Chapter 7 - homecoming
It was a sunny and beautiful day in Konohagakure and the village was bustling with life. It had now been little more than four years since Minato passed away. Most people seem to have put that tragic day behind them. There were two four year old reminders of their beloved hokage though. The Uzumaki twins had become rather famous around the village. The people loved the late yondaime's little girls. It's almost like the people forgot that Minato had an older child. 'He never did like to interact with the villagers, and now he has been gone for four years' Hiruzen thought with a frown as he sat in his office looking out towards the village taking some puffs on his pipe.
Suddenly he heard a crash outside of his office and some screaming from his secretary and just a second after, his door was busted open rather rudely. In rushed a small girl with red hair, screaming about kicking some ass and other nonsense he could not make out. Hiruzen could not help but smile at the scene.
"I'm sorry Hokage-sama, i tried to stop her" a small voice said to him from the doors.
He knew who the voice belonged to and he turned his attention towards her. "That's okay Naori. Come in please" He smiled at the blond Uzumaki girl. 'She reminds me so much of Minato-boy, he was always calm and calculating, and of course respectful'.
Then he heard a whistling sound and turned towards the danger. He just had time to duck as a toy kunai came flying towards his head. He followed the kunais trajectory and saw the small redhead standing there grinning at him. "Almost got you this time, old man!" he groaned.
"Mito! You are not supposed to attack the hokage!" Naroi scolded her sister as she looked at the hokage with a downcast look. She was embarrassed by her sister's actions "I'm so sorry Hokage-sama" she said in a quiet voice.
"Don't apologize for me Naori! This old man has it coming, he has been sitting there for way too long. It's time someone as strong as me takes his place!" Mito exclaimed as she pumped a fist in the air.
Hiruzen could just smile watching the sisters bickering. 'She really took too much after her mother, this one is going to be a pain in the ass the next few years'. He thought with a small bit of dread. He could remember a young Kushina, who took a few years off from his life with her crazy shenanigans.
He coughed to stop Naori from scolding Mito more, as was a usual occurrence. "I think I still have a few more years left in these old bones, Mito. You will have to wait a few more years before you can take this hat" He said and winked at the redhead.
"I'm coming for you old man! Be sure of it!" She tried her best to give him an intimidating glare, but all it did was amuse the old hokage. Naori just rolled her eyes, feeling defeat. There is nothing she could do to stop the redheaded whirlwind.
"So what brings you two here to my office on such a fine day? Should you not be out playing? And where is your mother?" Hiruzen asked and leaned back in his chair.
"Mom said Naruto-niisan would get home any day now! So we thought we would ask you. You should know when he is coming home right? Even if you're old" Mito practically shouted.
'She really needs to learn some respect this one' Hiruzen thought amused.
"Stop shouting so much Mito. And show the hokage some respect!" Naori told her sister. Mito just put out her tongue towards her sister and made a farting sound. Naori groaned and was soon at her edge, she wanted to pummel her sister for acting so childish. But they were just four after all.
Hiruzen saw that Naori started to get annoyed. "Now now, no need to get worked up. So let me answer your question instead"
"Naruto actually sent me a message a few days ago, he should get back to the village sometime today"
"Yey!" Mito shouted. Naori just had a big smile on her face, they both really missed their big brother. They had not seen much of Naruto these last years. He came home for a visit six months ago and that was it. They did not know their brother very well except for how much he loved and cherished them. They mostly got told stories about him from their mother.
Suddenly Hiruzen felt four very familiar chakra signatures enter the village. Sarutobi was the hokage after all, he knew when someone or something entered the village. There were seals for these kinds of things. He got an evil smirk on his face 'let's not ruin this surprise' he thought.
"Why are you smiling like that old man?" Mito asked, a little suspicious.
"Ah, no reason really" He answers the small girl. And his mischievous grin just grew as he saw a person materialize behind the two clueless twins. 'He is a bit taller now, and that aura!. He really has grown' he thought with a smile.
"Why are you here bothering the hokage?" someone behind them asked. They recognized the voice but their brains did not really register it.
