dried himself off with a towel and headed to his bed. As he lay in his bed, with his black frog-shaped cap and pajamas, he began to think back and smiled as he came across his first new friend since his school days.
During his time at the Academy, Iruka had been one of the few to help him and he saved his life from the traitorous Mizuki. He even acknowledged and accepted him. He had his team but they weren't really his friends, even if he was willing to be friends with the both of them.
Finally, he thought about the Hokage, who was like a grandfather to him. He had trusted him explicitly, but to no avail. The villagers still looked at him with fear and disdain. Some of them tried to bar him from shopping in their stores, and they just so happened to be the ones who were the victims of his pranks. Well, it sucked to be them, because they couldn't stop him from shopping wherever he damn well pleased.
Fortunately, the Hokage didn't tolerate any of the villagers openly beating or sabotaging him. Now that he knew why, it caused him to look at his village and the Hokage's actions in a new light.
The Hokage lied to him. He might have said it was for his protection, but knowing about the Nine-Tailed Fox beforehand would have helped him considerably. At least he would know why everyone hated him. This caused his trust in the Hokage to take a hit, since if he lied about something so big, what else might he be hiding from him? Maybe he knew who his parents really were, or if he was the last member of a clan.
Naruto was still willing to give the Hokage a chance, though, even if he didn't trust him as much as he did before. He felt he could trust Kurenai, even though he only met her that day. She was kind, gentle and considerate towards him, and she knew that he was a jinchūriki. He felt good when he was around her, a feeling he wanted to get used to.
With a smile on his face, he fell asleep, ready to take on the world and show him he was worthy of their respect.
Edit: Cleaned up the chapter.