I don't own Naruto.
Great Name
Prologue 03 - Carving the Road for His Start
Jiraiya walked up a hill. This hill was cultivated with a pathway leading to a small warehouse. More of a shed, than a warehouse in Jiraiya's opinion. But, the blueprint named it as another warehouse in this lumber yard so Jiraiya was willing to respect that.
Approaching the warehouse, Jiraiya spied on a big-boned body of a shinobi. Outfitted in a dark blue kimono that was common to farmers, the shinobi was munching on a sack of beef jerky. There was a violet sash on his kimono bearing his clan's insignia.
The shinobi nodded to Jiraiya on his arrival, "He's been in there for eighteen hours now. He was fed twelve hours ago."
"You gave him food?" Jiraiya probed with a brow raised.
"We had to. He's been on the run for four days. When we gave him an evaluation, medic said he hasn't eaten anything and was dehydrated. If we wanted him to last, we had to provide nourishments. From time to time, we cast a genjutsu on him to make him waste his chakra."
Jiraiya dipped his fingers into the sack, retrieving a particularly longer jerky. A mischievous smirk stretched on his lips as he ate it in front of Dōtō.
A cough uppercut him as the sharp flavor stung, "Why spicy?"
"I can't go back to regular teriyaki," Dōtō disclosed.
"Alright," Jiraiya clutched the door handle, "Time me."
Dōtō retrieved a pocket watch and clicked on a knob, "Good luck,"
Jiraiya entered the warehouse. It looked bigger in the inside than it did from the outside. That was particularly because his agents worked to empty the building. The windows were nailed shut by wooden boards. The only light that came through was from the center window.
In the middle of the room was a man hanging from a set of chains. Diagonally to his left was a mirror, angled so that the hanging man couldn't see the entrance of the warehouse. The hanging man was completely naked. Shades of purple and blue sprouted on his wrists (where the chains wrapped) and the back of his shoulders.
Sunlight breached through the door, creating a bright canvas on the wall in front of the hanging man. The silhouette of Jiraiya's spiky locks and broad shoulders paint-brushed the sun-beamed canvas.
Jiraiya slammed the door shut.
The hanging man jerked his head up, twisting to get a good look.
"Who's there?!"
Jiraiya's wooden sandals reverberated on the linoleum floor. He hoped each clanking step would elevate the anxiety. He planned on leaving a lasting impression, after all.
He got a closer look at the hanging man's face. He was a man who looked to be in his early thirties. His hair was shaved patchy, ugly, and uneven. His face was strained, but not bruised; lips were chapped. Streaks of bloodshot looked back at Jiraiya.
"Please, it wasn't me. I didn't do it."
"What's your name?" Jiraiya raised his chin slightly.
"Let me go! I didn't do it."
Jiraiya shook his head, "I can't help you if I don't know who you are."
"You don't want to help me."
"I do," Jiraiya moved closer towards him. He didn't mind if the hanging man could still kick him. The ruckus might reveal other branches of information. "I'm on your side. I want to get you down there and bring you home."
"No! I know what this is… I know what you're going to do to me when this is all over."
Jiraiya tilted his head a little, "Oh, you can read my mind?"
"Fuck! You!"
Jiraiya exhaled heavy air, "Unlike you, I can't read minds. That's why I want you to tell me your name."
"Please, please, please get me down!"
"I don't know your name," Jiraiya repeated.
"…Mirio."
Jiraiya jerked. Finally, a breakthrough. He leaned in, "Mirio, is that your given name? Mirio, is that your surname?"
"Okawa Mirio"
"That didn't answer any of my questions," Jiraiya said with disappointment.
"IT'S MY GIVEN NAME! MIRIO IS MY GIVEN NAME!"
"Nice to meet you, Mirio." Jiraiya said with a warm smile.
Jiraiya allowed silence to sweep through, then walked away from the hanging man.
"Hey, where you going? Where are you going?! Get me down from here! I told you my name! I TOLD YOU MY NAME! PLEASE, LET ME GO!"
The chains rattled violently as Jiraiya was exiting the warehouse. The hanging man's desperation and cries were palpable. It bombarded his ears until he closed the door. Even then he could still hear the faint bending and straining of the chains and the hanging man sobbing.
"Two minutes, eight seconds." Dōtō aired.
Jiraiya wrinkled his nose. Maybe he was starting to lose his touch. "I'll be faster next time."
Three bodies landed in front of Jiraiya and Dōtō. They were dressed in Konoha armor of dark colored cotton, armored with olive green steel pads. The young man in the triangular formation was wearing a dark colored bandana, backwards. He had a senbon sticking out his mouth, "Lord Senju! Lord Akimichi!"
"Lord Shiranui?" Dōtō returned the respect.
"Genma, what're you doing here?" Jiraiya recognized the samurais behind Genma. They were all part of Minato's royal guards. They were also the only three capable of mimicking Minato's Flying Thunder God. "What happened?"
