Naruto stumbled groggily around the campsite, having been woken rather rudely by his teammates.
"What the hell's been going on?" he cursed, still blinking blearily before he walked straight into Sakura.
'Kushina?' he thought his eyes still bleary from sleep. He rubbed his eyes forcing them to better focus on the young girl before him. 'Nah, this isn't Kushina, this kid's got pink hair, not red...kid? What's wrong with me.'
Naruto continued stumbling over his thoughts and feet. 'Who the hell is Kushina?' He mentally pondered, the name ached of familiarity but nothing seems to lend itself to where such a thought came from unwittingly increasing frustration.
"Naruto, what are you doing?" said Sakura impatiently. "Everyone's already gone."
"Who's gone?" Naruto asked as he returned to reality. Though he still couldn't help the strange thoughts that tugged at his conscious. He gave himself a good slap across the cheek for good measure.
"Stop you're hitting yourself you idiot!" growled Sakura barely restraining herself from joining in with a slap of her own.
"You know, I don't think hitting me to stop me hitting myself is a brilliant idea," mumbled Naruto, eyes focused on her clenched fist. "So, where's the bastard?"
Naruto was promptly smashed straight into the ground. "For the last time don't call Sasuke that."
"And? Would you prefer it if I called into question his gender preference? Actually nevermind I have quite a few jokes for that one, please continue."
"Naruto, if you're saying what I think- wait, what?" said Sakura. "Did I hit you too hard or something?"
Naruto blinked and looked back at the crater she had managed to create. "You hit me the same as usual. Think I'm starting to become impervious to the damn things by now."
"There you go again!" said Sakura, before turning. "Sasuke, hurry!"
Presently, the Uchiha survivor reappeared. "What?" he asked irritably unable to hide it under his usual calm facade. It seemed recently he was having more trouble than usual keeping his cool. Naruto suspected it had something to do with the beating they had taken yesterday but then again it hadn't exactly been there first and he doubted someone as tough as Sasuke would crack so easy.
"It's an imposter!" Sakura cried.
The blonde's eyes widened and he did a quick once over of Sasuke a second time. It would explain his attitude but...well it shouldn't be too hard to be sure and Sakura was the best with genjutsu.
"Sasuke activate your Sharingan now and copy this!" Sasuke raised an eyebrow and frowned at the command but nonetheless obeyed eyes flashing red with a pained grunt.
Naruto selected a Jutsu he knew the black-haired boy wouldn't know and began to sign through it as quickly as possible. He wasn't sure he could go fast enough that a normal genin couldn't follow it but he tried his best knowing the Sharingan would be able to follow either way.
'Shuriken Style: Shadow clone Jutsu.' Naruto thought as he finished and quickly removed a shuriken from his pouch throwing it with infused chakra he watched carefully as Sasuke mimicked him exactly.
"Alright well, that confirms it you are certainly Sasuke."
The boy nodded half-heartedly his gaze remaining on the extra shuriken as they poofed away. "Incredible." He mumbled.
"No, it proves there's no way your NARUTO he's never used that before and Kakashi never taught us it!" Sakura said her hands clutching at a kunai.
Naruto's eyes widen in surprise. Where had he learned that?
Sasuke seemed to of returned to the conversation with, "Hn...that's Naruto alright. Stop wasting my time, we've got to get a scroll," said Sasuke.
"See," said Naruto smugly choosing to ignores his own oddity. "It's blatantly obvious to the naked eye that you are the one who's in the wrong. Maybe you're the imposter."
Sasuke stopped. "That's an imposter."
"What? You can't turn around your words like that, you backstabbing bastard!"
"Since when did Naruto use words like "called into question", "practically immune," and "blatantly obvious"?!" demanded Sakura. "AND AGAIN when did he ever learn that shuriken Jutsu?"
"What are you talking about?" said Naruto. "I've always talked like this."
"No you haven't," disagreed Sakura.
"...Who are you really?" said Sasuke.
Naruto sighed. "Guys seriously, I'm starting to get a little pissed off. First I get hit, now you think I'm an imposter."
"You hit him?" said Sasuke, turning to Sakura, who squirmed under his gaze, before nodding. "Then it can't be a genjutsu or Henge. And it rather obvious the Jutsu is just another application of shadow clones. Apparently, the dead-last learned how to use proper vocabulary and some semblance of creativity."
