They ended up making it to the reception before the food even got cold. Everyone tried to forget or move past the ugly encounter with Tobi and focus on the joy of Kakashi and Anko's union. There were many toasts from the guests.
"I remember the first time I met Anko. I was walking with Kakashi and she jumped out of nowhere to land on his shoulders. The way they smiled at each other, I knew right then that they were meant for each other," Naruto said to the guests.
"KAKASHI IS A HIP, COOL MAN WHO HAS FOUND AN EQUALLY COOL BRIDE! AS HIS ETERNAL RIVAL, I WILL NOT REST UNTIL I MARRY A WOMAN WHO BURNS WITH THE FLAMES OF YOUTH!" Gai shouted so loud that some of those nearest him got tinnitus. "OH, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HAPPY COUPLE!"
"... I'm glad you found happiness after what I did to you. For whatever it's worth, I'm sorry," Orochimaru, who'd slithered into the banquet hall unnoticed, said to his former apprentice. He vanished just as quickly after making his brief toast.
Finally, before the dancing was about to start, Kakashi stood and raised his own glass. "To my good friends, and my true love, Anko. In the words of one of the best and wisest men I've ever known: Live without fear. Die without regret." Everyone drank to that.
The music started and everyone began to pair up on the dance floor. Naruto sat in his seat, sharply feeling his fiance's absence.
"Like half of your heart is missing, isn't it? When the one you love more than anything can't share these kinds of moments with you," Hiruzen said as he sat down next to Naruto.
"You said it. But my heart is just far away. Yours was taken from you. That must make it so much worse," Naruto reflected.
"I miss her every day," Hiruzen admitted. "But she'd hit me on the head if I moped around about it. My days are numbered, but she'd want me to live each one to the fullest."
Naruto watched his parents, Kakashi and Anko, Sasuke and Sakura, Itachi and Hana, Obito and Ayame, Asuma and Kurenai and every other couple dancing. "There was an Order Master who once said 'Love and work, work and love. That's all there is.' Well, you're retired and your wife's dead. What meaning do you have to live until your death day?"
"It's an ongoing, never-ending exercise in creativity, I won't lie," Hiruzen chuckled. "But until the day I don't wake up or otherwise pass, I tackle each day as if I woke up on purpose. And who knows? Maybe I'll find the second love of my life before I go. You never know, can you?"
At that moment, there was a commotion. "What do you mean, you want to break off our engagement?!" Tsunade demanded, standing and looking at Dan with a face that was a chaotic mess of fear, confusion, and anger.
"You've changed so much. You're not the Tsunade I fell in love with. That's okay, that's fine, let's just own up to it. And then we can stop pretending we have anything in common anymore," her now ex-fiance said in a steady, patient tone.
"Dan… I love you! Please don't do this!" Tsunade, one of the strongest women in the world, pleaded, falling to her knees and shamelessly begging.
"But I don't love you. Not anymore. I'm sorry, but that's the truth," Dan said resolutely. He stood up. "I think it's best if I leave." He Body Flickered away.
"Who the fuck dumps their fiance at a wedding?" Naruto gaped at what had just happened.
"Well, it has a certain symmetry. One couple joined together, as another couple fell apart," Hiruzen mused, though his heart went out to his former student.
Tsunade picked herself up, brushed away the concerned Shizune and Sakura who had rushed to her side, and walked right to the bar and grabbed a bottle right out of the bartender's hand. She shotgunned the entire fifth in one go, then tossed the bottle to the ground where it shattered into hundreds of pieces. "Another," she growled at the terrified bartender.
Kakashi subtly maneuvered himself to Naruto's side. "I don't suppose you know a spell to heal a broken heart, do you? Because otherwise we might lose one of our best kunoichi to alcohol poisoning tonight."
"Yes, but it forces the target to feel all the pain. Right now she's trying to numb it. If I cast the spell on her now, she could just as easily go on a murderous hunt for Dan as collapse into a sobbing mess," Naruto said, watching as Tsunade drank yet another bottle in less than a minute.
