Chapter 3 - Baby Steps
oOoOoO Naruto, Konoha Promenade OoOoOo
Naruto was a strong ninja.
The strongest.
Well, strongest living. Except for Obito, but he was weird and creepy, so he didn't really count.
The point was, he'd seen a lot of terrible things as a ninja. He'd cried his share of tears, shown his share of camaraderie, waded through his share of mud, and yet, strangely, none of that was quite so horrible as being unable to take care of oneself. It was a sobering thought, as he lay sat there in his mental landscape, that for the next couple of months he'd be an immature brat incapable of crawling to the bathroom.
Weren't you always an immature brat? Kurama asked. At least, he thought it was Kurama. Advocate had figured out how to emulate Kurama's voice, which was the source of endless entertainment. For him.
Shut up you damn fox! Naruto yelled.
Hey! That wasn't me! Kurama protested.
It was me! That was the Advocate! Kurama said angrily. Unless maybe they were all the Advocate, and Kurama had stayed silent the whole time.
It was enough to make ones head explode. Naruto scowled. He would not meditate, he would not try to mentally murder the voices in his head, and he would definitely not think about how much time he would have to spend around an immature jackass and a - well, Kurama was just a jerk, really, and annoyed at having to put up with a second jailer in the seal. Naruto could relate.
Forcing his will back into his body, he grasped the bars of his cage and pulled himself up. This was a predicament. It'd been an hour or so since he'd eaten. He could already fill the pressure growing. His room was directly across from the bathroom. If he could just get out -
Naruto worked at the bars furiously. Well, as furious as an eight month old baby could, anyways. It wasn't working - ninja craftsmen were no ordinary craftsmen, after all. Frustrated, he sat back down. There had to be a way! He wouldn't give up!
If Hinata could see you now, Kurama said, grinning.
Damn it Advocate, I know that was you! Kurama doesn't know about Hinata! Naruto paused, an arrested expression flitting across his face. Wait, how DO you know about Hinata?
Well - you see - when I was editing your memories -
You spied on them? That's so - so - wrong!
Don't get your diaper in a twist, Advocate said lightly. You weren't waking up, and it wasn't like I could just immediately pick out what was hurting you. I had to scan a bit.
. . . How much is a bit?
Its just a bit.
. . . You're worse than Kakashi.
Oh yeah, I remember that! The team seven introductions!
THAT'S MORE THAN A BIT. Naruto twitched a bit physically, a sign of his disturbed mental state.
Should you really be worrying about me right now? Didn't you have some. . . pressing business?
With a start, Naruto realized from the clock on the wall that it had been half an hour. Time flew when you were a child, though not fast enough. He didn't have enough chakra to break the bars, even if he was certain his puny body could withstand a punch without breaking something. The distance to the floor was also a factor - he couldn't just jump over it.
That left one option.
He focused, bringing out a little bit of chakra. The effort left him strangely weak, as if he hadn't eaten in days. He concentrated, working through it, and slowly, reluctantly, the chakra came. He reached out and stuck his foot to the bar.
With a loud crack, his foot was repelled, sending him into an ignominious tumble. If anyone had saw him, he'd have died of shame.
Chuckles echoed.
Weird, he thought, his full concentration on the bars. Water walking and wall walking were one of the first things he'd mastered. He'd done it exactly like he had last time he'd tried, and yet apparently he'd put too much chakra into it.
You are a baby now, Naruto, Advocate reminded him. You must take your size into consideration. Half that would probably be enough. No, best go a quarter and go up. That way, you won't waste what little life energy you have remaining.
That sounded reasonable. He did so, dredging up a tiny amount of chakra. His foot stuck, but barely.
I did it! Naruto cheered, then took a step. Keeping his body upright, however, was a different matter. Despite herculean effort, he fell.
That day, Naruto steamed in his mental landscape as Kushina, on diaper duty, changed his soiled garments and replaced them. No one noticed the cracked, faded wood of one of the bars, which seemed to have aged a hundred years in a second.
oOoOoO Minato, One Year Four Months Later, Hokage's Office OoOoOo
"I think it's about time I left, Hokage-sama," Tsunade said, her breath smelling of booze.