They both jumped around in shock and Mito made a frightened scream. When they saw who it was they both lost it and just jumped straight at him, pummeling the newcomer to the floor.
"Niisan" Both girls exclaimed and hugged their beloved brother.
Few seconds earlier outside the hokage's office. The trio and their sensei had just arrived and were going to give a lengthy report to the hokage.
"My sisters are in there," Naruto said as he halted the company. "Let me just go in first and give them a surprise," he told his team as he smiled. He was really excited about meeting his sisters after such a long time away.
"Go ahead Naruto, we come in after you" Kakashi told him as he eyesmiled. And then Naruto just disappeared from their view.
"It's creepy when he does that, not even using a hand sign," Shisui said.
The others just shrugged their shoulders.
"I'm really glad to see you both as well, i missed you alot" he told his sisters as he hugged them both at the same time.
"You have been gone for so long!" Mito said between sobs. Even Naori had a small happy tear in her eye.
"I'm here now aren't i? So no need for crying" Naruto said as he tried to get them to calm down a bit. "I was away training with my team so we can better protect you guys and this village, that's good right?" He smiled down at them.
"I guess so," Mito said as she was starting to calm down.
"I missed you niisan, without you here Mito is driving me nuts!" Naori said. She got a glare from Mito that she ignored.
"It can't be that bad?" He looked towards the hokage who gave him a sympathetic look "can it?"
"She is just as crazy as mom!" Naori is now shouting for the first time.
"Nuhu..i'm not crazy! You're crazy for thinking I'm crazy!" Mito shot back. And that started a bickering for the ages between the small girls.
Naruto just groaned 'she really is just like mom'
'Serves you right Naruto-kun. You have been away for far too long, who do you think had to take the brunt of Uzumaki craziness when you were away?' Hiruzen thought as he was now relieved someone else would absorb this pain.
Naruto saw the amused look on Hiruzen's face and he raised an eyebrow in thought 'so this is what you had to endure?'
"Now let's not get worked up." Naruto told his siblings as they calmed down. "Me and my team have to give the Hokage a report now. You guys should head home as this will take quite a while. You can tell mother I'm back and we could eat something fancy when I get home. Does that sound fine?" He looked down at his sisters.
"Fine! But you better hurry up" Mito said as she was a little disappointed that they had to leave now when he just came back.
"Okay. Cya back at home then niisan" Naori said as she smiled. She was not as dramatic as her twin sister.
They both left after saying goodbye.
Now there were more people in the office as the rest of Naruto's team had entered. Even Jiraiya was back and he had joined this little meeting as he came through the window.
"Welcome back everyone. It's great to see you all again" Hiruzen welcomed them all.
Everyone greeted the hokage and they all broke down in small chat with each other.
"Naruto, Itachi and Shisui. You can all actually go home to your families if you want, I know it has been a long time. Jiraiya and Kakashi-san here can give me their reports and then you can turn in your written ones in a week" He told them and smiled. He knew they all missed their families, and he did not really need their reports right at this moment.
"Thank you Hokage-sama" They all said as they nodded. They said their goodbyes and left.
Hiruzen was very curious about their development during these four years. He had gotten mission reports during the years, but that did not say much about their individual skills, other than that they had impeccable teamwork and worketichs as they completed every mission without fault. The smirk and aura of smugness on Jiraiya did not help his curious side either. He knew this was going to be a long conversation.
"So, what can you tell me about their development and individual skills?" Hiruzen asked as he leaned back in his chair for a more comfortable position.
"Where to start?" Jiraiya said as he was thinking out loud.
"Their teamwork is out of this world, I have never seen anything like it. It's like they are in each other's heads and know exactly what the other person's actions will be." Kakashi said as he did not know how else to explain it "There is not much to say except that their teamwork is perfect. As i said, i have never seen anything even close to it " finished.
"Not even my own students had that kind of teamwork," Hiruzen said as he looked towards Jiraiya.
Jiraiya saw the question in his old sensei's eyes "It's true sensei. Me, Tsunade-hime and Orochimaru-baka had legendary teamwork, we even got famous for it. But we were nothing like this team when it comes to teamwork, I have to admit." he said with a proud smile even if it hurt his pride a little to admit.
