Chapter 1
Naruto groaned as he opened his eyes, but closed them just as quickly. This couldn't be, he couldn't possibly be where he thought he was.
Again he opened his eyes and looked around, indeed he was laying in his bed, in his apartment. The same apartment that Nagato, as Pein, had destroyed when he attacked Konoha. And seeing as it had never been rebuild after that, it just wasn't possible for him to be in it.
He closed his eyes briefly, before standing, only then did he notice he was much shorter then he was. With a small yell, he rushed to the mirror, which was still standing in the same place even though his apartment couldn't possibly be standing. Looking in the mirror, he felt a fraction of fear; how was this possible, looking back to him from the mirror was a Kid version of himself. But that couldn't be, he was 17 years old.
But here, he looked like he was 10, maybe even younger.
He panicked, what was happening, one moment he had defeated Uchiha Madara, had been 17 years old in a teenaged body.
But now, now he seemed to have been transported back in time, to his, a quick look to the calendar on the wall, 9 year old body, the day before he began the academy.
Before everything started, before the losses, before the death and defeat or almost defeat of Konoha. And more important, before the start of the end.
Thinking about it, he was a 9 year old child with the future memories of a 17 year old, memories of events that still had to pass. He could prevent so much from happening; he could protect Sasuke, let him have his older brother, he could protect Hokage-Jiji, ero-sennin, Asuma-Sensei.
He could be so much more, right now, he still knew how to access his sennin powers, could still make the connection to nature's chakra, knew how to use Kurama's chakra and his byuu mode.
Speaking of Kurama, would the old fox also be back. Or would this be the 'Kyuubi' of a 9 year old Naruto, still full of vengeance and hate. Would it, again, take the help of his mother to take away Kurama's chakra and mold it for his own. Would it take years, again, to build up a friendship with the demon housed inside him.
Or, would it be the same Kurama, and would he be able to just let the old fox roam and together strengthen their byuu transformation. Would they be able to stop the Akatsuki from taking away everyone, Byuu and Jinchuriki alike, except for Gaara, Bee and Gyuuki.
Naruto sighed, and ran a hand down his face, all this thinking and all these 'what if's', they were making him dizzy. There were so many variables at the moment, that it would be impossible for him to change everything.
But he blinked and stood straighter, if anyone could do it then it would be him, Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto; Jinchuriki of Kurama, Kyuubi no Kitsune, son of Namikaze Minato, the yondaime hokage and Uzumaki Kushina, the jinchuriki of Kurama before him. Godson to Jiraya and Tsunade of the Sennin.
He could do this, he would do this. And Kami help those who stood in their way.
Looking at the calendar, he saw he still had a weekend before he started the academy, which meant, first things first, a talk with an old fox was in order.
- ACJ -
After breakfast, which consisted of an apple and instant ramen, which he knew wasn't all that healthy, but it was better than only the cup of instant ramen, he went and sat on his bed with crossed legs.
Closing his eyes and taking deep breaths, he knew he had to talk to Kurama before he could decide what to do after.
As he minded his respiration, he felt his chakra take his conscience with it, taking it to the sewer system he had grown used to.
And it was there he was when he opened his eyes, it still was a strange experience, to kind of wake up inside yourself. But he had grown used to it, he had to use it for his sennin training, to acquire Kurama's chakra and later to complete the byuu transformation.
With a look around he confirmed that everything was as it should be, as dirty and damp as he remembered, even the seal his father put on the cage that held Kurama was still there.
The only thing out of place however, was the giant fury fist, coming through the bars towards him. As it stopped just before where he was standing, just outside the cage, the foxy grin on Kurama's face was all Naruto needed to bump fists with his byuu, a laugh echoing through the space they both were in.
"You have no idea how glad I am you came with me, Kurama", Naruto told the demon as they both sat, one in and one outside the cage.
Kurama nodded, "I heard your thoughts, Gaki. It would seem a lot of our former life was taken back to the past."
Naruto smiled, "good, I know I still need to practise on a lot of things and that Sennin, Chakra and Byuu mode will take a few years, but it will still give me a head start."
Kurama gave a crocked grin, "it would indeed give you, and with it us, an advantage, maybe that is the purpose of us being send back in time. Even though we might not be able to change everything, you could always try and see what happens. We were not given this knowledge just to forget about everything that happened."
Naruto nodded, "I know, there is so much that I could change right now", he stood," but first things first; let's get this seal of so you can come out again. I know I can trust you."
As Naruto let his chakra guide him up to tear of the seal, he stopped for a bit and looked around.
Kurama grinned, "you think the yondaime hokage will appear?"
Naruto nodded and took hold of the corner of the seal, pealing it backwards just a bit. And as suspected, a hand took hold of his wrist and an arm wrapped around his waist. But with a smile a held on and tore off the seal.
