Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Way of the Jinchuuriki ❯ Arc 2, Chapter 6 - My Nindo, My Life ( Chapter 6 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Zagger the Bloody Angel 
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action / Angst / Suspense / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 06.19.2011 | Updated On: 06.19.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.5K | Visits: 279 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action / Angst / Suspense / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 06.19.2011 | Updated On: 06.19.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.5K | Visits: 279 | Status: Completed
I Do Not Own Naruto
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Something didn't feel right. Naruto knew something was wrong and that's why he was up this early in the morning. It was only four in the morning, but the feeling that had come over him alerted him to something. But what was the problem he was not able to solve. Not wasting a second, he quickly put on his combat clothes and gear before strapping his katana to his back and pocketing the scroll he was given. He walked out into the living room before the front door and made sure it was look before disappearing in a plum of smoke.
The loud pop it made had caught the attention of his taijutsu sensei, Maito Gai. The taijutsu expert frowned as he knew Naruto normally didn't wake this early unless something was wrong. The only times he did was when he told the young boy and Yugito to join him in a morning work out. Knowing something was going on, he noticed Yugao slip out of her apartment with her gear on before noticing Gai. "Morning Gai. I'm off to work."
"Yes, I see that, but something is wrong. Naruto just shunshined out of his apartment." Gai spoke in a serious tone for once. He normally wasn't a serious person unless the situation called for it and this one indeed called for it. "May I ask you to inform my rival of this as something is up as I could feel the worry coming off him and as we all now… the boy has hard time showing any emotion. I'm going to wake Anko and inform her of this."
Yugao's eyes narrowed as she heard what Gai said before nodding. She was indeed worried as the boy showed very little emotion on a good day. Disappearing in a plum of smoke, she went to inform her ex-Anbu captain as Gai knocked on Anko's door. Waiting for a moment, the door opened and he easily avoided the fist that was aimed for his face as Anko stood their glaring at him, only wearing her mesh shirt and skirt. "What do you want Maito?! It is four in the morning and I'm not joining you in an extremely early morning workout!"
"Naruto just left." This caught Anko's attention immediately and she sobered up as her eyes narrowed dangerously as she looked up at the bowl cut jounin. "While I'm unsure why, I could feel that he was worried about something."
Anko disappeared in her room for a moment before she came out with her trench coat on and had all her equipment ready to go. She knew something was wrong if Naruto was showing or giving off any emotion other then boredom. She also knew that Yugito should have returned the night before last as it had been nearly a week since she left on her B-rank mission and she believed that Naruto had picked up on it and was getting worried himself. "Alright, let's go look for him and figure out what the hell is going on with the gaki."
Gai nodded before allowing Anko to lead the way as she would have the best idea of where he would be. She was a mother hen when it came to the boy even if she did have a tendency to torture him for doing something stupid. He just hoped this wasn't one of those situations.
---------------------------------------------------- She wasn't sure if she could make it. This was far too much for her right now. Her team had been wiped out with far too much ease for this to be just a B-rank mission. Whatever it was, those two could not be human. Everything she did seemed to have no effect on them and she had even slit one of their throats only for her own teammate to have his throat slit at the same exact time by an invisible force.
Her body trembled at the memories of what happened, but she couldn't stop here. They were still after her and in her shape, she had to get home and soon otherwise they would catch her. She wasn't sure what they wanted or why they had murdered her team, but she was able to come up with one thing. Whatever they wanted, it had to deal with her and she did not like that.
Grunting as she ran, she ignored all the pain in her body and her broken fibula in her left leg. She had plenty of other broken bones and wounds that she couldn't worry about it otherwise she was going to die. Even with the power she had, she knew she would die if she could not get home. She just prayed she had enough in the tank that she could.
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Fo r one of the few times in his life, Naruto was completely relying on Kyuubi as she had awoken and knew what was causing the problem. She didn't like to wake up early herself, but with her vessel overwhelmed by the emotion that was conflicting with his entire being she had to step in. "Kit, the feeling you are getting is anxiety. I would normally say don't worry about it… But something is wrong right now. I can sense whatever it is near the main gate. Let's head and stay there until we see what it is that is causing this."
'Please, don't let it be what I think it is. He's becoming better each and every day and with the loss… of No. I can't think negatively right now. He needs me right now.' Kyuubi thought to herself as she calmed down and began to search for the source of Naruto's worry.
Obeying the kitsune, Naruto bounced tree from tree till the main gate was in sight. Something told him to stay out of sight for now as it would be weird for him to wait at the main gate for something he wasn't even sure would come. So he kept himself hidden in the trees as he waited, not sure what he was going to see. Using the training her received from all of his teachers, he calmly flowed chakra to his ears, eyes and nose to detect what was coming. He already had an enhanced sense of smell and hearing, but this would only help so he could be ready for what was about to happen.
He waited ten minutes and nothing happened. Another ten followed that and as it was about to become thirty, he heard something behind him. Not even looking back as he knew the scents very well, he kept focus on the gate. "What do you want, senseis?"
All four frowned along with Jiraiya as he had been in the room when Kakashi informed the Sandaime something was up with Naruto. Something was bothering the boy as he was focused on something outside the gate as if he was waiting for something to happen. Anko being the closest to him out of the five jumped onto his branch before sitting besides him. "What's up gaki? You seem like you're expecting something."
Naruto stayed silent as he continued to focus his senses in front of him, not wanting to be distracted by anything as of now. He could tell his adoptive mother was getting slightly irritated as he hadn't answered, however something was wrong and he wanted to know what so he gave them the shortest and simplest answer, hoping they would leave. "I don't know. Something is going to happen…"
Anko frowned as she heard this had to wonder what was causing it. Nothing should be bothering him this badly that he would worry everyone else. She absently thought it was Yugito as he was a little worried when she took her first out of town mission, but that had been long since forgotten as he had gotten used to everyone leaving on their missions now. But the look in his eyes made her wonder if something really was about to happen as it was as if he knew something that the others did not. "Gaki, it’s just your nerves playing tricks on your mind…"
"I smell blood…" Naruto interrupted her as he sniffed the air a little more before growling loudly as he recognized one of the bloodied scents before he rushed past the gate guards leaving the five behind in the trees. They didn't waste as second as they followed him, hot on his heels, wondering whose blood he had smelt. That had become painfully obvious as a blonde haired jounin covered head to toe in blood burst from the foliage just as Naruto appeared in that spot.
Yugito's eyes widened as she was not expecting to be welcomed outside the gates and by her senseis at that. But she was still in a panic from the two that were chasing her. "GET OUT OF HERE! THEY AREN'T HUMAN!" With that one yell she tried to push Naruto away, but the last of her strength had left her body as she fell into Naruto's arms and began to pant heavily. "Naruto… Get out of here… they want… us."