Sasuke and Sakura fully expected Naruto to rise up indignantly. What they didn't expect was Naruto to brush off his words.
"Right whatever. Now, what was it you were saying about getting a scroll?" Naruto redirected with foreign ease.
Sasuke eyed Naruto suspiciously, but the Uchiha didn't dwell knowing full well the ruckus they had created was sure to catch the attention of another team. He rather not engage in a fight on the enemy's terms. "Let's get a move on squad seven."
The three-shot through the treetops, Naruto still in a world of his own, having resumed his perusing of memories, only to be broken out of his trance-like state by Sakura's voice, the girl wondering whether Kakashi-sensei would be at the tower.
'Kakashi huh?' thought Naruto fondly, reminiscing on the kid, a particular memory flitting into his head. 'Wait...since when was Kakashi a kid? He's my sensei! ARH!'
Naruto almost slipped as he landed on a branch, but managed to cover up his mistake and continue. The boy forced memories to the back of his mind with tremendous effort, he would revisit it once they had a scroll and were safely in the tower.
"Is there anyone who wishes to forfeit?" Hayate asked his eyes slowly making there way around the remaining participants.
Naruto was only half paying attention as they rest was focused on his two teammates heated whispering to one another. He had opted to stay out of it even though he did feel rather left out.
To his surprise, Kabuto chose to forfeit, claiming he was too worn from his earlier skirmishes. The older boy seemed fine, real shame he had been a great help.
As he watched him leave he heard his stomach give a light grumble. They had been in the forest for a rather long time and his team had been too busy rushing to stop for food.
"Don't we get a lunch break?" Naruto question his arm raised.
The Sandaime Hokage barely held in a sigh at the boys' antics. "Naruto, there are no lunch breaks." he managed to keep his tone bland instead of outright exasperated.
"Well, some people are hungry," argued Naruto. "Those forms you had us sign didn't exempt you from us dying of starvation."
Several fellow genin seemed to be now nodding their heads realizing their own hunger.
Sarutobi's eyebrow raised as Anko indulged them with handing over a copy of the form, he quickly scanned through it, realizing that Naruto had managed to find a valid loophole (even if probably by accident). Reluctantly, he called for a table of food to be put up and gave the genin ten minutes.
Naruto smirked to himself. 'Heh, they still leave too many exploits in their forms, when I took the Chunnin exam- wait, what? I'm taking it now...' But Naruto still couldn't shake the odd deja vu. He was almost sure he had taken the exam before...and passed.
'Maybe I can see the future,' thought Naruto. 'Cool, that means I'll become a Chuunin!'
Happily dwelling on those thoughts with suspended incredulity, Naruto sat at the newly set up table, unzipping his jacket and leaving it on his chair as he promptly filled his plate. Chouji and Kiba (predictably) were already there eating, while the other genin looked irritated at a few people's indulgences.
But as the ten minutes began ticking away, more and more people joined them.
"Ten minutes are over," said Sarutobi irritably, as the screen began flashing through names, and the table disappeared from view, leaving a few startled genin.
The first names shown were some Leaf genin on Kabuto's team and Sasuke, so Naruto went onto the balcony with the rest of his team. And Naruto gave a sigh in boredom as he leaned on the railing.
"Hey, I get an easy fight!" Naruto cheered, staring up at the screen that now stated: Uzumaki Naruto vs. Inuzuka Kiba.
Naruto jumped over the railing, landing on his feet, his knees bent. 'Strange, I never jump down like that...'
"Knock off that attitude, you don't stand a chance against me!" yelled Kiba in the act of jumping down,. He landed a fair bit rougher though his smirk didn't dare leave his face nor Akamaru who rested on his shoulder who only jumped as his feet touched the ground.
"Hey, is that dog going to fight as well?"
"Me and Akamaru are a team!" shouted Kiba furiously.
"I was talking to Akamaru."
"HAHA!" He laughed with more than a hint of sarcasm. "I don't even need him to kick your ass." The dog growled but Kiba motioned him down. "It alright Akamaru I'll be just fine against this clown!"
'Idiot,' thought Naruto. 'A shinobi must use all the advantages available. Why the hell is he intentionally weakening himself? He's just lost the chance to become Chunnin...huh?'
