Konoha Gaiden: Naruto + Youkai Gakuen
Chapter 1
It was mid-day, and the day turned out beautifully. The sun shone brightly; white, fluffy clouds lazily floating by. The birds were out, singing their songs as their wings carried them on a soft breeze. This was the picture depicting Konohagakure as her populous went about their business. One woman however, was not partaking in observing this marvellous atmosphere.
The woman was sitting behind a desk, in a tall tower, with near-toppling pillars of paper that was either waiting to be signed, or taken out. Paperwork; it was the bane of every person in any state of office. There never seemed to be an end to the flow of paperwork that came in, waiting to be signed. The constant signing or stamping of these documents not only brought awful cramps to the signer's hand, but a frown to their face as well.
Today proved different though. The woman at the desk had a small smile on her face, as if content with all the paperwork she had to complete. Unsurprisingly, she was smiling for an entirely different reason. Today was a special day, a day she had been waiting for the past 2 and a half years to occur. In her excitement, she found the will to completely disregard all forms of discomfort with her daily workload.
She looked around her late twenties, early thirties. On her head was a fountain of long, light blonde hair, tied together in two pigtails which trailed down to her lower back. A pair of bangs helped frame her young, beautiful face, and continued down to the base of her neck. Her eyes were a rich almond brown and her lips were a light pink and full; opened slightly as she smiled, showing her white teeth. On her forehead was a small, purple diamond-like tattoo of sorts.
Her figure made many a jaw drop for those whom had never seen her before, and sometimes, even still for those who have already. Her legs were fit and strong, her stomach flat and her rump shapely. Her hips were wide and her waist slim; her core in proportion to her legs. Her chest was what brought fantasy to many a man and jealousy to many a woman. At 106 cm, full and firm with a slight bit of sag, it was no wonder she garnered the thoughts and looks she received. Her neck was thin but full and strong while her shoulders were wide, matching the width of her hips. Her arms were firm and strong, yet smooth without a hint of any oversized muscle. Her skin was supple, smooth and unblemished, completing the look of a woman who redefined the term buxom blonde. It certainly didn't help that her shirts of choice were worn to show as much cleavage as decency allowed. Unlike the blonde stereotype however, she was far from stupid.
This woman was Senju Tsunade, granddaughter and grandniece to the first 2 kages of Konoha. She was known worldwide as the slug Sennin, teammate to Jiraiya the toad Sennin and Orochimaru, traitor and snake Sennin. Tsunade's claim to fame was due to her medical expertise. Even more so was her legendary super strength, enabling her to crush walls with but a tap, make trenches with a stomp of her foot, and with a flick of a finger send any unlucky person, most likely a man, curdling for dozens of yards and through most obstacles. As much as she was an inspiration to many a young girl wishing to become a strong kunoichi, Tsunade had garnered a less than positive nickname.
She was known as the legendary Sucker, not because of what most lecherous men believed in their fantasies, but because of her gambling skills. Her luck was the absolute worst. It was so bad that any time she actually won; it was believed to be a bad omen, a sign that something bad for her was going to happen. It didn't help one bit that Tsunade loved to gamble, nor that she loved to drink alcohol.
One fact that was known only to a select few was that Tsunade hated growing old. So much so that her looks were really an illusion, a complex and high ranked genjutsu meant to hide her aged looks, hiding the fact she was actually over fifty.
But none of that mattered to her right now. She was waiting for two of the few people she truly cared for to return. One was her teammate Jiraiya. He was a bear of a man, with a complex spy network all over the elemental nations, in nearly every country. He was a sealing master, one of the rarest of shinobi professions to take up. He was also a pervert without equal. His novel series Icha-icha Paradise was just as widely known as his perverted mannerisms. He was still her teammate however, and while she nearly did kill him for his perverted ways when they were younger, he was still a good friend and she wouldn't trade him for anything; though he could tone down his perverted habits…
The other person she hadn't known for nearly as long, only a couple of months really. And yet in that time he practically became a son to her, not only helping her confront her inner demons, but was the reason why she returned to her home in the first place and took up the mantle of Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure.
Taking a break she turned her chair to the open bay window behind her. Standing up, she stood in front of the window, looking out on her village, her home that she had returned to.
'Only two and a half years and already the village is prosperous again. Maybe not as much before the Kyuubi's attack fifteen years ago, but I'd say we're in better shape than before Sound's invasion. I wonder when that brat and pervert will get back. It's already July 4th and I've haven't seen hide nor hair of either of those two. If they're making me wait to make a grand entrance I-' her thoughts were derailed by the sound of doors opening. Turning around quickly, she found her perverted teammate Jiraiya walking to her desk. The smile growing on her face disappeared when she saw how serious her team mate looked. Not seeing any spec of blonde around the man, she spoke up.
"Where's the brat Jiraiya? He's at that Ramen shop again I take it?" She smirked as she imagined the blonde inhaling bowl after bowl of the stuff after not having it for so long.
"Is there an office we can speak in private Tsunade?" Jiraiya asked, tearing the smirk off her face. Hearing that tone of voice, she knew he meant business; it was cemented when he used just her name instead of one of his pet names he usually used. Nodding, she pushed the button for the intercom, telling her secretary to postpone any appointments for the next two hours. That done, she lead Jiraiya out of her office, nearly knocking over an indiscrete shinobi and Tsunade's personal assistant, Shizune. Both moved out of Hokage's way, not wanting to knock over the handfuls of paperwork each had.
As she led Jiraiya to a more discrete room, her mind brought up and dashed ideas as to the reason for Jiraiya's request. They soon reach an empty room. It had a single open window, bringing in fresh air that the ceiling fan circulated. On the right was a book shelf four feet high, little over half full with books and novels of varying topics. Opposite the shelf was a small clock, showing it to be around quarter past one. On either side of the window, in both corners were large potted plants, used mainly to liven up the room really. Lastly there was a simple desk, a pair of chairs and a small carpet in the center of the room.
Immediately upon entering, Jiraiya went to the window, closing and locking it before drawing the drapes. Seeing this, Tsunade locks the door after closing it. Going to the center of the room, Jiraiya motions to the desk and the pair move it towards the window. Moving the rug and chairs aside, Jiraiya asks Tsunade to wait on the side. She watches as he kneels down, brings out a square piece of paper, roughly a foot wide. Soon after he brings out his brush and ink, and begins to draw on the paper. Tsunade looks on, somewhat mesmerized at how he moved his hands with precision, drawing out the seal design and matrix in record time. She can vaguely recognise that it's a sensing seal, but can't discern what exactly the seal is meant to find. Once he was done, Tsunade hoped to sate her curiosity as her teammate puts away his writing materials.
"What kind of seal is it? I recognize part of it, but what is it meant to find?" It put her on edge; she knew that the only times he drew up seals before giving her a report were when he had crucial information to tell her; info that needed the utmost secrecy. Her thoughts continued to speed up, thinking up all the various scenarios that could have happened. Had the Akatsuki gotten Naruto? Was he stuck in a political situation that needed her intervention? Was he in the hospital? She stopped thinking long enough to hear what Jiraiya would say next.
"I'll tell you after a moment. Now please stay quite for a bit, I need to concentrate." He immediately forms a half-ram seal with one hand, placing the other on the edge of the paper, channelling chakra into it. Tsunade gave a mix between a frown and a pout, having to wait for her answer but consented, knowing the man needed to focus. So with nothing else to do, she sat herself in one of the chairs and waited. It didn't take too long, only about five minutes at most. Whenever the seal glowed slightly, Jiraiya would stop, get up and move about the room.