"I'm willing to take that risk," said Minato who'd had a similar thought as Kakashi about Naruto's magic, which could do things Jutsu couldn't.
"Well, if you insist," Naruto gulped. He gathered the energy and pointed at Tsunade. "'A heart that's shattered. Pick up the broken pieces. Heal back together.'"
Tsunade stopped drinking. She dropped the bottle carelessly, letting it break on the floor. She turned on her heel and marched up to, of all people, Gai. "You single?"
"Um, yes Tsunade-sama," the Jonin answered, confused why she asked such a thing.
"We're going to fight. And then we're going to fuck. Winner tops. Come on." Tsunade grabbed Gai by his yukata and dragged him towards the exit, all in her path wisely clearing out of her way. Gai looked like he couldn't decide what to feel as he was manhandled by the drunk Sannin. They vanished out the doors, leaving silence in their wake.
"Well, a drunk spar and rebound sex is better than her drinking herself to death, I suppose," Hiruzen said in the wake of that episode.
"She's practically raping him, isn't she?" Naruto asked, thinking about what happened with Jiraiya and the cult.
"You're assuming she's going to win. She's superhumanly strong but so's he. Part of me actually wants to watch the fight to see what happens," Kakashi said. "And Gai did just say he wanted a woman who has the 'flames of youth'. Tsunade has so much youth she looks 20 years younger than she actually is."
"Gai's a big boy, he can take care of himself. If he doesn't want to fight and/or have sex with Tsunade, he'll find a way to escape," Minato reasoned.
The reception got back on track. A joyful couple hours of dancing and drinking later, Kakashi scooped Anko into a princess-style carry. "And now, if you'll excuse us, we're about to get busy getting busy!" And then Kakashi Body Flickered away to applause and cat calls. The party broke up soon afterwards. Naruto flashed home and went to sleep, wondering what his and Hinata's wedding would be like.
The next morning, after his early breakfast, Naruto went to collect his mail. He froze when he touched the envelope on top. He detected an incredibly complex seal on the paper, something that rivaled if not surpassed the best of Uzumaki Fuinjutsu. Curious as he was cautious, Naruto opened the envelope to discover it was in fact the letter origami folded into its own envelope. He read the brief handwritten message in shock and awe and outright gawked at the mandala-like seal on the bottom third of the paper. He ran next door to get his dad.
Kushina opened the door, her baby bump protruding out her simple t-shirt and sweats pajamas. "Naruto-kun? It's 5:30 in the morning, dattebane!"
"I need the Hokage, sorry Mom, dattebayo," Naruto said. He'd been consciously trying to repress his tic in recent months but it seemed to come out whenever he talked to his mom.
Minato appeared at the door looking hungover. He had had a lot to drink at the reception. "Unless it involves a life-or-death scenario, it can wait until I've had a cup of coffee."
"Then make one! This is REALLY important! I'm talking about a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" Naruto was all but bouncing on his feet.
Minato made a pot of joe at what seemed like a glacial pace to his agitated son. Then Minato sipped it slowly, savoring each hit of black brew. By the time he finally put down his mug, Naruto looked liable to vibrate out of his skin. "Ok. What's so damn important?"
"I've been invited to the High Temple! To train personally under the High Master herself! This has happened maybe a handful of times in the last millennium, ever since the Order was founded!" Naruto burst out, handing over the letter.
Minato read the brief, feminine script. "Uzumaki Naruto, I wish to offer you an apprenticeship under my personal tutelage. Expect such an endeavor to require a minimum of 18 months before you achieve the rank of Master. No contact with the outside world will be permitted during the course of your education. If you are willing and your father authorizes you to be absent from your village so long, activate the seal written below. If you are not or otherwise unable to come, then I request you burn this letter. May peace live in your heart. The Ancient One, High Master of the Order of the Horned One." Minato's jaw dropped as he examined the seal on the bottom. "Sweet Sage above, what the fuck is this? I want to say it looks like a Reverse Summoning Seal but there's so much overlay added to it."
