6 years later...

"Are you sure about this Lord Hokage?" Minato asked, still feeling unsure about the entire situation he was faced with.

"I'm certain Minato." Sarutobi nodded his head and placed his aged hand on Minato's shoulder, "You're one of the strongest ninjas in the village, and I would be honored if you were to succeed me." He smiled and then removed his hat from his head and placed it on top of Minato's spiky blonde locks, "As of today you are now the Fourth Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

Minato took a look at himself wearing the Hokage hat in the mirror. He couldn't believe that he was now the Hokage. Sarutobi was getting older and found it necessary for him to step down from his position in order to relax in his old age. Minato was now twenty years old and a more than suitable candidate for the position of Hokage. Despite his young age, Sarutobi knew that Minato would make a wonderful Hokage.

The yellow flash walked home after his meeting with Sarutobi. His favorite part of the day was when he returned home after a long, tiring day. The very thought of going home to his wife Kushina brought sheer joy to his being. He loved her more than anything in the world, and soon, he would be able to call himself a father. Kushina was nine months heavy with a baby boy, and was due to give birth any day now. They were both so excited about the prospect of becoming parents. Their baby would be showered with love and respect from all, since Minato was now the Hokage.

He opened the door with the key and stepped into the house.

"I'm home Kushina." He said as he took off his shoes and walked into the kitchen to see Kushina placing some food that she prepared onto a plate and setting it on the dining table.

"I made your favorite meal to celebrate your promotion to Hokage." She smiled and hugged him, "I'm so proud of you, and our baby is proud of you too."

"Thank you." He smiled and looked at the meal she prepared for him. He felt guilty that she went through the trouble of standing over a hot stove just so he could have a hot meal when he got home, "You didn't have to cook me anything you know. You're nine months pregnant, and therefore you shouldn't be on your feet for too long."

"I'm fine Minato. Furthermore, I wanted to do something nice for my husband." She assured him, "Now, please sit down and let's have a nice meal together."

Minato sighed in defeat and did as she said. He knew better than to argue with her, "Okay, but tomorrow I'm cooking for you."

"Fine by me." She teased and took a seat beside him.

They ate in silence and Kushina knew that something was on Minato's mind. She extended her hand so that she could place it on his hand, "You're going to be a great Hokage."

"You really think so."

"I know so." She said, "You're smart, kind, strong, and a wonderful person. You're going to do great."

"Thank you."

"Now, finish your meal."

Jiraiya strutted into the village with pride after not stepping foot on its soil for six years. Under normal circumstances he should have been ashamed to return to the village due to how he abandoned it so long ago in search of his destiny, but all he could feel was joy and excitement for his student's achievement. Minato was only twenty years old, and yet he became the Hokage in the blink of an eye. He was truly a prodigy, and Jiraiya was proud to have been his mentor.

The six years he spent away from the village were not wasted, for he finally successfully completed his very first novel. Not many copies were sold, and he often found himself in empty book signings, but regardless he was proud of the finished copy.

As he walked through the village, he couldn't help but notice that many people were staring at him and whispering to their peers about him. He knew that they were just shocked to see him back in the village. The blatant stares didn't phase him though, for he came to the village for a purpose. The sole reason for his return was to celebrate Minato's promotion to Hokage. After years of traveling the world, he developed a habit for not wanting to stay in the same place for too long. Therefore, he would not be staying in the village for a long period of time. The nomadic lifestyle he developed was engrained in his soul, and therefore, he couldn't stay.

He made his way to the Hokage Mansion, and took some time to admire it's magnificence before entering the building. The guards knew who he was and his purpose for visiting so they let him in without any questions. He walked through the halls until he arrived at the conference room. He knocked twice before receiving permission to walk in, and when he did he saw a site that warmed his heart. He saw his own student sitting at the head of the table where the Hokage usually sat. The little boy he took under his wing so many years ago was now all grown up and a figure of authority.

"Jiraiya sensei, it's so good to see you." Minato said as he got up from his seat and walked over to his sensei to embrace him in a friendly hug, "It's been too long."

"Tell me about it." Jiraiya said and put his hand on Minato's shoulder, "You've grown so much, I can't believe you're the Hokage now. I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you sensei."

"As much as I love touching reunions..." Koharu, one of the village elders started, "We have an inauguration to plan."

