10 years ago

"Kushina!" It had only been a few seconds ago when one of his personal ANBU came crashing through the window with a desperate message.

Someone broke into his house.

It took him a breath to teleport to one of the Harshin seals in his house. The smell of blood was thick and coppery on his tongue. The bodies of enemy shinobi littered the hallway along with scorch marks and kunai shoved liberally into the walls. "Kushina!" Panic swirled in Minato's gut as he took in the scene before him. His home was eerily quiet, there were no sounds of life. Where was his wife? Where was his son?

Minato ascended the stairs and checked the bodies of the ANBU that were assigned to protect his family. Someone managed to bypass the protection seals that he personally placed around his home. His ANBU fought them off. But as he examined the scene he could read how the battle went. How the team fought for time, fought to send a message out, fought to protect-

His feet came to a stop before Naruto's room. Much like the rest of the house, the protective seals were gone. He pushed the door open and stepped inside, bracing himself for- Minato stared at the idyllic scene before him. The room was empty save for the cradle and the gifts that had not yet been opened. They just celebrated Naruto's second birthday. Just a few hours ago he had held Naruto in his arms.

Something heavy tugged at his navel as the nine-tailed bijuu's chakra hummed under his skin.

"Sensei."

The whirl of leaves announced Dog's arrival littering the hardwood floors.

"They took my son," Minato said quietly having entered sage mode reflexively. His son's scent was old intermixed with another, male and foreign. It was startling to hear how calm he sounded to his own ears. "How is my wife?"

"In the hospital." Dog hadn't moved from his position on the floor, on one knee his head hanging low. "She had to be sedated."

"You did your best." His voice sounded so far away. "Do we have any leads?"

"No, sir."

Minato closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Find my son."

4 years later

"Happy Birthday!"

Naruto blew the candles out amongst the cheerful chanting. Pictures had to be taken of course, of the cake and of them. Naruto posed behind the cake as his father took pictures of them. He hugged his older brother happily his face crinkled into a full-blown smile. His father cut the cake into even slices and Naruto dug in.

"Happy Birthday Otouto," Clark said as he pushed his gift forward. "Open mine first."

The six-year-old eagerly ripped the wrapping paper to the prize within. Inside was a book and definitely not a picture book. Naruto looked up with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"I thought you'd be interested," Clark said with a grin. "The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja by Jiraiya."

"Woah. Jiraiya? The legendary Sanin?" A look of pure adoration filled Naruto's face.

"Not only that, Naru-chan." Martha said. "Open your other gifts."

Naruto carefully opened up the other gifts eyes widening. "Aaaaiiieeee," He squealed loudly as he proudly brandished his new kunai and shuriken set. "Mom? Does this mean..."

"Your father and I talked and well," She smiled gently at her youngest. "A proper shinobi journey cannot start without the tools or a teacher. I never got beyond genin but I figured I could teach you the basics. I still have my old scrolls and..." Martha considered her next words carefully. "You have to take this seriously. Do you understand?"

Naruto nodded his head furiously. "What about Aniki?"

"What about me?" Clark asked amused. "This is your dream, not mine."

"I'm not gonna do anything without you," Naruto declared with all the bravado of a six-year-old with pieces of cake on his face. "We're brothers."

Clark considered his words although he had already made his decision all those years ago when they first found him. He was so small then, wrapped in a blanket with a swirl on the back. Mother had looked so shocked, her red hair making her face look more pale and ashen than normal. A small frog plush was clenched tightly in his hands along with a small card. Further investigation revealed a long-abandoned camp. Mom told him to take the baby and go home. She came back a few hours later.

He never tries to eavesdrop but this time, Clark did. Something was wrong. They moved the next day. He could never forget the look on Martha's face or the startling realization that his parents couldn't protect him from the world.

"Yeah, we are. Let's do it."

"We're gonna be the great shinobi the world has ever seen! Dattebayo!"

6 Years later

Clark sat on the tree branch watching his little brother attempt to climb up the tree. Naruto had taken mom's words to heart and began training earnestly. He couldn't help but be dragged into it. Even if he couldn't use chakra, he was there to encourage Naruto. Besides, someone had to watch over him. There were a few things he could do even without chakra.

"Boys, it's time to eat. Your mother has been calling."

"Dad?" Naruto spun around and jumped, his eight-year-old body slamming heavily into Jonathan Kent's arms. "Dad! Look!"

"What is it? What am I looking at?"

"I almost climbed up the tree." Naruto pointed at the tree bark. "See?"

"That is pretty amazing. Just remember, no footprints on the ceiling or else you will be cleaning it."

"Daaaad-"

"No jutsu in the house," Jonathan said chidingly. "Just like I told Clark."

Clark slid down the tree all five feet three of him. He was a growing boy all legs and arms with no idea how to restrain his strength. The ninja lessons were helping though. The twelve-year-old boy stuffed his hands into his pockets as he walked up. "I haven't broken anything for a month Dad."

