Canon vs DLB: I've received some questions whether or not this story was going to be much like the canon, especially regarding the potential destruction of Uzushio. This chapter will hopefully answer some of your questions. I screwed some things around obviously for my story's needs (i.e. Third War happened earlier let's say around Minato's teens, Minato develops his Hirashin later, etc.) and some events regarding Uzushio are blurry even in canon, so a lot of it is speculations and imagination on my part.
Nevertheless I hope you'll enjoy it! And thanks again for the reviews/fallows/favourites!
Don't Look Back
One Amazing School Trip
''So... is everything in order?'' Minato asked, trying his best not to let his childish impatience show. His wiggling toes were betraying him though; it was a bad habit he had developed whenever he was in a hurry.
''Hm... Let me just see if...'' The Chunin working at Mission Administration Office trailed off, looking through the scroll for what seemed like the gazillion time to Minato. Of course, after returning later than planed for a simple bodyguard mission, Minato had to end up checking out with the most uptight ninja on duty. After interminable minutes, the Chunin finally spoke up again.
''Yes, your report seems acceptable.'' Minato resisted the urge to snort at that. More like impeccable! The Chunin handed him the discharge paper to sign. ''Just sign this and you're good to go.''
Minato honestly never before botched his signature like he just did now. He handed the paper back to the desk worker.
''Thank-'' The Chunin was left speechless when as soon as his fingers grabbed onto the paper, the Jounin had left in a flash, leaving some papers on the desk flying from the gust of wind it created. The Chunin blinked.
''-you...'' He finished unconsciously. ''Wow...'' It was the first time he had seen the infamous Yellow Flash in action. It was quite impressive.
OoOoO
''I'm home!'' Minato said loudly as soon as he entered the house. I hope Naruto isn't gone yet. He thought as he quickly took off his sandals and hurried out of the entrance hall. Hmm... I can sense two chakra signatures, so I guess not.
''Glad you could make it in time.'' Nadeko, Kushina's mother, smiled when she saw her son-in-law in the hallway.
''Yeah.'' Minaot smiled politely. ''Thanks again for looking after Naruto, Nadeko-sensei.'' He bowed lightly to his old fuinjutsu mentor.
''How many times have I told you to drop the 'sensei' already? We're family, for god's sake!'' Nadeko scolded, shaking her head half-amused, half-exasperated.
''About a hundred times?'' He replied cockily. Nadeko chuckled at her son-in-law's antics.
''Naruto's getting ready upstairs. I just kissed him goodbye, so I'll be going now.'' She informed him, making her way towards the door. Minato turned to watch her leave.
''You're not coming to the tutoring session?''
''Nah.'' Nadeko waved her hand dismissively, not even looking back at him. ''There's only so much of Hiroto I can stand.'' Minato snickered to himself at that. Despite the rather large age difference, it was clear that the old lady had a thing for the clan leader. Both had been left widow and widower since the Third War. However Nadeko, who like Kushina was rather proud and obstinate, would rather die than admit her crush. She knew it was one-sided anyway. It reminded Minato of Jiraiya and Tsunade's own situation.
''Alright, thanks again!'' Minato called out as Nadeko exited the house. He turned towards the stairs and wasted no time to quickly check up on Naruto, who let out a loud and happy 'welcome back!' before Minato got himself ready as well for the tutoring session.
Once he entered his and Kushina's bedroom, he instantly took off his clothes and threw them on the ground. Kushina would kick my ass for doing that if she was here. He opened his wardrobe and took out the Uzumaki clan's traditional ninja wear. It was a simple black 3-piece set: a large-sleeved kimono going down mid-thigh with the Uzumaki symbol embroidered on the shoulders, three-quarter pants and sandals which went a little higher on the shin than standard models. In times of war, the suit was accompanied with grey leather armours that were worn over the kit. However, in peaceful events like the tutoring sessions, the Uzumakis instead wore a large black obi tied at the back and plated at the front. On the metal plate was, of course, the Uzumaki symbol. They loved to plaster it everywhere they could.
Putting on the suit made him think about Nadeko and Hiroto again. He remembered the scene Naruto's grandmother had created last time she accompanied Naruto to the session while both Minato and Kushina had been out on missions. She had showed up in her usual clothes and Hiroto had been insulted and had let her know. ''You're too damn uptight! I'm not gonna dress up for some senile old man studying fuinjutsu with kids! Who do you think you are?'' Naruto had made the most comical yet disturbingly accurate imitation of his grandmother when he told his parents that story. Minato and Kushina had nearly pissed themselves laughing. Hiroto, though without a doubt a great leader, was extremely conservative. Nadeko, on the other hand, did whatever the hell she wanted and certainly didn't go overboard with clan traditions. Needless to say, that had clashed into epic fights in the past.
''Come on dad. I want to show you something before we go.'' Minato found Naruto waiting for him outside of his bedroom, also dressed up in his clan's gears. The little seven-year-old grabbed his dad's hand into his own and dragged him into the kitchen. He pointed towards the table, where Minato found a few sheets of paper. One of them was Naruto's mid-term report card (which he would examine closer later, though he wasn't worried about his son's results) and another was a parental consent form for a school trip.
