u

by Phe Reh1

mee vittu pois täältä..tää on mulle ainoa

34. nrjj2

Preface

Rikugan
Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at /works/42281100.

Rating:
Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warning:
Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Category:
F/M, Gen
Fandom:
Naruto, 呪術廻戦 Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime)
Relationship:
Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto
Character:
Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Hinata, Jiraiya, Gojo Satoru
Additional Tags:
NarutoXJujutsu Kaisen, Naruto has Rikugan, Namikaze is a strange family, Rikugan as Kekkei Genkai, Not really JJK but has its elements, Warning Gojo Satoru will make cameo
Language:
English
Stats:
Published: 2022-10-10 Updated: 2022-10-18 Chapters: 14/? Words: 29713
Rikugan

by Makuro767

Summary

Chuunin Exam, Second Phase and Naruto was sealed by Hebi Sennin Orochimaru...or at least that what the Sennin thought. Instead, something ancient of the Namikaze line was awakened. Something that has been forgotten by time. Now Naruto has to deal with a Kekkei Genkai that nobody know anything about and whole new side of the world he lives in. Chakra? That was nothing. Juryoku? Let him pick up his tent and run for the hills.

Naruto knew that there's a reason why he never like ghosts...

Chapter 1

Uzumaki Naruto's eyes itched something terrible even as he lay unconscious. The last thing he recalled was that freaky Kunoichi from Kusa slamming all five fingers right where the seal of the Kyuubi was drawn. He lost consciousness from the pain soon after…

Now he's somewhere in a….sewer?

He looked around in utter confusion, "Hello? Sasuke? Sakura-chan? Anybody?! Where the heck am I?" He looked around for any signs, "This place is giving me weird vibe,"

Something breathed behind him and he froze, turning so quickly he almost get whiplash. Naruto breathed hard, adrenaline rushing through his vein and his instinct screamed at him to stay away. Yet somehow it felt like he's being drawn to it, the acrid air that screamed danger. Unwillingly his feet move and soon he was standing before bars as tall as the Hokage Mountain and as thick as the tallest tree in Konoha's great forest.

Then the space shattered like glass and he was standing in the void. The celestial bodies rotated around him and Naruto felt overwhelmed by all the information rushing into him. He whimpered as he knelt, shaking in pain as he felt like his skull will split when suddenly everything fell silent.

"Oya? Oya oya? I didn't expect this…one of my own? I supposed those bastards didn't get all of my family after all,"

Naruto felt someone moving his head and he opened bleeding eyes to see a pair of skies looking down on him. He croaked, "Who?"

The man, pale haired and blue eyed grinned, "My name is Gojo Satoru and I supposed I'm your ancestor!"

"Huh?"

Satoru laughed, "My, a slow one we have here huh? Just like her, so cute!"

Naruto blushed, "Leave me alone, dattebayo! My head hurts,"

Satoru ripped off his jumper and Naruto squeaked, "Pervert!" Satoru ignored the boy's attempt to hit him and Naruto was dumbfounded when he noticed that he couldn't touch this guy at all. He traced the seal on Naruto's abdomen and whistled, "The guy who made this is a genius! A seal that hid something almost like a curse the level of Sukuna…ah, he sacrificed his own soul as the lock! He must have really loved you,"

The man's expression was soft as he traced the seal before grinning, "But unfortunately this also awakens my clearly diluted bloodline in you!"

Naruto was confused, "Yondaime loves me?"

Satoru nodded, "Why yes, this is so tightly locked that even an extreme situation will only slightly loosen it. If you are just a mere container, no one would care about the container's condition as long as this here is locked up tight. But instead you are able to access a little of the energy within you, giving you a boost if I may,"

Naruto frowned, "I've been treated like a demon my whole life and I didn't even know why. Sure I get why he does what he did but why me?"

Satoru ruffled his head, "Who else can a father trust but his own son?"

Naruto froze, "What?"

Satoru tilted his head, "You don't know?" He pouted playfully, "Boohoo! You don't know he's your daddy?! Aw baby!"

Naruto pulled a face, "Will you stop that!?" He smacked the hand, once again noticing the off phenomenon, "What can't I touch you?!"

Satoru grinned, "That would be our bloodline, Mukagen. This technique brings the concept of "Infinity" into reality, allowing us to manipulate and distort space at will and combined with my eyes, the Rikugan, I am the strongest,"

Naruto stared at his eyes, "Wait…I have a Dojutsu?"

Satoru blinked, "What's a Dojutsu?"

Naruto frowned and pointed, "Your eyes. It's like the Sharingan, right?"

Satoru tilted his head, "Interesting. I guess the world must have evolved in the strangest way since my death," He grinned, "Tell me, what do you know of curses?"

Naruto frowned, "Curses?"

Satoru nodded, "Juryoku,"

Naruto was confused, "What's that? Is that another way of saying chakra?"

Satoru stared at him before throwing his head back and laughed long and hard. He took a while to calm down much to the confusion of his blond progeny, "Chakra? So the world has forgotten juryoku? Now isn't that interesting?!"

Satoru looked at him, "Listen to me and listen well, my precious tadpole of another tadpole! Juryoku is a power source aligned with negative emotions used by sorcerers and curses to fuel their jujutsu. The term ' Jujutsu' is an umbrella that encompasses all curse-related mystical arts and user of jujutsu is known as Jutsu-shi,"

Naruto blinked, "So…not chakra?"

Satoru nodded, "Not chakra," He pointed at the seal on Naruto's abdomen, "Seals are just a branch of jujutsu. I can tell that it has evolved to use chakra but any source of energy that uses the soul and emotions as base are under jujutsu. That is what it means to use juryoku," He poked Naruto's abdomen, "The one who made this is desperate to protect and preserve. A strong enough emotion can be negative and that negative emotion become an imprint on anything. In this case the imprint is you. The base for the negative emotion used is love,"

Naruto gawked, "How can love be negative?"

Satoru smirked, "When it is too strong. In this case, the love of a parent desperate to keep you alive," He smiled, "They loved you enough to die for you. I can see the imprint of their final moment. They stood before the deadly strike that would have killed you,"

Naruto couldn't stop the tears from falling. He started to sob and slowly that sob turned to outright crying. Satoru listened and let the boy let out his emotion. He waited until the boy finally calmed down and he ruffled the lightening blond hair. He sighed, "I'm not going to be here for long. I supposed I am here because of my own imprint in your blood,"

Naruto sniffled, "Then why are you here in the first place?"

He grinned, "Because I think you need me…or rather the power of our family,"

Naruto frowned, "So?"

Satoru laughed as he hugged Naruto and ruffled his hair with his knuckles, "Seriously! You're so dumb and slow it's cute!"

"Hey!"

Satoru sobered, "I doubted your father leave behind such a well of power just for safe keeping. Your life was threatened on the day you were born and that could only mean that you are the only one capable of holding the power back as well as wielding it. Your daddy is real genius, the tadpole,"

Naruto blinked, "How'd you know this happen on the day I was born?"

Satoru poked his belly button, holding him tight as he squirm from the ticklish feeling, "I can tell the age of this seal and it is as old as you are, down to the last hour, in which I think was spent trying to save you and fight that energy within you,"

Naruto popped his head out from under the man's arm, "Oh,"

Satoru added, "In another word, he expected for you to be targeted again,"

Naruto paled, "Huh?!"

Satoru nodded, "So like any good warlord daddy, he gave you the finest weapon in his inventory and that mean that energy inside you. What a good daddy,"

Naruto looked at his abdomen, "Feels like more trouble than it's worth, 'ttebayo,"

Satoru laughed, "Exactly why it is worth it. My power meant my life has been targeted for as long as I can remember but it is futile for I am the strongest. Throughout the heavens and earth, I alone am the honored one!"

Naruto deadpanned, "Wow, narcissistic much?"

Satoru winked, "Ehe!"

Naruto huffed, "So what do you mean I will need your power?!"

Satoru poked his belly, attempting to tickle it but Naruto danced out of his reach, trying to close his ruined orange jumper, "Because your life is threatened at every turn. I believe that Rikugan calculated that it will only get harder from this moment onward and so decided to 'tell' me to hand it over to you," He reached up and dug out his eyes, making Naruto squeak in disgusted terror, "Now get over here,"

Naruto tried to run but strange blue energy grabbed hold of him, making him not even able to squirm; "Let me go! Let me go, you bastard!"

Satoru laughed, "Why are you so scared? I'm just digging your eyes out and putting in mine,"

Naruto screamed, "WHY WON'T I BE SCARED WITH THAT, DATTEBAYO!?"

Satoru just laughed harder, "Don't worry it won't hurt…much…"

Naruto screeched, "LIAR!!!!!"

After much screaming from Naruto, the impromptu surgery ended and Satoru sighed, "There…aren't those peepers beautiful? They suite you like a charm,"

Naruto grumbled, shaking in pain, "Cursed charm,"

Satoru nodded, "Now you're getting it," He then gathered some white energy in his hand and slammed it right into Naruto's chest, "Now…you will be waking up and you will start seeing ghost,"

Naruto squeaked, "GHOST?!"

Satoru nodded, "Yes, ghosts. From what I can glimpse from your story, I can tell the world had gone to hell in a hand basket since my death and that means that juryoku will be at an all-time high because of all the dead roaming about,"

Naruto whimpered, "I hate you,"

Satoru cooed, "Aw…I love you too baby, my precious adorable tadpole of another tadpole,"

Naruto could only whimper more as he was in absolute pain from all the information coming through his mind. He then asked, "Will I see you again…Jiji?"

Satoru blinked, though he no longer has any eyes inside his sockets, "I'm afraid not, baby," He rubbed the fainted blonde's forehead, his hair lightening to platinum, "It's going to get harder now. Hard enough an ancient forgotten power like mine are called forth…eh, Hagoromo?"

Naruto stirred with a pounding headache and opened his eyes only to be bombarded with information that was quickly filtered to a slow, more understandable pace. Confused, he stepped out of the tree hollow that he woke up in and asked, "What did I miss?"

Haruno Sakura, one third of his team, looked at him to yell at his slowness only to stare in confusion, "What happened to your hair?"

Naruto blinked and she finally noticed his eyes. But before she could ask, he pulled a strand in front of him and shrieked, "What the fuck?! I thought it was just a crazy dream! Wait! Does that mean-?!" He pulled out one kunai, polished it as quickly as he could and looked into the reflective surface. He screamed, "DAMMIT THAT JIJI REALLY PUT HIS CREEPY EYES IN ME!!"

He then noticed his other teammate Uchiha Sasuke before turning around and throws up. He then shakily pointed at the boy, "S-Sa-Sasuke…d-did you know…t-that…you ha-have a weird ass l-looking g-g-ghost s-sucking on your n-neck?"

Needless to say Naruto's life only gets weirder from there…

Chapter 2

Chapter Summary

"And for some reason you have another, scarier Sakura on your back, dattebayo!"

Naruto will never say that Sakura was being unfair to him even though she was relatively nice to this other kid with a disgusting ghost clinging to him. He also didn't get why they keep turning back around when the tower was so close until he realized that they must be trapped in an illusion. So he quickly noticed the three Ame Genin playing around with them, surrounded by angry dead Genin ghosts that really creeps Naruto out since he just saw their dead bodies.

He couldn't mold his Kage Bunshin as his chakra control was shot. He can tell that it has something to do with the seal the weird impostor put on him but he's busy so he didn't have time to deal with it. So he grabbed Sasuke instead, "Hey, Teme, use your Sharingan,"

Sasuke, still weird out by Naruto insisting that he has the ghost of Orochimaru sucking on his neck, activated his Sharingan. He stopped, "We are trapped in an illusion,"

Yakushi Kabuto, the Konoha Genin that had gone through this 7 times, stopped and cursed, "They are planning to weaken us,"

Naruto didn't like ghost clinging to Kabuto, its ugly and has too many faces and eyes and mouths and looked like black sludge muttering curses at him. Nope. He doesn't like Kabuto at all. Sakura looked around and just in time she dodged a kunai racing for her. Naruto blinked in confusion as they started fighting air before realizing that those shuriken and kunai coming at them were real. He looked around and headed straight into the forest.

It seemed the illusions don't work on Rikugan at all…

He knocked the one placing illusion out and the rest of his team started to retaliate. After a while, Sasuke asked, "How did you know who to knock out?"

Naruto frowned, scratching his head as he tried to explain, "I don't know how…just that I can see it…and him. I can see the chakra that he manipulates…I think it's my eyes,"

Sasuke snorted, "Nonsense. Not even my Sharingan can detect them,"

Naruto sighed, "I don't get it either, okay? My eyes don't work with chakra,"

This caught Kabuto's interest, "Oh? Mind explaining it to me? As a medic, anything new about the human body interests me,"

Naruto leapt away from him, "Sorry but I really don't like that ghost sludge thing clinging to you…yep, now they're glaring at me…"

Kabuto froze, "Ghost sludge?"

Naruto nodded, "I don't know what you do in your career but I think those are curses of the dead,"

Sakura tried to hit him, "Will you stop talking nonsense?!"

Naruto blinked as he evaded her hit, "And for some reason you have another, scarier Sakura on your back, dattebayo!"

"Shut up!"

He blinked, "Oh, you're in sync just now,"

This line of argument continued until Kabuto rejoined his team while they headed straight for the Tower, their scrolls acquired. Naruto looked at the poem on the wall and look at the ones in their hand, Sakura wondering what they should do now that they have arrived while Sasuke still looked confused by Naruto. Now that he looked closer at the blond, his blue eyes looked strange…like looking at the sky…

Naruto pointed out, "I think it's safe to open the scroll now,"

Sakura turned on him, "Anko said not to! I am not jeopardizing Sasuke-kun's career by listening to you, Baka!"

Naruto sighed, "Ask Sasuke then,"

Sasuke frowned, "Let's open it,"

Sakura's scary Oni face turned sweet at his suggestion, "Oh Sasuke-kun, you're so smart!"

The scroll opened and Chuunin Umino Iruka poof into existence, "Congratulation for passing the Second Phase of the Chuunin Exam!" He then noticed Naruto, "Naruto, what happened to your hair and eyes?!"

Naruto shrugged, "Apparently my dad have an ancient Kekkei Genkai that has nothing to do with chakra," He patted his stomach, "We met Orochimaru and I was in enough danger I met my ancestor," He shuddered, "Let it be said that I'm happy he's dust,"

Iruka didn't know what to say to that, "I think…the Hokage needs to know about this. Now go gather at the arena for the assembly. You're just in time,"

Naruto nodded, "Sure,"

After they went to their room, Sasuke asked, "What's your Kekkei Genkai?"

Naruto pointed at his eyes, "Rikugan,"

Sasuke stared at his strange blue eyes, "What can your eyes do?"

Naruto smirked, "Now that would be telling, Teme. I mean, I don't know anything much about your Sharingan, ne?"

Sakura turned on him, "Baka! Tell Sasuke!"

Naruto frowned, "Why? We are not on a mission and I heard the next one is a one on one battle. I'm going to hold my advantage to myself for a little longer, if you don't mind," He turned, hands laced behind his head as he headed for the cafeteria, "Now let's go to the arena,"

Sakura grinded her teeth, "Since when does that baka use his head?"

On Naruto's part, he's sweating. He didn't know if he should tell Jiji about his other, more ancient Jiji. Naruto doesn't understand Gojo or these powers he gave him. But everything else, everyone else…it's like the information about them kept on repeating in his head to the point he understand them with just a glance. In fact, somehow he just knew about the next phase of the exam by simple observation.

A familiar bark reached his ears and he looked behind him, seeing Akamaru and Kiba entering the arena with the rest of his team, Shino and Hinata. He greeted them, "Hey guys!"

His eyes then landed on Hinata and everything slowly become clearer to him. She wasn't weird, she was…infatuated with him with the purest of intention. She knew that he's focused on his ambition so she never came closer than necessary unlike Sakura or Ino with Sasuke. She wanted to get closer but think herself too weak to stand by him. She…she loves him?

He blushed and stuttered, "H-hey…Hinata-chan…" It felt right to call her 'chan' and he watched with interest as her pale eyes bloomed with pleasure and happiness even as her body seized with embarrassment. Her heart rate increased and she looked close to fainting but she fought back desperately just so she could reply, "Hello…Na-Naruto-k-kun…"

He's so dumb…

He kept looking at the wrong thing. He didn't know what affection is so he kept focusing on the loud Sakura. But Hinata respected him, unlike Sakura and the majority of the other girls in his life. She respected him and believed in him. He could see from her eyes and from the way she fidgeted from his staring. She then asked, "I-is your e-eyes oka-y?"

Naruto blinked and realized that he wasn't staring. Everything came to him under less than a millisecond. He grinned, "My family's Kekkei Genkai woke up!"

Kiba sputtered, "Your family has a Kekkei Genkai?!"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, on my dad's side!"

Hinata perked up, "Ha-have you f-found out w-who?"

Naruto mummed, "Sorry…I don't," He felt bad for lying but if it's true that he'll be in danger then the less people know he's related to the Yondaime the safer he'll be. After all, the Yondaime has a nation full of enemies. He'll be an idiot to reveal himself.

Kiba asked, "Then how'd you know it was your dad?"

Naruto sighed, "Apparently unlocking the Rikugan means meeting the guy who gave it. In another word, I met my ancestor and he dug my eyes out to give me his,"

Kiba laughed nervously, "Now you're just making things up,"

Naruto pouted, "Does my eyes look like I'm making things up to you?"

Kiba stared into his eyes and shuddered, "If that's true, that's fucked up,"

Naruto shrugged, "True. That's why I'm glad Jiji is dust,"

Well sort of glad. That was the first person (ghost?) that claimed him as kin.

The whole group assembled as the tower's bell rang the end of the Second Phase. Naruto decided to use his head band as blindfolds, somehow feeling less tired whenever he close his eyes and thought that he could just cover his eyes. Strangely even blindfolded, he can still 'see' but rather than colors and shape, he saw energy. He can also easily tell who's who with just their chakra. He waved good morning to Hinata, watching as her heart palpitated and worried that she'll have a heart attack from just talking to him.

No wonder she kept fainting him…

He mumbled to himself with a blush, "You like me that much huh?"

Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen and Jounin Hatake Kakashi noticed Naruto's sudden fashion choice and wondered what they boy was doing. They already received the report from Iruka about Naruto unlocking his father's Kekkei Genkai, almost giving both a heart attack but when asked if the boy knew who his father was, Naruto didn't mention a name. This confused them as they never knew about Minato having a Kekkei Genkai. The Yondaime Hokage hailed from a civilian family and was an orphan refugee from the Second Shinobi War.

