Pairings: None at the beginning, but final pairing is SasuNaru, there will be some GaaNaru and there may be other pairings with Naruto throughout the story.
Warnings: Shonen-ai (boy x boy love) at first and then when the characters are older it will become yaoi, so there will be homosexual pairings in this story. If this bothers you then please don't read this story. Mature content, crude language, cursing and sexual references are in this story.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters. This story is a work of fiction based on the Naruto manga and anime series.
Thoughts and dreams are represented by italics.
Chapter Nine – The Frog Hermit
After Gaara got over his surprise that he had actually been crying, he thought of something. "Why are we here, Naruto?"
Naruto looked at his friend with confusion. "Huh? What do you mean?"
Gaara sighed. "Why did you come back to this room?"
Naruto was still confused about the question for a second or two, then he slapped himself on the forehead. Damn! He's right! Why did I come back here? "Um, habit I guess." Naruto laughed in embarrassment. He then got up off the bed. "Well, I guess I should go back to my apartment." I'm going to miss Gaara.
Gaara got up too and followed the blond out of the room. "You told me before that you live alone. Do you mind if I stay with you? Just until after the third exam. He added the last when Naruto had looked at him with surprise.
"Uh sure. It's not really big though and I mostly only have ramen to eat in my cabinets." Gaara wants to stay with me? It could be fun though. My apartment won't feel so lonely.
"That will be fine. I prefer your company to my team's." While I am still in Konoha, I can watch over Naruto. Protect him from those that would want to harm or use him. He had a picture of Sasuke in his mind at that last thought.
Naruto and Gaara left the tower and headed back through the forest to get to the village. Naruto was starting to feel excited as they traveled. Gaara will live with me and we can do lots of things together. That will be great, but I don't like that I have to wait a month to fight in the third exam. I want to teach Neji a lesson. He's such an arrogant prick. The way he hurt his own cousin was cruel too. I can't wait to whip his ass!
Orochimaru and Kabuto were standing in a clearing, a couple miles outside the Leaf village. "Have you come up with any ideas on how we can trap Naruto-kun, Kabuto?"
"He cares a great deal for his team mates and I noticed he was friends with some of the young Leaf nin. He also has grown close to Gaara of the Desert. We could use one of the people he cares about as bait to lure him out of the village."
"I have been in talks with the Kazekage about an alliance between us. His son, Gaara, could be used. Gaara is a demon holder like Naruto-kun, he has a great lust for spilling blood."
"I am not sure he would betray Naruto-kun, Orochimaru-sama. He appears very protective of his friend."
"Gaara is a ninja and will do what his Kazekage orders. He will lure his friend out of the village. If he doesn't, then he will be captured and used as bait anyway. I'm sure his father wouldn't mind us punishing him, if Gaara disobeys his order. He seems to hate his son."
Kabuto knows that his leader is correct about the Kazekage's feelings towards his youngest son, but he also knows that Gaara is very powerful despite how young he is. Up until now, the red head had been a cold blooded killer. He would have been perfect for this task, if not for his strange friendship with the fox demon holder. "So you want to use Gaara to get Naruto?"
"Yes, Kabuto. Go talk to Baki, his sensei, and ask him to deliver a scroll for me to give to the Kazekage. I will write it out now and then you will leave." He pulled out a scroll and a pen and started writing.
After Naruto and Gaara had got to the apartment, the red head left to go back to the place he had been staying in before, to retrieve his personal items. Naruto had decided he would go look for Kakashi to talk to him about training for the third exam.
He found the masked ninja standing outside the ramen stand, with his head buried in his book.
"Kakashi-sensei!"
The silver head jounin glanced up and looked at the excited blond. "Oh, hello Naruto-kun." He smiled at the boy.
"You're going to help me train for the third exam, right?"
"Of course, but I do need to help Sasuke too. There are some things I could teach him to do, that he can use with his Sharingan."