''Can I go? It looks really awesome! We're actually going outside of the village and we'll go all the way to Konoha, you know? That's where you come form, right dad? I'm so excited!'' Naruto's enthusiastic outburst elicited both an amused chuckle and genuine interest on Minato's part. ''Plus, they say they want a couple of parents to come as accompanying adults. Would you like to come?'' That certainly increased Minato's interest.
''All the way to Konoha, huh? Yeah, I'd love to go with you. I'll ask for a break from missions. It's been a while since I've gone to my native village.'' Two years to be exact, since my last mission in collaboration with Konoha nins.
''Wahoo!'' Naruto cheered, literally jumping with happiness.
With this new information, Minato quickly scanned the sheet again for more details. All three groups of grade two students, along with their homeroom sensei, would leave for this trip, lasting eight days in total. They would leave early from school about three weeks from now and visit some memorials and shrines within and around Uzushio to learn about their history and culture. On their way to Konoha, they would go through a little survival training in the forest. They would then visit the infamous Uzumaki Clan's Mask Storage Temple located in the outskirts of Konoha before spending three days in the village.
''That sounds like a very interesting trip.'' Minato said, pretty impressed by the schedule attached to the consent form. It wasn't a cheap school trip, but considering all the stuff they'd be doing and how long they'd be gone, the price was actually pretty reasonable.
''Yeah.'' Naruto smiled at his dad. Minato eagerly returned it, then he was reminded of the time. He looked up at the clock on the wall.
''Shoot! We gotta go Naruto. I'll sign this later.'' Before Naruto even had the time to utter a syllable, Minato gathered him up in his arms and used his Hirashin jutsu to get to master Hiroto's home. Putting his seal about everywhere in the village had been one of the best ideas he's had lately.
Once inside the study room, he put down Naruto who hurried to kneel in seiza beside his dear cousin Karin. The two greeted each other with their usual happy chatter; the two considered each other siblings, since didn't have any of their own. Like Naruto, Karin had started the tutoring almost two years ago. It seemed appropriate to have them tutored at the same time.
Minato greeted master Hiroto and Nanami, Karin's mother, and her husband politely and apologized for being late. He took his usual spot with Nanami and her husband on the side of the large sandbox in the room, opposite to their children, while Hiroto was at the far extremity of the rectangular sandbox. Once properly seated in seiza, Minato did like everyone else in the room and hid his hands within the sleeves of his kimono, as was customary in the clan.
''Look what my mom brought, Naru-chan.'' Said Karin who had recently turned nine years old. She turned to reach for a small basket. She took out the small piece of fabric and a delicious smell filled the room. Inside were homemade cookies made from a combination of vanilla and chocolate dough. They were rolled and cooked together to form a swirl, like the Uzumaki symbol.
''It smells really good. Thanks, auntie Nana!''
''You're welcome, Naruto-chan!'' Nanami almost squealed. Minato and his brother-in-law exchanged a look only they could understand. Nanami and Kushina liked to go on about how their kids were the cutest in the entire frigging universe. The two sisters could literally spend hours sharing anecdotes about their respective child. Their husbands, poor souls, had to endure their frenzy.
''Feel free to get yourselves some refreshments, as usual.'' Hiroto told the children with a caring smile. He gestured towards the low table against the wall on which tea, milk, and other refreshments were placed.
''Today's seal,'' Master Hiroto started once everyone was ready. ''will be an absorption seal.'' He took the wooden stick in his hand and gracefully carved in the seal. ''It is used both as a defence and attack seal in battle. It is meant to have the opponent's attacks backfire at them.''
The two children listened attentively to their respected tutor, under the proud eyes of their parents.
OoOoO
The morning of the school trip, Naruto was beside himself with excitement. He woke up way earlier than necessary; Kushina literally had to order him to go back to bed for at least another hour. Kushina was not a morning person. She'd do pretty much anything for even just a few more blessed minutes of sleep. Not even her precious son's cheerful wake up call could convince her to get out of bed. Naruto was really a handful to deal with sometimes.
At a more reasonable hour, the little family got ready for the day. After a hearty breakfast, Minato and Naruto got dressed and gathered their things for their trip, while Kushina got ready for her mission.
''Uhg...'' Kushina sighed dramatically, looking at her two favourite boys. Minato wore his standard Jounin uniform and Uzushio forehead protector, while Naruto was in his traditional black clan gears (the required dress code for the outing). ''I would have much preferred to go with you guys.'' She mock-sniffled as she hugged her son, then kissed her husband goodbye.
''Be safe, mom.'' Naruto told his mother with the unusually soft tone he always had when one of his parents left on mission. Kushina fought the urge to squeal and hug him again.
''You too, honey. Listen to your dad and teachers.''
''I will!'' And the family parted ways.
Once at the academy, Naruto and his father joined the group of children and adults already waiting outside. All children, as instructed, also wore their clan's standard black gears. Since they would make an official visit to Konoha and meet their Hokage, the Uzushio Academy teachers thought it was best to keep a certain degree of decorum. Once everyone had arrived and the last details were settled, the group, led by Uzumaki Risa, Naruto's homeroom teacher, started their little journey.
