The Madness And The Damage Done Chapter 4, a naruto fanfic

Chapter 4:

Twenty five minutes later Naruto, naked, sprinted through his flat spouting a plethora of curse words. As per usual he had taken far too long in the shower, and now had five minutes to leave the flat if he wanted to catch the bus. Throwing on the first set of boxers he could find, he frantically searched for a clean pair of socks. He got one on before realising the wound in his foot had re-opened in the shower. Leaving another half-set of bloody footprints as he ran back to the bathroom, Naruto madly wrapped another bandage around his foot, giving himself extra padding: it was going to be a pretty rough night for the poor thing. Throwing on his other sock, his club's trousers, a long-sleeved compression shirt and a hoodie, Naruto stopped just short of the door, realising he hadn't eaten all day. Grabbing an apple and a bag containing the rest of his gear, he barrelled out the door with it in his mouth, jumping down the stairs.

Just managing to make his bus, Naruto quickly finished off his meal. A short journey later, he found himself at the gym they used for kickboxing training. Arriving just as the doors for their class opened, he fell into step with the other students, bowing as he entered the room. As everyone got set up, Naruto approached the class instructor, Kakashi, sitting up front on the wooden benches that lined the room's walls. He smiled over the book he was reading at Naruto as he approached. At least Naruto thought he smiled, his eyes wrinkled slightly at the corners.

Kakashi Hatake was a rather peculiar man. People didn't usually know what to ask about first: his mismatched eyes, one with a large scar running over it, or the face mask he was never seen without. Rumour was that he had been involved in an accident when he was younger, and was badly hurt. They said he had managed to get a corneal transplant, but couldn't do anything about the horrible scars on his lower face. Apparently they were serious enough that he had to wear a mask to stop people staring. If there was any truth to that, Kakashi wouldn't say; his silence, combined with his reputation as an extremely skilled martial artist, led to even wilder rumours of course. Naruto's favourite was that he was ex-special forces.

Either way, it amounted to the same thing: Kakashi Hatake always wore a strange vest that extended up his neck and covered his face. But despite his somewhat odd appearance he was a very kind, fair man.

He scratched his head through bushy silver hair as he put his book down. "Hello Naruto, what can I do for you?"

"Hey, just letting you know I hurt my foot earlier today. I strapped it up pretty good, but I might not be quite as quick on my feet today."

Kakashi's eyes took on an evil gleam. "Don't expect me to go easy on you."

"Of course not, Sir," Naruto laughed as he walked away.

Laying his bag out where there was space on the bench, Naruto pulled out his wraps, kicking his shoes off as he twisted the blue fabric around his wrists and hands. Checking they were nice and tight, he managed to grab a quick drink of water before Kakashi called them to the floor.

"Okay guys, form up!"

"Sir!" Came the unanimous reply.

The next thirty minutes would be an unrelenting onslaught of warm up exercises and stretches, designed to make sure their bodies were in top form for the actual training. As they organised themselves into rows, four apiece, Naruto looked around for the familiar faces: a few years ago Naruto had managed to convince most of his friends to at least try kickboxing. Kiba had really enjoyed it, but had only come for a few months before he had to buckle down and improve his grades to get into college. Shikamaru still came every so often, but between his Uni work and that God-awful laziness it was a rare occurrence. He couldn't see either of them here, but he did spot a few newcomers.

Anyone new generally had one of two vibes about them. The first was always nervous or shy, but not too long into the session the overall friendliness of the class would usually make them feel more relaxed. The second, usually in a group, would be oh-so-overconfident; if the extreme warm-up didn't wipe the grin from their faces, the unrelenting pad work would. Judging from the disproportionate amount of high-fives they kept giving each other, this was the latter. A shame, as it was the former that usually became regular members.

Kakashi led the group into an on-the-spot jog, his strong voice carrying across the hall despite the mask. "So I see we have some new people here tonight, always good. The rule here is try and keep up as best you can: if I say twenty press-ups, you do as many as you can in the time it takes me to complete it. I don't care how many you do, as long as you do your best. Greg knows what I'm talking about."

Everyone laughed as they remembered that: his third session, Greg had thought he could get away with half-arsing his squats. Kakashi had him do fifty laps around the hall singing the national anthem.

Greg, jogging beside Naruto, grinned ruefully. "Thank you Sir, it was… enlightening." He shouted back.

"Let's just say he didn't make the same mistake twice. Push-ups! Twenty!"