As he landed on the ground, the seal in his hands and his father's arm still around his waist he looked up, seeing Minato there, in the same outfit as last time, looking at him in shock.
"Hi, O-Tou-chan", Naruto smiled at him.
Minato still looked shocked, with a glance back, to Kushina who Naruto saw as he looked around his father, then back at Naruto; "what, how… What's going on?"
Naruto glanced back to Kurama, who smirked, before bursting out in laughter.
Kushina had run forward as Kurama started laughing, but now, seeing as her son was safe and the Fox was staying in his cage for the time being she didn't make another move.
Naruto stopped laughing and looked at his parents, "hello, O-Tou-Chan, O-Kaa-Chan, it's really nice to see you again."
They both sucked a deep breath in, it was Kushina who spoke; "But Naruto, again? You were but a babe when we gave our lives to the shinigami, you couldn't possible remember us!"
Naruto smiled a sad smile, "that's why I did this, I knew I would see the both of you if Kurama released a bit of chakra the moment I teared off the seal. I knew you'd both come to help me get the upper hand on him, but you don't have to, ever. I just want to talk. That's all, I have so much to tell you guys."
Before starting he opened the cage behind him, etching fear on the faces of his parents, but Kurama just nodded at the two of them before laying down and letting Naruto rest against his paw.
As the couple swallowed a few times and looked at each other with a 'is this real' kind of look in their eyes, they also took a seat, across from their son, looking at their baby boy with confusion on their faces.
- ACJ -
It took Naruto the better part of 3 hours to tell his parents everything that had happened, how he travelled from the future, how he was actually their 17 year old son in the bode of their 9 year old son. How the village treated him, but as he grew older, how they respected him and how they even eventually saw him as their hero, and a worthy ninja of Konoha.
He even told them of his plans to change certain events, to do his best to stop certain deaths from happening, Minato had a rough time when Naruto told him Jiraya would die, at the hands of one of his old students.
He also told them about Tobi, or Obito, the man with the mask who had striked at his birth and was the reason he had lost both of his parents that night. This is particular made Minato look about wide eyed, no wonder that man had known his moves, as his student, Obito had seen Minato in action enough times to get familiar with his moves and thought process.
After Naruto was done talking it was quiet for quite a while, looking up he saw his parents thinking and giving him or each other a look from the corner of their eyes.
Minato was the first to speak, "that was a lot to take in, but some of it does make sense, I'm even really glad you pulled this on us to talk and explain and even ask our advice. Which, as I understand, you never really got. Also I am incredibly proud of the young man you came to be, Naruto, you even exceeded everything I ever expected of you. And, as Yondaime Hokage speaking, if I had been alive to name a successor, It would, without a doubt have been you."
Naruto had tears in his eyes and jumped to his feet and rushed over to hug his father, hearing that; both as his father and the Yondaime Hokage, it was everything he ever wanted. When a second set of arms joined their hug, he was even happier, nothing could exceed this experience.
Kushina spoke up, we don't have a lot of time left, but I think we can both give you a basic understanding of our abilities and in Minato's case a rundown of his Flying Thunder God technique."
Naruto nodded and took his former seat as both his parents gave him a rundown in seals, a teleportation technique that gave his father the nickname 'yellow flash' and chakra chain bands.
All of them were extremely favourable to have, or so Kurama said, because it was a combination of those techniques or abilities that took him down. Naruto nodded at that, he had been disappointed when Jiraya told him he couldn't teach him his father's teleportation technique, because the secret had followed Minato into the grave. But here he was learning it from the man himself.
As he got a hold of it all, and promised to practise as much as possible, he gave both his parents a hug as they were beginning to fade.
Kushina pressed a feather light kiss to his forehead; "never forget, Naruto, we'll always be with you and watch over you. Even when you can't see us, and we both know, for a fact you'll do us so very proud. We love you, son."
Naruto wiped a tear of his cheek and was glad for the sort of hug Kurama gave him with a tail, he already had accomplished things he had set out to do. All he had to do now was; train, think, train, and most importantly, use his knowledge of the future to help Konoha, and the other Shinobi nations, to a golden age. Also, he nodded, he needed to get in contact with the other jinchuriki.
With plans like that he gave a wave to Kurama before opening his eyes in the real world again, seeing the sun was lower, indicating it was afternoon, he made himself a bowl of rise, veggies and pork. After all, with being older also came a more mature mindset and thoughts; meaning he had to eat healthy.
- ACJ -
The rest of the afternoon was spend reading the few scrolls he had and trying to get into the library, which succeeded, only because he was stealthy enough to not be seen by the head librarian.
With a booklet full of notes on different jutsu's and even breathing techniques, he set to go back home. Monday was his first day at the academy, and he promised himself to do better than last time.