"The High Temple is quite possibly the most secure building on the planet. Even if a meteor should impact the Earth and render everything extinct, it would probably survive. I don't even really know where it even is, to be honest. I just know that the seals protecting it make what the Uzumaki can do look like a toddler's finger painting, dattebayo!" Naruto gushed.
"But 18 months, at least? Naruto, you'll miss the birth. You could miss your own wedding if it runs over too long, dattebane!" Kushina protested.
"Who even is this 'Ancient One'? What makes her so special?" Minato asked.
"She's, to be blunt, the most powerful being alive today. No one knows how old she is," Naruto answered.
"Why is that relevant?" Minato asked.
"Let me finish. No one knows how old she is, because mankind hasn't had a written history that long. She's found some method for immortality, something other than Thousand Year Tea. For fuck's sake, she founded the Order! She's spent the last millennium working out the secrets of the universe. I heard a story from one of the Order Masters at the Fire Temple that she invented Fuinjutsu! And she's not just a SS-rank warrior, she's the most powerful spellcaster there ever was, if you believe the stories! She makes Hashirama look like Konohamaru!" Naruto ranted.
Kushina had wide eyes. "If she's so freaking powerful, why hasn't she taken over the world or something, dattebane?"
"Because she doesn't want to. Simple as that. By all appearances, she's perfectly content to spend all of eternity in the High Temple doing research, separated from the conflicts of the outside world. I say again, she's only invited people she's handpicked out of the millions of the masses to the High Temple itself a few times, let alone taking someone under her wing! I'll never get a chance like this again, dattebayo!" Naruto tried to explain to his parents.
Minato thought about it. "... You'll be safe there, I suppose. Akatsuki won't be able to get to you. And if I'm hearing you right, by the time you come back you'll be all but unstoppable… Are you sure you want to do this, son?"
"To have the strength to keep my family safe from any threat? I'd have left ten minutes ago if that wouldn't technically be desertion," Naruto said with a straight face.
Minato sighed. "Fine. You may go. Just at least make your goodbyes in person, not with a Shadow Clone."
Naruto spent a few minutes working out logistics like what would happen to his apartment with Minato. Then he hugged his parents extra tight and returned to his apartment to pack. With Shadow Clone labor, he was done by 6:00 a.m. He woke up Mikan and told her he'd be going away for a while. She was sad but didn't throw a tantrum. He walked her to the Inuzuka Clan Estate and handed her over to the care of the kennels.
Remembering that it was Sunday, Naruto went to the Akimichi BBQ he and his friends frequented and settled down to wait. He went into deep meditation, and time seemed to fly by. Hours passed until Sasuke came and kicked him lightly in the leg. "Get up, man. Why are you here so early?" the Uchiha asked with raised brow.
"I have an announcement for everyone. It's… good news and bad news at the same time, sort of," Naruto answered his brother, figuratively and literally.
Sasuke frowned. He and Naruto waited until everyone arrived and they were seated at their regular table. Then Naruto spoke up. "Everyone, you know how Hinata's away on an important trip? Well, I'm going to be gone for a little while myself. I'm leaving right after lunch."
"Troublesome," Shikamaru groaned, and he actually looked upset instead of just bored.
"Where are you going?" Sakura demanded.
"I've been invited back to the Order for an apprenticeship. Under the High Master herself! This is an indescribably rare opportunity. Dad okayed it so I'll be leaving once we're done eating," Naruto laid out honestly.
"For how long, man? Are you going to make it back in time for your wedding?" Kiba asked, Akamaru's doggy face set in a frown.
"I'm not sure. I'll certainly try my best to be!" Naruto answered.
"We'll be able to summon you, right? You're not really going to be gone," Ino tried to wave off.
"I'm afraid I won't be allowed to leave the High Temple until I'm done. Sorry, no, Ino," Naruto told the Yamanaka.
"Why are you leaving? What can you do at this High Temple you can't do here?" Shino questioned.