It was at this everyone began to see that the blood wasn't just hers. While a large quantity was, a decent portion of it was not hers and seemed to be blood splatter from high velocity blows. Anko was besides them as Naruto had laid her down, knowing that she needed to be properly stabilized as her wounds were grievous and needed attention quickly. She noticed the boy hadn't wasted a second to create a clone and had it shunshin to get a medical squad to her on the double. She was glad that he was so level headed when his roommate and his fellow vessel was in such horrible condition.
Before she could comment on it or check her wounds, two had burst from the canopy aimed straight for the barely conscious girl.
They never reached their target as the white haired sannin and a silver haired Anbu captain were in front of them and knocked both back with a vicious back hands.
Jiraiya's hand felt slightly numb from the blow to the masked shinobi as his skin felt like steel, but he knew the other had taken for more punishment from his attack then a simple bruise. Not taking his eye off his opponents, his eyes narrowed as he saw the black cloaks with red clouds before frowning. "Akatsuki… I didn't think you would make a move on one of our vessels so soon."
"Jiraiya of the Sannin… I did not expect you to be here." The silver haired man answered back, showing no fear of his opponents even if he knew the odds were against them now. Even without the sannin, they would be low against four very respectable Konoha shinobi but with him added in the only chance they had was to grab the girl and run and that one was almost taken out of the question as Jiraiya spoke once more.
"Naruto, take Yugito and get her to the hospital now! We'll handle this as you've done your part!"
The blonde didn't argue as he could feel the power coming off the two that Yugito had been fleeing from. Not only this, he could feel raw and unprecedented power oozing from the sannin that even made him feel slightly frightened of the man. There was no doubt this man had the power to be considered one of the greatest shinobi alive. Lifting his roommate up, he focused his chakra around them before they both disappeared in a swirl of leaves.
Neither Akatsuki member made a move towards the village to try and capture the two tail vessel knowing it was virtual suicide to take their eyes off the five in front of them. Right now, they needed a distraction just to get out in one piece as the leader himself had given Jiraiya a flee on sight order for everyone except himself. Catching the eye of his masked partner, the silver haired one nodded towards him before turning his focus onto Jiraiya. "It seems that we'll have to try and catch her another day. For now, you may keep her and the nine tails. But know this, we will be back heathens."
A stream of fire forced all five Konoha shinobi to spread to avoid being hit. This gave them enough time to teleport themselves a little ways down the road before they rushed out of the area.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes at this, seeing them in the far distance with his now revealed Sharingan and was about to summon when Jiraiya put his hand on his shoulder and shook his head. "Don't try and follow them. If we do, we'll only be in more danger as more may show up. For now, let's make sure she's okay."
The copy cat didn't feel good about letting the two get away for what they had done, but he was not going to disobey a command from the second-in-charge of Konoha. All five disappeared in swirls of leaves, heading to different destinations.
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Sarutobi was having a bad feeling about today. He had been woken up by Jiraiya, informing him of Naruto's progress on the jutsu he asked him to teach the boy. He was surprised the boy had made so much progress with it in only a few days and was even able to use it somewhat. This was shocking him, however Jiraiya explained that it was nowhere near as fast as it should have been and it was directly to the spot. There were also some repercussions for using the jutsu as it put the young boy's body under great strain and he could only use it a few times before loosing conscious. They still had a long way to go, but he was making great progress.
Back to his gut feeling, he had Kakashi and Yugao barge in on them telling them that something was up with Naruto and they weren't sure what. He of course sent Jiraiya along with them to make sure it was nothing related to the jutsu and the strain it was putting on his body and mind. While he wanted to regain Konoha's honor and glory and the boy was the key, he did not want to risk hurting the young boy in the process as he was Konoha's future. Whether it was be the village’s greatest hero or its destroyer, he was unsure. The boy had the right to do what he wanted with this village but he would stand in his path if he chose destruction.
Hearing a pop, his focus turned to the middle of the room to see Jiraiya with a frown on his face. Sarutobi curse knowing this was not going to be good as Jiraiya was almost always in a good mood, even with the depression the village was sliding into. Looking up at his student, he closed his eyes before his hands quickly pulled out his pipe. He was pretty sure he was going to need it. "Report what was going on with Naruto?"
"It seems Naruto woke up because he felt a distress call of chakra from Yugito… The mission was a sham and the Akatsuki set it up to try and get her. The three chunin that went with her are no doubt dead as she was hysteric when Naruto rushed out to meet her. …I won't lie, she is not in good condition; however, seeing that she is a vessel she will be able to recover as long as she is donated some blood. Both Kakashi and I met them before they retreated as Naruto took her to the hospital. I now know without a doubt that the masked man is Kakuzu, though I will have to do research on the other as I've never heard or seen him before." Jiraiya answered dutifully as he looked over at his former jounin sensei.
Sarutobi frowned at this before sighing as he rubbed his head. Pulling out a lighter, he lit his pipe before leaning back in his chair at yet another problem to deal with. "I see… It is lucky that Naruto was able to sense her from such a distance which is showing that they have indeed been bonding over these last three years. But what troubles me is that they knew I was going to send her on this mission. …There is a spy that knows exactly what I'm doing and I beginning to believe I know who. But until I have evidence, it will be hard to slow down his operations."
"I see, so you do believe it is Danzo that is seeking to over throw you?" Jiraiya answered as he looked over at his sensei with his arms folded over his chest before leaning against the wall.
Nodding as he took a puff on his pipe and exhaled, Sarutobi looked over at his student before looking outside the window. "It wouldn't surprise me any. I know he still wants the job even though he would start a whole new war with the entire world. He on multiple occasions tried to get Minato kicked out of office and failed each time. The man still has his Roots active after all this time and I can't find where the headquarters is to shut it down. I would have one of his agents tracked down, but they seem to vanish before I can get someone to follow them. It is as if I'm chasing ghosts…"
Jiraiya could only nod as his sensei did make a point. The man was a bother to the village and even he couldn't track down where the Root headquarters were as Danzo managed to hide it where no one else but who he wanted to know could find it. Picking himself off the wall, he turned to his senseis. "I'm going to check and see if the girl is okay before taking Naruto out to continue his training."
Seeing his sensei give him a slight nod as he took another swig of his pipe, Jiraiya sighed as he walked to the door before stopping. "…Sensei… Naruto is beginning to develop his mother's bloodline. That was how he was able to sensei Yugito from so far away as Kushina could do the same and tell who exactly it was from great distances and his sister was beginning to show the same ability… …I know the real reason why you haven't told him his family. It isn't because of who his father is… It's because that his mother abandoned him, isn't it?"
