Reunited
Naruto and company landed just outside Tanzaku Gai, and Aimi decide to take on her fox form curled up around Naruto's shoulder. Naruto made twenty clones to look for Tsunade while he, Haku, and Aimi waited ten minutes later a clone dispelled and Naruto smiled. "It's time I meet my godmother, come on Haku-chan." Naruto and Haku henged into more appropriate appearances as they entered a local bar and made their way towards Tsunade and Shizune's booth. "These ladies drinks are on me!" Naruto called out "If you're trying to impress me you'll have to do better than that." Tsunade said. "Actually I just thought it'd be nice to meet my godmother." Naruto casually replied, Tsunade instantly sobered up as she grabbed him by the collar. "What are you playing at, my entire family's gone." She said coldly with a hint of sorrow. "I can prove it, just please talk to me." Naruto said between strained breaths. Shizune was shocked, but something stirred within both her and her master so they decided to hear him out.
In a clearing just outside of town Naruto unsealed some blood samples for Tsunade to test, fourty-five minutes later she determined that he was indeed Minato and Kushina's son. "But how… I was told you died." Naruto dropped his henge as he spoke "A lie I guess, another slight against the 'demon brat'." Tsunade sobbed as she realized she'd been fooled, while Shizune spoke up "But… shouldn't you be four years old, how are you here by yourself and so tall?" Expecting this Naruto replied "I had to grow up fast to survive; it'd be easier to show you, so would you both take my hands." Naruto asked as he reached out and they both grasped his hands. In his mindscape he flashed through his memories, Shizune was hysterical with tears and Tsunade was seething in fury. Naruto nipped it in the bud before Tsunade could storm off to Konoha. "I know how you must feel, but my past doesn't matter. What matters now is being strong enough to remain by my loved ones side without putting them in danger." Tsunade calmed down, but not before destroying the clearing. With Tsunade's fury sated Naruto spoke up "I'd like to get to know you both, and I have a favor to ask; would you teach Haku-chan and I medical jutsu?"
"You want to learn medical jutsu?" Naruto nodded "I may be a jinchuuriki, but that doesn't make me immortal and it could save a comrade's life. I'm certain Haku has the talent for it, I've taught a bit based on information found in scrolls when we visited Uzu and from the Namikaze library; we're willing to share everything with you of course." Naruto said "I'd love to teach my godson, and you too Haku." Tsunade replied. Naruto took that moment write a message to Sarutobi and summon Tsubaki, "Tsubaki could you deliver this to the Hokage, please?" "No problem, Naruto." She said as she took the scroll and flew off toward Konoha.
"Just letting the Old Man know how I'm doing, now about I treat everyone to lunch and we relax for the day; we can start training when you're ready." Naruto said, and then turned toward Tanzaku Gai Haku and Aimi in her human form close behind.
Twenty Minutes Later, Hokage Tower
Tsubaki pecked at the window to Sarutobi's office, getting his attention. Noticing the scroll in her talons he slid the window open and let her in looking at her curiously. "A message from Naruto." Tsubaki said placing the scroll on his desk and vanishing in a puff of smoke. Sarutobi anxiously unfurled the scroll; it had been sometime since he'd new of Naruto. The scroll read:
Hey Old Man,
I figured I'd let you know how I'm doing, I managed to find Tsunade and I'll be staying with her for a while. Oh… I didn't get a chance to see Anko before I left so can you let her in on everything? I trust her and she should know, also let her know I'm working on her seal and she can tear me a new one when I get back.
Naruto
The Third smiled at that, he'd definitely be safe with Tsunade.
Sushi Bar, Tanzaku Gai
Tsunade and Shizune feasted on sushi courtesy of Naruto and company, Tsunade merrily enjoying a steady flow of sake. "So this is Kyuubi, and Kyuubi's a woman?" "Tsunade asked, slightly tipsy. "This just proves how fearsome woman can be." Naruto said, and the whole group burst into a fit of laughter. "I couldn't agree more." Tsunade said then turned serious. "Based on your memories she was manipulated into attacking by Madara Uchiha, but he should've been long dead by the time you were born." Naruto nodded and said "Shinobi have been known to do the impossible, this is no exception. Somehow he managed to cheat death and he may still be around today." Tsunade frowned as Aimi chimed in."Before the shinobi era the bijuu were the guardians of the elemental nations and fought alongside shinobi. When the wars ended and the village were established people grew weary of our power; I made a pact with The First, Hashirama Senju after speaking with him and was sealed within his wife. Other village followed suit and eventually it became a power struggle with villages imprisoning the bijuu against their will. People soon forgot we were not mere beasts, but allies that had fought and shed blood with them." Things grew silent as it dawned on Tsunade "The stories grandpa used to tell." Naruto and Aimi nodded. Haku broke the tension by saying "Come on I want hear more about Tsunade-chan and Shizune-chan." The rest of the meal went amicably after that.
