A/N: GUUUUYS thanks so much for your reviews, favorites and followers! Here is the next one, I really hope you likes it. The offer for a Beta is always up, of course. And remember telling me if Minato's characterization is good. It is very difficult since we don't have canon about his character at this age and I'm practically inventing him (remember he is sixteen, Naruto's age!). I based it as much as I could on the canon we have. So, take a look and REVIEW!

-chapter 1-

REVERSE

"Listen kid. I'll tell you for the last time. This is the price, and it's not negotiable."

A man stood behind the counter, face firm and arms crossed pointedly on his chest. A huge display of army hung proudly behind the massive shoulders.

Minato was not intimidated in the slightest. Above all, he was no kid. He narrowed his eyes, raising his chin and pumping air in his chest. "I spoke to your subordinate last time. He confirmed me that if I'd order a set, there would be a reduction."

The man waved his words away, "Bullshit." He grabbed the item laying on the counter that was causing such discussion and raised it at Minato's eye level.

"Do you know what this thing is, kid? It is a custom-made kunai. And what does 'custom-made' mean?"

Minato forced himself to look straight, suppressing the sudden urge to roll his eyes and opted for an annoyed glare.

The man didn't stop anyway, "It means I have to order something based on a design never produced before. In other words, this kunai" -and here he waved it- "you designed costed me a fortune!" He calmly put it back down. "Now, do you want to commission a set at their rightful price or not?"

This time Minato did not stop himself from sighing. He rummaged into his pocket with a frown plastered on his face, taking out the required money to pay the sample and laid them on the counter, grabbing his deserved kunai in exchange.

"I need to test this one first anyway. I may come back someday when it won't condemn me under a bridge." He calmly stated, but the last remark revealing his disappointment.

The shop owner toke the pay and merely huffed, going back to whatever he was doing before without saying a word.

Hn, what a jerk.

Minato simply shuddered it off and exited the shop, stopping in the middle of the street right outside of the building.

He allowed himself a better examination of the item in his hand. It was a tri-prolonged kunai, whose shape was exactly as he had instructed. It was true, that man was a rude bastard, but he was good at his job. For now, he'd just have to settle with only one of them, Minato guessed.

He hopped on the roof in front of him and jumped his way towards one of the farthest Training Ground, looking forward to try his new kunai right away, undisturbed.

A couple of months had passed since he had managed his first Hiraishin. Nobody had discovered his new technique yet, since because of the ending of the war, missions had become much simpler and there hadn't been a chance to show it off. He also hoped to hide it as much as he could from the Hokage and eventually do it flawlessly when the time'd come, so he would not order him to quit it because of its volatility.

Truth was, he was becoming really good at it. He could already perform it without hand seals! And he'd eventually found himself so at ease with the jutsu that he'd tried to build his own fighting style upon it.

Minato was already known for his speed and had counted on it many times, but with the Hiraishin it was all on another level! The tri-prolonged kunai would grant him more coverage for his attacks. He just couldn't wait to try it!

He reached the first empty Training Ground right then. He tried some swift killing moves with the new kunai for a while aiming at a ghost-enemy's jugular as a sort of a warming up, even if he really didn't need it for the Hiraishin.

Minato set himself in front of a training-mannequin. He grabbed one of his already marked standard-kunai from his pouch and punctually threw it towards the 'enemy'. As soon as it narrowed its head, Minato activated the Hiraishin and combined it with one of the moves he previously tried.

He disposed of the 'enemy' in a swift successful way, with a satisfied smirk plastered on his face.

"What an interesting move we have there."

As soon as the first syllable escaped the new comer's mouth, Minato snapped his head towards the source of the voice, so fast he nearly broke his neck.

"Sensei!" He jumped towards him and landed a few steps in front of him, soft smile and eyes beaming.

His sensei's smirk turned into an affectionate smile in return, then his eyes slightly widened in realization. He reached forward and ruffled Minato's already messy hair. "Hei! You've really grown up, brat. Do teenagers do that in just some couples of months?"

Minato's expression chanced a bit, turning slowly into a frown… all right, maybe more like a pout than he'd admit. He crossed his arms and ducked away from Jiraiya's hand. "You've been out for more than a year. I know there was the war and everything, but when it ended, nearly a year ago, both Tsunade-sama and Orochimaru-sama retured in the village and you obviously weren't with them."

Minato's voice was firm. Objective. No whine could be heard. He was just stating facts, despite the look on his face.

Jiraiya brought his arm behind his head, looking sheepish, "Aah, was it really that long? I thought one of them would eventually tell you."

"They did. And they looked a bit annoyed too."

Jiraiya sighed, his expression turning serious but understanding too. "You know, there was this bunch of orphans over there that needed someone to guide them and teach them… You know my ideals well enough to guess my eventual course of action."