"Begin!" said Hayate, with a cough.
"Tell ya what Naruto, I'll do you a favor. I'll knock you out with a single shot so you don't waste either of our time."
Naruto snorted oh this was gonna be fun.
With little fan fair Hayate hand shot down with a shout of, "Begin!"
They both stayed still Kiba starting to gather chakra and Naruto watching on.
"Look Kiba, I'm not really in the mood to hear your battle tactics. I honestly was hoping to try and get some kind of challenge here but it really seems like your trying your best to make this as easy as possible."
Kiba growled his chakra ready he began to fall into his family's signature Jutsu. Naruto's eyes narrowed and his body subtly tensed as the Inunzuka began further reflecting his partner.
'A basic Inuzuka family Jutsu... It effectively increases his speed, reach and smell. But it did have rather apparent drawbacks- if the user shoots out to attack it would launch them in a straight near impossible to stop straight line. A faster opponent could easily dodge...but I'm probably not faster, so it'll take careful timing. If Kiba was using Akamaru he could get me at both sides rendering my plan impossible but now!'
"It's already over, Naruto!" shouted Kiba, before cannoning himself across the ground with so much force the ground beneath him cracked hid hand he poised to strike...
Naruto felt his back chill with anxiety, he had to time this just right a second off and he would fall exactly as Kiba wanted.
'Now!' The blonde mentally screeched. With a half-turn, he only just managed to avoid the brunt of Kiba's outstretched claws leaving him with the impression of a cut on his cheek. His specially placed fist slammed right into the still moving Inuzuka's face.
Kiba stumbled away, clutching his now bloodied nose in shock, Naruto wasting little time hurled a heavy kick to the chest, propelling him into the wall of the arena.
'Wow, it's like my body already knew exactly what to do...?' thought Naruto in a slight daze his body sojourning movement with the lifting of two kunai from his pouch. 'I should really keep a kunai holster on the other side as well, seeing as I'm ambidextrous...wait, I'm right-handed!'
Regardless of the many contradicting thoughts, Naruto took a kunai in each hand, giving both a twirl, before taking a stance he had never used before but felt horribly right.
A memory flickered, twirling two three-pronged kunai and suddenly holding such light kunai felt terribly unbalanced .
'What the hell?' wondered Naruto, before snapping back up at the sound of Kiba's heavy steps as he drove himself from the ground.
"You got lucky with that one!" Kiba growled even further infuriated eyes bloodshot and nose dripping.
'More anger equals less focus. Truthfully Kiba was better than him but damn did he lose himself easy.'
Kiba shot forwards a second time, except this time Naruto confidently ducked under the blow now used to the rhythm of the attack. He spun around, hands already forming seals. "Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu!"
The Inuzuka only turned around just in time to dive to the side but the great fireball still managed to smash right into his side.
Eventually, the smoke and flames settle, revealing a slightly charred Kiba on one knee. "I dodged…." He mumbled with awe before falling into the ground with a loud thump.
Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously. "You okay? I tried to hold it back a little-" Naruto stopped himself as he realized that he had just used a Jutsu he had never even practiced before- he didn't even know the seals for it! Sure he had seen the results from Sasuke but he had never even looked close enough to figure it out himself!
"Winner –cough-, Uzumaki Naruto!" declared Hayate, before motioning on the med-nin.
'Wait, that's not my name-' Naruto froze his hands shot up to his scalp clenching in frustration. Of course, that was his name. But then, why did it leave him with such a sour feeling?
He was tempted to follow the brunette to the medic bay but he resisted knowing it was more advantageous to study his future opponents.
"Naruto, hurry up! The next match is going to begin!" shouted Sakura, as the screen began flashing through names.
'Who am I?' Naruto thought not for the first time today. He was trying to grasp at the foreign memories laden in his brain. 'I am Uzumaki Naruto, aren't I?' More memories flowed through Naruto's mind, and he tried to grab onto them, to see something of substance, to find a name.
A day had passed since the preliminaries. Naruto was at his home, frantically trying to keep himself together. The newfound memories were starting to take their toll.
He felt progress and suddenly names began falling through the crack into his clutches. Uzumaki Kushina. Hatake Kakashi. Uchiha Obito. Jiraiya-sensei...