For one of the few times in his life, Sarutobi felt fear as he could feel the hatred coming off of Jiraiya in waves. He was just glad it wasn't focused at him otherwise he was pretty sure he would have to retire because of a heart attack. Before he could answer, Jiraiya turned back to him with his eyes burning. "Sensei, why did you never tell me she abandoned him?"
"How do you know?" Sarutobi spoke in shock as his pipe hit the desk as he looked at his student with wide eyes.
Looking at his sensei with a little less respect then he had for the last dozen years, Jiraiya closed his eyes before answering. "For the last eight years I thought she was dead until I found Karin in the Wave country… Marked by the cursed seal and with her mother nowhere in sight. I still tried to bring her back home, but Orochimaru kept that from happening. That run in with him informed me that she was going to try and join the Akatsuki… And if I'm correct, when they fail to obtain Itachi, she will be the one coming after Naruto."
Sarutobi frowned as he didn't even bother to pick up his fallen pipe. Crossing his fingers and resting his chin oh his knuckles, he glanced over at the monument before looking back at Jiraiya and closing his eyes. "… I didn't inform you as I banished her from Konoha when she attempted to kill Naruto herself. I tried everything in my power to keep Karin here with her little brother, but she vanished the day after Kushina left. If I had known that she had joined Orochimaru and is trying to join that group… I would have imprisoned her here for life… But now I know what I must do. Inform Ibiki that a new addition to the Bingo Book will be added. Uzumaki Kushina, S-rank… And a ten million ryo bounty on her head to be paid from my own pockets."
"Sensei…" Jiraiya muttered before holding himself back, knowing now that the old man had no choice. He was becoming the Professor once more and things were going to change either under his rule or the Gondaime's when whoever took the job came into power. A dark feeling crossed his face as he looked over at his sensei before frowning. "…I know you're having me to train Naruto so you can have a successor… But you want him to be a weapon right now, don't you?"
The elderly Hokage said nothing as he picked up his pipe and took another puff on it as he looked away from his student. A few minutes had passed and he had not given the sannin an answer and he wasn't planning to. The issue was off limits in his mind to everyone outside both the boy and himself. He noticed his student frown before he walked out of the room and closed the door, more then likely to head to Ibiki and inform him of Kushina's placement in the Bingo Book. Sighing as he left, he took one last drag of his pipe before closing his eyes.
"I'm sorry Jiraiya, but you wouldn't understand…"
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Anko was extremely worried about two things. The first one was that Yugito was finally out of the operating room and was fine but her chakra reserves weren't filling up as fast they normally would. There was only explanation that she had was that even Nibi had drained all her chakra in the battle with the two Akatsuki members and that was quite frightening on its own. It was because of this that she was going to be in the hospital in a few days.
Her other reason before being worried was sitting across from her. Naruto had only budged when Yugito had been taken out of the operation room and taken to a room to rest. It was quite irritating to her that almost no emotion was on his face even if she knew he was far more worried then she was about the other blonde. And did he even blink? She swore she had barely even seen him blink since he entered the room and his attention was solely focused on the down blonde as if he was watching over her, believing something might come and take her away.
She was glad that he seemed to care for her, but at the same time it irked her that he didn't show it. The blonde was truly an enigma even after a few years with living next door to him and being his legal guardian. Sighing as there was nothing she could do right now, she leaned back in her chair before she heard a knock at the door. Mentally groaning as she wasn't ready to deal with anyone, she twitched seeing that Naruto didn't even react to the knock. Rolling her eyes at him, she somehow managed to open the door by throwing a kunai as she didn't want to get up at the moment.
The snake mistress wasn't too surprise to see both Naruto's teammates, who he still hadn't introduced to her, which irked her even further with the emotionless boy. However there was a little surprise in seeing Itachi and Tsume there as well. She quickly shook her head of that thought having figured that both had heard and wanted to see how both blondes were doing after their first run in with the Akatsuki. Plus she knew Tsume cared for Naruto as one of her children even if the boy was still weary around her.
And it also didn't hurt that she was dating the Uchiha though neither really had the time for dates. While she hadn't informed Naruto or Yugito of this, she had been seeing the raven for a month before Naruto became a gennin. Hell, she was planning on telling Yugito but Naruto was a different story as the blonde would become hostile to the Uchiha if he knew the said person was banging one of his mothers. Being the prankster that she was, she couldn't help but smirk at the elder Uchiha as that thought went through her mind. "Ah, Itai-kun, how sweet. You came here to check on little ole me."
Itachi only shook his head at her comment before leaning on the wall besides her. He understood her game and he could play too. However his version of play was pissing her off and he found that the little faces she made when she was angry at him were amusing. "Meh, it crossed my mind before I remember Naruto is my sister's teammate."
As Anko fumed at Itachi's answer and Tsume shook her head at the odd, yet suitable couple, both Hana and Miko walked over to Naruto, who had yet to notice them. This slightly irked both girls as they were both used to being noticed by others, especially boys as they knew they were rather attractive. They attempted to use that to their advantage on Naruto to open him up as he was around the age boys began to notice girls but unfortunately for them Naruto seemed as reclusive as ever. They both were getting slightly angry at him before noticing his attention was solely focused on the recovering blonde.
Hana looked away as she felt ashamed that she was getting angry at the boy as his room mate was severely injured while Miko winced as she could tell the injuries were quite serious. Having seen worse injuries, Hana was the first to walk over to him and check out how he was doing. "How you holding up?"
She knew that someone close to another person getting hurt or worse affected the person well. She shivered lightly as the memories of the Chunin Exam she entered resurfaced. Combing her hand through her hair as she washed that thought away, Naruto's eyes finally turned from Yugito's and towards his two teammates. "Fine."
Normally both girls and Anko would have twitched at his one answer response but the former two were beginning to realize that was how he was while it just irritated the purple haired jounin. Watching Hana shake her head, Miko smiled softly as she took a moment to scan over the clipboard with her Sharingan so she could see what all was wrong without anyone noticing before turning to her blonde teammate. "Well that's good to hear. We came by to check how you were doing with what happened…"
"And to come by to say that I canceled the team's training today seeing that this happened." Hana finished for Miko with a smile as the said girl was glaring at her dangerously for interrupting her. However they both frowned as Naruto simply nodded his head and grunted as his sight turned back to Yugito.
Hana growled at the blonde haired boy as she was getting sick of him putting them off constantly. Her body tensed and she was ready to pounce when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning back, she saw it was her mother shaking her head with a slight frown on her face as well before looking over at the blonde haired boy then Anko. "Mitrashi-san, take care of them and I hope she'll recover quickly."
