Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...that's it.
Chapter 8: Life
The moon shone over Naruto in the hot springs in his green boxers. Jirayia smoked a pipe and relaxed himself in the water. Naruto tried to soak in what Pervy Sage told him earlier that day but just couldn't at all. Naruto had a hot towel folded on his head as he lowered himself to his chin in the water. Naruto looked at Jirayia but couldn't find the words to say. Naruto mentally kicked himself and sucked it up.
"Uhhh...Pervy Sage?"
Jirayia blew smoke into the air. "Let me explain to you in a way you can understand. Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki were your parents 19 years back. Minato was my student. I taught him everything he could from me but he went and created the Rasengan after becoming Chunin. He soon grew into the nickname "The Yellow Flash of Konoha" Your father soon became the sensei of your sensei Kakashi. They went on missions together throughout the Third great ninja war. Kakashi was praised and so was Minato so much that Minato became the next in line to be the Fourth Hokage after my sensei, Sarutobi the great third hokage was soon to retire."
Naruto tried to soak it in. "So let me get this straight. You were my dad's sensei who in turn became Kakashi-sensei's sensei who became my sensei? I think I got it right. So what about my mother?"
Jirayia leaned back. "Ahh your mother was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen and I have seen alot of beautiful women in my lifetime." Naruto gave Jirayia a cold stare. Jirayia laughed. "Anyway she had long beautiful hair and cute smile. She was the most beautiful girl in all the Leaf Village. In fact she kinda reminds me of that Hinata girl I've seen you with." Naruto blushed but hid his expression in the water. "Long story short, Minato and Kushina hooked up and married ten months before the fox attack. Kushina soon became pregnant with you and they wanted a name for their strong baby boy."
"So they named me Naruto?" Jirayia laughed. "Well don't you know what Naruto means?" Naruto shook his head. "Well while before I started on my Make-Out Paradise series, I was an inspiring author and did numerous stories of a great hero who saved his land numerous times. I compiled them into one big novel yet I could never find a title for it. So I gave it to your father as gift to celebrate the baby that would soon come into the family. Your father read it and loved it. I personally thought it was crap but he thought of it as a manual for the perfect shinobi. That's what Kushina and Minato wanted for you. I named the great shinobi Naruto, I got it while eating ramen one day and figured the ninja could be named Naruto.
Naruto's expression lit up. "So technically you named me?" Jirayia smiled. "Yep! I'm your godfather shrimp!" Naruto grabbed his head. "Gahh! What were they thinking letting a perverted old goat like you be my godfather!"
Jirayia frowned. Naruto noticed Jirayia's expression and felt sorry. "I'm sorry Pervy Sage, I'm glad you're my godfather." Jirayia bowed his head. "No it's not that. It's what progress after that."
"What?"
"Madara soon unleashed Kyuubi the Nine-Tailed Fox upon the village to claim it as his own. The Fox caused extreme destruction everywhere. It would seem all hope was lost but Minato stood up to the beast on top of Gamabunta's head. It was the day before that your mother died giving birth to you, so Minato thought of a way to make you a honorable hero to the village but sealing the Fox's spirit within you with the Reaper Death Seal Jutsu. The drawback of such a jutsu would be at the cost of his life."
"So my dad died protecting me and the village." Naruto frowned.
Jirayia perked up. "Don't worry about it kid, cause that's where you story began!"
"But why did the villagers hate me if I saved the village?"
"The villagers were idiots. All they care about were themselves and their own selfish deeds, but they did not you were the fourth hokage's son. They may have called you a monster but haven't you prove them wrong? And you can shut them up forever by becoming Hokage. I believe in you Naruto." Jirayia put his hand on Naruto's head.
"Thanks Pervy Sage...I mean Godfather Pervy Sage." Naruto smiled.
Jirayia frowned yet again. "Yeah...how bout we lose the Godfather part and just stick to pervy sage ok Naruto?"
"Sure thing Jirayia!" Naruto giggled. Jirayia looked at Naruto and smiled. "You're father would be proud of you."
Naruto grinned. "So I guess that would explain why you taught me the Summoning Jutsu and the Rasengan huh Pervy Sage?"
Jirayia stood up in his black boxers. "Yep and I have one last thing to show you."
