"Pervert!", the blonde screamed spotting the white-haired man peeping in the hot springs. The man turned before scowling at the pre-teen.

"Stay quiet, you brat! I am doing research here!", the man hissed. The blonde subtly ignored him.

"That's isn't research! That's peeping!", Naruto exclaimed in a loud voice.

"Somebody's peeping!"

"Who is it?!"

Furious voices came from below, while the man winced. "There! Up in the tree!"

The man cursed, jumping down while glaring at the laughing blonde. He made a mad dash and hauled up the blonde on his shoulder, before scampering away from the furious women out for his blood.

"Hey! Put me down!", the blonde wriggled in his grip, though the man's grip didn't budge. 'He took out Ebisu in a single strike, and he isn't even budging, even if I use chakra!'.

"You blew my cover. Now pay for your mistakes", the man said as he put down the blonde near a stream. The blonde looked up at the white-haired man with a frown, before huffing.

"I am not going to do anything for a pervert!", the blonde retorted. The man thought for a moment, before an idea popped up in his brain.

"Why don't you show me your water-walking? I saw that you had been failing miserably", the man said with smugness. The blonde scowled at the man, before stomping over to the bank.

"I can do water-walking better than you can, Ero-jii-san", Naruto remarked before holding his hands in a ram seal. He then took an unsteady step forward, balancing himself with his improper chakra control.

The man rose a brow at the sight of the blonde trying to balance on a tightrope, before beckoning the blonde to come over. "Lift up your shirt", he commanded to the blonde.

The blonde his eyes dangerously at the pervert man. "You are worse than a pervert!", he screamed accusingly. The man's eye twitched at the implication of the accusation.

"Naruto! You brat! I want to check your seal! And I am not a pervert. I am a super pervert! The Toad Sage, Jiraiya", the man exclaimed while striking a pose. Naruto wasn't sure what to say, but seeing that he was ready to look at the seal, which was messed up by a creepy looking lady in the Forest of Death, he agreed.

Naruto slowly lifted up his jacket, and let Jiraiya examine the seal. He watched as awe and fascination washed over Jiraiya's features, before he let loose a chuckle. "Your father was a genius to design this. It can hold all the Bijuu together if needed", he murmured, before looking up on Naruto's shocked face.

"You knew my father?", Naruto asked in a whisper, almost as he wasn't believing what he was hearing. Jiraiya realized the slip, and bit his tongue. His sensei was going to give him an earful after he heard this. Naruto gripped Jiraiya's shoulders tightly, trying to move him back and forth. "Who was he?! Tell me!".

"Ahh.. yes. I knew who your father was", Jiraiya said dramatically, trying to increase the suspense, though it was in an attempt to make Naruto forget. "But before that, hold yourself tightly. Five Elements Seal. Release!", Jiraiya as his fingertips lit up with small blue chakra flames, and slammed them on Naruto's stomach.

"OOF!", Naruto wheezed as all the air was promptly knocked out of Naruto's lungs. "Damn you, Ero-Sennin. You could have warned me", Naruto groaned in pain. Jiraiya's eye twitched at the nickname, but said nothing.

"Now try to water-walk again", Jiraiya instructed the blonde. Giving an unsure glance to the spiky-haired man, Naruto again held his hands in a ram seal, and slowly walked over the water surface.

Excitement lit up his eyes seeing that he didn't need to concentrate as hard as before. Letting go of the seal, he walked again slowly, before running around knowing that he wouldn't fall. Quickly enough he came back to Jiraiya, just standing on the water over the edge.

"Thanks for that, Ero-Sennin!"

"Stop calling me that, brat!"

"Yeah, yeah", Naruto agreed thought Jiraiya knew that the boy had brushed his suggestion off. "So, who was my father?", he asked expectantly. Jiraiya winced knowing that Naruto wouldn't let him off.

