Slip the Open Window
By Moonraker One

Author's Note: My first Naruto fanfiction since Uzumaki Chronicles, and the first fanfiction at all in over two years, since I have taken a lot of time off to work on and publish a novel, "Mind Pressure Quotient." Nonetheless, it is finished (and I'm working on more), and I have time to write a fanfiction in the meantime.

CHAPTER ONE

Thunder crackled outside the window. Flashes of light from bolts further illuminated the room of the Third Hokage's office. He drummed his nails on the desk. More than a few times he glanced into his crystal ball, checking on the location of his sentries. He took a sip of sake from a small glass, letting out a sigh. He leaned back in his chair and looked twice at the clock. A few minutes later, he heard a knock. "Come in," he said in an aged, ragged voice.

The door swung and through it walked a figure the Hokage hadn't seen in several years. "So, what did you send for me for, Sarutobi-sensei?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the elderly Third, cleared his throat. "Seeing you, Jiraiya, makes me wish I didn't have to impose upon you," he explained. He waved. "Please, take a seat. This probably won't be short."

Jiraiya furrowed his brow. "I'm a bit confused," he replied. "You've let me be for six years. Now you send for me?" He sat down. "I hate to sound like an ungrateful student, but a favor's a lot to expect, wouldn't you say, sensei?"

Hiruzen looked at the table, contemplating for a few moments his student's words. He looked back. "Jiraiya," he said, taking all the sharpness out of his voice, "Minato and Kushina trusted you unflinchingly. I've taken care of Naruko as best I can these past years, giving her an apartment and a daily living expense. But these last few months have been upsetting me."

Jiraiya leaned in. "Okay, you got my attention," he exclaimed, turning his disconnected expression to one of stern.

Hiruzen took a deep breath. "Jiraiya, the villagers left Naruko alone because she was only four or five. Now that she's six years old, the village kids are starting to take notice of her and their cruel words unnerve me."

Jiraiya let out a nostril sigh. "Sensei, kids are kids. You think I worried about any time kids made fun of me?"

Hiruzen looked straight at him. "I highly doubt you adequately remember when you were five," he admonished. "This isn't any ordinary childish bullying. The adults have always shunned Naruko and given her the cold shoulder. Now the kids are doing the same. If she'd been born a boy, I'd…"

Jiraiya slightly cocked his head. "Not be worried?" he said. "Isn't that a bit…presumptuous?"

Hiruzen gave him an accusatory look. "What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean, old man," Jiraiya concluded.

Hiruzen half-smiled and let out a single chuckle. "You only call me that when you don't like something I've said."

This drew a shrug. "You know me inside-out, sensei. Now tell me, how does her being a girl make a difference? You saw how Tsunade would react…"

"With all due respect, Jiraiya," Hiruzen interrupted, "Naruko is not Tsunade. Tsunade was always a fireball, even at the age of six. I see only despair and suffering in Naruko's eyes. Iruka gives her attention, talks to her after school and over ramen, but it clearly isn't enough."

Jiraiya balked. "Sensei, I know I swore I'd protect Minato and Kushina's kid,"

Hiruzen pierced him with his gaze. "But instead you've dedicated all your efforts to tracking Orochimaru," he accused.

The student regarded the teacher with a low gaze. "I loved Minato and Kushina; they were like my own children, but I've gotta put the village and the balance of peace first. The last thing you'd want is another world war."

"That's why I'm proposing you take Naruko to Mount Myoboku."

Jiraiya jerked back in his chair, struck dumb by the declaration. For a brief moment he sat staring at his master. "Haha," he shook his head. "You can't be serious, old man." Hiruzen sat unfazed. Jiraiya's humorous smile disappeared. "You are serious, aren't you?" Hiruzen nodded flatly. "Sensei, how can I take a six year old girl who's barely an academy student, to the sacred mountain of the toads? She doesn't even have a summoning contract!"

"I'm not asking you this because I feel like shackling you to a child, Jiraiya," Hiruzen protested. "I'm doing this because I have firm belief that Naruko will not survive to adulthood unscarred if she isn't able to get an advantage over her fellow students who might feel like harming her out of a revenge their parents have."

