It's a short chapter, even shorter then last time, but otherwise I wouldn't have got it out before I went on holiday, and then I'd get death threats again.
LITENINHUNTRE OMG U NEVRE UPDATE OMG LOL I WLL K1LL U !!LOL!
That's mostly of what my email inbox is full of.
Chapter II- Uzukaze Minruto
"I believe that you can only use the Kyuubi's chakra in life-threatening situations," said Jiraiya. "But to use it effectively, you have to gain some control over it, and to do so, you must go into a life-threatening situation..."
Naruto took a step back. "Sensei, I don't like that look in your eye-"
"So far, you've been able to summon reasonably large toads...but this is your final test..."
Jiraiya dashed forwards, his speed being far superior to Naruto's, and pushed Naruto of the cliff. As Naruto toppled downwards, Jiraiya scratched his head nervously. 'Sorry...Yondaime,' he thought, not knowing just how ironic his statement was.
"Son of a-!" yelled Naruto, before channelling chakra into his hands and feet, and attempting to cling to the cliff face, only to slip. 'Shit, it's too slippery to use chakra...I need to summon something that'll be big enough to hold itself between the cliffs...'
One of the Yondaime's last memories suddenly replayed itself through Naruto's mind, the man standing proudly on the head of a gigantic toad, facing off against the monstrous Kyuubi no Yoko.
'Of course, Gamabunta...damn, my chakra level's too low to summon him anyway...I suppose now's the best time to see if I can use Kyuubi's chakra," Naruto concentrated on his seal, trying to drain chakra from it, only to realise that it was futile.
'Damn, to think I remained alive to die once more- damn it, I'm thinking like I'm the Yondaime again! Hell, did the real Naruto die that night and I'm the actual Yondaime?'
And for some reason as he continued on those thoughts, he blacked out...
Naruto opened his eyes. Firstly, he was in some kind of sewer. Secondly, he was taller.
He looked at himself in the reflection of the water that spilled around his feet. 'The hell...?' he thought. He looked a perfect cross between Naruto and Minato.
Naruto breathed in, concentrating on his surroundings. 'There's some kind of malevolent presence in the distance-'
His eyes snapped open with fear. 'Great, I'm in my mind. And I suppose because I see myself as both Naruto and Minato, I've turned into some cross-breed. I wonder if I should change my name to Uzumaki Minato. Or Uzukaze Minruto.'
The blonde continued through the dark passageways, approaching the malevolent presence that was undoubtedly Kyuubi. And as the tunnels disappeared behind him, he saw bars appear in front of him, with a seal placed over them.
Naruto wasn't scared- actually, yes he was. He was downright terrified. Sure, there was a seal locking Kyuubi away, but once the demon realised that he was a Naruto/Minato hybrid, he would probably be pissed to immense proportions.
Nervously, Naruto cleared his throat. "Kyuubi? You there?"
A red light appeared behind the bars, illuminating a massive fox, a twisted grin on its face, but that grin quickly faded as he saw Naruto.
"You!" Kyuubi roared, immediately stabbing his claws through the bars, trying to reach Naruto. "You weak worthless little monkey! You-" Kyuubi stopped his frenzy, glaring at Naruto. "No, you're not that so-called Yondaime Hokage. You're the boy..."
"Well-"
"Yet you are not the boy...' The Kyuubi's eyes flashed and the fox threw back its head and laughed. "Both of you? Merged? Or maybe something different..."
Naruto cleared his throat again. "Hey fox, considering we're falling off a cliff, how about you hand over some chakra. Think of it as rent."
The demon laughed again. "You amuse me...Minruto. Why should I help you?"
"Oh, well, let's think," said Naruto sarcastically, mockingly taking a thinking pose. "How about you'll live?"
Amused, the demon sent a surge of red chakra through the bars, which enveloped Naruto...
A pair of blue eyes opened, and Naruto bit his thumb and formed several seals.
Immediately, there was a great cloud of smoke in the gulf, and Naruto landed on the head of a gigantic toad.
The toad threw out its limbs, clinging between the cliff faces, and slowly looked up onto its head.