"Anyway, you practice water-walking and increase your chakra control! I have some urgent work I need to do", Jiraiya replied, and turned away before hearing Naruto's furious shout.

"All of you are the same! Each and everyone of you! You! Jii-chan! Kakashi-sensei! All of you! Was my father some criminal that you don't try to speak out his name?! Was that the reason I was selected to hold the Kyubi?! Jii-san always tell that they died on the night of the Kyubi attack! And I know he lies through his teeth! Who is my father?! Tell me, you bastard!", Naruto screamed furiously from behind. He could feel the Kyubi's chakra seeping around Naruto.

Jiraiya winced at the words, unbridled rage curling up in his stomach. He was definitely going to have some words with his sensei. Naruto had gone as far as to assume that his father was a criminal of some kind! Steeling his resolve, he turned around. Damn the ramifications!

"First, your father wasn't a criminal. Scratch that. His sheet was clean. Second, before you curse your father, he loved you more than anything in this world. You should have seen him jumping up and down, when your mother found out that she was pregnant. Third, what I tell you here, don't go yapping out to the people. Many villages would love to kill you, especially Iwa, before you become like your father. That's the reason why only a handful people know about your father. For others you are an orphan", Jiraiya warned in a no-nonsense tone. Naruto nodded slowly. "You know I run a spy network for Konoha, so I can't stay in the village for long times. I am your godfather, and I would have loved to look after you, but if anybody saw a blonde kid with me, all of them would scream bloody murder because of your father's fear", Jiraiya added, waiting for some harsh words, but felt a sense of déjà vu seeing Naruto's calm understanding face, waiting for a single slip from him.

"I understand, why you stayed away from me. You protected me in your own way", Naruto commented making Jiraiya sigh in relief.

"That went well. I thought you would scream at me and all"

Naruto shrugged. "Why would I? You knew that I would be killed if anyone saw me with you. So you have protected me all this time, because you didn't try to contact me".

"I am not sure what to say about that... So I hope you understand. He was my student. And regarding your father, you know him by his name, and even read about him in your books", Jiraiya said the last part amusedly.

"You taught my father?!", Naruto asked in shock as Jiraiya puffed his chest and nodded proudly.

"I was his Jonin-sensei", Jiraiya affirmed as Naruto rubbed his chin trying to remember what he had crammed in for the Genin exams.

"One of the teams you taught was the Yondaime's! I had read about you a bit when preparing for Genin exams because of the Yondaime", Naruto remarked shocking Jiraiya.

'I am not sure to be happy or sad! He read about me because of Minato, but only a bit!', Jiraiya thought depressed.

"Ahh! Dammit! Did you teach any other team?", Naruto asked making Jiraiya snort.

"Nah! Only your father's team", Jiraiya replied offhandedly. Naruto's eyes widened as he gulped.

"My father was on the Yondaime's team?! Woah!", Jiraiya fell flat on his face at the statement.

"Didn't you read what was written about the Yondaime's genin team?", Jiraiya asked sadly. Naruto pondered over it, before remembering it.

"Yeah, they had written that except his sensei, you, his teammates had died in the Second War...", he trailed off while looking at Jiraiya's smug face. "The Yon... Namikaze Minato was my father?", Naruto asked in a whisper as he staggered. "Then why did he... to his own son?", he asked quietly in shock.

Jiraiya shrugged. "Your father and mother died taking with them the events on what happened on the night of your birth. We don't know how the Kyubi broke free from your mother's seal. It shouldn't have happened if Minato was there", Jiraiya said sadly.

"You mean someone attacked them. But about my mother...", Naruto trailed off unsure.

"Yes to both. Your mother housed the Kyubi previously. A Jinchuriki's seal is the weakest at childbirth. On that night, it was decided that your birth would take place away from village, under a barrier that would suppress the Kyubi, if Minato failed. And bodies of the guarding ANBU had been found, either broken necks, or blasted air pipes. The only person I can think of to break through such a high end barrier, control the Kyubi and unleash it on Konoha, is Uchiha Madara", Jiraiya explained.