The first time he went over to the plant on the left of the window. Turning it around, he found nothing, but feeling underneath it, he rips off a seal tag. He mumbled to himself, Tsunade only catching up on the word 'concealment' before Jiraiya placed the plant back down. He takes the paper seal, folded it, and then channelled enough chakra to overload it, turning it pitch black. He then mutters a small, nameless Katon Jutsu, rendering the tag to ash. After finishing his search, he had found two more in the room. One was underneath the carpet while the other was along one of the fins of the ceiling fan.
Just to make sure, he tries again, making Tsunade frown in slight frustration. After another two minutes, Jiraiya gets up and walks over to the book shelf. Picking up a novel he freezes, breath hitched in his throat. Catching Tsunade's attention, she got up and looks around his shoulder wondering what was so wrong. Looking in his hands she can't help but smile, while in her head a chibi version of herself was jumping around like a small kid on a sugar high, waving a pair of fans around and cheering on the top of her lungs.
In Jiraiya's hands was the third book of his Icha-icha series, turned to some of the blank pages near the end of the book were he found the last seal. With arms feeling like lead, he hands Tsunade the book with slow, shaking hands, as if he were giving away one of his own children to whatever horrible fate awaited it. In a monotone voice filled with pain and despair, he utters two words any woman would give both legs and an arm to hear from his mouth.
"Burn it." She couldn't see his face, but she could tell that he was probably crying rivers over this. For a moment she felt a slight bit of sympathy for the man, but then her womanly pride came barrelling through, crushing whatever sympathy she had for the pervert. Only a single pair of words played through her mind as she took the book, 'With pleasure'. Performed the same nameless Katon jutsu as her team mate, she watched in almost carnal pleasure as the book burned, taking both the seal and whatever smut-filled pages with it. Thankfully she remembered to channel chakra through her hand to keep her from getting burned. On her face was the largest shit-eating grin she could muster, while in her mind she was in the middle of a parade, on a float waving to all the faceless women as they cheered for her, as if she were a hero without equal.
Returning to reality, she finds Jiraiya taking the searching seal from the ground, before returning the rug to the center of the room. Sending Tsunade a look, they both return the room back to normal. As she sits down, she watches Jiraiya place silence seals into the eight corners of the room. Looking at his face she finds that he looks as if her burning the book hadn't happened at all.
'Hmm… probably waiting till tonight to drink and cry away at the loss of his smut.' She gave a small giggle at that thought, drawing Jiraiya's attention from placing the second last seal. She waves him off, telling him to finish up. He does so quickly, before sitting on the other side of the desk.
"Alright Jiraiya, start explaining. Where is Naruto?" She asked as she crossed her arms under her impressive bust while her face was all business. He didn't miss a beat as he replied soon after.
"Right now Naruto is on Mt. Myobokuzan training with the toads on chakra control mainly before he's ready to take on senjutsu training." A frown grew on Tsunade's face at that.
"If he's only now getting ready for senjutsu, what were the last two and a half years for? Couldn't you have started him up sooner?" Jiraiya had a frown to match Tsunade's own as he spoke.
"As for your first question, I've been training him as a possible candidate to take over my spy network. Also I was working with the brat trying to control the beasts Youki. So I couldn't have started him earlier on in senjutsu, he was too young and wasn't ready for it." Tsunade, though miffed at the rebuttal, understood his reasoning and nodded for him to continue. He did so without hesitation.
"As far as trying to control the beasts Youki is concerned, he was doing really well. Just over two months ago, he was able to control up to three tails without any negative effects for about two hours before returning to normal." She nods, and then pops a question in a tone that would have made lesser men nervous.
"Now that's all well and good, but what do you mean…was?" She dragged that last word out for what seemed to be eternity for the man before he spoke up.
"You're not going to like what I'm about to say, but you've got to promise me you won't hit me. You see I'm actually a shadow clone while the original is on the mountain overlooking the brat's training." At hearing that she was talking to a clone, Tsunade is fuming, mumbling about beating said original when next she sees him. It's enough to make the clone chuckle nervously while scratching his left cheek. After calming down some, she tells him to continue. Preparing for what he knows is coming next, he decides to get it out and over with.
"You know how with Akatsuki being after him, Naruto's going to need all the power he can get and use. So with that in mind…" Here he hesitated, but it was soon over as he continued. "With that in mind, I modified the seal a smidge-bit the allow Naruto greater access to the Kyuubi's Youki." The look on Tsunade's face made the clone cower and wish it could disappear right now. But it knew it needed to endure this so he could give the rest of his report. Tsunade for her part was completely furious, so much so that if the silencing seals weren't there, the original could probably hear her tirade in the distance.
"You WHAT? How could you have done something so irresponsible? I know you could be an idiot at times Jiraiya but this just takes the fucking cake! Don't you realize what you've DONE? You've just made it easier for those bastards from Akatsuki to extract the damn beast from Naruto! What's even worse is that just as it gives Naruto greater access to the Kyuubi's energy, you just gave the damn fox a greater chance of ESCAPING! What the HELL were you THINKING?" As her tirade continued, which included punching the desk to nothingness, the clone knew for sure a few facts. One: the original was just plain screwed, no ifs, ands or buts about it. Two: once it disappeared he was sure the original would piss himself at how Tsunade described his punishment. Its mere description made the clone shudder and sweat. He was thankful that Tsunade had enough sense of mind not to touch the clone, no matter how much she wished to strangle him. After Tsunade finished her tirade, her chest was heaving as she took deep breaths. The clone wasn't unaware of what her actions were doing to her bust, but the clone wasn't suicidal. Waiting for her to calm done some, the clone just kept silent. Getting her breath back, plus settling a glare on the clone, she told him to continue, but not before pulling out a small scroll and unsealing a brand new desk, exactly like the previous one. Reclaiming its wits, the clone did as instructed. He talked as he took off his overcoat and mesh shirt.
"Alright…about two months ago, two weeks after mastering three tails, I pushed him to pull out more. It was also two months ago that I came close to my second brush with death. The first time as you know Tsu-hime, was when you caught me peeking on some women when we were younger. After you had your way with me, you left me with six ribs and both arms broken, as well as a number of ruptured organs. There will probably be a third time when the original meets up with you." He chuckled, trying and failing to lighten things up with the dry humour. Other than the lightest blush on her face, Tsunade's face stayed the same. Finally taking off the mesh shirt, he showed a large spread out scar on his chest. Tsunade for her part only widened her eyes slightly. Regaining his serious composure, he continued on.
"This was from Naruto when he pulled out only one more tail of Youki, making it a total of four. Getting Naruto angry was the main trigger to bring out the tails, and while he did well in controlling three, four tails just proved to be too much. As soon as it sprouted, any appreciation for his own actions he may have had was replaced by a pure destructive impulse. It was as though he became a miniature Kyuubi no Youko." He gave a sign as he put his shirts back on. He also gave Tsunade time to take in all that info before he moved on.
"There is another problem. In his 'Kyuubi form', he is covered in a fox shaped shroud of Youki that, at first glance, looks like it's protecting him. In reality however, it does the exact opposite; that is, constantly causing damage to his body. Once the fourth tail had fully formed, his body was not only covered by the shroud of chakra, but of his own blood as well. He then proceeded to go on a rampage, despite the number of injuries he had previously." He took a breath before he continued. He saw the look of concern on Tsunade's face but pushed on, knowing he needed to finish.
"Once the shroud had dissipated, his damaged body repaired itself thanks to the internal Youki within his body. However, if he continues on with such rapid cycles of injury and then healing…"
"…Not only will his body weaken, but his life span will shorten." Tsunade finished for him. Jiraiya gave a grave nod as Tsunade gave a large sigh, mumbling on how she'll need a drink after this. Before Tsunade could say anything else, Jiraiya gave a bright smile.