"What the- why the hell is there some blonde brat on my head?! Jiraiya, why the hell have you summoned me!?" bellowed Gamabunta.
Naruto laughed lightly. "There's a good reason to why there's "a blonde brat" on your head. I'm the latest to sign the Toad Contract."
Gamabunta roared with laughter. "Nice one kid! A little brat like you summoning me!"
"Hey, this isn't the first time you've been summoned to find "a blonde brat" on your head, is it, Gamabunta?" said Naruto.
Gamabunta's eyes rolled upwards, so they could see Naruto better. "Both your appearance and behaviour resembles the Yondaime. But, even if you are kin of his, I doubt that you'd still be able to summon me."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "If you truly are the same Gamabunta that was there when the Yondaime did his sealing, you should know why."
"Ah, so you're the Kyuubi kid..."
Meanwhile, back at the top of the cliff, Jiraiya was calmly watching the two. "Well, how about that. To think he was able to summon the full works."
And as Gamabunta leapt from the valley, Jiraiya panicked. He panicked even more when the huge toad landed in front of him.
"Jiraiya, what's the meaning of this?! Teaching someone to summon me by throwing him off a cliff?! I'll teach you a lesson that'll you'll remember to your dying day!"
"Oh boy..."
Naruto watched Jiraiya get brutally mauled by the gigantic toad, and sniggered. It looked just as funny the second time round, except Jiraiya hadn't thrown him of a cliff the first time.
"So br- Naruto, spill it," said Jiraiya, as he picked at his ramen moodily.
Naruto turned away from his lunch for a moment. "Spill what, sensei?" he asked innocently.
"Tell me just how you, some kid Gamabunta hadn't even known for a day got more respect from the old amphibian than what I've got from all the years I know him!" demanded Jiraiya.
Naruto raised an eyebrow, before remembering that Jiraiya was after all, the great Toad Sage, and this was probably quite an affront to his pride. "Well," began Naruto delicately, "I suppose I just won over the toad with my charming manners, my award-winning smile, and my glossy blonde hair," he said, running a hand through his hair for extra emphasis.
Jiraiya snorted. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
Naruto shrugged. "The Boss Toad reckoned I resembled the Yondaime."
"The only things you share in similarity to the Yondaime is your blonde hair and stubbornness," replied Jiraiya irritably.
Naruto arched an eyebrow, as if he was intrigued, before finishing his ramen. He handed the bowl over to Ayame, and said: "The old man will handle the bill."
And instantly, Naruto's hand shot out, catching Jiraiya as he tried to Kawarami away from the bill.
"Going somewhere?" smirked Naruto, but he soon stopped his smirking, realising how Uchiha-ish such an action would be.
Both disgruntled and annoyed, Jiraiya reluctantly forked over, before the two set off again.
"You know, Naruto," said Jiraiya. "All I've heard about you is that you're some dense loudmouth. But I haven't seen anything from you that could imply that's true."
Immediately, Naruto had thought of a response. "Well...sensei, we all have to just one day, you know, sort of have to get on with life, don't we? I mean, it seems so far that every real situation where I could've died, I won with luck. And that luck's going to run out one day."
Naruto looked up at the Hokage Mountain. "Sensei, I want- I'm going to become Hokage one day. And I'm not going to let someone kill me before I do."
Naruto inwardly congratulated himself. Minato after all, was the Hokage, and therefore a politician and any good politician needed to know the good old art of bullshitting. Pity the art never worked on Kushina. That woman, she could be so cruel sometimes- heck, even in the bedroom- Naruto cut off his thoughts.
It was the worst thing about thinking like your father and having his memories. Seeing your mother that way...Naruto shuddered.
Jiraiya didn't answer, but was still contemplating Naruto's words. "I'll meet you outside the bathhouse tomorrow for your training," said the Toad Sage, before giving a little wave and Shunshin-ed away.
The blonde was left alone. It was still midday, and once again he found himself thinking. He was asking himself whether he should tell someone about his newfound memories. After all, even Naruto still found it hard to believe, despite all the memories that proved it.
The only candidates who could be contemplated were Jiraiya, Sarutobi, or maybe Kakashi.