"It's not really surprising taking their friendship into account. But it's still hard to believe" Hiruzen said. "So about their individual development?" He continued.
"If that is hard to believe, you really have to strap yourself down for this" Kakashi said as he smirked under his mask, he was so proud of his students' development. Even Kakashi had trained hard alongside his students and grown exponentially, but nothing compared to the youths.
Kakashi looked towards Jiraiya. Jiraiya just gave him a nod to signal Kakashi to go ahead with the report.
"Let's start with Shisui then" Kakashi started then thought about how he would start his explanation. "Shisui found a fascination with medical ninjutsu" That got a reaction out of Hiruzen in the form of a confused heightened eyebrow. "He was given a lot of personal training from Tsunade-sama. She even went so far as to accept him as an apprentice." At that Hiruzen interjected "Really? I never thought she would take more than one apprentice" he said as he thought of little Shizune. "Sorry, keep going" He told Kakashi.
"He has an extremely precise chakra control, fitting for a medic. And with his sharingan, he will have a lot of advantages over other medics." Kakashi looked at Jiraiya and smirked 'let's save the big news for last' he thought and it's like Jiraiya understood what he was thinking about as he gave a nod and smirk back at Kakashi.
"He will surpass Tsunade in some aspects in the medical field in a few years, her own words. He will become the most accomplished combat medic nin if he keeps going like this. His chakra reserves are bigger than most jounins now. His genjutsu has no match as far as i know, and his speed and kenjutsu skills are on par with the seven swordsmen of the mist. And his ninjutsu is nothing to sneeze at, just the fact that he uses shunshin better than anyone I know of, speaks clearly of his genius. I would say he's just under Kage level. In bingo books he would certainly be put down as a S-rank threat" He looked at the hokages disbelieving look. "That's not even taking into account his biggest development" he paused for dramatic effect.
"Which is what? Out with it dammit." Hiruzen was now almost standing up at attention.
"His sharingan somehow matured into the mangekyou sharingan. We are not sure about its abilities yet, as it just happened a few weeks ago". Kakashi said calmly
"WHAT?!" Hiruzen shouted. "How is this possible?" He added
"There is several theories about how to unlock mangekyou sharingan, we will have to look into this more for a accurate answer." he finished
"This is great news. But it's still unbelievable. Almost kage level at the age of sixteen" he said as he sank back in his chair. "Are you really sure about your assessment of his skill level?" he asked
Jiraiya chose to answer now "It's true what Kakashi-san said. He gave an accurate assessment I promise you that sensei" and he smiled, he still could not believe the kids' progress himself.
'And they have not even mentioned Itachi-san and Naruto-kun' Hiruzen was thinking as he was at a loss for words.
"And the other two?" He asked, feeling excitement building inside of him as he waited for answers.
"Well, Itachi-san is a genius on a whole other level" Jiraiya said and then continued "His ninjutsu and kenjutsu is superb. His speed and analytical thinking makes him a really fearsome opponent, even for someone like me" Jiraiya said and let that fact sink in. "he has full mastery over his sharingan, his genjutsu is not on Shisui's level but close to it. I think in the future there will be no better genjutsu specialist than Itachi-san. And i also convinced the elder toads to teach Itachi-san senjutsu even though he has no contract with them." Jiraiya said. Hiruzen got shocked, 'that's unheard of'. But he kept quiet and let Jiraiya continue his explanation. "Give it a few years and he will be the first uchiha sage, at least that i heard about" he smiled proudly. Itachi really was a genius with unparalleled potential. 'Except for one thought' he thought.
"What skill level would you put him at? Hiruzen asked.
"He's very close to Shisui in that regard. Only thing that he is lacking is age and experience. I would say he is close to Kage-level as well."
"This is crazy. He is just twelve years old!" Hiruzen blurted out, he had more shocks in one day than he ever had before. He's not sure his heart could take much more of this.