"There is one more thing though. Something good that actually came out from this." Here Tsunade gave an extremely puzzled face. She voiced her thoughts without delay.
"What the hell do you mean pervert? What good could come from what you just told me? Unless you're telling me that either you fixed the seal or Naruto vowed never to use the Kyuubi's energy again." At the shake of his head, plus his 'I-know-something-you-don't' smile, she grew frustrated and yelled out 'Then what?'
"Before I continue on, there is something I got to explain first. I promise you, it will all make sense, just give me a moment." Giving another sigh of frustration, she nodded for him to continue on.
"Alright, it's like this. It started out while I was training Minato when he was about Naruto's age. At the time we were having a small bit of difficulty. Somehow, Minato had hit a road block when I was teaching him about seals. No matter what I tried; visuals, examples, you name it; nothing could get through to him. Sure, he was well past the basics and he understood them well enough, but some of the theories and workings of anything higher than that he couldn't seem to understand. I know it's hard to visualize the forth like that with all the rumours about his genius with seals, but trust me it's true." Jiraiya tried hard to hold in his laughter at the incredulous look Tsunade had on her face, but even then a small chuckle left from his mouth. Gaining control he moved on.
"Anyway, about three weeks after he hit this road block, we ran into the most unlikely person. The guy was a traveling priest, shuffling forward as if he hadn't eaten in days. After confirming that, Minato and I shared a few rations with him. Even though I didn't let my guard down, there wasn't anything malicious I could feel about the guy. The both of us being curious, asked what a priest was doing in a world full of shinobi, not to mention how he could have lived for so long. He had said that he was simply traveling, going from town to town, offering his services. Minato had blurted out 'what services?', and before I could reprimand the kid, the guy says that he was an exorcist." If Jiraiya had found Tsunade's earlier face funny, the one she sported now was simply hilarious. He tried to hold it in, he really did, but it was just too much. He soon let out a large booming laugh, clutching his sides as he went on. Tsunade simply blushed, embarrassed and annoyed at her teammate. As soon as he was done catching his breath, he wiped a tear from his eye, while moving his other hand in a placating motion.
"I'm sorry, Tsu-hime I really am. But your face…it was just too much." Regardless of how funny it was, it didn't take long to recover. "Anyway, I wasn't kidding about the guy being an exorcist. After asking him to prove it, he showed us some of his talisman seals, and I'm telling you Tsunade they were a real piece of work. They were the real deal; I could feel their purifying power when I held them. Since the kid was excited about the seals, plus his earlier frustration, he blurted out that they were more complex than the ones I was teaching him. At that age, he and Naruto were very much alike. Guess is goes to show where Naruto gets some of his mannerisms from." He paused to take a breath, and then continued on.
"Moving on, after I scold the kid for letting out what he shouldn't, the guy then asked how his training was going, saying it must have be difficult. Minato had sent me a look, and knowing the cat was out of the bag so to speak, I told the priest about some of his progress and discretely told him that he seemed to have hit a road block. He thought for a bit, and then says that he can offer a method that could help, a method that would give Minato a greater understanding of life, strength and most of all, help with his sealing. Being in the funk we were in before, we nearly yelled in the man's face to tell us what it was. I had asked how long this method would be and the guy said only four years. Also, he said that Minato would have to accompany him without me. I was sceptical and asked why I couldn't accompany my student. He simply said that I wasn't the person the offer was being made to. I argued with the man for a full half-hour before I couldn't come with anything else to argue. He assured me that even though there was a high risk to this method, it was well worth it and that he believed Minato could do it. At my wits end I basically left the choice up to the kid.
"He thought on it for a bit before taking the man's offer. Now, I know your thinking I should have argued better into letting me go along with Minato and of how I could trust the man after meeting him that one time. There was something odd about the man. I could feel a large amount of power hidden within him. There was also the fact that as we argued, he spoke with a wisdom I hadn't seen since the elder toads on Myobokuzan, and that's got to tell you something. Now, once Minato agreed, the guy calls himself the 'Chairman', pulls out a single sheet of paper, saying that the both of us had to sign it before Minato could go. I read through it a few times to make sure that nothing was amiss, and the form was completely legit. What's strange though is that the form looked like an application more than anything…
"But I'm telling you right now Tsunade, when Minato came back and we resumed his study in sealing, he progressed faster in a single day then what was done in months before he left. I may not know what he went through, but this method certainly got results. It gave Minato the chance to become prepared for what was to come in his life. Most of all though, it gave the kid time, time to grow and find new ways in which to think. And more importantly, it gave him time to mature into the man he became." For her part, Tsunade was quite impressed. Whatever method must have been good if it got the forth to where he was before the war. Before Jiraiya could continue on, Tsunade spoke up with something that didn't really surprise the man.
"So, this… Chairman paid the two of you a visit after Naruto had gone four-tails two months ago and basically gave him the same offer?" Jiraiya proved her suspicions right when he tapped the side of his nose while nodding.
"That's right Tsu-chan. But he did more than that. In truth, it didn't come as a surprise to me that he would know that all that power came from inside of Naruto. What did surprise me was what he did as soon as he met the kid. He immediately reversed my uh…meddling with the seal back into perfect order. What's more; what actually floored me was that he actually improved the seal and made it safer for Naruto." He finished off as he took out a pen and a piece of paper. He folded the paper in two then unfolded it, placing it on the desk. On the left side of the paper he drew a rough sketch of the seal on Naruto's stomach. On the right he drew the same thing with one difference. The seal on the right had an extra circle around the central swirl of the seal. The ring was thin, and had nine points, each double the width of the ring, and placed in equal distance from each other. Putting the pen down, he pulled up the paper in front of Tsunade before he explained.
"On the left is what Naruto's seal looked like before the priest improved on it. On the right is the improved design. As you can see, the improved design has an extra ring between the swirl portion of the seal and the 'spokes' of the seal. This ring is a filter, one much more proficient than the original seal; and it's fuelled by the demons own Youki to function. It works a tail at a time, completely filtering and transferring the tail before moving on. Each of the nine nodes represent each of the tails that need to be filtered. At first, they remain black until the node before it finishes transferring a tail. The node turns red when the process begins. As time goes on, the node shifts from red to blue, signifying how far the process has gone and how much of the tails Youki has been changed into chakra. When nearly complete, the node will glow softly before turning and staying completely blue, the glow disappearing. As each node finishes, they progress in a counter-clockwise direction, starting with the top left-most node, and will end with the top most node." Jiraiya paused once more, taking a breath and letting the info sink in before explaining further.
"So far, two whole tails have already been transferred, that's a tail per month basically. The third will take the whole next month to completely transfer; but the only reason why the seal is working so fast is because Naruto's body has adjusted or adapted to channelling such a large amount of chakra within him. Once the third tail is done, the other six will take a much longer period of time to be fully filtered. My guess is so that the kid's body has time to adjust to the amount of power each new tail brings. The priest said it would take a full eighteen months for each tail to be filtered, but knowing Naruto and his unpredictability, I'd say the other tails will be done in about thirteen to fourteen months each. So pretty much in six and a half to nine years the Kyuubi will be nothing more than a voice in the boys head and the Akatsuki's plans will be forever ruined, whatever they may be." Jiraiya had a grin of pure confidence, one that said they had won the war; it was only a matter of time before the enemy was beat.
