Chapter 1
"Naruto-kun, eat up your breakfast! You'll need every bit of your strength to do well in the Academy, understand?" A certain redheaded demanded of him, swinging a wooden spoon as a means of imposing authority.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! So tell me, Naruto, who's going to be the next Rookie of the Year, huh?" Minato asked his son, ruffling through his hair while still laughing at his wife's excitement.
"Me! Uzumaki Naruto! The next Hokage!" The boy squealed in happiness, excitement and determination. Which kind of contrasted with how serious his father became, looking at him with a penetrating glare.
"Sweet Kami, you're not even five years old and you're already thinking about dethroning your old man? The betrayal! Traitor!" His father jokingly accused him of high treason as his face turned into an annoyed, cute frown.
"Hey! You know I'm five years old already! Today's my birthday!"
"It is? Well, that explains why I found this lying around..." The Yellow Flash said out loud as he took a wrapped package from his ninja pouch, showing it to Naruto as his wife, Kushina, took hold of the boy and held him tight, planting several kisses on his head and dropping her own wrapped present on the table.
"These gifts are from dad and me. We hope you like them. Happy birthday, sweetie!" She bid him as he squealed in happiness, tearing the wrapping paper apart.
As he finished riping the material apart, he was confronted with a small black box. He looked up at his father who was giving him his trademark smile.
The blond boy opened the container to see a kunai with three points and some black inscriptions on its leather handle.
The box had been designed specifically to hold it, as the rest was empty except for the black cushion.
Naruto took a hold of the kunai and tested its weight, still curious towards the symbols.
"Dad, what are these symbols for?" He asked, convinced that they were there for a purpose. Minato laughed and ruffled his hair again, proud of his son's intelligence.
"That, Naruto, is the mark for one of the Second Hokage's signature technique. The Flying Thunder God. I've perfected it and it's become my signature technique as well. Now, I'm passing it down to you." He explained.
"Awesome! What does it do?" The child asked, making the kunai spin around his index finger. Suddenly, it escaped his grip and swung out of his finger, flying towards the closed window.
He winced and was waiting for the crash when a spark of yellow light came to life. His father was there, smiling at him while holding the kunai in his right hand.
"I don't know, you tell me."
Naruto's eyes were glinting with awe and excitement. To move at such high speeds! He'd be the strongest shinobi ever!
Suddenly, pain. His mother had struck him over the head with the wooden spoon, making him whimper.
"You better thank your father for saving the window or it'd be much worse than the spoon for you! Now open my present before I take it away! Dattebane!" She ordered as he reached for her own wrapping.
"Owie..." He complained as he took apart the wrapping to reveal a scroll. Mesmerized, he looked up at his now smiling mother.
"That scroll contains the most basic sealing technique. As an Uzumaki, you'll have to become very skilled in Fuinjutsu. If you are able to use that seal at least once in front of me, I'll give you another to train on today, ok?"
Naruto religiously and softly stocked it in his brand new ninja pouch before throwing himself at his parents, pulling them in for a tight hug.
"I love you! You guys are the best parents ever!"
"We love you too, Naruto-kun. Now come on, dad's taking you to the Academy."
…...
"Here we are!" Minato declared as the two arrived at the Ninja Academy. The Fourth Hokage was wearing his red and white jacket, accompanied with his navy blue ninja pants and shirt, finishing with his black sandals.
His son, though, was wearing a red t-shirt with the Uzumaki swirl in front, and a black, open, zip-up jacket that was orange in a long line on the top of each sleeve and had the Namikaze wings on the back. His outfit was finished with loose, dark grey pants and black sandals, contrasting with his shiny blond hair and sky-blue eyes.
"Dad, why did you come with me? I'm a big boy now! I can come alone." Naruto asked him, making his father laugh again, starting to ruffle his hair, like he so loved to do so.
"Well, aren't we full of ourselves? Until you steal the spot from me, I'm the current Hokage. The Hokage Office is still in the same building as the Academy. Besides, as the Kage, I have to wish the new students goood luck and a good year." Minato explained as they entered the Acaemy and walked along the corridors.