"Believe it old man! This team is going down the history books I assure you" Jiraiya chuckled as well as Kakashi having a big ass grin on his face, very uncharacteristic.
Hiruzen just sat there mute for a while thinking about the future and this team.'If those two have grown this much, I can't even imagine what they will tell me about Naruto-kuns progress.' He took some puffs on his pipe to calm down his old nerves.
He almost did not dare to ask, but he had to "And Naruto-kun"?. He saw Jiraiya and Kakashi share a look, and that was a bit unnerving.
Jiraiya and Kakashi just stood there for a while thinking about how to explain Naruto's progress. This made Hiruzen even more nervous.
"Well you see...It's like..uhm." Kakashi mumbled
"It's hard to measure his skill level," Jiraiya blurted out.
"What do you mean by that? Surely you of all people can assess his skills." Hiruzen was getting confused as he was really excited about hearing about Naruto "Just out with it" he added.
"Well, let's put it like this. He never had to go full out defeating me in a spar. And mind you I used everything I got. The kid is as strong as they come." Jiraiya said flatly, his pride still hurt a bit not being able to defeat Naruto.
"Stop playing Jiraiya and tell me the truth of it," Hiruzen said, not believing it one bit.
"It's true sensei. He is easily Kage-level or above, he would have the same rank in bingo books as his old man, an SS-rank threat." Jiraiya told him
Hiruzen looked towards Kakashi who just nodded in confirmation. 'I knew he would become strong in the future, but he is just twelve years old. What monster will he become when he is in his prime?' Hiruzen thought as a shiver went up his spine.
"To tell you more of his abilities. He is a perfect sage, not even his father could accomplish that feat. His control of the five different elements are unmatched, and so is his use of nature transformation such as his mokuton and hyoton. His speed and strength are both kage-level, and he's even more of a genius than both his teammates. I have never met someone with his kind of analytical mind when it comes to combat or developing his own skills. He learns everything extremely fast. He even got his fathers signature jutsu the hiraishin down, that's why he came back here six months ago for a visit." He finished. There was not much more he could tell Hiruzen about Naruto's skills. That would have to come from Naruto himself. Naruto was one of those that used as little as possible defeating his opponents, so it was hard to get a full scale of his abilities.
"The hiraishin?" Hiruzen thought out loud. That's the technique that made his father famous. He could teleport instantaneously almost any distance where he had a marker, a very dangerous tool to have.
"I think, if i'm being honest. Both me and you sensei would have to team up to take Naruto-kun down." He looked at Hiruzen's shocked face "in a few years he will be out of anyone's league". He added.
The thought both terrified Hiruzen and made him immensely proud. He knew Naruto's tendencies and personality. He now more than ever hoped Naruto-kun would follow the right path in life.
"How is the status and development of Naruto's..let's say..darker tendencies?" Hiruzen asked. Jiraiya saw that he was a bit worried, and he was right to be. You always have to be cautious about people who have that much power. And especially with Naruto and his outlook on life.
Kakashi decided to answer that "You don't have to worry about him going crazy and destroying the village and its people at least. He has strong connections here. His family and friends and us." He said and took a gulp "I cant talk for our enemies and potential enemies in the future though. He is as brutal and efficient as ever. He still sees the world in black and white. He would without question destroy anyone without mercy that threatens his home or precious people."
"That is both comforting and terrifying". Hiruzen said as he leaned back yet again with a big sign.
"He is a good boy, it's just his lack of care about people that he does not know or have any connection with. That may go away as he gets older" Jiraiya said as he tried to calm Hiruzen's racing mind. Kakashi nodded agreeingly
"Yes, Naruto-kun is a very friendly individual when you get to know him. Maybe his sisters will loosen him up a bit." He said as he was hopeful for the future.
"That reminds me, what about the kyuubi?" He asked, totally forgetting about Naruto having the kyuubi sealed in his gut.