Then again, perhaps Minato himself didn't know as he never awakened his Kekkei Genkai.

Hiruzen mumbled as Hayate explained the Preliminary to the Third Phase of Chuunin Exam, "This is going to be interesting,"

The exam opened with Uchiha Sasuke VS a boy from Oto. Sakura whispered, "It's that guy that attacked us,"

Naruto tilted his head, "Really? He's sucking out Sasuke's chakra,"

Kakashi looked at him, "How did you know?"

Naruto shrugged, "I can see it, dattebayo,"

The match ended with Sasuke winning. Five more match passed and soon it was his turn with Kiba. Kiba whooped, "Come on, Akamaru! Luck is with us! Even with his new eyes, this is going to be too easy!"

Hinata whispered, "Good luck," She didn't say who, trying not to hurt anyone but Naruto can easily tell that it was for him. He grinned, hiding his elation under a confident grin, "Don't worry! I'm the strongest after all!" He copied his ancestor obnoxious confidence. After all, the man gave him his abilities and though Naruto's still new at all this, he knew that he only need to practice with what he was given to reach Gojo Satoru on his pedestal. Something in him said so.

Kiba taunted him, but avoided calling him blind because he has a Hyuuga teammate and that would be rude, and Naruto heard Chouji saying how Kiba was lucky that his opponent was Naruto. He gritted his teeth but noticed Hinata looking conflicted. She wanted to support him but didn't want to be at odd with her team. He couldn't blame her but he was glad that at there's one person on his side. He didn't count Sakura in because she was just salty that she lost to Yamanaka Ino who she considered her rival for Sasuke's affection.

Kiba opened the battle with a dash forward with his elbow. Naruto noticed and everything slowed as his brain calculated. He signed a simple hand sign, "Mugen,"

Suddenly Kiba slammed back. Confused he attacked Naruto again and again but no matter what he tried, he couldn't touch the boy. Naruto studied his movement and after Kiba tired himself out from the numerous attack combos, he moved.

Hiruzen's heart almost stopped as it looked like Naruto just used Hiraishin but since he didn't use any kunai, normal or tri-pronged, it wasn't possible. Up on the stand, Kakashi had his Sharingan out, "Impossible,"

Space and time had just folded around Naruto as he kicked Kiba into the wall. After a moment, he looked at the proctor, "I don't think he's waking up,"

The proctor was just as confused, "Winner, Uzumaki Naruto!"

Chapter 3

Chapter Summary

"Naruto is scared of ghosts,"

Naruto griped to himself as he glared to where he last saw Hyuuga Neji, "For a so call all seeing eyes, you sure are not all knowing," He punched his pillow, "How can he treat Hinata like that?! I'll show him!"

He could still remember her asking him is she had changed…

Naruto knew, even if Neji can't touch him with the new technique he learned from Satoru's legacy inside his blood, it would be a stalemate at best as he can't possible touch the boy either. So now he's in a dilemma. How can he increase his ability in time for the Final? He knew with the match up that Kakashi will have his hands full training Sasuke just so the boy could survive the battle with that crazy Tanuki Gaara. But Naruto needed training too but he didn't know who to ask.

He then looked up, sensing a strong energy entering the village's barrier. Curiosity and interest peaked; he left his room and went on a hunt for the tremendous chakra that mingled with the ambient energy in the air. He headed straight for the source and found an old man, large and with spiky white hair like a kabuki actor, giggling at the wall diving the men's hot spring from the women's. He landed behind the man, "Hey, you're strong right?"

The man didn't even look at him, "Leave me alone, brat. The night is just beginning,"

Naruto sighed, "I can always scream the word, you know?"

The man grumbled and looked to the side to see a short, whiskered, platinum haired kid in orange with his hitai-ate used as blindfolds facing him, "What do you want, an autograph?"

Naruto grinned, "Train me!"

The man stared at him before shaking his head, "No,"

Naruto sighed before breathing in deep, making a show which the man quickly picked on. He flicker the two of them away from the hot spring and smacked Naruto's butt, "Will you stop that?! I told you I'm not taking in students!" He dropped Naruto unceremoniously to the ground and walked away, ignoring the whiskered boy.

Naruto huffed, "But you're strong! You know this weird technique that mix with nature!"

The man stopped and looked at him, "How'd you know that?"

Naruto pulled up his hitai-ate, showing his Rikugan, "My eyes tell me everything. You're strong but you are also sad. You are running away from something…you looked like you recognize me, are you running from me? Should I feel insulted?"

The man gaped as he does indeed finally recognize the boy, "What are those eyes?"

Naruto grinned, "My dad's Kekkei Genkai,"

The man frowned and looked closer, studying this new Dojutsu that he has never come across or heard of. He asked, "And you can tell everything about a person just by looking at them?" Naruto nodded and the man sighed, "Revealing such eyes to strangers are dumb. What if people gouge them out and leave you for that. Such ocular abilities would be unbelievably valuable on the black market,"

Naruto shrugged, "It won't work for them. My eyes doesn't work with chakra,"

The elder Shinobi with hitai-ate carved with the kanji for 'Oil' blinked, "What?"

Naruto nodded, "My Jiji, that creep that gouge my eyes out and gave me his, said that it can only be used by me because I have his blood. Oh, and I met him when I almost died because of that Hebi Teme in the Forest of Death, dattebayo! He did something to me and now my chakra control's shot!"

The man shook his head, "Back up, back up! What do you mean that he gouged your eyes out and gave you his?!"

Naruto scowled, "Exactly how it sounded like! He's dust though! He said my dad's his tadpole and he called me his tadpole too so that's how I know it's my dad's Kekkei Genkai!"

The man rubbed his face in utter confusion, "Can we…can we start over?"

Naruto nodded, "Okay," He waved, "Hi, my name is Uzumaki Naruto and I will be the best Hokage Konoha will ever see, dattebayo!"

The man blinked, "Not what I mean but…" Suddenly a toad the size of cart appeared under him and he started dancing, waving his head madly and swishing his hair theatrically, "From the north to the south and the east to the west, not even the spirit can defeat this sage, striking fear in the hearts of men and love in the hearts of beauties all over the Hidden Continent, the white mane, gallant ninja, the Toad Sage, Master Jiraiya of Mount Myoboku!" He grinned, "Yes, tis I that I am talking of,"

Naruto blinked, "Must you be so noisy? I don't need to know all that, dattebayo. Just a name should be enough, dattebayo,"

Jiraiya stumbled from atop the toad's head, which promptly disappeared with a poof, "Tough kid. Anyway, let's walk and tell me more about the Kekkei Genkai of yours,"

Naruto nodded as he walked beside the man, "Alright, what do you want to know?"

Jiraiya eyed him as he pulled his hitai-ate down, "Start with what the name of the Dojutsu is,"

"Rikugan,"

Jiraiya archived the name for later perusal, "Alright. Can you tell me about this Jiji of yours?"

So Naruto told him, his eyes and heightened senses telling him that this man is meant to train him. Jiraiya listened, his brain running around in his head as he tried to make sense of what Naruto was telling him. After they separated for the night, he headed straight for Hiruzen. He caught the man putting away his crystal ball and asked, "What the hell?"

Hiruzen lit up his pipe, "So…" He raised the privacy seal and secured the office before asking, "Juryoku? Have you heard about such energy?"

Jiraiya shook his head, "I will have to ask the toads. If such a thing exist, then Minato's blood goes even further back than the age of Dawn," He rubbed his face, "He sure grew up to be an interesting kid. I thought I had to arrange it so that he will 'accidentally' meet me so that I can pretend that there was never anything between us prior to the meeting. That way it won't be so strange for me to train him. But to think he will seek me out himself because he can tell my power…"

He looked at Hiruzen, "His eyes…there are dangerous in the wrong hand. The good part is that it cannot be used with chakra. I don't know why Minato never manifest them but Naruto will need all the help he can get now that he has them,"

Hiruzen nodded, "The Council will be even more unreasonable,"

Jiraiya snorted, "Fuck them,"

Hiruzen frowned, "Jiraiya!"

Jiraiya gestured wildly, "No, really! Fuck them to hell and back! I don't know who the bastard that leaked that information, I bet it was Danzo, but Naruto could have had a normal childhood! I could have taken up my duty as his Godfather proper but no, my job is too important to simply abandon to the toads!" He sighed, "I'm just glad he's no longer under the civilian rules,"

Hiruzen sighed, "I have failed you lot,"

Jiraiya shook his head, "You lost your wife, then your daughter. You were mourning and they took advantage of that," He sighed, "I can't hate you for being too drained and depressed for the first three years to handle the power hungry buzzards,"

Hiruzen rubbed his face, too tired and old to face his mistakes head on, "On that note, what do you think of this Rikugan?"

Jiraiya snorted, "Far deadlier than a Sharingan. Genjutsu don't work on him…at all. Not even the normal Bunshin that used Genjutsu affect him, as he attested to the event in the Forest of Death," He rubbed his chin, "It's like the eyes will show him the truth and nothing but the truth. He can see chakra with them, gouge the level of chakra a person has with a single glance and stretch a single moment to minutes within his mind. This meant his brain worked faster than even the second that passed, allowing him to analyze anything in great depth and understanding it,"

He added, "He can also see great distance in great detail, in fact as you can see he was walking blindfolded the whole time because he became overwhelmed by information from exposing his eyes due to the amount of details he noticed at just a glance,"

Hiruzen nodded, "I see…indeed it is a dangerous Dojutsu. Has he shared how he gained them?"

Jiraiya nodded, "His ancestor that goes by Gojo Satoru. It seemed that ability of the eyes affect time and space. It managed to 'calculate' that Naruto will need his ancestor's gift. Apparently while unconscious Gojo had done a surgery on Naruto, gifting the boy's his eyes," He added, "Naruto is convinced that he met his ancestor's ghost and has apparently began to see more of them around but not of the nice varieties, calling them more curses than ghosts of the dearly departed. He informed me that Orochimaru is clinging to Sasuke attached to his neck. I suspect the Cursed Mark,"

Hiruzen shuddered, "Naruto is scared of ghosts,"

Jiraiya chuckled, "He was clinging to me when we walked through town, begging me to walk him home," He sighed, "I pity the boy. It was easier to handle when it's just talk but harder when it's right in front of you,"

The next day, Naruto seek out the Yamanaka flower shop first thing in the morning but as the store was close, he turned and seeks out the forest. Surely there should be some flowers blooming naturally this time of the year?

He found some orchids…

Not knowing how to wrap it up, he did what he does best. He dug out the root and replanted the whole thing in a pot that looked like it had been painted by a young Academy student that he found at a lost and found bin. He picked up some moss and covered the ground for some style that he saw at the Yamanaka nursery. He then carried the whole thing to the hospital where he snuck around the nurses to get to Hinata, not bothering to ask at the counter since he could sense her anyway.

Whatever his eyes do, it heightened his senses to the point that he became attuned to all the energies in the world. He could sense the Kyuubi moving restlessly inside him, making him sympathize with pregnant women. He could sense Jiraiya somewhere in Konoha, the sluggishness of his energy suggest that the man had a late night. He couldn't sense the snake bastard that should be like a beacon like to him so he supposed the man had left Konoha.

Naruto checked for anyone in Hinata's room before looking inside. Sensing no one, he peeked and saw her asleep. To be honest, Naruto didn't know how to react to Hinata liking him. He was used to be the one that likes only to be rejected. He was used to scorn, not open admiration. He was used to disgust, not secret affection. Hinata was everything he was searching his whole life that he didn't know how to recognize.

He didn't really understand that like a human and liking food differs greatly before Rikugan…

He's slow so it probably took him longer to understand things, but with the eyes he can take his time without it actually affecting the world. It was such a cheat for someone slow and dumb like him. No wonder Satoru liked him so much. He must have looked like a snail to the man.

So in the end, he decided to just forget Sakura whom he came to understand will never see him in a romantic light anyway and pursue Hinata whose already there for him even though she's in a cage of decorum and society. One day, he hoped he could free her to be herself…

He smiled at her, "Get well soon, Hime,"

He left her soon after, unwilling to risk her already tumultuous life with her family by associating with him. He didn't like that her natural self was being oppressed but unless he became powerful enough that no one can disrespect him, he will have to stay away.

He closed his eyes, thinking about the other gift Satoru gave him. The knowledge had slowly sunk in through the night and he came to understand Ao. He could attract things but he needed to practice or he might hurt himself instead of the target. He also understands Mugen better. What he had used with Kiba was ridiculously useful but he knew that he can't rely on that alone. What if he met an enemy that can ignore Mukagen?

He still had a hard time understanding Aka but he can take his time. He hates math but was surprisingly good at it. He need to know more about the Uzumaki because if what he came to understand is correct, then the seal on his abdomen also originate from his name and the swirl he wears. He still didn't know a lot of things but he came to understand what he knew better. He used to have a clan…but the clan didn't exist anymore…was what he get from staring at the swirl.

Why it didn't exist anymore was beyond him at the moment. He needs more information. He'll ask that pervert on the bridge leering at those women about his suspected clan.

He grinned and called out loudly, "Ero-Sennin!"

"You brat, don't call me that!"

Chapter 4

Chapter Summary

"If Ao attracts, then Aka rejects?"

Naruto asked, "Teach me seals,"

Jiraiya stared at him, "And why would I do that?"

He pointed at his abdomen, "So if something like this happened again, I can just undo it myself,"

Jiraiya sighed, "Let me see your calligraphy then,"

Naruto pouted, "Do I look like I'm rich and likable enough to waste material?"

Jiraiya blinked before sighing, "So you want me to sponsor your studying materials as well?"

Naruto grinned, "Aren't that a job for teachers, dattebayo?"

Jiraiya grumbled, "Troublesome brat," He then took out a scroll and handed the tube to Naruto, "Try to understand the theory first then while I gather materials,"

So now Naruto walked around studying the scroll even as he followed Jiraiya to the Shinobi stationary store. He waited outside as he knew that he won't be welcomed either way inside. Jiraiya was seething when he saw that the boy was used to being kicked out and thus waited instead of going in. The receptionist paled under his steely gaze and dumbly attended to his needs without question. He wanted to live as a human after all…

The two gathered near a waterfall where Jiraiya can spy on the girls visiting the body of water. Naruto rolled his eyes and asked, "Now what?"

Jiraiya looked at him, "I want to see how good you are with your chakra control,"

Normally before Rikugan that would take a horrendous amount of effort on Naruto's part but Rikugan calculated the whole thing easily that it made his chakra control ridiculously good as he showed when he started water walking like a stroll at the park. Jiraiya was shocked by how little chakra he used, "Not even Tsunade is that good,"

Naruto pointed at his blindfolded eyes, "Rikugan calculate the energy required and calibrate it to infinitesimally close to zero. It was originally used for juryoku but since I'm using chakra, it does the same for chakra too,"

Jiraiya stared at him before saying, "That's just cheating,"

Naruto shrugged, "I'm more concerned with Mukagen at this point,"

Jiraiya nodded, "That other gift you told me about?" He rubbed his chin, "Any chance of you showing them to me?"

Naruto sighed, "I need to make sure no one is near so stand real close to me," He gestured with his finger into an unknown hand sign, "I only understand Mugen and Ao so far,"

He pointed at a boulder, "Ao!"

The boulder shuddered and Jiraiya watched as it started to shrink until it become a single diamond the size of his pinkie. Looking at Naruto, the boy nodded at him suggesting that it was safe to approach. He quickly picked diamond up and whistled at the quality, "You'll get a crazy high prize for this at the jewelry market!" He looked at Naruto, "What is Ao anyway, pressure technique?"

Naruto shook his head, "Ao increases the juryoku output of Mukagen and generates the power to attract. This is achieved by amplifying Mukagen and bringing the conceptual impossibility of negative distance into reality, forcing the surrounding space to try and fill in the gap by pulling violently toward the source of the aforementioned impossibility, creating the magnetic-like effect," He added, "Anyone who is targeted directly with Ao will have their body implode and their limbs instantly crushed,"

Jiraiya nodded, "Not a technique to be used light heartedly,"

Naruto nodded, "I can use it like closing the distance," He looked at Jiraiya and suddenly appeared before him, almost giving the Sage a heart attack, "With Ao I can negate the space between you and me. Basically teleporting me to your location,"

Jiraiya started to believe that this Kekkei Genkai, even when dormant, was the reason Minato was so good at using Hiraishin. He had always wondered how the boy's brain worked with such a high speed technique. Naruto will have to be extremely able at defending himself should he use this high speed technique because people will easily be able to connect him to Minato….Jiraiya grinned, "Well…let me teach you a few new techniques that the Yondaime created for his battle style…"

When he learned about Mugen during what should have been a beat down, Jiraiya cursed, "What is the use when I literally can't hit you, what the hell is with this technique?!"

Naruto shrugged, "It's Mugen. It stops anything from every reaching me, 'ttebayo!"

Jiraiya sighed, "What?"

Naruto raised his hand, "Here…try to touch me,"

Jiraiya did just that but his hand stop a finger length distance from Naruto's skin. He was confused, "Strange. I can tell that I am moving but somehow it felt slow…like slow enough it felt like I'm being stopped," He pulled away, "I see. Mukagen affects time and space which meant that the time and space around you have been distorted by Mugen. As the name implies, between and you there is an infinity. I can never reach you,"

Naruto nodded, "Correct,"

Jiraiya rubbed his chin, "This is ridiculous. You mustn't rely on this, alright?"

Naruto nodded, "I know. What if I met someone who can ignore Mukagen passive ability? Besides, I need to be able to hit back so I guess I'll have to focus on getting you to hit me," He groaned, "Damn, I hate being in pain…"

And so the first beat down of the day happened as Jiraiya tried to teach the boy the battle style his father was famous for; get in fast, hit hard, get out. Naruto was surprisingly good at it. Jiraiya decided at the end to train the boy's strength. It won't mean anything if Naruto can hit but his hit doesn't generate as much strength behind it. The only reason Kiba was hit as far as he did was because of the combination of Naruto's natural strength and the speed the hit came from.

The next morning, Jiraiya had Naruto wear weights and practice hitting. He trained the boy's core strength and had him hit a training post over and over until he will build up callouses. Naruto broke his knuckles through the day but a slight understanding of Aka had sunk in and he was able to heal himself over and over at a rapid pace. Jiraiya was interested in Aka and asked what else he can do besides healing himself.