Naruto imagined what it'd be like to tell them.
"You with the Yondaime's memories?" Jiraiya would snort. "Yeah, good one."
"Naruto, this is why I told you not to eat ramen all the time," Kakashi would probably say.
"..." Sarutobi would probably stare at him, before having a heart attack.
Naruto shuddered, realising just how likely those responses were. Well, it didn't matter. Maybe he'd just go home and reflect on some more of his old man's memories...
"Foolish student of mine!" exclaimed Jiraiya. "You just toss around your Hiraishin and Rasengan like they're nothing."
"Sensei, sensei," said Minato. "It's part of a complex fighting style. If everyone thinks all I ever use is the Hiraishin and Rasengan, this'll enable me to keep a couple of trump cards hidden up my sleeves."
"You don't have a trump card," sneered Jiraiya.
"Oh, yes I do. But something tells me you don't."
"I have a trump card!" yelled Jiraiya.
"Says the man who is reliant on toads for everything!"
"You little -!"
"Besides, I have a proper trump card!"
"Prove it!"
"Fine, you show yours, I'll show mine!"
There was a sudden torrent of chakra in the training area as the two began to perform their most secret techniques.
"Sage Mode!" yelled Jiraiya, starting up his senjutsu skills, absorbing natural energy from his surroundings, and taking on a more toad-like appearance, and two small elder toads appeared on his shoulders.
Minato stopped. "Wow," he said, transfixed by Jiraiya's new appearance. "Hell, all I was going to do was a stealth ninjutsu attack!"
"Eh?" said one of the elder toads. "Jiraiya-chan, why did you summon us? You're not trying to show off again, are you?"
Minato had started circling Jiraiya. "It's a different kind of chakra...not just physical and mental energy. There's definitely another type of energy!"
Jiraiya looked nervous. Apparently, Minato wasn't going to leave him alone until he had learned about this.
And quicker then someone could say "Hokage", Jiraiya was gone.
Minato blinked. "Hey, wait a minute! Wait!" He yelled, before disappearing in a yellow flash after the hermit.
"No missions for us today," said Minato. "We can all have a day off."
The three genin looked around at each other.
"Day off?" they echoed.
Minato scratched his head. "You know, a free day. No missions. Very short holiday."
"Sensei, what's a holiday?" asked Obito.
Minato blinked. "You kids don't know what a holiday is?" Then, Minato remembered the three had grown up in times of war.
"Well...how about we all-?"
"Talk it over lunch?" interrupted Kakashi.
Minato deflated slightly. "Well, we could just go-"
"For a day outside the village?" interrupted Rin.
"Or maybe-"
"Do some drills?" interrupted Obito.
Minato was silent for a moment. "Maybe-"
"We should just relax for the day?" chorused the three genin.
"Aw, going on a picnic is so boring!" said Kushina, lying back on the grass.
Minato shrugged. "And going out for ramen every single day isn't?"
A rock was thrown past his head. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that," said Kushina, but her voice was more playful rather than menacing.
"Fine with me," replied Minato, his own grin on his face. "Why don't you just enjoy the scenery?"
"All there is a boring waterfall right over there-" Kushina froze for a moment.
"What's the matter? Something wrong?" asked Minato, concerned, leaning over Kushina.
Suddenly, he felt a hand grip the front end of his vest. "Kus-"
And a moment later, he was thrown through the air, heading towards the water. Fortunately, his training kicked in and he self-righted himself, channelling chakra into his feet and landing neatly on the water surface.
Kushina climbed to her feet. "You're no fun!" she complained, seeing Minato not soaking wet.
"Really? How about this?" said Minato, disappearing in a yellow flash, reappearing behind Kushina (using the three-pronged kunai he made sure she was always carrying) and throwing her into the water- and Kushina didn't channel chakra into her feet quickly enough.
Kushina furiously burst out of the water, soaking wet. "Oh, you'll pay for this!"
Minato didn't answer; considering he was too busy laughing.
"You are sleeping on the couch tonight!"
"But it's my house!"
"Don't care!"
The next day saw Naruto about the village early, back at the bathhouse for another training lesson with Jiraiya.