Naruto quickly dropped into the push-up position, trying as hard as he could to match Kakashi's pace. He came just short – eighteen – before springing up again, resuming the jog. Sit-ups were next, then jumping jacks. His bandaged foot was slightly slippery on the wooden floor, but after a few miss-steps he seemed to find his balance.

Kakashi kicked it up a notch pretty quickly after that. "Mountain climbers, one minute!"

Naruto groaned internally as he got on his hands once more. Both his foot and arm twinged as he brought his legs up to his stomach in a cycling motion, trying to maintain the difficult pace Kakashi was setting. Looking back, he could see some of the newcomers were already exhausted, no longer quite so gung ho. This delicious schadenfreude spurred him on to complete the set, matching Kakashi.

This continued in a similar fashion for quite some time before the stretches started. If anything, Naruto found these harder than the warm-ups: yoga was hard enough in the first place, but anything that involved him standing still for more than 3 seconds was even worse for him.

By this point everyone's blood was thoroughly pumping. Even Kakashi had a thin film of sweat covering his brow and arms. Wiping his forehead with the back of his hand, he went into the first stretch, gradually making it more difficult. After going through a variety of poses, they were told to stand with their arms out. At first it would seem rather easy… until you realised you would be here for four or five minutes and Kakashi was going past everyone, applying pressure on your arms to see if you'd fold.

He started at the back, with the newer students; as expected, most of them succumbed to him. The one that didn't had to drop his arms half a minute later, wincing. Eventually Kakashi made his way to Naruto, placing a hand on each forearm. The force never came all at once: no, Kakashi slowly increased it, seeing how much punishment you could take. Naruto grinned, determined as always to prove his worth. As the pressure seemed to reach a peak on his right arm, it continued growing in his left.

It took Naruto a second to realise what was happening. "Don't even think of letting me off easy Kakashi." He whispered, turning his head so he could see his instructor out the corner of his eye. Kakashi said nothing, but soon both arms were fighting equal force. His right wavered slightly, but he managed to hold out. Naruto winced as Kakashi clapped him on the shoulder before going: he was sure that was deliberate too.

Soon after that they stopped for a quick break. Naruto took a few sips of water, mopping his brow with a towel; he'd learned the hard way that you were going to sweat a hell of a lot. He glanced over at the newcomers, greedily gulping down water as they collapsed on the benches. He hadn't been so different when he'd first started either.

After a minute or two, Kakashi strode to the front once more, dragging a large bag behind him. "Grab your pads and gloves: we're gonna start on technique work for our new friends, then some sparring. Naruto, would you be able to help these guys start out?"

Naruto nodded, walking to the front with the others and retrieving a set of pads. Kakashi squatted next to him as he rummaged in the large bag to find a good pair. "These guys might give you a little attitude. Think you can handle it okay?"

Naruto grinned, finally fishing a matching pad from the innards of the bag. "Well I managed to get Konohamaru in line, didn't I?" He glanced back at the boy in question, waiting patiently in line for a set of pads. As one of the regulars, Kakashi often put Naruto in charge of looking after the new students, and Konohamaru was a piece of work. It took a while but eventually he came around, and in a way Naruto thought of him as the little brother he'd never had.

Making his way over to the five new students, he introduced himself. "Hey guys, I'm Naruto: split into pairs, one get a pair of gloves and one get pads. Whoever's left gets gloves, they'll be with me." He gestured with his own set over his shoulder. They joined the queue, arguing about 'who was gonna get to punch first.'

When they finally made their way back, Naruto told them how they operated their exercises. "So Kakashi's gonna demonstrate a combination, then give us time to practice it. I'll explain all the moves, and how the pad holder should move to block them. Cool?"

They all mumbled their assent and watched Kakashi's demonstration, a simple pattern composed of three punches and a kick. Naruto slowed down each action – right straight, left straight, right hook, roundhouse kick – showing them each precise movement and explaining that accuracy would always be better than strength. He also showed the pad-holders the positions required for blocking, greeted with much less enthusiasm than the previous explanation.

Naruto's partner squared up to him in preparation for their first run-through. His hair was, in a word, lopsided. His bangs seemed to loop round his head in a kind of wave, being longest on his right and shortest on the left. It was rather odd, but seemed too deliberate to be an accident. Naruto wasn't one to judge, but it just screamed 'angsty teen.'

He seemed rather disdainful that they didn't have someone older show them the ropes, despite the fact that they appeared to be the same age. It didn't bother Naruto: proving people wrong was what he lived for.

