Life of a Legend
Chapter One
It was a quiet, warm spring morning in the village of Konoha. In a modest two story home in the heart of the village there was a young blonde boy slumbering. The birds singing outside his window did nothing to awaken him, in fact they helped him continue his sleep, despite that he was nearing very close to oversleeping and missing one of the most important moments in his life.
He was extremely tired due to the excitement he felt the night prior cause him to fall asleep very late, he would have continued to sleep throughout the day had it not been for the female voice that called up to him.
"Are you going to sleep all day?" he heard his mother yell up the stairs. "Get up, get ready, and get down here for some breakfast. Otherwise you are going to be late for the team assignments."
The boy shifted in his bed, moaning groggily as he began to rub the sleep from his eyes. He ran his hand through his hair and gazed over at the clock on his wall…7:30?
He quickly jumped from his bed, now wide-awake. He only had a half-hour to get to the academy. The boy ran around the room, found some clean clothes and hurriedly dressed in his normal dark blue clothing. He skipped showering, hell he just bathed last night.
As he sat at the table and ate a hurried breakfast his mother cast a critical eye over him, "Minato-kun if you didn't over sleep you would have had time to groom yourself, here you always go out with a case of bed-head."
The young boy glanced at his mother, and then finishing the food that was in his mouth, "Kaa-san you know how pointless that it is. Tou-san had the same problem, right?"
The older woman nodded absentmindedly, it was true, her late husband could never tame his hair. Minato was the same way, but she couldn't help but tease him a bit about it.
The boy wanted to be a ninja like his father, who gave his life to defend the village. He died protecting the people he loved. In the same battle with that mist nin, the same battle that only the three Sennin, as they were now called, were the only survivors.
Minato was proud of his father. Though the memory of him was slight there was one thing that he would never forget about the man, to Minato his father would always be a larger than life figure. He was a man who prided himself in never giving up, he never stopped in doing what he knew in is heart to be right.
Minato respected Tsunade, Orochimaru and Jiriaya as everyone else does. But it was people like his father, people that truly give their all to protect the village that inspired his dream.
He would do his father proud when he became Hokage, he knew it. He knew that somewhere his father would be proud.
Minato finished up his breakfast and started to hurry out the door, then he froze. He was in such a rush that he nearly forgot the most important thing. The boy bolted up the stairs and threw his bedroom door open, he scanned the room quickly and his eyes landed on his dresser. Minato walked over and took the thing that marked him as an adult in the eyes of the village.
He strapped his new Hitai-ate to his forehead, and finally made it out of the house he took off towards the academy.
As he made his way to the class he saw a figure ambling slowly down the road. Minato smirked at the sight of his friend, 'that lazy bastard could use a fire under his pants,' he thought as he caught up with he boy.
"Hey Shikaku," Minato called out smacking the brunette boy on the back, startling him. "If you don't pick up the pace you'll make it in time for next years graduation team assignments."
The boy sighed heavily at Minato, "stop being so bothersome."
Minato huffed in mock outrage, "Bothersome? Well if that's how you feel, then I have no idea why I still hangout with you."
The Nara rolled his eyes, yet gave a slight smile that Minato caught, "and yet here you are still talking to me."
"I was just worried about you, after all what would your mother say if you missed today?" Minato chided.
Shikaku gave an unconcerned shrug, "no idea, but it can't be any worse than what I've already heard from her." He gave a sidelong look at his friend, "what about you? If you keep pace with me you could be late too, and I just don't see how the top student of this year can stand to be late."
Minato smiled, "no worries even going at this pace we should still make it with at least five minutes to spare."
"Guess I should slow down then," mumbled Shikaku.
Minato gave a bark of laughter and the two continued on to the school.
They made it to the class with some time to spare. Shikaku sat himself in the back row next to Chouza, he lay his had in his arms on the desk and rested from the 'strenuous' trip form his home to the school.
Minato sat in his normal seat by the window, he had a piece of paper out and was doodling as the rest of the class were waiting for their sensei and any last minute stragglers.
He was jolted from his drawing by a snide voice, "what are you doing Namikaze?"
He looked up to see Hyuuga Hiashi looking at his paper with a disdainful look on his face, "not much Hyuuga."
"What is that supposed to be?" he asked pointing at the paper. On it was a picture that Minato sketched of a bizarre looking kunai, "do you really think something like that could work? It looks like it would have to much resistance."
Minato sat up straight, "you know what you're problem is Hyuuga? You have no imagination, for all you know this could work better than a normal kunai." The blonde boy sighed dramatically, "you're a kid still and you are already old fashioned, it's no wonder I beat you out for top of this class."
Hiashi stiffened but said nothing as he walked away, Minato shrugged and then turned to see 'Hiashi' sitting next to him. He gave a fake look of shock, "don't do that Hiashi…oh sorry Hizashi, got confused for a second."
"Doesn't take much, does it Minato?" the other Hyuuga said with a chuckle.
Minato gave a laugh, "so what's wrong with your brother? He acts like that stick up his ass is even deeper that before."
"You guessed correctly before when you spoke with him." Hizashi said quietly.
"What? He's upset because I'm rookie of the year not him?" Minato asked dubiously. Hiashi could be many things but Minato never pegged him as a jealous type.
"No, he could deal with that," Hizashi said. "Father however, couldn't help but show his disappointment in Hiashi's so called 'failure'."
"That's what I don't like about you Hyuuga," Minato said quietly, "one extreme or the other, either you're the best or you are nothing…"
"I don't like it much myself," Hizashi said, automatically rubbing his forehead.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you…"Minato started but was cut off by the other boy.
"Don't worry about it Minato, it's not your problem."