After a while, Naruto told him to stand closer to him, looked for another boulder and signed with a single pointer, "Aka," Red light converged and he shot it off, cutting through the boulder and almost the whole forest. Luckily he had checked and there's no one on the other side. Jiraiya looked at the smoldering hole, "If Ao attracts, then Aka rejects?"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah…it's harder than Ao. It took me a while to understand it. I knew that there is another technique but I don't think I should practice that. It's a lot harder than Aka and should be impossible but I can make it reality because I have Rikugan," He then frowned, "It's just…hard to understand for me at the moment…"

Jiraiya nodded, "Since all techniques you have as part of Rikugan is hard for you to use without killing your opponent, you can't use it for your Final,"

Naruto sighed, "Yeah…and I promised that I'll beat Neji for Hinata too, dattebayo…I don't think she'll be happy if I kill him. She still cared for that hard assed bastard obsessed with destiny and shits," He griped.

Jiraiya perked. He knew Naruto has been visiting someone at the hospital every morning before coming to meet him but he didn't know it was a girl. He leered and Naruto's spine shuddered, "What? What is with that disgusting smile?"

Jiraiya grinned, "So…you want to beat a guy for girl, huh? Well why didn't you say so?! I'll make you so strong you'll beat him to the moon and back!"

Naruto frowned, "He's a Hyuuga prodigy! How am I to beat him without killing him?"

Jiraiya laughed, "Prodigy smoochy. Who cares?! Hard work beats talent!"

That said he had Naruto practice on his speed and strength even harder. When he found out that Naruto can use Kage Bunshin, he had the boy practice with his clones, setting some aside to study calligraphy and basic Fuuinjutsu. By the end of the fourth day, Naruto's speed had increased even though he only focused on his strength. By the end of the first week, Jiraiya made up his mind, "Come here, brat!"

Naruto looked up from where he had been training on the wooden dummy, "Yeah?"

Jiraiya summoned a toad with a giant scroll, "I have decided to make you my successor for the Toad Summon,"

Naruto stared at the toad, "I think I'm more partial to foxes,"

Jiraiya hissed, "Shut up! Toads are cool! They are awesome and handsome too!"

Naruto deadpanned, "Are you talking about the toads or yourself?"

Jiraiya grinned, "What difference is there?! I am the Toad Sage after all!"

Naruto sighed, "Right…"

Jiraiya unrolled the scroll for the final selling point, "Not to mention…look at the last summoner's name here…"

Naruto looked and his eyes widened. He even pulls up his hitai-ate to stare at the signed Namikaze Minato right beside someone named Ogata Shuma Hiroyuki…Naruto snorted, "Your real name is Ogata-!" Jiraiya tried to smack him, "Shut up! I go by Jiraiya and I'll die as Jiraiya!"

Naruto rubbed his neck, "Oh geez, chill out will you? No need to die on me," He then took the offered brush to wrote his name right beside the man who fathered him. Biting his thumb, he smeared his hand with his blood and stamped it right under his signature. He stared at the sight; father and son side by side.

Something in him warmed.

The scroll rolled back up and the toad disappeared. Jiraiya looked at him, "Now you will attempt to summon the Toad Boss Gamabunta. The sign is…" He showed the boy and Naruto memorized the sequence. Jiraiya gestured, "Now go ahead and try it,"

Naruto signed the appropriate signatures, biting his thumb and slamming his palm down, "Kuchiyose!"

There was a pull as Rikugan calculate the amount needed. His seal burned hot as it pulled on the Kyuubi's chakra. Naruto could feel him struggling to not give but it was useless before the unnatural prowess of the Rikugan. Anger, fear and despair filled the Kyuubi and Naruto thought…

He thought he should really start talking to the fox…

Suddenly he's looking at the world from a higher vantage point and a deep voice rumbled from under him, " Jiraiya you brat! Where did you summon me this time?! I should really smack you to the North Pole!"

Naruto laughed and the toad, Gamabunta, looked up, " Wait…Minato? Didn't you die?"

Naruto laughed harder, "No, I'm Naruto! I'll be under your care from now on, Boss, dattebayo!"

Gamabunta snorted, " Oh really? Then you'll have to stand on my head until I stop!"

Naruto blinked, "Huh?" That confusion slowly turned to terror as Gamabunta started to jump here and there, rattling his whole body with each rise and fall. Naruto struggled to stick himself, even with Rikugan's help Gamabunta made it hard for him to stay on. For the whole day Naruto stick close to the all but rampaging Toad Boss.

Jiraiya watched from a safe distance, laughing at the sight, "Ah…it never gets old…"

The sun was setting by the time Gamabunta stopped and Naruto slumped on his head, "Are we done, Boss? Because I'll have you know, give up on making me give up, dattebayo!"

Gamabunta snorted, " You have your mom's mouth but your dad's heart. Not sure if that's a good combination but what do I know about human courting?" With that he grinned, " Well, next time bring me sake enough to fill a whole lake!"

Naruto landed after the Toad Boss returned to his own realm. He looked at a grinning Jiraiya, "How'd I do?"

Jiraiya chuckled, "You impressed me, brat, you impressed me,"

Naruto grinned back, his whole face lit up and Jiraiya could almost see Minato in that smile and Kushina in the squint of his crinkled eyes, "Good…because I'm beat, dattebayo!"

He slumped forward and Jiraiya caught him before he face plant. The older man chuckled; it wasn't so painful being around his godson after all…

Chapter 5

Chapter Summary

So right now he just fall back to what he know best; bluff.

It was the beginning of the third week and the Naruto has become more than familiar with his father's unofficially named Hummingbird martial art. He dashed in and almost hit Jiraiya's vital, one that he immediately blocked. Naruto really has to give it to his dad. The man's a speed genius. Even without Rikugan he's capable of such a skill with such speed, no wonder he's considered extremely deadly. Unless extremely familiar like Jiraiya, blocking his strike would be impossible. Not to mention he developed the martial art on his own.

Quick, silent and deadly…

Jiraiya pulled him aside, "Now, as chakra control is child's play with Rikugan, I am sure you can master this next technique with little trouble," He slowly created a ball of pure chakra in his hand, "This is the Rasengan, a technique created by Minato from watching the Bijuudama,"

Naruto studied the ball for a moment, before opening his palm and created his own. Jiraiya dispersed the energy and grit his teeth, "Damn it, this is worse than the Sharingan. That can only copy hand signs and the Rasengan is beyond copying. The Byakugan might have a chance if they could study the chakra pattern long enough. But you! You just need to look at it, let the Rikugan give you the time to understand then calibrate the chakra consumption for you!" He groaned, "It took Minato three years to make the damn technique and me three months to perfect it! Hell, Kakashi still can't properly create it! But you-! Just a moment!"

Naruto suddenly understood why Satoru is such a narcissistic jerk and shuddered, "I refuse to become a jerk with god complex,"

Jiraiya looked at him, "What?"

Naruto grimaced, "I'm talking about the jerk that gave me my gifts,"

Jiraiya blinked before sighing, "Yeah…he sounds…tiring…"

Naruto sighed, "Just thinking about him make me feel tired,"

Jiraiya laughed, "Never mind that. Your chakra control and mental prowess may be gifted but your physical strength still sucks! You need a better diet!" Jiraiya have started a crusade of feeding healthy food to Naruto. Surprisingly the boy likes vegetables but seldom have the chance to buy a good one. Often time he was given wilted and bad vegetables which meant he had to forage for his own greens. Winter was the worse because winter vegetables are all sold and can't be foraged in the forest. So vegetable to Naruto was as much luxury food as meat.

A starving man will always worship the food that he ate and the one food that kept him fed this whole time was ramen. It was a sad reality but true. Naruto just didn't get enough protein to grow properly and not because he was picky about his food. After all, packed ramen was created during a time of starvation and they saved a lot of life…

On the day of the Finals he looked at himself in the mirror. His hitai-ate worked more as his blindfolds now, the fabric the metal plate was sown to are wider and thicker so it can cover Naruto's eyes ever as he kept the metal plate over his forehead proper. Jiraiya has turned his nose up at the Day-Glo orange jumper set that he wore and dragged him to the nearest clothing store. He ignored the glaring owner, going as far as to whisper something that turned the woman pale, probably a blackmail that she really didn't want anyone to know, and have Naruto chose proper ninja attire.

Black turtle neck with blood orange pants matched with burnt orange hood with black furred trims patterned with double red lines around the wrists and the hems. Jiraiya had smirked at the sight, "I still got it,"

Naruto looked less like a ruffian playing ninja and more like an actual ninja. He rather like the red undertone of the black clothes, it set him apart from Satoru who wore blue black. Much as he liked that he knew one family member and get to talk to him, Satoru's annoying and Naruto really didn't want to grow up like the man.

Naruto's platinum blond hair, paler than even Ino's, has grown longer and took a fly away style much like Satoru's fluffy do. Naruto sighed as he tried to flatten it down for umpteenth time that day. He really don't want to look like Satoru…

Was he traumatized from getting his eyes gauged while wide awake in that whatever space with his ancestor laughing face being the last thing he sees? Can anyone blame him if he said yes?

Naruto finally gave up fixing his hair, probably the only thing he will give up that easily on, and walked out his home. Locking up the door, he headed for the stadium where the event will take place. As he walked towards the stadium, he started to feel doubt in himself. He started to wonder if he truly has what it takes to beat Neji and keep that promise he made to Hinata.

As his mind went on to think about all the strong Genin he will be facing, his feet started to take him to the most familiar place to him; Training Ground 7. He blinked, "Hinata-chan?"

She jolted and quickly hid behind the training post that she was checking for some reason. She blushed as she looked at him, "Hello…Na-Naruto-k-kun,"

Naruto ignored his own dilemma and smiled at her, "Are you alright now?" He never did talk to her when he visited her. He always made sure she was asleep when he left her the flowers he foraged from the forest. Somehow just thinking about facing her adoring eyes made his knees weak. He really don't know how to face her and her adoration of him.

So right now he just fall back to what he know best; bluff.

Hinata blushed, "Ye-yes…to-today is the Finals, r-right?"

He nodded, suddenly recalling his doubts, "Yeah,"

The clearing fell silent for a while until Naruto asked, "Hinata-chan…Neji is a relative of yours, right?"

Confused, she nodded, "Yes,"

"He's strong…right?"

Hinata tilted her head, "He is…b-but!" She fidgeted, "I-I think that you c-can beat him be-because-!"

Too nervous, he laughed out loud, "Yeah, I'm strong!"

Hinata blushed and fidgeted for a moment before confessing, "A-ano! W-when you c-cheered for m-me, I…felt like I had b-become s-stronger. A-after the Prelims e-ended, I s-started to l-like myself a l-little. I-it might not b-be much to o-other b-but…I…I felt like I c-changed a little…" She shyly looked at him, "I…I think it was t-thanks to y-you, Naruto-k-kun,"

Naruto studied her, knew from Rikugan that she speaks the truth but his doubt stayed, "I see…do you…do you really think that, Hinata-chan?"

"Huh?"

He sighed, "I may appear strong to you but only because I bluffed my way since I'm always frustrated for always failing-,"

She cut him off, "That!" She blushed when he looked at her but forced herself to continue, "T-that is not t-true!" She smiled, "E-even when you always f-fail…In my eyes, y-you are a…proud failure," At his confused stare, she continue, "W-when I l-look at you, I g-get an i-intense feeling in my h-heart. Because y-you are not p-perfect. Because you f-fail, you have the s-strength to get b-back up. I-I believe that is what t-true strength is…" She looked at him to convey her truth, "I…I think that y-you are incredibly s-strong, Naruto-kun,"

He stared at her, once again facing that pure adoration from her eyes and knew that she speaks of nothing but the truth to him. She acknowledged him even at his weakest, saw his stubborn go-getter attitude as strength of character because she lacked that very same strength. He blushed and pulled his hood up as he turned from her, not wanting her to see how flustered her words of faith him made him. No one believed in him simply from him being him. All his life he had to prove himself or almost died to prove his worth. She saw it from the moment he opened his mouth.

How do you answer that kind of faith?

He laughed, "Gee…thanks Hinata-chan! You know…I was uncharacteristically depressed just now but right now I feel great!" He looked at her, "You're strong too, you know?"

Hinata blushed at his admittance even as he rushed to the stadium where the match will take place. In truth, he was running from the confusion she invoked in him…

At the stadium, he joined the rest of the competitors at the floor and looked around, "Where the heck is Sasuke? It's almost starting," He heard the proctors commenting the same as the time ticked closer to starting. Sighing, he looked around and noticed Neji looking down on him. But this time there's no doubt in his chest. Hinata's faith in him had blown it all away like ashes in a typhoon.

In the end, Sasuke still didn't show up and the proctor called all the Genin to their respective boxes baring the first match candidates; Naruto and Neji. Neji looked at him and sneered, "Give up. You are destined to failure,"

Naruto snorted, "I'm actually destined to die that very day I was born but am I dead right now, dattebayo? No. So shut your mouth and keep that trash talk about destiny and crap to yourself because that shit means nothing to me,"

Neji all but growled at him.

Their proctor stood to the side with his hand raised and looked at the two. He wondered why Naruto blindfolded himself but said nothing about it. He snapped his arm down, "Begin!"

Naruto took out one kunai and leapt back before taking a stance that only the older generation that had fought with the Yondaime recognized. Hiruzen hummed, "Never thought I will see the Hummingbird again,"

Hiashi straightened, "Impossible,"

Shibi and Chouza shared a look. They're familiar with the stance taken by Naruto and thought that if the boy had mastered the technique then Neji will be in a world of hurt if he didn't put his guard up. But considering the time between prelim and finals, that would be impossible.

The stadium was silent until someone sneezed. Like an unknown signal, Naruto threw a kunai at Neji who smacked it aside but when Neji looked up, Naruto had closed the distance from the side. Spooked, he quickly covered his side. Soon it was a battle of speed attack and speed blocking. Neji, if it wasn't because he had to spar with a freak like Rock Lee for the past year, would have said that Naruto's attack was painfully strong. His palm trembled at the attacks continue.

He didn't have time to weave the sign to activate his Byakugan full strength and relied on his passive 360 degree sight to keep up. Naruto on the other hand kept on growing faster as he seek out Neji's blind spot. He knew about it as the boy was slower to react at certain angle but he moved fast enough to cover it. Clearly he had trained hard to cover his sole weakness.

The high speed battle left no time for either party to exchange banter.

Naruto decided to pull back and analyze Neji who scoffed at him, "I'll admit. That was quite the work out…" He looked at Naruto, activating his Dojutsu, "I heard from around the village that you wanted to be the Hokage, right?" He sneered, "That's impossible,"

Naruto grit his jaw as Neji continue, "I can figure it out with these eyes. Talent is decided the moment you're born. A guy like you are born to become a failure,"

Naruto scowled, "Your eyes huh?" He raised his hitai-ate blindfold, "So what does that say about what my eyes can see?" He revealed his Rikugan, "My eyes sees the truth and the truth is…you're nothing but a coward who refused to face your own reality so you kept beating down others who are courageous enough to face that bleak reality and fight it!"

Neji frowned as his Byakugan showed nothing other than normal chakra paths but something about the eyes disturbed him. Not wanting to waste more time he furiously leapt in and pressed Naruto's tenketsu points one by want in a flurry of Juuken strikes. At the end he leapt back and scoffed, "This is the end…proctor, he won't be able to-,"

Naruto growled, "Shut up! I'll show you how futile it is to face me!" He grinned, "I understand the Juuken now!" With that he started hitting his own points, releasing himself little by little, shocking both Neji and the spectators. He stared at Neji, "Sorry, but before my Kekkei Genkai, your Byakugan is child's play. Let's see how you would react to your own attack,"

Using his speed, Naruto closed the distance between him and Neji instantaneously. Neji pale Byakugan caught sight of the sky of Naruto's eyes and shuddered, afraid of what the eyes can see. He stumbled back as Naruto struck his tenketsu point in the unmistakable Juuken strike. He gasped, "How-?!"

Naruto shrugged as Neji began to struggle to face his strikes. Though his technique was undoubtedly the Hummingbird, each strike was the Juuken strike. In the end Neji pulled out his trump card, "Kaiten!"

Naruto leapt back, unconsciously using Aka to stand in the air and conjured the ball of energy, Rikugan calculating that he can easily break through, "Rasengan!"

The two spheres met and Neji's defense broke…

Naruto looked at the fallen Neji, "To me…destiny is not a cage…not as long as you fight to make your own path in life. The real loser here is you…for bowing down to the harshness of your reality. Not Hinata-chan who fought hers with every step she took,"

Neji gasped on the arena floor, pain wrecking his body as Naruto lowered his blindfolds back over his strange Dojutsu. The proctor called, "Winner by beat down, Uzumaki Naruto!"

Chapter 6

Chapter Summary

"Wake UP!!"

Naruto frowned as suddenly everyone around him started to fall asleep and the Hokage box exploded. He finally understood that a wide area Genjutsu had just been casted as people slowly wakes up. He started to chase after the Suna Genin, the suspicious energies and people that he had been noticing started to move in for the kill. He grimaced as he used Ao to stop an Oto Shinobi from killing the unconscious Genin, the man imploding inward, as he moved past them box. He continue to do this as he moved, doing his best to keep the damage on the minimum and ignoring the curses moving around erratically as more and more negative emotion charged the air.

He killed as many invaders as forming curses, exorcising them as they form. He has been practicing his sorcery on them the past month to get a better hand of his ability. The largest was where the former battlefield where the Kyuubi was taken out. He had to use Aka there and Jiraiya had to take the blame for the explosion as cover. The man wasn't happy but the fact that Naruto had taken out such a big invisible threat in Konoha had filled his chest with pride.

He finally caught up to Sasuke and the Suna siblings. The painted puppeteer tried to stop him but Naruto used a weak Aka to push him away. The boy used his puppet to trap Naruto and the blond sighed, using Ao to implode the whole structure. The boy moaned, "No!"

Meanwhile Gaara kept questioning Sasuke that soon exploded into a tense battle. Naruto stepped aside, unable to jump in without causing trouble for Sasuke. He kept an eye on the sister, who looked more and more concerned at the sand began to envelope Gaara, morphing into a raccoon beast. The seal on Naruto's abdomen twinge and he stared at what could have been an image in a distorted mirror.

That could have been him…

When Sasuke fell, Gaara send out a wave of sands to deal the final blow but Naruto step in front of his fallen comrade. Sasuke's a jerk but Naruto knew better than to let him die. Mugen made the crushing attack pointless and Gaara glared at the silently watching blond, "What's wrong? Scared of me?"