"Koharu, long time no see." Jiraiya said when he took notice of the stern old woman. He then saw Homura, the other village elder, and his old sensei. Jiraiya was shocked to see how much his mentor aged in just six years. Perhaps it was the right decision to step down as the Hokage. Sarutobi needed to settle down in his old age, and live out the rest of his days happily.

"That's because you left the village." Homura reminded him, "Take a seat, we must continue this meeting."

Jiraiya took a seat right beside Sarutobi, "Hi Sensei."

"Hello Jiraiya, I trust that the years have been kind to you." Sarutobi smiled happily when he saw Jiraiya. He missed his student so much, so it was refreshing to be in his presence once more.

"I'll tell you all about my travels later."

"Very well."

"Back to our plans for the inauguration." Koharu said then started to discuss all the ideas she had in mind.

The inauguration of a new Hokage was a big deal in the village. That event would give all the villagers who were not familiar with the new Hokage the opportunity to get acquainted with him, and to find out what he's all about. Furthermore, it was just an excuse to have a huge village celebration.

The meeting bored Jiraiya to tears so when Koharu announced that it was over, he could not have left the room faster. Minato had to stay back for a few more minutes, but afterwards, he managed to catch up to Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya sensei!" He called out and as soon as he did this, Jiraiya turned around.

"Wow, I can't believe they set you free kiddo." He laughed.

"The meeting was kinda boring." Minato said.

"Get used to it kid. Boring meetings come with the job."

Minato sighed deeply, "So where are you going now?"

"I'm going to rent out a room in some kind of inn." Jiraiya explained, "Too bad I lost my house six years ago. I've been staying in inn after inn after inn when I was traveling here. I'm getting sick of lumpy beds and cold showers."

"You can stay with me. Kushina won't mind and we have an extra bedroom. It's full of baby stuff, but we still have the bed in there."

"Baby stuff?" Jiraiya said, "Why is your spare room full of baby stuff?"

"You don't know do you." Minato realized, "Jiraiya sensei, Kushina is nine months pregnant with my son."

"Kushina is pregnant?" He said in shock, "Congratulations Minato!" He said and then hugged his student, "I can't believe this. You're going to be the Hokage and a father. Oh my, you've really grown up."

"I have." He agreed, "So are you coming?"

"Well if you insist..."

"Great!" He exclaimed and started to walk in the direction of his house, "Kushina is going to be thrilled to see you!"

Kushina was busy in the kitchen preparing a fantastic meal for Minato. He told her that he was going to cook for her that day, but staying at home all day, twiddling her thumbs was quite boring, so she decided to put her time to good use and make a nice meal for her husband. Furthermore, she was so proud of him that she only wanted to make him happy.

She smiled to herself when she saw Minato approaching the house, but when she saw a familiar white haired Sannin walk up beside him, her jaw dropped to the ground. She stopped what she was doing and rushed to greet the two at the door. As soon as the door swung open, Kushina wrapped her arms around Jiraya's body.

"Jiraiya sensei!" She shouted happily as she squeezed him, "What are you doing here?" She asked as she pulled away from the rather large man.

"I came here to celebrate Minato's promotion to Hokage." He said, "Congratulations by the way."

Kushina looked down at her bulging stomach and smiled happily, "Thank you Jiraiya sensei."

"I smell food." Minato said, "Kushina are you cooking?"

"Maybe..."

"I was supposed to cook for you tonight remember."

"Sorry but I was bored."

"It smells amazing Kushina." Jiraiya complimented.

"Jiraiya sensei is going to stay with us for a little while." Minato told his wife and as soon as he did, joy was seen in her eyes.

"That's great!" She smiled, "Dinner is almost ready so please have a seat."

The men took their seats at the wooden table and were soon presented with a perfectly roasted chicken and some mashed potatoes. They wanted to help Kushina, but being the independent woman she was, she refused their offers to help. Everything looked amazing, but it tasted even better than how it looked. Kushina outdid herself and went above and beyond just to celebrate Minato's achievement.

They finished their meal quickly as they were rather starved.

"So how have your travels been Jiraiya sensei?" Minato asked, "Have you found your destiny yet?"

"I'm still working on finding my destiny, but I'm halfway there." Jiraiya said and then pulled a book out of his coat's pocket, "You see, I finished my first novel. The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja."

