With a sigh, Naruto was up late that night as he looked through one of the scrolls. It was nothing about training or anything like that. But he could tell that this was going to quickly be his favorite. It was a diary of sorts from his mother. Talking about being brought to the Leaf. Why she was there. Then meeting his dad, getting married and even when she was pregnant with him. The last entry would have been exactly a week before he was born and Madara used the fox to attack the village.
Hearing the door open, Naruto looked up to find Jiraiya walking in as he rolled the scroll up. "I picked one that was about family and clan to read first tonight. It was a diary that my mom kept. Tells why she was brought to the leaf, when, meeting my dad, getting married and different things while she was pregnant with me. The last entry was exactly a week before I was born." He then set to work with the multiple seals, ending with the one on his skin.
"I see." Jiraiya moved to sit in the window, as he let his eyes linger on his little girl. Turning back to Naruto he sighed. "Look kid I don't usually do this but considering what is going on, I can promise you that until you get back from the mission with Yamato, Sakura and Sai, I won't just take off. I will stay here and keep her with me." He then narrowed his eyes as he crossed his arms. "But the next mission you go on she has to go with you and you have to keep her safe. Just like when you went to save Gaara. Cause I will be going to see what I can find out about the Akatsuki."
"Right." Looking to the side to see Juuri sleeping so peacefully, Naruto took a deep breath as he smiled. "That won't be a problem taking her with me. I know she doesn't like to fight and doesn't want to. But I am still going to have her trained at least how to defend herself until I can get to her as well." He then turned hard eyes to Jiraiya. He couldn't sense anyone around them. "Hey is there anyone around Jiraiya? So we can talk?"
Focusing his chakra to scan, Jiraiya shakes his head no. "No one at all. What's up kid?"
His eyes full work now, Naruto didn't move. "What is the deal with Sai? I know that there is another reason why he is on our team. And not just to replace Sasuke. And what do you know about the Root?"
Taking a deep breath as he thought about how to word this, Jiraiya opened hard and narrowed eyes. "Just be careful when it comes to Sai. He was trained by Danzo, and it is Danzo that really wants the scrolls that you have. I am almost positive that he has that as a side mission for being on Team Seven. So just make sure you watch him."
Nodding, Naruto turned still hard eyes to Juuri when she let out a small sigh and smiled in her sleep. "You know in that case, I think it would be better if no one knew what she can do except those that Tsunade told to help with training her. The last thing that either of us need is them wanting to get her for what she can do." His eyes even harder, with a cold resolve that instantly reminded Jiraiya of Minato, Naruto turned his blue eyes back to him. "If they even tried I would end up killing someone."
With a smile, Jiraiya nodded as Naruto turned back to look at Juuri. The same look in his eyes to protect her that Minato had in his eyes to protect Kushina when he found out about the fox. "On that one kid it would be who got to who first. You may have to stand in line."
"My training with everyone starts tomorrow. Could you go to Shikamaru tonight and tell him what we are not saying about Juuri? That way he can know and let everyone else know before we get there. I don't really want Sai there when we say we can't talk about what she can do." Naruto sighed as he looked at the floor. "Knowing him he is still up anyway."
"Sure thing. I will also go to Sakura personally. Sai seemed to want to follow her around after you left Tsunade's office yesterday." He then just turned and left out the window.
Once he was gone, Naruto stood and stretched then smiled down at Juuri as she lay sound asleep. Climbing over her, he lay down behind her and pulled her against him as he wrapped his arms around her. His heart skipping when she let out a content sigh, but didn't even blink her eyes. Kissing the back of her neck, Naruto smiled as he laid his head down and let his eyes close. 'I promise you Juuri. I will never let anything happen to you. I love you more than you could ever imagine.'
X
"Shikamaru are you up?"
Opening the door to find his dad standing there, Shikamaru sighed. "I was about to go to bed. What is it?"
