Author's Note: Welcome Back! The reviews for the third Omake seemed to be generally positive, which I am thankful for. In all honesty, it was my favorite of the three to write. I just love Shikamaru and hoped I did his character justice. Also, all three of the Omakes will have some significance to the plot going forward.

Well, if anyone is wondering, the tentative expectation is that we will get back to the village at either chapter 18 or 19 (Not including Omakes, so this is Chapter 15). I will let you know for sure alongside the release of chapter 16.

Don't forget to leave your thoughts about the chapter and the story as a whole! If you have any questions or concerns, as always, leave a review or shoot me a PM. I'll always answer you as soon as I can! I also regularly update my profile with my writing progress, if you are interested!

Thanks for reading!

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Chapter 15: Elemental Forces

-14 Months Before Returning to the Leaf Village-

Naruto was standing out in the open. Vulnerable, visibly on edge. The thought that they could strike at any moment caused him to hold his breath in his gut. He's been in this situation many times before, they just enjoyed making him wait. Yes, that was it. Then, when he would finally drop his guard, they would strike.

Not this time. He was ready for it.

There was slight movement in his peripheral, almost indiscernible. Yet, to him, it was as clear as day. Reality around him, ever so slightly, began to shift into something new. It felt like Naruto was in an alternate dimension, one that was nearly identical to his own, but uniquely different at the same time. Everything looked the same through his eyes, but his remaining senses were screaming at him that something wasn't right. That was the only way he could describe it. This sensation was so bizarre; the blond didn't think he would ever get used to it.

How he despised being caught in a genjutsu.

"I saw it that time!" He shouted out, letting his adversaries know that he would not be caught in these illusions again. There was no answer to his statement, all that could be heard was the whistling of the moderately gusting breeze that had rolled through the mountains.

He blinked, and in an instant, his surroundings changed. Now, how he wished he was still holding in that breath. Gone, where the beautiful forests of Mount Myoboku, present was what appeared to be dark, suffocating waters of the great ocean. Even though this was an illusion, he knew it was impossible to breathe in the air that his body craved, or his brain would likely be tricked into thinking he was drowning. Annoyingly, his lungs already began to burn for necessary oxygen.

Trying to swim to the surface would be futile, he already knew that very well. No matter how far up one swam, there was never a surface to reach. That was the purpose of this Genjutsu. If anything, it would burn through his remaining stores of energy, furthering him into a state of oxygen deprivation. Instead, the blond did the exact opposite of what one would do in a real situation like this. The Genin's body went completely still. Not a muscle was to be moved.

This not only calmed him and made him tune out what his senses swore were real threats to his life, but it also allowed him to begin gathering the chakra he needed. In his core, he swirled a maelstrom of raw, powerful energy. Unguided, and unfocused, it was useless. However, if taught how to direct its flow appropriately, there was almost nothing he couldn't do.

Suddenly, and with a force that exuded determination, Naruto clapped his hands together. With a mighty, yet gurgled, roar he unleashed the massive amount of chakra that he had been preparing. The effects were instantaneous. As if he had punched a mirror, the artificial world that had formed around him was slowly breaking apart; shattering into tiny, unsalvageable pieces. The deep underwaters of the ocean were gone, back was the much more accessible terrain of Mount Myoboku.

"Heh…" Naruto panted from the exertion. "Is that all you got Boss, Ma'am?" A cocky smile adorned his lips as he watched his three teachers phase into view. They, too, were smiling similarly.

"You hear that, Ma? Naruto-boy finally wins a round and he's already bragging! And after all of those times we took pity on him and broke the genjutsu ourselves." The old frog joked.

"Sound to me like we shouldn't go so easy on him next time." Ma added with her own mischievous smile. "What do you think, Jiraiya-boy?" She asked, looking over her shoulder to the smiling Sage. Though, his smile was slightly different than the two toads. While they were having fun joking around with the blond, the Sannin's eyes betrayed a hint of admiration for his student.

From the Sannin's perspective, these last four months had flown by. A majority of their time was spent strengthening and perfecting the skills the boy had already been working on, along with throwing in a few new skills and techniques that could be learned supplementary.

