Chapter 21 – Transformation
Beta: Dreetje
Namikaze Minato could say he spent much time in the field and as such, he saw all kinds of events that would've shocked anyone to the core. Of course, just the thought of escaping the last shinobi war alive was proof enough that the Fourth Hokage has been through a lot. However, he had the decency to be surprised once he saw the ninjas that were sent to Wave Country return from their successful mission though it wasn't because of the report that Kakashi engaged against one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist Momochi Zabuza and won, but rather because the very man to whom they fought was standing in front of the Yondaime pledging for asylum in Konoha. Such a thing just wasn't possible in the shinobi world, especially not Momochi Zabuza of all people.
Minato knew Kakashi's intentions, though, as just like any jounin, he knew about a possible invasion occurring. And because of that, having Zabuza on Konoha's side was safe to say a huge advantage. Plus, the man's son, according to Naruto, had a special ability towards ice manipulation which could further increase Konoha's chances of success in case of an invasion. Nevertheless, the problem was how Konoha would be viewed by other hidden villages. Kirigakure wouldn't be a problem, since they are more worried with their own civil war to care that Zabuza just joined the Leaf, however others like Kumo, Iwa and Suna might prove to be troublesome. This decision will have to be first discussed with both Kakashi and the Sandaime, Minato's advisor on shinobi related manners.
"Well, Zabuza-san, Haku-san, I'll take your request into consideration. Remember that while your skills will certainly improve Konoha's shinobi force, I must take how other villages will view this into consideration. Don't worry, though, you're free to remain here in Konoha as long as you need and I'll give my word that no harm will befall either to you and your son Haku. However, I only ask that your presence in Konoha remain a secret at least until I reach the decision. Naruto-kun, would you be so kind to take Zabuza and his son to our house, we happen to have some rooms available where you two can stay" – Said Minato to which Zabuza, Haku and Naruto nodded, before they vanished towards the Namikaze Household. "Kakashi, your team is dismissed, you too Neji, send my regards to your father and uncle" – Said Minato, before Neji and the genins left and so would Kakashi, but Minato called him just before he was reaching for the door.
"Kakashi, you're dismissed as well, but you must be present here in my office two hours from now. I'll be discussing some manners with Sarutobi and Zabuza's request will be discussed as well" – Stated Minato to which Kakashi nodded.
"Sensei, I…" – motioned Kakashi, but Minato interrupted his student.
"You don't have to explain your reasons Kakashi. I know you're taking into account the possible invasion and as such you felt that having Zabuza with us will improve our chances. While your intentions were just, we must think about this manner in a larger perspective than simply drafting strong shinobi for our cause" – Explained Minato to which Kakashi nodded, before leaving the man's office.
===At the Namikaze Compound===
Namikaze Kushina was quietly doing laundry while watching some birds cooling off on the river next to their property. The day was quite warm and those poor little animals just couldn't stand it because of those feathers.
Kushina's days as a housewife was pretty boring at least for a kunoichi as her friend Mikoto commented on occasions, but that was only because the woman now have returned to active duty. Kushina, though, grew accustomed to just taking care of her home and provide enough warmth for her family to reside in it.
And today was just like any other day, she woke up and feed little Misao who just wouldn't stop until she finished at least two whole bottles of milk, before fixing up breakfast for the most important man in this village, her husband. After he left, the house was pretty much empty and she had the entire afternoon to wander around, not doing much.
Yeah, today was indeed a regular day, just like any other.
Looking through the window, Kushina couldn't help but smile upon seeing that her son arrived from his mission to Wave Country and apparently without a single bruise or scratch. As a mother and a doctor, the woman would freeze in fear if she saw anything wrong with her little Naruto-kun. After all, what mother would she be if she didn't worry for her son's safety?
However as soon as she saw that Naruto was bringing in some company, which appeared to be a rather big-sized man carrying a Zanba…
She just couldn't finish her train of thought as immediate realization fell upon her about the man's identity. She did abandon the shinobi world in favor of dedicating her life to her husband and children, but by no means, did she forget the time she served under Konoha's shinobi program. And no doubt, she had the bingo book memorized, well not entirely, but enough to know that her son just brought an A ranked missing-nin from Kiri and one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist into her very house and with little Misao greatly exposed like this.
Quickly reaching for a hidden kunai hidden inside the kitchen, Namikaze Kushina now rushed through every skill she possessed while still a kunoichi and got ready for when Naruto arrived inside along with the menace.
"Kaa-san, I'm home and I brought some guests to stay with us…for a while" – Shouted Naruto, arching his eyebrows upon looking ahead just to see his own mother holding a well polished kunai and in position to strike at any time. He wondered for a second until he had to punch his head in realization. Of course, bringing Momochi Zabuza inside the house was crazy as no doubt the man's fame is well-known. The fact was that Naruto only bothered to cover Zabuza and Haku in overcoats until they reached the Namikaze property and forgot about his mother completely.
"Ah mom, I can explain you see…." – Said Naruto while scratching his head in clear embarrassment, but what Naruto didn't know or didn't have the life experience to see how far a woman would go to protect her home, was that Kushina wouldn't hear anything until Zabuza was either dead or out of Konoha.
