Chapter 5 The Fox Clan.

Seeing the question papers provided to them, Naruto thought, 'I see. Some basic questions and then most of them about what to do in various situations. Basically testing our Will of Fire. I can easily get 100, but let's aim for 53.'

With this goal in mind, Naruto completed the test papers at the same pace as the others. Then came the various exercise drills and kunai throwing, in which he scored average marks. Finally, it was time for the last round: sparring against a chunin.

After a few people completed their assessments, Naruto's turn came.

"Uzumaki Naruto. Come this way, you will be battling Chunin Umino Iruka. Also, if you last enough time, you will pass," said an unknown chunin to Naruto. Naruto simply nodded and entered the ring where Iruka was waiting, looking at Naruto with some disdain.

Sensing Iruka's emotions, Naruto thought, 'I see. He seems to harbor some hatred for me, I guess.' As he entered the ring, both of them made the seal of reconciliation, then proceeded with the spar, rushing at each other.

Firstly, Naruto sent a simple punch with Genin-level strength, which Iruka blocked perfectly but was astonished by. It seemed that Naruto's strength was equivalent to that of the Uchiha heir, Sasuke Uchiha, and slightly below that of the Hyuga prodigy. So far, he had the third strongest brute strength.

'Let's see how he counters this,' Iruka thought as he sent a simple roundhouse kick. Naruto blocked it with high difficulty, at least in Iruka's eyes. The kick sent him flying almost out of the ring. Seeing this, Hinata's face was in shock.

'How is this absurd thing realistically possible? Naruto-kun showed enough strength, nowhere near his full strength, yet his other performances were so poor. No! I mustn't think like this. That is just Naruto-kun. He is hiding his skills. Yeah, that's it,' thought Hinata, visibly annoyed and perplexed. She muttered, "Oh! The match seems to be over, with Naruto-kun's loss? No, that's just a facade, yeah, that deception thing," as she walked away, realizing the show held no further importance for her.

Later that night at Naruto's house...

Naruto had just finished preparing food, celebrating their enrollment in the academy with Hinata. Surprisingly, Naruto ranked last in their class, while Hinata came first and Sasuke second. Of course, Naruto's initial result was a facade.

Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door.

When Naruto opened the door, he saw the person he expected the most: the Third Hokage.

"Welcome to my house, Jiji," said Naruto, leading Hiruzen to the dining room. Hiruzen noticed Hinata there as well and thought, 'I knew Hinata was close with Naruto, but not to this extent. They remind me of them.'

"Oh! It's nice to meet you, Lord Hokage. I am Hinata Hyuga, the Hyuga heiress. We have cooked enough for all of us. If you don't mind, would you like to have some food?" Hinata greeted Hiruzen elegantly and asked if he would join them.

"It's certainly nice to meet you, Hinata. And yes, I would like to have some food today. Also, congratulations on taking first place in the academy's entrance exams. Keep working hard," said Hiruzen, now turning his attention to Naruto, the main reason for his visit.

"Naruto?" asked Hiruzen, watching as Naruto set the plates and served the food.

"Yes, Jiji?"

"Are you feeling sick? Because your performance was..." Hiruzen trailed off, suspecting he knew the real situation.

"I'm perfectly fine, Jiji. It's just that I don't like expending more effort than necessary. Also, I'm hiding my true abilities. Imagine, the person you hate so much suddenly outperforms you by a huge margin. What would happen?" Naruto replied, prompting Hiruzen to think deeply about Naruto's situation.

"Don't worry. When I graduate, I plan to be the top student," reassured Naruto, gesturing for Hiruzen to eat.

"Really? Naruto-kun. That's great. Considering your skills, I don't doubt it at all. You'll show those smug and arrogant people who the real boss is," Hinata added, starting to eat.

"So, is that why you choose to hide your skills? Also, Hinata, do you know his true strength?" asked Hiruzen, turning to Hinata. She glanced at Naruto, who gave her permission through eye contact that even Hiruzen didn't notice.

"Yes, Lord Hokage. Naruto-kun is very strong. Even now, I can't push him out of a one-meter radius from his center, even when he's only using one hand," Hinata said with pride, ensuring not to diminish Naruto's true strength.

"I see," replied Hiruzen, deep in thought. 'It seems that Naruto doesn't trust us at all. But considering what happened... Sigh! It's all due to my incompetence,' he thought.

They finished dinner with conversation on trivial matters, and as Hiruzen was about to leave, Naruto spoke up.

"Hey Jiji, I actually have a favor to ask," Naruto said, showing an enthusiastic expression. Hiruzen was surprised, as Naruto was known for being completely emotionless.

"Of course, Naruto. What do you need?" Hiruzen asked, intrigued by Naruto's sudden enthusiasm.

"I just got a summoning contract. I want to master it," Naruto said to Hiruzen with a curious and enthusiastic expression.

"I see. A summoning contract. You just have to... Wait! Did you just say a summoning contract? Also, why did you tell me this?" Hiruzen responded, surprised. If Naruto distrusted the village, he wouldn't reveal such a secret. That meant...

"Why? C'mon, you are the Hokage of the village. Why should I hide it from you? Also, I got this a few years ago. So don't say I won't teach you this," Naruto explained, revealing the summoning contract he had.

