True Power

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me, I am just borrowing the characters for this story. Please don't sue, probably won't get much anyhow.

Over time Naruto grew to endure the long nights and lasting day's, but it soon came to light that another wanted to test his skills. 'Fox is that pervert still out there?'

'Yeah, but I doubt he wants to fight you, just intrigued by our power.'

'How bout a final demonstration?'

'How so?'

'A little chakra can go a long way, let's blast the tree right from out of him.'

'Sounds like fun, remember what I have taught you, aim for the thickest portion of the tree, I don't wish to hurt the old pervert.' Gathering chi in his palm, Naruto unleashed it at its apex and delivered a beam so bright that it temporarily blinded the Sannin. 'What is that kid up to? Why is the tree collapsing?' Leaping from the tree to the ground, Jiraiya searched through the surrounding area for the demon's chakra signature. 'Damn it all, where is he?'

"Who are you?"

Whirling around, Jiraiya knocked Naruto on the ground with a well-placed kick to the sternum. "How did you get behind me?"

"I don't know, I walked?"

Feeling very insecure at the way he was so easily tricked, Jiraiya struck up his familiar pose, "I am Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, I am the lover of women and champion of the righteous." Giving a sigh, Naruto delivered a punch to the ninja's stomach, "Enough with the introduction, what do you want pervert?"

"How do you know about that?"

"Well I didn't before, now I can confirm it. Again what do you want?"

Jiraiya looked at the embodiment of Kyuubi, "I wanted to train you, to make you stronger, so you could really satisfy those women."

"Ugh…..I don't need tips from a pervert, if that's why you're here then leave."

Grasping at straws, Jiraiya tried to get in touch with the demon side, "I will teach you how to become the next Hokage of Konoha."

Now that perked the interest of Kyuubi and Naruto, "How?"

"Well I did teach one of the former Hokage's."

"I know, the fourth right?"

"Intriguing you know so much about me, how bout a little bit about yourself?"

"I am a demon, and as such I will disembowel you if you ask further questions."

"Okay, glad we could get that off our chests, let's get started shall we?"

"I am puzzled why someone like you would help someone like me? I mean it's not like I have met you before or anything like that, plus I killed your most prized student, do you hold no animosity?"

For once, Jiraiya did not seem very jovial, "I have seen what you have done, I see what you try to shape the boy into, I cannot allow that to happen."

"How do you know that the boy doesn't want it himself?"

"I know that he may be influenced by you but there is a core of goodness in his heart. How else would he become the Hokage of Konoha?"

"I see you still keep to your optimism pervert, but know this, I do not control his actions, but I do give him advice, whether he takes it or not is his business. I just try to keep alive in this body of someone else's choosing."

Walking away, the Fox expected the pervert to follow him, Jiraiya did not like the Fox, but he knew that without the boy Konoha might very well be destroyed. 'Arashi, I hope and pray that you will be watching over him, although the actions of the Fox seem devious I still hold on to the hope that he will come back and save Konoha. Like you once did my old friend.'

Following the Fox, Jiraiya kept a close eye to see what else the Fox had up it's sleeve. "Are we going to train or are you going to stare at my backside all day?"

"Don't get so cocky, although you may be stronger than me in your true form, I can still destroy you in this form."

"True, but then you would destroy the boy as well, and I know that you would not want to do that."

"Fine, let's start off with something easy, why don't you try walking across the lake?"

"Oh? Are we doing something dealing with chakra? Well let's see if the little Kit can handle it." Giving his consciousness a little nudge, Naruto came forth, "So all I got to do is walk across the lake?"

"That is what I said is it not?"

"Fine, but you don't have to get your tighty-whities in a bunch." Crossing the lake was much more troublesome than Naruto believed could be possible, although the Fox had great reign over his chakra, Naruto was a different story altogether. "So I can't do it so what?"

"If you don't control your chakra you will not be able to grow and learn."

"I have enough chakra to last a dozen lifetimes."

"The Fox has a lot of chakra, you are a weak ninja wannabe. If anyone could disable the use of the demon then you would be killed."

Listening to the words postured by the pervert, Naruto couldn't help but understand how this could really hurt him in the end. "Alright how do I walk on the water?"

"You must concentrate all your chakra on a little point, the soles of your feet. Do you understand?" Nodding his head, Naruto concentrated all his chakra on his feet, unfortunately he concentrated too much and was blown off his feet. "Oh I forgot to mention that you should make it stick to the floor or water."

"Now you tell me, damn you pervert."

"Don't call me a pervert, call me Jiraiya-sensei."

"I will never call you that Ero-sennin."