"Out of the way Naruto-kun, this man is dangerous; don't worry I'll take care of him" – Stated Kushina with a look that promised some serious whooping and Zabuza was beginning to feel his hand itching to grab his big sword for protection. He did remember to never upset a woman, kunoichi or not. The Demon of the Mist was a firm believer of the period's force in women and how they change from oil to water for nothing at all. Suddenly, Kushina charged against Zabuza with the intent of slicing the man's jugular for good and was about to, since Zabuza wasn't prepared to grab his zanbatou in time; however just before she could reach in striking distance, her son appeared in front of the man, managing to stop the kunai with his twin knives.
"Kaa-san, they are not our enemies, we met in my last mission. Zabuza here and his son came asking to join our forces, they are not our enemies" – Reasoned Naruto, before seeing Kushina's eyes alter for a moment. Kushina eyed her son for a moment to see any lie coming from Naruto, before eyeing Zabuza who was freaked out by this woman. She could have very well killed him if it wasn't for her son.
Man, she could send chills even on Kisame. Note to self; try not to piss her off during our stay - Thought Zabuza, while watching Kushina while prepared for the next attack if it comes. Out of the blue, Kushina had the decency to scratch her head while laughing hardly, telling that she was kidding the whole time, an act that earned sweat drops at Naruto, Zabuza and Haku since all of them knew the woman was lying badly.
"Well, what didn't you say so Naruto-kun? Please, take our guests to the guest rooms upstairs and I'll be there in a moment with some blankets and fresh towels" – Said Kushina, before turning and going back to the kitchen.
Naruto was smiling at her mother's antics while Zabuza and Haku were displaying faces of utter shock at the immediate change in attitude coming from the red head.
"You have to forgive Kaa-san; she can be way over protective at times and the fact that my little sister is just two years old, the feeling increases. I'm sorry about not telling her about you beforehand Zabuza-san" – Said Naruto while walking towards the stairs with the Momochis in tow.
"No problem, but I must say that I never saw such a scary woman before and some Kunoichis back in Kiri were highly controlled by their hormones. Haku, it's in our best interest not to piss her off, okay. I don't know if I would be able to save myself let alone save you as well" – Said Zabuza, earning a sweat drop from Haku who was watching the Demon of the Mist scared of a woman, even though the fake hunter-nin was pretty scared himself. Naruto, though, had to hold his stomach from laughing so hard realizing the same thing as Haku did.
"She can be scary like that, yeah. Even my father was scared from her one time but that's a story for another time and I already use it for blackmailing him. Now, Haku you can stay in the furthest room on the end of the hallway, since it's smaller and Zabuza-san take this one with the big bed. If you want to rest, I can show the rest of the house later at night" – Asked Naruto.
"I'm pretty tired Tou-san, may I take some rest first?" – Asked Haku, earning a nod from Zabuza who vouched for his son's idea and said to Naruto that they would rest for a while to which Naruto smiled and nodded.
"Suit yourself; my room is the one next to you Zabuza-san. My father and mother's room is on the other side of the hallway and next to it is my little sister's room. If you need anything, I'll be in my room" – Said Naruto, before he opened his door and closed, before taking his book on advanced raiton manipulation that he earned from his father.
Further improving his second element was a must because of the technique Raiton Denkougun (Lightning Release: Lightning Force Jutsu). Kakashi said that in order for him to better use this jutsu without worrying about it backfiring on him was to focus on pure lightning manipulation. One great exercise to practice was to focus on manipulation lightning through various parts of the body like he does in his meditation procedures as well as focus on molding the chakra outside the body like his lightning ball technique.
According to the book, Naruto would have to learn also how to control the lightning's intensity, by either raising or diminishing it. By doing this, Naruto would learn how much it's really needed to perform the technique in hand, not only saving his chakra, but also decreasing the chances of backfiring. He would need some time to replenish his reserves, though, as he used quite a lot on his last mission.
So, taking that into consideration, the blond simply closed his eyes and let eternal bliss take over his body. A couple minutes later, Naruto already fell asleep, but inside his mind was another manner altogether. Naruto opened his eyes to see the moon glowing like a white son, illuminating everything and everyone, before he looked at Fenrir who was also mesmerized by such a hypnotizing sight.
"I take it you're home already Naruto, how soon can we begin?" – Asked the white wolf.
"I'd have to wait until my father arrives home to talk to him about it; I didn't have a chance to do that yet…" – Said Naruto, earning a nod from the wolf.
"Well, there is no hurry I guess" – Stated Fenrir.
"Let me ask you something Fenrir-sama" – Said Naruto, before he saw the wolf turn to face him. "This procedure I'll be undertaking, how painful is it going to be?" – Asked Naruto, earning a smile from the wolf.
"The merger of your blood to ours is quite gruesome procedure and there will be times when you'll beg for me to stop it just for the pain to stop. The last one who went through with it took whole 2 days for it to end and he screamed the whole time in pain, what don't tell me you're scared?" – Taunted Fenrir, earning a snort from Naruto. "After you drink It, the pain will be immediate, this procedure doesn't have a time limit, though, it all depends on how your body and chakra can withstand the pain and control it" – Explained Fenrir, earning a sigh in preparation from the blond, before he opened his eyes to find that he was back in his room, after a quick little nap.