Anko merely nodded as she had a feeling of what Tsume was going to talk about with Hana and let them go. Besides, she had Itachi to play with as he wasn't going to be leaving for a while to the annoyance of his younger sister as she was getting ready to leave as well seeing that Naruto did not talk to her unless it was necessary or he was forced to.
Taking her daughter outside, Tsume made sure the hallways were clear and the door clicked shut before turning to Hana. She knew that she wasn't going to do anything that the boy couldn't handle, but that was beside the point. "Hana, my daughter, do you realize why I stopped from striking out at MY god son?" The younger Inuzuka's eyes widened at this but Tsume quickly continued. "Yes Hana, I was named his god mother months before he was born, but that is not why I stopped you as I know both his adoptive mother and Yugito will do exactly what you were about to do to him."
This increased Hana's curiosity as she slowly accepted that it could have been possible for the young blonde to have lived with them the last eight years of his life. She mentally stored that away to ask later why he hadn't lived with them and shook her head at her mother. "No…"
Tsume only nodded as she figured as much and noticed Jiraiya walking down the hallway and waved at him as he gave her the same gesture before entering the room. Closing her eyes, she waited till the door clicked before opening them and giving her daughter the reason why. "He's earned the right to ignore anyone he wishes because the horrors of his life out match nearly every single person in this village. …And even the ones that have had worse… Pity him as he hasn't even turned ten and he knows the true horrors of this world."
Inside the room, all eyes turned to Jiraiya including Naruto's, who for once didn't even hesitate to turn to the person that walked in, much to the ire of the other three conscious people in the room. Walking over to the bed and picking up the clipboard, the white haired man narrowed his eyes at the injuries she suffered and could tell she was in far worse condition then he thought she was. Turning to his student, Jiraiya quickly reverted back to his normal self as a large smile crossed his lips. "Well gaki, shall we continue or do you want the day off?"
Anko's eyes widened as Naruto didn't hesitate as he stood up and walked to the door, giving her a simple wave to signify he would see her later. This was the same boy that hadn't even begun to trust his teammates in the weeks he had known them but within six days he fully trusted the world's greatest pervert. As Naruto walked out of the room, she glared daggers at Jiraiya before speaking in an icy tone. "What did you do to earn his trust so quickly while everyone else fails?!"
Jiraiya merely waved his hand as he walked to the door before stopping at the door frame and watching Naruto walk down the hall. Without turning his head back, he answered Anko in a nonchalant voice. "It's not that he trust me completely as that will take some time. Don't get me wrong, I do believe he trusting me faster then anyone anticipated, but that is not what this is about… This was a wake-up call and he knows I can make him stronger faster then anyone else can."
The purple haired jounin flinched ever so slightly that it was barely noticed as the sannin left the room. Her eyes fell onto Yugito and worry began to fill her quickly before she felt a calm hand placed on her shoulder. Already knowing who it was, she didn't have to look up as it could only be Itachi as Miko just left the room, probably in an attempt to follow Naruto and Jiraiya. "I know… I shouldn't worry… But with both I have to."
Itachi just nodded as he finally looked at the bedded blonde before looking out the window and into the distance. "As you should. But your worry will not have to last long. They will become far stronger then anyone can image."
Anko raised her eyebrow at her boyfriend and looked up and saw the far away look in his eyes with fire blazing within them. Just as she thought that was all he had to say and had looked away, his voice echoed throughout the room as if wanting to be heard by the entire world. "And I will be just as strong and show my strength is my own, not my family's."
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By the time Jiraiya gave Miko the slip, he had found Naruto in the clearing he had taken him to before meditating. He however knew the boy wasn't just meditating. He was concentrating on something and that something was ten meters away from him, stuck in the ground. He frowned at this, but said nothing as the boy was deeply focused and wanted more then anything to learn the jutsu his father had left for him.
The fastest and most fear technique ever to be uttered in the shinobi nations; The Flying Thunder God.
He had his doubts about teaching the boy this technique so early and was justified as the stress it placed on his body was too great. But at the same time his body was already use to unbelievable stress. Personally, he wanted to teach him summoning and the Rasengan first but this was first priority now.
Truthfully, he was thinking of putting it on hold and going on with his regular plans but the wake-up call shot that down idea as the threat was imminent. He would hold out his promise to his student, not his orders from his sensei. The boy would receive the training the fourth had laid out for him and become even greater.
Still, the boy was putting too much focus on the Hiraishin and he wanted to talk to him a little before they got back to it. Pulling the scroll of his back and unfolding it as he sat down besides the boy, he looked at his young student and shook his head as he still had not moved. "Naruto, I've got something else for you to do before we continue working on the flash."
Naruto's eyes slowly opened as he looked at the white haired man before nodding and seeing the scroll laid out in front of him. Frowning as he only read two names on it; he went to the top and read the entire passage before realizing what this was. "A summoning contract… With the toads."
Jiraiya simply nodded as he placed an empty bottle next to Naruto with a feather pen. "Yes, it is the same contract that both the Yondaime and I have signed. Before I tell you how to sign the contact, I want to know… Why do you train as hard as you do? What drives you to become better? Is it to have others recognize you for strength? Do you wish for revenge for what the villagers have done to you? …Once I have an adequate answer, you will be allowed to sign this contract."
The blonde frowned once more as he would be forced to talk far more then he wanted. Not only this, he did not trust the man that much to let him know what he truly wanted in his life. The only ones that did know were Anko and Yugito… The latter’s name brought his eyes to the ground as his hair covered his eyes. Clinching his fist tightly, blood began to flow from his palms and stain the ground while some of it landed into the empty vial.
Looking at the blonde, Jiraiya awaited his answer as he knew it would not take him long. While Naruto was not a talkative person, today had shaped him far differently then any other event of his life had. He could see it in his eyes, but he was not sure it was what he was thinking it was. Seeing the blonde haired boy look up and into his eyes, he could see the desire and will to grow stronger burning far brighter then anyone else’s' he had ever seen.
"I become stronger as it is needed of me to do so. I may not care for this village, but this village's well being reflects my family's well being. I will become better to protect my family and if I have to protect this village to do so, so be it. They are my precious people and they above all will be who I will give my life for."
A small smile graced Jiraiya's lips as he heard Naruto's response. He could understand the boy's reaction to the village as a whole, but he would protect it with all he had as it was his family's home. The Will of Fire was burning within him even after everything that scarred him throughout his short life.
Picking up the bottle, he was about to tell him to sign the contract when something amazing happened. Something he had not seen coming. Naruto simply disappeared. Now that wouldn't have bothered him as much as it did if it wasn't for how he did it.