"Ok. But dad, tell me, how do you use the Flying Thunder God? You didn't use handseals or anything.." He asked, as from what his father, mother, and pretty much every member of his close family had told him that most techniques required the darned things.
"Well, it isn't easy, but it isn't hard either. Basically, you have to start by forcing a lot of chakra into the kunai as you hold it to make the seal "know" who you are. After that, you can pretty much do it for any distance with the same kunai anytime you want without preparation."
"But what then? I throw the kunai but how do I teleport?" The boy asked. Minato smiled with pride for seeing his son so curious and determined about ninja training.
"Then, is when it gets tricky. When the kunai gets away from you, you have to release your chakra in frequent waves all around you. The kunai that now has an affinity for your chakra will notice you're around and will try to establish a connection with you. When you detect that, you aim your chakra release in a straight line towards your kunai. As soon as it reaches, the seal will pull you through space and time, and you will appear right by it."
As he finished his explanation, they had walked through two flights of stairs and were nearing Naruto's classroom. The boy seemed in awe.
"Wow. Sounds complicated, and you do it so fast!" The boy commented, making his father laugh yet again.
"Well, i'll make you a deal. If you manage to do it once in front of me, I'll teach you another awesome technique today!"
The blond boy's face turned from awe into determination and excitement.
"I'm going to dominate this technique!" Naruto declared, raising his fist.
"Yoshi!" Minato followed as they opened the door.
…...
Dozens of heads turned to face the yellow-haired duo as they walked in, immediately getting star-struck as they realized it was the Fourth Hokage, the Yellow Flash, the one who was pushing for the blue-eyed boy.
"Go along, Naruto. Take a seat." His father told him as he nodded, flipping the kunai in his fingers before sticking it into his ninja pouch and heading down the steps.
Classrooms in the Academy were large and had high ceilings, based on a theory that larger classrooms lead to expansive education, expanding even to the blackboard itself. In front of the blackboard was a podium, situated far from the students' desks and put in a position where the teacher could view everyone at once.
Naruto reached one of the few tables with a vacant spot and passed by the glass-wearing student to sit by the window.
As he sat, he extended a hand, a smile on his face.
"Hey, my name is Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. What's yours?" He asked, keeping his hand up. The boy looked at him and shook his hand in return.
"I'm Shino Aburame." He replied. Naruto nodded while smiling.
"Cool name! Hey, wanna be friends? We can have lunch together!"
Shino seemed a bit surprised that people actually wanted to spend time with one of the "bug-creeps" and quickly nodded, taking care not to show the radiant smile that he felt on the inside.
"Awesome."
"Please, could everyone pay attention just for a bit?" The Chuunin, Umino Iruka asked from in front of the blackboard as the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze approached.
"My dear boys and girls, you all have no idea how proud I am of each and every single one of you for deciding to sign up for the Ninja Academy, and therefore, dedicating your lives to help the village in any and all ways."
"These will not be a series of easy years, that I assure you. I do not mean to scare you, but if you want to become capable ninja, you will have to do your absolute best at all times. Only then will you be able to achieve your dreams."
"Even me?" The chubby boy known as Chouji asked, receiving the most warm smile from the Hokage that looked at him.
"Why would you say "even"? As long as they try their best, anyone can reach any goal they've set their minds to. That means you, that means the pink-haired girl behind you and that means the rest of everyone in the world."
The students were staring at him with awe in their eyes, all idolizing the yellow-haired man that stood in front of them as a beacon of hope.
"Now, it is getting late, and to no longer keep you from your class, I wish you good luck and a great first year. Are there any questions?"
"Yes. Is the boy that came in with you your son?" A blond girl that Naruto would soon know as Ino asked him. Minato laughed.
"Yes. That is Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, my son. But don't think he's getting any special treatment. If anything, he's getting the hardest training possible. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go."
He disappeared in a flash of yellow, probably knowing that they'd be amazed at it. The students were all smiling with the small speech of motivation, but then, they remembered something.
All at the same time, they turned their heads to Naruto, who seemed confused as to why they were giving him so much attention.
