Disclaimer: All HP characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies and all Naruto characters are the property of Masashi Kishimoto. This is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites.
Warnings: Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), some moderate Dumbledore bashing (he's more manipulative than evil but mostly just stubborn), and who knows what else.
Chapter Warning: There is mention of corporeal punishment/spanking and foul language in this chapter.
AN: This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance.
IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE:
It has come to my attention that there are a handful of individuals who are annoyed or offended by my use of Japanese vocabulary in the story or by the fact that I choose to provide a small glossary of Japanese terms as a footnote at the bottom of the page. I will not apologize for my decision to include a smattering of Japanese words in this or any other story that I write. Nor will I remove them.
I include the Japanese names and terms because a number of the universes that I have chosen to use for my crossovers originated in Japan (Naruto, Natsume Yujincho, and SAO most prominently), and it is my tribute to their creators. In most cases, the English translations for certain nicknames or jutsu sound somewhat strange or silly to me. So, I instead choose to use their original Japanese names. The only exceptions are my Gundam Wing and Hunter x Hunter crossovers and even then I included a small handful of terms that needed to be defined or translated.
I will also not disrupt the flow of my story to interject English translations within the story text. The only exception is when I have a character within the story translate a word or phrase for another character within the story. To me, there is nothing more annoying than to get caught up in a story and suddenly have the author rip you out of their story just to provide a translation or other author's note. I have stopped reading stories that use such a format unless they are exceptionally well written and the interruptions are very minimal (meaning less than three per chapter).
Furthermore, the use of footnotes and glossaries are something I've seen thousands of times in the published novels and works I have read; so I really don't see what the big deal is. If my style of writing and methods of translation are that distasteful to you, then you can always move your little mouse curser up to the top, right hand corner of the browser and click on the little red button with the 'x' to close my story out or go one step further and remove my story/stories from your favorite/follow lists. I will never force anyone to read my stories if they are unhappy with them.
As a side note, I will be posting this announcement in each of my current WIPs to make certain that all of my readers see it at least once. So, for those of you who are following my other stories; if you have read it here, you can skip it in the next updates for my other stories. ~ Jenn
Chapter 19: Compromise and Discipline
"Chikushou, breathe kid," Jiraiya growled from over top of Satoshi's head as he gave Satoshi's face a couple of slaps to bring him around.
Gasping, Satoshi blinked up at the Sennin's worried face in confusion for a moment until he realized that the man was holding him across his lap. Embarrassment swept through him when he realized he had had an anxiety attack (something that had only happened a handful of times throughout his life) coupled with a sharp warning from his magic in regards to a promise that he'd made to Naruto years earlier.
A heartbeat later, that embarrassment was swept away by a wave of depression as he realized that there was really no way he could fight Jiraiya taking his godson simply because Naruto was his godson. Extracting himself from Jiraiya's lap, Satoshi averted his face and hunched in on himself as he worked to get his emotions back under control.
"Are you going to be alright now, gaki?" Jiraiya asked as he eyed Satoshi carefully. Satoshi shrugged half-heartedly in response to the question without bothering to look up which drew an exasperated sigh from Jiraiya. "You know, based on the suggestion Kasai gave me to warn you now about my plans to take Naruto with me once he turns thirteen to train instead of waiting until that day came, I expected you to get angry with me; not slip into a panic attack and faint."
At the mention of Naruto turning thirteen, Satoshi snapped his head up to stare at Jiraiya in confusion as he felt a spark of hope return. Needing clarification, Satoshi tentatively asked, "Don't you mean when he turns ten? He plans to take the graduation test next year alongside Shino-kun and Hinata-chan and I have no doubt that all three of them will pass."
"Ten is still too young for me to drag him about the country with me," Jiraiya countered with a shrug of his own. "Is that what had you in a panic? You thought I was going to steal him away from you the moment he graduated?"
"Do you know why I never make a promise that I know I can't keep, Jiraiya-sama?"
"No one likes to break their word. What does that have to do with you panicking and fainting?"
"I don't make promises I know I can't keep because my magic won't allow me to break a promise and if I ever forget a promise I made or if I am ever in danger of breaking a promise my magic will give me a warning; and those warnings are seldom ever pleasant. In fact, the warnings can be downright painful and the closer I am to breaking a promise, the more painful that warning becomes. If I somehow manage to break a promise despite the warnings, my magic or possibly my life, if the promise was significant enough, would be stripped from me in an instant."