Their first stop was at the village's Great Temple of Seals, which most students had already seen during their clans' various ceremonies or rites. Risa reviewed some of them with the children, as well as the history behind the temple, its artefacts and the reason for its foundation. Uzumaki Shagun, also the founder of the village, had it built in memory of her fallen comrades during their long journey here. The ancestors of Uzushiogakure had been a group of northern nomad tribes who had endured many battles and hardships before deciding to settle down on the island. Their foreign origin was what was believed to be the explanation for their unusually long lifespan.
The next stop was the village's Gallery of Heroes, situated in the biggest public park of Uzushio. It constituted in two rows of granite sculptures of important figures of the village facing each other. Among them was Uzumaki Mito herself as the first Jinshuuriki of the Ninetails and one of the greatest Fuinjutsu Masters. Again, one of the teachers in charge proceeded to lecture the students on each of the important figures.
They then moved on to the cemetery where a large commemorative shrine was built. Within it, large carved stoned stood tall for each of the tragedy the village suffered through, including all three shinobi wars and another particular event.
''Can one of you tell me why you think this shrine was built several years after the Second War?'' Seiwa Kenichi-sensei, a member of the village's second most important clan, asked the students before him. He was this year's weapons instructor; unsurprising considering the clan was notorious not only for their seals, but also for their prowess with the wakizashi.
Much to Minato's surprise, Naruto was among the students who had their hands up to answer the question. Knowing Naruto, and also basing himself from his report cards, Minato knew he wasn't very interested in the more 'intellectual' courses such as history and culture.
''Naruto-kun?''
''I think it was because of the invasion.'' Ever the eloquent speaker, Naruto proceeded to explain the event in his own colourful terms. ''Hidden Mist and Hidden Rock ganged up on us because we were still weak, and low on active ninjas from the Second War. They figured they could get vengeance for kicking their butts during the war, you know? It was tough, but we ended up kicking their butts along with Konoha again big time!''
Minato scratched his head sheepishly at Naruto's simplified and childish retelling of the attempted invasion. Still, he was pretty impressed Naruto got the gist right.
''That's right, Naruto-kun.'' Kenichi nodded with his usual straight face, long since immune to Naruto's flamboyant personality. ''And can you tell me how we managed to defeat them?'' Minato looked down at his son, curious to see if he would get that right too.
''Yeah! It was because of our super special Barrier Seals!'' Minato smiled.
''Very good. Some of the enemy ninjas managed to enter our village, but we were quick to activate our Barrier Seals, keeping the rest out of our village, but also keeping us in. We fought off those who were in, but the ones outside outnumbered us. So we went into siege for… Actually, do any of you remember for how long the siege went on?'' Another few kids raised their hands.
''One month!'' One student cried out.
''Exact.'' Kenichi continued. ''We were not prepared for such a long siege and since we live on an island, we were cut off from our supplies. Iwagakure and Kirigakure thought they would defeat us like this, but that was not the case. Do you remember what happened next?''
''We got help from Konoha.'' One kid said.
''How? It was a secret invasion. We couldn't contact Konoha, because we were prisoners in our own village, right?'' When no kids seemed able to give the answer, Kenichi went on. ''During the siege, we managed to dig a tunnel without being detected. We sent a small squad to Konoha to get help. It took some time before the reinforcements arrived; by then, we couldn't keep our Barrier activated. Many of our ninjas died of chakra exhaustion form keeping the barriers active. Fortunately, the reinforcements arrived before we sustained too much damage. The shrine was built in memory of those who defended our village.''
''Does the tunnel still exist?''
''No.'' Kenichi explained. ''We destroyed it soon after the battle.''
OoOoO
After a full busy day around the village, the students moved into the forest after a short lecture about the whirlpools in the surrounding rivers of the island. Once there, they settled camp and sat in front of one of their teachers who led a discussion on what was learned today. The kids were set free to do what they liked; they mostly told each other scary stories around the fire before they went to sleep. Tents had been set up with groups of five children plus one adult in each one. It made Minato feel incredibly nostalgic; it had been a while since Naruto had slept snuggled up against him like this.
The next day was the start of their three-day survival training. Each day before they reached Konoha, the children would have certain challenges to face, all of which were meant to assess their skills, but also their ability to cooperate with others. They didn't mention the last part to the students though. The teachers and accompanying adults were distributed among the groups; their role was to stay hidden in order to take notes on their performance and to only intervene if a student's life was in danger.
Minato was a little disappointed when he was assigned to a group in which his son didn't belong, but he wasn't surprised either. Teachers probably wanted to avoid bias. Minato was still curious to know how Naruto would fair.
During the first day, the students were not allowed to use their rationed food; they were given a scroll with information about the fauna around the village and their mission was to survive and find edible food and water in the forest.
''You will be tested on this when we're back to school.'' Risa had informed them, earning loud whines from the kids. ''When you'll be an active ninja on mission, you probably won't have a scroll that tells you what you can or can't eat. The info's gotta be in you head, folks!''
At the end of the day, Minato found Naruto's skin tone slightly greener than it should.
''I guess we'll have to review those together at home.'' Minato told his son. The older blond rubbed his child's back while the latter drank some water to dilute the harmless poison.
The second day, teachers had set booty traps about everywhere in their vicinity during the night. The aim of the traps was to slow the kids down; they were given a scroll containing fictional secret information to deliver within a certain time frame. If they didn't reach their destination in time, the scroll would deteriorate itself.
