Ripples to Waves


Every great decision creates ripples, like a huge boulder dropped in a lake. The ripples merge and rebound off the banks in unforeseeable ways. The heavier the decision, the larger the waves, the more uncertain the consequences.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Naruto.


Chapter Four: Nakama

A heavy gasp breached the lips of the woman on the bed, alone in the dark room. Yūgao awoke from another nightmare, fingers gripped around the bedsheet as the gasp that had escaped her lips altered her breathing into panicked inhalations, sweat lining her back that from what she could tell had seeped into the mattress below. She looked to her left and her heart dropped to the bottom of her stomach, eyes resting on the fact the bed was empty on the other side. For a brief moment, she had forgotten in blissful ignorance, but now the truth was laid bare in front of her with undeniable evidence, memories swirling in her brain.

Hayate was dead...

Killed by an unknown entity who had breached Konoha's walls, seemingly with so much ease that it reflected incompetence on the ninja force. Yūgao remembered having heard the news while on patrol, after she had received a summons to return to ANBU headquarters in the early hours of the morning. There Kakashi had been waiting, and from a glance she remembered instantly knowing something was wrong. Her ANBU squad leader was someone who carried guilt through his experience and channelled it into the most commendable of work ethics, but Yūgao was haunted by the sympathetic and open look in his eyes.

And then he told her. Quite frankly, as Yūgao thought back on it, it all seemed like a blur. She could hardly remember what followed the revelation but given the Hokage gave her time to process her emotions, it had clearly been extreme. All she had now were blurred memories and faint voices that shouted into the wind. Her thoughts tore to the nature of Hayate's death, and the idea that he had died to protect an asset of the village caused Yūgao's teeth to lay bare, a small snarl emerging from her throat.

If there was one thing Yūgao could be utterly sure of, it was that Naruto Uzumaki being an asset had merely been an afterthought to a man like Hayate. She was sure he had died in utter peace knowing he had protected those three children from the threat, who Yūgao was beginning to suspect had been ROOT ANBU, though she dared not voice such suspicions. She would leave those kinds of accusations to those who had the power and daring to make them, like Hokage-sama; she would follow Hayate's advice of staying out of Konoha's political sphere and games.

Advice he would never give again…

A sob choked from her lips as she buried her head into the fold of her knees, biting her lower lip to the point of drawing blood, its metallic tang seeping into her mouth. She did not gag at the taste, she could hardly concentrate on such a thing when the world around her now drew her disgust. The pain that accompanied the wound rushed through her, though she didn't particularly care; in fact, she rather welcomed the feeling. Any other emotion and sense were welcome, anything to stop her thinking of Hayate. Her stupid, amazing Hayate, who would idly sit next to her in silence in times like these, acting as a comforting presence while a hurricane of depression swirled around her.

Yūgao closed her eyes, and desperately thought about how she was going to move on with her life to any degree of success.

The world looked awfully dark to her right now…


Luffy watched as Nami retracted her arms from around his neck, a soft grin ripping across her face as she stared at him with the expressive, brown eyes he had come to appreciate from his navigator. Worries of how he would find the crew, or the Sunny, had faded the moment he set his eyes on her. If there was one thing Monkey D. Luffy knew, it was that Nami would always lead him to where he needed to go no matter what. Quite frankly, she was the one who made his dream possible at all, considering he couldn't even find the One Piece without someone able to steer his dreams in the right direction. Though Luffy internally smiled at the thought that all of his crew performed such a function towards his dream, the captain was also aware that he and Nami always shared a deep understanding as to their close relation in fulfilling each other's goals.

Luffy was quite sure he adored that about her, a wide grin spreading across his own face as he regarded her in such a light, watching as she moved to her cupboard to get clothes from the drawer within. The captain spun where he sat, facing away from her as he knew that he'd likely get struck on the head if he didn't keep his gaze completely away from Nami while she got changed. That and find himself in complete and utter debt, one that even the One Piece could not pay off. The captain had received more than enough beatings to know the current serene atmosphere would not prevent her from lashing out, and he shivered as he felt the languid hand of fear stroke down his back.

Luffy spun back around when he heard her finish getting changed, a stupid grin crossing his face as she opened her mouth to speak. He was still tremendously excited about the fact that one of his Nakama had appeared after all. "So, Captain, where do we go from here?"

The Straw Hat boy's face creased into a frown, as Luffy raised a hand to rest under his chin, considering their options. His face began to turn red at the sheer effort of thinking, as Luffy grit his teeth. He heard Nami laugh, shifting to clean up the mess he made on the floor, some items having been moved about in his mobile sleeping method; though the soft smile on her face indicated that she was well aware that Luffy couldn't remain still, even while sleeping.

Luffy grit his teeth harder. God, coming up with ideas was so hard! Why couldn't he just go with the flow and do what he wanted?

It was then that Luffy's troubles disappeared, a large grin crossing his face as he slammed his fist into his palm, an epiphany even able to reach the empty chasm that was his mind. He stood up energetically, noticing that Nami was now regarding him with a raised brow, clearly anticipating the fact she would not be able to anticipate what he was going to say at all. With a laugh, arms thrown in the air, Luffy imparted onto her his extremely smart plan, at least in what the Straw Hat could call his humble opinion. "Let's just go have some fun. Might as well while we try to find the crew, right?"

Nami seemed taken aback for a moment, a million different responses about to tumble from her lips, as well as potentially her fist given how well Luffy knew her. But the captain watched as she just let out a small chuckle, turning to face him as a hand rested on her hip. A thought seemed to spring to her mind however, and she seemed ready to pick at his brain in order to see what plans he had for finding said crew, though Luffy felt a twitch of annoyance when he could tell she didn't have high hopes. "And how do you think we're actually going to find the crew Luffy? The Elemental Nations are massive in size!"

Luffy briefly wondered what the Elemental Whatever she was talking about was, but internally shrugged. Knowing he could ask later, Luffy let a confident grin spread across his face, as he stared at his worried navigator. He was appreciative of her worry, even if he didn't agree with it. After all, one of them needed to do the thinking, though the captain did have to admit that sometimes he thought his orange-haired navigator did such an act too much, making things unendingly hard and complicated for her. Why didn't she get what he meant? Evidently, he would have to try another approach. "Well, we're kids right now or whatever, right? So, its not like we will have an easy time finding them anytime soon. We may as well do what we want and wait for them to come to us or wait for them to do something loud so we can find them!"

Luffy explained it to her like it was the most obvious thing in the world and in all fairness to the rubber man, that was how he perceived the idea internally. The Emperor of the Sea watched as Nami's eyebrows furrowed towards her nose, a look of disagreement crossing her face as her mouth opened to retort in instinct at her captain's logic. However, after what seemed to be a couple of seconds of thinking, her mouth snapped shut as she observed him with a more thoughtful expression. "That's… actually a good point. Though we should still keep our eyes or ears open for any sign or chance to find them."

Luffy's laugh echoed around the room, one full of joy and a slight twinge of prideful satisfaction that he had convinced his navigator of his logical idea. He felt her grab his collar, and out of instinct he flinched, holding his hands up to somehow try to stop her fist impacting his face. Instead, he felt himself slide across the floor, Nami evidently dragging him out of the door she had just swung open. As soon as she did, Luffy's nose twitched in anticipation, smelling the aroma emerging from down the stairs. Stomach grumbling, Luffy could barely contain his smile, mouth watering at the sheer idea of eating. He was just so excited to eat!

