So, it's been nearly, 2 years since I last updated? ….Yeah…. Life's been a bit hectic, and I won't go into a ot of detail about that haha, I'd probably bore you all. Anyway, I haven't forgotten about this fic, and I have been working on it, but before you read this chapter (if there's any readers left…) I recommend you go back and read the first two chapters because I've made some changes. They're not major, but it might help with the rest of this fic.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I own all OC's.
As the day came to a close, the new students stood outside the academy as they awaited their parents' arrival.
Naruto and Sakura stood near the edge of the crowd. Several parents had already arrived, but were staring at Naruto coldly. As they continued to glare at him, the boy shifted nervously and attempted to ignore the stares.
Sakura watched the adults curiously. She had begun to notice that the other villagers treated Naruto differently compared to everyone else, and not in a good way. They would glare at him, as though he were a piece of dirt. She could see how hurt he was by their treatment.
Believing that Naruto had had enough of their scrutiny, she said, "Naruto, there's a swing over there. Wanna wait there until our parents come for us?"
Naruto didn't reply, but simply nodded his head. He followed Sakura; his head hanging low, his hands in his pockets. He thought at least that the villagers' view of him would have changed once he started the academy, since one day he will be one of the shinobi protecting the village.
He sighed heavily. It looked like he was wrong.
The swing was hanging from one of the branches of a large tree. It was simple, made from a single wooden board hanging from the branch by two pieces of rope. It was amongst the shadows of several other trees so it would be difficult for the two children to be seen. There was enough room on the swing for both Naruto and Sakura. Once they sat down, they swung back and forth for several minutes in comfortable silence.
Naruto was still wrapped up in his own world when Sakura spoke, "I can't believe we've just finished our first day at the academy."
That snapped him out of his trance almost instantly. He grinned widely, showing all of his teeth. "Yeah, I know, dattebayo." He suddenly frowned and folded his arms. "It was kinda boring, though. All Iruka-sensei talked about was the history of the village."
Sakura gave him a curious look. "Didn't you like learning about the history of Konoha?"
Naruto shook his head quickly, "No, no, it's not that I don't like learning about it. It's just that I already know everything about it. My kaa-chan and tou-chan have taught me our history since I learned to talk. They've told me stories from the time of the Shodai and Nidaime Hokage, and Ojiji-san, the Sandaime, tells me about things that happened during his time, too. I know almost everything about the three Great Shinobi Wars."
He turned to look at Sakura to find her staring at him in awe. He started, and a pink blush slowly appeared on his whiskered cheeks. "W-why are you looking at me like that?"
"It's nothing. It's just so cool that you know all of this stuff before you even entered the academy. I probably don't know half of the things you know. Did you learn anything new today?"
Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, all that stuff about the Kyuubi."
Sakura's expression of awe turned into one of shock. "Really? You knew nothing about the Kyuubi?"
Naruto nodded while Sakura simply shook her head in disbelief. "But your father was the one who defeated it! Shouldn't you know everything there is to know about it?"
Naruto simply shrugged. He had had a feeling she was going to react this way. "They don't talk about it. All I know is that it attacked the village and Tou-chan stopped the fox from destroying everything."
They fell silent once more, both wrapped up in their own thoughts.
Naruto was thinking about his father and the Kyuubi. 'Why don't Kaa-chan and Tou-chan talk about it?' Minato was the one who defeated it, and Naruto was born on the day it attacked the village. But that was basically all he knew about it. Shouldn't he know more details, not from Iruka-sensei, but from Minato, the one who actually defeated the fox? Every time Naruto asked about what happened that night, the only thing Minato would tell him was that after Naruto was born he left the hospital to fight the fox. It was a long hard battle, and eventually he defeated the Kyuubi. But when Naruto asked for more details about the battle than those three things, his father changed the subject. The exact same thing happened when he asked his mother.
Naruto's brow furrowed with frustration. 'It's almost as if they're hiding something from me.' He shook his head. 'No, Kaa-chan and Tou-chan wouldn't hide anything from me.'
Several minutes passed before he heard somebody calling both his and Sakura's names.
Naruto looked up and spotted Kushina. She was standing amongst the other students and appeared to be looking for him. Akari was with her and the little four-year-old was holding tightly to her hand.
There was a woman standing next to her whom Naruto didn't recognize. The only thing that stood out about her was her hair colour. It was the exact same shade as Sakura's.
Next to him, Sakura raised her hand and waved. "Kaa-chan, we're over here!" she shouted.
Both Kushina and the unknown woman — whom Naruto now supposed was Sakura's mother — seemed to spot them and waved, beginning to make their way over. Naruto suddenly realised that he had never before met nor seen Sakura's mother. He gulped nervously.
Both women smiled as they approached the children. Akari giggled and waved when she saw her older brother, letting go of her mother's hand and running towards him. "Naru-nii! Naru-nii!"
Naruto grinned, ruffling his little sister's hair, "Hi, Akari."
Kushina smiled softly at Naruto. "I was wondering where you were, Naruto. I thought you would be with your classmates."
Naruto shrugged. "It was quieter over here."
Kushina frowned. It was obvious that she knew there was more to it than that. "I see…"
Naruto felt a small nudge on his side and turned to Sakura questioningly. She appeared to be embarrassed for some reason. Naruto simply stared at her curiously. She leant forward and whispered, "My kaa-chan wants me to introduce you to her…"
Naruto's eyes widened slightly and his forehead creased with worry. "Uh, okay." He looked up at Kushina.