Actually he was awakened by a knock on his door, before he got up to see who it was.
"Oh Zabuza, I thought you'd want to sleep some more, are you feeling well rested?" – Asked Naruto, earning a nod from the demon of the mist.
"I'm accustomed to resting only the necessary amount of time, when you escape from the hunter-nin's grasp; you simply cannot let your defenses drop, so you're saying to show us the rest of the house" – Said Zabuza, earning a nod from Naruto who in turn closed the door and went for the stairs as Zabuza and Haku followed him suit.
"Our compound is rather small compared to the more notorious clan like Uchiha and Hyuuga, but we compensate for our extensive gardens which can be used as a training ground, but we have to be careful otherwise my mother…well, you know how she can be, right?" – Asked Naruto, to which Zabuza nodded while flinching at the sight.
Naruto opened the window that lead to the garden and showed both Zabuza and Haku the Namikaze's extensive garden and the mist-nins were impressed that they have a small lake in their property.
"My family's property goes all the way until that big tree in the horizon. Afterwards, it's the Nara Clan's property. You two will be staying with us until my father agrees with both of you joining our forces. Don't worry, though, I'm sure he'll agree to it, he just needs to consider the exterior circumstances. Well, it's due time for me to go visit someone special to me, you two will be alright on your own. If you want anything, my mother will be glad to help" – Said Naruto, before he waved his hand and then vanished within a small tornado, surprising both Zabuza and Haku at the usage of wind technique.
===With Naruto===
Appearing outside his compound, Naruto went towards the place he knew his girlfriend would be training the Junior Anbu division. After a while, he arrived at the place only to see a great number of blurs going through an advanced field. He looked around and smiled when he spotted the one with the long purple hair and casually walked towards the woman who until seeing him, was with her arms crossed while inspecting the Anbu's work.
"It's nice seeing you again Neko-san, I see you're as busy as ever with the Anbu tutoring thing" – Said Naruto, once he stood side by side with Yuugao who in turn was smiling from ear to ear at seeing her boyfriend, but she was wearing a mask, so Naruto couldn't see it.
"What a pleasant surprise Naruto-sama, so you returned from your mission safe and sound, I presume" – Manifested Yuugao, not wanting to lose the game they enjoyed playing. Naruto smiled and just nodded, while looking at the Anbus moving through the course while evading numerous traps and exploding tags.
"I came by just this morning with Kakashi-sensei and his team along with Neji. Now, either you're going easy on them or they're getting better" – Said Naruto as he saw one of the Anbu trainees dodge one trap which would've hurt a lot, considering that he would have to escape a bunch of rubber kunais. It wouldn't kill him, but surely it would hurt.
Yuugao thought about Naruto's commentary and decided to past it…well not until they were alone and she could give him the proper punishment.
"Anbus gather around" – Shouted Yuugao, before a number of blurs appeared in front of her while kneeled down. "Seeing as you managed to finish this set of course, next week I'll improve it, you know to make it more difficult. The path to a full Anbu member doesn't require flashy jutsus and ability in taijutsu or genjutsu. In the field, things happen out of the blue and it's required of you to be prepared for when it happens. Great job all of you; meet me next week, same time, same day. Dismissed" – Said Yuugao, before they vanished.
She actually took some time to be sure that no one saw them, before she took off her mask and threw herself in Naruto's arms like they was no tomorrow.
"I missed you so much Naruto-kun, so how was the mission?" – Asked Yuugao, before seeing that smile that she adored about him.
"I missed you too Yuugao-chan, the mission was fine, we did meet some strong adversaries, but in the end nothing bad happened. Kakashi-sensei faced Momochi Zabuza in battle and me and Neji faced a man by the name of Haku who can control hyoton techniques. The battle was hard, but in the end, Zabuza was betrayed by a man named Gatou who hired him to kill the man we're protecting, so the enemy became our ally" – Reported Naruto, to which Yuugao nodded, before he continued. "Say, since you don't have any other duties with Anbu for the day, what you say we get some lunch together" – Invited Naruto to which Yuugao smiled, only saying that she needed to change her clothes a bit and then meet him at the sushi place they both go.
===At the Hokage's office===
Once Sarutobi and Kakashi arrived, they and the Hokage started to discuss certain events and what would the best decision. Sarutobi heard Minato and Kakashi's story about approving the concession of a place in Konoha's forces for both Momochi Zabuza and his son. He knew about a lot of advantages these two could bring to Konoha as Zabuza is a master in kenjutsu and his son Haku knows how to use hyoton techniques, which by itself; would be a valid reason for his entrance in Konoha.
The problem was and Minato agreed with was that the political issue of it all. Sure, the man was a missing-nin and as such, he severed all ties with his home village. However, Sarutobi wasn't concerned with Kirigakure, but rather the other influential villages throughout the elemental nations. The act of recruiting Zabuza into their forces will definitely sound like some preparation for war and either Iwa or Kumo could retaliate and Konoha has enough problems with Orochimaru lurking around. However, in case an invasion occurs, Zabuza and Haku could add to Konoha's victory.
