Prologue: Finding Purpose

Memories are fickle things. Often, what we think we remember, and what actually happened do not always align. This is especially true for early memories – typically, it is only after around the age of three that children develop the mental capacity to be able to store memories that can be retrieved well into adulthood. In this regard, Naruto Uzumaki was perhaps unique.

Indeed, the earliest memory that Naruto could recall was from his early infancy, before he had any understanding of the world around him, before he could walk or talk, or do much of anything apart from eat, sleep and cry. This memory was not of the tall blond man who when looking down at him would smile as bright as the sun, the man who he would later learn to be his father, nor was it of the kindly old man who would visit on occasion, always smelling of pipe smoke, wrapped in a cloak of white, the man he affectionately called jiji. No, in fact this memory of his didn't even include the sense of sight for it occurred in that blissful realm of awareness that lies between wakefulness and sleep. All he could remember was an engulfing sense of warmth surrounding his then tiny body, as if to ward away all the dangers of the world, that and the gentle humming of a woman's voice lulling him into slumber, his mother's voice, Kushina Uzumaki.

It's unsurprising then, that as Naruto grew from infant to toddler, he became something of a momma's boy, something that was frequently pointed out to the both of them by amused friends and professional acquaintances, not that it ever seemed to bother either of them. Now at the age of three and able to walk and talk with surprising proficiency, Naruto was perfectly content to remain in the company of his mother alone, not that there was much choice in the matter.

As Naruto began to be taught of the world around him by his mother, of the village of Konoha where he lived, of the shinobi that occupied it, and their duty to protect the village from danger (a simplistic view of the shinobi system perhaps, but one that sufficed to educate a three-year-old), it was inevitable that he would become aware of the ongoing war, the third shinobi war. This, Kushina explained was what caused the absence of his father, Minato, for as a shinobi and a high-ranking one at that, he was constantly sent out on missions with his genin team to protect the village or to secure resources to aid the war effort. Even during the few moments where he remained within the village, he often didn't have time to spend with his wife and son, instead spending hours at one of Konoha's various training grounds developing a technique which he believed could more swiftly draw the war to a close and in doing so, prevent further loss of life.

That is not to say that Minato was completely absent. He still turned up at mealtimes when in the village, and at night he would tuck Naruto into bed before telling him stories of his days as a genin and of his adventures across the elemental nations. These simple moments, snuggled into bed where his father would regale him with stories of defeating villains and rescuing princesses, while his mother standing in the doorway would look on with fond exasperation became some of his most treasured memories.

Yet, as time passed and the war grew in intensity, Minato's appearances at home became increasingly rare. And even if that bothered Naruto, he wouldn't let it show on his face. Though he was sure his Kaa-san had not meant for him to see, occasionally when she thought she had a moment to herself in the house, she would stare into the distance, unknowingly a small frown tugging at her lips. Clearly, she noticed the absence of Minato even more acutely than himself. Naruto never wanted to see that expression on her face, and so in his young mind he decided; if his Tou-san's absence was making his Kaa-san sad, then he'd just have to make her twice as happy all by himself. He'd become her light in the darkness, and in that promise was born something powerful, though no one yet knew it. If the two of them were close before, now they were inseparable. Where one could be found, the other was inevitably in sight.

In spite of his new resolve, a noticeable aura of tension began to settle into the village, perhaps not obvious at a casual glance, but to Naruto who had all the time in the world to simply sit and stare at the world around him outside of his lessons, the changes were glaring. It was there in the darkened eyes of the people he passed on the street when walking about the village with his Kaa-san, bags under their eyes due to a lack of sleep, late nights spent worrying about the fates of their loved ones. It was there in the smiles on their faces as they waved their greetings to the two of them at the park, a tightness at the edges of the mouth, too much to be natural, an act to both themselves and the rest of the world in an attempt to preserve the illusion of normalcy. And if under that illusion, lied fear, doubt and uncertainty about the future, they would not let it show, for Konoha was strong. Two shinobi wars had been fought and won by the great village hidden in the leaves, the second war still in recent memory. This third war would not break them. They would persevere. They must persevere.

These observations gradually began to fade out of Naruto's thoughts though until he approached his fourth birthday and Kushina started to teach him about the source of every shinobi's power. Chakra: the merging of spiritual and physical energies which when naturally combined in the body and then manipulated by the user produces feats that to many appear to be miracles. For what else could one call the ability to defy and bend the laws of reality to your will? Walking upon the surface of water as if it were solid ground, or up the sides of walls, against the pull of gravity, even full control of the elements could be achieved given sufficient talent and practice in the shinobi arts.

Naruto saw all of this first hand. His kaa-san was only too happy to show off to her darling sochi, her mastery of suiton ninjutsu displayed in full, forming walls of water which would surround the two of them before transforming into small animals, foxes, rabbits and dogs which would run around him in circles to his absolute delight, his joy reflected in the face of his mother. She even showed him her chakra chains, which she told him could keep even a bijuu at bay. Not that he fully understood what that meant. To him they were just another thing to add to the list things that made his kaa-san awesome.