"Remember, no stretching." Luffy heard the serious, demanding words emerge from his navigator's mouth, and though he wanted to disagree, he was not in the mood to start an argument with her, knowing that if there was a reason she didn't want him to stretch then he would trust her judgement. The two arrived in what Luffy had recognised to be a kitchen when they entered the house after their meeting with Funny Hat-ojiisan, and Nami practically threw him up on the chair next to hers, to which she sat on quickly after doing so.

Luffy stared at the woman who Nami had introduced as her mother, who was intently watching him with amused yet suspicious eyes. Luffy had decided he quite liked Sagishi, especially considering she had fed him yesterday and allowed him to stay at her house. The captain's face briefly creased in mental turmoil as he tried not to associate the woman with his navigator, considering the woman looked exactly like Nami did when they were in the New World. Luffy had, however, gotten over the similarity for the most part; considering Sagishi didn't have the same eyes as Nami, and Luffy didn't quite mean colour. They just were not the same.

Nami's eyes were one of Luffy's favourite things about her. Their rich brown reminded him of chocolate and meat, and they were the first eyes he had properly gazed into upon setting out on his journey. But more important, Luffy had always seen Nami's eyes as a window for him to look through, one which he appreciated greatly. The captain held a laugh as he thought of all the schemes and tricks Nami had pulled over the time he had known her, but she had never really been able to lie to him. It was her eyes that gave her away, at least to the Straw Hat captain. He had discussed such a thing with Zoro once, but his swordsman had fallen asleep midway through his rant, and Luffy couldn't blame him. After all, he didn't get the concept either and it had been the middle of the night, eventually boiling it down to fact that "it's just Nami".

The captain grinned widely at the woman, something that seemed to brighten her facial expression. The most important thing was that Nami cared about her, and clearly, she cared about Nami, and that was enough for Luffy. "Hey Sagishi-obasan!"

Luffy was quickly punched in the side of the face by Nami, knocking him off the chair. "Luffy, don't be so disrespectful!"

The captain quickly sat up, clutching his cheek, and glaring at his seething navigator, her fist still extended as she glared at him. The boy was quick to leap back onto his seat and attempted to prepare himself for potentially getting hit again. "Dammit Nami, why'd you hit me!"

A hand quickly squeezed both his cheeks together, which Luffy thought made him look like a fish. Amusement crawled and bubbled in his throat, but the hand squeezed tighter, and the captain knew he had to be quick to rectify his error, his voice nasally and weak in light of Nami's mood. "Sorry, Sagishi-san"

With his cheeks now flushed red in pain after having been released, the captain fully rounded on the woman who had taken him into her home. He noted the suspicion in her green eyes, which did seem to be accompanied by a fondness for him, to which he wanted to comment on before his mouth snapped shut. Nami had been very clear on the level of information he should release in terms of their "past" and "insight" or whatever; and though Luffy didn't really get what his navigator had been talking about, he decided to be slightly more cautious than usual. Sagishi regarded him with amusement though, that much was clear. "It's alright Luffy. It seems my Nami is very taken with you. She only tends to hit those who she is close to."

Luffy let out a loud laugh, immediately forgetting Nami's warnings and lectures. "Ain't that the truth!"

Luffy could almost feel Nami's glare on the side of his face and soon lips were sucked in comically to prevent him from speaking with such familiarity. It wasn't his fault she gave confusing instructions!

The woman's voice once again broke him out of his stupor, speaking to him as she placed food in front of the two children. While the captain was slightly disappointed by the portion size, he wasn't one to complain about what he was given, thoughts lingering on a similar situation with Tama. He dug in quickly to stop himself from commenting, and he could hear Nami's amused sigh to his left that conjured familiarity to his ears. "So Luffy, what's it like at the orphanage?"

Luffy looked at her while he was eating, chewing on the sausages she had prepared and cooked while holding up his fork, mouth opening and spewing out bits of food as he answered her. "It's not so bad, though they get angry at me sometimes. They're all really cool there, though I don't really get them most of the time. They're so strange!"

Sagishi seemed to struggle comprehending his response through his full mouth, and Luffy didn't notice her eyes twist towards Nami briefly, who was looking at him with a deadpan expression. Had Luffy been more observant, or rather if he cared about anything but his food, he would notice the confusion in the mother's expression. After all, Nami would often rebuke someone for such manners, and yet she just seemed to be exhausted and amused at the same time. The woman's brain stirred at the mystery, observing her child properly for the first time since she had brought this strange, yet endearing boy into their household. It wasn't that Nami was suddenly a different person, but Sagishi noted she seemed more at peace than she had ever been and seemed to hold a familiarity with Luffy that went beyond anything she had ever seen in two strangers their age. Or anyone she had ever met.

She wanted to interrogate both of them quite frankly, but the woman knew one thing for certain.

She loved her daughter and trusted her explicitly. If she was keeping it to herself, then there was good reason for it, and knew it was nothing harmful. Sure, it raised more questions than answers, but she knew not to prod; just as Nami had stopped prodding about Naruto's heritage in regard to Minato. Sagishi was a profound believer of raising Nami with mutual respect given her maturity, and thus knew where the lines and boundaries were. So, all she could do was smile at her daughter's happier state, gratefulness to Nami's new friend seeping into her being. Something which she had acted upon this morning in regard to the orphanage and Hokage. "Luffy, while I can't take you out of the orphanage permanently, I have gotten permission from both the Hokage and the orphanage for you to stay here whenever you want. Which you are more than welcome to do."

She watched the boy's face light up like a bonfire, his smile piercing right through any negative emotion she may have been holding within her. Quite frankly, it amazed the woman at just how warm the child was and knew at that very moment that he was something special. And she could tell that Nami saw it too, given her smile. Nami's smile had never quite held so much happiness or fondness, something which was reflected by her words. "That's great mom! That means you can come stay whenever you want Luffy!"

She watched the girl almost attack Luffy into a hug, the boy spewing thankful nonsensical words from his mouth to Sagishi, the drawl of endless words was something she was barely able to understand verbally. She let out a joyous laugh at his reaction, unable to keep up with him but being able to read the boy so easily, his thankfulness radiating throughout the room. Of course, it wasn't long before the two had run off, and while Sagishi wanted to follow and investigate, she knew that she had to keep her distance for now.

Luffy seemed to be just as special as Nami, Sagishi had concluded. But while she did not realise it now, the woman had fallen into the spiderweb that was Monkey D. Luffy. He had wrapped her around his finger, as he did to all those he met, and a loyalty sunk deep into the pit of Sagishi's stomach unknowingly.

She had come to one conclusion, one that she had learnt from years of regret and loss for Konoha.

That her loyalty was to her daughter and her happiness. And thus, such loyalty extended to Luffy as well. Those two kids were odd, and Sagishi danced with the idea that they were holding secrets, but that didn't quite matter to her.

She would look after the two no matter what it took…


Naruto sat down on the bed in his apartment, having grown tired of pacing back and forth in an attempt to cope with his emotions. He took the time to sigh, his back falling onto the hard bed with a loud creak, the springs straining in their rust and age. Naruto briefly frowned at the sound of such disrepair but was mostly satisfied with having a place of his own and a bed that he could call his. After all, he had hated the orphanage and while run down, his apartment was a beautiful alternative. Though its isolation had caused issues, considering he had been accosted in the lonely building just recently.