"Four years ago, just a few days before he started at the academy, I made a promise to Naruto; I promised him that I would keep training him until the day he was placed on a Genin team. He wanted me to promise to train him forever but that would have been impossible so I picked a reasonable and logical ending point for my promise. I could potentially keep training him after that point but by then I'd no longer be bound by my promise and I wouldn't risk breaking my word if I couldn't train him any longer for any reason."
Satoshi paused and dropped his head just enough so that he could pierce Jiraiya with an intense emerald-eyed gaze over the top of his sunglasses before he continued, "When you said that you intended to train him after he earned his hitai-ate I had thought that meant that you would take him the moment he passed the exam and that it would mean that he would not be assigned to a Genin team. The moment I believed that, my magic lashed out to warn me because if he wasn't placed on a team, then I am still bound by the promise I made but I would have been unable to keep that promise because he would have been with you training outside of the village and therefore out of my reach."
"I apologize for not being clearer in my intentions," Jiraiya solemnly replied as the Sannin immediately understood what Satoshi was telling him. "I was prepared for you to be angry about my intent to steal him from your team once he was old enough; not for my warning to have serious repercussions on your health."
"It's fine; it's not exactly your fault that I'm tied to a promise I made years ago when I didn't know there was anything that could possibly interfere with it. I'm just thankful that it turned out that I jumped to the wrong conclusion. And the only reason I'd have to be angry about you taking Naruto to train is the fact that you'll be splitting up his team once he reaches thirteen."
"So, you're not going to pass out on me again then?"
"Nah, I'm good and the aching in my chest is completely gone now," Satoshi assured the man before he sighed and leaned back on his hands. "I'm still not certain I like the idea of you splitting up my little termites once Ruto-kun reaches thirteen though; especially considering how close the three of them are."
"The other children are bound to need special training that they can only get from their family; allowing me to take Naruto for his own specialized training will mean that he won't feel left out when the little Hyuuga is taken aside to focus on her family jutsu or when you or your father take your little brother aside to help him with his bugs."
"Naruto-kun is my little brother too and I fully intended to teach him everything Kushina-sensei taught me when the time came for otousan to work with Shino-kun. I also would have made certain that all three of them continued to take missions together and train as a team at the same time."
"You aren't going to make this easy for me, are you?"
"Why would I? Technically, Naruto doesn't even know who you are aside from knowing that you're one of the Sannin and that you're the pervert that writes Kakashi-nii's books. You'll have to prove to me that taking Naruto away from his family, friends, and team will be worth it for Naruto in the long run because I'm not about to let anyone hurt my otouto. You'll also have your work cut out for you when the time comes for you to convince Naruto to leave his family, friends, and teammates to go with you so you can train him."
"Impudent brat."
"Perverted old man."
"What will it take to convince you that what I have to teach Naruto will make him stronger?" Jiraiya asked after he laughed over the exchange of insults and drank the sake he'd forgotten about earlier when Satoshi had had his panic attack.
"That depends; what exactly is it that you think makes a person strong?" Satoshi challenged in return. "Are you looking to just teach him a couple of flashy and dangerous jutsu that require an insane amount of chakra and tell him that it makes him strong?"
"Having a ready arsenal of insanely powerful jutsu certainly helps you look stronger and take out particularly troublesome opponents but that alone won't make anyone strong. Tell me, what kind of team do you plan to turn those kids into should you end up as their Jounin sensei as Sarutobi-sensei hinted you might next year?"
"I hope to mold them into a versatile team that can work alone or work with other teams in a number of roles," Satoshi answered without hesitation. "My little termites have far too much potential for me to limit their options by training them to fill a specific role."
"An admirable goal," Jiraiya agreed with a nod as he pulled out a second glass from his jacket, filled it with sake, and pushed it into Satoshi's hands before he refilled his glass once more. The Sennin then laughed when he noted the confusion on the sixteen year old's face as he stared down at the cup in his hand. He grinned at Satoshi and saluted him with his glass as he explained, "You're old enough to celebrate your promotion with a touch of sake and you look like you need a little something to help you relax a touch."
"You wouldn't be attempting to get me drunk enough to give you a promise that you know I'll be unable to break, now would you?" Satoshi inquired as he arched an eyebrow at Jiraiya even as he lifted the glass in his hand and tentatively sniffed at the sake (curious enough to not reject the offered drink outright) before taking a small sip.
"No, as tempting as it sounds; Shibi would hurt me if I purposefully got you drunk in order to take advantage of you."
"Why exactly do you think I need to be relaxed then?" Satoshi asked as he tried to decide whether he liked or hated the rather strong, biting taste of the sake while enjoying the pleasant warmth that had filled his stomach after his second, slightly larger sip.