Naruto frowned as the distorted boy continue, "To live only for myself. To love only myself. To trust only myself. These are the definitions that made me the strongest!" He sneered at Naruto, "Come on! Fight me! Show me that power that you defeated the Hyuuga with!" He grinned maliciously, "I'll crush that power and proof my existence,"

Sasuke coughed, "Naruto…get away…"

Gaara impatiently send out more sands Naruto's way, all negated by Mugen as they can't reach him. Gaara snarled, "FIGHT ME!!"

Naruto grimaced, "You…don't love yourself. In fact, you hate yourself the most,"

Gaara silenced, staring at him. Naruto then asked, "You tried to die, didn't you? It's in your eyes. That loneliness…it's a pitch black hell. You want to get out. The world just kept rejecting you. So in the end, to stop feeling that hurt, you reject the world. If the world is out to kill you then you will kill the world first…is what you really think, isn't it?"

The girl was silent with horror. Every words are the truth, the broken and painful truth of Gaara's bleak reality. He was looking to die but he's afraid of pain. Gaara's face went blank before fury replaced it, " SHUT UP !! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"

He signed, "Play Dead Possum!!"

The sands exploded and Naruto pulled Sasuke with him. Right behind him, he could feel several more familiar chakra staggered from where they had been heading in their direction. He looked at saw Sakura and Shikamaru along with a dog coming at them. Naruto sighed and handed Sasuke to Sakura, "Here, he needed to rest,"

Sasuke looked at Naruto, "Oi dobe! What are you doing?!"

Naruto grinned, "It's a battle of titans and I'm the only other one with something that big with me," He signed, "Kuchiyose!"

Rikugan calculated and soon his vantage point changed once more. He looked down, "Hey there, Boss!"

Gamabunta blinked and looked at the happily roaring Tanuki, " Shikaku? Really, the first thing you summoned me for was to fight a Bijuu? You're just too much like your old man, you brat!"

Naruto chuckled nervously, "It's titan VS titan. What else can I do? I can't exactly kill him,"

Gamabunta huffed, " Well. Here comes the first attack!"

Shikaku spat out bullets of air and Gamabunta leapt into the air, spitting water bullets to intercept the coming attack. Naruto's eyes widened and he shot out Aka at the final water bullet just as it reached them. Gamabunta sighed in relief, " Thanks, brat. I could tank that but it will still hurt like a bitch,"

Naruto nodded, "What should we do?"

Gamabunta leapt forward, sword drawn and told Naruto, " You need to wake up that medium on his head. It's the only way to suppress Shukaku once more back into his cage,"

Naruto nodded, "Alright,"

Gamabunta's hand shook from the clash of his sword and Shukaku's severed arm, " Damn he's hard!" He called at Naruto, " NOW!"

Naruto leapt off of Gamabunta's forehead and slammed his fist on Gaara's temple, "Wake UP!!"

The boy's head snapped back, waking him up. Naruto could tell that he still won't stop and decided to use something stronger. He looked down and focused, pointing his finger at the mindless sand construct under him as Gaara tried to crushed him with the sands under him but Mugen once again come to the rescue. Red energy formed and Naruto called out, "AKA!"

The energy exploded and the construct crumble underneath their feet. As the two fell, Naruto looked at Gaara who looked desperate to hold onto his belief. They landed and fell to the ground, completely exhausted of all chakra. But Rikugan started to work on Naruto, refreshing his body even as the Kyuubi's chakra started to fix his injuries. He started to crawl to his feet, slowly but surely regaining his energy. Gaara started to panic, "No! I will not die here! I will proof my existence! My life won't end here! It won't end here!" His eyes widened as Naruto moved towards him, "No. STAY AWAY! STAY-!"

Naruto smiled at him, eyes dripping tears, "I get it…I get your pain. To be rejected and seen as unneeded…it's painful, isn't it?" He smiled a watery smile, "Being ignored leaves you feeling incomplete, isn't it?"

He then glared down, "But it is all the more reason why I can't let you hurt the people that acknowledges me. All the more reason why I will fight you to the end to protect them," His gaze softened, "Those people…saved me…they saved me from the inescapable hell called loneliness. That's why, to me, they are my treasure,"

Gaara stared at him, "For those people…you…"

At that moment his siblings arrived and took a stance in front of him, prepared to face the boy that defeated their once invincible brother. Naruto's eyes locked with Gaara's for a moment and Gaara understood. He sighed, "Kankuro…Temari…it's over…"

The siblings looked at him and then at Naruto before picking up Gaara's limp body and leaping away. Suddenly Naruto shuddered, an energy much like a curse charged the air. He looked in the direction of the stadium, "Jiji,"

Focusing on Ao, he tracked down Hiruzen and teleported right beside him. Hiruzen gasped, "Naruto!"

Naruto looked at his hands, "Jiji, don't,"

Hiruzen stared at him, "There is no other way,"

Naruto frowned, "This is just like a Curse. I can exorcise them,"

Hiruzen stared at the boy, "Very well…I'll let you do what you think you can. If you can't, I will step in and finish this,"

Naruto looked at the two reanimated Hokage and scowled at the way they were chained to two dead bodies. He focused, "Ao,"

Instead of attacking the external form, he attacked the internal structure that held the whole technique together. Tobirama blinked as his body imploded, the corpse used to anchor him destroyed so utterly it's the size of a zygote. He looked at Naruto as he crumbled, "Interesting child,"

Orochimaru looked on in horror, "Impossible!" He looked at Naruto and the strange, sky-like eyes that looked at him with….pity? Why would the boy pity him, Orochimaru the Hebi Sennin?! He snarled at the perceived insult, "Shodaime!"

Tree roots extended into spears, Hashirama calling out, "Avoid them!"

Naruto negated the attack with Mugen and pointed at the trees, "Ao," The trees were destroyed, twisting and twisting until they became the size of a seed. The ANBU trapped outside unable to do anything looked on in shocked wonder as the most troublesome boy in Konoha faced the Shodaime like his attacks were nothing. Every wooden spears splintered before they could reach him by a finger's length. Finally he honed in on the Shodaime's reanimated body, "Ao,"

The body holding the Shodaime to the world of the living squeezed into the size of nucleus, releasing him as the technique failed to hold. Hashirama smiled at the boy, "Thank you,"

Naruto then turned a finger at one of the ninja holding the barrier up, "Aka,"

A small red orb formed and slammed against the barrier. At first the ninja thought that the barrier will hold but it began to crack. After all the barrier deny chakra and not juryoku. Fearful, he dropped the technique on his side, making the barrier fall from the unstable 'pillars'. His team cursed him but he didn't care, he could taste death as the attack flew past him and exploded the forest right behind him like a stray Bijuudama.

Orochimaru cursed, "We are leaving!"

A giant snake appeared and swallowed them before disappearing. None of the attack on its hide pierced through. Back on the roof, Naruto groaned and dropped to his knees, "My brain hurts, dattebayo,"

Hiruzen knelt down beside Naruto, "Are you alright?"

Naruto laughed, "I just fought off Shukaku the fat ass Sand Tanuki, dattebayo, and then I rushed over to you when I sensed that you're about to do something real dumb…" He looked at Hiruzen, "Jiji…don't do that…"

Hiruzen smiled, his eyes tearful, "It is my duty as Hokage to see that Konoha survive, Naruto. I am willing to die for what I believe in,"

Naruto stared at him, "Is that why Yondaime died?"

Hiruzen knew from Jiraiya that the boy had figured out his father, even though he never said much, so he nodded, "Yes…because just because you don't like your family does not mean you would let them die. And for a Hokage, the whole village is our family,"

Naruto pondered over what it meant to be Hokage but all he can say was; "I see…"

Hiruzen watched as the hero of the hour lost his consciousness. Today he had almost died and he knew, without Naruto's new gift, he would. He looked at the gathering ANBU and barked out orders to them before picking up Naruto to personally see that he will be tended to. The village had been passive aggressively antagonistic towards the boy growing up. Their fear hidden beneath disgust and hate, ignoring him because of the painful memories the boy brought up by simply existing. It was unfair but that's life.

Naruto had endured much for his age. Hiruzen knew that the boy has times of doubts but he always found a reason to bounce back up. The sight of the boy, who has all the reason to be down and depressed, desperately clinging to sanity and inexhaustibly seeking out happiness, can bring hope even for an old man like Hiruzen.

Slowly but surely, the world open its door to him…

Hiruzen sighed, "One day…one day you will find your happiness…"

As he watched the boy being catered to, he suddenly cough. The nearby medic started to panic as Hiruzen continue to cough until he began to hack out blood.

"Hokage-sama, hold on!"

The world began to spin and Hiruzen lost consciousness…

Chapter 7

Chapter Summary

"He would have been better off dead,"

A week after the event known as Konoha Crush, Naruto can found eating ramen at his usual place. He was worried about Hiruzen, the man had fallen into a coma and no matter what they do the medics couldn't wake him up. He wondered if there's something he could do for the first person to ever see him as a boy and not the Kyuubi.

"I have heard that you always hang around here so I guess this will be the place to go if I want to find you,"

Naruto looked behind him, "Ero-Sennin!"

Jiraiya waited for the boy to finish his meal before paying it. Naruto looked at him, "Why are you looking for me?"

Jiraiya smirked, "I'm taking you on a work trip!"

Naruto frowned, "Now? But I don't think I should leave Jiji, 'ttebayo!"

Jiraiya nodded, understanding the boy's closeness with his old mentor, "This trip is also for him. You have heard of Tsunade, yes?" At the boy's nod, after all Jiraiya talked about her chakra control a lot whenever Naruto 'mastered' a technique without breaking a sweat, Jiraiya added, "If there's anyone that can wake him up, it would be her,"

Naruto perked up, "Really? Then when are we leaving?!"

He came up the next morning bright and early with a traveling bag. After learning Fuuinjutsu, he had taken to seal most of his things and carried only a small bag as opposed to a big one. Of course the main item he took on the trip would be his ramen stash. Can't go on a trip without ramen!

Jiraiya looked at him and nodded in approval, "Good, now let's go,"

The trip was a little uneventful, they bantered as usual and Naruto used his ability to kill the lingering Curses hanging along the road. They were especially crowded in areas famous for accidents or bandit ambush. They finally arrived at the first town since leaving Konoha at almost sundown and Jiraiya was distracted by a woman winking at him. Naruto blushed when the man handed him a key, "Oi, Ero-Sennin, this is something adults do! What are you trying to make a minor like me do, 'ttebayo?!"

Jiraiya knocked his head, or looked like it, as he said, "Practice your chakra control without Rikugan. Who knows, you might need that one day,"

Naruto huffed as he headed to the hotel Jiraiya had booked, "Crazy old geezer. He's such a pervert," He sat on the bed and took out a kunai, focusing to separate Rikugan from affecting his chakra. So far, it was a no go for Naruto. Rikugan stubbornly 'helped' him…

A few moments later, someone knocked on the door. Naruto looked at the door, Rikugan blazing behind his blindfolds and he sighed, "I just left Konoha and already people are hunting me down, dattebayo," He picked his bag and opened the window, "Might as well look for Ero-Sennin,"

Just as he landed on the ground under his window, the door was kicked open by a man that looked like he belonged in the sea more than on land. He looked around, "Where'd the brat go?"

Naruto shot off, heading straight to where he sensed Jiraiya when he sensed Sasuke running close by. Wondering what the boy was doing so far from Konoha, he used Ao to pull Sasuke to him. There was some yelp and some crash and then Sasuke landed right next to him looking like he just crashed through a yakisoba stall…which he did…

Sasuke glared at him, "Naruto!" He looked at the blond, "Are you alright, I heard that Itachi was looking for you!" He may have felt jealous of Naruto's sudden improvement in skill but he would never wish Itachi on anyone. Naruto looked over his shoulder, "So I guess that was who I just dodged meeting. He was knocking on my hotel room's door," He pulled Sasuke, "Come on, do you honestly think you have enough skill to face him right now? I bet he have grown even stronger than the last time you saw him. We just left the Academy last year. I doubted he had grown atrophied skill wise,"

Sasuke froze and Naruto looked over his shoulder, his blindfolded gaze met crimson eyes and he pushed, "Aka!" Itachi burst into a murder of crows, shocking the lingering bystanders. He then used Ao to get straight to Jiraiya, who jumped when Naruto just appeared right beside him with another person who looked familiar, "Ero-Sennin, trouble!"

Jiraiya looked at a pale faced Sasuke, "I can see that…care to tell me what happened?"

Sasuke didn't respond, too shocked by the sudden reunion that his mind shut down. Jiraiya smacked his head, waking him up. The large man lowered his body to peer into Sasuke's dark eyes, "What happened? Why are you here?"

Sasuke bit his lip before saying, "Kakashi-sensei didn't show up, so I looked for him. He met…he met Itachi and is now unconscious," He looked at Naruto, "I heard he was looking for you,"

Jiraiya hummed, "I see, they are making a move now,"

Sasuke glared at him, "Who?"

Jiraiya looked at the curious, demanding faces turned his way and sighed, "I was hoping to gain more time but since they went straight to Naruto, I supposed that organization is making their move and Itachi was part of this organization,"

Naruto frowned, "Why are they looking for me?"

Jiraiya glanced as his abdomen, "Why do you think? There's only one conclusion should they get you though," He grimly added, "You will die,"

Naruto paled, hand clutching the front of his shirt, "I thought they heard about my eyes and wanted to take them. This is so much worse,"

Sasuke huffed, "What are you talking about?!"

The two shared some look when Naruto turned to the side, "That Lee guy's sensei is here," True enough, Maito Gai made his appearance. The man looked at the three and his eyes landed on Sasuke, "You shouldn't have left so suddenly! Leaving Konoha without permit is equal to abandoning the village!"

Sasuke flinched before looking over to where the town was. Jiraiya sighed, "They would have left by now. I may not look like much but every seasoned Shinobi would think better than to face me,"

Naruto nodded, "The only people he lose to are women,"

Jiraiya nodded, "Yeah, the only people I lose to- wait a damn minute, this brat!"

Naruto deadpanned, "Can you deny that you always get beaten up by women?"

Jiraiya grit his jaw as he can't deny that, "Damn mouthy brat…"

Gai nodded and looked at Sasuke, "Alright, let's head back now,"

Sasuke stepped closer to Naruto, "I'm coming along,"

Gai blinked and Jiraiya frowned, "What? No way in hell am I babysitting two babies!"

Sasuke frowned, "I need to get stronger! Kakashi is beaten, that means Itachi is stronger than him! I need to be trained by someone stronger!"

Jiraiya sighed, "Look, kid, Kakashi is taken by surprise. Itachi has the higher grade Sharingan known as the Mangekyou Sharingan while Kakashi has the basic Sharingan. The power gap is there, sure, but back when Itachi was in ANBU, Kakashi was his mentor. You will learn a lot of things from him if only you let him,"

Sasuke was unsatisfied, "The only thing he ever taught me was the Chidori,"

Jiraiya frowned at him, "I don't know how you expect things to go but you can't continue to expect to just learn new jutsu and didn't master it. Take your time to grow, that's your job as a kid. Stop rushing things or you will be burned out,"

He looked at Naruto, "And why is he with you?"

Jiraiya shrugged, "He has a particular skill that will be useful for me,"

Gai sighed, "Sasuke, you should just come back to Konoha. Master Jiraiya has a lot of things to do, not just training Naruto. Besides, the only person who can figure out Naruto's Kekkei Genkai would be him and no one else. Even he can only teach you about the Sharingan so much. You should stick with Kakashi who knew more,"

Sasuke groaned, hands clawing furiously at his head. He turned to Naruto, "You better be stronger next time we meet. And make sure you keep out of Itachi's reach!"

Naruto grinned, "You can bet on that!"

A few days after the short meeting with Sasuke and almost getting caught by the now known organization Akatsuki, Naruto and Jiraiya reach the town Tanzaku famous for its gambling den. Naruto looked around at all the game stalls. Jiraiya played some game and like everyone else lose some, win some. But Naruto won a cascade with just a single coin. In fact, as Jiraiya soon noticed, every single gambling den started winning the moment the boy was in the vicinity.

He's like a walking gambling charm…

Jiraiya pouted, ' It's like he has a natural born talent to become a gambling god,'

Naruto giggled as he rubbed his face against his toad wallet, "Gama-chan is so cute when he's full!"

Fortunately the brat has no interest in gambling itself, just passing curiosity of the game. Jiraiya could see Tsunade being furious at the unholy unfairness of the universe. She, who loved gambling, kept losing while he, who has no interest to gamble, easily wins. Yeah, he could see the rampage she will go on if she ever discover this 'talent' of Naruto's.

Speaking of rampage….

Naruto stared at the sight, "What the hell happened here?"

Their destination, where the gambling competition of the year that Jiraiya's informer told Tsunade would be attending, was in ruin. Some guy ran screaming about a snake beast smashing the castle to debris. Naruto looked at Jiraiya, "We just missed them, didn't we?"

Jiraiya sighed, "Well, let's go back to town and search for her,"

Without distraction, Naruto noticed a strong chakra and pulled Jiraiya straight to a pub. Jiraiya grumbled, "How could I forget that I could just ask you to find her like the way you found me?"

Naruto snorted, "Because you are busy with you stupid research,"

Jiraiya flushed, "My research aren't stupid!"

"Yeah, yeah,"

Jiraiya pushed the noren aside and immediately caught sight of a familiar face, "Tsunade?"

She looked just as surprised to see him, "Jiraiya!"

The two shared the table with the woman that they were looking for and her apprentice Shizune as well as a pig named TonTon that's collared with pearls. Naruto was amused by the pig. He has heard of the proverb 'pearls before swine' before but here is a pig wearing pearls. As he listened to Tsunade recounting her meeting with Orochimaru, he noticed something, "What are you not telling us? Did he promised you something?"

Jiraiya blinked, "Tsunade? Did Orochimaru promised you something?"

Naruto stared at her and said, "She's grieving and…she doesn't know whether she should accept it. He promised something that she really wants,"

Jiraiya frowned, "Tsunade, do you honestly think that they would want to come back?"

Tsunade scowled, "And who is this brat that you believe his words so easily?"

Jiraiya ruffled Naruto's platinum locks, "This is Uzumaki Naruto. His eyes perceive truth, even ones you are trying to hide from," He stared at her, "Orochimaru forced your Grandfather and Granduncle to crush Konoha. He brought them back before Naruto dealt with them,"

Tsunade paled with fury, "He did what?"