Damn! I have to share him with Sasuke! "Well, okay but make sure you don't forget about me!" Naruto heard some screaming behind him and turned around to see what it was about.
A very tall, white haired old man was being hit with a broom by a very angry young woman. The screaming was coming from her. Kakashi recognized the man and sighed to himself. He's here. I bet he wants to steal Naruto from me now.
Naruto started laughing because he found the sight of a small woman beating a large man on the head with a broom, amusing. She called him a pervert! Dirty old man!
The white-haired man heard Naruto laughing and walked away from the woman, who decided to go back into her shop. When he got to the blond boy, he bent over and placed his hands above his knees and looked at him. "What are you laughing about, boy?"
"You, you old pervert!" Naruto got his breath back and smiled at the old man.
"What is your name, brat?"
"Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage." He smiled proudly up at the big man.
"Hokage, eh? Well I don't think this village wants a brat like you to be their Hokage. By the way, my name is Jiraiya. But most people know me as the Great Frog Hermit." He stuck his hand out to the young boy.
Jiraiya? This man was my father's sensei? Naruto frowned but shook the old man's hand anyway. "You were the Fourth Hokage's sensei, right?"
After the man had shook the boy's hand, he stood up tall. "Yes, I taught him everything he knew." He grinned at the blond. Then he noticed who was standing behind the boy.
"It's been a while, hasn't it, Jiraiya?"
"You look pretty fit, Kakashi. I heard you were Naruto's sensei. I hope you don't mind but Naruto and I have a lot to talk about." He smiled back down at the blond.
"The Third told me you were coming." Kakashi then put his hand on Naruto's shoulder to get his attention. "I'll see you later, Naruto-kun." He smiled.
Naruto smiled back. "Sure, Kakashi-sensei! See you later!"
Kakashi then left the other two alone.
"Well, Naruto, there is a nice place close by where I like to do some research. If you come with me, I'll tell you about your father."
Naruto was surprised. He knows who I am? Oh, the old man Hokage must have told him. "Okay, that would be great, ero-sennin!"
The white haired man flinched at the name and scowled down at the boy. "Just call me Jiraiya or Great Hermit, brat."
Naruto grinned. "Why should I do that? Ero-sennin suits you better!"
The man growled then lead the boy away.
Naruto and Jiraiya had been talking for about an hour. "So you want to be the one to train me for the third exam?"
"Well, for that, but also I want to continue being your sensei after the exams are over. There are many things I can teach you to do. You will learn how to do everything your father could. Also, I will help you learn more about your bloodline limit and what you can do with it."
"What about Kakashi-sensei? My team?"
"Well, there will be times when I want to do my research alone and travel, you can do missions with your team during that time."
I want to learn how to do everything my father could, but I will miss training with my team. They've been like my family. Naruto was torn between excitement and sadness.
"Naruto, I'm not going to take that seal off that Orochimaru put on you. You are powerful enough that you don't need to use the fox's chakra. It would be best for you to try and forget the demon even exists. I want you to rely on your own strength."
"Does that mean that I can start using my own powers now? I can take off this henge?" Naruto was excited at the prospect.
Jiraiya looked sternly at the boy. "You gave your word to the Hokage that you would wait till after the Chuunin Exams were over."
Naruto frowned. "I didn't know I would have to wait another whole month!"
Well, you may not need to wait that long. But I won't tell you that now. If things go according to plan, Orochimaru will be dead soon and you will be safe. At least from him anyway. "Brat, the time will fly by fast. Believe me. I have many things to teach you that you can use at the exam and won't be exposing yourself."
Naruto felt happy again. "Great! Can we start now!"
"Well, I wanted to do some more research..."
Naruto groaned. "But ero-sennin!"
"Oh, alright." Jiraiya grinned at the boy and then ruffled his hair.