Minato and Kushina looked at the book in amazement. It took Jiraiya six years, but he was now holding a physical copy of his work in his hand. He seemed to be very proud of it, so Minato was dying to read it, "Can I read it?" He asked.

"Of course you can. In fact, I brought a copy for you and one for Kushina." Jiraiya said and handed them their individual copies of the book, "Enjoy."

"We'll read it right now." Kushina declared and opened the book to the first page.

"Now?" Jiraiya asked. He didn't expect them to want to read the book so soon, "You really don't have to you know."

"We're eager to read it sensei." Minato smiled.

"It's still early anyway, we'll be finished before bedtime." Kushina added.

"Well if you really want to..." Jiraiya watched as they started to read his book. The book was twenty chapter piece of work, so they wouldn't be finished reading for now. He decided to leave them be and head in for the night. He walked into the guest room that would soon be a nursery to a small infant. He took notice of all the gender specific, boy toys scattered about the room, the blue walls, and the baby crib that wasn't set up yet. Since Minato was now the Hokage, he would have little to no time to set up the crib, and Kushina surely wasn't in the capacity to do it. Without a thought, Jiraiya began to assemble the crib together. It was the least he could do since he was staying in their home.

Within half an hour, the crib was set up. He couldn't believe that his student was actually going to be a father. The seven year old boy was no more. It made him so happy to see Minato happy in a stable home, with a wonderful wife, and soon, a bouncing bundle of joy. That was what he wanted for his student. He wanted all that he never had for Minato. With the happiness over Minato's accomplishments still fresh in his heart, he decided to go to bed. Tomorrow would be the Inauguration Day, and he had to be fresh and alert for such a special, historic occasion. The youngest Hokage to ever lead the Leaf Village, Minato Namikaze.

The following morning, Jiraiya walked into the kitchen to see Minato eating breakfast at the dining table. Jiraiya decided to join him, and took a seat in front of the young man.

"Good morning Jiraiya sensei. I hope you slept well."

"I did it was quite comfortable." He said then noticed the closed book beside Minato, "So did you finish reading that or did you get bored halfway through the novel?"

Minato laughed a bit at Jiraiya's question and held the book in his hand, "I finished reading it, and so did Kushina."

"What do you think? Is it horrible?"

"No sensei." Minato said, "It's really good. I love it."

"Really?"

Minato nodded his head, "The main character in the book is great. His determination and ninja way are fantastic. He's truly admirable."

"You really think so?"

"Yes. That's why I want to name my son after him."

"What?" He gasped in shock.

"Naruto. I think it's a lovely name." Kushina said as she walked into the room.

"Are you guys sure? I just thought of the name when I was eating a bowl of ramen."

"We love it." Minato assured him, "We want him to grow up to be strong and determined just like the character in your book."

"Furthermore, I think it's great that he will be named after the main character in his godfather's first ever book." Kushina smiled.

"Godfather?"

"That's right sensei, we want you to be our son's godfather too."

Jiraiya was moved by all he was hearing. Not only did they want to name their son after Jiraiya's fictional character, but they also wanted him to become the baby's godfather. They were inviting him to be apart of their family. They wanted him to watch over their son. What an honor.

"I'll be happy to be your son's godfather."

"Great!" Kushina smiled and walked over to the white haired sage to give him a warm hug. As she hugged him, Jiraiya could feel the baby within her kick, "I think he's happy to have you as his godfather."

Despite the fact that the child wasn't born yet, Jiraiya knew in his heart, that he loved him. He vowed that no matter what, he would honor his duty as godfather, and protect Naruto.

The inauguration came and went. The entire village was excited to have such a young, strong, and handsome Hokage. Everybody celebrated, for it was a happy occasion in the Leaf. After the celebrations, Minato was pulled away at once to get his picture taken so that a stone carving of his face, could be put on the Hokage Monument. Afterwards, his assistants helped him and Kushina to move and get settled in the Hokage mansion. Before he knew it, Minato was now performing the daily tasks of a Hokage. Everything seemed to have happened so quickly. Of course he was nervous at first, but now, he seemed to be comfortable in his new position of power and authority.