Kushina seemed to notice the Naruto's wary expression and smiled, "Don't worry, Naruto. She's not like the others."
Naruto nodded his head unsurely before following Sakura. They both stopped before Sakura's mother; however, Naruto didn't look up at her. Instead he stared at his sandals. 'I hope Kaa-chan's right. I don't want Sakura-chan's kaa-chan to look at me like the other villager's do.' He gulped uneasily.
"So, you're Naruto," an unfamiliar female voice said. Naruto started, surprised. The voice wasn't filled with hatred, as he had thought it would be. Instead, it was kind and gentle. He chanced looking up.
The woman was almost like an older version of Sakura. However, unlike Sakura whose hair only reached to just above her shoulders, this woman's hair cascaded down her back, almost to her waist. Also, her eyes weren't jade green, like Sakura's. They were a very deep brown, almost a chocolate colour.
She smiled, "I don't bite, you know; you don't have to look so scared." She knelt until they were eye-level. "Now, are you going to introduce yourself?"
"Y-yes, sorry. My name is Naruto Namikaze."
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Naruto. I'm Akane Haruno." She continued to smile warmly.
Naruto grinned and scratched the back of his head. 'She's nice.' "It's nice to meet you too, Haruno-san."
"Please, call me Akane." She laughed lightly before her expression became rather stern. "Sakura told me what you did in the park the day the two of you met."
Naruto flinched. 'I knew it was too good to be true.' "There was a reason why I did that—"
"I know."
Naruto blinked in confusion. Akane's entire expression had softened. "Sakura told me every detail. I didn't know that other children were making fun of her." She frowned at Sakura, who was staring at her feet with a light blush on her cheeks. "Sakura had never told me what was going on. I was very angry when I found out. But then she told me what you did, and I want to thank you for sticking up for her…and for beating up that kid. If you didn't, I would have hunted him down and—"
"Kaa-chan, please!" Sakura exclaimed, clearly embarrassed.
Akane smirked, "Well, let's just say that little brat would have been sorry." Her smirk softened into a smile. "So, thank you, Naruto."
Naruto blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. He has never been treated so kindly by a stranger before. "It was no problem, really." He frowned. "I would do it again, too, dattebayo. I don't like seeing other kids being picked on."
Akane nodded in understanding, "Well, let's just hope it doesn't happen again." She stood and ruffled Naruto's hair. "You are very like your father, Naruto, I wonder if your personalities are the same, too."
Kushina stepped into the conversation. "He's not entirely like his father, according to Minato. Apparently, he has my personality." Both women laughed.
"If he's anything like you were, Kushina, when we were kids, he's going to be a handful." She glanced down at Akari, who was standing behind Kushina's leg shyly. "And little Akari looks exactly like you."
Kushina chuckled, "Yeah, she does, but she seems to have her father's personality."
Sakura and Naruto looked at each other in confusion before looking back at their mothers.
Naruto spoke up, "Do you know each other already?"
Kushina nodded an affirmative. "Akane and I were best friends when we were younger, along with another girl, Mikoto. But once Mikoto and I became kunoichi, we began to drift apart from Akane because we were always training and out on missions—"
"While I didn't become a kunoichi and helped with my parents' business."
"We haven't spoken in so long…too long, actually. I should have known that you were Sakura's mother. I mean, come on! Who else in the village has pink hair?"
Both women laughed loudly, "Yes, I suppose that's true. I didn't know that you married Minato Namikaze, of all people. I mean, I knew you were sweet on him when we were teenagers, but I don't know what happened after that. When did you get married?"
"Seven years ago, eight in August," Kushina replied with a wide grin.
"And I didn't get invited to the wedding? Kushina, I'm hurt…" Akane pouted.
Kushina's grin disappeared and her expression became panicked. "W-wait! There's a reason! We didn't want anyone to know!"
Naruto chuckled and turned to roll his eyes at Sakura. "I've never seen my kaa-chan panic after she says something. Is your kaa-chan always like this?"
She giggled at both their mother's antics. "Never. She hasn't really been like this since before my tou-chan died."
Naruto's expression softened. He wondered what it would be like if anything happened to either his mom or dad and shuddered. He couldn't imagine living without them.
"Kushina, is that Mikoto?"
Naruto and Sakura looked towards the large crowd now standing outside the academy.
Kushina nodded and grinned. "Yeah, it is. Mikoto!"
She waved towards a woman standing near the edge of the crowd. She appeared to notice them, which was confirmed when she waved back and began to make her way towards them.
Akane shook her head. "It's been too long since I've seen Mikoto, too. I haven't seen her since her wedding, how many years is it now…twelve years ago?"
"Yeah, it is. I didn't go to the wedding; I was on a mission that week," Kushina replied. "I had to go in Mikoto's place, since I was the only other jounin available who was suitable for the mission. Ojiji-san had agreed to let her have that week off from her duties…well, after she practically begged him to." The two women laughed. "Apparently it was a beautiful ceremony"
"It was," Akane said, smiling faintly. "I was shocked when I was invited, I hadn't seen her in a few years, plus I was shocked that she was even getting married. I'd thought that she was crazy to be getting married so young, but when I saw how much in love she and Fugaku were, I didn't even question it. I could see how happy they were together."
Kushina nodded, "I thought so too."
Once Mikoto was close enough, Akane ran forward and embraced her. Both women laughed as they reacquainted. Kushina, too, hurried forward to greet their old friend.