Naruto's taijutsu training has been mostly focused on clone coordination and evasive maneuvering. He had been learning how to use his clones to create openings in his enemy's defenses and exploit them to use his chakra-enhanced strikes to deal devastating damage. Jiraiya also made it a point of emphasis to teach the boy how to more efficiently use his shadow clones. Before, he had a penchant for creating massive hordes of clones and throwing them at his target with no form of structure, strategy, or purpose; hoping to just overwhelm them with sheer numbers. Not only were the results mixed-to-poor, but the amount of chakra he would expend would kill the average jonin two times over; at least. A bad habit like that could be fatal when faced with those in the Akatsuki, where every ounce of chakra should be carefully and tactically allocated to ensure the highest probability of victory.

As for the Genin's strength and speed, the Sage decided that it was best to limit the amount of time his student used the chakra weights. Progress in that department has been fantastic, but at the boy's age, continued use could begin to garner negative results if used recklessly. The last thing Jiraiya wanted to do was harm the musculoskeletal system of a growing boy. Naruto would kill him if he stayed short for the rest of his life. They would use the weights to help maintain his current levels of speed and strength, but prolonged use was over for now.

That took them to where they were currently. Genjutsu. More specifically, how to break yourself out of the hold of Genjutsu. Now, if there was one field of ninja techniques where Jiraiya was lacking, it was the illusionary arts; and he knew that. Moreover, that was an area where he knew his student was naturally inept in, as well. The Sage could go on and on about explaining the theory behind how to break out of the illusion arts, but that alone would do little to help the boy. So, because he couldn't do it himself, he thought it best to hand the reins over to two of the best genjutsu practitioners he knew.

Lord Fukasaku and Lady Shima.

Using their amazing talents, not only could the Genin understand the theory behind breaking out of genjutsu, he could apply that new knowledge, learn the signs of when he is caught in it, and gain experience dispelling high-level illusions, all at the same time. This was just something that Jiraiya couldn't emulate without their help.

And, boy, was Jiraiya glad that they spent so much time on this part of the blond's training. Because when he said the kid had been inept when they first started, that was an understatement. Sure, the toads definitely were not taking it easy on him, but neither would someone like Itachi. They needed to push him as hard as they could because they didn't have the allotted time necessary to take things slow. That is, not with everything the Sage still wanted to teach him.

"Don't worry, the brat has a habit of doing that." Jiraiya waved off. "Doesn't utter a word when he fails fifty times in a row, but the second he does something right he's going to let you know about it."

Fukasaku let out a small chuckle at the small boy's antics. "Reminds me of another cocky troublemaker that used to train here." He said in a playful voice, glancing over in Jiraiya's direction. "Anyhow." Turning his attention back to his current student. "You've been making good progress. That genjutsu that Ma and I put on you was no walk in the park. If I'm being honest, I didn't expect you to get it down so fast, Naruto-boy."

Naruto nodded, seemingly understanding why his teacher thought that. "I know what you mean. No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to perform any Genjutsu. It just doesn't make any sense to me. However, breaking it is a lot more straightforward. Though I think the most difficult part is figuring out when I'm trapped in one. I think I'm starting to get that down, too."

"You are." Shima confirmed in her loud, but not rude, tone. "Not everyone has an affinity for genjutsu; like Jiraiya-boy, here! He's awful at it!" That slight dig elicited a sneer from the Toad Sage, but that did little to deter the old toad. "Yet, you seem to be very good at dispelling them because of how much chakra you're able to release. That outward surge of energy is key to disrupting the flow. Remember that."

"I will." Naruto smiled, bowing out of respect to his teachers. "Thank you, Masters."

Fukasaku shrugged off the formalities. "C'mon, Naruto-boy, you've known us long enough. You can drop the formalities! We're happy to help. Whenever you need it, we will be there." The two sages of Mount Myoboku, training session now over, we're about to head back home. Ma needed to get started on dinner, and Pa's back was beginning to hurt a little from all the moving around they had done. That was when Fukasaku remembered something.

"Oh, and Naruto-boy?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't forget about tomorrow evening." The green toad said vaguely, now following his wife who had already started walking back.

"Oh… Yes, sir!" The blond shouted in response as the two small figures disappeared into the dense forest.

Now the Sannin was interested. "You're training during your downtime, too?" He asked curiously. As far as he knew, outside of their genjutsu training, the toads had very little involvement in the Genin's development.

"Nah, not training." Naruto elaborated, lifting his arms up behind his head. "Boss and I have been meditating these past few weeks. Says that it's good for helping me control my emotions when in a fight."