At the end of the day, Minato found his son with many bruises which seemed caused by rope burns and falls.
''I bet you just jumped ahead without thinking, right Naruto?'' Minato sighed, a little exasperated as he treated the wounds. Naruto was having the hardest time learning how to think before taking action.
''Well, it's not my fault one of my teammates just spent so much time looking around for traps! I was scarred the scroll would expire, you know?''
''And how is getting yourself caught into traps going to help your team move faster?'' Naruto looked down on the ground, suddenly feeling ashamed.
''Good job, Uzumaki.'' Naruto's overly careful teammate spit out sarcastically. ''Thanks to you, we didn't get to the teachers in time. We failed!'' Minato frowned at that and almost intervened, but decided to let his son have the chance to defend himself.
''I'm sorry...'' Minato was completely taken aback by Naruto's submissive reply. He thought Naruto would jump up and argue his point like he always did.
''I don't think this is worth looking for a fight, kid. You are all here to make mistakes and learn.'' Minato told the kid. Naruto maybe hadn't acted in the most... sensible manner, but he certainly didn't deserve to be treated like this. Naruto was always respectful of others in his own clumsy way, so he deserved much the same respect at least.
''Whatever!'' The kid stormed off, clearly looking pissed. Naruto still looked chastised. Minato didn't like to see Naruto like that. He really didn't.
If the two previous days had showed Minato that his son still had a long way to go, the third one reminded him how proud he was of his son and how much of a great ninja he would become.
The teachers had placed seals on various body parts on the children that caused paralysis. It was meant to simulate injury, tough without inflicting pain on the children. Each team was to find three hidden scrolls and bring them to the teacher waiting for them at the meeting point, which was a few kilometres away from Konoha.
Some children had worse paralysis than others, some were lucky and didn't have the seals at all. In Naruto's case, he couldn't use his left arm.
What Minato saw at the end of the day made him grin broadly. Not only had his son's team found all three scrolls in time, but they had all made it together. Some other teams had made disastrous choices; leaving 'heavily injured' teammates behind to find the scrolls. Other teams, like Minato's assigned one, had spent so much time arguing about which of them was the most useless that they hadn't found any of the scrolls. However, Naruto's team had performed their mission flawlessly. Minato found out through his son's assigned watcher that Naruto had refused to let anyone behind. He had carried the same kid he had a fight with yesterday almost the entire mission, since he was paralysed in both legs. All members had used their strengths to their advantages to accomplish the mission. It must have been hard on the Uzumaki pride for Naruto to help the kid like he did. Then again, Naruto was such a stickler for principles for a child his age, it wasn't all that surprising. It still made Minato damn proud.
''Alright, you've done well these past three days. I'm proud of you all. But I think today's winning team deserves a little reward.'' Risa exclaimed as one other teacher took out a storage scroll and activated it. A little box of candies poofed out of it. Kenichi distributed them among Naruto's team, while the other kids whined or stared with their mouth watering.
''They're so lucky!'' One kid said.
''How come they get some, but we don't? We won yesterday's challenge!''
As some kids complained and others simply pouted, Naruto looked down at the candies in his hands, then his teammates, then the others.
''Wait guys, listen!'' Naruto said out loud, catching all the kids' attention, even stopping some from unwrapping a candy. Naruto blushed slightly, then looked back down at his candies.
''If we keep just one candy and give out the rest,'' Naruto explained to his teammates. ''then everyone gets a candy!'' To prove his point, Naruto gave out all but one of his candies. Everyone was quiet. Naruto's teammates exchanged some looks. One seemed particularly reluctant to share his candies, but he still thought it would be fairer that way. And he didn't want to look selfish compared to Naruto, so everyone followed the blond's example.
''Awesome!''
''Thanks a lot, Naruto!'' The kids went on exclaiming their happiness, and that made Naruto's team feel good. It made Minato even more proud. His son was the best! Then, all the kids' attention was brought back to the teachers who had suddenly started to clap their hands.
''Congratulation! That was actually the final challenge. And thanks to Naruto, your team passed. If we all respect and care for each other, our village will be stronger. We can't fight enemies if we fight among ourselves, remember that folks! So...'' Risa opened a storage scroll of her own. This time, an enormous basket full of other treats appeared. ''To congratulate you on your efforts these past three days, everyone will get treats!''
The kids literally went wild with joy as they proceeded to gather around the basket to get some more treats. Minato, sitting on the ground against a tree, looked on the scene with nostalgic eyes. It was good to be young and carefree. Soon enough, Naruto joined him and sat beside him, hands full of treats.
''Today was the best!'' Minato grinned and ruffled his son's hair affectionately.
''You did very well today, Naruto-chan.''
''Oh, look dad.'' Naruto handed him out a little plastic-wrapped cake. ''There were some lemon cakes in the basket. I got one for you. They're your favourite, right?''
''Thank you.'' Minato smiled, resisting the urge to hug his son tight. He knew Naruto would protest and say it's embarrassing in front of his classmates. But he's just so cute!