Naruto and Sakura weren't as quick to meet this strange woman. As the three women spoke, Naruto and Sakura chose to speak amongst themselves.
"Don't you think it's a bit weird that they're suddenly meeting again after all this time?"
Sakura nodded, "Yeah, it is strange. But it's kinda sad though."
Naruto gave her a quizzical look. "Sad? What do you mean?"
"They were all so close when they were our age, but then their lives separated them. Your mom became a kunoichi, and that woman, Mikoto, must have also become a kunoichi, while Kaa-chan was just, well, ordinary. This must be the first time all three of them have been together in years. It's just…sad."
Naruto's eyes widened and he glanced at the three women. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. They were talking and laughing, with wide grins on their faces. "Yeah, I suppose it is sad. Maybe this time they'll stay friends."
Before Sakura could reply, Kushina called both her and Naruto's names.
"Naruto, Sakura, can you come over here for a minute?"
They glanced at each other before making their way towards the three women. Naruto examined the unfamiliar woman curiously.
Her black hair was nowhere near as long as his kaa-chan's; it only reached to the middle of her back. Her bangs framed her cheeks, and she had striking, onyx eyes that were full of warmth and mouth turned up at the corners into a kind smile.
"My goodness, Kushina, is this really your Naruto?" She asked. "The last time I saw him he was only a tiny baby; he's gotten so big! He's very like Minato, isn't he?"
Kushina nodded, "Anyone who has met him says the exact same thing. Naruto, this is Mikoto, she's an old friend of mine."
Naruto rubbed the back of his head with his hand. He wasn't used to meeting so many strangers in the one day, let alone be introduced to them. "Uh, hello."
Mikoto smiled, "It's nice to see you again, Naruto. This must be your Sakura, Akane. She is very like you, isn't she? Except for her eyes, she has—"
"Her father's eyes," Akane interrupted, her tone filled with sadness. "I can't believe it's been two years since Kai was killed…"
Kushina and Mikoto embraced her, speaking words of comfort and apologising for not being there for her when she really needed them.
"My tou-chan was a great shinobi, wasn't he, Kaa-chan?" Sakura suddenly asked. She had never asked much about her father's career as a shinobi, but now that she was at the academy, she wanted to know more.
Akane appeared surprised by the question, but nodded. "Yes, he was. He was very close to reaching his goal of becoming an ANBU Black Op when he died. It was always his dream; he never wanted to go any farther than ANBU. It is a shame that he never reached it…"
Naruto watched Sakura curiously as she clenched her fists and her eyes flashed with determination. "Then that will be my goal too," she announced. "It's my goal to be an ANBU Black Op, and follow in Tou-chan's footsteps. I'll become a strong kunoichi, the strongest in the whole village!"
The small group stared at Sakura in shock. The three older women were stunned that such words came from a six-year-old.
Naruto was the first to speak. He grinned widely and ruffled Sakura's hair, much to her dismay. "Hey, Sakura-chan, now you have a dream just like me!"
A vein could be seen throbbing on Sakura's forehead as he continued to ruffle her hair. "Naruto-o-o…"
Naruto glanced at her briefly and almost cowered under her glare. 'Wow, she looks almost like Kaa-chan when she's angry…"
"You baka!" She punched him, sending him tumbling roughly to the ground.
She shook her fist at him, her eyes white and a vein throbbing in her forehead. "Never mess with a girl's hair, Naruto-baka! Do you know how long it took me to make it perfect for today?! I swear, Naruto…!"
Naruto sat up and rubbed his head. 'Damn, for a girl, Sakura-chan's pretty strong!' "Sakura-cha-a-a-an!" he whined.
Sakura turned and folded her arms across her chest. "Baka!"
The women sweat dropped as they watched the youngsters. Mikoto and Kushina said in unision, "She's definitely your daughter, Akane…"
Akane simply blushed and looked away, mumbling.
Mikoto suddenly said, "You haven't met my youngest son yet, have you?"
Akane shook her head while Kushina replied, "Well, the last time I saw him was just before I had Naruto, when I was asking you if childbirth was painful." She shivered as she recalled the long labour, but returned her attention to her two amused friends. "Did he join the academy today, too?"
Mikoto smiled proudly, "Yes, Fugaku and I believe he's going to be just as talented as Itachi was when he attended the academy." She looked towards the dwindling crowd outside the academy. "Sasuke?" she called.
A boy appeared from the crowd and made his way towards the small group. Naruto recognised him immediately.
'Sasuke Uchiha.'
He looked up at Mikoto and instantly saw her in a new light. She wasn't simply someone his mother knew; she was a member of the Uchiha Clan.
They were famous in Konoha, and to actually meet a full-fledged clan member — and one of their ninja at that — was usually considered a great honour.
Sasuke eventually reached them. Both Naruto and Sakura immediately thought he looked very like Mikoto.
They had the same onyx eyes, except his were filled with curiosity. Naruto thought his black hair resembled a duck's butt, and had to struggle not to smile at the comical thought. His bangs roughly framed his cheeks, also slightly covering his forehead. He wore a black long-sleeved shirt with a raised collar and pale grey shorts, and also wore a pair of black shinobi sandals; white bandages were wrapped around his calves.
Sasuke glanced at the small group before looking up to his mother. "What's wrong, Kaa-chan?"