"You asked me what I could teach Naruto to make him stronger and I'd rather you not be tense and on edge when I give you my answer."
"Ah… you're planning to teach him how to draw on the Kyuubi's chakra," Satoshi stated casually around yet another sip.
"What makes you think I'd teach him anything of the sort?" Jiraiya demanded with a slight frown.
"Logic and common sense; if it was anything else you were going to focus on teaching him, then you would have come right out and said it without worrying about me flipping out. There's also the fact that you are willing to allow someone else to work with him and start his training once he gains his hitai-ate before you take over his training which indicates that you want him to have a solid foundation upon which to build. At age thirteen, Ruto should also be mature enough and both mentally and emotionally stable enough to handle the concept of being the host to the Kyuubi. His chakra coils will also have developed well enough to handle the influx of the demon's chakra but still be flexible enough to not shatter under the stress that same influx will cause."
"Hmpf, can't say I'm surprised that you figured it out so quickly; always knew you were smart as a whip. I am surprised that you're taking the idea of me training him to use the fox so casually."
"Why? It's not as if I know how to teach him to draw on the Kyuubi's chakra. You know far more about the seal that was used to imprison the bijuu inside of him than I do and therefore are in a better position to fix it if something goes wrong. That's also something that is best learned outside of the village and well away from other people."
"Wait a minute… are you saying you're going to let me train him despite what you said earlier about breaking up his team?"
"Technically, there's nothing I can do to stop you from taking him and teaching him whatever you wish. All you would have had to do if I protested was to take it up with the Hokage who would most likely just turn around and order me to back off and I would have had to stand aside anyway. It was the thought that you'd take him away the moment he graduated that bothered me the most and knowing that Shino and Hinata will be sad to see him go. If you aren't going to take him until he's thirteen, then he will have another three years with us and you will eventually have to bring him back to us when you are finished with him."
"You were testing me," Jiraiya indignantly gasped.
Satoshi grinned against his cup as he drank the last bit of sake he'd been given before he cheekily replied, "Of course I was testing you; how else was I supposed to determine how serious you were about actually training my otouto and not just wanting to turn him into a perverted clone of you?"
"I think I can now understand why Kasai constantly complains about how much of a brat you are," Jiraiya groused as he poured Satoshi another glass and half heatedly glared at the teen.
"You think I'm a brat? Just wait until you find yourself needing to get on Naruto's good side. I certainly hope you don't plan on waiting until it's time for you to train him to get to know him."
"I can't stay just to give him time to get to know me."
"So you're going to avoid him until you come to take him away from his home four years from now and expect him to go with you willingly?"
"If you tell him…"
"I won't. I will not allow you to push me into making him angry with me by allowing you to force me to tell him that he has to go with you. Is it that you are afraid he will hate you when he learns that you are his godfather? Or are you afraid that getting to know him will make it harder to stay away?"
"Urusai, you're overstepping boundaries taking that tone of voice with me. You've no call to chastise me or guilt trip me simply because you may one day be the brat's sensei. I can and I will take you to task for it if you do it again."
"Fuck you," Satoshi snapped back irritably, his voice loud and unexpectedly sharp as he faced the older, more powerful shinobi without an ounce of fear. "I've got every right to protect and look out for my little brother. I didn't pull him out of that kami-forsaken trashcan and spend most of the last eight years protecting him from the hate the rest of the village directed at him just for you to come in and walk all over our family and tear it apart because you decided it was the right time. I don't care who you are; hurt my otouto and I will make your life a living hell. And make no mistake, Naruto is my otouto and he knows it."
Jiraiya stared at Satoshi with more than a little shock; both at the foul language and the audacity of the sixteen year old snapping back at him without fear. He then started laughing again, though there was an under current of bitterness in his voice. When Satoshi's face began darkening with anger and his Kikaichu began buzzing in agitation, he threw up his arms in a gesture of placation before he stated, "Peace, I'm not laughing at you or treating your threat as a joke. It's just that you reminded me of Kushina right now; she never was one to put up with anyone else's crap and she didn't fear speaking her mind when she felt she was right."
"Kushina-nee is the reason I would protect Ruto-kun with my life; even from you," Satoshi growled with just slightly less heat, his voice once more a soft whisper.
"So what would you have me do?"
"Would it hurt you to tell Naruto that you are his godfather? Maybe tell him a few stories about Minato and Kushina from when they were younger and write him a letter every now and then?" Satoshi asked calmly as he sent soothing thoughts towards his agitated swarm.
