DAZE
Chapter 37: The Five-kage summit
A/N: So happy being back here, and writing for all of you, thank you so much for all the new feedback and positivity. And to any veteran readers thanks for sticking around.
Black cloth, everywhere he looked black cloth.
He could feel a soft tug on his sleeve, looking over he saw the sad girl, her violet hair was tied up in a single traditional bun, a single white streak in it.
"Tobiko, I know this must be hard…"
She shakes her head wiping some tears. "No it's.. Fine.. Sai-niisan, he respected you so much… and he protected me… if our positions were switched he wouldn't be able to live with himself."
Looking ahead he saw a picture of a young boy smiling with a blue haired boy. It appeared to be a really life-like painting. There were no pictures of Sai in the registry. So they had to use one of his drawings for his memorial.
Naruto holds her hand walking her up to the monument stone so they can both place some white roses down on the memorial to the fallen ninja.
The blonde thought of Kakashi's words to him, not to blame himself. But he couldn't stop the feelings from still filling his chest.
Perhaps if he had never bothered with debating Nagato's philosophy he would have stopped the Paths of Pain in time to prevent Sai's death.
He swallowed his grief, leaving the funeral with Tayuya. "Naruto, are you okay?" The redhead looked at him with a gentle expression he rarely got to see.
"I.. have to get changed, Tsunade's detail is leaving for the Land of Iron. Please be careful… I can't- Tayuya.. I can't lose you."
Naruto's bandaged hand grabs hers softly, earning a small blush from the Satou clan girl.
"I'll be fine Foxy.. really I promise." The two teens lean in sharing a deep kiss. Naruto wraps his hand around her head softly brushing her beautiful long crimson hair.
She melted in his strong arms, the boy had grown so tall and reliable right under her nose. She could barely recognize the little orange squirt she'd met at that hideout in the land of grass.
"Naruto-kun… after this… I want you to…" She blushes nervously looking down. She struggles to make herself say what it is she really wants.
"I want to as well… Tayuya, I love you… that's why…"
Naruto reaches into his dark orange jacket pulling out a small red box and kneels down in front of her.
"Tayuya Satou… will you marry me?"
Her eyes widen as tears begin to glisten and fall down her cheeks, she smiles blushing bright red. "Yes… of course!"
Naruto smiles and hands her the ring, a aquamarine wedding band with small orange diamonds.
The girl giggles excitedly but then has a surprised look on her face and leans over a railing puking into some poor villager's flower garden.
"Nerves?" Naruto looks at her worriedly.
"I've just been feeling kind of nauseous lately." She brushes some of her hair behind her ear.
His face is suddenly one of deep concern. "Tayuya.. You were on birth control all those times we.."
She scoffs and nods. "Obviously… there's no way I could be pregnant."
"You're pregnant." Sakura pulls the stethoscope away from her stomach.
"W-what… but how, I was on contraceptive.."
The pink haired girl is simultaneously trying to be empathetic and also smiling ear to ear at Naruto.
"98% chance isn't a guarantee Tayuya, you should have had Naruto use condoms if you really wanted to be sure."
Naruto blushes at his teammate commenting on his shared sex life. "Tayuya.. I-"
The red haired girl looks downcast. "You don't have to say it Naruto. I'm an idiot."
Naruto hugs her head. "I wasn't going to say that… I-I'm so excited to be a daddy ya-know!"
Tayuya blushes bright red. "R-really.. Even though we're so young?"
He nods. "We'll be 17 by the time the baby arrives… and I have plenty of money between my parent's estate and what Itachi left me… I'm ready.. Really, if you are!"
The redhead smiles tearing up for the second time partly due to hormonal changes. "Oh… Naruto… you big blonde idiot… fuck I love you so much."
The two kiss deeply, Sakura blushing and internally squeeing at how romantic it is.
"Still, I'm surprised this is the second pregnancy involving one of our classmates this month."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Wait what?"
Sakura eeps. "S-shit.. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone."
"Tell me come on, it'll stay between us!" Naruto puts his hands together looking with glistening eyes.
The pink-haired girl sighs but can't say no to her adorable teammate, especially knowing he's trustworthy.
"Well see… Kiba was in here earlier and…"
…
"WHAT Hinata-chan's pregnant!" Naruto's eyes are filled with amazement.
"S-shh.. Naruto, not so loud!" Sakura grabs her head immediately regretting telling him.
Tayuya growls and slaps him upside the head looking like a fireball. "You damn idiot, just when I was swooning over how mature you'd become.."
Sakura nods. "Yeah, apparently it's a big controversy in the Hyuga clan right now, Hiashi-sama is furious, they're considering removing Hinata-chan from the clan, Neji and Hanabi are speaking to the elders on her behalf."
Naruto looks irritated. "She should be allowed to love who she wants. If she and Kiba are happy together then I say let them be."
"When granny makes me the sixth Hokage I'm gonna have a talk with all the clans, it's high time certain traditions were amended."
