AN: Whoa! I didn't expect so many reviews, favorites, and likes in such a short time! Now I'm really excited and motivated. I feel like I failed to demonstrate Naruto's deep character in my first chapter; I hope to make it up.
About the pairing. At first, I planned for a NaruTema story, but I changed my mind. Loving an enemy would be abnormal for my Naruto.
P.S: Naruto looks like Minato but with red hair (And whiskers, of course)
While the man was a pervert and a bit goofy, he was Jiraiya, the man he learned about in books. So meeting the man who was once his father's tutor got Naruto excited; being his Sensei as well was a bonus. Now, after Jiraiya almost got killed by an angry mob of women, they went to the tea shop so they would have some decent conversation.
"So you are my sensei. I never see that coming." Said Naruto as he ate his Dango
Jiraiya smiled at the young boy in front of him. He couldn't believe how years had passed. It was like yesterday when Minato told him that Kushina was pregnant; now Minato's son sat in front of him, eating Dango and staring at him suspiciously. "Naruto. I think I should make things clear between us". Jiraiya said in a serious tone. Noticing the red-haired's serious demeanor, he continued. "I'm not some teacher you got by coincidence"
"What do you mean?" Naruto asked. He knew it wasn't a coincidence since he had no team but, he wanted to understand the Sannin's intentions.
"You see. Minato was somehow like you; he lost his parents very early. So technically, he never knew his parents " Seeing Naruto's sad nod, he continued. "So, as years passed, Minato and I got very close. Very close that he started to think of me as his own father; he never had a father, so it was understandable, and I didn't mind. Contrary, I felt proud of myself".
Naruto raised an eyebrow at the last exclamation. "Why would you feel proud of yourself?"
"An accomplished and successful man like The Yellow Flash thinking of me as a father helped me to realize how great a guy I am! Aside from my own accomplishments". Jiraiya finished with a smug grin.
Naruto sweatdropped at the man's behavior, so he was just bragging about himself. "What the point of telling me all this?"
Jiraiya took a sip of his tea and grinned. "Just don't think of me as just a teacher! I want you to trust me with everything. I know it's weird but consider me a member of your family!"
Naruto gaped at his new teacher, widened eyes showing how shocked he was. Family, this word was nothing to him but two dead people and a stone face. Even Lord Third wasn't a family to him; Lord Third was nothing but an amazing old man he respected. But now...Things were different. Could he trust Jiraiya that much?
"I guess I will give it a try," Said Naruto sheepishly as he blushed.
"Great! Now we are done, let's go training!" Jiraiya exclaimed childishly as he pointed at nowhere, ignoring all the weird looks he was getting.
As a retort, Naruto slapped his forehead. Now he started to reconsider the whole teacher and family thing.
Hiruzen rubbed his temples as he sighed in annoyance. Years and decades had passed since he knew Danzo. However, they still couldn't agree on a mere thing like team selection. Even Koharu and Homura got tired of Danzo's constant disagreement and nonsense, they were old and tired, but Danzo was as annoying as ever.
"Are we really having this meeting?" Homura grumbled, annoyed that his time with his grandsons was interrupted so he would listen to Danzo's bullshit.
Koharu was annoyed, although she didn't show it like her teammate. "What do you want, Danzo? Who would be more suitable to take care of Naruto than Jiraiya? You?"
Danzo noticed the sarcasm at the last part but ignored it. "No need for Naruto to be a Shinobi. What we need is a weapon that can protect Konoha at any time" The impassive way he said these words shocked the other three. Koharu was the first one who snapped at the bandaged man.
"Are you out of your mind? You want to turn Minato and Kushina's son into a weapon?! After everything they've done!"
Danzo snapped back. "THAT'S NOT THE TIME FOR SENTIMENTAL FEELINGS"
"WE ARE NOT THE HIDDEN MIST!"
"ENOUGH!" Hiruzen roared angrily and slammed his palms on the table, shutting everyone immediately. Glaring at Danzo, who flinched, he exclaimed. "If you ever disrespected Kushina and Minato's memory again, I will never forgive you! Friend or not!" He raised his palm, stopping Danzo from speaking, he added. "About Naruto, he will never be turned into a weapon, plain and simple!" Hiruzen declared. There was no need for further words. The said discussion shouldn't even be made!
Danzo said nothing like always. He just stood up and left the room, slamming the door behind him. He knew how to achieve his goals. The last thing he needed was these fools' permission. Now, he shall wait.
"My goodness! How he turned to this?" Koharu exclaimed in disgust.
Homura shrugged. "Well, not having a wife at this age, what you've expected?"
Hiruzen said nothing. He just stared at where his friend was sitting and frowned sadly. To think Danzo would think about making a weapon out of Naruto, Is that how weak they've become? Suddenly he felt nostalgia for the prosperous era. The years when they were a power not to mess with. His prime self, His students, Minato, Sakumo, and...
"Just leave everything to Minato and me! You do old people things, like drinking tea with your friends"
'Kushina...'
Sakumo committed seppuku. His students deserted the village except for Jiraiya. Minato and Kushina died sealing the nine-tails inside their own son. What was left was his pitied old self. He wondered if they could still call themselves the greatest village...