"That is a great question, and there is no good answer really." Jiraiya said as he looked to be in deep thought. "You see, he made it so that Kyuubi's chakra would merge with his own slowly over time. There is no telling what the endresluts will be" He said as he remembered scolding Naruto on this on several occasions. "Only thing we know for certain as of now is that his chakra reserves have grown ridiculously big as a result and his chakra is even more potent than before. It also seems his healing properties of his chakra have grown stronger. But we cant be sure if thats because of his own chakra maturing or the influence of Kyuubi's. Only time will tell." he finished his explanation.
"For such a smart boy he does quite a lot of reckless things, don't you think?" Hiruzen said.
"It's as baffling for me as it is for you" Jiraiya said as he shrugged his shoulders.
"He's a risk-taker. Its just his nature, he like to challenge himself" Kakashi interjected
"You may be right Kakashi-kun, I just hope it doesn't come back to bite him or anyone else in the ass" Hiruzen answers as he stands up.
"Let's end this meeting for now, I think I need a walk to clear my head. You can turn in your written reports in a week's time. Kakashi-san, take the week off, and tell your team they also have one week of freetime." He looked towards Jiraiya "Walk with me Jiraiya-boy, i like to have a few words"
Kakashi nodded and disappeared from the office.
"So what do you want to talk about sensei? Jiraiya asked curiously.
"Let's head out and I'll tell you" He smiled at his student.
They were now outside in the warm weather. They walked for a while in silence just enjoying each other's company and the beautiful sights konoha had to offer them.
"I'm getting old Jiraiya-kun" He looked towards Jiraiya who just raised an eyebrow at him
"This is my second time taking up this hat. I have been hokage for far too long. I'm getting tired, Jiraiya. I dont have the same drive and energy to do this anymore as I used to. And my relationship with my son gets worse and worse." He looked down in shame as he hated that he had such a bad relationship with his son, and he could only blame himself really.
"You are not that old sensei"
"That's nice of you to say Jiraiya-boy, but you know that's not true. Not in this line of work" He gave his student a weak smile.
Jiraiya didn't know what to tell his old sensei. He was even more of a loss when it came to his relationship with his son. Jiraiya was not the best at relationships. "Your son loves you, you know that right? He knows what kind of responsibility you have" Was the only thing Jiraiya could think of saying.
"It's nice of you to say that Jiraiya, and I hope you are right. I just can't help but feel I made too many mistakes regarding my son" Hiruzen answers as he has a faraway look in his eyes.
"I need someone to take my place in a few years" he said as he watched Jiraiya.
"You have someone in mind?" Jiraiya asked curiously.
"In fact I do, but it requires certain conditions. I have a few in mind actually, but there is one I would like to lead the village in future if everything works out". Hiruzen signed.
"It's Naruto-kun isn't it?" Jiraiya asked as he looked at the hokage with a small frown.
"Yes, I would like Naruto-kun to follow in his fathers footsteps and lead this village in the future. He has a very sharp mind, especially when it comes to shinobi affairs. And he definitely has the power for the position." Jiraiya just listened. He loved the boy as if he was his own son, but he knew Naruto would be a bad fit for hokage. Hiruzen continued "There are a few problems though and they can't be overlooked. He has no care whatsoever about politics, he seems to not like how things are run either. He is much like Danzo in this regard. He likes more direct methods so to say. I'm afraid he would put the world to the torch if he thought he was protecting the village and his precious people. He does not care about collateral if it means protecting what he deems important. Sure, he would possibly make Konoha the greatest military power in the whole elemental nations. But that's not the world we strive to build" he looked at Jiraiya almost like he hoped he had some answer to all of this.
"I agree with you Hiruzen. I love the boy, but he is not a great fit for that position. I don't even think he would want to be hokage." he paused a bit and thought of possible candidates that came to his mind. "There will be Itachi in a few years, or even Shisui. Both of them are strong and have a good way of handling things. Even Tsunade-hime would be a great hokage, not sure how she would look at it though." And he smiled at the thought. She would probably right out refuse the offer.
"What about yourself Jiraiya-kun?" Hiruzen asked as he had a small smirk on his face, he already presumed what his students' answer would be.
"Me?... Old man, I don't know what you are smoking in that pipe. But it's screwing with your head. Me? Hahaha. I would make a terrible hokage" Jiraiya answers as he laughs.