The man's thin eyebrows furrowed as he moved forward, throwing a hard straight to the pad right of Naruto's head. The glove slammed into it, knocking Naruto's hand back despite his tensing. It was a classic rookie mistake: put as much power as possible into the pads, prove how tough you are.

Finishing the set, Naruto frowned. "Okay, not bad. Less power next time though, work on your accuracy."

They tried again, the man not even attempting to temper his strength as he worked through the simple routine. Expecting it slightly more, Naruto was able to keep the pads level. On the last kick he missed the pad, his overlong toenails scratching Naruto's arm slightly.

"Watch those feet: accuracy, remember?" Naruto shook his head, trying to be as diplomatic as possible. "Swap over with one of your friends so I can give them pointers too."

(╯'□')╯︵ ┻━┻

Now a few patterns down, Naruto was beginning to feel more confident in his new charges. Most of them were quite level-headed: after a few instructions their form began to improve, the punches and kicks becoming more consistent. There still remained one problem student, however. Naruto spotted him stalking off to the side to get a drink, leaving the pad-holder he was paired with rubbing a sore arm.

Naruto took this opportunity to ask his current partner about it. "Your friend," he said, gesturing with his head. "Is he always like this?"

He didn't seem particularly surprised by the question. "Sora? Yeah, kinda: he's not a bad guy, just always has something to prove, you know? And he used to do boxing when he was younger, so he's convinced he knows everything about this already."

Naruto nodded: he knew the type. "Got to make him respect me, yeah? If I had a penny…"

Kakashi interrupted his thoughts as he announced the next pattern. This one was more complicated: the pattern was concluded with a spinning heel kick, a move that required accuracy and balance to properly attempt.

Much to the relief of Naruto's group, and some more of the newer members, Kakashi had them in mind too. "Anyone that doesn't feel confident enough with that last kick can finish with a right side kick." He showed the pattern again with this alternate ending.

As Naruto turned back to his group he caught an earful from the problem student, Sora. "This is bullshit, I shouldn't have to take myself down a level just cause these guys aren't as experienced as me." He flicked a stray lock of sweaty black hair out of his eyes, only to have it fall back in place. "I'm doing the first one."

Naruto, exasperated, tried to remember that he was very similar when he first started. There may be hope for him yet.

Then again I was fifteen, not twenty…

"Fine," Naruto said slowly, weighing up the problem: he didn't look like he was going to relent, and that kick could hurt one of the holders if he wasn't careful. "I'd recommend you start slow, but I'll let you have a shot at it."

After showing the rest how to block the side kick, Naruto took Sora to run through the more advanced combination. He broke the kick down into steps: plant your supporting leg across your body, bring the attacking leg up, then wheel around for the kick. Balancing carefully, Naruto brought his right leg up behind him, bent at the knee. Pivoting on the ball of his left foot he swung his right, heel first, his torso bending towards the floor. It was a powerful kick if you could get it right: the spin generated a lot of acceleration, slamming the heel into your target. You could even increase the power by hooking your leg back as it connected, or use it as a follow-up move to a missed roundhouse.

As expected, Sora wasn't ready: on his first attempt he missed completely, and his second barely connected. The other parts of the combination were all sloppy and far too powerful, and he clearly wasn't happy about his failings: a deep frown was etched on his forehead, something Jiraiya would've described as a "face like thunder."

Trying to be fair, Naruto decided to give him another chance. "I'll give you one more try, then you've got to do the first pattern with everyone else."

Sora didn't answer, but his scowl seemed to thicken slightly. He launched into the combination again, his punches harder if anything. Naruto brought the left pad up for the spinning kick, but Sora was far too low: as he came round, the kick made contact with Naruto's hip.

It was another messy kick, his ankle rather than heel wheeling round and landing straight on the bone. Usually a kick that weak wouldn't be much of a problem, but it connected with the same side he'd landed on when Sasuke had thrown him across his kitchen.

Sucking in air through gritted teeth, Naruto resisted the urge to yell. "Yeah, you're definitely not ready for that. Master the basics first man, then you can-"

Rather than apologising, Sora cut Naruto off, his voice rising. "Fuck that! I'm not gonna let some stupid kid boss me around."

"Is there a problem here?" Kakashi asked, seemingly materialising behind him.

"No sir," Naruto said, eyeing Sora hard. "Just a small misunderstanding."