Jiraiya and Naruto sat in front of each other on the training ground. Jiraiya thought about a spar, but he immediately abandoned the idea. Fighting Naruto would be unnecessary since he knew everything about Naruto's skills from Sarutobi sensei's report. Also, prodigy or not, Naruto wouldn't be able to lay a scratch on him.
"Usually, Genin teams are given another exam by their Jonin instructors to decide if they are ready to be Ninja" Jiraiya explained.
Naruto nodded in understanding. "No wonder the graduation exam was easy...So, if these teams failed they would go back to the academy" he analyzed getting a nod from Jiraiya.
"Precisely. But don't worry, there would be no need for you to take this exam" Jiraiya said, reassuring his student.
Naruto let out a sigh full of relief. "Thank god. It would be embarrassing to return to the academy after being the rookie of the year"
Jiraiya smiled at these words. So Naruto had some childish side, which was good. "Anyway, now we are done with chit-chat. I will teach you the first Jutsu out of many!"
Now Naruto got excited. A new Jutsu? And from one of the Sannin? "What is it, Sensei?" Naruto asked excitedly.
Jiraiya smirked as he bit his finger. Leaking some blood, he did five hand signs and slammed his palm on the ground. A sealing array appeared on the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!" Jiraiya exclaimed. In a puff of smoke. A big toad appeared with a scroll in its mouth.
Naruto stared wide-eyed at his sensei, who stood at the top of the toad. "You are making a toad summoner?!" Who knows, he might end up summoning the famous Gamabunta!
Jiraiya nodded. "Open this scroll" Pointing at the scroll the toad had put on the ground. "This scroll is a summoning contact between humans and toads, that I've taken over from generations. Now, sign your name in your own blood and stamp the fingerprints of one hand in blood under that"
Naruto opened the scroll carefully. His gaze focused on the empty slot. Biting his finger enough to draw blood. He did as Jiraiya instructed. Though the name he wrote left Jiraiya surprised.
"Namikaze Naruto? Not Uzumaki?"
Naruto shook his head. He said fondly. "This is my real name. Uzumaki is just camouflage." He might have red hair, but he was his father's son. Even his mother got his father's name after marriage, so it would be weird to keep his mother's maiden name. He just needed to wait for his Chunin promotion...
Jiraiya nodded in understanding. "I see. It sounds better by the way; It got a nice rhythm." He said dramatically.
Naruto's eyebrows twitched in annoyance at his sensei's nonsense. "Are we going to discuss my name the whole day?"
Jiraiya rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry." He cleared his throat and added, "Now, you already saw the hand signs, so build up a good amount of chakra, and PUFF you will have your toad!"
Naruto focused on releasing a good amount of Chakra. Biting his finger, he did the five hand signs his Sensei did. He slammed his hand on the ground and exclaimed. "Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu!"
What happened next, shocked both the student and master.
Kakashi stared at his team with disappointment. Sakura was tied to the wooden stump, Sasuke glared at the ground, and Sai looked a bit sad. He expected Sakura to be mediocre but what disappointed him were the other two boys. Sai was good but nothing special. The boy lacked the physical ability and Taijutsu skills, though he had a unique release; Ink was something he never saw in his life. And that was quite the thing since he had copied over a thousand Jutsu. Also, the boy's social skills were bad, but Kakashi could see that Sai was trying his best to improve. However, it was a hard task while being with Sakura and Sasuke. He couldn't blame the kid. Sakura was Sasuke's fangirl while Sasuke...was Sasuke.
What disappointed Kakashi even further was Sasuke. He expected someone close to Itachi or something, but it seems he raised his hopes for nothing. The boy did The Great Fireball Jutsu, but it was nothing special. Obito, who was considered a loser by many people, could do the Jutsu at 8. Annoyingly, Sasuke thought he was some unparalleled genius. Kakashi admitted that Sasuke was talented, but in comparison to Itachi, It was like comparing a drop of sweat to a vast ocean.
"I expected something from you, guys. All that I've heard in the past day is how lucky I am to have such a talented group... Bluntly, you guys are average" Kakashi said bluntly as he gave the three genin a deadpan look. These words seemed to get Sasuke riled up. Kakashi released a sigh of suffering when Sasuke pulled out a Kunai and ran toward him, ignoring Sakura's yells.
'I quit Anbu for this shit...' Kakashi didn't even need to put in an effort. He easily stopped the Uchiha's attack. Now he stared at two of his students while standing on Sasuke's head.
"Don't step on Sasuke Kun!"
"Just as I said. Mere squirts" Kakashi ignored the girl's demand and stared down at the furious Uchiha. "From the reports I've read, you were supposed to be exceptional. However, looking at you now, I only see a mediocre Uchiha" Kakashi mocked. Sasuke didn't do a thing. Precisely, he couldn't.
Sai scoffed at his sensei's words. "The only exceptional thing about the emo is his name"
"Shut Up Sai!" Sasuke yelled at the paled boy. He would've glared, but that would've been pathetic since someone was stepping on him.