"Hm...wonder where he is? He couldn't have forgotten, not with the beating Gamabunta gave him," pondered Naruto.
"Over here brat- Naruto," grumbled Jiraiya, hopping down from a tree.
"Hey, ero-sensei- I mean, Jiraiya-sensei," replied Naruto.
Jiraiya fumed. "What have I ever done to deserve such a disrespectful student!?"
"Can't imagine," said Naruto. "So, what are we doing today?"
"You choose," said Jiraiya grumpily.
"What?"
"Couldn't think what to train you in."
"Fair enough." Naruto grinned inwardly, knowing he could get Jiraiya to "teach" him Rasengan, and thus have a reason for knowing the jutsu. "Got any high-level ninjutsu...sensei?"
"Maybe. Maybe not," responded Jiraiya.
"Oh, come on!"
"You know how to summon. I don't need to teach you another jutsu. Work on tai or genjutsu...or something."
"I'm terrible with genjutsu! Besides, are you any good with genjutsu?"
"...That's an insulting question! And I don't need to answer it!"
"So you're not. So teach me some cool jutsu! Damnit, everyone knows my fighting style and jutsus!" Naruto was lying now. Minato's memories had revealed a formidable ninjutsu library, and Naruto knew he was more than capable of changing his fighting style entirely.
In fact, most ...critics, for lack of a better word, stated Minato was all-too reliant on his Hiraishin. Not only was that incorrect, it was absolutely ridiculous.
Minato was an expert in ninjutsu, taijutsu and fuinjutsu. He was capable of breaking out of nearly every kind of genjutsu, and very fast even without his Hiraishin. In fact, he rarely used the jutsu unless he was fighting large numbers. When it was one-on-one, it tended to be a waste of chakra.
And that was just his...flashy techniques. Minato was as well-versed in stealth as Jiraiya or Orochimaru. Before he earned the title "Yellow Flash," and in the earlier years of his shinobi career, he was a deadly assassin, famous around the Elemental Countries for his tendency to slice of the left ring finger of his victim.
Heck, Minato even created an alter-ego for his assassin identity, which was good, since it meant he wasn't traced back to Konoha. What was his name...Mumei-something.
Jiraiya thought for a couple of moments. "I know one good ninjutsu I could teach you...but it's a little too much for a simple chuunin exam."
'Damnit!' cursed Naruto in his head, before thinking about a response. "What about that Gaara kid? He was fighting Rock Lee for about twenty minutes, and Lee never got a scratch through that sand armour of his."
"Hm...give me a day to think about this," said Jiraiya, heading off to leave.
"A day? What the hell was the point of training then?"
"Well," said Jiraiya, scratching his head. "When I told you we'll train today...I forgot that I was going to be signing autographs today."
"Autographs- oh, for your books," said Naruto. "You know what, just go. Just go before I hit you."
"Thanks kid!" said Jiraiya, jumping onto a nearby building, using the elevation to get a quick glimpse over the woman's side in the bathhouse. "Don't worry, I'll teach you that ninjutsu tomorrow...but it'll probably take you years to master! Hah!"
'So it is the Rasengan...you are in for one hell of a surprise, sensei,' grinned Naruto, before he frowned. 'Great, now what. I'm not going to spend another day going over dad's memories...'
And to Naruto's surprise, a familiar silver-haired jounin passed by.
Naruto shrugged to himself, and called after Kakashi.
AN: Fairly slow-going, isn't this story? Oh well.
The Mumei-something was a pun on my Elementary fic, on the assassin OC. Couldn't resist- don't worry, the OC isn't going to turn out to be the Yondaime or something.
The whole Uzukaze Minruto thing is just a joke. It'll never be mentioned again.
So, next chapter! What will happen! With two ninja (both whom happen to live in the past), something's bound to go wrong!
Fuck, that's one hell of a rubbish cliff hanger.
As for the next chapter, it may take a month for it to get released. You see, I'm going on holiday. And when I get back, I'm getting one of those new 80GB PS3s, and as you can guess, that means I'll be busy.
...the precious...it's calling us...needs metal gear solid 4...