Turning and heading for the front room, Shikaku sighed. "Master Jiraiya is here to see you, and he has Sakura with him as well."
His eyes hard, Shikamaru followed his father out to the dining room and sat down next to him. "What is it?"
Crossing his arms as he kept his eyes on the table, Jiraiya took a deep breath. "Nothing changes as far as training for Naruto. But we are holding off on training Juuri until he gets back. And I also want you to let everyone else to know that they are not to talk about the fact that she has ice and crystal kekeigenkai. I don't want the Root or the Elders to know a damned thing about it."
Blinking, Shikamaru let his head fall to the side. "The elders I understand. But what does the Root have to do with anything? They have nothing to do with anything that we are doing."
Nodding, Sakura pulled his brown eyes to her. "They do actually Shikamaru. Sai. He was chosen by the elders from the Root."
Crossing his arms now, and understanding, Shikamaru nods. "Well that I can get. I saw the way Naruto looks at her. I think even he would hurt someone if they tried to do anything to her."
"But I would like to ask since I have no idea. What are your plans for training Naruto?" When his eyes met Shikamaru's, Jiraiya has unusually serious eyes. He had a reason for wondering.
"Well we are going to get Asuma to help train him in wind. Kakashi said that since Naruto can make more clones than anyone, with each small technique that Asuma teaches him, he is going to practice it with his clones. We are also going to help him train in making his chakra chains at will and using them to fight as we all spar with him."
"That's all great. But there is one thing you need to be very aware of Shikamaru. I am sure you know about the fox inside of Naruto." When he nodded, Jiraiya sighed. "First is Naruto has scrolls in his possession that the Elders and Danzo want. Sai may be tasked with trying to get them, he may not. Just a heads up on that one. Naruto can tell you what they are about." But then he opened hard and glaring eyes at Shikamaru. "To be blunt. I have only nearly died twice in my life. The first time by Tsunade for peeping. Took me weeks to recover from that. Naruto was the next one about a year ago."
When both Shikamaru and Sakura gasped, Jiraiya sighed as he slowly undid his clothes. "We started out training in how to use the chakra from the fox as a cloak. He can keep his mind about him with two tails. He starts to turn savage though when he gets a cloak of three tails. He will no longer know friend from foe. You could be attacked. Even Juuri could be." Once he pulled his clothes down to reveal the horrible scar that he had in the middle of his chest, Jiraiya kept his hard eyes. "He did this to me and nearly killed me with just a passing blow with just a cloak of three tails. I don't even want to think about what four or more could have done."
His eyes hard, Shikamaru crossed his arms. "Okay say that happens. How are we going to stop him?"
"With this." Handing him several pieces of paper with a seal on them, Jiraiya sighed. "That forces the energy of the fox back inside Naruto and he passes out. He will sleep probably for a full twenty four hours and not remember anything about it."
"Right." Looking at the papers, Shikamaru was already thinking of ways to make sure that what Jiraiya just told him doesn't happen. They needed to get Naruto trained, but not at that expense. "Thanks for this Jiraiya."
A half glare for his son, Shikaku sighed. "Respect Shikamaru. Master Jiraiya."
Blinking as he looked at his father, along with Sakura, Shikamaru gave his father a confused look. "You are kidding? He maybe a Sanin, but he is a damned perverted skirt chaser."
"Shikamaru…" But hearing the giggle from the girl, Shikaku looked at her odd. "Sakura?"
"He is strong and smart, yet I am sure that Tsunade nearly killed him because he was looking at her in the spa, or even her own bathroom. He is a total peeping tom. The fact that Naruto got any training out of him shocks me." Sakura then joined Shikaku and Shikamaru in laughing as Jiraiya glared at them and then dropped his head with a groan. "He and Naruto act just alike sometimes. I just hope Naruto didn't pick up any perverted habits. I will have to beat them out of him, and then beat them out of the one who taught it to him." Laughing again as Jiraiya actually looked scared.