"Oh, is that right?" The Sage said, a trace of edge to his voice. 'That sneaky old frog.' He thought to himself

Jiraiya wasn't mad at Pa, because his intentions were good and understandable. And honestly, the Toad Sage had expected this from his old master. While he had said no to any senjutsu training while Naruto continues to develop, meditation, and the art of staying still, weren't exactly things exclusive to sage training. It had many other uses, just as Fukasaku had told Naruto. It would help slow things down for the boy, make it easier to keep his emotions in check and give him a head start for when he trains to be a sage later down the line. His Godfather was fearful that the intensity of sage training would harm the child's mental health, but just meditation alone could only have a positive one.

The more he thought about it, the more he was okay with it.

"Yeah. Actually, I kind of like it." Naruto said, throwing his arms out in front of him. "It helps me tune things out and clear my mind to the point where I'm not thinking about anything." Anything, and he meant anything, that could get himself out of his own head for a while was a blessing. He wouldn't tell Jiraiya this, but he dreaded any part of the day where he wasn't training or reading fuinjutsu. Because, if he wasn't doing something distracting or engaging, his thoughts drifted to places they shouldn't go. It wasn't good for him, and he knew it.

Yet, with meditation, he could actually find time to relax outside of training or studying. It was liberating! Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would enjoy sitting completely still for an extended period, but he also never thought he would enjoy writing, and look how that turned out. While Fukasaku walked him through the steps of how to meditate properly, he still did it during his free time. It even helped him sleep when he was having trouble.

Jiraiya smiled, happy that Pa's idea seemed to be helping his Godson out in more ways than one. But now, it was time to get back to business. "Well, I'm going to need all of your attention right now, because today we are going to start something new."

Naruto rose an eyebrow but otherwise didn't react much. They hadn't started something new in a while. These last few months, the word that Jiraiya kept drilling out was 'perfection'. Perfect form, perfect concentration, perfect timing, perfect teamwork; no wasted movements. The number of repetitions he had endured, even though it was invaluable to him, was wearing him out. Now, he felt a new excitement brimming up within him. The prospect of learning something foreign, absorbing even more knowledge that he could use to grow stronger; it was an indescribable feeling that would never get old.

"So, what is it?" The blond said after a brief silence, his tone not betraying how excited he was actually feeling.

"Here." The Sage said simply, holding something in his hand for his student to take.

Naruto took it, examined it, and frowned slightly. "A piece of paper?" He deadpanned. Was he getting messed with?

Jiraiya smirked devilishly at his boy's incredulous look. "Not just any paper." Pulling out another piece of the normal-looking paper for himself. "This is litmus paper."

"Litmus paper?" The Genin turned the sheet over in his hand, examining every inch of it hoping to uncover the secrets about what made it so special. Still, it looked like normal paper. "Well, what's so special about it?"

"Well, how about a demonstration?" Jiraiya asked rhetorically, pumping a bit of his chakra into the special paper.

To Naruto's confusion, the paper suddenly, and rapidly, ignited; burning the paper up in a matter of seconds. Staring down at his own paper, he asked the only question on his mind. "Is it… highly flammable?"

"No." Jiraiya answered humorlessly, resisting the urge to smack his forehead with the palm of his hand. "That paper in your hands is made from a special tree that grows by being fed chakra. Because of this, it reacts to chakra in a special way and can tell a person what their elemental affinity is."

Now, the boy was looking at the plain-looking paper in amazement. "Wow, really?! This paper can tell me what affinity I have?" He repeated dumbly.

Jiraiya nodded. "As you know, my main element is fire; which is why the paper ignited. Similarly, if your nature is water, the paper becomes saturated with water; if earth, the paper crumbles into dust; if lightning, it crinkles up; and if wind, it is sliced in half." He gestured to the paper in the Genin's hand. "Give it a go. All you have to do is push some chakra into it."

"Okay…" For some reason, the boy was feeling a little hesitant to see what his element was. What if he got a crappy one? Was there even an element that was considered bad? He sucked in a breath, resigning himself to his fate. 'Oh, well. What will be, will be.'

'Rip'

That sound fluttered delicately in the wind as the boy looked down at the answer to his eagerly sought question.