"Exactly. Let's keep it like that. Your mother doesn't want to replace another heirloom." Naruto squirmed in his dad's arms as he crawled down and walked over to Clark. He grabbed his hand with his own. "Aniki. Carry me." Naruto pouted.

Clark smiled as he swept Naruto in his arms. The boy weighed nothing to him. He wasn't sure how strong he was but Clark was pretty sure he was pretty freaking strong.

Strong enough to protect his parents.

Strong enough to protect his brother.

Naruto nestled his face against Clark's shoulder as he wrapped his arms around his neck. "I'm gonna be the greatest ninja ever." The boy said vigorously. "Dattebayo."

Dinner started late. Well, late in the sense that mom wasn't around. Everything was set and dinner simmered in a pot on the stove. Naruto eyed the food as his stomach grumbled. "Where's mum?" It was a family tradition to eat together and talk about their day. Since they were all busy, dad had to mind the farm and mom took care of the stand which left Clark watching over Naruto. As easy as it was to simply eat in their room, their parents made it a point to gather together and to eat. Luckily, the harvest season will be over soon and there should be more time to spend together.

Usually, Clark would take Naruto to school and then go help out at the marketplace. Then he would take Naruto home and they would practice whatever shinobi exercies mom had shown them. Sometimes he would help out on the farm or at the stand.

"I don't know, she said that she would be here by now."

"It's raining," Clark muttered from his spot by the table, his eyes fixed on the wall. He was staring at it intently. His normally blue eyes were a bit brighter and lighter before they faded to their normal color. "Mom's here."

Naruto scrambled to his feet as he ran over to the door, his father not too far behind. The door opened and Martha Kent stepped inside. She was in her mid-thirties her vibrant red hair cut to her shoulder. "Naru-chan." She sang out as she picked him up. "How was your day?"

She accepted a peck on the cheek as Jonathan took her groceries that she placed down before picking Naruto up.

"Great!" Naruto began as they walked back to the dining room. "I almost learned how to walk on the trees. It's so haaaard~"

"It isn't easy. It takes a lot of effort and practice." Martha placed Naruto down and then walked to the kitchen. "But it's worth it. Once you master that, I can show you how to walk on water."

"What! Oooh, that sounds awesome! I can't wait to be a ninja!"

Clark was already in the kitchen picking up the pots with his bare hands. He placed them down on the table. "Careful, Naruto. It's hot."

The boy pouted. "But I'm hungry nooow."

Clark shook his head as he helped dole out the rice bowls. As usual, two bowls were given to Naruto. One was a white porcelain bowl with little frogs depicted and the other had little foxes. "One for Kurama!" Naruto said cheerfully.

They had all long since accepted Naruto's imaginary friend and in some ways, Clarke knew it wasn't imaginary. He couldn't forget the look on his mom's face when she examined Naruto's stomach after he almost died in a school fire. Naruto got a clean bill of health but it wasn't by chance that he survived without a scratch on him. There were a lot of unexplained things that happened around Naruto.

The next day Clark and Naruto went to the marketplace to buy some groceries. Classes were over for the week and Naruto had been begging for some ramen for ages. So, Clark went to pick up the ingredients with Naruto. The blonde haired boy bounced around him before settling on his shoulders. With effortless grace, Clark navigated the busy streets. Naruto pointed at what he wanted, surveying the domain with bright blue eyes.

"Eh?" Naruto sat up straighter staring ahead. "Is...that?"

Clarke peered ahead and blinked. "There's an old man?"

The hot springs were a few yards away, surrounded by fencing and brush. It was meant for privacy. Clearly, someone was using it to hide as they peeped through the notches in the fence. Clark felt Naruto jump off and then spotted him running towards the bush. "...Dam- Naruto!"

Naruto skidded to a stop in front of the bushes before yelling at the top of his lungs. "Pervert!"

There was a loud yelp as an old man with marks on his face stumbled out of the bushes. Upon closer examination, the old man turned out to be not that old. He had waist length long hair, a forehead protector with the word oil in kanji, and peculiar red marks that ran down his face to his chin.

"Oi! Who are you calling a pervert bra-" The old man did a double take, a look of pure surprise on his face. "Na-naru-"

Then the horde of half-dressed woman came storming out screaming bloody murder. "Look! There they are! He even brought in kids! Perverts!" Came the chorus of cries, a mixture of outrage and pure murder. "Get them!"

Clark had already ran forward grabbing Naruto by the waist, turning on his ankle to make an expedited exit when a hand grabbed his shoulder. In a blink and a whisper the world blurred. It felt like when he would let himself run without inhibition but faster and not within his own control. It took a moment for him to regain his equilibrium. They had moved roughly two blocks away from the angry horde of women.

"Woah! That is amazing! Are you a ninja!" Naruto shouted right in his ear making Clark cringe. Okay. Ow. "I want to be a ninja one day too!"

"Woah, woah. Slow down. My name is Jiraiya, what's yours?"

In retrospect, this was the moment when everything changed. This was the moment when the world turned on its head and all that came after was the consequence of such.