"Yes, you are probably right" Hiruzen chuckled
"There is one more though that crossed my mind. But that is quite a few years away, long after my time in this office is over." Hiruzen gave Jiraiya a smirk
"Who would that be?" Jiraiya asked, now very curious.
"Have you met Naori yet? I mean now when she is a bit grown up" Hiruzen asked.
"I heard some things about her from Kushina and Naruto, but not much. What made you think of her? She is just four years old" Jiraiya said as he was confused.
"She reminds me so much of Minato-kun. The way she talks and thinks and even her blond hair" he said as he smiled. "She is like a copy of our late yondaime. She and her sister have even started to train a little with their mother. And both show great promise, especially Naori when it comes to the shinobi arts". He smiled as he thought of the small girls, they were so friendly and lovable.
"I got the same impression from what Naruto and Kushina told me. But it's a little early to think like that dont you think?" Jiraiya was skeptical, sure they had a great lineage. And they would probably be getting training from some of the strongest people in the village, even by himself he had to admit. That would give them a big advantage over others for sure. But it was way too early to tell how they will turn out in the future. Naruto was a special case, Jiraiya could not remember anyone ever being born with his kind of potential.
"I just have this feeling Jiraiya" He said and smiled.
"Even if one of the twins would turn out to be a great candidate in the future. That still means it would take them years to get to that point. That may be fifteen or twenty years away. You are willing to wait that long?" He asked his old sensei.
"I'm not even sure I have that many years left of my life. No, I would have to find someone else in the meantime. As you said we have a lot of great candidates. Kakashi is an S-rank shinobi, he would at least have the power to be a hokage. Then there will be Itachi and Shisui in a few years as you said. And even Tsunade." He paused a bit. "Kushina is strong enough, but she would never accept the position." He smiled at the thought of Kushina being hokage.
"Bah!..Kushina would make pranks a mandatory subject in the academy and there would be ramen stands all over the village by her decree" Jiraiya said and bursted out laughing.
"She is a bit hyper aint she?" He smiled at his student and they both shared a laugh.
"Hyper! Haha. That woman is bat shit crazy most of the time. It's a miracle Minato even survived her" Jiraiya said as he could not help smiling at the thought of the lovable, crazy and hyperactive woman. She was a special breed indeed.
"On second thought. Maybe not the best choice for hokage then" Hiruzen chuckled.
They both just stayed for a while and enjoyed each other's company while talking about various things. After a while Hiruzen went back to his office and Jiraiya was on his way to the Uzumaki household.
As Jiraiya was about to knock on the front door he heard someone shout behind him. "Jiraiya!" He turned around and saw Kushina coming towards him as she just passed the gates for the compound.
"Hi there Kushina-san. Good to see you again after all this time" he smiled at her. And she just came up to him and gave him a big hug. "I missed you Jiraiya".
He smiled at her "I missed you too little Kushina, and the twins as well". She smiled back at him, glad that he and everyone else was back.
"Join us for dinner wont you? I have just been out getting some groceries"
"That would be wonderful, I'm starving actually" he answered and they both entered the household.
When they got into the living room they were met with a strange sight. They saw both Mito and Naori being stuck to the ceiling with what looked like tree branches and vines. And their mouths were muffled. They could see them struggling and trying to make sounds. They just raised their eyebrows at the unusual sight. Then they turned their attention towards the third person in the room. Naruto was just sitting there looking through some papers, seemingly having no care that his sisters were stuck to the ceiling.
"Naruto-kun, what gives?" His mother asked him
"Hi mom" He turned around towards them. "Hi there Jiraiya". He then looked up towards his sisters "You mean those two?. Well they would not stop fighting and bickering, so i decided to put them up there for a while" he said matter of factly.
Kushina looked up towards the twins "You guys fighting again? What have I told you about fighting?" she scolded them. Then she looked at Naruto "Please let them down now Naruto-kun, i think they learned their lesson" she smiled at him.
Naruto just shrugged his shoulders "As you wish" and he slowly lowered them towards the floor, and then all the branches and vines were gone in a second.