"Say it like it is, old man," Jiraiya countered. "You're worried about a jinchuriki like her turning into another Orochimaru, even worse."

"I can't say it didn't cross my mind," Hiruzen blurted out.

Jiraiya shook his head. "No. If I get off track I lose the trail of Orochimaru and Akatsuki, and god knows what they're up to if I don't figure out."

Hiruzen then did something that he never did. He put his hands together on his desk and held them forward. "Jiraiya, please. I'm begging you," he pleaded. "If you ever loved Minato or Kushina, you'll forget about Orochimaru for a while and do this. In fact, if you take her there, I'm sure the toads will train her and you can just check in occasionally."

His student's eyes got big. "I…uh, damn it," he exclaimed. He looked down, sighed, then looked back up. "If it means that much to you, sensei, fine. I'll do it." He pointed his finger. "But here's my terms: I'm not a babysitter and I don't do tea parties for little girls. The toads take care of her and I don't have to be there to wipe her bottom. And most of all, I'm not restricted to being her bodyguard or personal assistant either."

"You can check in as often or as little as you like, Jiraiya, as long as you make sure to teach her things every now and then and make sure her mental state is stable," Hiruzen explained.

"I know the toads are wise," Jiraiya added, standing, "but what about curriculum?"

Hiruzen stood. "Iruka has become something of a friend to Naruko," he explained. "I'll have Iruka draw up some basic lesson plans and send them to the toads."

Jiraiya shook hands. "You know, to tell you the truth, I just wanted to see if you'd beg," he admitted, a humor to his voice.

"You jerk," Hiruzen chuckled. "Thank you. I'm in your debt."

Jiraiya turned to go. "You sure as hell are, sensei." He drew an umbrella over his head, and stepped out of the central building of Konoha into the rain. The dim setting sun poked through the occasional hole in the storm's spread. A few gasps of startled amazement from the people who knew him caught his attention as he walked the streets of his home village. He looked around and noticed the subtle changes, the slight differences between then and now, and filed it away in his mind. About fifteen minutes of walking led him to the apartment complex three, the building full of orphans who were given a weekly expense account to feed and clothe themselves. At the service desk on the ground floor sat a young man reading a magazine. He looked up, a sudden pleased look on his face.

"Well, to what can we owe this honor, Jiraiya-sama?" he asked.

"Naruko Uzumaki," he said.

The young man pulled a record book onto his desk. "Let's see…ah!" He pointed to a single entry. "Naruko Uzumaki, third floor, apartment three-b."

"Thanks," Jiraiya said, heading up the stairs. He climbed three floors before turning onto the outer walkway. A short walk from the staircase led him to a door with a crudely-drawn hand with the words, "assholes keep out!" painted inside. He smirked and knocked three times. A minute long wait saw the door open and a small child standing perplexed.

"Who're you, mister?" Her expression soured. "Oh, I get it. Another grownup come yell at me. Well get it over with!"

"You're an annoying brat, but you've got spunk," he said with a slightly irritated expression. "My name's Jiraiya, and I'm a good friend of the Hokage's, and he's asked me to take you to a place where you'll be safe and get private attention. You're Naruko, right?"

The little blonde girl with her hair in pigtails shook her head. "You're not here to yell at me?"

"Sorely tempted," Jiraiya admitted. "But I'm doing the old man a favor and so get your clothes together and we'll head out." He dropped a bag in front of her. "Put it in this."

Naruko grabbed the bag with a sudden cheeriness and headed in the apartment. Five minutes later, she came out carrying the bag. "Ready, Jiraiya-sensei!"

Jiraiya regarded the bag with confusion. "That thing's barely got anything in it," he said.

"I only got five outfits," Naruko admitted. Her slightly tattered shirt and shorts bothered him.

He shrugged. "Well, come with me. We'll buy you another set of outfits before we go."

Jiraiya picked up the bag and the two of them exited the apartment complex. The whole way, he looked forward to getting on with his mission with tracking Orochimaru and Akatsuki, and ditching this brat with the toads. There would be no way she would be in danger with the toads protecting her, and he could use any one of several excuses he had to avoid visiting her often. He didn't seem to notice Naruko beaming at the attention. She'd never had a grownup, not even Iruka who was nice to her and gave her ramen, to just tell her they were taking her some place safe. She walked happily, and none of the villagers looked at her oddly because she was walking with Jiraiya, whose mere presence commanded respect.