"I told you that the knowledge that I am his godfather is supposed to be a secret…"
"I can safeguard the secret the same way I will safeguard the knowledge that I can remove seals," Satoshi interrupted logically. "All it would take is yours and Naruto's permission because it is a secret that belongs to both of you."
"Someone could intercept my letters…"
"I would be willing to give you permission to call on my house elf to act as a messenger for Naruto's letters and for emergencies."
"You are a stubborn little brat, aren't you?"
"And you're a stubborn old pervert."
"Oy, watch who you're calling old."
"Then mind who you call little."
"Any other demands, your highness?"
"That depends… there going to be any more stupidity on your part?"
"Do you have any manners?"
"Of course… I just don't need them right now."
"Maybe I shouldn't have given you any sake… how much have you had and just how drunk are you?"
"I only had two shots and I'm not drunk at all; in fact, I never even got the expected buzz that Izumo and Kotetsu told me to expect if someone slipped me alcohol without me knowing it back when I was still taking missions Outside."
"How is that possible?"
"Well… alcohol is a known toxin and I can't be poisoned or drugged."
"Don't be daft; anyone can be poisoned or drugged if something is slipped into their drink."
"Let me rephrase myself; as far as I know there is no manmade or nature based venom, toxin, poison, or drug that is designed to incapacitate or kill that will cause me lasting harm. I might get sick and feel a touch of dizziness but that would still pass fairly quickly depending on the size of the dose. Pain painkillers that I am given are less effective than normal and unless they are fairly strong and I am thoroughly exhausted, they won't even knock me out. Even then, they only last a fraction of the time they would normally."
"I'm going to ask again; how is that possible?"
"Magic," Satoshi quipped with a smirk as Jiraiya scowled at him.
"Gaki…"
"How much do you know about what happened during the long term missions I took outside of the Hidden Countries?" Satoshi asked as he eyed the sake bottle sitting next to Jiraiya and wondered what the chances were of getting the Sennin to pour him a third glass as he decided that, yes, he kind of liked the taste of rice wine despite the fact that most people thought it tasted like paint thinner.
"Not much, really, aside from what you've personally told me and the little Sarutobi and Kasai mentioned in passing."
"They tell you that I should have died at the end of my second year?"
"They told me you nearly died several times each year."
"True enough; but most of the time my proximity to death had to do with the situations I was inevitably drawn into throughout the years. However, at the end of my second year I should have died. I didn't just come close to dying; I should have died."
"I suppose you're going to tell me there is a difference?"
"There is a big difference. You see, it was during my second year that we learned the wizarding world had creatures that are the magical equivalent to the bijuu. And before you say that I'm far too young to know how terrible the bijuu are, please remember that I faced the Nibi in her one-tailed state when I was six and a half and that I was there on night the that Kyuubi attacked and while I didn't see the demon, I did feel and see the terrible chakra and killing intent that filled the air that night. There's also the fact that the Sanbi went on the rampage while I was in Kiri not that long ago. The creature that was attacking students inside of the castle that year was far more terrifying than the partially transformed Jinchuuriki and while I doubt it was stronger than a rampaging nine-tails or three-tails it was certainly deadlier."
"What makes you say that?"
"In the Hidden Countries, a basilisk is the name of a terrible monster found only in fairytales; in the magical world they are a horrifying reality. Entirely unnatural and created through some of the darkest and foulest magics known to wizardkind; they are every bit as terrible as the stories make them out to be and possibly worse. The one we faced was over a thousand years old, nearly as large as Manda is reported to be, and under control of a man turned monster that was every bit as terrible as Orochimaru. In addition to its deadly gaze, the magical basilisk is known to contain one of the deadliest, if not thee deadliest, venom in the world."
Satoshi paused for a moment as he unzipped and removed his red jacket before pulling off the long-sleeved turtleneck he wore underneath to bare the scars on his torso. In addition to the recently healed injuries from his infiltration mission to Kiri and the old scars from his encounters with the Nibi's Jinchuuriki and Rokushou Aoi there was a thin scar that started in the center of his right collarbone and ended two inches below his right shoulder blade where it disappeared beneath the mess of scars that covered the majority of his back.
"In order to fight the basilisk, we first had to blind it to prevent it from killing us with just a look; I sacrificed close to eight thousand Kikaichu to do so. We tried cutting the creature's head off after that but its scales were so hard and thick that our swords simply bounced off of them; even when imbued with chakra. We couldn't just bury it under a rock fall because the chamber we were sitting on was directly below both the lake and the castle and a thrown kunai through the eye didn't pierce deeply enough to reach the brain; we tried. In order to kill the monster, I stabbed it through its open mouth at the same times as its fang sliced through my jacket and clothes down to my skin when the damn thing tried to swallow me. I could literally feel my Kikaichu and my body dying as the venom burned its way through my insides."