Naruto stood up excited. "What is it! Tell me tell me!" Jirayia tried to calm Naruto down. "Calm down kid, it's something I have been saving for just this occasion." Jirayia jumped out of the water and bit his thumb. As it bled he made a few hand signs and put his hand to the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!" Suddenly a toad poofed with an enlarged mouth. The toad opened its mouth and held out its long tounge with stuff ontop of it. Jirayia threw Naruto a long sleeveless trench coat. Naruto caught it and looked at it. It had red flames at the bottom and the Hokage symbol on the back. "Look in the left pocket." Jirayia pointed. Naruto dug into the left pocket and pulled out a picture of Minato wearing the same trench coat standing beside a beautiful woman who's hair was long and magenta both holding a blonde baby boy at the hospital. "That was taken shortly before your mother died from exhaustion. They really did love you." Jirayia smiled.
Naruto hugged the trench coat and held the picture in his hand trying to reach his parents somehow. Naruto cried. "Don't worry mom and dad. I'll be the greatest shinobi ever just like you wanted." The curse mark on Naruto's stomach appeared and glowed red. Jirayia saw it and pondered. "The boy could finally be merging with the fox within a matter of weeks and with that much power, he could actually be the world's greatest shinobi. I guess Minato made the right choice."
Naruto yawned. Jirayia yawned too, it was contagious. "Well let's hit the hay kid." Naruto nodded and put on his clothes and put the picture in his pants pocket and threw the trench coat on his shoulder. "Ok I have to visit Hinata anyway and see to her training with Neji. See ya in two weeks Pervy Sage and stay outta trouble!" Naruto dashed off into the distance towards his house. Jirayia smiled. "That kid never ceases to amaze me with his stamina." Jirayia laid back down in the hot springs with a towel over his face. "I need a vacation."
Naruto arrived home and slipped into his black t-shirt and grey pajama pants and jumped into his bed and slept like a log.
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Hinata was outside in the training field attacking the ninja dummy. She had been there all day since she left the Hospital. She wasn't about to stop either. She had to get stronger even if it killed her. "I must get stronger and live up to my father's wish. I want to be strong enough to protect the ones who are most precious to me just like Naruto-kun."
Hanabi watched from the treetops. Her sister had been training her butt off. Hanabi was impressed of her big sister's determination and maybe she should be doing the same. Hanabi silently dashed home leaving her sister to train in peace.
Neji stood at Hizashi's grave and thought to himself. Neji smiled. "Birds always find their freedom huh father? I only wish you could be here standing with me, but I know your spirit watches over me." Neji placed a flower with the rest that had been placed there before. "It's been a long time since your death father, but your son has a dream to fulfill. To protect not just the main branch of the Hyuga clan but everyone in the Hyuga clan both Main and Branch." Neji walked away from the grave to head home to Tenten who had promised him a nice dinner that night.
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Tsunade sat in the Hokage office reading a book with glasses she had picked up. It was a romance novel she had always wanted to read, but never had time to. Since everyone down at the hospital was patched up and all the Hokage chores were done, she had time to read. Tsunade sighed. That book of romance made her feel all lonely inside. She put her elbow on the desk and laid on her hand still reading under the desk lamp. Now she was bored and lonely. "Where's that perverted idiot when you need him." Tsunade sighed again and flipped through another page and kept reading. "Well it had been six years since I've seen the perv and maybe i've grown fond of him in that time? Nah! he's too busy with researching to pay attention to me. Just forget it Tsunade! I have a perfectly good book to read." Tsunade ignored her loneliness and continued reading.
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Shikamaru, Temari and Gaara watched Choji eat loads and loads of barbecue. Temari and Shikamaru chilled at the restaurant while Gaara chatted with Choji although not much conversation was made cause Choji had too many short ribs to speak. Lee walked in and sat beside Gaara and joined the conversation with his friend. It was late but no one cared, it was nice to relax for once.
Sasuke and Sakura laid in their bed in each other's embrace. Sasuke slept soundly but Sakura stayed up trying to remember something. "I can't help but think we're forgetting something. What is it?" Sakura nudged Sasuke to wake him up. "Sasuke-kun? What's tomorrow's date?"
Sasuke yawned. "It would be the 10th of October tomorrow."
"Oh..." Sakura and Sasuke both closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Suddenly both sprung up in their beds and looked at each other just realizing what tomorrow was. Sakura ran to the calender posted up on the wall and looked at the circled date, October 10th. She looked at Sasuke and they both said the same thing.
"Holy crap! It's Naruto's 19th birthday tomorrow!"