"Oh, nothing's wrong, Sasuke, dear, I just wanted to introduce you to a few friends of mine. This is Akane Haruno and Kushina Namikaze." She pointed to each of them in turn. Sasuke gave them each a small smile. "And I'm sure you already know Sakura and Naruto." He nodded his heads towards them in acknowledgement, again smiling.
He returned his gaze to Mikoto and said with obvious excitement, "Kaa-chan, Itachi-niisan promised he was gonna train with me today as soon as we get home! Can we go now, Kaa-chan? Please, please, please?"
The three women chuckled at the young boy's antics. Mikoto patted his head, ruffling his hair slightly, "Very well, Sasuke." She looked at the two women before her. "Hopefully we shall see more of one another now. I will see you both soon, I hope."
They bid their goodbyes before turning to leave. Naruto suddenly noticed a type of crest on the back of Sasuke's shirt. It was red and white, and seemed to resemble a fan. 'That must be the Uchiha Clan crest.'
He looked up as Akane yawned and said, "We should get going, too. We'll see you both soon. Come along, Sakura."
Sakura grinned up at her as they turned to leave. She waved enthusiastically. "Bye, Kushina-san. Bye, Naruto, I'll see you tomorrow!"
Naruto waved back just as enthusiastically, "Bye, Sakura-chan!"
Once Akane and Sakura were out of sight, Kushina ruffled her son's hair. "We should get going too, Naruto. I'm sure your father will want to know how your first day went."
Kushina needn't say no more. Naruto was already hurrying in the direction of their home shouting, "Maybe Tou-chan can give me some tips on how to control my catra, 'cause Iruka-sensei told us that would be the first thing we learn."
Kushina laughed loudly, lifting Akari into her arms, "Naruto, sweetheart, it's not called 'catra'. I think you mean chakra."
"I knew that!"
Kushina simply laughed as her son tried to convince her that he knew what 'catra' wa
"Water…I…need…water," Naruto panted, sweat dripping from his brow. He collapsed to the ground.
"Naruto, you have to keep running!" his sensei called.
"I can't run anymore!"
Sakura dropped to her knees beside him, "Naruto, we have to keep going!"
"Just leave me here, Sakura-chan, go on without me…" he laid his head on the ground, closing his eyes.
That is until he received a strong blow to the head.
Naruto quickly sat up, rubbing his head where he could feel a bump forming. "Sakura-cha-a-a-an, why-y-y-y-y?" he whined, pouting as he looked up at her.
"Baka, we have to keep running!" Sakura said, her hands placed on her hips.
"Sakura's right, Naruto," Iruka called from a bench. His elbow was on his knee, resting his chin on his fist. He looked…bored, which was the only way Naruto could describe his expression. "Running around the track will help build your stamina, and also help increase your fitness levels."
Naruto pouted, folding his arms across his chest. "But, Iruka-sensei, I already have great stamina."
Iruka sweat-dropped, "Naruto, you have only completed three and a half laps of the track. You have to complete ten laps."
Naruto didn't reply. He simply puffed up his cheeks and looked away while Sakura sweat-dropped by his side.
Iruka sighed, before smirking. "You need great stamina to be a shinobi, Naruto, to travel long distances at great speeds and to fight in long battles. Even the Hokage needs great stamina, and because he is the most powerful ninja in the village he needs amazing stamina to be able to fight to protect his village from other powerful ninja."
He glanced up to look at Naruto, but found that he was already sprinting around the track with much more enthusiasm that before, shouting, "If I'm gonna be Hokage, I need to build up my stamina, dattebayo!"
Iruka laughed at the boy. It had been one month since the students' first day at the academy, and already several were beginning to show great promise, especially the Uchiha boy, Sasuke; he was very talented. Even Naruto was beginning to show some promise. It had taken him a while to realise that chakra wasn't called 'catra' or 'chatra', but already he had large chakra reserves, for an academy student of his level, despite learning only the basics of moulding chakra. He was also showing some talent in taijutsu. Iruka had begun teaching them taijutsu within the past few weeks, and Sasuke and Naruto already were top of the class when it came down to taijutsu skills.
However, Iruka had noticed that there seemed to be a rivalry between the two boys now. They both strived to be better than the other. He smiled. 'It's going to be interesting to see what kind of shinobi those two turn out to be.'
He looked up to see Sakura shaking her fist at Naruto, calling him a 'baka' once more, for what reason Iruka did not know.
The only sounds Naruto could hear were the scuffing of his feet — his muscles were sore and stiff — and his heavy breathing. "I can't believe Iruka-sensei is making us do that again tomorrow! I know it helps to build up our stamina, but come on! Twenty laps tomorrow? I think he's trying to kill us." He breathed a sigh of relief as the gates to the Namikaze Compound came into view. "I wonder why Kaa-chan didn't meet me today. She said she wouldn't be able to, because she had some things to do, but she didn't give away any other details." 'At least she made sure I wasn't walking home alone.' Naruto glanced at the trees above him, spotting the ANBU shinobi who had been trailing him since he had left the academy. The ANBU had remained concealed in the shadows, but had not hidden his presence completely.
Naruto returned to his ponderings. "Maybe she knows how hard I've been working and has decided to reward me with a Ramen Buffet with lots of different types of ramen!" His mouth began to water at the thought of his favourite food. He picked up the pace in anticipation of a possible buffet, despite his sore muscles, chanting, "Ramen! Ramen! Ramen!"
He was soon opening the door to his home, still chanting, "Ramen!"