After another minute, Satoshi pulled his shirt and jacket back on while he let Jiraiya digest what he'd just been told. The sixteen year old then lifted up his left arm and gave out a sharp whistle fueled with a thread of magic. Two seconds later, a nearly mature Fawkes flashed into the room in a swirl of flames and sang a short trill before he lightly landed on Satoshi's uplifted arm. The Sennin stared at the bird with avid interest for a few minutes as Satoshi lightly scratched the bird beneath his beak before returning his attention to the teen.
"This handsome fellow here is Fawkes; he's a phoenix and the reason I am still alive," Satoshi explained after he'd finished lavishing attention on the friendly bird. "He turned up shortly after the basilisk fell still and just before Kotetsu and I dealt with the one responsible for unleashing the basilisk on the school all year long. Like the basilisk itself, the legends revolving around phoenixes and their various capabilities are fairly accurate, if a bit understated. He saved my life by crying healing tears into the gaping wound where the basilisk's fang had pierced me and phoenix tears are the only substance powerful enough to counteract basilisk venom."
"What exactly does all that have to do with your claim that you can't be poisoned?"
"Basilisks and phoenixes are both highly magical creatures and magic doesn't just suddenly disappear. Both the venom and the tears were magical substances and while the venom and tears eventually were broken down and filtered out of my body, the magic in them still flows through my veins and inside of the Kikaichu that survived both the venom and the cure; granting both me and my swarm immunity to other toxins. That is a proven fact; the wizards attempted to poison and drug me on several occasions during my last year, I've been bitten by a few venomous reptiles since then, and the gauntlet that ripped my stomach open while fleeing Kiri was coated with poison."
"Wouldn't that same magic prevent you from replacing your swarm with normal bugs?"
"It certainly made it more difficult in the beginning but otousan took half of my surviving swarm and bred them back to the Kikaichu in our green house and then released thousands of the offspring into the wild populations inside of Training Ground Forty-Four in order to breed that immunity into the wild swarms. The only species that were incompatible with the new bugs were the venomous and poisonous Kikaichu and to this day those species avoid me entirely. The slight traces of magic that were passed along to the offspring also tripled the Kikaichu's natural lifespan and the natural fertility of the queens; doubling the number of eggs they will produce throughout their lifetime."
"Remarkable," Jiraiya mused. "So, you think that immunity is preventing you from being affected by the alcohol?"
"It's a logical hypothesis based upon what I know of alcohol; of course, it could just be because this is a cheep brand of sake with an extra low alcohol content."
"Baka! This is some of the best sake on the market."
"I wouldn't know; this is the first time I've ever had sake before and otousan is going to be more than a little upset when he learns that you've been plying me with alcohol."
"Ano…"
"Tell you what… you let me introduce you properly to Naruto and spend an hour telling him a couple of stories about his parents and I will forget to mention the fact that you gave me an entire bottle of sake to my father."
"What do you mean I gave you an entire… where the hell did my bottle of sake go? Wait a minute… are you trying to blackmail me!?"
"Don't think of it as blackmail; think of it as a compromise. And don't you mean my two bottles of sake?"
"Two bottles…?" Jiraiya asked in confusion before his eyes widened and his hands darted into his jacket to find his unopened bottle of sake was also missing. "How the hell…?"
"Now, now, Jiraiya-sama; a true magician never reveals his secrets and a better shinobi will never confess. Shall I send for your godson or do I need to call for my otousan?"
"You are a cold, cruel man, Aburame-kun," Jiraiya declared as he slowly dropped his arms and sighed. "You might as well call the little gaki since you've already proven you're worse than a ninken on the hunt."
"I'm glad you can be made to see reason," Satoshi countered as he pulled out the open bottle of sake and refilled both of their glasses before it vanished into his jacket once more.
Lifting up his glass, Satoshi saluted Jiraiya before drinking the glass down in one go. He then dropped the barrier and the privacy ward he'd put up earlier before sending a shadow clone to fetch Naruto. While he waited for the nine year old to show up, he poured himself a fourth glass and lay down on his left side with his head propped up on his left hand while idly sipping at his sake; enjoying the remarkably unique bite of the alcohol and slightly bitter aftertaste. Naruto bounded into the room just five minutes later, a confused grin on his face as he glanced from Satoshi to Jiraiya and back a few times.