Sai hated this guy. Actually, he hated both Sasuke and Sakura. Sakura was a nuisance, while Sasuke was nothing but an arrogant prick whose family gave him the right to be elite, as if. Whoever called this guy a prodigy had never seen one. But he did. All his generation did. Only one prodigy appears every generation; his generation's prodigy certainly wasn't Sasuke.
The prodigy was someone he met three years ago; when he was still a Root Anbu. At that moment, he felt shivers down his spine; for the first time in his life.
Flashback
It was a dark and cloudy night. The moonlight barely illuminated the village of Konoha. A young who wore a plain mask stood outside the apartment of Uzumaki Naruto, Kyuubi Jinchuriki. His mission was to watch the Jinchuriki and report if any suspicious thing happened. But Sai was getting bored, It appeared his emotional training didn't work. For three hours, the Jinchuriki kept reading the same book. Only went to the bathroom once and a minute ago started to boil water. Sai felt his eyes closing slowly against his will and the binoculars falling from his hand. How much he wished he was just a normal painter...
"You doze off very easily for an Anbu"
Sai's eyes shot open in panic. He pulled his tanto from his back and slashed the person behind him. To his shock, he slashed nothing.
"Your reflexes are slow, you should train harder," The same voice said, but now it came from behind him, again. Sai turned his head and saw Uzumaki Naruto standing in front of him, staring at him with interest.
'W-What?!' Sai felt his body's temperature rising and sweat falling from his face, though the mask hides it well. 'The apartment was 200 meters away from my watching spot. How could he?!' Sai thought with panic. And he could swear that Uzumaki Naruto was the one who stood behind him earlier...How?
"I'm fast" The red-haired answered as if he had read his thoughts. "Though, you seem to be my age. It's cool to see a 10-year-old Anbu...But I can see that you are not normal Anbu"
"You mean the mask?" Sai said behind the mask. He blinked. Why did he say this? He blinked once again at Naruto's expression.
"Eh...No, I know about Root and plain masks. I meant your skills. You are certainly not an Anbu level. I could've killed you during these three hours...Oh, I have to go before the boiled water gets cold"
Sai froze upon hearing these words as he stared at his shaky hand. He could've died without realizing it...He was supposed to be an Anbu and genius kid, but now it appeared that everything he believed was a lie. He, a person who succeeded at the Root program was outclassed by an academy student; without even trying. Knowing Naruto left. He used his binoculars hurriedly. He saw Uzumaki Naruto sitting in the same chair and reading the same book, this time he was eating Ramen.
'W-Watching him? What kind of fool am I?!'
Flashback End
After what happened, he went to Danzo-sama and asked for approval to enter the academy. Of course, the old man was perplexed at the dumb request, but Sai argued skilfully saying he would have his eyes on both Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto. Realizing how good the plan was, Danzo agreed and enrolled him in the academy. The first thing he did was go to Naruto. He knew that Naruto recognized him, but the red-haired never showed it. So Sai never brought up the topic, preferring to have friendly conversations with Naruto. Now Sai listened carefully to his Sensei's lecture about teamwork. While teamwork was necessary, it would never happen at their first fight. They needed time and experience to cooperate together.
Kakashi released Sasuke and started to walk away. "I will give you another chance after lunch. But! Don't feed Sakura." He said as he disappeared, leaving three surprised genin.
Jiraiya gaped at what his new student summoned from the first try. It was a humongous toad, and Jiraiya knew the guy very well. They grew up together, after all.
"Huh?! Where the hell am I?!" Gamabunta said in a rough voice. Staring down, he saw Jiraiya gaping at him. "Jiraiya? Why you summoned me? And why the hell do you stare at me like that?"
"Actually, I summoned you. By the way, are you the famous Gamabunta?"
Gamabunta blinked when he heard a sound coming from the top of his head. He felt someone standing atop him from the beginning. He almost had a heart attack when he saw the person standing atop him 'Lord Fourth!' Bunta quickly rationalized his thoughts. This boy was shorter and had red hair, similar to Kushina's...This means. "Hey kid, you are Naruto aren't you?"
Naruto's eyes widened. "Y-Yes sir" It seems Gamabunta knew him. Maybe because of his lineage?
"He looks exactly like Minato, Right Bunta?" Jiraiya yelled from down, getting Gamabunta's attention.
Gamabunta nodded. Letting out a puff of smoke, he said. "He sure does. I almost had a heart attack." He stared at Naruto, who was looking at him with excitement. "Naruto, you look like skilled Shinobi...I assume you summoned me?"
Naruto smiled smugly. "From my first try!"
Bunta raised a massive eyebrow at the assumption. Staring down at Jiraiya for confirmation. Seeing Jiraiya nod with a smile, he snorted softly. "The apple surely doesn't fall far from the tree. Anyway, It seems there is no need for me here. Jiraiya! You should bring Naruto to Mount Myoboku. The Elder Sages will be happy when they see him!" Bunta told Jiraiya before disappearing in a huge puff of smoke.
"Mount Myoboku?" Asked Naruto as he frowned in confusion.
Jiraiya just ruffled his hair. "It's time will surely come"
AN: I noticed that I use the word "Nod" a lot. About Sai, I like him.