"What?"
…...
The day had gone by rather smoothly. The students were told how the days would be planned out, starting with Geography, Ninja Tactics and Chakra Knowledge in the morning, followed by lunch time of two hours for them to go wherever they wanted and then physical training, involving Shurikenjutsu, Taijutsu, Ninjutsu and, if the student had a knack for it, Genjutsu.
The day would end with a sparring session, when every student would have at least one fight with another, in order for the Chuunin to evaluate their progress efficiently.
As it was the first day, they did none of it, and simply learned how to get by the school and information as such.
So, they were let off approximately two hours earlier, leaving the wannabe-ninjas to do their own thing before having to go home.
Naruto, who was now more or less familiarized with Shino's personality, was in one of the open field Training Grounds, right in the middle of a forest.
The Aburame was sitting on a park bench, with a cloud of bugs hovering around him as he collected them for his hive. He was happy that he could finally do this openly, as most people thought it was creepy, while Naruto thought it was super cool.
Naruto himself was training the Flying Thunder God technique right by Shino's side. He was standing and holding a kunai, injecting it with chakra before he could get started on the hard part. As the two did their thing, they talked and talked about hobbies, likes, dislikes and the such. They were natural friends.
But they weren't alone.
From behind a couple of bushes, a group of girls watched the blond boy, giggling to themselves as he threw the kunai and performed the Ram seal, releasing a burst of chakra.
"He's so cute!" Some said.
"I'm going to marry him." Others followed.
The boy himself didn't really care about any of these things. His goals were others, and he was practically immune to that kind of affection, so the new fangirls were out of luck.
"Tell me, Naruto. What is your goal as a shinobi?" Shino asked. His education as a soon-to-be ninja had gotten him to the maturity level of at least a ten year old, as he would grow up a whole lot faster than any other normal child. His questions reflected this.
"Well, I don't know. I keep saying I'd like to be the Hokage, but that's not why I want it. I don't want the place because I'll be super powerful. I want it because then, I'll have the power to make peace." He explained. Although he acted childish most of the time, five-year old Naruto had his grown-up moments, something that derived from the intense intelectual training his father had supplied him with. Shino nodded.
"But why do you want peace, though? What would that effect? And what wars do you want to end?" He asked again. That's when Naruto's face turned more serious as he focused harder on directing his chakra at the kunai, from which he had felt a sudden "pull".
"Dad doesn't want me to grow up as an innocent boy. He's told me more than once that if I want to be a strong shinobi, I have to know from the start that the world isn't a fairy tale. Mom says it too. So they've taken me to countries like the Land of Waves to show me poverty and suffering. Sure, war is bad but the people that get into it go into it by choice. And because of them, others end up having to live in the streets and prostitute themselves to even eat from the garbage. I want to fight for those. I want everyone to be equal. I want everyone to be happy."
Shino whistled at the grandiosity of Naruto's objectives. It certainly wasn't duty for someone common or weak-willed.
"That's a big goal. Many others have set their minds to do the same, what makes you think you're different?" He replied, not making fun or mocking the blond-haired boy but rather, testing his determination to go on. Naruto smiled.
"Well, that's simple. It's because..." Naruto begun his response as he felt his chakra connect with the special kunai and suddenly, he was being pulled.
Next thing he knew, a yellow spark enveloped him and he appeared right by the tree behind Shino's bench, holding the right kunai with his right hand.
"...I have too much to lose to make a mistake."
…...
The rest of the afternoon went by quickly as Naruto made sure he could use the Flying Thunder God at least five more times before he and Shino left to do their own thing. The blond boy made sure to invite his new friend over to their birthday party, and the Aburame promised to not miss it before they went on their own way.
Naruto was happy. The first day at the Academy had gone well, he had made a friend and everything was looking up so far. Besides, he still had his birthday party at home with his parents, grandparents and uncles.
Oh, and also the two "anonymous guests" that his parents had mentioned earlier. No matter how many times the blond boy asked, he wouldn't receive further information, so it was something else he was looking forward to.