"Come on in and close the door, Ruto-kun," Satoshi ordered as he used his swarm to chase away the Kikaichu that were clinging to the blonde that were not part of his swarm (most of those bugs belonging to Shibi and Shino's swarms). Once the door was closed, Satoshi then replaced both barrier and ward to make certain they had complete privacy again. "I'm sorry for pulling you away from your fun and your friends but I wanted to introduce you to someone who I think you will enjoy getting to know."
"I already know who the old pervert is, Toshi-nii," Naruto stated as he wrinkled his nose a bit even as he walked forward and dropped down on the floor beside the teen.
"Ah, but have you ever been introduced to him?" Satoshi countered with a grin as he noted the scowl on Jiraiya's face. When Naruto shook his head no in reply to his question; Satoshi finished his sake, sat up so he could toss the cup back to Jiraiya, and gestured to the older shinobi as he intoned, "Then allow me to introduce the two of you… Jiraiya-sama, this little mite here is one of my little termites and my otouto, Uzumaki Naruto. Ruto-kun, this here is Jiraiya; self proclaimed super pervert, one of the Legendary Sannin, the one and only Gama Sennin, and your godfather."
"Nani!?" Naruto bellowed (his yell startling Fawkes into flashing away with a soft squawk) as his eyes bugged out and he whipped his head around to stare up at Satoshi for a full minute before he snapped back around to stare at Jiraiya.
"Could you not have broken the news to him just a touch gentler?" Jiraiya groused irritably as he scowled at Satoshi.
"I could have… but then again you could have taken the initiative as well," Satoshi drawled softly and shamelessly as he leaned back on his hands and tilted his head up to stare at the ceiling. "I'll leave you to explain your reasons and only interrupt to clarify any points you miss or forget."
"Impertinent gaki," Jiraiya growled as he took in Naruto's glare.
"Leave my Toshi-nii alone," Naruto barked as a scowl was added to the glare.
"It's fine, Naruto, I've been called worse and I'll admit to earning it this one time."
Naruto huffed and rolled his eyes as he leaned into Satoshi and scrutinized Jiraiya for several long minutes before he demanded, "Are you really my godfather?"
"Well, unofficially, yes; your parents named me your godfather and in a round about way I helped name you before you were born," Jiraiya explained sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head and laughed weakly.
"Did you know that, niisan?"
"No, I didn't know until Jiraiya-sama brought it up just a little while ago," Satoshi replied as he glanced over at Naruto.
"Oh. Can I go back out with others now?" Naruto asked as he folded in on himself.
"Naruto…?"
"He wasn't locked up in prison like Uncle Padfoot, Toshi," Naruto cried in English as he threw another glare at Jiraiya. "I've known about him for years and have seen him in the village more than once. If he's my godfather, then why didn't he want me? He always comes by to talk to you or Uncle Shibi and he never once even looked at me or said hello to me."
"Tell me, little mite; do you remember the day I explained to you why you couldn't tell people that you were the son of Namikaze Minato?" Satoshi asked in kind as he sensed Naruto's see-sawing emotions through the large number of his Kikaichu that practically lived on the young blonde.
"You said it was to protect me from the people who hated otousan because he was a powerful shinobi."
"That's right and what do your history books say about the Sannin?" Satoshi asked as he sat up and took note of the puzzled expression on Jiraiya's face as the man tried to figure out what they were saying.
"That they were trained by the Sandaime and were some of the strongest shinobi that Konoha ever produced. The stories also called them heroes, except for Orochimaru – who turned traitor, and said that Jiraiya was dad's teacher."
"Don't you think it's likely that there are people out there who hate and fear Jiraiya for the same reasons that they hated and feared your father?"
"I guess… you think he kept the fact that he was my godfather a secret because of that?"
"That's how he explained it to me. He also said he was sending the Hokage money each month that was to be used to take care of you. I don't think he's lying in either case and it would be easy to ask Sarutobi-sama about the money if you wanted to double-check his story."
"He's paying you to take care of me?" Naruto gasped in shock, unconsciously falling back into Japanese as old insecurities rose up inside of him. "You only pretend to like me because of the money?"
"Baka… no one is paying me or anyone else to take care of you," Satoshi huffed as he reached out and snagged Naruto off the floor and cuddled the kid with some difficulty as Naruto was nearly as tall as Satoshi and weighed slightly more since he was stockier than the teen.
"Sarutobi-sensei puts the money I send him each month into a bank account for you," Jiraiya added as he took the opportunity presented to join the conversation now that they were speaking a language he could understand. "Sensei said that he offered Shibi the money at first but that Shibi turned him down flat because you were family."