Naruto's thoughts drifted to that terrifying night, having only calmed down hours ago. The girl who had treated him better than anyone, who had begun teaching him about the world and how nice it could be had nearly been taken from him after he had run to her in his terror. Guilt ate away at his very being, the idea that he had put her in danger and had been unable to look after her or himself had been on his mind consistently ever since the dust had settled. His hand curled up into a fist, nails digging into the skin, though with not enough force to draw blood.

The grip loosened when he thought of the fact that she had still protected him, using that cloud-thing that had emerged from the baton she owned. Quite frankly, Naruto thought it was amazing, and his trauma had been the only thing that had held him back from babbling endless questions to her about such power. Thoughts of the incident quickly turned his mind to the new arrival in his life, that being Luffy.

Naruto was amazed by the boy, who despite being barely older than himself, had kicked so much ass and was so cool that it made the blond giddy just thinking about him. The way he had stretched his arms was something that had completely blown Naruto away, and come to think of it, it had blown those scary ninjas away as well. Naruto had never felt so protected in his life, the display of power bringing a sense of comfort and amazement that he couldn't quite describe.

So many questions lingered in the air that Naruto wasn't quite sure where to start, though a depressing thought seeped into his head, one he was not proud of at all. Nami and Luffy seemed to be connected in a way that Naruto had never seen. The way they had hugged, the way Nami had cried; Naruto was taken aback by how close they were. And how much happier Nami had seemed upon his arrival. Quite frankly, while he could barely understand the depth of such emotionality, he was able to understand that his friend had seemed completely different upon seeing the Straw Hat boy. Such energy and purpose that she didn't have before allowed Naruto came to realise that she had been in a similar state to he, but it was Luffy that had lifted her out of what seemed to be her own darkness.

Jealously and abandonment curled around Naruto's heart, which was followed by a disgusting feeling of shame. But the boy could not help it. The thought that Nami would no longer need him or want him around because she now had Luffy had plagued him since the thought occurred to him in the middle of the night, often bringing tears to his eyes. The tears were often accompanied by an overwhelming sense of shame. The idea that he was putting his happiness above Nami's, but the boy couldn't help himself, abandonment issues twisting and shrieking like a storm in his mind.

Quite frankly, Naruto was ready to plunge back into the life he had before he had met his orange-haired friend, ready for Nami to abandon him given she no longer needed him. An older, more mature Naruto, who in another life would chase his friends down to the ends of the planet would have struck him over the head for this, but this was not that Naruto. Not yet. This was a foundation with no building built upon it. That blond had been forged through a reaction to having nothing, but that was not to be. This was to be a blond that would be forged through example, though he had no idea of this himself.

And it all began with his door being kicked down, the slab bouncing and crashing against the floor before slamming into the wall, shaking his entire apartment, and causing the boy to bolt up in fear. Had he been a more attuned individual, he would have sensed the panic and presence of the ANBU surveying him in reaction to the intrusion, and Naruto's own heart shuddered and shrieked in its cage at the idea that he was going to be taken again. Eyes locking on the door in utter terror, Naruto was floored to see Luffy step into his apartment, screaming his head off while throwing his arms in the air. "NARUTO! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

The blond's jaw dropped in utter confusion, before he jumped at the sight of the Straw Hat boy's head slamming into the ground, slightly breaking the floorboards he had just cleaned as a fist collided with Luffy's head. His gaze shifted to the angry Nami, and having never seen her like that, the boy almost jumped in more fear than before. Her yells filled the apartment, and unbeknownst to all but Luffy, the ANBU that were dispersed throughout the building and street stood down, able to identify them as non-threats to Naruto's safety. "LUFFY, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

Thankfully for the two pirate's mission to hide their true selves from the greater world, the act of a six-year-old utterly destroying a door had gone unseen to the ANBU. Naruto watched as Luffy grumbled, holding his sore head as he stared petulantly at his navigator. "The door was locked Nami!"

"Do you ever consider just knocking!?" Nami berated Luffy, and Naruto watched as she seemed to somewhat calm, almost reading the Straw Hat boy perfectly after gazing into his eyes briefly. That much he could tell by the sigh that followed her shouts. Jealously at their bond once again twisted and churned Naruto's stomach, as Luffy quickly turned to him with a massive smile, slightly taking the blond aback. Luffy seemed to skip towards him, forgetting about the mess he had just made, and Naruto couldn't help but let bemusement fill his being. Luffy sure was a unique personality, that much was for sure. Others would comment on the irony of such thoughts coming from Naruto, but alas. "Hey Naruto! You doing okay?"

Naruto allowed an uncomfortable feeling to fill his being, put off by such overt kindness that was unlike anyone he had ever met in his life. Briefly tongue-tied, Naruto stumbled over his words sheepishly, as Nami also approached him with a soft smile on her face. She rested a hand on his shoulder, something which grounded the blond back in reality alongside her words. "Sorry about the idiot, he means well."

Naruto let a laugh escape his lips upon seeing a petulant frown cross Luffy's face, turning to protest Nami's cruel words with childish abandon, but watched as the girl held up her hand towards him. He watched as the boy let the protests die down on his lips, allowing Nami to turn her attention back to Naruto, who locked eyes with her brown gaze. It was a comforting feeling, he now realised, one that put aside any emotional strife he may have had.

Naruto watched as Nami's gaze turned into one he had never seen on a human before, or anyone for that matter. He tried to read it, associate it with expressions he had seen before, but could not. It was an utterly alien sight, one that he only was able to translate due to the words that accompanied them. "I just wanted to say thank you, Naruto. You were incredibly brave before and getting Luffy did more than you know to save my life."

The motherly tone, one which Naruto was not able to define consciously, shifted the boy completely. He gazed at her with wide eyes before tears sprung to his eyes immediately. She wasn't angry at him? She was… thanking him? He couldn't help what came next, leaping towards her and wrapping his arms around her as best as his five-year-old body could around a seven-year-old girl.

"NAMI! I'M SO SORRY! I DIDN'T MEAN TO PUT YOU IN DANGER! FORGIVE ME!" Had Naruto been around anyone else, he would have held back such tears as a matter of pride, but the feeling the two gave off prevented such childish notions from taking root. And so he did blubber, feeling Nami's hand rest on top of his head in response, the gentle feeling of her fingers combing through his hair eventually transformed his sobs into sniffles.

"I'm just glad you're safe Naruto…" the girl said, and Naruto could hear the genuine relief in her voice, the steady and unyielding tone that was so full of emotion causing him to latch onto her tighter. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Luffy sit on his bed, gazing at the two softly as he allowed the moment to take place. A knowing smirk seemed to cross Luffy's face as he leaned back against the wall, hands behind his head as the Straw Hat shifted slightly downwards to cover his eyes. If one focused on him, all that was in sight was that curled, toothy smirk; one which that even when out of sight, filled Naruto with awe and inspiration that it was almost terrifying.

How could one person, one smile, have such an effect?

Once the emotions had subsided, Nami let Naruto go, and the blond allowed her to gently sit him back down on the bed. Upon doing so, Luffy sat up, feet pressed together as he smiled brightly at the boy. This time, Naruto reciprocated, a fox-like grin creasing his face as he communicated back through teeth and grin. Luffy, clearly having gone too long without talking, was quick to speak.