"Minato-kun, Kakashi-kun; this is indeed a sensitive issue for reasons that I'm sure both of you are aware of. The fact still remains that Orochimaru will try to invade this village and we are certain he'll drag another village for his purposes. However, which village we still don't know. Now, even though having someone as Zabuza with us could turn out to anger either Iwa or Kumo, his skills may prove to be the key to saving more of our citizen's lives" – Explained Sarutobi, earning a nod from Minato.
"Zabuza is a missing-nin Sarutobi; would you think they would come to us because of it?" – Asked Minato, while seeing him drinking a cup of tea.
"Normally no, but because of Zabuza's fame, him joining our forces will be interpreted as arming for battle. So, I'm assuming you'll give him a jounin position but what about his son? For what I read on the mission profile, he gave both Neji and Naruto quite the run with his ice needles jutsu" – Asked Sarutobi, earning a nod from Minato.
"Indeed, Zabuza is on terms with Kakashi here so jounin will be his position. I was considering Anbu but first we have to test where his loyalties are. Haku will receive a chunnin position, though he will be able to attend the jounin exams in a couple of months. Kakashi, who do you think would works well with someone like Zabuza. As I understand, he has quite a temper?" – Asked Minato, earning his student's attention who until now was actually feeling left over.
"In my opinion, Zabuza is a well-rounded individual with plenty of time to depend only on himself, especially since he had to leave Kirigakure. I'm afraid he won't be so eager to working with a team nor he will agree to follow someone else's orders. The only person I believe would work with him would be his son, but I don't know. Such a man respects strength and he wouldn't be with someone who's either weak or lack the necessary skills particular to a jounin level shinobi" – Explained Kakashi, while keeping his book inside his kunai holster.
Minato and Sarutobi nodded, since they thought the exact same thing. In order to survive out there, a missing-nin could not bring himself to just drop his defenses, because the second he does so, it would be his downfall. Clearing his throat, the Yondaime gave his position regarding the manner in hand.
"I'll go with him respecting strength, then and will be placing him together with his son for missions, on occasions, though; I'll place other ninjas with him being the leader of course. Perhaps, either my son or Neji can fit the last man of the team quite nicely. I'll be responsible for breaking the news to them since they are residing at my house and I'm sure Naruto has introduced them to…oh shit I forgot about Kushina" – Said Minato, freezing in realization at what his wife could do when utter mad. Surprisingly, neither Sarutobi nor Kakashi made one single joke at the Yondaime, because apparently they knew never to be on the receiving end of one Namikaze Kushina.
"I just hope that Naruto managed to explain what happened before Kushina tries to kill Zabuza at sight" – Wondered Minato out loud, while remembering some events where his son managed to bail him out of trouble with some clever excuse that only he and his wife would be able to come up with in such short notice. Minato took the silent moment to remember that even though physically Naruto resembles his father in every way shape or form, but personality wise was hard not to link his personality to his mother's. "Well, I suppose I'll be on the receiving end tonight and there is nothing I can do about it. Now, Sarutobi, did Jiraya-sensei tell you something about the snake? As I'm sure you mentioned at the meeting, he was following the man's every move." – Asked Minato, earning a nod from Sarutobi.
"Jiraya-kun was able to inform that Orochimaru is on the move with his plan, but he cannot say for sure when it will be. Nevertheless, Orochimaru's cunning mind is what we should consider here. Just breaking through our main gates won't guarantee that he would be victorious; hence why it's my guess that he will take an opportunity where our defenses would be severely compromised" – Said Sarutobi, earning a questioned look from both Minato and Kakashi, before the old man began to explain with as much wisdom as a man who thought in two shinobi wars and emerged victorious. "It seems that it's our turn once more to host the chunnin exams and because of it, Konoha becomes crowded with tourists and nobles throughout the elemental nations who would come to see the new crops of chunnin wannabes. Because of this, protecting everyone and the village at the same time would prove to be a very sensitive position for us should my student attacks" – Explained Sarutobi, to which Minato frowned in worry at such a thought.
"It would be even worse if he managed to drag another village with him to the invasion, then. This is bad news, we must mobilize our forces sooner than anticipated" – Reasoned Minato, earning a nod from Sarutobi.
"In secret, though, it's preferable, Minato-kun. We're still not sure if Orochimaru has other spies under his command hidden within our ranks. Prefer it would be wise to call in the Anbu commander and discuss some measures for when the third part of the exam in a month and a half. Kakashi, would you do the honors for us" – Said Sarutobi, to which Kakashi nodded and left the room instantly.
===At the Namikaze Household===
After Naruto went out with Yuugao for some lunch, he dropped her home, but not after having to assure her regarding some events that would occur in the future.
Flashback on
Naruto and Yuugao were just sharing a sushi special while Naruto reported to the woman about their mission and the fact that Konoha may have two new reinforcements.
"Okay, let me hear this straight, you fought against a foe that uses hyoton techniques and Kakashi-sempai fought with Zabuza. Afterwards, Kakashi-senpai offered to the Demon of the Mist, responsible for Kirigakure's coup d'état, to join Konoha and on top of that, he's in your house as we speak?" – Asked Yuugao to which Naruto nodded, though he wondered if the woman would behave just like his mother did and tried to kill Zabuza, before she offered another question. "What did your mother do when she saw him? I'd imagine her going haywire at the least" – Asked Yuugao, earning a giggle from Naruto upon remembering what happened.