Genma looked exhausted, "The Fourth sent us. You must return to Konoha immediately!"
Four skyscrapers of documents dominated the space on his desk. While there was an abundance of real estate, Hiruzen was systematically inched out as the day progressed. He wouldn't be surprised if Kosuke barged into his office carrying another stack of proposals waiting to be signed by the end of the week.
These proposals varied in terms of importance.
Like the packet in his hands emphasized a great deal in asking for a loan to renovate an aged temple into a large kitchen and cafeteria for the displaced families. The religious organization requesting this proposal gave a temporary solution to provisions but requested a steep price in tax reduction for twenty months.
Hiruzen was tempted to see how this temple could influence its local community in the coming months. The priests could communicate with the peasants on a daily basis and the act of supplying nourishments for their families might sway their beliefs. After the rebuild of Katsuta District, would the families still believe in the government over the temple?
That was a difficult question to answer right now.
Hiruzen grabbed a blank scroll to grant their renovations but at a tighter tax reduction window of twelve months. He didn't doubt that they would eventually reach a compromise of fifteen months.
A bell on the edge of the Hokage desk yanked his attention.
The air morphed. Swirling towards the eastern section of the Hokage office, then blowing out. Not even a second later, Jiraiya, Genma, Raido, and Iwashi appeared in a yellow flash. They locked in on the Hokage Hat on top of his head.
Genma, Raido, and Iwashi bowed to Hiruzen, "Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen motioned for them to depart.
They obeyed in an instant.
Hiruzen rose from his seat, walking around the large desk. He held his hand out for Jiraiya to grab in a greeting. However, the taller man opted for an intimate hug instead. When they broke off, Jiraiya rested a firm hand on his shoulder.
"How are you holding up?"
"Me," Hiruzen said incredulously. "You just learned their passing. I should be asking you that."
Jiraiya's eyes were damped. He was close to breaking. He desired for an easier road in their conversation.
Hiruzen continued, "These past days have been rough. I'm going through his work, picking up where he left off. Policies are in order. Minato's journals are all organized. His intelligence reports are detailed. He was a marvelous Hokage. Far better than I expected."
Jiraiya howled like a proud parent, "Kid had a way of dialing up to eleven. And when your expectations were that high, somehow he elevated to twelve. Fuckin' monster, he was."
"Kushina as well. She kept it at bay the entire time. When she was out on the field, the beast was paralyzed."
"Two peas in a pod."
"Kosuke," Hiruzen called out to the wind.
A man with long hair, tied in a bun appeared in the office. He was dressed in a common Konoha samurai uniform. A navy blue, long-sleeved top with black pants and black shoes. His knees and shin were wrapped with leather padding. There was a red and yellow sash wrapped around his hips to signify his status as a Hokage Royal Guard. He was decked out with a katana and a wakizashi.
"Lord Hokage," Kosuke introduced himself. He later bowed to Jiraiya, "Lord Senju."
"Bring us sake," Hiruzen solicited.
"No," Jiraiya waved his hand. "I don't want my mind altered."
"Silver Tips, then."
Kosuke bowed his head again, "At once, my Lords."
As Kosuke left the room, Biwako entered, carrying baby Naruto. He beamed and laughed at the man despite meeting him for the very first time.
"Jiraiya!"
Jiraiya wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "It's been so long." Baby Naruto clapped his hands, laughing and blowing raspberries as he worked to sync them together.
"How's your diet? Not too much sake, I hope."
A hearty laugh escaped Jiraiya's lips, "More vegetables, more water. Like you recommended."
Biwako frowned, "Our reunion should have been in different circumstances."
"Is this him?"
Jiraiya pinched baby Naruto's toes that were leisurely hanging off Biwako's arms.
Baby Naruto laughed again.
"Naruto," Hiruzen confirmed.
Tears from Jiraiya's right eye broke the dam first. He was quick to wipe them off, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Biwako handed Naruto over to Jiraiya carefully. Baby Naruto rebelled for a short time, then surrendered to Jiraiya's cozy embrace. Biwako clamped on Jiraiya's arm to say her goodbye. She then kissed Hiruzen on the cheek, "I'll leave you two alone."
As Biwako left the room, Kosuke entered, carrying a tray of warm aromatic tea. He left a cup on a table next to the leather sofa and the rest of the tray went to the Hokage desk. Hiruzen thanked Kosuke as he departed.
Jiraiya manage to sip his tea while holding Naruto comfortably, "Did you find out who did this?"
Hiruzen had his portions as well, "Not yet."
"Minato didn't say anything?"
"He was worried about his son than relaying enemy intel. His time was short."
Jiraiya stared at baby Naruto. "He has Kushina's face and Minato's eyes." Baby Naruto was trying his best to snatch Jiraiya's swinging finger, "Definitely Kushina's boy."
Hiruzen admired the sight of a godfather playing with his godson, "I'm planning of giving him your name."