"Your place is so cool! And you have it all to yourself too!" Luffy's interest and awe seemed genuine, taking Naruto aback before he let out a sheepish chuckle, scratching his temple out of instinctual response, "Though I think it's kinda strange you don't have a door. Why don't you have one?"

Naruto's jaw dropped, and he saw Nami's eyebrow twitch in annoyance as her fist quickly lashed out, smashing the Straw Hat boy atop his head, eliciting a grunt from him as his neck stretched in response to the force. Nami's shouts, alongside seeing Luffy's stretching ability up close, caused Naruto to almost jump off the bed. "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO BROKE IT!"

Luffy blinked up at her stupidly as his head snapped back in place before realisation seemed to dawn upon his features. A boisterous laugh then filled the apartment, causing Naruto to release a small smile at the two's antics, the instinctual negative reaction to their bond dying away with their actions and personalities. "Oh yeah, I guess I did!"

Nami seemed to let out a rehearsed sigh, pressing her face into the palm of her hand. Naruto let his gaze lock onto her for a moment, eyes resting on the bandages that were visible. Guilt ate at his very being, lip wobbling in regret again despite Nami's words earlier, the idea that such wounds had been his fault eating at his psyche. Words cut through the air from his left, the Straw Hat boy's face serious but reassuring as he gazed at Naruto. "Don't worry about it. Nami and I are just happy you're okay. Stop being a crybaby, okay?"

Nami instantly reacted to the words, and protests seem to bubble from her mouth before she and Luffy locked eyes. She settled after a moment, and Naruto briefly pondered on Luffy's words.

Crybaby.

That was a new one, but one that seemed appropriate given his actions. Weakness, that was likely what Nami and Luffy were communicating about him through their expressions.

They were disappointed in him due to his weakness...

Tears built in Naruto's eyes, and he quickly fell to the floor, bowing his head down to the two who stared at him with faces he could not decipher. Naruto could not stop the words that followed from pouring out of his mouth, shame taking over his being.

"I'M SORRY! THIS WAS ALL MY FAULT! I WASN'T STRONG ENOUGH TO LOOK AFTER MYSELF, STRONG ENOUGH TO LOOK AFTER NAMI! ALL MY LIFE I'VE BEEN ALONE, BUT IT TURNS OUT I CAN'T EVE-"

A strong flick to the back of his head stopped his rant, though Naruto's breath was still shaky, and came out in repetitive short breathes as opposed to a steady rhythm. Tears still impacting the wood of his floor, he turned his gaze upwards towards the source of the feeling. Luffy stood in front of him, a hard gaze bearing down upon the blond that was lined by shadows cast by the Straw Hat on the raven-haired boy's head. And though he was only six, Naruto felt as if Luffy towered over him, in presence and physicality. Hands gripped the planks beneath him, shaky fingers digging into the hard floor as Luffy crouched down, reaching eye-to-eye with the blond.

"What are you going to do about it?"

The raven-haired boy's words shifted through the air, bringing the entire room to a standstill as Naruto regarded him with wide eyes. There was no judgement, there was no negativity, simply a question. No pity nor sympathy, simply a call to action. A choice.

Naruto's life had been one without choice. He had never held a controlling hand over his own destiny, his own ambition, his future. The way the villagers treated him, that too was out of his control. Even Nami, in her kindness, was something he had no hand in choosing. He had accepted such endless empathy because he had no choice, because if he didn't, he would fall apart. And while there was nothing wrong with that, the blond still felt as if such a thing was out of his control, no will in his desperate grip of the first friendship he could make.

But here was Luffy, shaking apart everything he knew about the world around him. There was no judgement if he gave up, no calamity if he turned his heel, no expectation; simply a question that he could choose the answer to if he was brave enough.

Naruto was stunned, floored to the point that his arms started to tremble like wisps of grass in the wind, and he was unsure if he could push onwards or if his limbs would collapse beneath him. But Luffy's presence remained, an anchor in the sweeping storm that threatened to consume everything around him. With that, determination flooded Naruto, swirling in the fibre of his being as his eyes hardened. His arms steadied, fingers now stabbing into the floor as he looked up at Luffy, who seemed to let a smirk cross his shadowed face. Naruto was speaking before he could stop himself, words pouring from his soul that could no longer be put down.

"I'LL GET STRONG! STRONG ENOUGH TO PROTECT EVERYONE I CARE ABOUT!" Naruto took a breath, before his words and tone softened, his declaration having already shook the air around him, "Strong enough to protect Nami and you. Strong enough to look after the village. So strong they can't ignore me any longer. Strong enough… to become the Hokage!"

A pause in the air.

Naruto thought he would feel shame upon saying those words, as he usually did amongst those who cast seeds of doubt. The self-doubt that plagued him had shifted to a whisper, no longer able to dominate his mentality and person completely. He watched Luffy cast a bright grin across his face, lighting up the room; while Nami seemed to smile softly, eying the scene with knowing eyes.

"Okay then, we'll help you do that!"

The words almost slammed into Naruto, seemingly possessing a physical force that moved him. Tears began to build in his eyes again, though not for his own grief, but out of disbelief and awe. He looked at the now shimmering form of Luffy, the image bending through the lens of tears now coating the blond's eyes. His voice, while shaky, was soft-spoken and quiet. "You think I can do it?"

Luffy tilted his head to the side, confusion marring his facial features as the frown rested on his face. Luffy seemed to be unable to understand Naruto's words, like a computer which had just received a faulty input and was literally unable to comprehend what it was seeing. Nami snorted in her own amusement, well aware the concept of not following one's dreams was like an eldritch concept to Luffy's understanding. The sheer idea of a lack of ambition was lovecraftian to Luffy's perception, and it was one of the things Nami adored about him.

Luffy's words filled the room once again. "Of course you can!"

To Luffy, his statement was as obvious as saying the sky was blue or the grass was green, but to Naruto they were electric. To Naruto, they filled his very soul. He briefly cast a look to Nami, only to see the same faith and support lining her expression, and he could see she looked proud of him. Proud of the step he had taken, which filled Naruto with an indescribable feeling of safety that he would latch onto for the rest of his life. The two before him were like an ocean of comfort. To think that people, actual people, could have such faith in him. Like it was something they knew for fact, that they knew as a certainty…

Naruto leapt forwards, casting his arms around Luffy's form, who seemed to pause for a moment. Naruto could feel the laugh tumble from the other boy's mouth as he embraced him back, and Naruto let himself close his eyes as he buried his face in the Straw Hat wearer's lower neck.

"You are my nakama now Naruto. And we are not going anywhere…"

Naruto sniffled, tears now streaming down his face as he embraced the boy harder. Upon such a reaction, he felt Nami's soft hand place itself on his upper back, a soothing feeling as he basked in the sensation of the two's presence and emotion.

This was everything the blond had wanted. Everything he ever needed.

The indescribable feeling of family…


From within their prison, red eyes observed the world of the outside through the orbs of their jailor. Such was the beneficial nature of the seal, though the captive often turned their eyes away at times where privacy was needed, or when he couldn't stand their babbling and human-based problems. Which, to be fair to the prisoner, was most of the time.

But not this time.