Occasionally, his jiji would come around when he had a spare moment away from his duties as the sandaime hokage, although such moments were becoming increasingly rare as the war progressed. Accompanying these visits were always stories of the early days of Konohagakure, and even a few from before the formation of the great shinobi villages during the last days of the warring clans period. These stories were secretly always Naruto's favourites for his jiji would animate small golems of earth to recreate the various battles he took part in or observed. With his mastery of all five primary elements, the golems were even able to produce miniature versions of the various jutsus he'd encountered over the years. It wouldn't be until many years later, that Naruto would come to understand what an extraordinary feat that was. Hiruzen Sarutobi is truly a man worthy of the title 'The Professor'.

Nothing though compared to the moment, Minato in one of the rare moments he had free of shinobi duties showed him his signature jutsu, the rasengan. Such immaculate control over shape transformation, to be able to compress that much chakra into the palm of his hand and keep it from exploding outwards. As Naruto looked upon it for the first time in awe, he couldn't help but think, it looked like his father was holding a miniature blue sun, the light reflecting off his face. The swirling patterns of chakra moving almost at random within the orb, it was mesmerising.

"Can I learn how to make that Tou-san?" Naruto asked, blue eyes wide with wonderment, still staring at the orb of destruction which his father maintained in his palm with what seemed like casual ease.

Hearing this, Minato let out a low chuckle, Kushina giggling from her place sat next to Naruto on the steps of the wooden deck leading to the training grounds behind their house.

"Don't you think you're getting ahead of yourself a bit?" he asked, a smirk resting upon his face. "We haven't even started training you to use chakra yet. You still have a long way to go before you can learn something as advanced as this. After all it took me three years to develop and I've been learning to control my chakra for nearly fifteen years."

'Hmm' Naruto pondered to himself, one hand placed on his chin, staring at the ground, seemingly deep in thought much to the amusement of his parents who couldn't take Naruto seriously with such an adorable expression of concentration on his face. 'Tou-san may have a point...' Naruto drifted back into quiet contemplation.

A few moments later, nodding to himself, Naruto raised his head back up to face his father, a glint in his eyes that caught Minato's attention.

"Then teach me. Teach me how to be a shinobi like you and kaa-san."

Minato paused, dispelling the rasengan, excess chakra dissipating into the air. He gave Naruto a searching look, as if peering into the depths of his soul. Finding something in Naruto's eyes, a spark of resolve perhaps and another purpose hidden within his demand for tutelage, something that maybe Naruto himself didn't realise, his eyes flickered across to Kushina. A subtle nod of her head accompanied by a resigned smile, and Minato finally spoke.

"Are you sure that's what you really want? The life of a shinobi is not easy. It is one of hardship and sacrifice. To be a shinobi is to be a tool of destruction aimed at the enemies of the village. You will have to kill others in the service of Konoha, sometimes even to those who don't deserve it. Knowing that… knowing that the jutsus you've seen me and your kaa-san perform are ultimately used to destroy, do you still want us to teach you?"

Once again, Naruto sank back into deep contemplation, as his parents watched on patiently, both remaining silent. This was an inevitable truth that not many learned before graduating to the rank of genin, though one Naruto would need to confront to determine his path forward. No one could make this decision for him. It was only their job to guide him. Having said that, Kushina felt the need to speak up.

"It isn't all bad you know. True, sometimes you have to do bad things, but you have to remember that it's always to help the village, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time. We do the things we do, so that others don't have to, so that our friends and family can sleep soundly at night, safe from the dangers outside the village."

As she spoke, staring up at the blue sky, arms splayed out behind her on the deck to support her weight, her voice unbeknownst to her grew in intensity from a soft murmur to her usual loudness.

"And besides, for every bad moment, there's a good one. Sometimes you get to guard a princess from assassins, or overthrow some tyrant, terrorising villages on the outskirts of fire country. Watching families be reunited, knowing that their precious people are safe, those moments make it all worth it…" Thinking to herself, Kushina added, "Plus you get to travel a lot. I remember this one town in the land of noodles that does THE best ramen dattebane! Even better than Ichiraku's! Mmmm, I remember they had this ton- "

"Kushina," Minato cut in, stalling her reminiscing. Truly, his wife had an obsession with ramen that he'd never understand. "You're rambling again."

At this, Kushina's face flushed bright red with embarrassment which quickly morphed into a bashful grin. "ehehe, ah I guess I got carried away…"

Trailing off, the three of them fell back into silence though it was only a few moments before Naruto - who had only kept half of his attention on his kaa-san during her monologue, the other half still deep in thought - finally spoke up.

"Hey kaa-san, tou-san… why did you guys become shinobi?"

It wasn't the question either of them had been expecting but it made sense that he would be curious of their motivations. Kushina was the first to speak.