He stopped, and he suddenly leaned forwards, waggling his eyebrows, "What? Were you jealous, little one?"

Outraged, Minato glared at his sensei, replacing his firstly startled look. "Of course not! You know I'm better than that!"

He groaned when the smug look on his sensei's face didn't falter, "I'm just saying that you could have at least informed me via toads, and maybe keep me adjourned… You know I was kind of worried!"

Jiraiya let a bark of laughter shake his body. "You worried about me? Didn't you hear the news?" Here he pumped air in his chest, placing his thumb on it. "I have been nominated a Leggendary Sannin from no other than the powerful Hanzo of the Salamander. I am the one supposed to worry about you, Gaki."

Said gaki rolled his eyes, exasperated. Did this mean he'd start adding that to his already very long introduction speech/dance every time he'd pop in front of others on the top of toads?

Minato sighed. "Yes, I had… Congratulation, by the way."

Jiraiya snickered in response, pleased. "You've survived without me, anyway."

Minato couldn't help an affectionate smile at his sensei's antics. He really missed the man.

Said man's face studied him for a moment, before a flash of curiosity urged him to speak again, "However, how is your Rasengan doing? Did you manage to take a step further?"

A slight confused expression passed Minato's face before it lit in realization. "Oh- that! I… uh… I didn't focus on it in this period…"

He then mentally chuckled, he hadn't given a name to that jutsu yet, but when he had first shown his Sensei its theoretical part, he'd just commented it with a "Practically, a spiraling sphere of Chakra.", so the nickname had stuck on the man. If he managed to finish it, he'd have to call it that way, he thought.

Jiraiya looked at him bemused. "Oh, is that so? What then, fuuinjutsu? Did the basic I thought you before I left helped you?"

Minato nodded, thoughtful. When he had first learnt about Kushina's status and had bumped himself into the hard study on the subject of 'Jinchuuriki', he had found out about this powerful attack of the Tailed Beasts called Biiju Dama. It took the inspiration form that for his 'Rasengan' and began to work on it a bit, but among ANBU missions, his study about Jinchuuriki, his study about fuuinjutsu and his late Hiraishin, he really hadn't had time left for it.

His Sensei thought him the genious among all the genious for that brilliant idea. He had felt a little ashamed at the praise… How much time did he have before he'd eventually found out about his knowledge on a village SS-ranked secret? He still didn't know if he knew it!

"Are you ok, Gaki?"

Minato turned his attention back to the slight frown on his Sensei's face. "Uh? Ah- yes… Yes I was… uhm… thinking that maybe, if you're up to, I could show you what I learned by myself and you could keep teaching me about it? Fuuinjutsu, I mean." He suggested.

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow at Minato's fist hesitation and he felt himself exanimated by his watchful eye, but then he widely grinned. "Of course I will! You are still my awesome apprentice after all, ne?"

Minato slightly blushed at the man's appellation of him and smiled almost shyly. Then he suddenly remember he had to back off… now.

"Ehm… I-It's been good to see you again Sensei…" He started taking some steps away. "But I-I have to go know, see ya ok?"

He turned around but froze in mid-step. "Where do you think you are going, Gaki?"

His blank tone making his blood freeze in his veins as he turned his head around, only to find a looming presence right in front of him. He flinched when he noticed a dangerous glint in his Sensei eyes and a creepy smile on his face. He felt sweet dropping down his nuke.

"Am I to assume someone else kept you as a student –a very powerful one, it seems- and decide to teach you a kinjutsu that both the Sandaime Hokage and I and everyone else refused to learn because of the risk it would bring? Because if that's so, I'd really like to meet them."

Minato recollected himself from his Sensei's Killer Intent and managed to shake his head. Jiraiya's face remained the same.

"So, I wonder how it is possible that you know about the Hiraishin no Jutsu. Let alone be able to perform it as if you had already trained on it!"

"I-I… ehm… Y-You know, I s-sort of-"

"Again, am I to assume my little dutiful student illegally broke into the kinjutsu's room at the Hokage Tower and stole and teach himself one of the most dangerous and difficult jutsu of all the time?"

Minato gulped, unable to say anything.

…

Jiraiya laughed so hard the whole village might even have heard him, then reached with his arm and patted –hard- on one of Minato's shoulders.

"You naughty boy! Ah-ah! Next step is breaking into women bathhouses. Just like your awesome Sensei!"

Minato felt the tension on his shoulders release as he let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. It had gone better than he had imagined.

"Anyway."

Un-oh.

Jiraiya sighed. "I know you much better than you think. You've always been a curious boy from the very beginning and I've always find it a peculiar characteristic of you. In the positive way, of course. And I also know you are pretty smart when you use your brain, but you are not an adult yet, boy."