He slipped off his sandals and left them by the door before walking into the house.
"Kaa-chan! Tou-chan! Akari! I'm home!" he called, wandering through the living room and moving on to the kitchen.
Naruto's face fell glumly. "No ramen," he whimpered, his head bowed comically. The kitchen was empty, completely devoid of his favourite dish, including his parents.
He straightened and looked around once more, confused. "Where are they? Kaa-chan? Tou-chan? Is anyone here?"
He finally received an answer; it came from outside. "We're out here, Naruto," his father called.
Naruto slid open a panel and stepped out onto the walkway overlooking his back garden, which was actually a personal training ground, complete with dummies and other such targets. 'Maybe they're training...'
"Have you and Kaa-chan been out here training, Tou-chan?" he asks as his father came into view.
Minato gave his son a small smile. "No, we're not training; we're just greeting an old friend."
Naruto cocked his head to the side. "Huh?" He looked around Minato.
Kushina was speaking to a man with long, spiky white hair, almost as long as Kushina's, except it was tied in a ponytail. Shoulder length bangs framed his face and two red lines ran down his cheeks from his eyes. He wore a short green kimono with a red sleeveless cloak with matching green trousers. He also wore mesh armour underneath his clothing and wooden sandals. A horned hitai-ate with a kanji symbol was strapped to the man's forehead. He was holding Akari in his arms, and she was pulling his white hair playfully.
Naruto recognised the man instantly.
"Ero-sennin!" he yelled happily, running to the old shinobi.
Jiraiya sweat-dropped upon hearing the nickname and anime-tears streamed down his face. "Gaki, where did you learn to call me that name?"
"That's what Kaa-chan always calls you."
Kushina laughed loudly as Jiraiya glared at her. Eventually, Jiraiya returned his attention to Naruto, after muttering a string of profanities under his breath, and picked him up after shifting Akari to his other arm, grinning widely. "Anyway, how's my favourite godson been doing?"
"I started the academy," Naruto stated happily. "And I'm gonna be Hokage someday, dattebayo!"
Jiraiya chuckled setting both children down. "That should be no problem if you're anything like your father. Just make sure you train hard. You never know, I might even teach you a few things."
Naruto gave a foxy grin. He loved Jiraiya, but he didn't really get to see him much. He was always away from the village. His dad had told him that Jiraiya usually came back when he had important information for the Hokage. "How long are you staying?" Naruto asked curiously.
Jiraiya placed his hand behind his head, scratching his neck. "Well, I'll probably stay in the village only one day. I just need to talk to Minato about a few things and then I'll be on my way." Naruto's face fell as Jiraiya spoke. A trace of guilt crossed Jiraiya's features. "I'm sorry, gaki, but you know I can't stay long in Konoha."
"Yeah, 'cause of the work you do outside the village."
Jiraiya laughed softly, "Exactly. I'm just going to speak to your father first, but I promise I'll come back, and maybe stay for dinner?" He glanced at Kushina, making puppy dog eyes.
Kushina simply stared at him, "Why're you looking at me like that?"
"Ple-e-ease can I stay for dinner, Kushina-chan?"
"So you can get drunk and eat me out of house and home like last time you old perv? No way in hell."
Naruto caught on to what his godfather was doing and, winking at Jiraiya, they both got down on their knees, clasping their hands in front on them. "Ple-e-e-ease can Jiraiya stay for dinner? Please, please, please, ple-e-e-ease?" the two begged in unison.
Kushina's eyebrow twitched as she watched the actions of her son and her husband's sensei, whilst Minato laughed heartily at the sight.
She eventually sighed in defeat, "Fine, you win, but I swear Jiraiya, if you go near the sake this time or even think about sneaking off to do your 'research'…" Kushina emphasised her point by raising her fist and shaking it in Jiraiya's direction.
Jiraiya raised his hands in defence and laughed nervously, "Yeah, yeah, I think I learned my lesson from last time."
He looked down as Naruto pulled on his sleeve. "Jiraiya, what research is Kaa-chan talking about?" he asked curiously.
Jiraiya laughed, "Nothing you need to know right now, gaki. When you're older I'll take you with me to do a bit of research if you want." Jiraiya smiled and giggled pervertedly at the thought of his research. However, he failed to notice the vein throbbing in Kushina's temple as she glared at him. He didn't see the punch coming until he felt the pain when he collided face-first with a tree on the other side of the Namikaze family's training ground.
On the other side of the training ground, a terrified Naruto and Akari hid behind an equally terrified Minato as Kushina screeched, "AS IF I'M GOING TO LET YOU TURN MY SON INTO A PERVERT LIKE YOU, DATTEBANE!"
Naruto pressed a bag of ice to the enormous lump on his still unconscious godfather's head. They were in the living-room now and Minato had laid Jiraiya on the sofa. He turned to a still fuming Kushina — Akari had wanted to go to bed early that night so she had went upstairs — and sweat-dropped. "Kaa-chan, you didn't have to hit Ero-sennin so hard, dattebayo..."
Kushina huffed, crossing her arms, "The old perv deserved it. How dare he even consider taking you to do research with him."
"Kaa-chan, what sort of research does Ero-sennin do?"
"…I'll tell you when you're older."
Before Naruto could question her, Jiraiya began to come around. He sat up, taking the ice pack from Naruto, thanking him, and pouted at Kushina. "Why-y-y-y, Kushina? You know I need to do the research for my books."