They made a stop at the clothing store nearest the academy. They both walked inside. The tailor was about to give Naruko a dirty look but then saw her companion. He looked up to the tall sage. "Jiraiya-sama! What brings you here?" the tailor asked.

He dropped a pile of coins on the desk. "This should cover at least five or six sets of outfits that Naruko here picks out," he ordered. "I'll be right back, I gotta get her study materials together."

The tailor switched rapidly between bewildered looks at Naruko and flattering looks at the tall sage. "Y…yes! As you wish, Jiraiya-sama!"

Jiraiya turned to Naruko. "Pick out two sets of casual clothes, and three or so sets of uniforms," he ordered. "You need casual clothes for when you aren't on a mission, and uniforms for when you are."

Naruko rapidly went to work looking at outfits, and the aging sage left the store and headed next door to the academy. He walked down the hall, getting more respectful glances, and knocked on the teacher's lounge door. A voice beckoned him in. He immediately recognized his target. "Iruka, is it?"

Iruka bowed. "Jiraiya-sama, I've received word from Lord Hokage," he said. "We talked about the need for Naruko to be educated by us as well as the toads, so I've compiled a full semester's worth of school work. This should take her from now until December." He hoisted a stack of books and scrolls and dropped them into Jiraiya's bag. "If you have need of me, please don't hesitate to come by…and would you mind if I see her before she goes?"

Jiraiya donned the bag via shoulder strap. "Sure thing." He started walking, the academy instructor walking behind him. Iruka wore a surprised and nervous expression. He had been told not to get too close to any student for fear of bias, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl, what with her being an orphan as well. They made their way back to the clothing store, where Naruko had a small pile of clothes in a plastic bag to shield them from the rain.

Jiraiya peered in the bag. The casual clothes were not a problem. Then he got to the uniforms. "What the hell is this?" he bellowed.

Naruko gave a "thumbs up" gesture. "Nobody else wanted 'em, so I got 'em," she explained. "I like orange and blue."

"There's a reason nobody buys them," Jiraiya protested. "They'll stick out…" He thought about prolonging his time with this girl. "You know what? On second thought, they're just fine. Whatever clothes you like, go with."

"Okay!" Naruko beckoned, cheerfully.

Jiraiya turned away to roll his eyes. I don't want to have a lecture with a girl about clothes, he thought. I'd be here until next August. Iruka moved past Jiraiya and hugged the little girl.

"Naruko, I know it seems like we're sending you away, but I guarantee the toads will take good care of you," he explained.

Naruko looked at him funny. "Toads?"

Jiraiya sighed, exasperatedly. "Smooth, Iruka." He turned to Naruko. "Let me explain. Lots of animals are what we call summons. We humans partner up with these highly intelligent animals and it makes our partnership stronger when we work together. Watch." He bit his thumb, and slapped the ground. The markings of the summoning jutsu appeared, and in a puff of smoke, one of the adult toads appeared, roughly the size of a cow.

"Jiraiya," the toad said.

Naruko almost jumped. "That toad talked!"

It regarded the girl. "So! First time this student o' yours has seen a summoning creature? You sure are taking students young, Jiraiya!"

Jiraiya put up his hands in protest. "Oh no," he replied. "She's going to be in the care of the toads for until she's ready for graduation from the academy. She's not my student."

The toad nodded. "Ah, I see. Gotta make 'er stronger and worthy of being a student of Jiraiya, right?"

Jiraiya gave a defeated nod. "Yes. That's totally it," he said, feeling forced. "Anyway, since she's not old enough yet to form a summoning contract, you're going to have to have one of the elders do the reverse summoning."

The toad smiled. "Sure thing!" He disappeared in a puff of smoke. Naruko turned to Iruka. "So, I'll be able to visit the village?"

"The toads'll make sure to take care of you," Iruka answered. "I'm sure they'll have someone with you when you're in the village to make sure you're safe."