If Tsunade was standing, she would have fallen back into her seat. The news shocked, no; it completely floored her. A grin slowly grew on her face as she started laughing. What she felt right now was complete elation for Naruto; this was one of the best hands Kami had dealt Naruto his whole life. She was laughing with so much joy she shed a tear, she was that happy for her practically surrogate son. Jiraiya smiled largely as he watched his teammate. He hadn't seen her so happy since her lover Dan was alive. Once she calms down and regains her breath, he continues.
"Just wait Tsu-chan, there's more. Another fact with the filter is that once all the Kyuubi's Youki has been transferred, the ring will disappear. Along with the filter, the priest placed one other seal on Naruto. It's a mental barrier meant to help shield Naruto's mind and soul from the Kyuubi's influence when he draws on its Youki. It was powered at first by whatever Youki was present in the brat's body, but it's slowly started to work with Naruto's chakra since enough Youki has been transferred. It'll still allow Naruto to enter his mindscape and actually converse with the beast, but the beast won't be able to do a damn thing to Naruto.
"The seal is an eight pointed star in a circle with the Kanji for mind on it. This seal is placed on the back of the kids neck, where it junctures with the boys shoulders." If Jiraiya thought Tsunade's smile was big before, it was probably going to split her face in half if it got any bigger. In her mind, she was whooping for joy, just wishing she could rub this in some of the council member's faces, especially the elders; the same went for Akatsuki. Reminding herself that she couldn't do so, mainly to save Naruto the trouble later on, she deflated some; the smile was still present on her face though. She made a bet in her mind that Jiraiya couldn't have any more surprises for her.
"Jiraiya, this may be the best news I've ever gotten! Finally, things are starting to look up for the kid. So tell me, what have the last two months been like?" She asked with her eyes sparkling with joy and curiosity as she looked at the hermit.
"Well it's been mainly two things, chakra control and taijutsu. I knew it would take an overhaul of chakra control to help the kid with the amount of chakra he'll be getting, so I helped clue him in on the memory trick with Kage-bunshin. Once that was done, I helped him find out his natural affinity, which turned out to be wind. Next I had him completely abuse the technique with hundreds of clones working on various chakra control techniques daily, while I trained the real one in taijutsu. Once an hour had gone by, I'd have him dispel them all group by group. He'd knock himself out for about twenty minutes from the mental overload before going at it again." He then gave his team mate a look. The kind of look one has when they've stopped trying to understand something and just accepted it.
"That kid has the greatest amount of stamina I've ever seen Tsunade. On the first day he could only make a hundred clones five times before having to stop for the day. By the time the first month was done, he made three-hundred each hour for eight hours. Now he's going at nearly five-hundred clones an hour for about eleven hours. And at this point I'd bet he's got chuunin level control over his immense reserves. While that is a great improvement, I'm still going to wait till the third tail's done being filtered before I even think of starting his training in senjutsu. To quote the Nara, it would be too troublesome to start now with his stores constantly increasing at the rate they are. Once it's more regulated, it'll be a whole hell of a lot easier for him." Even mentally her betting still sucked; still though, she couldn't say she was unhappy with the loss. She was happy with Naruto's progress and knew it could only get better from here. Her thoughts went down another road as she thought about Naruto's work ethic.
'His stamina is simply astounding; will he have no limit once the transfer is done? On that note, any girl lucky enough to get Naruto will be both lucky and very sore when it comes to…certain parts of the relationship.' She chuckled to herself mentally at that thought, hiding what she though expertly from her teammate, knowing he would never let it down if he knew what she was thinking. Her thoughts took another turn as she realized something. She heaved a great sign, deflating greatly in her seat, catching Jiraiya's instantaneous attention and curiosity. When asked what was bugging her, she replied with another sigh.
"It's nothing you old pervert. Just that we're going to have to wait another couple of years before seeing him again. I know that all this time will help him become strong enough to take on any of Akatsuki's members, but still, there were quite a few people eagerly awaiting his return." She grew confused once again when he chuckled with a small shake of his head.
"Oh, was that all? Well, you're wrong on having to wait another few years to see him flat-chest." At this remark she growled at him, making him continue quickly. "You see, I had talked this over with the Chairman and we made up a schedule for Naruto. In another two months, Naruto will leave from Mt. Myobokuzan and head to where ever the priest's personal escort will take him. During that time Naruto will be training in the priest's method for most of the month, but once or twice on the weekends he'll return to Myobokuzan to continue his training in senjutsu. Also, the guy said that Naruto will be getting certain seasonal breaks, some long enough for the kid to return and take some sort of test in order to advance to chuunin." Hearing this took a large weight off Tsunade's shoulders as she sighed in relief, knowing that at least on certain weekends Naruto'll be able to return for a while.
"That's certainly a relief. Now, is there anything else I need to know?" She asked looking at the time, surprised that only an hour and fifteen minutes had passed. Jiraiya nods at her once her attention is back on him. He takes out two scrolls, both a light beige colour but each with different coloured edges. One scroll, which had the word Akatsuki inscribed on the side, had red edges. The other, with Naruto's name inscribed on the side, had yellow edges. The toad sage handed both over to his female teammate before elaborating.
"The scroll saying Akatsuki is all the info my network has been able to get on them. It's more info than I thought I'd get, but I won't look a gift-horse in the mouth. I've looked it over four times and took all the stops, the info's legit and true. Read that one second after you've read the one in yellow. That one is a more detailed report on Naruto than I'll be able to give." He would have continued had Tsunade not interrupted him.
"What do you mean 'a more detailed report you won't be able to give'? Why can't you explain it yourself?" She was annoyed by her teammates supposed laziness, though, why was she feeling like she forgot something?
"Have you forgotten already Tsu-hime? I'm a Kage-bunshin remember? And this clone doesn't have much time left before it goes 'poof'." Tsunade had the decency to blush at the reminder before regaining her composure and giving the clone a nod. The clone just smiles before shifting forward.
"There's one last thing before I go. Both those scrolls have important information in them, especially the one about the brat, make sure you commit the info to memory then burn them before leaving this room. Also, make sure that the sensing seal, my drawing for Naruto's seal and the silencing seals are destroyed as well; we don't want someone like Danzo getting his grubby little mitts on them do we? Well any who, my times up. Chow." And with that the bunshin dispelled itself, leaving the Godaime Hokage alone in the room. Once the smoke dissipated, she pocketed the red scroll, meaning to read it later. After that, she immediately tore into the other scroll.
'Dear Tsu-hime,
I knew before hand that a clone wouldn't last long enough to give both the general report AND the report on Akatsuki plus Naruto's growth. So I wrote these scrolls up for you; helps make sure I didn't forget anything.
In truth, I knew you were going to be pissed about what I did with the kid's seal-
'Your damn right I'm pissed about that you idiot!' Tsunade thought to herself before reading on.
'-, but at the time, I wanted to do what I could to help the brat out to control the beast. With only two and a half years to do so and after a lack of progress, I got impatient, and worried. I felt that the kid could handle the challenge, and I was really proud of the kid when he mastered using three tails. But that four tailed form… it made me regret ever making that decision. Thankfully, for both my conscious and Naruto's health, the priest both fixed my mistake and improved on the seal.
Now, where to start with the brat? You wouldn't believe what this trip has done for the kid's mentality and maturity. The kid's grown Tsunade, much more than he would have if he had stayed. It didn't become apparent until about the middle of January when we first left, but when it did, I felt like strangling every person in the village who ever did the kid wrong. Being away from the oppressive atmosphere opened a big door for the kid, and he leapt right into it.
Now I may not know as much about psychology as Ibiki or Inochi do, but I know Naruto created a mental shield, a mask to help protect his heart and spirit from the oppression the villages gave him. I'd say it was a natural reaction on the boy's part for his emotional self-preservation and I don't blame him. Add in the sabotaged education thanks to those bigots, and you've got a kid with a large amount of locked potential but doesn't know how to tap into it or express how he feels.