"Wind." Naruto said in response to the paper in his hand being sliced in two. After thinking it over, he looked up at his mentor for his opinion. "Is wind good?"

"Hmm." Jiraiya grunted, bringing his hand to his chin. "This is interesting, wind is not very common in the Land of Fire."

"Okay, but is it good?" Naruto asked again, slightly annoyed that his question was being ignored. It was an important question! He didn't care whether or not it was rare, that didn't really tell him anything.

"There is no bad affinity to have, each one has its own strengths and weaknesses. It also heavily depends on the opponent you're facing, and what type of fighter you are. For instance, Wind is strong against lightning, but also weak to fire. Each element has another element it is strong against, and one that it is weak to. Though, in your particular case…" He took his hand off his chin, arms now hanging loosely around his hips, and smiled. "Wind is actually an extremely versatile element. It's well-suited for battle, but it can also be used effectively at nearly all ranges for both attack and defense. With your ingenuity, I think it's the perfect element for you, Naruto."

"Okay." Naruto began in a measured tone, still looking at the split piece of paper in his hand. Sure, that was good news, but he was doing his best to manage his expectations. "I'm guessing It would be way too easy to have me learning cool jutsu on day one, huh?"

Jiraiya almost couldn't hold in a laugh at the look the kid was giving him. They had been training together for a while now, which meant that Naruto was familiar with the Sage's processes. They never jumped straight into the 'cool' parts of training, as the blond liked to call it. If there was anything that he could pick from that the Sannin has been drilling into his head from the beginning, it is that you cannot ignore the fundamentals. It is the basis of all of our knowledge, and without it, like a house with no foundation, it will fall and crumble sooner rather than later. It was difficult for the hyperactive, low-attention span having blond to get used to, but in his heart, he knew it was the correct approach. Not only that, but he was finding it easier to do than it had been in the past.

The Sage just shook his head. "Do you remember what I told you about the Rasengan?"

The blond, surprised by the question, adopted a pensive look as he reflected back on their past conversations. He remembered; how could he forget? The question elicited the exact reaction Jiraiya was hoping it would. The unsure, disengaged look the boy had was now replaced by a look of fiery determination; a look extraordinarily similar to his father's, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

Speaking of…

"Yeah, I remember." Unconsciously, he balled his hands up into fists, squeezing them together tightly. "The goal is to combine my wind with the Rasengan to create a completely new technique, something not even the Fourth could do."

"And what does that mean, exactly?"

"That means no shortcuts, I have to start at the very beginning and give it my absolute all."

Jiraiya smirked. "Good. Now, how about we get started?"

Naruto wobbled backward, exhaustion taking over as his body begged him to sit down and rest. He refused, dead set on continuing until he couldn't any longer. Sweat was pouring down his face after hours of giving it nearly everything that he had. He and his five clones were running on fumes; the blond couldn't even remember the last time he had used this much chakra during a training session.

What had depleted the Uzumaki this much, you ask?

"This damn leaf." The Genin grumbled, staring daggers at the nearly unmarked piece of greenery delicately resting in his palm. Maybe if he looked at it fiercely enough, that would be enough to cut it.

For his training, Jiraiya had instructed that he 'use his chakra to cut the leaf.' While the blond didn't really understand what that meant at first, his mentor explained it as best as he could.

'The goal is to take your chakra and, almost as if you were sharpening a knife, mold it inside of your body until it is razor-sharp. Then, when you feel like you have it, release it forcefully, but in a controlled way.'

The Uzumaki was realizing the hard way, that while it sounded easy the way his sensei explained it, actually doing what he said was completely different. After hours of attempting to cut his leaf, it was showing almost no signs that anything had been done to it. There was a small nick in the top left corner, but the Genin wasn't even sure if that was from him or not.

'One more time.' He thought to himself, regaining his focus. Sucking in a deep breath, he began to gather that swirling energy within him again. With the leaf clasped tightly between his two hands, he began to pull at the chakra. The goal was to use his wind affinity to alter the state of his chakra. Technically, change in chakra form could be used to sharpen his chakra, but this process was very different. His chakra needed to be more than sharp, it needed to be altered to the point that it became wind itself. To help with the process, he imagined a strong, cutting gust of wind that would sting one's face as it went by. Well, that, but one-thousand times stronger.