Jiraiya spent a total of five days in the village. He celebrated along with everybody else, but he also stuck around to help Minato get settled. Now it was time for him to leave again, since he was still on his personal mission to find his destiny. He was thinking about writing more books, something more intimate rather than action packed. He needed to return to his isolated home and gain that inspiration that he received when he was writing his first novel. He hated to say goodbye to Minato and Kushina, but he promised them that he would be back to meet his godson. That was his promise to them, a promise that he intended to keep.

Before Jiraiya left the village, he decided to pay his old sensei a visit. Sarutobi no longer lived in the luxury of the Hokage Mansion, but he lived in a small home, that was almost as equally nice as the red building. He was the Hokage for so long, so he was entitled to some privileges such as a nice home, and twenty four your security. Jiraiya approached his house and was immediately greeted by a security guard. Of course, it took no time at all for the guard to recognize Jiraiya to be Sarutobi's old student, so he let him in the house without a hassle.

"Sarutobi Sensei." Jiraiya called as he stepped further into the house.

"Jiraiya is that you?" Sarutobi asked from inside his study.

"Yeah it's me." He said, "Where are you?"

"In the study."

Jiraiya made his way into the study and saw his sensei sitting in an armchair, smoking his pipe and reading a book. He seemed to be so relaxed. It was somewhat odd for Jiraiya to see his sensei actually relaxing. In all the years he has known him, he never saw Sarutobi lounge off in an armchair.

"Enjoying your retirement?" Jiraiya asked.

"It can get boring at times, but moments like this when I'm relaxing with my pipe and book, I can honestly say that I am enjoying it." He said then took a puff of his pipe, "So what brings you to my neck of the woods?"

"I just wanted to say hello to my old sensei. Is that a crime?"

"It is a crime since you showed up without an invitation." Sarutobi joked, "Have a seat boy."

Jiraiya sat in the armchair opposite Sarutobi and looked at his sensei. He noticed just how much he has aged, and felt relief that he was no longer the Hokage. Sarutobi needed rest. He was too old to handle the stress that comes with the title of Hokage in Jiraiya's opinion.

"So." Sarutobi started, "Have you found all that you've been looking for?"

"Not quite yet." He answered, "But I managed to write my first novel."

"Oh really." Sarutobi said, "How many copies have you sold?"

"Not many but Minato and Kushina seem to like it." He said then placed a copy of the book on the table beside Sarutobi, "Read it if you want to."

"Now that I have a lot of free time on my hands, I'll read it." He said then looked seriously at his student, "Have you seen-"

"No." Jiraiya answered before Sarutobi could finish his sentence."

"But-"

"I've moved passed that sensei." He told the old man, "I'm no longer in love with her. Instead, I'm over her. She doesn't exist in my world anymore."

"I find that hard to believe." Sarutobi said.

"Why is it so hard to believe that I don't care about her anymore?" He asked, raising his voice a little in frustration.

"Because even though you would like to believe that you really don't care about her, deep down within you, you do." Sarutobi said, "You seem to forget that I know you better than anybody."

"Look sensei." He started, "I'm in a good place right now so I don't want to read into the situation. I have forgotten about her and I'm okay with that. She's not going to come back into my life. It took me a while to accept that, but now I'm fine with it. So please don't tell me that I still care about her and try to get me to analyze what I feel within me."

"Okay Jiraiya. Whatever you say." Sarutobi shrugged his shoulders and returned to his pipe and book.

"I just wanted to see you before I left the village to show you that I'm okay now." Jiraiya explained before getting out of his seat, "It was really great seeing you again."

"Good seeing you too boy." Sarutobi replied, "I just hope that realization can dawn on you before it's too late."

On that note, Jiraiya left his sensei's home and headed out the village once again. This time, he sincerely hoped that he could find his true destiny.

Two days after Jiraiya left the village, Kushina went into labor. She was rushed out of the village to give birth for safety reasons. She was the jinchuriki of the nine tailed fox, and therefore the fact that she was ready to give birth had to be top secret. There was only one way to break the seal that kept the demon in captivity within Kushina, and that is labor. It weakens the seal until it breaks open completely, and that was something that the village could not afford to happen. The fox would wreak havoc upon the village and kill many innocent lives. That would be an absolute calamity.