It took a bit of work on my part, but I was able to help make a crack in his mask. When that happened, it was as if the locked flood gates had finally opened. I think it would have to do with the fact that he subconsciously felt safe enough and comfortable enough around me to relax, to unwind some of his defences and show me what he had been safeguarding. It happened little by little as we traveled, and by now most of the mask is gone. I'm not so easily surprised anymore, and what I could see in the kid nearly blindsided me.
His potential is staggering, Tsunade. What jutsu I did teach him he soaked up like a sponge. As we traveled around, I helped him review what he should have been taught in the academy. He took in the entire first year in a month! By the time seven months had gone by, he was nearly done what was taught in the final year. And this was along side learning proper strategy and introducing him to my spy network. You just show actual trust in the kid; show some real care and belief in his success and he'll blow your socks off. I'm more proud of the kid then you could ever know Tsu-chan.
The kid's also gotten much smarter Tsunade. When he actually applied what he knew to situation I gave him, the strategies he came up with were good and well thought out. His memory is much better as well. He may not be like that Nara kid, but he can plan ahead pretty well, instead of the multiple short on-the-fly plans he used to come up with. Right now if I was to play the kid seriously in shougi, four times out of ten he'd beat me, and he's getting better too.
One thing I did to help the kid more happened just after he turned fourteen. –'
'Why don't I like the sound of this?' She thought to herself before continuing on. What she had read so far had left her speechless. To finally know exactly why he acted the way he did was a real eye opener. Sure, she did have her suspicions about his upbringing, but she honestly thought the way Naruto acted was partly due from a lack of attention to study when he was younger. Thinking back on it now though, it made complete sense. Also, looking back on all the times she spent with the brat made her feel somewhat guilty. If only she had known, she would have done so much more. But with the lack of knowing, getting settled into her position as Hokage for the first few months, plus reshaping the hospital, she felt that she didn't have the time. Pushing the guilt aside, she resolved that while it wasn't really an excuse, what's done had been done. Besides, she'll get the time to make it up to him. Maybe pay for a ramen binge and actually get to know the real Naruto? She brought her eyes back to the page.
'-I felt that his education with the opposite sex could use a woman's touch. I may be the grandest pervert to ever grace the elemental nations, but even I knew that I wasn't the right person to teach the kid the birds and the bees.' Tsunade was gobsmacked at this, before she started roaring with laughter. To think he would actually admit something like this? Oh, she was SO going to remind him about this the next time she… She stopped laughing abruptly.
'Wait a minute. If Jiraiya didn't teach him then…oh no…he didn't…' She glued her eyes back to the page and read on.
'So I took him to this one place that I usually visit. I took him there a couple of times, a couple of days here and there ... There's got to be something wrong with the kid, either that or he sticks to his morals better than a monk. On his first visit he told the girls there; and me, repeatedly I might add, that he would learn and listen, but he wouldn't take the hands on approach as I had suggested. Thanks to that and a few of the arguments between the two of us, the girls are now like sisters to the kid. They just adore the brat, and they dote on him like any older sister would. It was thanks to them that some of the inhibitions and habits he created; thanks to that pink haired student of yours, were gotten rid of. He isn't as dense when it comes to women anymore, but it'll take a bit for him to learn everything.
Even though he had learned a great deal during the last few years, most of the progress and maturity hadn't come together until a couple of months ago. I guess it just took time for the kid to adjust to so many changes and for them to cement themselves as the kid grew.
Another thing Tsunade. Naruto finally knows who his parents are.' That line made Tsunade's eyes widen. Did Naruto really progress so far that Jiraiya thought he was ready to know who they were? And how did he take it? Dying from the curiosity, she went back to the letter.
'It happened after the Chairman had fixed and strengthened the kids seal. He and I were talking that night and the guy went down an avenue I knew would mean trouble for me. It had started out with him making a comment about how Naruto looked very much like Minato and asked if the two were related. The kid just HAD to be awake at the time. One thing leads to another and I ended up spilling to him about both his parents; that and the fact I was his godfather. The kid was so pissed he wouldn't talk and gave me the cold shoulder for a week.' Tsunade shook her head at that last part, eyes filled with mirth.
'Server you right you pervert. I wish I had been there to see the look on your face.' She thought with amusement. She shook her head before continuing to read.
'Once he had calmed down later that week, he talked to me about it. When he had asked why I hadn't visited him when he was younger, I told him about having not only to look out for Akatsuki, but also looking for leads on Orochimaru. The kid was silent for a few minutes before he said that he believed that the reason why I didn't visit was because I was engrossed with my work. Since I had just lost Minato and that I probably wasn't ready yet to face some things I kept my mind off the pain by turning to my work as a distraction. He also said that in a sense, I was protecting him from afar at the very least. He left me speechless at that Tsunade! He said he was still pissed at me, but continued saying that he understood the situation from my viewpoint. Of course that was after punching me with a right hook that would do you proud. After that the priest came in, and gave Naruto the same invitation he gave Minato. As you're already thinking, of course the kid agreed.
It was at that time I felt that there was only one way to make it up to him. It helped that his progress made it possible; so I told him I would take him to Mt. Myobokuzan to train him in senjutsu arts. After a small demonstration and meeting the Ni Dai Gama Sennin, the kid was real interested. Though before we left, he told me that I had better not have made this decision based on trying to making it up to him for a past mistake. I had told him that I actually thought he was ready to take it on, of course with a large amount of training in control because we both knew he needed it.
Other than that there really isn't much else to say. About two weeks ago he started calling me Ero-sennin again, so I know things are patching up, but it will take some time before he fully forgives me.
Sincerely yours,
Jiraiya
Taking a small breather, Tsunade let everything just sink in. Looking at the clock she saw that she had about ten minutes left. After quickly rereading the letter twice more, she burned it. Seeing that she didn't have much time left, she destroyed both Jiraiya's sketch and searching seal before doing the same with the silencing seals. She made sure there wasn't a trace of the ashes left. Thinking back on what the letter said, she grew annoyed. Now she really couldn't wait till Naruto returned. Sure it would be another pair of months and then a small grace period but still.
Walking back to her office, preparing to go through more of today's paperwork, she thought of how she was going to break it to the others about Naruto's delayed return. She sat down and grabbed the first sheet, ready to sign. She then stopped right before the pen touched the paper. A sudden thought occurred to her as a tick of annoyance appeared on her forehead.
'Damn it all, you pervert. He completely forgot to tell me exactly what that application form was for!' She grumbled as she worked on the paperwork with a fury that would scare lesser men. It didn't help her male attendants that she unknowingly mumbled to herself on how she would punish the pervert. They couldn't get away fast enough for their tastes.
/
/ - At Mt. Myobokuzan - /
/
Mt. Myobokuzan, the home and refuge of all toad summons. Also called the wandering mountain, since it would usually take a month of searching just to find it. Even if you did find it, you had to be allowed entrance by the toads themselves. Now, within the toad's realm, there was a long, winding river were two men were. A boy and old man really, with two small, elderly toads on the river bank, watching the two. The old man was a bear of a man, his height easily passing six feet. He had a long mane of white hair, tied back in a thick ponytail. On his face, other than the wrinkles of old age, was a wart on the left side of his nose. Trailing down from below his eyes to his jaw were two thin red lines, one under each eye; both coal black. On his forehead was a metal plate with a pair of Oni-like horns on either side of the plate. The Kanji for 'oil' was emblazoned on the metal in black. He wore a red sleeveless over-coat with yellow circles on each shoulder. His hakama matched his pants in colour, each being a dull greyish green colour. Underneath that he wore a mesh shirt as under armour. Add in the geta he wore on his feet and you got a pretty memorable character. What Jiraiya didn't expect was for his look to make people think he was a Kabuki Theatre reject. In truth he thought he looked gallant, and attractive to the ladies.