As he visualized this, he began to feel something forming that was slightly different than anything he had molded all day. However, he didn't want to rush it. Naruto continued to imagine a sharp wind cutting through, the sharpening of a kunai against a grindstone, and anything else with a razor-like edge that could come to his mind.

Slowly… slowly, it was all coming together. "Hah!" Suddenly, and with all of the force he could muster, Naruto and his clones let their sharpened chakra explode out of their body, through their hands, and into the target; the annoying leaf that wouldn't leave him alone.

"Hah…hah…hah. That had to have been it." Breathing heavy from the effort, the blond shakily separated his hands to see his handiwork. His face fell, then rose, then twisted in an unsure grimace.

While the leaf almost seemed exactly the same as it was before, now there was a very tiny cut in the top RIGHT corner, as well. That means that he did it! Well, kind of, right? It was better than everything else before it, that was for sure!

Jiraiya glanced over his shoulder, noting the look on his student's face. "Now, kid. I know that doesn't seem like much, but nature manipulation is one of the hardest things you can do. This is going to take a long time, so try not to get discouraged."

Naruto, eyes closed, took in a deep breath, dispelling his clones in the process with five soft 'poofs'. Quietly, he allowed their knowledge to mix with his own, analyzing and storing away everything he thought was relevant to his training. Using just five clones to train for so long, sorting and organizing the information they transferred back to him became almost second nature to him. Once he felt satisfied that he had retained everything that he needed to, his eyes opened back up.

"I know." Naruto said clenching, then unclenching, his hands. "I can tell that this isn't going to be easy, but that's what I signed up for, Sensei."

Jiraiya smirked, proud of his protégé's attitude and understanding. "Good, now why don't you try one more time using all of the experience you gained from your clones?"

"Right!"

Duck, weave, block, sidestep. The Sage was doing everything he could to dodge the onslaught his student was throwing at him.

Normally, the Genin's fighting style consisted of being a defensive counterpuncher. This meant that pushing the pace was something he only did when he had to. However, his training with his clones changed that slightly. Now, the boy could be BOTH passive and aggressive at the same time. Without risking injury, he could send his clones in to put overwhelming pressure on his opponent. This pressure would cause them to make a mistake, then the real boy would swoop in and deal damage.

Bringing his armguard up at the perfect time, Jiraiya deflected a right hook harmlessly off to the side. Grabbing the sleeve of the doppelganger, he planted his foot in the ground and twisted his body. Using that momentum, Jiraiya threw the fake at another clone. To his dismay, and slight surprise, the recipient caught his 'brother', soft-touch keeping either of them from dispelling.

The Sage didn't have time to be impressed, ducking a high kick from another clone, Jiraiya went to sweep his opponent's legs out from under him. Before he could, a fourth Naruto came barreling in, intending to baseball slide into the Sannin's knee. Jiraiya, still crouched, had no choice but to jump straight up.

This was different than before. With his clones being more coordinated with one another, a small team, instead of a massive horde, was capable of disrupting the flow of his adversary.

'He got me…' Without looking up, Jiraiya already knew what was coming.

Another blond, presumably the real one, was already sky-high above his mentor's head, using his fifth and final clone as a platform to get higher in the air than his opponent. And he was falling. Fast. Loading up a chakra enhanced ax kick, he zeroed in on his target. The top of his Godfather's head.

"Ha!" With a vicious swing, the heel of his foot smashed into the futile block of his opponent.

'Poof!'

Flipping in the air, the real Naruto landed flawlessly on the ground, a smug smile adorning his lips. Sure, it wasn't perfect; the initial plan didn't work out, but the on-the-fly adjustments the clones were able to make worked even better. The most important thing, Naruto's had the chemistry to change their plans non-verbally. The intended product of the training his Godfather was putting him through.

However, he had no time to celebrate the victory.

"Ninja Art: Hair Needle Senbon!"

Naruto's eyes widened, not even having to look to know what was coming. "Crap, scatter!"

The six Naruto's shot off in different directions, using their surroundings as cover against the horde of flying, white spikes.

The real Naruto and one of his clones were crouched down behind a boulder, trying to listen for any activity going on around them. He winced as the memories of two clones who weren't lucky enough to escape came back to him. That probably would've hurt... "Do you hear anything?" The shadow clone asked his summoner in a low whisper.