Gaara was sitting on the couch in Naruto's apartment, wondering where his friend was. The blond had left his door unlocked, so the red head had been able to get inside and unpack his things. But now he was bored. I wonder if I should go find him. He could be training with Kakashi though. He had said he was going to look for him. But it's been a few hours now since we parted. Gaara decided to go out to search for his friend. When he opened the door, someone had just been about to knock on it.
"Gaara, Baki wants to talk to you." It was his sister, Temari.
"I'm busy."
"He said it was important. Please come back to the hotel room with me."
Well, I guess I could look for Naruto after. "Alright." Gaara walked out the door and closed it behind him.
He and his sister walked quietly to the hotel and went up to the room. After they entered the room, Baki asked Gaara and Temari to sit down. Gaara ignored him and went to stand leaning against a wall.
"I wanted to let you all know that there could be a mission coming up for us. I had to send off a messenger bird to the Kazekage and I'm awaiting his reply. I want all of you to stay here until I get the message back from him."
Gaara glared at the man. "I'm not going to wait long. I have something better to do."
"Gaara, you are a ninja and as you know, we ninja are just tools for the Kazekage to use. If he gives us a mission, it is our job to accept it and carry it out. Your own personal feelings are not as important as this." Baki was nervous about having to talk to the red head like this. But he had his orders and he wasn't going to disobey his leader.
Gaara glared again at him and then looked away. Naruto is more important than whatever my father wants. My father. He's not even my family. Naruto is my only family. No one else matters. Despite the fact that Gaara wanted to just leave right now, he waited.
Sasuke opened his door to see who had been knocking on it. "Kakashi-sensei." He nodded at the silver haired man.
"Sasuke, as I mentioned to you before, I will be training you. I have an original jutsu I created that I wish to teach you. I also know some other techniques that you can learn to use, with your Sharingan. If you're not too busy, I think we should start right now."
"Alright." Sasuke grabbed his keys from a table by the door and slipped on his sandals. Then he walked outside, shut his door then locked it.
"There is a place nearby right outside the village that I think we should train at, Sasuke. There will be no one around to witness what I teach you."
Sasuke nodded then followed his teacher.
Sakura knocked on the door of the Hokage's office. After he called out for her to enter, she opened the door and stepped inside. Then closed it behind her. She looked over to the desk and saw him seated in his chair. The pink haired girl bowed her head in respect to him. "I wanted to ask you a favor, Hokage-sama."
"Hello Sakura-chan. What do you need?" He smiled at her in a friendly manner.
"I wish to be more of a help to my team. I would like to learn about healing and becoming a medical ninja."
"That is an great idea, young lady. With your intelligence and skill in chakra control, you will make an excellent medic nin." He smiled at her proudly.
Sakura smiled back in happiness. "Thank you, Hokage-sama. Can I start learning right away?"
"My, you are eager aren't you?" He chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Yes, just a minute." He pulled out a scroll and a pen and wrote down something for her. "This is what you will give to the nurse at the front desk. This will let her know that I want you to be set up with a trainer and then you will just do as that person tells you." He handed her the scroll. "I know you will do well, Sakura-chan." He smiled at her.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama! I will do my best!" She smiled then bowed to him. Then she left the room still smiling in happiness.
Naruto arrived back at his apartment, totally worn out. He made it to his couch and just flung himself down on it. Too tired to do anything else. Man, I hurt all over! That ero-sennin is a slave driver!
Naruto then thought about all the things he'd learned from the man. He taught me how to concentrate better, how to focus my mind on my surroundings and how to remember to pay attention to every detail around me. So that no one could sneak up on me. He only taught me one new jutsu though. Well, I almost know how to do it anyway! Just need more practice. But it was fun! Yellow Flash is what my father's nickname was. Now I know how to move fast like he could. Well, almost! I'll have it down pat in a few days. Naruto grinned.
Hmm, Gaara hasn't come back yet? I can't get up! Naruto had tried getting up off the couch so he could go see if Gaara had been by earlier. But he was feeling so sore and exhausted. Hey, I'll just lay here and rest. Soon Naruto fell asleep.
TBC