Jiraiya jolted up, "What?"
"For the time being. Until we've taught him everything. If he doesn't belong in a clan, the other clans won't recognize him as a shinobi. When he's ready, he can resume the Uzumaki name."
"It's Tsunade's. I can't just give out the Senju name like its candy."
"She named you her husband, did she not?" Hiruzen poured more into Jiraiya's cup. "Legally, you should have an equal amount of standing as she does to the Senju Clan."
"Won't that look suspicious? Adopting a child that my wife hasn't met yet?"
"Isn't that why you're in Ta no Kuni? To reunite with her? I'm confident that you'll find her soon."
Jiraiya shook his head, "I don't understand. Why can't Naruto just have the Uzumaki name?"
Hiruzen paused for moment. It was important that Jiraiya listened to his next words, "He's the new Jinchūriki."
"Hiruzen, what the fuck?" Flames spewed from his mouth. He could burn down the city with his glare. "The Kyūbi should've transferred to a juvenile. Who knows what the Kyūbi can do to a newborn mind?!"
"Minato altered it. I don't know why he did it. But, I have to trust his seals and I have to trust him. Nothing in his reports mentioned an attack like this. They knew about the seal's vulnerability. They knew that Kushina's chakra focused on nourishing her than bolstering the seal."
"Then we can shrink it down to the people that knew about Kushina's delivery."
"Biwako and I, you, Doctor Haruno, Ikura Kazue and Nakamura Chie." Hiruzen fished out a small leather book from a drawer. He flipped through the page until it showed summaries of Ikura Kazue and Nakamura Chie in Minato's writing.
Jiraiya scanned the book, "This is it for the last two?"
"Of course not. Two scrolls detailing the background information on the nurses under Doctor Haruno. We screened them nineteen times within the thirty-eight-week span, and nineteen times they passed. Nakamura was killed before the Kyūbi was summoned, we are in the process of extricating Ikura from a powerful genjutsu, and Doctor Haruno is stationed at Katsuta helping survivors."
"Did you at least see the enemies?"
"No," Hiruzen answered, sorrowfully. "I was busy rallying anyone I could find and fighting the Kyūbi. Minato was jumping all over the place, I could not coordinate with him even if I wanted to. And, I really wanted to."
"I warned him time and time again that he was too fast for his own good." The noise outside the Tower tempted Jiraiya. He walked over to the giant arching window overlooking Konoha. "What's with the crowd?"
Hiruzen joined Jiraiya, "I've closed the city."
Hundreds gathered at the gate entrance of the Hokage Tower. Merchants, traders, business partners, and some even brought their spouses, were shouting and chanting to open the city gates. They were doing their best to make sure their voices were heard. There were five samurais occupying a nearby watchtower to make sure that they didn't grow overzealous.
Jiraiya turned to Hiruzen, "Me and Tsunade knew you'd turn decrepit eventually. Just didn't think it'd happen sooner."
"Mind your tongue boy," Hiruzen hissed. "I'm still your Hokage."
Jiraiya paid no attention to his warning, "You're fighting a losing fight. There's no stopping the other Lands from hearing about the Kyūbi's attack."
"That's true," Hiruzen agreed with a sigh. "And, realistically, we can't close the city for more than a week. We would be left with nothing but cobwebs in our treasury. I set it up so that certain opportunistic individuals will bite at the opportunity. And, this comes with a great opportunity."
The air around Jiraiya changed. He realized Hiruzen's devious play. "You want me to channel chase."
"I want a cleaner forest for my return."
"But, I'm a father now. I can't go assassinating spies and raise Naruto."
Hiruzen blew out a cloud away from baby Naruto. "Biwako and I will take care of Naruto in the meantime. When he's able to say his words, then we'll change hands. Before that, you're free to eliminate the rotting roots, find Tsunade. Get your house in order, as it were."
A smirk cultivated in Jiraiya's expression. "So, wipe the dirty hands that have been feeding Konoha's enemies. Anything else I should know about?"
Hiruzen implanted a thin scroll in Jiraiya's red coat pocket, "Minato named you as his successor."
"The Hat's too large for my head," Jiraiya warded off with a frown.
"I reassured the council that my reign is sufficient."
"It's times like these that I'm reminded that you're an oni, sensei."
Hiruzen expelled another cloud, "I don't know what you're talking about. I like to think of myself as a gardener who is fatigued at finding more weeds."
They watched as Konoha's gears moved through the window. From a high vantage point, they saw thousands of peasants clearing out the destruction caused by the Kyūbi. The slow dance between the businessmen and Hokage Royal Guards. On the right were Konoha samurais and low-ranked shinobis patrolling the demolished western walls.
They saw the sun rising over Konoha and acknowledged that the labor had just begun.
AN: Don't be alarmed if you get notifications from in the future. I'm just editing these chapters. Sometimes it takes me re-reads upon re-reads to finally see an error.
Thanks for reading my story! =)