The real blond shook his head tightly. "No, not right now, I don't." Responding back just as quietly. "I'm not even entirely sure where that attack came from. His jutsu covers such a wide berth it's almost impossible to pinpoint where the castor is at a distance like that." He was about to say something else, but something stopped him; the twitching of his ears. "Hey, do you hear that?"

'Hssssss.'

Simultaneously, both blond's gaze shot down to their feet, eyes lighting up in horror at what they saw.

The sound was the hissing of a paper bomb.

"Shi-"

The real Genin was interrupted as his copy, acting completely on instinct, grabbed his summoner by the collar and with all of his strength, threw him to the side. An instant later, and just as Naruto got out of range of the blast radius, the area lit up in a brilliant ball of fire and light. The explosion shook the ground violently, the reverberation running its way up the trunk of the surrounding trees and causing the thick, leaf-covered branches to bounce as if a strong wind was passing through them.

Jiraiya's student smoothly popped out of his roll and onto his feet, facing the direction in which his clone had been engulfed by the blast. The ground where they stood and the rock they had used as cover were both scorched with black ash. A slight shiver went up his spine as his savior's last moments and experiences were transferred to him.

"Don't you think that was a little extreme?" The blond asked aloud with a touch of exasperation, despite being seemingly alone. "That actually could have killed me."

There was a slight rumbling beneath his feet, seconds later the head of his Master poked out of the ground right in front of them; courtesy of the Head Hunter Jutsu. They stared at one another, his Godson not even flinching, except for the slightest of eye twitches, at the Sannin's over-the-top antics.

"I considered it." Was the deadpan response of the Toad Sage.

"And what conclusion did you come to?" The Genin questioned, deciding to humor the older man a bit.

"No."

Slowly, almost comically so, he rose from the ground, never breaking eye contact with his subordinate. Once they were about eye level with one another, the Sage continued. "When faced with a split-second decision, you have to be able to turn off your brain and just react. If you have to stop and think about something before you do it in the heat of battle, you will die. So, if we're going to practice evasive maneuvering, I want you to feel like your life is on the line. In fact, I'm willing to put it on the line for you!"

"How noble of you." The sarcasm rolling off the young boy's tongue, despite wholeheartedly agreeing with his teacher's words. "That is quite the sacrifice you're willing to make for my sake."

"What can I say? I make the choices no one else wants to make."

Jiraiya smirked goofily, which made his Godson's lip quiver slightly. Naruto was no longer able to hold it in; he started laughing. It appeared as though the blond's laugh was contagious because his mentor followed suit with a bark of laughter.

After their brief fit of laughter, the Genin wiped a stray tear off of his cheek with the back of his hand. "C-Can you not look at me with that stupid face?" He stuttered, choking back a giggle.

Crossing his arms across his chest and looking off to the side, Jiraiya feigned annoyance. "I have no idea what you're talking about." To which the blond responded by huffing in an overexaggerated manner.

Now that the mood was shifting from serious training to lighthearted banter, Naruto's shoulders relaxed. Moments like these made the boy realize how important Jiraiya was to him. There wasn't really anyone in his life who he could spend time with like this. Sure, there was Iruka, but that was different. How, he really did not know. Naruto didn't have family members in his life to compare his relationships with others to. If he had to guess, Iruka was like an older brother to him. Looking out for him, having a laugh with one another. But, what was Jiraiya to him? Sure, the guy was a goofy idiot sometimes, but that was one of Naruto's favorite things about him. Ever since Jiraiya had told him that he was done ignoring him to write his book, their relationship had only gotten better. Naruto felt safe, important, and even loved. 'I wonder if this is what it's like to have a father...'

And yet, despite their close relationship, the blond didn't really know much about his mentor/guardian. There were somethings that he had been meaning to ask his Godfather for a while now, but he just didn't know when or how to bring it up.

"Hey, Sensei?" The blond began slowly, turning the questions he had over in his head to ensure they came out how he intended. "Can I ask you something?"

Jiraiya uncrossed his arms and gave his student an inquisitive look. He had, like, three to four more witty things he wanted to say, but he could save those for an appropriate time down the road. "You know you can ask me anything, kid. What's up?"

"You… and Orochimaru… were friends, right?" The Genin asked unsurely, afraid that bringing up the Sannin's rogue teammate might damper the mood they had created.

The curious look the Toad Sage had grown even more so. "Why are you asking all of a sudden?" His tone wasn't negative or accusatory, just curious.