"This is the third time this week, Tsunade," Minato said, rubbing his forehead with one hand. "You know you shouldn't make decisions when you're drunk. Stay the night. Sleep off the alcohol. We'll talk again in the morning."
"But - " She slurred, anxious to argue. Minato, however, was tired of arguing with the famed 'Slug Princess' and extra tired of the way she filled the compartment with the smell of cheap sake.
"No buts," Minato said firmly, closing his ledger. "A ninja may not leave the village drunk. Go home, or back to your hotel room, wherever, but I have things to do tonight. There's a council meeting, for one, and I don't have time to argue with you."
Minato ushered her out of the door, crediting the alcohol with the fact that he managed to do so without getting a fist in the teeth. Alcohol inhibited a shinobi's ability to control chakra, and not only that, but control themselves. There was a reason it was prohibited for ninja's to get themselves blind stinking drunk. For Tsunade, a medic-nin, it was an insane risk. Something needed to be done, but he couldn't see what.
Minato sighed, leaning against the door, hoping that she'd go home this time instead of banging on it for an hour. Not that he'd be here. With a quick seal, he focused on a particular kunai in the council room. With a burst of chakra, the space around him bent -
And he was elsewhere.
The council was fully assembled already. He had been barely on time, after all. None of them would dare show less than full support for the Hokage, especially in war time with enemies present on all sides. Even Danzo was being circumspect with his criticisms.
The meeting proceeded as normal. The council, as always, attempted to interfere in the war, the academy, and the promotion of promising ninja prodigies. Most of their suggestions Minato disagreed with, but outright opposition was generally the most foolish course of action. In that situation, he would just say "I'll keep it under advisement," and the council would move on. Every now and then, someone actually came up with an interesting fact, or had a genuinely decent improvement.
Unlike what came up next.
"Yondaime-sama," Danzo said, his voice utterly respectful. Unlike his eyes. His eyes were a pit of darkness. "I must once again register my complaint against the disposition of our village's jinchuuriki."
"I would like to note," Minato said, his voice cold and dispassionate, "that this is the third time such a complaint has been registered, and that the first two have been answered and dealt with. Does the council have new facts with which to argue its case, or are you wasting our time, Danzo?"
A few of the council members winced at the ice in his tone, but Danzo stood his ground. "Iwa has long shown that its capable of underhanded and bloody tactics. You have, several times, destroyed the enemy single-handedly. They fear you, and your power. They will not strike at you from the front. At this point in time, it can be said that Iwa now recognizes both your son and your wife as legitimate targets. For this reason, we seek to move the jinchuuriki and his mother to a safer location, where they can be better guarded."
Minato stared at him, the anger in him boiling over despite his rigid control. "Are you possibly suggesting that I cannot protect my family?" Danzo moved to speak, but he cut him off. "Maybe you're saying that Konoha can't protect its own borders? I have a three man ANBU squad guarding my son at all times. I have Hiraishin seals planted all over my house, with seals that do nameless things to intruders. And before you complain, because I see you were about to do just that, about village resources wasted, my I remind you that your argument is to guard them more thoroughly?"
Danzo closed his eyes, the picture of humble acceptance. "I beg the Hokage only to consider my words, that he may act with wisdom greater than the impetuousness of his youth."
Minato's lips curved into a dangerous smile. "Impetuousness. Curious, how you spur me to greater action, and then criticize the results. I've compressed our training schedules to a third of their normal span, turning out new ninja at record speed. My instructors tell me that they are literally falling into bed, too exhausted to complain, all for the sake of the village. Believe me, if I let my 'impetuousness of youth' control my decisions, we would all be dead or ground under the boot of Iwa."
Danzo merely nodded. Something would need to be done about the man - Sarutobi argued for him often, but then, he was entirely too trusting. There was a time and a place for Danzo, and this was not it. As he watched the man contemplate quietly, eyes closed, Minato wondered if that time would ever come.
"If that's all for today, gentlemen, I have a birthday party to prepare for." Minato stood, heading for the door. "And, Danzo - the 'jinchuuriki' has a name. It's Naruto Namikaze. You will refer to him as such."