Sora got the message, keeping quiet. Kakashi wasn't an idiot: Naruto knew he kept an extremely sharp eye on all new students, and he could see exactly what was going on. His intervention was a chance for Naruto to abdicate the task he'd been given.

Giving up, in other words. Yeah right!

He swore he saw a hint of a smile behind that mask. "Glad you could work it out."

As he turned to leave, Kakashi gave Sora a sidelong glance. "Just so you're aware, Naruto is one of my strongest students. You'll want to pick up any advice he gives you."

His disbelief palpable, Sora nonetheless swapped with another student and started practicing the easier routine. Satisfied that he was pacified, at least for now, Naruto focused on the other students.

(╯'□')╯︵ ┻━┻

"Now you're just trying to insult me! I mean what the hell is this?"

Naruto groaned: Sora had behaved himself so well up until this point. They had finished more combinations without any fuss, his temper seemingly quelled. Of course that was thrown out the window when Kakashi told him that his sparring partner was going to be Konohamaru.

"It's ridiculous!" Sora continued, having finally snapped. "The first kid was bad enough, now this!"

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Konohamaru shouted back, just as angry.

Kakashi held up a hand; Konohamaru knew well enough to back off. "You're lucky I'm letting you spar at all. It's only because you already have a boxing license and gear. And really I'm giving you credit: Konohamaru has been a student here for years. Yes, he's only sixteen, but he'll have to fight at a significantly lower level."

"As if! I can't fight a child, this is stupid."

Konohamaru broke his silence once more. "I'm not a child! Come on, I'll kick your ass!"

"Konohamaru, that's enough." Kakashi interjected once more, a dangerous glint in his eye. "You want someone your own size? Fine. Naruto?"

"Ohhh!" Konohamaru crowed, face lighting up. "This is gonna be good!"

Naruto grinned as more of the class laughed. "Well, if you insist sir…"

They walked over to their respective bags, donning their sparring gear. Naruto had to stifle a grin at Sora's face when he saw Naruto's kit. Most schools used sparring equipment, but Kakashi's motif was less is more. The less padding used, the better you could control your power and condition your body to take hits. All Naruto had was a gum-shield and his regular gloves; Sora was decked out in full gear, head protector, special sparring gloves and matching leg protectors that covered his shins and feet.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm wearing a cup under here." Naruto laughed, tapping the groin guard through the baggy trousers. Sora blushed as the rest of them laughed, Konohamaru particularly loudly.

Kakashi threw Naruto a pair of the same leg protectors that Sora was wearing. "I know we don't usually use these, but it might be a good idea today."

Now fully geared up, Naruto entered what constituted as the ring: a square painted on the floor, one of several in the hall. While Sora had looked slightly intimidated at Naruto's lack of sparring kit, he had now regained his composure into that familiar frown.

Kakashi strolled up to the edge of the ring, hands in his pockets. "Okay, you've done this before so you know the rules. Hands and feet only, clean hits. Begin!"

Naruto was bounced lightly on the balls of his feet, prepared to match any move Sora made. Sora, however, didn't seemed to want to wait and size him up: he launched forward, surprisingly fast, and swung a hook at his face. Naruto ducked it easily, circling to the right and landing a light jab at Sora's exposed ribs, more of a playful tap than anything significant. It served two purposes: the first was to let Sora know he'd left a large area exposed with his over-eager swing.

The second was to piss him off.

It seemed to work: as Naruto hopped backwards Sora moved with him, surprising him slightly with a straight punch. Naruto blocked, slapping the speeding limb out of the way with his right hand. Sora quickly followed with a left jab to the body, easily side-stepped. When that failed, he tried a strong uppercut. Naruto hopped backwards once more, but felt the hiss of air as it swung past him.

He could see Sora getting more and more frustrated, his blows becoming more erratic and sloppy. For the most part Naruto dodged, only throwing in a small punch or a kick to stoke Sora's exasperation. The goal, Naruto knew, was to show Sora how out of his league he was. When he calmed down, Naruto would either have his respect or be down one pupil.

Sora, however, showed no signs of relenting. Missing a right straight, he thrust his elbow down, catching Naruto on the hip once more as he twisted away from the unexpected – and illegal – move. And Sora knew, as well: the self-satisfied grin told Naruto all he needed to know.

This was getting out of hand. He had to end it soon.

Naruto nipped back a few paces, his side still stinging. He could tell there was going to be a rather large bruise tomorrow. Catching Kakashi's eye, Naruto subtly shook his head. He knew Kakashi would be thinking about ending the match soon, and he wanted an opportunity to show Sora what he was really made of.