"Well, if I'm being honest, I don't really know much about you other than what everyone else in the world knows." Naruto explained, absentmindedly straightening his headband. "And… in the hospital before we left the village, you told me to give up on Sasuke, looking back on it, it sounded like you were speaking from experience."

Jiraiya sighed deeply, deciding to forgo standing, and sat down on the ground cross-legged. He needed to sit for this heavy topic. "Well, as you know, Orochimaru was on my Genin squad under the Third Hokage. We grew up together, and ultimately became known as the Legendary Sannin alongside Tsunade. Very similarly to you and Sasuke, we didn't get along very well at first." The Sage chuckled, remembering the frequent arguments he got in with his team members. "Yet, I guess you can say we grew on each other over time. Going on missions, fighting alongside each other in the Great War… He really did become my best friend." There was a bittersweet smile on his face. Remembering his friendship with the Snake was tough sometimes, but he was glad that he could still look back on those memories.

Naruto winced, realizing the now somber mood was his doing. Yet, he decided to press forward. "And… when he left the village?"

"A part of me felt it coming, and another part of me denied it." Jiraiya acknowledged. "When Sarutobi-Sensei told me what he found in that lab, and his encounter with Orochimaru, I didn't believe it. I ignored my master's advice and went after him by myself. I tried to force him back to the village that we both had called our home for so many years. And, well, you know how that turned out."

Despite the mood shift, Naruto managed a smile. Jiraiya eyed him curiously. "What are you smiling about?"

"You know, sensei, you and I are a lot alike." Naruto laughed weakly, scratching the back of his head. Sure, maybe not for best of reasons, but alike, nonetheless.

Jiraiya chuckled. 'You have no idea, Naruto.' He thought to himself. "I guess so."

"I'm sorry."

The Sannin blinked, caught off guard by the sudden apology. "Sorry for what?"

"When you were telling me to not go after Sasuke, it got me angry. I didn't stop to think about what you were saying or why you were saying it. All I heard was that you wanted me to give up on bringing Sasuke back to the village."

"You've been thinking about that conversation recently? Why?"

"Sometimes, I think about what I could have done differently."

"And?"

Now it was Naruto's turn to sigh. "I tried to drag him back to the Leaf Village without taking a minute to think about why he left in the first place. And even if I did think about why he was doing it, I don't think I could have understood him." He was now sitting on a flat-surfaced rock alongside Jiraiya, staring up at the clear blue skies above Mount Myoboku. The calming wind brushed gently through his hair. "With everything that's happened in the past year, while I may still not fully understand him, I do understand why he left."

Jiraiya shared a look with his student, surprised by how much introspection the child had done. When he was that age, while he was a ninja participating in a Shinobi War, he didn't think he would be capable of that. War is an easy concept to grasp, understanding one's self is truly difficult. If anything, war causes a person to repress themselves instead of accept themselves.

"Well, that's where Orochimaru and Sasuke are different." The older man began. "Orochimaru left the village to pursue his own ambitions, sacrificing lives carelessly to reach his goals. Sasuke, on the other hand, while he certainly has ambitions and goals, they stem from the desire to avenge his clan and take out his brother. I believe there is nothing I, or anyone, could have done to get Orochimaru back. I don't think the same is true for Sasuke." Normally, the Sage wouldn't openly share his honest thoughts about Sasuke, afraid that it may further motivate the young blond to go after him. Though, seeing how his disciple is maturing, he is beginning to realize that hiding his true thoughts won't help anyone. Naruto deserved to hear the truth.

"Maybe…" Was all the blond had to say in response.

"Being able to understand him, how does that change things for you?" His Godfather asked, genuinely interested in the blond's answer.

There was a long pause, the silence was so present you could hear a pin drop. This was a question Naruto had been pondering for several months. Thinking about it so frequently, he already knew what his answer was going to be.

"I'm not going to try and force Sasuke to come back to the Leaf."

Jiraiya had nearly had a heart attack after the declaration he made. Though, no one could really blame him. After all, the blond had been deadest on the mission to bring Sasuke back to the Leaf ever since he found out from Shikamaru that he left. Hell, he had promised on his life to Sakura that he would bring the Uchiha back. By abandoning that promise, the Genin was also turning his back on his Ninja Way. No, the blond just finally understands just how complex the situation is. He was a foolish kid making a foolish promise in which he was unable to fully grasp the ramifications of his actions. If Sasuke truly has no desire to return to the village, then forcing him to do so would just make the situation worse. He would resent Naruto, and the Leaf, even more than he already does. It would only work if he can be convinced to come back under his own volition. If he could find a way to do that he would try, but as of this day forward the threat of the Akatsuki takes precedence over all else.