"No! Please, just let me go!" A voice cried, calling for his attention. He took a sharp turn to see the unwatched front of the Academy, where three boys pushed around a dark-haired girl. Hinata Hyuuga, he thought was her name.
"Shut up, you spoiled clan bitch!" One of them, the fattest one, probably the leader, ordered, slapping her with his right hand. Naruto was not about to let this go.
His special kunai got stuck in the tree right by the leader, surprising him to see a metal/leather handle right in front of his face.
"Leave her alone. Now." He demanded.
The three turned to him, and as soon as they did, the leader started laughing.
"Now this is awesome. Two clan babies getting beat up just this afternoon, I'm so lucky!" The boy commented as he grabbed a handful of Hinata's hair and twisted it, making her whimper.
"If you want her so much, come get her!"
Naruto looked at him with anger in his eyes as he performed the Ram seal, disappearing in a yellow flash, making the boys gasp.
"Gladly. Flying Thunder God technique!" Naruto appeared between the bully and Hinata, one hand holding the stuck kunai and pulling him up as he used both of his feet to kick the boy away.
"Gah, you dick!" The boy yelled as he was pushed back a few feet, both fists raised to block the kick. Naruto smirked as he rose his right arm.
"I'm going to teach you not to harm the people of the village that I'll rule when I become Hokage." He declared as the boy looked at him, pulling out a kunai.
"I'm going to gut you like a pig, clan boy!" He screamed as he ran towards Naruto, ready to stab him. Naruto again rose his right arm and extended it to the side.
"This one, I learned from Uncle A!"
Naruto readied himself as if he was starting a race, and, with impressive speed, kicked off the ground, almost instantly appearing next to his target, hitting his neck with his right arm and forcing him to drop the kunai.
"Lariat!" The boy proclaimed the technique's name as he pushed hard with his arm, making the boy gasp out his air and send him flying into his two buddies.
The trio crashed down to the ground in a bunch of swears, but after the two subordinates realized their leader was now trying to force air into himself to mimick breathing and was not able to fight anymore, they quickly grabbed him by his arms and took him away, preventing any further harm to be done.
"Hehe, Uncle A did tell me that would hurt like hell." The boy muttered to himself as he turned around to see Hinata looking at him with curiosity.
"They're gone now, they won't come back. Are you ok?" He asked her, pulling out the kunai from the tree and sticking it into his ninja pouch again.
"Y-Yes..t-thank you for helping me..." She replied, as shy as could be.
Naruto winked at her, helping her up with his hand.
"Alright, where do you live? I'll take you there so nothing else happens." He volunteered as her cheeks turned vermillion.
"That won't be necessary, Namikaze-san, I'll handle this." A voice from behind told him as one of the Hyuuga men approached, taking Hinata's hand.
"Thank you for helping Hinata-sama, you are your father's son. Now excuse us, for we have to leave." The man told him as he dragged the girl away from view, leaving the boy there, dumbfounded.
Well, that was awkward...
…...
Five Hours Later
Night time had come, and with it – dinner.
Every year, when it came to little Naruto's birthday, a very select group of people used to come over to visit and catch up.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and his wife Biwako, were unofficially the boy's most "present" grandparents, and also were a common figure in the house.
Two of the three Great Sannin, Jiraiya and Tsunade were the boy's godfather and godmother respectively, and whenever they were free of missions and other occupations, they would pass by and pay him a visit, often bringing small gifts with them.
Finally, and directly from the Village Hidden in the Clouds, the Raikage, "Unruly A" and his two bodyguards, C and Darui, were also present. Apparently, after both became Kage, A and Minato became very close friends, each visiting the other many times every year. Naruto's birthday was also an excuse for an extra visit.
Since he was now Naruto's most recent friend, Shino also came over, being escored by none other than his father, "The Pride of the Aburame", Aburame Shibi.
With this, Naruto's "Happy Birthday"committee was complete, and, in his opinion, it was more than enough.
"So tell me, Naruto, did you enjoy your first day at the Academy?" Hiruzen asked, taking the chunk of meat he was holding on his fork into his mouth. They were all sitting around a table, eating pork.