He disappeared in a streak of light.
Immediately turning to the kunai stuck in the ground, there laid Naruto passed out next to the kunai.
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Something didn't feel right. Naruto knew something was wrong and that's why he was up this early in the morning. It was only four in the morning, but the feeling that had come over him alerted him to something. But what was the problem he was not able to solve. Not wasting a second, he quickly put on his combat clothes and gear before strapping his katana to his back and pocketing the scroll he was given. He walked out into the living room before the front door and made sure it was look before disappearing in a plum of smoke.
The loud pop it made had caught the attention of his taijutsu sensei, Maito Gai. The taijutsu expert frowned as he knew Naruto normally didn't wake this early unless something was wrong. The only times he did was when he told the young boy and Yugito to join him in a morning work out. Knowing something was going on, he noticed Yugao slip out of her apartment with her gear on before noticing Gai. "Morning Gai. I'm off to work."
"Yes, I see that, but something is wrong. Naruto just shunshined out of his apartment." Gai spoke in a serious tone for once. He normally wasn't a serious person unless the situation called for it and this one indeed called for it. "May I ask you to inform my rival of this as something is up as I could feel the worry coming off him and as we all now… the boy has hard time showing any emotion. I'm going to wake Anko and inform her of this."
Yugao's eyes narrowed as she heard what Gai said before nodding. She was indeed worried as the boy showed very little emotion on a good day. Disappearing in a plum of smoke, she went to inform her ex-Anbu captain as Gai knocked on Anko's door. Waiting for a moment, the door opened and he easily avoided the fist that was aimed for his face as Anko stood their glaring at him, only wearing her mesh shirt and skirt. "What do you want Maito?! It is four in the morning and I'm not joining you in an extremely early morning workout!"
"Naruto just left." This caught Anko's attention immediately and she sobered up as her eyes narrowed dangerously as she looked up at the bowl cut jounin. "While I'm unsure why, I could feel that he was worried about something."
Anko disappeared in her room for a moment before she came out with her trench coat on and had all her equipment ready to go. She knew something was wrong if Naruto was showing or giving off any emotion other then boredom. She also knew that Yugito should have returned the night before last as it had been nearly a week since she left on her B-rank mission and she believed that Naruto had picked up on it and was getting worried himself. "Alright, let's go look for him and figure out what the hell is going on with the gaki."
Gai nodded before allowing Anko to lead the way as she would have the best idea of where he would be. She was a mother hen when it came to the boy even if she did have a tendency to torture him for doing something stupid. He just hoped this wasn't one of those situations.
---------------------------------------------------- She wasn't sure if she could make it. This was far too much for her right now. Her team had been wiped out with far too much ease for this to be just a B-rank mission. Whatever it was, those two could not be human. Everything she did seemed to have no effect on them and she had even slit one of their throats only for her own teammate to have his throat slit at the same exact time by an invisible force.
Her body trembled at the memories of what happened, but she couldn't stop here. They were still after her and in her shape, she had to get home and soon otherwise they would catch her. She wasn't sure what they wanted or why they had murdered her team, but she was able to come up with one thing. Whatever they wanted, it had to deal with her and she did not like that.
Grunting as she ran, she ignored all the pain in her body and her broken fibula in her left leg. She had plenty of other broken bones and wounds that she couldn't worry about it otherwise she was going to die. Even with the power she had, she knew she would die if she could not get home. She just prayed she had enough in the tank that she could.
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Fo r one of the few times in his life, Naruto was completely relying on Kyuubi as she had awoken and knew what was causing the problem. She didn't like to wake up early herself, but with her vessel overwhelmed by the emotion that was conflicting with his entire being she had to step in. "Kit, the feeling you are getting is anxiety. I would normally say don't worry about it… But something is wrong right now. I can sense whatever it is near the main gate. Let's head and stay there until we see what it is that is causing this."
'Please, don't let it be what I think it is. He's becoming better each and every day and with the loss… of No. I can't think negatively right now. He needs me right now.' Kyuubi thought to herself as she calmed down and began to search for the source of Naruto's worry.
Obeying the kitsune, Naruto bounced tree from tree till the main gate was in sight. Something told him to stay out of sight for now as it would be weird for him to wait at the main gate for something he wasn't even sure would come. So he kept himself hidden in the trees as he waited, not sure what he was going to see. Using the training her received from all of his teachers, he calmly flowed chakra to his ears, eyes and nose to detect what was coming. He already had an enhanced sense of smell and hearing, but this would only help so he could be ready for what was about to happen.
He waited ten minutes and nothing happened. Another ten followed that and as it was about to become thirty, he heard something behind him. Not even looking back as he knew the scents very well, he kept focus on the gate. "What do you want, senseis?"
All four frowned along with Jiraiya as he had been in the room when Kakashi informed the Sandaime something was up with Naruto. Something was bothering the boy as he was focused on something outside the gate as if he was waiting for something to happen. Anko being the closest to him out of the five jumped onto his branch before sitting besides him. "What's up gaki? You seem like you're expecting something."
Naruto stayed silent as he continued to focus his senses in front of him, not wanting to be distracted by anything as of now. He could tell his adoptive mother was getting slightly irritated as he hadn't answered, however something was wrong and he wanted to know what so he gave them the shortest and simplest answer, hoping they would leave. "I don't know. Something is going to happen…"
Anko frowned as she heard this had to wonder what was causing it. Nothing should be bothering him this badly that he would worry everyone else. She absently thought it was Yugito as he was a little worried when she took her first out of town mission, but that had been long since forgotten as he had gotten used to everyone leaving on their missions now. But the look in his eyes made her wonder if something really was about to happen as it was as if he knew something that the others did not. "Gaki, it’s just your nerves playing tricks on your mind…"
"I smell blood…" Naruto interrupted her as he sniffed the air a little more before growling loudly as he recognized one of the bloodied scents before he rushed past the gate guards leaving the five behind in the trees. They didn't waste as second as they followed him, hot on his heels, wondering whose blood he had smelt. That had become painfully obvious as a blonde haired jounin covered head to toe in blood burst from the foliage just as Naruto appeared in that spot.
Yugito's eyes widened as she was not expecting to be welcomed outside the gates and by her senseis at that. But she was still in a panic from the two that were chasing her. "GET OUT OF HERE! THEY AREN'T HUMAN!" With that one yell she tried to push Naruto away, but the last of her strength had left her body as she fell into Naruto's arms and began to pant heavily. "Naruto… Get out of here… they want… us."