Jiraiya tilt his head, "He didn't tell you? The technique I believe he was promising you with will disturb their resting side and he will reanimate them just enough to control them. He managed to poison Sensei. Even though the medic at Konoha managed to drain the poison out, Sensei is still in a coma,"

Tsunade looked at her fist, "He would have been better off dead,"

Jiraiya quickly put his hand on Naruto as the boy stiffened beside him, "Tsunade!"

Tsunade laughed, "What good is being a Hokage? Only a fool would wear the damn hat. Look at him, already dying just because he's the Hokage. My Grandfather and Granduncle too. They kept preaching about peace but even in death they can't find peace just because they are Hokage,"

She smirked, "And the Yondaime…he's good…but the Hokage hat killed him in the end…"

Jiraiya grabbed Naruto's back just as the boy exploded in anger, "SHUT UP! I WON'T FORGIVE FOR TALKING SHIT ABOUT HOKAGE!"

Jiraiya sighed, "Let's take this outside…"

Chapter 8

Chapter Summary

"Are you coming back to Konoha?"

Tsunade smirked, "As a Sannin, I don't even have to be serious fighting a little boy,"

Naruto growled, "You'll pay for mocking them,"

She raised a finger, "One finger, that's all I need to fight you, brat,"

Naruto glared behind his blindfolds, "I'd like to see you try, Baa-chan!"

Irked by being called old by a kid, she leapt forward and flicked his head but to her surprised, if felt like she both hit him and not. In retaliation, Naruto slammed his fist forward. She evaded him just in time and looked at Jiraiya, "What the hell way that?"

Jiraiya shrugged, "You can't touch him. Between you and him, there is an infinity,"

Tsunade frowned, "What kind of nonsense are you spouting now, Jiraiya? He's right in front of me,"

Jiraiya shook his head, "It's the passive of his Kekkei Genkai," He raised finger, "Try as you might, you can't touch him because he realized the infinity of space between you and him. You won't ever reach him," He smirked, "Remember that story about the samurai and the turtle? This is the same case here. You're the samurai, he's the turtle,"

Tsunade glared at Naruto, "So…that's where your confidence to face me come from? Pathetic. Turn it off and face me like a man!"

Naruto deadpanned, "I'm a boy, not a man,"

Tsunade snarled, "Shut up, you know what I meant!"

Naruto shrugged, "Whatever, we're not samurai. We don't fight fair, dattebayo. Not even you fight fair," He pointed at her, "You know you will win from the strength difference between the two of us. Even if you're drunk, you are already flushing the alcohol out of your system using chakra. In fact, you are always regenerated using chakra. That meant when you hit, you hit hard,"

She gritted her jaw, "This brat talks too much,"

Naruto tapped the hitai-ate doubling as blindfolds, "I as well, don't fight fair. Even like this, I can see you pretty well. I can see your chakra paths, the strength of your chakra and I can see that you store the majority of your chakra on that point on your temple like a dam," He cooled, "In truth, you respect the Hokage more than anyone else. But life made you bitter and you are just running away from that reality like a coward," He tilted his head, "What is the Hokage to you? All the Hokage, I mean?"

She stared at him, "Jiraiya, what kind of monster did you bring here?"

Jiraiya snorted, "His eyes sees all. His Kekkei Genkai affected time in his head. What is a moment to us is a minute or more in his head. One look and he has all the time needed to understand you,"

Tsunade snarled in disgust, "Great…first Minato and now this…where do you keep finding these geniuses?"

Jiraiya chuckled nervously, "I didn't. Naruto found me actually,"

"What?"

"It's how we found you so quickly after seeing the castle ruin," He grinned, "He can see better than either Hyuuga or Uchiha. Not to mention the abilities that come with the eyes,"

Naruto huffed, "Stop talking like I'm not here, dattebayo!" He looked at Tsunade, "Well? Are you going to answer me?"

She looked at him, "What is it about the word Hokage that got you so riled up, brat?"

He grinned, "Because I will inherit both the title and their will! I will become Hokage!"

She froze. She can tell, even blindfolded, how similar the light in his eyes would have been to the last two people who said the same thing to her. She bit her lip and turned away. Naruto frowned, "What? Are you running away?"

Jiraiya sighed, "Naruto…go rest. Shizune, show him the inn you're staying at," He looked at Tsunade's lonely back, "I'm going to have a talk with Tsunade,"

Naruto pouted, "Crazy oldies,"

The next few days were spent trying to convince Tsunade to come back to Konoha. Naruto would have blown off his top if it wasn't because he visited Hiruzen secretly and Rikugan confirmed that he'll be alive for as long as the medic of Konoha tended to him. He just prayed to the Sage that they won't take months chasing Tsunade because Hiruzen's quite old even if he's extremely healthy for his age. The human body can only stay put for so long before it started breaking down.

Surely as a medic Tsunade know this?

Would she be that heartless?

Doubt plagued his night and each time Jiraiya came back looking sadder than the last time he went after Tsunade. He began to question her loyalty but each time his eyes focused on her, he understood that she's torn between her moral and her desire. Can't she see them, hanging over her shoulders, worrying?

Can't she hear them begging to reconsider?

Can't she hear how much they hated themselves for putting her through this?

He scoffed; of course she can't. He's the one with the cursed Dojutsu. He's the one that can hear them begging her to not turn her back on the village that they died for. They are barely holding onto their humanity, fighting from turning into a Curse. Her obsession over their death, her inability to let them go, anchored them to her and slowly but surely morphing them into Curses.

Later one morning he woke up to a sick Jiraiya and a staggering Shizune having a meeting outside his inn's window, "What's going on?"

Shizune then confessed what Orochimaru had offered Tsunade, that what they had suspected was true, and that in exchange of curing him of the poison he used to force Hiruzen into a coma he will resurrect the two men she missed the most in her life.

The three rushed to the meeting area…

Something exploded right ahead and Naruto's eyes showed…that Tsunade had made the best choice for her heart and mind. The ghosts on her shoulder cheered in happiness and he smiled, "She didn't betray us. She didn't betray Konoha,"

Jiraiya's tense feature softened as he breathed out, "Thank the Sage,"

Naruto grabbed both Jiraiya and Shizune, "Alright, enough dawdling. Let's go!"

They landed just in time to intercept an attack by a familiar face towards Tsunade. Naruto cursed, "I know that there's a reason that ugly Curse is clinging to you! Good people usually don't have Curses clinging so tightly to them like a lifeline, dattebayo! Just how many people did you torture?!"

Kabuto smirked, "Again with the crazy talk, Naruto,"

Naruto pointed to whom he can only assume to be Orochimaru, "I can't even see his face! He's completely drowned in Curses! No wonder you don't want to die! Those things will tear your soul apart the moment you die, dattebayo! They really want to tear you apart, dattebayo! I bet your whole life sucks right now!" He shuddered as one grinned at him, "Ew, stay away!"

Orochimaru licked his lips, "A new Kekkei Genkai? I would love to get my hands on them,"

Naruto noticed one part of the mixed bodied Curses hissed angrily, "Damn, I don't know what he's saying. They are loud but apparently he said something that really pissed one of them off…hmm, is your left shoulder hurting right now? That bite look nasty!"

Orochimaru flinched; his left shoulder did hurt at the moment…like something was…biting…

Kabuto called, "Don't listen to his nonsense, Orochimaru-sama! It's just another form of psychological warfare!"

Naruto shrugged, "His right calf should be in pain now…I guess his body has been having random pains a lot lately, huh? Especially whenever he changed his body…because that's not the same body I saw back in Konoha,"

Tsunade asked Jiraiya, "What is he on about now?"

Jiraiya chuckled, "I'm still pissed at you, Hime," He added, "Anyway the Rikugan allows Naruto to see the resentment and negative emotions left behind by the dead. He can also see, hear and even touch them. So if he said you're haunted by the dead and they really want to fuck your life up, he really meant it. I won't want to see what he saw Orochimaru as. He has gotten better whenever he saw them Curses but this one really pushed his limit. I mean, he looked sick,"

Naruto groaned, "I am sick…I'll draw you this hellish picture I'm seeing later,"

Jiraiya scoffed, "No thank you. You drew them once for me was enough to give me nightmares,"

"Blackmail material,"

"Damn brat,"

Tsunade then stiffened, "Wait…you're saying you know him from Konoha…and yet…" She growled, rushing right past the still groggy Jiraiya. But as she reached the traitor, he cut his wrist and splattered her with blood. Shizune quickly rushed forward and held Tsunade, spitting senbon at Kabuto in quick succession. As she fret over her mentor and mother figure, Naruto glared at Kabuto who started his own version of psychological war on Naruto but pointing out how he'll never be as good as Sasuke. Naruto huffed, "Obviously! I'm not that teme! I'm better than him!"

Kabuto shut his mouth, accepting that his plan to rattle Naruto has been backfired, and returned to Orochimaru's side. Jiraiya cursed, "Dammit!" He quickly signed the summoning jutsu, slamming his palm to the ground at the same time as Orochimaru. Two large snakes were summoned while Jiraiya failed to summon Gamabunta. But a heartbeat later, his vantage view change as he was elevated. He looked to the side and saw Naruto in the same posture as him.

Orochimaru cursed as Gamabunta met the eyes of a snake, " Oh look, a snake purse," With one swing he beheaded the serpent, " You're really spoiling, brat,"

Orochimaru hissed, "I should have killed you in that Forest of Death,"

Jiraiya leapt off of Gamabunta and onto the snake's head to face off against Orochimaru. Naruto let Gamabunta does his job when he saw Kabuto aiming to Tsunade's life. He quickly teleported right in front of her just as Kabuto aimed for her head with his fist. Mugen stopped his attack and Naruto snarled, "Aka!"

Kabuto was flung back and just as he tried to stand back up, Naruto slammed the perfectly formed Rasengan into his gut. Kabuto flew and stumbled a few feet away.

Naruto looked at her, "Are you alright, Baa-chan?"

Tsunade stared at him, for moment seeing two people she missed most superimposing over his features. She gripped the necklace around her neck. Naruto looked back at Kabuto who had fallen to the ground. Suddenly, Orochimaru appeared and spit out a full length katana right at Naruto. He frowned as the sword clanged against an invisible force and Naruto pointed a finger at him, "Ao,"

His instinct saved his life as he evaded just in time as his left arm imploded. He screamed and Kabuto weakly called out, "Orochimaru-sama!"

Orochimaru glared at Naruto, "You…you're dangerous to leave alive," He quickly threw a smoke bomb and summoned a familiar snake to bail them out of there. He knew better than to summon Manda while being so injured. Chances are he'll be the one eaten.

Naruto stared at them as the snake disappeared as quickly as it appeared. Gamabunta scoffed " Coward," before disappearing himself. Jiraiya dragged his sore body back to Tsunade and Naruto, Shizune rushing to her right after she healed her torn tendon, "Tsunade-sama!"

Naruto looked at her, "Are you coming back to Konoha?"

Tsunade stared at him realizing that Naruto will probably be able to reignite the dream that had long died out inside her. He lifted his blindfolds and bowed, "I'll make sure she's fine now. I think you really should move on. Your time here is almost up,"

She froze, "What?"

Naruto looked on her right, "Nawaki said to stop moping and start becoming that ass kicking sister he admired so much. He still didn't miss your cooking though," He chuckled. He then looked to her right, "Dan wanted you to stop ruining yourself and bring your shared dream back to life. After all, you're the only one he can trust with that dream now,"

Tsunade could tell; the boy wasn't pulling her legs. She knew, she just knew, that if she could hear them say anything to her at this point in her life, then it would be exactly that. She sobbed, "I'm sorry…I must be such a mess to look at…I'm so sorry…I was so weak, I couldn't save you…"

As she finally said her goodbye, assure that they can now hear her, Naruto leave her to her privacy and looked at Jiraiya, "Is this mission accomplished?"

Jiraiya scoffed, "Not until she saved Sensei,"

Naruto grinned, "Then it's a mission accomplished because she'll definitely save him, dattebayo!"

Chapter 9

Chapter Summary

"Dammit Sasuke! You just jinxed it!"

A few months have passed since Naruto brought back Tsunade. Hiruzen still yet to wake but his condition are much better last Naruto snuck in to see him. In the end, Tsunade was roped into becoming Hokage. She would have fought longer and harder but the night they offered, she had come to visit him. She told him about her baby brother and her fiancé that both dreamed of becoming Hokage, even asking him if the Shodaime's necklace was really haunted by a Curse.

He said no…

She then handed the necklace to him, "Even if it didn't have the kind of curse that you can see, I believe this necklace would be better off in your hand than mine. After all, I am entrusting the dream and will of the Hokage to you,"

Naruto frowned, "What? Why…is it because I want to become Hokage?"

She grinned, "Of course…just one more time…just one more time, let me believe in that dream. Until then, I will keep the seat and hat warm for you so you'd better hurry up!"

Tsunade had read the report and promoted Nara Shikamaru, Aburame Shino and finally Uzumaki Naruto as Chuunin. When some on the council argued about Naruto, she told them that Naruto has all the right attitude to be a leader. Some idiot tried to promote Sasuke but Tsunade told him that Sasuke has yet to prove his leadership quality as he's more of a lone wolf. A lone wolf does not make for a good leader. Sasuke had frowned at that and started to pay more attention to his team. He didn't like that there's something he's not good at.

These days Kakashi's busy training Naruto in the way of Chuunin and Naruto was 'quick' to understand his position. Sakura was still weak but her chakra control had gotten even better, so the man handed her a medical scroll. It has become a thing for the one with the best chakra control on each squad to learn medical skill.

Tsunade has slowly started to implement her dream, having been reminded from when Naruto 'told' her about Dan and Nawaki haunting her. She has also started the same thing at the Academy, thinking that at the very least there would be more medic to help even if they didn't make the cut to Genin. It had been her dream to make sure each team has a higher chance to survive even with no immediate help in sight. She would not have them go through her brother's pain.

If she have to become Hokage, then she will do what she wanted the most.

Sasuke has started on swordsmanship. Naruto had looked at the way he moved, and though the boy was a true prodigy unlike Naruto whose only started to become one because of Rikugan, he thought that Sasuke would do better with a handheld weapon. So he asked Kakashi about the type of weapon most suited to Sasuke, thus the chokutou. Sasuke was quick to pick up the new skills; learning how to care for his chokutou and handling them come easy to the boy.

Since Naruto can't be cut, Sasuke's using Naruto's quick movement to get used to his new weapon. Kakashi, who had been late at the Finals, almost had a heart attack when Naruto used the Hummingbird against Sasuke. And since he really didn't want to look like Satoru, he had taken to growing his hair out and it had started to fall around his face, which really bring out Minato's look in him.

Without being able to see his eyes, shaped like Kushina's, Naruto really started to resemble Minato more and more. He's dead ringer for his dad if it wasn't because his cheeks are lined by his whiskers. Kakashi kept getting a heart attack whenever his eyes landed on Naruto nowadays.

In fact, Kakashi wasn't the only one.

Konoha had slowly started to notice Naruto in a different light. The older generation who remembered Minato as a child, the ones that had gone on a denial and ignored Naruto as a child, face smack themselves. The younger generation had confusedly looked at him and then the Yondaime's stone face and then back at him in utter confusion. Then they paled.

Kakashi asked Jiraiya, "This isn't good, is it?"

Jiraiya snorted, "People are going to figure out the older he get anyway. That look aren't easy to hide. Good thing sneak attacks don't work on him,"

At the moment the team are busy watching a movie. The team discussed about Princess Gale and Naruto admired the writing of the film. After the sudden order to watch the movie, they went to the meeting place. They were wondering about the strange order when the person they just saw in the movie ran down the street on a horse. Sakura gawked, "No way! Was that Princess Gale?!"

When more horses neighed in their direction, they looked and Naruto pulled his team back before they get trampled by the men chasing after the runaway princess. The cry of "After her!" and "Don't let her escape!" does not promise good thing for the running princess. Sasuke and Sakura shared a look and nodded while Naruto sighed, feeling like something this his fellow Chuunin Shikamaru would say "Troublesome" was waiting for him as he went after the runaway woman.

He left behind a Kage Bunshin to help his team…

Naruto found her in a bar drinking and ignoring the bewildered looks sent her way. He quickly 'understood' that she was running from those men not because she was afraid of them, but rather she was in conflict with herself. He sat his ass next to her, "You really should go back, Yukie-san,"

She scowled, "I am not going to Yuki."

He poked at her glass, "So you are running from your past? But running away isn't going to set you free. You are just going to kept being haunted by the past until the day you die, always wondering 'what if' and all. This isn't going to help keep it away either,"

She looked at him finally, her eyes widened when they landed on the Shodaime's famous necklace. He noticed her interest, "Ah, Tsunade-hime handed me this as a way to entrust the future to me. I helped her face her past and now she's the Hokage. So I supposed I'm offering to do the same to you…rather I'm doing it whether you like it or not,"

Yukie laughed at him, her voice lacked joy, as she sneered, "What would you know about being in hardship. I bet the worst thing to ever happen to you was when you stub your toe?"

Blindfolded eyes turned to her but the smile on his lips was cold, "I became an orphan on the day I was born, my parents killed before I even get to know them. The village neglected me because I reminded them of the day they lost their loved ones. Every day is cold like winter. Growing up I have no one to call friends or family. Going back home is painful. Even walking down the street is painful because I can tell that I am not welcome. I spent 12 years of my life wondering what I did so wrong to be hated like so. I spent most of my earlier years wondering if I should just die but some reason I never take that option. I spent a year almost starving to death because the orphanage decided to kick me out and the rest struggling to make sure I have enough food daily, especially winter," His lips frowned, "Don't talk like you're the only one who knows a hard life,"

Someone entered the room as Yukie wondered if she could even live the life he described, telling her that the boat was about to leave. She brushed away her pang at the boy's own hardship, arguing that she's stepping down as Sky Princess. Naruto let them argue a bit more, Rikugan already to him that this was the reason Kakashi wanted them to watch the movie. He pinched her neck and she folded over, unconscious.

When she woke up next, they were already on the boat to Yuki no Kuni. Naruto listened as she grouched at the whole team for forcing her and sighed, "She's really far from the image she portrayed as Princess Gale,"

Sasuke huffed, "Hn,"

Sakura nodded beside him.

Kakashi chuckled, "Don't say that. She's the subject of our mission after all. Besides, it is an A-rank mission. Some difficulty is to be expected,"

Naruto grumbled, "I know,"

Sasuke looked at the passing waves, "This mission shouldn't be too difficult. We are only escorting an actress after all,"

Naruto groaned, "Dammit Sasuke! You just jinxed it!"