"Any cute girls in your class?" Jiraiya hastily followed with his perverted grin, earning him a quick punch to the back of the head from Tsunade, who was sitting by his side, sending him crashing into the ground.
"Damned perv..." She muttered as Kushina high-fived her over the table.
"Yes, it was really awesome! The things they're going to to teach us are so cool, and the people seemed so nice! The girls were following me for some reason, but I don't really care. And I met Shino over here!" He replied, pointing to the boy that sat by his left. As they ate, they were distracted playing jan-ken-pon.
"Yep, but that wasn't all, now was it, Naruto?" Minato asked him with an "all-knowing" smile on his face.
Everyone turned their heads to Naruto who lowered his own and sleepishly rubbed the back of his head, blushing with shame.
"...I sort of got into a fight..." He confessed, making Biwako immediately form a shocked expression on her face as Darui, C and A rose their eyebrows, wanting to know more. Minato promptly conceeded.
"So get this, here I am, taking care of the paperwork in the Hokage Office..." He began, hearing a gasp from the Third as he heard the word "paperwork", right before he realized that it wasn't his problem anymore, sighing in relief.
"When in comes no other than Hiashi, the leader of the Hyuuga Clan, holding a wrapped gift. I ask him what he's doing and he told me that he wanted me to deliver the gift to my son as congratulations for his fifth birthday and as thanks for saving his daughter."
"Saving his daughter? You mean Hinata? The cute, shy one?" Tsunade asked as Jiraiya pervertedly grinned.
"That one's going to have a G cup when she grows, you people mark my words."
The rage of a thousand suns came crashing down on him as Tsunade provided him with a punch, making him fly into and through a wall, ending up in the kitchen. Apparently, this was quite common, as nobody payed much attention to it.
"Anyway, I ask him just what he's talking about, and he tells me that someone from his clan saw Naruto beating three little punks who were picking on Hinata and send them running away."
Kushina and Biwako immediately hugged the boy, proud out of their minds.
"My knight in shining armor..." They called him. The Third gave him a proud smile along with Tsunade, and even the beaten-up Jiraiya managed to crawl into the room and give him a thumbs up.
"Now pay attention, A, because I think you'll like this part. I accepted the gift and thanked him before going away. I spoke around with people until I found this man that saw the whole thing."
"He told me that Naruto looked just like me in the beginning of the fight and just teleported to his thrown kunai with a yellow flash, kicking the boy away. However, he told me that his finishing move was a whole lot more straightforward, if you know what I mean." Minato continued his explanation, receiving a weird look from the Raikage as he realized what he was saying and was on the verge of laughing.
"No way!" He said.
"Yes way! Apparently, mister Naruto still remembers your training, because the man told me that Naruto just ran at the guy and hit his throat with his arm, sneding him fly into his two friends with a cute cry of "Lariat"."
The Raikage burst out in laughter, quickly accompanied by Minato himself, Darui and C as they pictured the small Naruto performing a mini version of the Lariat on some other kid.
Kushina facepalmed at the hilarity that violence brought out in men, but simply let it be. They were men after all.
"Darui, what did I tell you? This kid is just like Bee!"
…...
The hours went by, and soon it was time for people to leave. The next day was a working day and everybody had to be fresh.
But, as to leave the goodbyes with a more "bittersweet" taste, they were accompanied with the delivery of the presents.
"Here you go, Naruto-kun. This gift is from me and Biwako." Hiruzen started, handing over a small scroll with a name tag on it.
"Shadow Shuriken Technique?" The blond read out loud, curious as to what it did.
"With that technique, any Shuriken or Kunai you throw will bring five more with it." The man explained, making the boy's eyes glint as he wondered at the possibilities, before he threw himselfed forward, catching his grandparents in a deep hug.
"Thanks Grandpa Hokage, thanks Grandma Biwako!"
"There's no need my boy, we'll see you soon."
The two walked away as Tsunade came forth, dragging a completely broken Jiraiya with her.
"Hey there, kiddo. Your godfather Jiraiya and I united to get you a single, yet very good present. We hope you like it."