Sakura looks surprised. "Tsunade's making you Rokudaime?"
Naruto blushes. "Shit.. I guess I'm bad about letting stuff slip too.."
Tayuya glares daggers at her blonde fiance. "And just how long were you planning to keep this from me Naruto-kun?~"
The Uzumaki teen shivers. "Tayuya-chan.. I was gonna tell you after the summit. Honest.."
The redhead smirks, and softly pats his cheek. "Okay Naru-chan. No more secrets though kay~"
Naruto nods fervently. "Right, no secrets."
The door handle begins to wiggle. "Shit Sakura no-one can find out yet." Tayuya looks at her with a deer in the headlight expression.
Sakura pulls a curtain hiding Naruto and Tayuya and turns to face the door.
"Oh Ino, what's up here for the personnel files?"
The blonde girl looks at Sakura with a shaken expression.
"Sakura… I'm pregnant."
"WHAT!" The pink haired girl comically falls back.
Ino nods. "It was… it must've been with Choji the other day, I think I forgot to take my birth control the night before."
Sakura grabs her hair. 'It's like a baby virus around here!'
"Does he know?"
Ino shakes her head. "No… I'm not sure how I'm going to tell him, what if he isn't ready. What if he doesn't even like me like that."
Sakura holds her cousin's hand reassuringly. "Ino, it's gonna be fine. This is Choji, we all know how sweet he is. It couldn't have been a better boy to happen with."
The blonde nods. "But I was always so hard on him about his weight… what if he decides he doesn't want a kid with me. And when his father finds out that he got me pregnant out of wedlock… I don't want us to get in trouble, Sakura.. Please help."
Ino softly cries into a hug with Sakura.
"Don't worry Ino-chan… everything's gonna be okay. Let's talk with your mother after my shift ends okay."
The Yamanaka girls nods. "O-okay.. Thanks Sakura.. You're such a great friend."
Wiping some tears with a tissue she waves bye to Sakura and walks back out.
Sakura drops her pen in shock. "Kami… above."
Naruto opens the curtain. "Sakura, you and Sasuke haven't?"
Sakura blushes. "W-what.. No! Well… just mouth stuff…"
Naruto blushes bright red. Tayuya laughs. "I cannot believe you just said that."
Sakura's eyes widened. "I-I said that out loud?"
She nods. "D-damn it Naruto!" Naruto's eyes widen and he is soon thrown through a wall by a monster strong slap.
He groans holding his smoking cheek on the ground. "Yep… that's nostalgic… uhhh…" He faints.
He wakes up to something cold being poured on his head.
"T- t- t! Cold!" He hops up looking around.
He hears a chuckle and sees a man with a long spiky silver mane looking at him. "Women troubles, I taught you well."
"Oh, Jiraiya-sensei, I heard you were back in the village."
The man smiles and pats his godson ruffing his golden hair.
"Come with me, you've got six hours until you have to leave for your mission right, have a shadow clone fetch your mission supplies. There's something I have to teach you now."
"Oh, okay Ero-sensei." Naruto smiles following him.
The two nin appear in a realm of waterfalls which smells strongly of oil and hotsprings.
"The sacred land of toads? Why are we here Pervy-senin?"
Jiraiya sighs. "I really wish you'd stop calling me that. We're here for your final lesson as my student.. I didn't know if you were ready before, but Tsunade told me about her plans for you."
Naruto nods. "I was as surprised as you. I don't know if I'm Hokage material yet."
"With this jutsu you'll be in a class of your own. At Least that's what I would say, you already have the rinnegan. So you might just obliterate the school altogether." Jiraiya chuckles.
"What is this jutsu, a new Rasengan?"
The silver sanin shakes his head. "You've already mastered the Rasengan beyond what I or even Minato could teach you. No this is a whole other jutsu, one more powerful than the Rasengan."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Stronger than the Rasengan,what is it?"
Jiraiya chuckles. "It's time for you to become the next Handsome toad Sage of the Mountain Naruto."
Pa poofs appearing on Jiraiya's shoulder and Naruto sees him meld lightly into Jiraiya's skin.
Red marks appear over Jiraiya's eyes and Naruto's rinnegan can see the man's chakra grow much stronger. "Woah… what is that… sensei…"
"Sage mode… the ultimate technique of senjutsu, one who masters this technique can be considered a rival to the kage themselves."
Pa chuckles. "It's about time you taught him Jiraiya-shonen, he's already twice the shinobi you were when I taught you."
Jiraiya pouts. "Y-you didn't have to be so honest.."
Pa thwacks him with a paper fan. "No sulking, aren't you already a geezer."
Naruto chuckles at the display. "I'm ready to learn."
"Jiraiya fetch the sacred toad oil, Naruto-shonen go take a seat next to the waterfall and assume a meditation comfortable to you."
The blonde Uzumaki nods and does as he was instructed, assuming the meditative pose Itachi taught him. The sounds of the waterfall are relaxing, reminding him of the area where he and Itachi would train.