And there it was the frown/pout again.

"Don't look at me in that way. I trust your judgment. But even if you managed on your own and really did a great job with that technique, I'd really have preferred for you to have waited for me and have worked on it together. It really is a dangerous technique… even for you."

At those words and at the concerned look his Sensei gave him, Minato avoided his gaze and opted for his feet, ashamed. He hadn't felt like a child reprimanded by a father like that in a long time.

"I'm…" he looked up, "I'm really sorry, Sensei."

Jiraiya smiled, realizing his words had finally entered the blonde's skull, and laid a hand on the top of his head. "Lesson learned for next time, then?"

Minato give him one of his wonderful eye-closed smile, but soon he broke the mood, ducking away again and complaining, "Stop doing that, Sensei! I'm not that short anymore!"

Jiraiya laughed. "Alright, alright. It's just habit, sorry." Then he smirked and subtly shifted into a fighting stance. "So. Would you mind showing this newly-Sannin-named Sensei what he had missed for the past year about his little brilliant student?"

Minato smirked back, taking on a fighting stance himself. "Uhm… I don't know. Let me think about it, ok?"

The wind suddenly changed its direction. Minato felt his hair follow its new course as the same was for Jiraiya's long white mane. Taking it as a common signal, both Sensei and Student launched themselves in a long friendly spar.

They both sat at the table of a tavern in the center of the village, with the remains of their lunch laying forgotten on it.

Jiraiya sat in front of him, on the other bench. His eyes closed and a hand on his chin, analyzing the situation.

"I'm not convinced." He finally stated. "You still can't do it that smoothly, and the margin of error is too big. I'd say to quit it once and for all for your own safety, but I know you won't listen to me on this matter."

Minato narrowed his eyes, thinking. That was what he was dreading. "How could I? I'm not that bad either and I already did the worst part. It's only a matter of practice now."

Jiraiya rested his arms on the table, the concern on his eyes nearly imperceptible. "I won't be that sure, Minato. You can't be with this kind of jutsu."

Silence followed that sentence for a while and Minato decided it was time to drop the matter and looked for a distraction. "So, tell me more about your staying in Amegakure, would you?"

Jiraiya looked a little startled by the change of topic by went with the flow anyway. He started telling him about their fight against Hanzo, exaggerating about his own awesomeness as he always did. Minato had already heard the story by third parties, but enjoyed his sensei's better one with excitement literally exploding out of his blue eyes. He kept on and on and Minato never get bored in the slightest, until he reached the end of the war.

Jiraiya's expression changed only for a split second and he stiffened a little, before he continued. "As I think Tsunade already told you, I decided to stay there a little longer to help some of the war-orphans." He sighed. "Well, I most focused on this strange trio, but what really caught my attention was this special boy…"

Minato kept his ears as open as he could.

Jirayia's face became more serious than what it already was. "You see, he has the Rinnegan."

Minato gaped. "W-what? That Rinnegan? But I thought it was-"

"Yes." Jiraiya cut him off. "That one." Than his lips twitched into a knowing smile. More to himself than anybody else. "Who knows, maybe he'll come out to be-"

He interrupted himself, hesitating and… looking guilty? Anyway, Minato knew what he was about to say. It was that Prophecy-thing he had told him a couple of times. He knew Sensei thought he himself was that child. Well, until now, it seemed.

Minato had never liked it. It was true that Jiraiya-sensei rarely mentioned it, but when he did, Minato had always felt an awfully heavy burden smash on his shoulders. The pressure and fear to fail his Father-figure Sensei nearly unbearable. And he wasn't even sure he believed in that Prophecy.

He should be happy to get rid of it and curse the responsibility on someone else. And he was. Really.

Shouldn't he?

Minato sighed. "Sensei, thanks for the lunch." He raised from his seat. "But I think it's time for me to get some missions or I'll get rusty, ne?" He smiled. One his truly affectionate close-eyed ones. "See you around, ok?"

Jiraiya smiled back as he raised too. "Sure, gaki." Then he added. "Ah! Minato. You reminded me. Don't use it on missions, ok? Give me heed at least here."

Minato looked back, bemused. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Stress against an enemy might cause you to loose concentration. I don't plan on rescue you into some sort of different dimension or whatever it is!"

Minato chuckled at his Sensei's antics. "Alright, I get it. I won't use it on missions. For now, at least."

And he was gone with a Shunshin.

"Maa, troublesome child!"

Minato felt a sense of deja-vu pervading him.

I really should not do this…

No. He really shouldn't. Above all, not after all the talks with his Sensei barely a couple of days before.

And the fact that he felt guilty as hell didn't help either. He could already hear Jiraiya-sensei's outraged shouts as soon as he'd eventually find out about this…

Minato recalled his Sensei's words. He made him promise not to use Hiraishin on missions, against an enemy.