Oh well, no need to continue worrying about that right now. He had other, more immediate, things on his mind.

'Well, isn't this a bit of déjà vu…' Naruto thought to himself with a touch of annoyance as he stared at the blank page on the desk. Training recently had been taking up a bulk of his days, so finding the time where he could sit down and write was a little difficult. So it was late. Very late. But, after receiving that copy of his book from his publisher, he had been committed to finding the time.

He needed to tell the people what he thought about the world around them, whether they liked it or not. Though he was having trouble crafting this anticipated sequel and he didn't know why. When the boy had been struggling to write part one, many different factors played into it. Back then, he needed to learn how to write coherent sentences first. Then, he needed to figure out the premise, plot, and world he would be writing about. Though, once all of those details were ironed out, the writing process with his clones went rather smoothly.

What about now? He already had all of those things laid out for him, he just needed to extend the storyline and take it in the new direction he wanted. So why? Why was he struggling? He knew exactly what he wanted to write about… right?

"What are ya writing about?" Came a friendly and chirpy voice.

The blond teen, who had been spacing out, shot to his feet in surprise. Naruto wasn't in the Mount Myoboku archives anymore. Everything around him was white. Eye-straining-ly bright, white floors, white walls that seem to stretch out to eternity, and a white sky that appeared to extend to the heavens. It was pure nothingness. Turning his head to the sound that shook him from his daze, he locked eyes with another set of bright blue orbs. It was him, but not him at the same time.

Standing in front of the teen was a much shorter, and younger, version of himself. If he had to guess, it was him when he was about 5. Dressed in a blank white t-shirt, and a pair of white cargo shorts, the little Naruto turned his head slightly to the side in confusion at his older self's reaction.

"What's the matter? Did I scare ya?"

The teen's eyes remained squinted. 'What the hell is going on?' He thought to himself.

Branching out his senses, he tried to feel the chakra of his unidentified guest to see if it was someone in Mount Myoboku messing with him using a transformation. Expecting it to be Jiraiya playing a prank on him, he was even more confounded when he couldn't sense anything. Checking his own chakra for a disturbance, he also determined that he wasn't currently under a Genjutsu. So…

Seriously, what was going on?

Author's Notes: I absolutely love this ending and cannot wait to how you guys Chapter 16. Seriously, it was one of my favorites to write. Anyway, back to the chapter at hand.

Because we are in Mt Myoboku, I thought it was only right for the toads to oversee Naruto's Genjutsu training. He won't be able to perform it himself, but he will get significant practice breaking Ma and Pa's Genjutsu.

As I'm sure many people expected, Naruto will be learning about Chakra Natures during the time skip. It's a slow process, and because most people have already sat through his beginning training in Canon, I'll be showing only a bit of it + any differences I come up with.

Perhaps most importantly though, is Naruto's growing maturity and understanding of Sasuke.

Let me know what you thought in the reviews, and I will respond to you all individually as I always do! Also, let me know your predications on the ending going into the next installment!

Once again, thanks you for reading and I will see you in Chapter 16: Heart to Heart.

ThelittleKing - I figured if anyone would realize Naruto isn't just telling a story, it would be Shikamaru. Also, I'm glad you've enjoyed them and I can't wait until we get to the return to the village, myself!

zafnak - Agreed. Considering who Jiraiya is, I would say that it would be an understandable reaction.

AkashimaUchiha - I wouldn't necessarily call it a filler chapter, as some of the things that happen in the Omake will directly impact some events in the future, but I am glad you enjoyed it. As for future development of both Naruto and Jiraiya, it will definitely be different from what you've seen in other stories.

Guest - As of right now, there is not pairing for this story. If there ever was it would be single, not harem.

Hoytti - It's an interesting idea, but I do not have near enough ability to write an entire book. That would take a lot of skill that I just do not have.

Still, that would be pretty cool and I wish that I could.

H3llion - I have plans for Sasuke, and they will be much different than in canon.