Naruko and Jiraiya soon disappeared in a puff of smoke, summoned by the toads to Mount Myoboku. They appeared in a rocky area surrounded by streams and forest, as well as the cliffs and various small huts. The two of them were quickly greeted by several of the toads, who led them along a pathway. "Nice to see you drop in again, Jiraiya," one of the adults said. "We don't often let visitors stay here for extended periods of time, so we don't have very many accommodations for humans, but we set something up as per Lord Hokage's orders."

"So, where'm I staying?" Naruko asked.

The toad glanced over at her. "We've set you up a hut with everything you need. Running water, bathroom, kitchen, everything," he explained. "You see, we had to do a lot of things because usually humans stay here only long enough to train. But you're gonna be here for quite a while. We got a school area set up for you to receive lecture and tutoring, and we've got a basic schedule for you to keep up."

Naruko followed them to her hut, which she immediately stared at. "Wow! This is at least three times the size of my apartment!"

The toad took the bags from Jiraiya and lay them on the bed. "Now, we know you won't be fond of eating the same bugs that we eat, so we're gonna stock your refrigerator with human food and you'll be taught cooking so you can fix your own meals."

"So," Naruko asked, "why don't humans stay here more often?"

This time Jiraiya interjected. "That's because most of the time, people aren't given preferential treatment. You're a special case."

Naruko beamed at the thought. I'm special, she thought. "How long am I staying here?"

The toad shrugged. "We'll arrange for times where you can go, supervised, to the village, but you're here until Lord Hokage says otherwise. It's a safety thing."

Jiraiya knelt down and put his hands on her shoulders. "Now, Naruko, I know you're a prankster," he admitted. "I've seen some of your…eh…handywork. But you'll have to be serious here. The toads are going out of their way to accommodate you, so you have to be respectful, ok?"

"You'll have a few hours of free time to play or do whatever you please, but we've got a schedule mapped out for you, ok, Naruko-chan?" the toad asked.

Naruko beamed with pride. "I'll do my best, toad-sensei!"

"That's the spirit," the adult toad said. He took Jiraiya aside. Once they were out of range, and Naruko was laying her sets of clothes out on her bed, the toad turned to the sage. "Now, Jiraiya, I know you've been busy and all. This Akatsuki group and your old teammate Orochimaru have been problems, but I want you to promise me you won't just ditch this girl."

Jiraiya scratched his head. "Look, I know I seem like a serious asshole," he replied, "but I seriously don't think the girl's as big of a deal as my mission."

The toad sighed. "Jiraiya, I've known you for a long time. Gamabunta and the elders have nothing but nice things to say about you. But you have to take this girl seriously. She's had nothing, for her whole life. She'll latch onto anyone that gives her attention. You can't tell me that the wrong person could sweet talk her and have a weapon on their hands."

Jiraiya shook his head. "You're right, so I'll tell you what. A year from now, you get her up to the skill level of the other Konoha academy students, and I'll make sure I take her training seriously from that point on. Deal?"

The toad smiled and shook his hand. "Deal!"

"I mean it," Jiraiya added. "I want to see results before I take on her training!"

"Don't worry, we'll get her ready."

The next few weeks tested Naruko's desire and tenacity. At first, the toads were worried that her status as a prank-loving juvenile would prevent her from being able to adequately prepare for her life as a shinobi, but she showed surprising dedication. The more elderly toads responsible for her tutoring considered it a byproduct of her personal attention. Having received firsthand word of the rambunctious "knucklehead ninja," as those who knew her called her, they found that she had a surprising talent for proving people's opinions wrong.

Naruko sat in her room, with one of the toads seated several feet away reading a book. He was there to supervise her homework and to be a tutor after schooling if need be. He noticed her set down her pencil, so he approached and picked up one of her notebooks. He flipped through the pages one by one, smiling when he reached the end. "Good job! You're done with your work for the day," he praised. "You know, I'm amazed at how quick you can get through these. Your answers aren't always perfect, but now you can get almost any of the ideas in the text without having to get much tutor help!"

"When I go to the village," she reminded, "I want to be able to show Iruka-sensei and Jiraiya-sensei my good work and have them see how hard I'm trying!"

The toad patted her on the head. "Well, I'm sure that this'll get them all riled up with praise," he said. "You been working your butt off. I don't think I've ever seen a child of six work like this."