Danzo merely watched him leave, his eyes as inscrutable as ever.
oOoOoO Naruto, Uchiha Compound OoOoOo
Naruto sighed. Crayons had lost their appeal. All the kids around him were doodling, or throwing a ball, or something, but he was sitting there drawing. He'd never really had a birthday party before. At least, not one with people. By the time he'd reached Team Seven, he'd sort of 'grown out' of birthday parties. The Third Hokage was the last to really celebrate with him, and even he sent presents without spending too much time with the kid.
Truth be told, he'd totally forgotten the date. His first birthday party had been a giant surprise. Naruto was ashamed to admit it, but he'd spent much the time crying for no obvious reason. Luckily, that was par for the course at his age.
By two, however, he had much better control. Much better. He hadn't cried since, well, yesterday when he'd banged his head on a low table. Even then, it was more of an eye-watering thing than full on tears. He was practically grown up already.
Not crying every day? Well, I guess we're ready to take on the Chuunin Exams, Advocate said brightly.
"Oh, shut up," Naruto said grumpily. He loved being able to talk now. That was great. He could even move his fingers and toes again without concentrating for hours. And! And! No more diapers! He was finally toilet-certified!
Movement caught his eye. Naruto turned to look, just as a ball bounced off his nose. Resisting the urge to say several foul-mouthed things that would probably get him put in the 'naughty corner' once more, Naruto scowled at the - at the - very familiar hair style.
"Watch where you're kicking that dattebayo!" He said angrily, rubbing his nose.
Sasuke scowled down at him, very obviously retracting an apology. "I'll kick it where I want to, idiot."
The two scowled at each other, but Naruto couldn't help but be a little happy. It might have come to blows – friendly blows - if another very familiar face hadn't intervened. Itachi, five years older than Naruto, reached down and picked his brother up by the back of his shirt. Like a dog would do to a rambunctious puppy.
"What are you doing to the birthday boy, Sasuke?" Itachi asked, scowling. Well, he was probably scowling. That might have just been his face.
Sasuke scowled at the ground. It was a scowl-fest all around. A thought struck him. Maybe all Uchiha's scowled as a permanent expression. Naruto had just thought Sasuke was naturally a grumpy person – maybe it was a family thing.
"It's not his fault," Naruto said, trying to break the tension. "I was just surprised."
"Yeah, we were just playing 'Tachi," Sasuke said, his acting skills fooling no one. The moment Itachi put him down, he stuck his tongue out at Naruto and made a stupid face. Naruto, a little pissed off that his olive branch had been ignored, made one back. A contest followed of extreme face pulling and insults.
Yeah, you're so mature. Look at you, beating that two year old at 'who can make the stupidest face.' It must be some cunning strategy that you've devised.
"Shut up you!" Naruto said angrily.
"No, you shut up!" Sasuke retorted.
"I'm not playing this stupid game anymore," Naruto said, doing his famed shun maneuver. "I'm way too old."
"You're younger than I am!" Sasuke said, furious. "My birthday was ages ago!"
"Maybe I'm just more mature then!" Naruto said, forgetting about his shunning technique. "I bet I can throw shuriken better!"
"You - you can throw shuriken?" Sasuke said, anger forgotten. "Mom got super angry when I touched her shuriken. I wasn't allowed to leave the compound for a week!"
"Maybe my parents are just better than yours," Naruto said slyly. Here was something he'd never been able to use growing up, for two very good reasons - one, he hadn't had any, and two, neither had Sasuke by the time he met him. Honestly, he felt like a jerk the moment the words came out of his mouth.
"My mom's the greatest!" Sasuke said, angry again. "And my dad's Fugaku, the clan head!"
"My dad's the Hokage," Naruto argued back. "Also, my mom's a shinobi from Uzu!"
And so it was that the first birthday party for Naruto that he could fully participate in was spent arguing with his eternal rival about the strengths of their respective parents.
oOoOoO Minato OoOoOo
He chuckled. Fugaku looked at him, confused, then spotted the two children. "Ah. It appears our children have discovered each other. That Sasuke, he's usually very with other children."