Sora came running in again, throwing a feint up with his right before ducking down to make a stab at his hip again. Having worked out it was Naruto's weak point, he seemed to want to try and exploit it as much as possible.

And it might have worked, too…

Naruto hopped backwards once more, but as soon as his foot landed he sprang forwards. Taking advantage of Sora's completely open defence, he launched into a brutal, yet simple combination.

His fist moved with blistering speed, smacking dead centre in the middle of Sora's face. A left hook then caught his jaw, following the straight. Naruto kept the offensive up as Sora stumbled backwards, disorientated: two right roundhouses followed, the first smashing into his ribs, the second getting the side of his head.

And now for the grand finale…

Naruto slammed his right leg down, placing it across his body. Bringing the left up behind him, he swung it round in one fluid motion, completing the spinning heel kick. The satisfaction when he felt his heel strike Sora's head was only matched when he completed the spin to see him crash into the ground.

A few people cheered as Naruto bowed at Sora. He threw his gloves off and wandered over to the other man, extending a hand to help him up. Sora seemed to debate for a second before giving a grudging smile and accepting it.

Getting shakily to his feet, Sora bowed back, spitting his gum-shield out. "I guess I deserved that: you really know your stuff." He rubbed his jaw, wincing slightly. "I'm glad I had the helmet."

As the students dispersed to start their own matches, Naruto made his way to the benches to grab a drink. As he turned, he heard Kakashi confiding in Sora.

"If you think that's bad, you should feel his proper hits. Ready to get back to work?"

(╯'□')╯︵ ┻━┻

"And… exhale."

Naruto breathed out, a long stream of air leaving his lungs. He straightened up as Kakashi did, finishing their cool-down routine. The rest of the session passed without further incident: Sora sparred with Konohamaru, seeming to take their pointers to heart, and Naruto worked with some of the more advanced students.

Kakashi clapped his hands together, stretching his neck out. "Okay, good session tonight guys. Some important lessons learned today, I think."

Naruto grinned, glancing back at Sora with the rest of his friends. He looked rather sheepish, scratching his jaw as a few people smirked in his direction. For him, and the rest of the class, it was time to head home and relax; for Naruto, his training was only half over.

Wiping sweat from his forehead, Naruto gathered his stuff and prepared to leave. Throwing a quick wave at Kakashi, he bowed and left the hall, preparing to wait at the entrance for Jiraiya to show up. But this time he didn't have any waiting to do: Jiraiya was already there. And from his stern expression, Naruto deduced he had something important to say.

Jiraiya initially cast an imposing stature, his height and broad shoulders making him an intimidating figure. The bushy white hair, tied back but still untameable, made him look like one of the Kung Fu masters you'd see in an old movie. Of course, that impression was usually dispelled as soon as you came to his face: he usually wore a wide smile on his slightly weathered features. Sometimes it was quietly confident, but most of the time it was downright silly. Naruto loved the positivity and patience he seemed to exude, it never failed to be infectious. Today, however, he was uncharacteristically stoic.

This spells trouble…

"Naruto," he said with a short nod.

Naruto gulped, trying to be nonchalant with his tentative reply. "Hey Jiraiya, how's it going?"

"Walk with me."

Yep. I've fucked up.

He hoisted his bag further up his shoulder and fell into pace with his teacher. As they walked in silence, Naruto tried to figure out what he could possibly have done to evoke Jiraiya's ire. Could something have happened at work? Jiraiya had been nice enough to secure him a job at his publishing firm, a roof to sleep under, and everything he'd needed to be where he was today. He didn't want to repay that kindness with screw-ups.

"So, eh…" Naruto began awkwardly, not exactly sure how to put his discomfort into words. "Is everything okay?"

Jiraiya had a strange look in his eye. He scratched the side of his long, thin nose for a second before replying. "I don't know, you tell me. Is everything okay?"

Naruto racked his brain, but for the life of him couldn't think of anything. "I'm not sure…" he said slowly. "If I've done something wrong, I'm not sure what it is."

"Okay, let me jog your memory: your first little sparring match tonight. Anything?"

"Wait, you saw that?" Naruto frowned: one of these days he was going to actually notice Jiraiya observing the class from the balcony. "I just gave that punk a lesson in respect. I don't see what's wrong with that."