"Shibi-oji said that?" Naruto asked in wonder.
"Sounds like something otousan would say," Satoshi pointed out as he propped his chin on Naruto's head before tickling his sides. "And it's the truth; you are family. So, unfortunately for you, Ruto-kun, I'm afraid that you're stuck with us because we aren't about to let you go."
"Niisan!" Naruto laughed as he squirmed and tried to get away.
"You think I'd let you kick me while you sleep if I didn't like you?" Satoshi asked once the younger boy was gasping from laughing so hard.
"At least I don't snore like you, dattebayo."
"Oy!" Satoshi cried indignantly even as he smiled and hugged the blonde before leaning forward to whisper in English, "At least give him a chance, Naruto. He's not a bad guy, even if he is a pervert, and while I don't blame you for being angry that he wasn't here for you sooner; he's at least willing to put forth an effort now. No one can make you like him if you don't want to but you should at least give him the chance to give you a real reason to dislike him other than a wish to protect you from those that would harm you because of him."
Naruto tilted his head up to meet Satoshi's gaze for a moment then sighed and nodded before he slipped off of Satoshi's lap and curled up beside the teen as he once again scrutinized the Sennin with slightly less hostility than he'd shown earlier. After another few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Naruto asked the one question that would determine whether or not Naruto stuck around to get to know the man, "Why…? Why now? Why not before?"
"There's probably nothing I could say to make up for ignoring you for nine years but the truth is that I have a dangerous job and I'm constantly traveling; two things that are not conducive to raising a child. I sent money back to the village to insure that you were taken care of because it was the only thing that I could do that wouldn't draw attention to my relationship to you."
"As for why now…? There are two… no three reasons. One, your oniisan is a right stubborn brat who plays dirty. Two, your oniisan has a way of making the secret that I'm your godfather safe. And three, your oniisan asked me to take the time to get to know you before I try to convince you to become my apprentice in four years. A fourth reason would be that I wanted to sooner but had been more than a little afraid you'd be angry with me or that I'd mess up because I'm not really all that good with kids. But mostly because I didn't really have the heart to fight your brother when I knew in my heart he was right."
Satoshi dropped back to lay on the floor, tucking his hands behind his head as he closed his eyes and allowed the rise and fall of Jiraiya's and Naruto's voices to fade into the background. He couldn't help but feel just a little smug about having gotten one over on the Sennin and for giving Naruto another connection to his absent family. His attention was drawn back to the other pair when Jiraiya started telling the story of how Kushina fell in love with Minato and he sat up to give the story his full attention since that particular tale was not one that he'd previously been told.
Halfway through the part where Kushina had been kidnapped by Kumo shinobi, Satoshi glanced sideways to take in the wide eyed Naruto, who was hanging on every word as he leaned towards Jiraiya. A glance over at Jiraiya had Satoshi feeling exceedingly glad he'd interfered in the situation as the older man was enjoying sharing the story far more than he would have expected given how reluctant the man had been to spend time with the Jinchuuriki. At the end of the story, while Naruto was plying Jiraiya with hundreds of questions about the story he'd been told, Satoshi pulled out a scroll and spent a few minutes working out the best possible wording for the newest two secrets he would be sealing away.
A glance at his watch let him know that they'd been locked away for well over an hour now; twice that amount if he counted the time he'd spent locked in the room with Jiraiya alone. Knowing there would be those at the party that would be growing concerned, Satoshi interrupted the impromptu question and answer session and asked godfather and godson if they would allow him to seal away their secret in order to protect it. The moment he had their permission, Satoshi pulled out his wand and tore off one of the two copies of the dual secrets he'd written out on the scroll and closed his eyes as he began gathering his magic.
Two minutes later, he spoke the incantation in Latin while weaving his wand in the complicated pattern that wove golden threads of magic around all three of them (with several more snaking off towards other individuals not present) while the writing on the torn off piece of parchment he held in his hand began glowing blue and gold. As the last syllable fell from his lips, he pressed the tip of his wand to the glowing scrap of parchment and ink and the magic surrounding them pulled taut as all of the golden threads were drawn to the paper as it rose into the air under the influence of his magic.
Soon there was a ball of glowing threads floating in the air in front of Satoshi and he opened his eyes as the magic rushed straight for his heart. An instant later, a blank piece of paper fluttered down to land on the floor at Satoshi's feet and he swayed slightly on his feet as his soul and his magic accommodated the two intertwined secrets.