Red eyes glared at the Straw Hat boy and orange-haired girl with a curiosity that could only be accompanied by a vengeful hatred for all humans. And yet, these two were unique, and something about them made him ever so curious as to their true nature. The boy especially. They exuded a presence that could only be described as kingly, a conqueror of all who set opposition on the path in front of them. To the point it made the imprisoned entity excited, in a way that could only be described by the thrill of fighting someone worthy.

Worthy of a Bijuu. Imagine that...

Perhaps things would get more entertaining to watch after all...


Hiruzen sat in the Konoha Council Room, eyes wincing at the glare of the bright light above the table where the four sat. Quite frankly, he had been meaning to tell someone to reduce the power of the light, given he could tell it was even irritating the others sitting at the table with him. Thought perhaps, Hiruzen pondered, it was fitting that it was that bright, the uncomfortable sense it created reminding them that this room should by no means be a place of comfort.

Smoking his pipe, Hiruzen did his best to calm himself at the sight of Danzō, having not forgotten the man's transgressions from the recent incident. But that was no matter, the Hokage concluded, for they had far more pressing matters to attend to. He turned to the ROOT leader, eyeing him carefully as he made sure to exude a presence of confidence and control. "So Danzō, what news have you gathered of the situation to the east?"

Danzō briefly shifted in his seat, likely still calculating the best way to address the Hokage since their latest spat, that much Hiruzen could conclude. Good. They both knew that Danzō was on a far tighter leash now.

Still, Hiruzen would be stupid to ignore how useful his old comrade was, and thus in a state of equilibrium they would remain. "It seems there are stirs of rebellion across the Land of Water. Yagura's bloody rule has reached its peak, and now there are sparks of dissent appearing throughout the region, slowly rallying under a former pupil of his, Mei Terumi."

Hiruzen sighed to himself. Yagura Karatachi was one of the most promising ninjas he had ever met in his life, and such praise did not come light from a man who was called "God of Shinobi". Not only was he smart, but he was also extremely resourceful to the point of it being a major concern. The Hokage would not be surprised that if the Fourth Mizukage conquered the rebellion, he would be able to have Kirigakure back on its feet within a year. However, the thought that such a promising ninja had, quite frankly, gone off the deep end was disappointing. But alas, there was no changing the situation itself.

Hiruzen eyed Homura as the man straightened his back, clearly eager to speak and trying to put forward a strong presence, as usual. "This is most odd. Our predictions show that Kiri would not have plunged into civil war to this scale while Yagura was still alive. Something must be fuelling this rebellion, giving them reason to believe they could win. Worse yet, our prediction that the Seven Swordsmen would defect has proven to be incorrect, instead most have joined under Terumi in a bid for a leadership change."

Hiruzen stroked his beard, unable to deny that his old teammate was correct. Kiri should have been unable to muster a successful rebellion for years, and while they had predicted that Terumi would likely succeed Yagura, they had little faith in a rebellion to actually take form. Of course, they had suspected there may be attempts from powerful figures within Kiri to attempt to start one, but that would take years and a lack of unity meant that there was little chance for a widespread rebellion to form. And yet there they were, with a unified rebellion knocking on Yagura's door.

He pondered the idea of a shifting balance, biting down on his pipe. "The rebellion must feel they have the advantage to perform such a move. Do we have any intelligence on what could fuel such a spark? Even Terumi would not back a rebellion without a significant power shift in her favour."

Danzō shook his head, and Hiruzen did have to note that the man seemed distracted, clearly wanting to raise another issue that was not related to the one being currently discussed. The elders around the room sighed in disappointment on the lack of knowledge and Hiruzen quickly understood what needed to be done. The only person that came to mind was Hada. "I shall contact one of our undercover missing-nin to join the rebellion. From there, we shall see if we can find out if whatever is fuelling the rebellion might cause a shift in the balance of power between the nations if either Mei or Yagura succeed."

Koharu cleared her throat, holding a stack of papers in her hand that she had been reading throughout the meeting. She was always good at multi-tasking, Hiruzen knew that well enough from their days as genin, given such talent had saved his life on more than one occasion. "Our manipulation of the Wind Daimyo has proven more fruitful than we expected. More and more jobs that should be going to Suna are now being outsourced to our village. Our coffers are slowly healing, given their utter destruction after the Kyuubi attack."

Hiruzen's stomach twisted at the idea of their scheme. Quite frankly, he believed it would blow up in their faces sooner or later, but there was little he could do to argue against the fact it was the most effective way to re-energise their economy. The loss of Minato and the Kyuubi attack had utterly destroyed their economical power, as well as somewhat damage their reputation, thus effecting their ability to acquire jobs in the first place. Had they not stabbed Suna in the back, they would have likely been unable to dedicate enough funds to keep up a front of a military superior Konoha. Though this barnstormer's act wasn't going to last forever, this Hiruzen knew, considering Kumogakure was slowly becoming the dominant military power in the Elemental Nations. Though it had not reached a point of pressing concern yet, considering they were still insecure enough to make moves seen in the Hyūga Affair to acquire bloodlines. Though reports of the Hachibi Jinchūriki's growing power made Hiruzen restless, and the thought that the ninja may soon become one of the biggest if not the biggest threat in the Elemental Nations was a constant fear of every elder in the room.

This was not even beginning to mention Iwagakure. While the village was still licking their wounds from the Third War and Minato's devastation, they still had access to two Jinchūriki and had a hatred of Konoha that was unable to be manipulated easily. Besides, Ōnoki was worth more than any Jinchūriki, the Tsuchikage was both powerful and strategic, and held a grudge towards their village more than any other. It would not be long before Iwa reared their head towards Konoha once again, and that wasn't even addressing the Ghost of Iwa. The S-Rank ninja was likely the most wanted target in the Elemental Nations besides any Kage, and at this point, having her in one's bingo book was not taken as an act of hostility from Iwa's perspective given the knowledge of her condition. In fact, Hiruzen mused, he imagined Ōnoki would be more offended if someone didn't place his prized ninja in their bingo book. The Hokage took another drag from his pipe, easing his nerves with the additional knowledge that every village had about a thousand contingency plans for the woman.

In summary, the situation across the board was unsettling, so he decided to move on from the issue for now before one of the others pressed the idea of a more drastic swing at Suna's economy. "The Uchiha Clan."

That was enough to bring utter silence to the room, all eyes turning towards him given it was the elephant in the room for every meeting. Quite frankly, it was a dire situation that they found themselves in, one that Hiruzen wished Minato were still around to fix with his fresh perspective. And yet he still glanced at Danzō from the corner of his eye, and still saw the same unrest from earlier. Hiruzen was sure that the clan would be the issue Danzō wished to raise, and yet there was no indication that it was. The Hokage would be a fool to deny that it didn't make him worry somewhat. "The Uchiha Clan has shown more unrest than our predicted trajectories, and have managed to oust the last public servant surveyor from the police district. While this has little effect on our actual ability to gather intelligence, it still sends a clear message of dissent. Regardless, our current intelligence on the Uchiha is now slightly lacking since…"

Hiruzen couldn't quite finish his sentence, regret pooling in his features as he remembered how the Uchiha situation had gotten far worse in a single moment.