"Shino, dude, if even half the stories about the High Master are true, then I'm going to be a dozen times stronger at least after I'm done training with her," Naruto replied.
"But what about your baby sibling? You're going to miss the birth, and who knows how old they'll be when you get back? You'll miss out on so much!" Karin protested.
"We have to sacrifice sometimes to gain even more in the end," Naruto sighed. "It's not like little Mito or Menma will remember that I wasn't there for the first year or two. I'll be there for the rest of his or her life after that, so what does it matter?"
Itachi sighed and adjusted his glasses. "We should stop arguing. His mind is made up, and nothing can change Naruto's mind once it's set. The best we can do is just wish him luck and hope his apprenticeship lasts as shortly as possible."
Lee nodded. "I understand the need to get stronger to protect what's important to you. I wish you the best of luck with you and your new master, my Eternal Rival!"
The rest of the party gave half-hearted well-wishes and sincere goodbyes as the food arrived. It was the most solemn meal they'd ever shared together. At the end, Naruto hugged all of them, even Neji, and grinned. Then he pulled out the letter and poured some chakra into the seal. In a puff of smoke, he was gone.
"If he doesn't come back so strong he could fight the Sage himself one-handed, I'll kick his ass to the next continent," Sasuke vowed.
"I was going to punch him across the ocean myself," Sakura told her boyfriend.
Chouji stopped stress eating chips, even after the filling barbeque lunch. "Remember the promise we made, when he gave us the Flying Thunder God kunai? We said we'd all become so strong we wouldn't need him to protect us as fast as possible. Well, he won't be around to protect us for a while now. So we all better kick our fat asses into gear, don't you think?"
"I think that's the first time I ever heard an Akimichi call themselves the 'f' word," Tenten mused, playing with a kunai in a nervous gesture.
Neji set his shoulders. "Naruto-san and Hinata-sama will be married on December 27th two years from now. That is their Destiny. We should all strive to show them what progress we made while they were away, yes?"
"I didn't kick your ass so you could just switch from 'Fate' to 'Destiny'," Sakura groaned.
"You fail to understand the difference, Sakura-san. Fate is what we allow to happen to us. Destiny is what we make happen, no matter what," Neji said with a small grin.
Sasuke laid a hand on his abdomen, where the seal holding Yin Kurama was branded into his skin. "Today we rest. Tomorrow, we kick things up a notch. Agreed?"
"Agreed," the dozen other young ninja chorused.
Vow made, they all went their separate ways.
Meanwhile, Naruto blinked. He'd appeared in a stone courtyard for what looked like a traditional Order temple almost identical to the one he'd been raised in. He looked around, forward, behind, left and right, even up. He was surprised to see the stars above him. Was the High Temple in that different a time zone than Konoha, that lunchtime in the Hidden Village was nighttime in the High Temple?
The sound of footsteps coincided with his Emotion Sensing going absolutely bonkers. Maternal pride, affection, and yet a cold logic, a determined neutrality. And more chakra than Naruto, which he hadn't experienced since he was 10. It felt almost crystalized, solid where all other chakra he'd felt before was liquid. The being radiating all this came down a small staircase and walked up to Naruto.
She was a tall woman, bald and with hawkish features. She wore simple grey robes, nothing special to mark her station or rank. Naruto gulped and bowed at the waist. "High Master."
"Journeyman Uzumaki Naruto," the woman nodded. "You need not prostrate herself. In another life, we were mother and son. Do you remember?"
Naruto straightened up, confused. Then he heard Kurama mutter "Holy shit!" while Asura, who almost never spoke unless Naruto summoned him, gasped 'Mother!'.
Naruto's jaw dropped. "You're… you were the Sage's wife?"
"We really should discuss this over tea. Follow me," she ordered with simple but unmistakable authority. She turned on her heel and walked away. Naruto followed her to a room almost identical to the one where he'd had tea with Kakashi over a year ago. Naruto took his seat across from the High Master and accepted the cup of tea she poured and offered.