"Have you learned anything in the four years I've been training you?" Jiraiya groaned, finally looking at him. "You didn't just beat that kid, you destroyed him. And you enjoyed it, too."

"Yeah, but-"

"-no buts. I've taught you better than that." He sighed, pushing one of the thick white bangs out of his face; the wind was getting quite fierce, blowing through the high streets. "Maybe I'm being a bit too harsh. Let me explain when we're inside."

They reached their destination: Sasuke and Itachi's old training area.

When their parents had died, Itachi had used their money to buy a flat in the city, and a small, disused hall nearby. He'd fixed it up, using it for their training. After Itachi disappeared, and Sasuke followed suit, one of the only things they'd found in the flat was a small envelope with Naruto's name on it. Inside was a set of keys; the keys to this training hall.

It had taken a lot of time and fighting for Naruto to actually get the keys. First they were confiscated pending the investigation into Itachi. Then, when that turned up no leads, they had to call in a specialist to deduce that the writing was Sasuke's (something, Naruto had grumbled, he could have told them). Then, of course, there was Sasuke's assault of Naruto: he'd maintained that he was mugged, even though he was pretty sure the police didn't really care. Finally, after several more months, the keys were released back to Naruto.

He pulled open the door, leading Jiraiya inside. The walls and ceiling were simple panelling, making the room feel sparse. The real money was spent on the sparring area's floor: Itachi had sprung for Japanese Cedar, the traditional wood used for dojo flooring. Whatever it had cost it was worth it, as it wasn't too hard and had exactly the right level of slide needed.

Throwing his bag at the side, Naruto sat and looked expectantly at Jiraiya. He was taking his time, hanging up the red jacket he always seemed to wear and removing his shoes. He sat opposite Naruto, cross-legged, and seemed to relax slightly.

"Okay, so I've told you multiple times that we don't wanna use your anger for fighting, right? I mean that's a general rule, but your anger in particular is something you need to keep in check."

Naruto squirmed in place, looking away for a second: he didn't like to be reminded of that. "But I wasn't angry. Maybe slightly ticked off, yeah, but-"

"-let me finish." Jiraiya interrupted, but not unkindly. "You weren't angry, no. But you were vindictive. That sort of spitefulness is also something you want to avoid: it can make you do horrible things to people. Admit it, you could have achieved exactly the same thing without almost knocking him out."

Jiraiya's eyes softened slightly. "Have I told you why I don't interact with the rest of the martial arts community, Naruto?"

Naruto shook his head, not wanting to interrupt his teacher a second time.

"I didn't think so. Well, how to put this… not everyone uses the skills we learn for good purposes. The fighters – the proper fighters – are few and far between. Among them are Kakashi, myself, and you." Jiraiya laughed at the dumbfounded expression on Naruto's face. "You shouldn't be surprised: you're one of Kakashi's best, and of course you're training with me, the Gallant Jiraiya."

Jiraiya's smile faded, and he turned more serious once again. "But there are some very strong people out there, people that can match Kakashi and I. And they aren't training to better themselves. They train to better others, and extend their influence. I grew up here, and I trained with Hiruzen Sarotobi, one of the last old-school trainers here. You'll know his grandson, Konohamaru." He gave a brief grin at Naruto's astonished look once again. "See, everything's connected."

"I wasn't Hiruzen's only student: groups of three used to be the standard amongst the traditionalists. I grew very close to both of them, but one of them had… problems. He'd lost his parents at a young age, and wanted nothing but power. Starting to sound familiar?

Jiraiya's mouth was set in a grim, hard line. "It wasn't long before this kid, someone I had grown up with, someone I loved, began to walk on the darker side of life. I made excuses, I turned a blind eye, but it was plain as day. It… it didn't end well."

Naruto lowered his head. "I'm sorry Jiraiya, I know how hard that is."

Jiraiya waved his hand, dismissing Naruto's platitudes. "Don't be, it was a long time ago. So, as you know, one of my first students was your father. He was a prodigy, a once-in-a-generation talent, and a damn fine man. Losing him at such a young age, it had a deep impact on us all. That is something I'm truly sorry for."

They sat in silence for a second, in respect of the father Naruto had never known. Of course it still hurt, but hearing Jiraiya praise him like that never failed to lift Naruto's heart slightly.

"But this isn't about Minato," Jiraiya continued, standing up. He began their starting stretches, motioning for Naruto to join him.