As soon as they got free Mito launched towards Naruto, trying to give him a smack on the head. But she did not get far as she noticed someone holding her shirt in the back. She turned around and saw her mothers all too friendly expression and she gulped in fear "What did I tell you guys about fighting each other?" She looked sternly at Mito and then towards Naori who lowered her head.
"But.."
"No but's little missy. When I'm not home, you listen to your big brother. Am I clear?" she told Mito and then looked towards Naori "That goes for you to Naori"
"I'm sorry mom, i promise to behave" Mito pouted.
"Sorry mom" Naori said as she shot a glare towards Mito.
Kushina smiled at the small children, this was normal between siblings. But she wanted them to stop their bickering and fighting as much as possible at least. She knew Mito was a trouble maker 'she got too much of that from me' Kushina admitted. And she knew Naori usually kept a cool head, but Mito was a master at pushing her sisters buttons. And Naori was just like any other child, she got angry when pushed too much.
"You have to stop teasing your sister Mito." Kushina told her trouble making child. "Now both of you go and clean up while i make some dinner for us"
Both children nodded and walked towards their rooms. Before storming off to her room Mito turned around and gave Naruto a glare. Naruto just gave her a big grin back, and saw that it infuriated his sister. Kushina saw this and just signed 'siblings'. Then she went towards the kitchen to prepare some food.
Meanwhile during all this. Jiraiya just stood there snickering. He found the whole scene rather amusing, it reminded him of his time as a youth with his team.
"Something funny Jiraiya-sama?" Naruto asked his godfather.
"Visiting the Uzumaki household is always something special." was his only answer and Naruto just shrugged his shoulders and went back to his papers.
"What are you doing there, Naruto-kun?" Jiraiya asked as he leaned over a bit to see what he was reading.
"Just reading about the different nature transformations that are known" he said.
"Oh? And why is that?" Jiraiya asked curiously now.
"I told you this before Jiraiya, I'm testing out a theory of mine." He said as he did not bother looking up.
"So you still think you could replicate more nature transformations?"
"I'm still not sure, but it's worth trying out. Just think of the possibilities" Naruto was really intrigued by the boil release and wanted to replicate it. 'I could boil people alive, that would make getting information from people much easier' he thought with a smirk.
Jiraiya saw Naruto's creepy smirk and felt a small shiver. He pushed that feeling away though. "Just be careful Naruto. Nature transformation is dangerous and can hurt the user if not done correctly"
"Of course Jiraiya, i will be careful" He then looked up at his godfather and gave him a small smile.
Jiraiya did not believe him for a second, but he kept that to himself. 'He will always be reckless and push boundaries. It's people like him that makes way for new discoveries.' . There is always a need for people like him to push boundaries and do reckless shit. He just hopes that Naruto does not hurt himself along the way.
"You have one week off now Naruto, try not to spend it all on training or studying." He slapped Naruto on the back. "Uh..sure" Naruto replied and just went back to reading.
After a while they all heard Kushina shouting to them."Dinner is ready". And everyone shuffled into the dining room to have some quality family time.
End of chapter
*Author's note*
As always, thanks everyone for reading
I just want to explain something about this story, so you don't get put off by the rushed feeling.
The story started out with Naruto being born. And the main plot and biggest chunk of the story won't start until Naruto becomes an adult.
The main plot will kick off when Naruto is around 21-22 years old. And then his sisters will be around 13-14 years old. They will get involved more in the story as they get older.
Itachi and Shisui will have bigger parts in the main plot as well.
It may feel a bit rushed, and I'm sorry about that. But I want to get to the main plot as soon as possible. I guess there is about 10-15 more chapters before Naruto reaches the age of 20+ so I still have some space to try and build my characters.
It's my first time writing a story, so I appreciate all comments about my writing and how I can improve. I rather not go back and edit a lot of chapters later on. I want to have them as they are like a reminder of my own progress. But if i make a big plot hole somewhere i have to fix it. So look out for those and remind me if I make a mistake I missed.
And with that said.
Until next time!