In his report, Jiraiya would detail his purposeful movement through the Land of Lightning. His various agents were layered deep in every village of note. Being a famous book writer was merely one of his disguises. He was working on one of his highly acclaimed novels when the incident occurred.

Truthfully, Jiraiya got lost. He was on a mission to check on his spy network in the Land of Lightning specifically Kumo. Their failed attempt to steal the Hyuga heir lead to more restrictions on trade and commerce. The Yondaime had not taken too kindly to kidnappers of children. Ever since Naruto vanished, Jiraiya had spent more time in Konoha mostly to check in on his pupil. Minato had put a stop to the kidnapping attempt with great prejudice. With half of the Kyuubi's chakra sealed inside him, Minato had become more of a powerhouse than he already was.

It goes to show how dangerous jinchurki were when properly trained.

Which was why Naruto's kidnapping was so worrisome. Not just because he was Minato's son but because he held the other half of the Kyuubi's chakra. A child can be molded into a weapon pointed at his father's village. It left a heavy cloud over Minato and Kushina. But they kept their spirits up. No news was good news in a sense.

Sometimes he would see a flash of what could have been Naruto but they were just children who shared his hair color. Kids who may have some strand of the senju gene in them. Which was why Jiraiya didn't immediately freak out when his hiding location was revealed.

"Oi!" Jiraiya began sticking a finger in his ear to clear out the ringing, " Who are you calling a pervert bra-"

His heart skipped a beat as his eyes locked on the child. The first thing he noted was how vibrant his hair was. It reminded him of sunflowers pointed towards the bright blue cloudless sky. It was the marks on his cheeks that really got Jiraya's attention, the whisker marks that had formed after Naruto was made the Kyuubi's vessel.

Jiraiya stared wordlessly. "Na-naru-"

Then the angry horde of women broke his reverie. While quickly looking for an escape route, he lunged for the boy intent on taking him to safety. What Jiraiya didn't anticipate was the other brat. He was pretty fast for a kid with no visible village affiliation. This area had a low amount of shinobi and as such hired out whenever bandits appeared. Jiraiya was not anticipating any Kumo shinobi.

The older looking boy had Naruto under one arm. The familiarity that they expressed suggested closeness.

"That is amazing! Are you a ninja!" Naruto shouted. "I want to be a ninja one day too!"

"Woah, woah. Slow down. My name is Jiraiya, what's yours?" Jiraiya inwardly thanked the remoteness of their location. Had any Kumo nin caught sight of Naruto, well, it would be disastrous, to say the least.

"My name is Naruto!" Naruto clambered to his feet and struck a pose. "This is my brother, Clark."

The other boy, Clark, looked unsettling. Jiraiya couldn't say for certain if the older kid was a shinobi. He didn't react appropriately at all. He just had this feeling that there was more to the brown haired child. "Pleased to meet you both!" Jiraiya said boisterously. "I am a shinobi from Konoha."

"Eh?" Neither of them looked like they understood a word that he said.

"It's in the Land of Fire. I am a traveling writer." Jiraiya pulled out his Icha Icha Paradise book. "Any fans?"

"...You are just a pervert." Naruto made a face. "Eeew."

"Ah, it's a bit too mature for you two." Jiraiya rubbed his chin before snapping his fingers. "Let me make it up to you two I'll pay for what you lost. You left your groceries behind."

"Aaah? Nooo my ramen!"

"...You did save us," Clark said lightly his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Are you...the Jiraiya that wrote The Tale of the Gutsy ninja?"

"Yep! I didn't know it spread all the way here." Jiraiya was really surprised. He might have a word with his publisher. "Do you want an autograph?"

"What!" Naruto tugged at Clark's hand. "Can he come home with us? Please? I want him to sign my book!"

"Eeeh..." Clark looked reluctant. "I'm not so sure..."

"I can even show you a jutsu as thanks."

"Really? Claaaark, pretty pleeeease." All it took was one look and the cautious young man gave in. "Alright, alright."

Jiraiya grinned. "You won't regret it. I promise."

"They're late."

Martha nodded. "I know." Her husband looked worried and rightly so. The warning seals had been tripped some minutes ago. They only go off when someone unexpected comes by, be it some lost merchant or bandits thinking they could get an easy score. She was certain that Clark could handle himself. He knows what to do if he were to encounter a stranger with an unhealthy interest in Naruto.

It was why they lived here in the middle of nowhere.

She could sense their chakra, the massive well of chakra that was Naruto and the blazing sun that was Clark. The third person was...a stranger. Martha steeled her expression and discretely tucked a kunai in her sleeve. She really should work on genjutsu with Clark. "Jonathan set the table for one more person, please."

She stood and went to the door as it opened. "Moooom."

Over Naruto's head, she smiled at Clark and the stranger that stood in her doorway. Even someone like her knew what the Toad Sanin looked like. Konoha used to be their ally before her village and clan was destroyed.

"Ah, welcome to my home..."