She gave him a single black box that immediately made him raise an eyebrow in curiosity. What was it with people and black boxes?
"Th-..that box contains a pair of th..of the most well-crafted Ch-Chakra blades in existence. If you make your Ch-Chakra run through them, whatever N-Nature you have an aff-affinity to will make it more powerful in s-some way. Also, th-there are some Ch-Chakra papers in there so you c-can see which Na...which Nature you have." Jiraiya explained, struggling to speak normally after the Smack-down that Tsunade had handed him.
"Wow! Thanks Uncle Jiraiya! Thanks aunt Tsunade!" He replied, making the two smile, even though the male one had only managed to give him a half-hearted grin.
"Think nothing of it." Tsunade told him, before turning around and walking away, letting the Raikage and his two bodyguards come forth.
Naruto had already opened the black box and set it on the table, exposing the steel trench knives and the small pile of Chakra paper neatly placed in it.
C stepped forward as he handed A a second black box.
"Naruto, before Raikage-sama gives you his present, see which Chakra Nature you have an affinity to." Darui asked him, making him nod.
Naruto reached for one single piece of paper as the ones that remained: Darui, C, A, Shino, Minato and Kushina all watched, filled with expectations.
The blond focused on the small "device" if it could be called that, and sent Chakra from his core through his right arm, infusing the paper that was stuck between his index and middle fingers with his energy.
Almost immediately, the paper shriveled up. It was rather wrinkled, but every line was straight and directed to the centre.
Darui smirked and held up his hand, snapping his fingers. With a frown of frustration and unhappiness, C threw him a small leather purse with ryou.
"Raiton. Very good. Really good, actually. Raiton can make you faster and more apt for combat while still being rather destructive and fatal. Now, before you open your present, Naruto, I want you to know that I am your friend. Whenever you need anything, if your dad isn't here or if he can't help you, talk to me. You've got my word. Understand, kid?" The Raikage asked him. Naruto didn't think twice.
"Of course, uncle A. Thank you!"
"Awesome, now open that up before I get too impatient."
The boy quickly snapped the locks on the box free and opened it, revealing a couple of golden braces, round piercings and weights for his ankles.
"I planned ahead and got you something that would match with what those two Sannin would bring. Now, look at my own Vambraces."
A showed the boy the two golden braces around his arms.
"These are more primitive. They act as weights and weapons alone, but yours, yours are top notch. I had them made especially for you. Like your new trench knives, they also channel your Chakra nature. Since you're a Raiton style, they will literally make you a lightning rod, making every single lightning attack you use pack double the juice, while fastening the electrical signals that your brain sends to your muscles, makign you a lot faster as well. Aside that, they act as weights and weapons too. As you grow, they will adjust, so there's no new need to get a new pair ever." He explained as Naruto put them on, excluding the piercings, which he would put on later.
"Thanks, uncle A. But I can't help but think that this is too much!" The boy commented, making the Raikage laugh.
"No worries, my boy. If you want to pay me back, just keep a friendly relation with Kumogakure when you become the Hokage." He replied, fist-bumping Naruto before he turned around, leaving. Darui also fist-bumped Naruto, while C gave him a deep bow, before both followed their boss.
Shino was the last one.
"Naruto, I've only known you for today, but from what I know, you're a good friend and I'm glad I've met you. I am still discussing a few things with my father, so please wait for your gift. I promise it will be given tomorrow tops. Alright?" The boy asked. Naruto was a bit surprised but quickly shook his hand and nodded.
"Sure, see you tomorrow, Shino!"
The Aburame boy nodded back and turned around, leaving Minato, Kushina and Naruto to themselves as he exited the house.
"So, Naruto, what did you think of your birthday party?" Kushina asked him, giving him a deep smile. He answered truthfully.
"I really liked it, and the gifts were also really great! But I'm really tired..." He confessed. Minato laughed. It was natural, the Flying Thunder God technique was an S-rank technique. The fact that he could even stand was because he was of Uzumaki blood.