Well, it was night. After midnight to be clear. And he was on Training Ground 38, away from the village. There was no enemy around, so he wasn't breaking his promise, was him?

After all, he did not promise him not to unroll the copy of the Hiraishin scroll he still had to study it further to be able to find something that could help him perform it flawlessly in order to get his Sensei's approval to use it on missions.

He did not promise him to discard one of the most BRILLIANT intuition he had ever had in his whole life while reading again said scroll.

He didn't promise him not to make a try for the greater good. His discovery, if it all went well, would probably shake the foundation of all the existing Time-Space jutsu and be the basis for who knew how many incredible and unique techniques!

Yes, he had to try. Sensei wouldn't let him because he wouldn't understand, but he had to try.

A pang of hesitation hit him as he remembered how he had thought the same thing about his Sensei the first time and then had found himself to be wrong.

But at the same time, he know this would work, as it was back then. If he'd approve, Sensei would surely want to study it for at least a month before trying it. Or even discard it all and throw it in the trash if deemed too dangerous as he also did with the standard Hiraishin.

But this new Hiraishin he created –he'd have to find a name to it (he smirked in anticipation as a flow of long strange names already took his concentration away)-

'Flying Thunder God: Time Shadow Style' uhm… 'Space-Time Level Two!' eheh. Terrific!

He shook his head, trying to get his thoughts in line, his excitement failing him.

Again, this new Hiraishin he created couldn't be thrown away. It was just a brilliant-yet-simple idea to reverse it by changing the Space kanji on the seal with the Time's one and vice versa and make the opportune modifications. The principle was simple: if you could travel through space by stopping the time, why couldn't you do the same by freezing the place and let the time flow?

He wanted to try. He needed to try! He couldn't wait for Sensei now. He would not risk.

He looked down at the clock on his hand and grinned. He just wanted to do a jump of mere minutes if he could, some hours he couldn't. The gap should be that basing on the theory. He needed absolute concentration, because basing on that principle, you could travel forward in time…

But not back.

He was no God. He could not tell Time to start flowing backwards, of course. But that won't be a problem, he could skip some hours of this world, after all.

He placed both the clock and the paper where he had written the new seal on the ground, the latter above the former. He couched and let his Chakra flow to the seal to make it stick on the clock.

As soon as the process ended, he stood up again, the grin still plastered on his face. All his guilt, fear and hesitation gone as he gathered more Chakra and made the new hand seals:

"Hiraishin: JikanKage no shiki: Jiku Reburu Ni!"

FLASH-

Panic. Colors of all kind spiraled in front of him at what he presumed was Light-Speed. He felt the urge to vomit menace to make him lose his concentration. But he couldn't give up now, he needed to stop the technique or it would be too late.

He focused. He searched for the seal with his Chakra. It laid rightly in front of him, and he felt it, but it was a continuum reach-and-lose that he found himself unable to return to reality.

He panicked again. He forced himself to calm down, again. He tried… again.

…

THERE!

-FLASH

"Ouh…"

Minato moaned, devastated. He felt like… he couldn't put it down on words.

He felt like Hell.

Somehow, he managed to stand on a four-legged position ad throw up. As his stomach decide to give him a break, he slowly shifted away and fall face up, away from the mess.

The moon loomed above him, the cold breeze giving him goosebumps. The dizziness was still fresh on him, so Minato decide it was better to lay there for a while.

Awareness slowly returned and he sighed, a bit relieved.

At least it's still nighttime.

With the comforting thought in mind, Minato Namikaze, ANBU nin of Konohagakure no Sato, fall asleep on the hard soil of Training Ground 38.

Rasengan - Spiraling Sphere

Biiju Dama – Teiled Beast Bomb

Gaki – Brat (affectionate)

Amegakure – Hidden Rain

Hiraishin: JikanKage no shiki: Jiku Reburu Ni - Flying Thunder God: Time Shadow Style: Space-Time Level Two

Konohagakure no Sato – Village Hidden in the Leaves

A/N: I know, I know. It was SLOW. Some of you might thing all that Minato/Jiraiya thing was too long and boring. I hope not. It is important stuff for the plot. BUT, if you think it was REALLY TOO SLOW, please tell me. Tell me even if you'd look harsh. I need to know. Was it boring? Too fluffy? AAAHG I DON'T KNOW! I know I really loved writing it, and I only hope it was the same for you reading it. So REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! ENLIGHT ME! I just need to build my writing style, but I thank you all even for only reading it. Thanks a lot!

I can't speak Japanese at all. I'm sorry if I've written an abomination over there… I did my best.

Next chapter there will be my little cute NARU-CHAN! (Sixteen of course, don't panic. It's my way of calling him). As well as the other future stuff.