Chapter 1

Disclaimer : Naruto is not owned by me

I want to say right here and now that this is :

A. An Epic Length Fic

B. NOT a superNaruto fic. I know that it'll seem that I'm completely lying at first, but bear with me for the first 15 chapters. The truth in my words will surface only after that, where he has to take the bell test and is compared with Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura.

C. NOT completely composed of cliches. Many of the dreams and wishes Naruto holds when he's five will change over time and his actions will show varying degrees of maturity depending on age. An example is his dream to be Hokage which will have died by the time he becomes Genin.

D. This is NOT a humor fic. I've actually been asked to change the genre once. The beginning is full of Naruto and Jiraiya antics because...Naruto is FIVE. These things will gradually die away as the story progresses

E. I appreciate thoughtful reviews which throw out ideas and provide controversy over what I wrote, or suggestions for improvement. This is actually encouraged and I hope that if you feel that my story is worth reading, that you would provide me with some feed back.

I will note that personally, nothing frustrates me more than getting a low amount of reviews for a chapter. This tells me that people did not like the chapter - but then they don't tell me why.

Thank you for taking the time to read this A/N - Godentine

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Once, in everyone's life, they are a child. And as a child, they have innocence and a taste for adventure that battle weary adults do not have. Which is a shame really - just because we understand how something works and why something happens does not mean we should lose our wonder of it. Because thats what makes life really worth living.

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Rain dripped down the mud-splattered streets. The storm had slackened since the roaring tempest a few minutes ago and now it was only a trickle from the clouds. Ripples danced on the puddles of water as footsteps echoed throughout the deserted schoolyard. The swing creaked as the man walked on. The swing creaked again. The man turned curiously before he saw a small boy. Yes, it was a boy, sitting on the swings. His blond hair was sopping wet and it was plastered against his forehead. The white shirt he was wearing as soaked to the point of transparency and his pants seemed skin-tight as they clung to his skin. It looked like he had sat out the entire storm in the school yard.

The man walked towards him with a mixture of curiousity and pity. The boy looked up as the strange man neared him. The man carried a large maroon umbrella, shielding his masses of frizzy white hair and a giant scroll mounted on his back. Red face paint streaked from his eyes to his chin and a large wart was present on his nose. He looked funny. Peering closer, the light blue eyes sought out a band tied around the man's head. He was a ninja. The man watched astonished as the boy grabbed the rope which bound the swing to the rickety pole overhead before standing up. Grabbing the pole, the boy swung off it before catching the limbs of a tree with the underside of his legs. Momentarily hanging upside-down, he pulled himself up, but not before getting sprayed with even more water that he shook off the leaves.

The man, who was indeed a ninja, was amused. Who was this child to display such agility? He called out, "Hey gaki, shouldn't you be indoors in weather like this?"

There was no response. He tried again, "Most children don't sit out in storms ya' know, its probably not good for your health too."

He was once again ignored. Sighing, the man tried one more time, "Look I'm not going to hurt you, get out of the tree already and come over here."

His assurance of a sanctuary from harm seemed to appeal to the soaking boy who dropped out of the tree and walked towards the man. "Hi whats your name?"

The man smiled. It was a small accomplishment getting the boy to talk, though it wasn't overtly hard. "My name's the Ultra-Mega-Awesome TOAD SANNIN - and the author of the infamous Icha-Icha series!"

The boy stared at him blankly. The man chuckled, "Uh...heh... My names Jiraiya... How are you?"

An odd grin crossed the boy's face, one that was both happy, and sad. "My names Naruto!"

Jiraiya knelt down to Naruto's eye level. "Well Naruto, shouldn't you be at home? If you sit outside for to long in this weather, you might catch a cold."

Naruto shrugged. "My house? The villagers are burning it down...again."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow and said skeptically, "Burning it huh? It's raining."

Naruto jumped up, "Here Mister Jiraiya, I'll show you!"

Naruto bounded up with surprising energy considering his dilipated state and led Jiraiya down the street. His house was just a few blocks over from the school, but Jiraiya didn't need to travel far to smell the acrid smoke rising in the air. As the house came into his and Naruto's sight, Jiraiya saw it was still a raging inferno, even with the storm. How was it being fed though? His keen eyes spotted three figures huddled together in a shadowy corner of the building. Each of them had a stream of fire flowing from their mouth. The faint streams illuminated a symbol on their sleeves.

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, 'Uchiha...'

He disappeared, reappearing behind the group of Uchiha. One turned in shock before being struck with Jiraiya's umbrella. Before his body had hit the ground, Jiraiya had sweep kicked the other two through a wall. Naruto watched in amazement as Jiraiya picked up the three ninja and threw them over his back. Tossing his umbrella to Naruto, Jiraiya started walking toward the Hokage Tower, calling back "Come on Naruto, we're going to see the Sandaime regarding these fools."

Naruto hurried to catch up to him, "The old man?"

Jiraiya laughed, "Yep, he's the one. Now I bet I can get there faster then you can!"

Naruto shouted exuberently, "Your on!"

Jiraiya sped up as the kid sprinted past him, "Watch out boy, I'm coming!"

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The Hokage looked up as the door to his office crashed off its hinges. Two figures squeezed inside before instantly pointing at each other :

"I won!" "No I won!" "No way! Getting senile in your old age Jiraiya?" "Are you kidding? You were a mile behind!"

The Sandaime coughed. "It was a tie. Now what brings you here Jiraiya? Naruto?"

Jiraiya dumped the three Uchihas unceremoniously on the floor. "These vandals were caught burning down this kid's house."

The Sandaime inquired, "In the rain?"

Jiraiya nodded, "They were ninja."

Examining the fallen bodies more closely, the Hokage muttered, "Ah, yes I can see the vests now."