At that point the Chuunin sensei spoke up, "alright class settle down." The man looked around the room, "I want to congratulate you all on your graduation, I am sure that you all will strive to be the best that you can and make this village proud."
The class, for the most part, all cheered at the teacher's statement. He raised his hand and they fell silent once more, "that being said as you all know you will be split into teams of three with a Jonin-sensei. In this you will learn one of the most important aspects of ninja life, teamwork. You have been grouped to create the most balanced teams that could be done. Trust me there are obstacles that can be overcome working together that you cant do alone."
He paused, "I expect you all to give him of her your respect and attention, after all they will be guiding you and help you reach your full potential. I'd also hate to hear that one of my former students was acting up in any way, as it reflects poorly on me." He added on with a chuckle to which none of the new Genin found funny.
The man sighed, "anyway when I call your name you will come to the door and will meet with your new sensei, I wish you all the best of luck."
With that he started rattling of names, Minato said nothing sitting quietly but was not really paying attention until he heard his own name. And soon enough "Kasumi Karei, Kobushi Sentou and Namikaze Minato, you will now be team Six, please make your way down here."
Minato stood up and looked around already heading for the door were his two new teammates.
Sentou was a shorter boy with a rounded face and close cropped brown hair, he wore a simple black ki that seemed to allow for free movement. Minato didn't know him that well but didn't have any problems with the boy. From what Minato knew of him his academic scores were not all that great, but he was proficient with hand-to-hand combat as demonstrated in class spar. He also was one of the quietest people in the class, only an Aburame says less than this guy.
Karei was another story altogether, she was outgoing and friendly. She wore a lighter colored outfit, almost a very light grey, her hair was about shoulder-length and black, it was tied up behind her in a simple pony tail. Minato didn't know much about her abilities though. She also seemed to be extremely serious in her choice of profession and did not act in anyway like some of the more frivolous Konoichi in the class.
Minato was now at the door and looked back to the class to see Chouza and Yamanaka Inoichi doing their best to wake the sleeping Shikaku. Some of his other friend waved to him and he got a small nod from the Hyuuga twins.
He turned back and kept walking almost running into one of the largest people he ever saw, Minato looked up and his eyes met with the mans. He was speechless as he saw their new sensei, the man was tall and broad, he had a slight smile on his face that had two red lines that ran from under his eyes down his cheeks.
He of course recognized the man, and could not believe his luck. Jiriaya, one of the three Sannin, was his sensei?
"Nice of you to join us, Gaki. You like taking your time?" the man asked.
Minato could only shake his head in response.
"Well now that you are all here, meet me on the roof. We will have some things to go over." Jiriaya said and then disappeared in a burst of smoke.
The three new Genin started making their way up the halls to get to the roof, Karei nudged Minato in the ribs, "You know Minato-san I've never seen you so quiet before."
He looked at the girl, "I just wasn't expecting that, I mean Jiriaya is our sensei."
"We noticed that," Sentou said.
The three soon found them selves sitting in front of the white haired man who was leaning on the railing that ran along the edge of the roof, he watched the three of them who were looking at him expectantly. Finally he spoke, "well as I'm sure you have guessed I am the great Jiriaya, you all should consider yourselves lucky that I am your sensei. I can show and teach you many things but first I want to know a bit about yourselves."
He paused a moment, "I'll go first to show you what I mean. I am of course one of the Sannin, my hobbies include my research and writing. I like training and other things I don't really have many dislikes. My goal in life is to see the world and as much of the sights it has to offer, I also aspire to be a published author." He pointed at Sentou, "now it's your turn kid."
Sentou sighed, "my name is Kobushi Sentou, I don't have many hobbies don't really dislike anything as well, I like to train in taijutsu and I guess my goal is to be a taijutsu master."
Jiriaya nodded and pointed at Karei, "and now the lady's turn."
Karei gave him a slightly annoyed look, "my name is Kasumi Karei, my hobbies I guess would be reading and drawing. My goal in life is to learn what I an about Genjutsu, it is fascinating to me to use my imagination as a weapon. My only dislikes would have to be Konoichi who don't take things seriously and give the rest of us a bad name and people who underestimate me simply because I'm a female."
Jiriaya nodded, "I want to say that being underestimated is not always a bad thing, you can use that against your enemies. I have seen quite a few powerful shinobi fall because of their own arrogance." He smiled at the girl, "and trust me you don't have to worry about me underestimating a Konoichi simply because they are a woman. I've had that lesson beaten into me very early on," he muttered the last bit. And the pointing to Minato, "ok you next."
Minato grinned, "my name is Namikaze Minato, my likes are studying and researching jutsu. My dislikes are people who are full of themselves with no just cause. I have a couple goals in life, to create my own Jutsu's so that I can pass down should the time ever come, and I want to be Hokage some day."
Jiriaya looked curiously at the blonde boy, "Namikaze? Are you related to a Namikaze Arashi by any chance?" Minato nodded simply, "I remember him, he was a good man, a good shinobi. I am sorry for what happened that day."
Minato smiled at Jiriaya, "nothing to worry about, I don't blame you or anyone for his death. In fact it was his sacrifice that inspired my goal in life."
Jiriaya smiled at the three of them, "well this is an interesting group but before we can begin missions there is one more test that you have to pass."
"What kind of test, Sensei?" asked Karei.
The older Shinobi grinned almost evilly, causing the three kids to squirm a bit. "It is a test to make sure that you are truly ready to begin your lives as Shinobi. You will meet me at training grounds number 15 tomorrow morning at Seven." He turned to leave then turned back, "oh and it might be best if you skip breakfast, it can be a bit harsh and you might end up throwing up."