It was at this everyone began to see that the blood wasn't just hers. While a large quantity was, a decent portion of it was not hers and seemed to be blood splatter from high velocity blows. Anko was besides them as Naruto had laid her down, knowing that she needed to be properly stabilized as her wounds were grievous and needed attention quickly. She noticed the boy hadn't wasted a second to create a clone and had it shunshin to get a medical squad to her on the double. She was glad that he was so level headed when his roommate and his fellow vessel was in such horrible condition.
Before she could comment on it or check her wounds, two had burst from the canopy aimed straight for the barely conscious girl.
They never reached their target as the white haired sannin and a silver haired Anbu captain were in front of them and knocked both back with a vicious back hands.
Jiraiya's hand felt slightly numb from the blow to the masked shinobi as his skin felt like steel, but he knew the other had taken for more punishment from his attack then a simple bruise. Not taking his eye off his opponents, his eyes narrowed as he saw the black cloaks with red clouds before frowning. "Akatsuki… I didn't think you would make a move on one of our vessels so soon."
"Jiraiya of the Sannin… I did not expect you to be here." The silver haired man answered back, showing no fear of his opponents even if he knew the odds were against them now. Even without the sannin, they would be low against four very respectable Konoha shinobi but with him added in the only chance they had was to grab the girl and run and that one was almost taken out of the question as Jiraiya spoke once more.
"Naruto, take Yugito and get her to the hospital now! We'll handle this as you've done your part!"
The blonde didn't argue as he could feel the power coming off the two that Yugito had been fleeing from. Not only this, he could feel raw and unprecedented power oozing from the sannin that even made him feel slightly frightened of the man. There was no doubt this man had the power to be considered one of the greatest shinobi alive. Lifting his roommate up, he focused his chakra around them before they both disappeared in a swirl of leaves.
Neither Akatsuki member made a move towards the village to try and capture the two tail vessel knowing it was virtual suicide to take their eyes off the five in front of them. Right now, they needed a distraction just to get out in one piece as the leader himself had given Jiraiya a flee on sight order for everyone except himself. Catching the eye of his masked partner, the silver haired one nodded towards him before turning his focus onto Jiraiya. "It seems that we'll have to try and catch her another day. For now, you may keep her and the nine tails. But know this, we will be back heathens."
A stream of fire forced all five Konoha shinobi to spread to avoid being hit. This gave them enough time to teleport themselves a little ways down the road before they rushed out of the area.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes at this, seeing them in the far distance with his now revealed Sharingan and was about to summon when Jiraiya put his hand on his shoulder and shook his head. "Don't try and follow them. If we do, we'll only be in more danger as more may show up. For now, let's make sure she's okay."
The copy cat didn't feel good about letting the two get away for what they had done, but he was not going to disobey a command from the second-in-charge of Konoha. All five disappeared in swirls of leaves, heading to different destinations.
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Sarutobi was having a bad feeling about today. He had been woken up by Jiraiya, informing him of Naruto's progress on the jutsu he asked him to teach the boy. He was surprised the boy had made so much progress with it in only a few days and was even able to use it somewhat. This was shocking him, however Jiraiya explained that it was nowhere near as fast as it should have been and it was directly to the spot. There were also some repercussions for using the jutsu as it put the young boy's body under great strain and he could only use it a few times before loosing conscious. They still had a long way to go, but he was making great progress.
Back to his gut feeling, he had Kakashi and Yugao barge in on them telling them that something was up with Naruto and they weren't sure what. He of course sent Jiraiya along with them to make sure it was nothing related to the jutsu and the strain it was putting on his body and mind. While he wanted to regain Konoha's honor and glory and the boy was the key, he did not want to risk hurting the young boy in the process as he was Konoha's future. Whether it was be the village’s greatest hero or its destroyer, he was unsure. The boy had the right to do what he wanted with this village but he would stand in his path if he chose destruction.
Hearing a pop, his focus turned to the middle of the room to see Jiraiya with a frown on his face. Sarutobi curse knowing this was not going to be good as Jiraiya was almost always in a good mood, even with the depression the village was sliding into. Looking up at his student, he closed his eyes before his hands quickly pulled out his pipe. He was pretty sure he was going to need it. "Report what was going on with Naruto?"
"It seems Naruto woke up because he felt a distress call of chakra from Yugito… The mission was a sham and the Akatsuki set it up to try and get her. The three chunin that went with her are no doubt dead as she was hysteric when Naruto rushed out to meet her. …I won't lie, she is not in good condition; however, seeing that she is a vessel she will be able to recover as long as she is donated some blood. Both Kakashi and I met them before they retreated as Naruto took her to the hospital. I now know without a doubt that the masked man is Kakuzu, though I will have to do research on the other as I've never heard or seen him before." Jiraiya answered dutifully as he looked over at his former jounin sensei.
Sarutobi frowned at this before sighing as he rubbed his head. Pulling out a lighter, he lit his pipe before leaning back in his chair at yet another problem to deal with. "I see… It is lucky that Naruto was able to sense her from such a distance which is showing that they have indeed been bonding over these last three years. But what troubles me is that they knew I was going to send her on this mission. …There is a spy that knows exactly what I'm doing and I beginning to believe I know who. But until I have evidence, it will be hard to slow down his operations."
"I see, so you do believe it is Danzo that is seeking to over throw you?" Jiraiya answered as he looked over at his sensei with his arms folded over his chest before leaning against the wall.
Nodding as he took a puff on his pipe and exhaled, Sarutobi looked over at his student before looking outside the window. "It wouldn't surprise me any. I know he still wants the job even though he would start a whole new war with the entire world. He on multiple occasions tried to get Minato kicked out of office and failed each time. The man still has his Roots active after all this time and I can't find where the headquarters is to shut it down. I would have one of his agents tracked down, but they seem to vanish before I can get someone to follow them. It is as if I'm chasing ghosts…"
Jiraiya could only nod as his sensei did make a point. The man was a bother to the village and even he couldn't track down where the Root headquarters were as Danzo managed to hide it where no one else but who he wanted to know could find it. Picking himself off the wall, he turned to his senseis. "I'm going to check and see if the girl is okay before taking Naruto out to continue his training."
Seeing his sensei give him a slight nod as he took another swig of his pipe, Jiraiya sighed as he walked to the door before stopping. "…Sensei… Naruto is beginning to develop his mother's bloodline. That was how he was able to sensei Yugito from so far away as Kushina could do the same and tell who exactly it was from great distances and his sister was beginning to show the same ability… …I know the real reason why you haven't told him his family. It isn't because of who his father is… It's because that his mother abandoned him, isn't it?"