Naruko set her books aside and turned to the toad with a serious expression. "Jiraiya trained here a lot, he did a lot of important stuff. He looks like he's been doing something for a long time."

The toad squirmed slightly. "I'm not supposed to tell ya anything about what he's really doing," the toad admitted, "but let's just say he's spying on a bunch of bad guys."

She smiled and went off to play. One of her favorite spots to play at, the river, always gave her ideas. She would take off her shoes and splash around in the shallow water near the edge before heading back into the main area to dry off and skip stones on the small puddles that were nearby. She would often practice some of the basic jutsu, such as using chakra to step quietly. It got to the point, after several weeks of playing quiet motion, that she could run several hundred meters before she lost control and her footsteps started making noise again. She would play hide and seek and some of the toads would play along, and she got better at avoiding them finding her. She also amazed them with her ability to blend in with her surroundings. Despite wearing a bright orange uniform, she could effectively use chakra to turn the colors of her skin and clothes the colors around her. She managed to prove a point by sneaking into the toad sage temple before getting caught and sent back to her room. The one thing she found herself barely able to use was clones.

Her seventh birthday approached. Within two weeks, she would be seeing Jiraiya again, returning after a whole year of being on his mission. She had finished all the curriculum given to her by Iruka, mastered the skills that an academy student would be expected to perform up to, and felt confident in everything except clones. She approached one of the toads in the temple.

"You can talk to Lord Hokage, right?" she asked.

"Naruko-chan," the serious-faced toad said, "you can't just barge in here." He looked at her pleading face. "Oh, alright. I can relay a message to Lord Hokage." He pulled out a scroll. "Speak."

"I'm really sucky at clones," she said. "I don't wanna disappoint Jiraiya-sensei. Can you send me a scroll helping me to do clones?"

The toad sputtered, getting surprised by her statement. "Naruko-chan," he urged, "are you sure? I mean, the clones you're talking about, and the clone technique Hokage-sama would have a scroll of are very different. You're talking about illusions, whereas the Hokage is only going to have information about Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, which creates real clones and is a jounin-level technique. A lot of people can't even do it who're much older than you."

Naruko gritted her teeth. "I don't care!" she yelled. "I gotta prove myself!"

The toad shrugged. "I'll ask him; the worst he can do is say no." He summoned himself to Konoha to deliver the message. Naruko returned to her hut and waited, drawing pictures of the skyline in a sketchbook to pass the time. After a few dozen minutes, she completed a basic pencil sketch and lay back on her bed, bored. I wonder if Jiraiya will make me strong, she thought. I can't be a helpless little girl. I gotta get stronger. She let out a breath and stared at the afternoon sky. The blazing sun symbolized her spirit; she wanted nothing more than to be recognized, by someone, by anyone.

She wasn't waiting for a half hour when the messenger toad came to her door. "Naruko-chan," he said, holding forward a small scroll. "The Lord Hokage expressed a great deal of apprehension at the aspect of using this technique, but ultimately, decided the supervision you would receive would make it work."

Naruko hadn't gotten used to some of the formal speak with which the messengers used. "So," she confusedly answered, "what you're telling me is he didn't want me doing it, but decided it'd be ok because you guys are helping me?"

The toad nodded. "Absolutely." He set the scroll on her bed. "I spoke to Lord Fukasaku, and he said that he wants you to train the technique in the area near the river, that way you can be monitored to make sure you don't suffer extreme duress."

Naruko stared at him a moment. "Uh, so he wants me to use it where people can make sure I don't die?"

"Again, absolutely," the messenger toad said, before taking off.

She sat down. Why do the messengers speak such…big words? She unfolded the scroll. Despite it not being the original source of the jutsu, the handwritten copy contained everything she wanted to know. It also had a personal message from Hiruzen. "Naruko," his words read, "I was wondering how serious you were about your training, but if you're risking learning this technique, then I have nothing to worry about. I want you to know that, despite my attention focused elsewhere, I do in fact care about you, and I want you to know that you are indeed loved. Even those such as Jiraiya who seem distant actually want nothing more than to see you safe and happy. Sincerely, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi." She smiled and wiped her left eye after reading his message. She reeled it back up and headed out to do some training.