"Since the suicide and death of Shisui Uchiha…"

The words from Homura cut through the air, stabbing at Hiruzen's conscience. Hiruzen had wanted to investigate the suicide given its suspicious nature, but had been unable to find a way to do so without potentially escalating the Uchiha situation further. His failure to come up with a solution had made him further blame himself for the young man's death, especially given he had thrust him into the heart of the Uchiha issue in the first place by entrusting the responsibility of information gathering to the boy. And yet such were the fates of ninja in times of strife, though such reminders set Hiruzen's thoughts elsewhere. To a world that didn't have to exist in such a state of betrayal and despair, though the Hokage believed such things were impossible.

At least, for the current generation, Hiruzen thought as he looked around the room, thoughts briefly lingering on blond hair and whiskers.

"At least there is Itachi."

Hiruzen nodded at Koharu's interjection, and yet his heart sat with a pit of worry. Itachi's recent promotion to ANBU Captain had been kept under the rug at the insistence of Danzō, something which Hiruzen had conceded upon much thought on the matter given it could tip their hand in regards to their watchful gaze on the Uchiha. He worried for the boy, especially given the rumours that he had murdered Shisui in cold blood, and his recent feuds with members of the Uchiha clan itself. Still, Itachi was stronger than any person sitting in the Council room, and Hiruzen had faith the boy would remain steadfast. "We shall call for a meeting with Itachi tomorrow to gleam an update as to the situation. Now if that is all, we shall conclude the meeting here."

Everyone began to shift and move, thankful to be out of the glare of that damn light. But Danzō cleared his throat, interjecting on the meeting ending just yet, Hiruzen concluding that he had finally thought of the best way to raise whatever issue had been plaguing him.

'And there it is…' Hiruzen thought to himself, sitting back down, interested to see what Danzō had been stewing about for the last hour. The man threw a photo down on the table, and Hiruzen eyed it with an attentive gaze, his pipe shifting in his mouth as he tried to ascertain exactly what Danzō wished to gain from making his interest known. Deciding to press him on it, Hiruzen eyed his old friend with a smirk, exuding a confidence only befitting a man who knew he had the upper hand in this exchange. "And what is your interest in Monkey D. Luffy, Danzō?"

The Hokage eyed the photo himself for a moment. It was taken from the files at the orphanage. The actual quality and state of the photograph could only be described as worn, likely given the usage of removing the file from the cabinet often to update the incident section. The boy seemed to be smiling bright in the image, the Straw Hat that lined his head protecting him from what was clearly the bright rays of the sun above him.

Hiruzen softened briefly. Not only was the boy now a friend of Naruto's, something Minato's son desperately needed, but he also was a bright light in the darkness for others it seemed. Despite his nature, the orphanage held nothing but love and adoration, outright refusing to give the boy up to Sagishi upon her prompting. Still, the boy was well looked after there, with the orphanage staff keen to look after the boy. The agreement to let him visit Nami Kisho whenever he desired had taken a while to iron out, but Hiruzen understood that the boy was satisfied by the arrangement.

Though the Hokage could not deny his interest in the Straw Hat boy either quite frankly, and the same could be said for young Nami. Both had now gained the attention of Hiruzen, the entire situation regarding Hayate seemed too wistful for the two children to not have any involvement. Though such a line of thinking raised more questions than answers for the Hokage, and it was something that had led him to multiple dead-ends in his line of thought since the incident.

"The boy is an asset, this much I am certain of. I request that he be taken into training immediately, and if not, we must take him in order to assess a potential lack of loyalty towards the village."

The room remained quiet in light of Danzō's proclamation, the other two elders gazing at him in what could only be described as shock with undertones of desperate curiosity. Danzō had never made a request so outright in regards to a child before, only the likes of the Jinchūriki having peaked the man's interest.

Hiruzen knew far better, however.

He was well aware that Danzō was only making such a request to try gain an advantage over him, given going behind the Hokage's back would only spell trouble for his former teammate. He had drawn a line in the sand, and only Danzō could be so bold as to openly attempt to bypass such a restriction. Getting the other two elders in knowledge of the boy would force Hiruzen to at minimum keep on his toes and make the issue of observing the boy official, as opposed to something he could do in his own time. Regardless, Hiruzen was well aware of what he had to do, turning towards Danzō with a hard look in his eyes.

"Absolutely not."

His words were strong, and perhaps he had been too vehement, considering his former teammates were eyeing him with equal curiosity. After all, it wasn't every day that both Hiruzen and Danzō came to blows over the recruitment of a six-year-old, especially one with no known trait or advantage to the village. It only made their mouths water out of curiosity, metaphorically speaking of course. But the damage had been done, the boy's potential use known, and all Hiruzen could do now is put up red tape officially to prevent something drastic happening. Danzō shifted in ire, face creasing in annoyance at his old friend's protective nature. "You and I both know something is off about the boy Sarutobi. If his loyalty to the village is not ensured, it could spell trouble. And we could be denying ourselves a potential asset for upcoming conflict."

Upon those last two words, Hiruzen scowled, standing up sharply. The message was clear.

Get the hell out.

Hiruzen had officially tabled the issue, and everyone knew it. Danzō sighed to himself, aware that he could not push the issue further, having underestimated Hiruzen's care for the Jinchūriki in relation to this new asset. He was going to be unable to make a move to the boy at all now, though Danzō began to form plans to test his suspicions. Though that had only been an ideal scenario, and now Danzō was aware that the boy would have to eventually be addressed by the council at a later date.

It was not long until Hiruzen was alone in the room, sitting down on the chair with a sigh as he took a long drag from his pipe, the output of the pipe easing his nerves as he too considered Monkey D. Luffy. He had no background, no origin to his name, nothing. It was as if he dropped from the sky, and Hiruzen could not deny the validity of Danzō's conclusions. The boy was a potential asset to the village, but Sarutobi knew that whatever Danzō had come up with in that twisted mind of his, it was not the aspect Hiruzen was aware was the greatest.

Monkey D. Luffy, alongside Nami Kisho, had wormed their way into Naruto's heart; brightening his life in a way that Hiruzen sadly never could. And from a pragmatic sense, this was a great boon for the village. A healthy and sane Jinchūriki was arguably far more workable than the likes of others, especially given reports on the likes of Killer B, and this could only have a long-term benefit for Konoha as a whole. But Hiruzen's heart was of fondness and love, and the only boon he cared for was Naruto's happiness. And for that, the Hokage would protect the two new entries into the boy's life with everything he had.

Sadly, protection could only take one so far, and now that the issue was known, his hands were somewhat forced. The Hokage had a duty, to the village and its people. He produced a folder from the nearby cabinet and titled it as he would any other file that was created for a significant individual residing within Konoha. Attaching the picture and label that Danzō had left behind, Hiruzen tucked the file into the cabinet alongside the others before reinstalling the vast and powerful Genjustu that resided over it.

Hiruzen had no doubt that the file would grow larger and more critical over the next couple of years, and quite frankly, the trepidation that sunk to the bottom of his stomach spoke volumes…


Nami sighed to herself, running her hand through blond hair as silence permeated around the room, however briefly. The emotional atmosphere had died down after a while, given Luffy's more than cheerful personality, but it had taken Naruto a while to fall asleep. The seven-year-old frowned to herself, still able to see that the skin of his cheeks were red and raw from interacting with tears that had fallen. A fond smile crossed her face, recalling his emotional declaration as any of their crewmates would have done.