The Hokage paced back and forth through the small room. "Jiraiya, this is the fourth house that people have burnt down. I just can't go on issuing him houses you know."

Jiraiya smirked. "I don't remember crime rates being so high. You really must have let Konoha go."

The Sandaime glared at him and said hurridly. "My POINT is that Naruto is becoming a liability to Konoha society and stability. Its not that he's a bad kid, he really is kind at heart and I think of him as a son, but honestly, the weekly riots aren't something that Konoha can bear without buckling. And breaking."

Jiraiya was shocked but he also had the hint that his old teacher was trying to snag him into a plot he'd rather not be a part of. "Oh really? Might I ask why?"

The Sandaime took his pipe out of his mouth and exhaled a plume of smoke. "Remember the Fourth Hokage?"

Jiraiya knew he was in unknown territory now. 'Hmm, I'm not sure of that bastard's motives right now... I better venture carefully...'

With an accusing tone, Jiraiya said, "Dragging the Yondaime into this eh? Yeah, I should hope I remember him."

With the air of a spider sweeping a fly into its trap, the Sandaime asked, "And the Kyuubi?"

Jiraiya glared at him for a moment before stuttering, "Yes..No...No...You're kidding...right? That boy is the one...?"

Naruto interrupted, "Hey Old Man, whats a Kyuubi?"

Jiraiya and the Sandaime both looked over and said in unison, "Naruto, go outside."

He obediently toddled out.

The Sandaime turned back to Jiraiya before shaking his head, "I'm afraid so Jiraiya, the village is still terrified of him because of IT. They want me to kill him and even though the clans don't have an official position on the matter, alot of their members participate in the violence and riots against him. You yourself caught the three Uchiha."

Jiraiya pursed his lips, "Right. And?"

The Sandaime smiled slyly, "And I'm making you take him with your on your travels. Away from here and from Konoha's people. That's an order."

Jiraiya twitched, "You want me to teach him to be a voyeur?"

The Hokage's nostrils flared, "No you thick head, a NINJA - just think of it as a favor to the Yondaime."

Jiraiya muttered something that the Hokage didn't hear, "-hero my ass... Okay looked Sandaime, you've played the pity card and the guilt card and the 'Do the Dead Guy a favor card' and of course, the 'Child in Need' bit. Really, I thought you were above that. But...against my better judgement, I'll take him."

Jiraiya was about to leave when he asked one more question, "Oh and 'Old Man', does this Naruto kid have any previous lessons regarding becoming a ninja?"

Sandaime reddened but answered, "Oh yes, last in his class. He's in his first...or maybe second year."

"Figures you bastard," Jiraiya moaned.

As he left the room Jiraiya added viciously, "But not in hell am I giving you any more Icha-Icha books."

Sandaime's face paled, "No wait! N-...dammit."

As he walked over to his crystal ball to find where Jiraiya and Naruto were going, he found that it had cracked. His eyes widened with a feeling of dread. 'I can't say why but... I have this feeling...that I just sentenced Naruto to certain death.'

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As Jiraiya stepped into the hall he found Naruto dripping water onto the planks of wood. He grabbed Naruto by the arm, "Hey gaki, I've got news for you!"

Naruto yelped as he was carried down the stairs, "What?"

Jiraiya winked, "You're coming with me from now on."

Naruto inquired, "Going where?"

As they exited the building, the two found the rain had stopped and the sun was peeking out from behind the clouds, "Oh nothing. Just coming with me to learn how to become a ninja...and to a warm bed, a shower and a good dinner."

Naruto considered it, "The food and the bed sound good, but I'm already learning to become a ninja."

Jiraiya asked, "Oh really? How old are you anyway?"

Naruto counted on his fingers, "Um...five."

Jiraiya smirked, "Well then you couldn't have been learning long. Anyway, not many would refuse lessons from me - The Toad Sannin!"

Naruto looked up, "Whys it matter if you're a sannin or not?"

Jiraiya bragged, "Well yeah, being a Sannin means you're an awesome ninja and one of the strongest in the world."

Naruto's face lit up, "In that case I want to be Hokage AND a Sannin!"

Jiraiya laughed, "Yeah okay. Now come on, we have to get you dried off."

The two checked into a hotel and as Jiraiya shoved Naruto into the shower, he told him, "Stay in there for half an hour, I'll be right back."

As Naruto started the shower he asked, "Where are you going?"

"Buying clothes."

While steam filled the bathroom Naruto reflected, 'Wow, clothes! I've never had more then two sets before...!'

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The next day, Jiraiya brought Naruto to the front gate. "We're leaving the village Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya nodded.

"Well what 'bout the old man?"

Jiraiya answered, "Oh he knows you're going. So, got any last messages for Konoha?"

Naruto grinned devilishly, "Yep!"

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A few hours later both Naruto and Jiraiya left Konoha snickering while passerbys stared at the Hokage Monument -which recently had been defaced with the most interesting mustaches and facial hair.

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That morning as Iruka got up he saw a note pinned to his refrigerator.

HEY IRUKA!

Guess what! Toad Jiraiya Sannin...Toad...Icha...umm...this old white haired guy is taking me out of the village and is going to teach me to be a ninja. I don't mean that you weren't good, but the old-Old man said so! Don't worry though, I'll bring you a big present when I get back and then you can treat me to ramen again! I'll be an awesome ninja and ya know what then? I'll be Hokage - but not just a Hokage. I wanna be a Sannin too! Good Luck Iruka, remember to save some money for ramen when I get back!

Naruto

Iruka smiled sadly. Was the little ball of (confused) energy really leaving? The village would then be so...normal...

'Man, its gonna be weird with Naruto gone...but...good luck to you too Naruto'.