From a ledge looking down at Naruko, one of the adult toads in charge of her training saw her leave her hut. He followed her all the way to the cliffs overseeing the river, perched himself, and observed. Fukasaku had told him not to directly interfere unless something went wrong, because he wanted to see just how far Naruko could go on her own. Class and sparring occurred under strict tutelage; this was a rare opportunity to see how she could train herself.

Naruko practiced the manipulation of her chakra for the first couple hours. She managed to get it flowing properly and focused on a spot directly in front of her. The first couple dozen times she tried it, the clones would burst into nothingness an instant after appearing. Taking a deep breath, she consulted the scroll once again. Okay, that makes sense, she thought, I gotta get my chakra to split evenly amongst every clone I make. If the balance is even a bit off, it causes the clone to disappear instantly. She focused on her inner chakra, mentally measuring it for degrees. She realized that if she needed two clones, each one would get half her chakra; if she needed three clones, each one would get a third. Measuring the degree of chakra percentage frustrated her, as she wasn't the best at measuring.

She strolled down to the river and took a drink of water. Afterward, she stood erect, closed her eyes, and focused once again. After a few moments, she put her hands into the proper sign. Shadow clone jutsu! she mentally yelled.

A visible clone appeared. "I did it!" she cried.

"It worked!" shouted the clone.

Then her chakra fluctuated and the clone dispersed. She fell backwards to a seated position. "Damn it," she uttered, taking deep breaths. "I have to be able to focus."

Hours passed. The toad observing her swapped with another so he could get dinner and rest. The new observer sat down and was surprised at how tenacious and determined Naruko could be. He'd seldom seen a child so young try so hard to perfect a technique. Not only was this a jounin level technique, there were not many who could use it. It required a tremendous amount of skill to utilize and a lot more to perfect. He watched as she would make clones, and focus on her chakra being properly distributed so each one would be permanently visible. After several hours, he too would get up and be replaced by another.

After ten hours, the sun had long set and the midnight moon hung overhead. She had practiced and successfully made one clone. Then, with much effort, she made two. By midnight the only light was from the moon and from a couple of torches that she lit. She had gotten to the point where she could adequately measure how much chakra each clone needed. Now, she wanted to practice to see how high she could push it. She figured ten wasn't her limit, so she tried twenty. She then tried a hundred and eventually made it. A thousand, she thought. That would have to be the limit. With sweat pouring down her face, she halted her rapid breaths, and focused. I hope I have enough to pull this off, she said to herself.

She thrust her fingers together in the proper sign. The sudden gust from the disturbing of the air revealed the entire river area filled with clones of herself. Each Naruko pumped their hands upwards in celebration, right before she collapsed backward in exhaustion. "I…did it," she uttered, falling asleep. The toad jumped down from the cliff and scooped her up.

Amazing, he thought, bounding from the river several times until the village in the shadow of the toad temple came into view. She actually pulled it off. She's only a few days short of being seven years old and she's already pulled off a technique that I doubt many adults could've. He arrived at last at her hut and set her gently on the bed, pulling the covers over her. Hiruzen, he thought, you certainly had nothing to worry about, in terms of this girl's success. He turned off her light and left.

A few moments later, he walked into the temple. "I need to send a message to Lord Hokage," he said.

"Tell me the message and I shall relay it to Lord Hokage first thing in the morning," the messenger said, pulling a scroll out of his pouch.

The observer cleared his throat. "Lord Hokage," he explained, "Naruko has mastered the technique you gave her. Furthermore, she's mastered it in only half a day. That is all."

The messenger stopped writing for a moment. "You can't be serious," he scoffed.

"I am," the observer said, nodding. "I wouldn't have believed it either had I not seen it with my own eyes."

The messenger almost dropped his pen. "So, you actually saw it? Even as dark as it is?"

The observer stared with beady eyes. "The entire river valley area was illuminated by the moon overhead and several torches lit. I saw what I saw. Will you send the message or not?"

The messenger shrugged. "If it is indeed true then I shall unquestionably," he replied.

"Good. I want Hiruzen to know of this at once. That should get Jiraiya's attention."