And then as he came across the name that meant the most, Namikaze Minato, a memory forced its way to the front.
"Come on, don't say that," said Minato. "I thought it was great!"
The white-haired man –no, Jiraiya-sensei looked surprised.
"Each chapter really seems like a page out of your own life, sensei. It's almost like an autobiography."
"Yeah, but," Jiraiya looked embarrassed by the praise. "It didn't sell at all...Maybe I should try and "sex up" the sequel a little...that's my real forte after all."
Minato looked back at the book. "The way the protagonist refused to give up, even at the end... He's just like you, sensei."
"Hehe...you think so?" said Jiraiya, grinning.
"Actually, I was thinking..." began Minato.
"Hm?"
"Your book well its been a real inspiration and with Kushina expecting we've decided er..to well," Minato began nervously, as he put the book back on the table. "to name him after the main character in your book. What do you think?"
Jiraiya looked shocked. "A-Are you sure about this? It's just a random name I came up with while eating some ramen..."
"Naruto," said an angelic voice behind Minato. An attractive red-haired woman approached. "It's a beautiful name."
"Kushina..." Jiraiya still looked stunned, before he chuckled. "Hahaha...if you name him that it makes me his godfather, right? Are you sure you want that on your heads?
"Absolutely!" said Minato. "You're a man with true skill an example we should-"
"Think of it more as a thank you for taking care of Minato. Trust me we have no plans of dying before you ya old perv!" Kushina interrupted with a smirk.
The memory ended, and Naruto knew KNEW Uzumaki Kushina...was his wif- mother. And Namikaze Minato that was who he was...no that was impossible he was Naruto the son. But how the hell did he get Minato's memories?
He tried to concentrate, and strangely enough, it came easily. Before it had been like wading through a swamp laden with moss and algae but now it was swift and concise. It had only started after all the weirdness...after he had gotten his father's memories.
He picked one of the most recent memories he could find. It was like looking through a poorly lit room closer to the light the easier it was to see the memory.
"I swear...to protect Konoha with my life!" Minato called his voice thick with sincerity and promise. He lifted the hat he had longed for since forever into the air it was met with endless cheering he grinned wider than ever before a warmth invading him. Washing over past tragedies, hardship with new justification and love.
Naruto's eyes widened. The hat was the very same he had dreamed of taking from his Jiji. The Hokage's ceremonial hat.
Minato was Hokage, but who was young enough to have given birth to a now twelve-year-old? Tobirama? Certainly not, but that leaves only... The fourth Hokage, the one with blonde hair and blue eyes so unbelievably similar to his own he nearly cried.
"I'm the son of the Yondaime Hokage, and I've got his memories..." He could no longer hold back the oncoming sobs from escaping his lips nor the water that flooded from his cerulean eyes.
If Naruto was determined before, he was twice as now. Where Naruto was a hyperactive knucklehead, Minato had been calm and collected, something that built into Naruto's new personality well.
But most importantly, Minato's Jutsu knowledge. Being a Hokage, he had known over a thousand different Jutsu. Naruto now knew how to a good number of them, but everyone's chakra and level of control was different. Fortunately, Naruto's chakra capacity was larger than the Yondaime's at his age, meaning maybe Naruto could afford to bleed out all that extra chakra. Though his control was a whole lot lower than his father before hims.
Naruto's head was in a perpetual state of aching. The Yondaime's memories were trying very hard to fully invade his mind but something was holding them back. It was like a constant battle in his head. He knew he would eventually have all of what made Minato but it would take awhile but who could truly predict such a thing would even happen in the first place?
Naruto slept through the rest of the day, waking up at nine, feeling more fresh and alert than he had felt in weeks-
"Shit!" Naruto cursed jumping out of bed and shooting a glare to his clock. "I spent an entire day sleeping!"
And now he was hungry.
Naruto changed out of his clothes, slipping on his usual outfit. The gab felt wrong without his jounin vest.
He unzipped his jumpsuit for some semblance of normality but decided to forgo it all together leaving him in just a plain black tee and the usual orange pants. It would do; he exited through the door and with little attention, transversed the way to Ichirakus.
The blonde was met with a smiling Teuchi. At least there was one constant in both lives.
"Ah, Naruto! The usual?"