''Hey, Uzumaki.'' It was that kid from yesterday again. Though this time, the boy wasn't meeting Naruto's eyes. He looked like he was embarrassed. Ha! Serves you right for treating Naru-chan like that. Minato couldn't help but think. That was definitely Kushina's influence on him.
''Thanks for today.'' The kid admitted in a quiet voice, kicking the ground distractingly.
''No problem!'' Naruto replied cheerfully. ''Without your detection skills, we never would have found the scrolls, you know?'' The kid looked at Naruto with wide eyes. He thought for sure Naruto would jump on the occasion to nag at him as revenge for yesterday. Minato could tell. Well kid, my Naruto isn't like that. The kid smiled.
''But I wouldn't have found them if you hadn't carried me around.''
''Turns out we make a good team!''
''Yeah.'' The kid's smile widened.
OoOoO
The group set out for the Uzumaki Clan's Mask Storage Temple first thing in the morning. It was a very impressive building with a myriad of Oni Masks plastered on the walls inside the temple. Each mask had a special meaning or story behind it, and some even had powerful seals within them that could accomplish great things. One even invoked the Shinigami itself. That had impressed the kids like nothing else. The temple was protected at all times by an intricate locking seal that only few of the Uzumakis (that included Risa) could open. Risa reminded them of how lucky they were and how much of an honour it was for them to see it with their own eyes.
They arrived in Konoha early in the afternoon. They were welcomed by two Jounins which were none other than Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi. On their way to the Hokage Tower, the kids marvelled at the size of the village and started comparing it with Uzushio.
''Wow... It's so huge!'' Naruto told his father as he looked around him. The buildings weren't as tall as in Uzushio, but he could still tell that the village was at least three times the size of his native village. ''And is that the Hokage Mountain?'' The class had reviewed the history of Konoha before going on their trip. ''It's a lot bigger than I thought too.''
''Yup, that's it.'' Minato smiled. He was happy he could be there for the first time his son visited the village.
''That's right, your dad's from Konoha.'' Yui, a new friend of Naruto's, said in her usual soft voice. ''Mister, which one is the one we will meet again?''
''The last one on the right; Lord Third. He looks older now, though.''
They were greeted at the Hokage Tower by a young Chunin working at the welcoming desk. Said Chunin made the kids visit the tower, then guided them all the way to the top in the Hokage's office. The kids looked in awe at the old man in his Hokage robes smoking his pipe.
Sarutobi introduced himself to the kids and questioned them about what they knew about the Kage-system and the history of Konoha. The Third hadn't been surnamed The Professor for nothing. The kids listened attentively as the old man told his stories and educated them about the village and their special relationship with Uzushio, tracing the history all the way back to the First Hokage.
Their three-day expedition would forever be burnt into the kids' memory. In between educational activities, the teacher had organized a few surprises like a trip to the natural hot springs (which they didn't have in Uzushio) and even went to the movies one night. They also slept at the hotel, which was way more comfortable than tents. In their free time, mostly during the evening, Minato would take that opportunity to take Naruto out for his own personalized tour of the village as well as to meet up with Kakashi. Naruto had missed him; it had been a while since his last visit.
On the last day in Konoha, the teachers had another special event planned out for them.
''Where are we going next, Kenichi-sensei?'' One kid asked as they walked about in the village. The weapons instructed pointed towards a large building in front of them.
''Konoha's Ninja Academy.''
''What?'' Some kids exclaimed.
''I hope we won't have lessons!'' Another said aloud, earning some chuckles from the adults.
Rather than going inside the building, as the kids and the accompanying parents expected, they went straight to the training ground where another group of kids were practicing taijutsu.
''Okay kids, take a break! Let's meet our special guests I mentioned earlier.'' A young browned haired, bronze-skinned academy teacher said. The man had a large scar going across his nose, which didn't fail to catch the Uzushio kids' curiosity. The Konoha kids gathered up behind their sensei, who went and greeted Risa.
''Welcome to our humble academy, Uzumaki-san.''
''Thanks for having us, Umino-san.'' Iruka smiled at the instructor, then looked at his guest's students.
''Oh, I thought your group was also in grade 2.'' Iruka said in a whisper, slightly confused. He was pretty sure he had read the letter right though.
''They are.'' Risa confirmed with a wink. ''We just grow a little slower in our village.''
''Right!'' Realization dawned on Iruka. Minato, too, suddenly noticed the difference. He was so used to living in Uzushiogakure that all kids looked like they were aging normally to him. But now that he could compare them to Konoha's seven-year-olds, it was true that the Uzushio kids looked around a year younger. Uh... That's really interesting. Minato mused.
''Alright guys. I want you to welcome Uzumaki-san's group of students from Uzushiogakure. As you know, they've been faithful allies of ours since the founding of Konoha. Don't judge them on their appearance; they're the same age as you!'' Iruka's students shared excited whispers among themselves.
''So what do you say, Umino-san? Your strongest student against mine?'' Risa challenged with her signature cocky attitude. Iruka's smile widened.
''Great idea!'' All the kids from both villages cheered out in excitement. Feelings of pride and competition enveloped the atmosphere around them.
Iruka used a simple Doton jutsu to heighten the ground floor into a circular arena, much like a standard Sumo wrestling rink.