A half-cocked grin creased across her face as she looked up, gazing at Luffy in front of her, sitting on a chair backwards with his legs swinging back and forth as a means to entertain himself. His hums filled the room, though horrifically out of tune and timing, though Nami still regarded him with an expression of fondness and awe. To this day she was still amazed by his ability to turn others around and inspire others. Though she would never doubt his ability to do so.

After all, he had done the same to her.

The blond's snores were light, though he did seem to be curled up uncomfortably on the sofa that the two rested on. She cast a look in Luffy's direction, who grinned at her with his ever-wide smile, a chuckle bubbling from the depths of his throat as he moved off the chair, the wood creaking with the force he produced against the floor as he shifted. He approached the two, before gently picking up the slightly smaller boy gently.

Nami leant back against the sofa, smiling gently as he carried the five-year-old to bed. Quite frankly, the sight was slightly strange considering the fact that Luffy himself was trapped in the body of a six-year-old, but Nami had long since concluded that she could only see him when she gazed at his form. Luffy was a presence most of the time, not so much a physical entity. Only a body that could stretch could hold his enormous sense of self, which flooded any room he found himself residing in. Nami didn't quite know how to describe her own bizarre thoughts, so she gave up after a brief moment, simply settling on the idea that Luffy was Luffy. There was no other was to describe him.

Nami quickly noticed Luffy grapple with the task of tucking Naruto in, fiddling with the covers and grumbling to himself as he attempted to understand how the sheet had been folded by the clean-up crew who had entered Naruto's apartment the day before. Nami struggled to suppress her mirth and amusement, watching her captain be utterly confounded by such a simple task. "Oi, it's not funny. They've done something strange to this bed!"

His voice was a stinging whisper, aware of the blond sleeping on the bed and how his volume would likely wake the child up. Deciding to end his suffering, Nami got up with a cat-like grin, regarding her captain with a thoughtful eye as she approached. She would have never imagined him to be so gentle and quiet when she had first met him, but the man had been moulded by experience over their journey in a way that warmed Nami's heart in a way. Though he never changed, Luffy had mellowed and become more aware since he had set out from Dawn Island, more mellow around the likes of Momonosuke and Tama, as well as becoming an inspirational leader for the likes of the samurai they had led into battle.

Still, watching him struggle with the bedsheet was something that very much proclaimed that he was still Monkey D. Luffy no matter what he went through.

She reached under the visible sheet, the fold having descended on the inside towards the bed as opposed to the outside, and Luffy looked at the sight accompanied by a stupefied blink on his face. Nami couldn't help but let out a melodious laugh, which seemed to resonate with Luffy as he examined her with a raised brow, before letting a grin spread across his face.

Once Naruto had been properly tucked in, the two eyed the boy for a moment, before Nami took a step back with a soft smile, heading over to the sofa. Luffy quickly followed her, plopping down next to the spot she had sat at with a sheepish yet joyful smile, the captain's gaze landing on the sleeping blond across the room.

"Naruto's a cool kid! I should've invited him to join our crew for when he gets older!"

Luffy's voice was bright, and Nami couldn't help but let out a chuckle at the captain's proclamation. Of course Luffy would want the five-year-old to join their crew in a similar situation to Tama. After all, the Straw Hat Emperor would likely think something along the lines of 'two ninjas are better than one'. Still, the idea was slightly appealing given both of their fondness towards the child. Nami, however, held her doubts. "He might not want to Luffy, given his dream requires him to stay in the village."

Nami could have laughed at the way Luffy's face creased, as a finger shoved up his nose in typical Luffy fashion. Quite frankly, the act didn't even disgust Nami anymore, to the point she regarded it with amusement and endearment. As long as his boogers didn't go anywhere near her, she tolerated it at worst. It reminded her of Luffy's child-like free spirit, uncaring of social cues and expectations, especially around her and the crew. "That's stupid, he should join our crew!"

Nami released a sigh at his petulance, but knew it was just his way of expressing his fondness of the blond. Still, with Luffy, it was best to address his ideas early before they became iron-clad plans in his mind. Deciding to use an analogy, Nami turned her head towards her captain. "It could be like Vivi's situation Luffy."

Luffy's face creased even further at the memory, and Nami let out another laugh, patting an affectionate hand over the top of his head. He didn't react, and Nami knew it was likely from a familiarity of the action combined with Luffy's lack of care towards such expressions of physical contact, often dishing out physical affection of his own when he was happy. Still, questions lingered on Nami's mind, doubts seeping into her psyche as she pondered the promise Luffy had made. After all, Luffy was the heart and Nami was the brain, the two working in tandem to ensure the crew had the highest chance of success and drive. "Luffy, we said we would help Naruto with his dream. But do you actually have any idea on just how we're going to go about that? We can't just half ass this… not with him."

Luffy regarded her with a soft expression, a sense of calm lining his expression as agreement resonated through the air. It seems the blond meant just as much to him as he did to Nami. An unspoken form of bond was between the three of them now, though it would take years to be able to name it. A fiery, energetic smirk crossed Luffy's face as he adjusted his hat, and Nami's stomach flip-flopped at the sight, anticipation crawling up the base of her spine as she would recognise that expression anywhere.

Luffy was many things. But unpredictable was something everyone agreed on. That smirk, it held promises of chaos and freedom, liberated from the burdens everyone else had placed upon themselves naturally. He was just so… Luffy.

Nami stared back at his dark orbs, determination lining her expression as she was ready for anything her captain might say. He chuckled, before a wide smile spread across his face, amusement and happiness forging the atmosphere around him.

"Well duh!"

Nami held a bated breath.

"We're gonna become ninjas!"


The sun had just about set on the horizon, hiding its countenance from the Land of Fire as it began its journey across the world, marring different lands with its bright rays. The girl's black orbs twitched and attempted to adjust to the darkness around them. She often thought on the sunset and its consistency, how the figures of her ancestry had gazed upon the same sun painting the skies.

Did they too sit and think upon it like she did? Did they have troubles and doubts, just as she did? Make no mistake, she was extremely happy with her life, but she had felt the critical gaze of her father ever since she had been able to comprehend it. The burden of the success of her brother as well...

She sighed to herself, resting a fist against her cheek. Now at the age of five, she was set to enrol at the academy the following September. Just about a year away now. It made her body twitch in anticipation, eager to surpass those who came before her and receive the approval from her father that she desperately desired.

But only a future sunset could decide if that was possible.

The door slid open behind her, though she did not cast her eyes upon it, for she knew who stood in the doorway given the time of day it was.

"Satsuki, it's time for bed!"

The girl sighed at Mikoto's tone, which left no room for arguments on the girl's part. Black hair shifted as she stood up, swaying in the whispering winds that struck across the grounds of her clan compound.

The young Uchiha headed inside, unaware of what the future held for her…


Omake: Fresh Genin Part 1

Minato sat on the ground of the Third Training Ground, feet twitching against the soil as he waited for his teammates to arrive. The blond looked around, unsurprised by being the first arrival, given his promptness and dedication to the ninja lifestyle. After all, he had little else to his name, he had to prove his worth; it could not simply be thrust upon him by clan titles.

Well, technically Clan Namikaze was an extremely minor clan, but given their status and size, they may as well have civilian designation. Not that Minato minded, given his love for his family went beyond petty things such as the fleeting ideas of ninja politics.