Kakashi frowned, "Don't be too sure. There are plenty of famous people who are always being targeted by someone. Assume there will be enemies and don't get caught off guard,"

They group looked behind them as the crew began to get busy. They watched in silent amazement as the reluctant actress transform to her famous persona in front of the camera. Every actions, every emotions, was as real to naked eyes as possible. Naruto ignored his Rikugan's information, enjoying the live show before him. When she suddenly stop to demand her eye drops, Naruto knew that she has it in her to face her problems. She just haven't found a strong reason enough to do so.

The boat trip ended when they faced a large iceberg stopping them from heading further. The Director mumbled even as he ordered the crew to start climbing, "The movie gods got angry,"

Naruto sweat dropped at him.

They were filming as planned when suddenly an explosion almost knocked the actor off his feet. The old man looked around him, alarmed. Kakashi quickly stands in front of Yukie, confusing the team but Naruto immediately called, "In coming enemies! Return to ship!"

Sasuke and Sakura immediately snapped into action just as a man in a strange hat appeared. He smirked at their direction, "Welcome to Yuki no Kuni,"

Kakashi froze, "You're-!"

A pink haired Kunoichi looked at the actress, "Welcome back, Koyuki. Did you bring the Hexagon Crystal?"

Kakashi's eye widened in recognition, "Koyuki?"

A large shinobi started laughing, "As expected of the great Hatake Kakashi! We meet again!"

Kakashi growled, "Sasuke, Sakura, guard Yukie! Everyone else, return to ship!" The whole crew skedaddled straight to the waiting ship. Naruto grumbled, "Oh sure! Ignore me when I told you to go back but not when Kakashi said it!"

A light haired ninja turned to the other two, "Fubuki, Mizore, let's get Princess Yukie,"

The two aforementioned ninja left their perch just as Kakashi rushed towards the last three Yuki Shinobi. Meanwhile, Naruto was busy facing off against a heavyset man who pulled out a snowboard out of nowhere and used it to chase after them. Sasuke threw his Fuma Shuriken but it shattered against the strange armor he's wearing, shocking him, "What?"

The man grinned as he sent some snow sparrows at the team. While Sasuke was busy being distracted by his partner, Naruto dodged the fist coming his way. He had made it a habit to dodge and evade attacks even if they didn't reach him. Won't do to make it a habit to let attacks hit him. Who knew if Mugen will hold up against a strong attack, especially if the attack can ignore Mukagen's passive?

He pushed the man back, "Ao!"

Mizore's confident smile crumbled as his armor crumbled, his organs collapsed on itself. His gargled scream of pain echoed across the snow field as his inside turned to mush. He slowly shrunk, twisting into a bloody rag and the armor crumbled over his dead body. His team looked at the sight with wide eyes, not expecting their armor to fail. Naruto shrugged, "Well, obviously external attack won't cut. But what if your inside crumble? It's like crabs; the inside is still soft, dattebayo,"

Perhaps because he killed enough Curses as practice that such sight doesn't affect him anymore. Naruto has grown to have the mentality to not show mercy to people out to kill him, after all the Curses are those who held grudges after all. They are so filled with negative intention that killing them is more merciful than trying to negotiate with them.

Kakashi fiercely glared at his shocked adversary, "Well…didn't I say that your armor does not make you invincible? You are unfortunate to face Naruto,"

Fubuki screamed, "MIZORE!"

Sakura took her distraction as a chance to cut off the ropes wrapped around Yukie, who had fallen into shock from the trauma of facing the people that caused her to run away from her own nation like a coward. The large man sent out a giant snow dragon and Kakashi countered with his water dragon. Naruto ran for Yukie, noticing that she was torn between what she wanted to do and what she needed to do so instead of yelling at her, he just picked her up.

Rouda, Kakashi's opponent, tried to stop him with pillars of ice but Naruto raised a finger, "Aka,"

The world exploded in red light and Rouda called for retreat. Fubuki glared at Naruto but too spooked by his ability to ignore their chakra armor to confront him. The Yuki Shinobi fled the scene, unwilling to face someone who could crumble them like a tin can…

Back on the boat, the Director waved his rolled up papers, "Cut!"

The camera that was rolling, capturing the whole fight blinked off…

Chapter 10

Chapter Summary

"Dying for nothing is the same as running!"

Naruto was listening to Sandayuu talking about railways and asking Kakashi why Konoha didn't implement such a technology when one of the crew came running, "Director! Big problem! It's Yukie, she ran away again!"

Naruto sighed as he picked up his radio, "Let me. I can see her. Can I have one of the thermal blanket? Thanks,"

He disappeared and Kakashi felt a pang of nostalgia at the sight of his hair disappearing, much like how his sensei once disappear and reappear. Naruto didn't use the Hiraishin but his technique was similar enough to his father's. Someone mumbled, "White Flash,"

It was like a combination of White Fang and Yellow Flash…

Naruto landed right on a tree branch and sighed at the sight of Yukie's near frozen form. He wrapped the thermal blanket around her, "Will you stop running?" He hoisted her on his back, her almost frozen arms hanging limply over his shoulders as he carried her back to the other and the movie crew. It didn't take long before he reached the tunnel that he had just asked the crew about. He went through the tunnel and before long, she grew warm enough to be aware of her surrounding, "Why is it that you always found me?"

Naruto looked over his shoulder, "It's my job. It didn't matter if you don't like me or anything. I know how you feel so I'll do my best to me sure you won't ever have to feel this way again,"

She huffed, "Fine!" She paused, "Just take me back. I can't do much besides acting in front of the camera anyway,"

Naruto stared at her, "You remind me of Inari,"

"Who?"

He grinned, "A little brat back in Nami. He cried all the time when he thought no one's watching and he hated anyone who tried to free Nami back when Gato had his hand on the whole island. He kept telling us that we will die. He yelled at me, calling me stupid for even thinking that I can fight Gato, dattebayo," He smiled at the memory, "But one day one of Gato's men was going to hurt his mom, the only other person he has left in his life. After that, he decided to stand up against Gato, even indirectly. He was willing to die for his mom and his country. That brat was just 8,"

Yukie listened to him then asked, "How does that apply to me?"

He looked at her, "You're just like that crybaby Inari, dattebayo!"

Yukie fell silent. She could clearly see the parallel between her and Inari. Except unlike Inari, she's a full grown adult. Running away from her own fear and problem because she's a coward.

Suddenly the road under Naruto's feet started to tremble. He looked behind him and scowled, "Dammit," He started running, using Ao to propel himself forward as a monstrous machine made of iron appeared right behind him. The train, for that must be it, kept on chugging forward. He could feel Yukie's fingers dig into his shoulders, her whole body tense with fear.

He used a stronger Ao, propelling himself faster, wrapping Mugen around both him and Yukie so that they won't split from the force of the speed as they break through the sound barrier. With a boom, they rushed out of the tunnel and Naruto quickly leapt off to the side, letting the train chug forward without him at the front. Just as it thundered past them, it slowly come to a stop. The brake screeched as it locked Naruto and Yukie against a tall hill.

An ominous voice echoed from atop the train, "It has been a long time, Koyuki,"

She shuddered on Naruto's back, "Kazahana Dotou,"

Dotou mockingly cooed at her, "It has been 12 years. Come closer and let me get a better look at you…niece,"

Just as Naruto was about to use Ao to flee, the hill behind him rumbled. He leapt up as several logs tumbled down from the top and crashed against the train. The manmade behemoth threatened to topple and Naruto squinted his eyes, pondering if he should just use Aka to topple it completely. He looked behind as Sandayuu's voice cried out, "Everyone, come and see out Princess Koyuki! If we fight alongside her, we can win this war!"

There were cheers as Naruto looked at the top of the hill full of men and women in armor, roaring in defiance at Dotou. Sandayuu drew his katana, "Kazahana Dotou! You have no idea how long we have waited for this day! Today we will end all the hatred which has been boiling over the years and we will avenge our late king, the true rule of Yuki no Kuni; Kazahana Sousetsu-sama!"

Dotou sneered, "So…you are still alive, huh?"

Rouda stood behind him and bowed, "Apologies. We'll take care of them,"

Dotou chuckled darkly and waved his hand, "No. Let us give them a taste of…despair,"

Sandayuu began to charge and Naruto stiffened just as Dotou lazily clicked on a red button, the lined carriages behind the head of the train opened and his eyes widened. He screamed, " DUCK!!"

Some listened to him and slammed their body to the ground. However many of them took the brunt of the launched kunai, piercing their body worse than the time Haku turned Sasuke into a porcupine. Naruto's shook his head in disbelief, "No…"

Sasuke's Fuma Shuriken flew just in time to stop the kunai from killing Sandayuu immediately but the man had been injured badly. Everything happened so fast that even with the mental processing that Naruto have, his body can only move in real time.

Naruto looked at the machine that caused such destruction and pointed a finger at one firing turret, "Ao," The machine imploded, causing the rest to stop. He then used Aka to destroy the rest of the train explode. Unfortunate Rouda had warned Dotou about Naruto's strange ability that the moment he raised his finger, they quickly detached the head of the train from the body and flee.

Once the matter settled, Yukie rushed to her assistant, "Sandayuu!"

Sandayuu coughed weakly, "Princess….I…truly am sorry for…getting you tangled up in…this. We…we gathered because…we never give up…not on Yuki and…not on you…"

Yukie shook her head, "Sandayuu, don't-!"

Sandayuu grabbed her knee, "Princess! Believe…believe in yourself…as we believed…in you. I fought…and died…for this belief so please…don't cry…" His voice faded as his eyes dimmed. He body slumped as he went limp.

Yukie stared at him, "You are an idiot, Sandayuu….you have my eye drops…" She suddenly stood up, "Let's go back,"

Naruto frowned, "Back to where? This is your home! If you want to go home then fight for it!"

She coldly replied, "You don't know anything. There's no spring in Yuki. It's a place that freezes your tears, and even your heart," Naruto reached out but she jerked away from him, "Get away!"

With a sudden swoosh, a blimp-like object dove from the sky and grabbed Yukie, pulling her towards the strange vehicle. As soon as she disappeared behind the door, a rain of kunai with little blue balls fell on them. Sasuke and Kakashi tried to get to the disappearing machine but the blue balls burst into spikes of ice, spearing all those that stand on the ground. The survivors of the failed attack ran away, dropping their dead comrades.

It was only a little later that they noticed their missing platinum blond Chuunin…

Meanwhile Naruto managed to find Yukie huddled in a prison. It wasn't hard for him to infiltrate the place. After all, he did steal the Hokage's hat when he was 8 right under the noses of ANBU guards as well as Hiruzen himself to put some glue in it. Yukie looked at him, eyes widened as he approached her prison. He looked at the bar and sighed, "Stay away from my line of sight,"

Recalling what he can do, she does just that and her eyes watched in horrified wonder as he somehow twisted the metal bars, completely ignoring their chakra negating ability as he turned them to senbon needles. He then grabbed her, "Let's go,"

He pulled her through numerous corridor, somehow managing to completely evade patrols when he stopped, "Kakashi-sensei,"

Kakashi turned the corner, "Naruto,"

Yukie glared at him, "Did you exchange the crystal for a fake one?"

Naruto looked at her, "Are you really giving up?" As he stared, he suddenly fell silent. They rushed out as Sakura called, "Don't come this way! Their security is tight!"

Yukie decided to take the lead. Kakashi wondered why Naruto suddenly stopped confronting her when she lead them straight to Dotou, who grinned, "Good work, Koyuki,"

Yukie ran up the stairs, away from Team 7 and looked at them, "It seems you were mistaken. I am an actress,"

Dotou crowed, "You see! You should never have opposed me! I hold all the card. And Yukie…she fooled you so easily! It was an act the whole time!"

Yukie mumbled, "Yes…an act," She suddenly lunged forward with a short sword, attempting to stab Dotou. He snarled at her deception, "What?! You!" He grabbed her by the throat and lifted her into the air.

Yukie struggled against his grip, looking at Naruto, "I knew it all along, Naruto…" She turned her glaring eyes at Dotou, "I knew that I would die the moment I return to Yuki no Kuni," She turn her gaze back to him, "It's a good thing you're here, Naruto. See? I didn't run away…until the very end…"

Naruto scowled, "Dying for nothing is the same as running!"

Dotou squeezed her neck harder, "Damn you!"

Yukie tried to stab him again but her short sword broke upon meeting his chest. Dotou grinned, "Such a toy can never hurt me!" He ripped his robe open, "Behold! The newest chakra armor!" As she struggled weakly against him, he picked her up under his arm, "Come, Koyuki, to the other side of the rainbow!"

Mechanical wings appeared and Dotou took off through the broken ceiling. The building began to shake and collapse on itself. Naruto cursed, grabbing his team and focused on getting them out, spreading the effect of Mugen over them. A Yuki Shinobi rushed before them and Naruto snarled, furious that he let Dotou grab Yukie, "Get out of my way! Aka!"

A red ball of light burst forward and completely obliterate her. Sakura said nothing, keeping close to Naruto. In the back on her mind, she noted to herself to never get on his bad side. For a happy go lucky guy, he's frightening when furious. Sasuke wondered if the Sharingan has any such abilities. Naruto's Mukagen came from his Rikugan after all. Kakashi just focused on getting out, keeping close to Naruto whose Rikugan calculated the pathway and his senses keep them safe from crashing into any more patrols as the building started to fall on them.

Luckily Mugen shielded them from most of the falling debris…

Once they reached their destination, Naruto rushed forward, "Princess!"

He ignored the melting around him, his mind focused on the danger looming over his client. Dotou looked at him and screamed a gargled scream as he was crushed to death the same way Mizore died. Naruto glared at him, "A weak, pathetic man like will never be able to handle true power," He kicked the crumbled armor, "Borrowed power is no power after all,"

Yukie stared at him as the sun climbed high into the sky. He promised her that he won't let her be haunted by the past anymore. He kept that promise. Dotou will no longer haunt her. Grateful, she rushed forward to hug him but realized that she can't get any closer; her arms seemed to float just a finger length above his skin.

He looked at her in confusion, "What are you doing?"

Yukie blushed as she pulled away, "I, the Sky Princess, acknowledged you as the strongest ninja!"

He grinned at her, "Well…didn't I tell you?!" He pointed at himself, "I am Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage of Konohagakure! Dattebayo!"

The team stayed as Yukie, or Kazahana Koyuki, was crowned the Queen of the now renamed Haru no Kuni. It seemed her father spent his whole life building a machine that can bring spring to Yuki. He wanted to gift his daughter the gift of spring for her to rule over. Her nation cheered and partied like never before. Even though the land was still covered in snow at the far reaches of the nation, the closer one get to the capital of Haru, the warmer it becomes.

Naruto didn't know it then, but the way he moved and fought the remnants of Dotou's army earned him a moniker that brought the attention of his father's enemies on his head. Since that day in Haru no Kuni, formerly Yuki no Kuni, Naruto was known as the White Flash.

Chapter 11

Chapter Summary

'Like a date,'

Naruto looked at the dead Iwa Shinobi that ambushed his team on their typical message delivery route, "This is getting ridiculous, dattebayo,"

Sakura groaned from where she had been kicked, "You tell me. Why are they so anxious to kill you? What did you do?"

Naruto sighed, "More like what my Dad did," He's so glad Hiruzen hid his identity when he was younger. He won't have survived his first year if this was how determined they were about killing the descendant of the Yellow Flash.

Sasuke poked at the dead body before Kakashi put them in a body scroll, saying, "Well, another one for the count,"

Naruto grumbled as they continue on their way back to Konoha, "At this point, hiding my parents' identity is just dumb,"

Sasuke looked at him, "Your parents' identity?"

Kakashi sighed, "If that is how you feel, we will have to talk to Godaime-sama,"

Hiruzen had woken up but he's certainly no longer up to take the hat. Whatever poison Orochimaru had used had taken a toll on his body. It was only because he was directly under Tsunade's care that he's even moving as he used to. But his overall strength had taken a hit. He will be a reserve at best or a civilian at worst, even if his Ninjutsu was still the best.

Tsunade looked at the body scroll and sighed, "That damn Tsuchikage. He's not even guessing anymore,"

Sakura looked at her, "What you mean?"

Tsunade looked at Naruto, "Are you sure about releasing this information?'

Naruto nodded, "I'm not as dumb as I used to be. I'm starting to look like him," It has been a year since their fight for Haru no Kuni. Naruto, still refusing to look like Satoru, had taken to wearing his hair long and now as he aged, one can really see Minato in his face. Hiding has become pointless, especially as he moved almost exactly like the famed Yellow Flash. Iwa was certain now that despite carrying his mum's clan name, that he's the descendant of Namikaze Minato. Not to mention, even the name Uzumaki will remind them the one woman he's ever gotten close enough to be suspected intimate with; Uzumaki Kushina.

Tsunade groaned, "The Council is going to be headache,"

Naruto shrugged, "As long as they change when I get that hat, dattebayo,"

Tsunade's brow twitched, "Brat,"

Naruto grinned, "Baa-chan,"

The two stared at each other, eyes to blindfolds, when they shared a laugh. Sasuke huffed while Sakura groaned, "I still don't get their relationship,"

That evening, Naruto was walking down the street when he noticed Hinata. She had taken to grow out her hair and he thought that it suited her. When her body turn in his direction, he used Ao to move away. Naruto put a hand on his chest, his heart pounding like crazy.

He still didn't know how to face those adoring eyes…

Jiraiya snickered beside him, "Still hiding from your Hime?"

Naruto flushed, "Shut up!"

Jiraiya had stuck around Konoha after the first Iwa attack. He learned that Orochimaru had spread the news to Iwa and had put a bounty on Naruto's head. His moniker was the White Flash and it wasn't long before random Shinobi from Iwa, both still under the service of the Tsuchikage and Nuke-nin, come sniffing around Hi no Kuni. Ohnoki kept replying that he didn't send anyone to Konoha and no one knew whether to believe that or else. After all, the amount of Nuke-nin from Iwa can contend against the refugees from Kiri.

Naruto groaned, "I don't know how to look at her, dattebayo! Every time I did, her eyes make me uncomfortable and my chest hurt just noticing her,"

Jiraiya looked at him in pity. The boy has no immunity towards love at all. Not that that's a bad thing. But obviously he's not someone that understand what it means to love and he's so young too. Jiraiya remembered the first time Minato came to him with a red face. Apparently Kushina had gotten fed up with his pussyfooting that she legit just pull his face towards hers for a kiss. That was the moment the firework lit up his brain and he realized that the reason he kept stalking her was because he likes her as more than friend.