The morning sun peeked in through the window to her hut. Naruko pulled herself to a seated position at the edge of the bed, slipping on her sandals. She stretched and stood up. After a few moments of getting her bearings she made her way to the bathroom, took off her clothes and showered. She grabbed a towel and dried off, changing into a clean outfit. She combed her blonde hair and tied a ponytail behind her head. She quickly made her way out of the hut and to the training area. Waiting for her was her trainer, and two other toads as well.

"So, what's on the schedule for today, guys?" she asked.

The first toad stepped forward. "Since you have mastered the Multi Shadow Clone technique, that means we'll be able to train at a faster pace," he explained. "You see, what one shadow clone learns, all the others will learn once it dissipates."

Naruko looked at him strangely. "I don't quite understand."

The toad nodded. "Ah," he said. "Make a clone."

She did as instructed. "There," she said.

He made a clone as well. "Clone Naruko, follow me." The clone of her walked away with the clone of him.

"What are our clones doing?" she asked.

"You'll find out," the instructor replied.

The clones stood far away from their originals, behind a rock. "So, what are we doing here?" clone Naruko asked.

"Let's play rock-paper-scissors," the trainer replied. They each pumped their fists twice, on the third time, the instructor revealed paper, while Naruko revealed scissors.

"I won!" Naruko exclaimed.

The trainer nodded. "Now dispel." Both of them did as instructed.

Naruko blinked a moment. "Ok! I get it!"

"The advantage of any of the Shadow Clone techniques," the trainer explained, "is that they aren't illusions. They're solid flesh and blood. The downside is, unless they are strengthened, they dispel with one hit, but whatever they learn, you learn."

Naruko shrugged. "So, how does that allow us to learn faster?"

"You'll have three clones, each one training with a different teacher," he answered. "That way, you'll learn in a third of the time."

Naruko suddenly beamed. "That's right! If there's three, it's a third! If there were four, it'd be a fourth!"

"Logically speaking," the toad continued, "if you had a thousand, it'd only take a thousandth of the time. You could learn twenty years' worth of something in just about a week."

"So, that's why you toads are so strong!" Naruko exclaimed.

The toad shook his head. "No. In fact, I've never trained this way."

She almost fell backwards. "But, why?"

"You're quite unique, Naruko-chan. You've got a lot more chakra."

She gasped. "I do?"

"Almost three and a half times more, in fact," he admitted. "It makes you naturally more capable than those of your peers. In terms of where you'd be in academy, you're almost equal to the top students. You're already good enough to graduate." He pointed at her for effect. "But don't let that get to your head. It's only with constant dedication to training and self-improvement that the best are the best."

"But everyone always called me a failure," she stated.

The toad shook his head. "No. Just as long as you keep working hard, you'll be fine. Now create two clones so you can get to training!"

She created two clones and each Naruko trained with a different master. In about two hours, she did three days' worth of training. Where before she'd do her schoolwork in her hut, she had twenty clones sit in the auditorium and each do a different subject, two per assignment. An entire week's schoolwork she'd finish in less than one evening. The night before Jiraiya was set to return and fulfill his bargain, Ma and Pa Toad held a meeting in the temple.

"My friends," Pa toad Fukasaku started, "I think we need to address the issue of Naruko."

Shima, Ma toad, agreed. "I think it's almost serendipity that she came to us. The fact that Lord Hokage failed to notice this potential is almost a sad failure on Konoha's part. She's learned more in the year she's been here than a Konoha academy student learns in the entire program."

"I think that if Jiraiya refuses to train her," Naruko's main instructor said, "we should continue to train her. We shouldn't give her back to Konoha until she's ready."

Gamabunta, who towered over the meeting, even offered his two cents. "I see a student of great potential, who is emotionally vulnerable," he said, trying to quiet his booming voice. "She flourishes because she feels cared for." He pointed off at the horizon. "Without the care of people to show her she is loved, she would turn into another Orochimaru, another Nagato."

Fukasaku looked upward. "Bunta, what would you suggest?"

"Pa-sama," Gamabunta said, "I would strongly suggest allowing her to enter into the Konoha academy and having Jiraiya train her on the side. That way, she could at least have people her age to talk to. I mean, not to sound degrading, but she's a human. She needs companionship we toads can't necessarily provide."

Shima looked at Fukasaku. "Pa, I think we should agree then," she said. "What we need to do is see if Jiraiya agrees to it, but we need her to have companions her age that are human."