Slightly irritated but knowing that he was a pervert, Jiraiya took it in stride and just beat the living pulp out of Naruto instead of killing him. "Okay, back to the training, concentrate the chakra and make sure to make it stick to the water."

"Understood, although you didn't have to hit so hard." Finally getting the hang of it, Naruto uneasily stepped onto the water and subsequently sank to the bottom. "We'll work on that, now try to concentrate more of your chakra, too little and you won't stand on the water, too much and you will be blasted off."

Finding a balance was not something that Naruto was used to, thus it took him many hours of training just to stand on the water let alone walk on it. "You have done well with your rudimentary knowledge of chakra, maybe you will become a ninja yet."

"Thank you Ero-sennin."

"Stop calling me that!" Walking back to town, Naruto was in deep thought, 'What's on your mind Kit?'

'How do I become stronger?'

'Follow the pervert he'll teach you the way.'

'Are you sure?'

'I am sure.'

'But all I have learned is to stand on water.'

'All that training has been building up your chakra reserves, it is good for you. You will be able to call forth many techniques. The more chakra you have the better.'

'If you say so, what now?'

'Well, the pervert had his turn now it's mine.'

'What do you mean, I am dead tired here.'

'I will train your body, let me take over.'

'But all the pain afterward?'

'Be a man, it's not like it will last forever, it's only going to make you stronger in the end, that's what you want isn't it? To protect those you love right?'

'Fine, but try to not go too overboard with it.'

'No promises.' With Naruto put into the back seat, the Fox leaped through the forest and village, he was stretching his legs. Delivering series upon series of spin kicks and punches into a boulder he soon destroyed it in two. Running at the speed of a Jounin, the Fox trained the ninja's frail body. Making sure to eat tons of pasta, ramen, and rice, the Fox soon was reenergized and took it to the next extreme. Concentrating his power into the art of summoning foxes and his kin, it soon became apparent that although he had the power he could not call forth anything too destructive.

'Hmm…..I guess that this body still has a way to go before it is ready.' Not used to being weak, the Fox continued to train, night came and he continued with his routine, when it came time for dinner he headed home. Entering his home he smelled the rich aroma of hundred's of women waiting for him. When he was finished with his "extracurricular activities", the Fox continued his regime and headed outside for target practice. Delivering series upon series of shurikens and kunai's into a bull's-eye, 'At least I can target something from afar, it would be troublesome to attack from close quarters constantly.'

So the training went on and on, day's were spent with the pervert Jiraiya-sensei, and the night's were devoted to the Fox. It soon became apparent to the Sannin that his student was growing immensely stronger. 'He will soon surpass the Chuunin's and Jounin's of this village. The Fox must be helping him, but why?'

Although the reasoning for the training was getting less and less important, the training itself was becoming gruesome in it's intricacies. Forming numerous seals and summoning small frogs or toads, it was becoming increasingly taxing on the young ninja. "What's wrong Naruto? Are you giving up your dream to become Hokage?"

"I will never give up, I just need a few minutes rest."

"Do you think a Hokage has time for rest? You must always be prepared, always be alert, and most importantly of all always train." It seemed the day's flew by and it soon became noticeable that Naruto would be ready for the tournament in record time. Although Jiraiya wanted him to finally summon the greatest frog of all time, the leader of the frogs, and the friend of the fourth Hokage, Gamabunta.

"What are you doing Ero-sennin? Why are we going to the great chasm?" Being deceptively silent, Jiraiya did not want to give away his secret training methods, well not really a secret just a secret to Naruto. Without a seconds thought, Jiraiya threw Naruto into the chasm and watched him fall to his glory or his ultimate demise. 'I hope you will protect him Fox, because if you don't then both you and him will go splat.'

"What the heck are you doing Ero-sennin? Ahhh………………" Naruto did not have too much time to think about the situation, 'Kit what the hell is going on?'

'I don't got a clue, but if we die I'm blaming you!'

'Don't worry about it, just call forth the leader of the toads.'

'How?'

'Now that's a good question, you better learn quick, the floor is coming up awfully fast.' Thinking like a madman, Naruto formed the seals needed to summon the great toad, but it didn't seem to be working, 'Damn it Fox, were going to die!'

'Calm down, do it with feeling, don't make any mistakes and we will be saved.'

Trying once more, again he failed, Naruto was getting desperate now, repeating the same seals Naruto still came up empty. Within moments of death Naruto could not do anything to stop his demise, 'Will you really die without a last try Kit?'

'It's over, there is nothing more I can do.'

'So you will let those around you weep for you? They will be slaughtered by what is coming, did you know that?'

'What are you babbling on about?'

'They will be slaughtered and butchered, but you do not care?'