"So this Madara guy attacked when I was born? Who is he?", Naruto asked in confusion. Jiraiya facepalmed at the question.

"Of course, you don't know about him! He had founded Konohagakure along with the Shodai Hokage, Senju Hashirama. But he also was the first traitor from Konohagakure, as far as he went to destroy the village with the Kyubi under his control", Jiraiya answered before being washed over by malicious chakra. He watched as Naruto's eyes turned into red slits. "I guess the Kyubi hates Madara, a lot", he added with a frown.

"So, are you going to teach me?", Naruto asked after a few moments. Jiraiya rose a brow at the question.

"Why would you ask that?", Jiraiya wondered out as Naruto's face fell.

'I guess he won't teach me', Naruto thought sadly.

"I had already warned Kakashi, that I was going to steal you from him when I came back", Jiraiya remarked as Naruto's face lit up. "Now, go and pack your bags! The next month, we are going to be out of the village!".

"Yes, Ero-Sennin!"

"Stop calling me that!"

"I will call you Jiraiya-sensei, if you stop perving at hot springs!"

"Damn you brat!", Jiraiya muttered as Naruto disappeared in the direction of a Training Ground. 'Eh? He wants to put some training in, I guess. But, at least I can dodge Sarutobi-sensei for a month! Boy, when you enter the arena in the clothes I get you, I will love the look on everybody's faces!'.

Soon enough, Jiraiya went to buy a few clothes in the shopping district with a goal set in his mind.

It was an hour after sundown, when Jiraiya invited himself in Naruto's apartment from a window. The blonde jumped, before readying a kunai as a reflex and tried holding it near the intruder's jugular. Keyword tried, since Jiraiya was too tall for him.

"Hey!", Jiraiya yelped before disarming Naruto. "Why would you do that?!"

Naruto averted his eyes, before going back to pack his bags. No, he wouldn't show his weakness in front of his godfather! Jiraiya eyes narrowed at the ignorance, his instincts telling him that the boy was hiding something.

"I asked you a question, Naruto", he said in a low voice.

Naruto barked out a fake laugh. "Hey! You never try to sneak up on a ninja!", he replied nonchalantly. Before he could comprehend, a kunai whizzed past dangerously close to his ear. "Hey! Now what are you doing?!"

"You are hiding something. You can fool even Kakashi, but not me. You mannerisms are between your mother and father when you lie too", Jiraiya stated narrowing his eyes and pinning Naruto with a stare. He watched as the blonde gulped under the stare.

"Why do you think I am lying?", Naruto asked nervously. Jiraiya's hand twitched, before his punched the wooden table with full force. Naruto yelped, before backing away from Jiraiya in fear. Jiraiya's eyes softened, seeing the fear in Naruto eyes, gazing at him with helpless fear. "I am sorry! Please don't hit me!".

Jiraiya's breath caught in his throat, taking in deep breaths to try and calm his chakra. He quickly advanced ahead, and hugged Naruto tightly, trying to comfort the boy. "I should be the one sorry, Naruto. I didn't mean to scare you", he whispered softly as he felt Naruto's body wracking with sobs. 'Sensei! I am leaving for now, but a month later, we are having a serious talk!'.

"I am sorry, Jiraiya-sensei"

"Why are you sorry? I was the one who scared you"

"I... I didn't want to look weak. You taught my father, and I know that he was fearless". Jiraiya snorted at that.

"Fearless? When a rumor had spread that he was cheating on your mother, you should have seen him running around the village, trying to dodge all kinds of objects from your mother", Jiraiya remarked with a smile. He felt Naruto chuckle a bit between his sobs. "Its fine, Naruto. Nobody's gonna hurt you if I have anything to say about it".

The pair stayed like that for a few minutes, before Jiraiya separated handing Naruto a scroll. The boy looked at his new sensei with a confused face.