Over the next two and a half years Naruto and Haku trained under Tsunade and Shizune traveling the Elemental Nations, Naruto now stood at 5'' 2' and Haku at 5''. Along the way Naruto made money hunting bounties under the alias 'Akira' earning him quite the reputation; and he invested in a few businesses. Traveling around so much afforded him a lot of opportunities, so he set up a spy network and established secure communications by giving each member a special scroll that would relay anything written in it to him and other members. No one could see what was written in the scroll unless they had a special seal on their temples. Fuuinjutsu was proving to be an invaluable resource.
Another noteworthy event was the group's run- in with Jiraiya.
FLASHBACK
Jiraiya walks into a bar stopping a drink and maybe to pick up a bit of information, when he spots a pair of familiar blonde pigtails. He smirks to himself and decides to join his old teammate "Long time no see…" he stalls as he notices there are a few more people at her table than usual. "Nice to finally meet you, Jiraiya." Naruto says. Jiraiya pales when he turns to a mini Minato with whisker marks. He stammers out "Hey…kid." shrinking under Tsunade's glare. "I expected a warmer greeting from my godfather." Naruto replied, sweating bullets Jiraiya respond "Look Naruto I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, but I had a spy network to run; and I couldn't do both. I'm sure Sarutobi-sensei took good care of you." Tsunade grit her teeth, trembling at his flimsy excuse. "You also had Icha Icha to write, and I'm sure it had nothing to do with being unable to face your student's son after losing him so suddenly." Naruto quipped, Jiraiya's breath caught in his throat and he turned away to leave as Naruto spoke again. "Nothing can be done about the past but it's pointless to hold a grudge; so take this chance to get to know your godson. That is after Tsunade's through with you." Jiraiya turned with a small grateful smile…when Naruto's final words registered he took off running for his life, Tsunade right on his heels. His godson may have forgiven him, but Tsunade would put him in intensive care for a month before she was satisfied.
FLASHBACK END
Naruto and company were currently in Taki; Naruto had gotten some curious info about Orochimaru's dealings near Rice Country; so they decided to investigate personally. They stopped to rest for a bit in Taki, and Naruto had sensed Fu. The two of them hit it off instantly, being able to relate to each other as jinchuuriki. Fu decided to stick with them; after discussing this with Shibuki and explaining some of the threats she may face and subsequently the village Shibuki allowed it in light of the life she could have. After a few days rest they set off for Rice Country's border.
Spreading his chakra out a hundred meters around him Naruto felt something was off, he had learned to sense and dispel them he even had a few in his arsenal; but it still wasn't his forte. What he did know he had down to an art though, focusing a little more he dispelled the genjutsu that hid one of Orochimaru's lairs. They stopped as Naruto spoke "This could get messy, so we do this completely in stealth; avoid confrontation unless absolutely necessary. Now we're going to disappear." He said as he cast a dome of his chakra around the group and mentally chanted 'Fade Away'.
Slipping in unnoticed they searched base for few hours until they found Orochimaru's lab. They found a medical cabinet containing vials of blood, a few of which belonged to the snake himself and genetic samples of the curse seal. Naruto pocketed all of it and quickly whatever research materials he found; Tsunade was starting to get antsy and asked "Naruto how are you doing this?" "A jutsu Ai-chan taught me, it uses a film of my chakra to bend light around me allowing me to become invisible or disappear into the shadows. We should hurry, it doesn't seem like anyone's home yet but I can't this up and suppress my chakra signature while camouflaging the rest of you." They nodded and got ready to leave the lab, when an eerie glow caught their attention. Entering the hidden chamber they found two girls, a redhead and a brunette suspended in some strange glowing fluid. Naruto created a couple of clones to free them and Tsunade used her medical jutsu to wake them. As they woke up Naruto became visible again "Hello, my name is Naruto; how are you feeling?" Naruto spoke in the gentlest voice he could. As voice reached them they tensed before the tone of voice registered and they saw his concerned expression. The brunette was the first to speak "Please help he did something to us." "I guess that's our cue to leave before we've overstayed our welcome, we'll have to be careful he'll definitely know we were here now." Naruto said. "Can you walk?" Tsunade asked they tried and failed; so Naruto made six shadow clones and had two of them carry the girl's as everyone faded away. "The rest of you place recording seals strategically throughout the base, if these two are any indication I definitely want to keep tabs on him." Naruto instructed. With that said his clones moved quickly in the cardinal directions throughout the base while they made their way out of the base.
A few kilometers away Naruto and company stopped to rest, allowing Tsunade, Haku, and Shizune to look over the two new girls more thoroughly. At the moment Naruto was mulling things over in his head "Their genetics have been tampered with." Tsunade said "It seems like he's been experimenting with another curse seal." Haku, chimed in having observed Naruto while he worked on cracking it. "Would you mind telling us your names?" Naruto cut in, "Tayuya" the redhead replied; "Kin Tsuchi" the brunette said. "My name's Naruto." He said, and the girls chorused "Tsunade, Shizune, Haku, Fu." Naruto frowned as he said I want to head to Suna, if Orochimaru sticks to his plans we'll want to affirm our relations with Suna; Would to like to come along or do you have somewhere to return?" Tayuya and Kin thought it over a minute before both replied "We'll stick with you Naruto, even if we had somewhere to go he'd just come after us."
"Ok, we'll leave tomorrow; it'll give you some time to rest."