"Let's get the basics out of the way. A very long time ago, my name was Ootsutsuki Tilda. Now I'm the Ancient One. I've been the Ancient One for quite some time now, and the Ancient One I shall remain. After my husband died, I founded the Order of the Horned One to try and carry on his teachings, untouched and unpolluted by Indra's hate or Asura's naivety. I was not entirely successful, but still the Order has become a haven of peace in a world trapped in an endless cycle of war. Any questions so far?" the Ancient One asked after her explanation.
Naruto shook his head, taking a sip. He'd braced himself for the bitter taste of Thousand Year Tea and was shocked to realize it was the same recipe that had been passed down through the Uzumaki Clan: green tea with ginseng, honey, and mango juice. "Well, one now. Is this your recipe?"
"Yes. Based on your familiarity with it, it seems Asura managed to pass it down all the way down the line to you. Funny what information lasts a thousand years unchanged and what gets twisted beyond recognition," the Ancient One mused. "Anyway, let's discuss the reason why you're here. Just as Ishtar is your patron deity, mine is Agamotto, God of Time and Infinity. I am able to move forward in time with my mind to view possible futures, see all the possible outcomes of coming events. And one thing that is almost certain is the Juubi returning."
Naruto gulped. "Akatsuki wins in the end, that's what you're saying?"
"No, I am simply saying that there's over a 90% chance that at some point, the Juubi will return. The end of the world as you know is a common subsequent event but that's less certain. Normally I strive to be neutral, but I'm not without sentiment. And I'd avoid the string of events that the Juubi's return will set into motion. What I need is to introduce a new factor, an independent variable, into the equation. I surveyed all the possible candidates for savior of the world and selected you, Uzumaki Naruto," the Ancient One explained plainly.
Naruto gulped. "May I ask why?"
"No mother has favorites, but I must admit Asura always seemed to me to be what a hero should be. Charming but not arrogant, optimistic, and with the strength and determination to back it up. Plus, in this timeline, you've already made a great many strides towards your most powerful possible form. I figured I'd spend the free time you have before the domino chain starts to tumble helping you along the way to the end of that road," the Ancient One said with a wry smile.
Naruto felt anticipation stir in his gut. "You're going to make me as strong as I can possibly be?"
"We'll certainly try. A great deal of your potential progress is dependent entirely on your will to go on when every part of your mind and body begs you to stop and give up," the Ancient One replied.
"I never give up! That's my nindo," Naruto swore.
The woman who'd given birth to Naruto's first incarnation grinned. "I look at you and see both my younger son and a unique individual with a promise all his own. You give people hope, I hope you realize. As you let your own light shine, you give others permission to do the same. I pray you never lose that."
"We'll all find in time, won't we?" Naruto shrugged.
The Ancient One nodded silently, taking another sip of tea. "I'll be personally teaching you, though I might bring in other Masters when we delve into their respective specialities. Shall we begin?"
Naruto blinked. "Uh, I just got here."
"It was a yes-or-no question, Journeyman Uzumaki. Shall. We. Begin?" The Ancient One's face lost whatever softness or gentleness she'd shown for Asura, becoming colder than ice and about as sharp.
Having flashbacks to his first day training with Kakashi after Team 7 formed, Naruto gulped and girded himself. "Yes, High Master."
In an unexpected move, she threw her tea in his face, While Naruto closed his eyes and flinched, he suddenly felt agonizing pain in his chest. He opened stinging eyes to see in horror the Ancient One holding a beating heart… his beating heart.
And then there was a curious sensation, like he was moving in a direction that didn't exist. And then he and the Ancient One were back to sitting across each other, Naruto alive and well.
"First lesson: constant vigilance. You never know when your enemies will strike. And in a world of shinobi, anyone who isn't you is a potential enemy. Understood?"
"Did… did you just kill me and then rewind time to before you did it?" Naruto asked incredulously.
"I hate answering obvious questions," the Ancient One sighed. "Yes, Journeyman Uzumaki. Expect that to happen quite a lot. When we engage, it will not be a friendly spar. You will come at me with the intent to kill and I will do the same to you. I assure you that any deaths you or I suffer will be temporary."