He told Naruto about his next students, three orphans from a war-torn village he had met during his time in the army. He had stayed for a year – earning him a discharge from the service when he went AWOL – training them and helping to rebuild their village before leaving. But one of the three was particularly determined, vowing that one day he'd make his way to the city that Jiraiya had talked so fondly about.

Naruto was listening raptly as he stretched, the blood pumping thick and fast through his aching limbs once more. He wasn't quite sure where this was going, but he knew there had to be a point.

"A few years ago I start catching rumours of some a new player in town, a real strong guy. And they don't play for a good team. I eventually got a name."

Naruto raised his eyebrows in surprise as he arrived at the conclusion Jiraiya had led him to.

Jiraiya gave a grim nod. "Yeah, him too. For so many, the desire for power burns out all the good that used to be in them. I was crushed: I vowed never to take on any more students. As far as I was concerned, I'd failed as a teacher."

Naruto straightened up, frowning. "So why did you take me on? This has to be before you'd met me, right?"

Jiraiya paused a moment before answering. "Well I never thought I would, if I'm honest. When Kakashi found out you were Minato's kid he got in touch with me immediately. I'd been away for quite some time: I still love this place, but it's changed over the years. But I got the call, figured it was time to come back. Just to see Minato's son. Then I would be off on my merry way once more." He dropped into the push-up position, Naruto following suit. He continued effortlessly, the exercise making no difference to him. "But what I saw changed that. You stayed behind after hours to nail that move Kakashi knew would stump you. Took you a while too. It reminded me a bit of your father, but the stubbornness? You got that from your mother."

Naruto blushed, a warm glow seeming to settle in his stomach. He'd heard it before, but the comparison never failed to make him happy. They moved onto their backs for sit-ups.

"So," Jiraiya went on, as if they were taking a gentle stroll. "I got to thinking. When I was younger, someone once told me that I'd teach people that would change the world. I don't know what it is, but that always stuck with me." He flashed one of his goofy smiles at Naruto. "What can I say, I've always been a sucker for destiny. It makes great books. Of course, with my track record for students and comrades I had all but given up on that idea. You made me want to believe in it again."

"Which is why," Jiraiya paused as he unexpectedly sprang to his feet. "I was so angry at you today."

The smile dropped from Naruto's face; with all the praise that had been coming his way he'd completely forgotten about his teacher's anger.

"Both my old friend and my student took what they'd learned and used it to gain power for themselves at the expense of others. It's a slippery slope: I know for a fact that both of them started it with the best intentions. But the path to Hell…"

"…is paved with good intentions. Yeah, I know."

Jiraiya crossed his arms. "I said before, you're one of the proper fighters: you don't give up easily, and you only expect the best from yourself. Which means when you fight I expect you to keep a level head at all times, and not get carried away. With someone as driven as you are, it can have some nasty consequences. And that's not even considering your anger problem."

"But I'm stronger when I'm angry. It's what got me so far in the first place!"

Jiraiya pinched the bridge of his nose, his exasperation clear. "No Naruto, it isn't. Anger might make you hit harder, but it doesn't make you stronger. Your determination's what got you here, your ability to take every hit and keep on coming." He looked Naruto in the eye, his gaze intense. "That's what makes you strong."

For a second Naruto was speechless. He almost believed it. But then it returned: the smugness written all over Sasuke's face, the shame rising once more. But with it came the reason he had endured and attended training tonight. He took a deep breath.

"Jiraiya, thanks, but..." He hesitated, wanting to look away from Jiraiya's piercing eyes. "But I'm not strong enough. I need to become more powerful, and I can't make excuses any more." The longer Naruto talked the more confident he got, determination smothering the trepidation. "I had to wait till they fixed me, and I had to rebuild all the strength I'd lost. Well I've done that now: I want to take the next step. I want you to properly train me, the most intense I can handle. I'm ready for it."

Jiraiya looked taken aback for a second, but quickly regained his composure. "Something happened didn't it?"

It was Naruto's turn to look surprised: was it that obvious?

"And," he continued, certainty etched in his face. "Since you don't want to tell me, I'm going to take a leap and assume it was Sasuke. Am I wrong?"

Naruto thought about lying to him, considering Jiraiya's feelings on the matter. Although now I guess I know why he told me to give up on him: he's gone through exactly the same thing, he thought.

But there wasn't any point: Jiraiya knew him better than anyone. Besides, he had a terrible poker face, as Shikamaru was always so keen on pointing out. "Yeah, I ran into him. And he's a wreck."