The other one was much younger, around fifteen. This was Jiraiya's apprentice, Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto. It was once just Uzumaki Naruto, but he added in his father's family name after being told who he was. While he was much shorter than his sensei, he was only about two or so inches below the man's chin; a definite growth spurt on the boy's part for the last two years. Right now the blonde was wearing a simple pair of black swim trunks, a white short-sleeved shirt and was barefoot. The Shodaime's necklace that Tsunade had given to him was around his neck. His modified forehead protector was fastened to his forehead, its longer black straps billowing in the wind as he stood on the water.
A couple minutes beforehand, the two were sparring when Jiraiya stopped, his eyes glazed over as he stared at nothing. Naruto, knowing that his teacher's kage-bunshin must have dispelled, waited till the info came through. He only grew slightly interested when his mentor gave a gasp of surprise before falling to his knees on top of the river. The man's eyes started to water before a pair of tears trailed down his cheeks; here Naruto grew concerned. Enough so he ran up to the man, knelt in front of him with a hand on his shoulder, and asked what was wrong. It took a moment for the large man to start talking since by this time he was starting to sob.
"I…I c-can't…my Kami…why did…" Naruto was able to discern only so much between the man's sobbing.
"Hey…calm yourself a bit sensei. I can't understand what your saying if you don't." He knew whatever happened had to be pretty horrible if his sensei was openly sobbing; it was enough of a commotion that both the elder toads and Gamakichi came over, wondering what was wrong. After telling them what he knew, practically nothing, both the elders took one of his shoulders each while Gamakichi stayed on the side. Once the man was able to calm his sobbing, the three toads and apprentice listened in, worried for there friend.
"It's Tsunade…she…I had to…" He sniffled a bit, taking out a tissue and blowing his nose. The others, curious at how this involved the fifth, coaxed him further.
"C'mon Jiraiya-chan, what happened? What does this have to do with Tsunade?" Fukasaku urged him, like a parent trying to coax an answer from a bawling child. Naruto, from his point, was worried. What, concerning his Baa-chan, would be so bad that he'd be crying?
"…I…" the man said in a small voice. The others leaned in, hoping to hear the truth.
"… I had…" They leaned in further.
"…I HAD TSUNADE BURN ONE OF MY NOVELS!" After his outburst, Jiraiya started to openly weep once more, his hand covering his face. The others, getting over their shock at the man's shout, took a moment to process what was said. Tick marks appeared without restraint before they yelled in unison.
"YOU BAKA/ERO-SENNIN!" The toads and boy exclaimed respectively as all four of them drove a fist into the man's skull, sending him into the water. Seeing this as a break, Naruto went over to the bank with the toads and sat down for a bit, waiting for his mentor to come out from the river. As he waited, he thought on what his training trip had been like.
'These last few years have been real good to me... Looking back, I'm actually glad that Jiraiya-sensei is waiting till my chakra stabilises some before teaching me senjutsu. Sure I was a bit annoyed at first about all the chakra control I had to do, but I find it kind of fun, trying to make up my own exorcises…or at least my clones coming up with them. If he had tried these two years ago, I probably would have made it hell on earth for the man. Besides, he's got the real me, me of course, doing Taijutsu and a bit of strategy games so it's not all that bad. As a plus, I was able to fix some of the problems I had while using the Rasengan. It surprised me to know that it was an incomplete technique…I can't wait till I can actually try and complete it! Just you wait old man, I'll surpass you yet!' That last thought brought a smile to the boy's face. His thoughts would have continued if he wasn't hit in the face with a ball of mud. Scrambling back up from his back while wiping his face, he saw Jiraiya on the river with a smirk on his face. Wiping the mud from his face, Naruto got up. His eyes determined, and a smirk of his own, he ran onto the river starting another impromptu taijutsu fight between sensei and pupil.
The elders for there part simply watched on as the two ningen traded blows, while also giving witty remarks here and there. Fukasaku turned to his wife as Naruto redirected one of Jiraiya's punches.
"That boy…he really is an unpredictable one, isn't he Ma?" The female toad turned to her husband then looked back at the two before answering.
"You're right on that Pa. I heard much about the gaki from 'bunta and 'kichi, but I couldn't really believe them till Jiraiya-chan introduced us to him. Kind of reminds you of when he was teaching Minato as a brat, huh Pa?" Pa confirmed with a nod as he smiled.
"Yep. It's a real shame that boy died when he did. He still had so much to experience in life. Never did get the chance to learn Senjutsu himself. If the Kyuubi hadn't attacked, maybe Minato would have learned it, and be here as well helping his son learn the ropes. Oh well, can't change the past." Ma nodded.
"That's right. Once this month is over, we'll both help the kid learn senjutsu and make Minato proud of him." Her thoughts shifted gears. "I can understand why Jiraiya would want to teach him senjutsu though. Akatsuki…they sound real dangerous; a group that Naruto will need all the training he can get to take them on. I wonder if he'll surpass little Jiraiya in the art?" Pa made a grunt as he put his webbed hand on his chin, thinking on his wife's question. Once done, he looked at the blonde as he sparred with the Sennin. He nodded, as if to himself before speaking.
"I know he'll go far with Senjutsu Ma, he is the prophesised child after all. I don't think he'll just surpass Jiraiya in the art, that brat will be in a league all his own. Who knows, he might even master the art!" He said with enthusiasm while stroking his beard. Ma nodded before brining up a new topic.
"That may be, but until then he's still a small tadpole. It's a good thing that Naruto-chan is taking the same opportunity Minato took. Being where it is, it's the safest place for him to be. Those from Akatsuki would have to pass though this mountain before being able to follow the gaki. It's the perfect plan to let the kid grow without them breathing down his neck." She looked up suddenly, her eyes in a slight panic. "Dah! We've been here so long we've missed lunch! I'll go start something quick!" She called over her shoulder as she hopped away. Fukasaku could only look on, a sweat drop forming as he watched his wife hop away, worried about making a late lunch. He shook his head before looking back at the pair still sparring on the river.
'Ma was right. While the gaki has made exceptional progress and growth these past few months, he's still a tadpole. The kid has a long way to go…' His thoughts ended as Naruto was caught by Jiraiya's roundhouse kick to the face. The hit sent him cart-wheeling in the elder toad's direction. Wanting to stop the boy before he headed face first into the boulder behind him, he caught the boy by his upper arm as he passed. Pa could only sign as he looked at the boy's face; his eye's a pair of swirls as he mumbled incoherently.
'A long way to go indeed...'
/
/ Time-skip - 2 months /
/
For Naruto, the past two months seemed to have flown by. His mind was elsewhere though. Right now he was wiping off imaginary dust off his…uniform, for lack of better term. It reminded him of the business suits some of the guys in high end businesses would wear. The pants were a light brown, nearing a dark tan colour. The belt was a simple one; made of dark brown leather with a brass coloured metal buckle. His shirt was a white, long sleeved collared button-up shirt. It felt kind of weird having to tuck it under his pants though. His tie was pure red in colour; it took him the better part of an hour just wrestling with the thing before he asked Jiraiya for help. Half an hour of practice later, he could tie it satisfactorily. The Shodaime's necklace was tucked underneath the shirt, hidden away from the world.