"Naruto has a particular skill - he can get under anyone's skin," Minato said, smiling. "For good or for ill."
"Your lady wife is much the same. I can't help but notice her absence."
"Kushina had an appointment today that she had to keep," Minato said, ambiguously. "So, shall we move to business?"
"I thought there might have been a reason you asked me to host the party," Fugaku said, his eyes suspicious. "It was. . . highly irregular."
"It is my hope that it will become more commonplace in the years to come. Tell me, Fugaku, where do you see yourself in ten years?"
"I imagine in the same place we've always been," the Uchiha head said slowly, drawing his words out.
"Really," Minato said dryly. Fugaku flinched slightly. "There have been. . . reports."
"Reports, Hokage-sama?"
"Please, call me Minato. I imagine we're going to be seeing quite a bit of each other soon enough."
" . . . I apologize. I do not understand what you are referring to."
"Kumogakure is considering peace."
For a moment, the words didn't register, then Fugaku practically exploded out of his chair. "Impossible! It's some sort of trick - it has to be! The Raikage vowed vengeance upon us when his niece was killed in the Land of Grass!"
"Calm down, Fugaku," Minato said, gesturing for him to sit down. A few of the children had turned to look. After a moment, they went back to playing. "Perhaps this isn't the right setting. I merely wanted to broach the topic to allow you to. . . consider. . . the ramifications. The Uchiha are a vital part of the villages defense, after all. Your input would be greatly appreciated. I've proposed to the council that you be allowed as a guest speaker."
"I am honored, Lord- " Fugaku caught himself. "Minato-san. I shall begin preparing my speech immediately."
The Uchiha head stood, bowed, and left. Minato watched him go, a predatory gleam in his eye. That would have to do - a subtle tip of his hand, alluding without acknowledging the unrest his agents reported while at the same time throwing them a chance to recover lost influence. He'd attempted to quiet the rumors about them being behind the attack, but he suspected they were deliberately being fostered by the Hyuuga. The two clans fought like cats and dogs over the slightest scrap of political power.
Speaking of the Hyuuga. . . He smiled slightly as a dark haired girl around Naruto's age walked into the compound, holding her fathers hand timidly.
"Hiashi!" Minato said, waving. The Hyuuga waved back, walking over and taking up the seat Fugaku had vacated. He lifted his bangs. "Oh, sorry Hizashi. You two really do look alike."
"Without the seal we'd be identical," Hizashi said, smiling despite the flash of pain and resentment in his eyes. Minato doubted any branch family member was really at peace with their fate, but he was fairly certain Hizashi cared more about his son than himself.
"Well, it's still my bad," Minato said, leaning back. "Still, the invitation was sent to Hiashi and his daughter, so you can't blame me for making the mistake."
Hizashi glanced down at Hinata, who was doing her best to melt into the floor. "Ah, well, you see, Hiashi-sama was forced to take part in a clan meeting, but didn't want Hinata to miss out on the birthday party."
Minato's eyes narrowed shrewdly. "I see. Perhaps we'd better introduce them, then?"
Hizashi nodded, bringing the Hyuuga heiress to meet Naruto. To Minato's surprise and amusement, Naruto immediately threw his arms around her neck.
Already going to be a heartbreaker, I see, Minato thought, smiling at Hinata's obvious distress. He wasn't blind, nor was he dumb. As a student of Sarutobi, he'd like to think he'd taken the best parts of the Third's reign and enforced a little more. . . discipline. It was obvious what Hiashi was planning, and if he thought Minato, much less Kushina, was going to arrange a marriage (a common practice between ninja families) between his barely-out-of-infancy son and the Hyuuga's equally young heiress, he was sorely mistaken.
Then again, maybe he was getting ahead of himself. Minato sighed, taking a sip of the tragically non-alcoholic fruit drink. Hiashi might just be throwing out lines, hoping to land a big fish. Friendship with the Hokage's son was generally a positive influence for ones family.