''The rules will be simple.'' Iruka started, using his teacher voice. ''No fatal injuries allowed. The spar will last five minutes. To win, you must either knock out your opponent or throw him out of the rink. Understood?''
''Yes!'' All kids said at the same time.
''Good.'' Iruka smiled again. ''Sasuke, come on up.'' All the girls in Sasuke's class, and even some from Uzushio, fawned over their favourite prince. Sasuke smirked and went to take his spot on the rink, as confident as usual.
''An Uchiha, huh? Alright.'' Risa looked at her students who were all fidgeting with suspense and excitement. Who would she choose? ''Uzumaki Naruto, I'm counting on you!'' Naruto was dumbfounded, much like his father, but his surprise instantly switched to sheer thrill. He jumped up from the ground where everyone had sat. He took his own spot in front of Sasuke, hands neatly folded in his large black sleeve, showing off his Uzumaki heritage.
''Alright, please pay your respect before you begin.'' Iruka instructed. While the two did so, Minato moved beside Risa.
''Naruto's the strongest fighter in his year?'' Minato asked, incredulous. His son's report card had some impressive grades, but there was plenty of room for improvement in some of the subjects. The training in the forest had attested to that.
''Well...'' Risa started with a kind of awkward smile that said that, indeed, Naruto wasn't quite exactly the rookie of the year. ''He could use some refinement in his technique and he's not the best tactician at first glance...'' Risa turned her gaze from the rink to look at Minato directly. ''But really, Minato-san, your kid never fails to blow my mind during spars. Have you even seen him fight? He's got the craziest, yet smartest ideas that he just seems to pull right out of his ass-I mean, hat! Oops. Pardon my language.'' Minato burst out in laughter. That certainly sounded like his Naruto. Of course, Minato regularly trained with his son, but he had never seen him fight a kid of his age and ability level. ''He's by far the strongest in fuinjutsu in his whole year. Possibly even more than grade 3 and 4 students. I'm really curious to see how his seal mastery will fair against Konoha's infamous Uchiha prodigies.'' Minato could only agree. He looked forward to the fight as well.
''Let's have a good fight!'' Naruto said to his opponent cheerfully, a wide smile plastered on his face.
''Yeah.'' The Uchiha nodded with a much more modest, yet still honest smile of his own. Sasuke was happy he was facing an Uzumaki. He had heard about them in Iruka's lesson in preparation to their visit, and even from his father. The blond looked a little goofy in Sasuke's eyes, but if his sensei had called him in, he wouldn't make the mistake of underestimating him.
''Get back in your positions please.'' Iruka told the two young ninjas, who proceeded to go back at the far extremities of the rink.
''Get ready.'' The two boys went into a fighting stance.
''Go!'' The kids broke into cheers of encouragement for their respective village representative.
Naruto sprinted right off the side of the rink and jumped high up in the air. Surprised by such a quick first move, Sasuke prepared himself to counter what looked to be a strong kick. He was even more surprised, however, to see Naruto's feet landing firmly on the ground right in the centre of the rink. As soon as the small feet touched the ground, the blond boy let out a loud battle cry. Chakra ink invaded the rink in five straight branches stretching out to the extremities of the rink. A chakra-infused wall surrounded the rink a fraction of an instant, before disappearing completely. Naruto went back into a fighting stance, a wide cocky grin on his lips.
''What?'' Sasuke breathed out, not understanding what the blond just did. For good measures, the Uchiha threw a shuriken behind him. Nothing happened; the shuriken simply planted itself in a tree not far from the arena.
''We don't have all day, you know?'' Naruto said in a challenging tone.
''That kid.'' Risa said, laughing to herself. ''He's just like his mother.'' Minato, again, could only nod in agreement.
''Hn.'' The raven snorted then sprinted forward and the two used taijutsu to fight. Sasuke had the upper hand, it seemed. After a few series of punches and kicks, which Naruto had managed to counter by a hair, Sasuke finally grabbed him and threw him away with reasonable ease, considering Naruto's height and weight.
''Woah!'' Naruto cried out as he was propelled in the air. He made a quick hand sing and, much to the Konoha nins' astonishment, Naruto's feet landed on the chakra-walls that had just reappeared. With impressive ease, Naruto pushed back against the chakra-wall and landed on the rink. The wall disappeared behind him.
''So Sasuke-kun won't be able to push Naruto-kun out of the rink. The Uzumaki's Fuinjutsu really is impressive. And the kid's so young...'' Iruka said, right standing beside Risa and Minato.
''This is just the beginning.'' Risa replied smugly. Minato laughed awkwardly at the teacher's shameless attitude. That caught Iruka's attention. He looked back and forth between the blond child and the older one.
''Is he your son, sir?'' Iruka asked.
''He is!'' Minato grinned broadly; he couldn't help this feeling of pride.
''He's good!''
''Hn. You might have that fancy wall of yours, but you're too slow to beat me.'' Sasuke said as payback for Naruto's earlier comment.
''We'll see about that.'' Naruto replied as he pushed back his sleeves on his arms. He did a simple hand sing. ''Release!'' He cried out. Suddenly, markings on his wrists and shins glowed blue before fading out completely. Naruto went back into his fighting stance, and Sasuke wasted no time to engage him in some taijutsu again.