A vein throbbed in Kushina's temple, "You doing research for those stupid pervy books is bad enough, Jiraiya, without you dragging my son along with you. If you even think about taking him on one of your research trips…" She left the threat hanging.
Jiraiya held up his hands and laughed nervously, "You've nothing to worry about, Kushina."
Minato, laughing, placed a hand on his livid wife's shoulder. She immediately calmed and looked up at him adoringly. "Kushina," he chuckled, "I think Jiraiya-sensei has learned his lesson." He turned to Jiraiya. "Sensei, I believe you have something you want to discuss with me?"
Jiraiya removed the ice pack from his head and nodded. He stood and followed Minato, leaving the house, but not before ruffling Naruto's hair.
When they left, Naruto sat on the sofa and folded his arms across his chest. His expression was one of disappointment. Kushina noticed this and moved to sit beside her son.
"Naruto," she asked, "what's wrong?"
Naruto avoided her gaze. He didn't want her to know. He didn't want her to think he was selfish. "Nothing," he replied.
"Naruto, I'm your mother, I know when something is bothering you. Now tell me, what's wrong?"
He sighed, knowing that she wouldn't give up, before turning to her. "I was hoping that me and Tou-chan could spend some time together when I came home; maybe do some training and he could teach me a few things," Naruto admitted reluctantly. "He hasn't had the time to hang out with me, 'cause he's busy. I know he's the Hokage and that he has responsibilities, but..." He gave a small shrug. "I just miss him."
Kushina gave her young son a sympathetic look. She hadn't realised that Naruto felt that way. "Naruto, come here." The boy moved closer to her and Kushina pulled him onto her lap, wrapping him in an embrace as he buried his head into her shoulder. "I didn't realise you felt that way, and I'm sure neither did your father. Why didn't you tell us before?" Naruto simply shrugged. He didn't want them to think he was whining or selfish. "Yes, your tou-chan has been busy lately with his duties, but you and I both know that he would much rather be here spending time with his family."
"Then why doesn't he?"
"It's his job, sweetheart. As Hokage he has a lot of responsibilities, including the safety of the village and its people. Of course he isn't putting the village before us, he wouldn't, but—"
"But he has responsibilities," Naruto interrupted.
Kushina gave him a soft smile, "Yeah, he does. You know, he misses spending time with you too, and your sister."
Naruto lifted his head and looked up at his mother. "He does?"
With a wide grin that was almost identical to the one her son usually wore, she said, "Of course he does, you're his children, dattebane."
Naruto responded with a wide grin of his own and threw his arms around Kushina's neck, hugging her tightly. "Thanks, Kaa-chan." She always knew how to make him feel better.
Kushina pressed her lips to the side of Naruto's head and held him closer. "You know, Naruto," she said, "you can always come and talk to me. If something is bothering you, don't bottle it up and hide it away, come speak to me or your father, okay?"
"Yes, Kaa-chan," Naruto replied, nodding his head.
They remained in their embrace a moment longer before separating. Kushina asked, "Now, that we've had that talk, are you hungry? You haven't eaten anything since you came home."
Naruto shook his head, "No, not really. I'm actually kinda tired; Iruka-sensei had us doing laps today." He confirmed this with a wide yawn, rubbing his eyes.
Kushina chuckled before standing, Naruto still in her arms, "Then let's get you to bed, young man. You'll need plenty of rest if you want to become a big, strong shinobi like your tou-chan." She carried him up the stairs and to his room.
With one hand she opened his bedroom door, making her way towards the bed. She bent over slightly, pulling back the blankets, and laid Naruto down. Once he was comfortable, Kushina pulled the blankets over him and tucked him in, sitting on the edge of the bed.
She watched her son fondly as he grabbed a pillow, hugging it to his chest, already fast asleep. Bending over once more she pressed her lips against his forehead. "Sweet dreams, Naruto."
Kushina remained a moment longer, watching her only son sleep, before standing and silently leaving the room. She crossed the hallway to her own room and sat down on the bed with a sigh.
Her gaze landed on a wooden photo frame — one of many on the bedroom wall — and stood, reaching over to pick it up.
It was a photograph of Naruto when he was a baby, only a few months old. He was lying down on his back wearing a blue baby-grow, reaching his little hands up towards the camera; he was giving the holder of the camera a toothless smile, his sapphire blue eyes bright with curiosity.
Kushina ran her fingers along the smooth glass of the photo frame, a sad smile upon her lips. 'It doesn't seem that long ago since Naruto was just a helpless little baby'. With a sigh, she put the frame back in its place. 'I would have preferred that he didn't want to be a shinobi, that he would want to live a normal life. The life of a ninja steals your youth; his childhood will be stolen from him and he will mature before his time.' She chuckled. 'But, that boy is stubborn. Once he has a goal, he won't stop until he achieves it, just like his parents.'
Whilst Kushina was lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice Minato standing in the doorway watching her. He smiled softly as he watched his wife, the woman he had loved from his childhood, before walking towards her.
Minato felt her jump slightly in surprise when he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Minato? When did you come home?"
"A few minutes ago. I didn't think I was able to sneak up on you anymore, Kushina." He turned her around to face him. "What's on your mind?"
Kushina frowned and she folded her arms across her chest. "It's Naruto."
"Naruto? What happened, is he okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, he's fine." She hesitated. "But he misses you."
Minato cocked his head to the side, curious, "He…misses me?"