Jiraiya chuckled, "You have your mom's mouth and temper but you sure have your dad's personality. That brat didn't know what he was feeling either,"

Naruto looked at him, "Huh?"

Jiraiya sighed, "For someone whose brain can process at a deeper level than a Nara, you sure are slow for these sort of things…"

Naruto scowled, "I can only understand what I know, dattebayo!"

Jiraiya smacked his head, "Alright already! No need to get mad at me!"

Naruto huffed, "I'm not omniscient. Just because I get to understand things at a deeper level doesn't mean I know things that I have never seen or heard of, dattebayo! I really wish people stop asking me things that they obviously know I don't know!" His friends have been bothering him with random quiz of things he had never seen or heard before just to make him feel more human…their words, not his.

Jiraiya chuckled but said nothing. He had heard about Naruto's problem since he discovered his Kekkei Genkai. People either avoid him all the more or being obnoxious about questions. Some thought he was doing some of those psychiatry shits but they would only be half correct. Naruto had taken to reading some body language book to better understand what he's seeing and now he's unstoppable. Ibiki had been kidnapping the boy to help with interrogation.

But even if he understand people, he can't look at himself and understand himself. Not unless he sat in front of a full length mirror and stare at his own image like a narcissistic bastard. Not to mention Naruto don't really like looking at his eyes. The trauma of having his own gauged out still haunt him and he will always curse Satoru whenever he saw the Rikugan.

The Council had also been an annoying group of harpies. They wanted him in the Clan Restoration Act and Naruto had pulled a face at that, "I'm not a prize bull, dattebayo!"

Jiraiya snorted at the memory of the boy causing a ruckus when he heard that they wanted him to increase Rikugan holder in Konoha. In the end the boy grouched, "I might as well go back to Uzushio and start my clan there, dattebayo!" They can't really stop him. That is his ancestral land and he has the freedom to do what he wanted there.

Jiraiya looked at him, "You do realize if you release the information about your connection to the Yondaime, they will even more unbearable?"

Naruto gagged, "Ugh, why can't they do the prize bull thing instead?"

Jiraiya shrugged, "Because they're nobody,"

Naruto scowled, "So why should I listen to a bunch of nobodies?" He sighed, "How come Sasuke didn't have to join the CRA?"

Jiraiya rubbed his chin, "Maybe because they already expect him to build a harem?"

Naruto huffed, "You know what? I'd rather cut the pipe and adopt a bunch of kids to start a family instead if they keep pushing it, dattebayo!"

Jiraiya stared at him in shock, "What? Where did you-?"

Naruto pointed his thumb at the library, "I was thinking about a way to shut them up," He grinned, "What does it matter if the kid's my blood or not? I want a family, not a clan,"

Jiraiya rubbed his face, "Sometimes I hate those eyes of yours,"

Naruto chuckled, "I want a happy family. Harem sounds like a headache to me. With so many wives and so many kids from different wives, the candidate for future clan head will be a bloody battle. Just look at the Hyuuga. Their Branch Family exist because only one can be the Head and the ensure that the other siblings don't go against them, they're forced to become all but an official slaves to the Main Family. I don't want my family to evolve into that. It's easier if I only have one wife so the wives won't influence their kids to compete especially for my attention,"

Jiraiya thought about it, "Yeah…just look at the Daimyo's wives and concubines. It's not a flower garden if there's no poisonous blooms involved. Those harem battle for supremacy is no joke. The amount of ninja hired to kill the competition is rather high,"

Naruto nodded, "And I can only imagine the kind of women those Council would choose for me,"

Jiraiya snorted, "Are you sure you're just turning 14 this year?"

Naruto swatted him, "Shut up! My brain's older than me at this point,"

Jiraiya laughed at him, "If that's true then it must be older than Sensei!"

Naruto glared at him, "I should punt you to Haru," He sighed, "Even if my wives don't care, who's to say the kids won't?"

Jiraiya chortled, "Wow, the dilemma of a stud,"

Naruto attempted to kid the man. Jiraiya evaded.

The next day was an off day. Naruto decided to walk around Konoha in boredom. He didn't know where Sasuke could be. His relationship with Sasuke has been strained these past months, especially as Naruto grew in leaps and bounds due to his Rikugan. Like Jiraiya kept pointing out, he's a total cheat of a genius. He can't even be labeled a genius as this point.

He has become a monster…

Suddenly his spine shivered and he ducked his head deeper into his hood. He recently noticed that should he has the same free day as Hinata and should she come across him, she will follow him around. He should feel creep out. She's being a stalker after all. But no matter what he does, he only sense her being happier and happier as she continue to watch him do his things.

Like nothing pleased her more than watching him being carefree…

She didn't hang around long, only an hour or two. The longest she hang around nearby was three hours and then she leave after whispering goodbye to him. It's like watching him was her personal favorite show. The heavy aura around her will slowly lift and she will go home happier.

She only follow him to public places. The moment he head home, she quickly left. Clearly she respect his privacy. She left when he went to the bath house too, although with a small squeak of embarrassment on her part and a quiet apology. She's clearly not a pervert like some of Sasuke's fan girls. She kept a safe distance when watching him practice, her heart will beat along with his movements and she will become excited when he get a new move, happy for him.

Naruto being Naruto made her happy…the boy didn't know what to make of that.

Once he was being his usual nuisance around Konoha and he purposely made it hard for her to follow him. Funny thing was, Kiba and Shino decided to join her on watching him. Kiba said nothing to him after the fact, but the boy gave him grudging respect since that day. Shino sometimes ask him about evasion tactic and Naruto knew that he was impressed with how Naruto evaded most of his angry pursuers.

Suffice to say he now has a somewhat fan in both boys. It seemed that their capture rate had gotten higher after following him around for a day. Naruto didn't say anything but attempting to catch him was beyond impossible even without Rikugan. He has been giving his ANBU minders the slip since he could run and gotten even better with Rikugan.

The only reason people saw him with his pranks was because he wanted them to see…

So nowadays, ever since he noticed her, Naruto let her watch him. He's proud with the fact that he can make someone day just by being himself and doing nothing special. She's happy just watching him drink.

Naruto smiled to himself and decided to give Hinata a tour around Konoha's park. His mind whispered, ' Like a date,'

He blushed, ' If it's a date, it's a weird ass date, dattebayo!'

But he can't stop thinking of it like a date. A very weird date but a date nonetheless. He took her to the park, stroll along the flowery paths and looked at the birds around the late. He didn't want to call attention to her so he took her to the library where he went to the casual section instead of the more serious section. He picked up random books, flick through and put it back. As he sat down for a read of a simple story, he noticed her picking up the books he looked through with interest, wondering what could have caught his attention.

After a few moments, he left for a drink and bought it from a stall. She did the same a moment after. He bought ice-cream later and she did the same after. He hid his smile from her as they are eating the same food. She looked pleased by his taste and he enjoyed her happy face. After a few more minutes, she reluctantly bid him goodbye and leave. Her steps springy as she run home.

He grinned to himself, glad that she's happy.

What a weird one sided date…

Chapter 12

Chapter Summary

It can't be anything else but him.

When Naruto came back from his latest trip outside Konoha with Jiraiya to better research the capabilities of Mukagen, the last thing he expected to hear was Sasuke's defect. Apparently many of his friends had left, even the still recuperating Lee, but none had returned just yet. Using Aka, he launched himself to the sky and looked out. Rikugan immediately detected his friend's dying chakra. He rushed to them using Ao.

The first that he found was Chouji, chakra severely depleted and poisoned. He conjured a Kage Bunshin to send him back as quickly as he's allowed with an injured passenger. The second he found was Neji, arrow through the chest just under his left collarbone near the shoulder. He quickly worked on him. With hic chakra control being even better than Tsunade because of Rikugan, he had picked up on Iryojutsu like fish to water. Tsunade was punching boulders all day after the fact that he grasped the whole thing and applied it in a single day.

Again, he has become a monster, not a prodigy or a genius…

Then the clone he sent out came across six unexpected people; Shikamaru with Temari, Kiba with Kankuro, and finally Lee with Gaara. All three are in better condition than the first two. Lee and Gaara was about to chase after Sasuke but with the rain and the lack of a tracker, they had long lost sight of him.

Kakashi who ran straight for Sasuke the moment he heard about the defect after his return from his own mission, due to rain, had also lost Sasuke's scent…

It was a bleak day as he helped the one Jounin, one Chuunin and five Genin return to Konoha while he carried Neji personally. He wanted to chase after Sasuke but he has his priorities. From what he heard from Lee, Sasuke had left on his own. He couldn't stop someone who had made up their mind, a decision that they are willing to risk their life for.

But he hoped, sometime in the future where their path will cross, that he could change Sasuke's mind before he did something irreversible…

Tsunade received his report and sighed, "I see…I had hoped to send you with Shikamaru instead but you aren't in the village. This mission was time sensitive after all," She rubbed her face, "It seemed that the team didn't make it,"

Naruto was somber, "I will search for him and kick his ass back to Konoha, dattebayo!"

Tsunade snorted, "No doubt about that," She looked at him, "Obviously they have someone keep an eye on your movement. Whomever it was, they were smart enough to do it without direct contact with you. After all, you can't exactly hide it when you aren't in the village. The contact with Orochimaru's subordinate must have been decided the moment you left,"

Naruto grumbled, "What am I, the boogeyman?"

She chuckled, "With your growing reputation? You might as well be," She peered at him, "It isn't your fault, Naruto. He shouldn't have used you as a measuring tool,"

It was well known to anyone with eyes that Sasuke had grown restless as Naruto grew stronger day by day through the past year. It was only his distaste toward Satoru and his narcissism that he stayed humble even as it was obvious that the Rikugan was an overpowered Dojutsu. Many attacking enemy complained about his impenetrable barrier as no ambush worked on him because of his eyes and when they did, no attack reach him. They tried poisoning him but between the Rikugan and the Kyuubi maintaining his body, Naruto is immune to any type of poison, toxic or venom. Then there's the other abilities…

Ao, the ability to pull and implode anything and anyone with a single sign and a short incantation.

Aka, the ability to push and explode anything and anyone with a single sign and a short incantation.

This made him a deadly opponent to face. The closest anyone has ever seen such a jutsu was Sandaime Tsuchikage Ohnoki's Jinton from Iwa. When the man first heard of it, he was furious thinking that somehow his jutsu had been leaked to the enemy but when he heard it wasn't Jinton, he grew curious. Of course it was only hearsay about his thoughts at this point.

But even with such a strange ability under his belt, crazy ninja desperate for fame and money kept coming for his head.

But back to the troublesome matter at hand…

Naruto looked at Tsunade, "Jiraiya informed me that the Immortality Jutsu that Orochimaru planned to use on Sasuke has been delayed. It seemed that his body had deteriorated to the point that he can't wait anymore. However, the technique has a cool time period of three years,"

She nodded, "I see. You wanted to take that three years cool down to find Sasuke and convince him to return to Konoha?"

Naruto nodded, "I will do my best. Even though…even though he has gone down the wrong road, I still consider him my best friend. We…shared a bond of loneliness,"

She watched him, taking note of his lonely expression. There's an odd connection between the two. Sasuke and Naruto, it was like they shared a bond that goes beyond the norm yet it was completely platonic. One would mistook it for romance but Naruto didn't see Sasuke in a romantic light at all. Rather, he wanted to stand side by side as equals.

Unfortunately, though he cannot wait for Sasuke to grow due to circumstances and the Rikugan, Sasuke had grown impatient. He had taken to learning more and more jutsu, barely taking the time to master them in hope of winning a sparring session with Naruto. For someone who has always been on top, facing Naruto's sudden talent was despairing.

Like a predator that has never met another, deadlier apex predator…

Naruto was busy for the next months. In his apologetic mindset, he had taken up the workload that Neji and Chouji would have taken. He didn't exactly integrate himself with their team but he certainly include himself whenever they took on missions. He helped Team Gai the most as they were down two members. He sent a clone to help Team 10, making sure to fill in for Chouji. Sarutobi Asuma was a little taken aback by the offer but as they won't be taking any strenuous missions, he accepted the offer.

One such mission was helping Team 8 look for a special kikaichu that can track down Sasuke through scent….

Naruto nervously walked next to Hinata, Shino, and Kiba, not knowing what to talk. He had gotten so used with Hinata walking behind him and 'dating' her that way that walking besides her was awkward. Since this is Shino's specialty, Naruto let him take the lead. During lunch, they stopped in a field of flower and Hinata took out their packed lunch.

Naruto blinked when she offered the packed lunch to everyone. It seemed that Shino's familiar enough that he didn't even twitch when he saw the character onigiri she prepared. Kiba even threw it up for Akamaru to eat. Naruto, on the other hand, stared at it. He didn't know what to think. Even Rikugan seemed to go haywire.

It was him.

It can't be anything else but him.

He mumbled, "It's like eating myself…"

Hinata fidgeted, "A-ano…is something wrong, N-Naruto-kun?"

He looked at her and noticed her discomfort. He grinned instead, "Nah, everything's fine, dattebayo!" He looked at…himself…and took a bite. His eyes widened behind the blindfold and he absentmindedly blurted, "Damn good, Hinata! You'll make a great wife!"

He subsequently mentally kicked himself for that comment.

Hinata giggled, but her blush was full of pleasure at his compliment. Naruto stared behind his blindfold. She looked really pleased that he liked her food, her fingers pushing against each other. This…felt like a real date.

Except…

"We need to move on before daylight ends,"

Yeah, Shino's a bastard.

They looked for the beetle until the sun set and then they had to arrange the tent. For safety reason, they arranged for Hinata to sleep in the middle…with Naruto cornered in the deep end…with Hinata sleeping right next to him with almost no space to spare between them…

He ruffled his hair, almost pulling them out. This is driving him crazy! How was he supposed to sleep with her right next to him?! Behind him, Hinata was fidgeting for the same reason, blushing furiously and fighting to stay awake.

But he is someone who easily fall asleep.

When he woke up to pee that night, he saw that Hinata had left. They didn't set up watch because Shino's kikaichu will do that for them. So he head out to answer nature's call. It was on the way back that he heard a noise. Cautious, he slowly head to the waterfall that they camped next to and he…both cursed and blessed the Rikugan forced into his head.

He can see…a girl. She was dancing under the waterfall, hands gracefully moving and legs lightly walking on the water. She was….naked…

Worse of all, since he was sleeping Naruto had taken off his blindfold for comfort and now can see…everything…with sharp clarity. He felt something trickle down his nose and wiped at it. Looking down, he realized that his nose was bleeding. He mentally cursed that he's not Ero-Sennin. However…his eyes drifted back to Hinata dancing under the moonlight.

He could see her…everything. He knew that she's far more developed than any of the girls in their age group. But he didn't know just how far. Her chest looked so soft and his palm twitched. The swell of her hip, the heart shaped bottom, the cinch of her waist, the flat of her stomach, the shapely length of her legs, the graceful length of her arms…Naruto suddenly understood why the Daimyo enjoy watching his women dance so much.

Everything of hers just…moved…

He didn't realize that he was creeping closer until he slipped underwater. When he looked back up, she was gone. Panicking, he quickly rushed back to camp and used a miniscule strength of Aka to push all the water off his person. He then jump into his bedroll, heart beating fast like he just did something unforgivable.

He mentally cursed again, ' I'm not Ero-Sennin!'

He looked into the bedroll, noticing something of his semi-standing up. He blushed and cursed himself again, then he thought about the one thing that still traumatized him; Gojo Satoru. Yeah…it go down like a falling turret. He couldn't sleep, too worked up by the image in his head. When she return, her scent hit him like Yuki's freight train.

He gulped. Now he really can't sleep…

Fortunately for Naruto, his Rikugan kept him fresh at all time. So when they were attacked, it didn't take much for him to deal with them. But he did found out that Hinata has grown from the last time he saw her fight. As the bees were surrounding his team, he couldn't use any of his sure kill ability. Even with the help of Rikugan, he's not an expert of using either to kill something as small and fast moving as bees, especially with his comrades in between the cloud of bees.

Luckily Hinata created a new technique that allowed her to defend Shino completely while he recover from his poisoned state. Naruto fought against the bee user teammate, as they not only aimed for Shino but himself as well. Hinata's new form reminded him of the time she danced under the waterfall…

Unfortunately the beetle had been exposed to a different scent when it matured and not couldn't be used to find Sasuke. Defeated, not by those people from Iwa but rather by nature. Naruto laughed, "You can't win against mother nature, dattebayo…"

Shino nodded, "True,"

Hinata fidgeted, not knowing how to comfort the two boys.

They head back, sighing the whole way home…and the whole way back Naruto still couldn't look at Hinata. He doubted he could watch her fight without being reminded of the waterfall scene. Not that he now knows how exactly she looked like naked and moving. After all, she was training that night, not dancing.

Naruto decided to keep the fact that he saw her naked to himself. He won't even speak of it to Jiraiya, who knows what that pervert would do with such an information?

Once again, he started avoiding facing her directly…

Chapter 13

Chapter Summary

Is avoiding her the right thing to do?

Naruto sat on the rock in a field. Recently Jiraiya showed him the Sage mode and told Naruto to try and become one. Even though Rikugan can help him, Naruto decided to take his time with it. Instead, his main concern was the Kyuubi still moving restlessly inside him. He honestly empathize with pregnant woman at this point.

As he meditate, his body fell into his mind and he opened his eyes to see the familiar sight. The hot breath of a beast billowed past him. He stepped closer, " Kyuubi?"

A clawed hand slammed through the bars, trying to pierce him but even in his mind Mugen protected him. His heart beat hard against his ribcage though. A snarl and the red eyes of the Kyuubi opened, " What do you want, you damned jailor?"

Naruto studied the Kyuubi, the chakra beast that had been cause of so much torment to him. There's weariness in those eyes, he's tired of this world. Rather, he's tired of repetitiveness of it all. His aggression came from being treated as a beast rather than a thinking being with thoughts and feelings. His own individuality has been overlooked in favor of his power.

Naruto sat down, " I want to know the one holding the title Kyuubi no Youko,"

The Kyuubi glared at him, " What game is this?"

Naruto decided to be blunt, " You're tired,"

The Kyuubi stared at him, face carefully blank.