''He's a lot faster now.'' One konoha girl exclaimed. ''He's as fast as Sasuke-kun! Unbelievable!'' Sasuke didn't look very happy about the new turn of event, but he wasn't about to let that get to him. After more kicks and punches, the two seven-year-olds drew back away from each other to catch their breath.
''Not bad.'' Sasuke said in a mocking tone.
''Same for you.'' Naruto grinned.
''I guess I'll use the new jutsu aniki taught me.'' The raven whispered to himself with determination. He performed a quick series of hand signs and drew in a deep breath. ''Katon: Fireball Jutsu!'' Everyone gasped when they saw the huge fireball flying fast towards Naruto. Minato was ready to intervene at any moment. It's too big, there's no way Naruto can just dodge it! He thought, panicked.
With a determined look in his eyes, Naruto extended his arm towards the great fireball, palm standing straight. He grabbed his wrist with his other hand from which chakra ink flowed freely. A seal formed itself within the palm of his extended hand. Is he actually gonna...? Minato wondered.
Just as Minato thought, the fireball was completely absorbed into his son's palm, not leaving a trace of its existence behind and not leaving a single burn mark on Naruto's skin. Minato let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Risa did the same beside him.
''Did Hiroto-sama teach him that? Cause I know I didn't.'' She asked, not taking her eyes off the rink. She was quite honestly dumbfounded by what her pupil had just done. Everyone else around her was equally amazed, including the young raven.
''How-?!'' Sasuke didn't get to finish his question as Naruto launched at him with a kick, which he barely avoided. Naruto didn't waste another second; he turned toward the raven and performed a quick head seal.
''Release!'' Naruto said aloud. He tensed his arms on each side of his body, opened his mouth wide and spit fire out like a dragon. A huge fireball, the same Sasuke had just thrown at him, flew out, aimed right at its original summoner.
Out of options, Sasuke used kawarimi to avoid the attack and appeared a little behind Naruto. It had been such a close call that the tip of his blue sleeve had caught fire. He quickly tapped it to put the fire out, then glared at his opponent. Still panting from the rather complex fuinjutsu he had just performed, Naruto saw that the raven had taken out a kunai from his pocket. Naruto leaped a few steps further away and crossed his index and middle fingers together.
''Kage Bunshin!'' Three more Narutos appeared.
''Kage Bunshin?!'' Iruka repeated with disbelief.
''With our chakra reserves, Kage Bunchin is pretty much the only clone-type jutsu we can perform decently. It's taught in the academy in our village.'' Risa explained. Iruka was impressed to say the least.
The four of them ran around Sasuke, taking turns attacking the guy, who either kicked them away or made the clones disappear with his Kunai. Hm, Naruto's buying time. Minato thought. He's probably running out of options and he knows the time's almost over.
''Argh, if only I could use the Sharingan!'' Sasuke muttered under his breath as he dispersed yet another clone. ''Katon: Fire Bullets!'' Sasuke spit out a dozen of mini fire balls, effectively putting out Naruto's remaining clones.
''Kage Bunsin!'' Two other clones appeared at proceeded to attack Sasuke. The latter disposed of them; then was surprised by the shuriken that came right at him. Sasuke managed to dodge it, but it was a close call.
''Crap!'' Sasuke swore out loud when the shuriken poofed into the real Naruto high above him. It was a trap! He should have seen it coming; Naruto hadn't used any weapons so far.
''Gotcha!'' Naruto grinned as he finally managed to place a seal on Sasuke's dominant arm. The arm fell limp and dropped the Kunai. Though not without Naruto getting a deep cut into his thigh when the raven had turned around at the last minute to retaliate. Minato looked on with stupefaction. He didn't remember Naruto learning that particular seal neither at school nor at the tutoring session. Had he just picked it up from that training three days ago?!
''Ouch.'' Naruto winced sheepishly as he quickly placed a seal on it to stop the bleeding and numb the pain.
The two of them stood a few feet away from each other, panting and exhausted, but neither were about to give up. Getting ready to attack again, they were interrupted by Iruka's booming voice.
''Time's up! It's a tie!'' All the children and adults present clapped their hands
Naruto blinked then let out a heavy sigh of relief. He wiped a bit of sweat off his forehead, then walked up to his opponent, who was looking at him with an unreadable expression.
''You're really strong.'' Naruto beamed up at him, deactivating the seal he had put on Sasuke so he could use his arm again. Sasuke didn't say anything in reply; in fact he looked rather upset. No one, at least no one his age, had ever made him fight so hard. And considering their respective damages (he might have inflicted an injury on Naruto, but the short blond had taken care of it easily with one of his damn seals again) he didn't think it was actually a real tie. Naruto had the advantage.
''I hope you enjoyed the fight as much as I did.'' Naruto added good-naturally, hoping to get an answer out of his sparring partner.
''Hn...'' Sasuke looked away for a moment then, despite himself, he let the corner of his lip lift up. He looked at Naruto's clear blue eyes. It was hard to be mad at someone for being good and for being so genuinely friendly on top of that. Plus, now he only wanted to train harder. Maybe he had finally found a proper rival. ''Yeah, I did. I hope we can meet again soon and have a rematch.''
Naruto's eyes were literally shinning with happiness.