"Ah, well I guess I kinda joined the academy because it was expected of me?" seemingly unsure of her answer. "I'd already learnt a bit about shinobi life back in Uzushio and as an Uzumaki I probably would have ended up as a shinobi there anyway, so when I came to Konoha and Mito-obaasan passed away, I guess it just seemed obvious to enrol in the academy." Here, she paused for a second before her eyes seemed to light up with fire, her hair rising up into the air and an aura of malevolence beginning to encompass her form. "Plus, I had to get strong so I could beat up all the kids who kept making fun of me dattebane!"

…

…

…

Both Naruto and Minato could be seen with sweat-drops upon their foreheads. Minato quickly coughed into his hand, trying to dispel the awkward atmosphere that had descended upon them. Sometimes it was a struggle to deal with his wife's eccentricities, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Oh! And I guess I wanted to be hokage too, so that everyone would have to acknowledge my awesomeness!" Following this exclamation, her bright grin rapidly changed into a pout as another thought popped into her head "But I gave up on that after I realised I'd never beat your tou-san to the hokage hat. He's too talented for his own good so I'll just have to settle for having helped get him there."

Hearing that, Naruto quickly turned to face his father. "You want to be Hokage too tou-san?"

Minato sighed deeply, eyes flickering down for just a moment before he spoke. "Yeah, I do. Although that's not the reason I initially signed up to become a shinobi, it's just a stepping stone towards my ultimate goal."

Naruto couldn't help himself when his eyes widened, and he almost fell over backwards. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his kaa-san giggling to herself at his reaction, hiding her smile behind the back of her right hand.

'Isn't the hokage the strongest ninja in the village? And tou-san calls it a stepping stone… what goal could there be beyond that?' It must be noted that however mature Naruto may be for his age, he was still young, his view of the world limited to his experiences inside the village.

"Then what's your ultimate goal tou-san?" Minato let out a faint smile seeing the poorly hidden curiosity in his son's eyes.

"My ultimate goal, the goal I've been working towards since the age of nine when I first entered the academy, is to bring peace to the elemental nations, to end the cycle of hatred which draws people into conflict with one another; to be able to create a world in which everyone can live without the threat of war and poverty. But I can't do that as just a regular shinobi. That's why I need to be hokage, so I can change the village from within, and then hopefully the rest of the world."

Having said his piece, Minato looked to judge Naruto's reaction. For Naruto's part, he couldn't help but look at his tou-san with admiration bordering on reverence. Even at Naruto's young age, he'd observed the effects of the war on the village. Though many tried to hide it, it was obvious if you knew the signs to look for and Naruto was nothing if not frighteningly intelligent.

The war was taking its toll on the villagers. Most shinobi who fought on the frontlines in the lands bordering earth and lightning country came back either crippled or in sealing scrolls containing their dead bodies. As the war seemed to be reaching its climax, it seemed that not a day went by where you couldn't hear the wails of a grieving parent or spouse. Those who survived such encounters were changed by what they had seen, a darkness within their eyes reflecting their anguish, that and a deep-seated anger at both the enemy shinobi who in their eyes were responsible for their suffering, and at the world itself for allowing the injustice to continue.

There were other signs as well, effects of the war that were less obvious but nonetheless still there to see. Refugees flooded towards Konoha, looking for safety away from the death and destruction erupting at the borders of fire country. Many refugees never even made it, fractured families arriving at the village gates. With shinobi efforts focused on open conflict away from the village or towards securing important resources, the main roads and trade routes within fire country that were typically patrolled by genin and chunin teams, became increasingly vulnerable to bandits who were flourishing in the wartime environment.

Within the village, living conditions were slowly deteriorating. Temporary housing both within and outside of the village walls, quickly erected to accommodate the influx of refugees was leaving the village feeling rather cramped. The increased population only compounded upon the effects of dwindling food supplies as iwa and kumo-nin put a stranglehold on various supply lines entering fire country. It wasn't uncommon to see starving children on the streets begging for food nowadays. Even some of the shinobi clans were beginning to feel the effects: the Akimichi, he'd noticed seemed to be particularly vocal, horrified by their weight-loss. Personally, Naruto thought a few of them could do with losing a few pounds.

Either way, it was a constant reminder to Naruto that he was lucky. He had a home, a loving family, and didn't have to worry about food shortages or absent loved ones. He hadn't personally felt the effects of the war, only seen the effect it had on others, but that was enough. If it was his father's goal to end the suffering, to end all the violence… well, that seemed like a goal worthy of pursuing. It resonated with Naruto in a way he couldn't put into words, and unbeknownst to himself and those around him, it started Naruto on path that would eventually forge him into a legend.

Naruto looked at both of his parents in turn, seeing the determination in his father's eyes, his will to make his dreams of peace into a reality, and the loving pride in his mother's eyes, an assurance that no matter the choice he made, she would support him to the ends of the world. Seeing that, seeing the confidence they held that they'd made the right choice, the lack of regret, how could he make any other choice…

"Teach me."

Minato smiled, and without hesitation responded…

"Okay."

And so, Naruto's training began.