"She actually tried to kill him with a kunai!!! It was really funny to see the Demon of the Mist almost shit himself, but I guess he just entered the list of people that are afraid of Kushina Namikaze. If I didn't stop her, Zabuza's jugular would be sliced in pieces" – Smiled Naruto, before seeing Yuugao laugh as well at the image of a mad mother-in-law.
"I fear for Hokage-sama when he arrives home, your mother may have accepted Zabuza's presence at her house, certainly he will be on the receiving end of the whole thing and It won't be pretty. And this time, you won't be around to free your father out of trouble Naruto-kun" – Smiled Yuugao to which Naruto smiled as well.
"Guess not…." – Smiled Naruto, while seeing Yuugao laughing, but suddenly he got serious and Yuugao noticed it, hence she stopped laughing and eyed her boyfriend with uncertainty. "Yuugao-chan, I have some news regarding the wolf mark on my arm" – Said Naruto, before seeing Yuugao stiffen in sudden fear of something happening to him. "Fenrir-sama communicated with me once more, saying that for me to complete the next step was necessary for me to undergo a very demanding ritual" – Said Naruto.
"What kind of ritual and it would demand of you?" – Asked Yuugao, but she already knew the answer wouldn't be a pleasant one.
"According to him, my blood would be mixing to that of the wolf clan and as a result, I'll be faster, stronger and with at least double the chakra that I already possess" – Explained Naruto, to which Yuugao sighed in relief, but he wasn't finished. "The demanding part of it, though, it's the procedure itself. According to Fenrir-sama, the time the wolf blood gets in contact with my own, the pain will be immediate and it won't settle until my body gets accustomed to it" – Said Naruto with a somber look on his face as in getting ready for it.
"How long it will take for it to stop?" – Asked Yuugao.
"The last one that went through this procedure took close to 48 hours to complete" – Said Naruto, before seeing the knowing look of shock from his girlfriend
Flashback off
It took a while for him to convince her about his resolve in this matter, but in the end he managed. Once he entered his house, he noticed that everything was in its rightful place which meant that no confrontation occurred. Wandering around, he saw his mother fixing some sandwiches for her guests, but neither Zabuza nor Haku were anywhere to be seen. After asking his mother about, she pointed that they were at the garden.
Once outside, he saw Zabuza watching as Haku was sitting on top of the water presumably training some sort of chakra control exercise.
"What is he doing?" – Asked Naruto, earning Zabuza's attention as he then turned to see his son.
"Haku is improving his hyoton skills while freezing the water of the lake and unfreezing it right afterwards. We do this every day we see water" – Explained Zabuza, earning a nod from Naruto, before he turned to see Naruto once more. "I was meaning to ask you something. During your fight with my son, you used fuuton ninjutsu, but I'm able to sense different chakra inside of you and I'm quite certain that I felt some traces of suiton" – Asked Zabuza, before seeing a nod coming from the blond, even though a part of him was glad that Zabuza didn't sense his raiton manifestation. Zabuza may become a Konoha ninja, but it wouldn't do any good to expose his abilities to a man that could easily kill him.
"Fuuton is my prime affinity, but I managed to use suiton manipulation for defensive purposes" – Said Naruto, earning a nod from Zabuza.
"I see; well Haku is the same, though he has a second affinity for suiton. By mixing fuuton and suiton, he can use hyoton techniques" – Explained Zabuza, before he saw Haku suddenly open his eyes and the whole lake froze in an instant, before returning to normal. Getting up from where he was sitting, he looked at his father.
"Haku, you're getting better but until you can freeze the lake instantly, there is still ground for improvement. Now, we'll practice some physical exercises; Naruto would you assist us in training Haku?" – Asked Zabuza, earning a nod from Naruto.
"Sure, what should I do?" – Asked Naruto.
"I happen to know that a fuuton user can increase the air resistance around a certain place, thus making it hard for the opponent to move, can you do it?" – Asked Zabuza, earning a nod from Naruto, before he continued explaining the exercise. "Haku will have to dodge some projectiles that I'll be throwing while you use your skills to haut his movements with fuuton chakra. Don't worry, he is used to this exercise, shall we begin; Haku get ready" – Said Zabuza, earning a nod from his son and Naruto, before the three vanished within a blur, thus initiating the exercise.
===At night===
After Minato arrived at his house, he greeted his wife who was at the kitchen fixing tonight's dinner with a knife on his hand. He remembered the Zabuza incident and found that going anywhere near his wife while holding that knife of hers wasn't such a prudent action. At first, she just greeted him back and he first thought that Naruto did take him out of trouble; however he flinched when she turned and addressed him.
"Don't you think you'll walk out of this Minato-kun, but for the sake of our guests, I'll refrain from making a scene. Now, go call them for dinner, I believe they are at the garden" – Said Kushina, to which Minato gulped and then went towards the garden only to see Zabuza and Naruto in a stalemate while holding their weapons in the middle. Minato was quite surprised that Naruto was able to hold his own against one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist; even if he somehow knew Zabuza was holding something back.
"Oi Naruto, Zabuza and Haku, dinner is ready" – Shouted Minato, earning an Okay in acknowledgement from his son who looked at his opponent and then let go of the stalemate position while thanking Zabuza for the spar.