Her trainer interjected. "I agree with you, she needs others of her kind and age."

Fukasaku turned to the group. "All in favor?" Every hand went up. "Agreed. Tomorrow, Jiraya returns, we tell him our plan."

The next morning, as soon as the sun came up, Jiraiya had been summoned. He had spent the year gathering data on the Akatsuki as well as Orochimaru, and had almost completely forgotten about Naruko and his bargain with the toads. He had heard from them that she mastered the multi shadow clone jutsu and that was something he definitely wanted to see.

Naruko noticed him right away. "Jiraiya-sensei!" she cried. "You came back!"

He scratched his head. "Yeah, I sure did." He sat down on a rock. "So, what's this I hear about you mastering the shadow clone jutsu? That's a jounin technique at least."

She smiled and put her fingers together. About six clones appeared around her. She dispelled them. "So, what do you think?"

He whistled in surprise. "That's amazing. I never would've pegged you for figuring that out that quickly."

"Really? You mean it?"

He hugged her. "I'm truly amazed. It shouldn't even be possible for you to do this technique. If you can do this then you're truly something. I was totally wrong to misjudge you; you're definitely going to get my training."

"I won't let you down!" She grasped onto him tighter.

"Oh, don't worry about letting me down, kiddo," he replied. "The first thing I want to do, you see, is to take you back to the village. We're going to see about you getting an official headband so you can start going on official missions."

The two of them were reverse summoned back to Konoha. Everyone noticed right away that Naruko seemed different. None of them could quite place it, but she no longer saw them as enemies. Now that she had the ability to fight back, she would defend herself if necessary. She wanted to be simply another villager, instead of the singled-out target she was. On her way back to the Konoha Academy, she stopped by the ramen shop and got a quick bowl to fill up. As she entered, with her sensei, into the office of Iruka, he couldn't help but see how much different her attitude was.

"You look awfully proud of yourself today," he noticed. "Is it because you've finished everything that I gave for you to do?"

"She actually did past your homework and finished the entire program," Jiraiya reminded.

Iruka did a double take. "How the hell did she finish the entire book in under a year?"

Naruko gave a grin and put her fingers together. In a puff of smoke, seven clones appeared. Iruka stared agape at the sight. "I did it this way," she answered.

"Multiple Shadow Clone technique," Iruka gasped. "That's not even a jutsu I could do properly."

"So, I'm assuming she graduates," Jiraiya said. "After all, I can't take her out of the village until she has a headband."

Iruka stood up from his desk and approached. "Please, let me ask you a favor," he implored.

Jiraiya folded his arms. "I really wanted to take her out and see the world, have her train with me while going on an adventure."

"Yes, I understand that," Iruka argued, "but I very seldom get students that are this skilled. She's possible chunin material. I'd really like for her to stick around as a student assistant."

Naruko perked up. "What's a student assistant?"

Jiraiya looked down. "It's when a graduate is requested to stay on another term and help teach the students that are still in the program how to properly be a ninja," he explained. "If he wants you to stick around and be a student assistant, I'll still train you on the side, if that's really what you want."

Iruka closed in. "It'll only be until the end of this term," he said. "This year we've got a particularly interesting group of students."

Naruko found it difficult to weigh the options. She looked up. "How long would we be gone?"

Jiraiya thought about it, shaking his head left and right. "About five years. You'd be approaching your twelfth birthday when we got back."

She folded her arms, and furrowed her brow in thought. "Five years with Jiraiya-sama, or two years with Iruka-sensei and three years with Jiraiya-sama," she spoke. A minute passed. "You know what? I've always wanted to see the world with Jiraiya-sama. Iruka-sensei, I really don't think teaching is what I do good."

Iruka laughed. "What you do well, Naruko-chan," he corrected. "Well, in any case, I wish you the best of luck." He handed Naruko a headband out of his box. "Always think of me and think of the village. I know that this is a distinct honor that not a lot of people have had, training under Jiraiya-sensei privately for a long period of time, and I know he'll take good care of you and show you a lot of sights that you wouldn't otherwise have seen."

She smiled wide. "I will, Iruka-sensei!" Both Jiraiya and she headed off to five years of training and adventure.