Over his shirt was a green overcoat with two buttons in the lower front, holding it together. It had three pockets; one on the left side of his chest while the other two were near the bottom, same as his old jump-suits. On both sides there was a small bit of white trim; starting from the tips of the 'wings', as he dubbed them, and going all the way to the bottom. It was designed to show off the collard part of his shirt and his red tie, for a contrast in colour. Now, the tie he could deal with; the multiple layers he could live with as long as the weather was nice; what he really didn't like about the uniform were the…shoes, if he recalled correctly.
What he wore on his feet truly confused him. Made of black leather, they completely covered his feet. Oh, his feet were snug and somewhat comfortable, thanks to the socks he wore, but they were really awkward to walk around in at first. There were no laces, no Velcro straps; they just slipped on. They were so limiting; they actually hurt his feet when he tried to crouch and leap from tree to tree. He was so used to his open-toed sandals and the freedom they gave; he never thought he'd have to wear these…oddities on his feet. When he described this to Jiraiya and the elder toads they simply laughed, saying how that was what the exact words his father used to describe them. He simply grumbled that they wouldn't be laughing if they had to wear them.
Jiraiya had thrown an unexpected fast ball at Naruto when he told the boy that what he was wearing was actually the same set his father wore; except the shoes, those were new. Naruto at the time, for once was struck speechless. To think he was actually wearing one of the few mementos of his father… he had hugged the man so tight Jiraiya thought her heard his back crack in two spots. When Naruto had asked why it looked grand-spanking new when it was so old, the Gama Sennin had only said that it was the material.
By the blonde's feet were a pair of bags, both gifts from his mentor. He received them when he got the uniform the day before. One was a large, black duffle bag, filled with extra sets of his uniform, undergarments, toiletries and sweatpants for when he slept. The other bag was smaller, meant to be carried by hand and not over the shoulder. It had three compartments. One large one in the middle taking up the entire bag itself, with the other two on the front, both of equal size. The large compartment was covered by a sheet of material the same as the bag; connected to the back. It stretched over the opening and was held tight by a pair of clips sowed on the bag below the two smaller compartments, which were coincidentally covered by the strap as well.
The sides of the bag looked to be folded together in a zigzag pattern, telling Naruto that the bag could be stretched a bit if needed. The handle was conveniently placed on top of the strap, making it all the easier to carry around. Naruto felt that he should recognize this kind of bag from somewhere, but for the life of him the answer would not appear. The old pervert had told him that they could be considered late birthday presents, one for each birthday. The Sennin swore that Naruto was related to Tsunade somehow, because there was no way the brat could have nearly broken his back by hugging him.
Right now Naruto, Jiraiya and the Ni Dai Gama Sennin were waiting in a medium-sized clearing, hidden away from most of the world. It was early in the morning, about 7 AM. Naruto had noted that the clearing was in the shape of a large circle, as well as completely flat when they first entered. The clearing itself was nearly fifty yards wide. A large group of short ferns grew in the center, while the outer 'ring' of the clearing was bare, not a plant in sight. The band was over three yards wide. On the other side of the clearing from whence they had entered, a large dark cave twice Jiraiya's height loomed over the group as they neared it. On the right side near the entrance of the cave was a small wooden bench, long enough for two people to sit on. Beside that was a tall thin wooden post taller than Jiraiya, with a wooden sign painted in red with the inlayed kanji for 'Stop' painted in white. As the two men sat on the bench, with the toad elders on Jiraiya's shoulders, the three elders ran over some last minute advice for the boy.
"Now, besides being on your best behaviour where ever you're going, you're going to have to hide your forehead protector and before you ask, Minato had to do the same thing when he went. Besides, you don't have to leave it behind, just keep it hidden in your duffle bag. And as we told you last night, the Chairman prohibited you from bringing any of your kunai or shuriken, so we'll hold onto them for you here." Naruto nodded as Jiraiya gave him his advice. He was a bit miffed about having to hide his forehead protector, but he could deal. Since he didn't like how his bangs would hang in front of his eyes, he took a white strip of cloth and used it as a replacement headband for the time being. He cued in as his mentor continued.
"Also, while you're there, unless told otherwise by the Chairman or the situation specifically calls for it; don't use your shinobi skills like your ninjutsu or senjutsu. You can use chakra; but do it as discretely as possible." Naruto nodded at that, recalling that when the priest had spoken to him about the conditions for accepting this offer. He wondered why he was prohibited from using any ninjutsu, but chalked it up to the man either wanting secrecy, or as a set challenge. He turned to Ma toad when she cleared her throat, getting his attention.
"Now you be careful Naruto-chan; and remember, don't intentionally pick fights with whoever you meet over there ya hear?" She told the boy while waving a single finger at him.
"Yes Ma, I'll remember. But I'll fight if it comes looking for me though." He replied with a smile, making Ma sigh before shaking her head ruefully with a smile. Pa gave a nod while making an impressed grunt from the back of his throat.
"A good answer my boy, a good answer. Just remember not to get in over your head gaki. There's nothing wrong with leaving the situation if needed. It isn't cowardly; you're just making a tactical retreat before heading back in."
"Hear ya loud and clear Pa." Naruto really liked the elder toads. They may be much older than Sarutobi-ojisan; Kami bless his soul, but these two had spunk. They kept Naruto on his toes whenever they bantered for fun, especially Fukasaku. His attention was brought back to his mentor when he placed a hand on his shoulder. Seeing the seriousness in his face told him it was business.
"Now Naruto, under no circumstances what. So. EVER. Are you to use 'that' jutsu unless you have NO other choice. You may have made exceptional progress during the last month and did something even the forth couldn't, but you still haven't mastered it yet. Also just remember not to give out information you shouldn't, got it gaki?" The boy's face was just as serious as the older man's; his eyes virtually glowed with his determination.
"I understand you perfectly Ero-sennin. Hopefully I'll have it finished before the time comes where I'll need to use it." Jiraiya nodded his head, accepting the answer. Before anyone else could speak, their attention was brought to the cave entrance by an odd rumbling sound. The entrance glowed with a myriad of colours before a large metal…box on wheels drove out. As it drove around the clearing on the plant-less path, it answered Naruto's silent question as to why there was that path in the first place. It slowed as it neared the group, giving them a good look at it.
It was tall, taller than the stop sigh if only by a few inches. The wheels brought the bottom of the…thing over half a foot above the ground. Its corners were rounded, and by looking at it, Naruto could tell that it was made from multiple pieces of metal. The sound it made was loud and deep. He could feel his chest resonating from it; it was the most peculiar feeling. There were two large windows in the front of the thing, while the windows on the sides were a bit shorter; each one elevated to match with the top of the front ones. Somehow, either thanks to the sunlight or something on them, the windows were tinted and thus, unable to see through from the outside. Also on the front were a couple side view mirrors beside each of the front windows. The front itself protruded from the main body under the front windows; the front wheels were underneath it as well. The very front of it was flat, with a large piece of metal with long vertical slots shining in the morning sun. Lastly, it was coloured a dull golden-yellow, with a dull green on the front protrusion. Overall, Naruto thought it looked pretty cool; though it didn't have anything on the train he saw back in Yuki no kuni. As it stopped in front of them, Naruto quietly asked the burning question on his mind.
"Ne, Ero-sennin. What is that thing?" The man answered quickly, but he seemed somewhat distracted to Naruto. He and the toad elders were down memory lane for the moment, thinking of when Minato had taken this exact same vehicle when he was Naruto's age.
"It's called a bus Naruto." It was a simple answer, and it was all Naruto wanted. As he turned back to the…bus, as it just stopped, he noticed what looked to be folding doors on the side. His thoughts proved true when the doors folded open to the front of the bus, showing the driver. Just before he stepped out, he spoke in a quiet, yet creepy voice that 'he would be back in a moment' to someone they couldn't see on the bus. The voice sent a small chill up the blonde's spine, but he shook it off easily, he'd been through worse.