Dinner was uneventful with less conversation than ordinary, because of the type of visit. Zabuza was as talkative as Kakashi while reading his porn novel and wouldn't respond anything besides the strictly necessary. Quickly remembering, Minato threw a scroll to Zabuza.
"Zabuza-san, I just remembered. After discussion with my advisor, we decided to let you and your son join our forces. In this scroll, there are the uniforms for a jounin and a chunnin. Also, you are to be paired with your son for missions and on occasions, I'll place another one under your command, understood. Oh and I'll have my secretary look for a suitable place to stay and don't worry, by this time, every shinobi knows of your position and won't act in any way against either you or your son" – Smiled Minato, earning a nod from Zabuza.
"I appreciate Hokage-sama; truly escaping from hunter-nins can be quite tiring" – Said Zabuza, earning a smile from Minato, before the dinner proceeded. Afterwards, the dinner was quite uneventful and they cleaned up the table.
After the cleaning, Zabuza and Haku went to their respective bedrooms, thus leaving the Namikaze family alone, well at least, Naruto and Minato since Kushina was feeling rather tired from doing some chores around the house. To Naruto it was perfect since this way, he could speak with his old man about the procedure he was about to undertake.
Fixing some sake to relax for a while, Minato saw his son approach with a serious look on his face and he wondered what troubled him.
"Tou-san, may I speak with you? It's important" – Asked Naruto, earning a smile and a nod from his father, before he continued. "Well, you remember how I said that Fenrir-sama, the clan head of the Wolf Clan, can communicate with me through the mark in my arm right? Well, while in my last mission, he talked to me once more about a necessary ritual I'm supposed to undertake as the chosen one" – Said Naruto, before seeing his father's serious look.
"If I were to interpret from your serious face Naruto, I'd say that this ritual you're referring to is quite troublesome. May I ask why this is even necessary? From what I recall, you already have the possession of the Wolf Clan contract" – Asked Minato, earning a nod from Naruto, when suddenly he heard a voice calling him asking to be summoned to the outside world. Quickly doing some hand seals and biting his thumb, Naruto slammed his hand on the ground, before a white wolf appeared.
"Greetings Yondaime-sama, it's an honor to finally meet you. I'm Fenrir, the head of the Wolf Clan" – Said the wolf as he bowed in respect.
"Greetings Fenrir-sama, the honor is mutual, now I assume you came to explain this ritual my son will be undertaking" – Asked Minato, earning a nod from the wolf as he explained.
"I guess so. This procedure as Naruto so puts it is called Urufu Chishio (Wolf Blood) and Naruto here will be required to drink our blood. Once the blood enters his system, it will mix with his own, thus beginning the ritual. It will only end until his body adjusts to the mixture. The only problem with it and the very reason why Naruto and I agreed to seek your approval is that Naruto will suffer an excruciating amount of pain unlike none before and I can't tell you for sure how long it will take for the ritual to be complete" – Explained Fenrir to which Minato frowned in dismay at the explanation.
"Okay, you explained what the ritual entails, but you didn't explain the reason for my son to withstand such a thing. Withstanding pain for a long time can cause damage to both body and brain, it's too risky" – Asked Minato.
"As the chosen one, your son will carry the blood of our clan to where he goes. Such was the path of those before him. As for the ritual's results, Naruto will increase his power, speed and chakra. Also, he will then possess skills particular to our clan. Now, I agree that enduring pain can very well damages the body, but I also understand the concern a father has for his son as I happen to have offspring as well. And I'll give my word, Yondaime-sama, that no harm shall occur with your son nor he will appear differently than he is right now, except maybe a few inches taller and more muscular" – Explained Fenrir, earning a contemplative nod from Minato, before he looked at his son in order to see his resolve in this.
"What do you think Naruto? Are you up for whatever will happen?" – Asked Minato, while still studying any sort of doubt in his son's face.
"I am father, I am. By doing this, I'll be of more service to you and more able to protect both the village and those I care for deeply in my heart" – Said Naruto with great resolve in this, before he saw his father smile at him.
"I see; it takes courage to accept something without knowing the full extent and I can very well see your resolve in this my son. Your reasons for doing this are just and not selfish, you don't want to do this for power, but rather to better protect those close to you and as a father, I'm proud of you my son as I have been since you first initiated your shinobi training. Well, if it's my approval you seek, and then you have it, however for this ritual to occur, someone will have to watch my son, Fenrir-sama" – Said Minato, earning a nod from the wolf.
"As I said before, Yondaime-sama, no harm shall happen to your son. I'll personally be overseeing the procedure and you can very well point someone to be there with me to assist Naruto in anything he needs" – Said Fenrir, earning a nod from Minato.
"Okay, it's better to do this where no one can see him or try anything while he's in the middle of the ritual. Tomorrow morning, Naruto take Fenrir-sama here to the caves inside the Hokage monument, no one will know you're there and I'll send Kakashi there as well. Now, please rest my son, I have a feeling you'll have a busy day tomorrow" – Said Minato, earning a nod from Naruto and Fenrir, before the wolf disappeared.
Naruto bid his father farewell and was about to go upstairs when his father called him once more.