'I care, but I am going to die in about 10 seconds so I cannot do anything.'

'Will you give up?'

'I have never given up, never!'

'Then what are you doing now?'

'I have accepted my fate, it's as simple as that.'

'No you have given up Kit, and even I cannot save you from yourself.'

'I have never given up, and I will not start now!' Reforming the exact same seals, Naruto pushed his whole willpower into it. What happened would become legend, but for now suffice it to say it was enough to save his life. "Who has called me forth? Is it you Jiraiya?"

Landing atop a huge frog was one thing, trying to stay on is harder to do. "I did, now stop shaking, or I'll fall off."

"Who is there?"

"I am Naruto Uzumaki, I am going to become the next Hokage, now let's get out of here."

"Why am I in a crack in the ground?"

"I told you that I summoned you!"

"You could not have summoned me, you are too weak. Now where is that Jiraiya, I will make him pay for his insolence."

"Just get us out of here, I don't want to be here anymore."

"Don't order me around kid, I was ruling this world when you were just a speck in your great, great, great, great, great grandfather's eye."

"Can we just go?"

"I will leave but it is not because of you telling me to, I am leaving because I don't like this place."

"Fine, but let's just go." Without another word, Gamabunta jumped out of the chasm and lifted himself and Naruto into the heavens above. "Wow, nice jump froggy."

"Who are you calling froggy?"

"Uhh you?"

"Get off me you little snot, I am going to crush you with my little toe."

Although it was easier said than done, Naruto clung onto the frog like his life depended on it, and it did. 'Hey Fox, a little help here?'

'I don't like him either, let him blow off his steam.'

"Get off of me you little runt." Jumping around like a madman, or rather a mad frog, Gamabunta could not get the little critter off. Deciding to let the ground do it for him, Gamabunta jumped as high as he could and came back down on his back. "That should have done it, good riddance to the little twerp."

"I know, I mean he kept clinging to your back and everything. I mean it's not like he climbed down to your belly or anything like that." Looking at his waist, Gamabunta saw the exact same kid taunting him, "Why you little demon, I will crush you, how did you get there?"

"I don't know, I maybe crawled?" Jiraiya was very amused at the way Gamabunta was being pissed off by Naruto, "Get off me, why do you plague me?"

"Submit to me and I will get off you."

"Never, I am master of the frogs and of you!"

"I don't mind you being master of your frogs, but I am nobody's servant. Now submit to me!" Thus ensued a long and drawn out conversation that involved numerous ups and downs, but eventually Gamabunta and Naruto were getting tired. "Will you submit?"

"Never!"

Holding on with his last shred of chakra, Naruto knew he couldn't last much longer, "If you will not submit, then I will continue to ridicule you and I will come back I promise you!" Knowing that the little punk would not let up, Gamabunta was a bit awed by his perseverance but that did not mean he would show it. "You will fall, and I will leave, you have no way to call me again."

"I will call you, and I will tame you, this I promise you! If you will not submit to me now, I will come back later."

Although he knew he had won this battle, Gamabunta was not so sure on the war, "If I don't submit you will continue to haunt me?"

"That's right, but if you do I will call you forth as my equal and friend."

"That is not how a servant is treated, don't you know that?"

"I don't wish for you to be my servant, as I don't wish to be yours. I wish for a mutual agreement in friendship, is it a deal?"

"How will this end?"

"I don't know, but I will see it through till the end, but I would like to have you by my side in case of more hairy situations."

Mulling this over, Gamabunta liked the kid's spunk, "Alright, we will agree to remain allies, but know this I will never submit to a master."

"That is fantastic, neither will I. Truce?"

"Truce. Are we done here?"

"Yep, or at least I am." With that Naruto fell from his hold and the Fox took over, "So you finally submitted Froggy?"

"I told you not to call me Froggy! What is wrong with you kid?"

"I am not the Kit, though you know me the same Frog!"

Looking at the boy more closely Gamabunta saw something that he had not seen for a long time. "Kyuubi, How dare you show your face?"

"I am just saying hello Frog, don't bring up old things that are meant to lie."

"I will not serve the boy then, he is too closely related to you."

"No you will be his ally, because I did not help him, he did it on his own. He earned your respect Frog, now let it go."

"Why are you helping this boy?"

"Because he is the only thing I have ever come to see as family!"

"He is your prodigy then?"

"No, he is my friend."

"You have grown soft Fox, maybe he is a good kid?"

"Don't push your luck Frog, I will be watching you."

Disappearing in a vast amount of smoke, Gamabunta had much to think about. 'So you did it on your own Kit, you did good.'

Author's note: Well that's it, see you next time, remember to leave a review if you feel like it. Peace, I'm out.