Naruto continued, " I wanted to die. But I didn't choose that. You…can't die. You'll just reappear sometime in the future and you know that it'll just repeat,"

Teeth and fangs bared in annoyance, " Don't speak as though we are the same,"

Naruto grinned, taking off his blindfolds, " But it isn't me that think we are similar, now is it?"

The Kyuubi snarled, " Enough with this game of words! What do you want?!"

" Your company," Naruto smiled, " Your acknowledgement and I hope…your friendship," He tapped his abdomen where the seal was drawn, " I can't let you go. As much as I hate holding someone imprisoned and as much as I believe that your treatment is unfair, Rikugan calculated that you will be captured by the Akatsuki the moment I die. So instead of seeing me as your prisoner, I hope you will see me as your sanctuary. At the very least, I will not use your power without permission from you. That will be like having my eyes gauge and I hated that, the feeling and the memory both. In this…I supposed I could empathize with you,"

The Kyuubi scoffed at the pale blond, " Sanctuary? In this dump?"

Naruto looked around him, " Sorry, this is the first time I'm here…properly," He closed his eyes, " If Rikugan is right and this is my mind then…" He went deeper, thought of the reason his mind so bleak and dreary. If this was his mind because he's lonely, then he only need to think of something else that he felt as of late.

He thought of the bond that he has started to build around him. He thought of his friends. He thought of Team 7, even broken as they currently are. He thought of the freedom in his understanding with a fellow Jinchuuriki with Gaara. Then his mind shifted. He thought of his mentor-mentee relationship with Jiraiya. He thought of the weird fondness and trauma of meeting his ancestor. He thought of the shackles that come from knowing his true origin. He thought of the freedom of knowing his true origin.

Pale eyes like the moon, full of adoration and respect. His heart quickened.

Naruto opened his eyes and his mindscape change. Gone was the dreary hall with water covered floor. Transparent seal surround the Kyuubi's neck like magatama but this didn't stop him from moving around at the new sight around him. The twin moons lit the sky like winter sun, tinting lavender blush. Snowdrops covered the ground and the boundless blue twilight sky goes on and on with countless stars that represent the people in his life…

Naruto then noticed the stone that stood under the tori gate that represented the barrier between him and the chakra beast. Like the stone monument, it was etched with two named; Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina with a spiral that represent the lock of the seal, a plaque attached to a thick shimenawa rope looped around the stone replaced the seal that was on the gate. Everything looked so much more different, so much more sacred…

The Kyuubi snorted, " I'm impressed…those eyes really are something else," He poked at the tori gate and the barrier hold, " If only this too disappear,"

Naruto scratched his cheek, " Sorry,"

The Kyuubi glared at him, " Do not think that this mean I have accepted you!"

Naruto's shoulders slumped, " Figures,"

The giant Kyuubi turned his snout up, " Leave me alone! I rather like my peace when you aren't causing trouble!"

When Naruto opened his eyes, Jiraiya was watching him closely. Naruto glared at him, "Too close,"

Jiraiya pulled back, "Sorry. You were so still for so long I almost expect you to turn Sage,"

Naruto shrugged, "I was talking to the Kyuubi…" He smacked his head, "Dammit! He didn't tell me his name, dattebayo! I even asked too!"

Jiraiya frowned, "Name? Isn't it the Kyuubi no Youko or Kyuubi no Kitsune?"

Naruto deadpanned, "Isn't that's like calling you wart or crazy hair?"

Jiraiya hummed agreement and then flushed, "Oi!"

Naruto stretched his legs, "My point exactly," He titled his head, "He's laughing at you,"

Jiraiya's left eye twitched, "Fine, be that way…" He asked, "Aren't you going to try the Sage mode? Don't think I don't know that you can just turn to one due to that Rikugan of yours. Damn overpowered eyes,"

Naruto hummed, "I'm going to try and take my time understanding Senjutsu. This feel rather sacred, dattebayo," He looked up, "I'd better head back. It's almost night,"

He was on his way back when he heard fighting. He quickly saw Hinata fighting off two Nukenin from Iwa near the Naka River. Flames surged in his chest and the next thing he knew the two Nukenin are bloody balls the size of a soldier pill. He looked at Hinata, his face splattered in blood, "Are you alright?" He then grimaced, "Sorry for dragging you into my mess,"

Hinata trembled as she stood up, "I…I heard that they were l-looking for you s-so…I…"

Naruto frowned, "You should have gone and get a Jounin to help. Two Nukenin is definitely above you," When he saw her confidence slowly wilt, he retracted, "I mean, they're older and have more experience, dattebayo! Not to mention, what if they decided that selling you to Kumo would be the better deal?" They could sell her alive or dead, it won't matter to Kumo.

Hinata stuttered, "S-sorry…I…I just d-didn't want you to g-get hurt!" She then flushed but not her normal blush, rather it was self-blame. Obviously she knew that Naruto can handle himself but the moment she heard them talking about taking him out, her body just moved.

Concern; Naruto never had someone showed so much concern for him ever since he grew so strong he can be called a monster. To Hinata, he's not White Flash, son of the Yellow Flash and student to the son of the White Fang. To her, he's still just Naruto.

He blushed and looked down, "Oh…uh…thanks…"

She looked shocked that he would thank her when she was the one that needed saving. He smiled at her, "You know…you're really strong when you get serious. They are really battered, dattebayo!" He laughed. Even though he jumped in, he only belatedly realize that the two Nukenin was actually losing to her.

She blushed and looked down, her pointers pushing against each other as she nervously fidgeted under his blindfolded eyes, "I-I'm not s-strong,"

He frowned, "Says who?"

She bit her lower lip before stuttering out with a whisper, "E-e-everyone…"

Naruto felt like he has been doused in cold water. If the fury from before was like fire, then this one was like glacier. He had suspected and Rikugan had shown him all the signs. But it was different to hear it directly from the person concerned. He quickly reign in his bloodlust and breathed in deeply for control. He then placed on hand on her shoulder, ignoring the way his heart hurt as she flinched from that slight touch, "You are strong, Hime,"

His nickname for her slipped out but he didn't care. He knew that she needs to hear this, "Hinata, it isn't easy to stay kind and gentle, especially in our career choice. I think that you staying true to yourself is a mark of strength," He grinned, "Even if you don't think of yourself as strong. Even if no one in your family or the whole of Fire Nation think that you're strong. Know that I believe that you're strong, dattebayo!"

Hinata legit gawked at him, her face flushed red and he swore her ears are steaming when her whole body folded over, slumping against him as she lost consciousness from being overstimulated by both his presence and his words. Naruto groaned, "Hinata-chan!"

This was another reason he avoided her; every time he's too close to her, her heart rate will pick up to the point he fear it would explode. So to not explode, her body saved itself by shutting down. It was like a boiling pot kicking off its whistler.

He gathered the two Iwa Pills, as he had gotten to call them, and picked her up. Once he was sure that she's secure on his back, he leapt off towards Konoha at a more leisurely pace. He finally reached his destination and bowed his head at the frowning Hyuuga at the gates, "She was attacked by Iwa Nukenin on her way back from training. They were dealt with…oh, and she totally kicked their asses, dattebayo! I saw the whole thing!"

When he saw the flickers of doubt on their faces, he understood better the kind of loneliness Hinata felt. If his was pitch black then hers was suffocating. To be surrounded by so many people and yet rejected simply because she was too gentle for them? That's just cruel. It was a different kind of hell and he wasn't sure that he could stand in her shoes.

Sasuke's hell was to lose everything so quickly at once.

Naruto's hell was to never have any from the beginning.

Gaara's hell was being rejected because he was born with something beyond his control.

Hinata…her hell was being denied of her very being over and over regardless of her effort. It was enough to drive one to madness, in Naruto's opinion. A repetitive action, with no hope in sight. What was that if not insanity?

He looked behind him as Hinata was taken in.

Worse of all, she loved them despite being rejected so openly and cruelly.

When he saw Neji taking her from the Branch member, he was relieved. Neji had shown great changes from their first interaction. He had shown kindness to Hinata in that cold hell of rejection. At the very least, one among her own family acknowledges her true strength. He smiled as he left but that smile slowly slip away.

Is avoiding her the right thing to do?

He knew of her feelings for him and he knew that she wanted to befriend him. The only thing stopping her was her own station in Konoha. Something that slowly blurred as he rise as one of the most demanded Shinobi in their line of work as bodyguard and interrogator. But in the end her status as the Hyuuga Princess was nothing more than gilded chain. Soon in a few more years, she will have to choose her spouse of respectable background that the Hyuuga can be proud with.

His heart squeezed painfully at the thought…

He couldn't imagine her being…sold…into the arms of some rich man that wouldn't care that she liked cinnamon buns and flower pressing. Naruto knew what Hinata likes because during their one sided 'dates', he had randomly done things to figure out what she liked and he took note that she loves the cinnamon buns at the bakery he went to or that she picked up books on flower pressing when he 'took' her to the library.

But most of all…he was afraid that he will lose those adoring eyes that always looked at him.

The Kyuubi snorted, " Spare me you drama, brat. Just take her if that is what you wanted. Didn't you have the power to do so? Raze all obstacles to the ground, that's what I would have done,"

Naruto sighed, " I can't…I'm not a beast. I live in a world of man and so does she. I won't cause trouble to Hime,"

He could feel the Kyuubi rolling his eyes, " Suite yourself,"

Chapter 14

Chapter Summary

"You're crazy,"

Another year passed. Naruto took that chance to get to know the Kyuubi better. As promised, in every adventure he went to, he didn't take the Kyuubi's chakra. He didn't reach out for him when facing Haido. He won't even reach for him when he was facing Ishidate. Because he didn't need to yet he trained and trained with his gifts and his learned skills.

When the Kyuubi asked, " Why are you working so hard when you're already so powerful?"

Naruto just grinned at him, " Because I'm your sanctuary. I need to be powerful to protect you, "

The Kyuubi stared at him, sensing no malice or lies. Naruto dumbfounded him. When the boy first appeared before him, he thought that he will try to force him to give up his chakra like his predecessors before him. Perhaps he would have to had it not been because his eyes showed him the bleak truth about the Kyuubi. But instead of exploiting that, he seek out to understand the Kyuubi as a being of thoughts and emotion first, his prisoner never. Rather he was sincere when he promised that the seal will become the Kyuubi's sanctuary.

The Kyuubi barely feel bored in the seal. When he felt like stretching, Naruto would sense and would think of the people that kept hunting him and form them inside his mindscape as woodland animals with sizes almost as big at the fox. The Kyuubi was shocked the first time but since then he gleefully partake in the 'hunt'. Naruto then had taken to talk to the Kyuubi, even offered to share his senses to the outside world but never his control.

Naruto was most interested in the Kyuubi's life before the seal…

He understood, from the grudgingly told story that slipped whenever the Kyuubi commented during random hours or fights, that he had a hard life. People kept hunting him and so he kept killing them. At first reluctantly, then willingly. Soon it become a matter of annoyance as he grew and grew. Then he let slip of something when Naruto was training in Ninjutsu, " Defiler of Ninshu,"

Naruto paused, " Ninshu?"

The Kyuubi fell silent and no matter how Naruto prodded him, the chakra beast said no more. So now Naruto's scouring the library dustiest section to find any lead on Ninshu. He had already scoured the better, newer section of the Konoha library but had come up empty. He looked at his helper, Hinata, whom he acted surprised to see her whenever she followed him so she won't feel called upon since that day with the Iwa Nukenin. She was sneezing and he smiled at the cuteness of it all.

The Kyuubi snorted in his mind, " It's just a stupid sneeze,"

Naruto snorted back at him in embarrassment for being called out, " Shut up,"

The Kyuubi rolled his eyes, " You're being stupid,"

He decided to ignore the toxic furball in his head as well as the discomfort that Kyuubi gave his abdomen like a baby kicking for calling him a furball and head to Hinata, "Did you find anything?"

She blushed, "N-no…sorry,"

Naruto knew she still has a long way in growing her confidence so he didn't mind her stuttering. But as they spent more time together, her stuttering slowly trickled to nothing but sometimes when taken by surprise she will stutter. At this point her stuttering was more habit than actual stutter. He shrugged instead, "Why apologize? Not like I found anything either,"

She tilt her head at him, "I'll l-look for it in my f-family library,"

Naruto made the mistake of beaming at her, "Gee, thanks Hime!"

Her body shut down to preserve life.

Naruto sighed as he grabbed her falling body. He blushed as he held her. Even though only a year had passed, Hinata had matured even more. Her trained body felt soft in his arms. Kicking his hormone to submission, he looked for the library's couch and settled her there, taking off his hooded jacket and cover her so she won't feel cold. He sat across from the couch, staring at her still blushing face.

He had made up his mind to get closer to her but it seemed that it's much harder from her side. Shino and Kiba had already looked at him like he's the source of their trouble. He once heard about the weird training they did to get her used to him by pretending to be him but since Hinata's so familiar with him, it didn't work with fake Naruto.

Should he feel flattered that only he can affect her?

Naruto has slowly gotten used to her adoring eyes. Sure, he started to notice that Tsunade also adored him but Hinata's adoration wasn't the adoration of a family. Tsunade's adoration was similar to Jiraiya's adoration. He's starting to be able to tell the difference. In a way he had grown and he understood that Hinata's adoration of him is the most precious kind of adoration. Because it is an adoration reserved for one person and one person only.

To Hinata, he represented everything that she wanted to be and her pillar of strength. Like the sunflower facing the sun, it was like he gave her the nutrition called confidence.

Naruto still didn't know how to face her…emotionally. He didn't know what he feel about her. All he knew was that he's happy noticing her following him. He's happy to know that she still watch him in the way that he had always wanted to be watched. He's happy whenever she smiled at his antic or laugh at all the stupid and silly things he does. He's happy as long as she was there, whether behind him hiding behind something or beside him simply watching.

He knew that the thought of her looking away and disappear became his nightmare…

There're days he wished he could touch her, that he has the courage to touch her…casually, willingly and not because of circumstances like her fainting or because he needed to save her from an enemy. No, he just wanted to hold her hand. He has a feeling that holding her hand would make his day, would connect something that he knew are disconnected.

Something so simple…why does it take so much courage?

He knew why. Rejection. That fear stopped him each and every time. Would she like it? Would he embarrass her? What if she didn't actually feel that way about him? What if he had read her adoration wrong?

All these thoughts kept stopping him.

He supposed deep inside he still has all that insecurities when it comes to people actually liking him.

The Kyuubi grumbled, " Stop thinking. You're noisy. If you want to hold her hand, then just hold it. What's with all this circling thoughts? It's like those dumb rodents running on wheels,"

Naruto sighed, "It's not so simple,"

The Kyuubi snorted, " It is that simple ," Silent. The Kyuubi sighed, " Fine. For the sake of my peace and sanity, I will teach the basic of basic for Ninshu,"

"Huh? What's that got to do with anything?"

The Kyuubi ignored his confusion, " Touch your fist to hers,"

For the first time since receiving Rikugan, Naruto was confused. But since it couldn't hurt, he quietly approached her and did just that, touching his knuckles to her loose fist. A moment of a lifetime passed between him and her. He gasped and pulled back, his face redder than it had ever been. Clearer than even Rikugan could show him, Naruto understood. The depth of her feelings for him.

He gulped, "Does…does this go both way?"

The Kyuubi snorted, " She's asleep. She probably won't remember," He grinned, " You can do it again when she's aware though…"

Naruto grasped his chest, his heart pounding. Loud and clear. He still didn't know what he feels for Hinata. He wasn't sure if it was as deep as what she clearly feel for him. To be seen, to be noticed long before he understood what it was that he wanted…it was embarrassing. He thought it was Iruka who saw him clearly. He was wrong. Hinata had seen him first, had acknowledged him first…had loved him…first.

He understood…but he still couldn't face her…

So he left her with a clone disguised as a random scroll on the table while he…ran. Naruto legit ran from Hinata because he was embarrassed by his own emotional turmoil. His face was a deep shade of red and he feel hot all over. He felt like he's soaring yet at the same time plunging. The world had just flip itself over its head. Yet even though his head feel empty, his mind kept thinking about her…Hinata, Hinata…Hyuuga Hinata…

He finally calmed down as he sat on the head of his father's stone carving. There's a swell of emotion in his chest. Suddenly, instead of worrying, he felt like laughing. He knew he was being ridiculous. Running away from an unconscious person. The person who loves him for being himself, whose happiest when he's happy and shed tears when he struggled. Someone who silently and quietly shared his heart without him really understanding what that really means. It was freedom. It was grounding. It was truth.

There's something precious in Konoha. More than the people, the faceless and nameless people who had disregarded him when he's at his lowest. Someone precious who acknowledged, believed in him when he's just a nobody and utterly powerless. He grinned to himself, he felt like his face was splitting into two.

He has never felt so…so…happy!

Was this what it felt like? To be seen, to be found, to be accepted?

Not for anything he did- or well he did something but not because of anything more! He didn't need to proof anything to her. She knew him. She watched him. She accepted him. He laughed and laughed and laughed until suddenly he was crying. Someone who sees him at that moment would have shaken his head and said his brain just broke and they might be right.

He knew now a reason to live beyond just dreams and duties. He had found it. It was right beside him all this while and he had been too blind to see it for what it is and when he did he had been too drowned in self depreciation and self-doubt to appreciate it.

It felt like something in him healed.

It felt like something in him broke.

It felt like he just opened his eyes.

It felt like he had been blind for so long.

It felt like he's awaken for the first time.

It felt like he's stuck in a dream he didn't want to wake from.

He felt and felt and felt so much and so strongly it felt like he had been living numb and heartless this whole time.

He sobbed, "Hinata…Hinata, Hinata, Hinata…"

The Kyuubi frowned, " You're crazy,"

Naruto legit giggled, "I guess I am…crazy…crazy in love…"

Love.

It was a word he never thought he would ever associate sincerely with his person. He thought he was in love with Sakura but they were never connected. Not like with Hinata. Is this how it felt like to truly share ones heart? What had he been doing this whole time?

He didn't want to be punched.

He didn't want to hear scathing words of rejection and doubt.

He wanted…he wanted…

He wanted what Hinata has been doing this whole time. A gentle word of encouragement and believe. Kind approach. Shy tug on his sleeve. To be depended on and yet independent. To support him and his dream.

Hinata…

Something in him lit up like dawn.

The Kyuubi grumbled, " Oi, that's too bright!"

He has one more reason to protect Konoha…beyond dream…beyond duty…

Naruto stopped crying and laughing, his face clear and bright as he grinned, "Now…to help Hyuuga Hinata break out of her shell! I'm going to make her confess, dattebayo!"

Afterword

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