The red head sighed and led her confused husband to their bed, sitting down. After a moment she spoke. "Naruto and I had a little talk today, after you and Jiraiya left. He said that he had wanted to train and spend time with you, but you're never home. He just misses having you around."
With a groan Minato placed his head in his hands. "I didn't realise, I didn't even know. How could I not know he felt that way? I'm his father."
"Minato, I didn't even know Naruto felt that way until he told me, and believe me I feel just as bad as you must right now. It's not your fault." When Minato didn't react to her words, Kushina placed her hand on his cheek and lifted his head so they were looking into each other's eyes. "It's not your fault."
He placed a hand across the smaller hand on his cheek, "I need to spend more time with him, Akari and you. I can't allow my duties as Hokage to hurt my family." There was a moment of silence before a small smile suddenly graced his lips. "You know, I think I'm not going to be feeling very well tomorrow."
Kushina blinked several times, confused, "What?"
Minato released her hand and lay back on the bed before replying, a grin now spreading across his face, "Yes, I'm going to be sick tomorrow. I will have to stay home to recover. Well, at least that's what I'm going to tell Koharu-san and Homura-san." He chuckled. "Tomorrow I'll stay home and spend the day with you and the children. I'll train Naruto and attempt to teach him a few things." Minato rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe I'll do that a few times a week, it couldn't hurt. I'll help him with his taijutsu, and in a few years when his chakra reserves have grown and he has more control over them I will begin teaching him new ninjutsu, and maybe see if he has any talent for fūinjutsu like his old man—" He was cut off when Kushina pressed her lips against his.
After a moment she raised her head, giggling when she saw the slight pink tinge to his cheeks, and played with a few strands of his unruly golden locks. "Need I remind you, Minato-kun, that I am the one who taught you fūinjutsu? Remember, my clan were fūinjutsu specialists."
Minato laughed, his sapphire eyes sparkling in amusement, "No, you don't have to remind me. I think you bur
ned that fact into my memory when you were teaching me in the first place." As he spoke, Kushina grinned widely, a grin identical to that of her son's.
"Kaa-chan, I can walk to the academy alone now, I can take care of myself," Naruto said, folding his arms behind his head. "Plus, I'll be meeting up with Sakura-chan anyway, so technically I won't be on my own." He and Kushina walked through the streets of the village. Normally, Naruto would walk to the academy alone, until he stopped by Sakura's house so they could go together. However, his mom had decided to accompany him today.
Kushina laughed at her son's actions, "Naruto, just because you have been an academy student for a year, it doesn't mean you can take care of yourself." She glanced at Akari, who was now five-years-old, walking happily next to them. Her red locks were steadily growing longer, now reaching her shoulders. "Anyway," she continued, "the route you take to the academy just passes by the Uchiha compound."
"So?" Naruto muttered, miffed yet curious at the same time.
"Mikoto and I are going shopping this morning, and then Akane is going to meet up with us and we're going to have a girl's day out." Ever since the three women had been reacquainted when their children had begun their training, their friendship had reignited and they were closer than they ever were as young girls. "So-o-o, we're taking a little detour to the Uchiha Compound, and we were thinking that you, Sakura and Sasuke could walk to the academy together, and that way none of you will be walking there alone."
Naruto thought for a moment before agreeing. 'It makes sense, even if Sasuke-teme's there…'
After stopping to meet Sakura, they continued on to the Uchiha Compound. As they neared the compound, they saw Mikoto, Sasuke and another boy standing by the main entrance. Sakura turned to Naruto, "Hey, Naruto, who's he, the boy standing beside Sasuke?"
Naruto frowned in concentration as he scrutinised the boy. Judging by his height, he appeared to be possibly a few years older than themselves, five or six at most. Like Mikoto and Sasuke, this boy had black hair with bangs that framed his face; he had a low ponytail that reached to his upper back. As they neared ever closer, Naruto could see that the boy had the same onyx irises as the other two people in his acquaintance, except there was a long pronounced tear trough beneath each eye. His clothing consisted of a traditional ANBU uniform, with silver arm guards and a matching flak jacket. Strapped across his back was a katana. The boy was speaking with Sasuke, and was poking his forehead in an almost playful manner. Were it not for the obvious height difference and change in clothing, Naruto may have mistaken the boy for Sasuke as they looked so alike.
"I think that's Sasuke's older brother," Naruto finally responded.
"But he's wearing an ANBU uniform, and Sasuke's brother is only a few years older than us. How could he be ANBU?"
"I don't know Sakura-chan," Naruto frowned as he thought, his lips puckered in concentration. Suddenly his face broke into a wide grin and the boy chuckled playfully before leaping into the trees above them.
Sakura's eyebrow twitched. 'Oh no, what's he gonna do?'
Kushina looked up with a frown as Naruto jumped away. "Sakura, where's Naruto going? I hope he hasn't decided to go to the academy without you and Sasuke."
Sakura shook her head, wary of Naruto's sudden antics. The blond son of the Yondaime had become a known prankster in Konoha, famous for his over-the-top practical jokes. Kami only knows what was going through that boy's mind.
Kushina raised her hand in greeting as they approached the group of three. Before she could speak, however, the unknown boy standing beside Sasuke had suddenly taken a defensive stance, brandishing a kunai. Five shuriken spun away in various directions as they rebounded off of the weapon, and with a toss which almost seemed lazy, the kunai was sent hurtling towards the trees. A loud yelp could be heard, and Naruto fell unceremoniously from his perch, hitting the ground with a thud.