"Hmm...I'll just take one today I think," Naruto settled as he slid onto the stool.
"J-Just one?" Teuchi spluttered, stunned.
"With the all the stress from the exams I just haven't been as hungry I guess..?" He lied easily a skill he had also picked from his new insight, Teuchi bought it without a doubt to its validity already starting the bowl.
Thinking about it, that was most likely Minato's tendencies kicking in again. The man liked ramen- if he hadn't, Naruto would have disowned him as a father- but he didn't eat loads of bowls a sitting. Now, Kushina during her pregnancy, when she got cravings, it was basically just for ramen and lots of it...
Naruto almost fell out of his chair, a memory of the occasion when Minato was successful in knocking Kushina up.
"Compliments of the house," said Teuchi, setting down the bowl of steaming ramen in front of Naruto. "Er...Naruto, something wrong?"
"I'm fine!" said Naruto quickly, starting to wolf down the ramen. Minato ate with more poise, but Naruto was too busy trying to blot out unwanted memories at the moment.
Ichiraku Ayame appeared, her hair visibly damp. "Dad, you'll never believe this," she started irritably. "I was at the bathhouse and some creepy old man spying on me and everyone else!"
"...What?" Naruto mumbled, looking up from his ramen, the vague description ringing a bell. "...Did this guy have long spiky white hair, strange head-gear, and red face-paint?"
"Yeah, that's right," said Ayame, before continuing her rant about her experience.
Naruto slurped down the rest of his ramen and slapped down some money on the counter. "Thanks for the ramen, old man! And I wound't worry much Ayame-chan i'll go take care of the old pervert!" Naruto called with a wink toward girl before he absconded.
Ayame blinked he cheeks strangely heating up. She looked down and noticed the single empty ramen bowl where the boy had only just been sitting and became distracted from the oddity of the wink. "...Did Naruto eat one bowl?"
Teuchi nodded fearfully. "I'm just as terrified as you."
Ayame coudn't help but wonder if the whole chunin exams thing was a bit more intense then she had been led to believe, it seemed it had quite the effect on her favorite young blonde.
Jiraiya giggled. The women had thought they gotten rid of him, but he was back and ready for another eyeful through his special little hole in the fence.
"Now what do we have here?" ventured a voice behind him.
Jiraiya turned in an instant, his hands ready to cover his face (or somewhere else) in case it was a woman.
To his surprise, it was a short blonde boy .
"My friend Ayame said you had been spying on her earlier...give me one good reason why I shouldn't kick you over the fence right now," Naruto threatened.
"Brat, get lost!" hissed Jiraiya furiously. "These things happen all the time but if your gonna bug me about it I'll sign your copy of Icha Icha Paradise later, just get outta here!"
Naruto grinned. "Sorry, old man-"
"Have some respect for your elders, brat! Do you know who I am-"
"The Legendary Toad Sage, Jiraiya?" interrupted Naruto more than aware of the mans usual dramatics. "Yeah, I heard about you in the academy. That's why I need you to train me."
Jiraiya snorted. "I'm not going to be training any brat-"
"Hey, you're speaking to an up incoming Hokage," Naruto cautioned though his smile worked to ruin the effect. "Uzumaki Naruto!"
That was it, Naruto knew. Now the man knew his name, and he would undoubtedly realize that he was the son of the Yondaime and that he should train-
"Get lost kid, I'm busy."
Naruto narrowed his eyes. Now that was too far. After everything the two had been through together! Anger swept through his bones just barely over shadowing the sadness just beneath. He was on the verge of kicking Jiraiya over the wall deep breath a cool calm came over him one more- once again, one of Minato's tendencies.
"A shame. I'd love to be trained by the famed Toad Hermit."
"A lot of people do, if you're going to stay, find your own hole in the fence."
Naruto carried on, ignoring Jiraiya's words. "I mean, you're a man with true skill, an example all shinobi should follow... I can't think of a finer shinobi than you."
That stopped Jiraiya dead before he turned around slowly. "W-What?" He said, looking at Naruto as if he hadn't seen him properly the first time.
Naruto mimicked one of Minato's smiles an odd thing on when his face was used to his normal theatrical grins, before turning away. "Well, too bad. Guess I'll see you around-"
And as Naruto heard Jiraiya's voice telling him to stop, he grinned.