"Naruto, after the ritual is done, I want you to increase your training my son. I fear troubled times lies ahead of us and as such, we should be ready just in case" – Advised Minato, before seeing his son watch him for a moment in contemplation at his father's words. To this day, Naruto never saw that look on his father and it certainly meant that something really bad was about to happen soon and as such, his new powers will come in hand.
"Don't worry father, I'll train harder than always" – Smiled Naruto, earning a nod from his father.
"I'll be keeping you inside the village for you to train my son and your team as well at least until the chunnin exams that will happen in a month and a half" – Said Minato, earning a nod from Naruto before he once again said goodnight to his father.
===the next day===
Unlike normal mornings, today the sun didn't find the strength to overcome the number of clouds that closed the sky and suddenly lightning appeared one by one. Naruto didn't bother seeing the somber look on the weather because his mind was currently on something else entirely. As he walked through the empty streets of Konoha towards the place where he would begin the ritual, he couldn't help but suffer in anticipation of the pain Fenrir-sama said he would feel. After having one small breakfast so he wouldn't throw up, Naruto was scheduled to meet Kakashi on the top of the Hokage Monument when, then, they would get inside and Naruto would summon Fenrir to begin the torture.
He remembered the look on his mother's face as she fixed some breakfast. No doubt, his father told her everything because she couldn't even hold the frying pan from shaking so much. Nevertheless, whatever thoughts she had about this whole thing she kept to herself, but the look on her face told him everything he knew.
Once he arrived at the designated mountain, he looked up to see the four faces of the most important men in Konoha. Shodaime and the Nidaime Hokage were responsible for the village's foundation and protection in the First Shinobi War. The Sandaime Hokage was their student and the decision maker that lead Konoha to victory at the last shinobi war with his father, the Yondaime Hokage, under his command. All of them played a significant role for the village's welfare and today, he would do his share by gaining the power needed to protect Konoha. It didn't take too long until Naruto climbed the mountain before he saw Kakashi there hanging next to a tree while apparently engrossed in his novel. By this time, the rain was already heavy, but Naruto just kept looking at his brother figure while feeling the heavy drops falling on his head.
"Are you ready Naruto?" – Asked Kakashi, while still fixing his gaze at his book.
"As ready as I'll ever be Kakashi-nisan. It's funny actually, cause I feel like this heavy rain in my head will be like a walk in the park compared to the what will follow shortly" – Said Naruto, as he approached next to Kakashi close to the cave entrance.
Once inside, the noise of the rain echoed through the numerous paths that would lead to a big and spaced room where Naruto and Kakashi were now heading to. Naruto had to admit he never came inside the Hokage Mountain and he found it to be quite nice just to be there and listen to the water's echoes. After stopping the midst of the clearing, Kakashi looked at Naruto, as in waiting for him to bring the next guest for the party to be completed. Biting his thumb, Naruto then went through a number of hand seals, before slamming his hands on the ground.
Ookami Kuchiyose no Jutsu Fenrir (Wolf Summoning Technique Fenrir)
Immediately, Fenrir appeared with a strange looking vile on his mouth, while looking at Naruto and apparently Kakashi.
"Now I recognized you Hatake Kakashi, member of the Hatake Family and holder of the summoning contract for dogs, you smells just like one" – Smiled Fenrir, but Kakashi chose to ignore all in favor of continue to read his book, but it didn't struck a cord in Fenrir, so he just let it pass and turned to see Naruto as he placed the vile on the ground. "I know I didn't give much choice to you Naruto on this manner, but do you feel up to it?" – Asked Fenrir, earning a nod in positive from Naruto.
"Whether or not I'm ready for it, I don't exactly have a choice in the manner. However, this is not for a selfish reason for obtaining power rather it is for using it to protect the village and my family" – Stated Naruto, earning a nod from the wolf, before he bended over and grabbed the vile. Upon opening it, he took one last look at Fenrir as he began the explanation.
"As I said before, the pain will be immediate. Your body temperature will rise above a hundred degrees Celsius and your blood will begin to evaporate. Since it's lodged inside your body and it travels through your veins and arteries, they will suffer some damage trying to contain the blood temperature. I believe that the heavens smiled on you today Naruto, because the rain will serve to improve the power your brain have over your body. By thinking about the cool rain outside, you can further control the body temperature, not letting it rise to unbearable heat. Also, when the ritual starts, your body will be using its chakra to control the situation and here comes the tough part. I'm not saying that you shouldn't use chakra, it's just that your chakra capacity must not falter until the end of the procedure, from risk of severe chakra exhaustion and even death, so be careful" – Alerted Fenrir, earning a nod from Naruto as he positioned the vile close to his mouth, before ingesting all at once.
At first, he didn't feel a thing except that it tasted funny. However, close to five seconds later, his eyes became blurry and his body began to tremble. Instantly, he dropped on the ground while holding his body with his arms as in trying to stop the pain that now covered his whole body. Naruto wondered at first if the pain would be unbearable, but he never guessed it would be like this. In an instant, he ripped the chunnin vest from his body with force as his body was entirely wet from the hot temperature. Soon, not only he had to worry about the temperature, but the wolf blood travelling through his veins with force. He felt like the veins and arteries would explode, if it wasn't for his chakra subduing the wolf chakra for now.