"Open it. It's a gift", Jiraiya instructed as Naruto nodded, before doing the same. Naruto frowned seeing a familiar seal, and pushed some chakra into it. There was a puff of smoke, before Naruto found himself holding four sets of a standard Konoha uniform, and two burnt orange flak jackets. Naruto's eyes watered seeing the new clothes, and hugged Jiraiya tightly.

"Thank you, Jiraiya-sensei", Naruto murmured as the man ruffled Naruto's spiky hair.

"Now, just take a few rations, and the new clothes! We are leaving tonight", Jiraiya remarked as Naruto nodded, and started packing the mentioned things in a backpack. Jiraiya rose a brow at the rows of stack instant ramen, before making a note to improve his diet.

"Shouldn't we tell Jii-chan that we are leaving?", Naruto asked unsure. Jiraiya rose a brow, before a thought made him smirk.

"Yes, yes we are. But we will write a note and leave it in your room", Jiraiya replied and handed a pen and paper to Naruto. "Now, write as I say".

~oOo~

The blonde girl followed the boy seeing him return from one of the Training Grounds. Her sensei had ordered her to tail the boy, seeing that her brother was unusually fixated on him. For her, the boy was just an idiot who took ninja career with no seriousness. She planned to followed him just for the sake, already knowing that he wasn't a threat for their plans.

Following the around the town for a few hours as he bought a few things, mostly camping material, she noted. But something she didn't miss was the way which the people were treating and gazing at him. Only a few of the villagers had greeted him with smiles. An inkling of doubt crept on the boy's identity. She planned to confirm it, but her sensing wasn't that great and she would need the boy to stay in a confined place for a specific period of time.

Soon enough, the boy walked towards the Red Light district making the girl tailing him on the rooftops frown. She wasn't sure why the boy was heading towards a place where many people dared not to even step in their lives. Still she kept on walking behind the boy, masking her chakra so the boy or nobody else would sense her on the rooftops.

'What is he doing here? The residential district in the opposite way!', she thought with a frown before noting that the boy had stopped in front of an abandoned rundown building. She watched as the boy climbed his way to the second floor, and opening a door which had a lot of things scribbled in it. Narrowing her eyes, she could make out the word 'demon' written more than a dozen times.

She gulped realizing that her doubt was indeed correct, and the boy she had been tailing for some time was Konoha's jinchuriki. The same like her brother. She was about to run away in fear, thinking that he was same as her brother, but she was washed over by a sad, but at the same time an overwhelmingly excited chakra.

'He has terrible chakra control!', she noted amusedly, before hiding near one of the windows. She watched as the boy packed supplies for a trip making her frown. 'I guess he is training with someone outside the village. But who?'

In the next few seconds, she narrowly dodged a man entering the window where she was hiding at. She waited for the man to turn around and spot her, but thankfully he had missed her. 'That was too close for comfort! And the amount of chakra this guy has! Who is he?', she thought with a frown.

Her eyes became prickly as she heard the boys words, realizing why he had suddenly been so scared. Fearing that she would be spotted, she took off, but not before hearing the message the man had directed to write the boy. She had suppressed a snort at the explanation the man had given. On her way, she steeled her resolve.

'You could have been like my brother, Uzumaki Naruto. What makes you different from him? I cannot say whose upbringing was worse among you two. A orphan who is attacked by his fellow villagers, or a boy whose own father has tried to assassinate him to check his worthiness as a weapon? Would you have done the same if you were in Gaara's shoes, Uzumaki Naruto? I may be loyal to my village, but I am not cold hearted like my father. Right now, you had that same expression my brother used to wear before he became as he was now. Your face after the man gave you the set of clothes, looked like a small child receiving a gift on his birthday. I know my father will try to kill you if he hears who you are. He already messed up my brother's life forever, I won't let him do yours', she thought as she ran back to her team's allocated apartment between the shopping and residential districts.