After what seemed like hours and hours of pain, Kushina finally gave birth to a healthy, baby boy. He looked almost identical to Minato, with his spiky blonde hair and blue eyes. He was perfect in every way. Both mother and father were brought to tears at the sight of their newborn son. It was a beautiful family moment, until a masked man appeared in the delivery room and threatened the life of their son. He demanded to extract the fox from Kushina, but of course, Minato refused. He did everything in his power to stop the man, but he had his hands tied when he had to save Naruto and leave Kushina alone. The masked man managed to snatch Kushina away and rid her of the demon fox. After the man got what he wanted, he left Kushina in an extremely weakened state and unleashed the fox on the Leaf Village.

The demon destroyed everything in it's path, and caused many casualties to occur in the village. Lives were lost, buildings were destroyed, and yet it wouldn't stop. It was as if the fox was unstoppable. Minato couldn't just sit idly by and watch his village become a damaged wasteland, so he made his way to the front lines and risked his life for the sake of his village. He took the fox out of the village with his jutsu and used the reaper death seal to seal the fox away forever within his newborn son. It was unfortunate, but that was the only way to save everybody. Kushina realized what was happening and was distraught over the fact that her son would become a jinchuriki. It was a heavy burden to carry, a burden that she never wanted for him. The fox also realized what Minato was planning and tried to kill Naruto by stabbing him with his nail, but Minato and Kushina jumped in front of the infant and saved his life, by giving up their own lives.

With broken hearts, they spoke their final words to their son, and Minato sealed the fox away within Naruto. It was done. Naruto was now the new jinchuriki of the demon, and his parents were dead. The Fourth Hokage was no more, and his wife was gone as well. Little Naruto was orphaned within just a few hours after his birth. He was alone in the world, with nothing but the heavy burden of being a jinchuriki to carry around. The horrors he would have to face would be tremendously painful, but even in death, his father knew that Naruto could handle it, and that he would rise to become one of the best ninjas in the Leaf Village.

Sarutobi witnessed everything first hand. He was sad to see Minato and Kushina die, and he was even more sad over the fact that their child was a jinchuriki and an orphan. He took his place as Third Hokage again and took the child under his care. He had to figure out what to do with the boy. Putting him up for adoption was risky since everybody knew that Naruto carried the demon within him. Therefore, he had no choice but to leave him in the care of the village elders.

Funeral arrangements were made right away. A couple of days before the funeral. Sarutobi sent a message out with a carrier bird to Jiraiya. He had to inform him of the tragedy that occurred in the village.

Jiraiya stood among the people of the village at the graves of Minato and Kushina. He listened as people spoke highly about the couple and dubbed them as heroes of the Leaf. It was raining heavily, and all Jiraiya could feel was despair. Only a few days ago, he was laughing with them, and celebrating with them, and now they were gone. He felt guilty for not being there for them when they needed him the most. Perhaps if he was there, he could have done something to save them. Instead, he was off chasing his destiny that he was never sure he would find.

In the corner of his eye, he saw an elderly woman holding a crying baby boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. He was a carbon copy of Minato, so it was only logical to assume that he was Naruto. Jiraiya was looking straight at his own godson, the boy who he named, and yet he felt compelled to stay away from him. He felt as if he let that little baby down by not being there for his parents. How could he actually face him?

"Sorry I couldn't help your parents kid." He said silently.

As soon as the funeral was over, Jiraiya left the graveyard. He couldn't stand to be there for another moment. He kept telling himself that this was all a dream and that he would wake up at any moment. Unfortunately, it was no dream at all. It was reality, and the reality of it hurt him deep to the core. He walked into the local bar in the village, the same bar that he always used to visit. He ordered a round of strong alcohol and sat there, drinking away all his sorrows, and all his hopes for a world without war. He wasn't there to help his student, his star pupil, and for that he could never forgive himself. He was drunk, so drunk that he didn't know who he was or where he was. He didn't care though. He convinced himself that he had nothing to live for anymore. His student was gone because he couldn't help him, his destiny was nowhere to be found, and he was unloved. Those facts circulated in his mind as he felt himself slip into unconsciousness. Before he completely blacked out, he saw Minato's smiling face. A single tear fell from his eyes before he became engulfed in darkness.

This chapter went from happy to sad.

Poor Jiraiya :(

Thank you so much for reading.

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