"Haha! I see. Is that so?" Hiruzen chuckled as he led Naruto and Hinata to a free training ground. He thought, 'It seems he doesn't completely distrust the village.'

"So, for beginners, let me explain the summoning contract," Hiruzen said, noticing that both children were listening with very curious expressions. He felt a sense of pride.

After the explanation, Hiruzen continued, "So yeah, that's all you need to know about the summoning jutsu and the contract. Since you've already written your name on the scroll, it's safe to assume you can summon the foxes. For starters, summon a fox. Then I shall guide you further."

"I see. That was really helpful. Thanks a lot, Jiji," Naruto said. Hiruzen nodded and gestured for Hinata to step back, which she did.

Naruto bit his finger to draw blood and then formed the necessary hand seals: dog, bird, monkey, and ram. He slammed his hand on the ground and channeled chakra.

Poof!

"Huh!? What!? Just what is this place? No way! Someone actually summoned me? Buhahaha! I, the great Kitsuhiko, have finally been summoned... Hmm? Hey, human child, did you summon me?" said the giant fox, approximately twenty meters tall, introducing himself as Kitsuhiko.

"Yeah, that would be me. But how did you figure it out?" Naruto asked, looking at the fox with mixed emotions, the same he felt when he talked with Manabu Horikita and earned Ayanokouji's respect.

"That's because among the fox clan, I am an extremely talented sensor for my age. Just like you two. Both of you seem talented for your age. And you too, old human. I can feel even greater strength from you," replied Kitsuhiko, gracefully moving his tails to showcase his strength.

"I see. You seem to be extremely talented. My name is Uzumaki Naruto. It's nice to meet you, Kitsuhiko. So, am I accepted as the summoner for the fox clan?" Naruto asked with a serious expression. Succeeding in this would make him a force to be reckoned with.

"Yeah! But you still have to go through a trial, which I don't think you'll fail. Then you may officially be our summoner," Kitsuhiko replied, mentioning the trial to Naruto.

"Lord Kitsuhiko, I am Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage of this village. Regarding this trial, can I accompany him? This young boy is a very important figure for our village," said Hiruzen.

"Yeah, sure. It's the elder's duty to ensure the safety of the young ones. Very well, you shall accompany us to the holy land of our fox clan. By the way, by 'important figure,' do you mean that Naruto is a Jinchuriki? If so, there might be slight problems, you see," Kitsuhiko responded with a frown, nodding twice.

"No way..." muttered Hinata in disbelief, realizing that Naruto was about to acquire great strength. Naruto then understood the problem.

"Actually, I am the Jinchuriki of the Nine Tails, Kitsuhiko," Naruto said, believing that this revelation would resolve any issues.

"Oh! Then you would have no problems at all. In fact, you don't even need to take a trial. You are now officially our summoner. Although if both of you want to be summoners, you'd still need to go through the trial," Kitsuhiko indicated, signaling that Naruto had now acquired the strength of a Kage with the help of his summoning contract.

"Oh! That's certainly very fortunate. Though I would have to decline. I am already affiliated with the monkey clan, you see. Also, do you perhaps respect the Nine Tails?" Hiruzen asked Kitsuhiko, hoping to gain insight on Naruto becoming a perfect Jinchuriki, similar to how Kumo had one. If Konoha had one too, it would be a significant advantage.

"Yeah. Although Kurama-sama is not that nice-natured, he is very strong and kind enough to protect us, the fox clan, from many unfortunate situations despite having nothing to gain from it. I didn't expect Kurama-sama to end up here, but it seems he is in good hands," Kitsuhiko explained, describing the Nine Tails to the three of them.

"I see. Kitsuhiko, in the future, perhaps it is possible for Hinata to sign a contract with the foxes. She is a very close friend of mine from the famous Hyuga clan, and you already know her talent as you are a sensor, right?" Naruto requested, with Hinata's respect and love for Naruto growing even further.

"Yeah, sure. No problem, Naruto. With her current strength, she might face some challenges in the trial. Also, for some time, Naruto, I would like you to meet our village chief and our elder. Both of you can accompany him. Though now that it's night, how about tomorrow morning?" Kitsuhiko suggested, inviting them to meet the fox clan.

"Yeah, sure. Kitsuhiko, let's meet your clan first thing tomorrow morning," said Naruto as he bowed toward Kitsuhiko. Kitsuhiko nodded and replied, "Well, until next time." Then he vanished from the spot using reverse summoning.

"Naruto-kun, thank you so much. Really, with this, I will finally have a summoning contract," said Hinata, hugging Naruto from behind. They began chatting about various things.

Seeing them, Hiruzen couldn't help but think, 'They! They seem to be just like how Minato and Kushina were back then in their younger days. With this, I can finally rest assured about Naruto's future.'

Cough! Cough! "Alright, kids, it's getting late. Let's all go to sleep. Naruto, can I entrust you to escort Hinata to her home?" said Hiruzen, garnering their attention.

"But, Lord Third, I actually already have permission from my father to stay over," replied Hinata. Hiruzen was surprised.

'I can understand spending time together, but a sleepover? Ah, youth is definitely wonderful,' Hiruzen thought. 'Also, it seems that through the Hyuga clan, I can finally connect Naruto more closely to our village.'