Naruto felt a chill run down his spine. He was dealing with a woman who could control time itself. His attempts to make a seal to accomplish that seemed childish and mediocre compared to the ease the Ancient One had with bending temporal rules. "Understood, High Master."
She threw her tea at him again. Naruto reacted on instinct and froze the tea with Ice Chakra and grabbed it out of the air. Using the icicle as a makeshift knife, he stabbed down to try and divert the Ancient One's hand headed for his chest.
Then time rewound again.
The Ancient One tilted her head. "Curious. I was under the impression you couldn't channel sub-elemental chakra yet without Shadow Clones assisting you."
"Surprised me too," Naruto admitted.
"I see. But that aside, you seem to have grasped your first lesson fairly well. If I were you, I would be on the lookout for attacks at all times for the length of your-" She tossed her tea again. This time, Naruto activated his Sharinnegan and used Almighty Push to send both the tea and the Ancient One back. Time rewound. "... apprenticeship," the Ancient One finished.
Naruto gulped. "This is going to be a thing, isn't it? When I take a shit, when I'm eating, when I'm falling asleep, that'll be the moment you strike?"
"I've already made my opinion of obvious questions clear," the Ancient One said with a flat tone. "Now, come, it's time for dinner."
"I just had lunch," Naruto protested.
"Did you? I was under the impression we'd been sitting here for hours," the Ancient One said with a small smirk.
Naruto blinked and realized only then that he was starving and his legs were dead asleep from sitting so long without moving. "Okay, so you not only rewind time, you can fast forward it. I didn't even notice."
"One should never admit a weakness or flaw to an enemy," the Ancient One advised before walking away. Naruto quickly got up and followed. He was led through a familiar layout to the dining room. He saw a number of men and women, all of whom turned to watch the new arrival. Naruto took a seat at a spot on the Ancient One's left hand and looked down at the meal laid out.
"One bowl of rice?" he asked dubiously.
"Never judge things by their appearance. I'm sure I never do," the Ancient One said like she knew something he didn't. Then she picked up her chopsticks, said "Itadakimasu," at a volume that reached the corners of the room, and began to eat.
Naruto decided to just play along and took a bite of a few grains. His eyes almost popped out as he felt like he'd just eaten half a bowl of Ichiraku's ramen.
A black man next to him chuckled. "Wood Release makes the rice calorie-dense and have a full nutritional profile. Magic makes it taste like your favorite dish. Welcome to the High Temple."
"Thanks. Journeyman Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto introduced himself.
"Master Mordo. How many times has she killed you already?"
"Only once," Naruto said, reflecting this was an odd topic.
"Hmm, almost a record. I died six times before I caught on," Mordo admitted.
"You get used to it… and then she changes styles so she starts surprising you again," the man across from Naruto said wryly. "Master Doctor Stephen Strange."
"Nice to meet you," Naruto bowed. He picked up the glass of water at his place and drank a sip… and felt searing pain in his gut until the sensation of time rewinding hit him. "Wait, don't tell me; always check for poison," Naruto said before the Ancient One could speak.
"It's just good sense," she shrugged before she took another bite of magical rice.
"Does anyone keep count of how many times they've died around here?" Naruto asked, half in disbelief the words were coming out his mouth.
"What's the point? They're all imaginary deaths, when you think about it," Strange shrugged.
"255,957 for me. But I've been here since the beginning. One of the founding members," Mordo told Naruto with a proud smile, like it was a badge of honor that the High Master had murdered him so many times.
"I guess I'll just try to remember the lesson behind each," Naruto reflected.
They finished eating, and the Ancient One led Naruto to an empty bedchamber. "Good night, Naruto. Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning." And with that, she closed the door, giving Naruto the illusion of privacy. Naruto unpacked, setting the room up to his liking, and got ready for sleep, but not without posting a good 5 Shadow Clones to protect his unconscious body. As he closed his eyes, Naruto wondered just what exactly he'd signed up for by coming to the High Temple.