He soon begins to drift off, and is only slightly stirred when he feels Jiraiya's calloused hands rubbing some form of warm oil on his skin.
"W-woah… I think I feel something.."
Naruto feels surprised as he suddenly feels a energetic chakra entering him, that is simultaneously powerful and serene.
Focusing on remaining calm he attempts to mix it evenly with his own, just like he had to with the ninetails chakra when he was a jinchuriki.
Suddenly he can sense his surroundings and is highly aware of every blade of grass, and bird around him.
He stands up.
"Naruto wait, moving now could be dangerous!"
The blonde opens his eyes and looks down at the shocked face of pa.
"Hmm why?"
Jiraiya looks at him flabbergasted. "No way.. Those perfect orange lines, no deformations. You- you really got it on your first try."
Naruto looks at him confused. "Got what?" Looking down at his hands he does feel strangely energetic, healthier, like he could lift a ton.
"Unbelievable… Jiraiya boy.. You've done it… he really is.. The child of prophecy."
The sanin smiles at him. "Naruto.. You're ready. Be wary of overusing this chakra, if it overpowers your own, and you lose control of the balance, you will turn into a stone frog."
The blonde's eye twitches. "You could've told me before I started training to use it."
"I didn't want to distract you."
Pa hops back on Jiraiya's shoulder. "Jiraya, go into Sage mode now, it's time we teach Naruto how to use the Frog kumite."
"Frog kumite?" Naruto looks curiously at his old mentors.
"It's an extension of your body, allowing you to react and strike beyond your body using nature chakra." Jiraiya explains.
"Woah, that sounds incredibly useful." The fresh sage smirks, his orange ringed bluish-purple eyes glistening in the bright mountain sun.
"It will be your greatest weapon in sage mode." Pa smirks back at him. "Well Jiraiya-shonen, get to it."
Jiraiya hops forward with a geta-sandal aiming a kick at Naruto's face. The boy catches it with a side chop and the two begin sparring.
More than five hours later, Naruto is sweating, and Jiraiya is breathing heavily, having taken quite a beating.
"Pa… you *cough* could've told me a Perfect sage would be stronger, before I got my ass kicked.." Jiraiya wipes some blood from his cheek.
"And miss the show?" The frog chuckles, earning a groan from Jiraiya.
"Well Pervy sage, safe to say I've finally surpassed you."
Jiraiya nods. "I can't deny that Naruto, just don't get a big head or your enemies will use that against you."
Naruto bows, smiling at his sensei. "Of course, Jiraiya-sensei."
Jiraiya's eyebrow raises. "Oh now I get honorifics?"
The blonde chuckles mischievously. "Now I don't have to worry about keeping your ego in check."
Pa chortles. "He's got you there Jiraiya."
Jiraiya's eye twitches. "Right… Come on Naruto, get changed. Also… I have something for you."
Naruto looks up curiously, his eyes widen when Jiraiya pulls off his steel horn headband with the symbol for sage on it.
"Y-your headband…"
Jiraiya smiles. "Naruto.. My most precious student. Please accept it.. I want you to carry the name of Toad sage from now on."
Naruto smiles, wiping tears from his eye and puts on his sensei's headband, moving his own Leaf headband around his arm. "I'd be honored."
Pa hops down and smiles. "Naruto, I have something for you as well." He hands the boy a scroll.
The new Toad sage nods and channels chakra into it revealing a red and black cloak like the one his father wore.
"This is…"
Jiraiya nods. "Well put it on."
Naruto does so practically smiling ear to ear and chuckling as he slips his arms through the red cloak, retying his leaf headband over the arm.
"You look just like him…"
Naruto looks down at Pa surprised.
"Who?"
Pa smiles. "I was just a tadpole at the time, but I remember that man so vividly… the Sage of six paths, Hagoromo. You… look just like him."
Jiraiya nods. "You look like Minato… so much it's surreal."
Naruto smiles. "Well then, if it's honoring two heroes, then I guess I'll just have to keep this headband and this cloak close to me at all times!"
He drops out of sage mode, his rinnegan returning to a more deep purple color from the palish blue purple.
"Jiraiya sensei, you, Anko-sensei, Tayuya. You better all stay safe. And make sure to give Kabuto a rasengan for me."
Jiraiya nods to his protege tying his Sanin-era leaf headband around his head, he gives a thumbs up and a bright smile. "I promise Naruto."
Sharing a fist bump with both his masters, Naruto is reverse summoned back to the leaf. He steps out near the gate and sees Kakashi, Sakura, and Shizune already waiting.
"Where's granny?"
Sakura smirks. "She had to grab something."
The momentous sound of heels striking the ground are heard as Tsunade struts out with all the confidence of the village holding her red Hokage hat on her head in her hand. She looks up and smirks.
"Let's do this."
Naruto couldn't help but smile, as he along with Shizune, Kakashi and Sakura follow Tsunade, headed for the Gokage summit.
X END X