"Right, so this is a fairly basic chakra-control exercise. Water-walking" Jiraiya began his voice taking the familiar tone of Minato's youth. "Start at the shallow end and work your way to the deeper parts the more comfortable you get. If you've mastered the tree-walking, this should be a piece of cake."
Naruto stepped cautiously onto the water, chakra briefly held him up before it flickered away forcing him under.
Jiraiya burst out laughing as Naruto emerged soaking wet from the lake. "Heh, I knew I wouldn't regret this! Classic entertainment!"
'That's funny,' thought Naruto as he climbed out of the lake. 'I should've been able to do that. My chakra has been a little weird since the forest- damn! I forgot all about Orochimaru hitting me with his purple flames- a Five Element Seal!' He realized, correctly identifying it from Minato's vast seal knowledge. The man, after all, had been an expert in fuinjutsu It dwarfed even his ninjutsu.
"Brat, what are you doing now?" Jiraiya snapped, as Naruto stripped to the waist.
"Firstly the names Naruto, if you call me brat one more time I'm gonna start calling you ero-sennin! Secondly that creepy snake guy from the forest Orochimaru hit me with a Five Elements Seal, and it's screwing with my chakra control."
"Orochimaru?" Jiraiya asked eyebrows raised in surprise. "Wait, how do you know it's a Five Elements Seal? I didn't think they taught too much sealing in the academy."
Naruto mentally kicked himself, before once more drawing out a lie. "Well, he did say 'Five Elements Seal' when he smashed his hand into my gut."
Jiraiya nodded easily buying it, and approached Naruto reaching down and forcing chakra into his stomach.
The Kyuubi's seal became visible and Five Elements Seal layered over it.
"Here brat- Naruto, I'll get rid of it."
Within short moments, the seal broke away leaving the kyuubi perfectly visible.
Naruto strolled onto the lake, walking with ease. ' That was when it started wasn't it? The five elemental seal; Unless he managed something while I was passed out, but I don't believe thats the case. But then how could the Five Elements Seal of given Minato's memories? I suppose I've always had them, but the seal shook them loose; but that still doesn't explain how I got them in the first place!'
"Hey, Naruto! Stop mucking around!" Jiraiya chided. "Hmmm...But I guess you have mastered water walking. Alright i'll teach you a special Jutsu of mine, I think you earned it."
'It would be offly convenient if it were Rasengan,' thought Naruto. 'I really need an excuse to use it.'
"I'm going to let you sign the Toad Summoning Contract!"
Naruto stopped for a moment, he'd technically signed the contract once already. Hmm...Well it was best to make sure.
He couldn't wait to see Gamabunta again.
"I believe that you can only access the Kyuubi's chakra in life-threatening situations," Jiraiya began. "But to use it effectively, you have to gain some control over it, and to do so, you- well I think you see where this is leading..."
Naruto took a step back. "Sensei-"
"So far, you've been able to summon reasonably large toads...as your final test!"
Jiraiya dashed forwards, his speed easily out pacing Naruto's own, and with ease pushed the blonde off the cliff.
Naruto fell quickly, air breezing by so fast it almost burned, a scream broke through his tight lips. He struggled to think of anything but falling, of the death that awaited below, it was all too real being nothing more than a bloody spot on the ground. .
Everything single instinct ingrained in Naruto through his training as Minato or otherwise screeched. Naruto began pumping chakra into his hands and feet forcing his body to cling to the cliff face. His chakra forced it way into the hard rock before slipping disrupting the pattern of the flow, he burst back into the air nearly screaming a second time before Minato's experience and cold logic forced its way through. 'It's too sleek to use chakra...I need to summon something that'll be big enough to hold itself between the cliffs...'
One of the Yondaime's last memories suddenly replayed itself through Naruto's mind, the man standing proudly on the head of a gigantic toad, facing off against the monstrous Kyuubi no Yoko.
'Of course, Gamabunta he's the only one big enough...damn, my chakra level's too to summon him! Well it's now or never kyuubi,' Naruto concentrated on the seal, trying his best to drain chakra but it was a futile effort.
'Damn, to think I remained alive only to die like this- damn it!'
And for some reason as he continued on those thoughts he slowly blacked out...