Once he'd regained his equilibrium, Satoshi tucked away his wand and had both Naruto and Jiraiya read the copy of the secret that he'd written on the scroll before asking the two of them whom they wished Satoshi to share the secret with. Naruto unsurprisingly demanded that Shibi, Shino, and Hinata be told. Jiraiya's list was well over twice as long in that he requested Satoshi inform the Hokage and half the village Department Heads. Satoshi nodded before calling for Dobby and first gave Jiraiya permission to call upon the elf to deliver letters to Naruto from Jiraiya (and vice-versa) or in the event of an emergency. He then passed the elf the slip of paper holding the secret and asked the elf to see to it the people that Jiraiya and Naruto had requested to learn the secret read it before he brought it back to Satoshi.
"I guess that means we are finished and you can get back to the rest of the termites, Ruto-kun," Satoshi declared as he took his wand back out and dropped the ward surrounding the room before dropping the barrier.
Naruto nodded and hugged Satoshi before darting out of the room. Satoshi smiled after him for a moment before he dispelled the cushions he'd conjured and moved to follow in the blonde's wake only to stop when Jiraiya called him back.
"There's a one more thing I'd like to discuss with you before you go."
Sighing, Satoshi nodded and secured the room for a third time before turning to face the Sannin. The man climbed to his feet and stretched out for a moment before studying Satoshi for a full minute with an unreadable look on his face.
"The room is secure?" Jiraiya asked and the teen nodded in confirmation. "I don't feel like sitting on the floor again, do you think you can magic me up a sturdy chair?"
The request wasn't all that odd and Satoshi thought nothing of it as he conjured the requested piece of furniture before slipping his wand back into his pocket. Expecting the man to simply sit down and start talking, Satoshi was completely caught off guard when instead he found himself being lifted up off the floor. There was a split second where the shock locked Satoshi's muscles before he exploded into action as he lashed out with feet and hands. Unfortunately, Jiraiya was bigger, stronger, and more experienced than him and three minutes later he was sprawled belly down over Jiraiya's knees with his jacket flipped half over his head.
"I warned you that I would take you to task if you didn't stop overstepping your bounds," Jiraiya ominously reminded him and that was all the warning Satoshi had before the Sannin brought his hand down on Satoshi's rear end to give him a thorough spanking.
Each curse and each attempt to fight his way free only earned him another swat and his rear was practically on fire by the time he realized he was only drawing the humiliation out the longer he struggled. The moment he let himself go limp, Jiraiya swatted him one last time before setting him up on his feet.
"I expect you to treat me with a little more respect in the future," Jiraiya instructed in a no-nonsense tone a moment later; the formidable look on his face saying he meant business. "I can and will paddle your backside again should you forget."
"Hai, Jiraiya-sama," Satoshi replied just a touch sullenly as the back of his neck and cheeks turned pink in mortification over being spanked on the same day he'd been promoted to Jounin.
"Wonderful, then we are finished here," Jiraiya declared in a jovial tone. "I expect you to be in the Hokage's office bright and early tomorrow morning in order to attempt removing the first of Orochimaru's curse seals."
Satoshi nodded as he dropped the ward and barrier for the final time and vanished the chair without saying a word, his face and backside still on fire from being disciplined by the Sennin. He hunched his shoulders a bit when the man patted him on the head before walking out the door, a scowl pulling at the teen's mouth. He was half tempted to slink off to his room to sulk but shook his head and sighed when he realized that would only raise far more questions than actually rejoining the party would.
A cloud of Kikaichu descended on him the moment he exited the office, the bugs had been patiently waiting for him to step outside of the room. He felt a touch of relief knowing that no one else had been privy to his first (and hopefully last) ever spanking; he didn't think he could have handled the embarrassment of anyone else knowing that Jiraiya had treated him like a snot-nosed kid. At least he hadn't bawled over the spanking; he'd never have been able to look at himself in the mirror if he'd whined or cried because of a few swats.
As he reentered the main part of the house, Satoshi hoped the pervert's hand hurt just as much as his backside did as each step pulled on the still tender flesh. If anyone else attending the party thought it was strange that he choose to remain standing for the rest of the night, they didn't mention it to him.
Translations: Japanese to English
Ano – um
Baka – idiot
Chikushou – damn
Gaki – brat
Gama Sennin – Toad Sage
Hai – yes
Kami – god/spirits
Kumogakure (Kumo) – Hidden Cloud Village
Nani – what
Oniisan/niisan – older brother
Otousan/tousan – father
Otouto – younger brother
Oy – hey
Urusai – shut up