"So you want to save him from himself? I guess he's the reason you're limping then? Yeah, I noticed. You still aren't as subtle as you think you are."

"He's hurt, he's alone and he's not thinking straight." Naruto could hear how weak the argument sounded, but he didn't care.

"Right. And you were so successful in that endeavour last time."

Naruto felt his face burning red. "It doesn't matter. I've got to take him home, and I can't do that if he's still years ahead of me. Jiraiya, I started this so that people would respect me the way they respected Sasuke. But it's different now." Naruto put all the ferocity he could into the glare he aimed at his mentor. "I've got to be stronger so I can protect the people I care about."

Jiraiya sighed and sat down once more, his legs crossed on the light wooden floor. "I'm not going to be able to convince you otherwise, am I?"

"I haven't changed my mind: if abandoning a friend is what it means to be wise, I'd rather be a fool my whole life."

Jiraiya smiled ruefully, shaking his head. "You really are an absolute knucklehead, aren't you? Fine. Sit."

Jiraiya pressed his fingertips together as Naruto cautiously sat opposite him. "Before we start, I need to be absolutely sure you know what you're getting into. Instead of twice a week we're going to alternate days. In addition to the mixture of arts I'm teaching you, I'm going to include things like balance, meditation and yoga. Yes yoga, don't give me that look. At least half of it will be outdoors, no matter the weather: I've always preached the power of nature and living energy, and you're going to have to appreciate that too. Think you can handle all of that?"

It sounded intimidating: Naruto was always wiped out after these double sessions of Kickboxing and Jiraiya's lesson, much less hard training every other day.

Despite it all, Naruto's face lit up in an enthusiastic smile. "Of course, I'm always up for a challenge!"

Jiraiya tried to supress a grudging smile: he was the same as ever. "Okay, we start next week: I want that foot to heal a bit before we commit to killing you. Now come on, we've slacked off long enough. Time to see if your throws have got any better."

(╯'□')╯︵ ┻━┻

The green door of Naruto's flat rattled the wall once again as he arrived home. Dropping his bag where he stood he staggered to bathroom, grunting as his muscles started to stiffen up. Now the adrenaline was gone he could feel every single bump, scrape and tear. His foot in particular was throbbing, but when he'd put his shoes on before leaving Sasuke's training hall the bandage seemed to have held up.

He paused for a second, realising that he still referred to the hall as his friend's. He shrugged: after all, he was only holding onto the keys until Sasuke got back. Shaking his head, Naruto continued his laboured trudge to the bathroom. Shower first, then he could philosophise.

The warm water soothed his aching muscles, slightly relaxing the tense knots in his shoulders. He rolled his head around, feeling the tight cords pull at his neck; he really ought to get a massage sometime.

Leaning a forearm on the cold wall, Naruto exhaled, enjoying the heat and vacant state of mind it brought. He couldn't have said how long had passed before he decided he'd better leave. Towelling off his hair, he padded through the messy living room, almost slipping on a rouge t-shirt that had somehow escaped the laundry pile.

"'Death by t-shirt,'" he mumbled to himself as he threw it back in its rightful corner. "That'd make a fine grave."

He surveyed the room with tired eyes: the mound of unsorted washing blocking a closet in the corner, the vast collection of empty cans and rubbish on the coffee table, the dust building up in the carpet, complete with bloody footprints… it was a complete tip. He'd always been a bit of a slob, but this was getting ridiculous. If he was kicking his training into overdrive, Naruto decided he should start living a bit more cleanly. First he'd start with the mess, then maybe go onto his diet, and… Naruto jolted, blinking hard as his eyelids started to droop.

Tomorrow. If I don't head to bed now I might just collapse.

Hanging up his towel to dry, Naruto navigated over all the junk on his floor to reach his bedroom. He hadn't been in since he'd put Sasuke to bed the night before: he was surprised to see his bed was perfectly made, the bright covers pulled taut across the mattress.

Well that was polite of him. Up until he tried to throw me through a wall.

Naruto was tired enough that he considered sleeping in it as it was, but he supposed he had better change the sheets. As he stripped the cover off the duvet, he was very aware that they still smelled like Sasuke. It wasn't very strong, but it was there: a little hint of something familiar underneath the smell of his own clothes. It didn't seem to have changed much in the past three years, if a bit more smoky. It shouldn't have, but it made the idea of leaving the bedding on more appealing.

Finally ready to sleep, Naruto crawled weakly into a freshly made bed. It didn't take him long to drift off, wondering just where life was taking him.