Naruto opened his eyes to a sewer, he tried to step forward his steps far longer than they should be. He had gotten taller.
He looked toward his reflection in the water spilled around his feet. 'The hell...?' The old face of Minato stared back.
Naruto breathed in forcing himself to relax. He concentrated on his surroundings. 'There's some kind of malevolent presence in the distance-'
It was identical to the very same he felt on the day he died.
The blond forced his longer legs forward through the dark passageways, approaching the malevolence of the Kyuubi. And as the tunnels disappeared behind great bars revealed themselves a seal carefully over them.
Naruto wasn't scared- actually, yes he was. He was downright terrified. Sure, a seal was locking Kyuubi away, but that didn't change a damn thing.
Nervously, Naruto cleared his throat. "Kyuubi? You there?"
A red light appeared behind the bars, illuminating a massive fox, a twisted grin on its face, but that grin quickly faded as he saw Naruto.
"You!" Kyuubi roared, immediately stabbing his claws through the bars, trying to reach Naruto. "You weak worthless little monkey! You-" Kyuubi stopped his frenzy, glaring at Naruto. "No, you're not that so-called Yondaime Hokage. You're the boy..."
"Well-"
"Yet you are not the boy...' The Kyuubi's eyes flashed and the fox threw back its head and laughed. "Both of you? What have you done human..."
Naruto cleared his throat again eyes narrowed. "I'm here for your power Nine Tails, I think its about time you paid rent."
The demon laughed dark and horrific."Rent? Yes perhaps lets see what you can do with my power Minato Namikaze."
Amused, the demon sent a surge of red chakra through the bars, which enveloped Naruto...
A pair of slitted blue eyes opened, and Naruto bit his thumb and formed several seals.
Immediately, there was a great cloud of smoke in the gulf, and Naruto landed on the head of a gigantic toad.
The toad threw out its limbs, clinging between the cliff faces, and slowly looked up onto its head.
"What the- why the hell is there some blonde brat on my head?! Jiraiya, why the hell have you summoned me!?" bellowed Gamabunta.
Naruto smiled lightly. "Afraid you're not dealing with the old pervert. I'm the latest to sign your contract."
Gamabunta roared with laughter. "Nice one kid! A little brat like you summoning me!"
"I wouldn't be so rude Gama, I think you'll find me quite the capable summoner!"
Gamabunta's eyes rolled upwards, so they could see Naruto better. "I doubt that very much boy, you lot tend to be a rather foolish bunch, liening and thieving."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "I have a few advantages."
Gamabunta felt for the boys chakra, and reeled back.
Meanwhile, back at the top of the cliff, Jiraiya was calmly watching the two. "Well, how about that. He summoned the full works."
Gamabunta leapt from the valley, Jiraiya panicked. He panicked, even more, when the huge toad landed in front of him.
"Jiraiya, what's the meaning of this?! Letting a demon sign my contract?! He reeks of death!"
Naruto found himself falling again as the frog disappeared "Oh boy..."
He managed to land easily enough but the look on Jiryia's face was alarming. "I'm...er...sorry about that…"
"Do not allow him to summon me again Jiraiya or there will be consequences."
He poofed out of existence once more leaving a silent duo.
"So br- Naruto, the toads aren't honestly all that great," said Jiraiya, as he picked at his ramen moodily.
Naruto turned away from his lunch for a moment. "It's fine sensei. Do you think the nine tails will prevent me from ever getting a summon?" he lied, it was unlikely it was truly the nine tails that stopped Gama...his words reeks of death still haunted him.
"Maybe but I think today regardless, his chakra's proved pretty useful I doubt you even really need a summon. And anyhow," Jiraiya peeked around inside the stand before leaning in."When you got a lovely lady like that tending to your every need you ought not to pressure yourself so much."
Naruto raised an eyebrow, before remembering that Jiraiya was, after all, a great pervert. "Well," began Naruto delicately, "I suppose I just won over the family with my charming manners, my award-winning smile, and my glossy blonde hair," he said, running a hand through his hair for extra emphasis.
Jiraiya snorted. "Youth is wasted on the young."
Naruto shrugged. "The Ichiraku's just have good taste. Speaking off, you best keep yourself away from Ayame"
"I got you the first time kid, I won't bother her." replied Jiraiya irritably. "Besides I can see when a man has already staked his claim." He winked.