For one of the few times in his life, Sarutobi felt fear as he could feel the hatred coming off of Jiraiya in waves. He was just glad it wasn't focused at him otherwise he was pretty sure he would have to retire because of a heart attack. Before he could answer, Jiraiya turned back to him with his eyes burning. "Sensei, why did you never tell me she abandoned him?"
"How do you know?" Sarutobi spoke in shock as his pipe hit the desk as he looked at his student with wide eyes.
Looking at his sensei with a little less respect then he had for the last dozen years, Jiraiya closed his eyes before answering. "For the last eight years I thought she was dead until I found Karin in the Wave country… Marked by the cursed seal and with her mother nowhere in sight. I still tried to bring her back home, but Orochimaru kept that from happening. That run in with him informed me that she was going to try and join the Akatsuki… And if I'm correct, when they fail to obtain Itachi, she will be the one coming after Naruto."
Sarutobi frowned as he didn't even bother to pick up his fallen pipe. Crossing his fingers and resting his chin oh his knuckles, he glanced over at the monument before looking back at Jiraiya and closing his eyes. "… I didn't inform you as I banished her from Konoha when she attempted to kill Naruto herself. I tried everything in my power to keep Karin here with her little brother, but she vanished the day after Kushina left. If I had known that she had joined Orochimaru and is trying to join that group… I would have imprisoned her here for life… But now I know what I must do. Inform Ibiki that a new addition to the Bingo Book will be added. Uzumaki Kushina, S-rank… And a ten million ryo bounty on her head to be paid from my own pockets."
"Sensei…" Jiraiya muttered before holding himself back, knowing now that the old man had no choice. He was becoming the Professor once more and things were going to change either under his rule or the Gondaime's when whoever took the job came into power. A dark feeling crossed his face as he looked over at his sensei before frowning. "…I know you're having me to train Naruto so you can have a successor… But you want him to be a weapon right now, don't you?"
The elderly Hokage said nothing as he picked up his pipe and took another puff on it as he looked away from his student. A few minutes had passed and he had not given the sannin an answer and he wasn't planning to. The issue was off limits in his mind to everyone outside both the boy and himself. He noticed his student frown before he walked out of the room and closed the door, more then likely to head to Ibiki and inform him of Kushina's placement in the Bingo Book. Sighing as he left, he took one last drag of his pipe before closing his eyes.
"I'm sorry Jiraiya, but you wouldn't understand…"
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Anko was extremely worried about two things. The first one was that Yugito was finally out of the operating room and was fine but her chakra reserves weren't filling up as fast they normally would. There was only explanation that she had was that even Nibi had drained all her chakra in the battle with the two Akatsuki members and that was quite frightening on its own. It was because of this that she was going to be in the hospital in a few days.
Her other reason before being worried was sitting across from her. Naruto had only budged when Yugito had been taken out of the operation room and taken to a room to rest. It was quite irritating to her that almost no emotion was on his face even if she knew he was far more worried then she was about the other blonde. And did he even blink? She swore she had barely even seen him blink since he entered the room and his attention was solely focused on the down blonde as if he was watching over her, believing something might come and take her away.
She was glad that he seemed to care for her, but at the same time it irked her that he didn't show it. The blonde was truly an enigma even after a few years with living next door to him and being his legal guardian. Sighing as there was nothing she could do right now, she leaned back in her chair before she heard a knock at the door. Mentally groaning as she wasn't ready to deal with anyone, she twitched seeing that Naruto didn't even react to the knock. Rolling her eyes at him, she somehow managed to open the door by throwing a kunai as she didn't want to get up at the moment.
The snake mistress wasn't too surprise to see both Naruto's teammates, who he still hadn't introduced to her, which irked her even further with the emotionless boy. However there was a little surprise in seeing Itachi and Tsume there as well. She quickly shook her head of that thought having figured that both had heard and wanted to see how both blondes were doing after their first run in with the Akatsuki. Plus she knew Tsume cared for Naruto as one of her children even if the boy was still weary around her.
And it also didn't hurt that she was dating the Uchiha though neither really had the time for dates. While she hadn't informed Naruto or Yugito of this, she had been seeing the raven for a month before Naruto became a gennin. Hell, she was planning on telling Yugito but Naruto was a different story as the blonde would become hostile to the Uchiha if he knew the said person was banging one of his mothers. Being the prankster that she was, she couldn't help but smirk at the elder Uchiha as that thought went through her mind. "Ah, Itai-kun, how sweet. You came here to check on little ole me."
Itachi only shook his head at her comment before leaning on the wall besides her. He understood her game and he could play too. However his version of play was pissing her off and he found that the little faces she made when she was angry at him were amusing. "Meh, it crossed my mind before I remember Naruto is my sister's teammate."
As Anko fumed at Itachi's answer and Tsume shook her head at the odd, yet suitable couple, both Hana and Miko walked over to Naruto, who had yet to notice them. This slightly irked both girls as they were both used to being noticed by others, especially boys as they knew they were rather attractive. They attempted to use that to their advantage on Naruto to open him up as he was around the age boys began to notice girls but unfortunately for them Naruto seemed as reclusive as ever. They both were getting slightly angry at him before noticing his attention was solely focused on the recovering blonde.
Hana looked away as she felt ashamed that she was getting angry at the boy as his room mate was severely injured while Miko winced as she could tell the injuries were quite serious. Having seen worse injuries, Hana was the first to walk over to him and check out how he was doing. "How you holding up?"
She knew that someone close to another person getting hurt or worse affected the person well. She shivered lightly as the memories of the Chunin Exam she entered resurfaced. Combing her hand through her hair as she washed that thought away, Naruto's eyes finally turned from Yugito's and towards his two teammates. "Fine."
Normally both girls and Anko would have twitched at his one answer response but the former two were beginning to realize that was how he was while it just irritated the purple haired jounin. Watching Hana shake her head, Miko smiled softly as she took a moment to scan over the clipboard with her Sharingan so she could see what all was wrong without anyone noticing before turning to her blonde teammate. "Well that's good to hear. We came by to check how you were doing with what happened…"
"And to come by to say that I canceled the team's training today seeing that this happened." Hana finished for Miko with a smile as the said girl was glaring at her dangerously for interrupting her. However they both frowned as Naruto simply nodded his head and grunted as his sight turned back to Yugito.
Hana growled at the blonde haired boy as she was getting sick of him putting them off constantly. Her body tensed and she was ready to pounce when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning back, she saw it was her mother shaking her head with a slight frown on her face as well before looking over at the blonde haired boy then Anko. "Mitrashi-san, take care of them and I hope she'll recover quickly."