''Yeah!'' The kids got up and gathered around the two young fighters to congratulate them, while Iruka busily brought the improvised rink back into normal ground level.
''The way he uses seals...'' Risa said suddenly, bringing Minato out of his daze. He had been staring at his son without realizing. ''It's like it's nothing to him. He's fast with them... and believe me, it's really a feat considering the kids mastered chakra ink only recently. It's still a long process to convert the Kobun in their mind into the chakra ink and activate the seals for most of them. Naruto, though? He's got talent, that's for sure. The fight only made that even more clear to me.'' Minato couldn't think of anything to say. It wasn't the first time his son had rendered him speechless, but this was an entirely new kind of speechless.
''How about the paralysis seal?'' He said at last. ''Did you teach that in class? I don't think Hiroto-sama reviewed it with him.''
''No.'' Risa said, her expression still serious and focusing on the chatty blond on the rink. ''He must have studied it when he had it on himself. It's a simple enough seal, but it's still a wonder he got it so fast.''
''I see.'' Minato breathed out, looking back at Naruto as well. He hadn't even known the full extent of his own son's potential until now. He'd remedy to that once they were home.
OoOoO
''You would have been so proud of him, Kushina! He was amazing!'' Minato exclaimed with a dreamy look in his eyes, distractingly putting on his boots.
''Way to make me feel even more like crap, Namikaze!'' Kushina pouted childishly. She had just gotten back from her long mission only to find out that Naruto wasn't even at home. He was at her sister's place, spending time with Karin. Minato was currently getting prepared so they could go pick him up together. To make matters even worse, Minato went on about how awesome her precious son had been during the trip. She couldn't believe she had missed that for a stupid mission. Life sucked.
''Let's go, already!'' She said impatiently. ''I want to see my baby. I'd rather hear all those tales from him, you know!'' Minato laughed shamelessly at her wife. That earned him one fiery glare. She opened the door wide and was about to literally storm off, when she caught sight of none other than master Hiroto coming their way. The old man quickened his pace when he saw her.
''Good, you're back!'' He said in a breathless tone. She exchanged a confused look with her husband. Neither had seen their leader this agitated in a long time. They silently gestured for him to get inside.
''I'm sorry to intrude like this.'' The man said, letting out a soft sigh.
''Not at all.'' Kushina said calmly, now very much sobered up. ''Is something the matter?'' Hiroto adverted his eyes for a second.
''Is Naruto around?'' He asked carefully.
''No, he's with his aunt.'' Minato supplied.
''Good. I don't want him to hear what I'm about to tell you.''
''Please, sit down.'' Kushina said hurriedly, not bothering to hide her nervousness. All three of them went into the room right beside the entry hall, where they sat on large cushions around a low table. Neither Minato nor Kushina offered tea; the situation didn't seem to call for it. Rather, they just waited for Hiroto to speak. Said man took out two letters from an inner pocket of his yukata and put them on the table.
''I received a letter from Lord Third, and another from your Sensei almost right after.'' Hiroto said, looking at Minato. ''Two weeks ago, the Uchiha clan was almost completely massacred.''
Kushina gasped and clasped her hand over her mouth in horror. Minato was equally shocked.
''Who...? Why?'' Minato couldn't even make out a complete sentence; too many questions bombarded his brain at the same time.
''The murderer is a member of the family itself. His name is Uchiha Itachi. He is now an S-class missing-nin. He only left one survivor behind; his little brother Uchiha Sasuke.'' Itahi... that had been the guy who had welcomed them along with Kakashi. To think that a man like him had been anywhere near his son and the other children sickened him... And Uchiha Sasuke? Minato's eyes widened. That's the very kid Naruto fought! I can't believe it...
''How dreadful... how could this happen?'' Kushina shook her head in disbelief. This wasn't war... she hadn't heard of any domestic conflict happening in Konoha either... so why?
''There is more, I'm afraid.'' Hiroto continued solemnly, turning his gaze to Kushina. ''Jiraiya managed to follow his trace for a while and gather some information through his spy network. It seems the Uchiha joined a group called the Akatsuki. Looking at how fast he went from an outstanding Konoha ninja to member of the Akatsuki, he must have been plotting this for a long time.'' The old man took a short break; just sharing the information drained him.
''There have been some rumours about that group travelling around, but what Jiraiya sent Lord Third and I is very disturbing... For reasons still unknown, the Akatsuki is likely planning on gathering the Bijuus.''
Minato and Kushina exchanged yet another bewildered look. The blond took his wife's hand in his.
''For this reason, we ought to find more information about them... and also to be very careful. I will keep you updated. I haven't even communicated all this to the committee yet, but I couldn't wait until then to tell you, Kushina, since you're now directly involved in the affair.''
''This is terrible.'' Was all Kushina could say. Minato too, was at loss of words.
''Lord Third trusted me with this information and I am thankful, but he probably doesn't want the other villages to know, as not to look weak or unstable. Secrets never last long in ninja villages... but this is now S-classed. We will need to gather more information about the members and their strengths to find a way to fight them off, if they dare to come here to get the Kyuubi.''
Kushina hadn't seen that look in her leader's eyes since the Third War. She exchanged a look with her husband again, then both nodded.
''Understood.''