Naruto arched an eyebrow, before finishing his ramen. He handed the bowl over to Ayame who had just walked back and was currently starring dagger at Jiraiya, "Don't worry Nee-chan the old man 'll handle the bill."
And instantly, Naruto's hand shot out, catching Jiraiya as he tried to Kawarami away.
"Going somewhere?" smirked Naruto, but he soon stopped his smirking, realizing how Uchiha-ish such an action would be.
Both disgruntled and annoyed, Jiraiya reluctantly forked over, before the two set off again.
"You know, Naruto," said Jiraiya. "All I've heard about you is that you're some dense loudmouth. But I haven't seen any of that."
Naruto sighed looking out over he village. "Well...sensei, we all have to just one day, you know, sort of have to get on with life, don't we? I mean, it seems so far that every real situation where I could've died, I won with luck. And that luck's going to run out one day."
Naruto looked up at the Hokage Mountain. "Sensei, I want- I'm going to become Hokage one day. And I'm not going to let someone kill me before I do."
Naruto inwardly congratulated himself. Minato, after all, was the Hokage, and therefore a politician and any good politician needed to know the good old art of bullshitting. Pity the art never worked on Kushina. That woman, she could be so cruel sometimes- heck, even in the bedroom- Naruto cut off his thoughts.
It was the worst thing about thinking like your father and having his memories. Seeing your mother that way...Naruto shuddered.
Jiraiya didn't answer but was still contemplating Naruto's words. "I'll meet you outside the bathhouse tomorrow for your training," said the Toad Sage, before giving a little wave and Shunshin-ed away.
The blonde was left alone. It was still midday, and once again he found himself stuck in the past. It was hard not to linger one what was right in front of him, like a ghostly shadow.
"Foolish student of mine!" exclaimed Jiraiya. "You just toss around your Hiraishin and Rasengan like they're nothing."
"Sensei, sensei," said Minato. "It's part of a complex fighting style. If everyone thinks all I ever use is the Hiraishin and Rasengan, that'll enable me to keep a couple of trump cards hidden up my sleeves."
"No missions for us today," said Minato. "We can all have a day off."
The three genin looked around at each other.
"Day off?" they echoed.
Minato scratched his head. "You know, a free day. No missions. Very short holiday."
"Sensei, what's a holiday?" asked Obito.
Minato blinked. "You kids don't know what a holiday is?" Then, Minato remembered the three had grown up in times of war.
"Well...how about we all-?"
"Talk it over lunch?" interrupted Kakashi.
Minato deflated slightly. "Well, we could just go-"
"For a day outside the village?" interrupted Rin.
"Or maybe-"
"Do some drills?" interrupted Obito.
Minato was silent for a moment. "Maybe-"
"We should just relax for the day?" chorused the three genin.
"Aw, going on a picnic is so boring!" said Kushina, lying back on the grass.
Minato shrugged. "And going out for ramen every single day isn't?"
A rock was thrown past his head. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that," said Kushina, but her voice was more playful rather than menacing.
"Fine with me," replied Minato, his own grin on his face. "Why don't you just enjoy the scenery?"
"All there is a boring waterfall right over there-" Kushina froze for a moment.
"What's the matter? Something wrong?" asked Minato, concerned, leaning over Kushina.
Suddenly, he felt a hand grip the front end of his vest. "Kus-"
And a moment later, he was thrown through the air, heading towards the water. Fortunately, his training kicked in and he self-righted himself, channeling chakra into his feet and landing neatly on the water surface.
Kushina climbed to her feet. "You're no fun!" she complained, seeing Minato not soaking wet.
"Really? How about this?" said Minato, disappearing in a yellow flash, reappearing behind Kushina (using the three-pronged kunai he made sure she was always carrying) and throwing her into the water- and Kushina didn't channel chakra into her feet quickly enough.
She furiously burst out of the water, soaking wet. "Oh, you'll pay for this!"
Minato didn't answer; considering he was too busy laughing.
"You are sleeping on the couch tonight!"
"But it's my house!"
"Don't care!"
Why did it all have to be over? It would be so much easier if he were just dead, it should of been his son here not him. He longed for his wife, for his friends, his sensei. It all felt so gone.