The boy quickly sat up, wincing as he did so, and stared at the older boy in disbelief before exploding comically. "ARE YOU CRAZY?"
The boy's facial expression didn't change, but Sakura thought she could see a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "No, I'm not crazy. I think you'll find that I'm perfectly sane."
Naruto jumped to his feet, shaking his fist in the boy's direction, "You could have killed me with that kunai, dattebayo!"
"Yes, but I didn't. My aim was a little off, unfortunately."
Before Naruto could respond, a familiar rhythmic tapping sound reached his ears. He suddenly realised that his mother was staring at him with a frown upon her face, her hands on her hips and one foot tapping the ground; an oh so familiar vein throbbed on her temple. Naruto swallowed and shivered, his sapphire eyes growing wide. He knew that stance. Oh, Kami, he was in trouble.
"Naruto…"
Akari stood close to Sakura, away from her mother, already knowing at a young age of the wrath of Konoha's Red Hot-Blooded Habanero. "Naru-niichan is in big trouble," she said in a matter-of-fact way to Sakura.
The boy turned to his mother, "Y-yeah, Kaa-chan?"
"What in Kami's name do you think you are doing?!"
"I…I w-wanted to see i-if that kid really was an A-ANBU, that's all," Naruto explained, laughing nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.
Kushina folded her arms across her chest, "I see, so do you think he really is a member of ANBU now?"
"Yeah, I guess so…"
"But what if he was a civilian who couldn't have blocked those shuriken or a just-fresh-out-of-the-academy genin who might not have sensed your presence?!"
Naruto stopped rubbing his neck and frowned, thinking for a moment. "Oh," he said in realisation, "then he could have been hurt."
"Exactly," his mother sighed. "Naruto, this is when accidents happen. It's a good job Itachi is a full-fledged shinobi. Now, have you learned your lesson?"
Naruto nodded, "Yes, Kaa-chan." He turned to look at the boy who had now been identified as Sasuke's older brother, Itachi Uchiha. "Sorry, Itachi-san..."
Itachi simply smiled and nodded, silently accepting the apology. Meanwhile, Mikoto chuckled slightly. "Even after all this time, Kushina, it's still strange seeing you act like a parent. Where did the loudmouth, careless Kushina I once knew go?"
The woman in question flushed a subtle shade of pink. "She grew up and became a mother," she responded. "And I wasn't a loudmouth or careless, dattebane!"
"Okay, then you were simply a talkative tomboy."
As the teasing continued, Naruto released a breath, deciding that he was no longer in the danger zone. 'When Shikamaru said that mothers are the scariest women alive, he was right.' He stood, brushing off the dust on his clothes, and made his way towards Sakura, Sasuke and Itachi, who were speaking amongst themselves — Akari had returned to her mother's side.
"Itachi-san," Sakura began, her expression one of admiration as she examined the older boy's ANBU gear. Her dream of becoming an ANBU Black Op hadn't diminished in the past year. "How old were you when you were made ANBU?"
"I was promoted to ANBU two years ago when I was eleven." There were gasps of shock from both Naruto and Sakura, whilst Sasuke simply continued to listen to his older brother in silence. "And I was given the position of ANBU captain just this year." Itachi stated this fact lazily, as if he wasn't excited or even boasting about his position as a shinobi in Konoha.
There was a mixture of shock and wonder in Sakura's jade eyes as she stared at the young shinobi before her. 'How is that possible? I thought an academy student couldn't become a genin until they spent at least six years at the academy. If Itachi was made ANBU when he was eleven, then he must have graduated really young. He must be really powerful…' she thought.
Naruto, however, grinned widely and pointed to himself, "Well, I'm gonna be better than ANBU, I'm gonna be Hokage! And I bet I'll graduate early too, once they see my amazing skills, dattebayo!"
Itachi didn't respond, but smiled kindly at the three youngsters, ruffling his little brother's hair — much to Sasuke's displeasure — and turned to Mikoto. "Kaa-chan, I should be on my way. I'll be late for my next mission if I stay any longer."
Mikoto nodded in understanding. "Of course, Itachi."
Itachi made a hand-sign and disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving the small group behind.
Naruto folded his arms across his chest, "I'm not sure about that Itachi guy. He's weird."
Sasuke scoffed. "You're just mad that he made you look stupid, dobe. But I suppose you did that by yourself."
Sakura sighed as Naruto turned to Sasuke, shaking a fist. "What'd you say, Sasuke-teme!"
'Great, now I've gotta listen to them argue the whole way to the academy,' she thought, annoyed.
The three children, soon after Itachi left, went on their way, not wanting to be late for their lessons. Once the children were out of sight, Kushina noticed a look of worry upon her friend's face. "Mikoto, are you alright?" she asked concernedly.
Mikoto's frown deepened. "It's Itachi."
"Itachi? Why? Has he done something?"
The kunoichi shook her head. "No, he hasn't done anything. He just doesn't seem to be acting like himself lately."
Kushina frowned and thought back a few minutes prior. "He seemed fine to me, what, with him teasing Naruto and answering Sakura's questions."
Mikoto continued to frown, then shook her head, forcing a smile onto her face, "Yeah, maybe you're right. Don't mind me; it's just a mother's worry."
This is more of a filler chapter, just quickly going through Naruto's childhood. Next chapter will be set around the time of the graduation exam.
Thanks for reading!
Please review, and be nice, please :)
BlueEyedBabyy