When the driver stepped out, Naruto was a little unnerved. It wasn't because of the man's uniform. It was like his only the pants, overcoat and tie where all the same shade of dark blue. Plus, the sleeves near the wrist on the man's overcoat had three cufflinks where Naruto's didn't. The only other difference was that the man wore white gloves on his hands and wore a cap that was the same shade of blue as his suit. No, what unnerved the boy where the man's eyes under the visor of the cap. They practically glowed a bright yellow. He couldn't see anything else of the top half of the man's face since the cap hid it in shadow. His odd moustache and smile only added to the look. Naruto had to give it to the man, he sure knew how to look intimidating. In the man's hand was a cigar that he brought up to his mouth before taking a long drag. He slowly blew out smoke as silence reined. It was Jiraiya that spoke first.
"…It's been a long time since I last saw you, and you look like you haven't aged a day." He smiled as he looked at the shorter man. Said man simply chuckled before answering.
"You must mean my father. I've heard a bit about you from him after I took over for him over a decade ago… Sannin no Jiraiya of Konohagakure." He smiled, nodding in the larger man's direction before taking another puff from his cigar. Naruto felt another chill go up his spine but crushed it while looking at the man. He seemed alright to the blond. Once you got past his voice and intimidating visage, you could tell the man had a good aura about him. Jiraiya for his part only raised his eyebrows before scratching the back of his head.
"Hehe, sorry 'bout the mix up. So how is the old man doing? Good I hope." The driver gave another nod before looking towards Naruto. He looked at the boy before speaking.
"So…is this the one the Chairman wanted me to…pick up?" Another chill went up Naruto's spine, but he could tell it was noticeably smaller, meaning he was already getting used to the man. As he grabbed his bags, Ma nodded.
"You bet he is. Do you see any other blondes around?" She asked with a smile. The driver chuckled, liking the humour. Pa turned to Naruto.
"Well gaki, this is it. Go and get on." Naruto nodded smiling.
"Don't go croaking on me before I get back, got it you old goat?" Pa matched Naruto's playful smirk with his own.
"I'd be more worried about surviving this training gaki. Who knows, you could actually die while in the middle of it." The two shared a laugh before the blonde turned to his mentor. His arms crossed over his chest, he stood tall and proud, looking at his latest apprentice. He gives the boy a nod.
"Come on kid, times a wastin'. Get moving already." Naruto smiled back before turning, walking towards the open doors of the bus. Jiraiya suddenly remembered something.
"Oi, gaki. Hold up a moment." Stopping before he took the first step, said gaki looked back at his mentor. Seeing the questioning look sent at him, the hermit pulls out two scrolls. He then hands them to Naruto.
"Now, the first scroll, the one addressed to you; don't open it until you've gotten settled and are alone alright?" Seeing the boy nod he continued. "The other one is for the Chairman. Give that to him A.S.A.P. got it? Good, now get going." Sending a mock glare at the pervert, he tucks both scrolls into his side bag while the other he puts into his pant pocket before looking back at his three current teachers.
"Thanks Ero-sennin. I'll see you guys soon enough." He then turns and steps up onto the bus, followed immediately by the driver. As the three watch the doors close, they speak to each other.
"You think he'll do alright Pa" She asked looking at Fukasaku.
"Of course he will Ma. We trained him well. He should have no problem where he's going." They watched as the bus revved up, before starting to move forward. As the bus leaves, they see a small glimpse of Naruto waving at them. They wave in return as the lone hermit spoke up.
"If that gaki is anything like Minato, he'll do just fine. He is his father's son after all." The elders nodded in unison to the hermit's words. After the bus was out of sight, Jiraiya turned to leave; the toads hitching a free ride on his shoulders. For the life of him though, Jiraiya couldn't shake the feeling that he had forgotten something… Ma soon remembers something important. She tapped Jiraiya's head to get his attention.
"Jiraiya-chan, you did remember to tell Naruto what he'll be expecting when he get's there right?" She asked as she gave him a pointed look. It finally dawned on the man what he had forgotten about. As he chuckled nervously, he tried to ignore the glare Ma was sending him.
"Well…uh…you see…"The clearing was soon filled with the sound of someone getting hit on the head plus yells and exclamations of 'Baka'.
/
/ Scene change - Bus, minutes prior /
/
As Naruto walked up the steps, he took in his surroundings as he moved to give room for the driver behind him. He saw a lot of empty, cushioned seats; all the same brown colour. There were only about eight or nine rows altogether. Unlike when he was outside, he could actually see through the windows; seeing his mentors talking outside on his right. Looking forward again he saw the person the driver was speaking to before he got off when he first arrived. It was a boy his age, wearing the same uniform as him; he was seating on the right side, about four rows down. He looked somewhat nervous at first, but after giving the guy a wave in greeting, the guy calmed down. He looked like a regular teen; somewhat spiky brown hair, cut short so it didn't go past his ears and clear brown eyes. As he moved towards the boy, he called out to him.
"Yo, I was wondering who the driver was talking to when he first got here." The blond took the seat right in front of the kid, in the third row. The brown-haired boy was sitting near the window, so Naruto sat on the inside portion of his bus seat, his bags near the window. The guy gave a smile while nodding to Naruto.
"Yeah, when the driver originally told me we had to make another stop I wondered who he was picking up." The bus soon began to rev up. Naruto craned his neck around to look at the driver. Seeing the man wave through the overhead mirror, Naruto waves in return before turning back around.
"Yeah, I would be too. By the way, names Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto." He smiled as he put a hand forward, waiting to shake it. The other kid returned the gesture.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Tsukune, Aono Tsukune." And just like that, a new friendship was made. As the bus was leaving, Naruto turned to the window, waving at the pervert and toads with a big smile. Seeing them wave in return made his smile grow. He stopped after they disappeared from sight as they traveled though the dark tunnel. Before the boys could start up another conversation, the driver got their attention.
"So…are the two of you the new… students?" He asked simply with a drawl of sorts as he spoke. Just hearing his voice gave Tsukune bad vibes as chills went up his back. Looking at his newest friend, he was stumped to find him cool as a cucumber. Remembering the question, he nods with Naruto. The driver chuckled as he drives on, further freaking out Tsukune. Looking at Naruto, his thoughts raced.
'How could he not be intimidated by this guy? I'm nearly shaking like a leaf while he looks like he's known the man for years!' As he continued to fathom the blonde's bravery, the driver spoke up.
"Oh…I was only wondering, since the place we're going can be very…frightening. And for a couple of boys like you two…dangerous even…" He chuckled again, amused by the boys different reactions. Tsukune looked close to having a panic attack while Naruto was calm. He also had a determined look on his face as he smiled at the driver.
"It doesn't matter how dangerous it is over there. We can handle whatever is thrown at us." Looking at them, the driver was impressed at the blonde's words, for they seemed to drain most if not all the fear from Tsukune. He chuckled again as he saw a small white spec grow larger in the distance. Naruto brought up a question that had been bugging him ever since he had met the 'Chairman'. He was so focused lately with his training and excited about today that he had forgotten till now.
"By the way, Driver-san. Where exactly are we going anyway?" Tsukune gave a puzzled look at the blonde. Didn't he read the application form when he signed it? Apparently not. The driver just chuckled again, still making Tsukune flinch, but it wasn't as noticeable as before. The previously white spec was now big enough for the pair to see from where they sat.
"Why…don't you know? ...Where we're headed…is Youkai Academy." The boys covered their eyes as they passed though the light.