"Sometimes," Minato said, sighing again, "I hate being Hokage."
oOoOoO Naruto, 13 Months Later OoOoOo
Naruto gathered chakra, then let it out. With a satisfying whoosh, the bluish, barely visible energy scattered into the air above his palm. It was getting less and less difficult to pull it out, but he still couldn't move a tenth of the chakra he could at his peak. The rasengan was a far off dream at this moment.
"Why isn't this working?" He asked, frustrated.
You shouldn't talk to yourself. Sets a bad habit. Advocate again. Kurama didn't talk as much. Advocate, however, always had a snide comment prepared.
I'm not talking to myself if there are two people listening! Naruto rebutted.
Sure you were. Well, to answer your question, remember how chakra is formed. There's shintai chakra, which is the power of the body, and seishin chakra, which is the power of the soul. Your shintai chakra is pathetic. Your seishin chakra, however, is astounding. The imbalance between body and mind is manifesting in chakra disturbances. Simply put, until your body catches up with your mind, you won't have perfect control, or even adequate control.
You know, Naruto mused, I thought lectures were bad when I was in the academy. When its in your head, its a lot, lot worse.
Such a brat, Advocate muttered from a corner of his mind, obviously retreating.
Naruto scowled down at the sand. He couldn't use ninja techniques. His physical prowess was pathetic, because he was three. Illusion techniques were out as well, for the same reason as ninja techniques were.
"This really sucks," he muttered, irritated. "Without any techniques, how am I supposed to do anything? What else is there but - "
An idea struck him. He grinned.
OooOoO Naruto, a month later OoOoOo
He didn't know if the timing matched up. He knew the kidnapping happened soon after the peace treaty. Still, surveying the Hyuuga compound was more difficult than he'd thought it would be. Between Kushina, Minato, and his ridiculously small bladder, he'd had a lot of trouble just sneaking out of the house. Luckily, shadow clones required less control than most other techniques. He was able, after much sweating, to squeeze out enough chakra to create one, which he left sleeping in his bed.
Still. . . to defeat the head ninja, there was little he could do. Even the shadow clone, a technique easy as breathing to the older Naruto, took ten minutes to create. Besides, another three year old would hardly defeat an experienced jounin.
That was where his trump card came in.
Naruto sat, meditating quietly, seeking the ebb and flow of nature he'd learned on Mount Myoboku. His chakra levels were high – in fact, even with his low physical chakra, they were close to normal. They were easily powerful enough, if he could move it through his tiny little conduits. It would take some modification, but. . .
Power flowed and ebbed around him. He bent and formed it, slowly, surely, and it came to him. He matched it to his own levels, felt it rising like a tide, then stopped drawing it in. Life flowed through his every vein. He felt. . . good. The seal on his stomach writhed a little, then was still. He could feel the Advocates presence, like a tiny hole in the worlds natural order, devouring external chakra to feed its existence.
"So it worked after all," Naruto muttered, staring at his hands. He felt. . . mature. It was like being a child physically made you one mentally as well. Sage mode brought a strange sort of peace to his mind, allowing his true self to shine through more easily. He formed the appropriate signs. "Transform!"
With the natural chakra flowing through him, the technique went off smoothly. He was imitating someone he knew wouldn't be questioned for assaulting a diplomat. Someone who was definitely not a member of Konoha. Someone who would be noticed, and who would be easy to blame.
And so, if anyone had been hanging around the Hyuuga household in the dark hours between midnight and one, and they had a very, very keen eye for hidden ninja, they might have seen Hoshigaki Kisame lurking in a dark corner deciding whether it was safe to use the bathroom or if he'd better wait.
oOoOoO Naruto OoOoOo
It took two days for the 'head ninja' to take the bait. After the first night, Naruto revised the plan to include his sudden chakra control. This time, using sage mode as a sort of counterbalance, Naruto made two clones - one to sleep in his bed, and one to pose as a young Hinata, stumbling about the near the Hyuuga compound and seemingly unable to find her way home. Twice, his clone had hidden to avoid Konoha ninjas or patrols, but soon after Naruto detected a chakra source he hadn't before observing the child meander her way down the street.