"Well, try to hang on, sweetie. We've still got two more surprises for you. I think the first one should be coming soon, right, dad?" Kushina said, receiving a nod from Minato, who took a look at the wall clock.
"In about three..." He started the countdown.
"Two..."
Nothing was happening.
"One..."
No one was around.
Suddenly, a blur took place right in front of Naruto, before it adjusted into an actual image.
In front of the boy was someone that looked impressively like himself and his father. The man had their blond hair, spiked in the same way as Naruto's, and with the same sky-blue eyes. Or rather, "eye", as his right eye was closed and with a scar over it.
He wore a dark-orange and black shirt under a long, beige trench coat, and a pair of baggy, black pants. He also wore a pair of black ninja sandals, and his forehead protector had a pair of wings engraved on it.
"Wow..." Naruto muttered. The man imposed respect, but at the same time, his smile kept the boy comfortable, oddly enough.
"Naruto, the man that stands in front of you is my father, the leader of the Namikaze clan, Namikaze-"
"Nonsense! Just call me Grandpa!" The man interrupted Minato, before giving off a laugh that was eerily like his son's and ruffling Naruto's hair.
"Uh..hi, Grandpa! It's good to meet you!" Naruto greeted him.
"Huh, you're rather polite, well-mannered, aren't you? Very good, this is excellent. You're doing a good job, Minato." He commented, noticing the special kunai in Naruto's ninja pouch.
"I trust he's done it?" He asked, receiving a nod from his son.
"Excellent. Naruto, I would love to get to know you better, my boy, but unfortunately, duty always calls for me. I will not forget your present, though. It requires a bit of explaining, so please bear with me."
The boy nodded, immediately giving his grandfather all of his attention, much to the man's satisfaction.
"I trust you know what Kekkei Genkai is. If you don't, well, rather quickly and bluntly, Kekkei Genkai are special abilities passed down either through Clans or mentors. Naturally, a clan as old as the Namikaze, also have a Kekkei Genkai."
"We do?"
"Yes. It's called Jinton, or in other words, Swift Release. It's the reason as to why we're so fast and can use techniques like the Flying Thunder God so well. It's also the reason for our wings symbol. As your present, I'm handing you the easiest of this element's techniques, which I trust you will put to good use." He explained, handing the boy two scrolls, each with an independent name tag. One read "Shadowless Flight Technique", while the other simply read "Swift Release".
"Those scrolls include information for said technique and all the information we have on our Kekkei Genkai. I hope you'll make good use of both. It's good to know you're a genius, just like your father."
Apparently, the man's speech was as hasty as his Kekkei Genkai as he looked up at his son.
"It was good to see you and your family, Minato. I'm proud of what you've become. And Kushina, you're as beautiful as ever." He told them, making his son smile and his daughter-in-law blush before looking back at his grandson.
"Farewell, Naruto. And remember, always go fast."
He performed a seal. A seal that Naruto would later recognize as the Boar seal.
"Swift Release: Shadowless Flight."
His figure blurred and disappeared, leaving Naruto dumbfounded, holding the two scrolls. Minato and Kushina also seemed somewhat astonished.
Minato looked at the wall clock again. Not even five minutes had passed. Well, that's just like dad, anyway...
"Alright, that was the first. Now should be coming the second."
With effect, a couple of knocks on the door were heard. Kushina hurried over, opening it wide to let in a man with long, white hair, a white goatee and black eyes.
He wore a long, white robe and had his ninja pouch attached to a brown belt, along with a black leather book that was attached to the left hip, to the belt. Naruto had no idea why it was there.
His face looked stern and grave, only helping his serious appearance. As soon as he layed his on Naruto, though, he immediately lightened up, giving him one of the sweetest smiles he ever received.
"Kushina, Minato, I am proud to say that you two have the most beautiful boy that I've seen in all of my sixty-seven years." He commented, making the red-haired woman blush again, and Minato smile. He approached Naruto.
"Well, hello there, my boy. I am your grandfather, Uzumaki Menma, and I am the current leader of the Uzumaki Clan. I am happy to see you again, as I saw you mere minutes after you were born." He greeted, making Naruto shoot him a smile as well.