Watching from afar, Kakashi and Fenrir were discussing Naruto's pain with a heavy heart…at least on Kakashi's part as he wondered why Naruto choose to do such a gruesome task.
"I can tell you're feeling his pain Kakashi-san as I have the power of reading minds. Don't worry, though, Naruto is tough and he'll overcome this. After all, he is one of us and we are a proud species" – Said Fenrir.
"I know that he's strong, perhaps already too strong for his age, he doesn't need to go through with this. It has been only ten minutes and he isn't showing signs of coping with the pain" – Stated Kakashi, earning a nod from Fenrir.
"The reason he'll succeed is his drive to protect those he care for and that happens to be the reason why Tsukyomi (Moon God) chose him as our representative in this world. Remember Kakashi, one's true strength only appears when you're protecting someone. There will be a time when Naruto will scream and perhaps even try to rip his skin just for the pain to stop, but the thought of losing his precious one will drive him to overcome this obstacle, just you wait and see" – Smiled Fenrir as he saw with ease that Naruto looked like he just got out of the shower as he suddenly began to roll on the ground not even bothering to feel the pain of skin's heavy contact against the dirt and even some rocks.
===At the Namikaze Household===
It was already night and her husband had returned from his office, but the look on his face told Kushina that he was just as bit as worried as she was for Naruto. Naruto was a couple miles away from the house, but she could very well hear his screams of pain echoing through the caves. She wished she could be with her son taking the pain from him and giving it to her instead as it would be less painful than seeing her son suffering so much. Suddenly, someone knocked at the door and Minato went to open, revealing Naruto's girlfriend Yuugao panting from apparently crossing the entire village just to get home.
"Kushina-san, Yondaime-sama, is Naruto alright? Has he come back?" – Asked Yuugao, but Minato just nodded in the negative before looking at his fiancée's watery eyes.
"No, he's not here yet. According to Fenrir-sama, the procedure could take longer than a day since the last one took 2 days to finish. I know my son to be stubborn about quitting, but I fear the pain might be too much for him to handle" – Said Minato but everyone could feel that he spoke with a heavy heart. Suddenly, Kushina sighed in dismay and went to the kitchen to grab a glass of water, before turning to her family and Yuugao.
"We must believe he'll get over this situation and come back stronger to face the danger in the future. It's his future and he chose it this way. I hope….I hope that everything is okay" – Said Kushina, while trying to contain her tears, but she couldn't help as they fell freely from her eyes. Yuugao went by her side the second it started, while whispering words of confidence about their special blond.
===At the cave===
One day passed and Naruto's body was filled with bruises and blood. At one point during the night, he just couldn't take the pain anymore and decided to beat himself severely in hopes of replacing a bigger pain for a small one and compensate every once in a while. Nevertheless, the pain just wouldn't leave him alone, no matter how much he screamed to the heavens and pretty much cursed every single iwa shinobi in existence. He could feel his chakra capacity slowly draining and he feared that it wouldn't be enough by the end of the procedure.
Watching from afar, Kakashi was now shaking his body just by watching Naruto contorting his whole body because of the pain. His chest was covered by blood and every ten minutes, Naruto would spill blood. It was unnerving how the wolf could just stand there and watch like he didn't care what happened to the kid. However, what Kakashi didn't know was that Fenrir could very well sense the wolf blood on the verge of mingling with Naruto's. However, Naruto must realize the last step on his own as it's necessary for the ritual to be complete.
Turning back to Naruto, he was beginning to lose focus on his surroundings as fatigue was beginning to take over his body, which was a sign of low chakra capacity.
The pain…it's too much…I can't breathe…my body is so hot right now, I can't even think straight – Thought Naruto as he punched the ground numbers of times.
Suddenly, though, a memory clicked inside his mind and he regained focus once more. It was the same image that plagued his sleeps in the forms of nightmares as he watched his family being slaughtered in front of him by Iwa-nins.
I can't give up right now, I can feel it's getting close…I can't give up dammit. I can't let all this go to nothing, what will happen to those precious to me if I die here. Tou-san, Kaa-san, Yuugao-chan, Misao-neechan, Kakashi-nisan, Neji, Anko-sensei, Tenten…I just can't give up….. I WON'T GIVE UP!!!! - Screamed Naruto inside his mind as a sudden new source of chakra just appeared out of nowhere, before a bright light engulfed the cave where they stood, thus blinding Kakashi and Fenrir momentarily.
After they managed to see, there he was in the middle of the clearing on his foot. Approaching the blond, he suddenly saw the boy fall limp on the ground, before he dashed quickly to grab Naruto in fear of losing him for the pain. But Kakashi was relieved once he managed to felt a strong pulse on his neck. Geez, he took it all and in record time no less, truly a most surprising ninja you are Naruto. – thought Kakashi as he looked at Fenrir who was smiling.
"I told you he would succeed Kakashi, take him home to rest. He won't be waking up for at least two days and in this period, the new blood will be improving his attributes. No doubt, the boy is special. He managed to finish in just one day while the last one needed close to two days to do so. I will report his success to my clan, so long Kakashi" – Said Fenrir, earning a nod from Kakashi, before he looked at Naruto once more with a proud smile on his face.