Naruto waited. The head ninja had to make the first move. Was it, perhaps, a bit too obvious?
Apparently not. The man struck, hitting the clone – who managed to partially dodge the already non-lethal blow, turning it into a mere tap – and carrying the apparently 'unconscious' child with him as he moved back to the rooftops. Naruto grinned.
It was the next day before the clone dispelled, having run out of chakra. True to Naruto's commands, the clone had stayed entirely silent, merely observing without acting, until it had eventually become so weak that the jumping motion of the ninja under it had disturbed the fragile overlay of chakra that made up its outer shell, and it exploded. Not fatally, of course, but the smoke and slight concussion confused the jounin and caused him to, most embarrassingly, miss his next jump.
Naruto, in the meantime, was laughing. On the inside. His father, no longer trusting him home alone after having caught the child playing with shuriken, had taken him to a council meeting and left him kicking his heels in the waiting room outside. He idly wondered whether the head ninja would remain head ninja after he'd failed so spectacularly.
oOoOoO Minato OoOoOo
As it turned out, the delegation from the Village Hidden in the Clouds had left that morning, and no one knew why. According to their schedule, they were slated to stay for Konoha's annual New Years Feast. Still, Minato was glad to have them gone. Their presence had mandated an Anbu presence at all times, discretely following each member as they moved around the village. Still, their departure didn't bode well for the alliance.
"Has the Raikage sent word?" Minato asked, pacing behind his chair.
"No, Lord Hokage," Kakashi said, his face masked and his voice neutral. Minato could still tell it was him, though. A teacher always knows his students.
"That could be either good or bad," Danzou muttered. "I for one dislike not knowing."
Minato nodded, along with the pair of councilors and the two civilian advisers. "I've had another report from the Sand. Rock ninja have been sighted moving through Grass Country. Estimates say about an eight-man team."
"Eight?" Danzou said, narrowing his eyes. "That's the general number for one of their infiltration missions. Generally, four assault directly and four strike from behind."
"In this case, we can't be sure," Homura said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "We're still technically at war. They could strike directly at the village."
"A summoning technique?" Koharu said, curious. "It would need to be awfully complex."
"Possible," Minato admitted, "but this is probably a probing strike. They have yet to test our defenses since the Nine Tails tore a hole in them. They'll most likely infiltrate, reconnoiter, strike a target of opportunity, and retreat."
"Perhaps we should strengthen the guards around the jin - " Minato glared at Danzou " - apologies, around Naruto."
"If the Village Hidden in the Rock were to acquire him, it would be perilous on multiple levels," Koharu said, her tone cautious. Supporting Danzou was an uncommon position for her in the council room.
"I agree," Minato said mildly. "I'll set Dog as an additional guard. He should be in the waiting room outside."
Kakashi nodded once, then disappeared. Minato winced. He hadn't meant that Kakashi should leave right that moment. The man had been carrying important documents.
"Still," Danzou said blandly, "with the Raikage unresponsive and the Village Hidden in the Clouds' stance on our alliance unknown, it would be wise to increase patrols in general. I'm thinking of sending Anbu pairs twenty-three and twenty-eight on extended patrols near Grass and - "
Minato let the words flow past him, his head in his hands. Kakashi, why did you leave without giving me my notes?
oOoOoO Authors Note OoOoOo
The story should start picking up around here. Iwagakure, not placated by Sarutobi, is considering more expansive military actions. Kumogakure, feeling like they've been out-manipulated or at least out-spied, is withdrawing to to some internal housekeeping. Konoha, under Minato, is much more focused and less chaotic than it would have been if there'd been a change in administration. The Uchiha are unlikely to revolt with Minato as leader, though the Curse of Hatred is still going strong and will need to be dealt with. The biggest change, however, is Naruto. Sarutobi, feeling it was best to the village, revealed in the original timeline to jounin and above that Naruto was the Kyuubi's container. Minato, feeling more protective, revealed it only to the council and select members of Anbu such as Kakashi, Yamato, and Jiraiya, plus the three man team guarding him from the shadows (of whom one is Yamato.) So, people see Naruto only as the Hokage's son now.