"Hello, Grandpa Menma! It's a pleasure to meet you, since I don't really remember the day of my birth." Naruto responded, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head and making the man laugh.
"It's always a joy to speak to a well-mannered child, but unfortunately, I must hurry. Some of our women are having trouble dismantling a seal back home, which could explode at any second. I need to go back in order to help them, so I'll have to cut this lovely moment short. Naruto, have you managed to create the seal that your mother showed you this morning?"
Naruto nodded, taking a small piece of paper with said seal out of his pouch and putting it on the ground, before pressing it. A "poof" took place and smoke came out. When it dispelled, it revealed a normal shuriken. The man laughed again.
"It is marvelous to know that our descendants are talented enough to take our places. I see you're a little genius, as most have trouble mastering that seal in a week, much less in a day. This only supports my original idea of what present I should give you for your fifth anniversary." The man commented again, making Minato smile as much as he could. He knew his son had tremendous potential and talent, but having others say so still made him happy.
"Father, surely you don't mean that? He's too young, no?" Kushina asked him, a slight hint of worry on her face. However, Menma disregarded her.
"Nonsense. I am quite sure about this." The old man lowered his left hand, opening the black leather book and stopping on a specific page, where a specific seal was planted in.
He pressed it and infused chakra into it, making it "poof" as well.
This time, though, it didn't reveal Shuriken. It revealed another book. However, this one was brand-new, except for the first hundred pages, which had writing all over them.
He handed it to Naruto, who examined and discovered a belt system on the back, allowing him to attach it to his hip and trousers as well if he wished.
"This, my boy, is your Book of Seals. It has information on how to create seals, be them new or already known. It is here where you will record every single seal that you find useful, making them easy to access in battle." Menma explained. Naruto rose an eyebrow.
"How will that make it easier?" He asked. The old man gave him a kind smile, looking around the room and spotting the broken wall that Jiraiya had gone through earlier. He glanced at Kushina who shrugged giving him permission to do whatever he wanted to do.
"You see, to draw seals in the middle of a battle is rather difficult and takes too long, leaving you open for attacks. Experienced users like myself, your mother and your father, we can create them with a simple touch, but for amateurs like yourself, it will be quite useful. I'll show you."
He approached the wall, opening his own book and stopping in a page. Over the seal in said page, its name was written. Exploding Seal Naruto read to himself.
Menma placed his left hand's fingertips on the seal, and the right hand's fingertips on the wall.
"Seal Transmission Technique." He proclaimed, immediately creating a perfect copy of the seal in the book on the wall.
He looked at Naruto and smiled, gently tapping the seal on the wall as he closed his book. A few seconds later, it exploded, clearly getting rid of the rest of the division.
"Now, imagine this power with this speed in the middle of battle."
Naruto couldn't say a thing as his mouth was wide open. Seals would definitely be something he'd tap into, he thought to himself.
The old man chuckled at his wonder and ruffled his hair. Apparently, it was a common habit in both Clans.
"Happy birthday, and may we meet again, when you're older. Now I'm off. Goodbye, Kushina. Goodbye, Minato. Congratulations for having a wonderfull son. See you soon."
He placed his right fingertips on the floor, creating a seal and simply being sucked into it. A few seconds later, the seal had disappeared as well.
Minato was laughing internally, knowing that the two extremely quick reunions had probably been too much information for his son to absorb.
Kushina, though, was surprised.
She neared her own son and snapped him out of his trance.
"Naruto, do you have any idea how big the honor of having your Book of Seals created and handed by the Uzumaki Clan Leader? Or how rare it is for the Namikaze Clan Leader to actually teach anyone of his own Clan his Kekkei Genkai, much less hand them a technique from it?"
Naruto did have a slight idea, but he was still too shocked. He was like a child in a candy store, not knowing where to go first.
"Now, off to bed, there's school tomorrow."
Chapter 1, mates. Hope you like it. Timeskip coming in the next chapter. If you have problems imagining how the "Book of Seals is positioned, just google image Noah from Soul Eater. Anyway, Favorite/Follow and Review, and see you next time.