Anko merely nodded as she had a feeling of what Tsume was going to talk about with Hana and let them go. Besides, she had Itachi to play with as he wasn't going to be leaving for a while to the annoyance of his younger sister as she was getting ready to leave as well seeing that Naruto did not talk to her unless it was necessary or he was forced to.
Taking her daughter outside, Tsume made sure the hallways were clear and the door clicked shut before turning to Hana. She knew that she wasn't going to do anything that the boy couldn't handle, but that was beside the point. "Hana, my daughter, do you realize why I stopped from striking out at MY god son?" The younger Inuzuka's eyes widened at this but Tsume quickly continued. "Yes Hana, I was named his god mother months before he was born, but that is not why I stopped you as I know both his adoptive mother and Yugito will do exactly what you were about to do to him."
This increased Hana's curiosity as she slowly accepted that it could have been possible for the young blonde to have lived with them the last eight years of his life. She mentally stored that away to ask later why he hadn't lived with them and shook her head at her mother. "No…"
Tsume only nodded as she figured as much and noticed Jiraiya walking down the hallway and waved at him as he gave her the same gesture before entering the room. Closing her eyes, she waited till the door clicked before opening them and giving her daughter the reason why. "He's earned the right to ignore anyone he wishes because the horrors of his life out match nearly every single person in this village. …And even the ones that have had worse… Pity him as he hasn't even turned ten and he knows the true horrors of this world."
Inside the room, all eyes turned to Jiraiya including Naruto's, who for once didn't even hesitate to turn to the person that walked in, much to the ire of the other three conscious people in the room. Walking over to the bed and picking up the clipboard, the white haired man narrowed his eyes at the injuries she suffered and could tell she was in far worse condition then he thought she was. Turning to his student, Jiraiya quickly reverted back to his normal self as a large smile crossed his lips. "Well gaki, shall we continue or do you want the day off?"
Anko's eyes widened as Naruto didn't hesitate as he stood up and walked to the door, giving her a simple wave to signify he would see her later. This was the same boy that hadn't even begun to trust his teammates in the weeks he had known them but within six days he fully trusted the world's greatest pervert. As Naruto walked out of the room, she glared daggers at Jiraiya before speaking in an icy tone. "What did you do to earn his trust so quickly while everyone else fails?!"
Jiraiya merely waved his hand as he walked to the door before stopping at the door frame and watching Naruto walk down the hall. Without turning his head back, he answered Anko in a nonchalant voice. "It's not that he trust me completely as that will take some time. Don't get me wrong, I do believe he trusting me faster then anyone anticipated, but that is not what this is about… This was a wake-up call and he knows I can make him stronger faster then anyone else can."
The purple haired jounin flinched ever so slightly that it was barely noticed as the sannin left the room. Her eyes fell onto Yugito and worry began to fill her quickly before she felt a calm hand placed on her shoulder. Already knowing who it was, she didn't have to look up as it could only be Itachi as Miko just left the room, probably in an attempt to follow Naruto and Jiraiya. "I know… I shouldn't worry… But with both I have to."
Itachi just nodded as he finally looked at the bedded blonde before looking out the window and into the distance. "As you should. But your worry will not have to last long. They will become far stronger then anyone can image."
Anko raised her eyebrow at her boyfriend and looked up and saw the far away look in his eyes with fire blazing within them. Just as she thought that was all he had to say and had looked away, his voice echoed throughout the room as if wanting to be heard by the entire world. "And I will be just as strong and show my strength is my own, not my family's."
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By the time Jiraiya gave Miko the slip, he had found Naruto in the clearing he had taken him to before meditating. He however knew the boy wasn't just meditating. He was concentrating on something and that something was ten meters away from him, stuck in the ground. He frowned at this, but said nothing as the boy was deeply focused and wanted more then anything to learn the jutsu his father had left for him.
The fastest and most fear technique ever to be uttered in the shinobi nations; The Flying Thunder God.
He had his doubts about teaching the boy this technique so early and was justified as the stress it placed on his body was too great. But at the same time his body was already use to unbelievable stress. Personally, he wanted to teach him summoning and the Rasengan first but this was first priority now.
Truthfully, he was thinking of putting it on hold and going on with his regular plans but the wake-up call shot that down idea as the threat was imminent. He would hold out his promise to his student, not his orders from his sensei. The boy would receive the training the fourth had laid out for him and become even greater.
Still, the boy was putting too much focus on the Hiraishin and he wanted to talk to him a little before they got back to it. Pulling the scroll of his back and unfolding it as he sat down besides the boy, he looked at his young student and shook his head as he still had not moved. "Naruto, I've got something else for you to do before we continue working on the flash."
Naruto's eyes slowly opened as he looked at the white haired man before nodding and seeing the scroll laid out in front of him. Frowning as he only read two names on it; he went to the top and read the entire passage before realizing what this was. "A summoning contract… With the toads."
Jiraiya simply nodded as he placed an empty bottle next to Naruto with a feather pen. "Yes, it is the same contract that both the Yondaime and I have signed. Before I tell you how to sign the contact, I want to know… Why do you train as hard as you do? What drives you to become better? Is it to have others recognize you for strength? Do you wish for revenge for what the villagers have done to you? …Once I have an adequate answer, you will be allowed to sign this contract."
The blonde frowned once more as he would be forced to talk far more then he wanted. Not only this, he did not trust the man that much to let him know what he truly wanted in his life. The only ones that did know were Anko and Yugito… The latter’s name brought his eyes to the ground as his hair covered his eyes. Clinching his fist tightly, blood began to flow from his palms and stain the ground while some of it landed into the empty vial.
Looking at the blonde, Jiraiya awaited his answer as he knew it would not take him long. While Naruto was not a talkative person, today had shaped him far differently then any other event of his life had. He could see it in his eyes, but he was not sure it was what he was thinking it was. Seeing the blonde haired boy look up and into his eyes, he could see the desire and will to grow stronger burning far brighter then anyone else’s' he had ever seen.
"I become stronger as it is needed of me to do so. I may not care for this village, but this village's well being reflects my family's well being. I will become better to protect my family and if I have to protect this village to do so, so be it. They are my precious people and they above all will be who I will give my life for."
A small smile graced Jiraiya's lips as he heard Naruto's response. He could understand the boy's reaction to the village as a whole, but he would protect it with all he had as it was his family's home. The Will of Fire was burning within him even after everything that scarred him throughout his short life.
Picking up the bottle, he was about to tell him to sign the contract when something amazing happened. Something he had not seen coming. Naruto simply disappeared. Now that wouldn't have bothered him as much as it did if it wasn't for how he did it.
He disappeared in a streak of light.
Immediately turning to the kunai stuck in the ground, there laid Naruto passed out next to the kunai.
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