Minato briefly pondered on the teammates that had been assigned to him under Jiraiya. The name made Minato shift slightly on the spot he was sitting, anticipation filling his being as he regarded his new sensei. A peer of Mister Orochimaru and Tsunade, as well as a student of the Third Hokage. Minato let a grin cross his face in excitement as well as satisfaction. He knew he and his teammates were in safe and capable hands.

It was natural his thoughts drifted to his two peers next. The first was a boy from his class, one he knew as Yakami Tosaburo. The boy was extremely quiet in lessons, even more so than Minato, who had a slight reputation for it. The boy often kept to himself, gazing out the window and lost in his own mind. Though Minato had seen him train before, and in spars he had performed exceptionally well. Minato was unsure of his family however, and had heard from one of the boys in class that Yakami was an orphan. The thought made Minato's heart reach out to him in sympathy, a frown lining the blond's face as he considered that maybe Yakami trained so much to make up for his family situation.

Many of the students had performed well quite frankly, though Minato himself had not been Student of the Year. Though he would carry the secret with him that he had relinquished such a title on purpose, instead preferring to push the teacher's limits with his inquisitive attitude, often questioning the facts they taught and the subjective twist they gave to them. Minato thought it was important to do so, otherwise society was bound to make the same mistakes as the past and follow a dogma that may be unbefitting for the way society needed to change.

Before his thoughts could drift to his other teammate, footsteps approached, smacking across the wooden bridge near the training ground. A figure leapt into the air, to which Minato observed through the corner of his eye. It was quite an impressive display of agility and acrobatics, the blond had to admit as such when they perfectly landed in front of him with a roll.

The truth dawned upon Minato there and then as the girl opened her cerulean eyes, like pearls in a white ocean. She gazed at him with a cocky smirk, reaffirming what Minato had now ascertained about them.

Every team needed a show-off…

The girl let a smirk crease across her face, as she pointed a finger towards him, causing Minato to allow an owlish expression to line his face as he blinked in a bemused fashion.

"Now listen here punk. The name's Sagishi Kisho, and I'm gonna change the world one day. So, you better not slow me down!"

Minato couldn't help but feel the sweatdrop that now marred his face, as a sheepish smile spread across his features while his head tilted to the side. Didn't she recognise that he already knew her from the fact she sat behind him in class. Her black hair tied by two orange bandannas at the top and forehead were extremely recognisable. The boy pondered why she felt the need to introduce herself again.

It seemed Konoha produced many strange characters…


Hello there!

Sorry this took so long, life has been an utter mess since I released the last one, but I've got to say I'm really, REALLY happy with the way this one turned out and the ideas I have for the story. Just feels I'm making a unique and expansive world, especially with these Omakes. Let me know what you thought of the chapter in the review section.

Actually, as a quick side note, I did a perspective change between Luffy and Sagishi towards the beginning of the chapter. Let me know if you found it jarring, as I was considering doing similar perspective shifts in the future of my writing potentially. So let me know if it was confusing or dislikeable!

A bigger picture is being painted though, as we'll be delving into the Mist's revolution alongside Yugao's grieving/journey in the coming chapters, alongside our main duo of course!

Some stuff about the academy and some errors to the timeline of the story:

- To clarify about the Academy, it runs from the beginning of September to the end of June; with students born in July onwards being in the same year as those born before July the year after. This places Nami and Luffy in the same cohort, with Nami being basically the oldest (alongside Tenten exactly funnily enough) and Luffy one of the youngest (as his birthday is in May); all in the same group as Lee's set. Naruto, being five currently and turning six in a couple of months, is in the cohort below, alongside Satsuki (who's birthday is in July, also making her one of the oldest) who is about to turn six. Students start at the academy at ages six or seven.

- Now, this has created the smallest of timeline errors, given Nami stated in Chapter One that it would be "a year or so" until she had to worry about the academy. This will be rectified in an edit released alongside this chapter.

I may release the next chapter soon, so do keep an eye out for that!

=O=O=O=O=

Anyway, now comes my favourite thing to do post chapter, which is respond to reviews! Thank you so much for everyone who left one, it means the world to me!

BathroomFloor: Thank you for the kind words. I will update where possible, as I am really enjoying writing the story so far!

LOSTxWo1f (1): Naruto at 17 is definitely stronger than Luffy was at 17, considering that a 17-year-old Naruto has access to the Sage of Six Paths Chakra. However, the argument I was making here is that these are the Straw Hats post-Wano selves stuck in young bodies, and they are only going to get stronger. Luffy, post-Wano, basically flattens anyone who is not Eighth Gate Guy or above (and there is serious contention on the Eighth Gate part given Luffy's Gear 5th plus Advanced Armament with durability negation plus Advanced Observation with precognition plus CoC Coating is seriously busted). Anyway, before this potentially becomes a power scaling debate in the review section, if you want to respond to this, please do so in PMs. I'll be happy to talk about it there with you!

And thank you for the faith in the story :) !

LOSTxWo1f (2): As you can see in this chapter, Naruto is just as determined as he was by the time of Part 1, but the difference is that he is so for different reasons. As noted in the chapter, Naruto now knows how to be determined by example through Luffy, as opposed to determined to make up for a lack of support in his life that compounds in issues by the time he is twelve. This Naruto is likely going to be much healthier mentally!

As for Naruto being a side-character, while I can see the concerns, I don't think it'll be too much of an issue nor is that my intention. The reason the SHs get more focus is because they are the predominant change to the setting. If I mainly focus on Naruto, it'll just be me writing a slightly spicy Naruto fanfic, as opposed to a crossover story. I've got a lot of characters to focus on sadly, but Naruto will get his just desserts just like any Straw Hat Pirate!

The Keeper of Worlds: Hey! It's good to see you again (considering your long history of reviewing Changing One's World). Wouldn't be one of my review sections without you quite frankly! Anyway, the signs are there for who Hayate adopted already, but more will appear in Yugao's emotional journey until we reach the reveal. Stick around and find out is all I can mainly say!

Nami4Life: Glad to hear you enjoyed it so much. To me, Luffy and Nami's relationship is the deepest and most profound in One Piece, even from a non-romantic perspective. Now, if shipping did take a more prominent role in the story as it progresses (we'll go with the flow on that one), then Luffy and Nami is one I may as well flat out say will be chosen. But for now, I will say that there is enough open to interpretation through their relationship with Naruto and the way I explore their own relationship to satisfy what you described, even if there may not be outright romance in the story!

As for the unfamiliarity with Naruto, I too find all the jutsu sometimes annoying, but it will mostly round out in the end I believe! As for the ninja world, most of it will be described in story as the Straw Hats themselves have to learn given a similar lack of knowledge, so interestingly a knowledge requirement isn't super required.

As for Robin, well, you'll see her mental state and such eventually. I think the implications of how the Straw Hats arrived speaks volumes for what is to come if you read into it, especially for certain members (Chapter 3 gives a good indication!).

mastercheif1229: Really glad you are enjoying the story, and here is the update that you desired! As for Beauty of Chance, that one is potentially to be on the backburner, considering this one has some of its elements plus others I am interested to explore. Still, I haven't given up on it most likely!

Anyway, that's all the reviews so far! Be sure to leave more, as I will respond to every single one, be it compliments or criticism. All are welcome!

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This is, TheHumulisScriptor, signing out!